Chapter Ninety-Five: Heading North All the Way

The Black Torrent Territory lay north of Storm City, precisely on the border where the realms of the gods and the demons met.

South of it was forbidden ground for the demon race and for the God-Hunter clan under their command. To the north, beginning with the Green Demon Forest, stretched a land infamous for chaos, where gods and demons could not coexist, and where the God-Hunters and the Demon-Hunting Legions fought in bloodshed year after year.

From Storm City to the Black Torrent Territory was still a long journey. Yiran sat in the carriage, lifting the curtain to watch the flowers and trees flash past outside, his heart a tangle of mixed emotions.

The carriage had been borrowed by Xiali from the Qian Duoduo Carriage House in Storm City, the largest carriage firm in the city. In the past, whenever Yiran merely glanced at a brand-new luxury carriage in its display window, he would earn a cold look from the salespeople inside. Yet Xiali could rent their carriages for free.

One had to admit: people with status really were different.

The divine emissary Xiali had once again resumed her dignified bearing, sitting beside Yiran with the reserved grace of a wealthy young lady, cradling a small brazier in her arms as invisible currents of warmth flowed into her body.

“Xiali, you don’t have to accompany me to the Black Torrent Territory...”

“Kid, don’t flatter yourself. We divine emissaries take aiding the poor and the weak as our sacred duty. We travel the continent, helping those in need and spreading love and peace.”

Xiali spoke at length of her responsibilities as a divine emissary.

Yiran sighed and, with shameless brazenness, said, “If you’re helping the poor and the weak, then if you want to help me you could just give me money.”

“Cough... how can you insult a divine emissary with something as vulgar as money? We divine emissaries never carry money when we travel the continent.”

“Then you all must be eating and lodging on credit?”

Yiran rolled his eyes at her.

Xiali shook her head. “Through centuries upon centuries of inheritance, the footprints of divine emissaries have spread across the continent. Wherever a divine emissary has passed, restaurants and inns give us free meals and rooms.”

That much, at least, was no lie. The inns and eateries near the Fortress of Despair had refused to take her money.

“Does the Black Torrent Territory count too?”

At that, Yiran actually felt a little hopeful. If he took her there and could enjoy such treatment, that would not be bad at all. However—

“Unfortunately, in the Black Torrent Territory, divine emissaries have no such privilege. For lodging, meals, and the like, you’ll still have to spend your own money.”

“Hmph, you parasite.”

Yiran immediately turned on her.

Xiali was not to be outdone. “You little brat, if I wanted, I don’t know how many people would line up just to invite me to dinner.”

“Oh? Do you think all men in the world are idiots and blind?”

“You... bastard. Just wait until my telekinetic power recovers and see how I deal with you.”

...

The two of them bickered all the way, and for some reason, though they seemed to dislike one another, there was also an inexplicable sense of closeness growing between them.

Perhaps, in each of their hearts, the other’s true nature was different from the face they showed the world.

Xiali was not at all the solemn and composed divine emissary she seemed to be, and Yiran was not nearly as cold as he appeared.

In short, each of them had quite a few flaws.

The carriage stopped at the noodle shop outside Zailai Town. The customers eating noodles inside stared in surprise at the luxurious carriage that had come from Storm City.

A carriage draped in yellow cloth, embroidered with gold trim, and drawn by four splendid steeds—surely that was for a wealthy noble. How could such people possibly come to eat at a roadside noodle shop?

Yet that was exactly what happened. After Yiran and Xiali got down from the carriage, they went straight into the shop.

Not only that, but the two horses at the back of the carriage also stopped.

“Boss, one bowl of plain noodles, one bowl of clear broth noodles.”

Yiran placed two copper coins on the counter.

Xiali was immediately displeased. “Boss, I want a bowl of braised beef noodles.”

As she spoke, she blinked at Yiran.

Yiran had no choice but to take out three more copper coins and, as he walked to the table, muttered under his breath, “Aren’t divine emissaries supposed to be vegetarian? Why are you eating beef?”

Xiali giggled. “I’m a divine emissary, not a nun. And I’m growing, so of course I should eat meat.”

As she spoke, she glanced toward the doorway.

Yiran followed her gaze and turned around as well. When he saw the man on horseback at the entrance, he could not help frowning.

The man was dressed in leather, with short arrows at his waist. He was not exactly ugly, but his face was dark and sullen, and especially that prominent hooked nose, which made his whole expression murderous.

The man grinned, waved at Yiran and Xiali, then spurred his horse past them.

Xiali lowered her voice. “He’s from Storm City too. He isn’t deliberately following us; it’s probably just that our paths happen to be the same.”

“Just now it looked like he was greeting you. Is he your friend?”

Yiran took the plain noodles handed over by the server and said, “Not really a friend. His name is Andre, a very evil man.”

“Very evil?”

Yiran nodded and said no more.

Jackal Andre, the notorious uncle of the fat man Anduo Ru, was a famous adventurer and also a despicable merchant. His business extended not only throughout Storm City, but also into the towns surrounding it.

Only, most of his business was the sort that could not be shown in the light—things like trafficking in races. Many of the dwarf backpackers in Storm City had been captured by him from the Troll Forest and sold on the black market.

Besides that, he dealt in minerals, crystals, and dangerous goods, and he also made deals with the food markets, monarch rats, and tyrant rabbits of the slums.

Yiran had not dealt with him much. Only once, when Anduo Ru’s father died, Andre had come looking for him.

Yiran was unwilling to speak of it at length.

Andre was a man without morals, and also an extremely dangerous man. Yiran had always kept away from him.

Xiali’s bowl of braised beef noodles was brought over as well. She used her chopsticks to split the beef in two and put half into Yiran’s bowl.

Yiran froze, clearly not expecting her to be so kind to him.

“Eat quickly. At your age, living on nothing but light broth all the time won’t do. Have some meat. No need to thank me.”

Xiali said this.

“Thanks...”

Yiran still thanked her, but then immediately said gloomily, “Damn it, I paid for this. What is there to thank?”

Lowering his head, he ate his noodles in sullen silence.

Soon, several more carriages and groups of riders passed by outside. Some traveled in clusters, while others went alone.

The people of Zailai Town had never seen so many travelers before, and they could not help discussing it curiously among themselves.

Xiali also found it strange.

“Even Qianlong and Catgirl have come?” she said.

“Qianlong? Catgirl?”

Yiran looked up.

Xiali nodded. “The one walking in a black cloak is Qianlong. I once taught him a lesson when I was traveling the continent. And the one in that black carriage is Catgirl. She even brought six horses and two coachmen. That woman just loves a grand display.”

Yiran turned his head and, sure enough, saw the long black carriage moving along. Through the thin curtain, a supremely graceful silhouette could faintly be seen inside.

It seemed she had cat ears on her head.

“Quite a few of them came from Storm City. Judging by the direction they’re headed, it seems they’re all going to the Black Torrent Territory too...”

...