Those of the righteous path liked to call their Demonic Beasts, or Spiritual Beasts once they had signed a blood pact, their spiritual pets, while those from the demonic path called them their demonic pets. Spiritual Beasts were unlike spiritual weapons, of which one may have more than one. A cultivator could only sign a blood pact once. As they said, the rarer a thing was, the more it was worth. Lord Shi Di’s demonic pet lion occupied a high position in his Mo Palace.
The psychologically wounded lion squatted down alone at the base of a tree to let himself heal. Mo Tianliao took the cat back to the guest room to wait for dinner. Instead of food, he received a summons from Shi Di.
“To finish the refining process, what else do you need besides the divine weapon?” Shi Di was sitting on the throne, holding a jade slip in his hand. He must have received the news just now.
“Primordial Stone,” Mo Tianliao said quickly and bluntly.
Primordial Stone was an extremely rare and precious material left over from the ancient past. A small piece of Primordial Stone was much more expensive than a Starfall Stone. Primordial, as in the origin of qi. Unlike most magical weapons that usually consumed the spiritual power of their users, magical weapons refined with Primordial Stone could absorb ambient qi, which was inexhaustible.
Shi Di frowned. “Is that all?” Primordial Stone, although costly, was not impossible to buy. There was even one in his Mo Palace. But if it was so simple, why hadn’t anyone been able to solve this over the years? Hadn’t that useless Ding from Liuyun Sect studied it for hundreds of years?
“I also need to use a set of 72 arrays handed down by my father.” Mo Tianliao smiled innocently.
Hearing the word array, Shi Di got a headache. In his opinion, his fist was enough, he didn’t need to study those snake-like squiggles. While others were drawing those things, he had learnt hundreds of tricks for defeating his enemies. Every time he had watched Duantian draw an array his head had ached, but that weirdo had liked to paint in front of him.
“This just needs a defensive array.” Lord Duantian pointed to the newly crafted special weapon. “You can take it home and draw it yourself.”
“No, you draw it.” Shi Di looked at the complicated pattern and felt dizzy.
“That’s extra.” Lord Duantian raised his eyebrows.
“Who cares? Are you afraid I can’t afford it?” Shi Di patted his chest.
That was why Lord Shi Di had been a regular customer of Lord Duantian for many years. Shi Di felt that it was really great to give money and have Duantian make whatever he wanted, and Duantian felt that it was really great that, as long as Shi Di made a name for himself, he would give him lots of money without complaining.
The seventy-two paths array was the signature skill of Array Master Duantian, which others could never learn. Shi Di firmly gave up his plan of doing it by himself, patted his “worthy nephew” on the shoulder and said, “It will be auctioned in Bahuang City in two days, let’s go right now.”
“Wait a minute.” Mo Tianliao stopped Shi Di from taking out a flying boat on the spot. “We still need to take care of a few things.”
From Shi Di’s Mo Palace to Bahuang City, it took a day by flying boat. Shi Di and his retinue practised inedia but Mo Tianliao and Lord Kitty hadn’t eaten yet.
Thus, Lord Shi Di sat in a luxurious flying boat, having a maidservant pour wine while looking at the enormously crude pair in front of him.
Mo Tianliao had asked the Mo Palace maids to prepare a pile of food, including roast chicken, fried fish, boiled shrimp, steamed crab and various snacks. While one man and one cat were stuffing themselves on the boat, the lion on the other side watched, licking its nose. As a high-ranking Spiritual Beast, he only ate animal food pellets. According to his master, it was more elegant that way, it was the behaviour of wild animals to eat large chunks of meat every day. But… If such a refined Demonic Beast like Mo Xiaozhao could eat meat. Why couldn’t he eat some too?
I really want to eat some meat, really want to eat some, really want to eat…
The lion took a sip of water and took advantage of his Master’s inattention to quietly move forward a little, then a little more.
Mo Tianliao cracked a crab open, heated it on his palm using fire qi, took some meat from a crab claw and handed it to the little furball on his leg. He ate a crab leg himself and turned to grab some roast chicken. His arm collided with something furry, he was startled and turned around. He saw a huge lion head, which had gotten close without his noticing, looking at the roast chicken and drooling.
“Come back!” Shi Di looked up and found that in an unguarded moment his demonic pet had run to somebody else’s side to eat, the humiliation! He lifted his hands and shaped them into claws; Hei Yanshi was dragged back across empty air.
The big lion struggled, his four limbs swimming in the air, and was quickly back in his Master’s grasp. He grumpily bared his teeth at him.
Shi Di threw a beast food pellet at him. The lion raised its furry paws and sent it flying with a slap. He kept baring his teeth at his Master.
I want to eat meat, eat meat, eat meat!
“Want to eat meat” kept echoing through his mind, his demonic pet using their blood pact to communicate his desire. Shi Di was so angry steam was coming out of his ears. You are using the blood pact for this?
Ignoring the quarrelling duo in front of him, Mo Tianliao fed Lord Kitty and held him in his arms, smoothing his fur and lulling him to sleep. As long as he could stroke some fluff, he could pass the time without feeling bored. When Lord Kitty slept, he took out a knife to carve some stuff. There were some small magical items in the storage bracelet. Carving more arrays, their power could be greatly increased.
Shi Di looked at the skilful way he carved the arrays, the manner exactly the same as Duantian, and nodded to himself. Seeing him, he could rest assured that completing the divine weapon was possible. “Dear nephew, you are still a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Can you really craft a divine weapon?”
“Of course, I can’t.” Mo Tianliao smiled, then without waiting for Shi Di to open his mouth, he added, “The divine weapon was crafted by father. It only needs the finishing touches. Although this nephew is not good enough, as long as I try my best there is still hope to complete it.”
Hearing this, Shi Di was even more reassured. If this kid had thumped his chest and promised to refine a divine weapon, he wouldn’t have believed it. If a Foundation Establishment level cultivator could make a divine weapon, then Duantian would not have been besieged and killed.
It was already evening when the flying boat reached Bahuang City.
Most of the demonic path territories were concentrated in the southern region of the Taixuan continent, which had fairly hot temperatures. Even at night, Bahuang City was bustling, it was ablaze with light and while ordinary shops were closed, some places were still busy.
In the streets of the righteous path cities, like the capital, for example, people were seldom seen at night and there were no clandestine businesses. It was different here in the demonic territories. Those lively places were public houses, gambling dens and even brothels. That’s right, there were brothels in Bahuang City, it was the only place in the cultivation realm that had them.
Bahuang City was under the joint control of several Demonic Lords. If all parties did not make certain concessions, everything would fall apart.
From a three-storey building, lively with music and brightly lit, flamboyantly dressed women were standing in front of the door and beckoning at the passers-by. These women were all Golden Core and below cultivators. Most of them had a furnace constitution and therefore their cultivation was difficult to improve, however they were eminently suited for dual cultivation.
A plaque hung from an upper floor, with the words “Xiaoyao Building” written in big, lively and vigorous characters.
Naming on the demonic path worked slightly different from the righteous path. The whole of Bahuang City was one big market and everything was named “Xiaoyao.” Xiaoyao building was a brothel, Xiaoyao pavilion was a public house and Xiaoyao place was a gambling den. It was said that Bahuang City was founded thousands of years ago by a powerful righteous cultivator named Xiaoyao Zhenren. Somehow, it had become the largest demonic city.
Mo Tianliao looked at the plaque on top of Xiaoyao Building. He had carved the words on it; it contained an expulsion array which would block people with murderous intent before entering the door.
“Good nephew, you’ve never seen this?” Shi Di saw where he was looking, smiled knowingly, raised a big hand and grabbed Mo Tianliao’s shoulder. “Come come come, uncle will help broaden your horizons.”
“No nee-” Mo Tianliao had no time to resist before he was dragged in by Lord Shi Di. The servants and other subordinates went to Lord Shi Di’s house in the city. Only Hei Yanshi loyally followed.
Inside the building it was as bright as day, the sound of the string instruments was constant and the lobby was full of singing girls, it was very noisy.
The little furball who was nestled in Mo Tianliao’s arms was woken up and stretched his furry head. He had a casual look around, then looked up and gave Mo Tianliao a slap. Filthy disciple, where the hell is this?!
“Shhh” Mo Tianliao scratched under his chin and did not dare to explain. While hugging Lord Kitty, who was trying to climb out of his arms and beat him up, he said to Shi Di, “Xiaozhao can’t stand the noise, I think-” we should go.
Before he could say it, Shi Di interrupted, “Of course, this excellency will not stay in such a noisy place.” With this, he headed upstairs to a private room.
The private room upstairs was extremely luxurious. The floor was covered with colourful cushions and gauzy curtains hung everywhere. It looked lavish and elegant. Shi Di ordered a jar of good wine and the procuress came to pour it herself.
The procuress was an older woman but she still had a beautiful and charming face. Before he could open his mouth, she laughed aloud and said, “Great Lord, you honour my humble shop with your presence. We just bought a few new girls and we also have a couple of good-looking boys. If Milord wants…” While speaking, the madame kept glancing flirtatiously at the tall and handsome Hei Yanshi standing behind Shi Di who had become human at some point.
The lion stared at the procuress. What was she looking at?
Shi Di roared with laughter and elbowed Mo Tianliao. “What do you want, dear nephew?” As he said this, he seemed to think of something and he looked at Mo Tianliao from head to toe.
“Uncle, help yourself. I’ll just drink.” Mo Tianliao was busy appeasing Lord Kitty and didn’t care to make up an excuse. He used to visit this shop during his past life, it was a convenient place to talk about certain things, but Mo Xiaozhao didn’t like the smell of cosmetics the place had. He would lose his temper every time he brought him and he reacted even worse when he didn’t bring him and went back smelling like a brothel.
Shi Di nodded knowingly and asked the procuress to bring some fair looking girls. He waited until the procuress left, then brought the wine to his lips and said, “I just thought I’d bring you here for a little experience but I forgot to ask, can you even do it with a body made out of wood?”
Hearing this, Mo Tianliao’s face suddenly darkened. If I don’t deal with this stupid idiot, if I don’t thoroughly slaughter him, then this excellency’s name is not Mo Tianliao!
Carpenter: If you want it to look elegant, it’ll cost extra
Hammer: It’s just money. Buy buy buy
Carpenter: Another array will make it look cooler when fighting
Hammer: It’s just money. Buy buy buy
Hammer: It’s just money. Buy buy buy
Carpenter: I haven’t even said what it is yet?
Sledgehammer: I get dizzy when I hear you talk. Just tell me how much
Unedited, please point out any mistakes
The way HYS tried to steal food is just like my cats do it
Thank you so much for the ko-fi anon