Chapter 718: The Evil Heart Curse
Although Chu Liang had already endured plenty of surprises that day, he was once again astonished when news reached him that Taotie City had been breached by the rebels of Mount Mang.
Taotie City, after all, was one of the Terrestrial Ten. While its cultivation legacy wasn’t particularly strong, the city was home to countless powerful honored allies. How could it have fallen to a mere group of rebels?
If the rebels of Mount Mang were truly that powerful, they could easily rise to become one of the new factions in the Terrestrial Ten. There would be no reason for them to remain mere outlaws.
After all, there was the story of how the outlaws wreaked havoc, killing and burning, until the imperial court could no longer suppress them and was forced to recognize and accept them into its ranks[1].
This story would be a perfect example of how when people were weak, they were labeled a rebel. But if they became strong enough, they would naturally be deemed righteous.
As more detailed information arrived, Chu Liang finally pieced together the full picture.
Taotie City originally had many powerful honored allies. Although no large-scale battles had occurred there for centuries, the city’s immense wealth allowed it to sustain this large but mostly idle force. Typically, these honored allies were only tasked with managing city security, as there was little need for such a massive contingent.
However, after lending a large sum of money to the Penglai Supreme Sect a few days earlier, Taotie City faced financial strain. To sustain its high expenditures and keep the market running, they had to cut costs. After some deliberation, Huyan Dong decided to start with the largely unused honored allies, dismissing most of them.
This was the consequence of having a weak foundation. Those who joined for money would eventually leave for money.
Even so, the forces remaining in the Taotie City were still powerful, allowing the Taotie City to keep its place in the Terrestrial Ten. However, after copying Red Cotton Peak’s delivery service and having Qi Lin’er ambush Red Cotton Peak’s teams, Huyan Dong grew worried. He feared that the Mount Shu Sect wouldn’t dare to provoke the Penglai Supreme Sect but might instead retaliate against Taotie City. Thus, he deployed a large number of additional personnel to escort their teams of couriers.
This act of projecting his own petty mindset onto others only pushed the city further into financial ruin.