Chapter 255: Nature

The ruthlessness of Immortal monsters, the filth of human hearts, the savagery of the world, and the entanglement of cause and effect were all fully displayed.

The book even mentioned gods, implying that although they never appeared, they had a significant influence on the world.

Zhong Shengguang, Hong Xiangqian, Nian Songyu, Sun Fuping... the life experiences of these people seemed to be able to exemplify this point.

The more He Lingchuan read, the more he felt that if the bizarre and strange surface of these two books were stripped away, the background color would be gray and black, which was terrifying to think about.

The book also mentioned an important point: the recovery of spiritual energy.

The author believed that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth should have gradually recovered during the medieval period, but it was delayed for some reason.

The "some reason" wasn't even explained by this outspoken author.

He Lingchuan found the author's name:

Dictated by Ao Xun, recorded by Sun Yang.

It turned out this book was completed by the two working together—one speaking, one recording.

He Lingchuan had read so many books in the Wenxuan Pavilion before, but he now felt that those added together didn't seem as good as these two.

Sun Fuling's recommendation was indeed reliable; this was the difference between knowing how to find books and not knowing how to find books.

While reading, evening arrived unknowingly, and the sunset in the sky was brilliant.

The sound of children and adults arguing came from the neighbor's house, along with snapping sounds, not knowing if it was bamboo boards frying meat skin.

But Sun Fuling's house was quiet, with no sound at all.

He Lingchuan knew she liked quiet and often went out, and hadn't thought much about it before. But after today's battle, he felt more and more that something was wrong:

She was already home, so why wasn't there even the sound of footsteps?

The two houses were separated by only a low wall, and with his current hearing, he should be able to easily hear the movement in her inner room.

Did she remain motionless after returning home? Or did she have cultivation like him? He Lingchuan's identity in this dream world was like both a player and a passerby. Up to now, he didn't know why he came here, but the appearance of this person, Sun Fuling, must be intentionally arranged by the dream.

When she wasn't home, should he go over and explore? This thought just emerged and couldn't be suppressed.

Fortunately, someone beat a gong outside at this time, beating twice in a row, while shouting loudly: "The City Mansion has an order: curfew at the sixth quarter of the You hour tonight; citizens must not go out!"

The fourth quarter of the You hour was about 6:30 in the evening; counting from now, it was less than half an hour before everyone had to return home and close their doors, which showed that this curfew came suddenly.

People had to hurry home after hearing the order. Soon, He Lingchuan heard the noisy and chaotic footsteps in the alley outside.

The neighbors were also whispering: "What happened again this time?"

"There have been many things since the Emperor's Flowing Plasma descended; it was hard to settle down for a few days, sigh!"

He Lingchuan vaguely felt that the temporary curfew might be related to the monster that appeared in the afternoon?

It showed that this thing was valued by the high command of Panlongcheng.

Unsurprisingly, the patrol strength of the entire city was strengthened. Originally, only one group of bailiffs passed by his door in a quarter of an hour; now there were at least three groups.

The size of the puppet beasts patrolling the streets had also increased.

This city was concentrating its strength to find the hiding place of the monster.

He Lingchuan wasn't optimistic about the search results; that thing was too fast and likely to shrink its body, hiding in someone's chicken coop, silent and soundless.

Sure enough, the next two hours were calm, and He Lingchuan didn't hear any whistle or see any signal flares going up.

The moon had passed the zenith and began to move west.

He Lingchuan jumped onto the roof and found that most of the lights in the residential houses had been extinguished.

Dogs didn't bark at midnight, and frost had condensed on the branches.

At this moment, most people had entered their dreams. Only the cold wind and the night watchmen with lanterns walked through the streets and alleys.

He Lingchuan looked down from a high position and glanced at Sun Fuling's courtyard.

The door was tightly closed, but light shone through the window paper.

She hadn't slept yet?

The branches and leaves of the tree in the courtyard stopped swaying at some point, and the ever-present wind seemed to have stopped.

Unknowingly, Panlongcheng fell into a silent solemnity.

He Lingchuan keenly sensed that there was something strange in the air, as if something was coming?

He sat on the roof, with a bright moon overhead, and everything was silent.

But he felt as if he were being watched and spied upon, and fine, fragmented whispers seemed to ring in his ears, like nagging, like mocking, making people feel restless, but when he focused to listen, there was nothing.

This feeling didn't seem unfamiliar? He Lingchuan thought for a while, took a pill from his bosom, and swallowed it.

He then turned around suddenly and saw swarms of Three-Corpse Insects! Sure enough, it was these things.

Since leaving the Panlong Desert, he had never seen such a spectacular army of Three-Corpse Insects. They were like schools of tropical fish in a coral reef, swimming around every building, entering and exiting doors and windows.

Needless to say, they were checking every living creature with intelligence.

Needless to say, they were sent out by Zhong Shengguang through the Great Fang Hu and could be pervasive.

But unlike what He Lingchuan saw in the Panlong Desert, these ferocious little things didn't harm any citizen, just circling around them, as if checking, and then looking for the next suspect.

Even when He Lingchuan was brushed by them, he only felt a little irritability in his heart, but not to the point of madness.

People in their dreams were even more unaware.

It showed the strength of the Great Fang Hu's restraint on the Three-Corpse Insects, which could actually make them defy their own nature.

Such means were truly not something humans could possess.

Of course, at this moment, He Lingchuan was more concerned about whether they could find the target.

Zhong Shengguang had actually dispatched an army of Three-Corpse Insects to search the whole city, showing his importance to the monster.

Waiting for another hour or so, there was still no sound outside.

He Lingchuan was a bit confused from reading, and the last thought in his mind seemed to be:

Right, his blade was broken; he had to change his weapon as soon as possible.

￥￥￥￥￥

White Deer Town, Haotian Township, Xiazhou.

On the high platform built of wooden boards at the east end of the town, three teenagers were tied up, the youngest fourteen or fifteen, the oldest no more than twenty-plus.

The executioner stood on the side holding a blade, and the patrol officer was reading the charges loudly on the platform.

It turned out that when the grain transport army passed through White Deer Town last time, these three had successfully stolen two carts of grain. One cart was buried, and one cart was secretly distributed to the starving townspeople overnight.

After several days of pursuit, the three were caught. According to the Great Yuan Law, stealing military grain during wartime is punishable by beheading, and it is executed on the spot without needing to be reported to the Royal Court.

After stating the charges, the patrol officer asked them, "Any last words?"

The oldest teenager cursed loudly: "Last words? Last words are ******! I don't regret it; at least I had a full meal last night!"

"You snatched the last grain of food, you sucked blood on the villagers, even robbers aren't as ruthless as you; what kind of parents-official are you!"

"Why didn't the righteous army of Woling Pass break into the capital and pull out the intestines of you dog officials and put them on your necks to parade through the streets?"

"I'll just stretch my head for you to kill; after killing me, there will be successors, and one day, you will also lose your heads just like me!"

He was impassioned, and the high platform was surrounded by three layers inside and out; the villagers all looked up, saying nothing, some even with their mouths open.

The patrol officer gave the executioner a look, and the latter stepped forward and hacked off the teenager's hands with one blade.

Blood gushed from the two wrists.

The teenager screamed in pain, still cursing endlessly.

The executioner used another blade to chop off his feet.

The teenager fainted directly.

The third blade, the head fell to the ground.

For the prime culprit of stealing military grain, this was the standard procedure.

Blood flowed all over the platform, and the head rolled to the feet of the other two teenagers, who were already kneeling on the ground, and at this moment, they directly peed their pants in fear, screaming and crying: "My lord, spare my life, he tricked us into stealing grain!"

"We didn't know beforehand!"

The patrol officer sneered: "He also tricked you into distributing grain; did you not know when you did this?"

The two begged desperately, but the executioner's blade fell.

As accomplices, they got a quick death.

"I reiterate the Xiazhou Mansion Order: the war on the front line is deadlocked, and military supplies are of great importance. Those who steal will be executed on the spot!" The patrol officer said with full breath, then stepped down. Someone came to fetch water to wash away the fresh blood, and the family members cried while collecting the corpses.

In the chaos, someone didn't know who secretly stole the shoes on the corpses' feet.

The excitement was over, and the dull audience dispersed.

A tall man also turned around with the crowd, tightening the hat on his head to block the wind.

When he bypassed the modesty screen of the pawnshop, he found that there were many people inside, and they even had to line up. And those who left the counter were either furious or dejected.

Soon, it was his turn.

The young appraiser sitting on top asked, "What are you pawning?"

The tall man untied the padded jacket on his body, turned it over, and pushed it forward. "The lining is mouse skin; it's waterproof and warm."

The appraiser took it and pinched it. "Too old, the fur is all worn away. Priced at two silver taels."

The tall man was depressed. "When I bought it before..."

"That was before." The appraiser didn't want to listen to him reminiscing about the past. Who wasn't a hero when they entered here?

"Can you give a little more?" Humble online, but he had gotten used to it over the years.

"If you don't pawn it, get out." The appraiser pushed the padded jacket out. "Too many clothes pawned recently; we don't lack yours."

"Pawn, pawn, add this too." The tall man took off the hat on his head. "This is silver mouse skin."

"It's been worn for so long, any mouse skin is the same." The appraiser only touched it once and said, "Seven fen."

The tall man choked, and his voice went up: "Only two taels and seven fen in total?!"

Another old appraiser behind poked his head out: "What's going on? What's so expensive?"

"It's nothing." The young appraiser smiled behind him. "Monster mouse skin padded jacket."

While taking the money, he lowered his voice and urged tightly: "Mr. Hong, this is already giving too much; take the money and leave quickly."

The tall Mr. Hong was stunned, heard the footsteps coming from inside the counter, and seeing the young appraiser nod at him, he had to grab the two taels and seven fen, lower his head, and walk away quickly.

It was windy today, and without the padded jacket, the spring street was still chilling to the bone.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 256 =====