plumnovel Chapter 23 A Heartless Scoundrel
Chapter 23 A Heartless Scoundrel
"Kill them all."
Si Chen pointed, and the six large dogs curled up their tails.
He stood with his hands on his swords, "Sir, what's wrong with these beasts?"
"Even you were fooled by this illusion." Si Chen stared coldly at the six large dogs bound by chains.
"Carefully peel off their skin."
"It just so happens that I, Si, am in need of a few dog-skin hats. In that case, their journey in this world will not have been in vain."
The Azure-Armored General Jiawu gripped the hilt of his sword and slowly drew it. "That's easy. Take the lead, let me do it."
The six large dogs were so frightened that they kept backing away, their legs trembling.
A foul odor spread.
"We confess, we confess! Please spare our lives, sir! We know we were wrong, we know we were wrong!"
The six large dogs rolled on the ground, raised their hands in a gesture of respect, opened their mouths and spoke in human language, their eyes filled with tears, and their bellies were already soaked with urine.
Jiawu slowly sheathed his waist sword, toying with the two small golden maces. "I wondered what kind of cunning trick it was that it managed to fool even us."
"If they explain their background in detail, that's fine; otherwise, kill them on the spot."
The six large dogs barked wildly in fright. "Absolutely no questions asked! Someone sent us to investigate. We know the contact is a follower of the White Lotus Sect, and they're just doing this for money."
"explain!"
"What's with this dog skin?"
The big white dog knelt on the ground. "This is the art of animal breeding and dismemberment. They peeled off several human skins and put them on their bodies."
"Nonsense. How could the art of harvesting and mutilating animals be so perfectly natural?"
"The villain is inherently a demon. He puts a human skin on the demon to cover up his demonic nature, and uses his demonic nature to cover up his human nature."
Several large dogs trembled with fear.
"This was supposed to be a foolproof method, but the master's power is boundless, and he saw through it at a glance. We have no choice but to admit defeat."
At this point, there was no more doubt.
Si Chen raised his hand and suddenly swung it downwards.
The golden mace in Jiawu's hand shot out in response, turning into a blur.
Only six headless corpses remained.
With the deaths of the six demonic cultivators, the art of creating animals lost its effectiveness, and their corpses gradually revealed their true forms.
"Blonde hair, blue eyes, pale skin, long and narrow skull, angular face, high nose bridge, and wolf tail."
"So he's a Viking wolf slave."
"Their faces are covered in pockmarks, and they reek of a foul, stench." Si Chen glanced around and casually explained, "These beasts have already eaten people and are transforming into demons and monsters. They must not be allowed to live. The Bai Di were born incomplete, with only three souls and six spirits. We will grind them to dust."
Su Yi Dingwei nodded and accepted the task.
"I'll do it!"
"I hate people who bully the weak and fear the strong the most in my life."
"How could I miss the chance to be reduced to ashes?"
Although killing someone is just a matter of beheading them, animals are not included in this category.
"Call Cao Youyi here."
"yes!"
Si Chen opened the box sent by the Duke of Cheng. The perfectly tanned tiger skin seemed to still carry the remaining power and wildness, like a large worm coiled up.
"What a formidable demon!"
As a celestial official, Sichen naturally must abide by the laws of heaven; committing murder is unacceptable.
Many powerful demons, having gained enough power, had long since abandoned their physical bodies and transformed themselves to migrate to the spirit world.
He had been waiting for this opportunity for ages, but he never got a chance to slay the demon.
"Your Majesty, I am ready."
Cao Youyi was dressed in a round-necked robe and a Fanyang hat, with snow still clinging to his shoulders. He had clearly rushed over as soon as he heard the news.
"Calm your mind. Sit quietly."
Si Chen raised his hand and placed it on the tiger skin, filling the body with spiritual energy.
In a daze, Cao Youyi seemed to see Si Chen transform into a fierce tiger with piercing eyes and a white forehead, coiled among the mountains and walking across the wilderness.
Until the enormous tiger head suddenly turned around and chose a person to devour!
"what!"
"Hehehe~" Cao Youyi gasped for breath.
Si Chen's voice still echoed in my ears, "The essence of the Tiger Guard lies in this."
Cao Youyi opened his eyes and saw a pair of tiger claws.
A tiger, over ten feet long, casually slapped out a piece of its paw, instantly deforming the hard iron.
"Don't ruin my things."
"This great demon is quite capable, possessing such transformative abilities. It was worth asking it for something."
Si Chen spoke slowly.
"Roar~" Cao Youyi's tiger eyes widened, and his fur stood on end. He only relaxed when he saw that it was Si Chen.
It would be terrible if we couldn't turn back.
Cao Youyi nodded to Si Chen and slipped away disguised as a tiger.
Si Chen gazed at the tiger skin in the box, reaching out to stroke it. It felt like touching silk, so smooth and inviting. "You adapted pretty quickly, didn't you?"
Suddenly, a series of howls and wailing could be heard outside.
Then came the gasps of surprise and admiration from the crowd, which continued unabated.
"That's incredible!"
"This tiger penis."
"I want to change too!"
Si Chen sighed. It seemed that the number of tigers in this city would be considerable in the future.
The one in yellow robes, Ding Si, holds a halberd; the one in black robes, Ding You, holds a mirror; the one in plain robes, Ding Wei, carries a lotus; the one in green robes, Ding Hai, holds a banner; and the one in purple robes, Ding Chou, grasps a seal.
The six people walked in neatly.
"Get one for me too, sir."
"Don't be foolish. I have prepared a new path for you, but the time is not yet right."
Liu Ji followed closely behind and quietly stood in a corner.
Cao Youyi slowly strolled in from outside the hall, and by the time he entered the hall, he had already returned to human form.
"I have no way to repay the grace of Your Majesty's restoration."
"Are you satisfied?"
"Satisfied, I couldn't be more satisfied."
Si Chen nodded. "How many more days do we have enough food supplies in the city?"
Cao Youyi patted his chest and assured him, "Rest assured, Your Excellency, there's enough to last until next year's spring planting. Besides, the Protector has invited two Ministers of Agriculture; that's more than enough!"
"That was prepared for the Feathered Guard."
"But the surrounding counties and countryside had no families with abundant food and supplies. They were all destroyed during the Jurchen raids. They either built strong fortifications. Why would they trade things that are related to their lives?"
"I remember the Duke of England once gifted me a deed to a manor." Si Chen pondered, then remembered something.
Yes, it's here.
The guardians retrieved this item from the storeroom.
"Oh, it's actually in Tianjin." Si Chen said, "Order Jia Chen to lead a group of volunteers to investigate."
"Order Jiazi to seal off this area within a hundred li; entry is permitted, but exit is not."
"Someone will help us solve the problem."
Once we get through this cold winter, things will be much easier.
With the Ministry of Agriculture in charge, the abandoned farmland in Tianjin Weicheng can be restored, and people won't starve to death.
Everyone obeyed and carried out their orders.
Only Liu Ji hesitated, as if she wanted to say something, "Actually, we can eat less."
Si Chen raised an eyebrow. "There's no need to wrong yourself."
Although there was a shortage of food, it wasn't too severe.
"It's just better to be prepared."
Next year, there will be a locust plague.
Si Chen is ready to accept a large number of refugees.
Food is the foundation of people's hearts.
"These neighbors are so considerate."
"They've stockpiled so much food, and I happen to have some military strength—it's a perfect match."
Rather than letting these guys hoard and speculate, it's better to let Sichen save all living beings.
Liu Ji suddenly realized the essence of it.
"Contact those merchants from Pu; they also have grain."
"Pingyang Prefecture in Shanxi Province is the location of the capital of Emperor Yao. It is bordered by Taiyue Mountain to the east, Lüliang Mountain to the west, Zhongtiao Mountain to the south, and Guanzhong Plain to the west. The Fen River flows through it. This prefecture is no less than the Jiangnan region, where crops can be grown in two seasons."
"The Jiangbei and Jiangnan regions, as well as the Suzhou and Hangzhou areas, have approximately 150 million mu of farmland, producing about 350 million shi of grain annually."
China has never lacked food; it has only lacked the means to distribute it.
Most natural disasters are exacerbated by human error.
Liu Ji didn't understand, but she was greatly shocked. Such a large quantity was beyond her imagination. She walked out in a daze, thinking, "This much grain could last for a hundred years."
Si Chen turned his head and gave the order to Liu Ding.
"The pre-harvested and dried hay, piled up and stored, is the lifeline for ensuring the horses' survival and fighting ability during wartime. We can no longer let them waste it carelessly."
"Prepare roasted soybeans or soybean meal after pressing soybean cake."
"We purchase black beans from the surrounding area as a special feed for our customers."
"Also, add salt blocks to the feed or drinking water regularly."
The left and right sides are clear.
"Yes."