Chapter 28#

The Peerless Great Demon, the Ba Snake#

“Bai?” Lu Heng called out.

The person heard Lu Heng’s voice and rose to walk into the cave. Only then did Lu Heng realize that this figure was tall and robust—clearly not the somewhat slender Bai. Yet that familiar aura eased his heart even more than when Bai had been around, settling his mind into a deeper calm.

It was Shi Kong.

“Is anything amiss?” Shi Kong sat down beside Lu Heng and channeled a wisp of spiritual energy through his body for one complete circulation cycle. “This monk has been gone for barely a month, and already you’ve worked yourself into such a state?”

Lu Heng scratched his head in embarrassment, only to discover in dismay that his hair had grown out again. Speaking of which, with such a drastic change in his appearance, how had Shi Kong recognized him?

“Appearance is merely skin and surface. This monk does not judge people by their looks,” Shi Kong said.

Lu Heng then realized he had unwittingly spoken his question aloud. He couldn’t be blamed for that, though—when he was beside Shi Kong, he always felt particularly at ease. Taking this as a conversation starter, Lu Heng recounted everything that had happened recently in meticulous detail to Shi Kong.

From meeting Bai, to accidentally absorbing the cultivation from Min’s demon core, and so on and so forth. At the end, Lu Heng still harbored some worry about Bai’s whereabouts.

After hearing Lu Heng out, Shi Kong turned his hand and produced a Memory Pearl: “This was left by your friend when I arrived in this area.”

Within the Memory Pearl left by Bai lay an explanation of where he had gone.

Bai said that when he entered this forest, he had been witnessed by cultivators. By now, the news of a great treasure emerging in this area had probably spread far and wide. To avoid implicating Lu Heng, he had taken the Thousand-Leaf Lotus and left ahead of time. Moreover, he would find a way to lure all the cultivators searching nearby away, so that Lu Heng could recover in peace. At the end, Bai had thoughtfully provided Lu Heng with the location of the Demon Clan’s homeland and arranged to meet him there.

After watching the Memory Pearl left by Bai, Lu Heng felt a complicated swirl of emotions. He and Bai had merely been passing acquaintances, yet Bai had cared for him so thoroughly—simply because of the Demon Clan’s tradition of looking after their young. This Demon Clan, it seemed, was remarkably warm and affectionate. Lu Heng couldn’t help but feel a great deal of anticipation at the prospect of traveling to the Demon Clan’s homeland.

“Come here. Let me comb your hair.” Shi Kong probably couldn’t bear to look at Lu Heng’s disheveled mess of hair any longer and spoke up.

A month’s separation had not made them distant.

Lu Heng naturally sat down in front of Shi Kong, then fished out a comb and handed it to him behind his back. Feeling Shi Kong’s cool fingers slide through his hair to touch his scalp—something Lu Heng had experienced hundreds of times before—he now felt oddly self-conscious. Perhaps it was because he had previously been in a child’s body, while now he was nearly grown.

To ease this strange feeling, Lu Heng asked conversationally, “You’re a monk—how do you know how to do a hair bun?”

The comb behind his head stopped abruptly and didn’t move for a long while. Lu Heng wanted to turn around to see what was happening, but Shi Kong gently gripped the nape of his neck, forbidding him from turning his head.

A moment passed.

“Binding hair into a bun is a simple matter—one or two books are more than sufficient.”

Lu Heng pictured Shi Kong holding a book titled something like How to Create a Perfect Hair Bun and studying it carefully, and finally couldn’t hold back his laughter.

He felt a sharp tug of pain in his hair, and then heard Shi Kong say: “Be still. Don’t move.”

Shi Kong was probably… embarrassed? Lu Heng immediately straightened up, terrified that Shi Kong, in his embarrassment-turned-annoyance, would refuse to finish his hair. Then he’d be stuck with a ponytail like he had for the past month. But a ponytail on a seven- or eight-year-old child was still lively and endearing—on his current frame, it would be far too absurd.

“Done,” Shi Kong said quietly.

Afterward, Lu Heng felt that something seemed to have been inserted into his newly formed hair bun.

Curious, Lu Heng summoned a water mirror and took a look. Sure enough, he spotted a dark ebony hairpin nestled in his bun.

“This is a magic treasure this monk has been refining recently. It’s made from Myriad Buddha Wood and can calm the mind and dispel inner demons.” Seeing the puzzlement on Lu Heng’s face, Shi Kong explained.

This thoughtful consideration from Shi Kong deeply moved Lu Heng, and he resolved that he too must find something fine to give Shi Kong in return. Unfortunately, in his present state—penniless and reliant on Shi Kong for everything—he could only entertain the thought.

Once Lu Heng had fully recovered, the two of them set out for the Demon Clan’s homeland. One purpose was to fulfill Min’s dying request; the other was to confirm that Bai was safe.

The southern end of the continent. Zhi City.

Zhi City took its name from the massive boulder outside the city walls, upon which a single character was carved: Zhi—“Halt.”

South of this boulder lay the Demon Clan’s territory. Skeptics had once crossed the boulder, only to become trapped in the miasmic vapors, lost within. When they were finally found, their minds had long since descended into madness.

In recent times, Zhi City had become exceptionally lively. This remote, out-of-the-way town now saw many cultivators passing through. Some wore flowing robes and sleeves, trailing an immortal aura. Others were brawny with knotted muscles, mountain-like in stature. Still others bore strange features and an overflowing air of wickedness. The arrival of these cultivators had brought no small amount of strife to the normally peaceful city.

Many wealthy households had already relocated their entire families to country estates to lay low for a time. The ordinary citizens who remained could do little but keep their doors firmly shut and steer well clear of trouble.

Only the few taverns and teahouses in the city continued their usual business amid the storm, for cultivators had little regard for gold and silver and spent lavishly. Profit-driven merchants would not squander such a fine opportunity—even with the considerable risks involved, they accepted the gamble.

The Yingke Inn was the largest establishment in Zhi City.

Li Erhei could be called the star waiter of Yingke Inn. Quick-witted and perceptive, with a knack for reading people and well-connected for information, many regulars who came to Yingke Inn specifically requested his service.

On this particular day, the two guests Li Erhei received would provide him with conversation material for the entire year to come. These two were, frankly, so striking they were almost outside the bounds of the mortal world. Even the quick-tongued Li Erhei stood dumbfounded for a good long while, utterly unable to find his voice.

The white-robed monk had a handsome countenance and an expression of cool detachment, wholly unlike a creature of the mundane world. Beside him, the youth in black robes was beautiful as spring blossoms—especially those eyes, as though finely drawn with a meticulous fine-tipped brush, not a single feature out of place. And it seemed that only this youth could stand beside that white-robed monk without being overshadowed by his brilliance.

“Bring us a pot of good tea,” Lu Heng said. “What signature wines do you have here?”

Lu Heng was quite interested in ancient wines. Having spent all his time cultivating in the forest before, he’d never had the chance to try them. Now that the opportunity had presented itself, he wasn’t about to miss it.

After speaking, Lu Heng glanced at Shi Kong with a hint of longing on his face.

“In moderation,” Shi Kong said.

Granted permission, Lu Heng’s eyes lit up, his face full of eager expectation as he looked at the waiter.

The burning intensity of that gaze made Li Erhei feel as though he might catch fire himself. He turned his head aside, rudely averting his gaze from the guest, and said: “Esteemed guest, our Five Immortals Brew is a specialty of the Southern Border—you won’t find it anywhere else.”

“Five Immortals Brew?”

“Yes, the Five Immortals Brew is made from snake, toad, centipede, scorpion, and spider, along with local medicinal herbs unique to this region. It has a rich flavor and restorative, body-strengthening properties. Would the guest care for a pot?” The words had barely left his lips when Li Erhei noticed the youth in black robes staring at him with a peculiar look. It made him wonder reflexively whether he’d said something wrong and offended the guest.

“You actually brew wine with snakes?” Lu Heng had long since fully accepted the fact that he was a snake. Granted, a Ba Snake was worlds apart from an ordinary serpent, but he still couldn’t stomach snakes as an ingredient!

“Our establishment also has Pear Blossom White, freshly brewed this year. The taste is wonderfully crisp and clean.” Seeing that this youth couldn’t handle venomous creatures in his wine, the quick-witted Li Erhei swiftly recommended another option.

Lu Heng nodded, then asked casually: “Has something major happened in the city lately?”

The moment this topic came up, Li Erhei became animated: “Esteemed guest, you’ve come to the right person! There’s nothing that happens in Zhi City that I, Li Erhei, don’t know about!”

Li Erhei was about to tease and hold back a bit, but then he caught the youth’s languid glance. The youth’s eyes were beautiful, but that single look sent a chill running down Li Erhei’s spine.

He didn’t dare play clever any longer and said honestly: “Word has it that a great treasure has emerged and fallen into the hands of a demon clan member. But those cultivators couldn’t locate the demon, so they’ve come to Zhi City to lie in wait. After all, Zhi City is the only passage into the demon territory.”

Lu Heng nodded with satisfaction and waved him off to bring the wine upstairs. Li Erhei tactfully didn’t ask if they wanted food to go with the wine, for he knew that cultivators did not eat ordinary fare.

The Pear Blossom White was indeed excellent—smooth on the palate, with a lingering fragrance of pear blossoms on the finish. Lu Heng took a sip of wine, glanced at Shi Kong, and swayed his head with undisguised contentment. Such fine wine, such a fine man—what a splendid combination. Of course, these were words Lu Heng would only dare think in his heart, never speak aloud.

The small pot of wine was quickly emptied. Still unsatisfied, Lu Heng raised his hand to call the waiter over again, but the hand was gently pressed down by Shi Kong across the table.

Only then did Lu Heng realize he had perhaps gotten carried away, and he glanced guiltily at Shi Kong. Shi Kong’s expression remained unchanged as he simply raised a hand and poured Lu Heng a cup of tea.

Lu Heng cradled his teacup, leaning lazily against the window, forming a stark contrast with Shi Kong, who sat upright with perfect posture.

Zhi City’s climate was warm, and the city was in full bloom, flowers of every hue crowding the streets. All manner of floral scents drifted through the air, tickling Lu Heng’s nose until finally he couldn’t suppress a sneeze. His teacup jolted in his hand and plummeted straight down from the second floor.

Lu Heng couldn’t reach out in time to catch the cup. Helplessly, he watched it land squarely on the head of an innocent passerby below. That person was dressed in splendid attire; he raised his head and glared up at Lu Heng with fury—clearly no easy person to deal with.

“You brat—just you wait!” The man strode into Yingke Inn.

What terrible luck. Lu Heng could only sit resigned, waiting for the aggrieved party to come up and settle the score. Before long, the man stormed up the stairs, grabbed Lu Heng’s arm, and snarled: “This robe of mine cost a fortune! Can you even afford to pay for it, boy?”

Before Lu Heng could respond, the hand gripping his arm like iron was swept away by a casual flick of Shi Kong’s sleeve: “Benefactor, damaging your clothing was wrong on our part. Whatever the garment is worth, we will compensate you in full.”

The man was none too polite either: “Come with me to the tailor shop and buy a new one in the same style!”