Chapter 44: Fireless City

A group of people walked forward.

Not long after they walked, a gray-faced child suddenly appeared from the side of the road, holding a large stone and throwing it at the fox fairy.

Nan Wang quickly blocked the stone and prevented it from hitting the fox fairy.

Unfortunately, he could hold back the stone, but he couldn't hold back the child's hateful words:

"I'll smash you to death! You're the one who killed my uncle!"

Nan Wang sighed in his heart.

The construction of Xianhu Terrace was costly and untold, and the common people suffered terribly. Even if the imperial court could stop the deficit in the national treasury, it could not stop the people's increasingly demoralized morale.

"Master Fox Fairy, please spare my life! Master Fox Fairy, please spare my life!"

A worker who was moving bricks dropped what he was doing and knelt down to beg for mercy.

"Ping An is still young and ignorant. I beg Master Fox Fairy to show mercy and let him go!"

Seeing this, the nearby villagers also gathered around and kowtowed.

"How dare you! You've offended the Fox Fairy, and you still want to let it go?"

Nanwang shouted loudly, taking the initiative to seize the person, then turned to the fox fairy and flattered her:

"Master Fox Fairy, please let me handle these bastards. Don't dirty your hands!"

The fox fairy nodded in shock, and was very satisfied with Nanwang: "Okay, okay, I'll leave it to you. But after you've processed it, don't forget to save the best part for me."

Nan Wang understood and said, "Don't worry, Master Fox Fairy, I understand everything."

Due to the change in position, Nan Wang could clearly see the appearance of the fox fairy this time.

He has a fox head and a human body, with golden vertical pupils. His hands and feet exposed outside his robe are covered with snow-white hair. He exudes a strange fragrance, which must be to cover up the fox smell that cannot be dispelled.

Nan Wang didn't dare to look any longer. He turned around, lowered his head, grabbed the child's collar, and carried him away as if he was a chick.

Along the way, many villagers secretly put down their work and followed Nan Wang. Their intentions were very obvious. However, Nan Wang was a cultivator with some skills after all. If he was easily caught up by these mortals, he would have no chance of staying in this world of immortal cultivation.

Soon, Nan Wang shook off the villagers who were following him and found a deserted place. He threw the child who had been punching, kicking and even biting him along the way to the side of the road and rubbed the back of his hand on his clothes.

The child was amazing. He didn't run away after being released, but still rushed forward to attack Nanwang with his teeth and claws bared.

Nanwang was not hurt by the three-legged cat's kung fu, but he felt a little annoyed when he saw it:

"Come on, little guy, stop making trouble. You should have figured out that I'm not a bad person. I'm trying to save your life!"

"Bah, who wants you to save me!"

The child said stubbornly.

Nanwang advised him kindly, "You are so brave but not wise. You will die in vain and nothing will change."

The child didn't even think about it and replied with his neck stiff: "I'm not afraid of death!"

Nan Wang was very surprised: "What's wrong with you, kid? Even if you are not afraid of death, you should consider those who care about you. There are so many villagers pleading for you."

"Everyone... the acceptance will never be completed anyway, and everyone will die!"

When the child mentioned other people, his eyes became red, but he did not shed tears. He still stared at Nan Wang with a pair of eyes full of hatred.

Nanwang smiled confidently: "Before, everyone had to die. Now it's different because I'm here."

The child's face was full of disbelief.

Nanwang swore solemnly: "What I said is true. As long as you listen to me, I guarantee that none of you will die."

The child said suspiciously: "Why should I believe you? You are a fairy servant and you are in the same group with them!"

"No, I am a human being, just like you."

Nan Wang took off the white paper hanging on his face, revealing his completely human face, and said sincerely:

"I won't hurt you. I will save all of you. You have no choice but to trust me. If you rely on yourselves, none of you will survive."

The child stared at Nan Wang's face for a moment, then suddenly looked away and said sullenly, "Okay, I believe you."

Nanwang: “?”

Why are you suddenly so easy to talk to?

The child said, "My name is Ping An. Ping An of peace, An of peace. What's your name?"

Nanwang said: "My name is Nanwang, Nan means south, and Wang means bold and reckless."

…

Under Ping'an's guidance, Nanwang walked into a group of dilapidated low houses.

All the young and strong people in Qingshi Village were gathered in the south of the village to work, burning bricks non-stop day after day.

This place is deep in the village, and is filled with ragged women and elderly people with limited mobility, and there is not a single young person to be seen.

Ping An walked to a shaky house and knocked on the door: "Auntie, I'm back!"

After a long time, the door creaked open, and a woman with gray eyes and a cane walked out tremblingly: "Ping An, where have you been? I told you not to run around, don't run around, it's been very chaotic outside these two days..."

"Auntie, I..."

Ping An wanted to say that he did not run around, but then he thought that he did run around, so he stopped arguing and asked:

"Is the village chief here?"

The blind woman asked curiously, "The village chief went out to look for you. Didn't you meet him on your way back?"

Before he finished speaking, an old voice sounded from afar:

"Ping An, you really scared us to death!"

The village chief was followed by several strong young men, walking towards here together.

"Grandpa Village Chief!"

Ping An ran forward and hugged the village chief's waist.

The village chief touched Ping An's head lovingly, then looked at Nan Wang warily: "Who is this gentleman..."

Nan Wang nodded and said, "I am here to help you."

The village chief didn't look happy nor question what he said. He just said calmly, "Let's go inside and talk."

After entering the house, Nanwang's first feeling was darkness.

Low, dilapidated thatched houses were lined up in a row. The fragmented sunlight shining through the narrow windows could only illuminate a small part of the house. The place where Nan Wang was sitting happened to be a place where there was no sunlight at all.

There were no lights in the house, not even candles.

The tables and chairs were uneven and creaked at the slightest movement.

The woman fumbled and poured a glass of water for Nanwang.

Nan Wang touched the rim of the cup and it was cold.

The woman said, "Sir, the hot stones can only be used at night. The water we heated last night has already cooled down. I'm so sorry..."

Nan Wang nodded to show his understanding.

He picked up the cup and took a sip. It was indeed refreshing water.

According to the description in the original novel, the Shang State did not allow the people to light fires privately. Officials had long been collecting fire starters and dry firewood from the people's homes. Only at night could the people get red-hot stones from the government. However, those hot stones could only retain their heat for a certain period of time and were very useless as heating tools. They could not even boil water thoroughly.

For the people of Shang, whose medical conditions were already backward, not being able to make a fire was a very serious matter. Food could not be cooked, and various epidemics broke out. It is unknown how many people died as a result.

The village chief said quietly, "We don't have any good things here, only plain water. I'm sorry to have wronged you."

Nanwang shook his head and said, "The construction of the Fairy Fox Terrace is extremely extravagant. It's not that Qingshi Village is without good things, but all the good things have been stripped away by the Fairy Fox Terrace."

The village chief sighed, "Our land is fertile, and we are surrounded by mountains and rivers. We were once a well-known rich village, but since the construction of Xianhu Terrace... Alas, I was also a good bricklayer when I was young, but now that Xianhu Terrace has not been built for a long time, I no longer have the strength to make bricks..."

Nanwang shook his head and said, "After the Fairy Fox Terrace is built, it will be the time for the people to die. The current king of Shang is ignorant, treacherous ministers are in chaos, and fox demons are in power, which is against Tiangang! That is not a fairy fox terrace that reaches the sky, it is clearly a demon fox terrace that will lead to the destruction of the country!"

Not only Nanwang and the village chief entered the house, but the young people who followed the village chief also entered the house together.

At this moment, when the young people heard Nan Wang's words, they all looked serious and their knuckles were cracking.

The people were not stupid. They knew exactly what the Fairy Fox Terrace was that had been under construction for nine years and still had not been completed, and what those "fox fairies" with fox heads and human bodies were.

However, the imperial court was controlled by the fox concubine, and local government officials all followed the fox fairy's lead. Under such heavy pressure, the people had no choice but to bow to the fox fairies. As for those who bravely resisted, they had long since merged with the foundation of the Fairy Fox Platform and could no longer make any sound.

The impatient young man snorted, "You are a fox fairy. Why should we believe you? Who knows if you are sent by the court to win people's hearts?"

Before Nanwang could say anything, Ping'an at the side spoke first.

"I believe him!" Ping An said firmly, "He is so handsome, he will definitely not lie to us!"

Nanwang: “…”

Despite his young age, he is actually obsessed with looks.

No wonder her attitude changed so quickly, it turns out it was because of his good looks.

Nan Wang indeed considered himself a handsome man, but the world of immortal cultivation was not short of handsome men and beautiful women. He was also very clear that his looks would make him just an ordinary person in the Qingyun Sect.

However, in the eyes of these villagers, Nanwang's appearance is indeed unique in the world. The only one who can compete with Nanwang is probably the fox concubine who bewitched King Shang.

——For someone who looks so good, there should be no need to lie.

The village chief said in a dejected tone: "Alas, the construction of Xianhu Terrace is not up to us, and national affairs have nothing to do with us. We can't even pass this acceptance..."

Nanwang said sternly:

"The inspection is just a cover. The mission of Qingshi Village is impossible to complete. The fox fairy is a monster that loves to eat people's hearts. On the day of the inspection, we will all become the fox fairy's meal! Instead of this, why not fight to the death and kill the fox fairy!"

The village chief sighed again when he heard this: "It's not that no one has tried to kill the fox fairy in the past, but the fox fairy is invulnerable to swords and guns, and is immune to water and fire. It can even be resurrected after being beheaded..."

Nanwang said: "No, fox fairies are not invulnerable to fire and water. Quite the contrary. The reason why the imperial court collects fire is because all the 'fox fairies' here, including the 'fox concubine', are afraid of fire!"