Back To When The Demon Lord Was A Beggar - Chapter 22

The illusion that had just appeared was not of the Central City, but the National Palace City. Although the Kingdom of Qiming had been established for many years, a “National Palace City” had never actually existed, though the term “National Palace” was widely circulated in folklore.

“Where is this National Palace City? How did City Lord Zhi learn of it?” Shen Shangli asked, her voice filled with doubt.

“At the end of the world, if you keep walking south, you can enter the National Palace through the Flower Morning,” Zhi Shiyi looked up at her and gave a faint smile. “Put that way, you all should know it. As for how I found out, well, who hasn’t heard of this legend?”

Indeed, everyone knew it. It had been a folk legend for ages, yet no one had ever been heard of actually visiting the place. It was said that the Kingdom of Flower Morning enjoyed spring all year round with flowers blooming in abundance, a true paradise on earth. Legend had it that if an ordinary person stumbled upon it, they would gain endless wealth. If a cultivator reached it, their immortal arts would reach new heights, granting them a chance to ascend to godhood. Unfortunately, to this day, no one had ever been confirmed to have gone there.

“City Lord Zhi, it’s fine to listen to these legends, but surely you don’t actually believe them,” Lin Fengye found it a bit amusing. He curled his leg, resting a hand on his knee as he teased, “You speak of it in such detail, one might think you’ve actually been there.”

Even though it was a legend, some people believed it to be real. Driven by greed, they spent their entire lives searching for the kingdom, only to grow old and die without success.

“I have been there. I lived there for a very long period of time,” Zhi Shiyi said with a serious expression.

He then turned to Wuxiang and asked, “You and I lived there together once, didn’t we?”

“Huh?”

When Wuxiang had been rescued by Zhi Shiyi in the past, he had indeed lived with him in a certain city for many years before heading to Langya with his brother, but he couldn’t remember the name of that city at all. Being asked so suddenly, he was genuinely dazed.

“It’s not even daylight yet, so why have you started daydreaming? Did staying in that pit turn your brain to mush?” Hearing this, Lin Fengye couldn’t help but scoff. He hadn’t expected a dignified City Lord to spout such nonsense, and he truly couldn’t hold back his laughter.

It was normal not to believe. Who would believe that a legend was real? Even if some did, it was only a tiny fraction of people. Clearly, Lin Fengye was the type who wouldn’t believe no matter what was said, so further explanation would just be a waste of breath.

Chu Nanzhen leaned over and whispered, “I believe you.”

Maybe the man really had been there. Maybe the legend was real, and they just hadn’t encountered it while Zhi Shiyi happened to find it. Regardless, he chose to trust Zhi Shiyi this time. It wasn’t because Zhi Shiyi was particularly trustworthy, but because he trusted his own intuition. Besides, even if he was wrong, so what? Even if the city being burned wasn’t the Central City, it would be some other city, and the victims would still be innocent civilians.

Zhi Shiyi’s eyes brightened, and he looked at him with a hint of excitement. In truth, whether anyone believed him didn’t matter, but when Chu Nanzhen said “I believe you,” his heart swelled with an indescribable thrill and joy. He nodded with a smile and said, “It is enough that you believe me.”

Wuxiang changed the subject, saying, “I’ll go check the others. Maybe I can find some more clues.”

But before he could crouch down by the other human skins, the charred half of the skin hidden in his robes seemed to be controlled by something. It flew out from his chest with a “whoosh,” while the other half rose from the ground. Before anyone could react, the two halves of the skin dashed outside.

Just as they stood up to give chase, the ground beneath them shook violently. The floor began to crack and collapse in layers, moving as fast as a flood rushing down a mountain. The group summoned their destiny swords and used light-body techniques to leap away, narrowly avoiding the fall. Dust billowed around them, making them cough repeatedly. Huge crashes echoed one after another as the inn teetered on the brink of collapse. They flew out on their swords at top speed, only to find the outside world collapsing as well. The moment the inn fell, a massive magic circle appeared beneath it, identical to the one in the Mist Forest.

“That scared me to death! I almost died in there, luckily I reacted fast enough.” At some point, Wuxiang had transformed into his cat form and was perched on Lin Fengye’s shoulder, letting out a sigh of relief.

Perhaps because Wuxiang was so light, Lin Fengye didn’t even realize a black cat was on his shoulder until he spoke. He turned his head to stare for a moment before frowning. “You dirty cat, get off me!”

“I won’t!” Wuxiang sounded a bit aggrieved. “When it was time to run for our lives, you all fled faster than the next, not even considering what someone like me without a destiny sword was supposed to do! I helped you all out, and you just abandoned me like that!?”

These words were clearly aimed at Chu Nanzhen and Zhi Shiyi.

It had happened so suddenly that both of them had forgotten Wuxiang didn’t have a destiny sword. They awkwardly turned their heads away, rubbing the bridges of their noses.

Wuxiang wanted to keep complaining, but before he could speak, a ball of fire appeared out of thin air. In the blink of an eye, raging flames erupted all around them. The image of the “masked man in golden robes” Wuxiang had mentioned earlier flashed through their minds, he was very likely the culprit. Then, the human skin flew back from a distance and landed on a point within the magic circle.

The previously split human skin gradually merged with its other half, and in a short while, it became a complete piece of skin again. The fire spread further and further, as if intent on burning the entire city to ash and turning everything here into dust. The smoke made them cough incessantly. They didn’t dare go down to extinguish the fire recklessly, as the flames appeared mysteriously and didn’t seem like ordinary fire at all.

The human skin lay in the center of the array, letting the flames scorch it. Parts of it were already turning black, and the skin lay motionless, as if all life had been stripped from it. Chu Nanzhen stared at it, thinking for a moment. He felt the truth must be hidden there, but the fire was simply too intense. If they hadn’t been able to fly on swords, they would have been swallowed by the sea of fire long ago.

“Aren’t we leaving? I’m about to choke to death,” Lin Fengye said crossly, covering his nose and mouth.

“If you hate the smoke so much, just leave by yourself. Why are you still staying here?” Wuxiang shot back. “Unless you’re just too chicken to leave!”

“You think I don’t want to leave? I just don’t want to take a burden like you with me!” Lin Fengye rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Hurry up and get off me, I still have to go back to the sect to find my Master!”

“No!” Wuxiang gripped the fabric tighter, his sharp claws digging into the clothes. “The fire is so big, where do you expect me to go?”

“Is there any way to get the human skin out of there?” Chu Nanzhen lightly poked Zhi Shiyi’s arm and said, “If we piece together the body parts from the six points, maybe the truth will come out? And is it possible that these limbs all belong to the same person?”

At least, that was his theory. The six points didn’t necessarily mean six different people, it could be six parts of one person. Having spent so much time on the streets, he had never heard of a dismemberment case anywhere. If it were truly six people, he surely would have heard something about it, especially since the Kingdom of Qiming had been quite peaceful these past years. But a guess was just a guess, he couldn’t be certain.

Zhi Shiyi glanced at the human skin, his eyes filled with complex emotions. If the parts did come from the same person, it would mean significant trouble. After a long pause, he said, “That makes sense.”

“Do you want to rush in with me to get it? If not, you can go to Miss Shen’s side first, or—”

Before he could finish, Chu Nanzhen cut him off with a firm “I do.” Zhi Shiyi was stunned for a moment, then turned his head and held out his hand. “Then hold onto me tight.”

“Be careful, you two,” Shen Shangli said, looking worried.

Zhi Shiyi never stopped him from taking risks. After all, only by lingering on the edge of life and death could one grow in courage and ability, learning to overcome fear.

Chu Nanzhen looked down at the hand offered to him and smiled. Then, he placed his hand in Zhi Shiyi’s. As they flew in on the Glazed Sword, the heat instantly washed over them. In moments, he was drenched in sweat, his throat felt parched, and his clothes clung to his body uncomfortably.

He coughed a few times and said in a raspy voice, “Let me grab the skin.”

Zhi Shiyi looked no different than usual on the surface, but Chu Nanzhen was afraid of another accident. That human skin was an evil demon, and the killer might possess it again. If there was danger, Zhi Shiyi would be able to pull him away. If Zhi Shiyi was the one grabbing it, they might both end up dead here.

“Alright, be careful.”

The raging fire had completely covered the human skin, so pulling it out wouldn’t be easy. Having been scorched for so long, it was bound to be scalding. There was no telling what his hand would look like after reaching in. Chu Nanzhen figured if he was lucky, he’d just lose some skin, and if he was unlucky, he’d lose the use of his hand entirely.

“Do you think water could put this out?”

It was clearly a pointless question, as the fire didn’t look like anything water could touch. Before Zhi Shiyi could answer, Chu Nanzhen had already rolled up his sleeve and plunged his hand in. The sensation of the fire burning his palm felt like being hit by a surge of heat, but the difference was the searing pain. He couldn’t help but furrow his brows and close his eyes in agony.

Finally, he caught a corner of the skin. The heat was so intense he couldn’t stop a sharp cry of pain from escaping his lips. With a forceful yank, he pulled the skin out. Zhi Shiyi didn’t waste a second, turning the Glazed Sword around to fly out of the inferno.

He knew it would be hot, but he hadn’t expected it to be this hot. He held the skin between two fingers, but it felt like he had dipped his hand into a boiling furnace. His hand was now bright red and swollen. Even the light breeze caused a sharp, stinging pain that made him hiss through his teeth.

As soon as they emerged, cracks began to appear on the magic circle. Before they could even catch their breath, a massive “bang” erupted below. Chu Nanzhen was startled by the sudden noise and turned to see the ground surging like a tide and collapsing like a mountain.

Fortunately, they were high up and far enough away to avoid being hurt. Chu Nanzhen’s hand began to swell up, his previously slender fingers now looking like a pig’s trotter.

“Everything’s gone, so aren’t we leaving? Are we staying here to eat braised pig’s trotters?” Lin Fengye glanced at his hand and couldn’t help but smirk.

Chu Nanzhen kept a smile on his face, but in his mind, he had already cursed Lin Fengye a dozen times.

“City Lord Zhi, Young Master Chu, perhaps we should leave this place first,” Shen Shangli had also noticed his hand and suggested, “Young Master Chu’s condition should be treated as soon as possible. Why don’t we go to the Yunshan Sect together? I happen to have some business there.”

Zhi Shiyi nodded. “Very well, we’ll trouble Miss Shen to lead the way.” He then turned to Lin Fengye. “Is Young Master Lin coming along?”

“Hmm,” Lin Fengye tapped his lip, thinking for a moment. “I suppose. I’m not going because I want to be with you all, but if they need help when we get there, I might be able to make some quick cash. I’m only going for the money.”

“You’re obsessed with money, aren’t you!?” Wuxiang rolled his eyes in disbelief.

“Do you live in the Imperial Palace? Why do you care so much? You dirty cat, get off me!”

“It’s an honor for you that I’m willing to stay on a groundhog like you, and yet you’re trying to kick me off!”

Lin Fengye was laughed at Wuxiang’s thick-skinned words. He straightened up and snorted, “I won’t stoop to your level.”

Zhi Shiyi asked, “It hurts a lot, doesn’t it?”

Wasn’t that obvious? Of course it hurts! Why don’t you try sticking your hand in there! Chu Nanzhen complained internally but didn’t say it out loud. If he did, and Zhi Shiyi actually took him seriously and tried it, it would end up being his fault.

“It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt that much,” Chu Nanzhen forced a smile.

“Liar,” Zhi Shiyi said.

As he spoke, he snatched the human skin from Chu Nanzhen’s hand. The skin was still hot, but Chu Nanzhen’s hand was so damaged he couldn’t feel the heat anymore.

“?”

Who’s lying? Me?!

It was truly outrageous. He had kindly grabbed the skin, only to be called a “liar” in the end. Chu Nanzhen was so speechless he didn’t know what to say. After thinking about it, he decided it was best just to keep his mouth shut!

When it came to medical skills, the Yunshan Sect was second to none. If they claimed to be second, almost no one would dare claim to be first. The Yunshan Sect was located atop Mount Yun, where it was said that rare medicinal herbs grew everywhere. The sect was nestled between the mountains and the water.

It was quite a distance from the Central City, so even flying on swords, they only reached the villages near Mount Yun toward evening. The number of people living nearby was pitifully small, almost none. You could count them on your fingers. More importantly, the surroundings were incredibly desolate, with nothing but withered grass everywhere.

A few households formed a tiny settlement. This was different from what they had expected. Shen Shangli looked around in confusion and said, “It has been six months since I last visited the Yunshan Sect. When I passed through here half a year ago, it was normal. How did it become like this in just six months?”

They had only been standing at the village entrance for a moment when, with a “creak,” a sharp-looking woman stepped out of a house. She waved her arms and shouted at them, “What are you standing there for! Go away, go away! Our village’s chickens are being saved as offerings for the Mountain God, don’t even think about stealing them!”

She had mistaken them for chicken thieves.

Shen Shangli stepped forward and explained gently, “Ma’am, we have no intention of stealing chickens. We are just passing through.”

Hearing that they didn’t want to steal the chickens, the woman’s tone softened. She kindly warned, “You all should find a place to stay while it’s still early. This wilderness isn’t safe at night. If you attract some ‘dirty things,’ you won’t be able to shake them off.”

“Ma’am, has something happened in the village recently?” Shen Shangli asked politely.

The woman shook her head and sighed. “It’s not the village, it’s the town not far from here.” She looked around before shielding her mouth and whispering, “Lately, many people in town have died mysterious deaths. They say their brains were gouged out. A master said it’s caused by ‘dirty things’ encountered at night. So, you all should find a place to stay quickly. If you have to travel, it’s better to do it during the day.”

Hearing this, Shen Shangli nodded and smiled. “Thank you for the warning, ma’am. Hasn’t anyone from the Yunshan Sect come down the mountain to handle this?”

Logically, since the Yunshan Sect was near the town, someone should have reported the case to them. The Yunshan Sect specialized in medicine, but that didn’t mean they were only capable of healing.

Support