Free Web NovelChapter 177: Chapter 166: Meat Market
The carriage did not look large from the outside, but upon entering, one would realize it held a world of its own, clearly utilizing a method of spatial expansion.
An Array?
No!
Zhu Ju gently shook his head.
In the Magic World, it should be called a Magic Altar.
The space, a full twenty square meters, was like a spacious room.
The floor of this ’room’ was covered in soft mink fur, and a table in the center held exquisite pastries and wine.
There was even a heater and Burning Incense, making the carriage as warm as spring and filled with a faint, lingering fragrance.
The young man, not yet twenty, had a lazy look on his face. He leaned against the window, smiling and nodding in greeting.
"Wuk Xian of the Wuk Family. Please, sit wherever you like, Fellow Daoist."
Wuk Xian was dressed in magnificent robes. His aura was pure, and his Divine Soul Power surged within the carriage. He was clearly a Mage.
And a Peak Mage at that.
To have such Cultivation at this age was something not even Situ Kongli could match.
"Wuk?" Zhu Ju said thoughtfully.
"I’ve heard that a few major families within the Demon Catcher organization are rather special. The Wuk family seems to be one of them."
"Correct," Wuk Xian nodded.
"That very same Wuk family."
"As a disciple of the Wuk Family, is Young Master Wuk traveling to catch Demons?" Zhu Ju asked as he sat down casually.
"Or for pleasure?"
"Neither," Wuk Xian shook his head.
"I was visiting family. Now I’m on my way back to Tianzui City."
He then added a reminder, "Fellow Daoist Zhu, you must remember in the future not to casually tell others what Visualization Technique you practice."
"Oh?" Zhu Ju was puzzled.
"But didn’t they say you have to register your Visualization Technique to enter the town?"
"Yes," Wuk Xian nodded.
"Just name any random one. It’s not like they can enter your Sea of Consciousness to verify it, can they?"
’You can do that?’
"Heh..." Zhu Ju sighed softly.
"It seems I was too naive."
"In this era, very few Cultivators choose the path of Treasure Artifacts," Wuk Xian said, sitting up straight.
"Anyone who chooses this path must have an extraordinary disposition. I am truly impressed."
"You flatter me," Zhu Ju said.
"Is the path of Treasure Artifacts so special?"
"Of course," Wuk Xian shrugged.
"A Treasure Artifact True Man seizes Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects for their own use. After death, they leave behind nothing but a single Treasure."
"But a Demon True Man? After death, their entire body, flesh and blood, is a treasure. Their descendants can rely on this inheritance to continue for generations."
"That’s why most in the Cultivation Realm look down on Treasure Artifact True Men."
’Is that how it is?’
Zhu Ju looked astonished.
"There’s one more thing." At this, Wuk Xian smiled, a profound look in his eyes.
"A Cultivator who walks the path of Treasure Artifacts often carries a Treasure with them, which can easily attract trouble."
?
Zhu Ju slowly nodded.
"I’ve learned something today."
"One look at you, Fellow Daoist, and it’s clear you’re the type to engage in arduous training, like a High Monk from Longmen Temple," Wuk Xian said, shaking his head.
"You’re severely lacking in worldly experience. That Shepherd Li you were traveling with—do you know his background?"
"I met him not long ago. The shepherd knew the nearby roads, so we traveled together."
"Those sheep... there’s something wrong with them."
"Oh!"
Zhu Ju’s expression didn’t change.
"The Beast Creation Technique."
The so-called Beast Creation Technique was a type of Magic used to inflict misfortune on a person or muddle their mind, eventually transforming them into livestock.
The flock of sheep Shepherd Li was herding was made up of people who had been subjected to the Beast Creation Technique.
"So you already knew, Fellow Daoist."
Wuk Xian chuckled, nonplussed.
"It seems I was being rash."
He had assumed Zhu Ju was oblivious, worried he had been ensnared by some villain’s Demon Technique. That was why he had invited him into the carriage.
He never imagined,
that the other man was perfectly aware.
"Young Master Wuk, I thank you for your kind intentions," Zhu Ju explained.
"A few dozen li from here, there’s a mountain bandit stronghold. The day before yesterday, those ruthless highwaymen were dealt with and turned into livestock."
"I see..." Wuk Xian rubbed his smooth chin.
"So that Old Li is actually a good person?"
"Not necessarily," Zhu Ju shook his head.
"It’s probably as he said—he’s in a hurry to ’restock’."
"Of course!" Wuk Xian understood.
"If he were truly a good person, he probably wouldn’t have hidden his identity and methods to deliberately travel with you, Fellow Daoist."
But since they already knew the man had ill intentions, if they wanted to avoid trouble, all they had to do was steer clear of him.
As they spoke, the merchant caravan entered the town in an orderly fashion, and the carriage stopped in front of an inn.
CRACK!
Old Li cracked his long whip, making the air snap as he drove the flock of sheep toward the pen. free𝑤ebnovel.com
The others also got out of their carriages and ordered food and wine.
The inn was very large.
Besides Wuk Xian’s caravan, other merchant groups were also dining here, and the place was bustling with noise.
"Shopkeeper."
A Wuk Family servant called out.
"Find us a quiet place."
Zhu Ju went up to the second floor, pushed open a window, and looked into the distance, his brow furrowed slightly.
Ever since entering this type of town, he had felt an invisible force field suppressing his Divine Soul’s connection to the outside world.
It was as if...
he had become a Mortal!
"To prevent accidents, most Demon Catcher garrisons are set up with a Magic Altar. It’s normal for your senses to be limited."
Wuk Xian said with a smile.
"No one has ever dared to cause trouble in a Demon Catcher garrison."
"Not even a Demon!"
Zhu Ju nodded, his gaze falling upon the backyard. The pitch-black night couldn’t obstruct the vision of one whose Eye Acupoint was open.
There,
Shepherd Li was talking with the inn’s Shopkeeper about something, seemingly counting the number of sheep.
Just having one ear acupoint open was not enough to hear what they were saying clearly.
Finally, the inn’s Shopkeeper gave him a wooden token engraved with a number. Shepherd Li smiled and took his leave.
"Hm?"
Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow.
The head of guards for Wuk Xian’s caravan had also found the inn’s Shopkeeper and received two wooden tokens from him.
A few more people appeared after that.
They were all guards or supervisors from other caravans, or people like Old Li, and each received a wooden token.
’They must be introducing people to the inn, and the Shopkeeper gives them a small reward in return. He certainly knows how to do business.’
By now, the night was deep.
Aside from the main street where the inn was located, the entire town was deathly silent.
Having eaten and drunk their fill, everyone returned to their rooms to rest.
Someone of noble status like Wuk Xian not only had a private room for himself, but his servants also stayed in the room next door.
As for the poor, freēwēbnovel.com
they either crowded into a large communal room with twenty or thirty other people, or made do for the night in a storeroom, animal pen, or hay shed.
WHOOSH...
The night wind blew, making one feel drowsy.
Shepherd Li’s eyes snapped open. He glanced at the oil lamp beside him, then threw on his cloak and walked out of the inn.
At some point, the entire town had become enveloped in a thick black fog. It was so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face, making it impossible to get your bearings.
Old Li took out the wooden token he’d gotten from the inn’s Shopkeeper and gave it a light shake. A wisp of greenish, phosphorescent Ghost Fire immediately appeared before him.
The Ghost Fire flickered and swayed, drifting forward.
"Why is it so soon this time?"
Muttering under his breath, Old Li suppressed his doubts and followed the Ghost Fire.
"Old Li!"
"Old Li!"
A voice called out from the darkness, reaching his ears.
Old Li’s face went pale, but he showed no intention of turning around, his eyes fixed on the Ghost Fire, not daring to look away.
TAP!
A figure emerged from the front. With just a slight extension of a single hand, the Ghost Fire was held in mid-air by an invisible force.
"Old Li."
Zhu Ju looked at him with a faint smile.
"It’s so late. Instead of sleeping, what are you doing circling the inn?"
"It’s you!" Panic filled Old Li’s eyes as he lunged, pouncing toward the arm that held the Ghost Fire.
"Give it to me!"
"Quick, give it to me!"
BANG!
Zhu Ju casually waved his sleeve, and an immense force surged out, sending the man flying.
"No need to rush. First, explain yourself clearly."
"There’s no time! There’s no time!" Old Li struggled to his feet, his face filled with panic as he spoke hurriedly.
"The ritual is about to begin! If we don’t leave this town now, I... we’re all going to die!"
"Young Master Zhu!"
His voice was urgent.
"Let’s leave together, let’s leave together."
"This Ghost Fire shows the way out of town. If we follow it, we can escape this ’Meat Market’."
"Ritual? Meat Market?" Zhu Ju said unhurriedly.
"What do you mean by that?"
"There’s no time!" Old Li was sweating profusely with anxiety.
"Just let the Ghost Fire go first! We can leave this town together. Otherwise, we’ll really be out of time."
"Is that so?" Zhu Ju remained calm and composed.
"Panicking is useless. If you don’t explain things clearly, I’m afraid I can’t let this go."
"You..." Old Li glared at him, his body trembling. He glanced at the deepening darkness around them and said frantically,
"This town is a Meat Market for the Demon Catchers!"
"They raise ’meat’ in the town and use it when needed. You people are that meat."
"The ritual..."
"It’s the ritual for advancing to a True Man!"
"Hm?" Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow and said thoughtfully,
"Are you saying that all the people in this town are prepared for a Great Mage’s advancement to True Man?"
"That’s right," Old Li nodded frantically.
"We call places like this a Meat Market. Sometimes, when there isn’t enough ’meat’, we have to go restock."
"I..."
"I’m one of the people in charge of restocking."
"So that’s how it is?" Zhu Ju’s expression was odd.
"Are there many of these Meat Markets?"
"I don’t know, I don’t know," Old Li said anxiously.
"Some people among the Demon Catchers specialize in this sort of thing. After all, advancing to a True Man requires a massive amount of flesh and blood."
"Quick!"
"Let it go!"
He was sweating buckets, on the verge of tears, and his body trembled uncontrollably.
Once the ritual began, every living being in the town would become a ’sacrifice’. No exceptions.
"What if there are powerful and high-status people in town?" Zhu Ju asked curiously.
"Do they get killed too?"
"Of course not," Old Li shook his head repeatedly.
"Those people are sent away beforehand. The ones running the Meat Market business don’t want to stir up unnecessary trouble."
"Is that so?" Zhu Ju said.
"Then why were people from the Wuk Family sent in?"
"The Wuk Family?" Old Li was stunned.
"Which Wuk Family?"
"The one you’re thinking of," Zhu Ju looked at him with a half-smile.
"So you didn’t know. No wonder you’ve been circling around in one spot, unaware that you’ve already been abandoned."
"How pathetic!"
Shaking his head, he released the Ghost Fire and flicked a finger toward the center of Old Li’s brow.
TAP!
A flash of Spiritual Light bloomed.
Old Li felt the thick black fog before him thin out considerably, to the point where he could even see the inn not far away.
And that Ghost Fire...
was just circling the inn.
He had never gotten far from the inn at all, let alone had any chance of leaving this town known as a Meat Market.
THUD!
Old Li’s face turned ashen, and his legs gave out, causing him to collapse to his knees.
"It’s over!"
