Chapter 893: Tied Up First

By the time Ji Yuan reached the teahouse, Zuo Wuji was still waiting outside the entrance. Seeing Ji Yuan approach, Zuo Wuji stepped forward to explain the situation.

"Mr. Ji, a strange fellow with demonic aura appeared just now. However, his aura lacked a distinct scent of blood, so I merely drove him away."

"Yes, I know. This demon comes from a place called Du Kuifeng, which appears to be a market run by a boar demon, mimicking a fairy port. There seems to be some misunderstanding with the local Earth God."

Zuo Wuji nodded.

"It's good that he wasn't here to harm people."

"Alright, let's have some tea here first, then we'll go to the Li manor together later."

"Very well, please, sir!"

"Please."

Ji Yuan and Zuo Wuji took a seat inside the teahouse. Zuo Wuji had already ordered the tea, which had just been placed on their table.

"Mr. Ji, I wasn't sure what tea you preferred, so I just ordered a good pot."

Zuo Wuji had just set out a teacup when he looked up and noticed Ji Yuan's appearance had changed. Although his clothes were the same, his face looked much more ordinary, and he now had a beard.

"Uh, Mr. Ji, what's this?"

"Oh, some people at the Li manor recognize me. It's less trouble if I change my appearance. Let's drink tea first."

"I see."

Meanwhile, Shango dared not linger in Kuinan City. After spending half a day there, he felt a constant unease. When he went to the Earth God's temple, the Earth God seemed completely calm and unafraid, leading Shango to wonder if it was because of that man or some other reliance.

For Shango, being able to leave Kuinan Prefecture City was a good outcome; at least being driven away was an acceptable report.

A short while later, Shango returned to Du Kuifeng Market and immediately headed for his king's cave. King Du was gnawing on a piece of meat when he heard Shango's voice from outside.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I'm back!"

Seeing Shango enter, King Du frowned.

"You're back so soon? Did you find anything? Did that Earth God stumble upon great fortune, or is there an immortal in the city?"

Shango shook his head repeatedly.

"I didn't see any immortals, but I saw a very mysterious person. Many of his clothes were made from demon leather. He had no demonic aura or visible spiritual power, yet a single glare from him almost made me cry out in fear, and I started having hallucinations..."

"An illusion?"

"No, no, it wasn't like that. It felt like the murderous aura around him was as heavy as a mountain, though it wasn't visible upon closer inspection. I just instinctively felt he wasn't an immortal cultivator."

King Du sat up straight and wiped his mouth.

"Was that person standing beside the Earth God?"

"No, I ran into him near the Li family's gate when I went to see that strange boy. Speaking of which, the Earth God was also strange; he didn't seem very afraid either. Perhaps it's because this person is in the city!"

King Du's expression grew serious.

"Not an immortal cultivator? Are you certain?"

"Oh, Your Majesty, you know my spiritual perception! And that heavy murderous aura, it shouldn't just be an illusion; perhaps he has it contained within himself. Who among orthodox cultivators would carry such a heavy murderous aura on their person? Even a sword cultivator's aura is on their sword!"

As he spoke, Shango seemed to recall something.

"Oh, Your Majesty, that person's surname is probably Zuo. Do you think he might be related to the legendary Mortal Martial Saint?"

King Du paused, startled, then a thought flashed through his mind, and he blurted out,

"I'm afraid that might be Zuo Wuji himself!"

King Du stood up and paced back and forth in front of the stone couch, clapping his hands and stamping his feet from time to time. Seeing his king suddenly so excited, Shango stood aside, not daring to speak, afraid of interrupting his thoughts.

"Zuo Wuji, it must be Zuo Wuji... Why would this Martial Saint be in Kuinan Prefecture City? He absolutely couldn't have refined those enchanted coins himself. Even a Martial Saint with terrifying martial arts has their specialized skills; they wouldn't refine artifacts, let alone enchanted coins. If he got them from someone else, would he just give twelve to the old Earth God right away? Impossible, impossible..."

Halfway through his pacing, King Du suddenly looked at Shango.

"You said that Zuo Wuji appeared before you not long after that Li family boy returned?"

"Uh, yes, that's right."

King Du's eyes flashed, and he stepped closer to Shango, lowering his voice.

"Did you find out anything more about that Li family boy?"

"I did, I did! That Li family boy was indeed born after a three-year pregnancy; it's not just a baseless rumor. And they say his mother was almost killed by him, but an immortal intervened to help her deliver him successfully..."

"Hmm..."

King Du nodded and resumed his pacing.

"Tell me, is it possible that Li Feng is extremely special, so special that an unimaginably powerful master came to help Lady Li give birth, instructed the Earth God to watch over him, and gave him enchanted coins? And then Zuo Wuji, the Mortal Martial Saint, also came specifically to the city to protect the child..."

Shango was never very brave, and his king's words now made his blood run cold.

"Y-Your Majesty, it couldn't... be such a coincidence, could it...?"

The boar demon rubbed his plump white belly, squinted at Shango, and whispered, "Sometimes, things really are that coincidental. Otherwise, no matter how diligently that old Earth God cultivated, such good fortune wouldn't fall to him – twelve Qiankun Ruyi Coins... Besides, Zuo Wuji is no minor figure. And this esteemed Martial Saint is a Da Zhen citizen. During this grand human event when civil and martial temples are being established... something is definitely going on, something significant..."

"Your Majesty, what you're saying is terrifying me... Let's not get involved in this!"

King Du's eyes flickered.

"You make a good point. Aside from the unknown master who can casually bestow Qiankun Ruyi Coins, I also don't want to provoke Zuo Wuji. I've heard he's incredibly ruthless. During the Chaos of Tianyu Continent, he deliberately allowed himself to be captured by Black Desolation demons. He only revealed his true ferocity after infiltrating the Black Desolation Beast Cavern, where he went on a rampage, honing his martial arts, causing countless large and small demons to perish at his hands, even shattering his own weapons. That Martial Saint title was piled up with demon corpses and blood..."

If Zuo Wuji and Ji Yuan had heard King Du's words at that moment, they would likely have spat out their tea on the spot. Although the outside world knew little about the calamity of the Myriad Demon Feast in Black Desolation, only that it was terrifying, the current circulating version was quite amusing.

Shango, however, clearly believed it, shivering as he listened.

"So the murderous aura I saw..."

King Du chuckled sinisterly at Shango.

"Heh heh, lucky you! It seems this Martial Saint is reasonable and doesn't just kill every demon he encounters."

"Gulp..."

Shango truly felt the lingering fear of a near-death experience, and couldn't help but add,

"Then, Your Majesty, let's not get involved. You said you didn't want the Ruyi coins anymore, right...?"

Shango knew his king quite well and was now very afraid that his king was contemplating something dangerous. Sure enough, King Du suddenly looked at him and smiled.

"We certainly won't get involved, but I'm sure someone else will be interested in this matter... Shango, go make another trip for me to the Southern Wilderness Mountains."

Shango's face crumpled, looking even worse than if a loved one had died.

"Your Majesty, can I not go? I'm afraid that Martial Saint will come looking for me later..."

"Fine, then don't go!"

King Du grinned at Shango. The latter's face had just lit up with surprise, about to say "Okay," but then he felt a chill, and shivered.

"I, I'll just go..."

"Good. Come, I'll tell you where to go and what to say..."

King Du whispered at length into Shango's ear. A long while later, the downcast Shango emerged from the cave, glanced at the bustling market nearby, then soared into the air and flew southwest.

Shortly after Shango departed, a faint stream of light, the paper crane, also followed. Its flight speed was faster, not slower, than Shango's, and it quickly overtook him, flying towards a distant mountaintop.

The little paper crane landed on the mountaintop, observed the distant demonic wind, and then, with a tiny wing, rummaged through the downy feathers on its chest, pulling out a rolled-up talisman. It tossed the talisman to the ground.

The next moment, powdery golden light seemed to spill from the talisman, transforming into a tall, golden-armored warrior: Jin Yi.

At this very moment, Shango was still feeling dejected.

"Ugh, they always give me the unpleasant tasks. What if that Martial Saint finds out someday? I'll surely lose my life, sigh..."

Before he could finish his sigh, a sudden panic seized him, as if something was about to happen.

"Swish..."

A yellow light flashed before his eyes. Shango had no time to react and directly collided with it. The next moment, he felt the world spin, struggling desperately, only to realize he was entangled by a yellow ribbon that stretched down to a mountain peak below.

"Come down—"

A low growl came from the mountain, followed by a terrifying pull. Shango was dragged up the mountain at a speed faster than his escape velocity, his entire body, from head to toe, tightly bound by the yellow ribbon.

The next moment, the little paper crane flew ahead, and Jin Yi ran behind it, both hurrying away.