The ratfolk cultivator was named Shu Shi. By nature, he was insidious and ruthless. His greatest pride lay in his cunning—always scheming and plotting, hiding like a venomous snake in the shadows, ever ready to strike with deadly precision. Once he made a move, it was a massacre—blood flowing like rivers. He especially excelled at coordinated group attacks.
Among the innate divine powers awakened in his life orifices, one stood out—it was called Blood Spirit (命窍·血灵).
This life orifice was a common innate awakening across many alien races. Born from their bloodlines, it didn't grant many other supernatural powers, but it had one vital function: it allowed the wielder to control blood-related lower-level species through their shared lineage.
For example, the ratfolk were naturally connected to and held dominion over all kinds of rats. This control stemmed from their bloodline-linked life orifice. Using this power, Shu Shi was able to gather millions of rats in a short time—rats of various species, yet all suppressed and controlled by his bloodline. He could command their movements through this mysterious connection.
This ability was similar to that of a beast tamer, but far superior—more innate and magical. The sense of communion through bloodlines surpassed any beast-taming technique. They could communicate, link spiritually, and share a bloodline connection. It was a marvelous phenomenon.
And it wasn't unique to the ratfolk. The werewolf race could control wolf packs, kobolds could dominate dogs, and foxfolk could command foxes. This instinctive racial trait was one of their natural advantages.
Of course, how one wielded this advantage made all the difference. Not everyone could fully harness it. Even among alien races with such talents, few could push them to the extreme.
Shu Shi, however, clearly knew how to make full use of it.
"I've started my move. The others should be making theirs soon. I can't wait to see what chaos will descend upon Xuanhuang City. The more disorder, the better. What a perfect experience," Shu Shi whispered, a cold smile on his face. His whiskers twitched with glee.
Creak—
The quiet chamber door opened.
A figure stepped out without hesitation and strode swiftly outward.
Before long, he arrived outside the city walls.
"It's the City Lord—he's here!"
"Thank goodness. He'll definitely know how to deal with these damn rats!"
"City Lord, you must seek justice for us! All our months of labor are gone, and the harvest was just around the corner... Now it's all ruined!"
The citizens, upon seeing Yi Tianxing, were visibly stirred. They pinned their hopes on him to find a way to wipe out the plague of rats.
"This isn't the work of a few stray rats. The scope of destruction across all the farmland suggests a massive rat swarm," Yi Tianxing said, his eyes scanning the widespread devastation.
Though the Iron-Blood Great Wall blocked threats from above, it hadn't protected the ground beneath. Clearly, the rats had burrowed through the underground.
"My Lord, this situation is dire," said Huang Chengyan, frowning. "The crop loss is minor—we have reserves. But as long as the rat swarm remains, agriculture can't continue. This will test the people's hearts."
"Grain in hand brings peace of mind," he added. "But since farmland is now privately owned, we can't give grain away freely. Many rely on farming for income. If this continues, unrest is inevitable."
"This rat swarm… it's too calculated," said Jia Xu, having inspected the tunnels. "Normally, wild rats in a swarm wouldn't retreat so orderly after just a few hundred were killed. They'd stay and feast on the carnage. But these... withdrew in unison. I strongly suspect they're being directed."
It was his strategist's instinct. Somewhere in the shadows, a cunning mind was controlling the rats. That chill in his bones wouldn't fade.
"I agree," added Wu Yong. "Appearing silently, vanishing swiftly, and only attacking the farmlands—never the city itself. This isn't normal behavior. The rat swarm must be under some kind of constraint or control."
This, unfortunately, meant danger. If the enemy had intelligence, then the threat was no longer just bestial. It was strategic.
"They're targeting Xuanhuang City deliberately," Yi Tianxing said coldly. "Some nearby alien race must be behind this. Every race is scrambling to grow stronger in these chaotic times. They won't allow us to grow unopposed. If brute force fails, they resort to underhanded tactics."
Previously, Mao Sui had successfully sown discord between races like the Minotaurs and Werewolves. Their mutual distrust made them easy to manipulate into war. But such tricks worked only once. And they wouldn't prevent future sabotage.
Now, it was clear: this was sabotage. Coordinated. Intentional.
"Our priority is to eliminate these rats. Or the consequences will be dire. I propose flooding the tunnels to force them out," Huang Chengyan suggested.
"No good," Jia Xu immediately dismissed. "The tunnels run deep and connect to underground rivers. The earth absorbs water easily, and rats can quickly dig out vast spaces. Water won't do much."
"If water fails, then perhaps fire?" Wu Yong offered, though without confidence.
"That too is ineffective. The air doesn't circulate well underground. Even smoke won't reach far. And if we try to dig them out ourselves, we'd only be playing into their strength. Rats are masters of digging. We can't outmatch them underground," Jia Xu continued.
"There's only one viable tactic left," he added after a pause. "Throw in rune bombs. Even if they don't hit the swarm, they'll collapse their tunnels, limiting their movement. Then, bury more rune bombs as traps to prevent further digging. But even that's a temporary measure. If we truly want to wipe them out, we'll need to use poison."
Poison—a deadly option, especially if it were gaseous, able to travel through underground air currents.
"Poisoning the land goes against natural law," Yi Tianxing shook his head. "This is farmland. Tainting it would ruin its fertility for years. We can't risk that. We'll try the rune bombs first. I'll find another solution."
He wasn't willing to contaminate the land he had built for his people.
"My lord," Wu Yong suddenly interjected, "I may have an idea that could hold back the rats—bring in the kobolds."
Yi Tianxing turned to him, intrigued. "Kobolds?"
"Yes. Kobolds have a natural affinity with dogs. Their keen sense of smell could track the rats, and their presence might suppress or scare them off. Their bloodlines may act as a natural counter."
Though not as effective as cats at catching mice, dogs were natural predators of rats. This could be the edge they needed.