Dance Of The Dragons
Chapter 122 : The Cursed Soil (1)

Chapter 122: Chapter 122 : The Cursed Soil (1)

Ah Yan and his mother arrived at the restaurant early in the morning. As they peeled the skin off a basket of potatoes, they started to talk about the dire situation at Rainbell Town.

"Rainbell Town used to be a wealthy town," so Ah Yan’s mother spoke. "A few years ago, a renowned cultivation sect seized control of the town. People said that the cultivators practiced demonic arts.

Many townsfolk disappeared during this time. Some willingly joined the sect, some were rumored to be kidnapped by the sect.

And then, a few weeks ago, the sky was rumbling for three days and three nights. Darkness descended upon this world. Poisonous smoke permeated the air, chasing all animals away."

She referred to the war between the Heavenly Realm and the Demonic Realm. Xie Jianyu and Zhang Fengxi continued listening attentively.

"It happened a few times already in the past. It is not advisable to go out to even take a look, so we all hid inside the safety of our homes.

By the time the chaos concluded, Rainbell Town was left in ruins and shambles. The nearby farmlands were utterly destroyed. All cattle animals either died or escaped during the chaos."

"It was possible to restore the farms," she said, "but for some reason, the seedlings failed to take root. The previously fertile soil was rendered barren. In the end, the farmers were deprived of their livelihood, and those who worked in the field lost their jobs. Including me."

Xie Jianyu threw a poorly peeled potato into the potato basket.

"If you don’t mind, can you show us around? We would like to take a look at the barren farmlands."

"Sure," Ah Yan’s mother replied. "I fear that nothing could be done at this point, though. Rainbell Town is going to die soon. It is best to find another town to live in."

"We don’t know that yet," Zhang Fengxi said. "Please don’t give up on Rainbell Town yet."

Ah Yan’s mother gave the two young men pitiful looks. They worked so hard to open a restaurant in Rainbell Town, only to find out that it was dying. Because these two young masters had been very kind to her and her son, she naturally felt compelled to help.

"Alright," she sighed. "I will take you to the barren farmlands as soon as I am done with my work here."

They all had lunch together at the restaurant. Today, there were a plate of braised duck with soy sauce, ginger, and garlic; a bowl of potato and chicken soup; and a basket of fried pancakes made of cabbage, carrot, and onions on the menu.

Belly full of good food, Ah Yan and his mother happily took Zhang Fengxi and Xie Jianyu to the ruined farmlands.

The dark brown soil extended as far as eyes could see, but nothing grew on it. Not even wild grasses.

"As you can see, the soil is wet and full of nutrients. We have done everything we could to revive the land. No amount of fertilizer, no amount of water or sunshine yield any improvement," Ah Yan’s mother commented.

All she saw were patches of barren land, but Xie Jianyu and Zhang Fengxi saw a lot more. The thick aura of resentment rose from the barren land, looking like dark wisps of smoke. From time to time, they took the forms of humanoid faces.

Xie Jianyu grabbed a handful of soil and squeezed it. Thin, reddish liquid trickled down his hand, falling back to the earth.

When he closed his eyes, he could hear the anguished cries of the trapped souls.

[Revenge... I want revenge...!]

[Pain... Hatred... ahhhh... kill... kill them all!!!]

[I haven’t done anything wrong... I don’t want to die... please help...]

Zhang Fengxi turned to Ah Yan and his mother, "Big Sister, thanks for taking us here. You can take Ah Yan back to the restaurant. We will go back later."

"Oh, alright."

Ah Yan’s mother stared at Xie Jianyu’s back full of curiosity. She wanted to see what the two young masters planned to do, but Zhang Fengxi’s gaze urged her to leave.

Eventually, she took Ah Yan with her and left.

"War casualties?" Zhang Fengxi squatted next to Xie Jianyu.

Xie Jianyu shook his head.

"Ritualistic sacrifices."

Zhang Fengxi’s face turned grim.

Xie Jianyu buried both hands into the bloody soil.

"Earth God, come forth."

As soon as the words left Xie Jianyu’s lips, a gust of wind blew around the field.

And then, a specter-like figure in a long, white robe slowly emerged in front of the two princes. The Earth God took the appearance of an old man with long white hair and a long white beard. He tapped his wooden cane into the soil and bowed.

"Crown Prince and Prince Zhang Fengxi, how can this old man be of service?"

"Earth God, what happened in this field?" Xie Jianyu asked.

The Earth God let out a deep sigh.

"Your Highness, twenty-four unmarried young women below the age of twenty were gathered in this place and killed all at once. And then, their souls were used to nourish the field."

"The Crescent Mayhem Sect has been destroyed. The souls should be free at once. Why are they still lingering here?" Zhang Fengxi asked.

"You are not wrong, Prince. Their shackles were indeed broken the moment the Crescent Mayhem Sect Leader was killed. Unfortunately, even then, these young women are unable to let go. The deep resentment prevents them from re-entering the reincarnation cycle."

"This is not good. At this rate, their souls will become corrupted. Corrupted souls are food for the low-level demons."

The Earth God nodded.

"I cannot do anything for them," he said in a helpless tone. "I urged them to move on, but they refused to leave before they gain proper compensation for their lost lives."

Zhang Fengxi and Xie Jianyu furrowed their brows in unison.

"What kind of compensation are they seeking?"

"They would like to get married," the Earth God replied as-a-matter-of-factly.