Chapter 446 - 231: Half-Body Dan Demon

Chapter 446: Chapter 231: Half-Body Dan Demon

At night, the cicadas chirped incessantly. Zheng Xiu returned to his room, humming a little tune while holding his Orange Cat.

He took a detour past Feng Bei’s courtyard, but the lights were already out. It seemed Feng Bei had already gone to bed, leaving Zheng Xiu to return in disappointment.

Ever since returning from the Cannibal Painting, his relationship with Feng Bei had remained in a state of delicate ambiguity. They could share small embraces, and she didn’t even protest when Zheng Xiu accidentally let slip a "Madam," yet it was difficult for them to take the next step.

Zheng Xiu knew Feng Bei had some hang-ups, and they weren’t the kind that could be easily resolved in a short time. He could only let things take their natural course.

Back in his room, Zheng Xiu undressed. Tossing and turning in bed, he found himself unable to sleep. So, he activated the mechanism and entered the dungeon for the first time in a while.

As soon as he entered the dungeon, he faintly heard the sound of moaning.

In one of the cells, Pingping had tied herself up into a contorted shape that accentuated her curves. Her hands and feet were tightly cuffed, her toes curled up forcefully like a crayfish, and her fair skin was slightly flushed from the exertion, glistening with fragrant sweat.

This made Zheng Xiu’s mouth go a little dry. Pingping’s figure was the most dramatic he had ever seen on a woman. Her wide dress was very white, and she exuded the charm of a fully ripened fruit. And yet, her face was like that of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl, full of innocent, childlike charm.

This extreme contradiction... I suppose it’s to be expected of the Princess of the Dayue Clan. The name fits her perfectly: the *Da* in Dayue Clan.

Pingping of the Dayue Clan seemed to be practicing some very strange, very bold Miracle Technique.

The four maids all followed the [Orchid] Path. Now, they had forged a new, divergent path, and Zheng Xiu couldn’t help them with what came next. Not unless he was determined to persuade them to return to the "orthodox" path, which was, of course, impossible.

He knew the "four golden flowers," who had been by Second Lady’s side for many years, quite well.

They were all just young people striving to make a better life for themselves.

Since Pingping was concentrating on her [Orchid] Path Mystic Skill, Zheng Xiu didn’t disturb her. He tiptoed past the stiflingly hot cell and went deeper into the dungeon.

The prison cells were also graded. Although he could enter the Heart Prison from the grounds of the Red King Mansion thanks to the Eternal Purgatory, there was still a difference. Inside a real prison cell, Zheng Xiu felt his connection to the [Prisoner] was much closer, and the process of entering the Heart Prison was far smoother.

Sitting down cross-legged, Zheng Xiu calmed his mind. In the next instant, he felt his Human Soul drift upward and enter the Heart Prison.

The scenery within the Heart Prison was the same as ever—dark and gloomy. The [Painter] Deceitful Object was locked up to one side.

As Zheng Xiu’s Human Soul entered, the skeletal arm began to stir restlessly, struggling against its chains which made a CLANK CLANK sound. He had tried to communicate with the [Painter] Deceitful Object before, to test if it was capable of communication. The result was just as he’d expected: the "Deceitful Object" was more like a simple "creature," possessing no intelligence. This was a disappointment to Zheng Xiu, but he also breathed a secret sigh of relief.

The [Painter] Deceitful Object he had acquired was different from those of other Mystics. Mystics were born that way; perhaps they had already merged with their Deceitful Objects at birth, becoming one and the same. But Zheng Xiu’s [Painter] Deceitful Object was seized later in life and had not completely fused with him.

’Deceitful Objects can be stolen.’

Zheng Xiu recalled a memory from the painting: Zhu had personally handed a Deceitful Object to Gongsun Mo, allowing Gongsun Mo to become a true "Mystic."

’Innate Mystics and... Acquired Mystics, huh.’

Zheng Xiu lowered his head, pondering the difference between them.

But in practice, there seemed to be no difference.

If anything, his method of "using" the Deceitful Object was more flexible. The Deceitful Object was no longer an Ability; in Zheng Xiu’s hands, it had become a "tool."

Perhaps this was the true special quality of the [Prisoner].

Zheng Xiu touched the lump on his forehead and thought to himself, ’In other words, I’ve simultaneously become a "Mystic" for two Paths: [Prisoner] and [Painter].’

’Setting aside the unique nature of the [Prisoner], is it possible for other Paths... to truly fuse?’

’There are "forked roads" within Paths, so could there also be... new roads formed from the fusion of two Paths?’

A wild thought suddenly occurred to Zheng Xiu.

’For example, if you combine [Orchid] and [Wandering], would it become... [Racing Orchid]? Or what if you mix [Thousand Gate General] with the [Thief Sect], would you get a swindling, stealing [Thousand Door Strange Thief]? And what if a [Mourner] went and practiced as one of the [Scholars]? Would they start weeping about "endless leaves that rustle down," becoming a sentimental [Poet Immortal of Grief]?’

’Damn, that’s so weird.’

On second thought, it was still just as weird.

The more he thought, the weirder it got.

Zheng Xiu waved his hand. The rusted chains extending from the gray mist suddenly went slack. The skeletal hand, like a Fierce Tiger breaking free from its cage, lunged at Zheng Xiu’s face. Expressionless, Zheng Xiu punched the "Deceitful Object" to the ground. The Deceitful Object collapsed limply onto the floor, motionless.

’It seems it still needs to be disciplined. This is probably the drawback of being an Acquired Mystic. After all, Deceitful Objects were never risk-free to begin with.’ Zheng Xiu waved his hand lazily, and the chains once again locked the Deceitful Object in the corner.

A melon plucked by force may not be sweet, but it will quench your thirst.

But here in the Heart Prison, the Prisoner called the shots. Whether this melon would ultimately turn out sweet just depended on how forcefully Zheng Xiu decided to twist it. No matter what kind of thing entered this place, it couldn’t even make a ripple.

After playing around for a while, Zheng Xiu sat down on the Game Table.

Just then, plumes of green flame began to float up. Hidden within the flames were all sorts of Traits to be used for Incarnations.

’Now that the Prisoner’s Path has pushed open a new door, my other Traits can be upgraded as well.’

In the dead of night, looking at the multitude of useful Traits, Zheng Xiu began to plan his next move to "fleece the sheep." The thousand-year-old Zhu had once again hidden behind the curtain, a fact that felt like a fishbone stuck in Zheng Xiu’s throat, filling him with vigilance.