Back To When The Demon Lord Was A Beggar - Chapter 15

The waiter waved his hand dismissively. “The guest rooms are all full. I’m afraid you’ll have to make do with sitting here for the night, miss.”

She had never been one to fuss over such things. No matter where she was, as long as a place offered shelter from the wind and rain, she didn’t care how dilapidated it was. Brushing on a smile, she said, “How could that be an inconvenience? I’m grateful just to be let inside. I’ll pay the full rate for a room just to stay the night here.”

“Miss, could you step up here for a moment so we might speak?” Zhi Shiyi said calmly. Seeing that she seemed to have just arrived, he wanted to brief her on the situation to avoid any accidents, offering it as a gesture of goodwill.

The girl froze for a moment, her gaze shifting between the three of them. After a long silence, she gave a small nod and a soft “Alright.”

This wasn’t the place for a conversation. If any of the locals overheard and reported back, their night would be far from peaceful. The moment Chu Nanzhen pushed open the door to their room, a cloud of dust billowed into his face, sending him into a fit of coughing. He swatted the air and saw that every surface was layered with grime. There were even insects and rodents in the corners, though fortunately, they weren’t the type to be easily frightened by such things.

The girl approached them and asked, “What do the three of you need from me?”

“Let’s step inside,” Zhi Shiyi replied.

The girl knit her brows, clearly reluctant. She had only agreed to come upstairs because their attire suggested they were cultivators rather than commoners, but hearing this made her suspect they might be up to no good.

Seeing her hesitation, Wuxiang immediately understood. He waved his hands in explanation. “What he means is that it’s safer to talk inside. We really have something important to tell you, otherwise we wouldn’t have asked.”

Zhi Shiyi nodded in agreement.

“The three of us are cutsleeves, so there is no need for concern.”

Wuxiang blinked. “Huh?”

The girl stood still, thinking it over before nodding again. As soon as her feet hit the floorboards, they emitted a sharp creak, feeling as though they might split open and drop her through the floor. To be safe, she lightened her steps, taking a while to reach the round table and sit down. Zhi Shiyi then informed her of everything happening in the town. Upon hearing the news, the girl was visibly stunned, taking a moment to process it before thanking them.

“Which sect do you hail from, Miss?” Zhi Shiyi asked. Chu Nanzhen, sensing the question might be a bit blunt, added, “This is the City Lord of Zhao City. I’m a beggar from the Middle City. And this one is a cat demon, don’t mind him.”

At those words, Wuxiang slammed his hand onto the table and stood up. Dust flew everywhere, making the others frown and brush off their clothes. Zhi Shiyi looked up and glared at him, prompting Wuxiang to sit back down with a huff. Turning his head away, he muttered angrily, “I’m not some ordinary cat demon, I’m a cat demon with profound spiritual power! Be careful how you speak from now on, and don’t forget the ‘profound spiritual power’ part.”

They truly didn’t understand why he insisted on that specific title, though they assumed it was just to sound more impressive. Since learning about Wuxiang’s past, Chu Nanzhen no longer felt like arguing with him. They were all pitiful souls, and there was no need for one unfortunate person to give another a hard time, so he simply nodded in agreement.

Zhi Shiyi pointed a finger toward Chu Nanzhen. “He was once a citizen of the Middle City, but now he is the City Lord’s husband.”

Chu Nanzhen: “You really didn’t have to be that specific.”

The girl covered her mouth and let out a soft laugh. She had been skeptical about the three of them being cutsleeves, but now she saw it couldn’t be more true. She stopped beating around the bush, pulling out a jade tablet and placing it on the table. The character “Qian” was clearly carved on the front.

Located atop the Thousand Mountains, it was named the “Qianshan Sect.” In the Thousand Mountains, snow came in spring and spring arrived in winter. Most of the sect members were elderly cultivators who used to descend the mountain frequently to help the people and eliminate evil. However, for reasons unknown, they had remained secluded in the mountains in recent years, ignoring worldly affairs. Some commoners speculated they were simply aging and focused on their cultivation to achieve immortality. Compared to other sects, this one sat at the top of the rankings with numerous elites. If not for the one in the palace, they would be the most powerful force in the land.

A few years ago, the figure in the palace summoned the Sect Leader of Qianshan, Wen Shan, for an audience. No one knew what was said, but upon his return, Wen Shan declared he wanted to see the great rivers and mountains of Qiming. On his travels, he brought back a girl who was nearly an adult. It was later revealed that her family had died and her relatives had mistreated her, so he took her in and named her “Shen Shangli.” Since there were few young people in the Qianshan Sect, despite having many elites, Wen Shan didn’t favor any of them as a successor, but he was exceptionally devoted to Shen Shangli. Thus, many suspected she was the future leader of the sect.

This was common knowledge across every city, and even Chu Nanzhen had heard the story. Wuxiang dug at his ear, staring at the jade tablet. “So what does ‘Qian’ mean? Like cheating at cards?”

Silence fell over the room. Zhi Shiyi looked at him as if saying, “You’re hopeless. If you talk nonsense again, I’ll slap your mouth shut.” Realizing he had misspoken, Wuxiang quickly covered his mouth and gave Shen Shangli a sheepish smile.

Chu Nanzhen explained, “He’s been living in the woods and hasn’t seen much of the world. Miss Shen, please don’t take it to heart.”

Wuxiang: “…”

What does that mean? Is he calling me a country bumpkin? Probably not… I remember myself being quite handsome.

Shen Shangli smiled and waved it off. “It’s no matter.”

“I came down the mountain to find my Senior Brother. He left a month ago to buy supplies and never returned. I was worried something had happened, so I came to look for him. I’ve practically turned the Middle City upside down but still haven’t found a trace. I reported this to my Master and contacted the other City Lords, but I never received a reply. Fearing the worst, I asked Master for permission to search for him, but he refused. I had to sneak out at night when the guard was low. The sky grew dark, and my heart has been racing today. I felt so uneasy that I stopped here to rest for the night.”

If a message had reached the city, Guyu would have informed Zhi Shiyi immediately. Even if Guyu wasn’t at the manor, the messenger would have given it to someone else, everyone in the manor was trustworthy. Yet, they hadn’t received a single missing person’s report from the Qianshan Sect. This suggested only one thing: someone had intentionally intercepted the letters to prevent them from finding her Senior Brother.

At this point, Shen Shangli asked Zhi Shiyi with a worried look, “City Lord Zhi, is there any trace of my Senior Brother in Zhao City?”

Chu Nanzhen could tell by Zhi Shiyi’s furrowed brow that he hadn’t received any letters, let alone searched for the man. Strange events were certainly piling up lately, one after another.

Zhi Shiyi shook his head apologetically. “I’m sorry, but I haven’t received any word from the Qianshan Sect.”

Shen Shangli didn’t look surprised or confused. She remained calm, as if she had expected this. She said, “I figured as much. My sect is mostly made up of elderly cultivators, which is why we remain the top sect. My Senior Brother is over fifty years old. If he encountered danger, he might not be able to withstand it. I have to find him quickly.”

“You’re both from the same sect. Even if he’s older, he’s still a cultivator. Surely it wouldn’t be that easy for something to happen to him,” Chu Nanzhen said. In his mind, anyone in a sect had to be powerful. A weakling like himself could never get in.

A look of sorrow crossed Shen Shangli’s face. She sighed, her eyes downcast. “My Senior Brother has low spiritual power and poor martial arts skills. He shouldn’t have been able to join the sect, but he is a master of alchemy, one of the best in the world. If he knew even a bit of combat, I wouldn’t be this worried.”

“Oh, come on! I say there’s no need to worry,” Wuxiang chimed in. “You said he’s a top alchemist. If someone tried to mess with him, he’d probably just shove a poison pill in their mouth and kill them. Who knows who would really be in danger then?”

Hearing this, a small smile finally returned to Shen Shangli’s face. She gave a soft “Mm.” It was better to hope for the best; perhaps her Senior Brother really was safe.

Shortly after their conversation ended, there was a knock at the door. The waiter stood outside and said, “Guests, it’s late and time to put out the lights. People in town have been saying that the man-eating demon only comes out at night, and it picks those who keep their lights on. Lately, the whole town puts out the lights at the same time. For your safety, it’s best to extinguish them now.”

Normally, someone standing outside would just be a shadow. But as this waiter stood there, his shadow was pitiably thin—so thin he looked like skin and bones, or rather, like a skeleton standing outside the door.

The four of them exchanged looks before someone called out, “Alright.” Yet the waiter didn’t leave. He remained outside without moving an inch. Since he didn’t move, they didn’t either. After a while, the waiter knocked again. “It’s best if you put out the lights, guests.”

Wuxiang’s patience wore thin. He snapped and shouted at the door, “Why are you still standing there? Are you planning to do something to us in the dark!”

This seemed to hit a nerve. The waiter gave a forced laugh and said, “I saw the lights were still on and thought something might have happened, so I stayed. I figured if they didn’t go out soon, I’d come in to check. It seems I was just overthinking. I’ll be going now.”

“We can’t just stay here forever. If that man-eating demon shows up after the lights go out, we’ll be walking right into a trap,” Chu Nanzhen said seriously. “Why don’t we make a run for it? I have a place in the city. It’s a bit far, but it’s better than staying here.”

The Middle City had changed, and the mountain where he used to live might be the safest place. It was better to run now. Besides, he didn’t know any immortal arts. If the three of them left easily, he’d be left behind to die. Though he knew Zhi Shiyi wouldn’t abandon him, it was better to be cautious.

Zhi Shiyi agreed with him. “Little Chu has the right idea.” He turned to Shen Shangli. “Miss Shen, please take Little Chu and head out first. Wuxiang and I will cover the rear to prevent any accidents.”

Shen Shangli nodded seriously. “Then please be careful, City Lord Zhi and Mister Wu.”

Chu Nanzhen knew Zhi Shiyi was powerful and felt at ease, but he felt a bit useless since he couldn’t help. He wished he could be the one standing side-by-side with Zhi Shiyi… he felt a small pang of disappointment.

Seeing him dazed, Zhi Shiyi patted his shoulder and leaned in, asking softly, “What’s wrong?”

Chu Nanzhen shook his head and forced a smile. “Nothing, I just feel like you aren’t afraid of anything, while I can never seem to help you.”

Even though his feelings for Zhi Shiyi were just those of a friend, he felt sad. Zhi Shiyi froze, then a smile he couldn’t suppress spread across his lips. He brushed his lips against Chu Nanzhen’s ear. In an instant, Chu Nanzhen’s face turned bright red. He stood there with his mouth open, unable to say a word. His heart raced, and he didn’t dare look at Zhi Shiyi’s face.

He thought to himself, at a time like this, what is he doing!

Wuxiang saw this and thought, What is he doing! Benefactor, what are you doing!

Since Zhi Shiyi had already explained they were cutsleeves, Shen Shangli just smiled and wasn’t shocked. The moment of playfulness ended, and Chu Nanzhen stood up, walking toward the door with stiff, awkward steps. Seeing this, Zhi Shiyi reached out and grabbed his hand. The touch made Chu Nanzhen flinch as if he had been burned.

He turned around, his face flushed, and said to Zhi Shiyi, “W-what are you doing! Men should keep a respectful distance!”

Zhi Shiyi: “…”

He had heard of men and women keeping a distance, but not two men. However, he quite liked this side of him—actually, he liked everything about Chu Nanzhen.

“Little Chu, you forgot Miss Shen.”

The previous exchange had made his mind go blank, and he only remembered her after Zhi Shiyi’s reminder. Just then, a loud thud came from outside. It sounded like someone had kicked a door open, followed by a man’s voice.

“Waiter! Waiter! Bring wine! A bowl of wine… no! Three jars of wine, hehehehe…”

He sounded drunk. Could there actually be a normal person left in this city? While they were wondering, Shen Shangli suddenly stood up and whispered, “The person outside… it sounds like my Senior Brother.”

“Huh?”

The person she had been seeking for days had suddenly appeared here; it was quite strange. Shen Shangli pursed her lips and explained, “Senior Brother’s only hobby is drinking, but he has a low tolerance. He always drinks too much and remembers nothing when he wakes up. I’ve been with him for years, I know his voice anywhere. That person must be him.”

Another commotion followed, sounding like tables and chairs being overturned. The waiter cried out, “Oh, mercy! Guest, what are you doing? We’re closed for the night, we aren’t taking any more customers!”

The Senior Brother snapped, “I told you to get the wine, so get it! Stop talking nonsense. It’s not like I won’t pay you. Look at you being so stingy. I am the greatest alchemist, you think I’m short on cash?”

“…That sounds very familiar,” Wuxiang whispered.

Zhi Shiyi replied, “You’re just like him.”

Wuxiang: “…”

Chu Nanzhen: “He sounds exactly like you.”

Wuxiang: “Haha, you don’t understand. Only those with real skill talk like that.”

“Yes, yes, you understand best. Why don’t you stop calling yourself Wuxiang and just go by Mister Understand-It-All,” Chu Nanzhen joked.

Wuxiang thought to himself, to hell with you!

Shen Shangli couldn’t contain her joy and stood up to head out. Some time had passed, and Chu Nanzhen had regained his composure. He urged her not to be impulsive and to be careful. It was too much of a coincidence, he appeared just as they were about to leave.

Shen Shangli hesitated. It was possible it was a trap, but after so long without seeing him, it was hard not to get excited by his voice.

“We’re going to charge out anyway, so why not just go? We’ll just grab Miss Shangli’s Senior Brother and run,” Wuxiang said, shrugging. He felt they were overcomplicating things. It was just one man-eating demon and some strange townsfolk. If things got bad, they could just kill them all. It wasn’t like anyone left here was a good person anyway.

“You certainly speak quite familiarly,” Zhi Shiyi said dryly.

Naturally, they had thought of Wuxiang’s suggestion, but if things were that simple, they wouldn’t be worried. It wasn’t clear if the citizens of the Middle City were humans, demons, or something else entirely. The waiter’s shadow earlier was clearly not human. Acting rashly might alert the monster and lead to disaster, which is why they wanted to go to Chu Nanzhen’s place first.

But now this Senior Brother had appeared. He had been gone for a month, and Shen Shangli had searched the city without finding a trace. For him to show up downstairs now, whether it was luck or a trap remained to be seen.

“It’s fine. My sect has a secret technique that allows a cultivator’s soul to leave their body temporarily. I can go out and investigate,” Shen Shangli said.

The sect’s secret techniques were only passed down to the next leader. Since Wen Shan had taught it to her, it confirmed the rumors that she was indeed the successor of the Qianshan Sect.

“What can we do to help?” Zhi Shiyi asked.

“Just catch me when I circulate my spiritual power and fall over.” With that, Shen Shangli began to circulate her power. Soon, she was surrounded by a white mist. She tapped a few acupoints on her body, whispered a few incantations, and her body began to tilt backward.

Chu Nanzhen quickly stepped forward to catch her before she hit the ground. Very few people could see a soul that had left its body, not even high-level cultivators. Ancient texts claimed the world was once a chaotic mess until the Heavenly Way brought life to all things. Thus, no one except the Heavenly Way itself should be able to see her spirit.

But those were just legends, how could they be real?

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