Chapter 960

Mountain Wind City, after all, was a vital fortress on a major thoroughfare; before the Supreme Demon State launched its full-scale attack, it was prosperous and wealthy, with many rich merchants in the city.

When war broke out, the state fell into chaos.

The wealthy merchants and rich families in Mountain Wind City early on took their families and fled southward, fleeing to the core region of the Fufeng Divine Dynasty to escape the war.

To the south of the city, once the gathering place of Mountain Wind City's elite, stood mansion after mansion occupying vast expanses, exquisitely luxurious and exquisite, now empty and deserted, save for the occasional house servant left behind, cautiously carrying a lantern as they tiptoed through the pitch-black courtyards.

In a grand manor, Wu Tie sat relaxed and at ease in a study that could occupy seven or eight mu, with dozens of books hovering before him, their pages turning on their own with a soft 'shush-shush-shush' sound.

When a book finished, it would fly on its own to the rear bookshelf, and then a new book would shoot out from the shelf, hovering before Wu Tie to continue turning.

On the desk before Wu Tie sat an antiquated, rather elegant purple-clay teapot; from a corner cabinet in the study he found a small half‑catty of excellent black tea, which he rudely brewed, and now wisps of white steam spewed from the pot's spout, filling the study with fragrant tea aroma.

He lifted the purple‑clay pot, needing no teacup, and drank straight from the spout a mouthful of scalding, richly fragrant tea; Wu Tie exhaled satisfied.

"Although it's merely a pretentious elegance, the owner of this manor truly has a rich collection of books."

Wu Tie chuckled as he watched the books before him turn themselves, shaking his head with a smile.

The pages of these books were snow‑white and stiff, clean and untouched, not a trace of having been turned; clearly the owner merely placed these books on the shelves to prove his family's cultural depth.

From this it is clear that this household is nothing but a nouveau riche.

But being a nouveau riche has its advantages: not knowing books, they buy everything indiscriminately—astronomy and geography, history and culture, folk customs, fishing, farming, herding, forestry, and so on—so every kind of book is available.

After browsing for a little under an hour, Wu Tie had already gained a preliminary understanding of the Fufeng Divine Dynasty and the Supreme Demon State.

On this continent, the Supreme Demon State calls it 'Rahu', while the Fufeng Divine Dynasty calls it 'Heavenly Wind'.

On this continent, the Fufeng Divine Dynasty is the most powerful human empire, descended from the ancient Fufeng clan; its people are innately gifted with wind‑controlling divine abilities, and occasional mutant bloodlines enable them to command wind, rain, lightning, and thunder—methods far from trivial.

Furthermore, the Fufeng Divine Dynasty is said to possess, forged from the spinal bone of the ancient god Fufeng slain during the reign of the Primeval Heavenly Emperor, and infused with boundless merit, the 'Heaven‑Earth Clear Wind Banner'.

This is a later‑crafted spiritual treasure; because of its material and the boundless merit woven into it, the Heaven‑Earth Clear Wind Banner's power far exceeds that of ordinary ancient treasures. The Fufeng Divine Dynasty founded its state relying on this treasure, and further relied on it to lay down a grand formation across its vast territory.

This grand formation is akin to the Sui Dynasty's Firewood Transmission Grand Formation; any practitioner of the demonic path who steps even a single foot into Fufeng Divine Dynasty territory finds their strength reduced to a tenth, and various wind calamities and wind tribulations arise in the darkness—even a Venerable‑level old demon has occasionally been carelessly slain by this formation.

And the Supreme Demon State, like the four great demonic enemy states that once surrounded the Sui Dynasty, is the mortal enemy of the Fufeng Divine Dynasty, a blood feud stretching back countless myriads of years.

For the Supreme Demon State, the vast territory and numerous populace of the Fufeng Divine Dynasty constitute their natural hunting ground; countless vicious and ruthless demonic arts require human essence blood and souls as materials, and many demon chiefs' cultivation even demands they seize furnaces and cauldrons from the Fufeng Divine Dynasty to skyrocket their own power.

For countless years, the flames of war between the two states have never ceased, with not a single year of peace.

But relying on the Heaven‑Earth Clear Wind Banner and that state‑suppressing grand formation, the Fufeng Divine Dynasty has firmly fortified its borders, keeping the claws of the Supreme Demon State at bay.

However, a few years ago, a certain prince of the Fufeng Divine Dynasty colluded with the Supreme Demon State; all thirty‑six Venerable‑level old demons currently possessed by the Supreme Demon State, including its present demon emperor, simultaneously infiltrated the Fufeng Divine Dynasty's imperial capital. Under the surprise attack, the current divine emperor of the Fufeng Divine Dynasty was gravely wounded and on the brink of death, while many loyal ministers and generals suffered heavy casualties.

Worse still, the Heaven‑Earth Clear Wind Banner was seized by the Supreme Demon State.

With the state‑suppressing grand formation deprived of its suppressing artifact, the Fufeng Divine Dynasty's formation collapsed immediately.

The Supreme Demon State's eight‑directional expedition commanders joined forces, leading their great army in a full‑scale assault; in just over a year, the Fufeng Divine Dynasty lost seventy‑to‑eighty percent of its territory, the demon troops swept in unopposed, as if entering an uninhabited land, and the Fufeng Divine Dynasty suffered grievous losses—alone, hundreds of royal princes and nobles fell.

Had it not been for the battle at the imperial capital, the Supreme Demon State's thirty‑six venerable demons would all have been severely wounded and never appeared on the battlefield; the Fufeng Divine Dynasty would have long since perished, leaving no chance for them to carry out their scheme of diverting disaster eastward.

Wu Tie leisurely flipped through the books in the study.

In the study there were also bulletins from the Fufeng Divine Dynasty, as well as letters exchanged between the manor's owner and certain households connected to the imperial capital.

These bulletins and letters laid out the causes and consequences of this great war in clear detail, giving Wu Tie a fairly comprehensive grasp of the Fufeng Divine Dynasty's present situation.

"Thirty‑six venerable demons… I don't know their cultivation level, but their number is not large."

"But you're trying to divert disaster eastward—do you think Wuguo can handle these venerable demons?"

Countless thoughts turned in his mind; Wu Tie smiled and shook his head: "Hmm, I suspect you also harbor the idea of using wolves to devour tigers… I imagine you've reckoned that Wuguo's outskirts must harbor demonic forces comparable to the Supreme Demon State, hoping to provoke a clash between them and the Supreme Demon State."

"Hehe, whether it's the Supreme Demon State's venerable demons drawn in by Wuguo, or the great demon venerables from Wuguo's vicinity lured here, for your Fufeng Divine Dynasty the situation is already hopeless—it can't get any worse."

"Perhaps you still harbor the thought of letting the Supreme Demon State and others suffer mutual destruction."

Wu Tie pondered the various thoughts of the Fufeng Divine Dynasty's high echelons.

He lifted the teapot, downed the fragrant tea in one gulp, poured out the leaves, played with the pot for a while, then tucked it into his sleeve.

"Mm, a fine pot; if the war drags on, it'd be a pity to break it."

Wu Tie shook his head, rose to his feet, and dozens of books hovered beside him flipping rapidly; he walked a circuit of the study, gathering all the books he deemed valuable.

"Clang‑clang‑clang" rang out from the courtyard outside the study.

A hoarse, trembling voice echoed from afar: "Who? Who's in the study? No matter which road you walk, do you know the prestige of our master?"

"Leave at once; even in wartime chaos, the Luo household is no place for you city‑foxes and village‑rats to stir up trouble."

A fierce dog's howl sounded.

Wu Tie chuckled, glanced toward the study's exterior, and with a sweep of his large sleeve simply gathered all the bookshelves in the study away.

With a soft 'poof', all the candles in the study snuffed out at once, and Wu Tie vanished without a trace.

After about half a quarter‑hour, a dozen or so sturdy men trembling all over, wielding clubs and led by two elderly gray‑heads, cautiously pushed open the study's door.

"Good heavens… you damned wretch… these are the books our master painstakingly accumulated—our Luo family's seed of knowledge!"

A shrill cry tore through the night's stillness; several night‑patrol swift boats screamed in from low altitude, and squadrons of armored troops leapt from the flying vessels, encircling the manor on all sides.

Wu Tie walked with his hands behind his back, moving slowly down the dimly lit street.

On both sides of the street stood many inns and restaurants, but the influx of spiritual force had long since left them empty; tables and chairs lay buried under thick layers of dust.

Before midnight, a few minor officials in green caps and robes stretched lazily on a cross‑street ahead, sauntering over slowly.

"When will this day ever come to an end?"

A pale‑faced middle‑aged clerk sighed softly: "I don't know what vicious schemes those demon spawn are plotting again; why hasn't anyone come to attack the city these past few days?"

A clerk with a full beard muttered lowly: "Isn't that good? Since they aren't attacking the city, it's the perfect chance to rush repairs on the walls and gates."

With a bitter laugh, the big‑bearded clerk said in a deep voice: "Just the other day we were truly at the end of our rope, barely able to hold out; they could at most attack for two more days before Mountain Wind City fell. Who would have thought that these past few days they've shown no sign of movement at all."

"Hey, we get to live a few more days." A pallid‑faced young clerk muttered: "I'm not even married yet."

The few clerks laughed together.

The pale‑faced middle‑aged clerk chuckled: "Xiao Fang, you're the stingiest; you've saved up your pay, saying it's for marrying a wife. But now that war's come, heh, marrying a wife…"

Shaking his head and sighing, the pale‑faced clerk complained softly: "I don't know how many more days we can last. Xiao Fang, take out the silver and origin crystals you've saved, go find a few half‑open‑door ladies, enjoy yourself while you can."

The big-bearded petty clerk laughed lecherously, "heh heh heh": "Indeed, if you went to King Yama's side, you'd still be a greenhorn kid—wouldn't that be embarrassing?"

The pallid petty clerk Xiao Fang licked his lips, feeling somewhat stirred, and glanced a few times at the buildings on either side of the street.

"Alas, a pity—the girls of Wan Hua Lou… have all been taken south by Granny Jin; otherwise… we, for our first time, ought to find a red-plaque courtesan from Wan Hua Lou." Xiao Fang vigorously rubbed his palms.

All the petty clerks burst out laughing.

Up ahead on the street, before the closed gate of a manor, on a fairly sized open space, several night stalls had lanterns casting dim light, illuminating that open space.

Several small square tables were haphazardly placed there, with long benches along the edges; a few petty clerks, a few veteran soldiers, and a few scholars in long robes washed pale sat at the tables, eating rice noodles, wheat noodles, or wontons, slurping happily.

Several petty clerks who had been chatting and laughing along the way stopped, found an empty table, and sat down.

Xiao Fang gritted his teeth, lightly patted the small, meticulously cleaned wooden table, and said, "Brothers, we usually live off your hospitality; today I, Xiao Fang, will also be generous..."

With the feeling that he might die tomorrow and not know who would benefit from his saved wages, Xiao Fang generously had the braised-meat stall boss cut several jin of pork head, a large plate of chitterlings, a few pig ears, and a large plate of bitter liver slices, and prepared some other assorted side dishes.

A jar of old liquor, already sold seven or eight jin, was taken entirely by Xiao Fang.

Several large bowls were filled with old liquor that wasn't very mellow but was plenty strong; Xiao Fang and a few close petty clerks exchanged low laughs, clinked their bowls forcefully, then gulped it down in big gulps.

Wu Tie stood at the street corner, hands behind his back, watching with interest these petty clerks of low cultivation but in the Life Pond Realm, who in this war were like weeds that could at any moment be burned to ash by the flames of battle.

They chatted about heaven and earth, quietly exchanging all sorts of strange tales and romantic gossip they'd heard.

Whose son got beaten again, whose daughter tossed a sachet to the neighbor's young lad.

The lord of Shanfeng City, last night, worried about the war, had his fiery qi surge to his heart and fainted; he actually roared at his own tigress wife, then ended up with a bloody handprint all over his face.

The commander of Shanfeng City's Defense Army First Battalion, gritting his teeth, handed his toddler, just learning to speak, to a servant to send south. And this commander previously had nine grown sons, now all lost in battle on the city walls.

The Chief Magistrate of the city lord's mansion, a kindly old man who had never blushed or argued in his life, secretly practiced forbidden arts… He overdosed on various elixirs, and the immense medicinal power, stored in his body by a forbidden secret method, turned him into a terrifying human-shaped bomb.

This kindly old man had already prepared to perish together with the demon nation's great army after the city falls.

Moreover, the most rigid, rule-abiding old tutor of the Shanfeng City academy, right before his own students, proposed to the widow next door.

This tutor, who had observed purity and discipline his whole life, who publicly swore to share the city's fate when the demon army attacked, suddenly had an epiphany, realizing he wanted to reclaim a missed romantic bond.

"An old tree blooming." Xiao Fang, a little tipsy, hee-hee'd: "In these couple days, I bet the tutor will throw a feast… Back then he hit me hard with his ruler, leaving me in a sorry state; this time, when he throws a feast, I'll definitely go bring a generous gift to see if he blushes."

Several petty clerks also hee-hee'd.

They began discussing the young ladies from the wealthy families who had fled south with their clans.

"Miss Luo is a tigress of rouge, with a very fiery temper—perhaps even more so than the city lord's lady." The petty clerk with a beard full of whiskers heh-heh'd: "It's a shame our stations are worlds apart… tsk, if I could just hug her and smell her fragrance… I'd gladly let my body be crushed to powder."

"If you're talking about a suitable home and family with aristocratic bearing, it's still the Seventh Miss Mei." The petty clerk with a fair complexion sighed lightly: "Ah, three years ago, at the Lantern Festival, a single glance took my breath away—I felt that even my own wife had become just a speck of mosquito blood on my heart."

Several petty clerks broke into laughter again.

A patrol of soldiers, their steps heavy, walked down the street.

In the sky, dozens of airships sailed back and forth, silently tracking the elegant thief who had broken into the Luo manor and stolen all its books.

Wu Tie, smiling at the somewhat tipsy petty clerks, walked with steady steps to their table.

"The night is slightly cool, the moisture permeates the air; my purse is humble—might I beg a bowl of wine? To dispel the Cold Qi and scatter the dampness." Wu Tie said courteously, clasping his hands toward the petty clerks.