In an inn, a backyard, a bedroom.
People were seated all around the small round table in Zheng Fan's room.
It was currently morning, and there was still some time before the inn opened for the day's business.
Of course, when their Lord summoned everyone, business matters naturally had to be set aside.
Even the wooden box containing the black stone had been placed on the table; everyone had gathered.
"...That's roughly what's going on."
Zheng Fan picked up the teacup before him and took a sip.
What happened next would really depend on these "Demon Kings."
After all, even though these Demon Kings were now ordinary people and had lost their powers, they couldn't be judged by ordinary standards.
Blind Bei tilted his head slightly, as if in thought.
Xue Three, perched on a chair, glanced at Liang Cheng and then at A Ming, but didn't seem inclined to speak.
Fanli sat hunched, making space for his two companions, and didn't appear to be contemplating anything either.
The stone was still the same stone.
This scene made Zheng Fan somewhat embarrassed. To hide his embarrassment, he had to continuously sip his tea.
Why aren't they speaking?
Last night, A Ming's words about not abandoning each other had warmed Zheng Fan's heart, but the current silence made him feel as if he were sitting on pins and needles.
Zheng Fan's thoughts were simple. Even Blind Bei had previously said that this was a normal world, merely set in ancient times.
But he had clearly seen a creature that could not possibly exist in a normal world, so he instinctively felt the need to tell everyone about it.
In the end, the awkward silence was broken by Feng Siniang.
Feng Siniang got up first, took the teapot from the small table, refilled tea for her Lord, and then sat down. Facing Zheng Fan with a stern expression, she said sincerely,
"My lord."
"Hm?"
"The matter you just mentioned, can we put it aside for now? Before discussing that, we would like to ask you one question."
"A question?"
"Yes. You were unconscious before, but now you have awakened. So, we want to know: which path are you planning to take next?"
"Which path?"
Zheng Fan was a bit confused. How had this led to a discussion about paths again?
"One path is to live an ordinary and peaceful life in this world. We will protect you, allowing you to live that peaceful life.
You can marry, have children, and we will supply you with food, drink, and clothing.
If you choose this path, then the problem mentioned earlier becomes irrelevant. Whether this world is a high martial world or an ordinary one, it ultimately offers an environment where ordinary people can survive."
"Then... the second one?"
Feng Siniang smiled.
Xue Three smiled.
Fanli also smiled good-naturedly.
Blind Bei smiled.
Everyone smiled.
"My lord, the second path is..."
At this point, Feng Siniang pointed towards the front hall outside and continued,
"I don't know if you've noticed, my lord, but our inn's sign only has the word 'Inn,' with no prefix.
When we first opened the inn, we all discussed it but decided to wait until you awakened before adding a prefix."
"A prefix?"
"Yes, my lord. For example, whether to call it Tong Fu Inn or New Dragon Gate Inn—it's all up to you."
Zheng Fan understood. The first path was to idle around, waiting for death. The second path was to stir up trouble!
"My lord, you can think it over," Fanli said at this time.
He was an honest man and believed that Zheng Fan needed to contemplate these two paths carefully.
After all, Zheng Fan had only been awake for less than two days.
However, Zheng Fan didn't consider it for long. There were only two paths, left or right—clear-cut and obvious.
"The second one."
The answer was given quickly.
It was so neat and decisive that everyone sitting around the small table was momentarily stunned.
Even the black stone in the wooden box quivered slightly, as if in respect.
"My lord, are you sure you don't want to reconsider...?"
The joy in Siniang's voice was unmistakable, yet she suppressed her excitement as she prompted Zheng Fan.
The eyes of everyone else in the room, including the vampire A Ming and the zombie Liang Cheng, known for their "deadpan" expressions, now held a different gleam.
Xue Three licked his lips.
Fanli cracked his knuckles, making a sharp sound.
They were expectant, very expectant, unbelievably expectant!
Zheng Fan, however, smiled confidently and said,
"It's the second path. And I'm not afraid of being laughed at for saying this: I've always loved thrilling and horrifying things. They excite me, give me pleasure. Unfortunately, in my previous world, I could only experience that kind of atmosphere through comics.
Moreover, in this world, apart from all of you, I have no kin, no attachments. Simply put, there's nothing left for me to worry about.
To take it to an extreme, I'm someone who has already died by suicide once. Every single day I live in this world is a bonus. So why would I choose to just drift along, waiting for death? I'd rather find something interesting to do. Even if it means 'game over,' I'm the one who paid to play, so there's nothing to regret."
The smiles on everyone's faces grew broader.
Feng Siniang stood up and turned her gaze towards Blind Bei, who had been sitting with his unseeing eyes fixed on the heavens.
Bei nodded, his hands resting on the table, tapping lightly with a nimble grace, as if before him lay not a small round table, but a grand piano.
However, he didn't get lost in his own amusement. He began,
"Xue Three."
"Aye."
Xue Three clucked his tongue, propped his feet on his chair, and swayed his small body back and forth, looking eager.
"Go to Hutou City's county government office tonight. Bring back all official letters and documents—anything you deem valuable. Be quick. Head out at one in the morning, and get everything back here within half an hour. Before dawn, you must return everything you took to its original place."
Xue Three, being short in stature, had actually started out as a Gentleman on the Beam before becoming a demon lord; the profession certainly suited his physique.
"Understood."
Xue Three was very excited, his swaying growing more vigorous.
"Ah Li."
Fanli clenched his fists and answered with a resonant voice, full of energy.
"Hasn't the leader of that barbarian merchant caravan always admired your strength? Go to him tonight and tell him you've agreed to join him. After infiltrating his caravan, enter the desert, observe the local conditions and customs, and see if there are any suitable places for us to settle. Remember, the round trip must be within a month."
"Got it." Fanli nodded vigorously.
In fact, sending Fanli to scout the desert was also to arrange a fallback route for everyone. After all, compared to Yan State, the desert's looser societal structure would be more conducive for them to settle in.
"The Captain of the City Patrol's wife has been distressed over being childless. She once sought a divination from me. This afternoon, I'll proactively go to her and give her some Fu Water."
Then, Blind Bei's intangible 'gaze' fell upon Feng Siniang, and he said,
"Siniang, you'll receive a guest tonight."
"Alright then!" Feng Siniang declared. "I'll spread the word. Tonight, I myself will receive the guest—highest bidder wins!"
Blind Bei nodded. Though different in personality and identity, they were essentially the same. Even those who appeared naive or foolish were by no means pure-hearted innocents.
Furthermore, during the six months Zheng Fan had been comatose, they had all come to understand each other better. Once they truly set things in motion, their coordination would be naturally proficient.
Feng Siniang was a flower, a vibrant, mature bloom. However, she never personally received guests, only managed the girls under her. For the past six months, countless men in Hutou City had shown interest in her.
The plan was to spread the word and let the highest bidder win. This would exclude the common folk, allowing them to reel in a 'big fish' as a guest, from whom they could then extract information about this world.
Ordinary people lived in a muddle. Without major upheavals, they would likely live out their entire lives this way—working, paying taxes, enduring corvée labor, and experiencing the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death.
It was just like the situation for everyone at the inn over the past six months. Because their social standing was too low and their sphere of activity too limited, Blind Bei had said he hadn't encountered anything indicative of a 'high martial' world.
Of course, it was also possible they were subconsciously rejecting such things, merely wishing to wait quietly for Zheng Fan to awaken.
Blind Bei then gestured towards A Ming and Liang Cheng. Although they were all ordinary people now, they still retained some of their unique characteristics. Liang Cheng, for example, could perform the feat of breaking a stone slab on his chest.
"A Ming, Liang Cheng, you two are responsible for assisting Siniang. Make sure nothing unexpected happens, lest we end up losing both the lady and the soldiers."
This joke wasn't funny because it was disrespectful.
Still, everyone was laughing, including Siniang, who blushed and shot Zheng Fan a flirtatious glance.
They were a group of demons, killers who didn't blink an eye. How could they care about such things?
Zheng Fan, on the other hand, was made uncomfortable by this last joke.
Clearly, it was because he still hadn't managed to blend into their atmosphere.
At the same time, Zheng Fan was also quite shocked by the decisiveness and efficiency these people displayed.
During the six months of his coma, these people had been honestly and dutifully running their businesses. But this was not their true nature.
It felt as if, in some unseen way, a thread connected him to them.
They had been waiting for him, waiting for him to awaken, waiting for him... to give orders.
What A Ming had told him last night echoed in Zheng Fan's mind again. He had asked A Ming, "Aren't you curious about this strange world?"
A Ming had said, "When you weren't awake, such things were meaningless."
Finally, Blind Bei sighed and said,
"If only our strength could recover, even just a little, we would be much more at ease."
Everyone fell silent again. Apparently, this was a sore point for all of them.
"Well, there's no need to rush this. We'll find a way eventually. Let's eat first." At this moment, Zheng Fan stepped in like a 'leader' to ease the atmosphere.
Everyone obliged him, picking up their chopsticks and starting to eat and drink.
A Ming silently took a bite of blood sausage, then silently spat it back into his bowl.
Feng Siniang looked at A Ming, somewhat puzzled, and asked,
"Did the cook do a bad job today?"
A Ming nodded and said,
"It's spoiled."