Chapter 9 Dog Clan Lord
The old ancestor was determined to die.
Do the beast hunters really not understand the principles Duan Jiuyou is explaining? She hasn't been here long enough to observe the differences between these people. The eyes of those killed or injured by the Imperial Territory's magic array are a different color than the others.
Their pupils were brown, not completely black, and their eyes were slightly dull, but their bodies were exceptionally strong.
This originates from the Ten Realms' Great Supplementation Secret Method: using food to supplement food.
In short, it means eating one's own people and using the cultivation of others to enrich oneself.
After devouring their own kind, Soul Eaters develop an obsession with hunting ferocious beasts that others do not. They do this not for money, but to expend their physical strength through hunting, thereby dispelling the evil miasma that has accumulated in their hearts.
Those rescued by Duan Jiuyou were all "Nutrient Eaters." Among them was a leader named Fang Zhuo, who was a "habitual offender" before coming to the Tenth Realm. He grew up in the spiritually rich Ao Shi Mountain and was originally a disciple of the God Hong Yun. Later, he was discovered by the God to be secretly practicing evil arts and killing his fellow disciples, and was thus banished to the Tenth Realm.
Fang Zhuo is quite good at "deceiving" people. Although his methods are ruthless, he has the appearance of a gentle and smiling scholar. The nourishers recognize him as their leader, and on ordinary days, it seems as if he is following these elder brothers.
The "elder brothers" took good care of Fang Zhuo. When they saw that he was pale with fright, they helped him up. The group thanked Duan Jiuyou profusely, which made Di Jiang, who "indiscriminately killed innocent people," seem even more inhuman.
Fang Zhuo was "quite frightened" and calmed down by himself for a while before looking at the empty animal trap next to Duan Jiuyou.
The imperial realm has recently been wreaking havoc, and Duan Jiuyou, in his rush to rescue people, has been unable to catch any ferocious beasts, and has had no success for several days.
The traitor Xiao Cui was so hungry that her vision was black, and the other disciples of Ao Sect were not much better off.
Fang Zhuo, quick-witted, looked away and said considerately, "Miss, you have had no harvest for several days and must have been hungry. I have some leftover food at home. Would you like to come to my home for a meal?"
This suggestion was excellent; not only the disciples of the Ao Sect, but even Duan Jiuyou's eyes lit up. However, that light quickly dimmed. She had brought too many disciples. If they were all given a bite each, they wouldn't be full unless they were stuffed to death. How were they supposed to survive?
Duan Jiuyou then said to Fang Zhuo, "Hunting beasts isn't easy for you either. There are over thirty of us, so it wouldn't be appropriate for us to bother you at your home."
"Why don't we just give each family a few more?" Fang Zhuo smiled, his eyes crinkling with laughter, making him seem much younger than his age.
He said these older men were all nice people. “Don’t be fooled by their fierce appearances. They are all burdened by their ancestors. Those who made mistakes fell into the Ten Realms, had children who grew up, and even though they did nothing wrong, they still have to stay here for a long time. Their children have children, and by the time it gets to them, they don’t even remember how many generations it is.”
That's true. There really is such a helpless situation in the Ten Realms. A Heavenly Sea Stone Gate separates heaven and earth. Those who commit crimes can't leave once they enter, and their innocent children and grandchildren have to stay here for generations.
"That's why we can't do anything immoral," Duan Jiuyou concluded bluntly.
Her thinking was clear: those who fall to the tenth realm are not necessarily the most heinous criminals. Their descendants may be innocent, but those who fall are not worthy of sympathy. Take, for example, that Emperor Jiang whom she hated to the core—a sickly, listless man with hands full of blood!
As soon as Fang Zhuo spoke up, the "elder brothers" immediately followed suit, each of the thirty-odd disciples taking several from each family, and there were even some left over. As the head of the clan, Duan Jiuyou was naturally the target of the bidding. Jiuyou didn't hesitate, cupping his hands and saying, "Since you gentlemen are so kind, I won't refuse. I'll go with whoever has the meat."
The hunter exchanged a glance with Fang Zhuo and quickly reached an agreement, "Then let's go to Xiao Zhuo's house. Don't let his thin and skinny appearance fool you. His two older brothers are skilled at hunting beasts. They just brought back two big bags of coins a couple of days ago."
Duan Jiuyou, without any suspicion, nodded generously: "Then I'll go with you."
Fang Zhuo remained as honest as ever, gesturing with his hands in a direction, his smile carrying a hint of scholarly shyness.
The conversation took place at the foot of the mountain, and the group didn't notice that there was another person sitting on the mountaintop not far away.
The mountain was open and unobstructed, making it the easiest place to be spotted. However, the lush trees and grass at the foot of the mountain provided ample shade, like a canopy woven from wood, blocking out the brightly lit people and revealing a group of chattering people from the dappled shadows below.
Emperor Jiang, dressed in a moon-white robe, was sitting in his usual bamboo rattan chair, holding a cup of cold tea and looking down. He was sitting slightly to the right, with one ear turned to the side, his expression indifferent and aloof. Even his eavesdropping looked like he was doing something very serious.
The minister followed his lord's gaze and was immediately taken aback: "Why did she leave with Fang Zhuo? Didn't you call her?"
Since learning that "Xiao Cui" was Duan Jiuyou, Feng Chen's hostility towards her has lessened considerably. He was a stubborn man who always thought in a linear fashion; if he sensed malice from someone, they were an enemy, and if they sensed kindness, they were a friend.
He knew that "Duan Xiaocui" had no ill intentions towards the Lord.
"Are you afraid she'll die?" Di Jiang asked with a strange expression as he took a sip of cold tea. The icy sensation felt like a cold knife being plunged into his throat, freezing him solid.
Feng Chen seems to have realized his lack of manners recently. After "Xiao Cui" left, he imitated her and tried to show concern for him. Today, he specially brought a pot of hot tea, but it got cold before they even reached the top of the mountain.
Emperor Jiang wanted to tell his vassals that being sensible and being brainless are two different things, but after thinking about it, he decided against it. Didn't he, a person with a brain, also drink this tea?
And that Duan Jiuyou who thinks he's smart actually went with Fang Zhuo. That kid is full of bad ideas, and everyone around him is a scoundrel. Wouldn't it be a pain to eat with someone like that?
The vassal, unaware of Emperor Jiang's inner thoughts, stared at the back of "Xiao Cui's" head for a while, then realized he was being rather foolish. The Ao Sect, also known as the Immortal Sect, was so powerful that even if the sky fell, it wouldn't flatten them; he really didn't need to worry about it.
"Please sit here, young lady. All the things in the house were left by your parents, so they are inevitably worn out. This chair is the only relatively new one."
Fang Zhuo's house wasn't far away; after walking through a few alleys, he led Duan Jiuyou into his home.
Duan Jiuyou followed him and looked around. The Fang family's house was not big, but it was not as dilapidated as he had described. Duan Jiuyou had seen houses north of the Ten Realms, old houses with dilapidated tiles, broken windows and doors, and the whole house would "shiver" when the cold wind blew.
Fang Zhuo's house is well-ventilated from north to south, with a small courtyard in the middle. The house is somewhat messy, with various things scattered around, clearly a place for rough men.
Fang Zhuo awkwardly rubbed his hands, feeling embarrassed to let the distinguished guest sit inside. After busying himself for a while, he led Duan Jiuyou to the courtyard.
Although the nights in the Ten Realms are cold, they are not as bone-chillingly cold as those in remote places like Xianwei Mountain and Shifeng Ridge. The cold there is stagnant; a charcoal fire, a long table, and a cup of hot tea can quickly warm you up.
Fang Zhuo brought Duan Jiuyou a plate of snacks. Duan Jiuyou noticed that he had been busy by himself and hadn't seen the two skilled hunters that the hunters had mentioned. He then looked puzzled.
Fang Zhuo explained, "My brothers are hunting beasts in Shifeng Ridge and won't be home until noon."
Duan Jiuyou picked out a peach blossom-shaped pastry, glanced at Fang Zhuo before taking a bite, and said, "Those are all big guys there. Your brother is quite capable, daring to go to such a dangerous place. What made you guys come down there?"
Fang Zhu smiled awkwardly: "I really don't know. We grew up in the Tenth Realm. Our grandparents' generation was the last generation. These things aren't exactly honorable to talk about. Our elders never mentioned them, and we, as the younger generation, didn't dare to ask."
Fang Zhuo reached out and took a pastry. While eating, he said with curiosity, "How did you get down here, young lady? I don't recognize you. You must be a god who has just reached the tenth realm recently."
The Ao clan lives in seclusion, only appearing to save the world during times of great war. Although Duan Jiuyou is a high-ranking official of nine dynasties, she neither attends court nor likes to show off, and her public appearances are few and far between. As a result, few people know about their clan, and even fewer understand their racial characteristics.
"...My clan belongs to the Divine Turtle Clan, a branch of the Xuanwu Clan," Duan Jiuyou said vaguely, taking a bite of his pastry.
She didn't want to introduce herself too much to outsiders, so she simply referred to herself as most people would.
"Why did that girl bring her people down here?" Fang Zhuo asked, pressing for details, his pace perfectly controlled, almost like a casual chat.
“Killing people is a sin.” Duan Jiuyou concluded, combining his battle with Di Jiang and the appearance of the other party’s Dharma body, “I slaughtered an entire dog clan, killed a lord, destroyed a divine mountain, and shattered six immortal palaces.”
Duan Jiuyou's words were somewhat insulting to the Lord of the Great Wilderness, but didn't Dijiang also call her Fat Turtle? So it's even.
"Then you are indeed not wronged," Fang Zhuo thought to himself, but said aloud, "It must be that the dog clan lord was at fault first, otherwise how could he have provoked a kind-hearted person like you to go on a killing spree?"
"Yeah, he's terribly wrong. He has too many flaws. Just thinking about him makes me angry." Duan Jiuyou nodded, not wanting to discuss the matter further with Fang Zhuo, and chewed on some pastries, saying, "Could you cook some dishes for us?"
Duan Jiuyou doesn't like sweets, but the "dog clan lord" likes to mix white porridge with sugar. She was puzzled for a long time when she first saw Di Jiang eat it like that. Shouldn't the Hou clan, which are canines, like to gnaw on bones?
However, she didn't ask that question, since their relationship had already deteriorated so much. So she simply complimented him by saying, "You eat really unusual food."
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