Back To When The Demon Lord Was A Beggar - Chapter 24

Throughout the entire night, the world outside remained calm and tranquil, the “filthy things” the woman had mentioned never made an appearance. It was only when the high-hanging moon finally dipped below the horizon that the faint sounds of life began to stir outside.

After being treated with the spiritual salve, the swelling in Chu Nanzhen’s hand had completely receded, returning it to its normal state. The Yunshan Sect truly lived up to its reputation as the premier medical sect in the cultivation world, their medicine was undeniably superior.

Now that daylight had broken, it was time for them to set out. Zhishi Yi was the first to stand, saying, “Miss, we must be going. Thank you for taking us in for the night.”

No one had slept a wink, fearing that those “filthy things” might take advantage of their slumber. It was always better to be safe, though they felt a lingering sense of relief that nothing had come. They were physically and mentally exhausted from the continuous travel, having had little sleep or food over the past few days. Had that thing actually shown up, they might not have had the strength left to deal with her.

“Don’t mention it,” the woman replied with a low laugh. She stood up and scanned the group, naturally noticing their lack of energy. She suggested, “Why don’t you Immortals have a meal before you head out? You worked hard keeping watch all night, and you’ll likely be famished if you hit the road immediately.”

Food in the village was scarce to begin with, and since their party wasn’t small, feeding them would cost the villagers a day or two’s worth of rations. Although Chu Nanzhen was starving and his stomach was growling loudly, luckily only he could hear it. He gently rubbed his belly and waved his hand with a smile, declining politely, “No, no, thank you. We ate before we arrived, so we aren’t very hungry right now.”

The others clearly realized the situation as well and nodded in agreement. Even Lin Fengye, who usually hated losing out, spoke up in support, “Exactly, exactly! We had roast duck and roast fish the day before yesterday, we’re stuffed! If we eat any more, we might actually throw up.”

As he spoke, he patted his stomach, putting on a convincing act of being full. Seeing this, Wu Xiang couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth, thinking to himself, Keep pretending. I hope you keep that act up when you’re actually starving to death!

Hearing their insistence, the woman didn’t push further, simply advising, “Then you must all be very careful on the road.”

The area surrounding Mount Yun was desolate. While there had been some withered grass near the village, there wasn’t even a blade of it here, and even the dead trees were few and far between. Seeing this scene, Chu Nanzhen wondered if a flood had washed away all of the Yunshan Sect’s spiritual herbs.

On second thought, that seemed unlikely. A flood might wash away parts of the foothills, but it was impossible for it to sweep away every spiritual plant on an entire high mountain.

“So this is Mount Yun, supposedly covered in spiritual herbs. It doesn’t even look as good as the bald back mountain of our Zhongshao Sect!” Lin Fengye remarked with a light laugh, standing there with his arms crossed.

Shen Shangli’s expression soured slightly at his words. Wu Xiang happened to look up and see it, so he hurried over to Lin Fengye’s side and gave him a kick. Wu Xiang snapped, “Bah! You’re asking for it! If you can’t say anything nice, shut up. What if their herbs are all kept inside the sect? You’ll be eating those words then.”

Shen Shangli opened her mouth to speak, but after a long pause, she said dejectedly, “I hope so.”

Shen Shangli had a good relationship with the Yunshan Sect, and the sudden transformation of Mount Yun baffled her as well. She remembered it being normal the last time she visited, everything was as it should be, yet now, everything was gone. The unease in her heart grew more intense. She looked up at Mount Yun and sighed, “Let’s go.”

The sect was located at the very peak of Mount Yun, shrouded in clouds and mist. If they were to walk the whole way, it would take two or three days. Since they had been without food for so long and were nearly out of energy, flying on their swords was the only way to make the trip easier.

Disciples of the Yunshan Sect stood on either side of the mountain gate, dressed in green robes with their life-swords in hand, looking particularly striking amidst the barren landscape. Seeing the group approach, one of them stepped forward warily and asked, “Who goes there!”

His hand slowly gripped the hilt of his sword, as if he were ready to draw it at any second. Shen Shangli stepped forward and gave a simple bow, saying warmly, “I am a disciple of the Qianshan Sect, and these behind me are my friends. I wish to see Gaitu.”

“Yun Gaitu” was the name of the next sect leader of the Yunshan Sect. It was said his medical skills were exceptional, even surpassing the current leader. Upon hearing they wanted to see him, the disciple paused, scanning her from head to toe. After a long moment, he said, “State your name.”

She had been here many times, but the disciples guarding the gate rotated daily, so it was normal for him not to remember her.

“Shen Shangli,” she said clearly.

She then produced a token unique to the Qianshan Sect to show him. Only then did the disciple step aside to make a path, saying respectfully, “Since you are an honored guest of the Qianshan Sect, please follow me.”

The inside of the sect looked much like the outside. Fortunately, there were still small patches of spiritual grass and trees, supported by a clear river nearby, so it wasn’t completely barren. Wu Xiang walked beside Lin Fengye and heard him whisper, “Take a look, whose face is being slapped now?”

Wu Xiang: “…”

Cultivators could go several days without food, but Chu Nanzhen could not. He was different from them, and the fatigue of the journey had long since drained his strength. He gently tugged on Zhishi Yi’s sleeve and asked feebly, “When can we eat? I’m a little hungry…”

At this point, he was more than just a little hungry, if he didn’t eat something soon, he might actually faint. Even the weeds by the roadside started to look delicious to him, and he smacked his lips. Back when he was a beggar, there were times he went without food, but never for several days like this!

Hearing this, Zhishi Yi immediately asked the leading Yunshan disciple, “Could you tell us where the sect’s dining hall is located?”

The disciple sighed and replied, “The food in the dining hall has been terrible lately. If you’re hungry, you’d be better off catching some fish from the clear river to roast.”

There were indeed fish in the river, though not many.

Chu Nanzhen spoke up hurriedly, “It’s fine, it’s fine! Anything edible is okay, I’m not picky, I’m not picky!”

The disciple’s mouth twitched at his words, thinking to himself, Not picky, eh? That’s only because you haven’t witnessed the horrors of the dining hall!

“What’s been happening lately?” Zhishi Yi asked.

“It’s Senior Brother Yun. I don’t know what kind of craze has come over him or what set him off, but he suddenly decided he wanted to start cooking. It would be one thing if it were just unpalatable, but he nearly blew up the kitchen,” the disciple said, shaking his head. “I heard Senior Brother Yun brought those… those pitch-black things he made to the Sect Leader. The Sect Leader didn’t want to hurt his feelings, so he suppressed his disgust and ate them. Who knew he’d be vomiting for several days? He only just got better today.”

“So you see, you’re much better off catching a fish from the river and roasting it than eating what he makes! It’ll be a hundred times better than anything Senior Brother cooks.”

Upon hearing this, Chu Nanzhen let out a forced laugh, looked away, and rubbed his nose. He murmured, “Then never mind. Actually, now that you mention it, I’m not that hungry.”

Shen Shangli suddenly spoke up, “I heard from others recently that something happened within the sect?”

The disciple hadn’t expected the news to spread so quickly. He said crossly, “Yes, Mount Yun and the surrounding areas haven’t been peaceful lately. Many brothers in the sect have had their brains gouged out. Unfortunately, we just can’t catch the culprit. Once we do, we’ll definitely tear her into a thousand pieces! To pay for the lives of my fallen brothers!”

Before she could ask more, the disciple led them to an area filled with dead trees, their tangled branches acting like a barrier blocking their path. Deep within the thicket sat a hidden hall. Squinting to see clearly, they saw three large characters carved into the plaque: “Gaitu Pavilion.” Naturally, this was Yun Gaitu’s residence.

The disciple pointed, “This is Senior Brother’s residence.” After speaking, he raised his voice and shouted toward the inside, “Senior Brother Yun!! Someone is looking for you!!”

Small echoes rippled through the surroundings.

Then, the disciple gave the group a simple bow and said, “I must report the arrival of guests to the Sect Leader, I shall take my leave first.”

The group nodded.

No matter who came, it had to be reported. This was the standard procedure for cultivation sects, from their names to what they had done since entering, everything had to be accounted for. If the visitors were from an allied sect, they would be treated with courtesy; if they were from an unfriendly sect, such formalities were unnecessary.

A long while after the disciple left, a man’s voice drifted out from Gaitu Pavilion. Yun Gaitu, dressed in green robes embroidered with water ripple patterns, walked out holding a sword. His jet-black hair fell loose behind him, with a small braid on either side. He looked every bit like the son of a wealthy family. The moment Chu Nanzhen saw his face, he froze.

How does this person look so much like me…

With a light wave of his hand, Yun Gaitu caused the dead trees to part, clearing a wide path for himself. Had the trees been lush, his entrance would have been stunning, but with dead trees, it just felt like someone without strength “putting on an act.”

His gaze landed on Shen Shangli. He narrowed his eyes and gave a faint smile, saying softly, “A-Li, you haven’t come to see me in a long time.”

Shen Shangli smiled back, appearing somewhat shy. “Lately, Master has been keeping a close eye on my cultivation. I came as soon as I had a moment.”

Lin Fengye’s mouth twitched, his suspicious gaze darting between the two. “Are they really just old friends?”

“Of course. A-Li and I have known each other for six years, our bond is naturally a bit stronger than most,” Yun Gaitu said, turning to Lin Fengye. When he saw Chu Nanzhen standing nearby, he clearly froze as well.

The two stared at each other.

“Master, you wouldn’t happen to be my long-lost brother, would you?” Yun Gaitu raised an eyebrow and teased, “You look seventy or eighty percent like me. Could it be you’re a long-time secret admirer? Unable to have me, so you made yourself look just like me?”

Chu Nanzhen: “…”

He had been about to say, “The world is vast, looking alike is a kind of destiny.” Now, those words were forced right back down into his stomach.

“Zhishi Yi, this guy has a problem, doesn’t he?” Chu Nanzhen turned away and whispered. But when Zhishi Yi didn’t respond for a long time, he felt strange. He looked up, only to see Zhishi Yi staring straight at Yun Gaitu without even blinking.

A bitter feeling suddenly welled up in Chu Nanzhen’s heart, making him feel as though he were merely a body double for Yun Gaitu.

Support