Chapter 209: Demons Devour Humans, Humans Devour Humans!

The crime of deceiving the emperor can be great or small; it all depends on the emperor's mood.

Compared with the legendary Nine‑Clan match, Gu Santong thinks beating a son is still more cost‑effective.

Cheng Sifei clutched his head and fled like a mouse; in the blink of an eye he was out of the main hall, vanished from sight, and Gu Santong followed him out, the father‑and‑son's quarrel growing quieter.

"What an unbeaten mischievous child; his knack for jokes and banter is truly a cut above the rest."

Zhuge Zhengwo could see no reason not to think Gu Santong was deliberately messing around.

"Let him go."

Chu Yang shook his head and chuckled.

"Gu Santong underestimates the emperor's magnanimity, but Cheng Sifei is too unruly and still needs strict discipline. Perhaps we should place him at Hulong Villa and have the Divine Marquis educate him for a while."

Zheng Dongliu smiled maliciously and, in a single sentence, shifted the trouble of Cheng Sifei onto Zhuge Zhengwo.

To everyone's surprise, Zhuge Zhengwo actually nodded in agreement, seeming to consider taking Cheng Sifei as a disciple: "Cheng Sifei's nature is not bad; he merely strayed because he lacked means. Proper instruction might reveal him as a pillar of talent."

"Moreover, given Gu Santong's temperament, he can't even look after himself, let alone educate Cheng Sifei."

Zheng Dongliu eyed Zhuge Zhengwo skeptically, wondering if the old fellow had taken the wrong medicine today—declaring a disciple on a whim. Among the Four Great Constables, each is exceptionally gifted and of extraordinary temperament; how could Cheng Sifei compare? "The Divine Marquis's intention is not the wine; he wants to use Cheng Sifei to bind Gu Santong, the future Grand Master."

Chu Yang, with a single remark, exposed Zhuge Zhengwo's hidden calculation, which he could understand: among all Ming Empire institutions, the Divine Marquis's Residence bears the greatest pressure because they confront foes beyond the Human Race.

Demons and the Demon Race, each alone, are hard to handle, and the Divine Marquis's Residence must face both simultaneously. Without Zhuge Zhengwo, the Grand Master, stationed there, the Divine Marquis's men would have perished long ago.

Precisely for this reason, Chu Yang considered letting the Six Gates shoulder part of the pressure for the Divine Marquis's Residence, assigning them to capture the great demons that roam among humans.

The front‑line battle against the Demon Race would be left to great generals such as Qi Jiguang and Li Chengliang.

Thus the Divine Marquis's Residence could focus calmly on dealing with demons.

"Your Majesty's wisdom is evident; the Divine Marquis's Residence truly needs Gu Santong. Not for any other reason—searching for the Ten Thousand Demon Nation without a Grand Master stationed there is sheer nonsense."

"I, an old minister, once considered leading a team to seek the Ten Thousand Demon Nation, but now the Ming Empire still harbors many internal issues; a single hair tug can move the whole body, so I dare not depart lightly."

Zhuge Zhengwo let out a long sigh, a trace of fatigue flashing across his face. Chu Yang's inexpensive elder brother had been on the throne for years, preoccupied with balancing court and bureaucracy, playing with power tactics, never accomplishing much; he alone has been toiling endlessly to stabilize the realm.

But fortunately…

The situation is changing.

Chu Yang pondered briefly and said, "As for seeking the Ten Thousand Demon Nation, let me go personally."

"Impossible!"

"Your Majesty, do not act rashly!"

Zheng Dongliu and Zhuge Zhengwo spoke up together to block him, their stance extremely firm; no matter how they phrased it, they would not let Chu Yang endanger himself.

"We ministers know the emperor's martial cultivation is exceedingly rare, but matters concerning demons cannot be judged by ordinary logic; demons themselves are irrational beings."

"Moreover, the Demon Race was forced to relocate an entire tribe, abandoning their ancestral lands; unimaginable events must have occurred. Their first move was not to invade the Central Plains but to target the Eastern Sea, a decision that itself is rather thought‑provoking."

"Previously the Demon Race was unaware of the emperor's existence. How many demon kings can I, a Grand Master, hold back? At that time the Ming Empire could only rely on a million iron cavalry, yet their homes were gone—why did they not choose to make a desperate stand?"

Mid‑sentence, Zhuge Zhengwo's face was already clouded with worry; he said in a deep voice, "I suspect they think the Ming Empire will ultimately share the same fate as the Ten Thousand Demon Nation, so they abandoned this land."

Zheng Dongliu heard this, his body trembling slightly, his expression tightening. He had pondered similar questions but never found an answer; now Zhuge Zhengwo's conjecture seemed reasonable.

Chu Yang thought for a moment and said, "The Divine Marquis makes a valid point. What probability do you assign to the Demon Race occupying the Eastern Sea invading the south?"

Zhuge Zhengwo replied, "When beasts are hungry they naturally seek food. Land they can discard, but humans they will never spare—that's instinct."

Chu Yang nodded, "Thus the Demon Race must be slain; if we don't kill them, the lives of the common folk are constantly in their grasp."

Zhuge Zhengwo shook his head, "Your Majesty, I still think the threat from the Demon Race is comparatively smaller than that of demons; matters should be prioritized accordingly."

"Better to quell the rebellion first, then deliberate at length."

Chu Yang laughed, "Every word the Divine Marquis says is reasonable; I can't ignore it…"

Zhuge Zhengwo exhaled in relief, smiling, but when Chu Yang's next sentence came, he could no longer smile.

"As a trade, I will go seek the Ten Thousand Demon Nation."

Zhuge Zhengwo and Zheng Dongliu grew anxious again; why did the same line keep resurfacing? Other emperors would gladly build a fortress to enclose themselves, yet you always think of blowing up a bunker? "Your Majesty…"

"Listen to me first."

Chu Yang knew what they feared: the hope of the Human Race turning the tide rested entirely on him, so naturally he was reluctant to let him risk his life.

"I won't go immediately; at least I won't set out until the south is pacified."

"I still have many tasks to attend to; even if you now ask me to go, I cannot free myself."

Zheng Dongliu and Zhuge Zhengwo exchanged a glance; both feared that further persuasion might backfire, so they naturally brushed aside the topic. As long as Chu Yang wasn't in a hurry to leave, they were confident they could persuade him to change his mind.

"What matters can trouble Your Majesty?" Zhuge Zhengwo quickly changed the subject, "Perhaps you could tell us, old minister?"

Chu Yang said, "Last time I spoke with General Qi, we noted that we usually forge the Demon Race's corpses into weapons and armor, discarding the rest of the flesh. I was pondering how to make that useless flesh valuable."

"Thus, with the world bustling for profit, those sects in the jianghu would work even harder to slay demons, easing General Qi's pressure."

Zhuge Zhengwo had thought Chu Yang was planning something; suddenly he realized the emperor was still young. The Demon Race's flesh had long been noted by others, but the outcomes were never very good.

Demon Race flesh harbors extremely violent demonic energy; ordinary people are affected merely by contact, let alone ingestion. No matter how strong a cultivator, the moment they devour demon flesh, their inner true essence clashes violently with the demonic power.

Dry wood, fierce fire, plus extra oil— even the Heavenly King would explode!

One more point: eating demons might be tolerable if they were ordinary beast‑demons, but how can one swallow those great demons that have taken human form? Zheng Dongliu forced a bitter smile, "If Your Majesty wishes to experiment with demon flesh, I advise you to abandon the idea."

Chu Yang had long anticipated their reactions; when humans face the unknown they tend to become obsessive, habitually using their own experience as an absolute benchmark and harboring a certain aversion to novelty.

Although eating demon flesh has been attempted before, for Zhuge Zhengwo and Zheng Dongliu it remains a new thing that is both unfamiliar and familiar.

"Your reactions are similar to General Qi's; can you let me finish speaking?"

"I'm not going to eat it directly; I'm using it for alchemy, employing alchemical methods to neutralize the demonic energy in Demon Race flesh and turn it into true essence spirit qi usable by the Human Race." Zhuge Zhengwo was not surprised, but wore an expression of "I saw this coming," "There are many prodigies in both Buddhist and Daoist schools; whatever you can think of, they can think of as well."

"Whether using cinnabar, arsenic, or even lead ore, silver‑mercury compounds, the effect is the same!"

"It can't fundamentally neutralize the demonic energy in the flesh!"

Chu Yang was speechless.

"What you're talking about has nothing to do with alchemy; you're just concocting compounds. Someone who doesn't know might think you're hand‑mixing explosives."

"The alchemy you speak of isn't the same as mine; anyway, once I finish refining you'll see, and in the meantime don't rush to ask me for it."

Chu Yang was too lazy to keep explaining; cultivation is still too advanced for people like Zhuge Zhengwo and his group.

Moreover, his alchemy method isn't just the Shu Mountain Sect's technique; it also incorporates the magical world's potioncraft—a proper East‑West blend.

Zhuge Zhengwo and Zheng Dongliu hesitated, and watching the solemn Chu Yang they found it hard to utter any cutting remarks.

Steal? Your Majesty, even if you finish that thing, it's hard to give it away.

Without further words from the two, Chu Yang read their expressions, knew what they were thinking, and with a sweeping of his large sleeves left alone, determined to finish the elixir within days. Zheng Dongliu hurried after him, escorting Chu Yang back to the Forbidden City.

Inside the Great Hall only Zhuge Zhengwo and Duan Tianya remained; the latter had kept his head down and silent since earlier.

Zhuge Zhengwo glanced at him, "If you have something, say it straight, no dithering."

Duan Tianya inhaled deeply and said, "Lord, I intend to leave Dragon Guard Villa for a while and go seek the Return Sea Blade."

Zhuge Zhengwo frowned, "Why seek him? He's no longer of Dragon Guard Villa."

Duan Tianya could only repeat what Chu Yang had told him.

"The Three Blades of the Abyssal Path? That sword style actually exists…" Zhuge Zhengwo stared at Duan Tianya in surprise, "Did His Majesty really tell you that the Return Sea Blade carries a demonic risk?"

Duan Tianya nodded, "Absolutely true; I can only ask the Lord for a bit of time so I can save that blade."

"In that case, you may go," Zhuge Zhengwo said, looking at the loyal Duan Tianya, unable to find a reason to refuse, and after a pause added, "On the way, go ask Master Yun Que of One Zen Temple; tell him I sent you."

One Zen Temple does not accept incense offerings; it is a Hidden Temple, and its abbot, Master Yun Que, is a Buddhist Vajra whose practice of the Bright Mind Mantra excels at subduing inner demons, having assisted many constables of Divine Marquis Residences.

Duan Tianya, excited, clasped his fists and bowed, "Thank you, Lord. If this journey ends safely, Tianya will repay you."

Zhuge Zhengwo waved his hand, "No need to speak of repayment; I only hope that when matters become impossible you know how to preserve yourself. Dragon Guard Villa needs you, and His Majesty needs you even more."

"Tianya understands!" Duan Tianya solemnly nodded, and after obtaining the exact location of One Zen Temple from Zhuge Zhengwo, he left Dragon Guard Villa without delay, heading straight for One Zen Temple.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Chu Yang and Zheng Dongliu still chose to ride back to the capital, but they did not take the previous road; instead they made a detour, since they had made a big splash yesterday and it was unsuitable to go the same way again.

Passing a mansion, Zheng Dongliu suddenly halted; Chu Yang turned around and saw a look of sentiment on his face.

The mansion was dilapidated; its plaque had been smashed down, broken into pieces, with a faint "Yan" character still visible.

Yan's Mansion.

It was the former residence of Yan Song, former Chief Counselor of the Cabinet.

"Times change; I never imagined the foremost civil official would end up like this…"

Zheng Dongliu sighed deeply; he had never despised Yan Song as a treacherous minister, but at this moment felt an inexplicable sense that when the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold.

Perhaps one day he might meet the same fate because of some circumstances, not necessarily.

Since ancient times, loyal ministers and upright officials have often met untimely ends.

"Lord Zheng, I may be unreliable, but my eyes are still sharp; I haven't fallen to the point of mistakenly killing the loyal, so you need not worry."

A cunning smile flashed in Chu Yang's eyes as he deliberately teased.

"I dare not."

Zheng Dongliu hurriedly dismounted, about to kneel, but Chu Yang lifted him with one hand.

"Tell me, we've known each other for a while; we can always tell jokes apart, right?"

Chu Yang looked at the somewhat foolishly loyal Brocade Guard Commander and honestly felt helpless; the man was the type of old scholar he disliked most, always rigid and pedantic.

Li Ge Xiao's first half of life, under his influence, had a sour temper like a stone in a latrine, unable to tolerate any grain of sand.

That said, such a personality is most suitable for a Brocade Guard, as confronting authority requires enough firmness.

"Yan Song… what became of him?"

Since that day he knocked Yan Song out of the Chief Counselor post, Chu Yang no longer paid attention to him, confidently leaving him to Li Ge Xiao to handle.

Zheng Dongliu narrated slowly, "Yan Song had his official hat removed by you; he should have returned home to enjoy his later years, but who could have imagined that shortly after leaving the city gates he was blocked by refugees on the road."

"The refugees' hatred for Yan Song ran deep; saying they would never share the same sky with him is not an exaggeration. During his years as Chief Counselor, the embezzled disaster‑relief silver was not a small sum, causing many families to be ruined."

"The common folk knew this well, so when they heard of his retirement they rushed to seek revenge; officials of his stature usually hired guards."

"But no one in the whole jianghu was willing to take his job…"

"Those red‑eyed refugees initially only surrounded Yan Song, without overstepping, but Yan Song treated them as less than human, uttering indiscreet words that essentially doomed his own life."

"Later‑arriving constables reported that Yan Song was literally eaten alive by the refugees; his remains were incomplete."

"Your Majesty, you see, when a person is driven to desperation… they can become cannibals."

Chu Yang's gaze fell again on the ruined 'Yan's Mansion', and he mused, "Man eats man, demon eats man— which is scarier? Probably the former is more terrifying…"

"As long as the Human Race strives forward, we would die without hesitation; the era of demons eating humans will end sooner or later, but what about humans eating humans?" Zheng Dongliu, looking bewildered, replied, "Day after day, year after year…"

(End of Chapter)