Master of Strange Dao

No matter how things develop next, intelligence work must be completed immediately.

However, once these guys entered Dadui, they encountered their first major obstacle.

They couldn't speak the language of Dadui.

Even the professionals from Jinyi Wei and the Shadow Department, despite undergoing crash courses and being able to speak the language of Dadui, learned it within the Divine Dynasty, lacking comparison and a language environment. Once in Dadui, their accents were downright unbearable.

The moment they opened their mouths, any ordinary person could tell that they definitely weren't from Dadui.

Meanwhile, within Dadui, there are two language systems: a common language spread through the Jade Tablet, meant for smooth communication with the outside world after Dadui's return, and Dadui's original ancient language system.

But in reality, no one in Dadui uses the common language for regular communication.

Within less than half a month of Dadui's return, the prisons of the border cities were already filled with people clearly harboring ill intentions.

Those who didn't end up with free board and lodging never intended to disguise themselves as Dadui people from the start. They disguised themselves as merchants, speculators, loose cultivators, and members of forces close to Dadui.

A large number of individuals had already started entering Dadui territory.

In the borderland, a teenager speaking fluent common language with a noticeable Dadui accent was leading a few cultivators with Daqian accents across a mountain forest, gazing into the distance at a village.

"Big brother, I've found out. The kind of spiritual medicine you mentioned is indeed planted here, and it's matured.

Learned from the Jade Tablet, don't you all have one?

You've never heard or learned before?

Oh, you didn't pay attention, no wonder.

The strongest here is the County Magistrate.

How could it be the River God? The River God doesn't even dare to show its face.

The strongest Qi Refining cultivator here is only at the two-tier level and can't even fly with an artifact.

Everyone knows this, but isn't it always the same?

If you ask what's different between Dadui and Daqian, I really can't say. Anyway, those who understand, understand; those who don't, can't have it explained..."

The teenager rambled on incessantly, speaking as if it were a matter of course, yet showing great admiration and respect for those cultivators.

This left the cultivators stifled, unable to ask what they didn't understand. Every time they tried to ask, they were blocked by the teenager's gaze, making it unbearably frustrating.

A few evil cultivators planning to make a quick haul and escape saw the ordinary village and the spiritual medicine being cultivated, along with some old farmers working hard in the fields, seemingly unable to rest at all.

When they rushed to this seemingly ordinary small village, preparing to quickly deal with the outermost old farmer, their flying sword pierced the old farmer, but it emitted a metallic clanging sound and was deflected.

The old farmer straightened up, with a slightly bewildered look on his rough face, and grabbed the flying sword.

"What are you doing?"

The old farmer looked around, saw the outsiders, and after spotting the teenager, his expression changed instantly, and he grinned.

"Outsiders are really wicked, coming to give me money again."

The old farmer slightly hunched his waist, and his figure instantly disappeared.

In three steps, he reached one of the evil cultivators and smashed the opponent's head with a punch.

"Damn you, Wang! I told you not to hit the head. If the head is damaged, those people who only talk halfway and make people sick won't pay."

As he spoke, the second evil cultivator was slapped so hard half of his face was gone.

"Hey, Wang, take it easy. The money is all yours; I don't want it. I just want the merits, is that fine?"

Before long, all the evil cultivators planning to make a quick haul and escape died outside the village.

The teenager counted heads on his fingers with bright eyes.

"Heh, another five. Why do these fools believe that places cultivating spiritual medicine are full of ordinary people?"

"Maybe all this work outside is done by ordinary people; otherwise, why would so many idiots come to give merits?" Wang casually replied. He wasn't concerned about why; he only cared that the court said causing trouble like these evil cultivators would count for rewards and merits.

Outsiders who come to Dadui, whether with good or ill intentions, don't have it easy...

Because they find that Dadui is insanely making Body Refinement a mandatory education.

In ordinary villages, there are many people slightly practicing body refinement as a form of wellness. Most might be just at the First-tier, but considering the sheer numbers and the environment, just thinking about it feels suffocating.

Ordinary border bandits might get drowned in a toilet if they randomly enter a border village.

Moreover, the Mountain God, Earth Deity, and River God are completely unlike their counterparts in Daqian, who have minimal presence. These entities, once sure they need to act, pounce like mad dogs on outsiders with malintent.

Outsiders don't know this, but Dadui's deities have been so suppressed, with entire cartloads dying before them.

Now the court has explicitly told them that safeguarding their area will earn them additional merits, so it's no wonder these deities are working desperately.

Within just three months, Song Chengyue, looking at the new intelligence reports, felt numbed.

Hundreds of dispatched Jinyi Wei were caught, but they weren't killed, only detained.

Today, someone claiming to be a member of Dadui's Riddler appeared seemingly out of nowhere in the capital city of Daqian, claiming to deliver a state letter.

The Jinyi Wei have yet to figure out how this person appeared in the capital.

Song Chengyue looked at the current intelligence reports, noting that the Jade Tablets in Dadui are widely popular, along with some unique items from Jinlan Mountain. He couldn't be bothered to investigate further. He wanted to first find Yu Ziqing to see if Yu Ziqing had any ideas on how to retrieve his people...

Losing a few is no big deal, but hundreds trained with great effort can't just be ignored if they're not dead.

Both Dali and Daqian are busy gathering intelligence.

As for Dazhen's Faceless Men, not a single one has appeared.

They are seldom seen outside Dazhen; even after the rebellion suppression and the Sealed King cleansing, the Faceless Men indeed have the energy to extend their influence outward, but currently, they truly can't spare any effort, as more troublesome issues arise.

The chief of the Faceless Men, Li Xingchen, floated in the air, gazing at the Hengduan Mountains, then looked north with a worried expression.

That inhuman Old Emperor Qian's actions have shown their aftermath.

Months passed, and the ice line in the north moved south again, with the cold wave even starting to cross the Hengduan Mountains.

This is the real big issue, and they've long been unable to handle anything with Dadui.

By now, it should be spring according to schedule, but as far as the eye can see, the ice and snow have yet to melt.

The area he stood upon was already the southeastern part of Dazhen's territory.

Dazhen is divided into four parts: the northwest and southwest are west of the Hengduan Mountains, with empty territory but uninhabitable.

The northeastern quarter has also turned into tundra, leaving only winter.

The southeastern quarter is home to 99% of Dazhen's population.

Now, the time has come, but spring has not arrived.