Jia Ren did not spend much time learning about the events that had transpired in the past few days. Zhu Yuanzheng, taking advantage of the Safeguard Team, had scammed a significant amount, taken Spirit Stones, and fled, plunging the Northern District back into chaos. The number of Bizarre Cultivators and those spreading Bizarre Evil Qi gradually increased, with more and more residents dying tragically. Loose Cultivators were not fools; noticing that nothing had happened to Jia Ren's residence, they began to imitate him and made their stone houses look old. Unfortunately, they failed to capture the essence, and their traces of life were too apparent. Bizarre Cultivators were not stupid and saw through the ruse at a glance. In just under seven days, close to one-third of the Cultivators had fallen to Bizarre Cultivators or succumbed to the Bizarre Evil Qi—a truly brutal outcome. Not just in the Northern District, the other three districts faced the same plight.
"Three days ago, Thousand Beasts Mountain officially went to war with the Five Elements Sect, forcibly conscripting Loose Cultivators to join the fight..."
All these changes were within Jia Ren's expectations, except for the turn of events three days prior, which was completely unforeseen.
The Five Elements Sect has gone to war with Thousand Beasts Mountain?
Mosquito Daoist hailed from Thousand Beasts Mountain, the initiator of the destruction of the Spirit Field and Spirit Vein on Grand Wilderness Mountain; now it seemed Thousand Beasts Mountain was backing him. The Five Elements Sect would not let this go easily, so the formal declaration of war between the two Sects was no surprise.
The only frustrating thing is that I've stumbled into a Sect war...
Is the Five Elements Sect not afraid of inciting a Loose Cultivator rebellion by forcefully conscripting them?
Loose Cultivators had no sense of belonging to the Five Elements Sect; why would they possibly risk their lives for it? No matter how attractive the conditions offered, the vast majority of Loose Cultivators would keep their distance.
Forcefully conscripting Loose Cultivators? That would inevitably lead to resistance from them and worsen the situation. The matter is probably not that simple.
"The Five Elements Sect has offered generous rewards: Spirit Stones, Elixirs, Magic Artifacts, and even Evil Warding Talismans. Those who demonstrate merit can receive them."
"Even so, only those Loose Cultivators afflicted by the Bizarre Evil Qi would participate."
Cultivators afflicted by Bizarre Evil Qi?
Jia Ren's eyes brightened as he keenly captured the key phrase. It was not until this moment that the fog in his mind lifted, and he finally understood why the Five Elements Sect had not contained the spread of the Bizarre Evil Qi in the Outer City but only defended the core Inner City. The Five Elements Sect had purposefully allowed the Bizarre Evil Qi to spread among the lower-tier Loose Cultivators, resulting in a staggering number of afflicted individuals. Evil Warding Talismans were expensive; Loose Cultivators could not possibly afford them. With no way out, they were filled with despair. By offering Evil Warding Talismans, the Five Elements Sect gave them a glimmer of 'hope.'
Are they using the Evil Warding Talismans to drive the Bizarre Evil Qi-infected Loose Cultivators as weapons against Thousand Beasts Mountain? Such a ruthless strategy!
The incident of the Bizarre Evil Qi spreading among Loose Cultivators was probably not just due to Thousand Beasts Mountain. The Five Elements Sect deliberately let it happen, even secretly adding fuel to the fire; that was the bigger issue. By manipulating the Bizarre Evil Qi event, they turned the lower-tier Loose Cultivators into fearless death warriors, heedless of how many had perished due to the Bizarre Evil Qi or the ensuing chaos. Those who survived would also be used as cannon fodder to deplete the strength of Thousand Beasts Mountain. They completely disregarded human life. All these methods are chillingly ruthless.
Thousand Beasts Mountain isn't foolish; they will surely find a way to recruit those Loose Cultivators afflicted by the Bizarre Evil Qi...
Jia Ren did not continue, falling silent instead.
The Five Elements Sect would certainly place restrictions on the Loose Cultivators, not letting their own dogs turn and bite their master.
"The most terrifying aspect is... the Five Elements Sect's forcible conscription of Loose Cultivators. Those conscripted will then be 'maliciously' infected with the Bizarre Evil Qi by a portion of other Loose Cultivators, making them more compliant to the Five Elements Sect's orders."
"The merit needed to exchange for an Evil Warding Talisman is incredibly high, and once conscripted, few Loose Cultivators will survive..."
Jia Ren closed his eyes and remained silent.
The Five Elements Sect's tactics are too cruel; they are essentially forcing the lower-tier Loose Cultivators down a path to their deaths. Aren't they afraid of the Loose Cultivators' desperation and revenge? Perhaps they would care... but they care more about whether the Five Elements Sect itself can continue to exist. Otherwise, what would the support of the people amount to? Lower-tier Loose Cultivators wouldn't fight to the death for the Five Elements Sect. The despicable means employed by the Five Elements Sect allow them to harness the power of these lower-tier Loose Cultivators to cope with the war against Thousand Beasts Mountain. Very few of the cannon fodder participating in the war will survive… And even if those who do survive scream their lungs out in protest, how much impact could they really have on the Five Elements Sect? Maliciously slandering the Five Elements Sect and tarnishing its reputation would have predictable consequences. A hundred years from now, both sin and evil will be buried in dust, and how many people will remember everything that happened in the Great Wilderness Market?
"I don't want to be conscripted by the Five Elements Sect. Please, Daoist Jia, help me make my stone house look old."
"Alright," Jia Ren replied. "Thank you for your information; it's very important to me! I'll waive the fee of Spirit Stones for aging your house."
The value of this information is worth far more than two Spirit Stones. Otherwise, I would have inevitably fallen into the hands of the Five Elements Sect. No matter how fast one runs with the Wind Control Skill, it would be of no use…
"Thank you, Daoist Jia!" The cultivator surnamed Fang thanked him profusely, bowing continuously.
Jia Ren advised, "Reduce all signs of life, avoid smoke from cooking fires. The disguise needs long-term maintenance so it's not easily seen through. Avoid all external activities and construct an underground dwelling. Footprints left by any Five Elements Sect Cultivators are also invisible traps; remember not to wipe them away…"
Jia Ren then helped the cultivator surnamed Fang make his house look old, creating a decrepit appearance, and finally used cobwebs to make it look even more authentic.
Dealing with Bizarre Cultivators is different from handling the Five Elements Sect; this requires even more meticulous attention to detail. Whether a disguise can be seen through hinges on the details. Any slight mistake could result in exposure.
I was thinking of going to the Market to buy Elixirs, but the Market is probably a no-go now. I'd better hide out for a while!
Jia Ren felt fortunate in his heart, grateful that he had met the cultivator surnamed Fang. Otherwise, entering the Market rashly would have been like a lamb walking into a tiger's mouth.
He decisively returned to his stone house, carefully erasing all traces and lingering scents. He had been staying underground during this period, so there were not many traces left, making them relatively easy to deal with.
I must be extra careful these days! I'll stop practicing the Wind Control Skill for now and focus on the Turtle Breath Technique. The Bizarre Cultivators and those who spread Bizarre Evil Qi are active at night; just staying put should be safe. However, Five Elements Sect Cultivators are not restricted and could show up to capture people anytime, anywhere. Continuing to use the Wind Control Skill would inevitably create Spiritual Power Fluctuations, which a Cultivator with strong sensing abilities might use to lock onto my location. The Turtle Breath Technique allows one to conceal their presence almost completely; even if someone were close, they would be hard-pressed to detect me.
Jia Ren practiced the Turtle Breath Cultivation Technique during the day, only sparing scant time for other cultivation.
Before two days of tranquility had passed, Jia Ren sensed the presence of living beings above his stone house. Several Cultivators came knocking, searching everywhere, only to find it apparently uninhabited.
"This Loose Cultivator named Jia Ren is probably dead. Next house," one of them said.
Jia Ren, using the Turtle Breath Technique, had concealed all signs of his life. Lying under the stone bed, he overheard the conversation of the people above.
Five Elements Sect Cultivators? They indeed came looking for me!
The visitors did not linger long; discovering no one, they left. Jia Ren did not reveal himself.
Who knows if those Five Elements Sect Cultivators were bluffing and might return later?
He decided to continue hiding, waiting for the conflict between the Five Elements Sect and Thousand Beasts Mountain to end.
Time moved slowly. Jia Ren maintained the Turtle Breath Technique, not leaking even a hint of his presence.
When night fell, Jia Ren took out some Spirit Rice and was preparing a simple dinner when suddenly there was another disturbance from the stone house above.
Could it be that news has leaked? Did the Five Elements Sect figure out I'm hiding in this underground room and are now searching for me?
His complexion shifted slightly. He decisively retreated, prepared to follow the tunnel he had previously dug to another stone house.
I can't stay here any longer; it's time to leave.