Chapter 834: I Made a Profit

A unit of Tu Fang soldiers marched deep into the Suihuang Wilderness.

The old general walked beside the Demon Lord's corpse, a mix of sadness and relief on his face.

In this campaign, the Tu Fang Nation deployed ten battalions in total. The largest battalion had over 8,000 soldiers, while the smallest had over 500, bringing the total army strength to over 23,000.

Five battalions were ambushed in the wilderness, and three were almost completely wiped out in Huangtu Town. The remaining two awaited reinforcements, and now they had recovered the monarch's headless body.

The corpse was incomplete; it didn't even have a head.

A young general nearby looked desolate, tears streaming down his face.

The old general frowned. "We are on the march. You can cry when we return to the capital."

The young general wiped his tears. "By the time we return to the capital, it will be too late to cry. The monarch is dead; we will all be executed with him."

The old general looked around and lowered his voice. "Who told you we'd be executed?"

The young general lowered his voice even further. "Prince Holman will surely have us executed. He warned us before we set out that if we failed to capture the Suihuang Wilderness, we would all have to sacrifice our lives for the empire's glory! Now that the monarch is dead, our crime is compounded. What hope do we have of surviving?"

The old general shook his head. "Prince Holman said such things before, even when we were fighting the Shang Nation. We lost then too, but we are still alive. Young man, don't overthink it. You are fortunate."

The young general's eyes widened. "General, I respect you greatly, but how can you speak of fortune at a time like this? Are you not mocking me?"

The old general glanced at the monarch's body. "To go on campaign with him and return alive is immense fortune. Think about it: how long before his ascension did we last lose to the Shang Nation? After he ascended, have we won a single significant war?"

The young general sighed. "Actually, we had a chance to win this time. We just lacked a little patience."

"Patience?" The old general shook his head with a bitter smile. "Do you think our monarch was eager to attack Huangtu Town because he lost patience? He was eager to attack Huangtu Town because no one would sell us grain. We received news from Huangtu Town that everyone willing to sell us grain had been killed by a very principled person. From the moment the monarch decided not to bring grain to Puro State, I knew the outcome of this war. He wanted to bring more soldiers; he needed a victory, but in the end, he gained nothing."

The young general was greatly surprised. "We were short on food? The monarch never mentioned this."

The old general shook his head. "Why would the monarch tell you these things? If you and your soldiers knew you might go hungry, wouldn't you start having other thoughts?"

The young general still didn't understand. "So, attacking Huangtu Town was also wrong?"

"Attacking Huangtu Town was the right decision, but we weren't prepared," the old general said, watching the snowflakes fall, a hint of regret on his face. "In the last Puro War, we were much better prepared. Although we ultimately failed to win, we at least saw a hope of victory. If we had been more prepared this time, if the passage to the Suihuang Wilderness had been wider, if our target hadn't been Puro State, if we had chosen the Land of Slumber instead..."

The young general felt there was a greater chance of winning this time. "The Chief Grand Councilor of the Shang Nation once said we had sufficient confidence to win this war."

"You mean Qiao Yi?" A cold glint appeared in the old general's eyes. "I know that man quite well. He was originally a marginal figure in the Shang royal family. Ten years ago, if royal members held an important meeting, he might not even have had a seat. Qiao Yi achieved his current status not through sincerity!"

"He tricked us?" The young general couldn't believe the old general's words. "What benefit would that give him?"

The old general scanned the wilderness before them. "Li Qi is fighting here with the local magnates and gangs of Puro State. This is the benefit Qiao Yi fought for. As for whether they win or lose here, it has no impact on Qiao Yi. One could even say he had already anticipated the outcome of the battle in Suihuang Wilderness. Think about it: how many of our cities has Qiao Yi captured? Doesn't he know our strength? If Prince Holman had been leading the army today, perhaps we would have had a chance. But with the monarch coming in person, I saw little hope from the start."

The young general was more concerned about his own life. "General, do you really think Prince Holman will forgive us?"

The old general was quite confident about this. "Besides the monarch, Prince Holman is the most powerful person in the empire. He reached this position not through loyalty to the monarch. Our monarch was too young; he so easily believed Qiao Yi. He even believed people like Shan Chengjun before. Remember one thing when you return: how the monarch died doesn't matter; it was all his own fault. Who the next monarch will be—that is what's important."

Nian Shangyou held the battle report, feeling a little scared. For a moment, he didn't know how to tell Qiao Yi.

But he couldn't *not* say it. This was a battle report from the Suihuang Wilderness, and Qiao Yi's primary concern should be the Suihuang Wilderness. "My Lord, news has come from the Suihuang Wilderness. The Tu Fang Nation has been defeated."

Upon hearing the news, Qiao Yi nodded slightly, making no comment.

Nian Shangyou suspected he hadn't been clear enough and waited for Qiao Yi to ask for details.

But Qiao Yi didn't ask for details. After a moment, he looked at Nian Shangyou and asked, "Is there any other news?"

"Yes..." Nian Shangyou didn't react immediately. After thinking for a long time, he still didn't know what news to report to Qiao Yi.

San Tou Cha. Qiao Yi should be very concerned about San Tou Cha.

And there was good news from San Tou Cha.

"My Lord, the Quenching Camp has captured Tushi! Xu Han has retreated with his men to defend Rensi!"

"Good!" Qiao Yi's face lit up with joy as he carefully read the battle report.

A rumble came from outside the cave, and the joy on Qiao Yi's face slowly faded.

"Having lost Tushi and Haishi, the Underground City is almost completely lost. Once the Underground City falls, San Tou Cha will quickly fall as well. Having reached this point, the Peddler still isn't dividing his forces. Doesn't he know how important San Tou Cha is..." Qiao Yi couldn't quite figure out the Peddler's intentions.

Deep in thought, Qiao Yi heard Nian Shangyou muttering to himself.

"Actually, I knew all along that the Tu Fang Nation couldn't win..."

Qiao Yi frowned. "What are you mumbling about?"

"Nothing, My Lord. I'm just concerned about our current battle situation."

Qiao Yi pointed to the cave entrance. "If you're concerned, then go out and take a look. I ordered you to lead troops, not to be a messenger."

"Yes!" Nian Shangyou stepped back two paces, then turned and walked towards the cave entrance.

He really wasn't here just to be a messenger. Besides a messenger, he also had to be a guard, a driver, a dispatch rider, a general helper... So many roles, none of which had anything to do with leading troops.

Even now, after all this fighting, Nian Shangyou didn't know what to do next.

Qiao Yi called out, "Shangyou, if you discover the Peddler's whereabouts, inform me immediately."

"Yes!" Nian Shangyou replied.

*My Lord, did you think of me when you said that? If I discover the Peddler's whereabouts, will I even come back alive?*

Stepping out of the cave, Nian Shangyou saw a vast fog and dead bodies covering the ground.

This was Fog Prison Valley. The name truly wasn't mistaken; once inside the valley, it felt as though one would be imprisoned indefinitely in the thick fog.

Nian Shangyou, protected by hundreds of Totem Army soldiers, walked towards the valley entrance. After walking for over three li, two green vines suddenly dropped into the valley and swept across it.

That sweep took over a dozen heads. Three Totem Army soldiers died on the spot, and five suffered severe injuries.

Nian Shangyou, relying on his shorter stature, was not swept by the vines. He had escaped one catastrophe, but he might not escape the next.

The vines that had just swept past returned, this time not aiming for necks but specifically for ankles.

In terms of overall combat power, the Totem Army soldiers were comparable, but individually, there were significant differences in skill among them.

Before these two vines, that difference meant the distinction between life and death. A Totem Army soldier with three heads might survive even if one head was swept off by a vine. But most soldiers only had two feet; once one was injured, their life was over.

Nian Shangyou had good agility. He jumped in place, dodging the vines on the ground. Nearly half of the soldiers around him fell to the ground, their feet injured.

The two vines came again, sweeping low to the ground. The soldiers with injured feet definitely couldn't dodge them, especially those lying on the ground, who could only wait to be sliced by the vines.

*Swish!*

The vines swept around, dislocating many soldiers' bodies. Dismembered limbs, broken bones, and internal organs were scattered everywhere.

Blood splattered on Nian Shangyou's face, and he felt numb.

These two vines must have been controlled by a master of Plant Cultivation. Where this master was located remained unknown.

Several soldiers jumped onto the cliff face to escape the vines, but rocks on the cliff suddenly grew sharp spikes, piercing their bodies.

This proved there was also a master of Stone Cultivation on the cliff, though his whereabouts were also still unknown.

A dark cloud swept in. After lightning and thunder, many soldiers were reduced to charcoal. Was the master of Lightning Cultivation perhaps in the clouds?

Torrential rain poured down. Raindrops hit the backs of their hands, passed through their palms, and fell to the ground with blood from their palms. This showed there was also a master of Water Cultivation.

Throughout Fog Prison Valley, unseen masters lurked everywhere, capable of killing over a dozen Totem Army soldiers with a single strike.

Such formidable combat power made Nian Shangyou suspect they were even stronger than the group known as Eighteen Wheels.

The intelligence they had received initially stated that the Peddler was only accompanied by a group of Iron Bones who had fought in the Suihuang Wilderness years ago. Had these Iron Bones achieved such high cultivation on Qunying Mountain?

If he had known this earlier, they shouldn't have attacked Qunying Mountain.

But what was the use of thinking about such things now? He wasn't the one in charge.

Now, Nian Shangyou could barely preserve his own life.

He wanted to find a place to hide from the deadly rain but dared not approach the cliff. Vines still wove around his feet, capable of severing his legs at any moment, or even splitting him in half.

With several bloody holes created by the rain on his body, Nian Shangyou fell into despair. Suddenly, he heard two dull thuds as a soldier, using a Blade Cultivation technique, cut off a vine.

This soldier was very special. All three of his heads were Blade Cultivators. It took over a dozen techniques from all three of them working together to sever the vine, demonstrating just how tough these two green vines were.

One soldier came close to Nian Shangyou. His left head was a Plant Cultivator, his middle head a Body Cultivator, and his right head a Scholar Cultivator. The Plant and Body Cultivators worked together, causing thick lotus leaves to sprout on his body, covered with hard armor resembling crab shells.

He used the lotus leaves to shield Nian Shangyou from the rain.

Three other soldiers used wind cultivation techniques, working together to disperse the rain clouds in the sky.

Nian Shangyou wiped the blood from his face. Having survived the disaster, he had no time for joy.

He led the soldiers further south, still unaware of what he would encounter next.

"Actually, I don't know anything; I just believed whatever he said," Nian Shangyou began to mutter to himself again. "Actually, it's easy to see. Deceiving me wasn't difficult. If he couldn't even deceive me, how could he deceive the Tu Fang Nation? He even tricked the Demon Lord to his death..."

Under the protection of the Totem Army, Nian Shangyou with great difficulty reached the southernmost exit of the valley. Of the hundreds of soldiers, only a dozen remained.

The scenery here was magnificent. Nian Shangyou saw cliffs so high their tops were out of sight and clouds and fog as beautiful as a fairyland.

"This cliff is so beautiful. Look, doesn't it resemble the entrance to Fog Prison Valley?" Nian Shangyou's mind was somewhat disturbed. He shouted to the few remaining soldiers around him, "Look quickly! There's another cave over there. Isn't it exactly like the one we came out of?"

The soldiers looked down at the cliff face. Indeed, there was a cave there.

Nian Shangyou smiled at them. "Guess if Lord Qiao is inside?"

The soldiers remained silent.

Nian Shangyou said very mysteriously, "He's not inside. I've seen several caves like this. Although they all look the same, they're actually different. Every single cave is different!"

He was talking wildly, but the surrounding soldiers knew he wasn't crazy.

Nian Shangyou was right. This valley seemed infinite; reaching an exit led back to an entrance.

But this valley wasn't cyclical. The previous valley and this one were only similar in appearance, meaning there were many valleys linked end to end, strung together.

Because there were so many valleys, the Totem Army was now scattered into various corners of different valleys, where they were being killed one by one by masters of various disciplines hidden within the valleys.

Had Qiao Yi calculated this far? Did he consider the consequences of entering Fog Prison Valley?

He probably hadn't. He had initially intended to retreat back the way they came to Wuyouping, but he no longer had the chance, because he himself had sent troops to block the path back to Wuyouping.

There was no choice but to block it. Eighteen Wheels, along with various heroes, had already caught up. Along the road between Sage Peak and Qunying Mountain, the two armies were still fighting, and the Totem Army's casualties had already exceeded ten thousand.

Now attacked from two sides, had Qiao Yi anticipated this outcome?

Perhaps he had.

At Jianren Ridge, he openly led over 50,000 Totem Army soldiers, and another 20,000 were hidden underground. With so many men, he simply wouldn't attack Wuyouping; he insisted on attacking Qunying Mountain.

He must have had his reasons for doing so, but Nian Shangyou, having traveled this far, felt the situation was not very optimistic.

How many people had died in this valley? Twenty thousand? Or thirty thousand?

And they still didn't know how many masters were hidden in this valley.

Qiao Yi had his reasons, and Nian Shangyou had his thoughts.

Now, two paths lay before Nian Shangyou: one was to return the way he came and report the situation to Qiao Yi. But on the way back, he would have to re-experience all the dangers he had just faced. And after reporting, Qiao Yi might even force him to go out and scout again.

The second path was to continue forward and scout the situation ahead. The dangers they would encounter would be no less than those behind them; they might even encounter the Peddler himself.

After much deliberation, Nian Shangyou chose a third path: he sat down in the cave below the cliff.

Several surviving soldiers also followed him into the cave. One soldier spoke up.

The Totem Army rarely spoke, but when they did, it was always important. "What should we do if the Peddler enters this cave?"

Nian Shangyou replied calmly, "If we discover the Peddler's whereabouts, we must report it to Lord Qiao."

The Totem Army soldiers thought this was true, but the real problem was: "If the Peddler comes, there's no way we'll leave alive."

Nian Shangyou remained perfectly calm. "Are we cowards who cling to life and fear death?"

The Totem Army soldiers shook their heads in unison. "No."

With firm courage and conviction, Nian Shangyou said to them, "Since none of us fear death, we will wait here for the Peddler to arrive!"

Everyone nodded in unison, their expressions resolute.

Nian Shangyou asked, "Is there any wine?"

A Wine Cultivator produced a flask.

"Any food?"

A Strength Cultivator untied the bag from his back; it contained a good amount of cured meat and pickled fish.

"Splendid!" Nian Shangyou exclaimed. Everyone filled their cups with wine, laid out the dishes, and ate and drank, bravely and fearlessly awaiting the Peddler's arrival.

The Peddler was two valleys away from them, fiercely battling a group of Totem Army soldiers.

At first, three to five hundred people surrounded one; then it was three to five thousand people surrounding one.

The Peddler's tactics were very clear: once the enemy reached a certain number, he would stop fighting them directly and immediately change positions, but he also had to quickly re-enter the battlefield. This was the binding of a Life-Pact.

He cleared a path using his 'Breaking Path' technique, breaking through the encirclement, then hugged the canyon walls, rapidly changing positions to find new targets.

After walking three or four li, the Peddler's arm trembled, and he hissed in pain.

A group of soldiers on the cliff had cut a green vine.

The Peddler let out a long breath. "Good, it wasn't that willow tree nearby."

He bandaged the wound on his arm, but several wounds on his back were still seeping blood.

These wounds couldn't heal, for they were scars left by the valley itself in battle.

When the Peddler fights, Fog Prison Valley fights.

When Fog Prison Valley was wounded in battle, the Peddler would be wounded accordingly.

This was the Life-Pact.

The Peddler jumped onto a rock and gazed into the distance, looking towards the Suihuang Wilderness.

"Well fought, brothers!" The Peddler smiled, then touched his neck.

Another wound had appeared on his neck.

*Maybe I should apply some vanishing cream.*

Just as the Peddler applied the cream, another wound appeared on his cheek.

After his cheek, it was his knee.

After his knee, his eyebrow...

The Peddler was covered in bandages, walking a bit unsteadily.

He took a sip of yellow wine and used a Sound Cultivation transmission technique: "Old Train, you must break through as soon as possible!"

Putting down the wine flask, the Peddler pushed his cart. He still had to go out and fight.

Li Banfeng returned to Huangtu Town with the Demon Lord's two heads. With the head Zhao Xiaowan had personally cut off earlier, all three of the Demon Lord's heads were gathered.

Zhao Xiaowan handed the heads to Yao Xin, instructing the Suihuang Iron Cavalry to parade them throughout the city.

Li Banfeng had booked all the tea houses and taverns in the city to reward the Iron Bones and the heroes of the Four Great Families and Two Major Gangs.

There was not only food and drink, but also money. Li Banfeng took out large amounts of silver coins and distributed them as pay to everyone.

Zhao Xiaowan specifically reminded him, "Husband, give more silver to the old Iron Bones who fought with me back then. They had it hard!"

Li Banfeng replied, "Give them double pay, and set them up with property! I also want to get to know these heroes!"

Zhao Xiaowan introduced the old Iron Bones to Li Banfeng one by one. Tan Jinxiao, of course, needed no introduction. Chen Yongnian was also familiar. Old Liu, who drove the cart, was also an acquaintance. Only the old horse caretaker was slightly unfamiliar.

During the Second Puro War, this old horse caretaker had been a battalion commander. Tan Jinxiao, Chen Yongnian, and Old Liu had all been his subordinates.

There were a few other old Iron Bones who hadn't been this old caretaker's subordinates back then. But he was the only surviving battalion commander from those days, so in this battle, all the old Iron Bones followed him.

"Only he is still alive..." Li Banfeng looked at Zhao Xiaowan. "My dear wife, where are the other battalion commanders?"

Zhao Xiaowan froze. She thought she had made herself quite clear. "They are no longer in this world."

Li Banfeng looked at the thirty-odd old Iron Bones and asked again, "What about the other old soldiers?"

Tan Jinxiao glanced back. "Those who could come, I believe, have all come. Some are older and have no cultivation; they probably couldn't walk even if they wanted to come."

"And then?" Li Banfeng looked at his wife again. "There should be some who went to Qunying Mountain. Are they all doing well?"

"Went to Qunying Mountain?" His wife looked confused, then turned to Tan Jinxiao. "Among your group, who went to Qunying Mountain?"

Tan Jinxiao was stunned for a long while. "Who went to Qunying Mountain? I haven't heard!"

Chen Yongnian, Old Liu, and the old horse caretaker had not heard either.

"This is bad!"

Li Banfeng pushed up his hat brim, his eyes widened, and he looked into the distance.

Didn't the Peddler say there were Iron Bones on Qunying Mountain?

Didn't he say the Iron Bones were guarding Qunying Mountain with him?

If there were no Iron Bones, what was on Qunying Mountain?

Only him?

Li Banfeng turned back to Che Wushang. "Hook up the Hai Chi Old Cart! Come with me!"

Che Wushang didn't know why Li Banfeng was in such a hurry, but he didn't ask further. He picked up the cart handles. "Where to?"

Where to?

To Moxiang Store or Wuyouping? Both places could lead to Qunying Mountain.

Li Banfeng didn't yet know the path from Wuyouping to Qunying Mountain.

"To Moxiang Store!"

Li Banfeng took off running at full speed, racing towards Moxiang Store.

At the Moxiang Store street corner, dozens of Totem Army soldiers were searching everywhere for Bloodfang Monsters.

Of the over 70,000 Totem Army soldiers, only these few were lucky. Taking advantage of the Peddler's severe injuries, they found a secret exit, rushed out of Fog Prison Valley, and using a Cloud Gate array, fell directly from the clouds into Moxiang Store.

Now they were urgently looking for Bloodfang Monsters to rendezvous with, but after searching several rendezvous points, they found no trace of the Bloodfang Monsters.

Where had the Bloodfang Monsters gone?

A soldier pulled out a brush and wrote hundreds of "search" characters on the ground. These characters moved swiftly across the ground, helping them search for traces of the Bloodfang Monsters.

Not long after, over a dozen "search" characters returned together, circling the soldier. This meant they had found the Bloodfang Monsters.

The soldier gathered the others and followed the "search" characters to Yansha Study. After standing at the entrance for a moment, they didn't see any Bloodfang Monsters. Instead, they saw a storyteller who had set up a table at the entrance, preparing to begin his performance.

The storyteller slapped his storytelling block and recited an opening poem to the crowd: "With brushstrokes, he fells the barbarian moon; in pools of ink, he drowns foreign chiefs. Before tents, Confucius and Mencius array their battle plans; behind the lines, Qu Yuan and Jia Yi chronicle the Spring and Autumn. A single decree can cut down ten thousand horsemen; half a verse of 'Shu Li' can rout nine marquises. Gentlemen, behold the river's core: a solitary sail still hastens the scholar's boat! Gentlemen, you have come to the right place!"

These soldiers didn't recognize Shu Wanjuan, but they knew something was wrong.

The characters they had sent out earlier had been exploited by Shu Wanjuan.

They turned to leave, but the eight lines of the opening poem, seven characters per line, formed 56 characters like 56 barriers, stopping them in their tracks.

"Since you've come, listen to the whole story before you leave!" Shu Wanjuan put down his storytelling block. The 56 characters transformed into 56 armored soldiers, engaging in fierce combat with the dozens of Totem Army soldiers.

One Totem Army soldier was not trapped because of his unusual appearance.

Totem Army soldiers were typically tall and imposing, but this man's figure looked like an ordinary person's, and he didn't have three heads. He wore a blue-green long gown, gold-rimmed glasses, had slicked-back hair, and wore a light purple scarf.

People dressed like this were common in Moxiang Store, and Shu Wanjuan indeed hadn't noticed him.

He was a Theater Cultivator, a combination of Scholar Cultivation and Martial Cultivation.

His Theater Cultivation technique helped him conceal his figure, and with the flexible movements of his Martial Cultivation, he successfully escaped Yansha Study.

Many characters were hidden in the snow, monitoring the surrounding movements. This soldier understood the methods of Scholar Cultivation and knew he couldn't just wander the streets, or he would give himself away.

He walked into a small street, with two characters constantly following him from behind.

He turned into a noodle shop. The two characters didn't enter but lingered at the doorway.

The waiter brought the menu. "Sir, what would you like to eat?"

The soldier ordered a bowl of lamb noodles. The waiter smiled. "You have good taste, sir. Lamb noodles are our specialty here."

Not long after, the noodles arrived. The soldier wolfed down his food. Seeing nothing suspicious, the characters at the door then left the noodle shop.

Inside the noodle shop, many people were discussing. "Did you hear? There's a monster on the street. No one knows where it came from."

"Which street are you talking about? Was it that monster from last time that left a trail of blood?"

The soldier remained silent. After he finished his noodles, the characters had already left.

He let out a long breath and stood up to leave. The shop owner stepped forward and stopped him. "Sir, you haven't paid for the noodles."

The soldier had no money. He was a Theater Cultivator, so he casually tore off a piece of cloth from his clothes, transformed it into a banknote, and slipped it into the owner's hand, saying, "Keep the change."

The owner took the money. As soon as he put it into the drawer, the drawer began to creak and groan.

There was a Scrying Cultivation spirit item in that drawer. It might not be able to distinguish other things, but it never mistook money.

The owner chased him out the door and roared, "You're trying to trick me with fake money!"

The soldier ignored him and walked quickly forward. The owner grabbed a stick and chased after him. "Damn it, I don't cheat people, I charge for noodles by the bowl, and you dare to scam me!"

He swung the stick at the soldier, and the soldier turned and kicked the owner to the ground.

The owner's sternum was fractured, but he struggled to get up. "I've been to Greenwater City, and I've been to Kudaikan. Now I'm in Moxiang Store, thinking this is a place for scholars, where I can do honest business. And you dare to bully me? I refuse to suffer this loss!"

Dragging the stick, he charged again.

The soldier turned, preparing to take the owner's life. But before they could engage, the soldier was knocked down by Boss Lu's kick and stepped on.

The soldier tried to get up, but Boss Lu applied a little more force, his foot pressing into the soldier's chest. "This is the general attitude in Puro State. Some things, Inner State still hasn't taught you all."

Having killed the soldier, Boss Lu was about to check on the noodle shop owner's injuries when he suddenly heard Li Qi's voice in his ear: "Quickly get to Qunying Mountain! Only the Peddler is on the mountain."

Li Qi, running on the road, had contacted Boss Lu using a Yuanmiao Screen.

Boss Lu looked up at the sky. He didn't know that the Peddler was also watching from the hillside below.

The Peddler looked at the noodle shop owner and smiled.

That kid always ran his business unscrupulously. The Peddler had dealt with him before, but he just never learned his lesson.

He hadn't expected him not to back down today.

The Iron Bones of Suihuang Wilderness hadn't backed down either.

The Underground City had lost Haishi and Tushi, and Rensi might not hold out much longer.

Even if they lost the battle, they could still fight back.

Xu Han hadn't backed down, Zhang Wanlong hadn't backed down, and the heroes of Baijun County never backed down!

The Three Heroes Gate hadn't backed down, the Hundred Flowers Gate hadn't backed down, and several heroes hadn't backed down. They had gotten onto the Hai Chi Old Cart and were rushing here, following their junior brother.

Those old comrades hadn't backed down either; they were about to fight their way into Fog Prison Valley.

The Peddler tore off a piece of gauze and bandaged his wounds. He wrapped several layers, and the blood soaked through several layers.

He bit the gauze to tie a knot and smiled.

Bailemen had put up posters; there was a singing performance tonight.

Wontons were ready at Wujia Shop in Toudaoling.

The Yelai Xiang Newspaper Office had printed the evening newspaper.

Boss Feng in Ligou had opened a new general store.

That kid Ye Haolong was sleepwalking again.

Why was the great iron gate of Tiemenbao still open?

Kudaikan's dance hall had new acts!

Ye Songqiao's sedan chair bearers hadn't finished work yet.

Huangtu Bridge had lights on at night now.

Fool's City had some semblance of its former self.

The sound of reading aloud echoed again from Moxiang Store.

What a wonderful Puro State!

He couldn't get enough of it!

The Peddler smiled. "I've won!"

Below the hillside, over 30,000 Totem Army soldiers surrounded him.

Originally over 70,000, now only these 30,000 remained.

Nian Shangyou, holding the battle report, rushed to Qiao Yi in a panic. "My Lord, they've broken through! Eighteen Wheels has entered Fog Prison Valley!"

Qiao Yi pulled Nian Shangyou under his commander's banner, using a magical artifact to conceal their voices. "Shangyou, I have just determined the method the Peddler is using. It's called the Life-Pact Art, a Pact Cultivation technique. When he fights, the valley fights with him; when he doesn't fight, the valley doesn't fight. Now he is severely wounded and surrounded. If we besiege him without attacking, he surely won't dare to make a move. If he doesn't move, the valley won't move either. Immediately take your men and go find the valley's exit."

Nian Shangyou said, "But Eighteen Wheels and their forces have entered the valley."

Qiao Yi grabbed Nian Shangyou. "You must act quickly. I will send troops to intercept Eighteen Wheels. You must rush ahead to find the exit. As long as we leave Fog Prison Valley, Puro State will be in our hands!"

Nian Shangyou nodded. Just as he was about to lead his men to find the exit, he suddenly heard a drum sound from the hillside.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

The Peddler, pushing his cart, rushed down the hillside!