King Yong Nian didn’t know what measures he had used, but the blockade on Shuzhou was very strong. Most accessible places were guarded, and the rest were cliffs that even Grandmasters couldn’t easily scale.
Spirit Sword Valley and Heavenly Saber City had paid a heavy price to send these hundred or so people into Shuzhou.
There was risk involved in entering, but compared to the risks, the rewards were also immense.
Therefore, the Martial Artists who entered were mostly key members of the two forces, with the weakest being Seventh-Grade Martial Artists.
One Grandmaster Level Martial Artist from each side served as leaders, not daring to send too many, as after all, Grandmaster Level Martial Artists were not common, and were more easily detected.
Upon entering Shuzhou, these hundred or so people basically acted on their own, delving into various mountains, using treasure-finding devices to search for various Spiritual Medicines and even the Medicine King.
The obtained Spiritual Medicines could all be used to enhance their own strength, so everyone was very active.
“Dangerous places… Tianheng Mountain Range, Heavenly Mountain Lake… Three Counties?”
Almost everyone noticed a strange place on the map.
“Three Counties, Lushui, Dieshui, Yong’an— three counties, hidden among them is a powerful Martial Artist. You may go, but don’t stir trouble, keep a low profile.”
Other locations were just mountains, forests, and lakes, only this so-called Three Counties was an area inhabited by humans.
This place was quite near to their point of entry, only a few hundred li away, although the location was somewhat remote.
Had it not been for the search for Spiritual Medicine, some would have already been unable to restrain their curiosity.
Of course, others were indifferent. It would be fine if it were Demon Beasts, but even Grandmaster Level Martial Artists would not dare to easily attack them.
Neither Spirit Sword Valley nor Heavenly Saber City was a small force.
Any force considering action against them had to weigh their options carefully.
…
Very few inside Shuzhou knew that such a group had entered.
Because Shuzhou itself was in chaos.
King Yong Nian devoted most of his energy to dealing with people from Spirit Sword Valley and Heavenly Saber City and was wildly seizing advantages in Shuzhou.
He barely managed the internal affairs of Shuzhou.
All over there were Demon Beasts, and the local Martial Artists’ strength was declining, powerless to confront them.
It was like pouring rain into a leaking house.
It wasn’t just the occupation by Demon Beasts; some local authorities were violently extorting or even collaborating with Demon Beasts.
Places like Qingshan Village that had Martial Artists were rare; most civilians did not dare to flee into the deep mountains.
The dangers in the mountains, without strong protection, were no better than outside, and could even be more hazardous.
The wolf pack encountered by Qingshan Village previously was the best proof.
The lives of civilians were more than bitter.
Compared to those places, the Three Counties were like a paradise.
Lots of well-informed smaller forces or merchants were moving to Three Counties with their families.
The population of the Three Counties exploded.
But many more either didn’t know or simply had no ability to travel long distances.
Some were restricted by local authorities from leaving, others lacked martial power and feared being captured by Demon Beasts or bandits en route, and some didn’t have enough food, making long journeys suicidal.
Ironically, apart from the inexplicable snow at the beginning, Shuzhou had enjoyed favorable weather these past three years and good grain yields.
However, most civilians still struggled to survive.
The weak are preyed upon; if one lacks strength, it’s hard to keep any grain.
The inevitable result would be rebellion.
In the whole of Greater Zhou, Shuzhou was currently the best place to start a rebellion.
Although the local authorities still commanded some martial force, it had been greatly depleted in the prior great battle, leaving only weak Martial Artists in smaller regions, who could be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
That wasn’t achievable in bigger regions; the advantage of Martial Artists was too great.
Slightly prosperous regions had large and small Martial Artist Families, who were the beneficiaries and would never rebel. Some who couldn’t survive initiated rebellion armies, but were brutally suppressed, seeing no hope.
To truly succeed seemed to require the leadership of a Martial Artist, but which Martial Artist would be willing to do this?
It was at this time that a new figure emerged—Mo Yang!
Since parting with Wang Sheng, Mo Yang had continued to travel around Shuzhou, tackling various Demon Beasts, toppling corrupt officials, and aiding many, though not completely restoring them, but giving them a chance to survive. Mo Yang gained substantial fame in some areas.
When Wang Sheng met with Mo Yang previously, Mo Yang only had about a dozen people with him.
Now the number of people following him had grown to over thirty, all Martial Artists, with the weakest being Fifth-Grade Martial Artists.
And Mo Yang himself had advanced from Seventh-Grade Martial Artist to Ninth-Grade Martial Artist, just a step away from becoming a Grandmaster.
Several of his followers had reached Seventh-Grade, capable of projecting their Qi-Blood, numbering over a dozen.
This force was formidable anywhere.
It was even stronger than any of the Three Great Families before their breakthrough.
Not merely that, most important was a black-robed person following Mo Yang.
He didn’t show his face, but the respect he commanded from those around him was evident.
Mo Yang also greatly revered this person and often sought his advice.