Chapter 94: Chapter 94: I’m not Huang Silang, what am I afraid of Zhang Mazizi for?_1
The Rooster Crow Temple’s construction was in full swing, and the artisans couldn’t help but be amazed as they looked at the Headless Ghosts kneeling in prayer and the skulls before the Buddha.
At first, when people heard that the problem with the ghost-ridden Rooster Crow Temple had been solved, everyone thought it was just a rumor.
Later, when workers were sought to renovate the temple, naturally, no one wanted to go.
It wasn’t until more money was offered, and then even more, that the first batch of artisans willing to go arrived—because the pay was simply too high.
The subsequent second and third batches didn’t receive such a high price, causing many to bitterly regret their hesitation.
Some had considered deliberately causing trouble, but before they could stir anything up, the Mud Gang had already dealt with them.
"Looks like the Rooster Crow Temple is almost done. I bet you’re not planning to leave just yet," City Lord Murong Xuan said, crossing his legs, his expression meaningful.
"Oh, so you’re talking about the new City Lord arriving in a few days, huh?" Wang Linchi knew exactly what Murong Xuan meant; the latter was no longer in a hurry.
Initially, Murong Xuan had been rather impatient, as his own position was at stake.
However, after Wang Linchi dealt with the nest of Headless Ghosts in the Rooster Crow Temple, Murong Xuan completely relaxed. He figured that when the new City Lord arrived, the newcomer certainly wouldn’t be fighting him for the position, as Wang Linchi had already made him a figurehead, leaving him with no actual power.
"No need to worry. I think the new City Lord might not make it to our Black Rain City alive," Wang Linchi said. After confirming that someone was indeed coming to replace Murong Xuan, he also realized that this new City Lord was likely another pawn of the mastermind behind the scenes.
More than twenty days had passed since their return from the Rooster Crow Temple. During this period, the White Wind hadn’t reappeared, and the Black Rain had also stopped, not only in Black Rain City but also in the surrounding wilderness.
Wang Linchi was sure that the Naga had been injured.
"So you plan to take action?" Murong Xuan’s eyes lit up; he was surprised by Wang Linchi’s straightforwardness.
"We offer a choice: be a guest, or be beheaded. Submit and be a dog," Wang Linchi said slowly. "If he’s sensible, I’ll let him be the City Lord. If he’s not, his corpse can be found in the gutter by morning."
Wang Linchi never held any reverence for royal power, not even for the Dajing Court of his era. He would respect military might, but never the Court or royal power itself.
On his turf, a dragon must coil, and a tiger must crouch.
Violence is unpleasant, he thought. The best outcome, naturally, would be for the other party not to dare challenge my edge directly, and instead choose to lie low.
"What if he brings his own people? To take office in a barren and perilous place like ours, he wouldn’t dare come without some serious capabilities," Murong Xuan said. He never underestimated this unseen new City Lord.
"What? Could he be Zhang Mazizi?" Wang Linchi scoffed at himself. "In the worst case, I’ll just surrender this Huang Silang’s ’fortune’ of mine to him."
He was no Huang Silang, and even if the other party were Zhang Mazizi, they could do nothing to him.
Huang Silang had assets in Goose City, but Wang Linchi owned nothing here. Once the Rooster Crow Temple was renovated and the Buddha statue’s golden body remade, his mission would be complete. Whatever happened afterward, even if the temple was destroyed, wouldn’t be his concern; the only unfortunate ones would be the new City Lord and the original residents of Black Rain City.
Even if the entire Black Rain City fell, Wang Linchi wouldn’t feel the slightest bit of compassion. It was just a Secret Realm from another world, after all.
As a transmigrator, he couldn’t even empathize with the Dajing Dynasty, let alone a strange world he had only been in for a short time.
Murong Xuan didn’t understand the references to Huang Silang and Zhang Mazizi, but he understood Wang Linchi’s intent.
"I’ve made some inquiries. He’s from a Great Family, possibly here to stockpile grain and build fortifications," Murong Xuan said. As a hereditary City Lord, he naturally had his own information channels.
Wang Linchi was indifferent. "In three days at most, the Rooster Crow Temple will be completely renovated."
Never mind proclaiming oneself king; even if they rebelled, Wang Linchi wouldn’t care.
Besides, was he without men under his command?
During this period, the idle members of the Mud Gang had been organized into an army and trained. Equipped with weapons and armor tirelessly produced by the three blacksmith shops, they now possessed considerable combat power.
They could not only be used to exterminate the surrounding Demons and Ghosts but could also be deployed to kill people.
If Wang Linchi completed the extermination activities, in addition to the mission, he might even obtain an Epic-Level Soul Kind.
Since the other party was here to accumulate power, there was a high probability they wouldn’t dare to clash with local forces. After all, the new City Lord, relying solely on himself, would have no way to manage Black Rain City and its numerous villages and towns.
This was unlike Wang Linchi, who was engaged in a one-time deal and could therefore act unscrupulously without fear of long-term consequences.
Moreover, he held the lives of Black Rain City’s high-ranking members in his hands. Only someone tired of living would dare to assist the new City Lord against him.
"Three days? Wouldn’t that be somewhat rushed?" Murong Xuan obviously misunderstood Wang Linchi’s intentions. He thought Wang Linchi planned to dispose of the new City Lord within three days, as it was unlikely the new City Lord would even enter the city by then.
"That’s enough," Wang Linchi replied, not noticing they were on different wavelengths. He had said the Rooster Crow Temple would be repaired in three days, but in reality, it could be done in two.
He just habitually left some buffer time for unexpected circumstances.
"As long as you’re confident. Do you need my help with anything?" Murong Xuan asked. He reasoned that if Wang Linchi was going to kill the new City Lord, he himself would need to show some support to secure his own position.
"No need. Everything has been arranged quite well," Wang Linchi refused. The repairs are almost finished, and now he shows up to offer help? I don’t mind people trying to snatch credit, but they should at least make a superficial effort. Trying to grab credit without doing a thing? That’s not quite right.
The two men were essentially talking past each other, and while both eventually sensed something odd about the conversation, neither dwelled on it.
After Murong Xuan left, Wang Linchi continued his research. His subject was the White Wind Bug. As for the forty-nine Sanskrit letters, he hadn’t researched them much.
He had previously engraved the complete "Shakyamuni’s Fundamental Mantra for Destroying Evil Destinies" on his long knife, granting it the two properties of Slay Evil and Ward Off Evil.
It didn’t gain properties like sharpness, wind resistance, or fire resistance, but its effects were terrifying.
Any Demon or Ghost, even at the Mountain Copper Level, would die from a single strike of this blade, and their attacks against him would be reduced to an almost negligible level.
However, this effect only applied to beings at the Mountain Copper Level. For those at the Secret Silver Level or higher, a more advanced mantra would likely be needed.
This was precisely why he could defeat the White Wind but only wound the Black Rain Naga.
That Naga possessed strength at least equivalent to the Secret Silver Level, and it was even possible it had reached the Elite Gold Level.
The mastermind behind this... Wang Linchi didn’t quite dare to let his imagination dwell on it.
There were disadvantages, of course. Ordinary copper and iron couldn’t bear the inscription, meaning that once the "Shakyamuni’s Fundamental Mantra for Destroying Evil Destinies" engraved on weapons and armor took effect, their lifespan would be significantly reduced.
Fortunately, the material itself was merely a carrier; the actual power came from the mantra formed by the Sanskrit text.
Wang Linchi had modified its application in several ways. For example, he engraved it on arrows; the arrowheads were made of inferior material, but they bore the "Shakyamuni’s Fundamental Mantra for Destroying Evil Destinies."
He also invested heavily in forming a catapult contingent, engraving the "Shakyamuni’s Fundamental Mantra for Destroying Evil Destinies" on the stones they would launch.
When faced with Demons and Ghosts, he would immediately use long-range firepower to saturate the area, inflicting maximum damage at minimal cost.
There were drawbacks, of course. This method was only effective against Demons and Ghosts; its effects against humans were greatly diminished.
Wang Linchi didn’t mind if the entire mantra was circulated. It was ineffective against humans and only worked on Demons and Ghosts. Since it couldn’t harm his interests, he naturally didn’t care about its proliferation; in fact, it might even aid his efforts to exterminate these creatures.
Once he finished exterminating the Demons and Ghosts in the vicinity of Black Rain City, it was quite possible he would obtain a Soul Kind like Slay Evil or Destroy Evil, at least of Epic Level. Either way, it would be a major achievement.
As for a Legendary Level Soul Kind, he didn’t dare to dream of it. Perhaps that would require killing the mastermind behind all this.
"These White Wind Bugs are really resilient! They haven’t eaten for nearly a month, and they’re still lively and kicking! Their vitality is truly incredible," Wang Linchi muttered to himself, picking up a White Wind Bug.
He had instructed the Mud Gang to gather information on these bugs, but so far, they hadn’t found any leads; no one recognized what these small insects were.
Later, Wang Linchi gave up on that line of inquiry and relied on his own research.
His recent results were quite promising. Through research on the White Wind Bug’s body structure, combined with corresponding biological principles, he was close to developing a new synthetic material.
Its main features were being lightweight, sturdy, and tough.
It was perfectly suited to be used as his body armor. The downsides were its poor resistance to Elements and its extremely low resistance to Spirit and Soul. This could potentially lead to the body armor’s complete disintegration.
Wang Linchi was currently trying to overcome these problems.