Yefutidaolu

Chapter 355 People-Eating
At this moment, all the members of the Fang family, including the most composed Fang Qian and the most unconventional Fang Jun, stood frozen in place, as if they had been frozen in place!

Their expressions froze in utter shock, disbelief, and a near-terrifying awe! Their mouths were slightly agape, their eyes wide open, staring intently at the wounds on their prey where the old and new arrows overlapped perfectly, then at Gao Jian, who stood in the center of the field, holding the last bow, his breathing calm and composed.

This... this is no longer just a matter of archery skills!

What terrifying observational, memory, analytical, and pinpoint control over one's own strength and skills!
He actually managed to perfectly reconstruct and replicate, based solely on the wounds on his prey, the arrows they fired in high-speed movement and complex conditions, arrows that embodied their peak skills? Absolutely flawless?!
Gao Jian casually placed the last bow back on the weapon rack, clapped his hands, as if he had only done a trivial matter. He turned around, his face still bearing that gentle and harmless smile, and looked at the stunned, petrified Fang family members, saying lightly:
"The gentlemen were arguing endlessly just now because each of them had their own strengths and it was difficult to determine who was better. However, the subtleties of archery, the power, angle, timing, and prediction, were all revealed in this arrow wound."

"I am unworthy to presume to review the game with my arrows. Now, the skill of each archer, the strength of their arrows, the fineness of their technique, the accuracy of their predictions..." He glanced at the perfectly overlapping arrows on the prey, smiled slightly, "Isn't it all clear at a glance, right before my eyes? I will now list them in order of their skill and ranking. Is that fair?"

The expert raised a question.

But all he was met with was deathly silence.

Absolute silence.

The only sounds were the whistling of the wind through the screens at the corners of the hall and the heavy, suppressed breathing of the crowd.

Fang Qian swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing, and his gaze toward Gao Jian was filled with unprecedented shock and awe.

Xia Youdu sat upright at the table, showing no reaction, clearly having become accustomed to it.

Compared to Gao Jian's astonishing performance in the Netherworld, his current performance in front of a group of Fang family disciples at around the fourth level is truly ordinary.

Xia Youdu described Gao Jian as a "thefter of the Way" because of his astonishing comprehension and his wisdom in drawing inferences from one instance to another.

Compared to his life-or-death conversation with Yuan Lu, the patriarch of the Twelve Realms, in the Netherworld Sutra Pavilion, and even his astonishing act of daring to refuse the Divine Dynasty's recall order.

Compared to his terrifying comprehension, which allowed him to dismantle and refine the core secrets of the Netherworld through just a few days of diligent study.

Compared to his "inhuman" wisdom, which even the patriarch Yuanlu had to place high hopes on and hoped that he could help him deduce the Great Dao of Earth Immortals... the mere trick of reviewing the archery skills of a few young disciples from four-realm families was as bland and unremarkable as child's play.

He was the one who carved the Yellow Springs Map in a single day... How many people in the Imperial Academy could match him?

Xia Youdu withdrew her gaze, picked up the jade cup in front of her, and took a small sip of the clear wine. The cold liquid slid down her throat, bringing a faint sense of reality.

Just follow along.

Anyway, all you have to do is follow along.

But... what exactly is Gao Jian planning?

Xia Youdu didn't understand.

But, just follow along.

Anyway, all you have to do is follow along.

--------

At this very moment, in the divine capital of Yangjing.

Above the nine heavens, the sea of ​​clouds churns.

This magnificent and mysterious floating city, whose grandeur cannot be described in words, is like a mythical creature, silently suspended above the vast sea of ​​clouds!
Its scale was so vast that it could accommodate a trillion people! Hence it was also called 'Jingzhao'.

The city's structure is based on the celestial constellations, grand and intricate. Countless enormous floating islands are arranged like stars, connected by rainbow bridges or light trails flowing with starlight, forming a complex yet harmonious operational trajectory.

At the center stands the Ziwei Enclosure, symbolizing the "Ziwei Emperor Star." Its golden tiles reflect divine light under the eternal sun, and the magnificent palace overlooks the entire star array.

On the periphery, a giant functional urban area representing the "Twenty-Eight Mansions" slowly rotates.

Some are vast gardens of spiritual plants, lush and verdant.

Some were roaring forging workshops, with flames shooting into the sky.

Some are bustling markets and shops, teeming with people.

Some were heavily fortified military strongholds, their banners fluttering in the wind.

Further out are the floating islands and small functional areas representing countless auxiliary and guest stars, like stars surrounding the moon.

Below the city lies not land, but a bottomless abyss of clouds. A massive runic array shimmers with eternal radiance at the city's base, drawing upon the boundless spiritual energy of heaven and earth to maintain this miraculous levitation.

Occasionally, various uniquely shaped, shimmering star boats and floating vessels shuttle between the star islands like shooting stars, leaving streaks of light that form a flowing galaxy.

The air was so pure and untouched by dust that it was filled with a rich spiritual energy and a sense of grandeur, order, and a sacredness that transcended the mundane world.

This is the heart of the Divine Dynasty, the center where all races pay homage—the Divine Capital Yangjing!
Meanwhile, inside the Ziwei Enclosure of the Ministry of Revenue—

This place is located on a floating island representing the Purple Palace Enclosure, where the Ministry of Revenue, the central position of the divine dynasty, is slowly being activated.

The Ministry of Revenue was a vital institution, controlling the finances and provisions of the colossal Divine Dynasty. As such, it was quite grand, with extremely high pavilions offering excellent views. Through the huge stained-glass windows, one could clearly see the slowly flowing sea of ​​clouds below and the floating islands dotting the distance like stars.

At this moment, behind an enormous desk carved from warm jade, sat a middle-aged man dressed in a purple robe, with a lean face and deep, ancient eyes.

He was none other than Li Zoufang, the Minister of Revenue of the Divine Dynasty. He was toying with a warm, ancient jade in his hand, his expression seemingly leisurely. On the smooth, mirror-like, priceless jade desk, a fluffy, round hamster stood upright, its two little paws waving excitedly, its beady eyes filled with anxiety.

It was Elder Shu Jian of Rat Mountain who had finally arrived in Yangjing after going through many hardships!
"Lord Li! That's how it all happened!" Shu Jian's voice was high-pitched but his speech was extremely fast. Like a machine gun, he recounted in great detail the destruction of the Jin family in Liangzhou, Gao Jian's control of Liangzhou, the disruption of the harvesting of a billion souls in the Netherworld, and finally, his being personally "invited" to the Netherworld by Ancestor Yuan Lu. His small chest heaved violently, clearly indicating that he was extremely unsettled.

"Lord Li, what should we do?" Shu Jian anxiously rubbed his little hands together, his green bean eyes gazing expectantly at Li Zoufang. "That's the Netherworld! Ancestor Yuanlu is a powerful figure at the twelfth realm! Gao Jian is trapped inside, his chances of survival are slim! We must quickly find a way to rescue him!"

After listening, Li Zoufang did not show the solemnity or anxiety that Shu Jian had expected.

Instead, he smiled slightly, a smile that carried a sense of composure.

He slowly and deliberately picked up a few sunflower seeds, each exuding a spiritual aura and with natural golden patterns on its shell, from an exquisite jade box beside his desk, and gently placed them on the small dish in front of Shu Jian.

"Elder Shujian, you must be tired from your journey. Have something to eat first to calm your nerves." Li Zoufang spoke gently, as if comforting a frightened child. "No need to rush."

"These melon seeds were bestowed by the emperor. Eating them will make one's skin radiant and improve complexion. They will also boost energy, reduce hunger, and with prolonged consumption, lighten the body and promote longevity. They will also relieve chest fullness and unhappiness. You can eat more of them."

Shu Jian was anxious, but she still stretched out her two little paws, grabbed one, cracked it open with her front teeth, and said while eating:

"How...how can we not be anxious?! That's an old demon of the twelfth realm! No matter how monstrous your insight is, you're only at the sixth realm! What if..."

“There’s no such thing as ‘what if’.” Li Zoufang interrupted Shu Jian’s incessant chatter. He put down the ancient jade in his hand, took out a special talisman from a stack of documents on the desk that emitted a faint spiritual light, and handed it to Shu Jian. “Look at this.”

Shu Jian leaned closer, sniffing the familiar scent on the talisman with his little nose—it was brilliant!
Upon closer inspection, the contents of the talisman were astonishing—a letter of apology written by Gao Jian himself, bearing his personal seal, and activating the power of the official decree of the Divine Dynasty! The letter precisely rejected the imperial court's recall order!

"This...this is?!" Shu Jian was completely dumbfounded, his little brain unable to process what was happening. "He...he refused the recall? He voluntarily stayed in the Netherworld?! Has he gone mad?! That old devil Yuan Lu was just looking for an excuse to deal with him, isn't he just walking into a trap and cutting off his own path to survival?! Could it be that he was manipulated?"

Seeing Shu Jian's shocked expression, Li Zoufang smiled and said, "Elder, please calm down. Your actions must have a deeper meaning."

"Deeper meaning? What deeper meaning?" Shu Jian asked eagerly, his little paws gripping the edge of the talisman. "Lord Li, what exactly are you planning! What's going on here?"

Li Zoufang did not directly answer Shu Jian's question, but slowly took out a note of extraordinary quality that shimmered with a soft golden light from the hidden compartment at the bottom of the desk.

This document was tanned from the hide of some exotic animal, as thin as a cicada's wing yet incredibly tough. It was imprinted with intricate anti-counterfeiting runes and the official seal of the Ministry of Revenue of the Divine Dynasty using a secret method. At the center of the document, a massive, breathtaking number composed of flowing golden light was clearly visible:
Six million gold coins!
"hiss--!!!"

The moment Shu Jian saw that number, he gasped, and every hair on his body stood on end! His beady eyes widened as if they were about to pop out of their sockets!
Six million gold!

The number exploded in its mind! As an elder of Rat Mountain, it had seen a lot of things, but such a huge and concrete amount of wealth still made it feel a tremor deep in its brain!

This is not just a number. In the Divine Dynasty, the precious coin represents the most valuable purchasing power and national credit!

If this money were used to buy even the most ordinary spirit grains, it would be enough to fill all the official roads in the three states, stretching endlessly like a golden mountain range!
If used to provide disaster relief, it would be enough to allow hundreds of millions of refugees to survive a decade of famine!

If used to arm an army, it would be enough to create an elite Taoist army of 100,000 men, fully equipped with standard magical artifacts, talismans, and elixirs!
Even for immortal sects or aristocratic families, this is an astronomical sum that could cripple them or even shake their foundations!

As expected of the Ministry of Revenue, which controls the nation's finances and is the purse strings of the Divine Dynasty...

Shu Jian was left with only this shocking thought: This move... is simply unbelievable!
"This...this..." Shu Jian's little hands were trembling as he pointed at the gold note, his voice trembling, "Lord Li...Lord Li? You...you mean this?"

Looking at Shu Jian's terrified expression, Li Zoufang seemed to find it amusing. He gently pushed the enormous gold note—enough to drive countless people mad—to the small dish in front of Shu Jian, his tone as calm as if he were handing over a note:
"Take this money."

"Destination - Youzhou."

"Leave it to Yan Ge."

The mouse was stunned.

"This...this huge sum of money, handed over to Yan Ge?!" Shu Jian stared at the enormous gold note beside the plate, which radiated a soft golden light and looked light but was actually incredibly heavy. He forgot to rub it with his little hands, and his beady eyes were filled with disbelief and confusion. "Lord Li, Yan Ge...Yan Ge is indeed one of the most reputable intelligence and assassination organizations in the world, with an excellent reputation and mysterious methods...but...can they afford this?"

Shu Jian struggled to organize his thoughts, trying to express his doubts: "As far as I know, there is no Earth Immortal presiding over Yan Pavilion! Although I, a mere seventh realm cultivator, may not be qualified to speak on this matter... but this matter involves a powerful figure like Yuan Lu of the Netherworld, a twelfth realm expert! It also involves Gao Jian's life and death, as well as Liangzhou and the Netherworld! This pool is too deep! Even if Yan Pavilion is powerful, in the face of a behemoth like the Netherworld, I'm afraid... they are powerless, aren't they? Can they really take on this hot potato and handle it properly?"

His worries were palpable; this amount of money and this task were clearly not something Yan Ge could easily handle.

“Hehehe…” Li Zoufang shook his head: “Elder Shujian, you are overthinking it. Giving this money to Yan Ge is not to ask them to directly deal with Youmingdi or Ancestor Yuanlu.”

He picked up the spiritual tea on the table and slowly took a sip.

"Then... what are they supposed to do?" Shu Jian was even more confused.

“The Four Pillars of the North…” Li Zoufang put down his teacup, turned his gaze to the vast sea of ​​clouds outside the window, and uttered four words in a calm tone.

The Four Pillars of the North are an alliance of four top-tier local powerful forces in Youzhou, a major town in the northern part of the Divine Dynasty.

The four families had been operating in Youzhou for hundreds of years, deeply entrenched and with a complex web of influence, almost monopolizing the lifeline of Youzhou's military, politics, economy, and resources. They were closely bound together through frequent marriages, exchanges of interests, and defensive alliances, forming a situation where "the prosperity of one is the prosperity of all, and the loss of one is the loss of all," hence the name "Four Pillars of the North."

"The Four Pillars of the North?" Shu Jian's little mind raced. "What does this have to do with Youzhou and this money? Could it be..."

Li Zoufang withdrew his gaze and looked at Shu Jian: "You're saying Gao Jian was only trying to escape?" He shook his head slightly, his tone carrying a hint of certainty, "If it was just to escape, he would have had the chance to leave long ago. With the imperial decree in hand, no matter how powerful the Yuan laws are, they wouldn't dare to openly intercept and kill the imperial envoy and prevent him from returning to the capital. Why would he stay? Why would he even refuse the summons?"

"That kid Gao Jian, he's the kind of person who eats people wherever he goes."

(End of this chapter)