Chapter 382

Although the Great Beast possess terrifying power, they were still able to win that hunt a thousand years ago. With the current strength of the Great Yan Dynasty, we have even less to fear them.

But ignorance breeds fear, and fear twists into faith. In the eyes of those fanatical followers of the Mountain Sea Cult, we are the outcasts and traitors of this land.

Since the Great Beast vanished a thousand years ago, the Mountain Sea Cult has never ceased its activities. In recent years, they have recruited outlaws such as bandits, pirates, and notorious thieves. The chaos caused under the banner of the Great Beast is countless.

My younger siblings have all departed this world for various reasons. I have a request, though unsolicited, to entrust Mister Zhongli with the task of resolving any subsequent encounters with members of the Mountain Sea Cult. Is that alright?

"I don't know much about what the Mountain Sea Cult has done yet. Since the Grandmaster has said so, I will take action to deal with these criminals in the future."

"That's good, I have nothing else to say."

After leaving the small world, Shi Lei bid farewell to Chongyue and his sister Ling. He then took Ya with him and headed to Xing Yu Inn.

Along the way, the two quietly passed over rooftops. They heard countless people from Jade Gate thanking the gods for their protection.

Shi Lei, who could see in the dark, raised his hand and gently knocked on Texas's door. The room was not dark; candlelight flickered.

"Who?"

"It's me."

Hearing the voice he had longed for, Texas was overjoyed and unlatched the door to let Shi Lei in.

But two seconds later, she noticed the man with a female appearance and frowned.

Knowing he was in the wrong, Ya quickly cupped his hands to express his purpose:

"Young lady, I'm not here to cause trouble. I've come here hoping to get your forgiveness."

Texas didn't reply, but instead turned her head to look at Shi Lei. It was obvious that he was the one who beat this guy into submission, dragging him before her to apologize.

Who wouldn't love a man like that?

Seemingly realizing that she had been staring at Shi Lei for too long, Texas immediately turned away with a stern face:

"You think you can just forgive me like that?"

Ya has never apologized to humans; he doesn't say sorry, nor does he bow ninety degrees.

"What happened that day was my fault. I'll do anything as long as you can forgive me."

"You can do anything?"

Texas immediately drew her weapon and slashed at Ya. She was careful with her strength, and the minor wound would heal in about half a month to a month.

Finally, she sheathed her sword.

"You slashed me once, I'll return the favor with a sword. Let's call this a day. But if you dare to do it again, it won't be as simple as just one sword strike."

Seeing that Lupo was not in a difficult position, Ya breathed a sigh of relief. After leaving the inn, he took the initiative to find Chongyue to be imprisoned.

The devastating Sandstorm Catastrophe lasted for a full eight hours. Only after sensing that it was completely safe outside did Shi Lei remove the Rock Constructs covering the entire Jade Gate.

The members of the Mountain Sea Cult, who had been lying in wait, escaped through Secret Passage before the patrol battalion could search for them. Far from Jade Gate, they settled down beside a ruin covered in yellow sand.

"It's a real pity that Jade Gate survived the Catastrophe safely, while we suffered heavy losses."

A leader dressed in significantly more luxurious clothes than the other Mountain Sea Cult pulled down his mask to drink water.

"The original mission was to create a commotion that would attract the attention of the imperial court. Keeping Jade Gate alive is still useful; destroying it would be a loss."

"My lord, could there be other Great Beast in the city? We can't contact the god; I suspect He is in grave danger."

"What can we do? Can you and I participate in a battle between Great Beast? The most urgent task is to return to the Capital City as soon as possible, report to the leader, and make preparations early."

The leader carried a letter at his waist, stamped with a special sealing wax seal. This was a seal that could only be used by officials of the first rank or above in the Great Yan Dynasty, and no more than five people could possess it.

After finishing his water, the leader urged everyone to leave:

"Hurry up and get out of here, don't let the patrol battalion catch up. If we can hold on for a few more months, God will return to earth!"

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★ Volume 3: The Chains of the Earth ★

453 The Emperor's Achilles' Heel (4K)

This Catastrophe, which spanned more than ten kilometers, lasted from nine in the morning until sunset.

The fierce yellow sand and dark clouds and sparks did not knock open the slightly fragile door of Jade Gate.

After the Catastrophe, the raging winds tore the clouds to shreds, revealing a clear and bright blue sky. The small clouds that regrouped were scorched red by the afterglow of the setting sun, hanging in the sky like flowing red brocade.

Shi Lei was not worried that Ya would run away after leaving, as both sides had the same goal.

Instead of searching everywhere for traces of Sui, He would rather have one of Sui's consciousness fragments lead the way. This would not only save time and effort but also avoid conflict with the Great Yan army.

It's important to note that while both Shi Lei and Ya want to resolve the issue of the sealed 'Sui,' their approaches to dealing with the Great Beast are significantly different.

According to Ya, He was one of the earliest beings on this land to develop consciousness. He was expelled from the country because of Sui's betrayal and harbors deep hatred for that man.

It is foreseeable that if given the opportunity to kill him, Ya will show no mercy.

Shi Lei's idea, like Chongyue's, belongs to the moderate faction. They would defeat Sui, who had just been unsealed, and reseal him, rather than killing him directly.

Once the Sui Beast dies, the twelve fragments of its consciousness will most likely also disappear from the world.

Shi Lei wasn't very close to Chongyue, but he was good friends with Miss Nian and Miss Nian. He definitely wouldn't want to see the two of them turn into ashes before his eyes.

Shi Lei didn't kill Ya directly because of this concern. Letting Him go first to probe the Sui Beast's strength would increase the chances of a successful seal.

This task is absolutely necessary.

Given that the Sui Beast and its twelve fragmented consciousnesses originated from the same source, if they were too close, there was a possibility that the Sui Beast would absorb the fragments to enhance its own power. Therefore, Nian Chongyue needed to avoid the Sui Beast during its resealing.

This left only Shi Lei and the elite soldiers of the Great Yan army, who had the strength to fight against the Sui Beast.

Mudrock is indeed in the Immortal Realm, but it's still somewhat lacking in strength against Sui's physical form. With Ya as the vanguard to probe, we can make different deployments based on the three scenarios of disadvantage, draw, and advantage, thus ensuring our invincibility.

With such a commotion in Texas's room, it's impossible that Mudrock, who lives next door, didn't hear it.

She made sure Ya had left before walking to the door and tentatively asking:

"Perhaps I've come at the wrong time?"

"No, you've come at just the right time."

Shi Lei called Mudrock into Texas's room and invited her to sit down and play.

The three of them can't play mahjong, but they can pass the time with playing cards. The cards are made of obsidian and feel very smooth to the touch.

Mudrock seemed somewhat distracted, and after playing one round, he suddenly asked:

"My lord, when I returned, I found many people outside talking about you. You saved the entire population of Jade Gate this time, why don't you go out and see?"

Shi Lei is a low-key person. He never thought of asking for anything in return before protecting Jade Gate, nor did he intend to make it public. If he were to tell the local people afterward that he had saved them, it would seem like he was being too deliberate.

"There's no need for that, it's just a small favor. And what's the point of telling anyone?"

However, this Catastrophe has indeed exposed many security vulnerabilities in Jade Gate. A force of several hundred men from the Mountain Sea Cult was able to easily find an opportunity to destroy the sand-control fortifications. This shows that the garrison still has many problems in its defense. I hope the Jade Gate commander will learn from this experience and strive for improvement; after all, I can't be here all the time."

April 4th, 6:27 pm

Zuo Xuanliao, accompanied by his personal guards and son Zuo Le, arrived at the Central Plaza of Jade Gate. They comforted the disaster-stricken people on site while organizing them to return home in an orderly manner.

During this sandstorm, only the buildings near the city wall on the east side of the city were damaged in the early stages of the Catastrophe. As the towering rock wall coalesced in the sky, Jade Gate was protected throughout the entire process until the disaster subsided.

During this time, many people shouted from several meters away, asking about the rock wall. Zuo Xuanliao is currently unsure who was responsible and therefore declined to answer.

After more than ten minutes of activity, a soldier reported that the master had caught the suspect who stole the sword.

Zuo Xuanliao was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately led Zuo Le to investigate. Sure enough, they found Chongyue and his sister, Miss Ling, escorting a suspect who looked like a woman but was actually a man.

He was eager to learn about the rock wall, but saying it directly would seem too obvious. So he subtly disguised his intentions and asked indirectly:

"Grandmaster, thank you so much this time. Not only did you catch the suspect who stole the sword, but you also protected the safety of tens of thousands of people in Jade Gate."

Humans have an innate desire to correct their mistakes, especially Chongyue, who uses a human body. Seeing that the other party was taking all the credit, he immediately corrected them to avoid misunderstanding:

"General, you are joking. I am not capable of doing such a thing."

Zuo Xuanliao instantly understood, and immediately put on a grateful expression that was impeccable:

"If it's not a Grandmaster, could it be... Mister Zhongli? When this Catastrophe struck, there was a small lapse in the city's security. Without his help, Jade Gate might have paid a very heavy price."

Chongyue did not directly answer whether it was Zhongli, but sometimes changing the subject is itself an answer:

"General, I have a favor to ask, and I hope you can grant it."

"Hehe, why are you being so polite, Grandmaster? Please feel free to make any requests you may have."

Chongyue glanced at Ya, who was handcuffed, then looked away and explained:

"General, this man's martial arts skills are far beyond those of ordinary people. In order to prevent the suspect from escaping, I would like to join you in guarding him."

Although Chongyue's sword was stolen by Ya, he did not believe that there was any enmity between the two.

Moreover, Ya will act as the vanguard when the Sui Beast is unsealed, which can be considered as an ally who redeems himself through meritorious service.

Chongyue asked General Zuo for the task of guarding Him, wanting to keep Him under his watchful eye to prevent the court from sending someone to take over and disrupting his plans.

Zuo Xuanliao hadn't slept well all night because of the lost sword. Knowing his men were probably too weak to hold the man captive, he readily agreed.

"No problem, then I'll trouble you, Grandmaster. You'll be in charge of looking after this suspect for the time being."

After securing the assignment, Chongyue clasped his hands in a gesture of respect to the general and resigned. He then escorted Ya away from the scene.

Watching the grandmaster's departing figure, Zuo Xuanliao turned to his son Zuo Le, and instructed him:

"Go back to the manor now and bring out all the fine wines I've treasured in the cellar. Also, go to the treasury and choose the best sword. Then gather here."

"When you arrive, we'll go together to thank the heroes who saved Jade Gate Pass."

Although the Grand Tutor made it clear in his letter that one should always be wary of others, being wary of others does not mean immediately turning them into enemies. Having received such a great favor for no reason, one must personally visit to express gratitude and present gifts; there can be no ambiguity in doing so.

Moreover, this opportunity allows me to get closer to Mister Zhongli and build a stronger relationship. Following the Grand Tutor's instructions, I will probe his strengths and weaknesses as soon as possible.

Zuo Le is currently the candle bearer at the Si Sui Tai a position in the imperial calendar), and his main job is to follow orders from his superiors. He has limited access to intelligence and simply obeys the general's commands.

The residents who had moved out of the east of the city were now heading home, causing a large congestion. Many martial arts practitioners carrying weapons began to spontaneously maintain order at the scene.

As for the small number of homeless civilians, they can temporarily move to the military camp. They can return to their homes after the soldiers have repaired them.

Aside from exhaustion, most people wore expressions of joy at surviving a disaster.

Surviving Catastrophe of this scale is something to be happy about in itself.

Twenty minutes later, Zuo Le returned in a pack animal cart laden with fine wines and spirits to report. He then headed to You Jian Inn with Zuo Xuanliao and his personal guard.

When they arrived, they learned that Zhongli had already checked out and moved out the day before. Left with no other option, they sent people to inquire at various inns throughout the city. It took them quite some time to confirm the location. By the time they arrived at Xing Yu Inn, it was already past eight o'clock in the evening.

After Catastrophe, life goes on as usual.

Shi Lei asked the innkeeper to cook a few dishes and invited Nian and Xi from next door to join him for drinks. After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the four of them played mahjong to pass the time. Xi sat behind him, acting as a quiet observer.

Normally, this time of day is when Shi Lei stays in his room reading. He knew someone would definitely come to visit tonight, which is why he didn't leave Texas's room.

At 8:05, he used his Psychic Scan to detect a large group of people approaching from downstairs at the inn. However, he took no further action and continued playing cards with Texas and Mudrock.

The heavy creaking of several men's military boots echoed on the Wooden Board. Led by the innkeeper, Zuo Xuanliao quickly found his room on the third floor.

Shi Lei booked a total of four rooms, but only one of them has its lights on. The door is left ajar, as if aware of the guests, and is not completely closed.

Upon seeing this, Zuo Xuanliao's eyes flickered slightly. He paused for a moment outside the door, then politely raised his hand and knocked:

"Is Mister Zhongli inside?"

"I'm here. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Seeing Zuo Xuanliao enter the house, Shi Lei pretended not to expect it and stood up to greet him:

"Hey, General? Is there something important that you've come here?"

Zuo Xuanliao waved to the outside, and Zuo Le and his guards immediately carried fine wines and spirits into the house.

"Mister Zhongli, I have no way to repay your great kindness. This is my treasured wine; you may try it."

At this point, he accepted the cyan sword handed to him by Zuo Le, presenting it respectfully with both hands: