Chapter 723: This Kid is Supposed to be Twelve?!

Crackle, crackle.

The firewood in the bonfire cracked and splintered, producing crisp snapping sounds. The roasting beast meat on top was still streaked with blood as someone grabbed it and tore into it with large bites.

Upon closer inspection, the one eating had thick bristles covering the back of his hands—a clear sign that he was not human.

Huyan Dong and his son, Huyan Bin, had long bronze nails driven through their bodies, each engraved with talisman inscriptions that completely suppressed their cultivation power. Sitting quietly to the side, they appeared very well-behaved.

Four or five hulking half-demons stood nearby, gripping legendary weapons and closely monitoring their every move.

As footsteps approached, Lu Jiangtong appeared. He strode toward Huyan Dong and Huyan Bin, exuding a sinister malevolent qi. In his hand, he casually held a large roasted beast’s hind leg.

"City Lord, City Lord Junior, Sure you don’t want to eat some?” he jeered, flashing his signature smirk. “Even mighty cultivators need a little nourishment to recover.”

"No need," Huyan Dong responded as he shook his head.

“Worried we poisoned it?” Lu Jiangtong asked. He sank his teeth into the meat, tearing off a large chunk and swallowing it in just a few bites. Then, he added with a chuckle, “Relax. We people of Mount Mang would never tamper with food. That’d be a waste.”

Huyan Dong paused for a moment before raising his gaze to him. “I’m curious. Given how far you’ve fallen, where did you get all these resources and enchanted tools?”

Huyan Dong had never imagined that Taotie City would actually fall to this group—outlaws relentlessly hunted by the imperial court. When he had suggested they attack Red Cotton Peak, he had only expected them to throw their lives away to create chaos, nothing more.

Yet, the rebels of Mount Mang who attacked Taotie City were clad in gleaming armor, wielding razor-sharp weapons, and each carried at least one enchanted tool. Lu Jiangtong even possessed what appeared to be a legendary artifact—the Devil Armor of Slaughter.

The Devil Armor of Slaughter once belonged to the infamous devil general Chu Hengtou of the previous dynasty. It was said that the more he killed, the stronger the devil armor’s devil nature grew and the more powerful he became. Undoubtedly, the devil armor was a treasure worthy of ranking among the top hundred—or even top fifty—of the Catalog of the Mortal World’s Ten Thousand Treasures. However, having been lost too early, it never secured a place in the catalog.

Wearing this devil armor, Lu Jiangtong single-handedly slew two seventh-realm honored allies, scared off a third, and completely crushed the defenses of the City Lord’s Residence.

"Of course, it was given by people like you. The rebels of Mount Mang wouldn’t be where we are today without all of you playing your part," Lu Jiangtong sneered.

"You ignored my orders but followed someone else’s instead…" Huyan Dong mused. "There aren’t many forces that could offer you more than Taotie City… I told you to attack Mount Shu, but instead, you came here. Could it be…?"

Seeing the hint of realization on his face, Lu Jiangtong warned, "If you keep making silly guesses, I might not be able to keep you alive. I’m here to tell you—if you want to live, tell me where your treasure is. If you keep holding out, I might have to start with your son."

Taotie City had prospered for many years, accumulating countless spirit stones and treasures. Rumors had long circulated in the immortal realm that the city possessed a hidden realm dedicated to storing its wealth—a safeguard for a future resurgence in the event of its downfall. When Lu Jiangtong ransacked the City Lord’s Residence, he found little of true value, which made him think that the rumor was indeed true.

Thus, after sealing their cultivation, he dragged them here to interrogate them until they revealed the location of the treasure.

“I’ll be honest with you,” Huyan Dong said, glancing at his son, Huyan Bin. “Not long ago, I even considered getting rid of him myself. Using him to threaten me might not be the smartest move.”

"Father!" Huyan Bin wailed. "I’m your only son!"

“I wasn’t sure how to break this to you,” Huyan Dong said, a hint of reluctance in his voice. “But, well… that concubine I found? She’s pregnant… with a son.”

Huyan Bin froze for a moment before asking, "Are you sure it’s yours?"

Huyan Dong furrowed his brow. "What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"

The scolding only enraged Huyan Bin, and he suddenly erupted in a stream of curses. “You old scoundrel! You shameless old man!”

…

When Chu Liang found Chu Yi, the boy had just returned from the Hall of Conservation. He had once been a six-year-old with a small, oval face, but he had now grown into a twelve-year-old with a square-shaped face.

This should count as a work-related injury…

Chu Liang thought.

"Senior Brother?" Chu Yi smiled as soon as he saw Chu Liang. "What brings you here?"

"Miss Xu from the Whale Gang was just here. She left last period’s shipping ledger with me and asked me to give it to you for verification," Chu Liang said as he took out the jade slip and placed it on the table.

"Alright," Chu Yi replied with a nod. "I’ll start checking it as soon as I finish the assignment Senior Brother Yuan left for me."

"I skimmed through it just now, and I noticed something. Maybe I’m a bit rusty after not handling this for a few years. But there was a shipment to the Eastern Regions listed as Nine-Colored Vine and raw meteoric iron ore. Do you remember that one?"

Chu Yi thought about it and answered, "I remember. The Nine-Colored Vine absorbs wood qi and latches onto surfaces as it grows, often reaching a hundred zhang in length. Because of that, it must be transported alongside iron and stone objects, which is why they packed it on the same ship as the raw meteoric iron ore."

"But why did the price of this shipment drop the farther east it traveled?" Chu Liang asked, pressing further.

Chu Yi explained smoothly, "The Southern Regions have steep, winding river currents, while the Eastern Regions mostly have open waterways. Transportation costs have always varied between the two."

"But the biggest factor in the price change was the decrease in total weight during transport," Chu Liang stated outright instead of continuing his questioning. "The recorded weight upon entering the Eastern Regions and the weight at arrival show a significant discrepancy. Could something have gone missing?"

Chu Yi immediately caught on and asked, "What?"

Chu Liang said slowly, "Could it be… people?"

"People?"

"Not exactly. More like starving people… with demon blood."

Chu Liang’s eyes locked onto Chu Yi, searching for a reaction. But Chu Yi remained calm.

Chu Liang then added, "Or should I call them… the rebels of Mount Mang?"

Chu Yi looked genuinely puzzled. "The rebels of Mount Mang? How would they have managed to board the Whale Gang’s ships?"

"Exactly, it’s strange. But if the shipment came from Mount Shu, the Whale Gang wouldn’t have inspected it too closely. At the same time, a large force of the rebels of Mount Mang suddenly appeared in the Eastern Regions and attacked Wu’an City. No one could figure out how they got there out of thin air—everyone assumed they used some incredible divine ability. But if they simply sailed there in plain sight on Whale Gang ships… that would be a cruel joke."

Chu Yi remained silent, appearing to be in deep thought.

Chu Liang continued, "I made this connection because when I was in Wu’an City years ago, I visited a painter’s house where his family had an ancient painting from the previous dynasty. That painting caused strange occurrences, and his son was pulled into the painting. When we investigated, we discovered that the painting contained a hidden realm of its own. The painter’s surname was Tang, and the painting… was called

Ladies of the Eastern Suburbs

."

Chu Yi’s gaze drifted to the side wall, where a traditional ink painting hung. It wasn’t the same scroll Chu Liang had seen before. In fact, the moment Chu Liang had noticed the original, Chu Yi had swiftly replaced it.

"What a coincidence. I happen to have seen this painting before," Chu Liang said with a half-smile. "If it had been in someone else’s hands, I wouldn’t have thought much of it. But since it’s

you

…

"It makes me wonder… What secrets does it hold? Could it be that the legendary treasure left behind by the previous dynasty’s royal family is hidden in that realm?

"That treasure must have played a crucial role, didn’t it? It gave the rebels of Mount Mang—the so-called bandits—the strength to take down Taotie City in such a short time.

"The chancellor of the previous dynasty once told me you had lost all your memories. But that was a lie, wasn’t it?"

Chu Liang’s sudden barrage of questions plunged Chu Yi into silence.

He sat down across from Chu Liang, his expression devoid of the youthful innocence he once had. Instead, a composed and resolute calm settled over him.

After a long pause, he finally spoke. "No, he didn’t lie to you. When I first woke up, I truly didn’t remember anything."

"Oh?"

"But whenever I dreamed, fragments of memories would flash through my mind. They were so vivid… and detailed," Chu Yi said gravely. "I spent years investigating, slowly piecing together my origins. And in the end… I remembered everything."

He had once slumbered for centuries in the Deep Pool of Dreams. Those dreams had etched themselves into his very being, leaving an indelible mark.

Seeing that his suspicions had been confirmed, Chu Liang didn’t dwell on them. Instead, he pressed on. "But haven’t you built a good life for yourself at Mount Shu? Why throw the world into chaos again?"

"Senior Brother," Chu Yi countered, "if someone suddenly took Red Cotton Peak from you one day, wouldn’t you want to take it back?"

Chu Liang shook his head. "Red Cotton Peak was never mine, just as the nine provinces were never yours. We’re all just temporarily seated in positions of importance."

Chu Yi wore a wry smile. " Senior Brother, your perspective is something I have yet to fully grasp. Perhaps if you had been at Mount Shu these past six years, I wouldn’t have dared—or even wanted—to do any of this."

Chu Yi was speaking the truth. Had Chu Liang remained at Mount Shu, he wouldn’t have been able to act under his watchful eye. And if he had grown up under Chu Liang’s influence, he might never have set foot on this path at all.

After all, the peak master of Silver Sword Peak had made rebellion her life’s goal. Without the deputy peak master around, it was inevitable that the younger ones would be influenced.

"I have no intention of interfering with your choices, but I was the one who brought you out of the Southern Bastion Mountain. Now that you’ve done this, I have to take responsibility," Chu Liang finally said.

"And how do you plan to deal with me, Senior Brother?" Chu Yi asked.

"Send you back to sleep?" Chu Liang suggested. "And then deal with the rebels of Mount Mang and ensure that they don’t stir up any more trouble."

"Senior Brother, that’s impossible." Chu Yi suddenly stood up, his gaze steady as he looked at Chu Liang. "I will always remember your kindness, but I will never return to that eternal slumber."

Seeing how calm Chu Yi was behaving, Chu Liang then realized that something was off. Without hesitation, he unleashed the Demon-Binding Rope.

Whoosh!

The rope coiled tightly around Chu Yi, yet his expression remained unchanged. As it constricted, a radiant white glow surged from him, illuminating the room.

Boom!

With an explosive burst, the Chu Yi before Chu Liang shattered into countless points of light and vanished into thin air.

External Manifestation?!

It was only at this moment that Chu Liang realized the Chu Yi he had been speaking to all this time was merely a clone. At some point, Chu Yi had already mastered External Manifestation and had been using a clone to meet others.

Maintaining a clone through External Manifestation demanded an immense consumption of foundational qi, a feat typically reserved for powerful cultivators at the seventh or eighth realm. However, with access to great wealth, Chu Yi could sustain it by relying on a steady supply of pills.

It was just that most people wouldn’t even consider going to such lengths.

Chu Liang had never shown any signs of suspicion. This meant that Chu Yi had likely been maintaining this high-energy-consuming state from the moment he first harbored ulterior motives and thoughts of defiance, allowing his true intentions to go unnoticed.

Apart from the years he had spent in slumber, his actual age had never been in question. But the sheer depth of his meticulous scheming… was truly terrifying.

This kid is supposed to be twelve?!

GLTD Alternate Universe's Thoughts

TL: GT