I'm Just a Beast Tamer

Chapter 43: Chapter 41: Imminent Disaster

Going to Anxin County was, of course, a diversion.

There were no surveillance cameras in this world. Jiang Zuo had deliberately dressed like an ordinary person. A month from now, even if someone came to investigate, all they would find was that he had gone to see Xu Mingde to travel to Anxin County.

As for whether the person in the carriage was still him, it would be impossible to tell.

...

Jiang Zuo’s departure caused no stir in Red Fox Town, merely becoming a topic of idle gossip for some.

But the people of Red Fox Town didn’t know that at dusk on the third day after Jiang Zuo left...

As the sky grew dark, a large crowd gathered at the foot of a mountain a few kilometers from town. Most of them were Martial Artists.

"Are we really going to attack Red Fox Town? I heard long ago that you shouldn’t mess with Red Fox Town, or the consequences will be dire!"

Someone in the crowd whispered.

"One person can’t, of course, but look how many of us there are now!"

"Exactly! Red Fox Town is a juicy target. There are way more rich people there than anywhere else! If we pull this off, we can leave and never have to worry about a thing for the rest of our lives!"

"Those Black Wind Bandits really have guts, daring to unite so many of us to pull off this job!"

The crowd murmured amongst themselves, their eyes glinting with greed as they stared at the distant Red Fox Town.

The Black Wind Bandits were leading this operation, having promised them great rewards.

Moreover, the Black Wind Bandits had somehow found a large group of powerful Martial Artists. All the others had to do was follow along and fish in the troubled waters to plunder Red Fox Town and seize an unimaginable fortune.

They were unaware that high above on the mountain peak, a middle-aged man was watching them with an indifferent gaze.

The man was clad in green robes, his gaze profound. An Ancient Sword was tucked into his belt, giving him the air of an ethereal master.

But within his profound eyes, there was a trace of coldness and grim resolve.

Before long, another person appeared silently beside him.

Unlike the man in green, this newcomer’s face was covered, and their aura was nearly undetectable, as if they were doing their utmost to conceal their presence.

"Zhao, I’ve had people take care of the matter you entrusted to me. The few families that have disputes with the Du Family have been informed that the Du Family’s patriarch, Du Chaozhen, will have no choice but to rush to Red Fox Town tonight."

"The Du Family should have also received news that you are about to strike Red Fox Town. If they want to stop you, their only option is to have their Dao Foundation patriarch, Du Chaozhen, set out himself. Only he can make it in time."

The newcomer said to the man in green.

"I’ve troubled you, Yuan. Heh heh, of all my so-called friends, only you were willing to lend a hand!"

Zhao Daonan chuckled grimly.

"Zhao, it’s not too late to stop. You’re a Dao Foundation Cultivator; you can start all over again. Find a suitable place, and with time, the Zhao Family can rise again. Once you make a move on Red Fox Town, not only you, but also the few remaining members of the Zhao Family, will die without a grave!"

The man named Yuan pleaded desperately.

"Yuan, say no more. My mind is made up! My parents, my wife, my children... they are all dead. I only hate that I am not strong enough to kill Du Chaozhen with my own hands!"

"But it doesn’t matter. Today, I will trade this worthless life of mine for the calamity of Du Chaozhen’s clan’s extermination. That will be enough!"

"And the Wan Family! They colluded with Du Chaozhen. They won’t get off lightly either!"

Zhao Daonan sneered, his voice filled with hatred.

"Sigh... in that case, I will say no more. Zhao, take care of yourself."

The man named Yuan sighed and turned to leave.

"Wait. These worldly possessions are useless to me now. I’ll give them all to you, Yuan, rather than let someone else get their hands on them."

Zhao Daonan called out to the man named Yuan and tossed a storage pouch over.

The man named Yuan said nothing. He caught the pouch, clasped his hands in a salute to Zhao Daonan, and vanished from the mountaintop.

"Heh heh... Du Family... Du Chaozhen, you backstabbing traitor! Don’t you rely on Red Fox Town and the backing of Venerable Red Fox? Tonight, I’ll slaughter Red Fox Town and destroy your backer. Then we’ll see if Venerable Red Fox is magnanimous enough not to hold it against you!"

Zhao Daonan gazed at the distant Red Fox Town, a crazed, cold laugh escaping his lips.

The Zhao Family and the Du Family were once allies. Zhao Daonan and Du Chaozhen, being of similar age, had even been like sworn brothers.

The two families had secretly agreed to cooperate in the Nanhua Small Secret Realm and pour all their strength into annihilating the Wan Family.

But unexpectedly, their ambush failed. Instead, they were the ones who fell into the Wan Family’s trap.

Not only that, but halfway through the battle, their supposed ally, the Du Family, suddenly turned on the Zhao Family.

It turned out the Du Family and the Wan Family had secretly colluded at some unknown point. The Zhao Family had thought the Wan Family was their prey, but in truth, they were the ones being hunted.

The Du and Wan Families’ plan was flawless. Originally, Zhao Daonan’s doom should have been inescapable.

But Zhao Daonan had managed to establish his Dao Foundation despite having Five Spirit Roots, which meant he was a man who had experienced his own fortunate encounters.

By using his most precious life-saving measure, Zhao Daonan escaped the desperate situation.

But he was the only one who escaped with his life.

After deciding to move against him, the Du and Wan Families had taken advantage of his presence in the Secret Realm to join forces, disguise themselves as marauding cultivators, and annihilate the Zhao Family.

Aside from a few clan members who happened to be away, not a single person escaped—from the hundred-year-old matriarch down to the three-year-old children.

Zhao Daonan’s heart turned to ash. He felt that in this vast world, there was no longer a place for him.

Moreover, even if he wanted to throw his life away to seek revenge on Du Chaozhen, he couldn’t.

Although he was at the Dao Foundation realm, he was only in the initial stage. The Du Family could send a few Qi Cultivation disciples to fight to the death and hold him down for a while.

If he was delayed until Du Chaozhen arrived, it would be a dead end for him.

In his despair, Zhao Daonan suddenly remembered Red Fox Town.

Back then, Du Chaozhen had intentionally or unintentionally flaunted his connection to Red Fox Town and Venerable Red Fox. Zhao Daonan, hoping to benefit from Venerable Red Fox’s powerful reputation, had fostered closer ties with Du Chaozhen, eventually even becoming his ally.

The Wan Family and the Du Family had originally been enemies, locked in a life-or-death struggle for years. For the Wan Family to suddenly collude with the Du Family and turn on the Zhao Family, it must have had something to do with the "tiger’s skin" of Venerable Red Fox’s name.

The Du Family’s rapid growth and expansion were all thanks to this borrowed prestige from Venerable Red Fox.

Zhao Daonan immediately had a target.

’Isn’t it only because of Red Fox Town that Du Chaozhen can use Venerable Red Fox’s name as a shield?’

’Then I’ll slaughter Red Fox Town, and I’ll make sure everyone knows I’m doing it because of Du Chaozhen!’

’Are the mortals of Red Fox Town innocent?’

’No, they are not!’

’They have enjoyed the cause of Venerable Red Fox’s protection, so they must bear the effect of being dragged down by him!’

’Venerable Red Fox is no better. Could he really be unaware of what Du Chaozhen has done?’

’Everything Du Chaozhen did was a result of Venerable Red Fox’s indulgence!’

With these thoughts, Zhao Daonan wished he could slaughter Red Fox Town at once, to make Du Chaozhen and Venerable Red Fox feel the pain he had suffered.

But Zhao Daonan knew he only had one chance. If he acted rashly and failed, he would be eternally damned.

Not only would he lose any chance for revenge, but he would also become a running joke for Du Chaozhen and his cronies.

So, Zhao Daonan forced himself to be patient, lurking outside Red Fox Town for over a year.

He then discovered that Venerable Red Fox had indeed left people to guard Red Fox Town. There was an old woman, whose Cultivation seemed much higher than his, living in the town disguised as a mortal.

Living with her was a young girl, also in disguise. And their neighbor, a young man, didn’t seem like an ordinary person either.

Over the past year, Zhao Daonan had figured out the habits of these three.

The old woman and the young girl would occasionally go out to a nearby Marketplace, and they would be gone for about a month each time.

As for the young man, he rarely left Red Fox Town, like a final Guardian who would not leave easily.

Zhao Daonan knew he was no match for the old woman, but the young man, at most, only possessed a few tricks given to him by Venerable Red Fox.

So, as his patience wore thin, Zhao Daonan prepared to launch his attack the next time the old woman and the girl left town.

Even if the young man intervened, he was confident he could still inflict massive casualties on Red Fox Town.

But he never expected that, nearly ten days ago, the old woman and the girl left as usual.

Zhao Daonan waited a week to confirm that they had gone to the nearby Marketplace just like before.

And just then, the young man who rarely left also departed from Red Fox Town.

For Zhao Daonan, this was a golden opportunity, the likes of which would never come again.

He had long been preparing for this day.

The moment the young man left Red Fox Town, he immediately set his plans in motion.

He ordered the group of Martial Artist bandits, whom he controlled by threatening their families’ lives, to bring a large crowd over.

These bandits were to serve as the vanguard. If Venerable Red Fox had any other contingencies in place, this group would serve as sacrificial pawns to draw attention, buying him one or two opportunities to strike.

If there were no contingencies, these bandits would simply add to the destruction.

’Their actions will surely provoke Venerable Red Fox’s wrath,’ he thought.

With preparations here complete, Zhao Daonan then had the man named Yuan help spread the news.

Now, everything was ready.

Vengeance would be his tonight!

"Attack!"

Gazing at the darkened sky, Zhao Daonan sent a voice transmission to the Martial Artists below.

The lives of the families of the hundred-plus Martial Artists below were all in Zhao Daonan’s hands.

They knew not to provoke Red Fox Town, but they had no choice. If they disobeyed Zhao Daonan, they would be killed on the spot.

"Go! Control the town gates first!"

The large crowd moved toward Red Fox Town under the cover of night, a great, menacing wave.

In the distance, the lanterns of Red Fox Town were just being lit, casting a warm and peaceful glow. The town, tranquil for a thousand years, was completely unaware that disaster was about to befall it.

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