Chapter 32: Returning Fully Laden

The world of martial arts is treacherous. Shi Yuhuan, though hot-tempered, was no fool. Instead of taking a seat, she stepped directly onto the long table, where the scent of flatbreads lingered. Standing tall and looking down, she kicked away the expensive brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone.

A sword made of copper coins flew from Zhang Ruoxu’s sleeve. The blade disintegrated into individual coins, which then reassembled into a tray to catch the scattered stationery. Zhang said, "It has been many years, yet Sect Leader Shi’s explosive temper remains unchanged."

Shi Yuhuan simply squatted on the table, fixing her three eyes on Zhang Ruoxu. "When we met decades ago, you were still a youth. Now you’ve become a withered old man; the more I look at you, the more annoying you become."

Zhang Ruoxu replied, "Since ancient times, there has been no immortal human, no immortal demon, and certainly no immortal deity."

Two cups of tea, resting on the copper-coin tray, levitated toward Shi Yuhuan. She took a cup and said, "Has your martial arts reached the realm of celestial sorcery?"

Zhang Ruoxu ignored the question, asking instead, "Do you want to taste my tea?"

Shi Yuhuan inhaled the fragrance and replied, "Once I kill that scoundrel Wen Jiuquan, I shall drink your tea."

Masters of their caliber share a psychic connection, allowing them to converse through their thoughts—a secret language known as "hidden speech" that is inaudible to others.

Zhang Ruoxu whispered via hidden speech, "I fear Wen Jiuquan knew you were coming, which is why he invited me here to sell flatbreads. Since I am here, do me a favor—wait until I finish selling my bread before you kill him, can you?"

Shi Yuhuan replied, "If I come all this way and kill no one, what prestige will the Demon Sect have left in the martial arts world?"

Zhang Ruoxu countered, "How about this: when Wen Jiuquan returns, you kill the murderer, and I will force him to pay the Demon Sect ten thousand taels of silver. How does that sound?"

Shi Yuhuan replied, "Fang Dabai is our Demon Sect’s most outstanding demon."

Zhang Ruoxu replied, "Then name your price."

Shi Yuhuan replied, "Ten thousand taels of gold, and Wen Jiuquan must kneel before me."

Zhang Ruoxu agreed, "Very well."

With the price set and ten chests filled with gold ingots prepared, Wen Jiuquan arrived, with Wen Dana bound in ropes, ready to beg for mercy.

Wen Dana stood there, unfazed, and upon seeing Shi Yuhuan, provocatively said, "I was the one who hurt Fang Dabai. If you three-eyed freak want to kill me, untie me first; I want to spar with you."

Shi Yuhuan did not get angry. She smiled and said, "If you kneel before me now, shout 'Mercy, Sect Leader Grandmother,' and kowtow one hundred times, I will spare you."

Hearing he could live, Wen Dana did not hesitate for a second. He knelt and kowtowed until his head was bloodied, shouting incessantly, "Sect Leader Grandmother, please spare me! Sect Leader Grandmother, please spare me!"

Shi Yuhuan watched with satisfaction. After about a hundred kowtows, Wen Dana continued, but she merely gave a contemptuous smile. "For the sake of your sincerity, I will not kill you. I will let the Pig Fiend eat you instead."

At her command, the massive Pig Fiend opened its tusk-filled maw and bit off Wen Dana’s head in one gulp, chewing it like a bean. The crunching sounds and the gore dripping from its jowls were a gruesome sight for all onlookers.

Wen Jiuquan, paralyzed with terror, crawled forward a few steps and opened a chest to display the gold. "Please accept this wealth, Sect Leader Shi, and spare the men, women, and children of the Wen Manor."

Without needing him to be polite, Pan Yingjun and Xue Ke'ai used hemp ropes to lash the chests onto the Pig Fiend’s massive body.

With the wealth loaded, Shi Yuhuan knew it was time to leave. She finished her fragrant tea and took her leave. "I give Old Man Zhang face this time and spare the Wen Manor. Let us go."

"Sect Leader Shi, let me offer you a few more copper coins." Zhang Ruoxu’s coins moved like sentient sprites. As he spoke, ten coins scattered onto the gold-filled chests.

Shi Yuhuan, possessing three eyes, was naturally keen. One coin was inscribed with "Peace and Joy," another with "Everything Goes as Wished," another with "Attract Wealth and Treasures," and another with "Blessings of Good Fortune." Assuming the others were similar auspicious phrases, she gave them no further thought. Upon exiting the Five-Corner Tower, she summoned a colorful cloud, which gathered beneath their feet, and they ascended into the sky.

Xiao Bugui stood on the cloud, feeling a sense of wonder. He could not help but exclaim, "Amazing! The Sect Leader can truly act like a deity."

Shi Yuhuan replied, "What is so good about being a deity? It is far more comfortable here in the mortal world."

Xiao Bugui dared not speak to the Sect Leader again. Instead, he leaned toward Hu Jiao and whispered, "Sister Hu Jiao, where are we going?"

Hu Jiao replied, "To the Demon Sect, naturally."

Thinking of the terrifying Shi Yuhuan and the Pig Fiend, and the thought of dealing with a group of demons and monsters, Xiao Bugui felt a headache coming on. But he knew he could not leave now.

Hu Jiao sensed his thoughts and comforted him, "Xiao Bugui, you are now the Seven-Kill Spearman, Xiao Bugui. Your status in our Demon Sect is second only to our two sect leaders and the four great eccentrics."

Hearing that he held some status in the Demon Sect, Xiao Bugui’s anxious heart calmed. He asked, "When I was on the Immortal Island, immortals would use transformations to fly, turning into birds. Very few could ride the clouds and mists. I wonder how this skill is cultivated?"

Shi Yuhuan sneered, "It seems there are few high-level practitioners left among those old frauds on the Immortal Island."

Yu Datou suggested, "Sect Leader, why don't we attack the Immortal Island and get a taste of what it's like to be a deity!"

Shi Yuhuan replied, "It is too windy there, and I fear for my delicate skin. I wouldn't go even if invited."

Pan Yingjun asked, "Xiao Bugui, you were sent down to the mortal world from the Immortal Island; tell us, is that place any good?"

Xiao Bugui replied, "I am used to living there, so I think it is fine."

Shi Yuhuan asked, "Then do you wish to return?"

Xiao Bugui answered truthfully, "When I descended, my master told me I must obtain seventy-two Martial Arts Decrees before I can return."

Shi Yuhuan said magnanimously, "Once we reach the Demon Sect, stay for a while. If you don't like it, you may leave; I will not stop you."

Xiao Bugui remained silent, the scene of Shi Yuhuan sparing Wen Dana still fresh in his mind. He could not help but glance at the Pig Fiend.

The Pig Fiend, burdened by the heavy gold, was sinking into the clouds, panting and exhausted. Xiao Bugui remained fearful, staying close to Hu Jiao to keep his distance from the beast.

Hu Jiao noticed Xiao Bugui’s intimacy and stepped on his foot.

Xiao Bugui endured the pain without a sound, but as the wind blew back the loose hair on the nape of Shi Yuhuan’s neck, a red eye was revealed. Realizing he had been watched all along, he turned crimson with embarrassment.

"Do not be afraid. My eye is just sunning itself; it is not peeking at you." However, the sunning eye noticed the ten chests becoming increasingly heavy, causing the Pig Fiend to plummet downward. Shi Yuhuan roared in fury, "That old man Zhang lied to me! Those ten coins are cursed."