Chapter One Hundred and Three: Hometown (Part One)
The three returned home and began discussing how to have Lianxi return in glory.
She requested the seductresses to gather various artists before they left.
They circled around Lianxi, trying to package her as a divine figure, a demon warlord with a destinied connection.
An elderly avian man stroked his chin and asked:
Next, how about we ask for the blessings of the three gods, to call upon the human disaster star, the cat-eared butcher, and the giant hunter?
At this call, Lianxi felt goosebumps rise and softly said: There’s no need for such grandiose speech.
Good, Jima applauded from the side: Just like that.
But Lianxi replied: I’m merely a servant working for my master; these titles are too heavy.
Jima said: Look at all the people below; they are all here to help make those titles a reality.
With a command from Jima, everyone began to sweat, brainstorming ways to make Lianxi shine.
The seductresses presented her with a lightweight gold armor that was tough on the outside and soft on the inside, intricately patterned with countless golden threads. When Lianxi put it on, she immediately appeared majestic.
It was strange; after wearing the armor, she felt more confident.
Then she donned a shimmering crown and held a scepter adorned with gleaming gemstones.
The seductresses, with their forked tongues, surrounded Lianxi, presenting her and reflecting light off her figure.
The shape-shifting warriors wielded mirrors, directing the attention of the demonized giants to hold up banners, which displayed a line of glimmering gold text:
“Human blessings, human disaster star, cat-eared butcher, giant hunter.”
Below, a group of seductresses danced, chanting prayers in musical tones.
This was not the end; the shape-shifting warriors spoke of the imperial ceremonial rites, making many ceremonious decisions. For example, they commanded the demon knights to hold candles with one hand.
It resembled a grand parade.
They assured Jima that this affair was significant for Lianxi; even if a pig were to stand in her position, no one would dare underestimate her.
Before returning to her hometown, a letter was suggested by Jima: If we raise the expectations of those mere mortals too high due to their vain interests, there will surely be unexpected joy.
This suggestion was accepted.
Jima selected ten of the strongest demon knights and one cow knight to carry out the letter delivery mission.
With their strength, they could decimate Lianxi’s hometown and forcibly relocate all the residents, she noted, emphasizing that no killings should take place; the cow knight received his orders and left.
The demon knights rode fire, leaving burning marks on the ground.
As they galloped down the dirt roads toward Lianxi’s hometown, both riders and mounts were covered in demonic heavy armor, their weapons like flowing red springs, their eyes blazing with a fiery glow.
On the lookout tower, a thin militia member wielding a spear trembled in fear, clutching it unsteadily as it pointed towards the water tower.
He screamed: The iron monsters are coming!
Monsters, the iron monsters are coming!
The villagers hurriedly closed the wooden doors, made from rough timber.
Before the letter, the door was as weak as a fence before fresh fruit.
Bang!
The door shattered, and several unfortunate militia members were crushed to the ground.
A copper bull trampled the broken door, while the armored knight pulled hard at the copper bull.
An old soldier, shaking and wielding his quivering spear, attempted to surround them.
But this action, after the old soldier swung, seemed entirely futile.
The copper bull snorted irritably on the ground.
The copper bull knight picked up the letter and read loudly:
“Blessings from the border.
For the sake of Lianxi… returning to her hometown.”
One quaking villager trembled, his gaze fixated on the copper bull knight, not leaving a mark.
With a voice as powerful as a torrent, he shouted the message toward the crowd, preparing to welcome the great Lianxi.
After speaking, he pulled down the copper bull’s head, leaving a long burning mark.
The crowd was restless, their hearts racing, glancing at each other, asking: Where is Lianxi?
Someone said: Otherwise, we’re all doomed.
Friends and family? Come on, in the name of Sigma, step up and bring her to us!
The village was in chaos.
Lianxi was astonished; now she stood beside Jima, holding the scepter of power, wearing a crown, slowly rising into the sky.
Jima, invisible behind her, said: Don’t be afraid; now you are a queen, and all things will bow to your power.
Ascending into the air, alongside her was a squadron of armored white knights.
These cunning and formidable warriors formed a well-structured square behind her.
Lianxi lightly waved the scepter, and someone blew a horn, giving the order to advance. The orderly demon warriors marched forward, pulling a banner reading: “Blessings from the Gods.”
Her name glittered in the air.
Lianxi’s heart beat in rhythm with the drumming below.
The village she grew up in seemed so fragile, as if with a shout, the army below would crush it underfoot, fulfilling an eternal promise.
She couldn’t help but feel immensely confident. She recalled ancient memories.
She remembered the hometown she had been in since birth. They spat at her, cursed her, telling her to get lost. Some kicked her hard in the backside, calling her a “stinking beast! Wildcat! The filth birthed by a whore.”
At home, there was no food, always wanting her to starve, allowing her to eat only a bit of the smoke from charcoal hanging in the pottery. Had it not been for a terrible winter that nearly froze her to death, she would have starved long ago.
She remembered that on that wintry day, her father looked at her with deep disappointment, saying, “How is this life still going?”
What angered her further was that she had long gotten used to devaluation, until following her master for a long time, feeling this rage for the first time. Lianxi said: “Move forward.”
At that moment, she truly looked like a demon soldier. At her feet, three divine knights rode demonic scorpion-tailed beasts, slowly approaching the village along the path.
Below, the winding dirt road grew increasingly familiar. Lianxi remembered it was this road she once used to take, deceiving them with promises of good food in the forest. When she got there, it fell apart. Her mother caught up, searching for her, while someone had an accident, saying, “You can’t eat.”
“Can’t wait.”
In the end, Lianxi was led back, and she remembered how her father was furious, harming her hand.
And those who bullied her.
Lianxi’s anger burned, her mind imagining making those who had bullied her kneel, and if she had any lingering resentment, she would let iron hooves trample them.
She thought of many scenes of those who had once tormented her perishing.
The marching army had arrived at the village gate, while the remaining infantry acted as human bombs from a distance.
The villagers crawled on the dirt, like swine before a tyrant, while she controlled the floating corpses, gradually descending, the first rays of sunlight highlighting her cat ears: “Do you remember me?”
The surrounding villagers buried their faces in the dirt like ostriches.
Lianxi scanned the prostrated crowd, searching for her father’s trace, looking for her father.
Though she had been away from the village for three years, she did not recognize him.
They were all the same, with sunburned necks, bearing the double torment of malnutrition and hard labor. Many wore coarse hemp clothing, and a few were poorly shod, trying their best to appear presentable with pants, shoes, and a hat.
“Can’t wait.”
Lianxi gave a thumbs up: “I’ll give a thumbs up.”
Nearby, a knight shouted: “The great human disaster Lianxi will chop off your heads, burning your souls in the furnace.”
One by one, people began to raise their heads: “I, I recognize you.”
“I recognize you too.”
“You’re that girl with cat ears.”
Lianxi smiled: “Good, since you all know, you also know how you treated me before, right?”
Many bodies trembled violently. Lianxi shouted: “Who is my father!”
No one answered.
“Point him out!”
Lianxi screamed: “Otherwise, you all choose the demons!”
Someone mustered the courage to stand up, trembling heavily, regarding her father.
“Speak!”
“He, he’s dead.”
“Dead?”
The person recoiled: “Your whole family and your relatives are all dead.”
Lianxi felt as if struck by a blow: “How did they die?”
“Do you not remember? When you left the village, your mother had already died.”
“How did they all die?”
“One time the demon war came, and they didn’t escape quickly enough.”
“I don’t believe it; I don’t believe it!”
Lianxi jumped onto the floating corpse, sitting down at her father’s home—the thatched cottage on the hillside. Surrounded by dust, the interior was dark, devoid of any valuable items, layered in a thick layer of gray, long uninhabited.
An overturned stool revealed the furrows of the fire, and on the table lay an open piece of paper.
Recalling the past, there was once a fire burning downstairs, cooking porridge, fresh herbs, and fresh grain…
Lianxi could only eat what others had left behind.
Suddenly, she pondered that since her family had lived in such hardship, yet left beneficial vegetables behind, there could only be one explanation: everyone had taken a bite out of them.
She covered her face with her hands, crying and laughing. After laughing for a long while, she choked, stood up, and walked out of her past home.
“Ready?”
“Mom said beside her: ‘Thank you, my lady.’”
Lianxi said: “For giving me this opportunity.”
“How do you feel?”
“I just know…” Lianxi’s eyes were red: “My family, they are all dead.”
Malam hugged Lianxi, not knowing how she regretted that she still had a mother.
After leaving, at Lianxi’s request, she took food brewed with medicinal herbs from the dream palace and left with a soup of herbs.
Several demon warriors, seething with anger, thought they should be slashing people in the future, their eyes reddened with emotion.
