Killing Dao Fruit
Chapter 170 - 167: Here I Come to Steal Grain, Young Master Xue is Critically Ill

Chapter 170: Chapter 167: Here I Come to Steal Grain, Young Master Xue is Critically Ill

On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in Yunhe County, at Ningxiang Restaurant.

Today was supposed to be the joyful Mid-Autumn Festival of reunion, but in Yunhe County, which thrived on sea trade and attracted merchants from foreign lands and even other countries, there were countless wanderers unable to return home.

There was no need to worry about such a situation, though. Even if they couldn’t go home, there were places like Ningxiang Restaurant to comfort those lonely hearts.

Among those who came to patronize were the four Imperial Dragon Guard colonels who had just finished transforming the Mountain Spirit Temple into a government office and were preparing to celebrate their successful relocation!

The four men, dressed in casual clothes, were mingling in a corner of the main hall.

"Come on, cheers! Cheers!"

"Old Yuan actually managed to get some authentic Monkey Wine from the mountains, giving us brothers a chance to feast. Here’s to Old Yuan."

"It’s nothing, hahaha..."

In the midst of laughter, the men couldn’t help but be drawn to the stage in the center of the main hall.

The advantage of a small place is that it doesn’t bother with pretentious acts of art without charm, only to leave customers feeling like they got their money’s worth.

After all, when proper gentlemen go to such establishments to listen to music, who’s really there to compose poetry and engage in elegant conversation?

Moreover, Yunhe County enjoys a geographic benefit.

Thanks to the booming sea trade and frequent commerce with surrounding countries, the establishments here have not only the gentle and soft-bodied women of Great Yan, but also colorful-eyed beauties filled with exotic charm.

At this moment, in the center of the main hall, a group of fair-skinned, beautiful dancers with different colored eyes were dancing gracefully.

Their passionate and unrestrained dance moves were distinctly different from the local, demure style.

Every move they made was blatantly seductive, causing even the most experienced of lotharios to silently cry for help!

Boom, boom, boom...

Keeping time with the beat of the drums.

Six beautiful dancers with veils covering their faces let their curly hair fall loose, their passionate eyes shimmering like water in their varied hues.

Standing on tiptoes, they twisted their slender waists, which were no more than a handful, dancing merrily like enchanting snakes.

Especially the leader of the group, who stood out with her remarkable appearance.

Chestnut hair, light blue eyes, dressed in exotic clothing – cool yet beguiling.

The top was like a snakeskin, made up of small red pieces linked together, while on the bottom was a bright red lantern skirt made of semi-translucent fabric.

The waist of the skirt sat just below her curvaceous navel but above her round hips, revealing her soft and slender white waistline for all to see.

When she twisted her waist rapidly, a sparkling red gem hanging from her belly button also swayed gently, capturing everyone’s gaze and making it impossible to look away.

As the dancing girl spun and swung her hips,

The gold beads and bells attached to her belt collided, chiming a clear and pleasing sound.

Moreover, from the thigh, the side of the red lantern skirt was slit right down to the ankle, revealing her jade-like long legs in a captivating and seductive display.

The upper levels of Great Yan were still dominated by Confucianism and the thriving Li Philosophy. Most of the guests here had never seen such open attitudes and alluring sights.

Even the colonels of the Imperial Dragon Guard, who had seen many demonesses, involuntarily held their breath.

Only when the dance ended and the dancers temporarily left the stage did Yuan Lang, still longing for more, wave his hands magnanimously at his brothers:

"When we finish the wine later, you can pick anyone you fancy.

If you can hook up with that colorful-eyed beauty known far and wide as an ’Oiran’, it’ll be a testament to your own skills. No matter how much silver it costs, I’ll reimburse you at the government office!"

Although there were two novices among them who had just entered the profession, the only one who truly hadn’t weathered major storms was Gao Minghan himself.

This young man, who had always followed his mentor’s admonition against consorting with women, blushed and whispered softly:

"Old Yuan, I... I’ll pass.

I just wanted to ask, can we really expense our liaisons at the Imperial Dragon Guard?"

He couldn’t help but feel that his senior brothers from the Qilin Sect who had served in the Imperial Dragon Guard for many years had been innocently short-changed.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Yuan Lang smacked him on the head:

"Nonsense. What liaisons? How could we, who have official positions, set an example by frequenting brothels?

We’re infiltrating the dirty alleys, seeking out demons and spirits lurking in the dark and sometimes even gambling our lives by feeding the monsters!

Remember, when you record it, it’s ’intelligence expenses.’ Don’t just blurt out whatever comes to mind at such a young age."

The group, having played truant from their duties for over ten days without the slightest remorse, were even planning to use public funds for... not prostitution, but intelligence gathering.

Why else do they say bureaucracy is the end of the world?

Qiu Shaobai, sipping the Monkey Wine, turned to the crestfallen Gao Minghan with a smirk and said:

"Little Ming, you can leave first later. Use the fragrance of Ningxiang Restaurant to continue refining your Qilin Arm that’s been twenty years in the making.

However, I think the ones needing reimbursement tomorrow will only be Old Yuan and me.

With Old Wang relying on his looks, he probably has never spent a penny in a brothel in his life, hahaha..."

Wang Yuan, who had been enjoying the spectacle, shuddered at the words and quickly looked around, denying it:

"It’s not me, I didn’t, don’t talk nonsense!"

Yet he thought to himself:

’You beasts insisted on dragging me to this place, teeming with utmost danger.

We would all be dead if not for the full moon tonight, as the little ghost is busy at home practicing her techniques, and that bell didn’t follow us either.

Otherwise, everyone in this brothel... would be dead!!!’

Arriving in Yunhe County, more than ten days slipped by in the blink of an eye.

I don’t know if it’s because the Imperial Dragon Guard had just arrived in Yunhe County, Haining, and took down the Mountain Spirit Temple, which even among the many demons had formidable strength, with thunderous measures.

Various caves and temples on the evil path across the two territories all quieted down at once.

During this period, the cultivation world was calm and tranquil, without even a single incident of demons running out to harm people.

Even more peaceful than before the "Dragon Qi Prohibition" had contracted.

After all, in the eyes of that group of demons on the evil path, the sound of the "Demon Suppression General Cannon" that night resounded for dozens of miles, reverberating repeatedly over the mountains and in their hearts.

Although they had not seen the outcome with their own eyes.

But the Mountain Spirit of the temple and that large group of Golden Jade Demons, after that night, had never appeared again, even their foundational assets were taken over; wasn’t that the Imperial Dragon Guard’s doing?

The group of "Dragon Lords" on the Turbid River stretch hadn’t received any new instructions from the No-Life Dao or the White Sun Bodhisattva either.

Under Wang Yuan’s strict constraints, they naturally didn’t think anymore about devouring a pair of young boys and girls every ten days.

Instead, they diligently borrowed the "Earth God Talisman" to act as the "Dragon Lords," solving problems for the people along the way, earning Yin Morality to cleanse their debts.

They also took the opportunity to dredge the water veins, clear the riverbed silt, and little by little gathered the villagers’ incense, embarking on the orthodox path of an Earth God’s cultivation.

It’s a pity that all these actions weren’t done willingly but because they were constrained by Wang Yuan’s "Life-Saving Money."

Therefore, almost all of the Yin Morality and incense they obtained ended up with Wang Yuan, leaving very little for themselves.

All these were within expectations.

The only thing that puzzled Wang Yuan was this.

More than ten days have passed since the night of the dyke break.

But ever since Young Master Xue got the report from the Water Patrol General Zheng Wan that the "Dragon King" on the Turbid River was acting up under the No-Life Dao’s orders,

He hadn’t shown any intention of clearing away the many Dragon King Temples along the Turbid River to vent his anger.

On the contrary, it was as if he was completely unaware, tacitly accepting the fact that the fields were only submerged by seventy percent.

Of course, it’s also possible that the subsequent development of the "exchange grain for land" far exceeded the expectations of everyone in the Dengzhou government circles.

They just didn’t have the energy to find trouble with others anymore.

Now, the streets and alleys of the entire Dengzhou Prefecture are all talking about this strange and unusual event that happened right by them.

Even in this pleasure quarter, it’s the hottest topic of conversation.

"What do you think, is this hero ’I Am Here’ male or female, human or ghost?"

"Whether male, female, ghost, or demon, he is definitely more human than those bigwigs in the government office!"

"Exactly! Because of this hero ’I Am Here,’ there is not a single person selling land in the nine counties, and now those bigwigs must be going mad, haha..."

This matter starts with the top priority of the mansion recently—the strategy of "exchange grain for land."

Those grain merchants and landlords with backers, holding their grain, wanted to take advantage of the disaster to plunder, exchanging it for land at a low price.

Who knew that a heroic thief had recently appeared in Dengzhou, targeting precisely these grain merchants and wealthy households to steal their stockpiled grain.

Not just stealing handful by handful, but somehow, whole storehouses at a time!

What’s more, as if they had the ability to duplicate themselves, in just one night they robbed over a hundred granaries across Dengzhou Prefecture’s vast 640 miles.

And on the wall of each storehouse, they left written the words "I Am Here."

At first, everyone was just watching the show, taking pleasure in the misfortune of these bullies.

But then, many suffering villagers encountered, in a foggy night, a "Ghost Market" as ethereal as clouds and mist.

At normal years’ prices, they were able to buy enough grain from a beautiful "fairy" dressed in blue and white to last their family until the next harvest.

When the villagers got home, wasn’t that the same grain lost by the big households?

As a result, the policy of "exchange grain for land" was stillborn.

And the people of Dengzhou were delighted, each and every one.

As grain prices stabilized, however, the price of incense candles surged because everyone in Dengzhou was lighting incense and kowtowing for the life-saving "I Am Here."

Everyone hailed him as a heroic thief.

The common people sought justice and didn’t get it, hence someone took on the cause of righteousness, helping those in need!

Sought personal freedom and didn’t get it, hence someone broke the cage, a free spirit revenging and befriending!

Sought self-realization and didn’t get it, hence without destruction there’s no establishment, recreating a new sky!

In the eyes of the rulers, there’s no distinction between white path, black path, knights, or fierce bandits; all these people are instabilities in society, only endangering the rule of the dynasty.

But in the eyes of ordinary people, the knight, who happily seeks vengeance and friendship, is the last hope for protecting justice and fairness.

Unrelated to resources, power, status, money... a common man’s anger splashes blood three feet high!

The disaster-stricken commoners were happy, the onlooking spectators were happy, and Wang Yuan, watching his "Yin Morality" soar, was naturally very happy too.

But some people just couldn’t find joy.

Just as Yuan Lang and Qiu Shaobai were beginning to call over some girls to head to Wushan together, putting Wang Yuan himself into a state of inner turmoil,

Thump, thump, thump...

An Iron Claw Sparrow knocked on the window beside them, bringing a message that made them look at each other in disbelief.

"Young Master Xue critically ill? Summoning the Imperial Dragon Guard Magician from within Dengzhou Prefecture to make a diagnosis?"

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