Chapter 966

The Six Marvelous Immortal left without comment, and no one knew whether he was satisfied with Wei Yuan’s answer. Wei Yuan spoke the truth, though not the whole truth.

Although the green qi of human fortune is the most basic form of fortune, it still has subtle differences, especially after passing through Wei Yuan’s hands. A slight improvement in the quality of the green qi, a minor shift in its nature—indiscernible when small, but vastly different when accumulated in quantity.

Just as black powder: when the proportions are wrong or the purity low, it becomes firecrackers; when carefully blended and expertly crafted, it becomes a killing weapon. The same applies even more so to later spiritual wood fiber powder and fertilizer powder.

Moreover, whenever Wei Yuan stands nearby, he greatly amplifies karmic backlash—let alone that these fortunes were all personally enhanced by him.

Wei Yuan was only right about one thing: offending Heaven does bring additional punishment, but the punishment is not so severe, and there are many ways to evade it. To some extent, Heaven and Earth truly are unjust—immortals may do as they please.

After the Six Marvelous Immortal withdrew, Wei Yuan did not leave the city, but instead wandered the city walls, scanning the heavens and earth with his spiritual sense, then dispatched hundreds of Dao soldiers one after another to scout ahead, only then confirming the path toward the mountain folk’s territory was safe.

Immortals wield methods that span heaven and earth, having long since laid traps within the natural world. These traps are merely a single spiritual thought, devoid of magic power—Wei Yuan could not sense them at all.

But the moment Wei Yuan steps into the trap, the surrounding environment instantly awakens, transforming into vengeful ghosts and ferocious constructs that swarm him. Moreover, the immortal’s spiritual thought will mark Wei Yuan; once marked, the immortal may directly intervene from beyond the heavens. Even with several layers between them, the karmic backlash from killing Wei Yuan would be greatly reduced.

Guantun County is small, yet ancient—it has stood for over three hundred years. The land within its borders is relatively fertile, so for over three centuries, its population has fluctuated between one hundred thousand and a hundred and fifty thousand, weathering countless natural disasters. Yet one rebellion reduced its entire population to just forty thousand, leaving only twelve thousand within the city walls. No rebel army ever passed through this county—it was destroyed by imperial troops, a human calamity, not war.

The county had stood so long that its boundaries were well-nourished and self-contained, making it difficult for an Immortal’s spiritual thought to merge into it. Moreover, the Six Marvelous Immortal particularly disliked places imbued with the orthodox aura of government authority; his spiritual thought could only lie in wait outside the city.

At first, Wei Yuan knew nothing of these matters—he simply felt an instinctive reluctance to leave the city. But later, Liu Heihu’s behavior made Wei Yuan sense something was amiss, and he concluded there must be ambushes beyond the walls. Added to this, Wei Yuan’s own unparalleled fortune naturally generated omens around him.

When Liu Heihu’s scheme failed, he was forced to launch a full-scale attack, yet still could not drive Wei Yuan out of the city. Instead, he was crushed by the endless Dao soldiers Wei Yuan summoned, forcing the Six Marvelous Immortal to appear in person. The moment the immortal appeared, Wei Yuan immediately understood why he had been unwilling to leave the city.

When the Six Marvelous Immortal departed, he was unaware that hundreds of tasks had already been established amid the mortal world—from his background and history to the spell where a giant hand crushed Dao soldiers—all meticulously documented, subjecting him to a complete, all-encompassing analysis from outside to inside.

This analysis was led by Feng Chutang and Ji Liuli, both of whom had once been selected to instruct the novice disciples of the Tai Chu Palace—their theoretical cultivation knowledge was profoundly deep. With sufficient data, even the fabric of the Six Marvelous Immortal’s undergarments could be studied… if he wore any.

Ten days later, a rebel force of several thousand arrived at Guantun, escorting over thirty thousand civilians, and presented a boundary stone and the county magistrate’s official seal. These were the entire population of Linxian County—but the magistrate and all officials, upon hearing of the rebels’ approach, had long since fled the city and did not come with them.

The rebel leader was a young cultivator, his expression deep and sharp, efficient and capable, showing not a trace of banditry, yet his troops treated him with extraordinary reverence.

The young commander sat atop his horse, watching the starving masses slowly enter the county, and said to his attendants: “After delivering the seven counties, we’ll have hundreds of thousands of starving people. Where do they get so much food? This man’s appetite is too great—by the time these people arrive here, few will survive.”

A scholar beside him said: “Isn’t this just seeking fame?”

The young general shook his head: “Still, more will survive than otherwise. It’s not merely for fame.”

At that moment, three warriors flew out of the city and arrived before the young general, bowing: “The Military Governor says you’ve traveled far and endured hardship—please eat first before continuing.”

The young general and the scholar exchanged glances, both surprised. The scholar gave a subtle signal: don’t enter the city.

But the young general said: “No matter. If Wei my lord wanted to kill us, it would be no harder than crushing an ant. Order the entire army: stow your weapons. Enter the city! No shouting, no fighting inside—violation means execution, and superiors share the punishment!”

Upon hearing the order, the rebel army immediately sheathed their swords and spears—their discipline was surprisingly strict.

Moments later, several thousand rebels entered the city. As soon as they passed through the gate, they smelled rich, savory meat. Soon, they were led to an open field where several large pots had already been set up—each filled with stewed meat! Alongside were over a dozen vats of rice and steamed buns; each man received a large bowl.

But the general did not immediately lift his chopsticks. He asked: “May I ask what kind of meat is this?”

The Dao Foundation cultivator who led them smiled: “Just eat. It’s certainly not human flesh. Our… Military Governor would never do such a thing.”

The scholar picked up a piece of meat, examined it closely, then sipped the broth, and said: “It’s rich and fragrant—definitely not human flesh.”