Among them, the story of Mo Yuan has remained popular for a long time.
Some of these stories are true and some are false, but everyone agrees that Mo Yuan is often portrayed as a cruel and cold-blooded villain, which fits the image of a heinous and wicked big bad.
At a simple tea stall, several sweating merchants were chatting, and they happened to be talking about Mo Yuan.
“I heard that a demon cultivator offended him before, and his entire clan was wiped out by him—” a merchant in brocade robes said with lingering fear. “I was just thinking of going over there to collect some medicinal herbs. Luckily I didn’t go, otherwise I wouldn’t be here chatting with you guys today.”
The middle-aged man in blue next to him nodded in agreement: "Old Zhang, you're really lucky. I heard that someone else just accidentally touched his sword, and he cut off his mouth and nose, crippled his limbs, and threw him into a snake pit to be eaten alive. That's terrifying, Xiao Qi, don't you think?"
The younger man, not expecting to be singled out, scratched his head sheepishly and said, "But Uncle Wang, I heard that Yun Qilou did these things... No matter how strong Mo Yuan is, he wouldn't let Yun Qilou take the blame for him, would he?"
Old Wang laughed heartily: "Haha, that's why young people need more experience. Your information is too outdated. It's true that Yunqi Tower was established by that great power. We all say that the people of Yunqi Tower like to wear bamboo hats, but in recent years, another kind of people have appeared in Yunqi Tower. They don't wear bamboo hats. These are all Mo Yuan's people."
"Huh? Is Mo Yuan really that powerful?" Xiao Qi asked in disbelief.
"That's right. Otherwise, given what he's done in the Southwest and Two Continents, would Yun Qilou have been able to sit still? Moreover, Mo Yuan seems to have sprung up out of nowhere. Nobody knows where he came from, so everyone is guessing whether he's Yun Qilou's biological son or disciple. He's been holding back for so long just for his big move later."
"What big move? Is it related to... recent events? I would appreciate your guidance, Uncle Wang." Xiao Qi couldn't help but feel nervous, recalling the tense atmosphere between the two continents recently.
Old Wang raised his chin, and Xiao Qi immediately understood when he saw his empty teacup. He quickly filled it to eight-tenths full and respectfully handed it over, saying, "Please tell me, Uncle Wang."
Old Zhang, standing to the side, shook his head, feeling both helpless and amused by his old friend's pretentious manner.
Old Wang chuckled, took the teacup to moisten his throat, and continued, "Why do you think the Southern Continent royal family suddenly sent troops to the Western Continent?"
"For...uh...money?"
"Wrong, wrong, wrong." Old Wang waved his hand.
Xiao Qi realized something was off as soon as he finished speaking. The Southern Continent royal family wasn't short of money, so he tentatively asked, "Was it...for revenge?"
Back then, those forces in the Western Continent took advantage of the people's illness to attack the Southern Kingdom. Not only did the Southern Continent royal family never forget this grudge, but the people of the Southern Continent also felt indignant when they talked about it.
"Before, when Onizuka provoked the Southern Continent royal family so much, they didn't send troops. This time, they suddenly said that thieves from the Western Continent stole their Imperial Seal—nobody would believe that—since they tolerated it before, it's obvious that the time has come for them not to tolerate it this time."
"The time has come? Coming to what?" Xiao Qi was confused again.
"Hey, Lao Wang, just say what you have to say, stop beating around the bush." Lao Zhang couldn't stand Lao Wang's rambling and chimed in, adding, "Think about it yourself. Yunqi Tower made such a big move before, and the Southern Continent royal family didn't say anything. This time, when they sent troops to the Western Continent, Yunqi Tower didn't utter a word. It's obvious that they're working together to take down those forces."
"Hey, I rarely keep people in suspense, Lao Zhang, how could you be so mischievous?" Lao Wang glared at him, and to save face, he continued to explain to Xiao Qi, "Look, the master of Yunqi Tower is a Tribulation Transcending stage expert, and the ancestor of the Southern Continent royal family is also a Tribulation Transcending stage expert, but the Western Continent doesn't have any Tribulation Transcending stage experts, so that's..."
"Bullshit, we in the Western Continent also have Tribulation Transcending stage experts, okay? It's the Northern Continent that doesn't have Tribulation Transcending stage experts." Old Zhang, a native of the Western Continent, couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"No way! I've never heard of that!" Old Wang retorted, sticking out his neck and glaring.
"That's because you're ignorant." Old Zhang curled his lips, a hint of nostalgia flashing in his eyes. "You know, a long time ago, our Western Continent was a united front. If the Demon Lord hadn't abdicated early and there hadn't been anyone who could command respect, it wouldn't be in such a state of fragmentation now."
When Old Zhang mentioned the Demon Lord, Old Wang immediately remembered him. He opened his mouth wide in surprise: "I thought that Demon Lord was no longer here..."
"Who is it? What Demon Lord?" Of the three, only Xiao Qi was truly confused and had never heard of it before.
“It’s normal that you’re young and don’t understand.” Old Zhang sighed. “That Demon Lord… his background and experiences… that’s why we women of the Western Continent are all top-notch. With such a Demon Lord as a role model, who wouldn’t aspire to be the second one?”
"This Demon Lord... is she a woman?" Xiao Qi asked hesitantly.
“Yes.” Old Zhang’s eyes were filled with heartfelt admiration. “If I were to experience the massacre of my entire family, be betrayed by my friends, and discover that my enemy was also my Daoist partner… regardless of gender, it would be a miracle if anyone didn’t go insane, let alone become a Demon Lord.”
Then Old Zhang launched into a long and detailed account of the Demon Lord's story, which sounded increasingly familiar to everyone.
As Old Zhang was telling his story, the person sitting behind him, who was drinking tea, slowly put down his teacup and looked down at it thoughtfully.
The chipped teacup contained coarse tea. There was no good tea at the border; it was just water for passersby to quench their thirst. The bland tea contained fully unfurled tea leaves.
The tea drinker was dressed in a black robe, completely covering himself up except for his fair chin, which, upon closer inspection, revealed a corner of an eerie pattern.
"I'm going over there to find Shen Yu." Suddenly, he stood up, glanced at the guard beside him, and refused the man's offer to come with him.
"Be careful." The man gripped the black-robed man's hand tighter, then looked up to reveal himself to be Shen Yebai in disguise.
"Hmm." The man in black robes was not surprised that it was Qin Moyu. He nodded, patted him on the shoulder reassuringly, and said, "It's very close, don't worry."
Shen Yebai watched him leave, then turned to look at the person in front of him, his expression instantly turning cold: "Why are you here?"
The woman smiling and drinking tea in front of him was Zuo Shu, who had been sent to find Shen Yu.
Zuo Shu's encounter with the three was purely by chance. She knew that Shen Yu's goal was to visit one of the burial sites of the Yan Emperor, and that's how the group happened to meet on the way.
Shen Yu was initially afraid that Zuo Shu would take him back, but he was deeply moved when he learned that she was accompanying him to search for the remains. The four of them then headed to He Village together. When they arrived at the tea stall, Shen Yu said he was going to buy something, so the three of them stayed there to drink tea and rest. Now that Qin Moyu had also left, only Zuo Shu and Shen Yebai were left at the table.
She laughed even more heartily after hearing what Shen Yebai said: "I'm just following orders to take Young Master Shen Yu back."
"You might be able to fool Shen Yu with this kind of nonsense, but do you think I'd believe it? If we needed to pick him up, who else could we send? Why did we have to send you? Tell me, what's wrong with him this time?" Shen Yebai sneered, exposing her without any mercy.
“Young Master truly understands the Emperor.” Zuo Shu sighed. “It is true that the Emperor ordered me to find Shen Yu, but he did give you other instructions as well.”
"Speak," Shen Yebai said, getting straight to the point without wasting any words.
"The Emperor wishes for you to invite the Demon Lord to come out of seclusion," Zuo Shu said slowly.
"The Demon Lord?" Shen Yebai frowned, recalling the location of the Demon Lord he had seen before, and immediately refused, "It's too far, I won't go. Besides, I have no connection with the Demon Lord. The Demon Lord has been in seclusion for so long, if he has a way to make her come out of seclusion, wouldn't it be the same to send someone else?"
“This matter truly cannot be left to you, young master.” Zuo Shu smiled bitterly. “The Demon Lord owes a favor to the Southern Continent royal family. The Emperor cannot leave, and only if you go will the Demon Lord believe it.”
"I'm not going." Even so, Shen Yebai didn't want to agree. "There are so many people in the Southern Continent royal family, we can just pick one of them."
"No, it must be the young master."
“I’m not going. I promised Mo Yu I would go back to Dongzhou with him,” Shen Yebai said.