“I will follow Saintess Su, Sister Su, even unto death!”
Lan Zhu’er almost didn’t hesitate, folding her eight spider legs and kneeling down directly before Lu Li.
Seeing the Crocodile Lord’s complete failure, several Crocodile tribe demon soldiers immediately dropped their weapons and knelt to surrender.
“The situation in Red Mud City is finally settled.”
Lu Li looked toward the crocodile lurking in the deep mud inside the city gate.
“Liu Qingyun, same as before.”
“Understood. Seal the gates, collect the weapons, first stabilize the city’s yaos… and I think some of the Crocodile tribe we absorbed earlier can be left to manage Red Mud City themselves.”
Liu Qingyun nodded and walked into the city with Yuan He.
“Liu Qingxi, I’ll trouble you to bring these people…”
Lu Li’s eyes flickered toward the unresisting Crocodile tribe members.
At this moment, the Charm Technique could calm their fear and suppress any thoughts of continued resistance.
“Take them back to Blackstone City for review. Those without issues will be educated; those with issues will be temporarily detained.”
“As for you…”
Lu Li looked at Lan Zhu’er, who was trembling and showing a fawning expression.
“I need to know about White Miasma City.”
“Saintess Su, Sister Su, ask whatever you like! Our White Miasma City will absolutely not choose such a stupid method like Red Mud City!”
Lan Zhu’er showed a fawning smile and spoke in a rapid torrent.
If one ignored her eight legs, she was no different from a lively mortal girl.
“Sister Su, I’ve always been puzzled, why don’t you care at all about the explosion in Blackstone City?”
As everyone returned to Blackstone City, Lan Zhu’er gazed at the smoke that seemed to connect with the sky.
“Such a big commotion will definitely…”
“Because our Heavenly Furnace is the core of the city.”
Lu Li did not hide it.
“Since it’s the core, it will eventually be targeted.”
“Rather than waiting until we are genuinely attacked and caught off guard, it’s better to proactively create an incident to test how severe an actual explosion of the Heavenly Furnace would be, how the yaos in the city should evacuate, and how much time we would need to repair it.”
“Of course, if I hadn’t evacuated the surrounding area in advance, set up an isolation array, and had the Snake Clan and Flood Dragon Clan prepare methods for cooling and diversion, I would not have gambled Blackstone City.”
“At the same time, this kind of action will cause fear and dread among other yao cities. If they come to attack, they will walk straight into my trap.”
As Lu Li narrated, the prosperity of distant Blackstone City appeared before everyone’s eyes.
The destruction of the city and furnace that Lan Zhu’er imagined did not occur.
As they approached, she also noticed that the real source of the black smoke was the mountain range behind Blackstone City, not the core of the city.
At the same time, faint spirit pattern fluctuations above Blackstone City blocked the flow of black smoke and also deflected falling rubble.
Inside the city, the yaos had formed lines according to body size and cultivation level, entering different caves and tunnels for shelter.
No chaotic fleeing.
No stampedes.
Even the weakest Rat Clan and Rabbit Clan had special guards guiding them.
“…”
Seeing this scene, the last trace of defiance in Lan Zhu’er’s heart finally dissipated.
Earlier she had thought that Lu Li merely used charm techniques to bewitch the key yaos of the entire city.
But now, it was clear that charm techniques alone could never achieve such a level.
Her own White Miasma City was completely unable to contend with such an opponent.
“Moreover, your city is too far from us.”
Lu Li seemed to guess Lan Zhu’er’s thoughts.
“If we used force to attack or employed schemes, we could resolve it, but that would waste too much time.”
“After the Red Mud City demon general revealed your cooperative relationship with the Crocodile Lord, I wondered if I could kill two birds with one stone and deal with you both at once… but I didn’t expect the Crocodile Lord to still put up stubborn resistance.”
With a sigh, Lu Li looked at the unconscious Crocodile Lord.
“Fortunately, his body is tough, but imprisonment is unavoidable.”
“Yes, seeing the Crocodile Lord’s state, Lan Zhu’er could only shake her head.”
Keeping one’s life was the greatest fortune.
“In the coming days, you will… reside in Blackstone City. When you are ready, return to White Miasma City and have a good talk with your sister.”
Lu Li waved his hand, and several Snake Clan Foundation Establishment demon generals surrounded Lan Zhu’er.
“Daoist Lan, please.”
With a hissing sound, the Snake Clan demon general pointed to a mansion in the distance.
“This is where you will be staying.”
“I understand.”
Lan Zhu’er knew she was under house arrest and could only sigh.
But lifting her head, she watched the ordinary yao cultivators slowly returning to the city. Under the organization of many guards, the originally chaotic yao city was now orderly.
“Perhaps there could be a different feeling…”
Lan Zhu’er watched the Foundation Establishment cultivators flying on the road and the distant slender retreating figure, and couldn’t help but start musing.
Compared to the great victory at Red Mud City, the governance of Blackstone City was a more troublesome issue.
Small-scale conflicts are but a few days; life and death are but an instant.
But trying to let the yaos of two cities have a stable life while ensuring that the new rules could function was enough to make everyone overwhelmed.
Fortunately, there was a large amount of Decayed Spirit Rice around Red Mud City, making up for the resource shortage when many people arrived.
In the era of the Crocodile Lord’s rule, only Foundation Establishment demon generals could enjoy the Decayed Spirit Rice.
But even Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn’t consume so many heavenly materials and earthly treasures every day, so most were stored in warehouses.
Now, under Lu Li’s command, these Decayed Spirit Rice were directly distributed to ordinary Crocodile tribe members and Qi Refining demon soldiers. Once they had assets, they naturally chose to build their own nests within Red Mud City.
With nests, they began to desire a better life, so they went to Blackstone City to buy various needed items.
Back and forth, goods and wealth circulated between Blackstone City and Red Mud City, while White Miasma City, managed by Lan Zhu’er’s sister, continued to maintain relations with the two cities.
Except for the imprisonment of the Crocodile Lord, everything seemed normal.
“Lu Li, news has come from Heavenly Deduction City.”
Seven days later, when Lu Li had somewhat recovered, Liu Qingxi came to the great hall carrying a dried paper crane.
“It looks like the Heavenly Furnace explosion was good.”
Yuan He’s dark circles were almost pitch black now.
“Can Heavenly Deduction City send someone to help?”
“Let me see…”
Liu Qingxi reached out and tapped, the crane instantly burned, condensing in the flames into the phantom image of Li Zhengshen.
“It’s Li Zhenren’s Echo Projection.”
“Congratulations, this yao race infiltration mission was very successful, and you indeed stopped the Beast Tide.”
Li Zhengshen showed a relieved expression.
“The previous explosion has been received by Heavenly Deduction City… roughly, an Early Golden Core cultivator could withstand it, but Foundation Establishment cultivators absolutely cannot endure it.”
“Hmm, hearing this answer, Lu Li made a simple calculation in his heart.”
“Continue the mission. The dried paper crane can only transmit one-way messages, unless you come up with a more suitable method.”
Li Zhengshen looked toward Liu Qingxi.
“But your initial idea of placing the Heavenly Listening Platform in the Yao Kingdom is unlikely.”
“That’s one of the most precious artifacts of the Human Race after all.”
Yuan He sighed.
“Regardless, under the explosion and spiritual power disturbance, one-way transmission is already the limit for Heavenly Deduction City.”
Li Zhengshen said.
“Best wishes for your journey. If you can bring back even more important information, Heavenly Deduction City will do its best to support you.”
“Yes, that is our next step.”
Lu Li watched the dried paper crane burn to ashes, and Liu Qingyun also pointed his finger, shredding it with countless Sword Winds.
“We need to research the matter of the Frenzied Beasts.”
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