Back To When The Demon Lord Was A Beggar - Chapter 5

The allowance provided by the sect was pathetically meager, mostly consisting of loose silver bits. If one wanted more, they had to fight for it themselves.

Lin Fengye found himself in a difficult spot. Since the Eunuch had ordered the hit, the person pulling the strings was likely His Majesty. That was the Son of Heaven! Who could afford to offend him? Yet, if he chose to side with the Eunuch, he feared his head wouldn’t stay on his shoulders for long. Forget about gaining life experience, he’d lose his life entirely!

Regret gnawed at him. Had he known it would come to this, he would have waited a few more days before descending the mountain. He lowered his head and let out a heavy sigh. Then again, the offer from Zhi Shiyi was far more generous than the Eunuch’s.

Zhi Shiyi studied him, seemingly seeing right through his hesitation. He spoke in a slow, indifferent tone, “When I say I’ll take your head, I mean it. Don’t end up doing the Eunuch’s dirty work only to be silenced before you even see the money.”

At those words, Lin Fengye visibly shuddered. A wave of lingering fear washed over him. Hardening his resolve, he said, “You are close friends with my Master. If you truly killed me, how would you explain it to him?” He looked up, meeting Zhi Shiyi’s ice-cold gaze, and said earnestly, “My sect is loyal to the Emperor. If His Majesty wants you two dead, how could I possibly stop him? Even if I don’t kill you today, someone else will come tomorrow.”

Chu Nanzhen admired the boy’s nerve. Back in Central City, anyone told they were marked for death would have been shaking in their boots, but here in the City Lord’s manor, he felt an unprecedented sense of peace. He shook his head with a sigh.

Whether Lin Fengye would keep his head was uncertain, but that silver was very real, as real as it gets!

Zhi Shiyi let out a soft, mocking chuckle. He looked at Lin Fengye with a half-smile, “Are you threatening me?”

Lin Fengye lowered his head and remained silent, standing as stiff as a board.

“Then tell me, if the Emperor wanted me dead, why wouldn’t he send someone more formidable, rather than having a mere Eunuch send you?” Zhi Shiyi paused, then added, “It’s true your Master and I are friends. I once saved his life in Langya, so he owes me a favor.” He pointed slightly at the boy. Lin Fengye looked up. “You could be that favor.”

Setting favors aside, the Eunuch’s actions did seem strange when put that way, though Lin Fengye couldn’t quite wrap his head around why.

Chu Nanzhen frowned slightly, thinking aloud, “Hmm, I think there are two possibilities. If even the Emperor doesn’t dare to deal with someone openly, it’s either because he fears the gossip of the court officials, or he fears you, City Lord.”

The first reason was plausible. The court officials were a talkative bunch, and if someone were executed without a crime, the next morning’s court session would be a chaotic mess of arguments.

As for the second reason, Lin Fengye thought it was ridiculous. The idea of the Son of Heaven fearing a City Lord made no sense. He scoffed, “Who do you think your City Lord is? The Emperor fearing him? Don’t make me laugh!”

Chu Nanzhen remained unfazed by the mockery. It wasn’t like the boy was talking about him, anyway.

Zhi Shiyi said nothing, simply watching the boy, waiting for his answer.

On second thought, Zhi Shiyi had a point. Before leaving the mountain, his Master had instructed him to “prioritize his own life.” Lin Fengye shifted his stance and said with feigned reluctance, “I, I suppose I could tell you. But let’s get this straight, if the Emperor sends people to cause trouble for me—no, for the Zhongshao Sect or my Master, you have to protect…”

“I can help you find the Eunuch, but I want twelve silver ingots! Not a single one less, or I’m not telling you anything!”

“You’ve made the right choice,” Zhi Shiyi said. “You can take these ten ingots now. But remember, once you take the money, there’s no turning back. As for the remaining two, I’ll give them to you once we find the Eunuch.”

When Guyu handed the silver over, Lin Fengye’s eyes widened, sparkling as if filled with a thousand stars. He frantically stuffed the silver into his robes, continuing even when there was no more room.

Watching this, Chu Nanzhen couldn’t help but frown, thinking this guy was even more obsessed with money than he was.

With ten silver ingots stashed away, Lin Fengye’s chest was bulging awkwardly. The hard metal was uncomfortable, but he had no intention of taking it out. He adjusted his clothes, blinked, and said to Zhi Shiyi, “You didn’t really want to kill me, did you?”

Intrigued, Zhi Shiyi raised an eyebrow, “What makes you say that?”

Lin Fengye pouted, “If you really wanted me dead, you would have killed me the moment I chose the Eunuch. But you didn’t. You gave me a chance.” At that moment, he looked like a child who had realized they’d done something wrong.

Zhi Shiyi gave a slight nod without giving a direct answer. He stood up and reached out to Chu Nanzhen, smiling, “Let’s go see the Eunuch. Hold onto me, it’s safer in case there are other assassins about.”

Lin Fengye, who had already turned to head out, rolled his eyes behind their backs.

Looking at the hand extended toward him, Chu Nanzhen hesitated for a moment before taking it. Even if two grown men holding hands in broad daylight felt a bit odd, it was for the sake of survival. The moment their fingertips touched, a tingling sensation shot through him, and his cheeks felt strangely warm. It was an odd feeling he couldn’t quite name.

He touched his face, wondering if he was coming down with a fever.

Lin Fengye walked a few paces ahead of them and called back, “Can you fly on a sword? I’m talking to the Young Master. If you can’t, I could be generous and”

Before he could finish, a dark green flowered sword appeared before him in a flash, blocking his path. He swallowed the rest of his words. The blade seemed to radiate a cold mist, clearly a weapon of the highest quality.

 Lin Fengye stood there, biting his lip in awkward silence. He had spoken too soon. Chu Nanzhen didn’t look like someone who knew immortal arts, so he had intended to offer him a ride. Now, the realization hit him fast. That was just how he was, once the danger passed, he immediately reverted to his boisterous, sharp-tongued but soft-hearted self.

Chu Nanzhen, who had been about to say “I can’t,” opted to stay silent instead. Instinct told him that keeping his mouth shut was the best move right now.

Zhi Shiyi gripped his hand tightly, as if afraid he might run off. He leaned in and whispered with a smile, “Hold onto me tight and don’t let go. Don’t be afraid up there, I’m right beside you.”

Chu Nanzhen nodded blankly. He could clearly feel the change in Zhi Shiyi. Yesterday, he had been cold and fierce, like a debt collector. Now, his attitude had shifted completely, as if he were protecting a rare, precious treasure.

Lin Fengye shuffled to the side, his eyes never leaving the dark green sword.

“Don’t you two grown men feel any shame, holding hands like that!” Lin Fengye suddenly barked at them, his previous timidness in the hall completely gone, replaced by the swagger of a street thug.

 Zhi Shiyi frowned, finding the boy’s outburst bizarre.

I didn’t do anything to him, why does he look like I owe him a fortune? Chu Nanzhen thought. Still, the boy had a point. He looked away awkwardly and rubbed his nose. Catching a glimpse of their joined hands, he gave a forced laugh to change the subject, “We should get going. If that ‘rooster’ flies the coop, this will all be for nothing.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Chu Nanzhen wanted to slap himself. He felt like curling his toes in embarrassment. A rooster flying the coop… how did I even come up with that?

Lin Fengye looked them up and down, let out a cold, mocking snort, and said, “Right, roosters fly, but Eunuchs don’t.”

“Lead the way, Master Lin,” Zhi Shiyi said, wanting to end the chatter. If they delayed any longer, the Eunuch might actually disappear like a startled bird once he realized Lin Fengye hadn’t shown up.

The thought of the “rooster” was actually quite funny, but Zhi Shiyi kept his amusement to himself.

Chu Nanzhen had seen cultivators fly on swords, seen them fight, and seen the light-footed movements of masters. But he wasn’t a cultivator himself. How was he supposed to get onto the sword?

As he stood there pondering the logistics, Zhi Shiyi let go of his hand and wrapped an arm around his shoulders instead. They were much closer now, and that faint floral scent filled his nose again.

It was just a simple fragrance, yet he felt an inexplicable urge to lean into Zhi Shiyi’s chest and take it all in. Realizing what he was thinking, his eyes snapped wide and he shook his head vigorously. I must be losing my mind!

“Hey, are we going or not? No take-backs on the silver, you said so yourself, City Lord.” Lin Fengye pouted and added, “If you’ve changed your minds, I am not giving the money back!” He clutched his chest protectively, terrified they might try to snatch the silver back.

Chu Nanzhen blinked, wanting to say something but ultimately staying quiet. He kept reminding himself, I’m a man! A man! Chu Nanzhen, you aren’t into guys, why on earth would you want to climb all over another man?

Zhi Shiyi held him and leaped lightly. Their feet left the ground, and they were soon steady on the flowered sword as it ascended.

“Are you scared?”

Looking down, Chu Nanzhen felt no fear. Instead, he felt a surge of excitement. Maybe learning to fly on a sword wouldn’t be such a bad thing after all. He mentally took back his earlier thought about being “not interested.”

A faint glow emanated from beneath his feet. He lifted a foot slightly and saw the words “Liuli” engraved in the center of the blade.

“Is that the sword’s name?”

“Follow me, you two! Be careful once we get there. If the Eunuch really has bolted, don’t go blaming me!” Lin Fengye’s sword was made of white jade, leaving a faint trail in the air behind it.

Zhi Shiyi followed close behind him and replied, “Yes, its name is Liuli.”

“‘The Liuli jade box brings forth lotus flowers, the carved gold rings reflect the bright moon.’ Liuli is a beautiful name. You have good taste.”

“Someone I once knew used a Liuli bowl. No matter how unpalatable the food, he felt it was delicious as long as it was served in that bowl. So, I named it Liuli after that.”

“Oh, I see…”

He had expected a poetic meaning, not that it was named after a dinner bowl. That was certainly unexpected.

The wind was strong, making it hard to keep his eyes open, and his hair was a mess. Zhi Shiyi, however, remained perfectly composed, looking every bit the elegant immortal.

“?”

“Don’t you find the wind too strong?”

“No.”

“Cultivators have spiritual energy to protect them. I’ll teach you one day.”

“No wonder.”

After flying for a short while, Lin Fengye began to dive. Chu Nanzhen squinted and saw a mist-covered area in the outskirts below. A sense of unease settled in his gut. Could the boy be leading them into a trap?

“Why is he in a place like this?” Chu Nanzhen swallowed hard.

Zhi Shiyi replied, “The Misty Woods. Many have lost their lives here. Stay close, I’ll hold your hand when we land.”

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