Chapter 162: The Power of the Masses

A bizarre scene unfolded inside the brothel: down in the hall, guards were engaged in a fierce battle with assassins, while up on the second floor, songs and dances continued in peaceful revelry.

Though separated by only a single floor, it felt like two distinct worlds.

The murderous intent and smell of blood permeating the establishment gradually dissipated amidst the melodious tunes of the flute and the graceful movements of the dance.

The men and women who had been trembling and panic-stricken moments before were no longer afraid. Instead, they watched with casual interest...

Beside the river stood a thatched cottage, inside of which dwelt an ordinary old man in plain cloth with white hair. Though he appeared to be well past sixty, his eyes were exceptionally bright.

Huang Shan gave a definitive reply, followed by a thorough analysis in which he unreservedly revealed the outcome of this duel.

A sudden thought popped into my head: although Xiao Huo usually seemed carefree, and would willingly stab his friends in the back for the sake of brotherhood—metaphorically speaking—why on earth did he choose such a sleazy class as a brawler?

Two minutes later, another giant fist smashed down. The flying object shook even more violently, yet still showed no sign of plummeting.

Xiao Wude had already recovered his senses, but Xiao Yue had already charged forward, raising his fist to strike him.

"Heh... What big eyes you have," Xiao Yue remarked with a completely straight face. Though this would surely provoke the other party, when someone bullied their way to your doorstep, you simply could not afford to take it lying down. At the very least, Xiao Yue was not the type to swallow his anger in silence.

Under normal circumstances, once an army occupied a county seat and the fleeing enemy forces lacked regular troops, a brief pursuit would suffice to call it a day. However, for Cui Huai—a subordinate general under Li Cheng—the heavy casualties suffered and the death of his own deputy meant he simply could not save face. Leaving the others to enter the city, he personally led a force of eight hundred men in relentless pursuit all the way to Jinzhai.

After finishing their bout, the two shamelessly retreated to where the others were gathered, leaving the main battlefield to me. Meanwhile, Doubaozi summoned four skeletal wolves to cover my attack.

Overall, the entire brewing process was already quite close to modern distillation techniques, but the wine yield was low, the consumption of distiller's yeast was high, and the quality was mediocre. There was still ample room for improvement.

At least they now knew that as long as they kept attacking, they could shatter the invisible barrier. Consequently, they grew much less impatient and continued their assault while minimizing the consumption of their inner energy.

However, since His Highness had allowed Magistrate Huang to temporarily take command of the military camp, he must surely have a deliberate plan regarding the magistrate's actions.

A day passed, and his body regenerated anew. Starting from his internal organs, blood vessels, muscles, skin, and hair began to grow in succession, gradually restoring his human form. Only the newly formed bodily tissues, having not been tempered by various elemental energies, remained rather fragile.

This development made both the Grand Commandant and the Defense Commissioner somewhat ashamed, which in turn slightly reduced the outbreak of chaotic brawls—though only slightly.

"You two, the theater troupe performing today is renowned throughout the capital. Surely both of you have heard of the legendary Master Hua, haven't you?" Zhang Cheng said with a smile as he introduced them, after swallowing a cup of wine.

These Bodhi leaves were treasures imbued with immense fortune and rarely fell from the tree. Though they could not quite compare to Ginseng Fruit or the Yellow Plum, they fell not far short.

A wave of bitterness welled up in Zhao Yang's heart; such food had already been consumed in considerable quantities by his mother and his predecessor. As for the notion that the kitchen was completely bare, Zhao Yang naturally did not believe it.

This meat originated from the Palace of the God of Cooking, and was actually the flesh of a rebellious divine dragon that had wreaked havoc in the lower realms. After being executed by the Celestial Court, its remains passed through various hands until reaching the Palace of the God of Cooking, and were eventually requested by Bai Shuo and sent to the Jianbing Manor.

Yet no sooner had they charged forward a short distance than an unprecedented sense of mortal peril surged from the depths of their souls.

Gazing at the stone arch bridge sketched by Zhao Yang, expressions of profound astonishment appeared on all of their faces.

Yet this was not because Ba Jin possessed high innate talent; rather, it was because this wretched fellow's father had bought him a mortal-tier cultivation manual. What he practiced now was that specific manual, rather than the standard Qi-gathering technique.