CFRSIO Chapter 31

After Lin Yunliang became the Demon King, as his body gradually merged, his senses were rapidly enhanced. He had already detected some unusual auras when he arrived. However, at that time, his mind was solely focused on Zhang Qing’an, so he paid no attention to anyone else.

Only after the people were settled did he have a sliver of thought to spare for others. Naturally, he discovered the sick fiancée of that fellow. His fiancée was not suffering from a sudden illness as he claimed, but rather a severe, long-standing ailment.

Lin Yunliang did not want to meddle too much in this situation, but he could still escort them to the town. Of course, the reason he could do so was that the people in the house could hear him, and he didn’t want to appear as a cruel and wicked image in their hearts.

“You!” The man was furious as if his secrets had been exposed. “What nonsense are you spouting! If you don’t want to help, just say so. Why are you pretending here!”

“Young Master Yu, let’s go! We don’t need to waste our breath arguing with these lower-class people! I don’t believe we can’t find our way in a small town like this.”

“Are you sure?” Lin Yunliang’s eyes were terrifyingly cold.

Were these people crazy? If Zhang Qing’an weren’t here, he wouldn’t have even bothered. Now, they were saying so much. He shouldn’t have asked Cang Shu to save them. It would have been better to just kill them all.

Siam shivered, startled by Lin Yunliang’s cruel thought. But Siam also understood why. The difficulty of missions would gradually increase, and this world was a mid-level plane. The original body’s personality would inevitably influence Lin Yunliang’s own thoughts.

The original body was the Demon King of Qingyun Mountain, a free and unrestrained being. As a demon, it was difficult for him to empathize with humans. In fact, the extent of this fellow’s cruelty had already been greatly restrained by Lin Yunliang. This Demon King of Qingyun Mountain had once massacred an entire village.

The reason was also ridiculous: to rescue a child. The child was said to be a harbinger of doom, whose parents had died one after another. Coupled with a year of famine, the tormented humans naturally chose the most vulnerable target.

Naturally, the child, labeled a bringer of disaster, became their best target.

The Demon King of Qingyun Mountain did not act out of kindness, but rather because he saw that the boy’s fate was special. Even if the Demon King of Qingyun Mountain hadn’t rescued him, the boy wouldn’t have died. It just so happened that a demon appeared.

He wasn’t the type to prioritize harmony, nor was he one to waste words. After stating his intentions, the crowd still refused to let the child go, which angered the Demon King of Qingyun Mountain, who had a bad temper.

The child was saved, but the village was gone. And the person, unfortunately, still died.

To the Demon King of Qingyun Mountain, these were all minor matters, not significant events. In comparison, Lin Yunliang, who only occasionally harbored killing intent, was already considered quite good.

“It’s getting late, and there are wild beasts in the forest. It’s good if there are many people or some who can fight, but if…” Lin Yunliang said calmly, completely unconcerned by their darkening expressions.

Several people were frightened by Lin Yunliang’s words, especially the one who had spoken the loudest. His face turned from red to pale.

It was as if they were performing a magic trick, quite a sight to behold.

Finally, Young Master Yu spoke, “What the gentleman says is reasonable. However…”

“Can you ask the two young ladies who brought the food earlier to help take care of them?”

“Although the Zhou brothers are Miss Liu’s fiancés, they haven’t formally married yet.”

This was not a difficult matter. Lin Yunliang didn’t want to argue with them further. “I will call for people to come over. You all will be here, right?”

This meant he had agreed.

“Thank you, sir.” As Young Master Yu was leaving, he couldn’t help but look at Lin Yunliang a few times. He felt that this person was unusual, but he couldn’t pinpoint why.

Lin Yunliang was impatient to talk to them any longer, waved his hand, and went back into the house with Siam.

To avoid being discovered, Lin Yunliang retracted the formation when people were awake, allowing them to hear the sounds from outside. He naturally heard their conversation outside just now.

“You’re awake.” Lin Yunliang didn’t mention anything about the outside, quickly stepped forward, and placed Siam back into Zhang Qing’an’s arms. “Do you want to go for a stroll?”

“Now?” Zhang Qing’an looked at the window in confusion.

The window was not closed, and the sky outside could be seen. Lin Yunliang’s earlier comment about it being late was not a deception; the sky had indeed darkened.

Going out at this time? What could they see? The moon?

“We can go quietly.” Lin Yunliang’s “we” did not include Siam. “I discovered a hot spring in the back mountain cliff.”

“The weather is perfect now.”

The season was neither hot nor cold. Although hot springs were most comfortable in winter, the current situation was still viable.

Zhang Qing’an was somewhat moved. He had never really experienced a hot spring. The Zhang family was not short of money, but over the years, he rarely went out. If it weren’t for business matters, he wouldn’t have come here.

Seeing Zhang Qing’an’s slight hesitation, Lin Yunliang made the decision for him. He directly snatched Siam from Zhang Qing’an’s arms and then picked him up.

Since it wasn’t the first time being picked up, Zhang Qing’an’s reaction was much better than before. He was clearly much more at ease.

“Are we going?”

You’re like this already, and you’re still asking me? Isn’t it too late?

“Let’s go,” Zhang Qing’an instructed.

Lin Yunliang leaped, left the house, and his figure quickly disappeared into the night, leaving only Siam. Siam, who had been assigned a task.

Zhou Bing returned to the house, his face still looking extremely displeased. He hadn’t expected a rustic person to dare speak to him like that! If it weren’t for the fact that he still needed Miss Liu, he wouldn’t have cared about her life or death!

Yu Quan looked at the agitated person and felt that he was too impatient. They were unfortunate souls who had encountered trouble and were now living under someone else’s roof. Why bother getting angry over such a trivial matter? At worst, they could just remember it and settle the score when they returned home.

A group of young masters and ladies, accustomed to being pampered, could hardly endure such conditions.

“However, why do I feel that person is not ordinary?”

“The nearby towns are not close, and their travel speed is indeed a bit too fast.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you ask me, they are most likely demons. Otherwise, in such a desolate wilderness, who would come here?”

The group of people were all offended at this moment, and there were no pleasantries or good words they could say.

“Is that true? They are demons? Then we are in trouble…”

“What should we do now?”

There were many incidents of demons harming people in the world, and they had heard many of them. Now that they encountered suspected demons and had lost contact with their families, it was no wonder they were all scared.

“Young Master Yu, what about this matter…”

Yu Quan was much calmer. “Everyone, please don’t panic. If they were truly demons, why would they let us go?”

“Damn it, there must be another way.”

“In any case, we shouldn’t scare ourselves.”

Even though they said that, they were still not calm.

Kuhua and Hu Jiao, having received their orders, could only go to take care of the sick young lady. Compared to the noisy men, these women were much better. They were clearly much quieter, which made Kuhua and Hu Jiao feel much more at ease.

However, the news they received made their expressions change.

They learned that the person who had invited them to play here was Yu Quan’s master. The two demons exchanged strange glances. Since it was that fellow who asked them to come, why did he have that expression just now?

Something was wrong here.

However, the two demons did not make a sound, and moreover, they did not care about this matter. If it weren’t for the Demon King’s orders, they wouldn’t have come.

Regardless of whatever schemes Yu Quan had, it had little to do with them.

….

Lin Yunliang honestly stayed on the other side. Heaven knows how much he wanted to go over. He took a deep breath, calming himself. Given their current relationship, he absolutely could not make any presumptuous actions.

However, the heat on his body was too obvious. He could even smell the fragrance of Zhang Qing’an on the other side just by sniffing.

It made him yearn for him deeply.

Zhang Qing’an was also a little nervous. His current situation made him extremely passive, but that fellow… was good.

No, Zhang Qing’an would no longer think that way in the future.

The hot spring was in a valley in the back mountain. Coming to such a place was already a novel experience, let alone soaking in a hot spring. It was equally novel and remarkable.

The warm water and the relaxing environment finally freed Zhang Qing’an’s tightly wound nerves of the past few days. At that moment, he even thought about ignoring his family’s affairs and staying in the mountains like this forever.

But Zhang Qing’an knew in his heart that this was impossible. He had to go back and not let the perpetrators have their way too easily.

“Cang Shu and the others,” Lin Yunliang interrupted Zhang Qing’an’s thoughts. “They inquired in town.”

“The fellow who escaped back then is no longer in town.”

There were Zhang family shops in this town, which was why they came here. If the fellow had reported to the shops, they would not have stood by and watched their young master be abducted by bandits.

Zhang Qing’an also had his own suspicions. After being held here for seven days, he felt that something was not right.

Later, what the bandits said further proved his suspicions. However… regarding what they said afterward, Zhang Qing’an truly didn’t know.

The bandits actually asked him for a treasure map? What a joke. If such a thing existed, the Zhang family’s businesses and shops would have already spread everywhere.

“I already had my suspicions.”

“What do you think about the Zhang family business? Do you want it?” Lin Yunliang asked, his tone exceptionally casual and carefree, which made people daze for a moment.

“I still want it.” Zhang Qing’an could discern a hint of favoritism from the other party’s calm words.

Although he didn’t know why this person favored him, this emotion still made him feel warm inside.

He also visibly relaxed considerably. “You said you wanted to be my attendant. If I’m short on money, how can I pay you your monthly wages?”

Lin Yunliang thought to himself, I can pay you extra, or even support you. He didn’t care much about monthly wages. He also knew that he couldn’t say that.

So he said with a smile, “Young Master, don’t worry. We have a connection, so it’s fine to owe the monthly wages for now.”

“Have you been to Ping Town, Young Master?”

“No.”

“I heard that the peach blossom wine there is exceptional, and the peach blossom crisps are also very good.” Lin Yunliang paused. “I heard there’s a divine physician living in seclusion there.”

Zhang Qing’an looked at Lin Yunliang in surprise, but a stone in the middle blocked his view, preventing him from seeing Lin Yunliang’s expression.

This person… he…

“But I am penniless now,” Zhang Qing’an said.

Being penniless naturally meant being unable to move freely. Zhang Qing’an naturally wanted to seek treatment for his leg. But the current situation…

“Didn’t I say? The monthly wages can be owed for now.”

“Once you’ve recovered, the balance can be settled.” Lin Yunliang was just finding an excuse to stay by his side and also to find a way to treat his injured leg.

Although Zhang Qing’an’s current immobility benefited him, he ultimately couldn’t bear to see Zhang Qing’an like this.

Therefore, treating the leg injury was urgent.

Zhang Qing’an also realized that this person was simply being stubborn, but he couldn’t help but smile. “Alright.”

“Then you must record the bills clearly. If you can’t produce the bills later, you won’t get your monthly wages.”

“Yes.”

Because they had to send Yu Quan and his family to town to find a doctor, their plan to leave here had to be postponed. Fortunately, they were generous and didn’t mind.

However, what happened next was truly troublesome.

No sooner had they left than something approached this place.

“Is this the place?”

“Hei Lao Er’s mark is around here!”

“But this area is too desolate, isn’t it?”

“The more desolate, the better. It’s more convenient to act.”

The sounds of continuous chatter reached Lin Yunliang’s ears. Lin Yunliang had no intention of intervening. His barrier was not something anyone could easily pass through.

“Siam, what’s going on?”

“Are there such events in the original plotline?”

Of course not. Siam had underestimated the impression Lin Yunliang, a high-level psychokinetic, had of the small world, and he had underestimated the abilities of this mid-level plane.

He was probably generating new plots to return the world to its original storyline. After all, many things had appeared along the way that shouldn’t have happened at this time.

But there was one thing not to worry about: Lin Yunliang’s strength. His spiritual power and body had already merged with the Qingyun Demon King. They couldn’t move him easily.

Unless it was Shi Ren and Chu Shi, no one could defeat Lin Yunliang.

“Don’t worry, your current strength is arguably the strongest in this small world. They won’t gain any advantage.”

What Lin Yunliang was worried about was not himself. He was just worried that these people would disturb Zhang Qing’an’s recovery.

It would be best if they didn’t come to disturb him, otherwise, Lin Yunliang would definitely show no mercy.

“Take good care of An An here,” Lin Yunliang instructed.

He glanced at the closed door and left the place.

He wanted to find out what these people’s intentions were.

As soon as he stepped out, he heard quite a commotion. It was human voices. Those people who didn’t know where they came from had broken into the house of those who were captured by the bandits.

To avoid disturbing Zhang Qing’an, Lin Yunliang had deliberately housed them in a relatively distant location. However, faint crying sounds and continuous pleas for mercy still drifted over with the wind.

Lin Yunliang remained very calm, not at all bothered by these sounds. On the other hand, those people were extremely agitated.

“Shut up! All of you, shut up! If you keep making noise, I’ll cut him down with one strike!”

“What are you all shouting about! If you keep shouting, I’ll send you to your death right now!”

Some of them directly resorted to violence, a slap or a kick, and knocked them all into submission.

So spineless. He thought to himself, and he didn’t really expect these people to do anything courageous. If they had any backbone, they would have already found a way to escape, instead of staying here.

“Old Hei, this isn’t right, there are still seven people missing.”

“That guy Hei Lao Er! How did he do his job?”

This conversation itself was not problematic, but the number made his brows twitch. The seven of them, including Cang Shu, who drove and took people to town to find a doctor, made a total of seven people.

Could there be such a coincidence in the world?

Since the matter had arisen, he naturally had to handle it properly to avoid causing him any trouble.

“Forget it, forget it, let’s take these people back first.” The person in charge came out and said.

Only then did the group stop arguing and took all the people here with them.

Lin Yunliang quietly followed behind, watching them take out a magic artifact and absorb all these people into it, then leaving with the artifact.

He continued to follow them. The final destination of the group was indeed interesting; it was in the town.

They clearly understood the place, turning and twisting through alleys, and ducked into a secluded house.

These were all dilapidated and desolate houses, looking very run-down. Such a place was clearly a gathering spot for all sorts of unsavory characters and easily overlooked. Few people would even appear here.

Yet they appeared here. Lin Yunliang harbored doubts, always feeling that these people arriving in town just now was strange.

“Who is it?” Several people arrived at a dilapidated door and knocked on the wooden door. A voice came from inside.

“Charcoal seller.”

The wooden door then opened. An old man with white hair and hazy eyes appeared. If Lin Yunliang hadn’t been following these people, he wouldn’t have thought there was any connection between them. Lin Yunliang once again concealed his figure and followed them inside.

Inside, it was a different world. The outside looked like a broken-down house, but the inside was different. It looked luxurious inside, clearly not the same place. Lin Yunliang immediately recognized that there was an illusion formation here.

To have a formation in such a place indicated that the people here were likely not simple characters.

“How is it?”

Lin Yunliang couldn’t see the person on the main seat, but the voice was familiar.

Several people knelt on the ground, looking at each other, and hesitantly spoke.

“Still seven people short.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the person directly flew into a rage, indicating that the person on the main seat also had a bad temper.

….

“Where did you go?”

As Lin Yunliang sneaked back, he was met by someone. Seeing that person come out in a wheelchair, with Siam on his lap, wagging his tail, looking leisurely.

Lin Yunliang lowered his gaze, glanced at the creature on Zhang Qing’an’s lap, hid the confusion in his eyes, stepped forward, and curved his eyes. “Why did you come out?”

“It was too quiet outside, so I came out.” Zhang Qing’an looked at the person in front of him, and for some reason, his expression clearly relaxed.

Zhang Qing’an, being alone in the room, clearly felt that the atmosphere outside was too quiet and thought something had happened, so he forced himself into the wheelchair and came out.

However, he had been out for some time, so he couldn’t see the sweat beads on his forehead. But his complexion looked much redder than before, indicating that he had indeed been tired just now.

“Is that so.”

Saying that, he conjured a rattle drum as if performing magic and offered it to Zhang Qing’an, successfully making him laugh. “I’m not a child.”

“Then perhaps, tanghulu?” Lin Yunliang said. In fact, he bought these more because of the previous small world.

In the previous small world, Zhang Qing’an liked to eat these very much, so Lin Yunliang would always buy them for him. Later, they would always find time to travel, and wherever they went, Zhang Qing’an would have to eat tanghulu.

Lin Yunliang had no choice but to buy them for him. But he was afraid of sourness, and after eating one or two, his mouth became sour, and he couldn’t eat anymore. In the end, they all fell into Lin Yunliang’s stomach.

Saying that, he actually conjured a tanghulu coated with glistening sugar syrup.

Zhang Qing’an found it very amusing and didn’t refuse, accepting both. “Why did you buy this?”

“I thought you would like it.” Lin Yunliang said, walked to the back, and pushed him around the village. “If it’s too sour, just have a taste, and you can give the rest to me.”

Such intimate actions made his ears turn red.

“You…” He couldn’t help but clench his fist, not wanting to continue this topic, and changed the subject. “You said before that you were a traveling merchant.”

“Did you all go there?” In fact, this was Zhang Qing’an’s first time coming so far. Before this, he had never traveled this far.

“We’ve been to many places.” Lin Yunliang said. He had indeed been to many places, and they were all with Zhang Qing’an. Although the person in front of him didn’t remember them, Lin Yunliang could still feel that familiar aura from him.

It was something he would never forget.

“Like where?” Zhang Qing’an asked while folding the parchment paper wrapping the tanghulu.

The sweet taste made him narrow his eyes. He wasn’t unable to afford tanghulu, but his family had forbidden it, thinking such things were beneath their status. The young boy once didn’t understand, but when he grew up, he understood what it meant.

However, he still wanted to have a taste. This was also the first time someone had bought him tanghulu.

He thought that perhaps when he was eighty years old, he would still remember this sweet taste.

Seeing the satisfied look on his face, Lin Yunliang knew he had done the right thing. “We’ve been to deserts and seen waterfalls.”

“We’ve crossed seas and swum in water, climbed mountains,” Lin Yunliang said. “In short, we’ve done so many things.”

What Zhang Qing’an assumed “we” referred to was him and his traveling merchant friends.

Lin Yunliang himself knew that “we” referred to him and Zhang Qing’an.

“That’s very interesting. I’ve never seen a desert before.” Zhang Qing’an said with a hint of longing. “Let me tell you something, don’t disbelieve me.”

“This is the first time I’ve come so far.”

Zhang Qing’an’s mother was the Zhang family’s old master’s second wife. Therefore, after she became pregnant with him, Madam Zhang always worried about something happening to him, so she rarely let him go out. And if he hadn’t insisted this time, he wouldn’t have been able to come out. However, judging by the current situation, he should have listened to his mother back then.

He gave a wry smile. “Who knew the first time I came out, I’d encounter something like this.”

“However, it’s not entirely without benefit,” Zhang Qing’an continued.

“Are you still going to Ping Town, as you mentioned earlier?” Zhang Qing’an thought clearly. He was unwilling to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Therefore, he took the initiative to propose it.

“Of course.” Lin Yunliang couldn’t be happier.

He wished Zhang Qing’an would take the initiative. That would be much better than him finding excuses and pretexts to take him.

“When you get better, would you like to see the desert, Young Master?”

“Okay.”