The black beast that represented misfortune and calamity in Yunqin now became snow-white. Its entire body was surging with the power of frost, becoming like the immortal guardian spirit of a divine country.

This was a true transformation.

Lin Xi was currently watching Lucky’s transformation. Through the surrounding vital energy and the changes to Lucky’s aura, he who was a bit sluggish under the thin oxygen and extreme cold slowly reacted, realizing that this was the cultivation method Lucky should have practiced. It was only because it lost the environment of Frozen God Domain, lost this kind of natural vital energy, that Lucky’s fiend beast lineage suffered such difficult lives in Great Desolate Swamp.

He felt happy for Lucky.

Similarly, as Lucky carried out this true awakening, it also thought through even more reasoning.

…

The red robed Divine Adjudicators and guards continued to pull that metal giant imperial carriage in Yunqin’s north.

Compared to entering Four Seasons Plains and Green Luan Academy, this troop already had many new devout believers. The troop now seemed even more massive.

The sky gradually became dark. A small Yunqin town appeared in front of this troop.

Several red robed Divine Adjudicators quickened their gait, breaking free from the troop. Just like before, they planned to enter this small town and bring out some devoted devil king worshippers with them.

However, their steps instead suddenly stopped. When they heard the sound behind them, they didn’t even dare to turn around. All of them kneeled sincerely.

Zhang Ping walked out from the imperial carriage.

Zhang Ping had never shown himself when they passed through any other towns or cities.

Moreover, even in the eyes of these devout believers, most of them believed that Zhang Ping’s power mostly came from that set of devil king armor. That armor should be inside the imperial carriage, so all of them subconsciously felt like it was only natural for Zhang Ping to remain in the imperial carriage.

But now, even though they didn’t dare raise their heads to look at Zhang Ping, all of them were certain that Zhang Ping came out in only a set of simple black patriarch clothes. Zhang Ping walked towards that town.

When they thought about the meaning behind this, all of these devout believers’ bodies trembled intensely uncontrollably. At the same time, their eyes became filled with even more fear, sincerity and zealotry.

This was a bordering region between Northsprout Province and Sweetwater Province. This place was already quite remote, the towns extremely small and ordinary. There was only a single street that wasn’t long, the homes along this road old fashioned and simple. Mushy vegetable leaves floated along the water gutter, dried chicken feces even visible on the ground. From time to time, chickens raised by the families would run out, and then disappear somewhere behind the courtyard.

Even though this territory was remote, unaffected by the flames of war, Yunqin’s various lands were in chaos, so there was no way this place’s livelihood wouldn’t be affected. All of the stores here seemed a bit cold and cheerless.

It was precisely because it was too ordinary that almost no residents from this town drew the attention of any great figures from Yunqin during this chaos.

There was an unremarkable noodle shop near the center of the street.

𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

The noodle shop’s owner was an extremely ordinary bald middle-aged man.

Yunqin’s people were used to eating noodles in the morning, and then doing some small stir fry for dinner. Currently, the small town’s lives were more hard pressed than past years, so his business wasn’t all that good either. There wasn’t a single guest, the salted vegetables and tofu were only prepared for his own dinner.

The ordinary and hard pressed life covered this middle-aged bald man’s face in humbleness. After stir-frying the tofu and salted vegetables, his eyes occasionally darted across the street. When he saw that the tavern there had some guests laughing and teasing the well-rounded and gorgeous boss lady, the expression of inferiority in his eyes became much greater.

Zhang Ping walked along the street.

He stopped in front of this noodle shop, and then he walked in.

When he heard the footsteps, this middle-aged bald noodle shop owner raised his head. When he saw Zhang Ping’s face, he couldn’t help but feel a bit stunned. He didn’t recognize Zhang Ping, nor did he associate Zhang Ping with that rumored devil king. He only felt like his clothes were especially fancy, extravagant to the point where he didn’t seem like someone who would want to eat his noodles or stir-fry.

As such, he wondered if Zhang Ping only came to ask for directions or something else. However, before he spoke, Zhang Ping instead already looked at him and calmly said, “One bowl of noodles with meat.”

The noodle shop owner was immediately a bit surprised. However, he felt like this guest wasn’t too fond of words, so he immediately voiced his acknowledgement, starting to prepare the noodles.

When Zhang Ping saw the bowl of noodles in front of him, he began to slowly eat the noodles. Only then did he look at this middle-aged bald noodle shop owner, slowly saying, “I don’t have money for the noodles… but I can give you the chance to serve me. I can satisfy your desires.”

When this timid and ordinary middle-aged man heard the first sentence, he was a bit stunned. However, when he heard Zhang Ping’s following words, he was instead shocked.

Zhang Ping didn’t pay him any attention, only slowly eating the noodles on his own.

This middle-aged baldy began to realize something. His breathing gradually became rushed, the bamboo chopsticks continuously bumping into the edges of the pots.

However, he didn’t dare ask anything. In this noodle shop, he didn’t say a single word even after Zhang Ping finished this bowl of noodles. There was only heavy breathing.

Zhang Ping lowered his chopsticks. He didn’t look at him, instead turning around to look at the gorgeous girl in the tavern on the other side. “I can bring your cherished desire to fruition, bestow her to you.”

This middle-aged baldy’s breathing originally became even heavier when Zhang Ping turned around. But when he heard these words, his breathing suddenly stopped.

Zhang Ping turned around to look at this middle-aged bald man.

This middle-aged man looked at the decorative patterns Zhang Ping wore, feeling greater and greater awe from them, becoming more and more certain that Zhang Ping was that legendary person.

When he saw Zhang Ping’s cold and dignified expression, this middle-aged bald man didn’t dare make Zhang Ping wait for too long. He lowered his head while shaking. “I… I am not worthy of her.”

Zhang Ping said expressionlessly, “I can give you money and status so that you are worthy of her.”

The middle-aged bald man’s greasy cotton robes were gradually soaked through by sweat. He didn’t dare raise his head to look at Zhang Ping. Only by using the last of his courage and strength did he manage to speak with a hoarse, trembling voice, “But she already has a distinguished husband, and she lives a good life.”

Zhang Ping coldly answered, “I can make her husband disappear, I can make her life terrible as well… or perhaps I could say that the things I give you can make her live even better than the life she lives right now.”

Liquid trickled down from this ordinary noodle shop owner’s face, unknown if it was sweat or tears. He knew that beautiful woman since childhood, but his family was poor, he always felt like he wasn’t good enough for her. Even though he had always deeply loved that woman since he was a child, his feelings of inferiority prevented him from even having the courage to voice his feelings. He could only silently watch as she was married to another. Now, someone like Zhang Ping suddenly appeared, saying that he could satisfy his desires, yet he didn’t feel any crazy joy. Instead, he entered a state of conflict and struggle.

“Why?” He used a voice that even he found unfamiliar to ask. He wanted to ask why Zhang Ping would suddenly appear in front of him and say he would satisfy the desires of an ordinary person like him.

“Perhaps when people like you do things, you need a reason.” Zhang Ping said indifferently. “For me, I do not need your reasons at all for anything I do.”

The noodle shop owner wasn’t all that intelligent of a person, but people like him worshipped deities with even more reverence. That was why he could easily understand Zhang Ping’s intentions, understand that transcendent beings like Principal Zhang were different from him. They couldn’t be evaluated through the mindsets of ordinary people at all. At the same time, he was even more certain that as long as he nodded and said that he wanted her, then that girl he adored since youth would no longer be the wife of another, but would rather truly become his wife.

He began to feel an even greater struggle. His face became even more pale. Droplets of liquid slid down his cheeks.

Zhang Ping’s brows furrowed slightly. This middle-aged bald man’s struggle and hesitation left him a bit annoyed.

This middle-aged bald man could also sense Zhang Ping’s irritation. He could feel a terrifying wind stirring in front of his noodle shop. He felt even more fear, and then he finally made his decision. He shook his head. “I cannot do that.”

Zhang Ping’s cold brows jumped. He stared at this middle-aged bald man for a moment, and then asked, “Why?”

The middle-aged bald man answered with a sobbing voice, “She… she doesn’t like me.”

This was quite the sufficient reason, but Zhang Ping felt a mysterious source of anger.

It was as if flames burned in his eyes. A harsh voice that seemed to have come from the depths of hell sounded. “Is whether she likes you or not that important? You can obtain her, but all because of this petty reason, you actually refused me?”

This middle-aged bald man was only the simplest Yunqin person. He wanted to stand up straight, but a powerful feeling of fear made it so that he subconsciously bowed down, kneeling on the floor.

“Love is not owning, but rather giving. If you truly believe this, looking for excuses for your own weaknesses and inferiority, then I can give you another choice.” Zhang Ping looked at him and said with a fierce laugh, “You can either receive my gift and make her your wife, or prove to me that you can sacrifice everything to ensure that she can live the life you feel is best for her. If this is still not enough for you to understand, then I can put it even more simply. Either die, or take her as your wife.”

The middle-aged bald man began to sob, but he didn’t dare cry out loud to avoid drawing the attention of those in this town, especially not that of the people in that tavern to prevent even more misfortune befalling them.

He clutched his own mouth and nose, crying silently and painfully. His body began to twist.

“It is all my fault, I shouldn’t have held onto those improper thoughts about her.”

This middle-aged bald man ultimately released this sound.

Zhang Ping’s eyes contracted slightly.

He knew that this middle-aged bald man made his decision.

“You would rather die than accept my gift?”

Zhang Ping looked at this noodle shop boss whose body was shaking and twisting, yet still didn’t change his mind. He immediately entered a state of endless fury.

He didn’t say anything else.

A purple-black flame surged from his body.

The noodle shop burned, everything turning to ashes.

He began to walk along the street. Endless screams of panic and horror sounded in the street. The entire street was set aflame, burnt to ashes.

As Zhang Ping walked along the burning street, he received the expressions of even greater worship and fear from the believers outside the town, but his heart was instead still filled by anger and speechlessness.

He didn’t feel the slightest bit pleased with himself.

It wasn’t just that most ordinary, most self-abased middle-aged bald man that made him feel failure. His obscure rage also made him understand that he wasn’t like he thought he was, completely freed from the emotions of this world. He knew that he wasn’t as he thought, that he still cared a lot about Qin Xiyue.