Chapter 77: Chapter 76: A Vile Anger Stirs

“Brother Tu, are we really sure this is a good idea?”

A young woman in white frowned slightly and sighed softly.

“They may be lowly commoners, but they’re still our own kind. To just send them off to be used as blood sacrifices…”

“Xiaolian, that’s not the right way to think about it,”

Chen Tu said flatly.

“You are a direct descendant of a Celestial Human. My master is one of the world’s foremost Great Celestial Humans, with a high chance of becoming an Earth Immortal. You and I are destined for greatness.”

He paused for a moment before continuing,

“Besides, how can mortals who haven’t even stepped onto the cultivation path be considered our kin? You know the current situation. The Federation is begging the beings beyond the Great Wall for peace talks. What’s wrong with us getting on their good side ahead of time?”

Du Xueling tilted her head and fell silent for a moment. A sighing expression once again appeared on her lovely face.

“I just find it unsettling and disgusting. And what if the Death Tower finds out…”

“Then you can leave,” Chen Tu said coolly. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you. Hou Qingshan is the direct son of a Demon Race Little Saint. If we do everything we can to befriend him, once the beings from beyond the Great Wall cross the border… the benefits will be…”

Du Xueling’s expression shifted several times before she quickly changed her tune.

“I’ve thought it over, and you’re right. Mortal ants who haven’t stepped onto the cultivation path are indeed unworthy of being called our kin!”

With that, she asked cautiously,

“Brother Tu, should we go out and hunt for Brother Qingshan now?”

“Let’s wait a bit. Brother Qingshan said he wants to join us today… This is a huge opportunity!”

Chen Tu declared with naked ambition,

“If we serve Brother Qingshan well, forget about waiting for his father to enter the Great Wall. Just think about the Demon King who came with him. If even a few scraps fall from his hands, it’ll be more than enough to benefit us endlessly!”

…….

“Are you ready?”

Xiaoyan asked nervously, wearing a face mask and large sunglasses as she glanced around.

Lu Xuan chuckled softly. He placed a small hat on her head and looked her up and down before saying with satisfaction,

“Mm, perfect. No one can recognize you now… Let’s go, time to go fishing!”

“Let’s go, let’s go!”

The two of them were about to head out together when Ao Chengzhong called out to stop them.

“Oh, right. You two should be a little careful. Not all Celestial Humans know Jiang Xue. Also, it’s not just the major powers that have come to East Sea City this time; there are also beings from beyond the Great Wall.”

“Beings from beyond the Great Wall?” Lu Xuan was taken aback for a moment. He then recalled Uncle Wu telling him that the Solar System was enveloped by the Great Wall, and beyond it, the Demon Race dwelled, entrenched among the stars.

Ao Chengzhong nodded.

“That’s right. Too much blood has been shed at the Great Wall, and the Federation is struggling to bear the cost. They’ve recently been holding peace talks with the beings from beyond the Wall. One Demon King has crossed the border as a symbolic gesture for the negotiations. Now, having heard about the ruins in East Sea City, he has personally come here.”

“Uncle Ao, what level is a Demon Race’s Demon King?”

“’Demon Race’ is actually just a general term. It’s divided into countless tribes, which some also call the Myriad Races… Their cultivation realms are the same as ours. Building a Jade Tower makes one a Demon, Climbing the Divine Ladder makes a Great Demon, and the Heaven Ascending Gate step makes a Demon King. As for the Heaven-Facing Palace level, they are called a Demon Race Little Saint, equivalent to a True Immortal.”

Ao Chengzhong smiled.

“So I’m just telling you to be a little careful. Avoid provoking them if you can. Although I could beat him, that Demon King is a symbol of the peace talks, after all… Of course, if you really do provoke him, it doesn’t matter.”

As he spoke, he narrowed his eyes dangerously.

“Longque Technology is part of the war hawk faction anyway. The worst that could happen is the negotiations fall apart, which is exactly what we want.”

Lu Xuan nodded with a look of partial understanding. After acknowledging him, he and Xiaoyan walked side by side out of the villa in the city center. The streets were completely empty; you could hardly see anyone at all.

Over the past two days, due to the arrogance of some descendants and juniors of the Celestial Humans, schools had announced emergency closures, factories had shut down, and even most companies had their employees work from home.

The less one went out, the lower the chance of encountering those powerful figures, and thus the easier it was to avoid an undeserved disaster…

“Xiaolu, where are we going now?” Yan Jiangxue asked nervously. “There’s no one around anywhere…”

“Let me check the map. We’ll head toward the largest mall and pedestrian street in the city center.” Lu Xuan’s gaze turned a little colder. ’I’d like to see for myself just how arrogant these so-called Celestial Human descendants can be.’

No matter what, he had lived in East Sea City for seven years. One incident after another had shattered its peace.

Originally, the Inspectorate and the Martial Arts Alliance had worked together to maintain a fragile order. But now, the Inspectorate, responsible for public order, didn’t dare to intervene, while the Martial Arts Alliance, which maintained order in the shadows, had fallen into chaos itself…

Shaking his head, he didn’t dwell on it. Lu Xuan and the heavily disguised Yan Jiangxue walked quickly, traversing from one end of the street to the other. They could count the number of people they met on two hands.

It wasn’t until they reached what was once the city’s most bustling pedestrian street that the situation improved slightly.

But even on this long street that used to be shoulder-to-shoulder with people, only a few dozen figures now roamed. The shops on both sides were mostly closed, creating a scene of utter desolation.

Xiaoyan sighed softly and suddenly uttered a sentence:

“The people fear them like tigers.”

Lu Xuan nodded slightly, his own expression grim. He didn’t know exactly what these so-called descendants and juniors of the Celestial Humans had done,

but seeing the state of the streets now…

A shadow crossed his face.

And so, the two of them strolled on with the intention of “fishing,” wandering through the desolate streets and watching the panicked expressions of the passersby as they hurried along.

「At a corner.」

“You two kind souls, could you lend a little money to someone in need?”

Lu Xuan glanced over. It was a small, disheveled old man with no legs, sitting by a flowerbed. A broken bowl was placed in front of him, with a few coins lying quietly inside.

Although the old man was shabby, his gaze was clear. He simply looked at the two of them with a hint of hope, making no attempt to pester them.

“Go buy yourself something to eat.” It was Xiaoyan who spoke. She fumbled in her pocket for a moment before finding a bill and placing it in the old man’s bowl.

Lu Xuan did the same, setting down a hundred-yuan bill.

After they were done and about to walk away, the old man called out to them.

“Wait… Wait!”

The young man and woman glanced over in surprise. They saw the begging old man carefully pull two bright red apples from a pocket beside him.

His hands trembling, he offered them forward with a simple, honest smile.

“Kind souls, would you take these?”

Lu Xuan and Xiaoyan exchanged a puzzled look but accepted the apples together. Lu Xuan asked curiously,

“Sir, what is this for?”

The old man smiled with satisfaction.

“I say ’lend,’ but I know I might never get a chance to pay it back… To be able to give, to exchange, instead of just begging and pleading… It feels so good.”

The young man and woman were suddenly taken aback.

The old man continued frankly,

“I hate what I am now. I hate living as a parasite on society, surviving by begging. I hate groveling on the ground, doing nothing but bowing and scraping as I hold out my hand.”

Lu Xuan was stunned, his heart deeply shaken.

After a long moment, he took a soft breath and said in a hoarse voice,

“Sir, where do you live? Should we take you home? It’s been… a little unsafe lately.”

“I know.”

The old man’s smile vanished.

“I’ve heard about what’s been happening. A good young woman, the one who wore a blue hairpin and brought me a big steamed bun every day, she was taken by those powerful people and defiled. She never appeared again… These apples were a gift from her. She’s the one who taught me that principle, too. It’s a shame that while I can give her apples to others, I can never repay her kindness.”

The light in his eyes dimmed. He leaned against the flowerbed like a pool of stagnant water and said quietly,

“Don’t worry about me. I don’t need to run. Those newly arrived ’great personages’ wouldn’t give me a second glance. But you two kind souls, you should hurry home. Hurry back. Don’t end up like that kind young woman…”

Lu Xuan clenched his fists. Beside him, Xiaoyan also hung her head low.

After a moment, Lu Xuan asked again,

“Sir, do you know who those ’great personages’ you mentioned are?”

The old man gave a bleak smile, shook his head, and muttered to himself,

“Such a good young woman, what a pity. Why don’t good people ever get good rewards?”

The young man and woman were silent.

A long time passed before they continued forward, wandering down the long street. After just a few steps, Xiaoyan suddenly spoke.

“Xiaolu, I’m sad.”

Lu Xuan didn’t speak. He simply gave the young woman’s soft little hand a silent squeeze, his gaze lowered.

A foul anger was lodged in his chest.

After walking a bit further, a puzzled voice suddenly called out.

“Lu Xuan?”

The pair stopped and looked over.

Not far away, Lu Xiuyuan stood quietly, dressed in a simple long robe but holding a battered, Broken Blade.

He frowned, his expression focused, and beckoned to them.

“What are you still doing wandering around outside? Come with me. I’ll take you home first.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep