Chapter 144:

The afternoon was eerily quiet, the air thick with heat and dryness. The sun hung lazily in the sky, while the chirping of insects alternated with birdsong, creating an unusual tranquility in the sweltering summer.

Inside the room, Xu Xi stared at the word “Azure Dragon Qi” on the paper before him, his thoughts sinking into a prolonged silence. His gaze was fixed, his mind caught in a loop as he reviewed the contents over and over.

Azure Dragon Qi…

The legend of the human-eating green dragon…

Could the two be connected?

Xu Xi lowered his eyes, recalling the vivid detail of Wu Yingxue’s Azure Dragon Qi. That memory now seemed to provide an answer to the mystery he had pondered for so long.

“Even if the Azure Dragon Qi isn’t unique, it can’t exist everywhere.”

“In all likelihood, the Azure Dragon Qi imitated by the royal family’s technique is the same as the man-eating green dragon in this legend.”

“The Daqian royal family, protectors of humanity, are cultivating techniques derived from a monstrous demon?”

The thought was absurd, outrageous even.

Yet Xu Xi felt no turmoil over this realization. His long-standing suspicion of Emperor Daqian had numbed him to shock. Instead, his focus shifted to the implications of Azure Dragon Qi’s existence.

“The Azure Dragon Qi confirms the existence of the Azure Dragon. And if the Azure Dragon exists, the legends might also be true.”

“Could those fantastical records, those myths of a vast and untamed world, be grounded in reality?”

But if that were the case, why had no one in Daqian ever witnessed such a world?

Why was the world limited to the Thirteen Prefectures?

The answer came swiftly.

“The real world, the true human race, exists beyond the Hundred Thousand Mountains. The so-called Thirteen Prefectures of Daqian are nothing more than breeding grounds established by Azure Dragon and other demons.”

The pieces fit perfectly.

Questions that had lingered for years suddenly seemed to have answers.

“Sir, what are you talking about? I don’t understand.”

Wu Yingxue’s voice broke through his thoughts.

Her face was filled with confusion as she leaned closer, glancing between Xu Xi and the papers.

To her, the world had always consisted of the Thirteen Prefectures of Daqian and the endless Hundred Thousand Mountains. Anything beyond that was unfathomable.

“Yingxue, don’t be deceived by appearances. Sometimes, what you see is just what others want you to see.”

Xu Xi explained patiently, walking her through his discoveries—about Daqian, about Azure Dragon Qi, and about the truth hidden behind their world.

At first, Wu Yingxue was stunned, her mouth agape in disbelief.

Gradually, her expression twisted into anger.

She slammed her hands on the table, vowing to stab the “treacherous emperor” a million times over for his crimes.

Although Xu Xi’s conclusion was based on conjecture, past events and evidence lent it credibility.

The Emperor of Daqian, sitting high in the court, was likely a demon himself or at least allied with them.

Even the mysterious “immortal” might be a demon in disguise.

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”

Wu Yingxue gritted her teeth furiously. Then, a new question dawned on her.

“Sir,” she began, her voice hesitant, “you said the real world is beyond the Hundred Thousand Mountains, and that the people of the Thirteen Prefectures are nothing more than livestock for the demons. But what about us? What about Qingniu Town and the Qihuo Army?

“We’ve been fighting Daqian for years, suffering countless casualties. Doesn’t that go against what the demons want?”

Her voice trembled with uncertainty.

If the demons created Daqian as a human prison, wouldn’t uprisings and rebellions disrupt their plans?

Before Xu Xi could answer, the cheerful voices of soldiers echoed outside the house.

“Hey! Hey! Eat! Eat!”

Even through the thick walls, the excitement in their cries was unmistakable.

Xu Xi raised his hand slightly, letting the sunlight filter through his fingers, illuminating his golden palm lines.

“Yingxue,” he asked softly, “do you think everyone is full now?”

The girl hesitated, then replied truthfully, “They’re eating enough. At least they’re not starving like before.”

“And do you think they’re eating well?”

She shook her head firmly.

“No,” she admitted.

Having grown up amidst wealth and luxury, Wu Yingxue knew what true abundance looked like. Compared to the lavish feasts of Daqian’s elites, the modest bowls of rice cherished by the Qihuo Army were pitiful.

“Do you think they want to eat better?”

“Of course they do! Who wouldn’t—”

Her words faltered.

Her expression froze as if struck by lightning.

In the warm sunlight of the quiet room, Xu Xi delivered the chilling truth: “Those demons also want better human flesh.”

People distinguish between types of chickens—capon, free-range, wild.

Who’s to say that demons, with their intelligence, don’t classify humans similarly?

“The so-called world, the so-called Daqian, the so-called Thirteen Prefectures,” Xu Xi continued calmly, “are nothing more than a prison where demons rear warriors as their bloodstock.”

“Our battles against Daqian and the spread of the ‘Martial Arts That Even a Fool Can Practice’ only accelerate the cultivation of stronger warriors. Life-and-death battles are the quickest way to break through bottlenecks. That’s all.”

His tone was gentle, but the weight of his words shattered the girl’s understanding of the world.

Xu Xi felt he was closing in on the truth. But he knew he needed more evidence to confirm his theory.

If proven correct, the survival army’s goals would need a drastic overhaul.

Until now, their aim had been to overthrow Daqian and create a new era.

But if Xu Xi’s suspicions were true, such efforts would only replace one cage with another.

The people would remain nothing more than livestock for the demons.

“Perhaps I’m not the first to uncover this horrifying reality,” Xu Xi mused, thinking of Wu Yingxue’s parents.

He suspected that King Dingyuan, a warrior of the third realm, had discovered this bitter truth—and that it had cost him his life.

“Overthrowing Daqian won’t lead to survival.”

“The day we reach the imperial capital will be the day the demons come to feast.”

“The only path forward is to escape this prison of heaven and earth.”