Food System in Cultivation World

July 2nd.

This day is destined to be recorded in history.

The moment the embankment of the Yuan Cang River broke, countless people witnessed just how fragile the defenses of Pingyang City truly were.

The grand site of the Celestial South Dao Governor's Office, at the moment of the river breaching, the city's defensive formation collapsed instantly.

The torrential downpour pummeled down, accompanied by the surging and mighty rush of river water.

Urgent messages were sent out one after another, but Yao Xing, the Left Governor of Celestial South Dao, was actually in seclusion!

And the Right Governor in charge of military affairs, Guo Youding, had left Pingyang City the day before.

It was said to be because he heard that a wicked Great Demon had emerged in the Lingbi Marshes on the border of Celestial South Dao and Penglai Dao.

This demon was wicked and fierce, enjoyed feasting on human hearts, and had already plagued a region of four hundred li; hence, Guo Youding specifically led troops to eliminate it.

Though demon hunting shouldn't have been Guo Youding's duty.

Demon hunting was supposed to be the business of the Prison Control Department!

But who could blame the Prison Control Department for having no top-tier experts to hunt down the Great Demon, thus seeking help from Guo Youding?

In this way, Guo Youding stepping in seems reasonable.

But with Yao Xing in seclusion, Guo Youding taking troops out of the city to hunt demons a thousand miles away, and the experts from the Prison Control Department accompanying him,

in no time, this vast Pingyang City was shockingly defenseless, becoming a superficial and prosperous empty frame.

When the flood came, most of the common people couldn't even react to what was happening.

They only heard the roaring sound of water, and the vast sky seemed to echo with the howl of a savage beast from the wilderness.

Then, there was the crashing downpour.

After that, all they saw was a vast expanse of white between heaven and earth, amidst the dense and chaotic rain sound, enormous waves breaking the riverbank, busting through city gates, and sweeping into streets and alleys.

Many pedestrians on the street couldn't react in time and were knocked down by the onslaught of water waves and rain.

Someone cried out, "Help! Help!"

Others hurriedly scrambled up to run toward nearby houses.

In the wind and rain, cries were heard: "Quickly, block the door, block the door!"

"It's no use, we can't block it, dear God! Why did the breach of the Yuan Cang River come so suddenly? The rain just started, and the water has already rushed over..."

"Stop wasting time, quick, let's go up to the roof!"

"No, no, what about the things in my house? My food, my silver coins, my hard-earned possessions..."

"Help, help! Sob sob sob..."

Crying voices, chaotic scenes.

But this was not all, as both the heavy rain and the flood came suddenly; while many panic-stricken people fled, there were others who had a completely different response.

By the docks of the Cang River, dozens to hundreds of laborers were originally under the supervision of a foreman, transporting goods.

The foreman's name was Zhang Liuma, a lazy, good-for-nothing by nature, who fortunately had a sister who caught the eye of an Incense Master from the Lingwu Gang and became his third concubine.

From then on, Zhang Liuma rose with the tide, following his "brother-in-law" the Incense Master, enjoying good food and drink, and even landing a minor steward position by the docks.

After becoming a steward, he epitomized the petty tyrant.

He deceived his superiors and bullied his subordinates, enforcing his power, keeping dozens of laborers obediently under his control.

That morning, yawning, he came out of the Lichun Tower, did nothing upon reaching the docks, and swung a whip at a young laborer, aiming to strike him down.

The young man, who was originally carrying goods diligently, was suddenly hit out of nowhere just when the load was on his shoulder.

Zhang Liuma casually found a pretext:

"You worthless thing, not nimble in the morning, what are you standing for? Quickly move the stuff, you worthless cur, you deserve a beating!"

Smack! Smack smack smack!

The whip cracked the air like an explosion.

Zhang Liuma reeked of alcohol, swinging his whip, laughing loudly.

Ordinarily, this was just another day for him.

The laborers he whipped hardly resisted.

Even if there were occasional dissidents, Zhang Liuma hardly needed to handle them himself; among the laborers, there would be lowly minions eager to flatter him, stepping out to subdue the dissenters.

These lowly folks competed to stand out just to make an impression in front of him.

If they pleased him, they could take fewer lashes, have fewer silver coins extorted, and occasionally even receive a reward or two.

Zhang Liuma knew very well; they didn't have the courage to overthrow him.

Because back when his sister hadn't married his "brother-in-law," Zhang Liuma himself had been a laborer and acted the same way...

Zhang Liuma laughed loudly, whipping continuously.

His eyes gradually turned bloodshot, yet he failed to notice that the young laborer he was whipping had eyes even redder.

Zhang Liuma also didn't notice that not far off, on the surface of the Yuan Cang River, a thin, gray-black mist was beginning to rise.

Until a certain moment, the torrential rain came pouring down.

Gigantic waves rolled by the riverbank, and from the water suddenly emerged a massive head, and a long body like a dragon.

"Ah!" Zhang Liuma screamed in terror.

The torrential rain fell like chaotic pearls, blurring vision.

Suddenly Zhang Liuma felt pain in his wrist, his whip was snatched away, then came a lightning-fast, heavy kick right to the area between his legs.

"Ah!" This time, Zhang Liuma let out a heart-wrenching, painful scream.

At some point, the young man he had been whipping leaped in front of him, pinning him down in the chaotic rain.

The young man roared, "Die! Die die die... Ah!"