Chapter 518: The Allure of Incense Smoke

The paper is thin Five Grains Talisman Paper, and the spiritual herb is dried-up Stagnant Smoke.

"Stagnant Smoke" is also a kind of spiritual herb that withers after two months of planting; its effect is minor, used to clear bodily evil qi.

However, Heng Xian discovered that it unexpectedly has the same effect as the tobacco leaves from his previous life!

Then, skillfully crush the Stagnant Smoke, roll it up with the talisman paper, stick it with saliva, and light it with the nearby burning charcoal.

He took a hard puff, exhaling a smoke ring.

His head felt a bit dizzy.

Hmm, this is the feeling.

"Creak—"

Outside, a faint sound came, and a pair of eyes peered in.

Heng Xian glanced over, then took another puff of "smoke".

"What are you doing?"

The person outside scolded.

Heng Xian calmly said: "Just smoking to relieve boredom!"

"What boredom?" the person outside angrily said: "I clearly saw you eating something!"

Heng Xian raised the "Incense Smoke": "This is called Incense Smoke, not for eating, but for smoking."

"Clang!"

The door was opened, and the guard named A Mu walked in, pointing at the "Incense Smoke" and saying, "Put it down! No smoking!"

Heng Xian glanced at the horn on his head, not knowing whether this guy was a goat or some strange creature, raised the Incense Smoke and said: "Don't get excited, buddy, it's just something to relieve boredom—why don't you take a puff?"

A Mu angrily said: "How could I smoke your kind of thing? Do you think I'm easy to trick?"

Heng Xian seriously said: "With your intelligence, I find it hard to deceive you; I've already resigned myself!"

A Mu's face showed a hint of pride: "Of course!"

Heng Xian raised the Incense Smoke, took another puff, and blew a smoke ring at him: "It feels great! Can you smell this intoxicating fragrance? You're so smart, want to give it a try?"

"How could I smoke your kind of…"

A Mu was about to refuse with words, but after sniffing the air a few times, he paused.

Heng Xian raised it: "Here, it's up to you whether to smoke or toss it!"

"I'll definitely toss it! Humph!"

A Mu snorted, picked up the Incense Smoke, walked out the door, and closed it.

Outside, he raised the Incense Smoke to toss it, hesitated a moment, then, as if possessed, picked it up and tried taking a puff.

Then,

His face changed, his head spun, he leaned against the door, and threw away the Incense Smoke as if seeing a ghost.

But after ten breaths, he hesitated, picked it up again, and took another puff…

……

"Whoosh—"

The room was filled with swirling smoke.

Heng Xian held the Incense Smoke in his mouth, looking at A Mu across from him who had already smoked two and was intoxicated with closed eyes, and said: "Buddy, your smoking habit is quite strong!"

A Mu opened his eyes, skillfully flicked ash with his index finger: "This thing is really hard to resist, especially after a meal!"

Heng Xian snapped his fingers: "Normal, as they say, one smoke after a meal brings joy like an immortal!"

A Mu nodded: "No wonder! It's interesting, truly interesting!"

Heng Xian said: "If you want to smoke in the future, just come to me and I'll supply enough!"

A Mu looked at him gratefully: "You're actually not bad!"

Heng Xian sighed: "I'm unusually good, it's just that outsiders misunderstand me; buddy, you don't know, my life is tough!"

A Mu blurted out: "Buddy, how are you suffering?"

Heng Xian casually made up a lie.

A Mu was moved to tears, smoked three in a row, then patted his shoulder: "I'll take care of you!"

Heng Xian was also moved: "A Mu, buddy, you're also not bad; I have a favor to ask!"

A Mu hesitated a bit: "What?"

Heng Xian said: "I want to see the outside!"

A Mu relaxed: "Simple!"

He loosened the chains on his body a bit, enough to walk to the door, then opened it.

Heng Xian looked out, somewhat dazed.

Outside turned out to be a continuous stretch of wooden buildings forming a town; on the street, pedestrians—not! but constantly passing monsters, men, women, old and young, just like ordinary people, except for their tails and horns, making them look a bit strange.

Looking around, in the drizzling rain, there was a feeling of a scenic mountain-water small town.

A Mu proudly introduced: "Surprised? Shocked? This is our Earth Fox Tribe stronghold; you've never seen so many houses, right?"

Heng Xian solemnly nodded: "Never seen before, what a terrifying yet prosperous stronghold, what a domineering stronghold name!"

A Mu became even more proud: "Of course!"

As the two were talking, two pointy-eared youths came over from opposite; A Mu immediately greeted: "Two buddies, come over for a smoke!"

After saying that, he looked toward Heng Xian.

Heng Xian rubbed his nose, silently cursing that fortunately they had prepared plenty of Stagnant Smoke, skillfully rolling two.

Then, three monsters stood outside exhaling mist, just short of saying a few lines like "Bro, I just started a project…"

Only after a full incense stick's time did the two pointy-eared demons reluctantly leave.

Amu continued guarding the door, and Heng Xian returned to the old spot.

Boredom started again!

The sky gradually grew dim.

Dinner was still delivered at the first moment night fell, but this time the person bringing the meal was not the rude, plump pig-demon cook from the past few days, but a slender young man.

This young man had no demonic traits—no tail, no horns, not even pointed ears.

He skillfully set down the bowl and chopsticks, but his glance flicked toward Heng Xian.

Heng Xian couldn't be bothered to look at him, let alone wonder what kind of thing he was.

Who would have thought this young man suddenly asked, "Where are you from?"

Only then did Heng Xian look at him in surprise.

The young man smiled: "I'm also human! No doubt we both come from the outside world!"

Heng Xian was quite certain this person wasn't from any of the Fourteen Sects, and he blurted out, "Flower Pavilion? Gongsun Family? Northern Warehouse Sea?"

The young man laughed: "No! I come from the Northern Territory!"

Heng Xian startled: "Northern Territory Cultivation World?"

The young man nodded: "Exactly, the Northern Territory Cultivation World!"

Heng Xian tried asking: "Do you know the Ye family?"

The young man curiously asked: "Which Ye family?"

Heng Xian said: "The Ye family whose whole clan are Seven Infant Nascent Souls after a night of flying blossoms crossing!"

Senior Sister Ye Batian, whose real name is Ye Feiyan, comes from the Northern Territory Cultivation World; Heng Xian has heard her talk many times about their Ye family affairs.

The young man's pupils contracted, and he exclaimed in disbelief: "The Ye imperial clan? You know about it?"

"I've heard a little!" Heng Xian nodded, acknowledging this guy's identity.

But how could people from the Northern Territory Cultivation World be here?

The young man nodded: "You do have some insight; it seems your status outside is not ordinary! How did you get in?"

Heng Xian said: "Of course I entered by breaking through the formation; what about you?"

The young man said: "We also entered via the formation, but we've already been here for two months!"

The use of "we" suggests more than just him from the Northern Territory Cultivation World has come in.

Heng Xian couldn't help but wonder: Is this the demon realm that the Gongsun Family and Flower Pavilion painstakingly struggled to enter? People from other realms had already arrived two months ago?

The youth introduced himself just now: "Du Chun of the Demon Heaven Sect of the Northern Region cultivation world!"

Heng Xian nodded: "Heng Xian of the Tianyuan Sect of the Dongyu cultivation world!"

Du Chun chuckled: "That group of severely wounded people captured six hundred li to the northwest by fellow Dongyu folks and sold as goods—are they with you?"

Heng Xian furrowed his brows.

Du Chun said: "I've been mixed into this earth fox tribe for over a month; just now I followed another elder back from the northern dog tribe city, and encountered that group of people captured and sold by their own kind—among them a fat man kept shouting the name Heng Xian!"

Heng Xian's brows locked tight: "Selling……"

Sun Bufan and the fourteen sect disciples were actually really sold as goods by the Flower Pavilion and the Gongsun Family!!

Du Chun nodded and said: "Humans here are rare goods; males are inevitably bought to be hard labor, females are definitely bought by great demons to be concubines or prostitutes!"

Heng Xian couldn't help but feel his heart tighten.

(End of chapter)