Three Demonnths (Seeking Recommendations)

Black Stone City.

South City Gate.

"Please, I'm begging you."

"You can't do this!"

A group of people cried out. Judging by their fine silk robes, they were likely from wealthy or official families.

But now, as they watched their grain being snatched away bag by bag, their eyes were filled with indescribable despair.

When the demon disaster first broke out, they had been lucky enough to survive the initial onslaught and had fled with Yuan He Demonuntain to seek refuge near the South City Gate.

But today, these martial artists from Yuan He Demonuntain were openly robbing them of their grain!

"My father is an advisor to the Governor of Dingzhou!"

A scholarly young man with delicate features shouted, "My uncle holds a position in the Dingzhou army. They won't let you get away with this."

He looked at the bags of grain, the cured meat... it felt as if his own life was being stolen.

"Oh?" Qiao Wuchang rubbed his plump belly. He hadn't lost any weight since being trapped in Black Stone City; in fact, he had grown even fatter.

He stepped forward with a smile, "So it's Young Master Xu. My apologies!"

As he spoke, he suddenly swung his right arm in a wide arc and delivered a fierce slap.

Slap!

Young Master Xu flew backward, a large chunk of his cheek caved in. He was clearly dead.

"Hmph! Foolish thing, I've put up with you for a long time."

Qiao Wuchang wiped the bloodstains from his hand and looked at the remaining officials and nobles, a ferocious smile spreading across his face.

The rules had long since changed. The esteemed lords within the city were no different from lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

That day, Linghu Yang, seeing no hope of breaking through, could only hold his ground and wait for a change.

Then, the martial artists of the entire Yuan He Demonuntain branch not only didn't disperse but became even more disciplined and orderly.

When order collapses, those who wield power and band together exhibit an even more brutal form of discipline.

Because the apocalyptic disaster would awaken the beast within people!

Soon, Yuan He Demonuntain occupied the entire South City Gate and began to hoard resources.

The ones who suffered the worst luck were the original prominent families.

This was because the common folk had nothing left to steal!

"Hahaha... hahaha..."

Qiao Wuchang couldn't help but laugh heartily as he looked at these formerly high-and-mighty figures, now cowering like quails. He grabbed a woman adorned with a jade hairpin full of emeralds, who seemed to have been the Assistant Prefect's concubine. But now, he paid no mind to her status, hoisted her onto his shoulder, and prepared to drag her to his room for his pleasure.

Not far away.

Linghu Yang stood with his hands behind his back, watching the scene with icy eyes.

Chunyu stood beside Linghu Yang, her face showing a look of distress. "Qiao Wuchang is going too far. Should we stop him?"

"No need," Linghu Yang waved his hand, his voice extremely cold. "They are all going to die anyway, so their background doesn't matter... letting Wuchang handle things is more effective!"

Chunyu's heart chilled slightly. She hadn't yet snapped out of her mindset from the peaceful times, but the world outside had already turned upside down.

"Nephew-niece Chunyu..." Seeing this, Linghu Yang's lips curved into a sinister arc, and he said coldly, "The Demon Domain has been established. Unless the demon spirits willingly retreat, it might be possible for a Grandmaster to escape, but most of us will die here..."

"But my martial path will not be cut short here!"

"As long as the demons don't come knocking, Uncle-Master will live, by any means necessary!"

"Even if we run out of food and water in the end, Uncle-Master will take all measures... even cannibalism..."

"This is... Uncle-Master's martial heart!"

Linghu Yang's eyes were resolute. "I will reach the pinnacle of the martial path and ascend to the realm of Grandmaster, no matter the cost!"

"Martial heart?" Chunyu looked utterly shocked.

The same tragedy was unfolding repeatedly within Black Stone City.

However, none of this could stop the Yao Demon Tree in the center of the city from growing stronger day by day.

Its massive canopy first covered the entire area of the prefectural office, then spread throughout the inner city, and continued to expand outward to the outer city.

Beneath the canopy, monsters swarmed, leaving no living beings, human or animal.

This scene, like a death knell, plunged the survivors into even greater despair, driving them to commit acts that crossed all moral boundaries.

Time flowed like water, and three months passed in the blink of an eye.

West City Gate.

Fang Xi, dressed in black and wearing a bamboo hat, entered a marketplace.

It was less of a marketplace and more of a gathering spot for survivors.

He frowned, stepping over the filth on the ground, and looked at the women leaning against doorframes, their faces sallow.

Seeing men approach, many of the women managed a weak smile, their eyes hinting at the beauty they once possessed.

'I heard many young ladies from noble families are among them. Just a small bag of grain can buy you a night of pleasure...'

Fang Xi wasn't interested in any of that. He quickly walked through the area and arrived at the stall section.

All sorts of treasures, antiques, precious medicinal herbs, valuable swords and sabers were scattered about like garbage, being sold off cheaply.

The sellers didn't want gold or silver at all, only grain!

"Esteemed guest, come take a look at this Dragon Slaying Sword passed down in my family. It can cut hair with a gentle blow. Only fifty catties of grain!"

An old man held up a sword. Fearing disbelief, he drew the blade and gently blew on a strand of his hair, placing it on the edge.

Puff!

The hair snapped, proving it was indeed a sharp weapon capable of cutting hair!

In any other time, it would have been fought over by martial artists and wealthy individuals at a treasure convention.

But in these times, a sword that couldn't be eaten was no different from scrap iron.

"Peerless treasure... Jade Nine-Link Rings!"

"Jade Guanyin!"

"Selling martial arts manuals... Red Rust Sword manual, contains the Divine Intent Diagram, only one hundred catties of grain!"

Ignoring the cries of the gaunt sellers, Fang Xi walked directly into a room.

Inside the room sat a somewhat shriveled mountain of meat.

"You're here!"

Fatty Han's weak voice rang out.

Next to the meat mountain hung bloody... rats?

This was a rare meat stall, selling rat meat.

"Fatty Han, you've lost weight again," Fang Xi greeted him.

Black Stone City had suffered, and the people of the Black Market were not spared.

However, while wandering through this market in the western district, Fang Xi surprisingly found an old friend. It was truly an unexpected delight.

Even in the apocalypse, Fatty Han still had connections and means to procure a certain amount of rat meat to sell.

It was much better than other stalls that passed off dog meat as something else.

Throughout the entire market, it was practically a unique existence.

Of course, Fang Xi wasn't here to buy rat meat to eat.

Conversely, Fatty Han seemed overjoyed to see him, complaining, "Isn't it? The price of grain has skyrocketed recently... The Taisui I've been raising is about to starve to death. I had no choice but to cut back on my own rations, eating only eight meals a day. It's starving me to death..."

As he spoke, Fatty Han gazed at his slightly smaller belly with infinite sadness.

Fang Xi was a bit speechless, but he heard that this person used to eat ten meals a day.

At this time, looking at the people outside with their eyes green from hunger, it seemed even more like... showing off!

"The 'Iron Arm Fist Method' you sold me last month was really mediocre. If this time it's the same quality, I won't buy a manual, I'll just take Taisui Meat." Fang Xi said calmly.

He had been overjoyed when he saw Fatty Han in the market that day.

The source of Demon Meat could be maintained.

Demonreover, the man had a large number of martial arts manuals!

Presumably, he had bought them cheaply from martial artists, paying with grain.

Fang Xi immediately had the idea of cooperation upon seeing them.

He asked Fatty Han to acquire manuals at will and then sell them to him at a higher price, settled with grain.

After all, as long as it wasn't Spirit Rice, acquiring grain from ordinary farmers under Green Bamboo Demonuntain was just a matter of a little gold and silver.

Single-handedly, I don't even know how many people I've supported. Boundless merit, boundless merit... Fang Xi mused inwardly.

Fatty Han rolled over. "The Iron Arm Fist from last time was the genuine Iron family's secret technique. The old master of the Iron family, with his pair of iron fists, almost swept through half the martial arts world... If it weren't for his grandson starving to death, he wouldn't have sold it to me so cheaply... Forget it, forget it, let's not talk about that. The True Energy manual you wanted is still not here! However, Yuan He Demonuntain is very interested. Do you want me to make an introduction so you can talk?"

"Forget it, I'll find them myself." Fang Xi rubbed his fingers together.

As he was now, he didn't have much confidence against Linghu Yang, who was comparable to a second-level Body Refinement expert. "Bring out whatever you have!"

"This is my ultimate secret manual."

Fatty Han pulled out a book and casually tossed it to Fang Xi.

Fang Xi took it and a hint of joy flickered in his eyes: "Iron Cloth Skill?"

This martial art was an external hard skill, specifically for strengthening the defense of the torso and limbs.

It had to be said, it matched well with his White Cloud Palm and Red Snake Leg, at least not clashing too much.

Of course, whether it truly clashed or not would only be known after practicing.

"And the Divine Intent Diagram, it's definitely a high-quality gem, not bad, not bad. What's the price?" he asked casually.

"One thousand jin of grain! I went through a lot of trouble to get my hands on it..." Fatty Han said firmly.

"Five hundred jin, and give me ten jin of Taisui Meat!" Fang Xi frowned, cutting the price in half.

"You can't do that!" Fatty Han blinked with a somewhat pitiful look: "Is it easy for me to save up grain? Isn't it all to raise the Taisui and supply you with Taisui Meat?"

Seeing this, Fang Xi couldn't help but twitch his lips.

This sort of wronged look might be cute on a child or a beauty, but on this thousand-jin, no, this hundreds-of-jin-reduced fatty, it felt a bit off...

"Fine, seeing as you're as wronged as a child weighing several hundred jin, I'll compromise further and give you six hundred jin," Fang Xi waved his hand.

"No! It has to be at least eight hundred jin."

After another round of bargaining, they settled on a bottom line of seven hundred jin of grain. Fang Xi took the manuals and left first.

As for the grain and Taisui Meat, they would naturally be delivered later.

If they conducted such a large transaction in the marketplace, they would have been robbed long ago!

Desperate people would do anything!

"This person..."

Fatty Han watched Fang Xi's retreating back, stroking his chin thoughtfully: "Heh heh... Did he rob several grain stores? He really has plenty of grain on hand... What a shame, what a shame he's not easy to mess with. I hope those guys in the marketplace are smart enough..."

"Hmm? No, it's better for them to be stupid. Once they're all dead, I can take over their shops and grain!"