Back To When The Demon Lord Was A Beggar - Chapter 17

Zhi Shiyi’s eyes were filled with a complex mix of emotions, mostly guilt. Guyu had been personally selected and trained by him, excelling in both martial arts and medicine. He remembered sending Guyu to check Chu Nanzhen’s pulse on their wedding day to ensure no lingering illnesses remained. At the time, Guyu’s assessment matched Chu Nanzhen’s own story, it was a result of irregular meals, exposure to the elements, and a lack of warm clothing. Guyu had said that with proper food and warmth, he would recover, and there were no other symptoms.

But now, these symptoms were surfacing. Was it a deep-seated ailment, or something else entirely? Zhi Shiyi lowered his gaze and said softly, “We are going back to the city to see a doctor.”

Chu Nanzhen took a deep breath and forced a smile, taking the other’s hand. Between gasps, he said, “I’m fine, really. No need for that. Doctors cost so much money, and I’ve been like this for years, I’m used to it.”

Back when he was in the Central City, this feeling would strike every so often, so he had long since grown accustomed to it. If this illness were truly fatal, he would have been dead long ago, how could he have survived this long?

“If you’re unwilling to spend money, then what is the point of having it? Once you feel a bit better, I’ll take you to the sect with the best medical skills and heal every discomfort in your body.”

“He’s right. If you’re sick, you won’t be able to eat this or that, and you’ll just have to stand there watching us. Nanzhen, just go. If we can’t afford the bill, I’ll just lead you guys on a getaway, simple as that.” Although Wuxiang constanty bickered with him, he couldn’t bear to see his companion in trouble.

A wave of warmth flooded Chu Nanzhen’s heart. He looked down with a smile, a tear falling onto his clothes as he softly whispered, “Okay.” This was a level of care he had never experienced before. In the past, no one had ever looked out for him, and the memory of those lonely times made his chest ache.

Seeing him cry, Zhi Shiyi panicked, his hands hovering awkwardly as if he didn’t know where to put them. Seeing this, Wuxiang prompted, “Shiyi, wipe his tears.”

“Right, right… wipe the tears, wipe the tears…” He knelt down and gently brushed away the moisture from the corners of Chu Nanzhen’s eyes. Seeing his flustered state, Chu Nanzhen couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

“The next sect leader of the Yunshan Sect is a good friend of mine. Among the immortal sects, they are known for their exceptional medical skills. If you three gentlemen need it, I can write a letter to him,” Shen Shangli offered. Helping each other while traveling was just a way of making friends, and perhaps they could help her in return someday.

“Then I thank you in advance, Miss Shen,” Zhi Shiyi said, looking up at her with gratitude. “I owe you a favor. No matter what difficulties you face or what help you need in the future, I will certainly lend you a hand.”

Shen Shangli gave a faint smile and nodded. “One helps where one can, it is a small matter.”

About fifteen minutes passed before Chu Nanzhen fully recovered. His complexion looked much better than before, and color had returned to his lips, as if the blood that had been drained away was finally flowing back. Shen Shangli placed her hands about an inch above her senior brother’s forehead. A green light diffused from beneath her palms, flickering like the reflection of stars in a jade-green river.

“Shangli, what are you doing?” Wuxiang asked, confused.

“Sobering him up. An alchemist doesn’t just refine pills, they must test them personally. Many of those involve potent medicines and toxins, so my senior brother has many poisons in his system. Drinking too much alcohol is harmful to him and can trigger those toxins, so I must force the alcohol out,” she explained. “He never listens, he comes back dead drunk every time.”

The senior brother’s clothes gradually became soaked with the expelled liquid, and he broke out in a heavy sweat. He blearily opened his eyes, and upon seeing Shen Shangli, he flashed a grin. “Troubling you again, Junior Sister.”

Although he was awake, the moment he spoke, a thick, overwhelming stench of hard liquor filled the air, making the three of them wince. Oddly enough, the liquid forced out of his body didn’t smell much like alcohol, instead, it carried a foul, putrid odor.

“Wait, why does it smell so bad?! Has your brother been living in a latrine lately?!” Wuxiang retreated in disgust, but no matter how far he backed away, the smell lingered as if it were stuck to his skin.

Chu Nanzhen held his breath, turned his head to cough, and stood up to hide behind Zhi Shiyi. He only peeked out with half his face, and it was only when he caught the faint, pleasant scent lingering on Zhi Shiyi that he finally dared to take a few breaths. Thankfully, at least Zhi Shiyi smelled good.

Zhi Shiyi noticed him hiding and stood tall and straight. Even though he also found the smell revolting, he kept his face expressionless, acting as if he couldn’t smell a thing.

“Senior Brother, where exactly did you go to pick up such a scent?” Shen Shangli also suspected he had been somewhere specific to get this smell on him. Though it was foul, he was her brother, so she stayed by his side without moving.

“Ah.” The senior brother raised his arm to sniff himself and frowned. There was indeed a smell. He scratched his head and gave a foolish laugh. “Well, I’ve had a lot of strong liquor lately, and strong liquor is, well, strong! I didn’t see where I was going and knocked over a manure cart. The contents spilled all over me. I meant to go wash up, but then I tripped and fell, fell asleep, and then I came to this inn and found you, Junior Sister, hehe…”

“…”

The group fell into a heavy silence.

“In that case, let us leave this place as soon as possible,” Zhi Shiyi said after a moment’s thought, unable to hold back any longer as he turned away and rubbed his nose. If they stayed any longer, he was afraid he might actually gag.

Manure from a cart would have splashed onto his clothes, not been swallowed into his stomach. That smell should be on the outside, so why did it seem to come from the alcohol being forced out of him? Chu Nanzhen felt something was off and gently nudged Zhi Shiyi’s hand to alert him, only for his hand to be caught and held tight.

Zhi Shiyi whispered, “Don’t misbehave.”

Chu Nanzhen was speechless.

No…

Who’s misbehaving!

I’m trying to warn you, not flirt with you!

Staring at the side of Zhi Shiyi’s face, a surge of irritation rose in his heart. He really wanted to give him a good punch to wake him up. But since others were present, he suppressed it, forced a tight smile, and made an excuse. “I’m so hungry. Let’s get out of here and find something to eat.”

At the mention of “food,” Wuxiang’s spirit immediately lifted. Holding his nose, he walked over and threw an arm around Zhi Shiyi’s shoulder in agreement. “Yeah, we’ve been busy for so long, I’m starving. Why don’t we eat first?”

Zhi Shiyi looked at the hand on his shoulder, his brow furrowing with undisguised disgust. He abruptly slapped it away. “Get your hand off me.”

“Shiyi, what’s your problem? I just gave you a pat, is there any need to be that disgusted? I just saw Nanzhen hook your hand, why don’t you say anything to him?”

“Because I only like being with Xiao Chu.”

Chu Nanzhen’s face was a map of confusion. Why are you dragging me into this? he thought.

“Tch.” Wuxiang pulled his hand back and rolled his eyes. “Double standards.”

Seeing how well the group got along, Shen Shangli smiled faintly. She raised her hand to trace a few lines of script in the air, which vanished with a wave of her hand. She said, “I’ve sent a message to the return path. If we can get out in a moment, you all should go ahead. I need to take my senior brother back to the sect to report his safety.”

Zhi Shiyi glanced at the senior brother lying on the bed and nodded. “Alright,” he said, before offering a word of caution. “A while ago, I read a storybook that mentioned how some things are not what they seem. If a foul scent comes from the outside, it shouldn’t come from the inside. If it comes from within, then there is likely a major problem. You should be extra careful.”

The senior brother narrowed his eyes at him, as if trying to see right through him. Shen Shangli froze for a moment upon hearing this, then gave a faint smile and a nod. “That sounds like a very insightful storybook.”

Zhi Shiyi added, “Indeed. Unfortunately, I only have the first volume. If you happen to find the second, Miss Shen, I would be willing to pay a high price for it.”

“City Lord Zhi has helped me so much. It’s just a book, if I find it, I will personally deliver it to Chao City for you.”

Fine, it turned out she had guessed it long ago. She didn’t need his warning at all, making his attempt seem rather redundant.

Wuxiang didn’t understand a word of the exchange but pretended he did, nodding solemnly. “I’ve read something similar to that book before. It’s quite good, a real page-turner.”

In truth, he had never read it. Before going to Langya, he never had money for books, and even after earning some, he couldn’t bring himself to spend it. While begging, he had overheard other beggars say that when you’re out in the world, you have to create your own status. If you act like someone important, people won’t bully or look down on you, instead, they might even respect or admire you.

Another silence followed his comment.

For a moment, no one knew what to say to him. Chu Nanzhen silently hoped that Wuxiang actually understood.

Seeing the three of them like this, Wuxiang scratched his head, confused. Did he say something wrong? Shen Shangli gave a couple of awkward laughs to change the subject. “City Lord Zhi, we’ve delayed long enough. We shouldn’t put it off any further. Let’s head out.”

With that, she reached out to pull her senior brother up from the bed. He was a large man and should have been heavy, but the moment she pulled, Shen Shangli felt her heart drop. The weight was completely wrong, he was as light as a piece of wood.

The senior brother leaned toward her, looking worried. “Junior Sister, what’s wrong?”

Hearing his voice, Shen Shangli forced another smile and looked away. “Nothing, I just missed Master.” She then added, “Senior Brother, the three gentlemen and I will go ahead to see if we can find a way out. If we can, I’ll come back for you. You don’t know any immortal arts, so I’m afraid it’s too dangerous for you.”

He nodded and took her hand, advising her, “Alright then, Junior Sister, stay safe.”

The moment they stepped out of the room, tears finally fell from Shen Shangli’s eyes. She wiped them away and sniffed, whispering to the others, “Something is wrong with my brother.”

She had hoped her brother was still her brother, and that no matter what was wrong, as long as he was alive, there would be a solution. But just now, she realized she was wrong. When she had forced the alcohol out of him in the past, his weight never changed. This time, he had lost so much, it was as if all his weight came from the liquid inside him. Once that was gone, his body was just an empty shell, a mere vessel for the liquid.

Everyone except Wuxiang realized it. Chu Nanzhen instinctively asked, “What do you plan to do, Miss Shen?”

“Kill him,” Shen Shangli said seriously.

Hearing the word “kill,” Chu Nanzhen’s eyes widened. He felt a small spark of surprise and admiration for her. He admired her decisiveness, to kill without a single moment of hesitation.

Her master, Wen Shan, had once told her: if she ever found a fellow disciple acting strange while they were away from the sect, she should kill them with a single stroke and never show mercy. When she asked why, Wen Shan had sighed, looking as though he had foreseen this very moment. He said, “If you do not kill them, they will kill you. If you do not kill them, innocent lives will be lost.”

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