Chapter 963

Xiao Fang and the others were drunk.

Tang Buyun, Li Feiyang and several others all had families.

Wu Tie asked the petty clerk and old soldier at the neighboring table to take these heavily drunk fellows back to their homes.

Xiao Fang was a single bachelor; his parents had already died, leaving him alone, and he usually lived in a small courtyard assigned to low-level clerks at the City Lord's Mansion.

Wu Tie hoisted Xiao Fang, who was limp like a dead pig, onto the bed and wrapped him in a thin blanket as tightly as a silkworm cocoon.

As they went out, Wu Tie heard Xiao Fang muttering indistinctly: "Mom, you wouldn't lie to me... I am truly the son of that old bastard?"

Wu Tie stared blankly, then shook his head and smiled.

This guy has a lot of resentment in his heart.

However, calling his own father an "old bastard" was quite the brilliant insult.

After closing Xiao Fang's room door, Wu Tie stood under the eaves, silently lost in thought for a while.

The rain continued to patter down, the drops hitting the roof tiles with a dull thud. When they fell on the several large banana leaves in the courtyard, they produced a crisp sound.

Several stray cats sneaked out from under the banana trees, their eyes widened to a sickly green, prowling around in search of anything to fill their stomachs.

A large watchdog kept to guard the yard crouched in the corner, equally furtive, squinting with vicious dog eyes as it furtively peered at the several stray cats.

Soon, a great battle will erupt here.

The small courtyard where Wu Tie and Xiao Fang live is still relatively quiet, with the clerks in the neighboring rooms already asleep.

Those few gate officials, who habitually harass refugees at the city gate and extort money from them, live in a small courtyard next door. It is already deep night, yet that courtyard is still very lively.

Wu Tie heard several different women moaning softly; these worthless fellows had even called in girls from outside for pleasure. Needless to say, the high and mighty city lord and other senior officials never come to these low-ranking clerks' residences.

These fellows have practically turned this courtyard into a den of collective debauchery.

"Go crazy one last time before death?" Wu Tie shook his head and casually flicked a strand of hair.

That strand of hair transformed into an exact replica of Wu Tie, who walked heavily to the door of his assigned room, opened it, closed it, then flung himself onto the bed and fell into an earth-shaking snore.

Wu Tie's true self then vanished into the air, becoming invisible as he headed toward the core area of the rear courtyard of the City Lord's Mansion.

Along the way he easily broke through one grand formation after another, bypassed various restrictions, evading the senses of the patrolling guards of the City Lord's Mansion, as if entering an uninhabited realm, and effortlessly reached the important area of the rear courtyard.

Surrounded by dense pines and cypresses, amid ancient towering pines tens of zhang high, stands a hall built of blue stone, solemn and unadorned; the weathered marks left by time give this hall, occupying less than a mu, an added aura of immense solemnity.

Rows of guards clad in heavy armor, wielding long swords, their eyes shining with sharp light, whose average cultivation is in the first or second level of the Divine Manifestation Realm, stand in the pine and cypress forest, guarding the hall so tightly that not even water can seep through.

A faint light enveloped the entire hall; through the open main doors one could clearly see the interior scene, yet all sound was blocked by this light, making it impossible for anyone outside to hear even the slightest stir from within.

The lord of Mountain Wind City, Fu Feng Youran, is a man of extraordinary bearing, with a beautiful beard, and his every gesture exudes the elegance of a refined gentleman.

He wore a loose white fur robe, narrowed his eyes, and looked with worry at the handsome youth sitting opposite him, clad in a dark cyan Wind Dragon Robe.

"Are we really going to do this?"

The handsome youth, whose face was like a jade crown and whose noble aura was striking, wearing the Wind Dragon Robe, was none other than Prince Le of the Fu Feng Divine Dynasty, Fu Feng Yasi.

Usually magnanimous and grand, Fu Feng Yasi enjoyed a reputation for benevolence and closeness to the people, but now his face was stiff and deathly pale; under the green‑red lantern light he lacked any human vitality, resembling a resurrected ancient corpse, giving off an inexplicably fierce and menacing aura.

"What then?" Fu Feng Yasi rested his hands on the chair's armrests, his fingers twitching like a mad chicken's claws, continuously tapping the armrests and producing a rapid series of 'ge‑ge‑ge‑ge‑ge‑ge' sounds.

"If we break Mountain Wind City, three million li to the south lies the Fu Feng Imperial Capital." Fu Feng Yasi's fingers spasmed and twitched, his body trembling as if seized by a fit.

"Don't hide it from you, Uncle, but the Fu Feng Imperial Capital now has no troops to spare except the million guards defending the Imperial City." Fu Feng Yasi's lips quivered slightly, and a strand of white saliva unconsciously dripped from the corner of his mouth.

Normally Fu Feng Yasi placed utmost importance on his dignified bearing; even when his wife chased him with a rod, or when he was beaten and fled in disarray, his escape remained graceful and composed.

Even when forced by his wife to kneel and beg for forgiveness, Prince Le Fu Feng Yasi did so with an effortless, graceful poise, every motion perfect and elegant beyond reproach.

But now he cannot help drooling... this loss of composure shows his mind has fallen into utter chaos.

"What about that plan we discussed earlier?" Fu Feng Youran sprang to his feet and paced back and forth across the hall several times.

He turned sharply to Fu Feng Yasi and asked: "What about the Diverting the Disaster Eastward plan? The princes we sent out are all outstanding talents of our Fu Feng Clan—could it be that not a single one succeeded?"

Fu Feng Yasi drew a slow breath: "Yin Wu Shuang is still leading troops to attack the city, which proves the plan has failed."

He raised both hands and vigorously rubbed his temples; Fu Feng Yasi's fingers pressed so hard that half of each fingertip sank into his temples, the nearby blood vessels bulging and glistening as if they might explode at any moment—a sight that made Fu Feng Youran's face twitch involuntarily.

"News from the Imperial Capital: Fu Feng Xiaoyao has located the Earth Character Yi Five Battlefield and has already set up a Teleportation Array there."

Fu Feng Yasi gritted his teeth and rubbed his head with both hands: "But... but... Yin Wu Shuang and his forces are still attacking... they..."

Fu Feng Yasi clenched his teeth, his eyes bloodshot as he looked at Fu Feng Youran: "We have no choice but to fight desperately. We must inflict a heavy blow on Yin Wu Shuang at Mountain Wind City, forcing him to attack soft targets. We must compel them to assault the Earth Character Yi Five Battlefield..."

"Time, the Fu Feng Divine Dynasty needs time—to gather its troops and restore its vitality."

"If we can retrieve the Heaven‑Earth Pure Wind Banner, the Fu Feng Divine Dynasty still has hope... but if we cannot reclaim the banner, then at least the Earth Character Yi Five Battlefield will buy us some time to find a retreat."

Fu Feng Youran fell silent.

After a long silence, he finally said hesitantly: "But perhaps we don't need such measures... I believe the sons of our Fu Feng Divine Dynasty could instead fight the demon spawn to the death."

Fu Feng Yasi lowered his hands, stood up, bowed his head, and spat out a mouthful of blood.

He lifted his head, wiped the blood from his mouth with his sleeve, and said calmly: "You're being too hasty; rushing will only cause inner heat, and spitting a few mouthfuls of blood is actually beneficial. Does Uncle Youran have faith in the people of Mountain Wind City? Yet the elders, and the officials in the Imperial Capital, do not share that view."

He let out a cold chuckle and muttered: "Just how many refugees has Mountain Wind City taken in these past few days? Surely it's in the tens of millions."

Fu Feng Yasi lifted his gaze to the Wind Dragon Relief carved on the hall's blue‑stone roof and murmured: "They, too, are subjects of our Fu Feng Divine Dynasty... their city was overrun by the demon spawn, yet they did not fight to the death."

"They could abandon their homeland and flee to Mountain Wind City; they could just as easily abandon Mountain Wind City and keep fleeing."

"Rather than let them run away, it would be better to use them to fight the demon spawn in a decisive battle at Mountain Wind City."

As he spoke, Fu Feng Yasi spat out another mouthful of blood.

He produced a precious pill, tossed it into his mouth, then wiped the fresh blood from his lips with his sleeve: "I forcibly activated the Innate Wish‑Fulfilling Fan during the day, aggravating my injury—heh, spitting a few mouthfuls of blood actually helps."

He exhaled heavily and said in a low voice: "These commoners have received generations of grace from our Fu Feng Divine Dynasty, bathed in heavenly blessings; they ought to think of repaying it."

With his hands behind his back, Fu Feng Yasi looked at Fu Feng Youran and said: "Uncle, you already decided today to close the gates—why are you hesitating now?"

Fu Feng Youran gave a wry smile: "Closing the gates during the day was merely to prepare for a death‑to‑death battle with the demon spawn. But Yasi, the plan you just mentioned... it's rather sensational; if it got out, the reputation of our Fu Feng Divine Dynasty would..."

Fu Feng Yasi stared solemnly at Fu Feng Youran: "Uncle, you're wrong—what does this have to do with our Fu Feng Divine Dynasty? This is entirely the work of those ruthless, insane demon spawn spies. Could it possibly be linked to our dynasty at all?"

Fu Feng Yasi gave a cold smile and said in a low voice: "This kind of thing, even if it gets out, will people believe our explanation, or those demon spawn?"

Fu Feng You Ran remained silent.

Fu Feng Ya Si said softly: "Therefore, imperial uncle, later, send out the City Lord's Mansion's trusted aides into the city's water sources, into the rations distributed to those refugees, and add the Zombie Pill."

After taking the Zombie Pill, ordinary Chonglou Realm cultivators can match Body Cultivators of the Fetal Storage Realm... while Fetal Storage Realm cultivators can oppose Divine Realm experts. Fu Feng Ya Si said solemnly: "Within Mountain Wind City, plus those refugees, the total population exceeds a hundred million."

A zombie force over a hundred million strong, capable of matching the Fetal Storage Realm, can give Yin Wu Shuang a heavy lesson.

We can coerce Yin Wu Shuang, coerce the Supreme Demon Kingdom behind them, to go after soft persimmons.

We can, for the Fu Feng Divine Dynasty, strive for more time.

With a "dong" sound, Fu Feng Ya Si took out a dark‑blue‑black medicine cauldron three feet square and slammed it heavily onto the ground.

From the medicine cauldron, a strange fragrance that made one's chest feel oppressed and body faintly numb spread out; Fu Feng You Ran and Fu Feng Ya Si's expressions changed slightly. Afterwards, Fu Feng Ya Si looked at Fu Feng You Ran and said solemnly: "If imperial uncle cannot bring himself to do it, I will have someone handle it."

Fu Feng You Ran fell silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head: "Never mind, never mind... perhaps you're right; these commoners have enjoyed the Fu Feng Clan's heavenly grace for generations, and now is the time for them to repay it."

Ah, I only hope, I only hope... After a while, Fu Feng You Ran furrowed his brow, looked at Fu Feng Ya Si, and said: "Is refining the Zombie Pill difficult? If it can be mass‑produced, perhaps we should these days actively send out scout fleets to gather more refugees."

Fu Feng Ya Si immediately laughed and said: "Imperial uncle, refining the Zombie Pill is actually not difficult; it can be supplied in huge quantities."

Fu Feng You Ran let out a heavy breath, as if he had set down a great stone in his heart, and he said in a low voice: "Thus, it is good; thus, it is excellent."

Wu Tie stood with his hands behind his back, silently in the corner of the hall, hearing clearly every word and deed of Fu Feng You Ran and Fu Feng Ya Si.

Zombie Pill, turning the city's populace into zombies with surging strength, thereby delaying the attack pace of the Yin Wu Shuang army outside the walls, buying more time for the royal family and ministers of the Fu Feng Divine Dynasty, those noble clans?

Wu Tie shook his head, walked slowly to the side of Fu Feng You Ran and Fu Feng Ya Si, and flicked his finger lightly.

Fu Feng You Ran and Fu Feng Ya Si instantly stiffened in place, unable to move a muscle, even their souls sealed and frozen, not a single thought could arise.

Wu Tie sat cross-legged beside the strange medicine cauldron, casually casting a seal that locked the cauldron on all sides, not allowing even a trace of medicinal qi to escape.

Carefully opening the medicine cauldron revealed thousands of thumb-sized pills inside, dark bluish-black in color, exuding tremendous medicinal power. These pills were covered all over with fine black lines, depicting twisted ferocious faces on each pill.

Just looking at the appearance of these pills, one could tell they were nothing good.

Wu Tie furrowed his brow, pondered for a moment, took out a pill, held it to his nose to sniff, then scraped off a speck of powder and placed it on the tip of his tongue to taste.

Wu Tie had already entered the Revered level, and he had condensed seven Dao seals of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements; the changes in medicinal principles between heaven and earth ultimately cannot escape the constraints of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements. Thus, as his cultivation rose, his attainment in the Dao of alchemy also grew accordingly.

The nature of the Zombie Pill is strange and terrifying, but its medicinal principle is not overly profound.

In just a quarter of an hour, Wu Tie dissected the formula of the Zombie Pill and understood its mechanism of action.

After pondering for a while, Wu Tie produced dozens of spiritual herbs, clapped his hands, ignited the alchemical fire inside this cauldron, and gradually added the herbs he had taken out, slowly modifying these Zombie Pills.

After a little over half an hour, at first glance the Zombie Pills inside the cauldron were unchanged in smell or color, exactly as before, with no alteration whatsoever.

However, if there were a grandmaster-level alchemist proficient in the Dao of alchemy, they could discover that these Zombie Pills, whose outward appearance shows no change, have undergone a tremendous transformation in their 'quality' compared to before.

This is an extremely hard-to-fathom realm; do pills also have a 'quality'?

Wu Tie looked satisfiedly at this cauldron of Zombie Pills that had undergone a complete transformation: "Hmm, I suppose you lack this ability... hehe, having enjoyed the heavenly grace of the Fu Feng clan, you must now die for the Fu Feng clan?"

"How have you Fu Feng clan not considered that, over all these years, these commoners have bestowed upon you the grace of sustaining your Fu Feng clan?"

"Without these common folk, would your Fu Feng clan be eating northwest wind?"

"This is simply shameless... well, afterward, we must squeeze more oil and water from the cracks of your bones."