Chapter 19: Shocking Retreat! Insect Demon
Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Shocking Retreat! Insect Demon
That’s right!
Both memories could very well be problematic!
In other words, both memories might be fake!
"In any case, the Wedding God seems to be connected to me."
Yu the Scholar’s voice was filled with uncertainty, but he then turned to Zhu Ge with a solemn expression:
"Right now, the entire village is under control. Only you and I... no, only you can save all the villagers."
’Save the whole village?’
Zhu Ge nodded.
Inside, however, he wasn’t particularly concerned.
At the very least, he had to ensure his own survival before considering anything else.
If burning the entire village to the ground would let him live, he wouldn’t hesitate.
He had to survive first and foremost; only then could he consider the question of saving anyone.
"By the way, how are you able to maintain this for so long?" Zhu Ge asked curiously.
"Yesterday was too sudden. I’m prepared now," Yu the Scholar explained. "If you have any questions, ask them quickly."
The two walked briskly down the mountain. Yu the Scholar didn’t ask what Zhu Ge planned to do, showing great trust in him.
Zhu Ge took the opportunity to explain what he wanted to do that day.
After he finished, Yu the Scholar didn’t say much, simply agreeing with Zhu Ge’s plan.
After all, for Jianshan Village right now, any unexpected event could become the key to breaking the deadlock.
Along the way, Yu the Scholar also shared some knowledge he hadn’t finished explaining before, concerning matters of other races like Demons, Ghosts, Spirits, and Monsters.
Much of it was things their teacher had never taught them.
What the teacher had taught them before was mostly about how to deal with dangers when they encountered them.
But now, Yu the Scholar was telling him much more.
For example, some of the talents and characteristics of the various races that Yu the Scholar knew about, as well as things about cultivation paths.
Paths like the Confucian Dao and Immortal Dao are mostly cultivated by the Human Race. They’re very weak in the early stages but very strong later on.
And paths like the Military Dao, founded by the Military Family; the Novel Dao, founded by the Novelists; and the Mechanical Dao, founded by the Mo Family, are rumored to be very strong early on but lack power in the later stages.
The Martial Dao, on the other hand, is very strong early on, but its later stages are unknown...
In short, each had its own strengths and weaknesses.
Of course, Yu the Scholar also repeatedly emphasized that this was all based on his and the teacher’s limited understanding.
True experience would have to be seen, experienced, and summarized by Zhu Ge himself in the future.
As they talked, the two soon arrived at the boundary.
The border of Jianshan Village was marked by a small, low-lying fence.
It wasn’t even half a meter high and hardly hindered plants or animals, but it served as a reminder to anyone about to cross the line.
Outside the boundary was beyond the range of the teacher’s aura.
"It’s almost Midnight." Arriving at the border, Zhu Ge glanced at the sky and made a casual judgment.
The past few days, the insect chirping had usually started at Midnight.
That kind of chirping held a certain rhythm; it wasn’t ordinary, so Zhu Ge would sense it the moment it began.
Of course, he guessed that although the other villagers were alive, their minds had been seized, which was why none of them could hear the chirping.
Just as he was thinking this, a faint "PAT" sound came from ahead.
Zhu Ge and Yu the Scholar tensed up at once.
"It’s really a demon..." Yu the Scholar couldn’t help but duck down. "An Insect Demon?"
Zhu Ge had been quite nervous himself, but seeing this, he glanced back in surprise at Yu the Scholar hiding behind him. "Are you afraid of insects? Or demons?"
’Seriously?’
’I brought Yu the Scholar here to protect me!’
’How come he seems more scared than I am?’
"I-I’m not scared!" Yu the Scholar puffed out his chest upon hearing this, though he remained crouched behind him.
Zhu Ge was speechless.
But he also knew that Yu the Scholar was only a couple of years older than him and had never really ventured out into the world.
’It’s only normal for him to be scared.’
"SNAP."
A crisp sound, clearly that of a dry branch being snapped.
Yu the Scholar shivered, and his straightened back went limp again.
Zhu Ge, however, stared grimly ahead.
In the pitch-black darkness, two long, flexible antennae stabbed straight up toward the moon.
Then, two huge, pale-yellow compound eyes followed.
Immediately after, a body over two meters tall emerged from between the trees.
A Big Cricket!
Walking upright on two strong hind legs!
Its cloven mandibles writhed, chewing on a thick blade of grass, while its four slender legs dangled naturally at its sides.
Seeing this enormous black cricket, Zhu Ge’s pupils couldn’t help but contract.
"What a huge ’jiaojizi’!" Yu the Scholar shrieked from behind him.
Then his eyes rolled back in his head and he started to fall backward. The character for "Confucian" on his chest flashed violently before vanishing into his skin.
’He got scared into passing out?!’
Zhu Ge’s body stiffened for a moment, but he didn’t have the energy to complain.
’And he calls himself a First Realm of the Confucian Dao?’
"Jiaojizi" was likely a regional term, a dialect word, for insects like crickets or grasshoppers.
But Zhu Ge had no time to dwell on such things, because the Big Cricket was already right in front of him.
Countless tiny reflections of Zhu Ge appeared in the Big Cricket’s compound eyes, its hard, sharp mouth almost touching Zhu Ge’s head.
The Big Cricket’s wings vibrated, and a voice suddenly filled the air:
"You two little ones knew I was here?"
’It’s making sounds by vibrating the air with its wings?’
Zhu Ge glanced at the shell and wings on the Big Cricket’s back, then said in a low voice, "Your chirping has been disturbing my sleep, so I came to see what was going on."
"Oh? And you just brought a little First Realm Scholar with you?" The Big Cricket’s head showed no expression, but its voice was laced with scorn.
"And you, you dare come here without even having entered the gates of the Martial Dao?"
"The ’gaga’ of you two must be delicious."
’Gaga is delicious?’
’Gaga’ means meat.
’Speaking of which, this Big Cricket has a really thick Sichuan accent.’
"Delicious?" Zhu Ge showed no fear. Instead, he continued, "You don’t dare cross the boundary because you’re afraid of those two gods!"
’That’s right.’
The moment he saw the Big Cricket, Zhu Ge was sure.
This Big Cricket had been watching Jianshan Village through some means.
Since it was watching Jianshan Village, it must have known that the teacher had already left.
But this Insect Demon hadn’t entered the boundary directly, staying only on the outside. There had to be a reason.
’It’s afraid of the gods!’
’Afraid of one of them, or maybe both!’
"Afraid? I am a demon of the Transformation Realm..." The Big Cricket hadn’t finished speaking when it saw the limp body of Yu the Scholar, who had collapsed behind Zhu Ge, climb back to its feet.
And so, the Big Cricket slowly trailed off.
"Zhu Ge, there is a god nearby. Hurry home and hide!" Yu the Scholar’s voice was stiff and numb, with a mechanical quality to it.
Hearing this, Zhu Ge knew that Yu the Scholar was now back in his controlled state.
He was about to say something more to the Big Cricket, but to his surprise, it suddenly spread its wings with a "WHOOSH."
"SHWIIIING—"
Its wings flapped, kicking up a strong gust of wind.
"HISSSSS!!!!"
Then, the Big Cricket’s powerful hind legs abruptly pushed off the ground, launching its entire body into the air, and it vanished in an instant.
’It actually ran away?!’
Zhu Ge was stunned. Then, a thought struck him, and he whipped his head around to look at Yu the Scholar behind him.
He saw Yu the Scholar’s blank, lifeless eyes also staring up into the dark night sky.
’A controlled Yu the Scholar actually scared off that Insect Demon?’
Zhu Ge immediately confirmed his guess.
The Insect Demon really was afraid to cross the boundary because it feared those two gods!
’So, is that Insect Demon good or evil?’
Zhu Ge frowned deeply.
He had originally planned to bring in a powerful ally. This Insect Demon sounded quite strong—something about the Transformation Realm, which he guessed was a realm division for the Demon Race—but it was actually scared off by Yu the Scholar.
"Zhu Ge, you need to go back quickly..." Yu the Scholar began to urge him again.
And only then did Zhu Ge realize.
’It seems... ’
’Yu the Scholar wasn’t telling me to get married. He was telling me to go back and lock my doors and windows?’