Chapter 7: Not Too Bad Either

Wang Liang rode the bronze warhorse for a full two hours before the magic of the Divine Speed Talisman finally exhausted itself, forcing him to a halt.

Exhausted, Wang Liang dismounted and collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. In those two hours, he had put a full six hundred li between himself and the ruined city of Kunyang.

Feeling safe at last, Wang Liang stowed the bronze warhorse away. He then turned his attention to the Demon Tiger Mirror. The method to repair it was to refine the surface with blood-replenishing pills; as long as 5,000 health points were restored, it would be as good as new. Wang Liang lacked specific blood-replenishing pills, but the holy oil he had acquired from the Paladin previously would suffice.

Once the Demon Tiger Mirror was restored and the Profound Light Ruler had recharged, Wang Liang stood up to get his bearings. He had already tucked the Demon Tiger Heaven-Swallowing Armor and the Life-Severing Blade into his equipment inventory, opting to wear a simple, plain robe. After a moment’s thought, he decided against carrying a pack; he didn't know where he was and wanted to avoid drawing unnecessary attention.

Exiting the mountain forest, Wang Liang scanned his surroundings. There were no landmarks or prominent mountains to identify his location, though a trade route stretched off into the distance. Standing on the path, he inspected the ground and a faint smile touched his lips: there was fresh horse manure, a clear sign that the road was in regular use.

He decided to follow the path. After looking at the sky to confirm his orientation, he set off toward the west. He had no particular destination in mind, but since the little green ox, Xiaoqing, had advised him to head west upon entering, he would follow that instruction.

He hadn't walked far along the trade route before he spotted a caravan resting by the roadside. The group consisted of only a dozen or so people, yet they were tending to nearly twenty camels, each laden with boxes of varying sizes. The color of the crates suggested they hadn't traveled from very far away.

Wang Liang’s arrival caused a stir. Four men stood up, gripping straight blades and watching him intently. As they rose, Wang Liang noticed something peculiar: these men were far from ordinary. Two of them stood over 1.9 meters tall, and their skin texture made it clear they were not human. The other two were even more bizarre, bearing distinct traits of wild beasts. Could it be that in this world, humans and demons lived in such harmony? A thought flickered through his mind.

"Who goes there?"

Before Wang Liang could process the situation, a voice barked out. He turned toward the sound and saw an old man sitting on the ground. He had a long white beard that nearly obscured his face, and even while seated, he possessed an imposing, mountain-like presence. Two servants stood by his side, preoccupied only with holding his food and drink.

Seeing Wang Liang look his way, the old man repeated, "Who are you?"

"A passerby. I got lost in the woods and barely managed to find my way out. By the way, where is this? How much further to Chang'an?" Wang Liang offered a familiar name, hoping to gauge his location.

The old man’s eyes widened, and he scrutinized Wang Liang from head to toe. Finally, he seemed to have realized something. "Lost in the woods? Just how many years have you been wandering, boy?"

Wang Liang stepped back, wary. "What do you mean?"

"Look at the mud on you. You must have been buried underground for three hundred years," the old man laughed, rising to his feet. "Don't worry, the Xin Dynasty isn't so fussy. Humans, ghosts, gods, demons, spirits, and corpses—all six races coexist here. Just woken up, have you? You smell of metal and carry a faint trace of purple aura. A meteorite that gained sentience? That’s rare. Care for a drink?"

As the old man spoke, he raised his cup. Wang Liang only then noticed that the old man’s food and drink were not organic; he was consuming fruit and meatballs cast from various colored metals, and the liquid in his cup was pure mercury.

This sight left Wang Liang stunned. Seeing his slack-jawed expression, the old man laughed even harder. "I like little demons like you. Da Niu, come explain the situation to him. And see that he gets to the gates of Chang'an; don't let him die out here in the wild."

The one called Da Niu was a goat demon—not one of the four who had stood up earlier, but a short, goat-headed fellow who had been tending to the camels nearby. Hearing the old man’s summons, Da Niu hurried over, gave Wang Liang a quick look, and led him aside.

"Come over here. We're all demons here, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Just crawled out, right? Don't be surprised; it’s normal. Your constitution is just harder to transform."

"Brother Da Niu, could you speak a bit slower? I’m having trouble following you," Wang Liang interrupted.

Da Niu glanced at him and began, "It’s simple. Three hundred years ago, the Xin Dynasty was established. The Heavenly Dao rejoiced, meteorites tore through the sky, the Milky Way opened, and the Emperor’s River flowed down, giving all living things in the world a chance to attain sentience. His Majesty, Emperor Wang Mang of the Xin Dynasty, gained the recognition of the Heavenly Emperor and declared that the six races—humans, ghosts, gods, demons, spirits, and corpses—should coexist, and that all subjects are equal."

"Because of this, the Xin Dynasty has been blessed by the Heavenly Dao for three hundred years, and our national strength grows daily. We demons can walk the streets, and ghosts and corpses can appear in broad daylight. You are a type of spirit-creature; it’s perfectly normal to wake up only now. The cultivators of the Heavenly Strategy Mansion have studied this—the Emperor’s River touched all living beings, but some had spiritual essence and some did not. Those with it became demons; those without remained ordinary creatures, like those camels."

"Some creatures with spiritual essence didn't wake up as quickly—mountains, ancient trees, and mineral veins are like that. They require a much longer gestation to become spirits. You are a meteorite that fell from the sky, naturally imbued with celestial energy, so you were born with spiritual essence. But because of that very essence, your transformation was slower. Three hundred years? That’s actually not bad at all!"