Chapter 22#

The Peerlessly Magnificent Great Demon, the Ba Serpent#

When Lu Heng saw Sikong again, he even had the illusion that the man had been waiting for him. Finding Sikong had been far too easy— the moon had only just risen to the treetops, and Lu Heng, still clumsy at crawling, hadn’t moved very far at all.

But Sikong’s clear, handsome face under the tree quickly dispelled that unreliable notion. He sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, palms pressed together in prayer, and the moonlight cascading down seemed to pour straight into his body.

No— the moonlight genuinely was entering Sikong’s body. Lu Heng didn’t understand how he could see the path of the moonlight, but he clearly watched it become almost tangible, like clumps of cotton candy, spiraling inward toward Sikong’s body with the seated monk at their center.

This cotton candy-like moonlight exerted an enormous pull on Lu Heng. He felt his throat go dry, and before he knew it, he had propped himself up and caught a falling clump of moonlight, swallowing it whole. In that instant, a flood of information surged into his mind— knowledge about the demon race, about the Ba Serpent, about this cotton-candy-like nectar of the heavens.

Having inherited the legacy of the Ba Serpent clan, Lu Heng understood all too well the tremendous benefits that the celestial nectar brought to the demon race. Without delay, he began to absorb as much of it as he could, following the cultivation method recorded in the inheritance.

In cultivation, years and months lose all meaning.

All the more so for a single night. When Lu Heng emerged from his meditation, he felt a sense of wellbeing unlike anything he had ever known. He stretched— then felt something was wrong. How could a snake perform a stretch like that? Startled, Lu Heng’s eyes flew open. He saw Sikong leaning over him, and reflected in those calm eyes was the plump, fair face of a small child.

“So you are a demon.”

The little child sat dazed on the ground, his stature roughly equivalent to a three-year-old human child, a soft, snowy ball of adorableness. The child’s body was completely bare— clearly his first transformation, and he hadn’t yet learned to manifest clothing.

Sikong reached down and picked up the bewildered little demon, draping his outer robe over the small body. “What is your name? The demon inheritance should have told you.”

Lu Heng wanted to say his own name, but found some invisible force stopping him. The words “Lu Heng” simply refused to come out, and instead a single syllable emerged: “Zheng.”

“To achieve human form from a single dose of celestial nectar— you must come from a powerful demon clan.”

“Ba Serpent.” Sikong’s words seemed to carry a strange magic, compelling Lu Heng to speak without reservation.

Sikong lightly tapped Lu Heng’s forehead, apparently quite satisfied with his candor. “The Ba Serpent— a legendary and powerful demon clan. It has been a long time since I heard any news of your kind. The greater one’s power, the more it requires guidance. From now on, you will cultivate by my side until you can control yourself.”

…

Lu Heng had a long, long dream. In it, he had graduated, and on his first day of work, an accident occurred. Then many strange things seemed to follow, but before Lu Heng could see them clearly, he woke up.

Lu Heng opened his eyes and saw the verdant green roof above him. He blinked in a daze.

Oh, right— he had transmigrated into a world of immortal cultivation. That was indeed quite strange. Lu Heng rubbed his face, and with a practiced motion flipped over to get up, only to feel a sharp tug at his scalp. He looked down and saw the hair trapped beneath his own hand.

His body was only that of a young child of a few years, so why was his hair so long? Back then, Lu Heng had wanted to cut off the bothersome tresses, but Sikong had stopped him, saying that for demon-kind the body and cultivation were interconnected— every part of the body mattered, including the hair.

A moment later, Lu Heng stared at his even more disheveled reflection in the mirror and abandoned the idea of combing his own hair. He pushed the door open, comb in hand, and called out just as he did every other morning: “Sikong…”

The handsome monk meditating not far away rose and came over, taking the comb from him. Watching his hair become gradually smooth under Sikong’s deft fingers, Lu Heng felt a little embarrassed. “I trouble you every time. I’m really sorry.”

“It’s nothing.”

In truth, at first Lu Heng had been quite uneasy about speaking with Sikong this way. After all, he had the appearance of a child of only a few years but spoke with the gravitas of an old man— it was undeniably odd. Lu Heng had worried the discrepancy would be noticed, yet Sikong never found anything amiss.

Once the two of them had grown more familiar, Lu Heng couldn’t help asking. Sikong explained that the growth period of the demon race was extraordinarily long— demons capable of taking human form were actually quite advanced in age, not as young as their appearances suggested. Then Lu Heng searched through his inheritance and discovered that in his current state, he was in fact several hundred years older than Sikong.

The demon inheritance Lu Heng had received was incomplete. Many things about the demon race and about cultivation were missing, and this condition was not normal. Sikong had examined his body and said that his demon core appeared to have suffered damage. After Lu Heng learned the technique of inward perception, he too discovered that his demon core was covered in cracks.

Another oddity was the strange earring on Lu Heng’s left ear. Sikong had said that, judging by its aura, it appeared to be a powerful magical artifact. After Lu Heng gained a preliminary grasp of demon qi circulation, he had tried to activate the earring, but it showed no response whatsoever— it seemed to be nothing more than an ordinary ornament.

Time passed swiftly, spring giving way to autumn and autumn to spring again. With his cultivation steadily growing, Lu Heng’s stature had reached that of a child of seven or eight years. On this day, Sikong received a message in the form of a paper crane.

Sikong’s expression was, as always, as calm as still water. Lu Heng couldn’t read anything from his face. He watched as Sikong wrote a few characters on the crane, turned his palm upward, and the paper crane flapped its wings and flew away.

Afterwards, Sikong asked: “How is your Qi-Concealing Technique coming along?”

Lu Heng quickly straightened into a proper sitting posture, his practiced hands forming a seal with practiced ease. The faint, otherworldly aura that clung to him vanished instantly, making him appear no different from an ordinary human child.

Sikong nodded. “Good. Today we venture out of the mountains.”

“So soon?” Having transmigrated, Lu Heng had only ever interacted with Sikong. Now, suddenly entering this unfamiliar world, he couldn’t help feeling a knot of anxiety.

“Entering the world is itself a form of cultivation.”

…

Linjiang City in Jiangnan Prefecture was a prosperous and wealthy place, renowned for its silk production— the very granary of the Fengqi Kingdom. Only because he was the sole younger brother of the Fengqi Emperor had the Prince of Gong been granted this region as his fief. In Linjiang City, the Prince of Gong’s Manor held immense power— they were the local emperor.

Princess Linyang was a formidable figure in the area, her reputation even surpassing that of her princely father. Famous on one hand for her breathtaking beauty, and infamous on the other for her imperious and domineering temperament. During one year’s Lantern Festival, the crowd was thick and jostling, and the noble Princess Linyang’s hem was brushed by a passerby. The wretched street vendor responsible was immediately dragged aside and had his leg bones broken.

Few people ever passed by the front gates of the Prince of Gong’s Manor, for fear of crossing paths with Princess Linyang’s ill temper. Today, however, someone spotted a monk accompanied by a child of seven or eight years knocking on the side gate.

“That monk is certainly not from Jiangnan Prefecture— how dare he come to the Prince of Gong’s Manor to beg for alms? He’s courting death.”

“Ah, I just caught a glimpse of that monk’s face, and I must say— I’ve never seen such a beautiful person in all my life.”

“Oh, woman, what’s so good-looking about a bald head?”

“A bald head on you is like a big white egg with a few holes poked in it. His bald head is like the moon in the sky.”

“Tsk, you with your long hair and short wits— I’m not arguing with you. By the way, that monk also has a child with him, the smartest, cutest little thing you ever saw. What a pity. I wonder how that Prince of Gong’s Manor will torment them.”

But to everyone’s utter astonishment, the gatekeeper of the Prince of Gong’s Manor— a man who normally turned up his nose at everyone— took one look at the monk and hurriedly flung open the main gates. Moments later, a group of people emerged briskly from the estate. Leading them was a middle-aged man dressed in lavish robes with a jade crown upon his head— none other than the Prince of Gong himself.

“Master Sikong, your honored visit is our greatest fortune. Please forgive the lack of proper welcome.” The Prince of Gong bowed to Sikong, leaving the onlookers in the distance nearly dropping their jaws.

“This humble monk received word from my sect that the demon fox has escaped from the Demon-Suppression Pagoda and returned for revenge.” Sikong pressed his palms together and returned the bow.

“Master, please come inside so we may speak in detail.”

Carved beams and painted rafters, little bridges over flowing water, layered stones and combed springs— every step presented a painting worthy of a frame. Lu Heng’s eyes darted about in wonder, yet he felt he must not tarnish Sikong’s reputation, so he forced himself to keep his gaze straight ahead while his heart itched with curiosity, and his fingers twitched involuntarily. Sikong, who had been holding Lu Heng’s hand all along, noticed at once, and his gaze rested on the boy for a moment.

Then Lu Heng heard Sikong’s voice— yet the Prince of Gong and his entourage ahead showed no reaction whatsoever. So this was the legendary secret voice transmission! The marvels of cultivation were indeed numerous.

“This Prince of Gong’s Manor was the first place I settled when I began my cultivation in the mortal world.”

Sikong explained the purpose of their visit to Lu Heng. Three years ago, Princess Linyang had been bewitched by a Green-Traced Demon Fox. The Green-Traced Fox Clan had always sustained their cultivation by absorbing the life essence of humans. That particular demon fox possessed profound power, and despite the Prince of Gong recruiting every expert in the kingdom, none could break the fox’s bewitchment spell. Several people were even killed by the creature before the Prince had no choice but to seek help from the Fanyin Temple— the sect that protected the Fengqi Kingdom. It so happened that Sikong was venturing into the mortal world for cultivation, and the matter fell to him. Afterward, Sikong broke the bewitchment spell on Princess Linyang and sealed the Green-Traced Demon Fox, sending it back to the sect’s Demon-Suppression Pagoda to have its vicious qi purified.

None had expected that a few months ago, an earthquake had struck the mountain range where the Pagoda stood. The formations cracked and an escape route opened— a horde of demons fled, and the Green-Traced Fox was among them. Several days prior, the Fanyin Temple had received a message from the Prince of Gong’s Manor stating that the demon fox had returned to exact its revenge.

As they spoke, the party had reached the main hall and sat down in order. A servant came forward to take Lu Heng away, but Sikong raised a hand to stop him. “He is a cultivator, not an ordinary child.”

Thus, Lu Heng was also given a seat beside Sikong.

“For the specific details, I think it would be best if my daughter comes to explain personally.” The Prince of Gong looked at Sikong questioningly.

“Very well.”

The Prince signaled a servant to invite Princess Linyang to the main hall. Moments later, the tinkling of jade pendants and jeweled ornaments echoed from beyond the corridor. Before the person arrived, the voice came first: “Is Master Sikong here?”