Chương 115: Returning Home

The Buddha said: "All living beings suffer." Therefore, sending these suffering souls to their deaths was also a way of delivering them from the sea of misery. Hahaha, Lian'er, my dear Lian'er. You and I are both truly good people. Fang Cheng laughed heartily and patted Zhao Lian'er on the shoulder, giving her an approving look. He felt an urge to let out a happy "baa, baa, baa," but he managed to hold it back. It seemed that summoning the Greedy Wolf Star Lord had been quite useful.

It had helped reduce the side effects of devouring living beings. But wait. How exactly did I summon him? Fang Cheng frowned, thinking back. He remembered that it had happened suddenly. He had felt the presence of the Greedy Wolf Star Lord's statue in his Dao Field, and instinctively called upon it. That was all. If that was the case... Fang Cheng closed his eyes and sent his divine sense into his Dao Field. He navigated through the void until he found the seven statues floating silently in the darkness.

He tried to awaken them, but nothing happened. They remained perfectly still, drifting in the endless emptiness like forgotten relics. He tried searching for the Violet Star Emperor's divine statue, but it was hidden somewhere in the boundless void, beyond his reach. Fang Cheng sighed. He directed his divine sense toward the Greedy Wolf Star Lord's statue and tried to summon it specifically. Again, nothing.

On top of that, he noticed that his Dharma Manifestation, even after everything, still appeared as his own twisted, grinning face. Not the majestic form of the Violet Star Emperor. He turned to Zhao Lian'er in frustration.

"I'm supposed to be a disciple of the Violet Star Emperor. Why won't his statue show itself in my Dao Field? If I could find it, wouldn't my Dharma Manifestation become something truly grand, like the Emperor himself?" Zhao Lian'er thought for a moment, then asked quietly, "Are you really only at the Sixth Realm?"

"Of course," Fang Cheng answered without thinking. Then he complained, "Wait, you're a Ninth Realm great cultivator. Shouldn't you be able to see my true realm?" Zhao Lian'er rolled her eyes. She didn't say anything, but her mind was screaming. You toyed with a Heavenly Demon like he was a fool. Anyone who thinks you're just a Sixth Realm cultivator has clearly lost their mind.

"I don't get it either. Let's just drop it. Maybe once I reach the Ninth Realm like you, it'll make sense." Fang Cheng shrugged off the confusion. There was no point dwelling on it. It was time to head back to White Flower City.

"Let's go." Without another word, he rose into the air and flew toward White Flower City. Zhao Lian'er took one last look at Zhujia Village below, said her silent goodbyes, then grabbed the massive Taotie stone pillar and followed close behind. As they passed through Jishui City, Fang Cheng paused. He looked down and saw that the portraits of him plastered on the gates and walls of the city had all been replaced with images of him looking as kind and benevolent as the Emperor himself. Haha, not bad at all.

He descended to find the city magistrate and praised him for his work. He explained that he had eliminated the bandits and there was nothing more to worry about. The portraits could stay up as protective talismans. And he made sure to tell the magistrate to spread the word of his righteous deeds far and wide. The magistrate nodded frantically, promising to cooperate fully.

He was terrified that if he was too slow to respond, the muscular woman beside Fang Cheng, carrying a massive stone pillar, would smash him into a bloody pulp. Satisfied, Fang Cheng took his leave. But before he went, he reminded the magistrate again to publicize his reputation as a champion of justice. Exaggerate if you have to, he said. Nobody believes a story unless it's bigger than life.

The magistrate pounded his chest and swore that every surviving citizen of Jishui City would hear tales of Fang Cheng's heroic deeds. This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. A few days later, Fang Cheng and Zhao Lian'er finally returned to White Flower City. As they hovered above the City God Temple, Fang Cheng spotted Li Shuyan and Qin Hao in the backyard, deep in conversation. He descended and landed beside them.

"Brother Fang, you're back!" Qin Hao greeted him cheerfully.

"And this is?" Li Shuyan gestured toward Zhao Lian'er, his eyes narrowing slightly. There was something familiar about her presence. An energy he recognized but couldn't quite place. Fang Cheng introduced her with pride.

"This is my newest disciple, Zhao Lian'er. She's a Ninth Realm great cultivator. Haha, from now on, White Flower City will have a proper powerhouse to rely on." He then introduced Li Shuyan and Qin Hao to Zhao Lian'er. She set down the massive stone pillar, which cracked the ground beneath it, and clasped her hands in greeting. The two men returned the gesture with polite bows. After a few pleasantries, Fang Cheng recounted everything that had happened in Zhujia Village.

The Self-Help Association, the Demonic Spirit Gathering Array, the descent of the Heavenly Demon, the deaths of Zhao Old Eight and the others, and finally, the intervention of the Greedy Wolf Star Lord. When he finished, both Li Shuyan and Qin Hao turned their attention to the strange stone pillar. Qin Hao studied it closely for a long time, circling it and running his hands over its surface. In the end, he shook his head.

"I can't make any sense of it. If even Brother Fang can't see anything unusual, then I, a low-level cultivator, certainly can't." Li Shuyan, however, was deep in thought. He frowned, pacing slowly around the pillar. After a moment, he spoke.

"I remember reading an ancient text in the Hall of Eternal Life. It said that in ancient times, the primordial beast Taotie was slain in Shangyuan Prefecture by the Heavenly Jade Emperor himself. If Zhujia Village lies on the border between Shangyuan and Xijiang Prefectures, could it be that the place where Taotie was beheaded is what is now Zhujia Village?"

"Possible." Fang Cheng nodded thoughtfully. His little brother Shuyan truly was a knowledgeable scholar. Though the information didn't seem immediately useful, it was still interesting. Li Shuyan continued, "The ancient era is poorly understood by those of us living today. But there is one person in White Flower City who knows a great deal about it. Old Xu at Harmony Wine Shop."

"Oh, right. I almost forgot about him." Fang Cheng slapped his forehead. But Old Xu wasn't in White Flower City. Earlier, when he had scanned the city with his Heavenly Eye, he hadn't sensed the old man's presence. Li Shuyan added, "I've had people ask around. Old Xu was spotted near Greenwood City recently, but he only stayed briefly before moving on." At that, Qin Hao spoke up.

"I heard from some spirit beasts in the Everlasting Mountains that they saw Old Xu enter the black mist zone that the Underworld Bureau has forbidden. No one knows what he did in there." Fang Cheng nodded slowly. That confirmed his suspicions. He had always believed Old Xu was connected to the forbidden areas of the Everlasting Mountains. Now he was certain. Zhao Lian'er, curious, asked, "What exactly is Old Xu's identity?" Fang Cheng hesitated, then answered carefully.

"His identity is unusual. A taboo, really. All you need to know is that he's not from the mortal realm, and he's up to no good behind the scenes." Zhao Lian'er nodded, taking it in. A celestial being, then. She dismissed the idea that he could be a Heavenly Demon. No demon could have survived encountering Fang Cheng. Li Shuyan added thoughtfully, "Regardless of his identity or his schemes, we're in a cooperative relationship with him.

He also holds considerable sway over the spirit beasts in the Everlasting Mountains. For now, we can't make a move against him. At the very least, we must maintain a cordial front." He paused, then turned to Fang Cheng.

"But I suspect the reason Old Xu has been keeping his distance lately is because of your aggressive attitude toward him. He's hiding from you." Fang Cheng nodded again. He had to admit, every time he met Old Xu, he felt a deep urge to devour him. The old man wasn't stupid. He had surely sensed it.

"But if Old Xu won't show himself, how am I supposed to mend things?" Fang Cheng sighed, rubbing his temples. He found himself in a real bind. He wanted to reconcile with Old Xu, but the man was clearly avoiding him like a plague. It was frustrating. What was he supposed to do? Chase him down and apologize? That didn't seem right either. After all, he hadn't actually done anything wrong. He just had a strong appetite that Old Xu seemed to trigger. For now, though, there wasn't much he could do.

He would just have to wait. The old man had to come back eventually. He couldn't stay hidden forever.