Killing Dao Fruit
Chapter 770 - 618: Greedy Wolf Fate, Standoff Between North and South

Chapter 770: Chapter 618: Greedy Wolf Fate, Standoff Between North and South

In Jiangzhou, located to the south of Dai State, lies Peace City by the banks of the Heavenly Barrier River.

It is only separated by a single river from Tianjing City, the capital of Huai State, which is now occupied by the No-Life Dao—the former lies to the north of the Heavenly Barrier River while the latter is to the south.

The land of Red County Shenzhou has been a battleground since ancient times.

Countless examples of warfare and analyses of terrain fill the military texts written by the predecessor Martial Saints.

Any Dao General well-versed in Military Skill would know the strategy of the southern powers: "to defend the river, first defend Huai," meaning to guard the Heavenly Barrier River, one must first secure the Huai River to the north.

Every southern power with plans to govern by dividing the river could not overlook this land that was essential for military strategists.

Similarly, no northern power aspiring to unify the realm could bypass this area and head straight for the Heavenly Barrier River.

Of course, it’s also necessary to mention—

Looking back on the history of Red County Shenzhou, after the southern region’s development, every great unification has involved a major battle between the south and the north of the Jiangnan and Jiangbei areas.

Yet, only the dynasty of Great Yan truly managed to unify the north under the southern regime.

Peace City, serving as a bridgehead connecting the north and south banks, has repeatedly witnessed countless wars between various vassals since the collapse of Great Yan.

Some sought to use it as a strategic barrier, some waited to sell it at a price, while others coveted this feng shui treasure land of traffic between south and north...

"Idlers pass as if combing through, soldiers as if riddling, officials as if shaving."

After repeated devastations from wars, this city, once extremely prosperous, has completely fallen into ruin.

All the wealthy families with connections had long since fled, leaving it spotlessly empty.

Apart from the "Wolf Banner Army" stationed in the city, the other lowly commoners were merely struggling to survive on the brink of death.

"Heh..."

In a shanty made of decayed wood and mats at the base of the city wall, a sallow-skinned woman slowly awoke from beside the rudimentary stove.

Although she was emaciated to the point of disfigurement, her belly was weirdly swollen and round.

Even as the woman opened her eyes, it seemed as if hallucinations materialized; some items in the shelter appeared extremely large, while others became extremely small.

The bizarre and varied scene made her already dizzy head from extreme hunger even more vertiginous.

"I can’t, Tiger still has a high fever. I must go out to beg again, see if I can find some food..."

The small shelter was home not only to the woman but also to her two-year-old son.

They were once from a wealthy family, accustomed to mending bridges and roads, setting up shelters, and distributing porridge, but were left destitute and rendered homeless by those who had turned vile with "innate evil."

After the mother and son barely escaped, they became refugees fleeing the famine.

When it rains, it pours.

The son caught a cold and became severely ill.

In recent days, the woman subsisted on Goddess Earth to survive. The roots she dug up, reluctant to eat herself, were all cooked into a paste to feed her son, causing her to faint from hunger just now.

She knew that her ill son could definitely not survive on roots alone.

Just as she was struggling to go out and beg for some human food, her mind went blank.

Turning her head, she was delighted to find that a dog had somehow run into the shelter!

Without hesitation, she picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at the dog.

Mustering her emaciated body, she set up a clay pot and stewed a pot of meat.

When she turned to call her son to eat the meat, she was horrified to find... her son was gone.

In a panic, the woman rushed out to search for him but suddenly felt an overwhelming rush of anxiety, and her vision went dark before she collapsed to the ground, never to get up again.

Outside the shanty, a giant black owl descended as if following the scent of death.

Observing the tragic scene before it, it gently flapped its wings and gathered the two frail souls beneath them.

"Alas, I grant you to be mother and child again in the Underworld."

Even though he had seen too many tragedies, he couldn’t help but take a deep sigh at that moment.

He then shook his head vigorously, reinvigorating his spirit:

"Cheap pity is the least helpful; solving the root of the problem is the true principle.

This part of the world has been sick for far too long.

If good and evil go unrewarded, Heaven and Earth must be partial!

Master has safely returned from the Ancestor Dragon Imperial Mausoleum and is preparing to reestablish the order of the Yin Yang realms of Heaven and Earth, setting up the Dragon Qi Prohibition 3.0 to bridge both worlds.

To reward good and punish evil, to make ’future life’s retribution’ become ’present life’s retribution’ in Red County Shenzhou!

If one does good deeds, they shall receive good retribution; if one does evil, they shall face due punishment. Reward good with good, retribute evil with evil.

Now, no one can stop the progress of Yin Mountain Taoism.

For our Master’s grand vision and all our fellow Taoists, we shall live and die without regret!"

With that, he took flight, circling the entirety of Peace City, yet no one within the city could detect anything unusual about the owl.

Down in the alleyways beneath him—

The business at Vegetable People Market was booming; some people walking along the streets suddenly fell down, lifeless...

Meanwhile, generals amidst the Chaotic Army slept soundly on beds of gold and silver, holding their delicate concubines...

He took one last look at the Peace City Government Office, occupied by the Wolf Banner Army.

The abundant Qi-Blood of the [Martial Saint] was like a scorching sun. Even he, as a Yellow Seal Mage of the [Earth Essence] realm, could not bear it.

Not daring to approach any closer, he could only glimpse from afar the blood-red debt cloud above, forming a giant black and red wolf, causing his eyes to narrow.

"Hearing is false, seeing is believing; this man is indeed full of evil and not to be recruited. He must be killed once war breaks out!"

Clearly, scouting military intelligence was the main purpose of Zhu Bo’an’s visit to Peace City.

Now, for the Immortal Ascension Ritual of Wang Yuan, all strategic focuses of Yin Mountain Taoism have converged on the unification of Divine Land, putting aside other affairs like the Heaven and Earth Bank to a later priority.