Chapter 392 - 51: Zhenlian City
A thousand miles away from Zhenyang City.
Zhenlian City.
This is the second-largest city under the jurisdiction of the Zhenyang Sect.
Unlike the bustling and vibrant Zhenyang City, now at 9 p.m., the streets of Zhenlian City are deserted, every household has shut their doors, and there isn’t even a glimmer of candlelight.
It feels like a dead city.
Only from a guest courtyard in the City Lord’s Mansion, occasional sounds of whipping and angry cursing can be heard.
The whip is heavy, the curses loud, echoing far and wide.
So much so that even the nearby residences can hear.
Inside a house, a woman holds a child in her arms, the little girl is full of fear and quietly says:
"Mother, the noise is so loud, won’t it attract the monsters?"
The woman’s body trembles slightly but she maintains a smile for the child, softly saying:
"Don’t worry, with the City Lord and guards here, the monsters won’t dare come."
Though she speaks so, listening to the never-ending sounds of whipping and cursing, worry and fear are unmistakably etched on her face.
It’s been a month. Originally bustling Zhenlian City has had to be silent every night at 9 p.m.
Otherwise, it would attract those frightening demonic beasts that have never been seen before.
Yet today, those people from the West Imperial Dynasty who just moved into the City Lord’s Mansion are being extraordinarily arrogant and rude, daring to torture prisoners past 9 p.m. What if they drag us into their mess?
At this moment, the whipping and insults continue in the guest courtyard of the City Lord’s Mansion.
Inside a guest room, the floor is covered in blood.
A man dressed in a Golden Snake Black Robe continuously lashes a God-piercing Whip at a woman whose limbs are shackled to the wall, constantly cursing:
"Si Minglan, aren’t you quite spirited? Bite me, come on!"
He has been whipping her for almost an hour. The woman’s body is almost devoid of intact skin, drenched in blood, yet there’s no trace of pain on her face, her charming Danfeng eyes coldly watching the man.
"Si Mingcheng, you’re so afraid of me, yet don’t dare kill me, heh, truly pathetic."
Si Mingcheng, enraged, strikes again with the whip, skin breaking and flesh splitting, yet Si Minglan remains expressionless, even with a sarcastic smile at the corner of her mouth.
Si Mingcheng strides forward, slaps Si Minglan across the face, causing blood to drip from her mouth and half her face to swell.
"Si Minglan, do you really think I don’t dare to kill you? Once we’re at Zhenyang Sect, the Empress and Zhenyang Six Sons will convict you, and I’ll personally send you on your way! Rest assured, I won’t let you die easily!"
Si Minglan suddenly giggles.
Si Mingcheng grabs her chin: "Stop laughing! Laugh again and I’ll cut your tongue out!"
Since childhood, Si Minglan liked laughing like this in front of him, and Si Mingcheng hated seeing her that condescending manner.
Suddenly, sharp teeth grow from Si Minglan’s mouth, aiming to bite. Startled, Si Mingcheng quickly backs off, and Si Minglan continues to laugh:
"Si Mingcheng, do you know why I’ve liked laughing at you since childhood? Because no one in the Si Family has looked down on you, yet you look down on yourself. You think everyone is against you, but in truth, the only one against you is yourself!"
"From start to finish, it’s you and your mother self-deprecating, feeling ashamed, saying such things, whom should I laugh at if not you?"
"Shut up!!" Si Mingcheng’s forehead veins pop, and with a clang, he draws a long knife.
"Enough."
At this moment, a deep magnetic voice comes from outside. Si Mingcheng has to sheathe the long knife, reluctantly goes to open the door, and bows to the middle-aged man standing outside:
"City Lord Xu, I’m interrogating a West Imperial Dynasty prisoner, is there anything wrong?"
This middle-aged man is quite handsome, upon closer inspection, he bears some resemblance to Xu Caihe, it is Zhenlian City’s City Lord, Xu Jiangxing.
The West Imperial Dynasty and Eastern Cultivation Land stand parallel. Though Si Mingcheng is only a Guard Captain in the Western Emperor Palace’s Golden Snake Guard, in terms of status, he is only marginally lower than Xu Jiangxing, hence he doesn’t fear this City Lord.
Xu Jiangxing’s gaze goes past him, glancing at the bloody Si Minglan inside the room, with a hint of regret and admiration in his eyes: "Steward Guard Captain Si might not know, lately Zhenlian City has often been harassed by demonic beasts. These demonic beasts move towards sound, so Zhenlian City is now entirely silent."
"Demonic beasts?"
Si Mingcheng is startled, then laughs: "I’ve long heard City Lord Xu governs the city well, Zhenlian City’s guards are very strong, why be so cautious about mere demonic beasts?"
Xu Jiangxing replies: "Ordinary demonic beasts indeed are not to be feared, but this demonic beast... is Sixth Grade."
"Sixth Grade Demonic Beast?!" Si Mingcheng’s pupils shrink, his voice suddenly softens.
Demonic beasts are mostly below Fifth Grade. At Fifth Grade, they’re Beast King level, capable of commanding hundreds of low-grade demonic beasts.
If they reach Sixth Grade, they can control thousands of demonic beasts, and their own strength is extremely formidable, possibly possessing Golden Core Realm strength.
With the ability to command numerous demonic beasts, a Sixth Grade Beast King, though not enough to destroy Zhenlian City, can easily kill Si Mingcheng, a mere Foundation Establishment Peak.
"City Lord Xu, don’t be alarmist, since the beast tide twenty years ago, Hongzhou Continent hasn’t seen demonic beasts above Fifth Grade!"
Si Mingcheng is still somewhat incredulous.
Xu Jiangxing sighs: "Beast tides happen every few decades, each time shortening the interval by a few years. Calculating this way, this year might be another beast tide."
"What?!"
Si Mingcheng is shocked. Conflicts between cultivators are internal disputes within the race.
But beast tides are different; they’re life-and-death struggles between races. The losing side might face the brink of extinction.
Even if not exterminated, they can only hide in dark corners, eking out a miserable existence, handing over countless resources.
Just like the repeatedly defeated demonic beasts over hundreds of years, high-level Beast Kings being killed or hidden, low-level demonic beasts becoming food and pets for the Human Race.
But regardless of the outcome, every beast tide is a life-and-death trial for every cultivator of the Human Race.
"City Lord Xu, don’t be alarmist!"
Si Mingcheng’s face pales, his voice gets softer again.
Xu Jiangxing says: "This is my speculation about the beast tide timing, it might not be accurate, but being cautious is always better. It’s late, why not rest early, Steward Guard Captain Si."
Si Mingcheng’s expression changes, finally nodding: "Thank you, City Lord Xu, for the reminder."
After saying this, he bows, leaves the room, and walks towards his own room.
Si Minglan’s limbs are locked with Immortal Trapping Chains that also bind her cultivation, and she’s covered in injuries, naturally no fear of her escaping.
Once Si Mingcheng leaves, Xu Jiangxing looks at Si Minglan in the room, instructing the attendant behind him:
"Give her some food, and find a Medical Cultivator."
After saying so, he exits the guest courtyard, the attendant behind him speaks: "City Lord, just received news, the Young City Lord lost in the Outer Sect competition to a Body Cultivator named He Zhiqiu."
"The Young City Lord used ten sword strikes, one of which reached the Second Layer of the Golden Core Realm, yet couldn’t harm him in the slightest."
Xu Jiangxing is silent for a moment, then asks: "After losing, how did Caihe react?"
"The Young City Lord didn’t cry or fuss, silently leaned on his sword and left Danxia Peak."
Xu Jiangxing nods: "Finally grown up."
"City Lord, should we investigate this He Zhiqiu?"
"No need, currently dealing with that Sixth Grade demonic beast is most important. I’ve sent messages to Zhenyang Mountain, ordered heightened vigilance across the city, no negligence allowed."
"Understood!"