Chapter 245: Chapter 238 Savage Rule_1

This foray into the territory of the Nine Insect Gang also afforded Qin Niu a glimpse into just the tip of the iceberg that was the world of the Insect Masters.

The regions he had breached belonged to the original Seven Star Sect and were not yet considered the oldest dominion of the Nine Insect Gang. Even so, the Insect Masters he encountered were immensely formidable.

these individuals were by no means the commanding insect tamers of the Nine Insect Gang, but merely the most ordinary of Insect Masters.

It seemed that practically every citizen of the Nine Insect Gang was an Insect Master.

One could be almost certain that the Nine Insect Gang possessed a large number of top-tier Insect Masters.

Because there was such a large base of Insect Masters, it was natural that there would not be a shortage of powerful ones.

For instance, Old Master Huang was exceptionally skilled. His Corpse Bees had an evolutionary potential surpassed only by the Green Demon Bees.

Moreover, the Corpse Bees were known for their iron-clad bodies, remarkable self-healing abilities, night vision, and intense venom.

Their venom was not merely the common wasp poison, but also carried the properties of corpse poison.

This was a truly unique bee venom.

The toxicity of wasp venom was already quite complex, featuring the ability to corrode and destroy human proteins, cause hemolysis, and damage tissue cells.

If the amount of venom injected into the body was not substantial, perhaps it might result in only localized swelling and unbearable pain.

If one were to be stung by multiple wasps at once, or by a single Grade Two or higher wasp, it could easily be lethal.

Qin Niu would certainly encounter some particularly powerful Insect Masters in the future.

And it was highly likely that they would be foes rather than friends.

Now that he had acquired the Green Demon Bee, and also possessed eggs of the Corpse Bee, he could consider cultivating both bee species simultaneously.

He could even think about combining the two into one.

Almost all Insect Masters, during the process of breeding their insects, would try every means to merge similar types over time. For example, owning three different types of wasps at once -one adept at flying, another excelling in reproduction, and one with particularly intense venom.

Cultivating three simultaneously would scatter resources.

If they could be merged into one, concentrating the three advantages onto a new breed of bee, that would be most wonderful.

Not only would the new bee species grow significantly stronger in combat, but because all resources would be focused on nurturing a single one, it would advance more easily.

Even Qin Niu’s overarching approach to insect cultivation was of this mindset.

Though it seemed he had numerous termites, his true focus was on cultivating only the Ant Queen and Fourth.

While the other termites would also be nurtured, the top-tier resources were always prioritized for the Ant Queen.

Quality over quantity.

He kept his head down and hastened along the road, disguised indistinguishably from the local people.

The basket on his back had been swapped for a larger one.

According to the map, to head for the Shennong Sect territory, he had to pass through the Seven-Star City within the Nine Insect Gang’s domain.

Once, this was the most central city of the Seven Star Sect.

But now the times had changed, and it had become the largest city of the Nine Insect Gang.

The geography of the former Seven Star Sect was excellent, with Seven Star City nestled amidst a layout resembling seven stars cradling the moon. It had plenty of mountainous areas but was also rich in fertile lands and abundant water resources, with an excellent geographic location to boot.

It was truly a feng shui treasure land that connected nine states.

If the Seven Star Sect Master had not perished that year, the impoverished and vicious Nine Insect Gang from deep in the mountains would have had almost no chance of annexing the Seven Star Sect.

Not only was the Seven Star Sect strong, but it also had excellent relations with its neighbors.

It was said that the sister of the Seven Star Sect Master had married the Gang

Leader of the Shennong Sect.

With such a marital alliance, they maintained a close relationship.

The agricultural products of the Shennong Sect, passing through the Seven Star Sect, were sold around the neighboring areas.

Following the misfortune of the Seven Star Sect Master, it remains a mystery why the Shennong Sect did not take the opportunity to consume the Seven Star Sect.

Instead, they allowed the Nine Insect Gang, a group that struggled within its impoverished and rugged environment, to slip in and expand its power.

Now, with rampant ambition, the Nine Insect Gang encroached on the territories of other gangs, disrupting peace throughout the region.

Qin Niu traveled at a brisk pace and reached Seven-Star City in less than two days.

Along the journey, he observed that the common folk did not lead easy lives, lhe Nine Insect Gang stratified people into different classes, with those originally from the Nine Insect Gang being superior. Most of the Seven Star Sect and other non-Nine Insect Gang people were classified as second-class.

The worst off were the lowest class, burdened with heavy taxes. Entire families were forced to serve the superior class as slaves and servants, laboring hard in the fields or at other work.

Otherwise, they couldn’t afford to eat their fill or wear warm clothing.

Many women in their twenties and thirties wore merely tattered clothing, barely covering their bodies.

This was not an isolated incident but a widespread phenomenon.

Moreover, their customs and habits had undergone significant changes.

As Qin Niu understood, the former Seven Star Sect used to be the wealthiest among all the surrounding sects. Even the Black Tiger Gang was a notch below them, and in terms of civilization, the Seven Star Sect had always been the role model that the surrounding sects strove to emulate.

But now, the customs of the local populace were no better than those of the uneducated primitives from the mountains.

Women bathed in the river, baring their upper bodies.

Many people ate with their hands directly.

Violent incidents were rampant.

As Qin Niu hurried on his way, he encountered no fewer than ten robbery attempts.

Even though he dispatched those people, it was evident that the land, once a beacon of civilization, had regressed into a place of backward barbarism.

As the saying goes, “When the ruler changes, so do his subordinates.”

lhe Nine Insect Gang ruled over the territories of the Seven Star Sect for less than two hundred years, yet it had thoroughly extinguished civilization and enforced its barbaric policies.

When he first entered, the conduct of those soldiers was no different from that of robbers and bandits.

Another phenomenon that sent chills down Qin Niu’s spine was the

realization…

Almost every household reared insects.

Here, everything held Insect Masters as the most distinguished. Becoming an Insect Master was virtually the only way out.

Just like in the Han dynasty, when it was proposed to abandon all other philosophies in favor of exclusively venerating Confucianism.

The Nine Insect Gang now revered controlling insects above all.

Under this policy, whether commoners or the middle class, everyone would desperately nurture their children into Insect Masters.

It was hard to imagine how strong the Insect Masters of the Nine Insect Gang would become if such a policy continued to evolve.

He couldn’t help but recall what Zhang Banzui had said, “With the rise of Insect Masters, chaos will reign over the world.”

If the Nine Insect Gang focused solely on controlling insects, they would inevitably take the path of pillage, just like wasps.

Wasps, unable to produce honey themselves, must kill and plunder to feed their kind and survive the winter. Near the deep autumn, it was common for whole hives of bees to be massacred by wasps.

Once the Nine Insect Gang grew, they would be far more fearsome than wasps. The neighboring sects and powers would suffer.

The Hundred-Tempering Immortal Sect seemed to have run into trouble recently; it’s very likely that the centennial term of the Immortal had come. Under such circumstances, the sect needed to defend fully and ensure the safety of the Immortal.

They simply had no energy to manage the affairs of the subordinate sects.

Seizing this opportunity, the Nine Insect Gang would surely expand aggressively.

It remained to see whether the Black Tiger Gang could withstand this pressure. If the Black Tiger Gang were to be absorbed, the Nine Insect Gang would become unstoppable, and the surrounding sects and forces would be served up one by one.

Qin Niu was somewhat concerned about the future.

Standing under Seven-Star City, which remained majestic and magnificent even after two hundred years.

The towering ten-zhang city wall, the huge city gate forged from pure copper, and above it, the three large characters of “Seven-Star City” etched in a dynamic dragon-like script, as well as the thirty-zhang wide moat, all reflected the grandeur and glory of Seven-Star City in its heyday.

It was said that the three characters on the city gate were inscribed by the first city lord, who was also the most extraordinary Gang Leader of the Seven-Star Sect, wielding his sword as he leapt and carved those characters in one breath.

Back then, when people mentioned the Seven-Star Sect, they would think of the Seven-Star Sword Technique.

Alas, as the Seven-Star Sect was annexed, the Seven-Star Sword Technique also gradually faded into obscurity.

The copy of the Seven-Star Sword Technique obtained by Qin Niu may well have been written by a senior expert of the Seven-Star Sect. For various reasons, it ended up in the hands of Wu Hao, an inner disciple of the Nine Insect Gang.

In the end, Wu Hao was killed by Qin Niu, and the Seven-Star Sword Technique ultimately fell into Qin Niu’s hands.

It’s worth mentioning that the Seven-Star Sword Technique was once the exclusive skill of the Seven-Star Sect. There were undoubtedly more than one copy left behind. All disciples and elders who studied the Seven-Star Sword Technique could have noted down the manual for their descendants.

Hey, hey, do you know the rules? You have to pay to enter the city. Seeing the large basket of goods you’re carrying, you’re here to sell, right? The entry fee is thirty wen.”

A soldier of the Nine Insect Gang blocked Qin Niu’s path.

Unlike the Black Tiger Gang’s queuing for entry.

The management of entering the city here seemed quite lax.

Eleven soldiers stood at the city gate, collecting fees; as long as the money was paid, one could enter.

The officer-looking man sat behind on a reclining chair, with his eyes half-closed, not bothering with the situation.

An entry fee of thirty wen was already exorbitant.

Normally, the market rate for entry was just ten wen money.

Qin Niu was merely passing through Seven-Star City and had no intention of inciting conflict with the soldiers over thirty wen money.

He honestly paid the thirty wen, and the other party didn’t even inspect his goods.

Perhaps they thought him too young and dressed too ordinarily for a farmer that they couldn’t be bothered to check.

This suited Qin Niu just fine.

If they had inspected his basket and found something amiss,

or even tried to search him, it might have led to a bloody battle.

He was never the honest sort.

As long as he felt threatened, he would never be merciful.

After entering the city, he first made sure he knew the southern gate well.

While they charged for entry here, no one minded those exiting.

Taking the rare opportunity to be in the city, and particularly in the once-grand Seven-Star City, he decided to deal with those silver notes and gold notes.

He exchanged the silver notes for gold notes from Heaven and Earth Bank through various banks and the black market in the city.

You wouldn’t know until you calculated, and he was startled by the result.

Through various acts of highway robbery and plundering from the dead, he amassed an astonishing total of over ninety-three thousand taels of silver.

He was less than seven thousand taels away from amassing a full hundred thousand taels of silver.

Such a huge sum would afford a comfortable life anywhere, provided it wasn’t stolen.

Now, it was exchanged for nine thousand taels in gold notes and three thousand one hundred taels in silver notes.

Along with some scattered silver pieces and copper coins, for petty cash on the road.

Having dealt with the silver and gold notes, Qin Niu didn’t dare linger any longer. He chose to leave the city and head towards the Shennong Sect.

There were about seven hundred more miles from Seven-Star City to the border shared with the Shennong Sect,

and with many mountain roads, it was estimated to take at least nearly two days to reach there.

On the second day after he left Seven-Star City, a large number of soldiers were suddenly added to the city gate, their swords drawn and crossbows loaded, as if facing a formidable enemy.

The catchpoles from within the city led the way as the soldiers commenced a city-wide manhunt.

Looking at the situation, it was very likely that a clue had emerged from the silver notes Qin Niu had cashed out.

After all, the Nine Insect Gang took the murder of their commanding Commander very seriously..