Chapter 785: White Jade Sends a Message

Dao Yuanzi, however, kept his focus on the entire battlefield. At least for now, he had no direct opponent, which served as a massive deterrent to the remaining demons. His mere presence was a formidable power, capable of deciding the outcome of the battle without him needing to act.

There were certainly many capable demons within the Heavenly Revelation Alliance. Many were in the city before this skirmish. Although a truly powerful and cunning few, like Wang Youhong and Lu Shanjun, had managed to escape, they were only a small fraction. Hundreds of other demons remained trapped.

At this moment, the Old Beggar was contemplating Tu Siyan. He took a piece of her robe from his hand, sensing its subtle changes with his divine consciousness, knowing that the general situation here was already decided.

By this time, disciples of the Qianyuan Sect and other immortal cultivators also appeared, riding on divine light, engaging with the many demons whose vital energy had been depleted. The Dragon Clan also joined the fray, their primary targets being the demon race. When there were dragon-jiao types within the Heavenly Revelation Alliance, they would be attacked collectively by the other jiao.

Amidst the dragon roars, the battle seemed chaotic, but the tide had clearly turned. Dao Yuanzi, uncharacteristically, was in a much better mood, especially after displaying his might before his junior brother.

"These sneaky wretches will surely be taught a harsh lesson today!"

The Old Beggar glanced at Dao Yuanzi, who was glowing with immortal light beside him. He then tucked the few scraps of cloth in his hand into the tattered pocket of his robe.

"Senior brother, you've been away from worldly affairs for too long. Given the current situation in Tianyu Prefecture..."

Dao Yuanzi looked at the Old Beggar, awaiting words from a junior brother he hadn't seen in at least a century. The Old Beggar paused, thinking of Ji Yuan.

"I have a friend who, like me, enjoys wandering the mortal world. But while I do it purely for amusement, he is skilled at observing human affairs and changes. The current situation in Tianyu Prefecture is, as he once described the 'art of war,' one of surrounding conflagration. Even if this nine-tailed fox demon, Tu Siyan, truly died by your lightning magic, it's likely that what follows will be a full-scale invasion rather than mere reconnaissance and harassment."

Dao Yuanzi frowned deeply, his gaze sweeping across the heavens and earth.

"You know that fox demon? From what you're implying, it sounds like you don't think she's dead?"

"Yes, this old beggar does know her, and I've even crossed paths with her in battle. Back then, Tu Siyan was merely an eight-tailed demon fox, yet her methods were already extraordinary, and she could briefly borrow external power to gain the strength of a nine-tailed fox. Her current state is significantly stronger than before; she cannot be underestimated."

Dao Yuanzi nodded.

"Your friend, is he Mr. Ji?"

"Yes."

The battle unfolding before their eyes had reached a fever pitch. The remaining demons were desperately fighting for a chance at survival, but their resistance was growing weaker and weaker.

A great flood eventually recedes. This particular flood was a disaster for the ordinary people who had been living peacefully. Many awoke, trembling, to find their city destroyed, utterly reduced to ruins. Many lay in the receding floodwaters amidst the wreckage, their fates unknown.

Chilling winds swept through, waking more and more people from their stupor. Soaked to the bone, with the weather so cold, most were injured and their homes destroyed. This reality was undoubtedly too cruel.

"Gah...gah...my inn, where's my inn?"

The former innkeeper awoke from a pile of shattered wood, unsure how far he was from his inn, or if he was even in the same neighborhood. Houses were ruined, some completely collapsed, others severely damaged. Only the street's flagstones remained relatively intact.

"My family, where are they?"

The innkeeper, dazed but jolted awake, ran aimlessly through the streets. Many others were in the same state, their faces a mixture of bewilderment and panic.

Wang Youhong, Niu Batian, Lu Shanjun, and Beimù also rose from the ruins. Only these four remained; the two other demons who had been with them were not present, whether elsewhere or simply dead from bad luck. Evidently, none of the four present cared about the fate of their so-called companions.

The sign for the Yingbin Inn lay not far from Lu Shanjun's feet. He looked down at the barely intact sign, then gazed across the city. Few buildings were intact, and even the city walls had only remnants of their battlements. But what was strange was that while the entire city should have been destroyed, nearly half the buildings hadn't collapsed.

"Oh no!"

The Old Ox suddenly cried out, making the other three highly alert.

"What is it?"

The Old Ox gritted his teeth, looking in a certain direction within the city.

"What about the Dream Spring Brothel? If it's ruined, what happened to the girls inside? I was just starting to enjoy their company!"

Lu Shanjun's eyebrow twitched; he pretended not to hear. Beimù simply grinned.

"It seems not many ordinary people actually died around here. Those girls are all quite young, so I don't think anything serious happened to them. But the brothel itself is probably beyond saving."

Wang Youhong picked up her peach branch from the ground; a third of its blossoms were gone. After shaking off the water droplets, she looked at the Old Ox with a cold smirk.

"You're not actually thinking of going to check, are you?"

The Old Ox bared his teeth in a grin, revealing a set of clean, white, even teeth, but said nothing and didn't move.

The surrounding noise grew louder as more and more common folk awoke in the cold. Given the current circumstances, if things continued this way, countless people might still freeze or starve to death, even after surviving the clash between good and evil and the great flood.

However, the sun in the sky was shining brightly, and despite the onset of winter, it radiated an unusual warmth. Before long, the common folk who had been shivering from the cold suddenly didn't feel as cold, as their clothes were drying as they moved. Most of the anxious people at the moment didn't notice this detail.

"Folks, dear folks... panic is useless now. Let's help each other, organize groups to find our families, and assist those in need."

An old but resonant voice echoed through the city, clearly imbued with magic, instinctively drawing the attention of those who heard it. Lu Shanjun glanced from afar and knew immediately that this person was a transformed Earth God.

There were more than just one or two such individuals in the city, including Earth Gods, underworld deities, and even those directly transformed from immortal cultivators. They guided people to help each other and began repairing some houses. The city officials seemed to be privy to some inside information, as they followed these individuals' words obediently.

Meanwhile, many provisions began floating down the river that flowed through the city, prompting the city residents to organize themselves to salvage them.

Lu Shanjun and the others quietly left the city as night approached. From afar, they watched as lights now flickered on. Though far from its former prosperity, life in the city was quickly recovering.

"Uh, so, do you think Tu Siyan is really dead?"

Niu Batian suddenly blurted out, and Wang Youhong, appearing as a youth, who was closest to him, couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

"What? You're even thinking about her body?"

The Old Ox chuckled.

"I just think this fox is quite tenacious. As for thinking about her body, this Old Ox isn't so desperate as to eat anything!"

"This place is not suitable for us to linger. Let's go."

Lu Shanjun glanced at the Old Ox, who gave him a knowing, subtle look, then calmly reminded everyone to leave. The others had no objections, and they flew low, departing from the area.

Within the city that had experienced the flood, the girls of the Dream Spring Brothel had, of course, also suffered misfortune in the disaster. Their clothing was relatively thin, and while the Dream Spring Brothel was intact, it had warm braziers inside. Now, one by one, these beautiful, flower-like girls were shivering from the cold.

Moreover, these girls were from a brothel. While men would usually call them 'dear hearts' when visiting the Dream Spring Brothel, now few truly cared about them. Some even took the opportunity to try and take advantage of the girls scattered throughout the city.

Fortunately, the brothel owner did not want his 'money trees' to suffer any damage, so he sent people to search diligently throughout the city. Most of the girls were found and made to huddle together in a few relatively intact rooms to keep warm.

A popular courtesan from the Dream Spring Brothel huddled with her sisters, rubbing her slightly cold arms. Then, she reached into her bosom, pinched a red thread, and pulled out a smooth, circular white jade piece that had been nestled there, gently caressing it and feeling its warmth.

"Sister, this jade is truly beautiful."

"Hmm, this is called a 'Ping An Kou' (Peace Buckle). It's not intricately carved, but the jade quality is exceptional."

"Sister, who gave you this that makes it so unforgettable?"

Such items are usually gifts from patrons, but most are kept in boxes. Only if one truly cherishes it would they wear it.

Hearing her sister's teasing question, a faint blush rose on the woman's face. The white jade was given to her by a sturdy man who seemed as plain as a farmer, yet he was very unforgettable.

"He was very strong, and also very gentle..."

As she spoke, the woman suddenly felt a slight warmth in her hand, not painful but distinctly noticeable. She instinctively looked down and found that the white jade was faintly glowing, though none of her sisters beside her seemed to see it. The words 'Do Not Panic' appeared on the jade, then her vision blurred, and the jade ring in her hand was gone.

The woman paused, slightly stunned, then pressed her chest and looked around, but found no sign of the white jade, only the red string remaining around her neck.

"What is it, sister?"

"I... nothing..."

For some reason, the woman felt a sense of calm and didn't make a fuss.

In the center of the city, an old man with a cane was directing a group of young men to move wooden planks and repair houses. Suddenly he felt something, looked down, and found a circular white jade piece in his hand, which he didn't remember having. A circle of small characters appeared on its surface.

'For Lu Niansheng of the Qianyuan Sect...'

"Hiss..."

The old man's hand trembled, and he quickly clutched the white jade in his palm. He looked around, saw no one had noticed, and spoke to the young men in front of him.

"Uh, it's getting dark, and this old man is a bit tired. Finish up here quickly, go eat, rest, and continue tomorrow. This old man is too old to keep going; I'll go rest first."

"Alright." "Grandpa Liu, please go ahead."

"Do you need me to help you?"

"No, no, I'm not so old I can't walk!"

The old man, leaning on his cane, turned into an alley, and when no one was watching, he vanished in a flash of yellow light.