"Bah, you shameless scoundrel! Once my master recovers from his injuries, he will definitely find his way here, and you will die without a burial place."
The little princess suddenly mentioned her master, which really startled Chen Nan. Even if Zhuge Chengfeng's unparalleled cultivation was not as good as the old monster's, it was not far off.
The thought that two peerless masters might come knocking on his door at any moment filled him with unease, but the fact that even a powerful old monster couldn't break free of his Binding Spirit Finger technique reassured him somewhat.
"Why hasn't this old monster shown himself yet? Did he even follow us?"
The little princess said, "You scoundrel, what are you muttering about? Are you scared? If you are, let me go right now, and I might spare your life."
"Don't you dare disobey me! If you don't behave, I'll execute you right here and now."
Although the little princess was furious, she was even more frightened. She huffed and puffed as she climbed onto Tiger King Xiaoyu's back, saying, "Xiaoyu, let's go, let's get away from this bad guy."
Chen Nan said, "You're not allowed to ride that lecherous tiger around recklessly. You just attracted some strange woman. Don't you want to attract any more terrifying people? Your Soul-Binding Finger technique is about to activate. If you run around recklessly, don't come looking for me when you suffer."
The little princess was furious, but there was nothing she could do. Guan Hao chuckled to himself, which Xiao Yu saw. She let out a fierce roar, scaring him so much that he fled in panic.
Chen Nan called out from behind, "Hey, don't run so fast!"
Guan Hao didn't turn around and said, "I have urgent business to attend to, I'm leaving now."
The little princess called out from behind, "You damn rat, you haven't said goodbye to me yet!"
Guan Hao's voice drifted from afar: "Goodbye, little witch, no, never see you again."
The little princess said angrily, "You damn rat, you can't escape. I'm going to Shenfeng Academy too."
A scream echoed from afar: "God... save me!"
The little princess glared at him fiercely, picked up the tiger king, which had shrunk to the size of a kitten, and walked forward.
"You scoundrel, I'm going to Shenfeng Academy!" Ever since she subdued Xiaoyu, the little princess had wanted to escape more than once, but she was afraid that the power of the Binding Finger would suddenly flare up on the way. Finally, she thought of Shenfeng Academy, which was rumored to be full of experts, and even some peerless masters were hiding there. She wanted to ask the experts there to help her remove the restrictions on her body.
"No, I don't want to cause trouble," Chen Nan immediately refused.
Stepping into the City of Sin, the bustling scene makes it hard to imagine that this is a city located deep in the mountains. Pedestrians throng the streets, and the sounds of buying and selling fill the air.
The city is home to a diverse range of races; a glance down the street reveals black hair, blonde hair, red hair, blue hair…
Upon entering the city, the little princess was overjoyed. She first snatched a string of candied hawthorns from a small vendor, and then turned and left.
The man was so anxious that he kept shouting, "The young lady hasn't paid yet!"
The little princess turned around and said, "Ask my follower for it." She pointed at Chen Nan as she spoke.
Chen Nan gave her a sharp rap on the head, the little princess almost bursting into tears from the pain. She turned and ran away angrily. However, despite the vendor's obstruction, Chen Nan still had to obediently pay.
After walking for more than a mile through the city, the little princess had already attracted countless people chasing after her.
Chen Nan finally caught her and said, "Please, little devil, don't act like a child and take whatever you see. Don't you feel ashamed? I feel embarrassed."
The youngest princess, the youngest daughter of the Chu emperor, was usually a pampered princess, with almost no one going against her wishes. But these past few days, she had suffered repeated setbacks, and feeling extremely wronged, she vented her anger by going on a shopping spree.
Finally, the two checked into an inn.
That night, the little princess's "Soul-Trapping Finger" technique flared up. Amidst her painful cries and curses, Chen Nan helped her improve her blood circulation and alleviate her pain.
When the little princess washed away the dust of her journey, put on her new clothes, and entered the house, the whole room seemed to light up instantly. Her long, black hair, exquisite face, and graceful figure exuded an amazing charm.
After washing up, Chen Nan felt all the fatigue from the journey disappear. When he saw the beautiful little princess walk in, he was delighted and couldn't help but take a few more glances.
The little princess watched him warily, genuinely afraid that he would "lose his temper."
"You disgusting scoundrel, be careful your eyes don't fall out. I'm going to book another room. Today, this princess will never again be threatened by you or share a room with you."
"That won't do. There are a lot of bad people here. Just to be on the safe side, let's stick to the old rule: two beds per room."
"Pah! Is there anyone worse than you in the world?"
"I'm a good person..."
"Shameless! Humph, we're already in the City of Sin, and you're still worried I'll escape? I have plenty of chances to escape. If you won't order, I will." With that, the little princess grabbed Xiaoyu and ran out.
But as soon as she ran into the courtyard, she shouted, "Xiaoyu, transform quickly! Let's go!"
A tiger's roar startled everyone in the inn.
When Chen Nan ran out, the little princess and the tiger king had already soared into the sky.
"Hey, little devil, where are you going?"
"I feel it's too dangerous to stay around a scoundrel like you. Xiaoyu and I are going to live somewhere else."
"Little devil, aren't you afraid of the Sleep-Inducing Finger Technique flaring up?"
"You bastard, you scoundrel, you villain..." The little princess cursed him at first, then said, "I'll come looking for you then, you worthless scoundrel! I curse you to have bad luck every day you're here. Goodbye."
In the blink of an eye, a white light disappeared above the inn.
Although many people came out of the inn to ask questions, Chen Nan ignored them all.
"This little girl is really vigilant, this little devil..." Chen Nan wasn't afraid that the little princess would run away. He believed that the little princess would obediently come back before the power of the Soul-Trapping Finger took effect.
The following morning, after having breakfast and dinner, Chen Nan began to wander around the City of Sin.
The city of sin is vast, and in half a day he had only explored half of the eastern part of the city.
"The old poison monster is here too. How can I find him? Forget it, that scoundrel is probably hiding somewhere having a good time. I won't bother looking for him. I'll just wait and see when I run into him."
At noon, he went into a restaurant, sat down at a table by the window on the second floor, ordered a few dishes and a pot of wine, and watched the flow of people coming and going on the street while drinking.
After downing more than a dozen glasses of strong liquor, Chen Nan was slightly tipsy. He chuckled to himself, "Life is like a dream. Who would have thought I was from ten thousand years ago? Ten thousand years have passed, and yet I've come back to life!"
In his hazy, drunken state, he was filled with emotion. To think that someone from ten thousand years ago could be resurrected from an ancient divine tomb was something even he found hard to believe.
Besides burying the strongest humans and top cultivators among the superhumans, every other grave in the Cemetery of Gods and Demons contains the remains of an ancient god or demon. His cultivation was mediocre before his death; there must be a hidden reason why he was buried there. Even his low, unmarked grave suggests that this "deceased" is different from the others. The mystery surrounding him is shrouded in mist; he cannot see clearly, cannot understand, and cannot comprehend it!
Having lived in that small town on the western border of Chu for a year, he constantly adjusted his mindset. His confusion gradually faded from the shadows of the past, and he began to see himself as a modern person. However, deep within his heart lay a trace of world-weariness, but in order to survive, he could only bury it all deep inside.
"People, simple on the outside, complex on the inside, everyone's form and heart are different. But for the sake of life, everyone has to act, hide their true selves, and package themselves with hypocrisy." Chen Nan gradually became drunk. Scenes from the past floated into his mind, and the figures of Yu Xin, Tantai Xuan and others flashed before his eyes one by one.
"Where will I go in this life? Perhaps, the first thing I must do is to explore the secrets of the Cemetery of Gods and Demons. How can I find peace if I can't even unravel the mystery of my own resurrection? The Cemetery of Gods and Demons... Gods and demons... In this life, I am destined to continually pursue the ruins of gods and demons..."
As the alcohol took effect, Chen Nan gradually lost his balance and slumped onto the table. In his hazy drunken state, he sensed several young men and women coming upstairs and then walking back.
"How come this drunkard has taken up such a good spot by the window? Boss, could you move him? We want to sit here." It was a young man's voice, and although it was a request, it carried a commanding tone.
One of the women said, "Forget it, let's not bother. Let's just sit at that empty table over there."
The other young men and women nodded in agreement and walked to another empty table.
After ordering their food and drinks, the group of men and women ate, drank, and discussed the matter.
"The exam questions this semester were too difficult; they actually asked us to find the lost left hand of God."
"I feel like those old fogies in the college are deliberately making things difficult for us."
"Yeah, that's just a legend. Whether it even exists is another matter."
"You didn't listen carefully. Those old fogies added something at the end: there are other test questions you can choose from."
"Oh my god, I really want to kill those old fogies! Why didn't I hear anything? If I can't find even a single clue about the Divine Hand, I won't get a single credit..."
"Ugh... I didn't hear it either."
...
"But that legend is truly astonishing. Thousands of years ago, two gods fought a great battle in the nearby mountains. Do you think it's true?"
"It's possible; that mountain range really does look like it's been through a massive, earth-shattering battle."
"That's an exaggeration. Mountains collapsed, rivers changed course, and lakes dried up. It's unimaginable that this was the result of a major war."
"How can it be unimaginable? They are gods, not humans, and it was a divine war in which two gods exploded and perished together."
"What do you think that god held in his severed hand that caused two gods to fight over it so fiercely?"
"It must be something extraordinary; we can hardly imagine something that would be valued so highly by God."
"If we really find that piece of divine hand and obtain what it holds, we might have an unimaginable adventure."
"Dream on. So many experts are searching for it. How could it be our turn? I just hope to find a clue and get a few credits from those old fogies."
...
"Those old scholars just happened to translate the text on that ancient parchment scroll at this very moment. If it had been later, we wouldn't have made the mistake of choosing such an exam question."
"Yeah, what a coincidence."
"It's unbelievable that the person who left behind written records thousands of years ago was fortunate enough to witness a great battle between two gods, seeing one god sever the left hand of another!"
"That guy was really unlucky. He searched for the Left Hand of God in those mountains his whole life and never found it."
"Do you think the records on that ancient parchment scroll are true? They seem like myths to me."
"The story of God is, of course, mythology!"
"The native inhabitants of the City of Sin all say that a divine war took place here. Of course, it was too long ago, and what has been passed down are just some far-fetched legends without any valuable clues. But I think the record on that parchment scroll must be true."
"I've heard that many cultivators from the mainland have already rushed here. The City of Sin will surely be very lively in the near future."
"Yes, but it has also caused trouble for our assessment."
"I never imagined that a battle between gods, thousands of years ago, would still cause such a huge uproar."
"Just thinking about that battlefield is terrifying. If I possessed such supernatural powers, who in heaven or on earth could stop me?"
"Dream on. If you had such great supernatural powers, what would you want to do?"
"The first thing I want to do is propose to the eldest princess of Chu. Rumor has it she's an absolutely stunning beauty!"
The people nearby burst into laughter.
"Don't laugh. That Chu Yue is truly as beautiful as a fairy. Even women would be captivated by her. It's said that she has a younger sister who has just turned sixteen, and her beauty is already on par with Chu Yue's. In another two years, she will be an absolute beauty."
"No matter how beautiful they are, they are thousands of miles away. I believe that the beauties in our college are no less beautiful than the princess of Chu."
"You bunch of perverts would better keep your voices down. If someone with ulterior motives hears you, it will cause you a huge problem."
"Yes, be careful what you say!"
"Let's eat quickly, and then we'll set off immediately."
After several young men and women came downstairs, Chen Nan raised his head from the table. Although he was already drowsy, he still heard the conversation he had just heard.
"Here you go, keep the change."
Chen Nan casually tossed out a gold coin, making the restaurant owner beam with joy.
"Wait a minute, I have something to ask you."
The shopkeeper said, "Please ask."
"Were those people students from Kamikaze Academy?"
"Your insight is keen; those individuals are indeed the pride of Shenfeng Academy."
"The chosen ones? They're just a few students."
The restaurant owner chuckled, "You're not a local, nor are you a cultivator, are you?"
Chen Nan hummed in agreement.
"No wonder. Let me tell you, the young people who can enter Shenfeng Academy are all extraordinary. They are either royalty or true powerhouses. It's a place where hidden talents abound... Many influential figures on the continent have graduated from Shenfeng Academy. Take those young people from earlier, for example. One is a prince from a small country, and the other is a princess from a large country..."
Chen Nan staggered back to the inn, and collapsed onto the bed as soon as he entered his room. The inn's rooms weren't very soundproof, and he could clearly hear the loud conversation between two people in the adjacent room.
"So many strange things have been happening these days."
"Pigeons are flying everywhere."
"Tch, what's the big deal? These days, the news about the ancient god's severed hand has been all over the place. Do you think anyone would be so bored as to release pigeons for fun? Those are carrier pigeons, used to send messages to all parts of the continent."
"It's one thing for pigeons to be flying everywhere, but today I actually saw a tiger flying in the sky."
"What daydreaming? You forgot about that tiger's roar last night. It was most likely the flying tiger I saw. Otherwise, how could there be tigers in the city?"
"You...you really saw a flying tiger?"
"It's absolutely true. It appears every so often in the direction of the east side of the city."
...
"This little devil is so flamboyant..." Chen Nan washed his face, left the inn, and headed east of the city. As he passed the city moat, he saw five or six people stumbling and running onto the bridge.
He stopped someone and asked, "What's wrong?"
The man said, "A flying demon tiger has appeared in the east of the city, and a girl is riding on its back and robbing people."
"What?!" Chen Nan's mouth dropped open in surprise. He never expected that the little princess would become a robber.
The man looked extremely frightened, and after speaking, he quickly ran into the city. On the way, Chen Nan encountered several more people who had "encountered robbers." Some of these people were in a worse state, their bodies charred black, clearly having been struck by lightning by Xiao Yu.
"This little girl is really too naughty."
From afar, he saw the little princess wearing loose clothes and a veil, riding on the tiger king, flying around in the air.
"Robbery! Hand over all your money!"
The people on the ground trembled with fear. After putting down their gold coins, they fled as if they had seen a ghost.
Chen Nan felt both angry and amused. How could the dignified little princess of Chu, a golden branch and jade leaf, actually do such a thing?
"What are you doing, you little devil?"
"Ah, that scoundrel is here! Xiaoyu, fly higher!" The little princess, not bothering to pick up the valuables on the ground, ordered Xiaoyu to fly quickly into the sky.
"You little devil...you're actually robbing people? Aren't you afraid it'll reach your emperor father's ears?"
"You scoundrel, scumbag, villain, bastard..." The little princess launched into a tirade as usual, before finally saying, "I need clothes, I need food, I need a place to stay, but all the money is in that bastard's hands. I have no money, so of course I have to earn it myself."
"What! You...you're making money? You're robbing people, you're committing a crime! If you don't have money, you can come to me!"
"Pah! I won't beg you, you scoundrel! I'll be self-reliant and earn my own living."
"Please, don't tarnish the words 'self-reliance' and 'earning your own living,' okay? Your current behavior is no different from that of a robber or bandit."
"Nonsense, I robbed the rich to help the poor, I didn't always make money."
"What 'making money'? Just call it robbery, that's much more straightforward. I ask you, how many poor people have you helped?"
"I haven't seen any poor people yet; everyone walking on this road is a millionaire."
"You..." Chen Nan was speechless for a long time before finally saying, "You're ruthless enough not to let a single person go."
"You scoundrel, get out of here! Don't stop me from making money."
"You...you robbed so many people, isn't that enough money for you?"
"That's not enough. My expenses are huge. Hmm, I've decided to rob you now and make you hand over all your money."
Chen Nan was both angry and amused, and laughed, "You little devil, you're so greedy for money that you actually want to rob me. If you're so capable, come and take it yourself."
"Hmph, I'm not kidding you. If you don't obediently hand over all the money on you, I'll tell people my name is Chen Nan when I make money again."
"Scared now? Hand over all your money."
"I'm not afraid of you." With that, Chen Nan bent down and began picking up the little princess's "spoils of war".
The little princess screamed in mid-air, "You shameless scoundrel! What are you doing? That's my money! Don't touch it! Put it down!"
Chen Nan smiled and said, "I'm a bit short on cash lately, so could you help me out a little?"
The little princess was furious. Riding on Xiaoyu, she soared up and down in the air, scolding and threatening Chen Nan: "You scoundrel, you're a robber, you're a thief! You actually stole my money! When I make money again, I'll definitely tell people my name is Chen Nan first!"
"If you dare say that, don't come looking for me when the Soul-Suppressing Finger power kicks in."
"Shameless, vile, despicable... I curse you to be groped by thieves as soon as you enter the city!" After hurling a vicious curse, the little princess rode Xiaoyu away like lightning, disappearing into the air in the blink of an eye.
Chen Nan sighed, "What a troublesome little problem. She's actually getting involved in this kind of thing. I wonder what other outrageous things she'll do. But it's really strange, why does she need so much money? Could it be…?"
He recalled Guan Hao's hard work in earning money. "Could this little devil also want to join the Divine Wind Academy?"
"Could this academy really be as full of hidden talents as the rumors suggest? Hmm, I'll go check it out tonight."