Chapter 20 How did I get wanted? I had to run away twice with my face practically glued to the ground... Seriously...
"You...you live here?"
Fu Ming looked at the "little house" in front of him three times, and couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.
Calling it a thatched hut would be an exaggeration. The haphazardly arranged dead branches were stuck in the muddy ground, and covered with a blanket made of dry grass. It would fall apart in the face of even a slightly strong wind or rain.
Even when he was hated by everyone in both the immortal and demon realms and spent his days hiding in caves, he had never been in such a miserable state.
"Yes, yes, my brother and I worked on it for a long time."
The hand that was gripping their collars loosened, and the little sister flew away as lightly as a swallow. Her brother seemed stunned and hadn't recovered yet. He walked slowly with his back hunched over, and they left two intertwined footprints in the soft river mud.
Although the younger sister is a bit shorter, she is very energetic, with her dark eyes always darting around, and she speaks wittily. Her brother, on the other hand, is rather dull, with his lips tightly pressed together, and it seems he has never spoken a word.
Perhaps because he had raised Xiao Huaiyuan from infancy, Fu Ming was always tolerant of children, and his tone softened accordingly.
"By the way, why hasn't your brother said anything? Is he shy?"
The skinny boy looked up and finally managed a stiff smile. He pointed to his mouth and made a gesture that Fu Ming couldn't quite understand.
It turned out he was a little mute, Fu Ming realized.
"My name is Fang Xiaohui, and my brother's name is Fang Xiaoquan. My brother can't speak, so big brother, you can just ask me anything."
Fang Xiaohui came running over very quickly. She took out half a black steamed bun from the thatched hut, wiped it with her sleeve, and muttered to herself.
"It's all that stinky stableman's fault. He's always out on the streets grabbing people. He'll probably come looking for us by the river again soon—eat up, we need to be full to have the strength to run!"
The black steamed buns placed in the old cloth were presented to Fu Ming by two small, rough hands, only to be pushed back by a gentle breeze.
"Stop eating these, I'll take you to Zhichun Restaurant for something good."
Fu Ming, who was usually unruly and dissolute, was unusually serious. The afterglow of the setting sun gilded him, as if he were bathed in holy light.
Once he casts a confusion spell, wouldn't it be an easy task for him to blend into the city again?
when--
The bronze bell of the Buddhist temple atop the mountain rang out, its echo rippling down from top to bottom, sending a jolt through Fu Ming's heart. He looked up and saw the setting sun casting long shadows, a tiny monk's figure hovering beside the bell, the only sound in the world the lingering chime of the bell.
When was Yongcheng Temple built? Isn't this Taoist territory... Oh no, the Buddhist evening bell has the effect of calming the mind and suppressing demons!
As dusk approached, the demonic runes on the brother and sister's bodies, stimulated by the bell's tolling, shone with an intense red light, more conspicuous than lanterns in the dead of night. They seemed like tiny insects trapped within a bronze bell, endlessly rolling with each strike of the bell's hammer.
The half of the steamed bun, which had been so cherished, sprang from between Fang Xiaohui's fingers. Fang Xiaoquan, standing nearby, tried to grab it, but was knocked to the ground by another round of bell tolling. The grayish-black bun eventually fell into the murky river mud, leaving shallow indentations on his fingers, but he still couldn't reach it.
Just then, he saw the steamed bun in front of him float up into the air, and then his feet left the ground, and his body also floated in the air.
Fu Ming grabbed the two children and a pancake like he was flying a kite: "What are you standing there for? Run!"
If we're talking about experience in being hunted down, Fu Ming is second to none in the Three Realms. This grand-scale bell-ringing is clearly an attempt to lure the enemy out so they can be caught in one fell swoop.
The sound of hurried, chaotic footsteps came from behind. Speak of the devil, and he appears. However, Yongcheng's appetite was even greater than he had imagined.
Along the way, refugees bearing demonic markings staggered and fled from the stilted houses, like ants before a storm. Behind them, a uniform group of black-clad guards, all at least Foundation Establishment level, cleared the path, wielding swords, spears, and clubs without hesitation. Government soldiers followed closely, dragging away those whose fates were unknown. The entire process was executed flawlessly, indicating it had been practiced many times. —But what were they doing arresting so many people?
Fu Ming's divine sense, which was at the Nascent Soul stage, was carefully woven into a net. Having learned from the lesson of being caught red-handed by Xiao Huaiyuan, he was now extremely cautious when probing with his divine sense. Who knew if another Nascent Soul stage cultivator might pop out from a crack in the rock?
"Xiao Hui and Xiao Quan, I'll give you a ride across the river later. After you land, run straight in the direction of the Big Dipper and don't look back."
The riverbank was low and flat, with no shelter except for waist-high reeds. At that moment, a light drizzle began to fall, and the glowing red light spread out in the hazy mist, making it hard not to notice. Staying here would only lead to certain death.
Raindrops slid down the tip of his straight nose, as if taking him back to that distant time when he was still the upright and distinguished senior disciple of a prestigious family.
"No, big brother, my brother is burning up!"
Just as Fu Ming was forming hand seals to conceal his aura, Fang Xiaohui cried out in surprise, her childish voice tinged with a heavy sob.
The demonic markings on both siblings' necks hadn't been noticed before, but now, upon closer inspection, Fang Xiaoquan's demonic markings were indeed spreading and burning. The child silently covered his neck, his thin body curled up into a ball, and the red markings quietly crept up his cheek and collarbone, like tree roots that had been thirsty for a long time finally finding water.
This is a sign of formally succumbing to demonic possession. The size and pattern of the demonic markings reveal a person's talent. For example, Fu Ming's demonic markings are a serpent coiled from his lower back to his neck; he was spared by the old demon lord because of his potential to transform into a dragon. Judging from his appearance, Fang Xiaoquan's demonic markings are probably from the ancient divine tree, Xunmu. As the most powerful fighter in the demon realm, Fu Ming dares to assert that Fang Xiaoquan's talent is one in a million among demonic cultivators; if he can grow up, he will be an absolute elite.
But could he survive in the Demon Realm with Fang Xiaohui? Fu Ming couldn't guarantee it.
Amidst the reeds, Fu Ming touched his alarmingly hot forehead and poured several Heaven-Rank Qi Nourishing Pills into his mouth, which slightly suppressed the rampant demonic energy within him.
"Xiao Hui, are there any clinics in the city that treat demonic cultivators?"
"Yes, it is right here..."
The reeds swayed slightly in the fading rain. Suddenly, Fu Ming grabbed the brother and sister and leaped back, shielding them behind him. Three poisoned darts embedded themselves in the slippery mud where they had stood, and the blood-stained knife darted through the reeds.
After cutting a few more reeds, a handsome face, as clear as a lotus emerging from water, suddenly appeared from behind the downy fluff. His lips were pale, giving him a somewhat pitiful look.
He said, trembling, "I can go with you, but could you spare the lives of the two children? They are still so young."
"Young Master said he can spare your life." The head guard sized Fu Ming up and down with a lewd look. Despite his current state of disgrace, he couldn't hide his arrogance. He was indeed the kind of person Young Master Gu loved to torment. "As for those two little bastards, no way."
"What if I give you..."
Even if you summon the Heavenly King himself, it won't make a difference.
Fu Ming stubbornly rummaged through his sleeves, his soaked clothes revealing glimpses of flesh beneath his movements. He pulled out a small box embroidered with gold thread, then fiddled with the overly delicate lock again, trying several times without success. Finally, he presented the contents of the box to the leader of the secret guards, his light gold eyes filled with some unrealistic expectation.
The leader was quite pleased. He planned to stab the two brats to death as he accepted the offerings, thus crushing their pride. If he couldn't kill them, couldn't he at least humiliate them?
It was not very clear at night, but what was in the box was a pale yellow pill?
Bang!!!
The deafening explosion illuminated the riverbank as bright as day, revealing a cluster of explosive talismans. The leader, who had taken the blast head-on, was thrown several meters away, coughing and wiping the ashes from his face. Looking around, he saw no one in sight.
The eerie light of the teleportation array went out amidst the flying ashes, and the leader of the Dark Guards was so angry that he immediately slammed his fist on the ground.
Damn it, he tricked me again!
When he successfully teleported to his destination, Fu Ming's palms were sweaty. Running away twice in a row from a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator in front of a Golden Core cultivator was quite thrilling.
Just as they were discovered by the guards, the system suddenly popped up a helpful notification.
Dear host, congratulations on unlocking the Yongcheng drainage culvert map! But remember to complete the tasks too!
Task 1: Protect the target's safety
Task 2: Head to the Ghost Market
Task 3: ? ? ?
Fu Ming gritted his teeth and complained in his mind: System, do you dare to be any slower? If you are any later, the target will be finely chopped into minced meat.
This is the exit of a hidden channel, concealed by the shadows of swaying trees. A few forks in the road lead up to the city. They must suppress and seal Fang Xiaoquan's demonic energy with medicine before he falls into demonic possession. If he falls into demonic possession, the monks of the Buddhist temple on the mountaintop will surely notice, and then it will not be as simple as being chased down by one or two unskilled guards.
Where did Xiao Huaiyuan go? Why hasn't he come to join us yet?
"Young master, I've seen you standing here for a while now. Are you going to buy a sachet for the girl you admire?"
"……good."
Xiao Huaiyuan picked out a pale gold sachet from the few remaining ones, embroidered with a pair of lifelike mandarin ducks—truly a symbol of lovers. As he made his selection, he casually glanced around the street corner.
“Young master, you have excellent taste. This sachet embroidered with gold thread symbolizes a love stronger than gold, and it’s the best-selling item.”
"She is very likable."
Although he knew it was the seller's excuse for charging a high price, Xiao Huaiyuan couldn't help but smile when he thought of the man's affectionate eyes.
But when he looked up at the full moon in the sky, his expression returned to solemnity.
Xiao Huaiyuan's attitude suddenly shifted from hot to cold, making the girl selling sachets very uneasy. She wondered if this seemingly unworldly young master had figured out that her sachets didn't actually use gold thread.
Suddenly a cool breeze swept by, and the girl subconsciously closed her eyes. When she opened them again, there was only one high-grade spirit stone left on the stall.
"He gave too much. Turns out he's just a rich fool," she muttered.
On rooftops, in trees, and behind streets, those following Xiao Huaiyuan remained calm, maintaining a steady distance from each other and not making a move easily.
Xiao Huaiyuan turned into an inn, booked a room, and dragged his tired body upstairs like any other tourist.
The direction indicated by the soul lamp kept changing, but he couldn't go to find Fu Ming.
The abbot of Yunshan Temple seems to have noticed his presence, but his identity has not yet been confirmed.
Knock knock.
"Have you seen this person before?" the officers and soldiers asked from house to house.
The innkeeper was a middle-aged woman dressed in red, with a shrewd look in her eyes. She knocked on Xiao Huaiyuan's door and unfolded a wanted poster.
It's Fu Ming.
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