The Phoenix Emperor sat upright on its phoenix throne, radiating the aura of a superior.
In the center of the main hall, Shen Yingchun knelt on the ground.
"Phoenix Emperor... that's how it happened."
Shen Yingchun's voice trembled.
He recounted how Shen Youchu and the groom Xiao Fan publicly insulted Jiangnan and Liu Ruyan.
"Hehe."
Phoenix Emperor rested her chin on her hand, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
"Shen Aiqing, what a fine daughter you've raised."
"How dare you, a mere ant, bully him?"
The murderous intent locked onto Shen Yingchun. Phoenix Emperor's voice rose like thunder.
"Are you saying the Shen Family is living too comfortably, and you want me to exterminate your entire clan?"
Shen Yingchun kowtowed frantically, blood streaming down her forehead. "My lord, please calm your anger!"
"I'll take responsibility for my actions. It's my dereliction of duty that I failed to discipline that beast!"
"I beg you, sir, to spare the innocent Shen Family from harm, considering my years of hard work!"
"I have expelled those two from the Shen Family! Shen Youchu's remains will be enslaved for eternity! Xiao Fan's remains have been cremated!"
The Phoenix Emperor's killing intent subsided slightly, and she sneered, "You seem quite reasonable, which makes me appear heartless."
She tapped the armrest lightly with her fingertips, her tone somber.
"Considering we need your skills, I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself."
"Those competitors who made it into the Second Ring Town are now in your hands."
"The second stage is over. I want to see these outsiders where they belong."
"Do you understand?"
"Understood!"
Shen Yingchun felt as if she had been granted a pardon, hesitated for a moment, then mustered her courage and looked up.
"But Phoenix Emperor, Dragon God has returned. Are you sure you still want to continue with that plan?"
Phoenix Emperor's smile vanished, her eyes turning deep. "What do you think?"
"Don't you, as the commander, know what will become of Soul Return Town without sufficient [source] to sustain it?"
She looked up at the dim sky outside the hall, her tone icy.
"Not to mention..."
"Those bedbugs have been watching this place."
"To preserve this pure land and to fight their way out, Soul Return Town had no choice."
Shen Yingchun, with a serious expression, clasped his hands and said, "Your subordinate understands."
"We will strictly adhere to the original plan."
"But many of those contestants have close ties with Dragon God. How should we deal with them?"
Phoenix Emperor paused slightly as she stroked the armrest, her eyes filled with jealousy.
"The men will be locked up in the Ox-Horse Factory first."
"A woman, whoever she is, will be dealt with."
"Yes, sir! I take my leave."
Shen Yingchun left the main hall.
A moment later, the main hall doors were pushed open.
Little Sparrow came in, sweating profusely, carrying two wooden food storage boxes.
"Lord Phoenix Emperor! Done!"
Little Sparrow shakes its lunchbox, proclaiming, "Tu's Rabbit Meat: The Most Authentic Bluegrass White-Cut Rabbit!"
"The specialties of the Great Chu have been perfectly incorporated; even immortals would go weak in the knees after eating it."
Little Sparrow was unaware that Shangguan Shuyi had already snatched the dish she had painstakingly added to.
She was carrying two servings of original-flavor poached rabbit that Tu Xiaogang had later remade.
However, just to be on the safe side!
She added some more!
A small hole was drilled from below.
Phoenix Emperor frowned as she looked at the lunchbox. "Throw it away."
"Why?"
The Little Sparrow glared at him, disappointed in him.
"Sir! You're not going to desert again, are you?"
"My butt still hurts, how can you give up halfway!"
Phoenix Emperor stepped down from the throne and flicked her forehead. "You brat, what do you take me for?"
"The venue for the second stage has changed, and he has been treated as a VIP by Shen Yingchun and is staying at the Shen Family Hotel."
"There were too many people and too many eyes there, I was too busy to notice."
"I see."
Little Sparrow rubbed her forehead, clicked her tongue in regret, and said, "There's nothing we can do about it."
"Since it's been poisoned, this vegetable is inedible; keeping it will only cause more harm."
"I'll feed it to the dog; it's a shame to throw it away."
Little Sparrow, carrying a lunchbox, limped out of Central Forest Garden.
At this moment, three unexpected guests arrived on the Second Ring Town.
It was the Sage man carrying the dementia of [Dusk], and the Madman possessing the Muraguchi Nissuu.
However, these three high-ranking members of the Desolate God Society were not only dressed in rags...
And even their identities are very consistent!
[Beggar]!
This is the only profession that allows them to legally beg for food between the Third Ring Town and Second Ring Town of the town, and to move freely between them.
The Sage walked to the busiest intersection on the street and threw the still-smiling Dusk into the corner.
Then, he pulled an erhu from his tattered gray robe, propped it up on his lap, and began to play it mournfully.
Meanwhile, the Madman standing to the side cooperated by pulling out a suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument), puffing out his cheeks, and starting to perform for money!
The "Moon Reflected in the Second Spring" and "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" attractions have drawn many wealthy residents from the Second Ring Town to stop and admire the scenery.
"Jingle bells..."
Soon, someone threw 10 taels of silver into the broken bowl.
The Sage put away his erhu, his empty eyes filled with sorrow.
"This is far from enough..."
"The performance evaluation for beggars is 10 taels per person, so the three of us will receive 30 taels."
"Still a long way off."
The Madman asked while wiping the saliva from the suona player's mouth.
"By the way, old man, what about Corporal Morishita who impersonated this body during the competition?"
Do you know where he is?
"Have no idea."
"His profession doesn't match; he should have already been eliminated due to a lack of results."
"They're probably still somewhere around the Third Ring Town, enjoying the cold wind."
The Sage shook his head, then lowered his voice and asked.
"Never mind that good-for-nothing."
"And you? Have you caught a whiff of your two prey?"
The Madman stuck out his tongue and greedily licked his lips, his eyes fixed on something not far away.
"I smelled it..."
"Right in that mansion~"
"That desire..."
"I can't wait to tear him to pieces!"
"Shut up, restrain your sins."
The Sage sternly stopped him, saying, "Our primary task is to seize that Heaven-Peering Mirror."
"Causing trouble now will only alert them. As for helping you get the puzzle pieces, we'll have plenty of opportunities."
"Awooo!!!"
Just as the two were whispering and plotting, Dusk suddenly started to make a ruckus!
The reason is simple and straightforward: he was hungry!
At Dusk, driven mad by hunger, it opened its mouth wide, grabbed the Sage's leg, and began to gnaw at him!
"Oh dear! You idiot, you've given in!"
Helplessly dragging the Dusk hanging from his leg, the Sage limped to a nearby steamed bun shop.
"Boss! Two meat buns, please!"
"Cheng Hui, one meat bun costs five taels of silver."
The boss said without looking up.
"What?!"
The Sage's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"Five taels?! Is your Second Ring Town a robbery?!"
"What kind of outrageous prices are these?!"
But Dusk doesn't care about inflation.
Pointing at the steamed buns in the steamer, drooling, she cried and screamed, insisting on eating them.
The Sage clutched his purse, gritting his teeth as he refused. "No! Absolutely not!"
"It's almost dark, if we don't reach our target of 30 taels!"
"They'll be forcibly dragged by the ghost messengers to Ox-Horse Factory to work as sewing machines!"
"That would completely ruin the infiltration plan!"
The Madman, watching the Dusk clinging to the Sage's leg and devouring it, earnestly proposed a solution.
"Or... should I cut off this arm and feed it to him?"
"Anyway, the flesh and blood of superhumans are quite resistant to hunger."
The Sage remain silent.
"Let's not even talk about whether that idiot Dusk likes to eat raw meat!"
"You chopped off your hand, don't you want this body anymore?!"
"I can always just get a new pair."
The Madman sniffed his own body with disgust.
"This body ate feces in the septic tank before, it's disgusting!"
"I actually envy those bodies that have never eaten feces."
"..."
The Sage clutched his forehead in anguish and sighed deeply.
"Being Shepherd is fucking tough!"
Why are all the kids around me problem children that even mental hospitals won't accept?!
Just as the three top leaders of the Desolate God Society were facing a financial crisis of hunger and poverty.
"Clatter."
At a street corner not far away, Little Sparrow casually tossed the two food containers she was holding next to a roadside Trash Can.
This attracted the attention of several stray dogs.
Hehehe~ Eat more~ Eat more~
Let's bring some life to this town soon!
Then, Little Sparrow grinned mischievously, turned around, and left.
Although the Sage couldn't see it, he could smell the aroma of meat!
That's the unparalleled flavor of top-quality ingredients mixed with secret spices!
"Waaaaah!"
Dusk fell and the smell intensified, the noise grew even louder, with drool dripping all over the ground.
The Sage swallowed hard, pointed towards the Trash Can, and gave instructions to the Madman.
"There's food over there! Madman, quick! Go get the food!"
"Okay!"
The Madman was shameless; he rushed forward in three strides.
"Screw you!"
"Awoo!"
He kicked away the stray dog that was rummaging through the food boxes and snatched both food boxes away.
He opened it and saw bluegrass and sliced rabbit meat lying inside, its color and appearance very appealing.
The Madman swallowed hard.
"Oh my, you look quite good! I'll be the first to test the poison on behalf of Dusk!"
After saying that, he grabbed a rabbit leg, stuffed it into his mouth, and began to chew it.
The more I ate, the more addicted I became; I finished off both boxes of rabbit meat in no time!
"Waaaaah!"
Seeing this, and looking at the empty box, Dusk, who was following behind, burst into tears of grievance.
"Are you crazy?!"
The Sage angrily rebuked, "I told you to go and steal food for Dusk, but you ate it all yourself?!"
The Madman licked his fingers, still wanting more.
"Old man, don't be angry. I couldn't help it, I really didn't mean to."
"At worst, I'll pay you back after I've digested it..."
However, before he could finish speaking!
"Boom!"
A surge of lust rose from the Madman's dantian, rushing straight to the top of his head!
"This feeling! This indescribable drug effect!"
"This dish is poisoned!"
The Sage frowned as he watched the woman squeezing her legs together and twisting and turning in place.
"What's wrong with you? Are you performing a shamanistic ritual?"
"This vegetable... this vegetable is fucking weird!"
The Madman was on the verge of tears, his voice trembling, "Old man, I can't hold on any longer! I'm leaving first!"
Unable to resist such base desires, the Madman simply relinquished control of the body.
He withdrew his consciousness back to the deepest part of his subconscious, where Muraguchi Nissuu!
This caused great suffering for the original owner of the body who had just awakened.
It's been Muraguchi Nissuu!
"Nani?"
The Muraguchi Nissuu had just regained control of his body and hadn't even had a chance to breathe.
The medicinal properties of the Great Chu specialty took over all the rational defenses in his brain!
"Roar!"
At the Muraguchi Nissuu spewed out coarse breaths from their nostrils.
Right in front of him stood a century-old locust tree!
"Yoshi! Pretty girl!"
At the Muraguchi Nissuu let out a roar and charged forward, grabbing the old tree in his arms.
Then came the cringe-worthy actions!
The actual number of days!
"Holy shit!"
This scene instantly ignited the entire commercial street!
A large number of townspeople who were strolling along the Second Ring Town gathered around in astonishment.
"My God! In broad daylight, this beggar is actually raping a tree?!"
"That's so weird! But I love watching it! Hahaha!"
Hearing the excited discussions of the townspeople around him, the Sage had initially felt ashamed, felt a surge of pride.
A plan suddenly popped into my head!
"Got it!"
The Sage decisively rushed forward and placed the broken bowl in his hand next to the Muraguchi Nissuu.
Then he picked up the erhu and started playing "Horse Racing"!
"Dear fellow villagers! Those with money, please show your support financially; those without, please just show your presence!"
The Sage played the erhu to accompany the Muraguchi Nissuu at the village entrance while shouting.
"A once-in-a-century spectacle in the Western Regions [Teddy Bear Possessing an Ancient Tree]!"
Don't miss out! Please give us some tips!
"Good!!!"
The townspeople watching were thoroughly entertained and cheered enthusiastically.
Ten taels...
The twenty-tael silver note was thrown into the Sage's broken bowl!
Listening to the sound of silver notes falling from the broken bowl, the Sage's hands, which were playing the erhu, almost left afterimages.
His mouth stretched from ear to ear.
"I made money! I made money! Hahaha!"
This joy, the pleasure of making money, instantly occupied the Sage's mind, making him even more...
They've forgotten why they infiltrated Soul Return Town in the first place!