Chapter 160: Chapter 160
The sky darkened, and the mountain stronghold came alive. Lanterns were strung up and decorations unfurled; it was lively and bustling.
Before coming here, Yan Qing had imagined countless times what the Demon-Infested Zone might look like. Yet, no matter how he guessed, all he could picture were scenes too graphic to even pass review on the more questionable corners of the web. After all, a place full of thugs, bandits, and murderers—how could it possibly resemble a civilized city?
That’s why he had never fantasized about sneaking into a bandit stronghold and fraternizing with Demon-Path Messengers. It wasn’t that he wanted to flaunt his own righteous values—it was simply that he couldn’t bear to witness the suffering of others. Because of that, the atmosphere around Pingcheng Military Camp had improved significantly. Occasionally, Yan Qing would control Ye Si to go into the city to buy supplies. Along the way, if he saw Hundred-Ward Riders or anyone else bullying the weak, he wouldn’t even bother to ask questions—he’d just cut them down.
Naturally, that drew plenty of criticism. But first, Ye Si had Jiang Ten as backing, and second, the two of them ran Secret Realms every day, giving Pingcheng’s GDP a real boost. Anyone daring to stir up trouble with them would find the Hundred-Ward Riders—who thrived off their leftovers—the first to object. Yan Qing had even prepared to flip the whole table, but gradually, it was everyone else who adapted to his moral baseline.
Even here at Shu Mountain, Yan Qing had no intention of changing his ways. From the moment he named his alt account “Bunny Heroine,” he had mentally prepared himself. Though Medicine Master Wen was now a Third-Stage Guardian and had already negotiated a collaboration with Boreuo to explore the Forest of Corpses, if anyone dared to commit evil in front of his alt, even the Blood Minister would have to die.
He couldn’t change the world, but the world shouldn’t expect to change him either.
But the scene before him left Yan Qing slightly dumbfounded: the plaza in front of the Demon-Slaying Hall was divided into three sections. One had a stage, where a troupe performed opera as the audience cheered below. Another was lined with dozens of gambling tables—pai gow, dice, everything—where gamblers shouted and bellowed. The last held several long tables covered with wine jars, where a bunch of burly men stripped off their shirts and danced to the beat of their own clapping.
If not for the fact that more than half of them were red-named, this place would have looked just like an ordinary village—where folks worked hard during the day and gathered at night to chat, joke, and have fun.
「If you’re interested, you can come play after we return,」Boreuo said from behind them.「Aside from Beiyou, who dislikes crowds, both this humble monk and the Blood Minister often mingle with the others. It’s dull and quiet in the stronghold—only in lively places do spirits lift.」
「Of course. Next month, there will even be a dance troupe trained by the Jie Family. Many folks making a living outside even return just for that.」
Boreuo continued,「I know what you’re thinking. Truthfully, most people were too afraid to come to the stronghold at first. That’s why we place so much importance on Eternal Joy City’s public security. If people don’t dare come to the stronghold, maybe they’ll be willing to try the city instead. Eternal Joy City offers more entertainment than the mountains, and many are willing to head down to unwind. Later, when they saw we actually kept our word, more were willing to come up. After all, the stronghold pays double what Eternal Joy City does, and it’s only half a day’s journey.」
「Each month, the revenue from the stronghold and Eternal Joy City is split ten ways. Half goes to the Guardians, the other half is used for places ,」Boreuo gestured toward the various facilities,「If we didn’t offer ten times the usual rate, who would come all the way up here to lay bricks? Expect these arsonists and murderers to patch rooftops?」
「Can’t you just not pay them?」Bunny Heroine asked, puzzled.「Or detain them and make them work like slaves?」
Boreuo cast her a sideways glance.「Your lodgings are decent, right? Not as grand as Chang’an’s inns, but everything you need is there, and the structure’s solid.」
「To build a house, you need carpenters, stonemasons, blacksmiths, bricklayers—the larger the building, the more people required. If you just abduct workers from outside, how many years would it take to finish the stronghold? And there’d be no quality assurance. This humble monk has no wish to hear the pitter-patter of rain in his room like wooden fish tapping during a storm.」
「Besides, we need many things from outside. Plundering won’t solve everything—but credibility and Spirit Jade can.」
The Blood Minister sneered,「At the end of the day, it’s just that there aren’t enough people nearby. If this were a military garrison, there’d be no need for all this nonsense—just conscript them. Who’d dare resist? Only the righteous Path gets to be shameless—there are plenty of fools for them to exploit.」
「How often are these parties held?」Bunny Heroine asked.
「Every day,」Boreuo replied flatly,「The Demon Path is just a bunch of sick people who believe the world abandoned them and rage against the heavens. Dissipation is the only medicine that works. Even when drunk, they sleep with one eye open. What about when they’re sober? If you don’t get them wasted, they’ll kill everyone they meet at night.」
Something stirred in Yan Qing’s heart. Boreuo’s words didn’t sound like he was describing others—they sounded like a confession. That’s right, everyone longs for a better life. Do villains really prefer living in dark, cold, blood-soaked nightmares? The Demon-Infested Zone was a danger zone to the righteous, but for the Demon Path, it was their only haven. If even here they couldn’t find peace—what difference would it make, in the mountains or beyond?
Perhaps the reason they poured so much money into making the stronghold lively was because only amidst such noise and crowds could they feel the faintest trace of warmth.
「Let’s go.」Beiyou emerged from the Demon-Slaying Hall, his hair, clothes, and face smudged with grimy pigments. He even licked his finger to taste the paint.
Everyone looked away and followed Beiyou toward the forbidden grounds behind the stronghold.
The area was heavily guarded, sealed by fortifications. Once inside, Yan Qing noticed that the guards didn’t seem to be red-named monsters. Most likely, they were normal Messengers who had never fallen into the Demon Path. Unlike the maniacs outside, these people were highly controlled and extremely rare talents. The fact that they were stationed here showed how much the Three Guardians valued this place.
After passing through a long tunnel, they approached a forest. Ripples of pale green light hovered outside the woods, and the screen displayed relevant information:
「Background: The Forest of Corpses was once Gathering-Immortals Manor. Its master, Long You, was a famed hero known throughout the land. Upon learning that the current Buddhist emissary, Fu Xiang, was actually a descendant of the Blood Demon Sect—and had defected from the righteous path after killing his kin—Long You gathered friends at the manor to discuss how to deal with him. But Fu Xiang came himself, annihilating the manor. Fueled by Long You’s and his comrades’ immense hatred, Gathering-Immortals Manor transformed into a land of extreme yin. Ghosts now roam, undying and unyielding. Perhaps only revenge can dissolve the karma here...」
「Challenge Level: 35–45」
「Participants: Up to 20」
「Objective: Slay the ‘Corpse King’ Long You」
A level 35–45 Secret Realm?
Yan Qing was stunned for a moment. Though he wasn’t well-versed in The Messenger, he knew that such level ranges meant… this Secret Realm could yield both Third-Stage and Fourth-Stage rewards!
More importantly, a Third-Stage Messenger could realistically clear it!
No wonder Si Wuxie’s legacy had sat here for nearly a century without a Foundation Messenger coming to claim it. For Foundation Messengers, this was a Fourth-Stage Secret Realm in every sense! Too few players couldn’t clear it; too many and the rewards got diluted. For Third-Stage Messengers, it was enticing—for Foundation or Fourth-Stage Messengers, it was underwhelming.
And Si Wuxie was a Demon-Path Messenger, meaning his most powerful weapon token had to be an Asura Token—something no one else could use!
「By the way,」Boreuo suddenly asked,「Have you ever wondered why those with authority over Secret Realms at Shu Mountain are called Guardians?」
「Sounds better,」Bunny Heroine replied lazily.「If it were me, I wouldn’t want some bandit title like ‘Leader’ either.」
「That’s part of it,」Boreuo chuckled,「But more importantly, we really are protecting the Path. You might think I’m flattering myself, but once you go in—you’ll understand.」 Fınd the newest release on Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
One by one, they entered the Forest of Corpses. Just before going in, Yan Qing noticed Medicine Master Wen lagged half a step behind, a hint of hesitation in her gait. But she quickly caught up, entering the Secret Realm alongside Bunny Heroine.
Contrary to its name, the Forest of Corpses wasn’t all that terrifying. There was a slight eerie breeze at most. In the middle stood a grand estate, with no plaque above the gates. White lanterns hung on either side, each bearing the character ‘奠’ for mourning. As they neared, the lantern flames suddenly extinguished—not terrifying, but definitely startling.
「Sister, aren’t you scared?」
Bunny Heroine looked at Medicine Master Wen and saw her hand trembling slightly around the Soul-Severing Spear.
「Only my Brother gets scared of stuff . Are you chickening out, big sis?」
Yan Qing thought to himself, Me? Scared? I’ve played Resident Evil. The Messenger was an all-ages online game—there’s no way it would show anything too disgusting. Nothing here could scare me.
「Of course not. I was just worried you’d be scared!」Medicine Master Wen replied firmly. But when Bunny Heroine moved forward, she quickly followed.「Be careful—we’ll go together!」
They reached the front hall and saw Boreuo and the others standing by the threshold, waiting. Boreuo stepped aside to reveal the scene inside:「Look.」
「No way!」Medicine Master Wen gasped.
At the far end was a massive mound of skulls, stacked high as if forming a new entity. And indeed, it was a monster unit—named 「Undying Skull Tower」.
But that wasn’t what shocked her—it was the six zombie demons surrounding it! They wore straw hats, carried long blades, and had ghostly green flames flickering in their eyes. Massive and stiff, they looked like nine iron towers!
「Only five of us entered—how can there be so many monsters?」Medicine Master Wen’s expression darkened.「The number of monsters in a Secret Realm correlates with the number of players. For seven to appear at once, at least fourteen people must have entered!」
Yes, Yan Qing had long noticed that fewer players meant fewer monsters—but there was always a lower limit. If Jiang Ten soloed the Zhen Sanshan dungeon, there would still be a minimum of three monsters per wave—same as going in with a party of six.
「If we all exit and send only one person back in,」Boreuo explained,「they’ll still see seven monsters.」
「Then is the front hall set to always have at least seven monsters?」Bunny Heroine guessed.
「Before Si Wuxie set his legacy here, others had explored this realm,」Beiyou said calmly.「Records show the front hall used to spawn a minimum of four monsters.」
So why were there now seven, fixed?
As this question surfaced in Yan Qing’s mind, one answer became the most likely.
「Could it be…」Medicine Master Wen’s gaze passed over the front hall toward the estate’s depths,「…this Secret Realm has never been reset?」
Boreuo nodded slowly.「Exactly. That’s the only way to explain why there are always so many monsters in the Forest of Corpses. If a Secret Realm isn’t reset, the number of monsters scales with the total number of players who’ve ever entered. Even if those Messengers leave, the monster count remains. Fortunately, their strength still scales with ours—otherwise we’d be facing Fourth-Stage demons already.」
「We’re called Guardians because we’ve always regulated the number of people entering the Forest of Corpses. If we exceed the limit, the monster count increases permanently—unless we conquer the Realm.」
「But we haven’t seen anyone else, and the monsters in the front hall are still here,」Bunny Heroine said, glancing around.「Doesn’t a Realm reset if no one’s inside?」
「Yes,」Beiyou confirmed,「if there’s no one inside, it resets.」
Which meant, if it hadn’t reset all this time, there was only one possibility.
「There’s someone still inside the Realm?」Medicine Master Wen spoke word by word, unable to hide the shock in her voice.「Could it be… Si Wuxie!?」