Chapter 109: Beast Stage

The feeling of being kissed was indeed different from initiating a kiss. Initiating a kiss makes the heart race; being kissed makes the heart skip a beat.

Vane’s expression remained unruffled after the kiss. Zora turned her head to steal another glance at him. They looked at each other in silence. Zora stared fixedly. Vane held the gaze for a few moments before instinctively looking away, only to turn back an instant later.

"..."

"..."

Zora: "Try kissing me again."

Her tone was not provocative, but one of sincere, straightforward liking.

Vane remained silent for a moment, then leaned in and kissed her again. He didn't use much force; Zora only felt a light touch. She touched the spot where he had kissed her and gave a sincere evaluation: "Not bad."

"..." Vane looked down at her, let out a laugh after a long pause, and said, "That's good."

Following that, Zora acted as if nothing had happened, continuing her cultivation or relaxing by reading a storybook for a while. The flesh and blood of the wound were slowly mending, and the front of Vane’s robe was gradually stained dark with blood. For a time, the cave was exceptionally peaceful, save for the occasional sound of turning pages.

Midway through, Vane went out once and returned quickly. Zora didn't pay it much mind; he wasn't in any life-threatening danger anyway.

...

When deep night fell and moonlight cascaded down, the youth’s crow-black lashes trembled as he opened his eyes, revealing pupils as dark as ink.

Zora: "Better?"

In truth, there was still a slight pain near his heart. Vane said without changing his expression, "Better."

"Then let's go now. To the Beast Stage."

Vane gave a submissive affirmation. "I went out earlier; the location of the Beast Stage should still be where I remember it."

Night enveloped them. Sparse vegetation was scattered across the land. The Demon Realm at night was terrifyingly silent.

Seeing Zora emerge, the three people outside the cave hid their bodies, revealing only their eyes to observe, like rats in the shadows—no longer as respectful as they were during the day.

"Are... are you leaving?" the boy spoke up.

Oh... so the food during the day wasn't a gift?

Zora thought for a moment and, very politely, handed them a low-grade defensive weapon from her storage bag. The three remained hidden behind the rocks, no one stepping forward, so Zora placed it on the ground.

Vane cast an imperceptible glance at the three. As Zora took flight on her sword, he whispered in her ear, "We have already sheltered them for a night. There is no need to think of them further."

Zora tilted her head in confusion. "I wasn't thinking of them."

"It was just the price for the meal. It seems that here, currency isn't what is exchanged."

Vane paused, then smiled. "Yes. In the lawless regions of the Demon Realm, food and weapons are the standard currency."

The Beast Stage was still located at the border between the South and North. Vane gazed at the road ahead with cold eyes. He hadn't expected that in the decades he was gone, the layout of the Demon Realm hadn't changed at all—like a stagnant, gargantuan beast of withered wood and yellow grass, without a shred of evolution.

After all, this was not the cultivation world with its superficially harmonious sects, but the Southern and Northern Realms that constantly fought over territory. But time was short, and Vane didn't have the luxury to learn more; he had only asked a few people to confirm the location.

As the cool breeze brushed past, Vane suddenly said, "Those three will definitely sell information about our whereabouts."

"What?" Zora hadn't experienced the local customs of the Demon Realm. Although she wasn't one to assume people were kind, she simply wouldn't bother to consider it. "What will happen?"

"I've checked; there are no high-level demonic cultivators there. They are all insignificant ants. Even if they sell the info, it won't go far."

There was no threat, so Vane had allowed the three to pick up the spiritual tool and leave.

"Oh."

The matter was put aside, and neither spoke of it again.

...

The family outside the cave indeed intended to sell the news that Zora and her companion were looking for the Immortal-Slaying Pavilion. However, they didn't know their names or identities. As ordinary people, they couldn't distinguish between demonic cultivators and orthodox practitioners, so they naturally assumed Zora was a demonic cultivator.

The man scratched his palm, anxious. He thought the Immortal-Slaying Pavilion would seek justice for their fallen comrade or be angered by the duo’s offense, but the informant at the bottom tier of the Pavilion merely waved his hand. "Go, go, get out of my sight. Dead is dead. People in the Pavilion die all the time. Come back when someone important dies."

The man didn't care if anyone would avenge the dead man; he continued with a fawning smile, "...But we provided news on those two. Surely the master should give us some food or supplies... or a reward."

The woman chimed in, "Yes, master, have pity on us."

The boy hid timidly behind his parents, his body frail, his eyes wary. In the end, the informant threw them some food—a thousand times better than what they had offered Zora; at least it was soft.

As the family left happily, the informant went into the house. He actually thought that since there hadn't been much to report lately, the people at the Beast Stage might think he wasn't working hard and forget him. Thinking this, he mixed the incident with other trivial matters and wrote it into a letter just to pad the word count.

Soon, the letter was delivered by a travel-worn messenger to a demonic cultivator dressed as a scholar at the Beast Stage. The scholar glanced at it casually and, as usual, pressed the envelope under a pile of accumulated junk. Every day, so many demonic cultivators arrived seeking the Immortal-Slaying Pavilion, hoping to gain a place within it. He was used to it.

This time was no exception. Just more ambitious trash.

Morning.

The Beast Stage was like an iron bucket, surrounded by endless high walls that blocked out all wind, making the air stifling. Only a small passage was left to welcome visitors from all directions.

Some people dressed cleanly and nobly entered in swaying carriages, surrounded by attendants. Most, however, were workers hurrying in and out of the Beast Stage, or those with a bit of wealth laughing with their dissolute friends as they entered to seek entertainment.

In the bushes a hundred meters from the Beast Stage, a man and a woman were rolling together in a tangle of limbs. This was not uncommon in the Demon Realm. In the spot where they rolled, there were even leftover fragments of flesh from a person who had been killed, sticking to the naked backs and arms of the couple, sliding off to leave a trail of mottled bloodstains.

This only made it more thrilling for them.

The man spat and said excitedly, "...That kid actually thought he could follow me to the Beast Stage. If it weren't for my old man, I would have strangled him and boiled him the moment he was born! How is it? How does it feel lying on that human flesh?"

The woman panted, letting out a cheerful laugh upon hearing this. She teased, "You already know, so why ask me? How cruel, he was your brother."

"What can I do? There was only enough money for two. One for me, one for you—wasn't he redundant?"

The two soon stopped mentioning the dead man, immersing themselves in their pleasure. The spot they occupied was the only place with a large tree; though its leaves were sparse, it provided some cover.

Therefore, when two uninvited guests landed silently, the woman lying down saw them first and was startled for a moment.

The newcomer was a pristine girl. She was expressionless, treating them as if they were invisible as she gazed toward the main gate of the Beast Stage. The youth behind her, cradling a red-tasseled spear, cast a fleeting glance at the naked couple with no discernible emotion.

"??" Even people of the Demon Realm wouldn't usually treat a couple's public tryst as if it were nothing.

The woman was blocked by the man, but her head was free. She saw the youth's eyes, froze in terror, and then slapped the man’s shoulder hard.

"What is it..." Before the man could finish, he caught sight of the girl in blue and white. He was so terrified he rolled off and retreated. "Y-you! Who are you people!"

The woman also scrambled to grab her clothes and put them on hastily, lest she delay her escape. However, the two continued to ignore them completely. The girl even started talking to herself.

Zora: "Is this the Beast Stage?"

Vane took a step forward. "Yes. The Beast Stage has another name: the Heaven-Opening Stage."

"Just walk in?"

"The Heaven-Opening Stage is stricter than most places. We either pay money or each need an aptitude token."

Zora noticed that the Demon Realm didn't use spirit stones; they used gold and silver. Unfortunately, Zora hadn't hoarded those; she only had spirit stones. Vane’s storage bag had long been lost.

Zora: "Then we need two aptitude tokens."

The couple felt a sliver of fear toward these two youths who were clearly much younger than them. Seeing that they were being ignored, they slowly breathed a sigh of relief. The man, seeing their youth and having missed the scene of them flying in on a sword, thought this tender-skinned pair would surely fetch a good price.

Perhaps the fear just now was an illusion? Usually, these were young masters and ladies from powerful families, but not

that

powerful—otherwise, why let them come here alone?

Just as the man developed the intent to kill and sell their meat, he saw the youth turn his head. His eyes were curved in a smile, as if he had seen through everything. He was clearly looking at them, yet he spoke to the girl.

"There happens to be some right here."

"..."

"..."

Outside the Heaven-Opening Stage, Zora had changed into ordinary cloth clothes and was standing in line to enter. She didn't know how high the cultivation of the people in the Immortal-Slaying Pavilion was, so she couldn't act rashly—at the very least, she shouldn't expose herself openly.

The surroundings were bustling. All sorts of foul language could be heard. Some people discussed the tragic states of those close to them, letting out laughter from time to time. People of the Demon Realm were not as orderly as those in the cultivation world, nor were there as many kind-hearted people.

A man in gray, relying on his build, shoved aside a frail person in front of him to cut the line. The man in gray laughed: "Useless trash, your meat isn't even worth money."

the person fell to the ground, angry but not daring to speak. He stood up, was kicked several more times by the man in gray, and fell again. He still said nothing, scurrying to the very back of the line, not daring to leave. Right now was when the crowd was largest, and when the butchers on the outskirts were most numerous.

The Beast Stage protected those on its perimeter; one couldn't blatantly kidnap and kill people here. After all, the Beast Stage needed fresh blood. Of course, this protection wasn't absolute. If one truly wanted to kill, they just needed to find a blind spot. The protected area was very small—essentially just the queue itself.

If he left now, he would likely have his aptitude token snatched by some other ill-intentioned person and then be killed so they could sell his meat for a few coins. Aptitude tokens didn't have names; as long as someone had one, they could enter to participate. Some tokens were distributed in fixed amounts periodically; everyone had a chance to get one. But even so, those with money and food were always the first to obtain them.

The man in gray withdrew his gaze smugly and set his sights on the person in front of him. They were actually taller than him. Displeased, the man reached out to grab the person's ponytail to toss them aside. Little did he know the person had eyes in the back of their head; they tilted their head and dodged, their dark eyes looking over.

"Is there something?" The tone was polite yet cold.

It was an excessively young face. The gaze was flat, as if looking at a piece of meat. Although the clothes were simple, he was clean and good-looking—so good-looking the man in gray had never seen a youth more beautiful. Yet there were no traces of having suffered abuse. This alone said a great deal.

The man in gray shivered inexplicably and said nothing. The youth gave a slight smile, seemingly clear on his cowardice, and turned back. His ponytail swayed slightly. After the youth turned around, he was quiet for a moment, and then, as if unable to restrain himself, he lowered his head to speak softly to a girl in front of him.

Having lived this long in the Demon Realm, the man in gray wasn't someone with no eyes. He acted on impulse once and then stopped, continuing to wait in line obediently.

Zora wasn't good at small talk, but Vane was. He would bring up topics she was interested in and never let the conversation die. His words weren't too intense or dense enough to make her feel overwhelmed; they were just right. His voice was neither hurried nor slow, the rhythm entirely adapted to her.

Soon, it was her turn. After checking the aptitude token, Zora stepped into the Heaven-Opening Stage and paused.

Each aptitude token corresponded to one room. Their tokens were of the lowest grade, so the rooms assigned were the most ordinary. However, the couple from earlier had been so afraid of being killed that they had even given them some money.

After Vane tidied Zora’s room, he went out to gather information.

A thin man was fawning at the entrance where the crowd entered: "Eh, first time at the Beast Stage? Five coins and I have info on all the opponents! Do you know Qi Min? Last season's champion! I know him!"

There were others like him weaving through the crowd to solicit customers. Some were scammers who would lead people to unknown rooms to be turned into slaves, never to rise again. Thus, most people wore cold expressions and hurried past.

Li Xu was shouting for customers with a grin when a voice suddenly appeared by his side.

"Is this enough?"

He turned around. A youth was smiling brightly, tossing over a piece of broken silver. Li Xu caught it instantly: "Enough, more than enough! This is enough to buy three slaves!" He then added fawningly, "Right now, I'm treating you as my master, I won't hide a thing!"

Vane walked toward his room, and Li Xu followed immediately. The youth glanced at him. "Three slaves?" The price hadn't changed much.

"Yes, and top-quality ones at that! Like beautiful, pale-skinned women..."

Vane suddenly stopped. Li Xu halted. The new guest was staring at a certain spot. He followed the gaze; it was a girl with twin buns, leaning against the railing and looking down at the lowest-level Beast Stage.

This was a circular gallery with six floors surrounding a large circular stage at the bottom. There was no roof. Two people were currently fighting to the death on the stage. The noble spectators around were talking and laughing, occasionally throwing fruit down.

Vane didn't approach rashly. He knew when to go forward and when not to disturb her. Though he could only see Zora’s back, she seemed very serious.

Is Zora observing the people on the Beast Stage? Is there something interesting about them? ...Or am I not interesting enough to attract her every moment?

His storage bag was lost, and all those things Zora liked to kill time with had vanished. After staring at her for a moment, Vane restrainedly withdrew his gaze. "Let's go."

Li Xu followed, smiling. "Guest, do you know her?"

"Mhm." He had no desire to say more.

Li Xu was a shrewd man and naturally understood the youth's thoughts. Once inside the room, he immediately tried to be helpful, saying: "I know a few people... that woman doesn't look like much. I can have them drug her and send her to your bed, it only takes three—ugh!"

Before he could finish, his neck was suddenly gripped. The thin man’s face turned red rapidly, and he slapped at the youth’s arm. Though he was thin, his strength wasn't small, but the youth didn't budge.

Breath was stripped away, and his vision darkened in waves. The demonic talismans Li Xu threw were useless, like scrap paper; the moment they touched the youth’s clothes, they suddenly burned away.

This is someone who shouldn't be provoked,

Li Xu thought in terror. A plea for mercy struggled out of his throat: "P-please..."

The youth’s eyelids were lowered, his dark eyes deep, yet his lips wore a smile. His voice was as unhurried as ever, even very gentle.

"Didn't you say you could buy three slaves and treat the guest as the master?" Vane said softly. Then he loosened his grip slightly, allowing Li Xu to breathe weakly.

As Li Xu’s vision cleared, he heard the youth's seemingly gentle words.

"Then treat her as the master. Like a dog—that is what a good slave is. Do not make her unhappy."

Of course,

he

was her favorite, her most trusted servant... No, not "favorite." He was the

only

one.

Vane: "Having just arrived here, it's really inconvenient to kill and dispose of bodies."

"Yes, yes! I was blind! My mistake, my mistake, I will absolutely not trouble her!" Li Xu answered hurriedly, only to find that Vane didn't care about his answer, his expression indifferent.

The moment the youth let go, Li Xu slumped to the floor.

Vane spoke again: "Do you have osmanthus cakes here?"

Li Xu froze: "...There are, yes."

Vane gave a slight smile. Li Xu stared blankly, only then realizing the youth had been smiling since the first moment they met, but this was the first time the smile carried genuine mirth. Once seen, it was very easy to tell the difference.