Chapter 26: Chapter 26

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“As for your son… Hehe. He’s waiting for you below.” The old demon laughed sinisterly.

Du Kun’s expression did not change as he remained silent.

His attitude was in accordance with the plan.

A fist that seemed to be on fire instantly transcended the distance between the two and landed on the old bloody shadow demon.

The powerful martial artist Qi and strength surged forth.

Although the old demon possessed strong demonic powers, despite the continuous burning of the blood mist, it could not stop Du Kun’s fist of fury.

If my injuries were fully healed, or if I could have obtained the complete Phoenix Blood Book from His Majesty, I would have beaten you black and blue… Bloody Shadow thought.

It did not choose to continue facing Du Kun head-on.

Facing this explosive fist, the shadow of the blood phoenix enveloped the old demon’s body and floated away.

As it evaded Du Kun’s attack, it made use of the opportunity to move around and obstruct the rest of the Tang Dynasty army.

With a frosty gaze, Du Kun accelerated into the air.

At first glance, it looked as though he was losing to the old bloody shadow demon in terms of speed, but the distance between the two was gradually reducing.

The Eastern Tang Dynasty army advanced forth with an indomitable aura and murderously pursued the refugees.

Frightened by the Tang Dynasty army, the refugees instantly fled in all directions.

It was thanks to the burly man gathering some people to command the crowd, thus allowing most people to gather together once more and continue moving forward.

However, the gaze this burly man threw at Hui Tianyu and the Cold Mountain Sect became evidently conflicted.

Despite his actions, he started to hesitate about whether he should proceed with the plan of heading up the mountains and toward Chang’an Fortress.

“The Eastern Tang Dynasty wants to gain military merits by beheading the refugees, while the Demon Dao expert is risking his life to stop the army and save everyone. There’s no doubt who is good and who is evil here, don’t you agree?” Hui Tianyu commented, having noticed what the burly man was conflicted about.

The burly man looked back at Bloody Shadow, who was flying all around. “Worse than death is living in a state of wishing for death. A quick death is better.”

Hui Tianyu shook his head. “The word ‘demon’ has many negative connotations, but it’s actually simply a way of cultivation. Right or wrong, good or evil, what matters is the person.”

“But many Demon Dao cultivators consume souls and commit cruel acts of bloodlust. Many of them are sinister and evil as well. This is but an indisputable truth.” The burly man’s expression was ugly.

In the beginning, he did not expect the Cold Mountain Sect and the Demon Dao cultivator to be in cahoots.

As a result, he could not help but suspect that Chang’an Fortress was a home to demons.

Thus, it became suspicious as to the true reason why it was willing to accept so many refugees.

These refugees were so poor that the only valuable thing left was their lives. No one would want to rob them.

But for Demon Dao experts, the most valuable thing was indeed these human lives.

This included the flesh, blood, bones, Qi, organs, and souls…

The infants and the pregnant were the most desirable.

To obtain impure Qi, they would most likely be cruelly tortured.

Instead of having to go through all that, it would be better if they died in the hands of the Tang Dynasty army. This way, at least they would have to suffer less.

When thinking of the possibility of being an accomplice and luring numerous innocent people into the tiger’s den, a chill ran down the burly man’s spine.

The one-eyed young man of the Cold Mountain Sect glanced at him and slowly shook his head. “You should believe in Bloody Shadow’s master even if you don’t trust Bloody Shadow himself.”

The burly man’s pupils contracted when he heard that.

Hui Tianyu continued, “Even the fiercest Demon Dao expert would not dare to cause trouble under His Majesty’s rule.”

The burly man could not help asking, “What kind of person is that majesty you speak of?”

“Not sure,” Hui Tianyu answered honestly.

“Not sure?” The burly man repeated the words in disbelief. “Why are you so certain since you’re not sure?”

Hui Tianyu smiled. “That is because everyone, myself included, has seen the numerous miracles created by His Majesty and the fortress.”

He stopped speaking and led the way up the mountains. “The regulations set by His Majesty are indeed strict, but they are not harsh in nature. For the two thousand Tang Dynasty troops that attacked the fortress previously, most of them were relegated to become hard labor. They are still alive, so there’s no need for you to worry.”

The burly man was skeptical about it.

When the Tang Dynasty army rounded up the commoners and drove them away, panic and chaos ensured. These people only had one thought—to escape up the mountains.

Du Yifan and Gao Qi had already paved a simple path through the mountains previously. It led the refugees to the White Cloud Abyss.

The old bloody shadow demon alternated between battling and retreating, successfully slowing down the pursuit of Du Kun and the rest.

Numerous refugees dashed into the mountain valley in fright.

Then, all of a sudden, a majestic fortress appeared before them. The sunlight bathed it, making it seem as though it was shining in golden light.

The sudden appearance of the majestic fortress immediately made them feel fearful.

As they were fleeing, they had encountered many fortresses in Longbei County.

In the end, they all were left with bad memories.

As they looked at the fortress before them, they hesitated.

Driven by hunger and cold, the eyes of the people turned red upon seeing the farms outside the fortress, which were shining in golden light.

They were at the edge of insanity.

At this moment, Elder Zhao of the Cold Mountain Sect appeared in Chang’an Fortress.

Energetically, he announced that they would be distributing food to the masses inside the fortress.

Upon hearing that, the commoners outside the fortress were stunned for a long time. Then they erupted in deafening cheers.

Countless people cried tears of joy.

Neither Hui Tianyu nor the burly man had ever witnessed people so excited and alive.

Everyone sprinted into the fortress.

At the start, there was chaos, but the situation calmed down when the martial artists of the Cold Mountain Sect controlled order with an iron fist.

The hungry people began to obtain food in an orderly fashion.

The farms they saw earlier had already made everyone go crazy.

Now, the mountains of rice grains before them made them feel as though they were in a dream. They prayed to never wake up.

But then the pouring of the snow-white rice grains proved that this was indeed reality.

Then, to everyone’s shock and surprise, there were fruits, vegetables, and meat dishes as well.

“Thank the gods for your kindness. Thank the gods…”

Someone interrupted him before he could finish.

Hui Tianyu glared at him and said slowly, “There is no god here, only the Fortress Lord. The Fortress Lord is your god who gave you everything!”

The crowd quieted down as everyone fell into a daze.

Hui Tianyu raised his hands high and shouted, “There are clothes in addition to the food!

Be loyal to the Chang’an Fortress Lord, obey the rules here, and you will obtain everything you want!”

Scattered cheers sounded among the dazed crowd.

The cheers gradually grew in volume until they resounded in the sky.

The burly man took this scene in and was dumbfounded.

“It is meaningless for me to say anything further. We look at people’s actions and not their words alone.” Hui Tianyu smiled and pointed at the piles of food.

Then he raised his arms once again and yelled, “Chang’an! Chang’an!”

In the crowd, the calls of ‘Chang’an’ rose and fell like a crescendo.

The burly man looked shocked.

“Was I really projecting my shortcomings on someone else…” he murmured.

The crowd before him started to cheer and prostrate themselves in the direction of the Great Ming Palace.

Zhang Dongyun, who was in the Great Ming Palace, looked on in satisfaction.

According to the system, the population under him soared.

Soon, he reached the goal of ten thousand!