Chapter 423
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Chapter 423: Everlasting
That night, Bai Wei looked at the map in the local library.
He quickly calculated the possibility of reaching the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom from here.
He would need to cross the national border, and the land route was not an easy one, with lots of mountains, rivers, and plateaus in the shortest straight distance.
The total distance was over a thousand kilometers. Even though the puppet’s body wouldn’t get tired, it would wear out. And once they reached the mountainous area, their speed would slow down. Often, they would only cover a few hundred meters after walking tens of kilometers.
At that time, air transportation in the Ming Country was not very developed, especially to the mountainous regions. There were only transportation routes available.
There were a group of bus enthusiasts who liked to study different bus routes to see if they could travel from one city to another solely by bus.
While researching the route map at night, Bai Wei met five bus fans who traveled between cities by bus. One of them was a frequent traveler who enjoyed exploring different places.
Even though Bai Wei looked and dressed strangely, they didn’t mind because there were many people like him in the Ming Country.
The Ming Country is a vast and diverse land with a long history. It’s very normal to meet different people at any time, and many people have gotten used to it.
This adventurer shared a story about a bus robbery he encountered in the past. When the robber pulled out a gun, he saw an old man with a cane pull out a sword from his cane and without hesitation, the robber threw away his gun and begged for mercy. The old man later confirmed that he was a retired gardener from the Shu Mountain Sect and a graduate from Level 59, showing off his skills with the sword effortlessly.
Since then, this adventurer no longer doubts the existence of Crouching Tiger in the Ming Country and makes a decision to always be a good ordinary person. Watching the robber cry and regret his actions, he feels sorry for him. Becoming a bad person can easily end up as someone else’s achievement or trophy.
This adventurer provided their travel notes and spent half an hour carefully helping Bai Wei plan the route.
Bai Wei didn’t say that he wanted to go to the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, but only mentioned going to the border. He was clever enough not to ask further questions.
Then, it was time for the museum to close and they each went their separate ways.
In the middle of the night with nowhere to go, he almost got stopped or detained by the police officers because he didn’t have his ID card with him. Luckily, he managed to sneak away quickly. Otherwise, it would expose the fact that he was a puppet instead of a real person.
Puppets don’t need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe, and they are not affected by the weather. However, there’s one problem – they don’t have money. They can’t even afford to take the bus and because they don’t have an ID card, they can’t buy a night bus ticket. It’s a harsh reality of being penniless and unable to go anywhere.
After going around in a big circle, Bai Wei ended up back at the seaside where he started. There was even a tabby cat squatting nearby. After three to four hours of busyness, he returned to where he began.
"So, where are you going exactly?" asked You Ming, who had been clueless about what Bai Wei had been doing for hours.
"The Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom," Bai Wei stated his destination.
"That’s quite far," You Ming scratched his ear. "Why are you going to the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom? To collect souls?"
Bai Wei sensed something beyond the words and furrowed his brow. "You collect souls in the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom?"
"Many monsters gather materials in the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, and we are just one of them," You Ming shrugged. "It’s a place of battles and death, especially for the demons. Their materials are precious, and souls are harvested in large quantities. It’s a paradise for evil cultivators like us."
"Evil cultivators," an idea sparked in Bai Wei’s mind. "If I can contact evil cultivators, maybe they can provide a route to the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom."
Martial arts thrived in the Ming Country, and the spirit of chivalry prevailed. Most people practiced martial arts for self-defense, and this was mainly due to the abundance of martial arts sects and inheritances in the Ming Country.
This included some evil cultivators as well. There were numerous unorthodox and eccentric practices, and they played a part in the collapse of past dynasties, stirring up trouble and contributing to the chaos.
Nowadays, the internal environment of the Ming Country is not suitable for the presence of evil cultivators. Too many people want to capture them for credit, which has made them even more powerless. Naturally, they are considering a relocation.
Before, Bai Wei had encountered several evil cultivators. Some were ramen shop owners in Yingzhou, and others were spies in the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom.
When a country is about to perish, wicked creatures are everywhere.
This rule applies to any country at any time.
In the midst of the ongoing civil war and the widespread suffering in the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom, these maggots and flies danced seductively among piles of corpses.
The evil cultivators within the Ming Country would certainly not miss this opportunity. They would surely find a way to escape and grow stronger.
Unfortunately…
Bai Wei regretted that his upright actions had not led him to discover the methods and paths of the evil cultivators. After all, they were hidden and secretive, so it was impossible to plaster flyers or distribute cards on the streets. If he found any, he should at least suspect they were traps.
It seems that the problem cannot be solved in the short term. Perhaps Bai Wei needed to find a suitable exclamation mark on his own.
If he couldn’t obtain a way to go to the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom from the evil cultivators, he could at least make a report and rob them to gain some financial consolation.
At least I have money for taking the bus now.
Bai Wei thought, "This is ridiculous. How am I worse off in the Ming Country than in Yingzhou?"
"I’m going back," Bai Wei said to the tabby cat. "If you have time, please check if there are any signs of evil cultivation nearby and also inquire about the current situation in the small kingdom of Bai Ze in the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom."
Based on calculations, Chao Lu would arrive in the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom in one month, so there was still plenty of time, at least another week, for Bai Wei.
Yomin said, "You really treat me as a laborer. The whereabouts of evil cultivators are hidden, it’s not so easy. Moreover, the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom is too far, I can’t go there temporarily. To understand the situation there, we need to get closer, at least within a hundred kilometers."
"A hundred kilometers is already close to the border," Bai Wei pondered. "If we can find out, great. If not, it’s fine…" As he spoke, he started digging a hole on the ground and took out the Yunhu Sword to dig the soil.
The tabby cat asked, puzzled, "What are you doing?"
"Digging a hole to bury someone."
"Meow, meow, meow?"
"My body is like a puppet, there’s no need to stay in a hotel. It’s better to dig a hole and bury myself here. It’s convenient, fast, and saves time and effort."
After Bai Wei finished digging, he laid down inside the hole, looking quite peaceful. Then, he wrapped himself in a coat and used his mind to cover himself with dirt.
"That’s it."
He closed his eyes, buried himself in the ground, and only needed a tombstone to make it timeless and eternal.
This is very Tom.
The clever Demon Cat Yumeko left, casually swaying its tail. It didn’t plan to spend too much effort on the journey, but the Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom did pique its interest.
…
There was only a few hours difference in time zones between the Ming Country and Yingzhou. After Bai Wei returned to his body and woke up, he checked the time and it was three in the deep night.
He was currently temporarily staying at Guan Ling’s house. Hokkaido, compared to the mainland, was vast and sparsely populated. Most homes in Yingzhou were single-story to three-story small Western-style houses, and this particular house had several empty rooms, so temporary living just required an extra blanket.
It was three in the morning and Bai Wei couldn’t sleep. He got up and went to the balcony, looking at the red moon.
The moonlight was still crimson, but it had become more dim. In this December, the days of Yingzhou Witch’s bloodline descendants would be better.
While Bai Wei was lost in thought, he heard a voice beside him.
"Can’t you sleep either?"
He looked over and saw a girl in pajamas on the other end of the balcony. The dim red moonlight illuminated her facial features, and her eyes were gentle.
"Guan Ling…" Bai Wei was still somewhat unfamiliar with his sister’s body and Guan Ling’s soul merging into a strange combination. Yagyū Simozi’s gaze was like that of a sensitive little animal, and Alena’s description of her as a "hedgehog" was spot-on.
He looked at Guan Ling and once again remembered what the Demon Cat Yumeko had said, making his emotions even more complicated.
If a kiss could solve everything, Bai Wei wouldn’t be so conflicted. But the problem was, who should he kiss?
Kissing anyone would be like kissing the other.
Unless everyone is treated equally, it’s no big deal if each person takes a turn.
Bai Wei felt more and more unreasonable, he sighed, felt his scalp tingle, and realized that he shouldn’t sigh because a sigh in front of her would add unnecessary psychological pressure to her.
"I’m sorry."
Sure enough, the little hedgehog lowered her head to apologize, but she didn’thing wrong in this matter, no matter what, the victim should not be blamed.
"I sighed not because of you," Bai Wei patiently explained, "I happened to have some troubles."
"But these troubles are related to us, right?" Guan Ling was very perceptive, or rather, she hadn’t been foolish to this extent.
"…Sort of," Bai Wei didn’t know how to say it, whether he should hide it or not.
"Can we talk?" Guan Ling mustered up the courage to say this sentence. She could still be brave, not sure if it was because of the confidence from Yagyū Simozi’s Gundam model or because she should speak and do things that only Yagyū Simozi dared to say.
"It’s not a good situation if this continues. Mr. Bai has been avoiding us… Simozi doesn’t say anything, but her recent mood is also low, and I feel the same. So we should talk, if we did something wrong, just tell us, but please, please, don’t avoid us… That would make me and Simozi feel scared."
She tried very hard to express some brave attitudes, but when she saw Bai Wei’s helpless look, that courage wavered like a flickering candle in the wind.
"I know you have been feeling a bit down lately, and I feel the same way too," Bai Wei rested his hands on the railing. "You and me, we’re in this together, and honestly, dealing with your problems is more of a headache to me than facing a few more shogunate sword hunts… So I’ve been thinking of ways to solve your issues… Well, Guan Ling, I have a long-standing question that has been bothering me."
Guan Ling suddenly became nervous, even more so than when she was checking her final exam results. "Please, go ahead."
Bai Wei looked into her eyes, and with a conflicted expression, asked, "If I pour Coca-Cola into a Pepsi can, am I drinking Pepsi or Coca-Cola?"
Guan Ling tilted her head, realizing that the question was different from what she expected. Nevertheless, she answered truthfully and suggested, "Well, how about we drink it first and then decide?"