Chương 83: Returning to White Flower City

Fang Cheng accepted the Immortal Crystals and expressed his gratitude. There was no point in lingering. He clasped his hands to Old Tang, bid farewell, and flew back toward White Flower City. In their conversation, Old Tang had revealed a lot of information. For instance, the Underworld Bureau Chief had come to the Great Sheng capital. Was he there for the Spirit Gathering Array case, or did he have another purpose? Pei Tang and great cultivators from other dynasties had also gathered in the capital for meetings.

What were they discussing?

"The great tide is about to turn; the great chaos is about to rise." Fang Cheng had heard this phrase from many people. From the dead Hu Tong, from Old Tang. They all carried a sense of foreboding about the future. He also felt that Old Tang had held back some things, though he could not say exactly what. After all, Fang Cheng knew very little about the Great Sheng capital. Apart from Han Bingxuan, he had no friends there. He was powerless to investigate further.

"Either way, I need to improve myself first and break free from the demon sword's control." Two and a half days of flying later, Fang Cheng finally returned to White Flower City. He hovered high above and looked down. The city was even more prosperous than before. Shops lined the streets, and crowds bustled about. Not only was the eastern market lively, but even the remote western district now had taverns and teahouses. In just a few days, White Flower City had advanced another step.

At this rate, it would soon surpass Lianshan Prefecture City and become the most prosperous city in the south of Great Sheng.

"I wonder how the road through the Everlasting Mountains is coming along." Fang Cheng murmured. He flew to Harmony Wine Shop and landed, intending to chat with Xu Yongchang. He entered the shop. It was crowded and noisy. He opened his Heavenly Eye and saw that Old Xu was not there. He asked a server and learned that Old Xu had left seven or eight days ago and had not returned. It seemed Old Xu was still in the Everlasting Mountains catching up with his old friend. Should he follow and have a look?

Fang Cheng's mind raced. He was tempted. But he thought better of it. Curiosity was the first step toward demonhood. He could not be curious. He left the shop and flew to the Yamen. He found Li Sanshui and Qin Hao in the back study, seemingly discussing something. Fang Cheng landed and walked in, hearing them arguing. Li Sanshui said, "We should follow the people's wishes. If they want to work, let them work! And they do not even ask for wages. We should encourage this!" Qin Hao countered, "Rules are rules.

They cannot be broken. Even in a free market economy, there needs to be an invisible hand to guide it." If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. Fang Cheng walked in and asked, "What is going on?" Seeing Fang Cheng, the two stopped arguing. Qin Hao looked happy and excited.

"Brother Fang, you are back! Did you deal with Hu Tong?" Fang Cheng nodded.

"Everything is settled. The man and the matter are both dealt with." Li Sanshui was secretly shocked. The Butcher of Lianshan Prefecture had fallen to the Black Judge of Xijiang. What a shame. But he put on a smile and flattered, "City God, your triumphant return fills me with joy. Your righteous deeds fill me with admiration!" Fang Cheng could see through Li Sanshui's flattery with his Heavenly Eye.

He kicked him twice, then gave a rough account of what had happened in Shuili City, mentioning Su Mu's battle with the Heavenly Dao, the complicated relationship between Su Mu, Han'er, and Hu Tong, and finally the destruction of Shuili and Dongyang, where all the people had been drained dry. Li Sanshui's face turned pale. Though Fang Cheng had focused more on Su Mu's Stabbing Brotherhood and his Dao, the destruction of the two cities was mentioned almost as an afterthought.

But Li Sanshui had been a magistrate for years. He had survived a Heavenly Demon invasion. He knew how terrifying it was. White Flower City had lost most of its people but still had a few thousand survivors. Shuili and Dongyang had been completely wiped out. From what he knew, the two cities had a combined population of at least three hundred thousand. Three hundred thousand lives. Gone in an instant. And Fang Cheng had returned without a scratch.

That meant he had the power to stand against Su Mu, who had become a demon. If he had that power, why had he not stopped Su Mu from devouring the people? Why had he just watched? He dared not think too deeply. Li Sanshui's face was pale with terror. His gaze toward Fang Cheng was full of fear. His legs trembled. Fang Cheng smiled and patted Li Sanshui's head.

"Magistrate Li, I consider you one of my own. What I have told you stays between us. Do not tell anyone else. Especially about my trip to Shuili City. Keep it secret. Otherwise..."

"Rest assured, City God! I will keep my mouth shut. I will not let anyone know!" Li Sanshui quickly promised, pounding his chest. Fang Cheng nodded in satisfaction. He knew what Li Sanshui was thinking. That was exactly why he had told the story. He had known Li Sanshui for a long time. He knew the man was a loose cannon, saying one thing to one person and another to someone else. A typical fence-sitter. So Fang Cheng had deliberately scared him, making sure he knew what to say and what not to say.

He did not want word of his Shuili City trip reaching the Great Sheng court and causing trouble for Pei Tang. Especially those civil officials in the Great Sheng court. They loved filing complaints against cultivators, shifting the blame for their own failures. They would say: the city is in chaos not because I mismanaged it, but because the cultivators here are running amok. The Hall of Eternal Life and the Underworld Bureau need to investigate and punish them.

Most cultivators looked down on these officials and could not be bothered to argue. Those officials were mortals under the Hall's jurisdiction. Killing them outright would trigger an Underworld Bureau investigation. As a righteous cultivator, Fang Cheng would not let anyone slander him. He needed a good reputation to prove to the demon sword that he was a good person. Qin Hao listened to Fang Cheng's tale with relish, like reading a novel. The twists and turns amazed him, blowing his mind.

He shook his head and sighed.

"Hu Tong deserved to die. As a cultivator, he did not just fail to fight evil. He led the evil himself. He and you, Brother Fang, are worlds apart. Good riddance! As for Su Mu, forging a Dao, even a demonic one, already puts him above most cultivators. His talent was extraordinary. If not for Hu Tong's scheming, Su Mu might have done well in the Hall of Eternal Life. But he saw mortals as insects from start to finish.

Compared to you, Brother Fang, who loves the people like your own children, he was also worlds apart. No sympathy for him either. The real tragedy is the people of those two cities. They were dragged into it for no reason and lost their lives. Sigh. This is what happens when chaos descends. Brother Fang, we need to pick up the pace. Absorb more people. Build White Flower City into a super city with a strong economy and culture. A shelter for the people when the end times come."