Martial Dao: Starting from the Village Fungus God

“Mr. Chunzhi, there’s no need to be overly concerned,” Zhu Ge said, waving his hand. “The sieges on the other cities in Red River Prefecture have been lifted, and the people are being moved to Mengzi City and Jianshui City. Once the siege on Yuan Yang City is broken as well, the entire Red River Prefecture can be united to defend against the Demon Race together.”

“Yuan Yang City…” Mr. Chunzhi frowned. “It’s under siege by the Plague God Sparrow and the Red River Dragon Python. The situation there is even more perilous than ours. Palace Master Zhu, you plan to go and lift the siege?”

“Exactly.” Zhu Ge nodded. “That’s my plan.”

Yan Liyuan set down his teacup, his gaze falling upon Zhu Ge.

“Brother Zhu, I was just about to speak with you about this matter.” His expression grew solemn. “Over in Nanyue Mianhuang, the Barbarian Race and the Demon Race are locked in a chaotic war over territory.”

“Although I gained quite a bit from my trip there, one person’s strength is ultimately limited. I would like to invite you to go with me, take advantage of the chaos to seize a few cities, and establish a foundation.”

Zhu Ge looked at him without answering immediately.

‘So this is Yan Liyuan’s goal as well.’

‘He doesn’t care about ordinary Spiritual Objects, but rather about a foundation.’

Yan Liyuan continued, “Although Nanyue Mianhuang is chaotic, it is rich with Spirit Veins, ore deposits, and medicinal fields. If we can gain a firm foothold, the strength of the Six Paths Palace could multiply several times over in less than three years.”

“By then, you’ll have a say not just in Red River Prefecture, but in all of Yunjiang.”

“Brother Yan, your proposal is very tempting,” Zhu Ge said with a smile. “But I cannot go right now.”

“Because of Yuan Yang City?”

“Yes.” Zhu Ge nodded. “Yuan Yang City is the Prefecture City of Red River Prefecture, and a million people are still suffering there. If I don’t go and save them, my conscience won’t allow it.”

“Besides, as long as the Plague God Sparrow and the Red River Dragon Python are not eliminated, Red River Prefecture will never know peace. Even if I went to Nanyue Mianhuang, with an unstable rear, it would be difficult to develop with peace of mind.”

‘Zhu Ge wasn’t a fool.’

‘It’s a complete mess over there right now, and people from the Da Sheng Dynasty are continuously streaming in.’

‘If I go over there now, wouldn’t I just be courting death?’

‘One should only take on a job that matches one’s abilities.’

‘Biting off more than you can chew will get you killed.’

Yan Liyuan was silent for a moment before sighing. “Those two Great Demons in Yuan Yang City are no ordinary Third Realm beings. I have seen them from afar.”

“That Plague God Sparrow is a great deity, and the Red River Dragon Python is a Great Demon. They are backed by remnant forces from Nanyue Mianhuang. You are only at the Second Realm and can’t even fly; it will be very difficult for you to handle them.”

At this, Yan Liyuan shook his head. “No wonder I never saw you fly up to join us before. So you’re just a little fellow at the Second Realm.”

Speaking of which, Yan Liyuan couldn’t help but marvel, “With your talent, you might really be able to contend with the top ten prodigies on the Sheji Chart after you advance to the Third Realm.”

“Oh? Just contend?” Zhu Ge raised an eyebrow.

‘He could already fight on par with Third Realm cultivators now. After advancing to the Third Realm, he’d only be able to *contend* with the top ten prodigies on the Sheji Chart?’

“Yes.” Yan Liyuan nodded and said solemnly, “Speaking of which, I must also remind you that whether it’s the Spring Rain List or the Raccoon Fur List, the top ten names haven’t changed in several years.”

“I believe that unless they age past thirty, their rankings will likely remain fixed.”

“They’re that strong?” Zhu Ge’s expression also grew grave upon hearing this.

‘He had seen the top ten on the Spring Rain List in the Sheji Chart and thought he could already contend with them now.’

“Very strong,” Yan Liyuan said with a sigh. “For example, the one who’s first on the Sheji Chart could take on the second through tenth ranks with one hand and have no problem.”

“The second-ranked could take on the third through tenth with no problem, and so on.”

Hearing this, Zhu Ge was suddenly stunned.

And Yan Liyuan continued:

“First on the Sheji Chart is Lin Zhi of the Military Dao Commander Talent Realm. She has a million Soldiers under her command who share her fate. Her strength alone is the strength of a million.”

“Second is Mingxing of the Immortal Dao Nascent Soul Realm. He created many of his own Daoist Divine Abilities, allowing him to summon wind and rain, move mountains and overturn seas, and turn scattered beans into soldiers.”

“Third is Yuan Shentong of the Confucian Scholar Realm. A single word from his gifted tongue can create a great chiliocosm. His poems, songs, and essays are countless, and a single character from his brush can suppress a Great Demon.”

At this point, Yan Liyuan shook his head. “These three have dominated the era. Ever since they appeared, they’ve pushed the previous top three from the Sheji Chart of the last decade down the list, and no one has been able to surpass them to this day.”

“Many on the original Sheji Chart have aged past thirty, but of these three, even the oldest is only twenty-eight.”

“You could say they are all prodigies in their own right, destined to become existences like the Hundred Schools of the ancients.”

‘Prodigies!’

After hearing this, Zhu Ge also cast aside his underestimation. “Yes, I will be careful.”

‘Putting other things aside, this Yan Liyuan before him seemed to be a man of considerable character.’

“Then Brother Yan must be careful after you leave,” Zhu Ge said, clasping his fist. “Although expanding your territory is important, Brother Yan is a prodigy of the Confucian Dao. It doesn’t matter if your territory is small.”

For the Military Dao, the more Soldiers—and the more elite they are—the stronger one becomes.

But for the Confucian Dao, studying is what’s important.

“Yes, and no,” Yan Liyuan sighed. “Although I follow the Confucian Dao, I also lack an enlightened lord. That is why I wanted to try uniting with you…”

Yan Liyuan gave Zhu Ge a look filled with deep meaning.

‘Lacking an “enlightened lord”?’

Zhu Ge froze for a second, then a flash of understanding appeared in his eyes.

“Then we shall see in the future,” Zhu Ge said with a smile. “If we meet again one day, Brother Yan can see for himself whether I am the enlightened lord you speak of.”

“Naturally,” Yan Liyuan smiled.

The two looked at each other without a word, yet a perfect understanding passed between them.

Then, they both simultaneously remembered someone else was there and abruptly turned to look at the City Lord of Lvchun City, who was drinking his tea off to the side.

Mr. Chunzhi was taking small sips of his tea, watching the two of them talk with a cheerful smile.

“My apologies, City Lord,” Zhu Ge said, his face full of regret. “We got carried away and couldn’t stop talking.”

Yan Liyuan also gave a helpless clasp of his hands.

The two of them had gotten so into their conversation that Mr. Chunzhi had become part of the background.

“Hehe, it’s quite all right, quite all right.” Mr. Chunzhi waved his hand, his face full of admiration. “You two young talents… you truly remind this old man of my own glory days…”

His tone held a trace of wistfulness, and it was clear he had some stories of his own.

“Then I must ask for Mr. Chunzhi’s help in the future,” Zhu Ge said with a sincere expression. “With the world in decline, I have an undeniable duty to save it.”

Speaking of this, Mr. Chunzhi also clasped his hands solemnly and said, “It is as it should be.”

Although the three of them followed different cultivation paths and were of different ages, they suddenly felt a sense of mutual admiration.

And so, they continued to sip their tea and discuss the Dao.

“By the way, Mr. Chunzhi,” Zhu Ge took a sip of tea and asked curiously, “how much do you know about that Plague God Sparrow and the Red River Dragon Python?”

Compared to Yan Liyuan, it was obvious that Mr. Chunzhi knew more.

Mr. Chunzhi had mentioned a little about them before, but Zhu Ge believed he hadn’t told the whole story.

“Since Palace Master Zhu intends to slay these two abominations, I will share some secrets.”

Mr. Chunzhi stroked his beard, a look of recollection on his face.

“According to legend, the Red River Dragon Python was originally a Water Python, but was fortunate enough to obtain the Power of Incense…”