Return to Yanjing

Xiao Chen had killed countless malevolent spirits in the Demon Cave. On a conservative estimate, the number must have exceeded a hundred thousand. A layer of black, deathly aura—nearly corporeal to the eye—now clung to him, invisible to ordinary people but unmistakable to any cultivator.

This posed an immediate problem for him. He could not enter towns or cities as he was; he would be noticed at once.

"I'm hungry..." Keke whimpered, blinking her large, innocent eyes. She looked at Xiao Chen as though she wished she could fly straight into the nearest city and glut herself at the first restaurant they found.

But how could Xiao Chen let the little creature go out alone? He firmly kept her by his side.

"Bear it a few more days," he said. "I have to refine away this murderous aura first."

As it turned out, those few days stretched into three full months.

It was the season of the spring equinox. Orioles sang, grass grew tall, and soft willow branches swayed in the warm breeze. The scent of earth mingled with the fragrance of grass and flowers, making the world feel vivid and harmonious.

By then, both Xiao Chen and Keke had light in their eyes—not because they were admiring beautiful things. They glanced past the lush, tree-lined gardens and the several pretty young women there, and fixed their gazes directly on the few snow-white cranes that were dancing in the sky.

"The night has given me black eyes, yet I use them to search for roast crane..." the little white beast murmured, unable to help wiping her mouth.

"Try to show some restraint," Xiao Chen scolded, but his own eyes gleamed green like a wolf's. He had been trapped in the Death World's Demon Cave for four years, fighting dark phantoms every day and drenched in the blood of fiends. Now everything looked like a delicious meal to him.

"Who are you?!"

Several pretty young women in the garden cried out in alarm. A few men who had been reciting poetry and painting on the nearby grassy bank were also startled and hurried over.

It was clearly a gathering of cultured talents and beauties. They saw a scruffy, wild-looking stranger trespassing in their private space and immediately grew wary.

"Honey date cakes, buttered tea, eight-treasure dumplings, crystal buns..." Keke stared at the refreshments laid out on the grass. She nearly turned to stone. Her large, intelligent eyes were fixed in a straight gaze, and then, like a pathetic little thing, she muttered: "Mine... all mine..."

The little creature had been trapped in the Death World for thirteen years. Now that she had finally returned to the mortal world, her greedy appetite had completely reawakened. Even a goose feather would have looked like a fragrant roast goose to her now, let alone the sight of fine pastries.

The little thing had been craving for far too long.

Trusting in their numbers, the group of talented scholars and beauties surrounded Xiao Chen. They naturally showed no kindness toward this wild-looking man.

Bam!

Xiao Chen solved the problem with a single heavy branch. One scholar was struck on the head, bleeding profusely; he cried out and crumpled to the ground. A young beauty fainted in fright.

"Barbarian!"

"Brute!"

...

The group scattered in panic, fleeing without a trace.

Man and beast then swaggered up to the picnic spread and began enjoying the pastries. Thirteen years away from human civilization, any food was a supreme delicacy to them.

When the scholar with the gashed head and the frightened beauty regained consciousness, they saw Xiao Chen and Keke patiently roasting two snow-white cranes over a fire.

"You savage butcher! You roasted A-Ying and the others!" the girl screamed.

The scholar stared at the overturned lute in the flames and wailed, "My family's heirloom—the Burnt-Tail Zither!"

Both of them fainted again.

When Xiao Chen and Keke had eaten their fill and rested for a long while on the fragrant grass, they lazily got to their feet.

"We shouldn't eat for nothing," Xiao Chen said, stretching. He washed himself thoroughly in the nearby stream, then took a set of clothes from Paradise Lost and put them on.

"Art is priceless..." the little beast muttered reluctantly as she left two spirit fruits behind.

"You're the one who threw that zither into the fire," Xiao Chen reminded her.

They left Yongzhou and traveled east, arriving at Yanjing two days later.

Yanjing was an ancient capital of the north, a place of great strategic importance from time immemorial. Its walls were tall and broad at the top—wide enough for cavalry to gallop along. Green bricks encased the ramparts, giving them a heavy, imposing look. Gate towers, arrow towers, and sluice gates rose above the doors, towering into the sky with majestic grandeur.

From a distance, Xiao Chen saw purple qi surging up from Yanjing like a column of smoke. Only a cultivator of his realm could perceive that violet energy rising unbroken into the heavens.

He frowned slightly. Now he understood why the Hundred Races were fighting over the great cities of the mortal world.

Take Yanjing as an example: with purple dragon qi soaring to the sky, there must be a vast ancestral vein beneath the city—a terrestrial root formed by the gathered spiritual essence of the land. If a cultivator delved deep into Yanjing's underground to train, his cultivation speed would increase several-fold.

In a sense, the ancient capitals—Yanjing, Jinling, Luoyang, Chang'an—were even more suitable for cultivation than famous mountains like the Five Peaks.

Xiao Chen changed his appearance, and Keke reluctantly turned herself into a little black cat. Only then did they enter Yanjing.

"I'm so hungry..." Keke rubbed her tiny stomach pathetically.

"Don't worry, you'll taste every delicacy Yanjing has to offer soon enough," Xiao Chen said. He was in a good mood after seeing the purple qi. "Get your Little Sacred Tree ready. Tonight we plant a tree..."

"I'm hungry..."

"Fine, fine, I'm hungry too," he conceded.

Xiao Chen led Keke into the bustling streets of Yanjing. People came and went, vendors hawked their wares, and the lively clamor of the market—so different from the deathly stillness of the Death Continent—struck him as vividly alive.

"Ah, to spend the rest of my life wallowing in this mundane world of red dust..." After the monotony and grimness of the Death World, Xiao Chen treasured this world of vitality. At this moment, everything seemed fresh and beautiful to him.

Unfortunately, the pleasant feeling lasted only a moment before it was shattered by a coarse shout.

"The Young Master of the Marquis of Ease is on the move! Clear the road!"

Before Xiao Chen could blink, a troop of horsemen galloped past. People were shouting and cursing, and pedestrians scrambled out of the way.

"Get lost!" More than a dozen swift horses led the way, charging straight ahead. They nearly trampled an old woman under their large hooves.

Xiao Chen stepped forward and pulled the old woman aside. But even though she had escaped the horses, a whip came lashing at him.

"Seeking death! Get out of the way!" The arrogant rider glared fiercely, apparently displeased that Xiao Chen had dared to help.

"Quite a mouth you have, and quite a temper."

Xiao Chen sneered and took a step back. Then he grabbed hold of the whip and gave a sharp tug. The rider was immediately yanked off his horse.

The beast the man rode was a famous Lion-Mane Horse, its mane long and thick like a lion's, exceptionally majestic. It was a thousand-li thoroughbred known for covering seventy li in half an hour, also called a Seventy-Mile Horse.

With a heavy thud, the horse's large hoof landed on the fallen rider himself, forcing a grunt from him.

"Bold! You're asking for death!" The rider leaped up, unharmed by the horse's step—clearly a cultivator of no mean skill.

He raised his hand and lashed at Xiao Chen with his whip. If an ordinary man had been struck, all his teeth would have been knocked out.

Crack!

A sound of bone breaking. Xiao Chen had caught the rider's hand and was slowly crushing it. With each squeeze, there was a sharp snapping sound. The rider's hand softened like a strand of noodles.

"Aaaah!" The rider let out a howl of agony.

The other riders were alarmed. The street fell into chaos as more than ten horsemen wheeled around and galloped back.

"Brazen criminal! Attacking on the street—seize him!" The leader ordered, drawing his blade and slashing at Xiao Chen.

Clang!

Xiao Chen gently flicked a finger. The saber aimed at his head immediately snapped in two, the broken pieces clattering to the ground.

"All together! Cut him down!" The escort was clearly used to bullying people, and though they saw Xiao Chen was skilled, they were not afraid—their master's influence was too great.

More than ten blades and swords swung at Xiao Chen.

But every single weapon shattered in an instant. The cause was merely a single finger, pointing at each one in turn. All the riders tumbled to the ground, every one of them with an arm bone ground to powder.

"Who dares to cause a disturbance in the street and block the Young Master of the Marquis of Ease's passage?" The commotion ahead naturally drew the attention of the vehicles behind. Eight cultivators flew over.

The old woman Xiao Chen had helped tugged at his sleeve, anxious. "Young man, run quickly!"

"You go first," he said, watching her disappear into the crowd. Then he smiled coldly as the eight cultivators arrived. He already knew which faction had taken over Yanjing—he was here precisely to "cause trouble" and "plant a tree" anyway, so he was not afraid to make a scene.

"Young man, you really don't know your place. When you were out training, didn't your elders tell you what kind of place Yanjing is?" An old man spoke with a sinister air, staring at Xiao Chen.

"What kind of place is Yanjing?"

Hearing this answer, the eight cultivators were even more certain that this was a greenhorn who knew nothing. They looked at him as if he were already dead.

"The Marquis of Ease, who rules Yanjing, has divine beings backing him. For you to come here and stir up trouble—once your elders learn of this, they will surely expel you from the sect and come here to apologize on their knees."

"Divine beings? Which divine beings?"

"You truly are ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth!" The old man sneered. "Have you ever heard the saying, 'When Multi-Treasure Heavenly King Wu Ming appears, no one can rival him'? At least three or five experts of that caliber are training in Yanjing." The old man almost looked down on Xiao Chen as he spoke Wu Ming's name, sneering constantly.

"Wu Ming? Who is that? He doesn't even have a proper name? Is he the Heavenly King of Blacksmithing or the Heavenly King of Pot-selling?"

"You... fool! You are absolutely dead now!"

The eight men struck together. Sword beams and blade light rose, instantly engulfing Xiao Chen. But they soon discovered, to their chagrin, that all their attacks were useless against him. The dazzling radiance vanished on the surface of his body as if it had dissolved.

The young man in the middle gently flicked his finger. They felt as though a thunderbolt had crashed beside their ears, and all eight of them were knocked cold on the spot.

"Who is making all this noise?"

From the lavishly decorated carriage behind came a young man's voice. Someone lifted the jade curtain for him and helped him down. Two white-haired elders followed closely as he strode forward.

When he saw more than a dozen riders and eight guards all lying on the ground, the pale, dissipated-looking young man instantly flew into a rage.

"What utter gall! How dare you lay hands on my men! Charge him! Seize him!"

This young master was the only son of the Marquis of Ease. He was used to having his way, and today he was on his way to greet an important guest. Being delayed enraged him beyond measure.

But the men who charged forward had barely raised a hand before they all hit the ground. The two elders accompanying the young master exchanged glances, their faces showing alarm. They whispered to him.

"No! Send for our manor—I want him arrested!" The young master's features twisted. He had never been insulted like this before.

As one of the elders hurried away, Xiao Chen laughed lazily and walked forward. "You're a pretty arrogant ne'er-do-well, aren't you? It seems you're used to throwing your weight around." He came closer, his harmless smile fading. "But no matter whether you're a dragon or a dog, when you come before me, you grovel."

He took a step forward. The elder remaining at the young master's side turned pale and rushed to intercept him.

But Xiao Chen pointed a finger, and the elder flew backward, coughing blood, and collapsed limply.

Xiao Chen walked up to the Young Master of the Marquis of Ease. "What sort of little monkey are you?"

"I... I am the Young Master of the Marquis of Ease..." The young man's bluster had drained away; his voice trembled slightly.

"Monkey or dog, it makes no difference. Down you go." Xiao Chen tapped him lightly on the shoulder. The young man's legs promptly gave way, and he trembled like a sieve before obediently collapsing to the ground.

"My father is..."

"I know, an old monkey, isn't he?" Xiao Chen wandered around, occasionally stepping on the young master's face. This drew a shrieking cry like a wolf being skinned alive.

"My father and several divine masters..."

"Shut up. Be good. You're giving me a headache." Xiao Chen gave an indifferent order, then planted a few more steps on the young man's face.

The rest of the Marquis's entourage, still lying on the ground, were struck dumb with fear.

"So slow, so slow! Why are the experts from your Monkey Manor taking so long to arrive?"

Hearing this, the Young Master of the Marquis felt like crying. Even in his arrogance and ignorance, he knew this man had come specifically to start trouble—and was absolutely formidable.

In the distant street, many ordinary people felt secretly pleased. Seeing this bully being so thoroughly humiliated was quite satisfying.

Jingling bells sounded in the distance as a winged divine leopard drew a fragrant carriage through the sky. More than a dozen young men and women flew alongside, guarding the carriage.

The Young Master of the Marquis immediately showed delight. These were the honored guests he had been waiting for—fairy maidens his father had ordered him to please by any means.

"You know them?" Xiao Chen asked.

Ignoring him, the Young Master suddenly shouted, "Fairy, save me!"

The carriage in the sky was wreathed in auspicious clouds and thousands of rainbow beams as it slowly descended.

The commoners who saw immortals appearing grew reverent and quickly fell back.

"Quite the showy entrance," Xiao Chen snorted. The thick killing aura he had condensed from slaying a million evil spirits suddenly burst forth.

In an instant, the winged divine leopard was so terrified it prostrated itself on the ground, and the carriage fell heavily to the earth.

The black aura vanished as quickly as it had come, not even spreading toward those young people.

"Who dares to startle the carriage?" A silvery voice like bells came from within.

The dozen or so young cultivators guarding the vehicle all rushed forward, glaring at Xiao Chen.

"Down, down!" Xiao Chen pointed at them. More than ten cultivators at the Deathless Longevity realm strained with all their might, but under the sweep of his finger-light, they eventually crumbled to the ground.

The Young Master of the Marquis and his men stared, stunned. Even the divine beings had obediently knelt. Seeing this, their whole bodies trembled.

Boom!

The calm sound of a bell rang out. A middle-aged matron rushed out of the carriage and shouted, "Who seeks to harm my lady?"

"An imitation of the Imperishable Imperial Heavenly Bell?" Xiao Chen became interested. "What relation is your lady to Wu Ming?"

"My lady is the niece of the Multi-Treasure Heavenly King. Stand aside at once!" the matron snapped.

"Wu Ming's name doesn't work on me. 'Multi-Treasure Heavenly King'—is that a title he gave himself? I came here today specifically to take his bell and his hammer."

Everyone present drew in a sharp breath. Who was Wu Ming? The Multi-Treasure Heavenly King, unmatched under heaven. And this man spoke of him as if he were nothing. It was stunning.

The men of the Marquis's manor all turned deathly pale and dared not even breathe loudly.

"Who are you? You have a lot of nerve! Once the Heavenly King Wu Ming arrives in person, I suspect you'll flee a thousand li!" the matron sneered.

"Wu Ming... haha..." Xiao Chen laughed heartily. "I'm afraid he'll do just that—flee ten thousand li the moment he learns I'm here."