The Demon Lords
Chapter 58 - 44 My Lord, Gifted!"_1

Chapter 58: Chapter 44 My Lord, Gifted!"_1

Zheng Fan was utterly confused. He was supposed to be attending a home tutoring session, so how had the style suddenly changed to Liang Cheng about to insert his finger into his body?

This shift was akin to your unforgettable first love suddenly adding you on WeChat with the note, "Dear, do you still remember me?"

Then, after you accepted the friend request with a pounding heart, she slung an electronic wedding invitation your way, complete with a payment QR code...

If at this point Zheng Fan couldn’t sense the abnormality among these Devils under his command, it would be a true disgrace. But even if he did sense it, what could he do?

Didn’t Emperor Xian of Han know the Cao family’s intentions?

In short, for various reasons, since they hadn’t spoken up, this ’Emperor Xian’ Zheng Fan hadn’t asked either.

「Soon,」

The former human multimedia classroom quickly transformed into a medical school’s anatomy lecture hall.

A Ming, who had been serving as the live anatomical model, put his clothes back on, while the new live anatomical model, Zheng Fan, took off his shirt.

Liang Cheng stood beside Zheng Fan, his expression as calm as the white-coated doctor who used to give you injections in your bottom as a child.

"Be gentle. You absolutely must not hurt My lord, or not even ten thousand deaths could atone for your crime!"

Blind Bei chattered nonsense nearby, much like the Big Bad Wolf deceiving Little Red Riding Hood.

Zheng Fan closed his eyes. At this moment, he was genuinely the fish on the chopping block, an even more vivid depiction than Liu Bang at the Hongmen Banquet.

So, it wasn’t entirely without reason that those in power in ancient times would ’cook the hounds after the hares were caught.’ Once the generals under your command become too capable and powerful, if you don’t deal with them, they will come to deal with you.

Ding Hao, however, was quite curious about this extremely peculiar method to take drugs. He had grown somewhat accustomed to this group’s novel methods and ways of thinking. At the same time, a sliver of hope began to rise in his heart.

Judging by this group’s methods, their promise to help him heal and recover after everything was over... it seemed it might not be impossible after all.

Liang Cheng’s fingernail hovered above Zheng Fan when Xue Three suddenly asked,

"Where should it enter?"

Fanli spoke up, "The buttocks!"

After speaking, Fanli even explained, "There’s more flesh on the buttocks; it won’t hurt much when pierced there."

Zheng Fan took a deep breath. To avoid the scene of him turning over so Liang Cheng could pierce his buttocks, he spoke up himself, "Just the chest area. Be gentle."

Liang Cheng nodded, placed his forefinger’s nail on Zheng Fan’s chest, and then slowly pushed it in.

At first, there was a tingling, numbing sensation.

Then, a dull, swelling pain began.

Next, his entire body started to convulse uncontrollably.

"UH... AH!!!!!"

Zheng Fan began to twitch violently, as if having an epileptic seizure.

It felt as if a giant spoon was thoroughly churning his insides.

Foam began to spill from the corners of Zheng Fan’s mouth, and in his eyes, the white rapidly began to overwhelm the black.

"Fuck, pull back! Quick!" Xue Three immediately shouted.

Don’t fucking kill My lord!

Liang Cheng immediately withdrew his fingernail, staring with some confusion at Zheng Fan lying before him.

"He won’t be infected with Corpse Poison, will he?" A Ming asked, somewhat worried.

"I know what I’m doing. Corpse Poison will not enter My lord’s body," Liang Cheng replied.

"This is what you call knowing what you’re doing?" Siniang said, dissatisfied. "You were told to stimulate him with evil energy, and look what you did! You nearly turned My lord senile!"

"That shouldn’t be. I didn’t inject much evil energy. Besides, at my current level of strength, it shouldn’t be this terrifying."

Liang Cheng knew exactly how much evil energy he had administered.

Ding Hao, however, analyzed, "Perhaps it’s because this gentleman’s body inherently possesses an extremely robust reserve of qi and blood. Therefore, it was like a pile of dry tinder ignited by your evil energy."

"Hmm... Is that so?" Blind Bei reached up to stroke the beard that wasn’t there today because he hadn’t stuck it on.

He recalled Xue Three’s description of Zheng Fan’s strength, and Liang Cheng’s comment during their martial arts practice that My lord’s strength was quite good.

"Does this mean our master is prime material for practicing martial arts?" Blind Bei asked Ding Hao very seriously.

Ding Hao nodded. "If he has never undergone physical tempering and development before, nor has he been immersed in medicinal baths or had his qi and blood nurtured by a high-level martial artist’s internal energy from a young age, then he can indeed be called a martial arts prodigy."

THUD...

A large stone seemed to fall and settle in everyone’s heart.

Actually, it wasn’t just Zheng Fan. Weren’t all the Devils present also worried that this might be the beginning of a ’trash protagonist’ storyline?

Fortunately, My lord was very capable!

Everyone was very happy. After all, urging a horse to gallop and urging a pig to gallop were entirely different spectacles.

「Soon after,」

Zheng Fan slowly regained consciousness.

Blind Bei leaned closer and asked, "My lord, please, what did you feel?"

"My head... it’s a bit dizzy, and I feel a little like vomiting."

This was Zheng Fan’s true sensation after waking, much like an addict after a high, feeling completely drained.

"Your subordinate was asking if you sensed that energy?"

Zheng Fan calmed his mind and focused. Indeed, he could feel a warm current moving within his body.

This sensation was similar to earlier when Liang Cheng’s evil energy had felt like a torch thrown into a bat cave, startling awake whatever had been slumbering inside.

"Yes..."

"Can you describe it specifically? What did it feel like?"

"Thick... and swelling."

"Hmm..." Blind Bei looked up at Ding Hao.

Ding Hao’s face lit up with delight. "When ordinary people first begin martial arts and perceive their qi, they can usually only sense qi and blood like a gossamer thread. For this gentleman to feel such a robust presence pulsing within his body right from the start is truly a cause for celebration!"

Despite offering congratulations, Ding Hao didn’t feel the typical excitement of discovering a genius, still reeling from the shock of witnessing the instantaneous advancement of these six freaks the day before.

Everything truly suffers in comparison.

He was clearly a martial arts prodigy, but compared to the six underlings beside him, he instantly seemed like a good-for-nothing.

Ding Hao himself was also unclear as to why this group of people would acknowledge him as their lord. Even the most powerful families wouldn’t be so extravagant as to provide such a luxurious team of attendants for their scions, would they?

Upon hearing Ding Hao’s confirmation, Blind Bei took a step back. Xue Three’s eyes flashed. Oh no, this old fox is trying to be the first to suck up again!

The next moment, Xue Three, Liang Cheng, Siniang, A Ming, and Fanli all took a step back in unison, cupped their fists, and bowed. "Your subordinates congratulate My lord on his extraordinary talent! A great future awaits My lord!"

Zheng Fan, lying weakly on the wooden bed, waved his hand and said, "You may rise."

The effects of the evil energy entering his body were clearly evident. Next, what needed to be done was to have My lord learn how to control the circulation of that qi and blood.

But it couldn’t be done today; the day’s progress had already exceeded the plan. If they pushed him further, everyone was genuinely worried My lord’s body wouldn’t be able to take it.

So, Zheng Fan was carried by Siniang to soak in a hot spring and receive a massage.

The others went about their respective duties.

「Very quickly,」

「Night fell.」

CREAK...

Xue Three emerged from Ding Hao’s room, a slip of paper still in his hand. However, before he could even put the paper into his pocket, he was startled.

He saw a... um... a blind man carrying a lantern.

Everything, in fact, has two sides. Looked at from a different angle, the profundity of a matter can also be entirely different. As the saying goes, ’a blind man lighting a lamp is a waste of wax.’ But if the blind man were to say, ’I light the lamp not for myself to see, but so that others can see me at night and not bump into me,’ the level of thought instantly becomes different. Of course, the blind man before him, carrying a lantern, was thoroughly eerie.

"What were you up to?" Blind Bei asked.

"Hey, I’m telling you, I feel like the Dongchang would be a great fit for you to lead in the future."

"That’s for the future to decide." Blind Bei sidestepped the topic and continued, "What were you doing at Ding Hao’s place?"

Xue Three waved the paper in his hand. "I went to ask what things could help greatly improve one’s cultivation. He told me about some things he’d eaten and some he hadn’t. Oh, it wasn’t just natural treasures but also included elixirs."

"Very expensive, I presume?"

"It’s manageable. Aren’t we preparing to send out a merchant caravan soon? Money shouldn’t be an issue."

"Some things have a price but no market."

"They can be robbed or stolen."

"Did you think I hadn’t considered the method of forcibly rushing cultivation with elixirs?"

"Hmm?"

"There will be side effects."

"But it’s very effective in the early stages. Using elixirs to pile on, to smash through, I think it could help My lord achieve a rank much faster, even from Ninth Rank to Eighth Rank, or even... Seventh Rank."

"And then, the consequences of ’pulling up seedlings to help them grow’ will manifest. My lord will be stuck at Seventh Rank for life, unable to advance another inch."

"Future matters can be dealt with in the future. My lord would probably be willing, too. After all, cultivation is so arduous and slow."

Blind Bei smiled.

In the night, the red lantern illuminated Blind Bei’s face.

His voice grew somewhat hoarse as he said in a low tone, "Do you think My lord is the only one who will be stuck there for life?"

"I..."

"I advise you, don’t be too clever for your own good. If they find out you’re planning to have My lord take elixirs, heh heh... Before, we were all ordinary people, so it didn’t matter. Now, we’ve all recovered some of our strength, and the future is still bright. Yet you want to ’drain the pond to get all the fish’ and ’drink poison to quench your thirst,’ directly blocking everyone’s future hopes and paths for advancement. Tell me, if they found out, what do you think they would do to you?"

"I was just asking as a precaution, to be prepared. I didn’t actually plan to go find them for My lord to consume right away."

"Seven is a very easy number to say."

"Er..."

"But ’Six Sixes Bring Great Fortune’—all those sixes—that sounds pretty auspicious too, right?"

Xue Three nodded, made a ’six’ gesture with his left hand, and said very sincerely, "I understand."

Blind Bei suddenly turned sideways, a hint of melancholy in his demeanor, and said slowly, "I feel we’ve gone a bit too far, especially today. Our eagerness, our ’table manners,’ were too rushed."

"My lord will understand. Besides, didn’t My lord cooperate fully today?"

"Towards the Creator, you must maintain a sense of awe," Blind Bei reminded him.

"All I know is that My lord and we are grasshoppers on the same rope; neither can leave the other. Right now, we need strength, and we need it desperately."

"Grasshoppers on the same rope?"

"Aren’t we?" Xue Three retorted.

"Mo Wan hasn’t awakened yet, but none of us know when he will suddenly unseal himself and appear."

"What does this have to do with Mo Wan?"

"Heh heh, if Mo Wan awakens, tell me, if we continue to exert pressure on My lord as we did today, or even push him hard, would My lord be more willing to continue with us, or would he... be willing to take Mo Wan and leave directly?"

"This..." Xue Three suddenly fell silent.

"After all, to My lord, we are more like adopted sons, whereas Mo Wan is My lord’s own true... biological son."

"But, Blind Bei, I admit you’ve always been very smart, and your ability to manipulate people’s hearts is strong. However, you should also know Mo Wan’s personality and habits. Perhaps it’s a case of ’those involved can’t see clearly.’ My lord himself, perhaps due to the special emotional bond between a creator and their work, might have, like you, overlooked one issue: he forgot what kind of image and character he designed Mo Wan to be."

"Oh? Do tell."

"Why hasn’t Mo Wan unsealed himself yet?" Xue Three suddenly lowered his voice and asked.

"Why indeed?"

"Because..." Xue Three’s face was pale under the moonlight, yet his whole body exuded an unusual excitement. "Because I think if Mo Wan really awakens, his first act after unsealing himself... would be to kill My lord! Then, he would leave behind these words: ’You? You think you’re worthy of being my father?’"