Chapter 207 Is There Anything Fun in Your Sect?
Near Chizhou.
The havoc wreaked by the Black Tortoise Sect has been thoroughly suppressed.
Although it was suppressed, Chizhou, which was already crumbling, and the neighboring cities responsible for disaster relief simply could not bear the weight of this turmoil.
The Demon Suppression Division and the government office have started comprehensive patrols.
For anyone daring to commit crimes, they are currently being processed with special speed, dealt with severely and strictly, and resolved quickly.
However, the most severely damaged group remained the refugees.
Recently, the grain consumption reported by the disaster relief government office has shrunk significantly.
Li Zhong loyally assigned the Black Tortoise Sect's tasks to those reliable subordinates who ate everything leaving nothing behind. Then, he turned around and dragged the Old Fox into hiding.
However, he did not run around everywhere.
Instead, he chose to lie low in the most familiar place—the small city he used to be responsible for inciting.
First, the situation outside was unclear. Rather than running around blindly, it was better to settle down and see how things developed.
If the Black Tortoise Sect succeeded, he could still go back and share in the spoils.
After all, he was just a small team captain. Strictly speaking, he did not count as a core member, so they wouldn't fixate on what he was doing during the turmoil.
If they failed... Li Zhong chose to lie low first, find the right moment to slip out, and run to another place.
Anyway, running around outside was definitely not a good choice. Sect cultivators from the Black Tortoise Kingdom had already started sweeping the area after the dust settled.
Li Zhong did not believe that no Black Tortoise Sect subordinates had been caught.
Among that group of people caught, there wouldn't be his subordinates whose intelligence was on par with pigs.
If he were identified by accident, that would really mean seeing his great-grandmother.
As for why Li Zhong brought the Old Fox, the reason was simple—he was smart enough.
Although the Old Fox said he didn't care one way or another, Li Zhong understood one principle very well—no person or demon is truly unafraid of death.
At the very least, the Old Fox came with him without struggling.
For sufficiently intelligent people... even if they were demons, Li Zhong naturally respected them.
Because sometimes having brains can save your life. Li Zhong, who had crawled his way up and relied on others before, understood this principle deeply.
Inside an inn in the city.
The Old Fox, draped in a thick black cloak, silently drank the slightly turbid old wine before him.
Being able to drink a cup of wine now was indeed something Li Zhong had exhausted his efforts to obtain.
Although he had a plan in mind, Li Zhong was still extremely nervous facing the slightly severe situation outside.
"Heh... still treating me with such respect until now." The Old Fox narrowed his eyes and looked at Li Zhong. "The Black Tortoise Sect lost completely, everything is gone?"
Li Zhong did not attempt to argue in front of this intelligent demon:
"It was a crushing defeat. Chizhou rose for only three days before completely collapsing. I heard the fighting in Cangzhou was even more of a mess. The Black Tortoise Sect was defeated terribly. The sects of the Black Tortoise Kingdom, seeing that demons were involved, have started to intervene fully."
The Old Fox took another light sip of the turbid wine: "Humans and demons have stood opposed since ancient times; it is an old feud, and also a rule. You bringing me like this does you no good."
"I felt like we were old friends at first sight. I don't like hearing talk of benefits or no benefits."
"Tsk..." The Old Fox pursed his lips, looking at Li Zhong's honest appearance.
In recent days, Li Zhong's gestures of goodwill had become more frequent. Sometimes, just by looking at Li Zhong's actions, one could know the situation outside.
If Li Zhong entered carrying a knife intending to kill him, then the Black Tortoise Sect would have won a great victory.
The more he showed goodwill, the more it represented that the situation outside was severe.
Li Zhong smiled foolishly for a moment. Seeing that the Old Fox was looking at him with a half-smile in his eyes, he then restrained his expression:
"There is a piece of not-so-good news..."
The Old Fox laughed softly, interrupting Li Zhong's next words, and said:
"If you want to survive, it is actually quite simple. It just comes down to choosing to be greedy or not."
Li Zhong stared intently at the Old Fox. After a long while, he asked in a low voice:
"Greedy... how is that greedy?"
The Old Fox grinned, thinking this person was a bit like Hu Qi: "Naturally, be greedy until death. Even in death, be greedy. If you want to be greedy, don't expect to live."
Li Zhong's expression was slightly awkward: "Then what about not being greedy?"
The Old Fox's expression became serious: "Run now. Run towards Bingzhou."
Li Zhong's face looked slightly ugly. This statement was like saying nothing. Who didn't know they should run? But the key to the problem was how to run, and what use it was to run there.
The Old Fox did not keep him in suspense and spoke directly:
"There are many refugees from the chaos in Bingzhou. They cannot investigate all the disaster victims thoroughly."
"I used to work under Yu Zhu in Bingzhou. I have a favor owed there. You just need to tell Yu Zhu that the Old Fox sent you. They will find a way to send you to a country neighboring Bingzhou. Once there, you can start a new life."
Li Zhong nodded hurriedly upon hearing this: "Then what are we waiting for? Let's pack our luggage and go together!"
"I'm not going..." The Old Fox laughed softly. "There are heavy checkpoints over there. You won't be able to pass through with a demon. Things are satisfactory for me here; I've lived long enough to make it worth it."
The Old Fox didn't finish his sentence, just shook his head slightly: "I've given you a way to live. Go buy some more wine."
Li Zhong said nothing more and turned to go downstairs to buy wine.
In just a moment, he came back up carrying two jars of wine.
The Old Fox nodded in satisfaction, tossed out a wooden token from his bosom:
"Count it as you having some conscience, not running away the moment you could. This is a credential, considered a reward for you."
Li Zhong picked up the token, bowed to the Old Fox, and turned to leave without hesitation.
The Old Fox poured himself another cup of wine, tapped the table lightly, and a mocking smile appeared on his face.
Like this, Li Zhong should believe his words deeply.
After all, this was a reward he obtained by paying a price and showing sincerity.
Only with a cost would one believe the return was real.
He really looked forward to seeing what expression Li Zhong would show when he took out a token carved on a random piece of wood he picked up and showed it to whoever he thought appropriate.
If he didn't make it to Bingzhou, then consider these words as never spoken by the Old Fox.
He didn't expect to live himself, so how would he give someone else a way to live?
The Old Fox lifted the wine jar and drank heartily without a care.
"Waaah!"
Qinghe stretched heavily, then slumped powerlessly on the table.
Li Yingling glanced sideways at this flood dragon.
Before this, regardless of the storybooks, flood dragons were either majestic and domineering, bloodthirsty and evil, or capable of calling the wind and rain. They were characterized as high-end and grand.
However, the first real flood dragon encountered in reality—gluttonous, playful, liked to slack off, and liked to join in the fun.
Not at all like the flood dragons in storybooks.
Especially with that look on his face right now, as if his dragon life was so exhausting...
Li Yingling's fantasies about flood dragons were ruthlessly shattered.
Xie Lingyu said with a helpless face: "Qinghe, everyone is here. Can't you sit properly?"
Qinghe said dissatisfied: "What do you mean! You went to the capital with Chu Xingchen to play for several days before coming back. What about me? I've been working the whole time. I'm dead tired."
Li Xingtian sat on the chair by the window, currently looking at the scenery outside. But hearing this, he couldn't help but turn his head to look at Qinghe.
Since Master returned from the capital, he started joining the demolition work. If Qinghe worked with both hands combined to demolish, it would probably only reach half of what Master demolished.
Chu Xingchen was currently brewing tea personally. He didn't mind Qinghe's remarks; after all, this flood dragon did step up at critical moments.
Otherwise, some unknown variables might have arisen.
Chu Xingchen brewed tea seriously and said: "The work is finally done. I am preparing to return to the sect. Lingyu, Qinghe, do you want to come and play for a few days?"
"Play?" Qinghe looked up at Chu Xingchen. "Is there anything fun in your sect?"
"Heh hmm, I'm just afraid that once you come, you won't want to leave. You'll insist on guarding the house for my sect."
"Heh hmm! What big talk! Isn't it just provocation? Qinghe accepts it! If it's not fun, don't blame Qinghe for mocking you!"
Chu Xingchen used spiritual power to pass the brewed tea to everyone in the room, while also lifting a cup himself.
"I'm just afraid that when the time comes, you wouldn't be able to say it wasn't fun even against your conscience."
Chu Xingchen lifted his teacup and said: "Come, taste my Master's craft."
Everyone lifted their cups for a taste. One flood dragon downed it in one gulp.
Chu Xingchen took a light sip and said honestly: "It's too different from what Bai Qing brews..."
Li Yingling and Li Xingtian, these two filial children, could not go against their conscience to refute Master's words. They could only nod gently in agreement.
Xie Lingyu, who had never drunk tea brewed by Chen Baiqing, was a bit confused... This tea is fine, isn't it? It's quite tasty.
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