Tomb of God by Chen Dong

[Zoeng Saiwaa]

Volume 3: The City of Crime 第三卷 罪惡之城

Chapter 5: Flying Witch 第五章 飛天魔女


Everyone persevered through the boundless mountains. Although they passed through several taverns and inns that specialized in replenishing the supplies of travellers, they did not have the luxury to stop for too long. They ate and slept in the face of the elements throughout the journey. Finally, on the fifteenth day of travelling, they arrived at the continent’s renowned City of Freedom—otherwise known as the City of Crime.

The City of Crime was situated on top of the largest area of flat land that was available in the boundless mountains. Although it was called a city, it did not have any city walls. There was only a system of rivers that surrounded and weaved through the City of Freedom in the form of a ‘田’. This system of rivers was a major transportation thoroughfare in the city.

The city had a population of approximately four hundred thousand inhabitants. The population of the City of Freedom was much lower than the population of other major cities, but its prosperity was no less than that of any capital city of any nation. An endless flow of people and carriages streamed through the city. There were many stores, romantic getaways, illicit money dens, casinos… It truly did have everything. The flourishing City of Crime was famous on the continent. It was a dazzling gem among the famous cities of the continent.

Half of the supplies that the City of Crime considered daily expenditure was produced domestically. The other half was continuously transported over from the eastern and western continent. Because its location was so remote, the transportation of supplies was not very convenient. This was the main reason why the population of the City of Freedom could not grow too excessively.

Perhaps one could regard the City of Crime as its own small state, because this was a land of freedom that was not considered to be a part of any other nation. The city had its own military, although it wasn’t too large. The daily affairs of the city were decided in a collaborative effort by its five city lords.

Gazing into the distance, the City of Freedom could be seen to be surrounded by lush green hills. It was wrapped around clear rivers of water, as if it were a utopian land of joy. The landscape was captivating, and the scenery was gorgeous.

No one from the mercenary corps stopped here to take a break. They continued to escort the travelling merchants towards the western continent.

As Guan Hao’s eyes followed the lord who had hired the corps enter the City of Crime, he asked Chen Nan, “Chen-xiongdi, why have you come to the City of Crime? Are you like me and plan to register to attend Shenfeng Institute?”

Chen Nan answered, “No, I’ve come here to seek refuge.”

Alarmed, Guan Hao asked, “You have such excellent skill. At the very least, you’ve reached the level of the second rank. Who can possibly force you to flee so far?”

“It’s that little girl’s family.” Chen Nan pointed at the Little Princess at the side who was happily playing with the Tiger King Xiao Yu.

Guan Hao was astonished. “So this little girl actually holds great influence, yet you still dare to hit her? You truly are fueled by lust that encompasses the heavens!”

The princess heard this, hugged Xiao Yu, and angrily said, “Damn rat, what garbage are you spouting? Do you just take whatever this guy says as gospel?”

Guan Hao looked at the princess. “If we washed the filth off of your face, you could truly be considered a gorgeous woman. Chen-xiongdi, you have really good taste!”

“Xiao Yu, help me teach this bastard a lesson.”

With a ‘sou’, the Tiger King Xiao Yu leapt from the princess’ bosom onto Guan Hao’s shoulders. Guan Hao chortled, “Little thing, you dare land on the shoulders of my grand se—“

Before he was able to finish his sentence, an earth-shattering howl thundered through his ears: “Hou~!”

Guan Hao’s two ears were stunned by that roar. A low buzz echoed through his ears. He had no idea what was going on as he was overpowered onto the ground by some gigantic monster.

When he awakened from his stupor, he found himself being sat on by a large tiger’s buttocks. He couldn’t help but scream, “Mom, save me~!”

From the side, the Little Princess delicately laughed.

Guan Hao’s face was pale with fright. He stammered, “Chen-xiongdi, save me! Little girl, I know my mistakes. Wu… Mom… Hurry and get this guy off me!”

An ominous glint flickered in the Tiger King’s eyes. He had previously been beaten by all the mercenaries. Now that one of his great enemies was before him, he opened his mouth rapaciously wide in order to chomp down on his prey.

Just before Chen Nan made his move, the Little Princess urgently obstructed the Tiger King. “Xiao Yu, don’t!”

The Tiger King stopped. He unconvincingly looked at the princess.

The princess said, “Although this guy is disgusting, his crime doesn’t deserve death. Don’t rashly take someone’s life or harm them seriously, understand?”

Xiao Yu shifted off of Guan Hao, but he continued to stare down his prey.

Trembling, Guan Hao climbed up off the ground. He unblinkingly stared at the completely snow white, jade-like Tiger King. Finally, he shrieked, “Heavens! This guy is… the Tiger King! It… it actually became a spirit! The small stray cat is actually its incarnate!”

That day, the Tiger King had suffered heavy damage, and his power critically fell. He already dropped from a third ranked magical beast to one of the first rank. His body was now not even one zhang long. He was now not much larger than an ordinary tiger, but his arrogant bearing was the same as before. With one glance, Guan Hao recognized him.

With a ‘sou’, he ran behind Chen Nan. With a quivering voice, he said, “No wonder… it stared so ferociously at all the mercenaries throughout the journey… So this is why… This guy is just too terrifying; it actually knows transformation techniques.”

The princess looked at him with ill intent. “What a blabbermouth. Today, I must properly teach you a lesson.”

“Little girl, don’t come over here. Chen-xiongdi, quickly drive away that Tiger Demon.” On that day, the merciless Tiger King had left too profound of an impression on Guan Hao. Seeing the flickering ominous glint in Xiao Yu’s eyes, he grew a bit sheepish.

Chen Nan smiled, motionless. He wanted to see the merits of the Tiger King’s cultivation from the past few days and see how much of his power was recovered. Furthermore, he wanted a glimpse of Guan Hao’s true ability.

The princess’s current smile was exceptionally sinister. Chen Nan seemed to see the little demon from that time at the western border of Chu. At the moment, the Tiger King had already detoured around Chen Nan. He slowly pressed on closer and closer towards Guan Hao. The princess watched from behind him.

Guan Hao’s face suddenly turned green. With a quivering voice, he said, “Little girl, there are no grievances or enmity between us. I cautiously and earnestly protected you throughout the journey. How can you treat me like this?”

“Hou~!”

“Mom~!”

With a great howl from the Tiger King Xiao Yu, Guan Hao whipped around and fled in fear.

From the rear, the Little Princess clapped her hands and laughed. “Xiao Yu, don’t bite him. Shock him with your lightning or breathe some fire at him, hehe…”

“Kala!”

An arc of lightning erupted out from the Tiger King’s maw. It quickly struck Guan Hao who was fleeing up ahead.

His body emitted a wisp of light smoke. His entire body was scorched black. A faint charred smell dispersed from his body.

The powerful electrical current was definitely not enough to knocking Guan Hao down. It merely lightly burned his robust build, nothing more. He didn’t even slow down; he continued flying away into the trees.

“Hou~!”

With another tiger’s howl, a vast, all-encompassing flame swept towards Guan Hao.

“Help~!” A miserable cry could be heard echoing from the forest.

“Xiao Yu, come back.” The Tiger King turned around and ran back to the princess’s side.

“Little girl—hu~—you really are a little demon!” Guan Hao was propping himself up against a big, smoky green tree, repeatedly panting for air. At the moment, his clothes were tattered, and his body was burnt a crisp black. Every hair on his head was standing erect. He appeared to be in a disastrous state.

The princess flipped herself onto the Tiger King and said, “Xiao Yu, can you fly? Hurry and transform. We’ll go sort out that repulsive guy together.”

The Tiger King loosed a roar. A pair of immaculately white wings sprouted from either side of his flank. A jade horn protruded out from his forehead. With that, he rushed forward, carrying the Little Princess into the sky.

In the sky, the princess excitedly shouted and screamed, “This is great! I can fly, now, too! Haha~! When that queer Magic-popo tries to force me into learning magic, I have an excuse now! Xiao Yu, let’s go sort out that guy together. Charge!”

Guan Hao’s countenance drastically changed. He spun around and burrowed deeper into the forest. At that instant, he came to the same realization Chen Nan once had: this little girl was definitely a relative of the demons of hell.

“Haha! Damn rat, where can you hide? Xiao Yu, breathe fire. Yeah, burn him! Haha!”

“Little witch, I surrender~!”

“Xiao Yu, shock him!”

“Help~!”

“Xiao Yu, chase him!”

“Chen-xiongdi, hurry and help me! I’ll refund you your one hundred gold coins…”

“Fire! Lightning!”

“Chen-xiongdi, I’ll give you a thousand gold coins! I’ll hire you as my bodyguard, so hurry and save me!”

…

The Tiger King’s vicious power had left too profound of an impression on Guan Hao that day. His heart harboured an incomparable phobia towards Xiao Yu. He simply failed to notice that the Tiger King’s strength was already not as formidable as it previously was. Because of this, Guan Hao continued to only constantly evade his attacks passively.

A ruckus brewed in the forest, including the pleased laughter of the Little Princess and the miserable shrieks of Guan Hao.

Finally, Guan Hao was truly unable to run anymore. He sprawled across the ground in the form of a ‘大’. His eyes were white, and a froth bubbled out of his mouth.

From the sky, the princess discontentedly shouted, “Boring! I really can’t get enough of this! Only, you’re already finished after just a few bouts.” After that, she turned her sights onto Chen Nan. Another wicked smile formed at her lips.

A jolt of alarm shot through Chen Nan’s mind. He knew the Little Princess all too well. He knew that she had formulated another evil plan.

“Little demon, don’t cause trouble. Hurry and come down, or else the people from the City of Freedom will notice the trouble you’re causing.”

“Heihei, damn degenerate, I hate you to death. Today, I must properly teach you a lesson.”

Chen Nan replied, “Don’t forget that I have cursed you with my God of Imprisonment’s Finger. If I’m not happy with you, I can cause you insufferable pain. In an instant, the symptoms will flare up.”

“You… Degenerate, smelly thief, scoundrel, bastard…!” The princess was enraged. If she didn’t have to worry about the God of Imprisonment’s Finger, she would have long ago rode the Tiger King Xiao Yu back to the capital city of Chu.

“No. No matter what, I must teach you a lesson. Xiao Yu, shock him!”

“Kala!”

A powerful arc of lightning rippled through the air, streaking towards Chen Nan. He rapidly unsheathed his long knife and hurled it into the air. The lightning collided with the knife in midair. An enormous ball of dazzling luminesce exploded out from the collision. Ultimately, the long knife dropped to the ground, and the lightning was dissipated.

The princess was furious. She cried out, “Xiao Yu, burn him!”

The reason why the Tiger King had been met with defeat that day was solely due to Chen Nan’s presence. Again faced with his nemesis, he repeatedly howled. He breathed out a vast flame. The monstrous wave of fire engulfed everything below heaven.

Chen Nan didn’t try to evade this attack. Instead, he brandished his palms and punched towards the sky. A powerful golden qi blew up a fierce wind, pushing the advancing fire backwards.

“Disgusting. How did this guy actually become so difficult? Xiao Yu, don’t be discouraged. Again!” The princess ordered the Tiger King to endlessly attack Chen Nan. He flipped around up and down in the sky, manoeuvring to make his attack.

In the City of Crime, at Shenfeng Institute, an old man draped in violet clothing and another old man draped in blue clothing were gazing intently into the distant sky. They sighed in surprise.

The old man dressed in violet sighed, “That Tiger King has the outstanding lineage of an eastern White Tiger and a western Magical Tiger!”

The old man dressed in blue sighed, “It’s a type of magical beast that is capable of boundless growth. It’s truly an ideal mount!”

…

The old man dressed in violet said, “The rumoured God’s Hand unexpectedly attracted the interest of so many practitioners. Recently, the City of Crime has been unusually lively.”

The old man dressed in blue nodded in agreement. “Right. I didn’t think the left hand that snapped off of an ancient god would actually stir up this great of a disturbance. I don’t know if the God’s Hand is truly gripping onto a shining object. If it does, everyone would be trembling in excitement to see what it is.”

The old man dressed in violet said, “How about the two of us and all the other elders discuss having this semester’s students investigate this ‘search for the God’s left hand’?”

The old man dressed in blue laughed. “You sly old fox… However, it really is a good idea.”

The old man dressed in violet said, “That Tiger King’s master doesn’t seem to be too old. She seems to be about the same age as your granddaughter. If your granddaughter mounted her Godly Roc and rushed over, it would truly be a marvelous scene, heihei…”

The old man dressed in blue laughingly scolded, “You old thing, you truly wish to watch the world burn. You actually want those two youngsters to have a battle…”

The old man dressed in violet said, “If only your granddaughter had never seen a strange beast that is comparable to her Godly Roc. With her disposition, she’d definitely go spar with it.”

Just then, the cry of a bird sounded from Shenfeng Institute. A golden ray soared into the sky, piercing through the air.

The two elders looked at each other in dismay. The old man in blue said, “You crow, you actually predicted it.”

Overhead the eastern portion of the City of Crime, the Little Princess was mounted atop her Tiger King, flying around and about in the sky. She continuously cursed at Chen Nan, as if all the wrongs that she had recently suffered at his hands were being sent right back at him.

“Damn degenerate…

“Smelly bastard…

“Terrible scoundrel…

“Shameless, smelly thief…”

…

As the princess cursed, she commanded her Tiger King to shoot lightning and breathe flames to attack Chen Nan.

Although Chen Nan wasn’t afraid of these several attacks, he was still flustered by the assault. At the moment, he very much envied those flying magi. If he could fly, he would’ve captured the princess long ago.

“No wonder the power of dragon riders and magi can shake the world. If someone has the freedom to roam both the ground and the skies, their fighting strength will increase by many folds. What kind of cultivation must an eastern martial artist attain in order to gain the ability of flight? Would one require cultivating to the unfathomably profound level of father?” He mused over this in his mind as he evaded the lightning and flames.

Suddenly, a bird’s cry rang through the air. A golden ray, like lightning, arrived with but a wink.

The princess was startled and quickly put a hold to her cursing. The Tiger King Xiao Yu also had an alert expression on his face. His eyes unblinkingly watched up ahead.

A gigantic golden bird was carrying over a girl dressed in yellow clothes from the distance. In a flash, they arrived before the princess. A fierce wind erupted in the sky.

The princess swayed atop of Xiao Yu’s back. Startled, she shrieked, “Ah! Xiao Yu, settle down!”

Actually, the Tiger King never swayed at all. It was only she who was blown into a waver by the squall brought forth from the gigantic bird. However, Xiao Yu was particular to other people’s views. He followed her movements and also swayed a bit, helping her stabilize herself.

The princess was indignant. “The smelly bird and smelly girl that just arrived, how audacious are you to have crashed towards us like so?”

The giant golden bird’s tail was two zhang long. With its two wings unfolded, it became five zhang wide. The wings flickered gold, as if it were competing with the Tiger King in power and boldness. On top of the bird’s back was a masked girl dressed in yellow. Her build was slender, and her curves were delightful.

The masked girl heard her insult and shot back in ridicule, “Little beggar girl who came to beg for alms, it’s you who failed to maintain your balance, yet you still need to blame others.”

The Little Princess’s face had been caked in filth and dirt by Chen Nan. The clothes on her body were shabby garments that Chen Nan had found for her. Hearing these words from the yellow-clothed girl, she abruptly shrieked, “Smelly girl, how dare you contradict I, a… a young lady. Xiao Yu, teach her a merciless lesson for me!”

The Tiger King Xiao Yu let out a thunderous roar. Opening his jaws, a streak of lightning shot out. The powerful electrical current rang through the air, ‘bilipala’.

The gigantic golden bird also opened its metal-like beak. A blade of wind shot out. The wind blade and the lightning bolt collided in midair, erupting in a dazzling explosion of radiance. Finally, the magical energy of both attacks dissipated, leaving behind no traces.
　　
The yellow-clothed masked girl said, “Your Tiger King and my Great Peng are both magical beasts capable of growth, but my Great Peng has already reached the second rank, while your Tiger King still only sits at the first rank. If we had them compete, it truly would be considered bullying on our part. I had come here with a heart filled with hope, yet I wind up returning, disappointed—how truly disappointing!”

The princess coldly humphed, “Pei! Bullshit! You’re utterly pretentious riding atop that giant, fat duck. If I let you ride a big, dumb goose, you’d still consider everything to be fine and dandy.”

“Little girl, how dare you speak so rudely to me. I need to teach you a heartfelt lesson.”

“Old woman, I’m not afraid of you.”

“I am a lady in my prime, yet you still dare call me old? I won’t spare you, you little beggar.”

“I’ll do it! Old woman, old woman, you’re too old!”

“Great Peng, charge! We’ll go teach that little beggar a lesson together.”

“Xiao Yu, go! Breathe fire; I want to eat a fat, roasted duck!”

“Sloppy little beggar, you don’t even wash your face. I’m embarrassed for you. I’ll use my magic to help clean your face. Water Dragon’s Wave!” The masked girl put into use her water element spells. Not only did it extinguish the raging fire breathed out by the Tiger King, but a large portion of it also splashed towards the Little Princess.

Without warning, the princess was drenched with a splash. She loudly shrieked, “Old woman, how dare you sneak attack me… Xiao Yu, electrocute her!”

…

Chen Nan once heard someone joke: the quarrel between two women is equivalent to the shouting of five hundred ducks. He currently felt as if there were three thousand ducks in the sky, flying, flying, flying, flying…

Although the Tiger King had previously been a third ranked magical beast, the wounds he had suffered that day had been too great, causing him to drop to the first rank. In front of the second ranked Great Peng, he repeatedly roared and howled, without any way out.

The power in the princess’s body had been completely sealed by Chen Nan. She was simply powerless and unable to withstand the magical attacks from the masked girl in yellow. She ordered Xiao Yu to head towards the east to hide, crying out in fear.

“Old woman, I don’t want to play anymore. Hurry and stop.”

“You still dare call me an old woman? Fire, blades of wind…” The Little Princess received wave after wave of the magical attacks launched by the masked girl in yellow. The spells arrived endlessly.

“Old woman, if you stop, I’ll stop calling you that…”

“Sloppy beggar, how long will you be reluctant to admit your mistakes?”

The princess hadn’t been able to show off her ability. Inwardly hating Chen Nan, she couldn’t stop herself from cursing in the sky, “Damn degenerate, smelly bastard, shameless smelly thief, you’re killing me! Sooner or later, I will kill you!”

The masked girl in yellow angrily called out, “Sloppy little beggar, how dare you insult me like this? I’m not finished with you yet today…”

On the ground, Chen Nan heartily chuckled. He knew the princess had created a great misunderstanding this time.

“Old woman, I’m cursing that shameless smelly thief, not you…!” screamed the princess as she received the tremendous magical attack coming from behind her. She attempted to explain herself.

“You truly anger me to death. I wonder how long it will take you, little girl, to admit your mistakes.”

“Old woman, hurry, stop~”

“Lightning, blades of wind, ice knives...!”

“Save me~!”

Guan Hao strenuously dragged himself up off the ground. With a still dizzy mind, he looked up into the sky to find the princess receive another dazzling magical attack.

Astonished, he couldn’t help but mutter, “Oh God, you’ve blessed me with a show of your power. With that fierce magic, please firmly teach that little witch a lesson.”

Chen Nan shouted at the sky, “Little demon, if you don’t quickly descend, you’ll soon visit hell and have a reunion with your sisters. If you call me your master, I’ll come help you.”

“Pei! Damn degenerate, I hate you so much! I’ll never ask you for protection. Ah~! Old woman, don’t attack me! Let’s make up.”

“Freezing Spell!”

“Ah~! Save me! Old woman, I surrender~!”

The cries of a bird and the roars of a tiger thundered through the sky like rolls of thunder.

The masked girl in yellow was definitely not trying to kill the princess. The lightning, blades of wind, and other spells all possessed powerful, murderous magic, but none of it directly landed on the princess’s body. They merely continuously whistled passed her ears. Only the water magic constantly hit her. This resulted in drenching the princess head to toe.

Despite these circumstances, the princess continued to scream repeatedly in fear.

Finally, she was forced into a corner with no way out. She helplessly begged Chen Nan, “Degenerate, hurry and come save me! Drive back this old woman!”

With a loud voice, Chen Nan said, “Hurry and come down, or else I can’t help you.”

The princess directed Xiao Yu to quickly drop to the ground. The golden, gigantic bird was in hot pursuit.

“Sloppy little beggar, I’ll send you a popsicle to eat!” With that said, the masked girl in yellow uttered a spell. The temperature of the area surrounding the princess rapidly dropped. A layer of frost formed on her drenched clothes in an instant.

“So cold! Old woman, stop~!”

When the princess arrived on the ground, her body was already covered in a thin layer of ice. Her eyebrows and hair were plastered with frost. Her frozen face turned blue, and her body trembled like a leaf.

“Old woman… get down here… the two of us aren’t finished yet…” The princess’s voice was shivering.

“Haha! Sloppy little beggar, I won’t play with you anymore. I’m going.”

“Gutless ghost… If you have the ability… come battle me again!”

“Hehe! Sloppy little beggar, if you want revenge, you can come find me at Shenfeng Institute.” With that, the masked girl in yellow soared away atop her giant golden bird. In the blink of an eye, she disappeared off into the direction towards the City of Crime.

The Little Princess angrily stamped her feet over and over again. She cried out, “Old woman, don’t run away!”

Chen Nan found this incredibly amusing. A quarrel between women was indeed fascinating. Not only were their bodies moving around, but their mouths also blew up storms.

Although it was a scorching hot summer day, the princess was shivering in frigid cold. After she finished cursing the masked girl in yellow, she furiously said to Chen Nan, “Degenerate, quickly neutralize that lousy finger technique you placed on me. If you hadn’t sealed my power, how could I have been bullied by that old woman?”

“It was you who first spoke rudely. If not, why would others come trouble you for no reason whatsoever? If you want me to neutralize the power of the God of Imprisonment’s Finger, I can, but you must write a contract selling yourself to me to prove that you’re my maid.”

“Never in a thousand years! Not even in your dreams!” The princess angrily said, “That’s right! If I recall, I have a contract in my possession that states you are to serve as my slave! I think I left it at palace… I left it in my study. If I have the chance, I’ll definitely take it out and publicize it to everyone! Shameless degenerate, I’ll completely sully your reputation! I’ll have everyone know that you’re my slave.”

“Little demon, you still dare bring up the things that happened at the western border of Chu? Tonight, you must accompany me in my bed!”

[Zoeng Saiwaa]

Volume 3: The City of Crime 第三卷 罪惡之城

Chapter 6: God’s Left Hand 第六章 神之左手


“Pei! Damn degenerate, you can’t get any more shameless! Just wait until my teacher recovers from his injury; he’ll definitely come looking for me here. When that time comes, you’ll be left dead without a proper burial site.”

The princess’s abrupt mentioning of her teacher truly gave Chen Nan a fright. Even though Zhuge Chengfeng’s supreme cultivation was not as profound as that old monster’s, he still wasn’t too far off.

Remembering how there were two remarkable experts that could come knocking on his door at any point in time, he grew nervous. Even the superior old monster was unable to neutralize his God of Imprisonment’s Finger, however, which relieved him from some stress.

“Why hasn’t that old monster shown himself yet? Did he actually follow us?”

The princess said, “Smelly thief, what are you muttering about? Are you scared? If you’re scared, hurry up and release me, and perhaps I might still spare your life.”

“Release your head. If you don’t behave, I’ll immediately punish you.”

Although the princess was beyond indignant, she was mostly intimidated. She angrily crawled back onto the Tiger King Xiao Yu’s back and said, “Xiao Yu, let’s go. Let’s get some distance from this bastard.”

Chen Nan said, “Don’t go flying wildly around on your lustful tiger. You just attracted the ire of some eccentric woman; you don’t want to provoke even more terrifying people. The God of Imprisonment’s Finger I placed on you will resurface soon. If you stray too far away from me, don’t come looking for me when you suffer.”

Although the princess was furious enough to take a life, she didn’t have any alternative. Guan Hao chuckled furtively from the side—and was caught by Xiao Yu. With a roar, he scared away Guan Hao.

From behind, Chen Nan cried out, “Hey, don’t run away so fast!”

Without turning his head, Guan Hao shouted back, “I have something urgent to attend to, so I must leave first.”

The princess yelled after him, “Damn rat, you haven’t said goodbye to me yet.”

Guan Hao’s voice echoed from the distance: “See you, little witch—no—I never want to see you again!”

The princess angrily said, “Damn rat, you can’t run from me. I’m also headed to Shenfeng Institute.”

A wretched scream could be heard from the distance: “God… save me!”

Chen Nan loudly chuckled. “It seems like in comparison, you’re simply more frightening than even natural disasters and beasts… Ai!”

The princess shot him a fierce glance. She embraced the Tiger King, who had already transformed back into the size of a kitten, and stepped forward.

“Degenerate, I need to go to Shenfeng Institute.” After taming Xiao Yu, the notion of fleeing had made many a pass through her mind, but she was worried about the God of Imprisonment’s Finger’s symptoms suddenly flaring up. Ultimately, she decided to go to Shenfeng Institute. It was rumoured that there, the experts were as common as clouds. There must be some supreme master hidden among them that she could ask for help in releasing her body from the imprisonment.

“No. I don’t want to look for trouble,” Chen Nan immediately refused.

Upon entering the City of Crime, a spectacular scene of prosperity presented itself. The fact that this city was hidden so deep within the mountains was nearly inconceivable. The pedestrians walking about were countless, and the cries of ongoing transactions endlessly fell upon open ears.

There were many different ethnicities within the city. With one glance at the street, one could see black hair, blonde hair, red hair, blue hair…

After entering the city, the princess suddenly became excited. The first thing she did was reach out and snatch a bingtanghulu skewer from the hands of a local seller. She then turned her head and went the other way.

The distressed man shouted after her rather straightforwardly, “Young lady, you haven’t paid me yet.”

The princess turned around and said, “Request it from my attendant following me.” She pointed at Chen Nan.

Chen Nan simply smacked her upside the head. In pain, the princess nearly fell over in tears. She angrily ran headlong down the street . However, Chen Nan still had to obediently pay the seller who pushed his way in front of Chen Nan’s path.

After pressing into the city for more than one li, the princess had already incurred the wrath of countless people.

With great difficulty, Chen Nan finally captured her. “Please! Little demon, you don’t have to act like a child and take whatever you want. You don’t even feel embarrassed—it makes me even more ashamed.”

The Little Princess was the Emperor of Chu’s youngest daughter. Ordinarily, she truly could be considered as heaven’s arrogant daughter. Almost no one dared to oppose her. But day after day of suffering made her feel wronged. Going on a shopping spree helped her vent her pent up anger.

Finally, the two of them arrived at an inn.

At night, the princess’s symptoms from the God of Imprisonment’s Finger flared up. The pain caused her to cry out and curse. Chen Nan helped cleanse her blood vessels in order to alleviate her pain.

After the princess washed off the hardships of journeying off of her body, she put on a new set of clothes. When she walked into the room, the entire place seemed to shine. Her black hair, gorgeous complexion, and elegant body emanated a captivating charisma.

After Chen Nan washed up, he felt as if the exhaustion from travelling was spirited away. Now, seeing the gorgeous princess enter and illuminate the room, he felt even more pleased and couldn’t help but steal a couple more glances.

The princess perceptively looked over at him, truly afraid of his ‘boiling excitement’.

“Damn degenerate, you’re sickening. Stop showing off your heart’s watchful eye. I want to book another room. Today, I, the princess, will not endure your menacing presence no matter what. I must stay in a different room than you.”

“How is that okay? There are many bad people here. For the sake of safety, we’ll stick with the traditional custom: one room, two beds.”

“Pei! Is there anyone as bad as you in this world?”

“I’m a good person…”

“Shameless! Hmph, we’ve already arrived at the City of Crime, aren’t you afraid of me running away? If I want to run, I have many opportunities. If you won’t book it, I will.” With that said, the princess embraced Xiao Yu and ran out.

But right when she ran outside into the courtyard, she cried out, “Xiao Yu, hurry and transform! Let’s quickly flee!”

Xiao Yu released a roar that shook the inn. All the guests staying inside were petrified.

When Chen Nan arrived, the princess and Xiao Yu had already soared up into the sky.

“Hey, little demon, where are you going?”

“I think staying beside a degenerate like you is too dangerous. Xiao Yu and I will stay somewhere else.”

“Little demon, aren’t you afraid of my God of Imprisonment’s Finger?”

“Bastard, smelly thief, scoundrel…” The princess cursed at first, but she finally said, “When the time comes, I’ll find you. Damn degenerate, I curse you to have bad luck from today onwards. Farewell.”

With the blink of an eye, a white ray of light disappeared above the inn.

Although many people from inside the inn asked him what had happened, Chen Nan uniformly ignored them all, as if not a single word reached his ears.

“This little girl is way too diligent. Little demon…” Chen Nan wasn’t afraid of the princess escaping. He believed that before the God of Imprisonment’s Finger erupted again, she’d definitely obediently return.

Early the next morning, after Chen Nan ate breakfast, he began leisurely strolling around the City of Crime.

The City of Crime was enormous. In half a day’s time, he barely made a trip around only half of the eastern regions of the city.

“Old Poison Devil should’ve came here, too. How can I find him? Forget it, that old guy won’t just hide around here—he’ll be having the time of his life. I won’t go looking for him; eventually, I’ll run into him.”

At noon, he stepped into a restaurant and took a window seat on the upper floor. He ordered several dishes and a jug of wine. As he drank, he looked down at the streams of people on the street unceasingly flowing back and forth.

After downing over a dozen cups of strong wine, he already began to sense the light sensation of intoxication sweep through him. He said to himself mockingly, “Life is but a dream. Who could guess I’m someone from ten thousand years ago? After the passage of ten thousand years, I’ve come back to life!”

Under the haze of intoxication, his heart fluttered in lamentation. He was originally a man from the past, but he was unexpectedly resurrected from the ancient Shen Mu. This was a bit hard to imagine even for him.

In Shenmo Cemetery, excluding the buried experts who were once at the epitome of power and other strange, top-ranked practitioners who were laid to rest, at every tomb was buried either a god or devil. When he had died, his cultivation had only been so-so. For him to be buried there, there must be some ulterior motive. The fact that his lowly, small resting place had been void of a tombstone supported this theory. His ‘corpse’ was apparently not on the same level as the others. He couldn’t see the reason clearly. He was obscured by layers of dense fog and couldn’t see past it and couldn’t understand it!

After residing in that small town at the western borders of Chu for a year, Chen Nan had continuously adjusted his mentality. His once lost self gradually shed the shadows from the past. He gradually began to consider himself as a modern man. Massive changes were hidden in the deepest depths of his heart. But for the sake of living a better life, he could merely suppress it all at the bottom of his heart.

“External matters are simple, internal matters are complex. Everyone’s mind and heart are different. But for the sake of living, no one fails to put on an act, concealing the truth and presenting a lie.” Chen Nan gradually lost himself in his thoughts. His past resurfaced in his thoughts: the figures of Yu Xin, Tantai Xuan, and others swept through his mind one after another.

“Which path should I take this life? Perhaps the first thing I should do is explore the secrets of Shenmo Cemetery. If I can’t even understand how and why I came back to life, how can my heart feel at ease? Shenmo Cemetery… Shenmo… In this life, I will endlessly pursue the remnants of Shenmo…”

Intoxication swept Chen Nan off his feet, and he gradually lost himself to the alcohol as he lied on top of the table. In his state of drunkenness, he sensed several male and female youths walk upstairs.

“How can this drunk be in possession of such a fine seat beside the window? Boss, can you move this guy away? We want to sit here.” This voice sounded like that of a young man. Although these were casual words, they nevertheless carried a commanding aura.

One woman said, “Forget it, don’t make trouble. We can sit at that empty table over there.”

The other youths nodded in agreement and began walking over to the table.

After the youths finished ordering their dishes, they ate as they chatted.

“This semester’s exam problem is too hard. Making us investigate the lost God’s Left Hand is too much.”

“I suspect those fossils at the college are purposely making things difficult for us.”

“That’s right. It’s something straight out of a legend—its very existence should be questioned.”

“You guys must’ve not been listening very carefully. Those fossils added that there were other exam problems that you could choose from.”

“God, I want to kill that guy! Why hasn’t any told me this earlier? If I can’t find any clues leading to the God’s Hand, how can I even get a single point of credit…”

“Wu… I didn’t hear this either.”

…

“But that legend is seriously outrageous. Thousands of years ago, two gods once fought a great battle in the nearby mountains. Do you guys think it’s true?”

“It’s possible. Those mountains really do seem like they have been through incredible battles.”

“It’s too exaggerated. There were avalanches, diverted rivers, lakes drying up, and other things all happening there—it just doesn’t really seem like the result of a battle.”

“Why can’t it be? They’re gods, not humans. Besides, it’s a battle between two gods trying their best to kill one another.”

“Tell me, what do you guys think is being held in the hand that was cut off of the god? What could it possibly be to force two gods into risking their lives to fight over it?”

“It must be something extraordinary. For two gods to attach so much importance to it, we probably can’t even begin to imagine the possibilities.”

“If we can really find the severed God’s Hand and obtain whatever it’s holding, maybe we will embark on an unimaginable adventure.”

“You’re dreaming. So many experts have failed to find it, how can we possibly hold up? I just hope we can find some clues and at least get some credits from that fossil.”

…

“Right now, those old pedants are translating the ancient text on that old sheepskin scroll. In a few nights’ time, we’ll find out whether or not it was a mistake to choose this exam problem.”

“That’s right, how convenient.”

“The person who recorded it all thousands of years ago was actually fortunate enough to be blessed with the chance to watch two gods battle and see one god chop off the hand of another. It’s inconceivable!”

“That guy was also unfortunate. He spent a lifetime searching in the mountains, but he never found the God’s Left Hand.”

“Do you guys think that ancient sheepskin scroll’s written account is true? I feel like it’s just a legend.”

“Stories of gods are obviously just legends”

“The City of Crime’s native inhabitants have all said that a battle between gods happened here. It was so long ago that the story that has been passed down must be filled with irrelevancies and exaggerations—there’s no actual useful information. But thinking about it, the stuff written on that ancient sheepskin is probably true.”

“I’ve heard many practitioners of the continent are already hurrying over here. In the near future, the City of Crime will definitely be busy.”

“Right, but it just creates more troubles with our problem.”

“I didn’t think a battle between gods that happened millennia ago would still attract such a big crowd.”

“Just being able to see the battlefield would render people excited. If I had that sort of godly power, in this world, who’d be able to stand against me?”

“You’re dreaming. If you had that sort of power, what the hell would you do with it?”

“The first thing I’d do is head to the Empire of Chu and ask the Eldest Princess’s hand in marriage. I’ve heard she’s a woman who possesses beauty capable of destroying a country!”

“Haha~!”

Everyone laughed out loud.

“Don’t laugh, you guys! That Chu Yue is truly that beautiful—like a fairy! Even other girls who see her are moved. It is said that she has a younger sister who’s only sixteen, but her looks are not at all inferior. In another two years, the world will gain another exceptional beauty.”

“Their looks aren’t that far above others. I think the rumoured beauties at our college are not any way inferior to the Empire of Chu’s princesses.”

“You lechers, can’t you at least gossip quieter? If someone were to hear you guys, then we might attract trouble.”

“Right, be careful of misfortune coming from the mouth!”

“Let’s eat fast so we can head out quickly.”

After the youths went back downstairs, Chen Nan lifted his head up off the table. Although he was muddled, he still overheard the recent conversation.

“Boss, give me the bill.”

“Coming.”

“Here. Keep the change.”

Chen Nan casually tossed the boss, beaming in delight, a gold coin.

“Wait a moment, I have something I want to ask you.”

The boss said, “Please go right ahead.”

“Were those youths that were just here students from Shenfeng Institute?”

“Your vision is as bright as a torch. Those arrogant children of heaven are indeed students from Shenfeng Institute.”

“Arrogant children of heaven? Aren’t they just some students?”

The proprietor of the restaurant laughed. “Are you not a native or a practitioner?”

Chen Nan grumbled a yes in response.

“No wonder. Let me tell you, the youngsters who are admitted to Shenfeng Institute are all out of the ordinary. If they aren’t some relative of royalty, then they’re true ranked experts. The college is filled with hidden talent… Many of the influential individuals of the continent have graduated from Shenfeng Institute. Those few youths that were here a moment ago, one was a small state’s prince, another was a nation’s prefectural lord…”

Chen Nan wobbly returned back to the inn. After entering his room, his head hit the pillow.

Because of the poor sound-proofing of the room’s walls, the conversation between two people from the room next door could be clearly heard. Their distinct words landed in Chen Nan’s ears.

“Many strange things have happened in these past few days.”

“What’s up?”

“There’s been a strange number of pigeons in the sky.”

“Pft. So what? These days, the severed God’s Hand has caused quite a hubbub. Do you think someone has enough free time on their hands to release a bunch of pigeons for fun? Those are all messenger pigeons heading everywhere across the continent in order to relay news.”

“Even if those were just a bunch of pigeons flying around, today, I actually saw a flying tiger in the sky.”

“You were daydreaming.”

“What daydreaming? Did you forget about those tiger’s roars we heard last night? Most likely, they came from the flying tiger that I saw. How else could there be a tiger roaming the city?”

“You… you actually saw a flying tiger?”

“I absolutely did. It was in the direction of the eastern end of the city. Every so often, it would appear again.”

…

“That little demon has been showing off so brazenly…” After Chen Nan washed his face, he left the inn and headed towards the eastern end of the city. When he arrived at the river encircling the city, he saw five or six people staggeringly fleeing across a bridge.

He stopped one of them and asked, “What’s going on?”

The man said, “A flying tiger demon has appeared in the east. A girl is riding it as they plunder everyone.”

“What?!” Chen Nan’s jaw dropped in shock. He didn’t think the Little Princess would actually begin committing thievery.

The man had a traumatized appearance. After his explanation, he quickly ran deeper into the city.

As Chen Nan walked, he came across several more victims who were ‘ambushed by a bandit’. These people were left in even worse states: they were scorched black—it was obviously the doing of Xiao Yu’s lightning.

“This little girl has caused a huge ruckus.”

In the distance, he could see the princess wearing clothes that fluttered in the wind. Her face was covered by a veil. Mounted on top of the Tiger King, she flew around in the sky.

“Hand over all your money to me.”

A few people on the ground were shivering in fear. They abandoned whatever gold coins they had on the ground and escaped like they had seen ghosts.

Chen Nan felt both happy and amused. The Little Princess of the grand Empire of Chu, descended from golden branches and jade leaves, actually dared to do something so shady.

“Little demon, what the hell are you doing?”

“Ah! Damn degenerate, you came. Xiao Yu, fly a bit higher.” The princess didn’t descend to collect her belongings, opting to order Xiao Yu to climb to higher altitudes instead.

“Little demon, y-you’re actually looting people? Aren’t you afraid news of this will reach the ears of your daddy the emperor?”

“Smelly thief, degenerate, scoundrel, bastard…” After the princess sent out a barrage of insults, she said, “I need clothes. I need to eat. I need to live at an inn. But all the money is in your hands, you bastard. I have no money, so I have resorted to making my own money.”

“What! Th-this is you making money? This is looting. It’s a crime! If you need money, can’t you just come ask me?”

“Pei! There’s no way I’d ask anything from you, you damn smelly thief. I’ll rely on myself and earn my own living.”

“Oh, please. Don’t sully the two phrases ‘self-reliance’ and ‘earning your own living’, alright? What you’re doing is robbing commoners—no different than what bandits do.”

“Rubbish. I’m robbing the rich to help the poor, making money.”

“What ‘making money’? Frankly, you’re straight up robbing people. Let me ask you, how many of the poor have you helped?”

“I haven’t seen any poor people yet. Everyone I’ve encountered so far has been rich.”

“You…” Chen Nan was speechless. After a pause, he said, “You sure are fierce—you haven’t let off a single person.”

“Smelly thief, leave already. Don’t delay my moneymaking.”

“You… How many people have you robbed? Isn’t that more than enough spending money?”

“It’s not enough. I spend my money quickly—my expenses are great. En, I have decided to rob you. Hand over all the money you have on your person to me.”

Chen Nan suddenly laughed. “Little demon, you want money, but became crazy instead. You actually want to rob me? If you have the ability, come take it yourself.”

“Hmph! I’m not playing with you. If you don’t obediently take out all the money you have, when I’m moneymaking, I’ll say my name is Chen Nan.”

“You…”

“Scared? Take out all your money and hand it over.”

“No way am I scared.” With that said, Chen Nan bent over and began gathering up the princess’s ‘spoils and loot’ off of the ground.

Up in the sky, the princess shrieked, “Degenerate, you’re shameless! What the hell are you doing? That’s the money I earned! Don’t move! Put it down!”

Chen Nan laughed. “I’ve been a little tight on money recently. Why don’t you help me out a bit?”

The princess was enraged. On top of Xiao Yu, she dived down from the sky. She insulted and scolded Chen Nan, “Damn degenerate, you’re a bandit, a thief! You dare take my money? When I’m moneymaking, I’ll be sure to inform everyone that I’m called Chen Nan!”

“If you dare do that, then when the God of Imprisonment’s Finger flares up, don’t come looking for me.”

“Shameless, low-life, despicable… I curse you to be robbed by a thief when you enter the city…” After the princess’s fierce insults, she rode Xiao Yu flying into the distance like a streak of lightning. In the blink of an eye, she disappeared into the sky.

Chen Nan sighed, “This little girl is truly troublesome. I can’t believe she is actually engaging in these shady acts. I wonder what other ridiculous things she’ll do. But it truly is strange. Why does she need so much money? Maybe it’s…”

He recalled the effort Guan Hao had made in order to earn money. “Does that little demon also want to enter Shenfeng Institute?”

“Does this college really have hidden experts like the outside world gossips about? En, how about I go take a look for myself tonight.”