Chapter 42 (Part 2) – Fear of Pain

Before he could finish, his laughter froze on his face. Rong Shang conjured a sharp icicle, its cold tip pressing against Hengwu Xianjun’s throat.

Rong Shang stared at him expressionlessly. “Oh? What was the immortal planning to say?”

The icicle shifted slightly, slicing a thin line across Hengwu Xianjun’s neck. Crimson blood trickled down the shard, blooming into a sinister flower.

Hengwu Xianjun swallowed hard. “I was saying… I always use a stick to avoid contact.”

Rong Shang: “…”

The air grew silent. On the bed, the queen, who had appeared unconscious, suddenly twitched her fingers and let out a raspy moan.

Hengwu Xianjun exclaimed, “Quick, remove the blanket! She’s going to suffocate!”

Rong Shang retracted the icicle unhurriedly and stood up.

The queen abruptly sat up as if resurrected, her face purple from lack of air. She clutched her chest, coughing violently, and only after a long moment did she regain her composure.

Tears welled in her eyes as she spoke earnestly. “Thank you all for breaking the sorceress’s curse with your sincerity. The sorceress tried to steal our ancestral treasure, placing a spell over Jin Kingdom that turned its people into savages—even I was under her control…”

“Now that the sorceress is dead, the curse is lifted. I thank you for saving my people. I offer the ancestral treasure as a token of my gratitude.”

Clearly, the “sorceress” she mentioned was the priestess.

The queen pressed a mechanism on the wall, revealing a green gem, which she handed to Hengwu Xianjun.

Hengwu Xianjun hesitated to speak. The queen’s people had all been turned into minced meat by Rong Shang. Now, the only survivor in the castle was the queen herself.

Fearing she might take back the gem upon learning the truth, he quickly clutched the stone and recited a spell, transporting everyone to the next illusion.

This time, they remained conscious. A blinding white light engulfed them, and they instinctively shielded their eyes. When the light faded, they found themselves in a completely unfamiliar place.

Yu Zhengzheng blinked in confusion. The surroundings were lush and green, with birds chirping melodiously. A wide stream stretched before them, but when she looked up, the sky was blocked by dark rock walls.

It seemed like they were inside a cavern.

Unlike before, the group hadn’t been separated. They soon gathered by the stream.

Yu Zhengzheng glanced at Hengwu Xianjun. “You’re not going to screw us over this time, are you?”

Last time, he’d entered the illusion and even gained a wife. If he tried any more tricks, she’d kidnap Shanshui just to let him experience being played.

Hengwu Xianjun noticed her warning look and sighed helplessly. “This time, it’s all up to luck. There’s nothing I can do.”

No one had ever made it to the third layer of the illusion before. The brilliance of this formation lay in its increasing difficulty—each layer a hundred times harder than the last.

In the second layer, without his guidance, who would’ve guessed that the queen and the savages were all cursed?

No one would ever guess that the queen had been bound by the priest’s Evil Spirit Curse, which could only be undone with genuine sincerity to awaken her true self.

Though this place appeared idyllic, with lush waters and birdsong, it was perilous beyond measure. A single misstep could lead to a gruesome death, far worse than the dangers faced in the previous layers.

Leaning on a bamboo cane twisted into a makeshift staff, Hengwu Xianjunstrode toward the riverbank. “After crossing this river, you must keep going forward. Only at the end of the cave will you find the key to escaping this illusion.”

Hearing this, Yu Jiangjiang scoffed dismissively. “That’s simple enough. We can just use sword flight and reach the end in no time.”

Hengwu Xianjunsmirked. “Go on, then. Show me.”

Yu Jiangjiang bristled at his mocking tone and reached for her sword, only to freeze midway. She suddenly remembered: they had lost their spiritual powers in the previous illusion. Forget sword flight—she barely had the strength to walk, hunger sapping what little energy remained.

Yu Zhengzheng, who had been silent, spoke up hesitantly. “The Ghost King’s divine power remains intact. If he ventures alone to retrieve the key item…”

Hengwu Xianjunshook his head. “Without me to guide him, he wouldn’t find it.”

Yu Zhengzheng countered, “Then perhaps he could carry you there?”

Hengwu Immortal: “…”

Was he losing his mind, or was hers simply beyond hope? If he allowed the Ghost King to carry him, would he even survive to see the next sunrise?

He sighed, clearly exasperated. “Let’s just cross the river first.”

With deliberate slowness, Hengwu Xianjunapproached Shan Shui and extended a hand. “I’ll carry you across.”

Shan Shui hesitated. “The water isn’t deep. I can wade through.”

But Hengwu Xianjunwouldn’t hear of it. Without waiting for her response, he swept her into his arms. “There are piranhas in this river. They’ll injure you.”

He slung her arms around his neck, one hand supporting her legs while gripping his bamboo cane tightly with the other. “Hold on. Don’t fall.”

Despite his limp, Hengwu Xianjun moved steadily, albeit slowly. This deliberate pace meant Shan Shui barely felt a jolt, a rare advantage to his cautious gait.

Nearby, Xiang Feng’s eyes turned bloodshot, his hands clenched at his sides. His fingernails dug deep into his palms, yet he felt no pain—only an overwhelming urge to rush forward and snatch Shan Shui away.

An Ning noticed his turmoil and, pale-faced, tugged at his sleeve weakly. “Brother Xiang Feng, I… it hurts…”

Her soft, plaintive voice brought Xiang Feng back to his senses. He mimicked Hengwu Immortal’s actions and scooped An Ning into his arms. “Once we’re across, I’ll find some medicine to ease your pain.”

One by one, the group began crossing the river, leaving only Yu Zhengzheng and Rong Shang behind.

Yu Zhengzheng stared at the water, lost in thought. As Hengwu Xianjunwaded in, a swarm of unseen fish converged around him. Whatever they were doing, blood soon clouded the water around his calves.

The once-clear river turned red with blood, and Yu Zhengzheng was reminded of childhood mischief in a stream when a leech latched onto her foot. The memory of that sharp, unrelenting pain resurfaced vividly. Piranhas couldn’t be much better.

Her foot injury from the last ordeal in Shayu Valley hadn’t fully healed. If these piranhas got to her, she’d likely lose her leg entirely.

Rong Shang’s long eyes narrowed slightly. His voice was cold and detached. “Afraid of pain?”

Yu Zhengzheng hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly admitted, “Yes.”

For reasons unknown, her reply brought a memory to his mind: her shielding him from a sword strike on Mount Penglai. Her movements then had been resolute, without hesitation. As Xiang Feng struck, she had thrown herself forward without a second thought.

If she feared pain, why had she taken that hit for him?

Rong Shang couldn’t understand it, just as he couldn’t comprehend why she had resisted Hengwu Immortal’s tempting offer earlier, only to ask an utterly trivial question in its place.

Without warning, Rong Shang stepped toward her and hoisted her over his shoulder.

Yu Zhengzheng barely had time to react before she found herself upside-down, just as she had been the night before. Her vision spun, and nausea rose. “What… what are you doing?”

Rong Shang offered no answer, carrying her directly into the river.

Yu Zhengzheng was dumbfounded. He clearly had divine power, so why wade through the water? Did he enjoy the sensation of piranhas gnawing at him?

Unable to suppress her curiosity, she voiced her doubts aloud.

His expression remained indifferent as he replied, “You’re too heavy to fly with.”

Yu Zhengzheng: “…”

Her stomach pressed against his shoulder painfully. She clutched at her mouth. “Can you at least change how you’re carrying me?”

Rong Shang paused, then shifted her position. Instead of being slung over his shoulder, her legs wrapped around his waist as her arms looped around his neck like a koala.

After a few steps, her face turned crimson.

Unable to contain herself, she whispered hesitantly, “Your sword scabbard… it’s poking me.”

Rong Shang gave her a pointed look. “I don’t use a sword.”

Yu Zhengzheng: “…”

Of course, she knew he didn’t use a sword!

Whether he was playing dumb or being deliberately provocative, she had no retort and chose to remain silent.

The two pressed on in silence. His legs became a feast for piranhas, yet he seemed unfazed, even slowing his pace deliberately.

After some time, Rong Shang broke the silence. “Why didn’t you take Hengwu Immortal’s land deed?”

Without missing a beat, Yu Zhengzheng answered, “Because I have integrity.”

Rong Shang: “…”

She hadn’t told the truth. The real reason was simpler: she’d rather live as a pauper in the human realm or retreat to a remote forest than set foot in the demon realm.

Despite Hengwu Immortal’s subdued demeanor here, he had once been Heaven’s guardian deity and later became the ruler of the demon realm. His ruthless methods and infamous reputation far outstripped even those of the Ghost King.

Ten of her wouldn’t be enough to satiate his cruelty.

The Immortal  Hengwu treated Shanshui kindly because he liked her, but he would never extend such kindness to others without a reason.

Even if she obtained the land deed, what would it amount to? Hengwu would inevitably take it back one day. She, a weakling incapable of even defending herself, could never hope to contend with the ruler of the Demon Realm.

Her true desire was to laze away her life in the Human Realm, not engage in a battle of wits and courage with Hengwu in the Demon Realm.

Rong Shang didn’t press her further. He knew well enough that not a word from her was truthful.

By the time they crossed the river, his feet were soaked in blood.

Still, it didn’t matter much to him. This level of pain was trivial.

Hengwu’s injuries were far more severe. Pushing forward recklessly would serve no purpose; it was better to recover their strength before continuing.

Xiangfeng and Xiao Yuqing were also heavily injured. Everyone sat down wherever they could to treat their wounds.

Yuzhengzheng retrieved a bottle of medicine from her storage bracelet and handed it to Rong Shang. “Here. This is from the Immortal  last time. You can use it too.”

Rong Shang stared at the porcelain bottle, momentarily stunned. “No need.”

She frowned. “How can you say that? Even if the wounds are small, they still hurt.”

Seeing that he remained unmoved, she pulled him over to a nearby tree. Out of nowhere, she found the nerve to firmly remove his shoes and socks.

From his calves to his ankles, his skin was a mess of torn flesh, blood clinging to his wounds in gruesome patches. Thankfully, the piranhas hadn’t bitten too deeply, making treatment relatively simple.

Rong Shang lowered his gaze, his expression inscrutable as he watched Yuzhengzheng work. Her movements were cautious, her hands gently holding his ankle as she treated his injuries.

The truth was, the reason he hadn’t used his divine power to carry her across the river wasn’t because she was heavy.

It was because he didn’t have it.

The moment they entered this layer of the illusionary realm, he’d sensed something was off but couldn’t afford to show it.

If they knew he had lost his divine power, he might be able to handle Hengwu alone, but what if they all turned on him?

Her fingers were soft, and as they brushed across the sole of his foot, a strange tingle crept into his bones. Rong Shang’s body trembled slightly as he instinctively grabbed her hand. “Don’t move around.”

Feeling the cool temperature of his palm, Yuzhengzheng froze.

Didn’t Hengwu say that divine beings had their power concentrated in their palms, and that the Ghost King’s hands couldn’t touch living beings?

Could it be that the Ghost King, too, had lost his divine power because of the formation?

Her lips parted slightly. “Your… divine power…”

Not far away, Hengwu seemed to notice something amiss and turned his gaze toward them.

Realizing this, Rong Shang released her hand before Hengwu could notice anything.

Hengwu raised an eyebrow. “What are you two staring at? What’s going on?”

Rong Shang said nothing.

He knew someone as astute as her would already suspect his loss of divine power.

The only reason they coexisted peacefully with him was out of fear of his power.

Without it, would anyone treat him the same way?

She would tell them. Of course, she would. She was just like the others—wanting him dead.

Their eyes met. Her gaze was so cold it seemed she was looking at a dead man.