Chapter 272: Better to Live in Misfortune Than to Die Happily

Zhang Gui, although he does not understand the methods of torture and forced confession, knows a simple way to apply psychological pressure on people.

While questioning, he commands the 'Tai Sui Entering Fate' divine cluster to spawn more mycelium, which densely entangles the entire body of the human‑headed giant insect.

Like a woodpecker that extracts a small bug, holds it on its sharp beak without swallowing, it instantly shatters all the human‑headed giant insect's cunning, slippery thoughts.

He honestly spoke the truth.

It turned out that this insect was actually Liu Shanzhen, the county magistrate of Shanhai County.

The name Six Mountain True is merely a Ming Song‑era alias he adopted after binding his hair to study; his original name was Big Mountain True.

He descends from the barbarian nation of Shan Qiang Da Yong that once occupied the original site of Shanhai, whose descendants rank just below the vassal king's Great Head Official 'Great Head Official'.

Their ancestors, being astute and capable, were exceedingly obedient to the edicts of the Ming Song Court, whether through joint local governance or converting local peoples to central rule.

This stood in stark contrast to the Shan Qiang Da Yong vassal king's outward compliance but covert defiance.

Ultimately, on a rainy night, he conspired with a Mountain Elite Guard of the Ming Song Court, coordinating inside and out to annihilate the Shan Qiang Da Yong king's main stronghold.

In one stroke he became the greatest indigenous magnate of Shanhai County.

From then on he openly imitated the manners of Ming Song aristocrats, insisting on calling his family "cultivating and studying for generations" even though only a few members could read.

Then a hundred years slipped by.

By the time it reached Liu Shanzhen's generation, there were over thirty brothers in the clan, all literate, yet only he could truly absorb the books.

He eventually rose to become the local county magistrate, though merely an Eight Grade auxiliary official, and his superior occasionally turned out to be a formidable figure.

Yet in the remote, impoverished countryside far from the Emperor, the descendants of a powerful family that had operated there for centuries combined with officials who sat in the second seat of local power.

It is not as simple as "one plus one equals two."

"From now on, all official dealings of the Great Head Official family are entrusted to me.

Over more than a decade, not only the Commandery City but even the residences of provincial councilors, during festivals I could bring gifts and walk straight into their halls.

If it weren't that I neither wanted nor could be promoted, at least I could serve as an assistant magistrate in the commandery.

Yet just when things were going smoothly, I went astray in my cultivation, falling into demonic fire.

A bit of innate Tiangang Qi in my lung lobe was damaged, and my body instantly grew weak.

This injury belongs to "Heaven's Punishment, Earth's Execution," and I can only endure it myself.

But I know I cannot get through it; my life is short!

Yet I still want to live!

Between life and death there is great terror; even ants cherish their lives!

I'm terrified; wanting to survive can't be wrong, can it!"

At this point, the human‑headed giant insect saw Zhang Gui's transformed giant form and gave a slight nod.

Feeling hopeful for survival, he was pleased and, more honestly, continued:

"Later I recalled my childhood; my grandfather had also cultivated the family technique 'Mountain Treasure Five Qi', went into demonic fire, and then mysteriously vanished.

At the time they insisted he died suddenly at night.

They even distributed the mourning rites.

Yet according to ritual, the body should have lain for nine days before burial, but not a single day was delayed.

In the evening the coffin was burned, and at night it was interred in the ancestral tomb.

Previously I only found all this odd, but now, like my grandfather, I also practice the 'Mountain Treasure Five Qi' and fall into demonic fire.

I just want to investigate whether he is truly dead or alive.

To see if I can treat a dead horse as a living one to find a sliver of hope for myself.

The result was nothing.

I was truly desperate.

Suddenly, Jiang Lianpeng, a former acquaintance and Chief Manager of the Compassionate People's Society, showed up at the door.

He directly voiced my pain…"

It turns out that although Shanhai County is remote, the indigenous mountain villages and main stronghold outside the county town are densely populated.

Numerous heads together raise over three hundred thousand Young Strong Men, carving terraces on the vast endless mountains, farming, tea planting, and herb cultivation.

They also harvest wild precious herbs, fell giant trees; in short, living off the mountain is a joy.

As for these hundreds of thousands of slaves, in good years many are born, so some must be sold.

In bad years many die, so some must be bought.

Thus they have been trading with the Compassionate People's Society for many years and are considered old acquaintances.

Yet Liu Shanzhen never imagined that the Compassionate People's Society was actually his grandfather's lifesaver.

Now they intend to "save" him again.

"Humans and the Earth Demon Hundred Races have been mortal enemies for millions of years, never sharing the same sky.

Yet all affairs become dust in the light.

The deep blood feud of a race may fall upon a particular nation, sect, family, gang, or individual, yet it does not hinder mutual profit.

This Compassionate People's Society is linked to the phosphorus‑less Earth Dragon among the Earth Demon Hundred Races."

It turns out that the phosphorus‑less dragon is oviparous.

If naturally incubated, out of ten thousand eggs only one or two develop intelligence and can be called phosphorus‑less Earth Dragons.

The remaining ones, lacking reason and acting only on instinct to hunt, feed, and obey, are called phosphorus‑less Giant Insects.

But if the eggs are buried within the flesh of a human transcendental being,

upon hatching, the phosphorus‑less egg membrane releases a corrosive toxin that turns the host's surrounding flesh into thick juice.

Only the brain pulp remains undissolved.

When the egg cracks open, the newborn phosphorus‑less dragon will suck the thick juice as food.

After rapidly growing, it devours the host's brain and sprouts a head that looks almost identical to the host's.

Thus it naturally gains intelligence.

After consuming enough blood food, if it lies dormant in the earth for thirteen days without dying, it becomes a Phosphorus‑less Earth Dragon.

At first it tunnels through the ground, covering a hundred li per day.

Then it continues for a thousand li.

Later it can also "break the void" to teleport across the surface.

It herds hundreds, thousands, even ten thousand Phosphorus‑less Giant Insects.

Even within the entire Earth Demon Hundred Races, it is not ordinary.

"Actually, if there is no human 'Transcendent' as a host, an ordinary person will also do."

But one must choose Young Strong Men, and even one or two hundred who bury the eggs may not manage to hatch a headed larva.

However, those unsuccessful hosts will voluntarily bury themselves around the successfully hatched larva, letting it gnaw them, which is not considered waste.

This act is for the Earth Demonic Human Tribulation.

"Are the creatures under the Great Earth Cave really that 'K‑type', yet they still seem to stay honestly in the Human Realm?"

"Being an island‑nation emperor living a carefree life suits me better."

Zhang Gui, hearing that, temporarily forgot the reality that he had just, with the divine cluster in his brain, miserably devoured two Phosphorus‑less larvae, and thought silently to himself.

Then he heard Liu Shanzhen, with a human head and insect body, say again:

"But my way of staying alive is different."

One must first kill a thousand people and bury them in the earth.

Then make a rice‑grain‑sized hole in the skull and insert a Phosphorus‑less egg.

Thus, when the egg hatches, the toxin produced by its shell is neutralized by the brain‑matter, and the emerging insect is tiny, able only to gnaw my brain slowly to survive.

My will can then transfer bit by bit onto its body…'

"You endure such crimes only to stay alive; isn't death fine?"

Zhang Gui was truly horrified, and blurted out a mutter.

(End of Chapter)