Chapter 178: 177 Chu Land

White Horn City is located within Great Chu, and although the word "idiot" doesn't exist here, Wang Wu still can't help feeling a little unsettled every time he hears that name.

On this trip he didn't bring any companions, nor any demons.

Because the three female demons are busy attending school, three of the four members of the Four-person clan each have to cultivate in their own sect.

The only one who had nothing to do, Zi Yuan, now also has his own tasks, also cultivation.

As the woman who has had the most intimate interaction with Wang Wu, she constantly uses this as conversation material, which makes the other few women very envious.

But despite the envy, they would still rather not have Wang Wu do this for them, because they fear it would cost Wang Wu a huge price.

Even if there were no price, it would still be undesirable; at the very least there's no need to deliberately pursue it.

They always think of Wang Wu's best interests, and Wang Wu is naturally deeply moved by that.

But he has little he can give them in return. So besides teaching them techniques, he can only impose stricter standards on their cultivation and conduct extremely harsh daily training.

And this is the best way Wang Wu can think of to repay them.

Even now, when he's out, Wang Wu can still guarantee a daily return to severely discipline them. Although the three female demons have already gone back to school, they no longer have the chance to be disciplined.

But while he can't discipline female demons, he can still discipline the women of the human race.

The techniques they cultivate are checked brutally by Wang Wu every few days; if he's unsatisfied, he'll harshly discipline them.

On this trip Wang Wu could be considered a lone demon—uh, a lone demon traveling with a group—if we don't count Yin Shenli beside him.

The reason Yin Shenli isn't counted is because she said she doesn't intend to follow Wang Wu; she acts according to her own preferences, so Wang Wu didn't include her.

Thus Yin Shenli naturally cannot be considered his companion.

Xie Yu's demon team can be described as yin dominant, yang waning; the whole team has only three male demons, while there are as many as six females.

Xie Yu's mother is one of the few demons in the race who has birthed multiple offspring; she gave birth to three daughters.

Xie Yu is the youngest daughter; she has two older sisters, who are respectively three hundred and six hundred years older than her.

Her mother is now over a thousand years old, but with the techniques from Extreme Heaven Palace, a thousand years is no longer an issue for demons.

With six female demons, excluding Wang Wu there are only three male demons, which is undoubtedly a daunting task for the three males.

If it weren't mandatory, these three male demons actually wouldn't want to travel with Xie Yu and the others at all.

There's no way around it, because this family is just too terrifying.

Even though Xie Yu's sister‑mother is far weaker in combat than her own daughter, she is already a top‑tier presence in White Horn City.

As a mother's daughter, a younger sister's elder sister, an elder sister's younger sister, Xie Yu is the standout among them. Even within the entire demon race, her strength ranks among the elite.

At least so far, Wang Wu truly hasn't seen any female demon surpass him in this regard; at best they can only draw level.

Demons can feel fear; this is the first time Wang Wu discovered that.

Therefore during the journey, whenever a battle arose, the three male demons basically looked at Wang Wu with pleading eyes.

And Wang Wu has always been a soft‑hearted demon, so he could only nod and barely manage it.

Uh, this battle refers to a literal fight, not anything else.

"No, damn it, are they drinking this like water??!"

This is Yin Shenli's snarky comment; although she herself has done it, she doesn't exaggerate as much as these few.

"Speaking of you, even after all this, why haven't you lost any?"

"I'm a demon, Master," Wang Wu said with a bright smile to his own master.

When he said that, Yin Shenli was at a loss for words. After all, Wang Wu truly is a demon, and demons naturally have extraordinary talent in this regard.

Speaking of which, Yin Shenli is also quite particular in this area; ever since meeting Wang Wu, for some unknown reason she only looks at Wang Wu, never at others.

During this trip, Wang Wu, out of curiosity, asked his master about this, asking why she didn't watch the other three demons' performance, and the response was his master's nine crushing punches.

It instantly added a nine‑story demon tower onto his head.

So Wang Wu never brought up the matter again, and that day he properly served Yin Shenli, washing her feet until they were spotless.

Afterwards, he coaxed Yin Shenli for several days, coaxing her every day.

It seems the master truly likes him; although saying that each time provokes a fierce beating from Yin Shenli, what can Wang Wu say? It hurts, but it's… uh, nothing much.

Li River lies on the border of the State of Chu; at the junction of Great Chu and Great Zhou there are actually some small states.

These tiny states have few resources or relics, so neither of the two major nations has incorporated them into their territories.

There are actually many such small states around Great Zhou, and similarly some are situated at the border with Western Wei.

Their area is usually only a few hundred square kilometers; the larger ones don't exceed two thousand, and the smaller ones can be as tiny as a few dozen square kilometers.

Because they are tiny and situated between the two great nations, these states essentially rely on both for survival.

As for their armies, they are mainly used to defend against demons and handle ghosts and monsters; even the larger ones can't solve it, needing foreign experts to intervene.

These small states wedged between the great nations should, in theory, be a demon paradise, because human power is weak, allowing demons to do as they please—snatching humans to eat, seizing mountains to rule.

And the reality is indeed so, aside from the earlier desire to just capture humans.

Demons living here truly have a much more enjoyable life than those within the great nations, but demons have no particular exotic appetite; humans, aside from being easy to catch, are essentially worthless.

Mainly because they're hard to eat.

Therefore, demons with even a slight ambition choose to claim mountains as their domain, then govern a few villages, making the local humans offer tributes annually, while they provide protection to the human race.

Cooperative relations are the norm between humans and demons in these gaps between great nations.

As for the saying that desolate mountains and foul waters breed evil demons, most demons simply lack worldly experience; it doesn't mean they're brainless.

Cooperation clearly yields more profit, so why not?

It's the same for these small states; compared to relying on foreign celestial soldiers and big bosses, cooperating with nearby demons is more comfortable.

Because if you make demons comfortable, they truly will make you comfortable.

There's a saying, something about warm meals and thoughts… ahem.

Indeed, even in such a gap region, people's living standards are not at the level of the ancient society back in Wang Wu's hometown.

This world is a supernal world, and people's use of supernal power is certainly not just guarding a gold mountain and starving to death.

A regular Gang Qi martial artist's physical condition already far exceeds that of an Olympic champion from his previous life, and it does so by a wide margin in every event.

The lowest‑grade Gang Qi martial artist can run the hundred meters in seven seconds, and Gang Qi is already the lowest‑threshold power system in this world, a system anyone can practice.

And this Gang Qi martial artist who can run the hundred meters in seven seconds also has astonishing strength; taking the bench press as an example, lifting a 700‑jin barbell is effortless, requiring no preparation—just a casual lift and it's up.

This is a comprehensive panel surpassing—speed, stamina, strength.

With such physical quality, even the most clumsy method, as the folks back home mockingly say: "The Flash delivering takeout—he could deliver countless orders in an hour."

These humans with extraordinary power themselves represent productivity; labor is, of course, productivity. Not to mention the various demons.

Under the boost of this productivity, opening new lands is a breeze, and guaranteeing a year of favorable weather is a given.

After all, don't forget that True Dao cultivators have countless tricks.

Now, with the Tianyuan People's overwhelming victory over the March People, people naturally have more leisure activities in daily life.

The benefits brought by this victory can also be seen even in this narrow strip of land.

For example, the village that Wang Wu's party is passing through right now.

A month has passed since Wang Wu's party of demons left Heavenly Python City; now they have arrived in a small country only a few dozen kilometers from the State of Chu border.

Although the distance between the two places should not take that long to travel, demons are generally slower…

Actually, they just want to linger on the road; after all, the report was already submitted on the day of the meeting.

It took more than a month to get to Heavenly Python City, and another month to return.

A round trip plus the stay in Heavenly Python City amounts to about half a year.

Demons can work quickly, but when they adopt a slow pace, they are truly slow.

After all, they are bona‑fide immortal race; even in their demon‑beast stage they can live a thousand years, and now the fifteen‑hundred‑year curse has been lifted.

"Father, father! The machine in the field broke again!"

Outside the village they are passing through lies a vast expanse of farmland, where some machines incongruous with the surrounding scenery can be seen.

Although Wang Wu does not recognize these machines, judging from the season, they are clearly for sowing.

Spring calls for spring sowing; as someone from his hometown, Wang Wu is not idle this spring either.

Ten minutes ago, Wang Wu had just finished the same… ahem.

This is a modest village of about a hundred households, but the fields outside are not small.

A dozen or so machines are slowly moving across these expansive fields, and the one nearest to them is now completely still, apparently stalled.

After the machine stalled, a girl with two small braids lifted the tank‑like machine's cover, exposed her little head, and shouted the words above toward the man sitting on a distant ridge.

"Father! Father!!"

The man had been chewing on a dry pipe, his gaze fixed on the female demon on Wang Wu's side.

These people living in the narrow strip are not unfamiliar with demons, and in this village Wang Wu can sense several strands of demonic aura.

Those are the auras of compatriots.

Demons do not particularly enjoy fighting humans, especially ordinary folk, mainly because the experience is not pleasant.

But when needed, they do not mind; however for humans, regardless of gender, their demon‑slaying experience can be said to be quite good.

"It's here! It's here!"

Shifting his eyes from the two‑meter‑plus tall female demon leader, the man called out to his daughter, then immediately ran toward the field.

This is not a product of the March People; it is a brand‑new product the Tianyuan People designed locally after bringing back March People's technology and experts.

This place is one of the pilot test fields for those products.

Judging from the decorative style on these machines, they should be agricultural equipment produced in Chu.

A seeder, Wang Wu thought about what this contraption might be used for.

"Brother Wang, shall we go over there?"

Xie Yu looked at Wang Wu sitting in front of her and asked softly.

Xie Yu's build is especially large, strong yet retaining feminine curves—a truly distinctive figure.

Bai Tan is also fascinated by this; from Wang Wu's perspective, Bai Tan should really choose Xie Yu.

Unfortunately, he has no way; his childhood friend Xiao Ya's family would certainly not be happy with Bai Tan choosing Xie Yu, and then watch their child die of excessive sorrow.

Since that's the case, they can only make Xie Yu suffer a bit.

As for Bai Tan, he certainly won't suffer; he does like Xiao Ya, but after being spurned by her, he can only devote himself wholly.

Speaking of it, Wang Wu suddenly regrets not bringing the sisters Huo Ying and Huo Yuan along, because bird demons like them are indeed rare.

Normally, bird‑demon sisters Huo Ying and Huo Yuan would already make up about fifty percent of the whole population.

But there's no way around it; stereotypes don't change that quickly.

Thinking of Huo Ying and Huo Yuan inevitably brings to mind their greedy snatching.

That is a completely different experience from the sharing among the three sisters—Spider, Centipede, and Rat.

Alright, let's check out the seeder not far away, family.

"No, let's keep moving. But if Xiao Yu is interested, you can go take a look."

Wang Wu pulled his gaze back, shifted his posture, leaned against Xie Yu behind him, and answered comfortably.

Xie Yu the demon is fine, a good friend, and her relatives are as well.

The two are, of course, just friends, after all they both have families.

Although Xie Yu isn't married, she is practically a widow.

"Let's head back early, Yu'er."

At that moment, the mother behind them, Xie Ying, said to her daughter.

"Alright, mother." Xie Yu turned her head, gave a light nod.

In this family's pattern, the mother hunts first, then brings the prey back to feed the children.

It seems crabs aren't this kind of nurturing method, but it doesn't matter.

The White Horn City lies on the Li River, which spans both Zhou and Chu, but the party still needs to enter the State of Chu because the part of the Li River where White Horn City is located belongs to Chu.

"Compatriots, please stay your steps."

The group of monsters kept traveling, but at that moment a voice sounded.

Wang Wu had just moved to the rear of the horse, and the next step was to perform some elaborate tricks; a figure suddenly appeared ahead of the group, blocking their path.

A woman, a monster, her original form unknown, and a rare makeup female monster among monsters.

(End of chapter)