Stranger Danger

Unfortunately, the Livestock Creation Spell was a spell that only few could practice. Only those of the Dark Ways could practice it, and only those who were extraordinarily talented could hope to practice it. That was why the number of people who knew the Livestock Creation Spell were few and far between, but every single one of them was a stunning genius.

Legend had it that the Livestock Creation Spell had originated from the Six Livestocks Market. Anyone who knew the Livestock Creation Spell was someone who was chosen by the Six Livestocks Market. That was why they were able to enter the place.

However, just because you knew the Livestock Creation Spell did not mean that you could enter the Six Livestocks Market anytime you wanted. So, when could one enter the place?

Unfortunately, the appearance time of the Six Livestocks Market followed no rhyme or reason whatsoever. Sometimes, it appeared just three years after its previous appearance. Sometimes, it was five. Sometimes, it was a decade or even decades.

It was said that someone who knew the Livestock Creation Spell would automatically feel it when the Six Livestocks Market was about to appear. That was the one and only guidance they had.

Just like the time, the appearance location of the Six Livestocks Market was equally uncertain. In fact, no one knew exactly where it would appear. They could only rely on the inexplicable feeling one gained after grasping the Livestock Creation Spell and walk in whatever direction it led them until they somehow someway entered the Six Livestocks Market.

Even stranger, the location and time a chosen one entered the Six Livestocks Market were different. No one knew how or why this was the case. If someone knew the answer, they hadn’t deigned to share it with the world.

In any case, these three requirements were why very few people were able to enter the Six Livestocks Market despite its popularity. However, these were just the requirements one must meet to enter the martial sanctuary. If someone wished to linger in the Six Livestocks Market long enough to achieve actual progress, well, that required a sufficient amount of wealth.

But wealth in the Six Livestocks Market did not refer to money or treasure. No, it referred to the six livestocks.

What were the six livestocks? They were pigs, horses, cattles, goats, chickens and dogs. However, one could not linger in the Six Livestocks Market using ordinary, mindless livestocks. Otherwise, one could theoretically stay in the Six Livestocks Market forever and ever, and it wouldn’t constitute a real requirement. No, these “livestocks” must be humans who were transformed using the Livestock Creation Spell.

The number of human-turned livestock directly affected the amount of time one could practice in the Six Livestocks Market. Not only that, the stronger and more talented a human-turned livestock was, the longer the warrior could linger in the sanctuary.

This was how the Six Livestocks Market came to earn its name.

But why did the Six Livestocks Market use living humans as currency, and what happened to those humans after they were “consumed”? No one knew the answer, and no one cared to find the answer. After all, anyone who desired to enter the Six Livestocks Market were also heretics who would happily sacrifice a bunch of lives just to extend their stay in the martial sanctuary a little longer, so why would they care about such things?

In any case, every time the Six Livestocks Market was soon to appear, all heretics who knew the Livestock Creation Spell would do everything in their power to kidnap as many people as possible. It was to turn them into livestocks and currency that would buy them more time in the Six Livestocks Market.

This was why the imperial court and orthodoxy of all countries denounced the Livestock Creation Spell as a taboo and slew anyone who practiced it, no questions asked.

Of course, everyone knew that the source of all these tragedies was the Six Livestocks Market, and many sects and clans had tried to destroy the place once and for all.

In fact, some orthodoxy champions had gone so far as to commit the taboo and practice the Livestock Creation Spell themselves in order to infiltrate the Six Livestocks Market. A good number of them were Sages and Gods-On-Earth as well.

Unfortunately, the Six Livestocks Market still exists to this day. Nothing they tried worked.

Left with no choice, the countries and the orthodoxy settled for the next best alternative and hunted down those who practiced the Livestock Creation Spell instead. Unfortunately, this was a terrible solution at best. Anyone who managed to practice the Livestock Creation Spell was an extraordinary genius, so hunting them down proved a difficult task at best or impossible at worst.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, all humans were naturally predisposed toward greed. The Six Livestocks Market was a golden opportunity, one most people were unlikely to find an equivalent, much less better. Who in their right mind would overlook it?

Naturally, there were always people who practiced the Livestock Creation Spell. The killing could never end.

The legend of the Six Livestocks Market was known throughout the world, but most practitioners of the Livestock Creation Spell kept a low profile for obvious reasons. Ye Qing never thought that he would one day run into someone who practiced the spell.

“So, you’re saying that the Six Livestocks Market has manifested,” Ye Qing confirmed.

“That is correct, senior. The reason I have embarked on this journey is to enter the Six Livestocks Market,” Tao Chong replied respectfully.

Ye Qing tilted his head a little. “So, these ‘goats’ are the livestocks you’ve prepared to enter the Six Livestocks Market.”

It wasn’t a question. It was only now he noticed that these goats—while looking no different from your ordinary goat in terms of appearance—were stronger, fitter, and definitely more intelligent than your ordinary goat. In fact, they were looking in their direction right now with nervousness, fear, pleading, desire, and more emotions in their eyes.

Strangely, Ye Qing’s demonic thought wasn’t able to pick up their emotions at all. As far as his demonic thought was concerned, these “goats” were just ordinary goats. That was why he hadn’t noticed anything amiss at the beginning.

“That is correct, senior,” Tao Chong replied.

“Who are these people?” Ye Qing asked expressionlessly.

“Most of them are ordinary people, and the rest are warriors.”

Tao Chong replied honestly, “This junior is weak, and he is afraid that his misdeeds would be discovered. I apologize for my unseemly behavior, senior.”

“You’re quite the cautious one, aren’t you?” Ye Qing remarked with a smile that did not reach the eye.

“Again, I apologize for my unseemly behavior. This junior has been timid since birth, and time has failed to affect this terrible trait of mine,” Tao Chong answered.

“I never said that you are timid. In fact, you are one of the boldest men I’ve ever met.”

Ye Qing taunted Tao Chong, “It takes a kind of balls to dare to practice the Livestock Creation Art and turn humans into livestocks!”

“Forgive me, senior. This junior understands his crimes and is willing to make up for it!”

At this point, Tao Chong realized that he was making a mistake. He hurriedly changed his tune and said, “If you are displeased, this junior will turn them back to human and set them free immediately. This junior also promises that he will never transform another human into livestock ever again.”

“Heh…”

Ye Qing let out an ominous chuckle. He was no saint who could not bear to see anyone bleed. Hell, he had probably killed several hundred people at least since arriving in this damned world, if not a thousand. Some of his victims were probably—not, most certainly—good people from another person’s perspective too. He never kidded himself and believed that his hands weren’t coated in thick, thick blood.

However, he dared to say that he had never killed an innocent. Innocents might have died because of him, but he had never perpetuated their tragedy with his own two hands, much less ordinary people who could do nothing but die in the face of power.

He could never view another person as worthless ants that he could humiliate, discard and kill as he pleased. He could never resort to unscrupulous means to achieve his own objectives. He wouldn’t.

He was a warrior, but he was a human before that.

A warrior went to war because he desired peace. Kindness was what separated humans from beasts. If he did not possess even the most basic level of benevolence and bottom line, then what was the difference between him and an animal?

An unprecedented chill turned Tao Chong’s inside into ice when he heard Ye Qing’s chuckle.

He was right about a human’s greed, but wrong about Ye Qing’s heart.

Tao Chong was shaking in his boots when Ye Qing asked another question, “How many times have you entered the Six Livestocks Market?”

“One time. I’ve only entered the Six Livestocks Market one time! This would have been my second time.”

Tao Chong hurriedly explained, “The first time this junior entered the Six Livestocks Market was three years ago. At the time, I had just grasped the Livestock Creation Art and so did not really understand the rules or intricacies involved. Like a dumb greenhorn, I somehow entered the Six Livestocks Market with two of my foes and left just three days later.”

“It was only after I came out that I realized just how valuable an experience it was. Those three days were enough for me to ascend from a late-stage Spirit Master to a Trueman.”

The reason he phrased his answer this way was one, to emphasize that the number of innocents on his hands was less than Ye Qing was probably expecting, and two, to inform him just how incredible the martial sanctuary was. He was hoping to draw out Ye Qing’s greed because it was the only way he might survive this predicament.