Stealthily cultivating in the chaotic world of demons and martial artists

Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Demon Curse Power (Seeking Recommendations)_1 Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Demon Curse Power (Seeking Recommendations)_1 Several hours later.

Fang Xi returned to the White Cloud Martial Arts School.

“Junior Brother, how did it go?”

Liu Taotao and Tang Xuan immediately gathered around him.

They, too, were among the inner disciples who had chosen to stay during the previous commotion at the school.

Fang Xi shook his head, “Taking advantage of the opportunity while those strange people returned to their nests, I went to check out the city gates… The city is now shrouded in a layer of black fog, and trying to pass through is hindered by a strange force. I’m afraid that Black Stone City is truly isolated from the outside world now.”

Tang Xuan immediately became utterly despairing.

Fang Xi, however, looked thoughtfully at the towering tree canopy in the city center: “I suggest… we first relocate to the edge of Black Stone City, close to the city wall, and establish a stronghold there…”

“Why?”

The person who asked was Mu Piaomiao. After settling her father to rest in a room, she had been silent all along, finally speaking now.

“Because the Monster Tree continues to grow taller…”

Fang Xi explained, “The living beings enveloped under the canopy will definitely be harassed by those dangling Qi Roots. It will certainly be very dangerous…”

In his heart, there was another guess he did not voice out.

That was, the Monster Tree would keep growing taller.

If this continued, there would come a day when it would tower into the clouds and the canopy would replace the sky itself, enveloping the entirety of Black Stone City!

That would be the end of Black Stone City!

‘Of course, it’s not out of the question that the Monster Tree has its own intelligence, deliberately breeding a portion of humans to feast upon regularly…’

‘Demons… such intriguing creatures! According to what Mu Canglong said, is this sealing method the “Demon Realm”? It somewhat resembles the rudimentary form of an array.’

“Cough cough!”

Mu Canglong, who had appeared without notice, coughed, and said, “Fang Xi is right, let’s proceed as he suggests… Also, when moving the martial arts school, we can abandon everything else, we just need food and clean water…”

“Daddy, how are you feeling?” Mu Piaomiao asked, looking at her father with concern.

Fang Xi could also see that the tadpole-like pitch-black lines on Mu Canglong’s body had spread further, now reaching his chin.

“It’s no use, this is poison, but also a ‘curse’!”

Mu Canglong answered with a bitter smile.

“May I ask Master, what is a ‘curse’?” Fang Xi was genuinely interested.

“As for demons, monsters are just creatures that look peculiar, have a bit more strength, or some strange abilities…” Mu Canglong waved his hand, “But demons are completely different, especially the ‘curse’! This is a power unique to demons—demon curse power! It’s far more terrible than a martial artist’s Power of Qi and Blood, even more than True Power, True Strength… Therefore, once it afflicts someone, it’s like an incurable disease of the bone, absolutely fatal…”

“I see.” Fang Xi nodded, then with a cupped fist said, “Master, I need to go home to handle some matters, so I’ll have to join you all later.”

The creatures outside were now hanging from the tree canopy, which made it significantly safer.

The remaining disciples had long since stealthily fled.

Fang Xi still made a point to take formal leave because he was a person with a sense of propriety.

“That… Master, I would also like to go home once.” Liu Taotao timidly echoed.

“Hmm.” Mu Canglong nodded, not stopping them, “Remember, from now on we will meet up at the East City Gate. Fang Xi’s earlier assumption was correct; the farther we are from the body of the Monster Tree, the better… Additionally, be cautious of those demon servants. Although they are merely infected with demonic curse power, they are not easy to deal with.”

…

“What happened to the ‘enjoyable world’ we were promised, how did it suddenly turn into a demon disaster survival?”

Fang Xi walked down the street, looking at the broken shops, shattered corpses on the ground, and occasionally wary eyelines cast from behind windows, couldn’t help but feel speechless: ‘It’s even a battle royale version where the poison circle spreads from the inside out…’

Fortunately.

He could feel that, whenever he wished, he could still return to the Southern Wilderness Cultivation Realm.

With this up his sleeve, Fang Xi was actually not in much of a hurry.

He walked along, stopping here and there, until he reached his own estate.

The main gate was shattered, lying to one side.

The bodies of several estate guards were strewn around, some still in an angry howl posture.

“As expected…”

Fang Xi had anticipated this, and with a flash of brilliance in his eyes, he stepped into the inner house.

A few maids lay in pools of blood, still clutching items such as jade leaves, pearls, gold jewelry, and more…

‘Typical, at the first sign of danger, they think to steal from their master and flee…’

As he walked and observed, he basically confirmed that his house too had been attacked by creatures, with heavy casualties among the servants.

Those who were still alive had mostly run off, taking quite a bit of valuables with them.

‘Let it be, consider it severance pay.’

Fang Xi was quite philosophical about it; after all, they were just worldly possessions.

He reached his own bedroom and suddenly his gaze sharpened, and he pushed open the door.

The bedroom was equally a mess.

As it turned out, the master’s prohibitions were as good as farts in the face of the apocalypse.

Fang Xi didn’t care about these things either. He approached a carved dragon phoenix rosewood wardrobe and knocked on the door.

“Ah! Ah! Ah!”

With a scream, a petite figure rushed out, holding a pair of scissors and attempting a swift stab.

Slap!

Fang Xi, speechless, easily knocked the scissors aside, and followed it with a slap: “Lily, wake up, it’s me!”

The one hiding in the wardrobe was none other than the maid, Lily.

A bright red handprint quickly emerged on her cheek, contrasting sharply with her pale, delicate skin. But she seemed to finally come to her senses, crying piteously, “There… there are monsters… Sister Shuixian, Sister Yulan… they… they’re all dead…”

“What about Laurel?”

Fang Xi asked.

Lily shook her head: “I didn’t see her…”

Fang Xi recalled the way he had come and hadn’t seen Laurel’s corpse; that was good news.

He stroked Lily’s hair, feeling as if he were petting a cat: “Now Black Stone City is finished. I’ll give you two choices. The first is to come with me, the second is I give you a hundred taels of gold, return your indenture, and let you go your own way. Choose one!”

Fang Xi glanced around the bedroom, realizing there was nothing he needed to take.

Gold and silver, in Black Stone City recently, were probably as worthless as bricks and rubble, not even worth as much as carrying a few more bags of rice from the kitchen!

‘No, I can go to the Cultivation World to buy rice for ordinary people, don’t have to carry it…’

“I…” Lily’s eyes showed a trace of spirit, “I will go with the young master…”

“Very well!”

Fang Xi nodded, pleased with the wise choice of the young girl: “Then hurry up and pack, carry a bag of rice from the kitchen, and come with me…”

…

East City Gate.

A residence built along the city wall.

White Cloud Martial Arts School chose this place to settle because it was now on the very edge of Black Stone City.

And within the small courtyard, apprentices of the martial arts school and their family members were already crammed in.

Aside from Fang Xi bringing a maid, Liu Taotao and Tang Xuan also brought their parents over.

Even Wu Ji, the second senior brother, at some point brought a beautiful woman, supposedly his wife, and unapologetically occupied a room.

In the vicinity of the courtyard, there were many forces from within the city, mostly martial arts school principals, who, with their apprentices, drove away the original homeowners and occupied the best patches of land.

In a city where order had collapsed, fists were the best form of persuasion!

It was for this reason that Mu Canglong was forced to drag his injured body to ingratiate himself with those martial arts school principals.

Late at night.

Mu Canglong convened a few closed-door disciples to discuss that day’s findings.

“Cough, cough… according to the information I’ve gathered, that Monster Tree can parasitize the bodies of humans and animals. It first descended upon the governor’s office, and most of the city’s officials, including the governor himself, are left without a place for their corpses…”

A dim light shone, revealing the shocked and fearful faces of those present, and Mu Canglong’s voice betrayed his helplessness: “Recently… the area near the East City Gate has become home to many martial arts school forces. Yuanhe Mountain has occupied the Southern City Gate, the situation at the North City Gate is unknown, probably desperate territory, and from the West City Gate occasionally comes sparse news of a large gathering of refugees…”

“And those monsters driven by the Monster Tree come out at night, not many in number. As long as we are careful, we should be able to hold out for some time…”

Piaomiao looked worried: “Father… The food and water we have stored will barely last a month.”

“One month, hmm?” Mu Canglong’s mood inexplicably turned morose.

Actually, with so many dead in Black Stone City, as long as one wasn’t afraid of danger and avoided the core areas shadowed by the tree canopy and the monsters, it wasn’t difficult to search for supplies in the houses and stores.

What was truly difficult was morale!

‘In fact, all the high-ranking should be aware that they will definitely be abandoned by the Great Liang court…’

‘Gathering together now is just a struggle for survival.’

Arms crossed, Fang Xi leaned against a pillar, having understood everything: ‘The persistence of now is merely a feeble hope that the Monster might leave after being sated…’

‘But no one would have expected at the beginning that this demon would turn out to be a tree! If it decided not to leave, it might be until its branches covered the entire sky and its Qi Roots have killed every living being…’

‘Of course, judging by the rate of its expansion, this process could still take several months to a year… which means that the initial danger is actually… others!’

While Fang Xi pondered all this, Mu Canglong’s expression changed suddenly. He spat out a mouthful of black blood and fainted.

“Father!”

Piaomiao cried out in alarm and hurried to support him.

Ignoring the commotion, Fang Xi stepped out of the house and looked up at the gloomy sky.

Now that the White Cloud Martial Arts School’s strongest fighter was compromised, it likely wouldn’t be long before someone with ulterior motives caught wind of it. Danger lay just around the corner!