Chapter 232
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Vigilante A stepped onto the red carpet in the city hall. On both sides of the red carpet was a pretty lady followed by many Extraordinaire bodyguards. Coupled with the God of Gamblers soundtrack when Chow Yunfat appeared, the atmosphere was extraordinarily grandiose and exceedingly stylish.
Fang Ning looked and muttered with a slight regret, "Should have slicked the hair back like Chow Yunfat... never mind, Slicked-back hair doesn't suit Vigilante A. Let's go in with a confident smile and wave your arm to show a little finesse."
Most of the Extraordinaire bodyguards were Grade-C and above, which is to say, Bucket-level and above. Those who were weaker than that would not have qualified to be a bodyguard of the Duke.
Powerhouses like this would be respected in many other sects or schools. They would be addressed as Big Senior Brother or Big Senior Sister and would be the focus of people's attention.
However, right now, their attention was focused on the person who had just arrived.
The newcomer looked stoic and expressionless, so everyone was squirming in discomfort. 'Would he be a difficult person to deal with?'
Landlord Yun had met Vigilante A before. She could tell what was happening, so she began applauding.
The other bodyguards followed suit subconsciously.
It was then that they saw Vigilante A who was on the red carpet beamed with a warm smile and waved at them.
Grins appeared on everyone's faces naturally, and they were relieved.
Immediately after, they could feel a majestic aura blasting into the sky and turned pale.
The power was far stronger than Duke Yun at his strongest when he was defending against monsters or fight other people.
In comparison, one was like a pond in the countryside and the other a lake of immeasurable size, it was easy to see the difference between the two.
"Nice, it really is the Eastern Dragon God!" Duke Yun Hui had a different reaction to everyone else. He was so happy to the point that he stood up, swayed a little but managed to hold his balance, and walked down the aisle to greet Vigilante A.
"Cousin brother? Are you feeling alright?" Yun Xuan returned to his side, preparing to support him.
Yun Hui did not look at his cousin sister. His eyes were fixed onto Vigilante A as a hope flickered into existence that he might be able to save the situation.
At the same time, many people in their buses and were making their way to the airport shuddered before reaching outside to look toward the direction of the city hall.
This was a city of Extraordinaires, its citizens had cultivated at least a little. When they were recruiting for employees, the applicants had been thoroughly assessed. The ones who got in were the ones who had some basic talent for cultivation. That was loosened up when family members were allowed in.
Sensing strength was the most basic of their homework. If they could not achieve that, they would not have known when they might die.
Simultaneously, they felt a mighty presence appearing above the city hall and formed a vague shape of a dragon. Recalling the flight of the green dragon a while ago, they immediately understood it was the arrival of a strong ally, the Dragon God!
Having understood that, no one panicked. Smiles warmed everyone's faces as they thought, 'Maybe we really don't need to leave our homes.' After all, most of the citizens were Chinese people. Being an agriculture-heavy society, their attachment to their homeland was in their blood...
By that time, on the west edge of the city, Landlord Liu was supervising as several dozen workers were busy at a limestone well.
Some people were stabilizing the Vitality nodes around it, others were digging the earth around them, and the rest were setting up sealing formations. It was like they were trying to dig up the whole well and bring it along with them. Everyone was moving deliberately, carefully.
Different from other folks who were evacuating, they looked like they were actually going to 'leave their hometown with a well on their backs'...
It was only halfway done when Landlord Liu shuddered and stared at the city hall in disbelief.
"Sir, are we still moving this well infused with the Vitality Spirit?" asked a few of his subordinates as they felt it.
Landlord Liu was stunned, but immediately turned joyful and replied, "Maybe not. It was only half a month, but the Venerable Dragon God had already advanced to Lake-level, enough to take on that Giant Spirit Bear. If we moved the Well of Vitality and damaged the Vitality Spirit, it would have been left with a tenth of its Vitality-gathering effects, that would be a shame. Stop the operation, I shall ask the Duke."
...
In the city hall, Vigilante A began speaking only after he finished releasing his power.
"Russia has always been bullying the weak while avoiding the strong. They massacred the helpless and the weak. I have always maintained that justice must be served, so I came all the way here. You are Duke Yun?"
Supported by his cousin sister, Yun Hui managed to stabilize himself on his legs. He said while saluted Vigilante A with a closed fist, "Well met, Venerable One. It is my honor to be recognized by you at first glance. I had been betrayed by some people and am currently poisoned, that was why I could not greet you in person, hope you would understand that."
Vigilante A nodded. Without saying anything, he pointed at Yun Hui.
Yun Hui was startled, as did all others.
Immediately after, Yun Hui was overjoyed as his strength returned to him. In his excitement, he shook off Yun Xuan's support and bowed at Vigilante A. "Venerable One, your might is boundless, I am forever thankful."
It was then that everyone realized the green aura surrounding the Duke had dispersed. His face was in the pink, and he had reverted to his usual strong stature. For that, all the people were thrilled. In a situation like this, all those who had remained beside Yun Hui had been his fiercest supporters.
Yun Xuan was happily surprised. "Cousin brother, you've completely recovered?"
Yun Hui nodded, signaling to Yun Xuan that she need not say much.
Fang Ning read the system notification with satisfaction.
[The System used the legendary equipment Poison Prevention Orb and activated the skill Detoxify. Yun Hui was no longer afflicted by the Master-level poison Medea's Poison.]
Yun Hui was really shocked by this turn of events. He did not expect the poison that had beaten the antidotes he had collected over the years as well as his solid foundation base could be easily resolved just by a single flick of Vigilante A's finger.
Seeing the difference between them, he was not even disappointed in the slightest. He was delirious. 'Looks like he could really turn the tide around.'
He promptly treated Vigilante A with the utmost respect, leading Vigilante A to a meeting room just beside the room and letting him sit on the VIP seat.
...
After a moment of confessions, the meeting room boomed with Vigilante A's righteous voice.
"What nonsense is this? Not only did they backed out of the alliance, they even colluded against you. This is a profit at the expense of honor, fearing the strong and bullying the weak, and an attempt to rob another of their assets. Each one as evil as another, every single one punishable by death! You have put in so much effort to build the city and develop the land, you shouldn't have been met with this ordeal. I shall bear the decree of heavens and return justice to the land."
Duke Yun was elated. Vigilante A was exactly as he was described and was a person who would not hesitate to uphold justice. Fortunately, he had always been nice to other people, preferring to leave a backdoor for himself.
Otherwise, if he had fallen out with Vigilante A just because he had refused to become a guest at his invitation, how would he have the dignity to ask Vigilante A for help?
Compared to that, the other guests who had been receiving the benefits of the city had hidden themselves as soon as they heard the Russian Totem Spirit Bear had manifested. Those who had refused outright were not the worst, some of them did not even reply.
In comparison, it was easy to see who was more honorable.
This was the benefit of befriending a good person. Even though it was more troublesome to get along with them, they were trustworthy in a life-and-death situation.
Right then, Landlord Liu sent him a text asking if they should still move the well.
Duke Yun relayed the message and asked for Vigilante A's opinion.
Vigilante A said with confidence, "It was only a wild Russian bear, and it dared to act in such a wanton way? You can stay in your homes safely, there's no need to move the well, I will personally see to your safety."
Hearing that, Yun Xuan was a little worried. "They have many people, and every single one of them was cunning and malicious. You are powerful, so you don't fear them. My only concern is if they knew they couldn't win, they would set up traps to harm the whole city. If you have capable friends, it might be for the best if you could recruit them to make sure that aspect was covered. We will take care of all the expenses incurred."
Yun Hui did not stop his cousin from speaking, because that was exactly his worry. After all, in battles, it would be hard to deflect every single trick the enemies threw their way.
Vigilante A looked stunned as if he was considering her suggestion.
Everyone waited patiently.
The System said, "The girl is right, but calling other people will not solve the problem. Too bad this place is not in China, the map is not open to us, or else we wouldn't need to worry at all."
Fang Ning said after a moment of speechlessness, "Can't you ask the black dog to come here and use Thousand-mile Assistance?"
The System replied, "You think I didn't think about that? It is a Pond-level now, the phone had already lost its power. What if we bring Butler Zheng here? It should still work on him."
Fang Ning gave it a thought and answered, "Forget it. Sooner or later, they will all become a Pond-level, we need to fix this issue either way. Yun Hui being poisoned reminded me though, don't you still have some of the King Cobra's carcass? It had been inside the Preservation Area the whole time, so its venom must still work. I recall the description for the venom was something like 'if eaten by Pond-level powerhouse who has no resistance to it, they will be poisoned, paralyzed, and finally become close to death...' "
The System said, "Mr. Richman, you're a genius, but why do you have such a black heart?"
Fang Ning rolled his eyes. "I was doing it for their own good, in case they become like ol' Zheng, not being able to save himself in a desperate situation. Just take a teeny-tiny bit of the venom, seal it in a small bottle, and place it within the phone next to the explosive device.
"As long as the summon button was pressed without stopping, it will definitely explode once twenty-four hours is up, and the black dog will definitely be poisoned half to death. Within that twenty-four hours, due to an ally's life being in danger, the skill Thousand-mile Assistance can definitely work and the map will definitely be revealed."
The System said, "I don't need your explanation, I know it can work... They are such lucky creatures, with an imaginative boss who thought about their safety at all times."
Fang Ning pretended not to understand the latent meaning of that praise and said, "Thank you for your compliments."
It was then that all the people in the room heard Vigilante A answering confidently, "If that's the case, I shall summon a descended celestial hound. It was an Earthly Hound Clan of noble birth and was born with extraordinary olfactory sense. With it being here, anyone who tried to sneak into the city to cause chaos would have been leaping into the fire."
Yun Hui and Yun Xuan immediately nodded. Not only was Vigilante A strong, he was also able to take in suggestions, which was different from most of the powerhouses they knew. This had increased their confidence in Vigilante A by loads.
...
In the farmhouse in Qi City.
The yellow dog, Xue Ba, was confused, and looked at the smug black dog, Brett, with its head tilted.
"Hey, you weakling, why would master ask you for help? Strength-wise, I could flatten you with one claw. And if we are comparing the two natural abilities of Earthly Hounds, my olfactory scent is better than you by severalfold, and even my burrowing skill is much more effective than yours."
Brett thought it had earned the grace of its master once more, so it did not fear the yellow dog. It said in a snobbish tone, "Then it only has one explanation. You're too smart for your own good. When the magic lamp helped you to recover your strength and breakthrough, you were flaunting it everywhere. Not only did you bully me around, you also cheated master. Now that the jig is up, our master is punishing you and see if you will apologize on your own..."
Xue Ba was a little puzzled, but it shook its head, not believing the explanation. "Those are only minor drawbacks. Master is such a generous person, would he mind me using a little of that magic lamp? You idiot black thing, are you trying to hoodwink me? Go and help master."
The black dog proudly pounced at the ground and promptly disappeared.
After reaching Pond-level and was able to communicate with the heavens and the earth, the burrowing skill of the Earthly Hound Clan finally shined.
Within three minutes, in the city hall of the northern Cloud Fog City, the black dog appeared suddenly on the carpet, staring at stunned faces.
Even Fang Ning was a little shocked. "Unwittingly, Brett had become so powerful itself. It must be traversing more than twenty kilometers per second. That's not much slower than your flying sword, Sir System. The mystery of magic spells is really stunning."
The System said, "How could it be stronger than my flying sword? It needs the earth as a medium, it consumes much of its strength, and the key is that it still couldn't fly..."
Fang Ning was not surprised at the analysis. The System was most critical when it comes to power levels, analyzing every single strength and weakness.
"It really is a descended celestial hound! Affiliated with the Dragon God, strong magic spells, it was such an eye-opener." In actuality, Yun Hui was not surprised. His own trump card could turn him into a cloud as he fled. It was super fast and can even bring other creatures along with him. It was a high-level technique among the Skyward Maneuvering Techniques.
Otherwise, the people in the days prior would not have let him escape. They probably had other people in ambush around the area but could do nothing about his trump card.
They did not attack him in the past few days probably because they were trying to gauge if he had other trump cards. However, they would never have guessed that he had already gotten his strongest trump card.
He could not wait to see how those people stab themselves in their feet!This usage of the Chinese proverb, 背井离乡, utilizes plenty of wordplay in it. 离乡 is to leave their hometown. Literally, 背井 would mean to carry a well on one's back, but 井 can also refer to paddy fields/rice fields being shaped like the character 井 itself, and an alternate meaning for 背 is to leave with one's back against the noun that follows. In this sense, 背井 means to leave a place with one's back facing their paddy field, which is their homes.
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Vigilante A stepped onto the red carpet in the city hall. On both sides of the red carpet was a pretty lady followed by many Extraordinaire bodyguards. Coupled with the God of Gamblers soundtrack when Chow Yunfat appeared, the atmosphere was extraordinarily grandiose and exceedingly stylish.
Fang Ning looked and muttered with a slight regret, "Should have slicked the hair back like Chow Yunfat... never mind, Slicked-back hair doesn't suit Vigilante A. Let's go in with a confident smile and wave your arm to show a little finesse."
Most of the Extraordinaire bodyguards were Grade-C and above, which is to say, Bucket-level and above. Those who were weaker than that would not have qualified to be a bodyguard of the Duke.
Powerhouses like this would be respected in many other sects or schools. They would be addressed as Big Senior Brother or Big Senior Sister and would be the focus of people's attention.
However, right now, their attention was focused on the person who had just arrived.
The newcomer looked stoic and expressionless, so everyone was squirming in discomfort. 'Would he be a difficult person to deal with?'
Landlord Yun had met Vigilante A before. She could tell what was happening, so she began applauding.
The other bodyguards followed suit subconsciously.
It was then that they saw Vigilante A who was on the red carpet beamed with a warm smile and waved at them.
Grins appeared on everyone's faces naturally, and they were relieved.
Immediately after, they could feel a majestic aura blasting into the sky and turned pale.
The power was far stronger than Duke Yun at his strongest when he was defending against monsters or fight other people.
In comparison, one was like a pond in the countryside and the other a lake of immeasurable size, it was easy to see the difference between the two.
"Nice, it really is the Eastern Dragon God!" Duke Yun Hui had a different reaction to everyone else. He was so happy to the point that he stood up, swayed a little but managed to hold his balance, and walked down the aisle to greet Vigilante A.
"Cousin brother? Are you feeling alright?" Yun Xuan returned to his side, preparing to support him.
Yun Hui did not look at his cousin sister. His eyes were fixed onto Vigilante A as a hope flickered into existence that he might be able to save the situation.
At the same time, many people in their buses and were making their way to the airport shuddered before reaching outside to look toward the direction of the city hall.
This was a city of Extraordinaires, its citizens had cultivated at least a little. When they were recruiting for employees, the applicants had been thoroughly assessed. The ones who got in were the ones who had some basic talent for cultivation. That was loosened up when family members were allowed in.
Sensing strength was the most basic of their homework. If they could not achieve that, they would not have known when they might die.
Simultaneously, they felt a mighty presence appearing above the city hall and formed a vague shape of a dragon. Recalling the flight of the green dragon a while ago, they immediately understood it was the arrival of a strong ally, the Dragon God!
Having understood that, no one panicked. Smiles warmed everyone's faces as they thought, 'Maybe we really don't need to leave our homes.' After all, most of the citizens were Chinese people. Being an agriculture-heavy society, their attachment to their homeland was in their blood...
By that time, on the west edge of the city, Landlord Liu was supervising as several dozen workers were busy at a limestone well.
Some people were stabilizing the Vitality nodes around it, others were digging the earth around them, and the rest were setting up sealing formations. It was like they were trying to dig up the whole well and bring it along with them. Everyone was moving deliberately, carefully.
Different from other folks who were evacuating, they looked like they were actually going to 'leave their hometown with a well on their backs'...
It was only halfway done when Landlord Liu shuddered and stared at the city hall in disbelief.
"Sir, are we still moving this well infused with the Vitality Spirit?" asked a few of his subordinates as they felt it.
Landlord Liu was stunned, but immediately turned joyful and replied, "Maybe not. It was only half a month, but the Venerable Dragon God had already advanced to Lake-level, enough to take on that Giant Spirit Bear. If we moved the Well of Vitality and damaged the Vitality Spirit, it would have been left with a tenth of its Vitality-gathering effects, that would be a shame. Stop the operation, I shall ask the Duke."
...
In the city hall, Vigilante A began speaking only after he finished releasing his power.
"Russia has always been bullying the weak while avoiding the strong. They massacred the helpless and the weak. I have always maintained that justice must be served, so I came all the way here. You are Duke Yun?"
Supported by his cousin sister, Yun Hui managed to stabilize himself on his legs. He said while saluted Vigilante A with a closed fist, "Well met, Venerable One. It is my honor to be recognized by you at first glance. I had been betrayed by some people and am currently poisoned, that was why I could not greet you in person, hope you would understand that."
Vigilante A nodded. Without saying anything, he pointed at Yun Hui.
Yun Hui was startled, as did all others.
Immediately after, Yun Hui was overjoyed as his strength returned to him. In his excitement, he shook off Yun Xuan's support and bowed at Vigilante A. "Venerable One, your might is boundless, I am forever thankful."
It was then that everyone realized the green aura surrounding the Duke had dispersed. His face was in the pink, and he had reverted to his usual strong stature. For that, all the people were thrilled. In a situation like this, all those who had remained beside Yun Hui had been his fiercest supporters.
Yun Xuan was happily surprised. "Cousin brother, you've completely recovered?"
Yun Hui nodded, signaling to Yun Xuan that she need not say much.
Fang Ning read the system notification with satisfaction.
[The System used the legendary equipment Poison Prevention Orb and activated the skill Detoxify. Yun Hui was no longer afflicted by the Master-level poison Medea's Poison.]
Yun Hui was really shocked by this turn of events. He did not expect the poison that had beaten the antidotes he had collected over the years as well as his solid foundation base could be easily resolved just by a single flick of Vigilante A's finger.
Seeing the difference between them, he was not even disappointed in the slightest. He was delirious. 'Looks like he could really turn the tide around.'
He promptly treated Vigilante A with the utmost respect, leading Vigilante A to a meeting room just beside the room and letting him sit on the VIP seat.
...
After a moment of confessions, the meeting room boomed with Vigilante A's righteous voice.
"What nonsense is this? Not only did they backed out of the alliance, they even colluded against you. This is a profit at the expense of honor, fearing the strong and bullying the weak, and an attempt to rob another of their assets. Each one as evil as another, every single one punishable by death! You have put in so much effort to build the city and develop the land, you shouldn't have been met with this ordeal. I shall bear the decree of heavens and return justice to the land."
Duke Yun was elated. Vigilante A was exactly as he was described and was a person who would not hesitate to uphold justice. Fortunately, he had always been nice to other people, preferring to leave a backdoor for himself.
Otherwise, if he had fallen out with Vigilante A just because he had refused to become a guest at his invitation, how would he have the dignity to ask Vigilante A for help?
Compared to that, the other guests who had been receiving the benefits of the city had hidden themselves as soon as they heard the Russian Totem Spirit Bear had manifested. Those who had refused outright were not the worst, some of them did not even reply.
In comparison, it was easy to see who was more honorable.
This was the benefit of befriending a good person. Even though it was more troublesome to get along with them, they were trustworthy in a life-and-death situation.
Right then, Landlord Liu sent him a text asking if they should still move the well.
Duke Yun relayed the message and asked for Vigilante A's opinion.
Vigilante A said with confidence, "It was only a wild Russian bear, and it dared to act in such a wanton way? You can stay in your homes safely, there's no need to move the well, I will personally see to your safety."
Hearing that, Yun Xuan was a little worried. "They have many people, and every single one of them was cunning and malicious. You are powerful, so you don't fear them. My only concern is if they knew they couldn't win, they would set up traps to harm the whole city. If you have capable friends, it might be for the best if you could recruit them to make sure that aspect was covered. We will take care of all the expenses incurred."
Yun Hui did not stop his cousin from speaking, because that was exactly his worry. After all, in battles, it would be hard to deflect every single trick the enemies threw their way.
Vigilante A looked stunned as if he was considering her suggestion.
Everyone waited patiently.
The System said, "The girl is right, but calling other people will not solve the problem. Too bad this place is not in China, the map is not open to us, or else we wouldn't need to worry at all."
Fang Ning said after a moment of speechlessness, "Can't you ask the black dog to come here and use Thousand-mile Assistance?"
The System replied, "You think I didn't think about that? It is a Pond-level now, the phone had already lost its power. What if we bring Butler Zheng here? It should still work on him."
Fang Ning gave it a thought and answered, "Forget it. Sooner or later, they will all become a Pond-level, we need to fix this issue either way. Yun Hui being poisoned reminded me though, don't you still have some of the King Cobra's carcass? It had been inside the Preservation Area the whole time, so its venom must still work. I recall the description for the venom was something like 'if eaten by Pond-level powerhouse who has no resistance to it, they will be poisoned, paralyzed, and finally become close to death...' "
The System said, "Mr. Richman, you're a genius, but why do you have such a black heart?"
Fang Ning rolled his eyes. "I was doing it for their own good, in case they become like ol' Zheng, not being able to save himself in a desperate situation. Just take a teeny-tiny bit of the venom, seal it in a small bottle, and place it within the phone next to the explosive device.
"As long as the summon button was pressed without stopping, it will definitely explode once twenty-four hours is up, and the black dog will definitely be poisoned half to death. Within that twenty-four hours, due to an ally's life being in danger, the skill Thousand-mile Assistance can definitely work and the map will definitely be revealed."
The System said, "I don't need your explanation, I know it can work... They are such lucky creatures, with an imaginative boss who thought about their safety at all times."
Fang Ning pretended not to understand the latent meaning of that praise and said, "Thank you for your compliments."
It was then that all the people in the room heard Vigilante A answering confidently, "If that's the case, I shall summon a descended celestial hound. It was an Earthly Hound Clan of noble birth and was born with extraordinary olfactory sense. With it being here, anyone who tried to sneak into the city to cause chaos would have been leaping into the fire."
Yun Hui and Yun Xuan immediately nodded. Not only was Vigilante A strong, he was also able to take in suggestions, which was different from most of the powerhouses they knew. This had increased their confidence in Vigilante A by loads.
...
In the farmhouse in Qi City.
The yellow dog, Xue Ba, was confused, and looked at the smug black dog, Brett, with its head tilted.
"Hey, you weakling, why would master ask you for help? Strength-wise, I could flatten you with one claw. And if we are comparing the two natural abilities of Earthly Hounds, my olfactory scent is better than you by severalfold, and even my burrowing skill is much more effective than yours."
Brett thought it had earned the grace of its master once more, so it did not fear the yellow dog. It said in a snobbish tone, "Then it only has one explanation. You're too smart for your own good. When the magic lamp helped you to recover your strength and breakthrough, you were flaunting it everywhere. Not only did you bully me around, you also cheated master. Now that the jig is up, our master is punishing you and see if you will apologize on your own..."
Xue Ba was a little puzzled, but it shook its head, not believing the explanation. "Those are only minor drawbacks. Master is such a generous person, would he mind me using a little of that magic lamp? You idiot black thing, are you trying to hoodwink me? Go and help master."
The black dog proudly pounced at the ground and promptly disappeared.
After reaching Pond-level and was able to communicate with the heavens and the earth, the burrowing skill of the Earthly Hound Clan finally shined.
Within three minutes, in the city hall of the northern Cloud Fog City, the black dog appeared suddenly on the carpet, staring at stunned faces.
Even Fang Ning was a little shocked. "Unwittingly, Brett had become so powerful itself. It must be traversing more than twenty kilometers per second. That's not much slower than your flying sword, Sir System. The mystery of magic spells is really stunning."
The System said, "How could it be stronger than my flying sword? It needs the earth as a medium, it consumes much of its strength, and the key is that it still couldn't fly..."
Fang Ning was not surprised at the analysis. The System was most critical when it comes to power levels, analyzing every single strength and weakness.
"It really is a descended celestial hound! Affiliated with the Dragon God, strong magic spells, it was such an eye-opener." In actuality, Yun Hui was not surprised. His own trump card could turn him into a cloud as he fled. It was super fast and can even bring other creatures along with him. It was a high-level technique among the Skyward Maneuvering Techniques.
Otherwise, the people in the days prior would not have let him escape. They probably had other people in ambush around the area but could do nothing about his trump card.
They did not attack him in the past few days probably because they were trying to gauge if he had other trump cards. However, they would never have guessed that he had already gotten his strongest trump card.
He could not wait to see how those people stab themselves in their feet!This usage of the Chinese proverb, 背井离乡, utilizes plenty of wordplay in it. 离乡 is to leave their hometown. Literally, 背井 would mean to carry a well on one's back, but 井 can also refer to paddy fields/rice fields being shaped like the character 井 itself, and an alternate meaning for 背 is to leave with one's back against the noun that follows. In this sense, 背井 means to leave a place with one's back facing their paddy field, which is their homes.
Vigilante A stepped onto the red carpet in the city hall. On both sides of the red carpet was a pretty lady followed by many Extraordinaire bodyguards. Coupled with the God of Gamblers soundtrack when Chow Yunfat appeared, the atmosphere was extraordinarily grandiose and exceedingly stylish.Fang Ning looked and muttered with a slight regret, "Should have slicked the hair back like Chow Yunfat... never mind, Slicked-back hair doesn't suit Vigilante A. Let's go in with a confident smile and wave your arm to show a little finesse."Most of the Extraordinaire bodyguards were Grade-C and above, which is to say, Bucket-level and above. Those who were weaker than that would not have qualified to be a bodyguard of the Duke.Powerhouses like this would be respected in many other sects or schools. They would be addressed as Big Senior Brother or Big Senior Sister and would be the focus of people's attention.However, right now, their attention was focused on the person who had just arrived.The newcomer looked stoic and expressionless, so everyone was squirming in discomfort. 'Would he be a difficult person to deal with?'Landlord Yun had met Vigilante A before. She could tell what was happening, so she began applauding.The other bodyguards followed suit subconsciously.It was then that they saw Vigilante A who was on the red carpet beamed with a warm smile and waved at them.Grins appeared on everyone's faces naturally, and they were relieved.Immediately after, they could feel a majestic aura blasting into the sky and turned pale.The power was far stronger than Duke Yun at his strongest when he was defending against monsters or fight other people.In comparison, one was like a pond in the countryside and the other a lake of immeasurable size, it was easy to see the difference between the two."Nice, it really is the Eastern Dragon God!" Duke Yun Hui had a different reaction to everyone else. He was so happy to the point that he stood up, swayed a little but managed to hold his balance, and walked down the aisle to greet Vigilante A."Cousin brother? Are you feeling alright?" Yun Xuan returned to his side, preparing to support him.Yun Hui did not look at his cousin sister. His eyes were fixed onto Vigilante A as a hope flickered into existence that he might be able to save the situation.At the same time, many people in their buses and were making their way to the airport shuddered before reaching outside to look toward the direction of the city hall.This was a city of Extraordinaires, its citizens had cultivated at least a little. When they were recruiting for employees, the applicants had been thoroughly assessed. The ones who got in were the ones who had some basic talent for cultivation. That was loosened up when family members were allowed in.Sensing strength was the most basic of their homework. If they could not achieve that, they would not have known when they might die.Simultaneously, they felt a mighty presence appearing above the city hall and formed a vague shape of a dragon. Recalling the flight of the green dragon a while ago, they immediately understood it was the arrival of a strong ally, the Dragon God!Having understood that, no one panicked. Smiles warmed everyone's faces as they thought, 'Maybe we really don't need to leave our homes.' After all, most of the citizens were Chinese people. Being an agriculture-heavy society, their attachment to their homeland was in their blood...By that time, on the west edge of the city, Landlord Liu was supervising as several dozen workers were busy at a limestone well.Some people were stabilizing the Vitality nodes around it, others were digging the earth around them, and the rest were setting up sealing formations. It was like they were trying to dig up the whole well and bring it along with them. Everyone was moving deliberately, carefully.Different from other folks who were evacuating, they looked like they were actually going to 'leave their hometown with a well on their backs'...It was only halfway done when Landlord Liu shuddered and stared at the city hall in disbelief."Sir, are we still moving this well infused with the Vitality Spirit?" asked a few of his subordinates as they felt it.Landlord Liu was stunned, but immediately turned joyful and replied, "Maybe not. It was only half a month, but the Venerable Dragon God had already advanced to Lake-level, enough to take on that Giant Spirit Bear. If we moved the Well of Vitality and damaged the Vitality Spirit, it would have been left with a tenth of its Vitality-gathering effects, that would be a shame. Stop the operation, I shall ask the Duke."...In the city hall, Vigilante A began speaking only after he finished releasing his power."Russia has always been bullying the weak while avoiding the strong. They massacred the helpless and the weak. I have always maintained that justice must be served, so I came all the way here. You are Duke Yun?"Supported by his cousin sister, Yun Hui managed to stabilize himself on his legs. He said while saluted Vigilante A with a closed fist, "Well met, Venerable One. It is my honor to be recognized by you at first glance. I had been betrayed by some people and am currently poisoned, that was why I could not greet you in person, hope you would understand that."Vigilante A nodded. Without saying anything, he pointed at Yun Hui.Yun Hui was startled, as did all others.Immediately after, Yun Hui was overjoyed as his strength returned to him. In his excitement, he shook off Yun Xuan's support and bowed at Vigilante A. "Venerable One, your might is boundless, I am forever thankful."It was then that everyone realized the green aura surrounding the Duke had dispersed. His face was in the pink, and he had reverted to his usual strong stature. For that, all the people were thrilled. In a situation like this, all those who had remained beside Yun Hui had been his fiercest supporters.Yun Xuan was happily surprised. "Cousin brother, you've completely recovered?"Yun Hui nodded, signaling to Yun Xuan that she need not say much.Fang Ning read the system notification with satisfaction.The System used the legendary equipment Poison Prevention Orb and activated the skill Detoxify. Yun Hui was no longer afflicted by the Master-level poison Medea's Poison.Yun Hui was really shocked by this turn of events. He did not expect the poison that had beaten the antidotes he had collected over the years as well as his solid foundation base could be easily resolved just by a single flick of Vigilante A's finger.Seeing the difference between them, he was not even disappointed in the slightest. He was delirious. 'Looks like he could really turn the tide around.'He promptly treated Vigilante A with the utmost respect, leading Vigilante A to a meeting room just beside the room and letting him sit on the VIP seat....After a moment of confessions, the meeting room boomed with Vigilante A's righteous voice."What nonsense is this? Not only did they backed out of the alliance, they even colluded against you. This is a profit at the expense of honor, fearing the strong and bullying the weak, and an attempt to rob another of their assets. Each one as evil as another, every single one punishable by death! You have put in so much effort to build the city and develop the land, you shouldn't have been met with this ordeal. I shall bear the decree of heavens and return justice to the land."Duke Yun was elated. Vigilante A was exactly as he was described and was a person who would not hesitate to uphold justice. Fortunately, he had always been nice to other people, preferring to leave a backdoor for himself.Otherwise, if he had fallen out with Vigilante A just because he had refused to become a guest at his invitation, how would he have the dignity to ask Vigilante A for help?Compared to that, the other guests who had been receiving the benefits of the city had hidden themselves as soon as they heard the Russian Totem Spirit Bear had manifested. Those who had refused outright were not the worst, some of them did not even reply.In comparison, it was easy to see who was more honorable.This was the benefit of befriending a good person. Even though it was more troublesome to get along with them, they were trustworthy in a life-and-death situation.Right then, Landlord Liu sent him a text asking if they should still move the well.Duke Yun relayed the message and asked for Vigilante A's opinion.Vigilante A said with confidence, "It was only a wild Russian bear, and it dared to act in such a wanton way? You can stay in your homes safely, there's no need to move the well, I will personally see to your safety."Hearing that, Yun Xuan was a little worried. "They have many people, and every single one of them was cunning and malicious. You are powerful, so you don't fear them. My only concern is if they knew they couldn't win, they would set up traps to harm the whole city. If you have capable friends, it might be for the best if you could recruit them to make sure that aspect was covered. We will take care of all the expenses incurred."Yun Hui did not stop his cousin from speaking, because that was exactly his worry. After all, in battles, it would be hard to deflect every single trick the enemies threw their way.Vigilante A looked stunned as if he was considering her suggestion.Everyone waited patiently.The System said, "The girl is right, but calling other people will not solve the problem. Too bad this place is not in China, the map is not open to us, or else we wouldn't need to worry at all."Fang Ning said after a moment of speechlessness, "Can't you ask the black dog to come here and use Thousand-mile Assistance?"The System replied, "You think I didn't think about that? It is a Pond-level now, the phone had already lost its power. What if we bring Butler Zheng here? It should still work on him."Fang Ning gave it a thought and answered, "Forget it. Sooner or later, they will all become a Pond-level, we need to fix this issue either way. Yun Hui being poisoned reminded me though, don't you still have some of the King Cobra's carcass? It had been inside the Preservation Area the whole time, so its venom must still work. I recall the description for the venom was something like 'if eaten by Pond-level powerhouse who has no resistance to it, they will be poisoned, paralyzed, and finally become close to death...' "The System said, "Mr. Richman, you're a genius, but why do you have such a black heart?"Fang Ning rolled his eyes. "I was doing it for their own good, in case they become like ol' Zheng, not being able to save himself in a desperate situation. Just take a teeny-tiny bit of the venom, seal it in a small bottle, and place it within the phone next to the explosive device."As long as the summon button was pressed without stopping, it will definitely explode once twenty-four hours is up, and the black dog will definitely be poisoned half to death. Within that twenty-four hours, due to an ally's life being in danger, the skill Thousand-mile Assistance can definitely work and the map will definitely be revealed."The System said, "I don't need your explanation, I know it can work... They are such lucky creatures, with an imaginative boss who thought about their safety at all times."Fang Ning pretended not to understand the latent meaning of that praise and said, "Thank you for your compliments."It was then that all the people in the room heard Vigilante A answering confidently, "If that's the case, I shall summon a descended celestial hound. It was an Earthly Hound Clan of noble birth and was born with extraordinary olfactory sense. With it being here, anyone who tried to sneak into the city to cause chaos would have been leaping into the fire."Yun Hui and Yun Xuan immediately nodded. Not only was Vigilante A strong, he was also able to take in suggestions, which was different from most of the powerhouses they knew. This had increased their confidence in Vigilante A by loads....In the farmhouse in Qi City.The yellow dog, Xue Ba, was confused, and looked at the smug black dog, Brett, with its head tilted."Hey, you weakling, why would master ask you for help? Strength-wise, I could flatten you with one claw. And if we are comparing the two natural abilities of Earthly Hounds, my olfactory scent is better than you by severalfold, and even my burrowing skill is much more effective than yours."Brett thought it had earned the grace of its master once more, so it did not fear the yellow dog. It said in a snobbish tone, "Then it only has one explanation. You're too smart for your own good. When the magic lamp helped you to recover your strength and breakthrough, you were flaunting it everywhere. Not only did you bully me around, you also cheated master. Now that the jig is up, our master is punishing you and see if you will apologize on your own..."Xue Ba was a little puzzled, but it shook its head, not believing the explanation. "Those are only minor drawbacks. Master is such a generous person, would he mind me using a little of that magic lamp? You idiot black thing, are you trying to hoodwink me? Go and help master."The black dog proudly pounced at the ground and promptly disappeared.After reaching Pond-level and was able to communicate with the heavens and the earth, the burrowing skill of the Earthly Hound Clan finally shined.Within three minutes, in the city hall of the northern Cloud Fog City, the black dog appeared suddenly on the carpet, staring at stunned faces.Even Fang Ning was a little shocked. "Unwittingly, Brett had become so powerful itself. It must be traversing more than twenty kilometers per second. That's not much slower than your flying sword, Sir System. The mystery of magic spells is really stunning."The System said, "How could it be stronger than my flying sword? It needs the earth as a medium, it consumes much of its strength, and the key is that it still couldn't fly..."Fang Ning was not surprised at the analysis. The System was most critical when it comes to power levels, analyzing every single strength and weakness."It really is a descended celestial hound! Affiliated with the Dragon God, strong magic spells, it was such an eye-opener." In actuality, Yun Hui was not surprised. His own trump card could turn him into a cloud as he fled. It was super fast and can even bring other creatures along with him. It was a high-level technique among the Skyward Maneuvering Techniques.Otherwise, the people in the days prior would not have let him escape. They probably had other people in ambush around the area but could do nothing about his trump card.They did not attack him in the past few days probably because they were trying to gauge if he had other trump cards. However, they would never have guessed that he had already gotten his strongest trump card.He could not wait to see how those people stab themselves in their feet!This usage of the Chinese proverb, , utilizes plenty of wordplay in it. is to leave their hometown. Literally, would mean to carry a well on one's back, but can also refer to paddy fields/rice fields being shaped like the character itself, and an alternate meaning for is to leave with one's back against the noun that follows. In this sense, means to leave a place with one's back facing their paddy field, which is their homes.
