Breaking Army - Chapter 29

Rong Yuan had initially assumed the Demon Market was simply a bustling bazaar, but upon arrival, he realized another word was needed to describe it: chaotic.

Here, the absence of rules was the greatest rule of all.

Xiao Chen toyed with a small jade trinket in his hand while pinning a demon under his boot. The creature wailed piteously, “My Lord! Great Immortal! Divine Lord! I was wrong, I was wrong!”

Xiao Chen lazily tossed the trinket upward and caught it. “Had enough?”

“Yes, yes! Please, Great Immortal, be magnanimous and spare me just this once!”

With a low chuckle, Xiao Chen withdrew his leg. He flicked the jade piece toward Rong Yuan, who caught it steadily. “Keep it as a toy,” Xiao Chen remarked.

The surrounding shopkeepers, far from helping their fallen peer, jeered with delight.

“Oh, the Divine Lord is far too kind. If it were me, I’d have taken that hand at least!”

“And those eyes, they’re useless anyway if he can’t recognize greatness, haha!”

“My handsome lord, don’t stomp on him, stomp on me instead! Come on, try me!”

The comments grew increasingly bold. Hearing the last one, Rong Yuan silently glanced toward the source. A female demon, posing provocatively, met his gaze and immediately began fluttering her lashes, swaying her hips. “Little Immortal, why don’t you come over here?”

“Come over for what?” Xiao Chen interrupted. “Under that layer of woman’s skin, you’re still a male demon. If you want to swindle people with that trick, you’ve still got a ways to go. Come on, Little Immortal, let’s move.”

The “female” demon froze, seemingly unable to believe his disguise had been seen through so easily. By the time he thought to look again, the two had already vanished into the crowd.

At a nearby stall, Xiao Chen bought two skewers of grilled fish. “This place is free, which makes it lively, but there are dangerous undercurrents everywhere.” He handed a skewer to Rong Yuan. “A quiet, pretty young master like you is exactly the type they target.”

Rong Yuan accepted the fish with a faint smile. He didn’t point out that when Xiao Chen wasn’t fighting, he looked perfectly harmless himself. That merchant had only tried to double cross him because he thought Xiao Chen was an easy mark, only to realize he had kicked a steel plate.

Xiao Chen took a bite of his fish. “Hmm… it really does taste better than mine.”

Rong Yuan took a bite as well, but then shook his head. Seeing his reaction, Xiao Chen paused. “What do you mean? You… have you eaten fish I grilled before?”

Rong Yuan’s chewing faltered. Xiao Chen had only ever grilled fish in the mortal realm. Back then, Mu Qing had been following him in secret. If Mu Qing had tasted it, it could only have been then. Xiao Chen’s expression grew complicated. The fish he’d made back then was not only terrible, but it was also his leftovers.

Xiao Chen ordered two more from the vendor. He handed them to Rong Yuan in silence, and Rong Yuan accepted them, eating quietly.

Feeling it was awkward to stare at Rong Yuan just then, Xiao Chen let his gaze wander along the roadside. As they neared another stall, a pair of Red Beans caught his eye.

The seeds were naturally small, but these had been crafted with incredible delicacy, carved into hollowed-out lanterns and tied to silk cords. Xiao Chen stopped and picked up three or four items at random. “Boss, how much for these?”

The Red Beans were tucked among the other items. Seeing him shopping, Rong Yuan stopped as well, though he stood a short distance away. Lost in his own thoughts, he didn’t notice exactly what Xiao Chen had picked up.

“Oho, you have a keen eye, guest! These are all treasures,” the boss grinned. “Five thousand spiritual stones will do.”

In the Demon Market, transactions could be made with spiritual stones, magical artifacts, or ancient texts. Xiao Chen weighed the items in his hand. “Five hundred stones.”

Aside from the Red Beans, the other trinkets weren’t worth ten stones combined. Five thousand? He didn’t lack money, but he wasn’t about to be fleeced like a fool.

Rong Yuan overheard the haggling. At the very first stall they’d visited, Rong Yuan had intended to pay for Xiao Chen. However, after witnessing the local predatory pricing and Xiao Chen’s ruthless bargaining, he had silently kept his wallet shut. Besides, Xiao Chen was giving him gifts today, and a gentleman like Xiao Chen wouldn’t let the recipient pay.

The vendor’s face darkened instantly. His eyes narrowed as spiritual energy gathered in his palm. “It’s five thousand! You touched them, so you’re buying them. Whether you want to or not!”

Rong Yuan finished his grilled fish and calmly took a half step to the side. He cleared the way just in time for the vendor, whom Xiao Chen had bodily hauled over the counter, to slam hard into the ground.

The stone floor cracked under the impact. Xiao Chen, still holding the items, sighed. “We’re trying to do business here. Why do you all insist on getting violent?”

He leaned down toward the vendor, his voice pleasant and mild. “Five hundred. Selling?”

The vendor raised a trembling hand, his voice weak. “Selling… I’m selling.”

Xiao Chen tucked the other trinkets into Rong Yuan’s hands, but he kept the pair of Red Beans for himself.

The people from the Heavens, as well as Geng Xie and Xiang Zhi, were also visiting the Demon Market for the first time. However, everyone adapted to the local rules quickly, especially Geng Xie and Cheng Feng.

Inside a gambling den, Geng Xie hoisted a half-dead man by his collar. While he behaved himself somewhat in the Heavens, in this lawless place, his naturally wicked aura blended perfectly into the atmosphere.

Geng Xie asked, “What did you say you wanted to bet? Say it again, I’m listening.”

The man had only half a breath left. He opened his mouth but couldn’t make a sound. Nearby, Xiang Zhi was snacking on melon seeds and clapping. “Good hit! Hey, don’t kill him though, definitely don’t kill him!”

Cheng Feng added, “If you kill him, it’s on me! What kind of trash thinks they can target my brother and Xiao Xiang… I mean, that guy? You said anything can be a stake, right? Since you lost, chop off your own claws!”

But before the bet could even start, it looked like they were already going to dismember him.

Ci Shu was kindhearted, but he wasn’t stupid. In such a den of iniquity, he wouldn’t stop Geng Xie or Cheng Feng from using force. The other party had initiated the provocation. If they showed weakness here, they would be picked clean. This place was fun, but the danger was doubled. People came to the Demon Market for the thrill of abandon.

This was a place where strength talked. Martial cultivation, wealth, family background, and even cunning were all forms of power. As long as you were capable, you could experience ultimate pleasure.

Surprisingly, Ci Shu didn’t hate it here.

Still, Xiang Zhi was right, they shouldn’t kill him. Ci Shu finally spoke up, “Geng Xie, let him go. His crime doesn’t warrant death.”

When Cheng Feng called out to Xiang Zhi, he still used the full fake name, Xiao Xiangzhi. But Ci Shu had already dropped the surname and was calling the other man Geng Xie, his true name.

Geng Xie gave a cold snort and tossed the battered man aside, dusting off his hands with a look of pure disgust.

Despite their violence, the onlookers weren’t afraid. Such scenes were common here. Someone stepped forward with a grin. “I’d like to bet with you. I don’t want anything else, just that gentleman’s blindfold.”

Geng Xie paused. “What kind of fetish is that?” Even if the material was decent, it wasn’t particularly valuable. Ci Shu was also curious. “Why the blindfold?”

The man licked his lips and smiled. “I liked the way you looked when you were beating that guy. I want something of yours to keep. Keeping the person would be best, of course, but I know I don’t have the skill for that. So, the blindfold will do.”

The way he spoke was deeply unsettling. Ci Shu was about to refuse when the man produced a small carving that fit in the palm of a hand. “If I lose, I offer this Jade Idol of the Goddess.”

“This is carved from Cold Mountain Spirit Jade. It can ward off evil and protect a home. Minor demons and disasters won’t dare approach.” It was ironic for a demon to carry an object meant to repel his own kind, but then again, kinship in the Demon Market was as thin as paper.

Ci Shu hesitated. Cheng Feng’s eyes lit up. He looked closely, the jade carving was exquisite, the folds of the garments rendered with lifelike detail, though the face remained blank. He asked, “Which Goddess is this?”

“Whomever you wish her to be. There are many Goddesses today, but not all have temples or incense. You can offer it to any of them. Or perhaps a Goddess from the past, like Goddess Ping Yun who fell during the war of the three realms. Shouldn’t she be remembered by the world as well?”

These words struck a chord in the hearts of Ci Shu and Cheng Feng. Their mother had fallen even earlier. In the early years, people would sigh about it behind the Heavenly Emperor’s back, but now, many had stopped mentioning her entirely. She shouldn’t be forgotten.

Moreover, the idol was truly beautiful. After the Empress passed away, all her belongings had been taken by the Heavenly Emperor, leaving the princes with nothing to remember her by. Seeing Ci Shu staring at the jade, Geng Xie arched an eyebrow. “You want it?”

He did, but to let Geng Xie give his personal blindfold to this strange man was too much. Ci Shu opened his mouth to decline, but Geng Xie had already reached up and untied the blindfold. Keeping his scarred eye closed, he said, “It’s a bet.”

Xiao Chen and Rong Yuan passed by the gambling den but didn’t enter. They happened to see a group of people brawling at the entrance, their clothes torn and their fighting style so messy that as they rolled together on the ground, it became quite unsightly. Exposed parts of the body that were “eye-stinging” made them immediately lose interest in the area, and they walked away.

Xiao Chen bought two bowls of sweet soup, handing one to Rong Yuan as usual. “Eat something sweet to wash away that disgusting image.”

One benefit of being a race that didn’t rely on food to survive was that they could eat as much as they wanted without feeling full. The sweet soup was sprinkled with osmanthus. As Rong Yuan ate, he made a mental note of the names of the dishes. While his avatar was eating, his true body back in the study was flipping through books, recording recipes.

When he said he wanted to learn to cook, he hadn’t been joking.

“Since you haven’t traveled much, I imagine you haven’t met many people either.” Xiao Chen held his bowl, stirring it slowly. “I need to investigate the poisoning, so I can take you around more. Now that we’ve seen the Lantern Festival in the mortal world and the Demon Market in the demon realm, what do you think?”

Though Rong Yuan couldn’t speak, he swallowed his soup before writing in the air: Very good. Lively.

Xiao Chen stopped stirring. The soup had become thick and smooth. “The world is lively. You meet all kinds of people. One day, you will meet someone, and from knowing them to understanding them, you’ll eventually make vows to each other. You will witness every moment of your lives together. That person will be real and vivid, not just a hollow, phantom shadow stepped out of a legend.”

Rong Yuan’s fingers paused, and he lowered his spoon.

“I am not as good as the legends say,” Xiao Chen said, looking down slightly at him. This avatar of Rong Yuan was half a head shorter than him, but this time, his gaze wasn’t that of an adult looking at a child. He was seriously opening himself up. “The rumors praise my mercy, but I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t bear to see the three realms suffer. Everyone who went to the battlefield with me felt the same. They say I’m invincible, but you see, even amidst hidden schemes and shadows, there are times I fail. I am not forever undefeated.”

“There are many who admire me simply because of the stories. But one day, everyone will realize I am not the most special one. In new stories, the perfect protagonist won’t always be me. It could be anyone, you, or even the Ghost King.”

In the study, the real Rong Yuan had also stopped moving. A drop of ink fell from his brush, blossoming into a dark flower on the paper.

Xiao Chen’s voice continued, “Once the phantom perfection you’ve imagined for me fades away, you will find what is real.”

And then, Rong Yuan would leave of his own accord to be with the person he truly loved.

The bowl in Rong Yuan’s hand fell to the ground, shattering into pieces. He suddenly grabbed Xiao Chen’s hand. Xiao Chen let him hold it, his other hand still steadily holding his own bowl of soup.

I have already found it, Rong Yuan’s words appeared before Xiao Chen’s eyes. I met you, didn’t I? You aren’t just in the legends, you came to my side. I admire the you in the legends, but I love the you who is here now. To me, you are the most special one.

The lights around them were brilliant and the crowds were surging, but in that moment, his eyes held only Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen felt his heart tremble.

The hands of the avatar were actually warmer than those of Rong Yuan’s true body. That warmth traveled from their joined hands and spread through Xiao Chen’s entire being.

He placed his own bowl of sweet soup into Rong Yuan’s hands. Rong Yuan held the bowl, and Xiao Chen… held Rong Yuan’s hands.

“Alright, I won’t say it anymore.”

He would no longer say things like “you can’t distinguish between admiration and love.”

“That bowl broke, so eat this one.”

Whether you will leave me after realizing your true feelings, or whether I will truly fall for you, I am willing to enter this game and play this bet with you.

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