But Jian Xin didn't think much further.
Jiao Wuyu is essentially a Jiao of noble lineage.
She was beheaded thousands of years ago, hiding in Pingchang City to recover, just a small city, nothing significant to her as a Jiao.
And that Demon Cultivator appeared to be just passing by.
Don't know where he got his adventure to acquire a Demon Weapon.
Such weapon, how could a small city possess the foundation to forge it?
Just the main material alone would be impossible for them to hunt down.
That Demon Cultivator got his adventure and took advantage of the Red Sun to plunder Pingchang City, then left immediately without a trace.
All of this was just coincidence.
"Enough, enough, the higher-ups are watching, I've got to get busy," Jian Xin murmured.
As a swordsman, he was also quite interested in that Yin-Yang Demon Weapon.
After a night of chaos, the dawn finally arrived.
Pingchang City, which already had no city walls, now lay in ruins.
Several Great Families' residences were severely attacked.
Such precise attacks, knowing the distribution of various resources, alchemy rooms, forging rooms, and spirit fields, inevitably aroused suspicion that someone had scouted for a long time in advance.
They were originally on guard against bandits and Demon Cultivators from the mountain, yet they did not expect a true bandit to appear.
Now the three Great Families have suffered devastation.
The worst hit was the Zhang Family.
Originally declining, they already had no Three Elements Realm Great Cultivator left.
On that night, some died, some fled, leaving no room for resistance, their foundation was completely emptied.
Although the old ancestor outside the city still stands, the Zhang Family has no funds left, the old ancestor is powerless, and the family's name is practically extinct!
As for the Zhang Family and Xu Family, many family cultivators perished, now only two or three cats remain, and the storage bags of the deceased cultivators were all taken.
Only the scarecrow-like Demon Beasts remain rooted in place, wandering aimlessly.
Gui Pu and Sword Fairy didn't bring along a grand army, as the target was too large.
They took a unit of a thousand elite scarecrows from the Four Viscera Realm, left lightly, and embarked on a journey away from Pingchang City.
The Zhang Family and Xu Family exchanged glances, seeing the bitterness in each other's eyes, there was indeed a feeling of mutual sympathy.
If not for the Red Sun, fearing an old ancestor's uprising that might attack them back, they would surely join forces to annihilate each other!
Fortunately, although they suffered heavy losses, the core combat power of Three Elements Realm Great Cultivator remains, so they barely escape extermination.
Yet after the Red Sun, they need to breed numerous new family members.
They are now isolated, eyed by second-rate forces in the city.
These forces will certainly join forces to secretly target them, preventing them from nurturing a young generation, leaving them with an aging population.
After all, they now fully lack trustworthy manpower, cannot personally attend to matters, and are easily schemed against.
For instance, many underlings' shops and industries need to appoint new cultivators for management, unknown how many spies the opposition might sneak in.
They might assist temporarily, only for those shops to change names later.
In the city, second-rate families watch with hungry eyes, all ready to strike when they're down, as the former Zhang Family, fearing the same fate awaits today's Xu Family, Zhang Family.
Another battle among dragons and tigers is foreseeable as these two Great Families are too busy taking care of themselves.
In the city, various inns and teahouses are particularly lively.
"This is the Divine Weapon indeed."
"So exaggerated! You have no idea, last night, it was...." Someone spoke animatedly, as it wasn't their concern.
"Such a Divine Weapon, chase pursued by countless people, for such reason! The power it possesses can be even greater than the wielder!"
The civilian area and Loose Cultivator area in this great battle didn't suffer any damage.
Though Sword Fairy is chaotic neutral, she wouldn't harm the innocent.
Especially during the days Zhang Huaping led her around slaying demons, she clearly understood the lives of the civilians in those alleys.
These civilians quickly realized those scarecrows were very simple, ignorant.
Like a newborn demon beast infant.
Some cultivators tried to approach this army of scarecrows, finding they could tame them, tried communicating, nurturing them as pet demon beasts.
"They can protect us."
"This is equivalent to newborn demon beasts, akin to collecting demon beast pet eggs from the wild!"
"These scarecrows could become our spirit pets."
"Robbing the rich to give to the poor!"
"That Fairy truly robs the rich to give to the poor!"
"These are pet eggs, so many, we could never afford even one even at the cost of everything we have."
Meanwhile, those tasked with secretive observations were shocked, silently jotting down:
[This Magical Artifact has much more terrifying strategic significance than imagined, transforming into scarecrow demon beasts that could become pets! For a faction's overall uplift, its significance is enormous!]
[Although enemies become scarecrows and experience a drastic drop in realm, primitive and dull, this still doesn't overshadow the benefits]
This secretive recorder's heart became increasingly alarmed as they wrote.
Should this second report return, they could imagine the surprise from that side, with an even higher strategic evaluation of this weapon!
Because however weak they might be, they are free newborn pets.
No need for taming, at this moment here there are over eighty thousand, how startling in number?
Although not directly usable for high-tier combat, providing protection for the sect's low-tier disciples and outside mission support is still a tremendous aid.
The surrounding remains bustling.
"Hurry and take them home, avoid having them snatched away by others."
"Hahaha, over eighty thousand, even the Great Families dare not monopolize them, fearing public wrath."
"Eighty thousand cultivators, shows how populous these three Great Families are!"
"The three Great Families, after many years of evil in our city, have finally been destroyed." Fresh chapters posted on ɴovelfire.net
"Indeed, recently these Great Families' old ancestor have caused countless deaths, claiming Red Moon protection for us, yet the greatest threat comes from their families, so it's deserved now!"
"Good, simply perfect!"
"Thank you, Straw Queen!" someone shouted in joy.
Someone sobbed, clearly affected for years by ghost's harm and torment: "So great, carrying away a scarecrow to watch the night in the courtyard, can ward off evil, must now be safe, no ghost dare invade our home."
"Good person, robbing the rich to give to the poor! Robbing the rich to give to the poor!"
"She saved the civilians of Pingchang City!"
Countless people shouted in blessing.
Even Zhang Huaping couldn't recognize last night's blurred figure in the sky as the Sword Fairy, hastily began taming scarecrows.
Believing with the protection of these scarecrows, this year's Red Sun, civilians would certainly fare well.
Reading families will become gatekeepers, monopolizing promotion channels, now most people from the three Great Families are dead, Pingchang City will have numerous vacant positions and resources.
Even offering weak families a chance to progress and further their steps.
Even Zhang Huaping saw hope.
At this time, with three days remaining for the full arrival of Red Sun, many rushed to search the battle ruins for scarecrows, planning to take one home for taming.
Though they may originally have been Three Great Families' cultivators, human beings, but what does that matter?
Anyhow their bodies have become nutrients, grew into scarecrows made of dried grass, for the poor and Loose Cultivators, as long as they safeguard their own lives, that makes them content.
"Look! What have I found!!!" exclaimed a scholar standing on a rooftop, companions hopped over tiles to join him, seeing the scarecrows from overhead forming vast letters.
[After all flowers bloom, I slay, full city adorned in golden armor]
Loose Cultivators and common folk were speechless for a long time, gazing at the city full of golden scarecrows.