Chapter 5: The Fantastical Journey of Young Boy Shiyuan (2)
For a whole three days, nobody had seen Shiyuan.
The overseers, who had previously worried, now firmly believed that the kid must be toast.
Honestly, who could survive being buried twenty meters deep in a pit, roasted by fire and smoked like a sausage? Not even a celestial being could survive that, let alone a big ol’ blockhead like him!
So, they vented all their pent-up frustration on the young boys.
Punishments and beatings became the order of the day, and the air was filled with the pitiful wails of the youngsters.
After work, as usual, the overseers gathered around the dining table, feasting on a fresh roasted lamb leg like they were kings.
Meanwhile, the boys were left to share a couple of buns and some pickles, their mouths watering at the delicious scent wafting in from the meat.
“If only Shiyuan were alive,” they sighed. “At least we’d have someone to rely on, someone to look forward to.”
Now, who knows how long they’d have to endure this inferno!
While the overseers were busy enjoying their feast and toasting each other, the creaky door suddenly swung open with a “creak,” and the rusty lock clattered to the floor.
A wave of ominous dread washed over them as they all turned in unison.
A shadow, only revealing a glimmering set of pearly white teeth, slowly approached them as if it were a demon escaped from hell.
“Sh-Shiyuan?”
One of the overseers asked, trembling.
Shiyuan didn’t answer; he probably exhausted all his energy escaping the collapse. Without hesitation, he snatched up the half-eaten lamb leg and devoured it like a hungry wolf.
“It’s Shiyuan, he’s back!”
“Ah! He’s back!”
The overseers’ confidence crumbled like a house of cards.
Simultaneously, the boys, who had been cooped up, erupted into cheers for the first time.
They’d been so suppressed for too long! Seeing Shiyuan rekindled all their hopes.
One overseer tried to repress the ruckus, but as soon as he stepped inside, he got knocked out cold by two boys. Once one led the charge, the situation spiraled out of control.
Even though the boys were smaller, they had numbers on their side.
They charged out, wrestling with the brawny overseers like a swirling tornado.
Shiyuan, however, had only eyes for the dining table, and after gobbling up all the leftovers, he looked around and realized that silence had returned.
The once-boisterous overseers were all sprawled out on the floor, bloodied, and unconscious.
The boys, now pumped with adrenaline, looked as fierce as lions. Each face was lit up with exuberance.
“Shiyuan bro, let’s get out of here!”
One boy knelt before him.
“Yeah, Shiyuan! You’re our backbone! Wherever you go, we go!”
The rest chimed in like a choir.
Shiyuan blinked. He glanced at the leftover scraps on the table.
To be honest, he didn’t want to leave this feast behind.
As long as there was food, doing some work wasn’t too bad.
But seeing the nearly-deceased overseers, Shiyuan realized that even if he stayed, he probably wouldn’t see another meal again.
So, hesitantly, he replied, “Then where do we go to find food?”
One boy suggested, “Let’s head into the mountains and forage! Don’t even think about going home. The road is long and, after all these years, they probably think we’re dead. Besides, real men should make their own way! An opportunity to follow a guy like Shiyuan shouldn’t be missed!”
Shiyuan nodded.
As long as there was food, he was good to go anywhere.
So, the boys looted the brick kiln for supplies—pots, pans, and all—and followed Shiyuan into the depths of the mountains.
Not long after they entered the mountains, the group thinned out.
Working as a black laborer in the brick kiln was tough enough. Once they saw the harsh conditions of the wild, many instantly regretted it. Starting from scratch? Come on, who wanted to do that?
Nostalgia kicked in for several, realizing they had acted on impulse. Now that they thought about it carefully, the path ahead seemed daunting.
Before long, quite a few boys slipped away quietly.
In the end, fewer than a dozen remained with Shiyuan.
“Ugh, what now…”
Shiyuan felt quite dissatisfied. He had planned to eat his way through life in the brick kiln, but the boys had staged this sudden uprising, ruining his long-term buffet plans and dragging him into the middle of nowhere.
His future meals looked grim.
Yet, the boys who stuck around were all fired up, and as they walked, they were already placing Shiyuan on the throne of the Great King!
Well, he thought, he might as well play along for a few days, then slip away to a nearby village to find some food.
Perfect plan, right?
But then reality hit them hard. Just a day into their mountain escapade, while the boys were fiercely arguing over where to set up their stronghold,
a group of fully armed little demons suddenly appeared before them.
“Hey! This is the territory of the Golden Armored Great King! Who goes there? State your name quickly!”
The boys froze in shock.
After shouting their title, the little demons quickly realized that their intruders were human and instantly rejoiced, surrounding the boys like a pack of wolves.
“Great King, let’s whack them! Beat them up!”
The boys all huddled behind Shiyuan, petrified.
It was their first time seeing a real talking monster, and they were terrified out of their minds.
But Shiyuan didn’t hesitate. After taking down two little demons, the rest scattered like chickens with their heads cut off. What were they thinking, challenging him?
The boys sighed in relief, thinking that would be the end of it.
Little did they know, demons took their territory seriously. If someone dared to stir things up, you could bet they wouldn’t let it slide.
Before long, the Golden Armored Great King stormed out with his crew, surrounding Shiyuan and the others.
This time, Shiyuan was no match for the Golden Armored Great King and found himself tightly bound, while the other boys suffered casualties—some dead, some injuried—but even the corpses were dragged back by the little demons.
That night, the surviving boys were greeted with the tantalizing aroma of meat wafting from the creepy cave.
One little demon even munched on a human hand right in front of them, sending the terrified boys fainting on the spot.
Meanwhile, Shiyuan stretched out his hand and said, “Got any more of that? I want some too.”
The little demon just stood there, speechless.
Never had they seen such a bold one! Well, why not indulge him?
The few surviving boys eventually groggily woke up, only to find Shiyuan pinned one of the little demons to the ground. The demon was already petrified with half its body reverting to its original shape, while Shiyuan had twisted off one of its legs.
Chewing on raw flesh, bl**d dripped from the corners of his mouth.
The boys fainted again.
While Shiyuan didn’t have much of a taste for food, he had at least come to see the boys as kin after sharing life together.
How could he eat his own kind?
The sight of a human eating a captured demon infuriated the Golden Armored Great King.
In a fit of rage, he tossed everyone, including Shiyuan, into a giant steamer.
Poor boys overestimated both their and Shiyuan’s abilities. In a frenzy of regret and suffering, they got steam-cooked.
But Shiyuan? He was cozy, just snoozing away in the steamer.
When the Golden Armored Great King stepped on Shiyuan’s back, raising his kn*fe to chop off his head, he heard a loud “crack”—the kn*fe broke!
The flying tip of the blade punctured the throat of the Golden Armored Great King.
Holding his neck, which spouted bl**d like a fountain, the king fell with an astonished “thump.”
The Golden Armored Great King was dead.
Even though the Great King was gone, the Second Great King wasn’t celebrating. Something about this human boy Shiyuan seemed like a grave nuisance.
And sure enough, as events unfolded, his hunch turned out to be right.
Locked in a cage, he couldn’t figure out why some little demons, like they were under a spell, voluntarily stuck their heads out for Shiyuan to munch on.
Even when getting devoured alive, they didn’t utter a peep.
On top of that, Shiyuan had an unbreakable body! The Second Great King tried everything but couldn’t k*ll the kid.
Even burying him ten meters deep didn’t work; the next morning, he was horrified to see Shiyuan comfortably sitting at the cave entrance, munching on a little demon!
After mulling it over, the Second Great King decided it was time to get rid of this troublesome character.
He simply couldn’t afford to feed Shiyuan any longer—at this rate, the Golden Armored Cave would face extinction!
It happened that it was also the day for sacrifices to the Evil Merman. Perhaps he could hand Shiyuan over and score some rewards in return.
“What? This kid is the rare human saint body that hasn’t been seen in centuries?”
The Evil Merman was taken aback.
The Second Great King eagerly pitched Shiyuan to him, saying, “Oh yes, Great King! This kid is no ordinary fella. Although his cultivation is low, his body is exceptional. If you manage to eat his flesh, you’ll surely achieve immortality and live as long as the heavens!”
The Evil Merman’s interest was piqued.
At that moment, the Mountain Crossing Cave, Thunder Mountain Cave, and Seven Feather Cave had just gone out on their expedition—and victory was in sight.
Just as he was about to get pumped, the Golden Armored Cave sent him this marvelous specimen. His excitement soared, and he generously rewarded the Second Great King.
So, Shiyuan found himself residing in the Evil Merman’s dungeon.
As the Golden Armored Cave had mentioned, this kid was indeed immune to poison and weapons. For two days now, the Evil Merman had tried everything but couldn’t get rid of him.
Then a little demon offered a suggestion to the Evil Merman.
“Great King, to eat this kid, we need a divine weapon.”
“A divine weapon?”
“Exactly, Your Majesty! Only with a weapon that can cut through hair can we possibly behead him!”
“That’s obvious! If I knew where to find such a weapon, would I need to ask you?”
“Great King, I’ve heard that five hundred miles to the north lies a tomb of an extraordinary demon.”
The Evil Merman became intrigued, “Oh really? How do you know?”
“Heh, I once hung around the foot of the Snowy Mountain for a spell, so I know this legend.”
“The Snowy Mountain is the territory of Blizzard Cave…”
The Evil Merman stroked his chin, falling into deep thought.
Perhaps he could make a deal with the Blizzard Cave’s king.
Shiyuan was such a hefty meal; devouring him alone was a waste. Better to split him with Blizzard Cave! The Blizzard Cave could even help him in locating the extraordinary demon’s tomb.
Thinking about it sent shivers of excitement through the Evil Merman.
The task of taking down Cold Wind Cave was surely in good hands with Mountain Crossing Cave and others. It was the perfect time for him to take a little jaunt to Blizzard Cave.
When he returned, it would be his moment of ultimate triumph, grasping the fate of the monster race in his hands!
