Back To When The Demon Lord Was A Beggar - Chapter 20

The words had barely left his lips when a thunderous roar erupted from above. A bolt of lightning crashed down, splitting a jagged fissure in the ceiling. Beams of light shot through the opening, instantly making the cavern much brighter than before.

The lightning was powerful and swift, but it vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. The human skin stood dazed for a moment, then let out a cold snort. He returned to Chu Nanzhen and looked down at him. “Your life is surprisingly stubborn. Even on the brink of death, you can still summon lightning.”

Jealousy flared within him, feeling that the Heavens were being unfair.

However, he didn’t take it to heart, believing that this single bolt wasn’t enough to tear him to pieces.

Chu Nanzhen was already drifting in and out of consciousness. His body swayed unsteadily and his ears rang incessantly, so he couldn’t hear a word the skin said.

Rumble!

Mid-conversation, another explosion rocked the space. The skin’s attention was snatched away. He looked up just in time to see another bolt of lightning racing down. Unlike the previous one, this bolt seemed to have eyes, heading straight for the human skin with lethal precision. The skin reacted quickly, dodging the strike while cursing under his breath.

But this lightning showed no sign of dissipating. It chased the skin wherever he went, its power increasing with every strike. Eventually, the ground began to tremble, and several craters opened up. The mud struck by the bolts turned black and let off a burnt smell.

The skin had initially dismissed it as a minor spark, never expecting a second, massive barrage. If this continued, he would eventually meet the fate Chu Nanzhen had predicted, he wouldn’t just be struck dead, he’d likely be cooked through.

The third bolt struck directly at Chu Nanzhen, hitting the formation trapping him. With a loud crack, the barrier shattered like falling glass, scattering across the floor before dissolving into black mist. The agonizing pain in his body vanished along with it. He finally managed to catch his breath; had he stayed in that array a moment longer, losing consciousness would have been the best-case scenario.

He was already drenched in cold sweat, and with the formation broken, he felt a sudden chill. As his awareness gradually returned, his vision cleared. He looked over to see the lightning hounding the human skin. Seeing that the skin didn’t even try to fight back as he fled, Chu Nanzhen felt a flicker of surprise.

The skin screamed in rage, “You should be glad this isn’t my true body! Otherwise, you think you’d still be alive to summon lightning? Just wait until the day I kill you myself! So what if I let you win today!”

So what…

“When I encounter your true body, I won’t need you to ‘let’ me win, I’ll still beat you until you’re crawling on the floor,” Chu Nanzhen thought with a cold laugh.

Though the words had been shouted while his mind was a blur, he remembered them now that he was clear-headed. At first, he felt a small spark of surprise, but he figured it was likely a coincidence, or perhaps someone was helping from the shadows, like a cultivator from a sect.

It was possible a passing cultivator saw the scene and used a bit of magic to eliminate the demon. After all, the motto of the sects was to “eradicate evil and protect the peace of the world.”

The second before the lightning struck home, the skin fell to the ground with a thud, as if the soul had abandoned the vessel and fled. The moment the bolt hit, a foul odor spread through the air, far worse than the smell from before. Once the lightning faded, only Shen Shangli’s Senior Brother was left lying there.

No wonder Shen Shangli said her Senior Brother had vanished, it turned out he was that human skin, which also explained the terrible smell. Chu Nanzhen knelt on the ground, propping himself up with one hand for a long time before he found the strength to stand. He immediately rushed to Zhi Shiyi’s side to check on him.

Just as before, Zhi Shiyi was coughing up blood, his face as white as paper. Chu Nanzhen pulled him into his arms, feeling utterly helpless. In this state, Zhi Shiyi couldn’t walk. Anxiety gnawed at him; if it weren’t for the effort to save him, Zhi Shiyi wouldn’t have been dragged down here.

Knowing no magic, Chu Nanzhen chose the clumsiest, most useless method. He looked up and yelled at the top of his lungs, “Is anyone there? Help!”

His voice echoed loudly. He had no idea where they were or if anyone would pass by, but shouting was better than waiting in silence. He yelled until his throat was hoarse, but still, no one came.

Just as he was about to give up, a familiar face appeared at the opening above. It was Lin Fengye. Seeing the two of them, Lin Fengye looked stunned for a second before asking, “What are you hollering so loud for?”

Is he stupid?

If he didn’t shout, who would hear them and come to their rescue?

Zhi Shiyi curled up even tighter in his arms. Growing more frantic, Chu Nanzhen patted his shoulder gently to comfort him, whispering, “Someone is here. We can get out soon, and then we’ll go see a doctor together, okay?”

Zhi Shiyi took several sharp breaths before trembling out a single word: “Okay.”

“I get it now. You guys dug a big hole and couldn’t get out,” Lin Fengye teased. “Weren’t you very impressive back at the City Lord’s manor? Looking at how pathetic you are now, if you beg me, I might just save you.”

Chu Nanzhen had no time for jokes. “Stop playing around, Zhi Shiyi is in bad shape.” Remembering the last thing Lin Fengye said, he added, “I beg you, please save us…”

Hearing those words, Zhi Shiyi’s eyes suddenly grew hot with tears. He thought to himself that Chu Nanzhen shouldn’t have to beg anyone, yet the boy hadn’t hesitated for a second.

Lin Fengye hadn’t expected Chu Nanzhen to actually beg him. He had initially thought they were just stuck and wanted to tease them. He would have helped even without the plea, but seeing Chu Nanzhen’s dead-serious expression, he realized something was truly wrong with Zhi Shiyi.

To be honest, he felt a pang of regret. He shouldn’t have said that, and he wanted to slap himself. If he could go back a minute, he definitely wouldn’t have made that joke.

After descending, he realized Zhi Shiyi’s condition was very, very poor, it felt as though he were hanging by a thread, about to slip away at any moment.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I apologize,” Lin Fengye said. “An ordinary doctor can’t treat this. He’s a cultivator, we need to find someone from the sects.”

As long as he could be treated, that was all that mattered.

Since the two had suddenly vanished underground, Wuxiang had used his claws to dig several meters deep. He was convinced they were buried beneath the soil, and he was covered in mud, including his usually clean face. Still, he couldn’t reach the bottom. He looked up and wailed, “How much longer do I have to dig! Shiyi-er, Nanzhen-er! If you can hear me, push some dirt aside and wave a hand! That way I’ll know where to dig you out, right?”

Unlike Wuxiang, Shen Shangli believed they had been dragged somewhere else in the city, so she went out and scoured every inch of Middle City, but found no trace. The street vendor who had planned to leave also stayed to join the search, saying, “He’s my only little beggar, how can I just let him get lost?”

In the end, the three of them found nothing.

They even began to wonder if the pair were no longer in Middle City. If that were the case, things would be difficult.

Wuxiang said, “Actually, don’t worry too much. Shiyi-er is very powerful. He’s no ordinary cultivator. With him there, they’ll definitely be fine. Maybe they’re already on their way back.”

And indeed, they were. After Lin Fengye rescued them and the Senior Brother, Chu Nanzhen realized they were on the mountain where he used to live, and his old home was nearby.

Just by looking, he could see the peach tree by the entrance. The tree was withered and rotten, the peaches were gone, and the surroundings were devoid of life. Even the thatched hut had half-collapsed. The promised peaches were gone, he would have to replant them later for the vendor.

It was evening by the time they returned to the inn. They had planned to fly back on a sword, but there was only one Lin Fengye and four of them, so the sword couldn’t carry everyone.

Chu Nanzhen carried Zhi Shiyi on his back the whole way, while Lin Fengye dragged the Senior Brother’s corpse, looking disgusted the entire time. Lin Fengye walked ahead of them. When he reached the inn, the other three were naturally wary of the stranger, but Shen Shangli’s sharp eyes spotted the jade token at his waist.

She smiled. “So, you’re a disciple of the Chongshao Sect.” She stepped aside to let him in.

Lin Fengye also saw her token and smiled back. “And you’re the young Sect Leader of the Qianshan Sect. I’ve heard much about you.”

He had heard her story long ago but never thought he’d meet the person behind the legend.

The human skins on the floor hadn’t been cleared away yet. Lin Fengye let out a long “Eww,” and tiptoed around them.

It was dark, so they didn’t see what he was dragging at first. It wasn’t until he pulled it inside that they realized it was the Senior Brother who had mysteriously vanished. Shen Shangli gasped and hurriedly asked where he found him. Lin Fengye told her the truth, giving a brief account of everything they had encountered.

The moment they heard Zhi Shiyi and Chu Nanzhen were safe, the vendor and Wuxiang both breathed a sigh of relief. Wuxiang asked, “Where are they? They didn’t just leave me behind, did they?”

Lin Fengye replied, “They’re behind me, a bit slower. Just wait.” He then went to the table and poured himself a cup of tea.

After the ordeal with the formation, Chu Nanzhen had very little strength left. Now, carrying Zhi Shiyi, he gasped for breath with every step, his pace wobbly and unstable. His throat felt like it was on fire, stinging with pain, and his lips were so dry and cracked that he felt they would split if he even smiled.

He finally reached the inn, but his strength gave out. He collapsed onto the floor along with Zhi Shiyi, panting heavily. Everyone rushed over to help them up and seat them, checking their condition.

Wuxiang knit his brows in displeasure. “You said they were fine? This is ‘fine’? They look like they’re dying!”

Lin Fengye explained, “I just said that to save time. And, and at first, only City Lord Zhi looked unwell, the other one was perfectly fine. Who knew he’d end up like this by the time we got back.”

As he finished, his voice grew quieter with guilt.

Shen Shangli stepped forward to check them, letting her spiritual power flow through their bodies. Though she wasn’t a doctor, she could still probe their condition. She said, “Mister Chu is likely just exhausted. Let him rest. City Lord Zhi seems to be in a more serious state, but… it doesn’t seem to be anything life-threatening.”

She frowned. He clearly looked unwell, yet she couldn’t find the cause. It was truly strange.

Chu Nanzhen didn’t believe Zhi Shiyi was fine, they needed a proper diagnosis. His breathing was uneven as he said, “Go to the sect… Zhi Shiyi is sick…”

However, Zhi Shiyi murmured, “It’s okay. I’ll be fine after a short rest, trust me. If you’re really worried, can we wait until I’ve recovered a bit before we go?”

Hearing this, Chu Nanzhen nodded slightly. After everything they’d been through, if they left immediately, their bodies wouldn’t hold up, and they would only end up causing trouble for others.

The vendor suddenly spoke up: “It’s getting late, and I still have to travel. I’ll be taking my leave now.”

He was meant to leave anyway, so everyone just nodded and didn’t stop him. After the vendor left, the Senior Brother suddenly exploded with a bang, turning into a puddle of thick, foul-smelling blood, covered by that half-piece of skin.

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