Once again, the northern district presented a different scenery. The streets were crowded with low shacks. Each shack looked like they were crammed with dozens of people at the minimum. The streets were flooded with sewage, and there were barely any dry ground in sight. He was wading through water chock-full of floating filth and emitting an overwhelming stench with every step he took. Fortunately, he was currently empowering himself with fortune. The filth either drifted away or brushed past him, never soiling his boots.

When he was passing through a shack, a dozen or so small heads poked out from behind the door and watched him with curious, fearful eyes. The youngest child was holding a palm-sized beetle that was clearly missing a few bites’ worth of body parts. Luckily for the child, the beetle looked like it was roasted to an extent. There were also a woman lying on the floor, and two men sitting against the wall inside the shack. Looking at their appearance alone, it was impossible to say if they were dead or alive.

Wei Yuan reckoned that this shantytown alone was crammed with tens of thousands of people. Everyone living in this area was a mortal—fraily, sickly, and perpetually teetering on the brink of life and death. Their souls were so dim and lifeless that even the Shamans would refuse to accept them as offerings.

However, Wei Yuan also spotted a few massive limestone courtyards ahead of him. Unusually grand, each courtyard occupied a huge plot about a hundred zhang in radius. The foundation of the courtyard was raised by three chi, ensuring that the sewage would never pool within its boundaries. The walls were two zhang high and built sturdy. A fair number of guards were standing on them and overlooking the sprawling shantytown literally one street away. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

It was clear that these residences belonged to humans. They were bristling with private soldiers as well.

Wei Yuan had heard many hidden secrets on the way here, and a good amount of them had something to do with these large courtyards. It was said that the residents belonged to the Xu Clan, and that they were fairly important people too. It was also said that two of the courtyards were specifically used for stashing troops. They likely housed nearly a thousand formidable private soldiers. The Xu Clan operated numerous businesses, in Willow Ash Town, overt or covert, and even the Shamans gave them considerable leeway.

To be honest, Wei Yuan couldn’t really understand the relationship between the Xu Clan and the Shamans. The two sides had fought a big war just a few years ago, losing heavens-know-how-many people and accumulating even more hatred. However, they were co-existing peacefully in Willow Ash Town. Assuming that the information he eavesdropped were to be trusted, there hadn’t even been a particularly big clash between the two factions.

Suddenly, one courtyard gate swung open, and dozens of Body-tempering stage warriors flooded into the open. They were carrying vermillion surveyor poles and planting them as they walked. It wasn’t long before they had marked out a land tens of zhang in radius. Then, a man who looked like a housekeeper shouted, “This land belongs to our master now! Everyone within the area marked by the poles must move out within one ke. This food is your reward!”

The warriors carried a few big baskets of multigrain biscuits over to a clearing and dumped them on the ground. Countless people immediately pounced toward them like starving dogs. At the same time, several high-tier warriors began setting fire to the shacks within the marked area. The fire started from the north and slowly burned its way to the south. Fire fueled by a Dao spell could not be extinguished by mere water. Although the fire was progressing slowly, a few people still failed to escape in time and burned to death.

Moments later, the multigrain biscuits were gone, and the shacks within the marked area were burned to ash. The people driven out of their homes began scattering into other shacks. Some forced their way in, while others begged for the original occupants for a spot. Most of the time, they had to fight against the original occupants. Some won, some lost, and a dozen more lives were lost just like that. The few women were all taken in, and surprisingly, even the children found some takers despite the fact that the shacks were already crammed full of children.

The scene left Wei Yuan staring in stunned silence. The refugees in his youth had acted like beasts, the people living in this place were probably lesser than beasts. Even The Wei estate’s donkey shed and pigsty were cleaner than these shacks.

Wei Yuan could not help but feel cold and grim as he watched the ranks of warriors setting fires and burning people with utter indifference. Wang Lang, whom he had hooked on his very first day of fishing, had shared inextricable ties to the Xu Clan. Therefore, it was probably safe to say that Yun Feifei was entangled with them as well. In that case, Wei Yuan decided to stir up the hornet’s nest and see what secrets lay hidden within these large residences.

Before Wei Yuan could act, a sudden commotion erupted behind him. A dozen or so riders were galloping his way, sewage splashing up from their horses’ hooves. One splash was falling straight down his head!

Wei Yuan was in a sour mood to begin with, and this insult was practically adding fuel to fire. There was simply no way a hot-tempered sword cultivator would allow his pride to be trampled over by these pieces of garbage. A golden cauldron suddenly appeared on his head and absorbed the filthy water instantly. Then, it slammed into the offending rider!

The rider was just a blood-tempering stage cultivator. Naturally, the golden cauldron caved in his chest and sent him flying over a dozen zhang, crushing a good number of shacks along the way.

The retaliation alarmed the riders as a matter of course. The young swordsman leading the group threw Wei Yuan a glance before ordering in a cold voice, “Kill him and dismember him!”

He resumed his gallop toward a courtyard after that, unwilling to favor Wei Yuan a second glance. He was followed by several riders. The rest unsheathed their swords and surrounded Wei Yuan.

Wei Yuan slowly retreated into the shacks behind him and concealed his aura. Just like that, he vanished from the riders’ senses.

Surprised, the riders spurred their horses forward to pursue him. They did not care how many people were crammed inside the shacks and just trampled everyone standing in their way underfoot. A cacophony of agonized cries instantly erupted from beneath their horses’ hooves.

It was at this moment several wisps of black qi entered the horses undetected. Then, every single mount let out a long whinny and lifted their forelimbs, throwing half the riders off their backs instantly. Not only that, the riders did not move when they hit the sewage hard. Shocked, two Dao Foundation stage riders wrestled their mounts under control before dismounting to check out their compatriots’ conditions. It was then they realized that every fallen rider bore a small, narrow wound on their necks. The wound was charred black, and a searing sword intent still coalesced within. It looked like their throats were burned.

At the same time, Wei Yuan appeared on the other side of the street, flickering in and out of existence. Every time he flickered, he would reappear several zhang away. He reached the end of the street in just a matter of steps, ready to disappear at any moment.

Meanwhile, the leader of the group had reached the courtyard entrance. When he looked back and saw that his men had suffered heavy casualties, he flew into a rage. He tore off his cloak and revealed a handsome face. A small golden sword was nestled between his eyebrows. He then leaped into the air and drew his blade, unleashing a half-moon-shaped sword qi that instantly pierced through Wei Yuan’s back!

Unfortunately for him, Wei Yuan’s figure dissolved like water and reappeared several zhang away. He also quickened his footsteps and sped toward the shacks in front of him, seemingly trying to drop out of view.

Missing the killing blow pissed off the young swordsman even more. This time, he became one with his sword and soared through the air, shooting toward Wei Yuan like a shot arrow!

However, a huge, golden cauldron appeared right in front of his face just as he reached top speed! Metal met face before he even realized what happened!

No one could say how the cauldron had appeared, but one thing for certain, it was way thicker and tougher than the young swordsman’s face. Naturally, golden stars filled his vision as his face exploded in a burst of agony. He fell backward and crashed heavily into the sewage. Not only did the dirty water flood over his face in an instant, a pile of trash had floated over to him as well.

The golden cauldron waited until the young swordsman was downed before slowly disappearing. It looked terribly confident as a melodious chime lingered in the air.

The young man abruptly sat up with a flash, his face still covered in garbage. When he subconsciously wiped it away with his hand, he saw that his hand was completely covered in filth and blood. He turned green in an instant and nearly threw up on the spot!

Thankfully, two of his subordinates reached him and lifted him out of the sewage. Then, they handed him a clean white towel to wipe his face. When the young swordsman wiped his face and saw the yellowish, greenish filth covering the towel, he finally lost control and threw up today’s breakfast and last night’s supper.

Glaring at the shacks Wei Yuan had disappeared to, the young swordsman’s voice rose to a shrill, distorted scream as rage consumed him. “Identify every bastard who wields a cauldron! Dig up the earth if you have to! Find him!”

By now, Wei Yuan had made it to the eastern district. He still did not know if the fortune fishing he had recently learned was effective, or if the fish he had encountered on this outing was the one he was hoping to catch.

The guy’s a middle Heaven-tier Dao Foundation stage cultivator. He hails from the Xu Clan and acts as he pleases even in the Shattered Realm, so... he probably qualifies a prawn?