Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 562: Fleeing From Marriage

By the time they arrived in the Demon Region, night had descended. The bright moonlight cascaded downward, illuminating the scene before them. Stretching out before the two was a forest—a sight exceedingly common in the Demon Region.

Unlike the Central Continent, which had undergone many developments, the Demon Region operated under a comparatively backward system. Villages served as strongholds, and development was lacking, with numerous primitive forests remaining untouched. Furthermore, the tribes eking out a living along the border were all mixed-blood demon tribes. They were considered small tribes and didn’t have the means to develop the woodlands.

“Where’s Third Senior Sister?” Meng Jingzhou asked.

“According to the map Big Senior Sister gave us, we set out from the Demon Suppression Pass, arrive in the Demon Region, and head north for two thousand li. Right at the boundary between the Qiongqi Tribe and the Moonhowl Skywolf Tribe, that’s where Third Senior Sister is waiting for us.” Lu Yang pulled out the crude map with only sketches of the Demon Region’s border, the Qiongqi Tribe, and the Moonhowl Skywolf Tribe. It utterly omitted any demons they might encounter along the way.

“That’s not too far. About three days’ worth of journey.”

“Let’s set off then.”

Having confirmed their direction, the two prepared to depart. Although it was already late at night, their cultivation was flawless, and their eyesight had been honed. With just a sliver of light, they could see the path clearly. Walking under the moon’s glow was no different from traversing under the sun.

Just as they were about to step forward, they heard a series of rustling sounds from the jungle’s depths, accompanied by muffled shouts.

“Stop there!”

“Don’t let them escape!”

“Young Miss, stop running!”

A man and a woman emerged from the jungle’s depths. Spotting Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, they faltered for a split second. They had seized the cover of night to flee a marriage, hoping to run to Great Xia’s territory. Unfortunately, their plan had loopholes. Their tribesmen detected something amiss and gave chase.

Just as success seemed within reach, they realized their tribe had anticipated their escape route all along and had laid an ambush here.

“Break through!” The man gritted his teeth. As long as we get past these two and enter the fog, we’ll be able to escape as far as we like!

He pulled out a broad saber from his storage ring. Gripping it with both hands, his muscles bulged. A mist as cold as autumn frost condensed on the blade, radiating a palpable chill.

In the past, he would never have dared raise a weapon against strong cultivators like Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou. But now, with his beloved beside him, pursuers behind him, and freedom before him, he had to gamble and fight with everything on the line!

The woman was no weakling either. She wielded twin swords, whose tips soared like dragons and danced like phoenixes.

“Whoever stands in my way shall die!”

The man and woman leaped high into the air, reaching approximately the height of Lu Yang’s knees, before being unceremoniously kicked away by Lu Yang with a casual sweep of his foot.

Lu Yang crouched down, utterly exasperated as he gazed at the two one-inch-tall figures.

“What are you two doing?”

Before the couple could answer, their pursuers, who were also one inch tall, arrived. Most had human forms, though a minority retained the features of their original race—insects.

The corner of Meng Jingzhou’s eye twitched. Just as we brothers wanted to leave, this pair of tiny insects darted out of the jungle, clamoring something about “those who stand in my way shall die,” then brandished toothpick-sized weapons as they charged over.

Never mind that you hardly have any cultivation; even if you have cultivation, where did you get the courage to pick a fight with us?

Insects were also part of the demon race. If dragons and phoenixes stood at the pinnacle of demons, insects languished at the very bottom. Even relatively harmless races like rabbits or mice held a higher status. As insects were inherently weak, they could only survive by huddling together for warmth. Whether they were ants, mantises, dung beetles, or mosquitoes, they dwelled together and were collectively known to outsiders as the Insect Tribe or Insect Race.

Even after insects achieved a human form, their insufficient cultivation only allowed them to transform into one-inch-tall figures. Only upon reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage would their stature grow to that of a human child, and finally, at the Golden Core Stage, they could assume the size of an adult human.

The man coughed up blood, staring at Lu Yang in despair. With his skills and agility, he could challenge even a Level Two Qi Training cultivator. However, Lu Yang could severely injure him with a single strike. He must be an expert at least at the Level Four Qi Refining Stage!

This wasn’t Lu Yang’s first encounter with the insect race. The Silver-Ringed Monarch Earthworm husband and wife in the herb garden were insects minimally at the Divine Transfiguration Stage.

But it was his first encounter with insects this small. He had only dismissed such stories as jokes, but now that he had seen these insects daring to draw blades against him...he found it even more amusing.

After the pursuers witnessed Lu Yang’s display of power, reverence surged in their hearts, and they no longer dared to make a ruckus. One of them stepped forward, straining his neck to look up at Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou. Dropping to his knees, he trembled as he said, “I am Li Shiqiang of the Insect Tribe. We were unaware Your Excellencies had arrived and had offended you. Please forgive us.”

He was the number one expert in his tribe, but facing the unfathomable Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, he dared not show the slightest discourtesy, striving to ensure his etiquette was thorough.

“I wouldn’t call that offending us. We are from the Prison Suppression Sect. I’m Meng Yang, and he’s Lu Jingzhou.” Since the other party had introduced themselves, it was only proper to reciprocate.

This was the cover story they had agreed on during their journey. Posing as rogue cultivators wouldn’t work because demons placed great importance on bloodlines and human ancestry. Claiming to be rogue cultivators would draw contempt and even ill intentions from demons.

Hence, they needed identities with respectable backgrounds. Impersonating someone from the imperial court was risky and could easily land them in legal trouble when they returned.

They couldn’t use their identities as disciples of the Dao-Seeking Sect.

The Hanging Monastery had too few members, making impersonation difficult.

The Moon Laurel Immortal Palace comprised only female cultivators, making impersonation possible.

That left the Five-Elements Sect and the Prison Suppression Sect.

Lu Yang had chosen the latter.

Li Shiqiang seemed almost flustered by their politeness. It’s my first time encountering experts who are so courteous. Reasonable demons are scarce in the Demon Region.

“Commander Li, please, just let Xiaomi and me go,” the man who had tried to flee the marriage beseeched piteously, but Commander Li remained unmoved.

In truth, their escape plan had been doomed from the start. Great Xia would never permit insects to enter. This was an ironclad rule. If they entered and proliferated, a swarm of Level One Qi Training mosquitoes would be a nightmare for ordinary people. The Silver-Ringed Monarch Earthworm couple was an exception. Since they were at the Divine Transfiguration Stage, reproduction was fairly difficult.

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou grew interested. They squatted down and observed the tiny figures in the moonlight. “Don’t be in a hurry to drag them away. Tell us what this is all about.”

Commander Li dared not disobey, so he recounted the story in full detail.

The insect race was internally divided into tribes. Theirs was the weakest, without a single Intermediate Qi Training insect. The son of the chieftain from a more powerful insect tribe had taken a fancy to Song Xiaomi. Using his influence, he pressured Song Xiaomi’s tribe to force her into marriage.

Song Xiaomi’s tribe had no other choice but to hand her over, but Song Xiaomi had a childhood sweetheart named Shi Chui. He was a genius within the tribe, but against the might of the other tribe, his resistance was as futile as a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

Both Song Xiaomi and Chi Shui opposed the marriage, leading to their nighttime escape, where they eventually ran into Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou.

“That’s quite interesting. Come, take us to see your insect tribe.”

Neither Lu Yang nor Meng Jingzhou had seen what an insect tribe was like. It’s rare for us to come to the Demon Region. Wouldn’t this trip be a waste if we don’t see the local specialties?