Back To When The Demon Lord Was A Beggar - Chapter 7

Cultivators are protected by spiritual energy and internal strength, but Chu Nanzhen was currently nothing more than a mortal of flesh and blood. After such an ordeal, his body couldn’t quite take it, a wave of dizziness washed over him, and his breathing became shallow and hurried.

The three of them came to a halt at the city gates. Chao City was quite expansive, and since there was still a significant distance to the City Lord’s manor, they hailed a carriage for the return trip.

Inside the carriage, Zhi Shiyi sat beside Chu Nanzhen, gently stroking his back to help him catch his breath. He watched him with a worried gaze, his eyes clouded with a hint of “guilt.” Finally, he spoke, “I’m sorry, I should have gone slower.”

“It’s no matter,” Chu Nanzhen said, waving a hand dismissively. This wasn’t something he could blame on anyone else; it was his own limitation. If he were an immortal himself, he wouldn’t be in such a sorry state.

Even though Zhi Shiyi knew there was no major harm done, that nagging sense of guilt refused to fade.

Lin Fengye, sitting cross-legged, rolled his eyes at the interaction between the two. He lifted his chin with an arrogant air and said, “Since the matter is resolved, the City Lord must keep his promise.” He thrust his hand out toward Zhi Shiyi. “You promised twelve silver ingots before, and you still owe me two.”

The City Lord’s manor was the last place to lack silver, and Zhi Shiyi was a generous man by nature. He nodded and said calmly, “Someone will give them to you once we reach the manor.”

Since the money was coming sooner or later, Lin Fengye wasn’t in a desperate rush.

As they traveled, the noise from outside grew louder. Mingled within the din were sounds of “crying” and “screaming,” the kind of noise that made one’s skin crawl. However, they didn’t give it much thought, assuming it was just a particularly nasty domestic spat between a local couple.

“Are you leaving as soon as you get your money?” Chu Nanzhen asked suddenly.

“Isn’t that obvious!?” Lin Fengye’s voice suddenly spiked in volume, his face flushing a deep red like a bristling lion. “I’m warning you, don’t you dare fall for me! It’s bad enough the two of you are all touchy-feely, but I am certainly not a duanxiu!”

By now, Chu Nanzhen had completely recovered. Hearing those words, he immediately shot back, “Who, would ever fall for you? And who wants to be touchy-feely with you?! The way Zhi Shiyi and I act is perfectly normal, yet your mind is so utterly filthy!”

The two had similar temperaments, and they looked ready to erupt into a full-blown argument. A flicker of disappointment crossed Zhi Shiyi’s eyes at Chu Nanzhen’s words, but he quickly masked his emotions, cutting them off just as Lin Fengye was about to snap back.

Zhi Shiyi straightened his posture and said, “In that case, I won’t insist on Master Lin staying for a meal.”

Lin Fengye turned his head away and cleared his throat awkwardly. “So, regarding today’s events… will you tell my Master?” He didn’t care about the meal, but he was terrified that his Master would be disappointed in him if the truth came out.

Tell him!

Tell him everything!

Tell him so thoroughly that he gets his teeth kicked in! Chu Nanzhen’s mind let out a silent, sharp scream of pure spite.

“What are your plans after we part today, Master Lin?” Zhi Shiyi asked, his eyes fixed forward.

“I haven’t thought about the long term yet. I figured I’d roam the world for a bit, make some like-minded friends, practice hard with them, and do some heroic deeds. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll become an immortal and make my Master proud.” When he mentioned his Master, a rare, genuine smile appeared on his face.

“So you’re done with the business of killing people?” Chu Nanzhen crossed his arms, leaning toward Lin Fengye with a mischievous, mocking grin. “Giving it up? Not going to take my life anymore?” He pointed toward Zhi Shiyi and narrowed his eyes. “Not going to take his, either?”

Seeing this, Zhi Shiyi couldn’t help but let out a quiet, stifled laugh.

Lin Fengye’s face instantly turned ashen. He whipped his head around to glare at Chu Nanzhen, looking as if he wanted to start a fight to the death right then and there. He shouted, “I’ve turned over a new leaf! I won’t do those things anymore, what more do you want!?”

Chu Nanzhen shrugged and spread his hands, rolling his eyes. “Just trying to annoy you.” That’s what you get for calling me a duanxiu, serves you right!

“If that is the case, I shall not inform your Master,” Zhi Shiyi interrupted again, his voice rising slightly as he offered a word of caution. “Do not stray onto the wrong path in the future. Be careful, or you may find there is no way back.”

The young are often full of pride and impulse. If he truly fell into a trap set by villains or gave them leverage over him, his entire life would be forfeit.

One only truly understands through experience. This incident had clearly left a mark on Lin Fengye. He nodded and said, “I understand. I will definitely walk the righteous path from now on!”

***

By the time they returned to the City Lord’s manor, it was already evening. Guyu had been waiting outside for a long time. Seeing them step down from the carriage, he walked forward and bowed respectfully. “City Lord, a letter has arrived from the Palace.”

“First a eunuch dies in the Mist Forest, and now a letter arrives from the Emperor. I fear this isn’t a friendly check-in, but a summons for questioning,” Chu Nanzhen said, frowning.

“Are you afraid?” Zhi Shiyi asked.

“What’s there to fear? My life isn’t worth much anyway,” Chu Nanzhen said nonchalantly. He tilted his head, looking puzzled. “Why do you keep asking if I’m afraid? Do I look that cowardly to you?”

Zhi Shiyi pursed his lips, unsure how to respond. After a long silence, he finally muttered, “It was just a thought.”

Chu Nanzhen wasn’t afraid of ghosts or demons; the eavesdropping incident last time had been a complete fluke.

“It’s cold out here, let’s go inside to talk.”

Though spring had begun, the night wind was still chilly, and lingering in it for too long would surely lead to illness.

Following Zhi Shiyi’s orders, Guyu handed Lin Fengye the remaining two silver ingots. The boy was visibly delighted the moment he touched the money. He tossed the silver in the air, caught it, and promptly turned to leave the manor.

The two of them sat in the front hall, watching his retreating figure. Chu Nanzhen leaned his cheek on his hand and remarked, “Money really can make a person forget their sorrows.”

“If you are ever sad in the future, how about I offer you a thousand taels of silver to coax a smile? Would that work?” Zhi Shiyi asked seriously.

Hearing this, Chu Nanzhen couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “I may be greedy, but I’m not a bottomless pit.”

Guyu walked over and presented the letter from the Palace to Zhi Shiyi. He took it and opened it, his brow furrowing as he read the contents. This piqued Chu Nanzhen’s curiosity. They say curiosity killed the cat—well, let the cat die then!

“Hurry up and tell me, what does it say!?”

“The Emperor says he wants you to return to the Central City.”

Zhi Shiyi had no intention of keeping secrets from him and handed the letter over. It consisted of only two lines, both filled with threatening undertones.

The Son of Heaven’s wrath can leave three thousand miles of blood in its wake. If you wish to protect the lives of the people of Chao City, return him to the Central City.

Chu Nanzhen’s heart skipped a beat. He was baffled as to how the Emperor knew he was in Chao City. He wasn’t some high-ranking official; why would he warrant such attention from the Emperor? The more he thought about it, the more unsettling it became. And what did this have to do with the lives of the citizens?! He couldn’t make sense of it.

Though he was dazed, he quickly dismissed the logic. The Emperor sat in a high position, enjoying every luxury and whim. Why would he bother with a mere beggar? It had to be a coincidence.

His gaze fell on the letter again. Seeing those two sentences, his brow deepened into a scowl. In that instant, a seed of loathing for the Emperor began to take root in his heart.

You old fossil, who cares where I go! Chu Nanzhen thought.

Chu Nanzhen looked up and asked irritably, “Is this Emperor perhaps… sick in the head?” Though he phrased it as a question, he pointed a finger at his own temple.

To demand an entire city be buried with him just because one person left? Chu Nanzhen truly suspected the Emperor had read too many melodramatic novels, or was simply insane.

“The Emperor has been plagued by illness for many years, so yes, he is indeed ‘sick,'” Zhi Shiyi said with a faint smile in his eyes. “Don’t be afraid.”

No wonder then. He really is crazy.

Chu Nanzhen asked, “Do you know why the Emperor wants me back?”

“I don’t,” Zhi Shiyi replied, shaking his head slightly. His gaze remained fixed on Chu Nanzhen as he smiled gently. “Since you don’t want to go back, then stay here and live in peace. I will protect you, my young… Lord.”

“Actually, I suddenly kind of want to go back. After all, I promised someone peaches and I haven’t given them yet.” Speaking of this, he couldn’t help but remember the thatched hut where he used to live. He wondered if the peach trees were still blossoming and bearing fruit.

He smacked his lips, suddenly craving a peach.

Zhi Shiyi lowered his head and chuckled. When he looked up again, his expression was solemn. “Everyone wants to possess you, and I am no exception. That being said, there is a difference.”

Chu Nanzhen still didn’t quite understand. He joked, “If everyone wants me, then I really am a prize catch, aren’t I?”

“Yes.” Zhi Shiyi turned to Guyu and said, “Write a response to the one in the Palace for me. Tell him, ‘Your Majesty, do you wish to test your strength against mine, or do you value your life?'” There was a cold glint in his eyes, and his tone had turned icy.

Holy crap.

Chu Nanzhen took a sharp breath. This man really dared to say anything. Wasn’t he afraid the Emperor would personally come to settle the score?

***

It had been a few days since the letter was sent to the Palace, and the Emperor had made no further moves. Things had been quiet for a while. Chu Nanzhen enjoyed the daily allowance sent to him, counting his coins tirelessly with a heart full of joy.

Zhi Shiyi, the City Lord, was surprisingly idle. He spent his days doing nothing but sitting in the room watching Chu Nanzhen count money. Sometimes, Chu Nanzhen genuinely wondered if the man was watching him or the gold.

This lasted until early this morning. Just as dawn was breaking, a commotion erupted outside the manor. The voices were chaotic, sounding like a large crowd had gathered. Unsurprisingly, Chu Nanzhen was woken up again. He sat up, frustratedly rubbing his hair, and closed his eyes in despair. His voice was raspy as he groaned, “What on earth is so important that it has to happen in the morning!?”

Yesterday, Zhi Shiyi had sent Guyu with a new robe. It was only then that Chu Nanzhen realized he had been wearing his wedding robes all this time.

And no one had even bothered to remind him!

The new robe had a white collar, while the rest was a deep ink-blue, shining like a pearl in the night sky. Once he was fully awake, he hurriedly dressed, went to the door, and peered out through a small crack.

“If you want to see, then come out and look,” Zhi Shiyi’s voice drifted in from outside the door, giving Chu Nanzhen a start.

Opening the door, he found Zhi Shiyi standing there, arms crossed, staring at him. Chu Nanzhen gave an awkward, sheepish laugh. “Haha, you’re up early!”

Zhi Shiyi looked him up and down, a smile tugging at his lips. “Yes, quite early.” He looks good, he thought.

“How did you know I was going to peek?”

“Last time, you did this. This time, I knew you would too.”

Fine, great deduction skills. He had nothing to say to that.

Zhi Shiyi said, “There are people at the gate. Come with me to take a look.”

Upon opening the main gates, they saw a crowd of people dressed in mourning clothes. Their faces were stained with tears, and at the very back was a wooden cart covered with a white cloth. One didn’t need to guess to know that what lay beneath was either a corpse or remains.

At the head of the crowd was an old woman in her seventies. Her hair was completely white. The moment the gates opened, she collapsed to the ground with a thud, wailing with a frail, exhausted voice, “City Lord! You must give us justice! My son has been murdered! My son!! Oh, my son!!”

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