AWB Chapter 721 Crisis (8)
Chapter 721 Crisis (8)
Chapter 721 Crisis (Part 8)
After all, the core of the "cultivating demonic path" is to transplant demonic organs into oneself, devour and fuse them into one, thereby imitating demonic techniques and mastering martial arts.
If the demon remains are too fresh... there's too much demonic energy left on them...
The true energy might not be able to be suppressed, leading to the failure of the demonic cultivation and possession by a demon. It could even turn one into a monster that is neither human nor ghost.
Unfortunately, Han Yi insisted on having this kind.
Sun Wuya and Bi Zhi had no choice but to obey.
Those two really lost out on this trip.
I thought it would be a simple assessment, something to do while relaxing on vacation. But instead of the assessment, I got beaten up and then extorted a huge sum of my valuable contribution money before leaving.
"They've accumulated so many contributions but can't use them. If something happens and they die unexpectedly, then all those missions will have been for nothing..." Han Yi said with a smile.
"I'm doing this for their own good, so they won't regret it when they're dying because they haven't used up all their contributions... But anyway, this Grandmaster's Guild is really a good place for me..."
Han Yi felt a surge of emotion.
All the channels through which he had previously collected demonic energy had been severed for various reasons.
Either the person is dead, or they have gone missing.
Furthermore, Fan Hongchou is now implementing new policies and reforms, intending to clean up the atmosphere in Yunzhou.
The various underground forces all shrank back, no longer daring to act as openly as usual. For a moment, Han Yi really couldn't replenish his demonic energy.
The Grandmasters' Gathering was like timely rain, bringing much-needed relief.
He smiled, and with a thought, he drew upon the remaining demonic energy in his palm.
Immediately, a layer of white mist emerged, and the cool, slightly eerie demonic energy quickly took effect.
"Yes...that's the feeling..." Han Yi couldn't help but hum softly, a look of satisfaction on his face.
The strange phenomenon lasted only a few breaths before the white mist quickly disappeared.
"It's a pity... this demonic energy isn't fresh enough; it's a bit old and corroded... If it were a freshly cut hand, it would taste even better..." he said with some regret.
As one absorbs more demonic energy, one naturally accumulates experience.
Like the Blood Demon we encountered last time, the quality of the demonic energy we absorbed on the spot was top-notch.
Secondly, they are stored in special containers or buried deep underground, isolated from air, in antiques and curios that have not been unearthed for thousands of years.
The worst is the Grandmasters' Guild.
It is unknown how many days it has been dead, but it was specially preserved using secret techniques for research purposes.
The demonic energy was not only of poor quality, but also had a strange smell.
This hand, with half of it severed, was said to have been delivered in the most recent batch, but it's estimated to have been there for at least several dozen days.
However, Han Yi had no other choice but to grit his teeth and force it down.
“And these little bugs…” He looked at the other box with a hint of helplessness.
"It's really a bit too small..."
Han Yi used two fingers to pick up the four-winged flying insect.
He opened his mouth wide and tossed it away easily.
Crunch. Chicken flavor, super crunchy.
Han Yi casually chewed a couple of bites, then his eyes lit up.
The little insect may look ugly, but it actually tastes alright.
The most crucial point is that the amount of demonic energy absorbed this time was more than double that of the remaining hand.
It's possible that it originally contained a lot of demonic energy, or it's possible that it was digested better and more thoroughly after being fully chewed.
Of course, no matter how much demonic energy it contained, it was nothing to Han Yi; it was just a drop in the ocean.
With his current strength, even a slight improvement would require consuming a massive amount of demonic energy.
Fortunately, with the Grandmasters Association as a new channel, the money has accumulated slowly over time and is now a considerable sum.
As for the contribution points and similar items needed for redemption...
At worst, he could ask ** for help. If that didn't work, he could make another trip to find Bi Zhi and Sun Wuya.
Let's have a friendly competition.
Thinking of this, Han Yi slowly smiled and walked away.
……………
Inside the Flower Lake Courtyard, in a secluded room.
Zhong Yunxiu, Gongsun Jing, and Zhang Ruoning sat upright together.
These three are now the true high-ranking members of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect.
What could make these three giants put aside their work to discuss something is definitely not a trivial matter.
In addition to these three, three guest elders, Lan Mei, Le Changdao, and Zhang Lan, were also sitting to the side, their expressions solemn.
With a creak, the door opened, and Han Yi strode in, leading Zhong Han with him.
boom!
The door was slammed shut, and the room immediately dimmed.
The candlelight on the table flickered a few times, and the shadows cast on the wall suddenly became distorted.
"Everyone's here, let's discuss it," Han Yi said calmly, settling into the main seat.
"Let me tell you about my recent situation first..." He glanced at Zhong Han.
The latter understood, stepped forward, and took out a book: "The government army has sent word that a mission will be issued soon."
This time... they've requested that we increase the supply of wolf beasts, intensify the training of our disciples, and provide primary assistance should any military expeditions be undertaken.
“Main force?!” Zhang Ruoning was stunned. “What do you mean? Their army is strong and well-equipped, with so many people guarding there. Do they still need us as the main force? Isn’t this going back on our word?” “It’s because the casualties among our officers and soldiers have been quite high recently.” Han Yi said calmly, “**I’ve revealed the inside story. Some people think that our Ten Thousand Beasts Sect is just taking salaries and not doing any work, and they can’t stand it anymore.”
"I think this was Fan Hongchou's idea," Zhang Ruoning sneered. "If it weren't for his tacit approval, would anyone else dare to do this?"
"Perhaps," Han Yi didn't deny her. "The most urgent thing is to consider how to deal with this. Should we accept the order honestly, or play along?"
“Following orders without question is certainly not an option.” Zhang Ruoning shook her head. “Every one of the elites sent out by our Ten Thousand Beasts Sect is hard-won and difficult to train. Losing even one of them would be a great loss. Giving up all our resources to serve the government is not worth it in my opinion.”
"How about this... only increase the number of wolf beasts on the surface, while keeping the number of truly elite disciples unchanged. We can have experienced disciples mentor new ones, with outer court disciples temporarily posing as elite disciples. This would also be considered following orders," Gongsun Jing suggested.
“Just pretending to be polite doesn’t seem to work either…” Lan Mei, who was carrying a large bow and had a petite face, said helplessly, “Every time the three of us lead a team on an expedition, someone is watching us in the dark. If there is any delay, it will be noted down immediately.”
If you don't obey these overt orders, you're likely to be targeted and get into trouble soon. At that time…”
This trio had previously served in the military and were now leading Shadow Hall disciples, responsible for going out to fight.
The current military forces are very different from those of the past.
Under Fan Hongchou's leadership, their methods became increasingly ruthless and radical, inspiring fear in others.
“Yes…” Zhang Ruoning sighed, “If we disobey orders… who knows… our Ten Thousand Beasts Sect… will immediately become the next target, to be used as an example to warn others.”
After she finished speaking, everyone in the room fell silent.
The crisis facing the Myriad Beasts Sect was actually noticed by everyone. For some time now, things have been calm and peaceful on the surface.
The interior is rife with undercurrents and lurking dangers.
After eliminating most of the so-called "evil forces," the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect has now become the target of everyone's criticism.
On the surface, they had an equal cooperative relationship with the government.
They possess complete management authority over internal sect affairs, and can also travel outside the sect to handle official business in the name of the government.
It appears to be no different from any other place.
They were actually at the forefront of controversy, dancing on the edge of a knife.
Once power is lost, it will attract a great deal of retaliation.
"Speaking of which... which faction was this time tasked with clearing them out?" Zhang Ruoning asked, remembering something. "If I remember correctly, there shouldn't be any factions still resisting in this area..."
“South of Huayang, in Fengcheng, there’s the Bamboo Union Gang,” Zhong Han replied.
"The Bamboo Union?" Zhang Ruoning was taken aback. "Is that the Four Dragons Gang from before?"
"Yes. It's the Four Dragons Gang that changed its name."
"The Bamboo Union...didn't they already receive the documents and declare that they would obey official orders, and even change their name for it...? How come..." Zhang Ruoning asked, puzzled, "why are they still being targeted by the government troops, who are demanding that everything be wiped out?"
She didn't know much about the Bamboo Union, but she knew the Four Dragons Gang very well.
The Four Dragons Gang controls a type of jade bamboo resource, which is very helpful for the cultivation of true skills at the Dance Willow Academy.
When Jingtianzhuang was still in existence, she had dealt with this gang quite a bit.
“It’s true that the documents are signed and belong to the government… but this time… I heard that the government army is demanding that the Bamboo Union Gang… hand over all of its Jade Bamboo resources, and that the quarterly output be handed over to the government for unified purchase and distribution… and…” Zhong Han said with a wry smile.
"what?!"
Before she could finish speaking, Zhang Ruoning's voice suddenly rose, interrupting her statement.
"Has the government army gone mad? The fact that various forces have acknowledged their subordinate status and cooperated is already more than enough. What, do they really want others to sincerely submit? To truly bow down and become vassals?"
Huayang, as a major city in Yunzhou, is surrounded by more than a dozen smaller cities.
There are at least dozens of forces, large and small, including cities, towns, castles, and bunkers in the surrounding area.
After taking down a few ringleaders, most of the remaining ones actually saw the situation clearly and lowered their heads.
In their view, as long as they outwardly submit and appear compliant, and temporarily yield, things will gradually return to normal as time goes by. Just like when Jingtian Manor was still in power and ruled this area.
Short-term obedience, following orders, and that's how you get through it.
The camp remains, but the soldiers come and go.
Jingtian Manor, which claimed to be one of the five major powers and was the local overlord, fell apart overnight.
Disciples and followers either died or fled, leaving only a few remnants in the end.
Now the government troops have arrived, promulgated new policies, and suppressed everything.
In fact, it's no different from what Jingtianzhuang did in the past.
All these purges were merely attempts to establish authority and solidify a ruling position.
Making an example of someone to scare others, after a few outspoken individuals fall, the so-called reforms...
That should be the end of it.
Endure it and it will pass.
"Judging from the government's attitude... it seems they really think that way... everything must be done according to the document..." Zhong Han sighed.
"Not only was a delivery date for the Jade Bamboo set, but the Bamboo Union was also required to hand over the cultivation methods and allocate dedicated personnel to receive qualified children in the city who had passed the aptitude tests, and to impart all their knowledge to them..."
“This… the Bamboo Union would never agree to this…” Zhang Ruoning shook his head. “If we really followed the order, it would be digging our own grave… destroying the foundation of the gang. It would be strange if the Bamboo Union agreed.”
The document personally drafted by Fan Hongchou outlined three main tasks that needed to be addressed.
First, they must hand over the list of members, specifying their identities, status, and strength. Second, they must hand over all resources, such as meat farms, shops, and various industries.
Thirdly, it involves inheritance, including but not limited to ordinary martial arts and the true skills of martial arts masters.
Of course, content is content.
In practice, however, that's a different story.
Of these three items, the first one is relatively easy to handle; it simply requires a little effort to fabricate a few things.
However, the remaining two items touch upon the core issues and damage fundamental interests.
No matter which leader it is, they would never agree to it.
So they only agreed on the surface, but didn't really take it seriously.
It involves such a large scope and so many people.
Everyone disobeyed orders, and the law does not punish the masses, so who can do anything about it?
The stability of a region ultimately depends on these local strongmen to maintain it.
No matter how strong Fan Hongchou was, he couldn't possibly exterminate them all; he couldn't possibly do everything himself.
The result was roughly as expected.
In the early stages, the government troops focused their main efforts on eliminating some stubborn forces.
Later, when the situation stabilized, no one mentioned these three matters again.
These smaller forces became even more certain.
All talk and no action; the so-called reforms... ultimately came to nothing.