Chương 6: Appointed to White Flower City

Fang Cheng had once again dispensed justice, though something about it felt off. But that didn't stop his joy and pride. He swallowed the low-grade Immortal Crystal and greedily breathed in the scent of blood. The delicious, intoxicating aroma brought him back to his childhood days of savoring roasted sweet potatoes. Nothing beats a sweet potato roasted in secret. It smells incredible, and it's all soft and tender. Haha, I can already catch the scent. Where'd it go?

His eyes red, He tore open the pale skin of the fat sweet potato in front of him and sampled its red, piping-hot pulp, which had oozed across the floor. But no, the taste was off. It was overripe. He searched everywhere. Pushed open the door and went to the fragrant tea tree, sniffing carefully. Too bad. Under the tea tree were only tender sweet potato skins, no sweet potato flesh. He circled the house to the backyard. The whole place was thick with that sweet, mouthwatering smell.

I'm dying to eat it, but I just can't find it. Where's it hiding? Where, where? Ugh, come out already! His heart itched unbearably. He crouched down, digging into the soil with both hands, just like back then when he'd dug up sweet potato vines while Xiao Ming kept watch at the other end of the field.

"Hurry up, Fang. I see someone coming."

"Almost there. Give me two more minutes. The soil's hard. I should have brought a hoe."

"Are you stupid? If you carry a hoe, everyone will know we're stealing sweet potatoes. Just use your hands."

"Haha, you're right, Xiao Ming. You're so smart. Too bad you died." Fang Cheng laughed as he dug deeper. Suddenly, his hands broke through something. He stuck his head in and saw a cellar underneath. He crawled inside. The floor was covered in layers upon layers of tender sweet potato skins. The dense fragrance made him feel like he was floating. He wanted to swallow his own tongue.

"The sweet potatoes are down there. I can hear them calling me!" Hehehe... He laughed low, like a thieving rat, his hands moving again, digging down, down, down. After who knew how long, he dug through piles of gray-white skins. At the very bottom, something golden gleamed, glittering, radiating that sweet, warm aroma. He greedily sniffed it, reaching out to touch it. But soon his happy smile twisted into a grimace of rage.

"Tai Shang Xuan Ling Hua Sheng Wu Ji Ying Yuan Shi Da Array!" He spoke the words coldly, like an immortal untouched by worldly desires. Somehow, he felt that this version of him wasn't really him. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. He raised his hand, and the demon sword appeared, its surface flashing with black-purple light. Flickering black flames danced on the blade tip.

"Heaven's Judgment, Earth's Annihilation!" He softly spoke the four words. In an instant, the sky darkened. Sun and moon lost their light. A fierce shockwave erupted, sweeping up everything in the cellar. Sweet potato skins, mud, grass roots, pebbles. They formed a massive whirlpool that engulfed the golden object. Boom! An ear-splitting explosion. Choking smoke blasted skyward. The cellar was reduced to rubble, leaving only devastation. Fang Cheng stood silently amid the ruins.

After a long while, he regained clarity. At the same time, a searing pain tore through his head, as if it were about to explode. What did I just do? Think, my exploding brain, think... Right. I killed a butcher of countless lives and destroyed his tools of slaughter. Fang Cheng clearly remembered what he'd just done, but it also felt hazy, like those images were illusions. Mirage-like phantoms. He blamed it on the demon sword. This wasn't the first time. He stopped dwelling on it and considered his next move.

Zhu Youchang had accomplices. Unfortunately, he hadn't managed to get any names. And that bribed official. Zhu Youchang had only communicated by flying sword. They'd never met. He didn't know the official's name or what he looked like. Just let them go? No. As a good person, he could never let a single villain escape! Fang Cheng clenched his fists, fired himself up, and searched Zhu Youchang's house. He looked for the flying sword or any other clues linking his colleague to the official. Nothing.

Only the appointment letter for White Flower City. He frowned, thinking. Then an idea struck him. He'd impersonate Zhu Youchang. He'd take the appointment letter and go to White Flower City as the new City God. He and Zhu Youchang were both insignificant cultivators from nowhere. Few people knew them. No one had seen their faces. They'd only check if the appointment letter was real. If someone saw through the disguise, they were likely one of Zhu Youchang's accomplices. Decision made.

Fang Cheng changed out of his blood-soaked clothes, put on Zhu Youchang's garments, tucked the appointment letter close, and stepped outside. The villagers of Gaoliu Village had all regained their senses. The women stared down at their swollen bellies, their facial expressions were unreadable， were they astonished or overjoyed? No one could tell. The men, on the other hand, gazed at their own protruding stomachs and let out howls of despair.

They had no memory of what had come before; it was as if they had somehow fallen pregnant. But how could a man possibly be pregnant? Fang Cheng felt he should explain. Good deeds must be known. He channeled his Divine Energy, rose into the air, and hovered over Gaoliu Village.

"Fellow villagers, my name is Fang Cheng. Yes, the same Fang Cheng you've heard of. The famous vigilante.

"I killed your Land God. He was a monster who slaughtered countless lives. Go to his cellar, and you'll see the scene of his crimes. Oh, sorry. I got carried away and blew it up.

"You can't see the scene, but you can look at me. I'm the one who saved you.

"I know you're grateful, but I need no thanks. I was simply upholding justice. Any good-hearted person would do the same. I am Fang Cheng. Always remember me!" With that, Fang Cheng descended and strode toward the village entrance with the dignity of a true righteous man. He never needed to look back at the grateful villagers. But in truth, the villagers cowered on the ground, trembling, not daring to breathe. They stared in terror at his retreating figure, not rising for a long time.

Eventually, a man stood up on shaky legs and whispered two words: "Demon." Then more villagers rose, weeping and wailing.

"Our Land God! Kind Lord Zhu! You died so cruelly!"

"Someone help me! Waaaah... I've disgraced my entire family line."

"He's a demon. A sick, twisted freak of a demon!"

"Right! He may look all innocent, but behind the scenes he's definitely eaten people and drunk their blood. He's a full‑blown monster!" The men's eyes held fear and hatred, their mouths spewing curses. The women cursed along with them, though some thought other thoughts, their faces flushing with strange heat. In any case, every villager of Gaoliu Village remembered the demon named Fang Cheng. And they remembered how he'd killed their Land God.