Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao-Chapter 525 - 292: Moving Troops_2
After saying this, the gluttonous Little White Elephant continued to turn his head and began his feasting journey, completely disregarding the stunned crowd around him.
Mr. Wux spat out a mouthful of fresh blood when the demon was swallowed by Little White Elephant, a catch he had painstakingly captured and raised for years using the secret techniques of his sect, to prevent it from retributing against its master due to its ferocity. Since he had already implanted his spirit into the demon, its death now resulted in a backlash against him.
"Who exactly are you, and where do you come from?" Mr. Wux gently wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, aware that he had met his match this time. Such a response was usually only seen in the direct disciples of those legendary major sects.
"Why should you care where I come from, Grandpa Hei? Either way, this time your gold is as good as ours," proclaimed the Big Black Donkey arrogantly.
Mr. Wux was rendered speechless, finding that the enigmatic fellow opposite him seemed to be from a different world altogether, with communication proving difficult, giving him a great headache.
But Chen Tao could no longer wait. Having thoroughly offended such a powerful figure, if he couldn't eliminate him here, the Chen family might never have peace again. So, he made a secret decision in his heart, to leave the person in front of him here at all costs.
With a smile on his face, Chen Tao secretly made a gesture to a trusted underling behind him. The underling, a long-time follower skilled in perceiving cues, naturally understood the city lord's intention. It was clear he was intent on wiping them out, yet recalling the strange abilities of Big Black Donkey and Little White Elephant, the underling felt far from confident.
Still, as Chen Tao's trusted ally, he naturally looked up to his leader. Even knowing that the action might lead to death, he chose to obey. With a subtle nod, he signaled his understanding, then quietly slipped away to call upon the city's most elite troops to surround and eliminate the occupants of the brothel.
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They thought their actions were completely unnoticed, unaware that everything was being observed by the middle-aged man and Lao Han in the building.
Watching the departing figure, the middle-aged man said with a smile to Lao Han, "It seems our esteemed Mr. Chen is not as amiable as he appears."
A hint of sarcasm appeared on Lao Han's lips as he replied, "These noble families and clans are all the same, paragons of virtue on the surface, but underneath it's all about theft and harlotry, sucking the blood of ordinary people."
The middle-aged man's gaze followed the departing figure until he vanished into the streets before finally speaking, "Looks like he's heading towards the military barracks. Chen Tao has clearly made up his mind to kill."
"But this is a good opportunity. If we can seize it, today we may certainly take the city," Lao Han replied instantly with a delighted smile. An unexpected gain; the tactical opportunity they had been desperately waiting for had inadvertently presented itself.
Gold light flickered in the middle-aged man's eyes as he looked towards the eastern part of the city, where the Chen family's stronghold was located. Flames seemed to be burning fiercely in his eyes, as if wanting to reduce everything he saw to ashes.
"Notify our brothers in the city. When chaos erupts here, act to open the gates and welcome our brothers from outside," the middle-aged man said after a while.
Soon, a figure emerged from the shadows, bowed to show he understood, and then disappeared without a trace.
Lao Han glanced down at the floor below, where the standoff between Big Black Donkey and Chen Tao was somewhat eerie. Big Black Donkey was determined to rob Chen Tao and showed no appreciation for Chen Tao's kindness, while Chen Tao was only putting on a façade of goodwill, actually buying time for the arrival of his forces.
He spoke with some concern, "After all, they are legendary cultivators, and from their actions, not novices but possibly experts. Do you want to take cover? I've heard that cultivators possess world-shattering abilities; it would be unfortunate to get caught in the aftermath."
The middle-aged man simply waved his hand, "There's no need. Running out now would catch Chen Tao's eye and give away our location. Better to watch quietly from here. With all of you around, nothing significant will go wrong."
Lao Han saw the middle-aged man's resolute face, and could only swallow the words that had reached his mouth. Looking at the tired yet firm countenance, Lao Han sighed quietly to himself, knowing that the harsh life had taken its toll on the sturdy man before him. Now, he was merely propped up by a grudge in his heart. Lao Han shook his head and decided not to try to persuade him any longer; he would let him have his way this time.
It wasn't long before the sound of armor and weapons rang out from the city. The elite troops of the city had all been summoned, their presence as deep as an abyss, forming a battle formation outside the brothel. The powerful malevolence and vital energy gathered in the air seemed to take the shape of a ferocious beast.
To those sensitive to such energy, the pressure felt suddenly oppressive. Mr. Wu's mind was instantly filled with widely known tales from the Cultivation Realm. It was said that Liu Qingyun, a famous general during the founding of Great Chu, had developed a military formation that could gather the soldiers' malevolence and vital energy, designed specifically to combat cultivators. Any cultivator who encountered this formation would find their strength severely diminished and ultimately be slaughtered by the formidable army—the more elite and powerful the troops, the stronger the formation.
Only at this point did Chen Tao's face reveal a sincere smile. He rubbed his cheeks, which had started to ache from smiling, and said quietly to the Big Black Donkey across from him, "No matter where you hail from, oh sacred one, you can't disrespect the Chen Family."
The Big Black Donkey, on the other hand, behaved quite maliciously; he nonchalantly cleaned out his ears and looked at Chen Tao with disdain, seemingly unconcerned by the slowly advancing army and the increasingly heavy aura outside.
Suddenly, the door made a sound. Ruyi True Immortal emerged from the room, looking utterly content. It turned out that the pressure from the military formation had disturbed his pleasure, prompting him to walk out leisurely.
No sooner had he stepped outside than he saw the two groups ready to clash, and his face immediately filled with exasperation—Da Hei had obviously caused trouble for him again.
"What's going on here? Have you caused trouble again?"
"Old Bull, that's heartless of you to say. When have I ever caused trouble?" Da Hei immediately retorted, feeling wronged.
Ruyi True Immortal was speechless, reminding himself that there was no point in arguing with such a simpleton—it was but stupidity of the highest order, and following Da Hei's logic would only turn him into a fool.
"So what exactly happened here?" As Ruyi True Immortal surveyed the chaotic scene, he frowned and asked.
"These people had the audacity to deny me my gold." Da Hei thundered indignantly. In his view, as a bandit, everything he desired belonged to him.
After hearing this, Ruyi True Immortal had an inkling of the situation; Da Hei had long harbored aspirations of becoming a bandit. But when his gaze fell upon the gold scattered on the ground, his eyes widened with greed.
Unlike Da Hei and Little White Elephant, Ruyi True Immortal was a demon that had truly lived among humans, and he well knew the immense wealth that this gold represented. He was also someone particularly fond of riches.
He turned to the Big Black Donkey and asked, "How much gold do they owe us?"
"Hmph, they had promised to return ten more chests," said Da Hei, his face brimming with pride. In truth, he had no idea and had simply blurted out a number.
Upon hearing this, Chen Tao's veins throbbed with anger. The other party was so brazen, looking upon Chen Tao and his companions as if they were mere meat on a chopping block, as if they truly owed ten chests of gold—the unwarranted confidence almost convinced him it was true.
In reality, Ruyi True Immortal guessed that Da Hei was blathering nonsense. However, he too decided to take advantage of the situation, figuring he could make a quick profit—after all, if anything went wrong, the simpleton would bear the brunt.
