Chapter 858: Opening the Eyes of the Common People

Chapter 858: Opening the Eyes of the Common People



Ding, ding, dang, dang!

The copper coins jingled!

The performers of the Playful Trickery Sect had heard these sounds countless times, being born and bred in the jianghu. They knew this was their bread and butter, but they had never felt the sound of the coins to be so pleasing to the ear, and yet so heavy.

Ding, ding, dang, dang, the sound kept ringing in their ears, and it was as if thousands of coins were jumping inside their heads.

Clearly, it was just one copper coin in the bowl of the Yuan family's young master, but everyone felt their eyes playing tricks on them. They saw countless copper coins jumping, filling their vision and their hearts with chaos.

In the small town, the gongs and drums fell silent.

Someone was pounding on the instruments with all their might, trying to use the secret techniques of the sect to control those who had entered the town, but their efforts were in vain against the sound of the jumping coins.

The colorful lights and fireworks dimmed.

No matter how dazzling the fireworks or how exquisite the lanterns, they couldn't compare to the brilliance radiating from the dark copper coin.

Many renowned masters of the Playful Trickery Sect, who were famous throughout the jianghu, wanted to take action, but they found themselves restrained. Their movements and bodies felt heavy, and the sound of the coins filled their hearts and minds.

All sorts of strange and mysterious tricks seemed to lose their allure and became ordinary in the face of this one coin.

In the surrounding areas of the town, figures emerged from the darkness, gazing at the lively scene from afar, each with a look of astonishment on their faces.

Someone asked, "This Double-Distilled Wine brother dares to enter the town alone and take on the most dangerous role. His courage is truly extraordinary. What kind of sect does he belong to?"

A person nearby laughed, "Theoretically speaking, he doesn't even belong to any sect. It's said that he has been in this world for twenty years, and for more than half of that time, he's been a teacher."

"At most, he has burned incense in temples and has a basic understanding of the spirit-bearing methods for serving ghosts and gods..."

"It was during the first grand gathering in Guazhou that he spoke eloquently and logically, convincing everyone. That's when they acknowledged him as the big brother of Qizhou."

"..."

Those who heard this were astonished, "With such skills, how dare he face the Divine Hand Zhao family?"

Someone who knew Double-Distilled Wine smiled, "He says that the law of the universe can overpower individual skills. The Divine Hand Zhao family's abilities are difficult for outsiders to counter. Only someone like him has a chance to break through the Zhao family's hundred tricks."

...

...

"What kind of technique is this?"

Countless people in the town were already in a state of panic. They were used to others being unable to understand their tricks, but this was the first time they couldn't see through the other party's methods.

It was just a copper coin, but why did it have such immense power?

"Not good!"

As the copper coin continued to jump, it seemed as if the entire town was about to be engulfed by this single coin. At that moment, deep within the town, several dark red curtains were suddenly lifted, revealing members of the Zhao family.

They stared intently ahead, their faces filled with anger, "Where did they get such a strange treasure to suppress our Playful Trickery Sect?"

In this world, there are objects, and there are treasures.

Some things are treasures to those outside the sect, while others are treasures to those within.

Only money is considered a treasure by both those inside and outside the sect.

Due to the unique nature of money, there are those within the sect who refine treasures using copper coins. But today, the Zhao family was seeing such a powerful treasure for the first time.

The Playful Trickery Sect's techniques focused on deceiving gods, ghosts, and even heaven. And so, this copper coin, recognized by heaven and earth, possessed immense power. Receiving a copper coin was like being a guest, and the members of the Playful Trickery Sect in the town were all under its influence.

"You want to break the Zhao family's hundred tricks with just one coin?"

Behind the curtain, the Execution Hall Official of the Playful Trickery Sect and the servant of Zhao San Yi, the eldest son of the Zhao family, attended to a man with a long beard. He also stared intently at the copper coin, his face slightly darkened, and he spoke softly.

The sound of the coins in the town didn't affect him in the slightest, and even his voice seemed to suppress the sound of the coin falling into the bowl.

Double-Distilled Wine stared at him from afar, his face covered by a black cloth, yet he seemed to have accurately located his position.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and suddenly reached out towards the man. The copper coins by his side jumped and danced, as if forming a path of countless coins in the town.

But at that moment, the middle-aged man with the long beard let out a soft sigh and raised his hand. The Execution Hall Official beside him grabbed a piece of green cloth and covered it towards the front, while the Zhao family's leader extended his hand and reached beneath the cloth.

In that instant, the entire town seemed to plunge into darkness.

The one who made the move was the head of the Zhao family, and this sleeve technique was the "Three Parts of Heaven," equally renowned as the "Old Well Calling Name" of the Zhao family and the Impermanence Li family.

In the realm of heaven and earth, all things could be stolen in three parts by the Playful Trickery Sect.

If there was an object in front of them, regardless of what it was, the Zhao family had a thirty percent chance of stealing it, whether it was right in front of their eyes.

And if there were many objects, the Zhao family could steal three parts of them, regardless of what they were.

This was the Three Parts of Heaven technique.

The world was originally divided into ten surnames, each with an equal share. But the Zhao family's skill lay in this—in a battle among the ten surnames, each vying for their share, the Zhao family, whether they won in the end or not, had the ability to steal three parts. This was the Zhao family's secret skill.

That copper coin was truly strange and powerful. In the town, various incredible performances seemed unable to suppress its influence, so the head of the Zhao family took action himself, determined to obtain that coin.

He was wary of the reincarnate who had entered the town and showed no mercy when he made his move.

It seemed like a hand reached beneath the green cloth, but it felt as if that hand had penetrated a deeper realm, crossing the boundary between illusion and reality, and reached into the town.

Two fingers gently pinched, and the sound of the jumping coins in the town suddenly vanished without a trace.

The Three Parts of Heaven technique, exerted to its fullest, broke through all illusions, accurately grasping the true nature of that copper coin.

In the town, the various masters of the Playful Trickery Sect felt the pressure on their heads dissipate, as if they had seen the light of day again.

At the head of the town, Double-Distilled Wine, who had carried the coin using the spirit-bearing method, suddenly paled.

It was only after he had taken on the burden of that coin that he suppressed the Zhao family's hundred tricks. But now that the coin on his body had been stolen, he was like a spirit-bearer whose burden had been severely damaged, inevitably facing the situation of soul damage.

The leader of the Zhao family, seated in the town, seemed to hesitate for a moment. His hand, which had reached beneath the green cloth, didn't immediately withdraw, but only paused for a brief moment.

In the midst of the spell battle, the opponent made a move, and he responded in kind.

There was nothing amiss.

His palm, hidden beneath the green cloth, slowly retracted, and the cloth gently covered the ground.

Between his two fingers, he held the copper coin he had just pressed down on in the town's Hundred Plays.

The town suddenly became quiet. He held the copper coin up to his eyes to examine it, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, as if even he hadn't expected to succeed so easily.

He held up the copper coin, and the endless wishes and burdens on his body, carried by the double-steamed wine, seemed to have no effect in stopping him.

As he took the copper coin, he used the spirit-bearing method to summon the double-steamed wine from the coin, but it seemed to be struck by a heavy blow. His face turned deathly pale, and crimson blood slowly seeped from his eyes, hidden behind the black cloth.

It was as if, when using the spirit-bearing method, the spiritual object was damaged, and he immediately suffered endless backlash.

"You..."

Zhao's family manager felt a strange sensation in his heart. He flipped the copper coin between his fingers and finally couldn't hold back, slowly speaking to him.

"Mr. Zhao, you've made a mistake."

As the Zhao family manager spoke, the double-steamed wine slowly lifted his head, removing the black cloth from his face. His gaze pierced through the town and fixed on him: "Do you know the weight of this coin?"

The Zhao family manager lowered his head to glance at the copper coin and slightly straightened his body.

His eyes were cold as he stared at the double-steamed wine's pale face: "You didn't come here for a spell battle. Your skills are too low, and you can only rely on this copper coin for protection."

"Of course."

The double-steamed wine removed the black cloth from his eyes, and at this moment, they seemed exceptionally bright. He chuckled softly: "If we're talking about spell battles, who in the Hundred Plays could possibly defeat the Zhao family?"

"Therefore, I didn't come here for a spell battle. I came to open the eyes of the people of this world..."

Suddenly, his voice took on a hint of dominance, and his words resonated with power: "I want to show them, let them see the heavens, see the earth, and see who stole their food, leaving them to starve..."

...

...

Before the Xishan Mountain, a bag of glutinous rice wine was poured out, revealing tens of thousands of pounds of grain, seemingly endless.

The common folk all around were overjoyed. They took the rice and started cooking on the spot, and many more dug into the ground, determined to pick up every single grain.

This rice was their lifeline, their hope for survival, and it was bought with money, so it was only right that they could eat it.

But amidst this joy, everyone felt a sense of dizziness. They raised their heads and saw a giant hand descending from the sky, taking the rice from their granaries, pots, mouths, and stomachs.

The crucial thing was that they didn't know how the rice was lost.

The rice in the bag was right there, but as they watched, it deflated, and the mountain of rice visibly shrank.

Even the rice cooking in the pots seemed to mysteriously become more and more watery and tasteless. In a short while, the porridge seemed to have turned into clear water.

They had just eaten their fill, but soon they felt hungry again, their stomachs rumbling loudly.

They didn't know what had happened, but they were sure their food had been stolen. It was their food, even if they had bought it with just one copper coin; it was only right that they could eat it.

So, anger rose layer by layer, but at this moment, they wanted to know who had stolen their food. Usually, they might have felt afraid in the face of such strange occurrences, but now, they only felt anger at having their food taken away.

At this moment, someone sighed softly: "Do you still ask how the food was lost?"

Countless eyes turned to him, and they saw it was the old sorghum who had just been mingling with the crowd. His voice was low, and he chuckled coldly: "The one who steals food is a rat. It must have been a rat that stole it. Do you want to know which rat it was?"

"You steal food, and they steal food. Why is it that some live high above, while others starve to death?"

In this moment of anger and subtlety, it seemed there was an incredibly complex logic, but it was reduced to the simplest of sentences, forcefully hammering into the hearts of the common folk.

...

...

On the Hundred Plays town, the Zhao family manager sighed softly and slowly stood up, his sleeves hanging down as he walked towards the double-steamed wine. His voice was low: "Just to let the Zhao family's three-fingered heavenly hand appear in the world, and for those ordinary people to see it, are you willing to risk even your life?"

"How could I? The Zhao family doesn't deserve it."

The double-steamed wine smiled at the Zhao family manager. His expression gradually turned serious: "The greatest play in this world has nothing to do with the Zhao family."

"It's called: Power!"

"The Zhao family's play is just for entertainment, to steal some silver. Only this play can make it right for the world to take, to make it so that no one dares to doubt, even if it means starving to death."

"That's not right!"

"Today, I'll borrow the Zhao family's specialty to open the eyes of the people, to let them see the hand that took their food!"

"But this is just the beginning. I only wish to start with this body, to let the common folk of this world know where their food has gone..."

"To know who is the rat and who is the person!"

"..."

The Zhao family manager walked halfway but then stopped, staring at him intently, his voice trembling: "Are you willing to risk your soul's collapse and eternal departure from this world?"

The double-steamed wine looked at the Zhao family manager seriously and smiled: "Mr. Zhao, you're mistaken."

"By opening the eyes of the people, I leave a mark in this world. No matter where my body ends up, what regrets could I possibly have?"

"..."

At this point, he no longer looked at the Zhao family manager but slowly raised his head and smiled: "The Iron Coffin is so mysterious, refusing to speak. Do you think we can't see through it?"

"The only advantage of reincarnates against the Ten Surnames is that they know they will die, so they're willing to risk their lives to accomplish what they set out to do."

"Since it's like this, what's the difference between dying early or late?"

"Brothers, I have no regrets. I'll go ahead, and you can take care of the rest..."

"..."

As his physical body collapsed and his soul began to dissipate inch by inch, a smile appeared on his face. Then, with perfect posture, he formed a hand seal he knew.

He didn't know many hand seals, and he wasn't very interested in the skills of the Hundred Plays. He had always just liked teaching and playing with children.

But after teaching for over a decade, he gradually realized that some things were difficult to explain by himself. When he heard that the Hundred Plays could turn people into rats, he became angry, but what angered him more was that those people saw themselves as rats.

(End)

Anger at their misfortune, resentment at their lack of resistance.

"Whether in their past lives or this one, there are always some who want to smash their heads open and pour principles into them..."

Fortunately, in the original world, doing this would be illegal.

But in this world, before the extraordinary power brought by Tai Sui and the despair it causes, yet also the perfectly timed crisis, one can truly achieve it.

And as long as they understand these principles, what is there to fear from the Trickster Sect?

It's worth it!

So, he seized this opportunity, performing the spell in person, borrowing that copper coin, before Xin Shan, Lao Gaoliang borrowed the altar he had prepared for himself, and destroyed his divine soul, accompanying the wind, floating and drifting, blowing away.

And as his figure disappeared, it was also the moment when the black shadows entered the Zhao Family Hundred Gods Society around the small town.

Pair after pair of eyes simultaneously looked towards the lingering shadow of the Double Steamed Wine disappearing between heaven and earth, and at this moment, they intertwined, reaching a subtle consensus, and then sighed softly:

"Another smart guy, finding an opportunity to escape..."

"The first to die has it easy, but the ones who die later worry about not finding a suitable opportunity to die cleanly..."

"Don't let us down, Trickster Sect..."

"..."

Laughter echoed, and black shadows rushed into the town, facing all sorts of bizarre spell sects. With unparalleled boldness, they directly entered, and in an instant, people were fighting everywhere.

And at this moment, not knowing how many "rats" had gathered in Xin Shan, Lao Gaoliang saw the common folk around him in confusion, as if seeing a strange sight amidst the steam from the cooking porridge.

In front of him, the incense he was burning in the altar began to swirl in circles, as if someone was signaling in secret.

He knew the timing was right, so he smiled and started burning the incense, calling out to the newly built rice barn:

"Rice Barn God, Rice Barn God."

"Everyone reveres you like their own mother, I beg the Rice Barn to open its eyes and see if I am a rat or a man!"

"..."

He chanted it several times, and the three incense sticks burned to the bottom, with the smoke drifting towards the mountain.

Suddenly, a fierce wind blew down from the mountain, causing the people in front of the mountain to become dizzy, and in their daze, they seemed to see countless people struggling and crying on the mountain, their pitiful and mournful wails, making those below the mountain question their own identities.

Some vaguely saw their neighbors on the mountain, their relatives, their clansmen, and even themselves.

They only felt an unprecedented sorrow in their hearts, as if a piece of their heart had been taken away, and after wiping their eyes clean, they saw that there were no rats on the mountain, only naked and filthy people, starving to the point of skin and bones, with only terror in their eyes.

And at this moment, Lao Gaoliang bowed once more, calling out to Xin Shan in front of him:

"Xin Shan God, Xin Shan God."

"Everyone worships you as a god, I beg Xin Shan to open its eyes and see if I am a rat or a man..."

"..."

A cold wind blew, fiercely blowing into the eyes of these angry commoners, and at this moment, in their anger, they seemed to fall into an illusion, seeing a huge hand reaching out to snatch away the rice.

They even followed this cold wind, looking towards the small town.

Endless rage surged in their hearts, fists clenched, teeth grinding, and hands reaching for the objects at their sides.

A smile appeared on Lao Gaoliang's lips, and he bowed to Xin Shan again, his voice like a chant, yet filled with resentment, carried a desolate tone that even ghosts and gods would not dare approach:

"Heaven is a god, and Earth is a god."

"Heaven and Earth bear witness to my diligent farming, yet not a single grain to offer to my parents. Here, I ask Heaven and Earth, should I be a rat or a man?"

"..."

Three times he worshipped, three times he burned incense, and three times the common folk opened their eyes.

The cold wind blew layer upon layer, sweeping down from the mountain, passing through the eyes of the common folk below, allowing them to see the cause and effect in the darkness, why this land had lost its purple qi, why the fields couldn't grow crops, and where their own strength had diminished.

The wind grew stronger, not only blowing past the common folk but also reaching the distant Fuyao King's military camp, blowing into Mingzhou, and even further.

And so, just as with the former Prince of Changping, the four prefectures were enraged, and the incense from this land of Xin Shan also reddened the eyes of countless commoners, as if they were seeing the world clearly for the first time.

Where slaughter and calamity arose, its momentum was unstoppable, but the reincarnates seemed to have understood long ago that inciting slaughter was not difficult; the challenge was making the people of the world understand the reason for the slaughter.

Even though there were already surplus troops flying the flag of the Bright State King in various places, many commoners still felt a sense of guilt about the matter of grain robbery.

They didn't even have the concept of "taking" in their minds.

They didn't want to starve to death, but they always felt that the grain belonged to others, to the noble clans, and taking it would be a great disrespect. Because of this guilt, the Trickster Sect's spell to turn people into rats spread quickly.

If they committed a crime, it was only natural to repay their debts by turning into animals.

Explaining these principles was originally very difficult.

But in this world, there is indeed a method to enlighten, and creatures like birds and beasts, once tainted by Tai Sui, may become enlightened and turn into malevolent spirits.

Before the Double Steamed Wine arrived in this small town, they had already decided to use their spell arts to evolve and enlighten the common folk, using a crude method to directly implant this principle into everyone's hearts.

With the principle understood, the truth became clear before their eyes.

There was no such thing as grain thieves turning into rats; all that was right and wrong were just the tricks of the noble lords.

"Let's go!"

After Lao Gaoliang finished his bow, he stood up, holding the three incense sticks, leading the way at the front, and more and more people followed behind him, determined to find the dark hand that had taken their grain.

The world was shrouded in darkness, and the Fuyao King's army was stationed everywhere, but with Lao Gaoliang leading the way, they managed to bypass the mountains and cross the river, breaking through the Fuyao King's heavy blockade, and directly headed towards the small town where the Trickster Sect was located.

"Old man, how could this be?"

In the small town, there didn't seem to be any intense spell battles just now, and the people who had just rushed into the town didn't seem to be much stronger in spell arts than the Zhao Family.

But Zhao Sanyi suddenly felt a shock in his heart, looking towards the outside of the town, feeling a pressure like a surging tide.

He didn't understand its meaning, so he asked with a trembling voice.

And the Zhao Family's leader, facing those who had rushed into the town, especially those who hadn't yet reached the town but were already searching for the "dark hand" under the guidance of the incense, only felt extreme exhaustion in their hearts.

He spoke softly, "They are the providers for us people of the rivers and lakes, they've come... to collect their debts!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end