Chapter 81#

It Is You I Am Learning From#

Youzhou.

Ghastly flying bats flitted across the skies of Youzhou. Demon iron cavalry galloped through the streets, their heavy iron armor reflecting the sunlight. Their hideous, aberrant faces struck terror into the hearts of the commoners; people shuttered their doors and windows, peering through window paper with trembling hearts at the dust kicking up behind the puppet horses.

Yan Jinyu stood beneath the wide eaves of the Yan estate, watching a flying bat pass overhead, its furry membrane wing brushing against the towering corner of the Yan family’s roof. A dark cloud hung between Yan Jinyu’s brows, his face ashen and grim. His mistress, Zhang Wuxia, stepped forward gracefully from the flower hall, gently stroking his chest. “My Lord, do not be angry anymore; be careful not to let the rage harm your health. Have a cup of tea to soothe your spirits.”

“This pack of shameless demon filth,” Yan Jinyu spat indignantly. “They wanted to invade the human realm, and I worked with them from within. They wanted passage, and I followed their wishes. If I hadn’t managed things for them, how could they have occupied the Border Capital so smoothly? And now? They promised in our previous treaty to make me the Governor of the Northern Territories, yet to this day, not a single word has been mentioned! I see they simply intend to go back on their word!”

Yan Jinyu felt a deep unease. Previously, he had gone to the Border Capital to pay tribute to Dantai Jing, only for the demon race to suddenly descend on the day of the Grand Court Assembly. Although he had long been in league with the demons, he couldn’t help but feel terrified when he saw them slaughtering indiscriminately in the Border Capital. He had fled the capital overnight through a Dharma portal; even the Shentu Ancestor, who usually met with him, was nowhere to be found. He realized now that these monsters were merely a pack of bloodthirsty lunatics, and he had invited disaster into the human world.

Over the past few days, as the demon cavalry used Youzhou as a thoroughfare, disemboweled commoners often appeared on the streets. Bats circled in the sky, occasionally dropping a bloody head that would crash onto someone’s roof. He had done his utmost to suppress the news and issued a curfew. The people were not fools; the once-bustling markets of Youzhou were now empty even in broad daylight.

Earlier, the Luo Fu King had sent word for him to enter the Border Capital, claiming it was to meet an ally, but in truth, God knew what he was planning. He felt apprehensive; into such a place occupied by demons, would he have a life left to return with? Since they were planning to attack Black Street, they likely wouldn’t remember this for now; he hoped the Luo Fu King would forget the matter.

Zhang Wuxia stroked his chest, soothing his breathing. Just as his expression softened slightly, a light scoff suddenly echoed in the silent room. He whipped his head around. A woman sat upon the main seat, her makeup exquisite and her hair styled high. It was she who had let out the mocking sneer, the remnants of a smile still lingering at the corners of her mouth.

That was his wife, Zhou Xiaosu.

They had been married for five years. Zhou Xiaosu was no longer the charming, cute young girl of the past. The more he looked at her, the more disgust he felt. He had always hated these high-and-mighty daughters of noble families; born of high status, they thought themselves beings of the clouds whom everyone had to cater to. Furthermore, Zhou Xiaosu had produced no offspring in five years. What use was a noble daughter? A hen that couldn’t lay eggs—what use did he have for her?

He walked up to her, looming over her, and asked, “What are you laughing at?”

Zhou Xiaosu raised an eyebrow to look at him, smiling provocatively. “I’m laughing because yesterday I saw a watchdog on the street. It was old and useless, locked in a cage by its master. While the master was sharpening a knife, it was barking wildly, as if blaming the master for not remembering its service and intending to boil it for food. Look, how stupid this dog is. It’s just a dog; did it really think its master would treat it like a human and provide for it until the end? What do you think?”

Yan Jinyu’s face turned livid, and he swung a palm across her face. Five bright red finger marks quickly welled up on Zhou Xiaosu’s fair cheek.

Zhang Wuxia stood to the side gloating, covering her lips. “Sister, what time is it that you’re still quarreling with My Lord? Can’t you be a bit more sensible? You are the matriarch of our Yan family, after all; if word gets out, it will only invite ridicule.”

“Ridicule?” Zhou Xiaosu clutched her face, tears dripping from her eyes. “Marrying Yan Jinyu was the greatest joke of my life. Yan Jinyu, I must have been blinded back then, refusing to listen to my Senior Brother’s advice and setting my heart on following you.”

She recalled those years. Back then, when her Senior Brother was imprisoned in the Immortal’s Cave, Yan Jinyu had personally come to Yuzhou to visit her, telling her it was her Senior Brother who had broken his legs and forced them apart. Young and ignorant, she had believed Yan Jinyu’s one-sided story. She hadn’t told her Senior Sister or her Senior Brother, stubbornly marrying into Youzhou. Who would have thought that within two years of entering his home, Yan Jinyu would beat her three times? She was imprisoned in the estate, never seeing the light of day, with no way to voice her suffering.

At the time of her wedding, her invitations were sent to every noble in the forty-eight provinces, except for her Senior Brother and Senior Sister. She had severed her ties with them and delivered herself into a fiery pit. Now, her Senior Brother had passed away from illness, and her Senior Sister had become a monster who betrayed humanity. No one would come to save her.

She choked out, “When I first married in, my Senior Brother wrote saying you were a fake. I didn’t believe it then, but thinking back now, what my Senior Brother said was the truth!”

Yan Jinyu grabbed her by the throat. She couldn’t breathe and clawed desperately at his hand. Yan Jinyu sneered, “A fake? So what? A lowly commoner like me who crawled out of the mud still ended up marrying a high-born noble daughter like you. I can hit you whenever I want, scold you whenever I want. In the past, I showed your family some respect, but now the Luo Fu King has occupied the Border Capital and war is breaking out everywhere. Your family is ten thousand miles away from Youzhou; I no longer have anything to fear. Once I’m tired of you, I’ll sell you off to the manor to bear children for those filthy, stinking paupers. Don’t you dare beg me then.”

Zhou Xiaosu glared at him deathly, her fingers trembling.

“Oh, right,” Yan Jinyu’s smile became sinister. “Don’t you always pine for that Senior Brother of yours? Let me tell you, he’s not dead. He’s alive and well. Aren’t you happy?”

Zhou Xiaosu’s dim eyes suddenly lit up. “What did you say?”

“That’s right, he’s in Black Street, together with his paramour Sang Chiyu,” Yan Jinyu said eerily. “Unfortunately, he’ll be dying again very soon. The Luo Fu King said he will level Black Street and treat those vermin as prey for their hunt. As for your dear Senior Brother, he’ll keep his head and hang it on the city gates to ward off evil. When the time comes, I’ll bring his head to Youzhou so you can mourn him properly.”

Zhou Xiaosu froze in place. Yan Jinyu laughed loudly, flicked his sleeves, and left with Zhang Wuxia in his arms. Zhou Xiaosu sat blankly in the chair, her mind a vast void. Was Senior Brother still alive? Yan Jinyu had no reason to lie to her—Senior Brother was truly alive! Recalling the youth with the radiant eyes, she couldn’t help but let her tears fall pitter-patter.

The demons were going to attack Black Street. She didn’t know if Black Street was prepared, and even if they were, would Senior Brother stand a chance? She paced in a frantic circle, then suddenly spotted a map on the small table. It belonged to Yan Jinyu; he must have been so enraged that he left it behind in the hall. She picked it up and looked closely, and indeed, she saw the location of Black Street marked upon it. With the coordinates, she could open a Wuxiang Dharma Portal! She stood up abruptly, took a secluded path, and quietly returned to her courtyard.

Ever since receiving news of her Senior Brother’s death, she had been disheartened and stopped making trouble. Yan Jinyu hadn’t restricted her as strictly in recent years. She had saved up quite a bit of silver and jewelry and had even obtained a Wuxiang Dharma Portal talisman, waiting only for the right moment to flee Youzhou. The world was vast; surely there was a place for her to go. But now… She leaned down and felt under the canopy bed for the talisman.

Senior Brother had died in the Immortal’s Cave, and she hadn’t even gone to see him once. Would he still recognize her as his Junior Sister? As Zhou Xiaosu thought of this, she couldn’t help but sob. In the end, she didn’t have the face to see him. She wiped away her tears, smoothed her hair, made herself presentable, and summoned her trusted maid, Qingdai.

“Go to Black Street,” Zhou Xiaosu said. “Warn them that the Luo Fu King intends to massacre the city. Tell them to flee immediately!”

Black Street, Puppet Workshop.

He couldn’t agree to it.

A strange fear seeped out from the marrow of his bones, as if agreeing to this fellow would cause Su Ruhui to lose something vital. Su Ruhui spun around, only to see the surrounding air ripple like waves. Su Guanyu’s radiant smile grew fainter and fainter, his entire being evaporating inch by inch.

He smiled: “Hui-er, I’ll wait for you to seek my help.”

【System successfully online. Neural grid connection successful. Downloading patches, various functions are being repaired. Estimated repair time: 48 hours… Host, do not believe him. He is a loathsome virus.】

Is what he said true? Are the demons coming? Su Ruhui asked.

【Five thousand demon iron cavalry have taken passage through Youzhou and are approaching Black Street. They have been marching day and night for three days and nights. Their current speed is sixty kilometers per hour, and they have already reached the Zhulu Woods to the east of Black Street. At this speed, they will reach the eastern gate of Black Street in one hour.】

The Zhulu Woods was one of the ten hidden locations of Black Street, situated to the west of Youzhou—a vast expanse of wild mountains and ancient forests. Because it was filled with marshes, no one dared to venture deep inside, which provided Black Street with a sanctuary. In the early years when Su Ruhui was around, the city moved its location every three months. Ever since the central star array of the Paradise Quarter became chaotic and the array was scrapped, Black Street hadn’t moved for four or five years. He had repaired the central star array earlier, but he didn’t know if the sub-star arrays in the four directions of Black Street were still functional. Five thousand iron cavalry—that was a true army of tigers and wolves. Subtracting the old, weak, sick, and disabled, Black Street might have ten thousand people who could fight. It seemed like a lot, but they were mostly an untrained rabble. They couldn’t possibly resist the fierce demon cavalry head-on; he had to find a way to move Black Street.

Time resumed its flow. Shentu was wailing, mourning the pathetic remainder of his life as a prisoner. The craftsmen continued repairing the puppets. No one noticed the momentary frozen time. Su Ruhui didn’t understand—Su Guanyu was already so powerful, why was he still trying to become his system?

【Host, you don’t really want him to replace me, do you? Although I am not as capable as him, he won’t talk trash, nor will he provide you with a four-piece pet-taming set. If you let him replace me, you will surely regret it so much you’ll wet your pants.】

To be honest, if he could swap, Su Ruhui really wanted to. This broken system was useless; it only knew how to talk nonsense.

【The key step for an AI to gain intelligence is machine learning. I became the way I am today because the object of my learning was you.】

Su Ruhui: …

Su Ruhui said: I have no intention of replacing you for now.

The system said: 【The host is indeed as smart as he is bald; this is a very correct decision. Su Guanyu’s danger level is extremely high. According to my calculations, your survival rate has dropped to 30%. Host, you must work hard on missions to increase your permissions.】

What exactly happens when permissions are increased? Su Ruhui frowned deeply.

【Acquire the truth, open the Heavenly Gate.】

Open the Heavenly Gate? Su Ruhui was stunned. Ascension?

【System permissions insufficient, unable to provide definitions. Stop wasting words; choose one of the two following missions.】

Beep—

Mission One

Mission Title: Move Black Street, Save Humanity!

Mission Description: The safety of the people is paramount. Move all residents of Black Street before the demons breach the city.

Mission Reward: 10% system permission release; system permissions will reach 65%. Given that core laws have been broken and a virus has invaded, the situation is critical. This time, the system will not open other functional modules and will use all permissions to cancel the “Rebirth” program set thirty-two years ago. This way, you will gain more initiative.

Mission Two

Mission Title: Elope with the Wife!

Mission Description: The wife is more important than Mount Tai! Take the wife and flee Black Street before the demons breach the city.

Mission Reward: 10% system permission release; system permissions will reach 65%. Given that core laws have been broken and a virus has invaded, the situation is critical. This time, the system will not open other functional modules and will use all permissions to cancel the “Rebirth” program set thirty-two years ago. This way, you will gain more initiative.

【Host, hurry up and pick one.】

Su Ruhui said: I choose Su Guanyu.

【…Invalid choice. Choose again.】