chsdbacks Chapter 147: Wang Tian? Demon Lord?
Chapter 147: Wang Tian? Demon Lord?
The scroll was extraordinary; the moment it was opened, a faint radiance was emitted.
Then, several scene illustrations can be seen on the scroll.
There are scenes of teaching disciples atop mountains and amidst clouds; figures slaying demons and monsters across vast rivers and lakes; and leisurely sitting in a pavilion, chatting and laughing with a charming woman.
In all scenes, except for one middle-aged man, everyone else's faces are blurred.
The entire painting revolves around this middle-aged man.
He is Wang Tian.
Chu Batian couldn't help but sigh. Although he hadn't experienced that era, his own grandfather had. The disciples of the main branch would be taken to his grandfather's side for instruction when they were young, and his grandfather often mentioned Senior Wang Tian, his words full of respect and reverence.
"Brother Zhang, how are you?"
Chu Batian turned to look at Zhang Ping, but saw that the other man's face did not show the astonishment and respect he had expected. Instead, it showed... shock?
How could it be shock?
"Brother Zhang?" Chu Batian called out to him again, his voice filled with doubt.
Zhang Ping then snapped out of his daze: "Uh... sorry, I was daydreaming. You mean this is Senior Wang Tian?"
His face appeared calm, but his heart was in turmoil!
The middle-aged man in the painting had an ordinary appearance and would have blended into a crowd without attracting anyone's attention, but Zhang Ping recognized him at a glance.
This is clearly the Demon Lord!
He had met the other party several times and was very familiar with the Demon Lord's appearance; there was no way he could mistake him!
"Yes!" Chu Batian sensed something odd about Zhang Ping and couldn't help but ask, "Have you seen him before?"
As he said this, he couldn't help but chuckle. Senior Wang Tian lived more than three hundred years ago. Even if he were still alive today, he would probably have long since left the old territory of Wei and Zhao. How could Zhang Ping have possibly met him?
After admiring the painting for a moment, Chu Batian was about to put it away and put it away properly. Zhang Ping stopped him and took the painting in his hands. His eyes held a hint of solemnity as he carefully scanned the middle-aged man in the painting, confirming that the man was undoubtedly the Demon Lord.
But how could Wang Tian be the Demon Lord?
One is a hero who spreads the Dharma to fight against the mountains and marshes and protect the entire Wei people; the other is a demon who instigates a demonic upheaval and seeks to devastate the former lands of Wei and Zhao. The two are completely unrelated.
Zhang Ping was completely baffled, and before he could figure out the reason, he dared not speak rashly. Fearing that Chu Batian would notice something amiss, he carefully put the scroll away and returned it to him.
Even after leaving the Chu Prince's residence, Zhang Ping's mood remained heavy: "It seems the root of the demonic chaos is not simple... How could Wang Tian be the Demon Lord?"
He returned to the mansion with a frown, and after sitting down in the pavilion, he continued to ponder.
Fu Huiying was immersed in her cultivation, but Lu Wanrou felt tired and got up to rest. She happened to see Zhang Ping returning, so she invited him to have some tea and snacks with her.
"Brother Zhang, have you run into some trouble?" Seeing that Zhang Ping's expression was off, Lu Wanrou asked, while picking up a piece of pastry and offering it to Zhang Ping's mouth.
Zhang Ping subconsciously opened his mouth to eat, and even licked Lu Wanrou's slender fingers. After earning a glare from her, he suddenly came to his senses and then told Lu Wanrou what he had discovered.
After hearing this, Lu Wanrou also fell into deep thought and confusion. After a long while, she rested her chin on her hand and said, "Brother Zhang, could it be... that the Demon Lord isn't that sealed ancient demon?"
"The Demon Lord isn't an ancient demon?" Zhang Ping's expression froze.
He had actually thought of this before, after all, he had seen the ancient armored demon corpse in the wilderness through the black hole several times when he met the Demon Lord, and once he even saw the demon corpse being bound by golden chains.
He naturally had doubts at the time, but he didn't delve into it, assuming that the Demon Lord's body was not his true form, but rather an avatar.
Looking back now, the Demon Lord and the demon corpse seem to be two completely independent entities.
But that's not necessarily true. Zhang Ping frowned again: It's also possible that it's the same consciousness, attached to two bodies.
If we follow this line of reasoning, wouldn't it mean that Wang Tian is being controlled by the ancient demon? But that doesn't make sense. The ancient demon is sealed and restricted by heaven and earth, so how could it have the ability to control a powerful figure like Wang Tian who has surpassed the Body Refinement Realm?
Perhaps Wang Tian couldn't find a way out and eventually turned to the dark side?
Various possibilities flashed through Zhang Ping's mind, but he couldn't come up with a clear conclusion even after thinking for a long time. However, one thing was certain: the Demon Lord was definitely related to Wang Tian.
Now, does the Great Wei Demon Extermination Bureau know about this? Zhang Ping immediately felt that the situation was not good.
It's important to understand that almost all the high-level martial artists in the Great Wei Dynasty consider Wang Tian their patriarch. People like Wen Gaoyang, Lie Yunshan, and even the current Director of the Demon Extermination Bureau were all trained by Wang Tian. If the Demon Lord really is Wang Tian, the blow to the Great Wei Dynasty would be enormous.
……
Since learning that Wang Tian might be the Demon Lord, Zhang Ping has spent more time reading records about Wang Tian in addition to helping the two women cultivate. These books are not hard to find; ordinary families might not have them, but the Chu Prince's Mansion and the Demon Extermination Bureau have quite a few hidden away.
Just as Zhang Ping was perusing the ancient texts, a brief balance was reached between the Great Wei warrior alliance and the demons.
Sensing the impending crisis, the various families and martial arts schools have once again relaxed restrictions on some secret medicines and cultivation techniques. Compared to the last time, this relaxation is on a higher level; now, as long as you have money, you can even buy cultivation techniques at the local cultivation technique shops on the street.
Any martial artist with some talent is welcome to marry into a powerful family, and can freely choose any Bone Forging Realm cultivation technique.
The escalating battlefield situation also brought a large amount of demonic materials. The overloaded process of refining secret elixirs led to a temporary shortage of other auxiliary materials.
Besides the major powers, some independent martial artists spontaneously formed demon-hunting teams, traversing various battlefields to collect information on demons. The suppression that Great Wei had previously suffered from the unexpected attack by demons was immediately alleviated considerably.
That day, there was a knock on the gate of Zhang Ping's mansion. The maid behind the gate opened it and saw three people standing outside: two women and a man, with the man carrying many gift boxes.
"Please inform them that we are Zhang Ping's friends and have come to visit," Leng Ruxue said, introducing herself.
Upon hearing this, the maidservant immediately went back to report.
At that moment, Zhang Ping was not in the manor; he had gone to the Chu Prince's residence to peruse ancient books. Fu Huiying was awakened from her cultivation and, upon hearing the name "Leng Ruxue," a hint of doubt flashed in her eyes. Thinking that perhaps she was a friend Zhang Ping had made outside, she had a maid invite her in.
"Wow, this yard is huge!"
The three followed the maid for a long time, passing through several gardens and backyards, and saw many artificial hills and lakes. Hua Cheng followed behind, staring wide-eyed at the exquisite decorations around him, and clicked his tongue: "It's good to be rich, to be able to live in such a big courtyard."
The three met Fu Huiying in an elegant bamboo grove. The bamboo grove was not lush, but quiet and serene, with bluestone bricks paving the ground that stretched all the way to a pavilion in the middle of the grove. The light was blocked by the bamboo leaves, making the surroundings somewhat dim.
Fu Huiying, dressed in a light blue dress, sat in the pavilion, her recently cultivated air of nobility making her extremely charming. Hua Cheng, being young, dared not look at her for long.
"Zhang Ping went to the Chu Prince's residence and hasn't returned yet. Please, everyone, have a seat." Fu Huiying gestured for the three to sit down, then her gaze fell on Hua Zhu. "You're Hua Zhu, aren't you?"
She still vaguely remembered this girl.