Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 98: Money Power Reclaims First Place on the Weapon Ranking! (Two chapters, 7000 words, please subscribe and vote)

Outside, the aura above the dragon's head manifested as a gigantic red-maned black dragon, its power unmatched, terrifying both sides on the ground into not daring to move.

Despite having absorbed a considerable amount of dragon energy as planned, and the barrier that had bound him for so long gradually loosening, he felt no joy whatsoever.

"Something's not right! The dragon energy in that well is clearly accumulating more and more, so why can't my [Nine Dragons Spitting Pearls Formation] absorb it anymore?"
That's not enough! This amount is far from enough for me to break through to the upper three ranks!

Why is the amount of dragon energy obtained after using Madam Yan to repair the formation less than before? What exactly is the problem?

At this point, whether it's a noble person wielding the "Nine Provinces Order Register" or Pu Shouying frantically urging the "Classic of Mountains and Seas Shaking Dragons," it can only drip out drop by drop, like pressing oil.

Until the tidal wave from the East China Sea eye receded, leaving it exposed, the real culprit that was "swimming naked" was forced to surface.

By this time, the half-fish, half-dragon aura of Chiwen on Wang Cheng's body had completely transformed into a dragon-shaped [Jiaomu Jiao].

After quantitative change leads to qualitative change, even if those nine dragons that formed the dregs of history were alive, they would probably not be as pure as his dragon energy.

So much so that even the appearance of the "dried fish" he bought could no longer conceal the enormous dragon aura emanating from him.

To the onlookers outside the tower, another graceful azure dragon rose up beside Yan Yunxiao's silver dragon, the two complementing each other.

One green and one white, they looked just like two fat, smacking-lipped "worms".

"belch--!"

With a loud burp from who-knows-who, the "Nine Dragons Spitting Pearls" ritual came to an abrupt end before the eyes of the nobleman and Pu Shouying, who were caught off guard.

They spent six or seven years sowing discord, betraying their allies, and committing all sorts of evil deeds. The results they achieved after all that hard work were less than half of what they had expected.

I'm so sad I feel like I'm going to vomit blood.

Two humanoid figures, one in green and one in white, flashed and appeared simultaneously at the top of the tower.

Seeing the two people completely unharmed—no, more like glowing with health—the nobleman was furious, a raging fire erupting from the [Dragon Pearl]:
"Madam Yan! Wang Fugui!"

"Tell me, where is my dragon aura? Where have you taken my dragon aura?"

On the other side, Huang Yuanzhou, who had initially given up hope, gradually became excited as he watched them:
"How could there be two living dragons in this well?"

It's one thing for Madam Yan to be a dragon-like earth deity and the daughter of Lord Yan, but how come the Fu Gui brothers also possess such an imposing and noble air about them?
Even if you searched all over our Minzhou Prefecture, this remote and impoverished place with eight parts mountains, one part water, and one part farmland, you could count such people on one hand. Could it be that…

His godmother, the clam maiden Shui Rou, who was beside him, added the second half of the sentence in her heart:

"There's only one answer: 'Wang Fugui' is actually our Prince Wang!!"

Once this link is filled in, everything will make sense.

The young master didn't hide at all; he's been fighting alongside us all this time. He's really grown up.

The long, solitary struggle and hard work seemed to have been rewarded all at once, and the clam woman's eyes couldn't help but well up with tears.

Wang Cheng, atop the tower, smiled and nodded in greeting before looking directly at the dragon pearl in the sky opposite him and politely cupping his hands in a respectful gesture.

"Hiccup, sorry, I'm a bit too full. Thank you for the treat, please invite me again next time you're out."

He had never eaten such a sumptuous feast in his life, and he thoroughly enjoyed the meal, taking food with him as he went.

Neither the nobleman nor Pu Shouying were fools; if Huang Yuanzhou and the clam maiden could guess the answer, they certainly could too.

After the anger subsided, reason regained control of the brain.

He called out a name that everyone in Yuegang knew during this period, to the polite Wang Cheng:

"You are not Wang Fugui! You are Wang Cheng, the heir of the Prince of Jinghai!"
"We've been looking for you for months. Turns out you've been hiding right under our noses, using a fake identity to stir up trouble and completely outmaneuver my idiots."

Although it's not convenient to reveal his identity at this time, Wang Cheng needs more time to grow.

But since they had already set their sights on the strategy of "openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass," leaking their identities on a small scale was not a big deal.

He simply stripped away the facade of "Wang Fugui" to reveal his true colors.

The scene immediately erupted in uproar.

The gentry faction, especially Wei Zhong, the "ghostwriter" ordered to arrest him, subconsciously took a step back.

It's hard to believe that this kid is actually the target of my mission over the past few months.

From the moment the gentry and commoners confronted each other, and I heard this guy speak so passionately about being selfless, I realized that he had been playing me for a fool all along.
He felt both ashamed and angry, and there was also a trace of fear that even he himself could not perceive.

Huang Yuanzhou, his face filled with excitement, led his men in a deep bow to Wang Cheng:
"Young Master, I knew you were a lucky man and would be alright."

Actually, I've long suspected your identity.

The chubby boy suddenly smiled obsequiously:
"Such a brilliant and brave young man, besides my young master, how could a second one possibly emerge in a small Yuegang in such a short time?"

Others' appearances may conceal your face, but they cannot hide your overwhelming aura of dominance. In truth, the moment I saw 'Wang Fugui,' I wanted nothing more than to prostrate myself before him.

Wang Cheng:
"Old Huang, you deserve to become one of the Twenty-Four Generals at such a young age. I really want to compete with you talented players."

The oldest people called him "Young Master" to show their close relationship.

The others called out, "Crown Prince," and with just one appearance, they created the impression that "the Crown Prince is returning to his loyal Wolgang."

In an instant, morale soared.

"Prince Jinghai" represents the most orthodox and righteous title on the East China Sea, while "Wang Fugui" is their comrade-in-arms who fought alongside them and made outstanding achievements.

Taking it out alone will not achieve this effect.

But when the two identities were combined, a wonderful chemical reaction immediately occurred.

With a title, ability, and reliable external support such as Lady Yan and the Chief Official, who in the Five Peaks Banner and the East Sea Kingdom would dare to say that the ruler is young and the country is in doubt, and that we should respect our sovereign?

Led by Huang Yuanzhou, the Wufeng Banner raised its arms and shouted:
“The prince has returned, and the people of Tanka have found their heaven and earth.”

"I only regret that I didn't die with the prince when he came ashore. Even if the emperor comes today, we will still splatter him with blood."

"We will die for the Crown Prince!" Although the gentry faction had a fourth-rank [Dragon's Crown Prince] in charge, they were completely overshadowed by the Five Peaks Banner in terms of momentum.

This is the will of the people; even mountains and seas can be moved!

Wang Cheng returned the greeting by clasping his hands in salute to his brothers who had withstood the test of blood and fire.

"Thank you for your kindness, brothers. I will catch up with you all after I have dealt with the unpleasant guest."

Seeing that Wang Cheng had turned this serious occasion into a large-scale family reunion as if nothing had happened, Guiren and Pu Shouying's faces were so gloomy they were almost dripping with water.

"We've searched high and low without finding it, but it's here without any effort. Since the Nine Dragons Spitting Pearl Formation has a problem, we'll just manually extract the Qi."

Kill them both, skin them alive! The missing dragon energy must be in them.

"I hate corrupt officials more than anything in my life, especially those audacious scoundrels who dare to steal my wealth. Even a god couldn't save you."

They were a fourth-rank and a fifth-rank official, and taking down a fifth-rank and a seventh-rank official was more than enough for them. The highest-ranking official on the ground, Wufengqi, was only a sixth-rank official, and they didn't even take him seriously.

However, no sooner had she finished speaking than Yan Yunxiao rushed out of the Dragon Locking Well, letting out a dragon's roar in the air, and transformed back into her true form as a dragon.

They went straight for Pu Shouying, who was also a fifth-rank official.

The colossal creature, several dozen feet long, moved like an avalanche or tsunami, its momentum utterly unstoppable.

The latter's expression changed drastically. He hadn't expected her to attack him first. Did she expect Wang Cheng, a mere seventh-rank Bai Shui Lang, to fight a fourth-rank Long Yin?

"Is Madam Yan trying to use someone else to do her dirty work? To use a powerful figure to get rid of Wang Cheng and monopolize the dragon's energy?"

Putting myself in their shoes, this was the only reason I could think of.

Just as he was about to open the fourth gate of Minor Auspiciousness, the View Gate, and the fifth gate of Minor Inauspiciousness, the Shock Gate, he used a delaying tactic. He only needed to hold on for a few breaths before a fourth-rank [Dragon's Blood] would arrive to join him in surrounding Lady Yan.

Who would have thought that Yan Yunxiao would speak the truth from afar:

"The decree is hereby issued!"

"You've taken up the highest official position, [Dragon's Blood]?!"

Pu Shouying's face froze with a mixture of sudden realization and disbelief, before she was sent flying by a lash of the dragon's tail.

He remained calm, confident that the Eight Gates Golden Lock technique could unleash his full potential, and that even a dragon couldn't kill him in a short time.

However, while she was still flying in mid-air, the brocade pouch at her waist suddenly went empty, snatched away by a dragon claw that used the "Pearl Gathering" skill of the Pearl Gatherer.

Yunxiao had no interest in pursuing him anymore; she simply tossed the brocade pouch onto the ground.

Clang clang.
They ignored all other miscellaneous items and focused only on a plain-looking wooden stake that rolled to the ground.

"stop!"

Pu Shouying's expression finally changed drastically.

The victors of the "openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass" strategy write history not by deleting the past, but by hiding some information within the long river of history.

Once the Pu family loses its stake and suffers a defeat, the hidden history will surge forth from the depths of the river of history with even greater force, falling into the consciousness of every stakeholder.

Even if the parties involved are dead, their stories will still be etched into the consciousness of future generations along the historical trajectory.

Even more unfortunately, this nation is exceptionally vengeful!

A smile appeared on Yan Yunxiao's dragon-like face, and she slammed her dragon claws down on the wooden stake.

call--!
As the wind blew, the images of the massacres perpetrated by the Pu family spilled out and quickly merged into the surrounding spiritual energy.

Then it spread rapidly along the collective consciousness of the people of China.

Pu Shouying was overcome with rage and coughed up blood, letting out a mournful cry:
"Do not--!"

After obtaining the intelligence that Wang Cheng had gleaned in advance, Yun Xiao delivered a fatal blow to this expert of the same realm.

Compared to punches that land with flesh, this is the most lethal and devastating critical strike.

With the Pu family's Achilles' heel exposed, there's no point in talking about nation-building plans anymore. Wherever the Great Zhao people exist, they have nowhere to escape, whether they go to heaven or hell.

Given the simple sentiments of the people of China, once they hear the story of the "farmer and the snake" from the Pu family, their first reaction upon encountering such a creature is to kill it as a sign of respect!

On the other side, the nobleman was also stunned when he saw Madam Yan rushing towards Pu Shouying.

He rode the [Good Dragon Pearl] to the top of the Octagonal Building, ready to crush Wang Cheng, a mere seventh-rank official, with ease.

Wang Cheng raised his hand to stop Huang Yuanzhou and his group, who were about to rush up to protect him.

He turned around, slapped the iron chain beside him, and shouted:
"Guys, dinner's ready."

Wow.
[Craftsman's Silver] Hold it in your hand and shake it hard, and countless incense and prayer coins will fall like rain.

Before it could even touch the iron chain, it was instantly burned to ashes, with only a few gold and red ingot-shaped seals surging into the chain like a tide.

One thousand, five thousand, ten thousand, fifty thousand, eighty thousand. Wealth that ordinary people would never dare to dream of in their entire lives was sacrificed to nine demonic dragons.

Although the unclaimed incense and vows that were extracted along with the Kowloon Spitting Pearl Bureau were contaminated by blood offerings, and the righteous gods and officials dared not accept them, they were more than enough to bribe evil spirits.

Immediately afterwards, the sound of chains clanging resounded throughout the entire ley line cave.

All the extended hooks retracted and merged into one end connected to the Dragon-Locking Pillar, while the other end split into nine, each transforming into a dragon's head with a curved hook.

Nine dragons, carrying a foul wind, soared into the sky, surrounding the [Good Dragon Pearl] and intending to drag it back to the Dragon Locking Well.

Wang Cheng looked at the tumbling chains at his feet and nodded in satisfaction.

"Today I am the head of 'Heaven and Earth Bank.' I hereby declare: Money power has reclaimed the number one spot on the weapon ranking!"

(End of this chapter)