Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Chapter 848: Chapter 644: The Change in Benevolence City

Hill left swiftly, completely unaware of the spirits emerging from the marshland and the forest behind it.

These natural souls under the Heavenly Court’s rule, although undead and eternal, possessed no attack power. They could even be driven away and harmed by some wraiths from chaotic burial grounds, making them incapable of dealing with the more terrifying Fire Snake.

They couldn’t even send out a signal for help. If Hill hadn’t arrived quickly enough, and if that black egg had lingered a bit longer, they all would have become food for that snake.

The deeply grateful spirits knelt down and kowtowed, then began burning incense and praying, hoping the Heavenly Court would receive the message and uphold justice and virtue.

If Hill had known, he would have thought they were returning kindness with enmity.

Hill still had Oberon on him! And Hill, stronger than even a Little Fairy in spirit, was also technically banned from the Heavenly Court; it’s just that he didn’t have any divinity, so he could only be considered a demigod and managed to narrowly escape the restriction.

Now that it had been reported to the heavens, no one could just turn a blind eye, and the Heavenly Court would certainly smile as they drove him away.

Unaware that his days in the Shulong Empire were already counting down, Hill had just returned to the outskirts of Benevolence City and gasped in surprise.

This long? Why hadn’t the Shulong People dealt with this thing yet?

Praying for eyes that haven’t looked upon such horror!

The massive giant worm was continually oozing sticky liquid, waving countless slender tentacles resembling replicas of itself, with sharper tips at the ends. The filthy liquid shook off the tentacles, spraying all directions of the city.

The most terrifying thing is! Weren’t earthworms supposed to have no eyes? Why was its body covered with various kinds of eyes, all glistening wetly?

Could it be that the earthworm’s regret in life was that it was blind?

Hill angrily conjured a Water Ball to wash his eyes.

Hill glanced toward the Lin Family: Witch Bai was likely dead.

Across the city’s roads, a blood-colored mark had appeared, forming a demon-sealing magic formation encompassing the entire city.

This Great Witch had sent his most promising son to the prosperous Haidong Province and ultimately paid with his life for that bit of greed.

Hill recalled hearing while strolling that citizens talked about the roads of Haidong City. After Prefect Bai arrived in Benevolence City, most business couldn’t involve him, so the only way he thought to make money was to renovate the city’s roads and public facilities.

The Lin Family, at that time, spent a large sum of money to climb the social ladder of Prefect Bai. The repair funds provided by the noble clans were embezzled by him, while that shoddy work, supposedly just some superficial refurbishment by flipping the earth and repaving some tiles, was funded by the Lin Family.

It seems it was during that time that the demon-sealing magic formation was added.

Hill didn’t notice a magic array on the city’s roads merely by chance, but it was witch power, so he couldn’t blatantly investigate another’s protective array.

Even knowing it was a sealing magic formation, based on Hill’s experience, it should have been constructed under the guidance of the Lord’s Mansion. Agleya City had something similar; magic-based professions cause much more damage to a city during battles than physical professions and are harder to control, so any considerably fortified city would prepare measures against them.

Who could have thought that with so many sorcerers around, something so elaborate could happen right under their noses?

Hill clicked his tongue, wondering if the people of the Shulong Empire had grown too comfortable.

”Great Mage Polanio! Help!” Hill heard a desperate cry.

Looking up, he saw An Ran carrying the Head of An Family, struggling to fly out of the city with An Pengfei, as a dark red tentacle pursued them.

Hill shuddered, casting the ’Strike Evil’ spell without hesitation.

The tentacle was immediately incinerated.

”What’s happening?” Hill levitated An Pengfei; both he and his father were unconscious.

”Eh!” An Ran sighed, ”Witch Bai is dead.”

Seeing Hill’s unsurprised expression, An Ran understood that Hill might have anticipated the appearance of this monster, so he sent An Pengfei and his followers here.

Fortunately, An Pengfei insisted on staying above, but he sent the injured guards back to the An Family.

Otherwise, An Ran genuinely didn’t know if he could have abandoned them amidst a crowd of pleading eyes. But managing to bring both the Head of An Family and An Pengfei out was already quite challenging for him.

”If Witch Bai were alive, he would have enough deterrence.” An Ran followed Hill to a small forest outside the city, his tone filled with resignation, ”But he’s dead, and even the other royal resident sorcerers are badly harmed.

Our An Family fared the best, with half the sorcerers sent by Pengfei Young Master to escort those injured guards back home, while the rest came above to help Pengfei Young Master recover from injuries.

In any case, down below was just a waste of time. The other noble clan sorcerers were also slackers, since credits wouldn’t be given to them.

Therefore, when trouble arose, the noble clans didn’t suffer much damage.”

An Ran showed a wry smile: ”Actually, there’s nothing particularly terrifying about the monster; as long as the noble clans united, they could definitely take it down. Even if they were unwilling to exert themselves, they could at least trap it in place, waiting for army reinforcements.

The An Family...just didn’t want to exert themselves.

However, we overlooked one thing. The An Family indeed has a clear conscience and never thought of seizing territories, so of course, they’re not afraid of the imperial army’s settlement. But other families don’t think the same way.

They truly want to betray the country—or rather, they want Haidong to become the next Earth Dragon. We still have a port here and don’t need to rely on inland resources at all.

If the army enters Benevolence, their little sinister schemes will surely be exposed.

The An Family...didn’t plan on dying with them, yet they were attacked. Sigh! The Family Head fought desperately to open a path, the Eldest Young Master even blew up his own silver spear. My abilities could only save them, and I don’t know if the other family heads can escape.”

Hill blinked, indeed the An Family is wholeheartedly thinking of making contributions, even sending their Eldest Young Master into the imperial army, never considering independence.

An Ran shook his head: ”I, although from a branch, grew up following the Family Head since I was little, he treats me well, I don’t need to think about many things, just follow him.

Our Family Head always believes that noble clans can constrain royal power but absolutely should not override it, at least respecting the Emperor, the Shulong Empire is the guarantee for our noble clan’s lavish existence.

Unfortunately, not all noble clans think this way, a part of the An Family is like them too.

Or rather, after Earth Dragon split away, many southern noble clans were tempted.

Someone like Mr. Polanio probably hasn’t imagined what kind of life the noble clans of Earth Dragon are living, that King can’t manage anything besides his own capital, each family acts mightily in their own territories, commoners can barely eat.

It is only with the Heavenly Court above them that they don’t dare to indiscriminately kill innocents, but it turns many free citizens into slaves...

Since the founding of the Shulong Empire, the existence of slaves has never been allowed.”

An Ran glanced at Hill, probably remembering he came from the slave-having Ferun Great Land: ”Slaves can be killed at will, servants cannot.

The children of slave women are still slaves, servants are not.”

Hill nodded with a bit of confusion, so are the servants of noble clans a lifetime system, just can’t be killed at will?

An Ran glanced at Hill, speaking with resignation: ”No matter how hard servants work, their soul still belongs to themselves, slaves do not, they will wear a collar, and if they have thoughts of betrayal, it will explode directly.

Over in Earth Dragon...it’s said even farmers are slaves wearing collars!

These large noble clans in Haidong Province learned etiquette and righteousness from a young age, but aim to turn Haidong into the next Earth Dragon!

Utterly shameless!”

”An Family?” Hill felt he could understand why An Minyi would betray.

He always felt he had talent but lacked an outlet, a man always eager to rise above others, as long as the benefits were enough, he could persuade himself, the reason he betrayed was because An Pengfei looked down on him.

”An Minyi, like me, was born from a branch, technically not considered legitimate. But his father was a sorcerer of considerable level.

According to noble clan tradition, sorcerers above level 20 are all counted as legitimate. Speaking of which, his descendants indeed have the qualification to compete for the position of clan leader.

But that’s just pleasing talk, everyone knows, the secret words linked to the ancestors are always held by the line of the Family Head.

No, other clansmen, even if they grasp the secret words, cannot stir blood resonance, and cannot summon the An Family ancestors.

No ancestral power, how can one establish the ancestral garden and propagate the family?

The land of Shulong has never been a kind existence, without noble clans guarding the cities, one can only dance with evil spirits, no one can survive.”

Hill hesitantly looked at An Ran, then what’s the point of their betrayal?

An Ran said softly: ”Noble clans...are not all smooth sailing, the Emperor from the Shulong Empire has moved from the Force Dynasty to six dynasties, becoming the present National Dynasty.

Although the name of the noble clans doesn’t change, naturally there are periods of discontinuity, such families often choose to temporarily rely on some large noble clan, then wait for their sorcerer to walk the land, become a sage, eventually transforming into the ancestral soul of a new family.

An Minyi and them probably have this plan.”

Hill looked at the exhausted An Family Head and Eldest Young Master An: So this is the family An Minyi’s group intended to ally with that ambushed them?

”Is the An Family Ancestral Hall okay?” Hill asked slowly.

”As long as the Family Head is alive, it’s fine.” An Ran perked up to take care of the An Family Head, ”Before passing out, the Family Head completely sealed the old mansion of the An Family, those traitors had fled long ago, the house is quite safe.

As long as the Family Head is alive, that seal won’t open unless someone from the Heavenly Court comes.

But the road home is completely blocked, in places where mana can’t be used, having more people is more useful.”