Chapter 14. The Demon Realm Beyond Humanity (人外魔境) - The Solitary Bamboo Forest (孤竹林) (4)

Crack!

The broken window frame pitifully rolled on the ground.

Crash!

Xuliang, instinctively rolling under the bed, saw a feather of a strange color, red and blue.

'Feathers?!'

Caw!

His ears felt like they would burst.

The bizarre sound of a sword scraping against a metal plate made Xuliang turn his head toward the source of the noise.

His eyes widened as he saw something there.

'Oh!'

Rustle!

Aggressive flapping of wings disoriented his vision.

The extended legs and the sharp claws at the end were very sturdy. The flapping wings were also enormous, each one as big as a child's torso.

Xuliang's mouth gaped open.

'What kind of bird...'

...It's not a bird!

"What is that?!"

Xuliang's eyes bulged like a cow's.

Indeed, the entity that had suddenly broken through the window and made his heart race was not a bird.

"...A chicken?"

It was an incredibly large chicken, but not an ordinary one.

An ordinary chicken could never exude such power, even if it were resurrected.

Swoosh.

It wobbled a short distance, glaring at him.

The glare was enough to instill ornithophobia in a child seeing a bird for the first time. The wildly flickering blue eyes could be compared to those of a predator.

Xuliang was flabbergasted.

"I'm being attacked by a chicken..."

Suddenly, he lost his words.

Thud, thud, thud.

With each step, the sound of its feet hitting the ground echoed multiple times.

Flap, flap, flap!

The sound of the wings flapping threateningly was rich and full, a pressure that a single pair of wings could never produce.

Most importantly...

Clank, clank.

The chicken's head, standing tall and staring at him, had two other heads drooping on either side.

One of them, with its eyes closed, exuded a peaceful aura, making one think of 'a sound sleep.'

Xuliang, staring blankly at this absurd creature, opened his mouth wide.

'Six legs and three heads...'

What is this, some kind of demonic rooster that could be a lackey of the King of Hell?

The lustrous feathers glistened, and the claws that touched the ground looked as if they could tear through metal. The eyes, which followed him even as the head moved, were indistinguishable from human or animal eyes.

Xuliang felt his mind reel at the bizarre and enormous mutant chicken, which was far from being described as sacred.

'What is all this... Could it be a dream?'

No way. He was known as the First Killer Under Heaven, a body that had experienced countless legends. He was not someone who would confuse reality with dreams.

Thud, thud, thud.

Xuliang's eyes wavered.

The chicken, lowering its head and scratching the ground, had a very honest intention to attack in its fierce gaze.

'Damn!'

Xuliang quickly reached out and grabbed a piece of the broken window frame.

Squawk!

At the same time, the chicken let out a terrifying sound and charged at him.

It was an incredible speed. It was like seeing a leopard charging at its prey, not a chicken.

There was no time to think.

Xuliang's eyes blazed.

'Heavenly Net Six Passages!'

Swoosh!!

The world around him slowed down.

* * *

Clank!

Madongpi glanced over his shoulder.

The large sack contained over a dozen weapons. They were not of the quality to produce the sound of a new weapon, but they were made by a skilled craftsman.

'This should be enough.'

He was inwardly puzzled.

'But why does he need so many weapons?'

He had already gathered information about the Third Young Master.

The Third Young Master was known to primarily wield a sword. His specialty was a powerful and domineering sword, yet he maintained finesse and speed, making him a master of swordsmanship.

'Maybe holding a weapon could help him recall his past memories.'

So, he specially included four swords of different lengths. Whether it was right for the Young Master to regain his memories, considering his violent past, was uncertain...

'No, I shouldn't think like that. I am just the Third Young Master's bodyguard. I shouldn't let personal feelings interfere.'

He took out a small piece of paper from his pocket.

"Water is sufficient, and there's enough dried food for a month. The clothing is also ample."

At least, the Third Young Master was treated with considerable care at the Huanxiyuan, which was fortunate. The Solitary Bamboo Forest was too dangerous to live in with just one's bare body.

'At least there's no need to worry about daily necessities.'

Madongpi inwardly sighed.

'Indeed, I'm not just a simple bodyguard.'

He couldn't bring a weak servant who might die. Besides, they wouldn't even qualify to enter the Solitary Bamboo Forest.

Ultimately, attending to the Third Young Master was entirely his responsibility.

'Perhaps it's better to do it alone. It would be less stressful than entrusting it to someone else...'

Suddenly, Madongpi's steps stopped.

"..."

The wind blew, carrying a heavy scent of blood from deep within the Solitary Bamboo Forest.

His face turned pale instantly.

Swoosh!

His agile movements made the surrounding bamboo trees blur past.

Madongpi shouted.

"Young Master!"

His voice echoed loudly.

Considering the danger of the Solitary Bamboo Forest, he shouldn't have shouted so loudly. A voice powered by inner strength would spread in all directions.

But Madongpi had forgotten that. What was important now was not that.

"Young Master! Young Master!!"

Swoosh! Swoosh!

How long did he run?

Soon, the Chengzhu Yuan, where the Third Young Master resided, came into view.

The broken stone walls of the Chengzhu Yuan and the shattered window frame of the Young Master's room.

'Oh!'

Swoosh!

Madongpi leaped over the stone wall, his eyes bloodshot.

"Young Master! Where are you...?"

"Call me Xuliang."

Crack!

Madongpi slowed down mid-air at the casual voice.

"Ah? You're quite skilled?"

Swish!

Quickly discarding the weapons, he looked at the courtyard.

There, Xuliang, covered in blood, was sitting on a bench and waving his hand.

"You're here."

"Y-Young Master?! Are you alright?"

"Call me Xuliang."

Xuliang's face looked extremely tired.

Madongpi, who was about to rush to him, hesitated.

Next to the bench, a large, blood-covered bird lay sprawled out. The bird's body was pierced with broken window frames, teacup fragments, and a pickaxe.

"...Cangfu."

"Is that the name of this chicken head?"

"Yes, sir. Anyway, let's tend to your injuries first..."

"It's not my blood."

"Really?"

Madongpi, surprised, focused his inner strength.

'...'

Indeed. Xuliang's body was covered in blood, but apart from a few scratches, he was in perfect condition.

Although his complexion was pale from the exertion, he had more than enough left to deal with that monstrous bird.

Madongpi was inwardly shocked.

'How...?'

He knew Xuliang was in very good health.

But it was only that of an ordinary civilian, a commoner. He had a bit of inner strength, but it was negligible.

"Did you... catch it alone?"

"Who else is here besides me?"

That was true. That's why it was even more unbelievable.

Cangfu's danger level was comparable to a leopard. A mere healthy person had killed such a fierce bird.

From the traces, it seemed Cangfu had even launched a surprise attack. That made it even more impossible.

"Mr. Ma."

Madongpi looked at Xuliang.

Shudder!

Suddenly, his back felt damp and his knees weak.

The gaze was similar to when he spoke to Xuliang after two days. No, with the scent of blood, Xuliang's eyes were even more sinister.

A faint aura of killing intent shrouded his transparent eyes.

Madongpi swallowed.

'Those eyes...'

The feeling of being overwhelmed by a gaze was similar to when he met the Chief Enforcer and the Great Enforcer.

No, in some ways, it was even stronger. He felt a more primal ferocity from the Third Young Master than the Chief Enforcer's dignity.

A menacing aura, as if ready to stab a knife into his neck at any moment.

It was as if this was his true form, exuding a terrifying presence.

"I need an explanation. How do you know this chicken head, and what is this place, the Solitary Bamboo Forest?"

Madongpi closed his eyes tightly.

He couldn't face the Young Master.

"This place is..."

Madongpi's brief explanation began.

The Solitary Bamboo Forest.

A natural demonic forest that existed before the Heavenly Demon Sect established its base.

A place where bamboo trees, possessing an unparalleled amount of wood qi, grow, and the air is exceptionally fresh. The concentrated spiritual energy here is denser than any famous mountain in the world.

What's remarkable is that this spiritual energy does not spread outward but circulates only within the bamboo forest.

Over time, the concentrated spiritual energy becomes even more potent, and the rich natural energy becomes more abundant.

And over the vast ages, the spiritual energy that circulates within the bamboo forest has not remained just energy.

"Thanks to the concentrated spiritual energy, not only wood qi but also earth qi has been amplified. That's why the bamboo trees here are exceptionally thick and sturdy."

"They seem to have a very short lifespan?"

"You are correct. The growth rate of bamboo shoots is several times faster than ordinary bamboo, which is why the forest can sustain itself. And..."

"And?"

"Among the bamboo trees, some possess more than just thickness and sturdiness."

Xuliang's eyes lit up.

"Do they become rare medicinal herbs?"

"More accurately, they are both poisonous and medicinal herbs. The spiritual energy is so dense that they require dozens of processing steps to be safe for human consumption."

Madongpi bowed his head.

"More than half of the demonic pills produced by our sect are based on bamboo collected from this Solitary Bamboo Forest."

Xuliang's mouth gaped open like a carp.

"What? So you can mass-produce medicinal herbs?"

"That's impossible."

"Why?"

Madongpi looked down at the blood-covered Cangfu.

Xuliang's gaze followed.

"Most of the bamboo suitable for medicinal use is concentrated in the inner part. The problem is the existence of spiritual and demonic creatures guarding that area."

"...Are they these creatures?"

"Yes. Even the weakest ones."

"Weakest? There are stronger ones?"

"Cangfu is the weakest. Among the confirmed creatures, even a mid-level demonic creature can easily match a peak expert."

"..."

Madongpi sighed.

"Therefore, twice a year, the Great Enforcer and other high-ranking members of our sect visit to collect the spiritual bamboo. The deepest part of the Solitary Bamboo Forest is dangerous enough to make even them tense."

"Indeed."

"Of course, this place is not entirely safe. But it is the safest place in the Solitary Bamboo Forest. Cangfu should not be active now, but my arrogance led to my failure to protect the Young Master."

Madongpi knelt down solemnly.

"Please kill me."

"It's fine, get up. Just do better in the future."

"...Thank you."

"No need for thanks. Anyway, this place is so dangerous?"

Xuliang, tilting his head, suddenly seemed to realize something and blinked.

Wait a minute?

"Then why did the Sect Leader... put me here?"

"..."

"..."

Madongpi's face turned awkward.

"Disrespectful to the Sect Leader..."

"Shut up!"

"Yes, sir."

Xuliang's face turned red with anger.

This fatso! Even dismembering him wouldn't be enough! Not just putting me here, but sending me to a death trap?!

Who the hell rebelled?! What did I do wrong, you crazy devil?!

Rumble.

"..."

A strange silence fell.

Xuliang and Madongpi's gazes met in the air.

"Mr. Ma."

"Yes, Mr. Xuliang."

"Do you have a pot?"

"Of course. But why a pot all of a sudden...?"

Xuliang looked down at the dead Cangfu.

Madongpi, tilting his head, suddenly froze as he realized something.

"Bring some water to a boil and dig up a few bamboo shoots. I'll do the preparation."

Xuliang licked his lips.

"We'll talk while we eat."