Prologue: Separate Paths

We have temporarily repelled the wrath of the Yellow Dragon Immortal, and this ferocious and ruthless demon is merely one of Judas's countless wings. Moreover, we cannot harm this monster's vital organs.

"This is just the beginning."

Victor took Xue Ming back to his room alone and asked Wen Bucai and Jack to handle the funeral arrangements at the Wang family's house.

"Laifu and Jinbao are both dead. At the same time, they were also killed by the soul power of [The Great Conch Shell], along with six other innocent boatmen. Many passengers were injured. Fortunately, the spirit of the Yellow Dragon Monster was repelled in time, otherwise this extremely powerful curse would have continued to spread."

As the teacher described the magical incantation, Jiang Xueming frowned deeply.

Unlike the psionicists encountered on previous expeditions, these Wings of Light possess spirit bodies enhanced by elixirs, giving them extremely long range and exceptional endurance.

After undergoing the transformation by the elixir, their physical bodies should also be close to the strength of an apostle unit. Their special abilities of soul power all have some characteristics that are harmful to carbon-based life forms. For example, a vicious and ruthless spirit like [Big Conch] can take effect as soon as it touches the target. If it cannot be treated in time, it is enough to kill an adult within a minute.

If the needle of [Big Conch] is pulled out, bodily fluids will flow out continuously, causing the victim to die slowly and painfully. The victim will also lose their mind and become Yellow Dragon True Person's puppet, like a walking corpse, demanding vital energy from their companions and becoming insane.

"My student, we have two more days of sailing ahead. Let's part ways at Xiantai Port."

Jiang Xueming: "Don't I go with the teacher to handle things?"

Victor shook her head, rolled up her skirt to reveal her thigh, and there was a secret letter from the BOSS written on her thigh. It was an order from the Organization Department to the gunsmith.

"The three of us old folks will stay in Xiantai Prefecture for at least fifty days to conduct preliminary investigations, gain the trust of the Xiantai Prefecture Admiral, and slowly figure out the basic situation of the southeastern islands. We can't leave Judas any way to escape—you have to continue to live in anonymity, traversing mountains and valleys to reach the capital, inquire about the Dagda's Cauldron, and at the same time do what you do best: destroy the cult strongholds along the way, obtain at least one Chaos Egg, and fight against this treacherous world."

"This continent lacks a mature logistics network, even post stations are rare, there aren't many Universal Elixir or bullets left for you, and there's no BOSS's blessing—welcome to the wilderness."

Jiang Xueming: "What about the other members of the anonymous group?"

"Wuling Mountain is your frontline stronghold. Mr. Luo Ping'an is prepared for a major battle. This mountain range has a strategic depth of over 400 kilometers along the Xia Bang Dragon Vein from southwest to northeast. It is also the only way for the garrison troops of Shangjing to pass through. Mr. Ping'an is the guardian of Shangjing, blocking countless demons, but the Emperor does not like him."

To attempt reforms in a feudal society and transcend an entire era, we can call him a great revolutionary.

Luo Ping'an lacked that ability. In this turbulent era of rampant heresy, the temptations of this land were everywhere, and sources of power were readily available. Once the Xia emperor lost power, the people would become raw materials for elixirs in the eyes of warlords. At that time, this Great Xia would be a Human Hell —there was no such thing as a chaotic world; in chaotic times, people ate each other. Here, beasts and demons devoured human flesh. Eating hundreds or thousands at a time would not be a problem.

In order to maintain the most basic social order, various localities would still pay taxes and tributes to the Xia state on the surface, and with the official recognition, the people would naturally continue to live a life of ease under the rule of the local gods—as long as the emperor was still alive, he was just a tool to save on management costs.

The Madness Butterfly Sect's Little Brotherhood structural failure due to excessively high management costs. In this wasteland of civilization, as long as the emperor approves and grants a local warlord a title, the subsequent wicked and obscene rituals become much easier to carry out. The invited deities also become righteous gods, no longer subject to repeated verbal attacks and suppression from surrounding hostile forces.

Only the Wuling Mountain faction, which had served as the gatekeeper of the Xia Bang Dynasty for hundreds of years without ever paying tribute or taxes, made Luo Ping'an's Taiyi Xuan Sect Rootless Tree lineage a target of public criticism. The area surrounding Wuling Mountain also became a testing ground for the spiritual energy of the leaders—ostensibly to invite the immortals to bestow blessings and give the people of Wuling Mountain some buffs. In reality, they brought all sorts of flesh-and-blood bodhisattvas to give Luo Ping'an something to do.

Danqiu Country, for example, is a "furnace" tacitly approved by the emperor. This place has been the site of continuous warfare and is a strategic location fought over by military strategists in the Tonghe Axe Ax Peak Mountain area. As a garrison, it spans two rivers, three mountains, and six passes, giving it a strategic advantage. At the same time, it possesses three non-ferrous metal mines on the southern slope of the Tonghe River, making it not only a major iron casting city but also a major coin minting city.

Whoever gains control of this land will become the hegemon of the South.

But in the end, no one got it.

Its lord is like a lich king, only able to command an army destined to die, constantly struggling in this meat grinder, kept by the surrounding warlords, and occasionally visited by "great immortals" who release Spirit Calamity to persecute the people.

Famine, insect diseases, plague, severe drought and cold, floods, fires, earthquakes, and windstorms occurred. In the eighth year of Lingzong's reign, a large-scale thunderstorm broke out in Ermao County. At the same time, a heretical trend of "paying homage to the Thunder Grandfather" arose. People did not engage in production, but instead made effigies at home and chanted incantations, which could kill their neighbors and county officials. Divine thunder would then descend from the sky to help them kill.

After the people died, the mob went to their homes to burn, kill, loot, and plunder, taking their property and abducting their women.

In the end, there were very few people left in Ermao County, and even the deity's power was no longer effective, so the matter was left unresolved.

Danqiu Country is a great alchemy furnace, and there are many such furnaces. The phantoms of elixir-making caves can be seen at the canal checkpoints, in vital locations for people's livelihoods, and in important cities with convenient transportation routes.

It's like an invisible and intangible ghost, constantly devouring human flesh and drinking human blood. When there are many deaths and injuries, the evil spirit manifests, taking away a large amount of flesh and blood essence. When new people are born and raised or move here, they will be attracted by these important geographical conditions, and then the next batch of pills will be refined.

To unite the people of this land, to establish a stronghold to discuss ideals, to encourage creation and invention, to embrace science and reject superstition, to overthrow the emperor and usher in a new era—this is even more difficult than truly ascending to immortality.

Here, eating meat and drinking blood is considered scientific and perfectly natural.

To expect someone to abstain from meat and blood, to be virtuous and willing to talk about selfless dedication and advanced civilization, would be cruel persecution.

After setting off, Jiang Xueming saw a strong vitality in the Xiabang crew.

These boatmen and sailors, who were used to working in the wind and rain, never complained of pain when their hands were cut by the mast ropes of the Mayflower. They rarely treated their injuries, and instead chatted and laughed with their companions while bleeding.

These men's words revealed a strong sense of hunger.

--Some of it is innate, the wildness nurtured on this untamed land, and some is acquired later in life.

The boatmen's favorite topics of conversation were all about their wives. They would discuss raising children or talking about the beauties of Xiantai Prefecture. In the 24 hours of the day, during the 10 hours they worked, every topic they could find revolved around "sex"—it was this strong vitality that made them eagerly search for a carrier to pass on their genes.

The two boatmen who were killed by the Yellow Dragon Immortal originally thought the same thing. The world was so simple. It seemed that as long as they gave Mr. Wen Bucai a light kick on the buttocks, the beautiful Miss Latia would become an obedient and charming widow.

This is the ingrained way of thinking of the Chabang boatmen, much like a pack of wolves or a pride of lions gathered together; if you're talking about people, they're actually more like animals.

Thinking about this, Jiang Xueming put himself in Mr. Ping An's shoes and looked at the matter from his perspective.

Asking him to train animals was a bit much. Those military dogs, raised from puppies, were relatively obedient. But if it were people with love, hate, desires, and self-respect, and you wanted these beast-like people to behave, the workload would be unimaginable.

The most difficult job in the world is the one where "who's in charge and who listens to whom."

As for the production aspect, Xue Ming naturally enjoys this simple labor, where effort brings rewards.

But in such a godforsaken place as Xia Bang, the problem of "how to distribute" is discussed all the time. In this environment, it is already extremely difficult to protect one's family and to be self-reliant and self-sufficient. If a commoner suffers injustice and goes to the authorities to file a complaint, he will be punished the same as the officials and exiled to the furnace. The incapable people cannot even read or write a complaint, so they can only be fish on the chopping block.

"The world is a dangerous place," Victor said slowly. "My student, be careful on this journey. It will give you a little shock, a taste of the feudal era of slavery."

"Where will the people from Tian Shu go?" Jiang Xueming asked about the mission of Brother Ye Bei and his group.

Victor explained--

"--This team is under the command of Tian Shu and should be the sharpest blade in the mortal world against spiritual things. They are splitting up with TRG and Feng Mao. As long as they find clues about Judas, they will become hunting dogs and chase Judas into the hunting circle. Therefore, the Nameless One must find the Chaos Egg as soon as possible. Without means of communication, we are just a disorganized mess."

"But don't worry, these people live in the mortal world, fight against Spirit Calamity in the mortal world, and do not have the protection of the Universal Elixir —in fact, they are more adaptable to coming to Xiabang."

"Passengers on the railway system are so far removed from injury and disability. Because of the existence of the Universal Elixir, you won't even find a single disabled Homo sapiens with missing limbs at any of the trade hubs. Only a few hybrid units are disabled."

"But our friends in the mortal world don't have many Universal Elixir in reserve, and White Lady's products are rare—they know better how to protect themselves."

"I'm too far from the BOSS," Jiang Xueming said, referring to his spirit form. "Fragrant Dream isn't very energetic."

Victor stretched out his hand, and a bright red, demonic claw appeared.

Jiang Xueming immediately summoned his spirit form, instructing the steel cat to mount the sharp claw.

Teacher Victor grasped the Fragrant Dream, carefully sensing its spiritual state.

"That's true. In all my years, this is the first time I've seen something like this. A portion of your spirit's essence comes from the BOSS—losing its blessing means your soul power will be limited."

Jiang Xueming: "At first, I considered whether to temporarily withdraw from this operation, but I'm already on the ship. Retreating and running away at this point would affect the Organization Department's other deployment plans."

"I believe in your abilities." Victor, through his [Hell Highway] superpower, saw parts of Jiang Xueming's memories. "You're getting further and further away from the BOSS, but this spirit is slowly recovering its strength. This means you can adapt to this environment—I vaguely remember that when we first met, you had several amazing qualities."

"One is the ability to make associations, and the other is the ability to learn."

"Another one is their extraordinary adaptability."

Detective King released Jiang Xueming's hand.

"--Gunsmith, your story was already told at the grave outside the Prince's Hall."

"You've become a legendary figure in the hearts of young people, and now it's your turn to continue that legend."

"As your teacher, I feel ashamed before this hurdle, because besides courage, I have so little to offer you, just some rambling words—you know I'm not good at fighting."

"Sometimes when I hear people talk about me, saying that I am the gunsmith's teacher, I will hide in front of the mirror in the VIP compartment, soak in the bathtub, and think carefully about whether I have fulfilled my responsibilities as a teacher."

Jiang Xueming immediately said, "Teacher, you are already very excellent, really, just considering how you taught me to swear."

Victor froze for a moment.

"--Very well, is this meant to comfort me?"

Xue Ming has a very sharp tongue and always speaks her mind to Victor.

"Besides, you're not my only teacher; I have hundreds of teachers."

That's absolutely true. Xue Ming's martial arts and archery skills originally came from all over the world, from various military and police departments, and from all sorts of boxing and martial arts instructors. Victor only taught him one thing, which was dancing—dancing allowed Jiang Xueming to better control his limbs, and it was the most basic of all.

"In short, I hope to see you again on the train." Victor released Xue Ming's hand—his expression seemed to say, "Okay, you can get off now." Xue Ming, being quite perceptive, with a strange expression that looked like she was trying not to laugh, slowly and leisurely left the room.

Two days later, the Mayflower docked at Xiantai Prefecture Pier.

Just as Victor said, the moment Xue Ming stood on the ground again, he felt that his spirit body was in much better condition and seemed less dependent on the BOSS. He was like a baby who had just learned to walk, and it always took some time to adapt. As for how long it would take to recover his full combat power, that was impossible to estimate.

A lifeboat descended from the side of the Mayflower, carrying the bodies of the victims, all the wronged souls of Yellow Dragon Immortal's men. When the families who were waiting for their wedding at the dock saw the mangled and unrecognizable bodies of Jinbao and Laifu, a chorus of wails erupted.

Lady Wang family shakily disembarked from the ship and saw Commander Liu's entourage. Her servants and guards huddled together, and she saw Liu Zhen, dressed in a leopard-patterned robe, peering out with a fierce and stern expression. His eyes swept over the corpses of his two younger brothers, and he realized that Lady Wang had finally returned alive.

The admiral was taken aback.

"Ah!"

"Brother Zhen! Brother Zhen!" Wang Ya'an, tears streaming down her face, rushed into the admiral's arms. "Brother Zhen! I almost died on the ship! Brother Zhen! You have to smash that monster statue in the ancestral temple right now! Brother Zhen!"

Liu Zhen originally had an imposing appearance, but with his wife pressing against him like that, he had no choice but to tilt his head back, trying his best not to let his wife see his strange expression.

He thought to himself--

How could I have come back alive?

The Yellow Dragon Immortal should have killed all three of them! How could they have returned alive?

The Guangyuan prefecture has submitted the betrothal letter and sent the dowry. The governor's family has two beautiful sisters; should I take these two as concubines?

"Siya'an, don't panic!"

Wang family cried out, "It's all your two good-for-nothing brothers' fault! Those treacherous dogs who betray their family! They've brought shame upon the whole family!"

As she said this, she pointed to Wen Bucai and his group.

"Thanks to these benefactors, my life was saved! Brother Zhen! Brother Zhen, why aren't you saying anything!"

Grand Admiral Liu Zhen's eyes were glued to Latia.

He stared at Latia's face, then his gaze swept over her two full, fiery red lips. He then greedily looked down, taking in every part of her body from head to toe.

"Ah... ah."

Jiang Xueming picked up his doctor's bag, took the last two liters of Universal Elixir, got on a dockworker's rickshaw, and headed to the Personnel Office of Xiantai Prefecture to obtain a travel permit, heading north.

As for what happened next, that will be told separately.