Stop it, Taoist, Your Fight almost Ruins the DAO!

Yi Chen's pessimism was justified.

Because he had seen too much of the dark side of human nature.

Like the Town Peace Office.

He did not believe there was not a single bad seed within.

When encountering problems, he always assumed the worst in others.

Today marked his second day defending Longjiang Prefecture.

The reinforcements would take seven days to arrive.

Why seven days?

The emergence of a half-step True Monarch's treasure was a vast temptation.

For both the righteous and the wicked.

A lawless man of the past once said,

"The decay of the whole world is hidden in the human heart."

Everyone has a Zhang San within their heart.

For cultivators, being individuals with even greater power, the Zhang San within their hearts would be that much more formidable.

The necessity for reinforcements to take seven days was quite telling.

One could argue that the people from the Town Peace Office elsewhere were tied down by other forces within their jurisdictions.

But as a Taoist whose moral baseline was exceedingly flexible, Yi Chen also read a deeper meaning into it.

Was there a possibility,

That some of the higher-ups in the Town Peace Office also wished to bring forth the legacy of the evil dragon Daoist early, thus refraining from a thunderous strike of their projecting power?

Perhaps the subtle seven-day time frame for the reinforcements' arrival was the final result of a compromise struck following a game of wits between the internal and external high-level cultivators of the Town Peace Office.

Behind the intelligence of the reinforcements' arrival in seven days, who knows how many cunning gambles and human considerations were hidden.

Moreover, would the reinforcements truly arrive after seven days?

Seeing the smiling faces of the people in South City, Yi Chen didn't feel at ease.

He wondered how many of those smiling now would still be able to smile after seven days.

This was the sorrow of the weak.

Life was like duckweed, entirely at the mercy of fortune—survival depending on the smile of Lady Luck.

A speck of calamity's dust upon a commoner's head was like a massive mountain.

And he, Yi Chengzi, was someone who always strived to break free from such fate.

Not by the charity of others, not relying on others' protection, nor on luck, but on his own strength, to escape the cage.

He aspired to be the supreme fist that hung above destiny!

He wanted the strength to control the rotation of the sun and moon through the storm.

No one would dare to force him to do anything against his will!

Whoever dared to coerce him would receive two fists from him, teaching them why flowers are so vividly red.

To live was not merely to exist, but to exist with higher quality.

To live unrestrained, to live freely.

This was always his pursuit through diligent cultivation.

With the Golden Finger by his side, his ambitions had now changed.

He was no longer that young man standing like a flunky, selling a hundred taels worth of overlord chickens.

He would step by step, step by step, climb to the highest peak.

In this life, he would never be mediocre!

If one could not feast from the Five Tripod Cauldrons in life, taking hold of one's destiny, then in death, one would be cooked in the Five Tripod Cauldrons, bones crushed and scattered to the wind!

What of Yin Manor, what of the anomalies of heaven and earth—everything would receive two fists from him.

He vowed to fight for his life with his fists!

In a fleeting moment, Yi Chen's thoughts were extensive, continuously introspecting.

As he delved deeper into his inner self, his Daoist heart became ever firmer.

No external demons could enter, not a single feather could attach to him.

At this moment, the sea of consciousness in his mind began to shine brightly, taking on a divine sensation.

If increased muscle mass purified his physical body,

Then the numerous trials between life and death he had faced sharpened his mental purity.

Today, under the scrutinizing gaze of the South City citizens, his mental purity had risen even further.

Mental will was enigmatic and difficult to refine.

Today, he transformed his recent experiences and the suffering of the citizens into nourishment for himself. Amidst the tribulations of the mortal world, his spirit unknowingly underwent a transformation.

Although it was only a small step forward in his spiritual cultivation, there was no actual increase in his current strength, but he had a premonition that today's insights would greatly benefit his future.

Even if his physical body became extremely strong under the extrapolation of the Deep Red Points, without a will and spirit to match his physical strength, it was nothing but a candle flickering in the wind.

How could a small horse pull a big cart, let alone race against someone else's Ferrari?

Even more frightening was a hypothesis that crossed his mind.

If he failed to forge his spirit, would his physical body, upon pushing the True Pure Yang Skill to its utmost limit, spontaneously give rise to a new consciousness that would annihilate his main consciousness?

Now that would be interesting.

It's like endlessly pressing gold threads year after year, only to make a wedding gown for someone else.

Shaking his head, Yi Chen cast those jumbled thoughts out of his mind, as after all, they were just baseless conjectures.

He was just an ordinary Daoist practitioner with the habit of always assuming the worst in others, and taking a few extra precautions.

Nothing unusual.

However, he now took heed to be cautious, at least with adding Origin Points. Playing at the edge, otherwise, he wouldn't even know how he died.

He nearly suffered a grave loss when he broke through to the Strength-Breaking Realm.

"Mo Yu, from today onwards, I want a report on the changes in food supplies and the number of deaths in South City, whether from natural causes or not."

"The reinforcements will arrive in six days. Everyone, please bear with it a little longer; I will commend all of you for your hard work when the time comes."

"If those stingy officials refuse to pay, I'll make sure to spell out the consequences for everyone!"

Yi Chen encouraged Mo Yu and the remaining toughs.

Having received kindness from the people of South City, he decided to take his responsibilities a bit more seriously.

Two heads are better than one.

Perhaps with his experience from a previous life, analyzing from the standpoint of big data, he might derive some different insights?

That was about as much as he could do.

To do all that one can and then leave the rest to fate.

He surely wouldn't fight to the last drop of blood for the people of Longjiang Prefecture, but if he could look out for a few more citizens within his capabilities, he was willing to do so.

This was the extent of his righteousness as Taoist Yi Chengzi—not much, but present.

After instructing his underlings, Yi Chen strode off to continue patrolling the streets.

Everyone in South City had to pass inspection!

Every single day!

Even the dogs!

Those who dared to hide and not cooperate were certainly up to no good, sent to roll in the dirt.

...

...

South City, Copper Coin Alley.

Li Xiucai watched anxiously as the officers of the peacekeeping department left.

On that stormy night, a red-clothed woman had suddenly appeared in his bed, and he thought he was a dead man.

However, the eerie woman did not kill him; instead, she made a transaction with him.

And allowed him to enjoy a night of pleasure...

The experience was truly soul-stirring~

Faced with the dilemma of either dying or cooperating by stuffing a bizarre worm into his dumplings and selling them to customers, he resolutely chose the latter.

Because that uncanny woman also gave him money, a lot of money.

Three hundred taels, more than he had ever seen in his life.

What did selling his soul to a demon matter when he was this poor? It was the world that pushed him.

Heh, just before setting up his stall, he had deliberately given a bowl of dumplings with the special filling to Li Gousheng, the gatekeeper and his former schoolmate.

You dog, always showing off in front of me, flaunting—eat up, eat all you want.

The idiot actually thought he was currying favor and happily ate two bowls.

Wait for death.

Even though he didn't know what the bizarre woman had him add, it definitely wasn't anything good for the body.

"Li Xiucai, another bowl, no, two bowls of dumpling noodles."

"Li Xiucai, did you come across some secret recipe? The dumpling noodles you've made recently are so fresh, spicy, and satisfying. I haven't felt this good eating for a long time—a meatball this bouncy and chewy is unmatched!"

A well-off man praised cheerfully.

Ever since he added that ingredient, Li Xiucai's business boomed, with a daily influx of customers.

"Thank you for waiting, dear customer."

"Your dumpling noodles are ready!" Li Xiucai served his customers with a big, beaming smile.