Free Web NovelChapter 334: Chapter 334: Heavenly Demon?
By the time she arrived, day had already broken.
The destroyed inn was even more conspicuous in the light of day. With a grim expression, the Shopkeeper was cleaning up the wreckage.
He had used high-quality materials, and now that they were all destroyed, he was absolutely fuming.
But since no one suspected the Divine Thunder had anything to do with Song Wanning, they could only chalk it up to bad luck.
Song Wanning was disguised as a travel-worn man. Since her clone’s aura could be altered, the distinct aura of her recent ascension was also concealed.
She took a turn about the city, and no one else paid him much attention.
After a brief stroll, she walked into another inn.
With the other inn destroyed, the remaining establishments had to take on the overflow, and they were considerably more crowded.
In the main hall, everyone was eagerly discussing the appearance of the Divine Thunder from the night before.
"Did you all see that Divine Thunder last night? HISS... Anyone who didn’t know better would’ve thought those two did something to offend both Heaven and humanity, and were being punished by the Heavenly Dao!"
"No kidding. I heard someone happened upon the scene and saw a single bolt of lightning turn them to ash."
"What a pity, though. That beautiful lady who just ascended yesterday was also struck and obliterated!"
"Tch. It’s better that she’s dead. If she had fallen into the hands of the Heavenly Demon, her fate would have been worse than death!"
At the mention of the Heavenly Demon, a flicker of fear passed through everyone’s eyes.
But soon, someone else let out a relieved laugh.
"No need to worry. The Heavenly Demon only goes after women. We’re safe!"
"That’s true."
The group quickly changed the subject. Though they talked a big game about not being afraid, they were clearly still wary.
Sitting to one side, Song Wanning drank the Spiritual Wine from her cup, her expression darkening slightly.
’What is a Heavenly Demon?’
’It certainly doesn’t sound like anything good.’
’As a newcomer, her mood soured. It seemed that once she reached a larger city, she would have to make a point of learning about the Spirit Realm to avoid fumbling around blindly everywhere she went.’
Her gaze swept over the surrounding crowd before finally landing on a Cultivator who was sitting alone and drinking nearby.
Carrying her Spiritual Wine, Song Wanning approached him.
"Excuse me, friend. Do you happen to know who this Heavenly Demon is that they’re all talking about? I’m new here and I’ve heard him mentioned several times. I’m terribly curious."
She put on a curious expression, and seeing that he didn’t try to send her away, she took the opportunity to sit down.
"Heh, you’ve come to the right person! I just got the full story on this myself yesterday."
The Cultivator, looking as if he’d finally found a partner for gossip, grabbed Song Wanning’s sleeve and lowered his voice. "They say the Heavenly Demon is actually a Demon Cultivator who gave himself that name... claims he wants to vie with the heavens for supremacy."
"I hear his Cultivation is not only profound, but he’s also full of bizarre habits. His favorite is to... peel the skin off of women..."
At this, he gave her a suggestive wink and asked, "And do you know what he does with the skin?"
Song Wanning quickly shook her head, putting on a look of awe.
This gave the Cultivator a jolt of satisfaction. He leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. "He doesn’t peel it for any other reason... he wears it on his own face..."
"And the more beautiful the woman, the more he likes her. I heard a real beauty arrived yesterday. If she hadn’t died under the Divine Thunder, she’d have probably fallen into his clutches by now!"
The Cultivator’s face was a mask of terror as he spoke, but he was also thankful he was a man. Otherwise, he might have met his end here.
"Speaking of which, that beauty was just unlucky. No woman has dared to come to this area for a long time, yet she just had to ascend nearby. Talk about rotten luck, right?"
’Rotten luck indeed...’
’Song Wanning felt a pang of bitter agreement. What a wonderful ascension spot this was!’
’I wonder if I got screwed over one last time!’
Song Wanning’s expression soured. She asked tentatively, "Is the Heavenly Demon that powerful? Can’t people just hide from him?"
"HISS... Hiding is useless."
The Cultivator shook his head vigorously.
"They say the Heavenly Demon has a Qi Observation Skill that lets him perceive a person’s aura."
"It can even penetrate underground and through restrictive arrays. That’s how all those women fell victim to him—because of that Qi Observation Skill!"
’Most people use a Qi Observation Skill to gauge fortune and destiny. But him? He uses it to hunt for women’s auras.’
’What a pervert.’
The Cultivator’s face was a mixture of confusion and contempt, but Song Wanning didn’t see it.
Her main body, which was linked to the clone, had just received this information and instinctively felt something was wrong.
Her clone sensed it too and, after quickly making an excuse, hurried away.
"Tsk. Why’d he leave so suddenly?"
The Cultivator looked disappointed; he had been enjoying the young man’s admiration.
...
"Stay on high alert!"
Song Wanning stood within an Array, the Longsword in her hand humming and trembling.
Her expression was grim. She had thought she could remain hidden, but she hadn’t expected her opponent to possess a method like the Qi Observation Skill.
"Aren’t you going to come out?"
With her sharp cry, the surrounding atmosphere changed abruptly. The once-clear air was suddenly flooded with Demonic Qi.
Then, a figure emerged.
When she saw the figure, Song Wanning’s gaze froze. His appearance gave her a start.
He had a tall, powerful frame and a slender build, with long hair that billowed gracefully. If you ignored his face, he was the very picture of a handsome man.
But...
His nose and mouth were covered by a sheet of skin, revealing only a pair of eyes that held an eerie glint.
And on that skin, there were still traces of rouge and fragrant powder.
"So, you’re the Heavenly Demon?"
Song Wanning sized up the Heavenly Demon and inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
’Thank goodness. The Heavenly Demon is only at the late Void Refining Stage, not the Integration Mahayana level I was imagining.’
’If he had been an expert of that caliber, I’d truly have the worst luck imaginable.’
As she observed him, she considered her combat strategy. Barring any surprises, she should at least be able to escape...
"Heh heh... How did you find me?"
The Heavenly Demon hadn’t expected to be discovered and looked at Song Wanning in surprise.
His gaze was fixed on Song Wanning’s flawless, stunning face, his eyes filled with desire and jealousy.
’If he could get his hands on this skin, wouldn’t it be beautiful?’
"..."
Song Wanning felt his naked malice and was overcome with a wave of revulsion.
’Since he cares so much about his face, then I...’
"Of course. When you’re that ugly, it’s hard *not* to be noticed."
"I have this... condition. Whenever someone ugly gets too close, I start to feel nauseous."
With every word she spoke, the Heavenly Demon’s expression grew a shade darker.
In all his life, there was nothing he hated more than being called ugly!
"This skin I’m wearing is so beautiful. How could it be ugly?"
His face darkened as he stroked the skin on his face as if it were a priceless treasure.
Song Wanning heard this and didn’t let up.
"The face itself is quite nice, I’ll admit. But unfortunately, it’s on *your* face, and doesn’t that just make it ugly?"
"PFFT—"
Inside her Sea of Consciousness, the Golden Small Sword and the Dragon Spirit both burst out laughing.
’Their master’s words were truly venomous, each one a knife twisted straight into his heart!’
"You—"
The Heavenly Demon clearly hadn’t expected such a humiliation and flew into an instant rage.
He roared, brandishing a black whip and lashing it toward Song Wanning.
