Chapter 304: Wang Daozhong Awes the Valley of Evil

Chapter 304: Wang Daozhong Strikes Fear into the Valley of Evil

Before, he called himself Wang Daozhong, ambiguous, never saying if he was the one from the Langya Wang clan, leaving people to guess if it was a namesake.

This time, he went further, directly adding “Langya.”

But it must be said, the effect was explosive.

The Langya Wang clan!

A master of the Earth Ranking!

No matter how much Zhao Changhe provoked the Wang clan, it was still one of the most powerful aristocratic families of the age, its influence spanning prefectures and counties, with countless experts.

No matter how casually Zhao Changhe laughed and chatted with the Heaven and Earth Rankings, they were still among the fifty strongest in the world, their deterrent power unparalleled in the eyes of ordinary folk.

Such a dragon crossing the river into Kunlun could truly shift the balance of power—how would the petty forces on these streets dare to act rashly?

In an instant, the scene fell silent, even the man with a broken arm who had been squealing like a pig clamped his mouth shut in terror, afraid that the Earth Ranking master might casually slap him dead with no one daring to avenge him.

Even Zhao Changhe himself was surprised by the effect, secretly thinking that perhaps the circles he moved in were too high; he hadn’t realized the five characters “Langya Wang Daozhong” carried such prestige…

The big man wiped cold sweat and said with a fawning smile, “So it’s Mr. Wang here… We truly failed to recognize a mountain of Tai. Sir, you are magnanimous; ignorance is no crime…”

Zhao Changhe said coldly, “Even if I weren’t Wang here, this man was a stranger who ambushed me at first sight—what’s the reasoning?”

The big man smiled ingratiatingly, “It’s just, just that your horse is so magnificent… We wondered who could own such a steed and dare come to Kunlun alone… Since it’s Mr. Wang’s property, it makes sense, makes sense…”

That was all? Without a word, they directly ambushed and killed, more savage than the bandits he’d met on the road. Those bandits at least made clear they were robbing; here, a sneak attack for no reason, and you die without knowing why—truly a land of ultimate evil.

The word “Kunlun” held a certain divinity in Zhao Changhe’s heart; this contrast was hard to accept.

But then again, stealing a horse and killing had some logic to it—at least it wasn’t completely without reason to kill you, which would have been truly disorienting.

Since that was the logic, he knew what to do. Zhao Changhe sneered, “Ignorance is no crime?”

The group trembled in fear. The big man glanced at the thin man with the broken arm, then suddenly a murderous glint flashed in his eyes. He drew his blade and swung; the man’s head flew off, not even a scream escaping.

The big man held the head, bowed, and said, “This man offended you, sir; he has been executed.”

Zhao Changhe glanced at the surrounding crowd—they all looked as if it were only natural, not a single person speaking up for the thin man. He couldn’t help but feel a chill inside; this was the real flavor. Compared to this place, places like Sword Lake City or Yellow Sand Collection were as pure as little white flowers…

He nodded calmly, “You know how to adapt. I’ve just arrived here and need someone to serve me. It’s best that you’ve come to me.”

The big man rejoiced, “I am willing to serve Mr. Wang like a dog or a horse! We run a carriage and horse business here, also an inn. If you don’t mind, sir, you can rest here. Whatever you wish to know, we’ll tell you everything!”

Zhao Changhe swaggered over, “Lead the way!”

It was indeed a carriage and horse business combined with an inn, where horses could be fed. The inn also had a restaurant, but the conditions looked shabby, and these people weren’t really running a proper inn—more likely serving human flesh buns.

Zhao Changhe didn’t mind. He casually tossed the reins to a nearby man, “Feed the horse.”

The man, flattered, bowed obsequiously, “Yes, I’ll make sure the master’s horse is well taken care of.”

Through his rear vision, he clearly saw the group exchanging glances behind him, but no one dared whisper, afraid that the “Earth Ranking master” could eavesdrop.

In truth, Zhao Changhe didn’t need to hear to know what they were discussing—whether to feed the horse some croton oil to make this Wang Daozhong stumble, or simply steal the horse and flee. Or perhaps to test if this really was Wang Daozhong, not some impostor…

But he knew they wouldn’t dare. As long as they weren’t certain they could kill him, they wouldn’t touch the horse or test him; instead, they’d have to serve him properly, or else the thin man was their example.

It was simply a place where might made right… The problem now was that he had to play the role of this “Earth Ranking master” well, without showing any weakness.

No one could discern another’s cultivation from appearance; they couldn’t tell if he was truly on the Earth Ranking, and he couldn’t gauge their level either—for all he knew, this big man might be a hidden Human Ranking expert. Better to avoid a fight; if it came to blows, victory was uncertain, and it might attract the attention of other forces, ruining his purpose here.

Moreover, he had a measure of the dead thin man’s strength from their exchange—he was at the third level of the Mystic Gate. In the Blood God Sect, he could have been a deputy leader living it up, but here he was just a waiter… This wasn’t like the Listening Snow Tower, where assassins disguised themselves to kill; he was genuinely a waiter.

This was the highest-level map Zhao Changhe had ever seen, so high it seemed overpowered, not a normal world at all.

Because this was never a normal region—it was a refuge for fierce men who couldn’t make it in the Central Plains or among the barbarians, an enlarged version of the Valley of Evil. It was only natural that everyone here was generally powerful.

But there was a logical problem—why did so many martial arts or fantasy worlds have such a place? What safety did it offer them? They might die even more miserably here than in the Central Plains. Why not just hide in some countryside, where no enemy could find you? Why come to a place like this, full of deceit, and have a third-level Mystic Gate expert grovel as a waiter? Were they all masochists?

There had to be an incentive.

Perhaps because Kunlun was rich in treasures? Maybe they could stumble upon something and turn their fortunes around?

But Kunlun had the Jade Void Temple, and the Jade Void True Person was fourth on the Heaven Ranking—wouldn’t he monopolize everything and let them find treasures?

Or perhaps the Jade Void True Person actually sheltered these villains, leaving the Great Xia government powerless and Tang Wanzhuang too distracted to focus here… That seemed more likely, but why would the Jade Void True Person do that? Since he sheltered them, why didn’t he establish rules to use them, instead letting them kill freely?

He couldn’t figure out the cause. Third Lady didn’t seem to know much either, speaking vaguely; the Four Symbols Sect’s influence hadn’t reached here, and he guessed that even Ying Wu’s people had a hard time, leaving gaps in information.

As he pondered, the big man brought wine and meat, standing by the table with a fawning smile, “Please enjoy, sir.”

Zhao Changhe picked up the wine cup as if appraising it, glancing at the liquid, then gave the big man a knowing smile. The big man just grinned innocently, “I absolutely wouldn’t dare poison it, sir, rest assured.”

Only a fool would poison at a time like this; they’d wait until he let his guard down.

“Actually, a little poison wouldn’t hurt,” Zhao Changhe said with a slight smile. “For instance, the arsenic hidden under your fingernails—if your hands weren’t so dirty and disgusting, it could make a decent seasoning.”

The big man was horrified and quickly said, “Sir, you misunderstand… I use that to train my claw techniques, not for poisoning…”

How did he see me hiding poison under my nails just now? He didn’t even turn his head…

“Heh…” Zhao Changhe took a leisurely sip of wine and said casually, “This wine is a bit sour and astringent. If you add some juice boiled from broken gut grass, it can remove the sourness and astringency. You might try it sometime.”

The big man was now drenched in sweat, “I, we don’t have your skill, sir, to use broken gut grass as seasoning…”

In truth, Zhao Changhe had never tried such a seasoning. Seeing that he seemed to have bluffed the man, he said flatly, “You must not be a nobody in the Central Plains. Who are you?”

The big man hesitated, but ultimately dared not hide it, and said in a low voice, “I am Yang Qianyuan.”

Zhao Changhe’s eyes flickered.

This man wasn’t a master on the Chaos Ranking, but he was famous nonetheless—for a simple reason: his wanted posters hung at every city gate, just like Zhao Changhe’s a year ago.

Yang Qianyuan, a concubine’s son from a side branch of the Hongnong Yang clan. In a struggle for family property, he secretly poisoned and killed three legitimate brothers over several years. The last time, he was caught by his sister-in-law, whom he then raped and murdered before fleeing a thousand li.

In a flash, the Yang clan became a laughingstock, and Yang Qianyuan became infamous across the land…

This land of evil truly lived up to its name; any random person he met was on Tang Wanzhuang’s kill list.

Zhao Changhe had once met Yang Bugui of Hongnong at the Langya Sword Debate. At that time, Yang Bugui was Xia Chichi’s opponent, taciturn, with decent bearing. It was said that Yang Bugui hadn’t been so quiet before; this incident had hit him hard.

He had thought this man was hiding under an alias, but it turned out he had really come to Kunlun and become the head of a carriage business.

On the wanted poster, Yang Qianyuan still looked like a dandy; here, he had transformed into a rough, burly man—unrecognizable. So what use were wanted posters anyway?