Chapter 1296: Another Lu Yao

The mainstream religion of Yaoguo shifted to worship Myozanten, which was a great insult to the Kshatriya gods. To He Lingchuan, this was proof of Begga and Lingxu’s increasingly strict control over Yaoguo.

“How many more Imperial Dewfalls will there be, and when?”

God Puyin extended his hand again. “This question alone is worth a Dragon Punishment Pillar. If you ask any other deity, they won’t give you a discount.”

That was true. He Lingchuan would have to pay the same price to get this information from the lesser gods on Platinum Island.

So he readily produced a Dragon Punishment Pillar and obtained the forecast for Imperial Dewfalls over the next five months.

Why was Yangshan Archipelago always one step ahead in its preparations? Thanks to this intelligence.

One of the essences of power is information.

He Lingchuan could possess Imperial Dewfall intelligence as precise as Begga and Mouguo, all thanks to the Dragon Punishment Pillars in his hand.

Without such valuable items, the Heavenly Gods would not pay attention to mortals at all.

God Puyin, having received two Dragon Punishment Pillars, grew cheerful and became more accommodating. “Any other questions?”

This guy must have at least a few more Dragon Punishment Pillars, right?

He Lingchuan, however, asked an entirely unrelated question: “Why are you paying attention to that Garrison Commander Yang?”

“Him?” God Puyin responded nonchalantly, “He’s a local dignitary. If I don’t pay attention to him, should I pay attention to ordinary people? Oh, wait!”

He seemed slightly surprised: “How did you know I was paying attention to him?”

“My questions are done,” He Lingchuan said, spreading his hands. “You may leave now.”

“You still have Dragon Punishment Pillars, don’t you? It’s easy to invite a god but hard to send one away.”

“I came to you just to confirm information. You didn’t provide any exclusive or important intelligence,” He Lingchuan said calmly. “Two Dragon Punishment Pillars for such paltry information means I’ve already given you a good deal. Don’t push your luck.”

If any other mortal dared to speak to him like that, God Puyin would certainly teach them a lesson they would never forget.

But the masked man’s origins were unknown, and he possessed Dragon Punishment Pillars, so God Puyin decided not to press the issue. “You either didn’t ask the right question, or you didn’t dare to ask the right question. How could I give you exclusive information then?”

This fellow was more cunning than Shinan, and had indeed caught on to something. He Lingchuan was not afraid of him either. “Where else do you have temples? Perhaps I’ll seek you out next time.”

God Puyin listed a few locations.

Seeing He Lingchuan’s firm resolve to leave and his refusal to continue the transaction, he let out a heavy sigh.

The lone smoke from the incense burner tilted, and the atmosphere in the temple suddenly relaxed, as if whatever was lurking there had left.

The temple priest also opened his eyes, swayed twice suddenly, and plopped down onto a nearby chair.

He was covered in cold sweat, his face pale, and his breathing rapid.

He looked utterly exhausted, as if he had just run fifteen kilometers.

Even though the Heavenly God had only borrowed his body to communicate with He Lingchuan for a little over a quarter of an hour, it had placed a great burden on him.

Dong Rui opened the doors and windows, while He Lingchuan took out a small piece of silver and handed it to the temple priest:

“I have a question for you.”

The temple priest was exhausted, but his hand moved quickly to accept the money. “You—you ask.”

The Puyin God he worshipped had just descended, specifically to meet this masked man. The temple priest wasn’t clear what the two discussed, but the god’s attitude towards this person made him not dare to be neglectful.

“That city up ahead,” He Lingchuan said, pointing towards Shizhoutou, “What happened there?”

“Shizhoutou was attacked, and Commander Yang defended it to the death,” the temple priest said, sighing involuntarily. “This matter is too absurd!”

Dong Rui, who hated the word “absurd,” asked: “How do you mean?”

“Who do you think attacked the city?” The temple priest wiped sweat from his forehead. “It was Shizhoutou’s own city warden!”

“Huh?” Dong Rui was confused. “Shizhoutou’s city warden attacked his own city?”

“Yes!” The temple priest smiled bitterly. “I’ve lived for over thirty years, and I’ve never heard of such a strange thing.”

“Elaborate!” Dong Rui scrutinized him. This fellow is only in his early thirties? He looks like he’s in his late fifties.

“This city warden, Liu Shuheng, took office in Shizhoutou two years ago. He never did anything good; he just amassed wealth, even collecting land fees from the Puyin Temple.”

He Lingchuan commented, “Ingenious.”

It is well known that temples generally do not pay taxes.

“Half a month ago, the Zhao army suddenly attacked Shizhoutou. City Warden Liu likely believed he couldn’t win and fled at the first sign of trouble,” the temple priest said bitterly. “He could have just run, but before he left, he actually plundered Shizhoutou!”

He Lingchuan and Dong Rui exchanged glances. “Plunder his own city?”

“Exactly! He probably didn’t want to leave anything for the Zhao army,” the temple priest said, so enraged his teeth ached. “Even the incense money in my temple was stolen clean. The gods will surely punish him for this!”

Zhao army? Earlier, when Commander Yang and others saw them wearing masks, they mistook them for the Zhao army, thinking they were going to infiltrate the city for assassinations.

“Then what happened? It’s been half a month, and Shizhoutou is still standing.”

“Commander Yang couldn’t bear to see it, so instead of fleeing with them, he led his subordinates to stay and defend Shizhoutou,” the temple priest recounted. “At that time, he was only a deputy general of the city defense army, and the citizens resisted alongside him. We all thought it was hopeless, absolutely hopeless, but who knew they actually managed to drive off the invading Zhao army!”

Dong Rui instinctively commented, “It sounds like this Zhao army isn’t very formidable. How could they scare City Warden Liu so badly he ran for his life?”

City Warden Liu had taken away Shizhoutou’s main forces. What was left, if not the old, weak, and sick, were mainly civilians who had never been on a battlefield. Although the defenders had an advantage, was it too easy for this Yang fellow to repel the enemy?

Was City Warden Liu too cowardly, or was the Zhao army not as fierce as rumored?

“It was rumored here earlier that the army under Luo Dian’s Zhao Guangzhi was very powerful, conquering cities and forts, invincible in battle. Before attacking Shizhoutou, they had already captured five or six places. Oh, and they also eat human flesh!”

“Eat human flesh?” Did Lu Yao have kindred spirits here too?

“It’s true,” the temple priest affirmed. “Two believers fled from the east. They claimed to have hidden in the forest and watched the Zhao army light fires to cook and eat more than a dozen villagers! The smell of cooking meat filled the forest, so strong it made them want to vomit.”

In such a chaotic region, it was difficult to guarantee logistical supplies for an army. If they couldn’t even get regular food, how could they get meat?

If they wanted meat, wasn’t it everywhere? Running freely.

Dong Rui murmured, “Isn’t cannibalism quite common here?”

When he and He Lingchuan first arrived at Julu Port, they heard that displaced people ate humans.

Under the pressure of survival, moral boundaries could easily shatter.

The temple priest hastily interjected, “Hey, hey, hey, you can’t say that! Openly condoning or even encouraging an army to eat people—that’s different!”

In front of the army, weren’t the common people just lambs to be slaughtered? Zhao Guangzhi’s army not only plundered their wealth but also gnawed at their flesh and blood!