Back To When The Demon Lord Was A Beggar - Chapter 3

That night, Zhi Shiyi didn’t linger in his quarters for long. After they finished talking, he returned to his own sleeping palace. Although they were only separated by a few rooms, he maintained a respectful distance without crossing any boundaries.

Early the next morning, before the sun had even risen, Chu Nanzhen heard the faint, blurry sound of voices outside while he was still half-asleep. He turned over and smacked his lips, initially thinking it was just the servants. However, after a long while, the noise didn’t stop. Instead, it grew more intense, sounding as if a fight was about to break out.

Chu Nanzhen lay on his side with his eyes half-open, feeling irritated by the persistent clamor. He knit his brows in annoyance. Eventually, he sat up slowly and walked to the door to open it. He wanted to see what kind of major event was happening. This was the City Lord’s manor in Chaocheng, after all. For a row to be this loud here, it certainly wasn’t some minor squabble.

Now fully awake and fueled by a sudden urge for gossip, he poked half his face out to eavesdrop. He told himself that since they were the ones who disturbed his peaceful sleep, listening in was only fair.

The last time he had eavesdropped was back in the Middle City. A merchant’s daughter and a flower vendor had fallen for each other. Although they weren’t married, they were inseparable every day, and the young lady had spent a fortune on him. Later, when she went to find him, she discovered the vendor chatting happily with another woman, looking at her with the eyes of a lover rather than a customer.

After some digging, she found out the vendor already had a family and was only playing the part of a lover for her money. Chu Nanzhen had personally witnessed the merchant’s daughter beating the vendor. It was a brutal sight, and she eventually left in a fit of rage.

His courtyard was tucked away in a corner, but by tilting his head slightly, he could see the situation. He squatted down and peeked out, spotting a figure dressed in pink robes holding a horsetail whisk. Judging by the appearance, it was a eunuch from the palace.

The eunuch snorted coldly, “Have you forgotten that you are merely a lowly City Lord? His Majesty is simply asking for his property back, yet City Lord Zhi wishes to keep it for himself. Are you planning to seize His Majesty’s empire next?” The eunuch’s voice was shrill.

“What are you saying, Eunuch? What I have hidden is not a ‘thing,’ but the most noble person in the world.” Zhi Shiyi had already changed out of his wedding attire and stood before the eunuch in a dark cyan robe. As the breeze fluttered his hem, his gaze felt incredibly oppressive. He swept a look over the man and added, “I have no interest in the Qiming Kingdom’s empire. Compared to a kingdom, I much prefer the person I brought back.”

Chu Nanzhen didn’t need to guess to know that the “person” they were talking about was him. Doubts filled his mind. Why would a eunuch travel thousands of miles from the palace just for him? He moved forward a bit more, trying to hear more clearly.

The eunuch’s face turned a sickly shade of iron-grey upon hearing this. He squinted and asked tentatively, “The most noble person? What do you mean by that, City Lord Zhi? You serve His Majesty, the Son of Heaven of Qiming! Surely you don’t think His Majesty is inferior to that beggar you brought back?”

Zhi Shiyi remained silent. The eunuch, seemingly struck by a thought, narrowed his eyes. “Could it be that you’ve discovered something unusual about this beggar? Or did you just bring him back out of pity?”

Is this eunuch’s mouth laced with poison? Chu Nanzhen rolled his eyes and spat in disgust. He had heard such words many times before, and by now, he was used to it.

Facing the question, Zhi Shiyi finally let out a soft laugh. With a faint, calm smile, he said, “The Eunuch might not know, but I bowed to heaven and earth and married that man yesterday. In the eyes of a lover, the most noble person is their beloved, isn’t it?” He looked away with a light sigh and continued, “As for why I brought him back, I suppose it was love at first sight, a singular devotion.”

A single glance across a crowded street, and a lifetime was decided. Chu Nanzhen thought to himself that this eunuch was clearly problematic. He wondered what the Emperor was thinking, sending someone who couldn’t keep his thoughts off his face.

These past few days had been truly strange. First, he was brought back to Chaocheng by Zhi Shiyi, and then a palace eunuch arrived right on his heels. He had suddenly become a hot commodity.

The eunuch was still skeptical, staring at Zhi Shiyi’s face for a long time as if trying to see through him. Finally, he gave a dry laugh, “Then it seems I have worried over nothing. However, the person you brought back is of great significance to His Majesty. I ask City Lord Zhi to part with his treasure.”

Chu Nanzhen was actually quite unwilling to go. Not because of any deep love for Zhi Shiyi, but because he couldn’t bear to part with the ten thousand bars of gold.

“Eunuch, how long have you served in the palace? Did His Majesty not tell you never to snatch things from my hands?” Zhi Shiyi’s expression darkened. “Or are you knowingly breaking the rules, thinking the power of Chaocheng is inferior to His Majesty’s?”

Before the eunuch could open his mouth, Zhi Shiyi raised his hand high. A surge of sword intent fell from the sky, piercing the air as thousands of flower petals drifted down on the wind. It felt as though it had passed through a frozen mountain, carrying a sharp chill. Among the petals was a dark green floral sword. At the same time, a fierce wind whipped through the courtyard, seemingly reflecting his fury.

In the blink of an eye, the sword was pressed against the eunuch’s neck, breaking the skin and drawing a few drops of blood. Fortunately, it wasn’t deep enough to be fatal.

Zhi Shiyi gripped the sword tightly, tilted his head, and said word for word, “You had the life to come here, but I wonder if you have the life to return. Think carefully before you speak.”

Chu Nanzhen’s attention was fixed on the scene. His eyes widened at the sight, and he couldn’t help but marvel at the power of cultivators. They were truly incredible.

He wished he could be that powerful. Then, he wouldn’t be treated like a soft persimmon that anyone could squeeze.

“No, no…” The faint pain and the sword that could take his head at any moment made the eunuch tremble. His eyes were filled with terror, a complete 180 from his previous attitude. “City Lord Zhi, let’s talk this through. It’s not absolutely necessary to take him back… I am only following orders!”

This was the Emperor trying to intimidate him, wanting him to understand who the true master of the land was. Zhi Shiyi stared at him for a while before saying, “I will give you two choices. Either let him choose for himself, or crawl back to the Imperial City.”

He was certain that Chu Nanzhen would not leave, which was why he spoke with such confidence.

The eunuch thought about it. It wasn’t an impossible compromise, but he was uneasy. After all, he didn’t even know Chu Nanzhen, and they had barely met…

Before the eunuch could nod in agreement, Zhi Shiyi glanced toward Chu Nanzhen’s direction. Their eyes met by accident. Panicked, Chu Nanzhen quickly shut the door and pulled back, his heart thumping wildly.

Was I making that much noise? How did he know I was there, or was it just a coincidence? Chu Nanzhen couldn’t be sure, repeatedly telling himself it was just an accident.

He once found a discarded novel from a wealthy family in a trash pile. The story said that anyone caught eavesdropping would be executed. Although he often claimed he wasn’t afraid of death, when death actually stared him in the face, he valued his life more than anyone.

Then, he heard Zhi Shiyi call his name. Despair washed over him. If he could go back in time, he would never have come out to listen. Curiosity really did kill the cat.

“Are you going to keep hiding? How long do you plan to listen? Come out.”

Swallowing hard, he stood up with a nervous heart and walked out. He stopped at the door with a forced smile, “I just happened to hear a bit by accident. I didn’t hear much, and I don’t know anything.” He waved his hands frantically as he spoke, terrified that the sword currently at the eunuch’s throat might find its way to his.

The moment the eunuch saw him, his eyes lit up. He wasn’t looking at a person, but rather at a pile of endless jewels.

“If you heard, then you heard. Do you choose to go with him, or stay here?” Zhi Shiyi’s voice was calm, but there was a hint of a threat underlying it that Chu Nanzhen could easily detect.

If it were up to him, he would definitely want to take the ten thousand gold bars and go back to Middle City, since that was his home. But between these two options, he would definitely choose to stay in the City Lord’s manor. First, Zhi Shiyi didn’t seem like a bad person, and they had a business deal. Second, a summons from the Son of Heaven usually meant life or death was uncertain. Rather than gambling with his life, he’d rather stay put.

Chu Nanzhen cleared his throat and said, “I think I’ll stay here.” Fearing the eunuch might go back and complain, he added in a small voice, “Mainly because I don’t know why His Majesty wants me. If I accidentally offend him, what will happen to my life?”

He didn’t want to end up with no money and no life. High-ranking people gave you sweets when you were useful and tossed you aside when you weren’t. To the nobility, a beggar’s life was worthless. If he were thrown out into the wilderness, he had no children to even bury his body.

Before he spoke, Zhi Shiyi’s face looked cold enough to kill. After hearing his answer, a faint smile appeared, and one could even detect a hint of smugness, like a puppy that had received a treat and was walking with its tail wagging.

Chu Nanzhen shook his head, thinking it must be an illusion.

“It seems City Lord Zhi has a good relationship with him. Then I shall congratulate you both on your marriage. You know His Majesty needs this person, so if he decides to blame someone, please do not resent me.”

“He is already a member of the City Lord’s manor. Please address him as ‘Young Master’.” The sword was removed from the eunuch’s neck and dissolved into wisps of white smoke, vanishing into the sky as if it had never been there.

The eunuch touched his neck. In just a short moment, the blood had already clotted. It felt a bit sore to the touch. Hearing the command, he bowed repeatedly and agreed.

This trip had taught him that some City Lords were not to be trifled with, especially the one in front of him who couldn’t even be pressured by the Emperor’s name.

After the eunuch left, Zhi Shiyi walked over to him and teased, “The three-year term hasn’t even started, and yet the Young Master already can’t bear to leave me? Or could it be—” He leaned down, getting very close. If he moved any closer, they would have kissed. “That you’ve also fallen for me at first sight?”

Damn, what a narcissist!

Chu Nanzhen frowned and took a few steps back. He wasn’t into men, so he thought he should feel disgusted by such proximity. Yet, not only did he not feel disgusted, his body didn’t resist at all. It felt as though this was a perfectly normal occurrence.

“Don’t be so full of yourself,” he said, turning his head away. “I’m not a court official or royalty. There’s no way anything good would involve me.”

Zhi Shiyi replied, “Mhm, at least you’re smart.”

He added, “The imperial family devours people. Whether they are good or bad, it’s best to keep your distance. Staying by my side is the safest place for you.”

Chu Nanzhen nodded. Even if he wanted to associate with royalty, they wouldn’t look twice at him anyway. He at least had that much self-awareness.

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