Chapter 404: Lockdown

Outside the Immortal city of Fengdu was a huge villa wreathed in fog, with a fantastic formation that kept the outside world at bay.

The villa was the private residence of one of the commanders, where a few spiritual herbs were being grown. He rarely visited the place, and it tended to be quiet and peaceful. Today, however, it was exceptionally crowded.

The gathered commanders and their subordinates, along with countless officials of Fengdu, were venerating the Goat Yanluo.

"Senior Qu, have a look. These are all your supporters. Xiao Nanfeng, the acting city lord, might as well be a joke in light of the strength of our faction!"

"Right, we've had enough of Xiao Nanfeng."

"Once your edict arrives, City Lord Qu, we'll take down Xiao Nanfeng together and take revenge for you."

"Xiao Nanfeng doesn't know what's good for him at all!"

The cultivators continued to heap praise upon the Goat Yanluo.

The Goat Yanluo looked toward the seven commanders and smiled. "Are you willing to help me?"

"Of course! Anything at your command, Senior. Are you planning to strike at Xiao Nanfeng already? We can help you think of ideas," one commander said.

"As long as you're willing. I don't need you to do anything but listen obediently to me." The Goat Yanluo smiled.

"To listen obediently to you?" The commanders frowned.

They were attempting to get into Qu Jianfeng's good books for greater authority and benefits—temporary assistance in exchange for permanent gains. They didn't intend to become Qu Jianfeng's subordinates for good.

"Indeed," the Goat Yanluo said.

He struck with a palm, which split into seven and struck the chests of the seven commanders.

"Something's wrong!" the commanders cried out.

They tried to defend against the attack, but were unable to do so on such short notice. Furthermore, the Goat Yanluo had possessed a Heaven Immortal. How would they be able to block an attack from a cultivator at that realm?

The seven commanders found their cultivation sealed.

"What are you doing, Senior Qu?!" one commander cried out.

"Senior, have we offended you? Why are you attacking us?" one official asked.

Several officials, realizing that something was amiss, turned to run.

"You've all come, so why not stay?" the Goat Yanluo said coldly.

He released an incredible surge of energy that filled the residence and suppressed the cultivators, rendering them immobile. The officials who had attempted to flee from the residence found themselves trapped by a formless wall and knocked back inside.

"Senior, what are you doing?"

"Spare us, Senior!"

"We're on your side, Senior!"

The cultivators panicked.

The Goat Yanluo stared disdainfully at the cultivators. Countless goat specters emerged with a wave of his sleeves, releasing a tremendous amount of cursed spiritual power.

"Cursed effigies?!" a commander cried out.

"Possess all these people," the Goat Yanluo commanded.

"Understood!" The goat specters shot toward the cultivators.

"No! Senior, spare us! Senior, we're willing to serve you. Don't possess us. Argh!" a commander cried out in fear.

"I have no need of subordinates for the moment," the Goat Yanluo replied coolly.

With a whoosh, the goat specters shot into their mindscapes. They were unable to do a thing about it.

"We shouldn't have listened to you! No!"

"Save us, Xiao Nanfeng!"

Frenzied shouts came from within the residence.

"Xiao Nanfeng tried to stop you several times, but none of you listened to him. Do you think he'll save you now? Do you think he'll show up?" the Goat Yanluo asked disdainfully.

"No!" the cultivators shouted in regret and remorse.

Very quickly, however, all of them stopped talking. They had all been possessed by cursed effigies.

"King, a few of us can still take over these Immortals, but the others are too weak to be of much use," one cursed effigy said.

"It matters not. The Immortal city of Fengdu lies nearby. The whole city will be yours to devour so you can grow stronger. Start by digesting all the people in this residence, then prepare to take down the entire city," the Goat Yanluo commanded.

"Understood!" the cursed effigies chorused.

They rushed toward the frozen cultivators on the estate.

The Goat Yanluo likewise emerged and glanced toward the nearby city of Fengdu. He smirked. "Xiao Nanfeng, you are perceptive, aren't you? To think you would be able to spot irregularities in Qu Jianfeng's behavior. I didn't attack you not because I couldn't take you down, but because I didn't want to make too much of a fuss and have the Tiger Yanluo notice that I've returned."

Just then, a deep hum came from the city of Fengdu. Golden light filled the air. The defensive formation around Fengdu had activated at full force.

Xiao Nanfeng's voice could be heard throughout the city.

"People of Fengdu, I am Xiao Nanfeng, acting city lord. The cursed effigies that have emerged from the nearby abyss have been wreaking havoc, and the city lord Lan Jiguang is currently trapped deep within. In addition, large numbers of cursed effigies have broken free from the seal and are now surrounding the outskirts of Fengdu, attempting to possess its citizens."

The Goat Yanluo frowned. "Has he predicted my next steps, too?"

Xiao Nanfeng continued, "I have sent messengers to the Immortal Emperor of Dayin, who will dispatch personnel as support immediately. In the meantime, to protect the people of the city, the entire city will be undergoing a lockdown. Those who leave the city will not be able to re-enter."

Xiao Nanfeng's voice rang out through the entire city as the people murmured to each other in surprise.

The Goat Yanluo frowned mightily. "Xiao Nanfeng, how far do you intend to go?"

All those who refused to support Xiao Nanfeng were at the Goat Yanluo's banquet; thanks to Xiao Nanfeng's efforts in the meantime, he now had absolute control over the entire city. No one would dare go against him now.

With the defensive formation around the city activated, even the Goat Yanluo wouldn't be able to step inside. He gnashed his teeth in annoyance, but there was nothing he could do.

Within the Immortal city of Fengdu, in an army barracks, Ye Dafu had just knocked a group of soldiers onto the ground.

"All of you, listen up. It's a blessing in disguise that you weren't able to participate in the banquet happening outside the city. The city lord warned your commanders countless times, but they refused to listen. Their deaths at the hands of these cursed effigies are rightly deserved," Ye Dafu said.

"On what grounds do you claim that there are cursed effigies roaming outside? How do you know the commanders are dead?" one soldier demanded.

"If you don't believe me, leave the city and face those cursed effigies outside. As the city lord said, you're free to leave, but not to re-enter. Die if you want."

The soldiers frowned. Although they didn't fully believe Ye Dafu's words, none of them wanted to take the risk.

"I was at the plaza outside Fengdu Hall. If Xiao Nanfeng knew that those people had been possessed by cursed effigies, why didn't he say anything?" one soldier shouted.

"The city lord was trying to save all of you. His first priority was to get those cursed effigies out of Fengdu. How could he have exposed them outright? If he had done so, the cursed effigies might have gone on a rampage in anger. At that point, everyone within would die to them. None would be able to escape."

"Do you have any proof?" another cultivator shouted.

"Those outside the city will surely try to get you to open up. Ask them about the private details of their life to determine if they've been possessed. The Green Battalion will also assist with the investigation to see if there are any cursed slaves around. Keep your eyes peeled," Ye Dafu said.

The soldiers nodded dubiously.

"This matter concerns the safety of the entire city. The city lord was worried that you would make a mistake out of ignorance, be tricked by the cursed effigies, and destroy the defensive formation around the city. That's why I'm here to explain the situation to all of you. Those who don't believe me can head out of the city right now. Don't implicate others," Ye Dafu continued.

The soldiers frowned, but one of them said, "I believe Xiao Nanfeng."

"What?" The other soldiers remained dubious.

"Xiao Nanfeng sent word to the Immortal Emperor of Dayin. If he were doing this with malicious intent, would the Immortal Emperor spare him? And even if he did lie, those outside the city could easily report the deception to the Immortal Emperor, who would punish him for what he did. There's simply no reason for Xiao Nanfeng to do something so drastic unless he were telling the truth."

Everyone fell silent.

"It's good that you understand. I still have to make sure the soldiers at the other barracks are aware of the danger that these cursed effigies pose. Keep an eye on each other in case one of you is foolish enough to drag everyone down," Ye Dafu warned.

The soldiers felt discomfited by the news, but some of them stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Thank you, City Lord Xiao and General Ye. We'll be careful."

Ye Dafu nodded and flew toward the next barracks.

The whole city entered a state of lockdown. Everyone was anxious, but Xiao Nanfeng's hard work maintained law and order without fail.

The next evening, within the manor estate outside the city, one of the Goat Yanluo's subordinates said, "King, Xiao Nanfeng predicted our next move and warned the people of the city ahead of time. The seven possessed commanders themselves headed to the city to talk to their subordinates, but their subordinates ignored us!"

"Fengdu's like a huge turtle that's hunkered down. There's nowhere we can strike!"

"King, once Dayin dispatches a force of sufficiently strong cultivators, we'll suffer."

The cursed effigies reported their concerns to the Goat Yanluo, who frowned. He hadn't expected that Xiao Nanfeng would be able to derail their plans so completely.

"Xiao Nanfeng's a bastard. No wonder the Tiger Yanluo hated him so much," the Goat Yanluo said.

"King, what do we do now?" one cursed effigy asked in worry.

The Goat Yanluo thought for a moment. "It doesn't matter. The next full moon's coming up, and his defensive formation won't last long. We'll just wait patiently."

"Understood!" the cursed effigies chorused.

Within Fengdu, when the seven commanders appeared by the border of the city, some of their direct subordinates and relatives stepped forward to ask them about some private affairs. As expected, none of the commanders were able to provide satisfactory answers, proving that they had been possessed by cursed effigies.

At that moment, many officials and soldiers of the city had gathered by the plaza outside Fengdu Hall.

"We misunderstood City Lord Xiao."

"City Lord Xiao, we'll carry out all your orders from now on."

"Thank you, City Lord Xiao!"

Countless soldiers and officials came to the plaza to express their gratitude.

𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Xiao Nanfeng nodded. "It's good that you understand the severity of the situation. Some cursed effigies may already have snuck into the city, so we can't drop our guard. Be on the lookout for any unusual phenomena."

"Understood!" everyone replied.