(18)
Strolling along the main street, the townspeople all looked at them curiously; it seemed they rarely saw outside travelers, especially cultivators dressed in Taoist robes like them.
Jiang Xing kept his brows tightly furrowed the whole way, carefully observing the people around him. Perhaps the snake demon was hiding among these townspeople, eyeing them like a tiger watching its prey.
Zishu Bai, however, had no such reservations. Perhaps due to his high cultivation, he had already guessed that none of these people were the snake demon.
“Big brother, excuse me, which way is the City Lord’s Manor?”
“Go straight east; at the very end is the place.”
Having gotten directions from the late-night snack vendor, Zishu Bai ambled over to Jiang Xing with a beaming smile again. “Look, the vendor knew I hadn’t eaten, so he gave me two flatbreads for free. The people in the city are all very nice.”
He offered a flatbread to Jiang Xing, who shot him a side-glance and made no move to accept it.
What did this prove? It only showed that the late-night snack vendor happened to be generous—it didn’t mean everyone was a good person. Zishu Bai was always so naive, subconsciously assuming the whole world was as kind as he was.
Not that he meant to compliment him.
The two walked straight east, and as expected, they saw the so-called City Lord’s Manor.
Jiang Xing froze for a moment, grabbed a passing pedestrian, and asked incredulously, “This is the City Lord’s Manor?”
The pedestrian nodded and explained to him, “Yes, the City Lord has lived here for thirty years. But none of us call it the City Lord’s Manor; we just call it the City Lord’s House.”
The corner of Jiang Xing’s mouth twitched slightly. Raising his eyes to look, the extravagant and noble City Lord’s Manor he had envisioned in his head instantly burst like a bubble. Before his eyes was merely an ordinary old compound—gray bricks, black tiles, a plain and worn wooden door, with not even a stone lion at the entrance, only a big yellow dog tied outside.
The City Lord lived in a place like this?
Zishu Bai exchanged a glance with him, the corners of his lips curving up slightly. He clearly hadn’t said a word, yet he seemed to have said everything.
This idiot must be thinking, “I’m bound to win! The City Lord is so honest and incorruptible, how bad could he possibly be? Prepare to hand over your most precious possession.”
Heh.
Did he know how foolish and obnoxious he looked when he smiled like that?
Jiang Xing impatiently pushed him in front of the door and said peevishly, “Knock.”
With two thuds, an old man with graying hair opened the door. Dressed like a servant of the household, he asked in a leisurely voice: “Do you have any business?”
“We are disciples of Wuwang Sect, visiting the City Lord on a mission from our sect,” Zishu Bai replied politely. “Since it is already late tonight, if the City Lord is resting, we will return another day.”
The old man shook his head and said with a smile: “The City Lord sleeps very little; at this hour he should still be handling official business. Please come in.”
Handling official business at such a late hour—what a hardworking and devoted City Lord, working himself to the bone.
Zishu Bai turned back to look at Jiang Xing again, blinking his eyes.
Jiang Xing: “…”
I really want to punch him.
Following the old man into the City Lord’s house, although it looked meager on the outside, the inside was not as dilapidated as imagined. Everything was kept clean and tidy, with all necessary furnishings present—in every way, it looked like the residence of an ordinary citizen.
Guided by the old man, they finally met the City Lord of Tenglong City. He was a middle-aged man full of energy and glowing with health, tall and sturdy. It was clear he practiced martial arts regularly, and one could vaguely feel a vigorous spiritual energy emanating from him; this person’s cultivation was definitely not low.
Jiang Xing sized him up from head to toe, his eyes narrowing slightly. That collected spiritual energy had definitely been pocketed by the City Lord for himself; otherwise, how could the cultivation of a remote small-town City Lord be higher than that of a proper cultivator?
“You are disciples of Wuwang Sect?” The City Lord laughed heartily, waved his large hand, and led them toward the main hall. “You haven’t eaten yet, right? Coincidentally, neither have I. Old Li, have Xuan Nian cook a few grand dishes so we can eat together.”
Jiang Xing said flatly: “City Lord, please forgive us for disturbing you late at night, but dinner won’t be necessary. We came on this trip to investigate the snake demon; we ask for your help in searching for the snake demon’s whereabouts.”
Hearing his words, the City Lord paused, turned back, and smiled: “No need to call me City Lord. My name is Lu Buyun; just call me Brother Lu.”
“My name is Zishu Bai, and this is Jiang Xing,” Zishu Bai gently pulled Jiang Xing forward, enthusiastically introducing him to Lu Buyun. “Brother Lu doesn’t need to entertain us further; we will leave once our mission is completed.”
Hearing this, Lu Buyun shook his head and said in a low voice: “You’ve come from afar, so I must play the host properly no matter what. Besides… watch your step!”
He suddenly shouted with anxious panic, making Jiang Xing immediately raise his head in suspicious confusion.
Lu Buyun walked over to Jiang Xing, slowly bent down, and said warmly: “There’s a nest of ants moving house here. Be careful not to step on them—all living things have a spirit, so do not take life.”
Jiang Xing lowered his eyes to look. In the spot he had just passed, there really was a line of ants so small you wouldn’t notice them unless you looked closely.
The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, hearing Zishu Bai let out a soft chuckle beside his ear.
“Brother Lu is truly kind-hearted.”
“Where, where—it’s merely a trivial matter within my meager power.” Lu Buyun turned around with a smile to continue leading the way.
However, the moment Lu Buyun turned his head away, Jiang Xing stepped right on top of the ants.
What ‘all living things have a spirit, do not take life’? Setting up such a persona in front of us—don’t you feel like laughing when you say that?
After stepping on the ants, he raised his head, only to meet Zishu Bai’s astonished gaze.
Jiang Xing brushed past Zishu Bai calmly, his voice cold: “What are you looking at? Keep looking and I’ll step on you too.”
Zishu Bai shook his head, his brows lightly furrowed in a look of disapproval. In a low voice audible only to the two of them, he whispered: “Are you angry because of that bet?”
Angry?
What a joke. How could he possibly be angry over such a childish bet? Besides, it wasn’t even decided who would win or lose yet.
Jiang Xing couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to him, but heard Zishu Bai say softly with some self-reproach, “If I had known, we should have changed the rules.”
Catching up to Jiang Xing, he said in a gentle voice: “If you win, you give me your most precious possession. If I win, I give you my most precious possession… That way, whether you win or lose, you will be very happy. How about it?”
Hearing his words, Jiang Xing’s expression froze briefly, his eyelashes fluttering. His heart felt as though it had been bumped gently and softly by something, and he subconsciously looked away from those brightly shining eyes.
Does this idiot think he’s already won for sure?
It’s far too early.
“Since you want to make me happy so badly, why not just give me the item directly?” Jiang Xing tossed him a lukewarm line.
Zishu Bai was briefly stunned, then immediately broke into a slight smile. “Alright.”
He agreed so easily—could it be that the “most precious” thing Zishu Bai originally intended to bet on was just a piece of trash?
Jiang Xing looked at him suspiciously, only to see Zishu Bai unbutton a clasp on his collar and remove a small jade pendant inlaid with red coral beads from around his neck.
When he handed the pendant over and Jiang Xing took it, he could even feel the warm body temperature belonging to Zishu Bai on it.
What is this thing? It wasn’t mentioned in the book.
Zishu Bai actually has a treasure on him that I don’t know about?
“This is a peace talisman my mother made for me with her own hands,” Zishu Bai said with a bright, supremely confident smile. “My mother said it can bless me with peace, joy, and a long life of a hundred years. This is the most precious thing on me, and now I give it to you.”
“…”
Silence. A long, drawn-out silence.
Jiang Xing ground his teeth and squeezed the jade pendant into his palm. How was this any different from his plan to trick Zishu Bai by claiming his own item was a family heirloom!
Forget it, free stuff is free stuff. The jade and beads looked to be of decent quality—maybe they could even be sold for some money.
Under Zishu Bai’s expectant gaze, he put the pendant around his neck. Then, as if remembering something, he asked in confusion: “You’re just giving away something your mother gave you so casually?”
Zishu Bai, assuming he was worried he couldn’t bear to part with it, chuckled softly: “It’s fine, my mother can make me another one anytime.”
Damn it, it’s a mass-produced version—she can make as many as she wants.
Jiang Xing felt his forehead throbbing. From now on, he would never play such a childish game with Zishu Bai again; it literally dragged his IQ down a few notches.
The person in front of him suddenly stopped walking. Raising his eyes, he saw that they had arrived at the main hall.
“Please sit down casually, no need to be formal,” Lu Buyun personally poured two cups of tea for them, without the slightest air of a City Lord. “My wife is cooking in the kitchen. Do you two have any dietary restrictions?”
Stop blabbering about this useless stuff and reveal your true face already.
Jiang Xing’s patience was exhausted. Pulling out a stool to sit down, he said in a heavy voice: “Just now, I asked you several times about the snake demon. Why did you dodge the questions, City Lord?”
As his words fell, Lu Buyun’s face stiffened, seemingly not expecting him to be so direct.
After a long silence, Lu Buyun let out a sigh, set down the teapot in his hand, and turned to walk to the center of the hall. Hanging there was a painting of a azure dragon—except strangely, the azure dragon in the painting had no four legs.
“You two see this portrait, right?”
Jiang Xing keenly sensed a hint of wrongness, his voice suddenly dropping low: “This is that snake demon. You hang a portrait of a snake demon in your house?”
A dragon without four legs cannot ride the clouds—what difference did it have from a snake on the ground?
Before the azure dragon painting stood an incense altar with offerings. A grand City Lord was actually worshipping a human-eating snake demon!
—He knew his intuition couldn’t be wrong.
Seeing Jiang Xing’s attitude change abruptly, looking ready to draw his sword and strike, Lu Buyun furrowed his brows and explained helplessly: “Please calm down and hear me out.”
Hearing this, Zishu Bai gently tugged at the corner of Jiang Xing’s clothes, signaling him not to act rashly.
“This is the Demon God of Tenglong City, named Qingzhu,” Lu Buyun explained everything in a steady voice. “Many years ago, many sects sent people here to slay Qingzhu. But Qingzhu is not a bad demon like you think. It lives deep in the mountains and rarely comes out; it is a true Demon God that protects this city.”
“You all saw it when you came, right? The citizens in the city never lack food or clothing, and everyone lives and works in peace and contentment—this is all thanks to Qingzhu. Originally, Tenglong City was located in a remote area, often suffering from severe droughts or severe floods. The people were in dire straits, and not a single crop grew in the fields.”
“A hundred years ago, Qingzhu came to settle on the mountain nearby. The City Lord at that time went to pay respects to it and made a deal with Qingzhu.”
Zishu Bai frowned and asked in a low voice: “What deal?”
Lu Buyun closed his eyes and spoke slowly: “As long as we sacrifice one Golden Core stage cultivator, it can protect us with ten years of favorable weather and peace, free from the harassment of demons and monsters.”
As the words fell, Zishu Bai looked at him in stunned silence. “If I am not mistaken, you seem to be at the Golden Core stage yourself. The person you plan to sacrifice… is yourself?”
“Precisely,” Lu Buyun smiled with a relaxed expression. “Although I practice hard every day myself, I occasionally solicit a bit of spiritual energy from passing cultivators. Otherwise, I worry that when the ten-year limit arrives and I fail to reach the Golden Core stage, it will break the deal. Did you two pay when you came?”
Zishu Bai didn’t speak, merely looking at him quietly.
Lu Buyun scratched his cheek with some embarrassment and smiled: “It’s fine if you didn’t pay. Anyway, I am already at the Golden Core stage; that spiritual energy was prepared for the next City Lord…”
Before he could finish, Jiang Xing suddenly flicked his sleeves and stood up, letting out a cold laugh: “How ridiculous! You think sacrificing yourself will satisfy that snake demon’s appetite? What you are satisfying is merely your own desire to be praised by others as great and selfless!”
He really couldn’t bear to listen to another word. This person made Jiang Xing feel disgusted from head to toe!
Pretending to be a noble saint, playing out a drama of sacrificing yourself to move everyone—disgusting, it makes me want to vomit!
Seeing him turn around to leave, Zishu Bai hurriedly stood up, apologized to the City Lord, and chased after Jiang Xing.
“Why are you flying into such a rage?”
Zishu Bai was truly startled by Jiang Xing’s reaction just now.
Stopping him and turning his body around, he saw that Jiang Xing’s eyes were red, the bottom of his gaze filled with abhorrence and anger—it was clear at a glance that he was furious.
Jiang Xing raised his hand, pushed him aside fiercely, and continued walking toward the door, his tone hostile: “Get lost.”
This one is also a dead saint—it annoys me just looking at him.
After walking a few steps, the sound behind him suddenly stopped. Jiang Xing paused his steps and looked back. Zishu Bai was still standing in the same spot, looking at him with a hint of aggrieved helplessness.
“You can’t vent your anger on me like this.”
Jiang Xing was silent for a moment. Seeing that slightly pitiful face, the anger in his chest inexplicably weakened a few degrees, though he didn’t know why himself.
After a long moment, he let out a breath and said in a low voice: “I’m not venting my anger on you. I’m just annoyed; let me be by myself for a while.”
Zishu Bai stared at him worriedly, hesitating to speak, but ultimately nodded in the end. “I’ll wait for you here.”
He wanted to ask what was making Jiang Xing so annoyed and whether he could help, but if he asked, it would probably only make Jiang Xing even more annoyed.
When getting along with someone who drew clear boundaries, every step forward or backward had to be weighed carefully. Their relationship, perhaps, had not yet reached the point where they could share their innermost thoughts.
It was okay—he would wait right here, until the day Jiang Xing was willing to open his heart to him.