Chapter 57: Cheng Huang

“Have you seen it? Confess truthfully at once!” Qin Xi’s righteous aura intensified.
“Ahhh!!!”
“Oh? Trying to cover it up with screams?” Qin Xi pressed harder.
“Ahhh!!!”
“Well, you’re brave for not speaking!”

At that moment, A Ling poked Qin Xi’s arm. “I think he’s just too hurt to speak...”

“...Haha, really?” Qin Xi noticed this too, smirked coldly to hide his embarrassment, then withdrew his righteous aura.

The interrogation began.

The old demon of the Blue Magic was smoking from his mouth, his whole body turned pale from the overwhelming righteous energy.

“I... I really have seen it... The reason I came to this village was because of its appearance.”

“Oh? Interesting, go on.”

“At that time, I was still in Shangping County, planning to spread some cultivation techniques while the Demon Suppression Division wasn’t paying attention... But there was a legend circulating in Shangping County—an auspicious beast had appeared in the outskirts, a native mystical creature resembling the ancient ‘Cheng Huang’!” The old demon described vividly, “It looks like a fox but the size of a horse, and it has two long horns—one at the front and one at the back—growing from its back!”

“Cheng Huang?” Qin Xi was unfamiliar with the name.

“It’s a spiritual beast that vanished before the Age of Lawlessness began. It’s said that anyone who sits on its back will gain an extra two thousand years of life!”

“Incredible effect!” Qin Xi was shocked. Two thousand years—that’s a lifespan even Nascent Soul cultivators rarely reach.

But at the same time, Qin Xi frowned deeply:

“Something’s off. Very off.”

Hearing Qin Xi’s doubt, the old demon trembled and stammered, “I—I’m telling the truth, not a single word is a lie!”

“I’m not saying you’re lying. I just noticed something.” Qin Xi’s eyes flashed. “You said Cheng Huang’s back has one horn in front and one in the back, right?”

“...Yes.”

“Then tell me, how does a person sit on it?” Qin Xi imagined a terrifying scene. “Could it be a mortise and tenon joint?”

“!!!”

The old demon had never thought about this, but after Qin Xi’s reminder, he pictured the scene of someone riding Cheng Huang and instantly felt a tightness in a certain area.

“Still, if the end result is gaining two thousand years of life, I guess many would be willing to try.” Qin Xi nodded. Two thousand years is a very tempting offer, and perhaps for some, the cost of riding Cheng Huang isn’t much.

At that moment, a voice came from behind Qin Xi: “It’s not something some unscrupulous person made up. Actually, Cheng Huang isn’t like that at all.”

Qin Xi turned to see Jiang Baiqiu approaching with Bu Weiwei, carrying two heavily injured and unconscious members of the Penglai Immortal Sect.

“Are you saying it doesn’t have horns on its back?” Qin Xi asked.

“No. I mean, sitting on it doesn’t extend lifespan at all!” Jiang Baiqiu, a learned woman possessing the spiritual root of the Confucian Sage, naturally knew ancient secrets.

“Then how did this rumor start?”

“Long, long ago, Cheng Huang didn’t have horns on its back. Because they are swift-footed and extremely fast, some humans captured them extensively to have desirable mounts, causing their numbers to plummet. And since Cheng Huang aren’t good at fighting and couldn’t resist humans, the clan leader was deeply worried.”

“Later, a senior elder of the Cheng Huang clan came up with an idea. Instead of trying to change others, change yourself. So, the clan leader activated a protective array that used the whole clan’s bloodline power to grow two thick, rough horns on their backs. If the horns were cut, Cheng Huang would die. This was like attaching a spiked fence—making riding uncomfortable and discouraging humans from using them as mounts.”

“...That’s ridiculous?” Qin Xi leaned back in disbelief.

“Yes. And it worked. Humans, for health reasons, stopped using Cheng Huang as mounts...”

But Jiang Baiqiu sighed.

“However, some people got even more excited upon hearing Cheng Huang grew horns, and eagerly captured them!”

“...Ridiculous?!!!” Qin Xi’s eyes widened.

“Those who captured Cheng Huang would quietly ride them at night, performing strange actions. They often walked by rivers, so their shoes would get wet! Some cultivators noticed this behavior and, to save face, made up the story that riding Cheng Huang extends lifespan by two thousand years!” Jiang Baiqiu seemed to sympathize with the Cheng Huang clan and spoke regretfully, “Once this rumor spread... you know the rest.”

“...” Qin Xi was speechless.

After all, proving the two-thousand-year lifespan claim false would take some time.

But that time was enough to break a species’ spirit.

“The ancestor of Cheng Huang once complained to the Confucian Sage that this world has completely lost its rites and music, and their clan can no longer live in it!”

“...That’s truly a world in ruins. If I were in the Cheng Huang clan, I’d be extinct too.”

At this moment, A Ling looked puzzled. She didn’t fully understand the story but grasped one thing:

“So, Da Huang is Cheng Huang...”

“Da Huang? Is that its name?” Qin Xi felt the name sounded like that of a dog.

“Yes, Da Huang has horns on its back... so it’s impossible to sit on it. How do those people ride it?” A Ling’s innocent mind couldn’t figure it out.

“Eh, off topic!” Qin Xi turned back and threatened the old demon again, “So what does Cheng Huang have to do with you coming to Qingyuan Village?”

Just as the old demon’s heart began to settle, it was startled again. “Well, I heard about the appearance of this auspicious beast, so I chose to track its trail...”

“But when I arrived at Qingyuan Village, its trail disappeared. Since I was already here, I decided to spread cultivation techniques to the villagers. So I made the imprisoned resentful infant wail every night, then pretended to resolve it, making the villagers trust me more and accept the techniques I taught... That’s how it happened.”

“So... what cultivation technique are you spreading?” Qin Xi frowned.

“...” The old demon’s expression was clearly torn, eyes filled with complex fear.

“What? Is there something more terrifying than righteous energy?” Qin Xi patted his shoulder. The righteous energy in his hand sizzled against the old demon.

“Don’t!” The old demon suddenly gasped in fear, “I will tell you, but I have one request: after I tell you the name of the technique...”

“Can you grant me death immediately?”

The four present exchanged glances, none expecting such a request.

Revealing the technique’s name is more terrifying than death?

“Fine, I agree.” Qin Xi nodded, then grasped the old demon’s throat.

Relaxing, the old demon took several deep breaths before slowly saying:

“The technique is called... the Greedy Heavenly Demon Depression Technique!”