Martial Ascent to Divinity-Chapter 715 - 694: The Filthy River

"No one is going to intervene?"

"Someone will intervene soon."

As soon as Wan Gu’s words fell, angry shouts came from not far away: "Don’t fight in the downtown area! Leave here!"

The sounds of battle gradually faded as they left the city, but the fighting continued.

"Hm?" Zhou Leng looked at Wan Gu.

"This is how the people of Elephant Country manage things. As long as Grandmasters don’t fight in the core areas, it’s fine."

Zhou Leng pulled up the map and looked, saying: "Judging by the direction of the sound, the two Grandmasters have not completely left the city and should be in the slums."

"Correct."

"And then?"

"Now is the moment after," Wan Gu said.

"That is the Grandmasters’ battle," Zhou Leng said.

"Yes, the Grandmasters of Elephant Country often fight in the slums," Wan Gu said calmly.

Zhou Leng did not speak, but was estimating the extent of damage that a battle between Grandmasters in the slums could cause.

A battle between Grandmasters can easily destroy entire skyscrapers.

Fighting in the slums is practically equivalent to the continuous bombardment of a 155 mm caliber cannon.

Arriving at the hotel, Wan Gu left, and Zhou Leng went upstairs.

Standing high above, he gazed at the place of the Grandmaster battle.

In the darkness, large areas of low buildings in the slums collapsed, numbering not less than ten thousand, nor less than eight thousand.

Under the firelight, people were running, putting out fires, rescuing the wounded, crying, looting...

This battle’s death toll won’t be lower than a thousand, with more than three thousand seriously injured and over ten thousand lightly injured.

Placed in Rucheng, such a loss equates to a medium to large Demon raid.

In the past decade, Demon raids in Rucheng claiming over a thousand lives have occurred fewer than five times.

But Wan Gu said, in Five Xin Deli, battles of this scale between Martial Artists happen on average once a week.

No Grandmaster has ever been punished for this.

In Elephant Country in recent decades, fewer people have died at the hands of Demons than at the hands of Martial Artists from Elephant Country.

Zhou Leng, burdened with heavy thoughts, cultivated in his room.

The next morning, after some thought, he went downstairs for a breakfast buffet, sent Wan Gu a message, and strolled the streets of Five Xin Deli.

In the prosperous central district, the buildings differ little from those in Rucheng or Xiong City.

Skyscrapers tower, and people come and go in neatly dressed attire.

Occasionally, you see rickshaw drivers running with passengers.

After walking for a while, diverse groups of people appeared, and gradually he saw some children selling goods.

Some sold flags, some sold fresh flowers, some sold homemade beverages, and others sold individual bananas, apples, and other fruits.

He hadn’t walked far when a group of dark-skinned children laughingly ran towards him, chatting without paying him any attention.

Several children bumped into Zhou Leng’s leg, several hands reached out.

Before their hands could reach him, Zhou Leng lifted his Starry Bag.

The children showed no fear, laughing and scattering away.

Zhou Leng, looking at these malnourished children, said nothing.

"Want to buy a newspaper?" a gaunt little boy asked timidly, raising a newspaper.

Zhou Leng shook his head, and the child quickly moved away.

Yesterday, Wan Gu mentioned that many children in Elephant Country sell goods, nearly disguising begging, because they can’t survive, having no means to make a living, they can only sell cheap items.

Wan Gu said there was no need to buy because buying from one, more children would flock to you.

Even if you bought everything from them, what about tomorrow?

What Elephant Country needs is not cheap sympathy or money, but a complete revolution.

Zhou Leng walked slowly without spending a penny.

Even when these people are pathetic children.

Even when feeling sorry for them.

But Zhou Leng couldn’t treat the world equally until Dragon Country solved its poverty problem.

Especially since these people are almost all hostile to Dragon Country.

"Want to buy flowers?" asked another girl timidly.

Zhou Leng shook his head again.

As he continued forward, more and more people selling things appeared ahead, as well as beggars.

A singing blind girl, disabled children, elders thin as kindling, conjoined twins, children with bulging bellies...

While walking, several people followed him, surreptitiously.

As he moved further from the core area, a growing diversity of people appeared.

Everything before him felt like a dark sewage river advancing, submerging the streets.

It was suffocating.

Zhou Leng grew up at Dragon Country’s bottom, had heard about many things, including stories of the old society.

But only by personally coming to Elephant Country and entering the world of its people did he realize the world’s true differences.

The things before him were only surface phenomena.

Even these phenomena comfort enough to make an ordinary Dragon Country citizen uncomfortable.

Suddenly, noise came from ahead.

A Martial Artist abruptly struck, killing a vendor with a single palm.

The vendor’s half head was left, lying on the ground.

The Martial Artist cursed a few times, then left.

Nearby people swarmed over, robbing the vendor’s goods, then fleeing.

Soon after, several sneaky figures came running, dragging away the vendor’s body.

Then, everything returned as if nothing had happened, with only a pool of blood on the ground to prove someone died here.

Several minutes passed, and people at a crossroads fled as two teams of Martial Artists emerged on either side, fighting in the street.

These people seemed to harbor irreconcilable hatred, battling bloodily under the blazing sun.

One after another falling.

Nearby conversations revealed to Zhou Leng this was an intergang conflict.

Ultimately, one gang won, then publicly brandished knives, slaughtering all the defeated.

They drenched in blood, wielded crimson knives, dragged corpses, and swaggered away.

People on both sides of the street shouted loudly, congratulating the victors.

Until the afternoon, Zhou Leng turned to head back.

In just half a day, I witnessed twenty-seven deaths.

Now, I vaguely understand why Wang Gu’s reaction before was so intense.

I also understand what he is afraid of.

He doesn’t want the people of Dragon Country, who have been hardworking and kind for thousands of years, to fall into such a human Demon Purgatory.

The current Dragon Country cannot cope with the impact of the Breed Changing Plan.

Just returned to the hotel and saw Wang Gu rush over.

"Just in time, let’s go together."

Zhou Leng got in the car.

Wang Gu said, "We have discovered traces of the East Monarch faction. They seem to be planning to disrupt the Federation Conference, and we’ve been sent to find and capture them."

Zhou Leng recalled meeting Upper-Rank Grandmaster Ajun at True King Land. If he managed to leave alive, he should now be a Grandmaster.

"The East Monarch faction, are those Elephant Country people who worship Saint Zhao and want to use his methods to overthrow Elephant Country and the Demon Worship Sect?"

"Yes."

"Their level seems... not very good."

"Not just not very good, the East Monarch faction is a general term, while the Elephant Country East Monarch faction has three sects. The names sound nice, but online naming is more precise. They are ’Caste East Monarch Faction,’ ’Capital East Monarch Faction,’ and ’Official Predator East Monarch Faction.’ Among them, the Official Predator East Monarch Faction is said to be mainly controlled by the Dragon Country Demon Worship Sect."

"Is there no People’s East Monarch Faction?"

"Yes, it was jointly slaughtered by the other three factions, not a single one survived."

Zhou Leng said, "This world is truly magical. Recently, everyone says that the Eagle Alliance is a ’semi-empire, semi-colonial society,’ bullying weak countries on one side while being colonized by the Demon Worship Sect."

"The high caste humans are playing with fire."

"What about that Singh who targeted you?"

"He was killed by the Grandmaster who came to investigate."

"Yesterday I might have been surprised, but today, I’m not at all."

"Singh bribed the Grandmaster investigating him, who drained his wealth and then killed him," Wang Gu said.

Zhou Leng remained silent, wanting to retract his previous words.

After greetings, Wang Gu spoke of business: "This time, the East Monarch faction is likely to cause disruption. The Elephant Country East Monarch faction has been deeply infiltrated by the Demon Worship Sect and is of little consequence, so much so that even the Demon Worship Sect doesn’t care. There shouldn’t be any problems. Even if there is combat, it won’t be our turn. Besides..."

"If you do encounter experts from the East Monarch faction, please show mercy, since their target is the Elephant Country."

Zhou Leng nodded.

Wang Gu led a group of Demon Worshipers from Elephant Country, searching various places under the guise of fighting crime.

At first, it was fine, but as searches continued, the situation changed.

Some began ransacking and robbing, directly knocking out anyone who tried to stop them.

Others abducted women and took them to secret rooms.

Various incidents, happening one after another.

Zhou Leng watched Wang Gu, who remained silent.

Zhou Leng also said nothing.

In Elephant Country, ruled by the Demon Worship Sect and martial artists, Wang Gu could do nothing.

The cost of resistance was singular.

Death.

In such a country, being able to restrain oneself was already nearing sainthood.

Moreover, the Saints of Elephant Country played even more, especially fond of playing with relatives.

In Elephant Country, one needs to rebuild their three views.

After searching a neighborhood, Wang Gu’s subordinates lined up to hand over half of their spoils to Wang Gu.

Someone even led a shivering child to Wang Gu.

"Send them back to raise them."

"Yes."

Zhou Leng had heard Wang Gu mention before that, under the pretense of building his own power, he established a Martial Arts school and occasionally saved some children.

He concluded self-mockingly that Chinese people overflow with kindness wherever they go.

The crew searched neighborhood by neighborhood.

Suddenly, a group of ragged Elephant Country people rushed out, dragging frail bodies, shouting loudly, and attacking the Demon Worshipers.

The Demon Worshipers grinned and began slaughtering without restraint.

A group of ordinary martial artists, who were underfed, fell one after another in pools of blood.

Zhou Leng watched the battle silently.

Among these martial artists, some were very young, even somewhat talented.

In Dragon Country, they could easily enter the Vitality Stage, or even Innate. With luck, they might become Grandmasters. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

But here, they were not only missing Replenishing Essence Pills.

They also lacked food and meat.

Wang Gu spoke slowly, "They are all people of Elephant Country who can’t survive. Once provoked or enticed by the East Monarch faction, they will attack us."

"Many?"

"Many, but getting fewer."

A Grandmaster, an Innate, quietly watched the battle, or rather, slaughter.

When the battle ended, Wang Gu’s subordinate called someone to send a vehicle to transport and sell the bodies.

Until late at night, the crew returned.

Not a single East Monarch faction member was caught, not an insider was found.

But everyone earned a fortune.

"Do you want some?" Wang Gu suddenly opened the Magic Spirit Bag.

"Not interested," Zhou Leng said flatly.

Wang Gu nodded.

The group moved through the slums.

Suddenly, a tiger’s roar sounded, the side door blasted open, and a man in black threw a punch at Wang Gu.

It turned out to be a Grandmaster.

The overwhelming force of the punch petrified Wang Gu, making his whole body stiff.

Zhou Leng glanced at the man, lightly moved his fingers, and a formless power transmitted ten meters away.

The assassin Grandmaster seemed to crash into an invisible wall, bounced off with a bang.

The group was in a state of shock, as the Middle-Rank Grandmaster rolled into a civilian house, fleeing frantically.

"Grandmaster, it’s a Grandmaster..."

He fled for a long time, realizing that the other party didn’t pursue him, breathed a long sigh of relief, understanding that he was deliberately spared.