Chapter 066 – Chilling Consequences of Defeat

Immediately after, Zhao Chunxin led Li Yuan on a tour of the inner district to introduce him to its basic layout.

The inner district was markedly different from the outer district. It lacked taverns, brothels, marketplaces, and any kind of entertainment venues. Here, compared to the bustling outer district, the atmosphere was quiet and safe, a luxury nearly unheard of in these chaotic times.

As for the individual households, their exact conditions were uncertain, but one could assume that beauties, dancing girls, musicians, and cooks were in ample supply, so that residents could enjoy themselves right at home.

Moreover, the living spaces here were quite spacious and set far apart.

In total, the inner district comprised 42 buildings. Excluding the Blood Fury Hall, the puppet pavilion and demon enclosure, there were only 39 family residences.

Blood Fury Hall served as the primary venue for the Blood Blade Sect’s major gatherings. Meanwhile, true to their names, the puppet pavilion and demon enclosure were used to store combat puppets and keep demonic beasts.

Although puppets, given the terrain, might lack the agility needed for swift attacks, they provided extremely stable defenses when prearranged. As for the demon beasts, keeping them confined was manageable. But if unleashed, they were like ticking time bombs.

It was a dual threat that deterred the weaker forces from launching an attack, knowing the enemy could rely on both puppet defenses and an explosive counterstrike.

Among those 39 households were also the residences of the sect master, deputy sect master, four elders, and three enforcers. Senior Li, who was frequently away, had an empty residence reserved for him.

In effect, there were only 30 households available for the inner disciples. Naturally, these 30 residences were on the smaller side, while the nine residences reserved for the sect master and his immediate circle were considerably larger.

Each household’s master could accommodate servants and relatives. But if any of them wished to leave the compound, there were only two options. Either the master would escort them personally, or they had to present an official travel permit. Outsiders seeking entry were subject to the same rules. As for the permit, it required Elder Liu’s signature, the day’s secret seal, and the official stamp.

As they strolled and chatted, after completing their circuit of the inner district, an inner disciple hurried over from a distance. He handed Li Yuan a long box and two tokens before rushing off, clearly in a hurry.

Li Yuan examined the items. One was a golden token bearing the number 26, and the other, a token with a black-and-white ring pattern, also displayed the number 26.

Zhao Chunxin explained, “That black-and-white token is the identification badge for inner disciples. During our battle with the Wei Family, four disciples lost their lives; otherwise, your number would have been 30.”

“Is that so...” Li Yuan nodded thoughtfully.

Zhao Chunxin suddenly asked, “I heard you’re married. Is that true?”

Li Yuan replied, “Don’t try to dissuade me. My wife and I share a deep, unwavering bond. I’d never part with her.”

At a loss for words, Zhao Chunxin could only say, “I hope this doesn’t interfere with your training. And be sure to bring her into the inner district as soon as possible. You’ll also need to register her at Elder Liu’s residence. There’s so much to handle.”

“Thank you,” Li Yuan said gratefully.

“Hmm. If you need anything else, just come find me. My house isn’t far from yours. Later, I’ll have the maids from my family drive a carriage to pick you up, take you out of the outer district, and help you move in. She’ll also tell you where my place is,” Zhao Chunxin explained with a warm smile. After clasping her fists in farewell, she added, “That’s all for now. I have some business to attend to.”

“Many thanks. Take care,” Li Yuan said as he watched her leave. He then glanced back toward the direction of the meat field.

Truthfully, when he broke through from ninth rank to eighth rank, he had come to understand just how vital demonic beast meat was for cultivation. It took him three months to break through to eighth rank, while reaching the peak happened in but an instant.

For an ordinary martial artist, however, advancing from early to peak eighth rank would normally take three years. And during those years, you’d have to continuously use demonic beast meat along with cultivation techniques to accumulate shadow blood. Only then could true advancement be achieved.

Li Yuan could only imagine how much ninth rank demonic beast meat a person would have to consume over those three years. And the requirements for eighth rank demonic beast meat was even greater! How many people could afford that?

Furthermore, eighth rank meat was currently in short supply. While ninth rank meat could serve as a substitute to a degree, its efficacy dropped dramatically. And after a certain point, it would no longer be effective at all.

And then there was that astonishing blood-colored meat field...

Li Yuan’s entire worldview expanded in an instant. Yet he wasn’t overly pessimistic. Every challenge in cultivation for him was just a matter of breaking through to the next level.

After that, all he had to do was allocate his stat points, and he could achieve greatness in the blink of an eye. He skipped the need for intermediate resources altogether, bouncing from breakthrough to breakthrough.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

After a while, two women riding a massive ox-cart appeared on the road ahead.

“Young Master Li, we’re the maids sent by Zhao Chunxin. I’m Hong Gang, and this is Lan Gang. Are you leaving for the outer district now?” one of the women asked.

Li Yuan glanced over at the two women. Each had 8~9 hovering over their heads, indicating that they were nearly on par with Qian Da.

He simply nodded and said, “Yes. I’m leaving right now for the Ginger Tavern. I appreciate the help.”

The two women quickly replied, “It’s fine! We’re only doing our jobs.”

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Clack... Clack... Clack...

The ox cart’s wheels turned steadily as it rolled out of the inner district.

One of the maids glanced back and called, “Young Master Li, we’re almost there.”

Li Yuan answered softly and leaned back against the cart’s side, his eyes closed as he rested.

Suddenly, an inexplicable clamor arose from ahead.

The sound of wheels creaking mingled with the dull thumping of iron chains. Amid the noise, distinct voices began to filter through.

“That’s the Third Miss of the Wei Family locked up in that cage! They’re really taking her to the black market to be sold?”

“Indeed, that’s her! It’s the Peerless Jade Sword. Isn’t she one of the Wei Family’s ninth rank prodigies? You rarely even get a glimpse of her.”

“Beautiful...absolutely beautiful... Tsk tsk tsk... So gorgeous! How wonderful it must be to have money. Who do you think will pay to buy her? Imagine the delight when she gets home!”

“Look over there. Everyone, check it out!”

“Those Wei scoundrels deserve it. They unleashed those demonic beasts and threw Silver Creek into chaos... Serves them right!”

Sensing that the ox cart had come to a stop, Li Yuan raised his hand and gently lifted the cart’s curtain to peek outside.

He saw several other ox carts passing along the street, each laden with cages. The cage bars, corroded with rust and towering over two meters, contained some women and a few strapping young men.

But the most eye-catching sight was at the very front of the caravan. There, a woman in white sat confined. She had delicate features, a slender waist, and an almost ethereal fox-like presence.

Her long hair, tied up with a bejeweled hairpin, cascaded gracefully over her rounded shoulders and across her chest. Yet her eyes were empty, fixed blankly on something far off, as if her future were as bleak and tragic as the look in her gaze.

Li Yuan turned his head slightly and sighed inwardly, choosing not to dwell on the scene. He waited quietly in the stillness as the ox cart remained parked. Only after the caravan and the crowd had passed did he murmur, “They’re taking these people to the black market to be sold, aren’t they?”

“Correct, Young Master Li. I’ve heard that some are indeed sold, while others are given different fates.”

“I even heard that the Wei Family had a major enemy. Now he’s joining our sect as the new third enforcer...and that Peerless Jade Sword might even be awarded to him outright.”

The Wei Family’s major enemy?

Li Yuan’s expression darkened for a moment.

Could he be one of Wei Family’s hidden agents?

Then he shook his head, dismissing the thought as either overcautious or simply not his concern. With a casual reply, he let the matter pass, though a subtle feeling of unease stirred in his heart.

In this world, when pillars fell, all those under their protection would become easy prey.

The Wei Family’s Third Miss used to be the picture of high status. She was dressed in finery, riding spirited horses, and living in lavish splendor. But after the Wei Family crumbled, she was instantly reduced to a slave.

Li Yuan rested his long blade across his knee and stole a glance at his combat power—119~190. Only then did a faint sense of security settle in his heart.

“To get stronger, I have to keep getting stronger. Only then can I protect what I hold dear...”

Li Yuan lost himself in his thoughts when a dull thud and a chorus of shouts came from the distant caravan.

“What’s going on?” Li Yuan asked.

From atop the ox cart, Hong Gang leaped down and ran ahead to scout. Then she hurried back and reported, “Young Master Li, a woman just committed suicide. She smashed her head open.”

Li Yuan fell silent for a moment before saying, “Let’s head to the Ginger Tavern.”

“Yes!”

The ox cart set off again. As they passed by the scene, Li Yuan slightly lifted the cart curtain. Not far off, he caught sight of a contorted, resentful face wedged between the iron bars of a railing, slowly sliding down.

Meanwhile, the driver of that hastily unloaded the woman from the cart and tossed her aside onto the roadside as if he were discarding trash.

A shiver ran inexplicably through Li Yuan, and he urged, “Hurry up. Let’s go!”

The rest of the journey passed without incident.

When the ox cart finally pulled up at the Ginger Tavern, Li Yuan disembarked to find Yan Yu joyfully running over, throwing herself into his embrace.

In front of the gathered crowd, the two shared a warm, heartfelt hug. Feeling the familiar warmth, the strange chill that had gripped his heart just moments before began to fade away.

Cradling his beloved’s face in his hands, Li Yuan smiled and said, “Yan Yu, I’m taking you into the inner district. From now on, we won’t live in a shanty. We’ll have a proper home!”

Author’s Note

At present, there are three main factors that influence one’s combat power—the base value provided by one’s cultivation realm, the weapon one wields, and one’s skills.

Later on, other elements will come into play, such as demonic beasts, divine weapons, and more.

Think of these figures simply as a way to gauge relative strength. Rest assured, you won’t see outrageously inflated numbers like a billion popping up anywhere.