"Awakening?"
Upon noticing the unusual activity, Feng Bingwen and Yi Canglan exchanged a glance and walked towards the spot to see what had happened.
The extraordinary phenomena surrounding the two of them had largely faded. Although they still appeared extraordinary, the mortals and half-demons passing by regarded them as ordinary people, treating them as just regular passersby and not giving them much of a second glance.
As they approached, they saw the middle-aged man who was unusually excited and had a particularly agitated expression. He was not tall, had rough and dark skin, and his hands were covered with calluses. He was dressed in a gray-black linen robe.
Judging from his clothing and appearance, it can be basically determined that he is just an ordinary person who does hard labor. People who do hard labor are often doing the hardest, most tiring and dirtiest work, but they receive the lowest wages and are far removed from the word "wealthy".
This man was the same. Although it's not a good way to describe it, his clothes and skin color revealed his poverty. The alley he walked out of was full of low houses. It was probably the worst houses in the city, if not the worst.
But at this moment, this seemingly most ordinary and straightforward man was receiving congratulations from all directions, including many passersby.
"Brother, after saying so much, hurry up and bring your son out so we can all see what bloodline he has awakened?"
"Yeah, hurry up and bring your son out so everyone can see him. And while you're at it, tell us your tips on how you raised him."
The onlookers cheered and jeered, but the middle-aged man, beaming with joy, didn't hesitate. He turned and walked out of the alley, bringing out a child who looked somewhat simple-minded and whose face still held a hint of confusion.
He looked to be only about eight or nine years old. At first glance, he seemed no different from ordinary human children, and even appeared somewhat dull. However, those with sharp eyes had already noticed that among the child's slightly thick black hair, there were two small horns that quietly revealed their roots.
Half-demon!
This description might not be accurate, because strictly speaking, the proportion of human blood in his body is greater than that of the demon bloodline that seems to have only just been revived and awakened.
"This must be the bloodline of the Bull Clan!"
Among the passersby who gathered to offer their congratulations, someone sized up the unremarkable-looking, seemingly ordinary child and made a judgment, though it was a question, it sounded quite certain.
Because the characteristics are so obvious, unlike some demons who only have some scales on their bodies when they first awaken, making it difficult to determine which type of demon bloodline they have awakened. They need to go to the government for comparison before they can determine which type of demon bloodline they have awakened.
"It's probably of the bloodline of a wild bull or something similar!"
Someone chimed in,
"It's not a top-tier bloodline, but it's not bad either. After the government verifies their identity as demon people, they can move away from here and get a better place to live and a more comfortable life!"
Another half-demon passing by noticed the strangeness of the place, approached, and spoke in a very calm tone.
"Old Hei has finally made it through the tough times. He no longer has to work hard outside the city. After a lifetime of toil, he can finally enjoy his retirement."
Although the half-demons didn't care much about the bloodline the child had awakened, most of the people who gathered around were just ordinary humans, and their words were full of envy.
"I really envy their family; they've never had to worry about food or clothing since then."
"I wish one of my children could awaken his bloodline!"
The commotion didn't last long, because the honest-looking man was taking his son to an official residence set up by the government on this street to obtain the identity of a demon and a brand-new house.
Most people dispersed, but some acquaintances followed. Feng Bingwen and Yi Canglan were among them. Their presence was now minimized, attracting no attention. Even if they swaggered among them, no one would care.
Soon, the group arrived at a magnificent official residence. Many people came and went here, mostly elders with young children. Of course, there were other connections as well, but they are not worth mentioning.
Here, the number of humans and half-demons is almost equal. Many people and half-demons are like the kind-hearted middle-aged man and the child who has awakened the bloodline of the bull demon, they are direct relatives such as father and son or mother and daughter, and they are very close.
Most of the people who entered this place had joy on their faces, genuine happiness, because after being recognized as demon people, their lives would be completely different, and many of the things that used to worry them would no longer be a concern.
Authenticating one's identity is quite simple. After all, once a mortal awakens the bloodline of the demon race, they will inevitably exhibit behaviors different from humans. Horns will grow on their heads, scales will grow on their skin, and even tails will extend from their buttocks. These are all quite common changes.
In slightly more exaggerated and intense versions, wings may sprout from their backs, or they may have extra arms, or their bodies may swell dramatically, resembling small giants.
Based on these awakened bloodlines, even if they are certified, the treatment given to them varies. It mainly depends on the depth of the awakened bloodline, the strength of its power, and its future potential, all of which need to be identified and assessed.
Feng Bingwen and Yi Canglan, who had followed the father and son to this place, witnessed everything. The bull demon bloodline awakened by the seemingly simple-minded child was not weak; it was considered above average among the bull demons.
Therefore, after obtaining the identity verification of the demon people, they received a three-courtyard independent house, a land deed for twenty acres of high-quality farmland, and even a monthly allowance of money and grain.
The conditions and treatment for demon people can be described as extremely generous, while this child's treatment can only be considered average. Some awakened bloodlines that are too extraordinary are even directly given mansions and equipped with all kinds of servants, which makes people even more envious.
However, the honest man who had just finished verifying his son's identity wasn't envious of these things, because he was already very satisfied that his son had been able to awaken the demon bloodline.
After completing all the procedures, he happily led his child toward the alley where his family used to live. He was going to hire someone to move. Although most of his belongings could be discarded, he would keep some as keepsakes.
However, before going home, this seemingly poor man led his son directly into a clothing store and spent lavishly, buying the two of them a new set of clothes. Not only that, he also bought several sets of women's clothing, presumably for the female members of the family.
When they returned to the alley with their bags and packages, their attire immediately drew a crowd of neighbors, some offering compliments, others expressing envy, and still others eagerly seeking their advice.
"Old Hei, how did you raise your son? Teach us a lesson, share some of your experience!"
"That's right, we're all neighbors, we can't be stingy. From now on, you're the father of the demons."
Surrounded by a crowd in the dark, narrow alley, the man puffed out his chest amidst the jeers and proudly began to explain how he had raised his son and imparted the so-called key to awakening his bloodline. This was not a secret, as everyone had witnessed his daily actions.
"If you want your child to be successful, you must make sure they are well-fed, with meat at every meal. Even if it means the adults go hungry, you can't let them go hungry, because that's where the child has the greatest chance to awaken their bloodline..."
The man, dressed in new clothes, was spitting as he spoke, his face seemingly radiating light. His family had suffered for seven generations, but finally, he had a worthy descendant.
Meanwhile, the many ordinary people who were listening in, intending to learn from their experience and emulate the family's path to success, began to feel ashamed as they listened, because this family was simply too ruthless.
They were originally a poor family, but they spent all their resources to buy meat and spiritual grains that they shouldn't have been able to enjoy, and would nourish their son every few days. They even emptied their savings to send their son to a boxing gym to train. It was a huge gamble.
The price of all this is that the elderly members of this family can only lie in bed because they don't get enough food to get out of bed and can only gasp for breath, barely surviving.
Only men with the ability to work, and sons who are expected to become demons, can fill their stomachs. The rest of the members who cannot create value are not worthy of consuming the limited resources.
Crazy! Ruthless!
This is how many people describe this family; many feel ashamed that they could achieve this in order to transcend social class.
Their gamble, which involved risking everything they owned—a gamble where they practically sold everything they had—has now succeeded, bringing them substantial rewards. This has made many envious and inspired them to try and emulate them.
Feng Bingwen and Yi Canglan, who had blended into the crowd, exchanged a glance. Both of them looked extremely serious, but as they gazed at the crowded people in front of them, they were both moved and did not intend to do anything.
Let's go!
Feng Bingwen shook his head, turned and walked out of the alley. His divine sense extended through the alley and found the other members of the family: two emaciated old people who had long suffered from hunger, and a withered woman with a sallow complexion. Even though they were in such a miserable state, they all had smiles on their faces today.
Let's go look around!
Yi Canglan, who had followed, wanted to speak, but at Feng Bingwen's prompting, he kept quiet.
These two human prodigies began to wander around this city where humans and half-demons coexisted. They also encountered other prodigies, and these prodigies, who had been wandering around for a while, also noticed something amiss and their expressions became particularly serious.
The Golden Crow Clan's decision to place these geniuses from the human race in this demon kingdom can be seen as having ulterior motives, or even as malicious intent.
The Ghost Mulberry Demon Kingdom is a country where humans and demons live in harmony. The human population is extremely large, numbering in the hundreds of millions, while the number of certified half-demon citizens is even greater, numbering in the tens of millions.
However, in this demon kingdom, humans and demons can coexist harmoniously because, in the demons' understanding, humans can also awaken through transformation and become one of them. Even if it's not possible now, their offspring and descendants have that possibility.
In this demon kingdom, humans are the reserves for demons!
Even ordinary people strive to awaken the bloodline of the demon race for themselves or their offspring, so that they can become members of the demon people. This is where their fighting spirit and vigor come from.
For the prodigies of the human race, witnessing such a scene would undoubtedly cause a tremendous shock and upheaval to their minds.
The Golden Crow Clan established this demon kingdom, created an order where humans and demons coexisted peacefully, and openly displayed all of this to them. Their intentions were all too clear.
"The Golden Crow clan deserves to be exterminated!"
This was a true disciple of the Heavenly Sword Path. He happened to encounter Feng Bingwen and Yi Canglan. Even though he was devoted to the sword path, he also acknowledged his identity as a human. The scene before him made him furious, and he made no attempt to hide his killing intent.
Although the humans here live extremely well, rarely worrying about famine, floods, or other natural disasters, and are better off than most humans in the Nine Provinces, this true disciple from the Heavenly Sword Path does not acknowledge the identity of these "humans."
What does it matter if you are born as a human? What does it matter if you look like him? As a human, you will become a demon, making it your lifelong pursuit, striving and working hard for it, even using the resources of your entire family, just to become a demon.
In the eyes of many human prodigies, such humans are not their own kind at all, but demons. The half-demons and demons born among them have no connection whatsoever with humans.
"Don't act impulsively!"
Feng Bingwen remained calm. Everything he saw in this demon city was indeed terrifying, even giving him a sense of powerlessness.
The Golden Crow clan, through some heaven-defying means, has ensured that the humans living here all possess extremely mixed demon bloodlines. In other words, there is not a single pure-blooded human here, even though they look no different from the humans of the Nine Provinces.
For individuals of the human race, awakening the bloodline of the demon race is definitely a good thing, because it will endow them with many superpowers, making them extraordinary, increasing their lifespan, and strengthening their physique—all things that people desire.
Awakening one's bloodline is a different path from the various paths of immortality and martial arts that the human race possesses, and it has a lower threshold.
Immortal cultivation values aptitude and comprehension, while martial arts emphasize willpower; both are difficult paths. Awakening, however, is different. If one possesses a powerful bloodline, one can naturally become stronger even by simply lying down all day.
This is also what's terrifying: the human race no longer faces the crisis of extinction, and many human forces have long lost their ambition to expand and advance, only wanting to hold onto the land of the Nine Provinces.
Under these circumstances, the Golden Crow Clan established the Ghost Mulberry Demon Kingdom, vainly hoping that everyone could become a demon. How could one not be angry about the intentions and ambitions revealed by this?
---Aside---
I saw comments today saying that I've been treating my illness for over twenty days and should be cured, and some even suspected that I was doing part-time work. There's no need for such suspicion. No one would want someone as sickly as me. As for my illness, I have gallstones, not kidney stones. You can get it checked out. I had a check-up a few days ago, and the results were bad. I'll get another check-up in a few days.
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