The void stirred. For an instant, endless darkness—cold, eternal, sovereign—shuddered as if torn by unseen chains. From that abyss, a consciousness older than the stars opened its eyes.
Then came the stench. Acrid, sour, heavy with rot. The cosmic silence shattered into the coarse cries of merchants and the shuffle of desperate feet. Tian Yu's awareness crashed into a fragile shell—weak flesh, thin bones, a hollow vessel unfit to contain him. When he tried to summon the power that once bent galaxies to stillness, only emptiness answered back.
He lay sprawled against the muddy edge of a bustling market street, his body wrapped in rags that clung like the skin of a corpse. Laughter, curses, and the metallic scent of coins washed over him. Mortals passed without a glance, dismissing him as just another beggar. They could not see it—the abyss watching through those hollow eyes, the predator disguised as prey.
Langtian was still veiled in a thin morning mist, the market streets pulsing like a living organ. Vendors shouted, carts rattled over cobblestones, and the mingled scents of spices, dried fish, and warm pastries pressed into the nose, forcing anyone to hold their breath. Laughter clashed with quarrels, footsteps scraped against worn sandals, all blending into a symphony of chaos decipherable only to those who truly paid attention.
Amidst the commotion, a mortal body lay slumped in a corner of the market, sprawled across a tattered sack. Tian Yu felt the world before his eyes even opened: emptiness, a crushing darkness, the cosmic seal that suppressed his power. Then, a foul stench invaded his senses.
"Disgusting smell… what is this?" he murmured weakly, fingers twitching in the air without touching anything. "Wasn't I in the void? Why is this stench here?"
His eyes opened slowly, black irises piercing the morning haze. His gaze swept over his surroundings: piles of salted fish, rotting vegetables, and a repulsive mortal body.
"Oh, damn the gods!" Tian Yu cursed, his voice low but brimming with venom. "They didn't just imprison me… I've truly fallen into the mortal realm. This body… foul, frail, stripped of spiritual roots. Just wait, damnable gods… I will have my revenge."
His stomach growled, an alien yet agonizing hunger. Tian Yu's gaze narrowed on several street children scrambling over crumbs of bread before an inn. His voice turned sharp, dripping disdain:
"Hah… must I, the cosmic fiend, fight over crumbs of bread? No. Simply existing in this mortal husk already demeans me. To beg like a wretched dog? Never. Just wait, damnable gods."
With movements subtle yet precise, Tian Yu rose slowly. The frail mortal shell obeyed, yet each step carried the precision of a shadow sovereign. His stomach cried out, but his mind remained cold. He slipped through the crowd, black eyes calculating every gap and opportunity.
Ahead, the aroma of finer cuisine wafted from the city's grand restaurant. Tian Yu straightened his posture, restraining his hunger for a moment, then strode toward it with deliberate steps. Even in this mortal shell, each movement was swift and precise reminders that, mortal or not, he remained the cosmic fiend even gods feared.
As he walked, his thoughts lingered on the Dao seal that bound him, the cursed lock on his power, and the vengeance burning within his chest.
"Good… not only this mortal body, but even its stench, hunger, and frailty… those damnable gods have cursed me with mortality," Tian Yu muttered, black eyes slicing through the crowd. "But wait… I will repay everything."
He moved through the marketplace, drawing closer to the grand restaurant, blending seamlessly with the masses, unseen, unnoticed. No one realized the ragged beggar was a cosmic demon reborn.
Before the largest restaurant in Langtian, crimson lanterns glowed, the scents of roasted meat, spiced soups, and aged wine spilling from carved wooden windows. The laughter of wealthy merchants and young nobles echoed, a stark contrast to Tian Yu's filthy, ragged form standing before the doors. His gaze fell upon the gilded plaque, lips curving into a thin smile.
"Ha… look at this. I, sovereign of darkness, stand before a den of greedy mortals. They feast within, while I the one who once made gods tremble am trapped in this reeking mortal husk." He sighed, half amused, half bitter. "Pathetic… if I didn't know myself, I too might believe I'm nothing but a beggar cast aside."
His stomach groaned again, loud and painful. Tian Yu pressed a hand to his gut, gritting his teeth. "Damn… this body is a curse. Those wretched gods didn't just seal my power they left me in a form that collapses from mere hunger."
His eyes flicked toward the two guards at the door, standing tall with gleaming spears. They didn't even glance at him, as if he were no more than dust on the street. Tian Yu chuckled darkly. "Good. Pretend I'm nothing. That way, I'll take your feast… and none will know."
In a blur, he moved. To ordinary eyes, he was nothing but a shadow swept by the night wind. The guards stood blank, their eyes vacant, never realizing the frail figure had slipped past them.
Inside, the hall shimmered. Oil lamps dangled from the ceiling, casting their glow across expensive wooden tables. Platters of steaming meat, fresh fish, thick soups, and sweet pastries towered like mountains. Wine glistened in crystal cups, clutched by wealthy guests laughing over tales of war or trade.
From the shadows, Tian Yu's gaze swept across the feast. The scents struck him, nearly breaking his composure. His stomach clenched harder than before.
"Oh, exquisite indeed," he murmured, lips curling. "These foolish mortals don't even realize a cosmic fiend is eyeing their banquet. They laugh, they boast, their bellies swollen… while I ah, I need but a flicker of effort to take everything."
He moved. A roast was gone from one table before the guest noticed. A steaming bowl of soup vanished, yet the drinker's spoon kept stirring only brothless air.
Tian Yu smirked, eyes gleaming mischievously. "Oh, delightful. I, whose name gods dare not utter, now plunder like a rat. Disgraceful… yet delicious."
Salted fish, sweet cakes, smoked meats all found his hands. He bit quickly, muffling any sound. Flavors burst on his tongue: salty, sweet, savory each overwhelming in turn. His mortal body, repulsive as it was, responded with wild delight.
"Oh… so this is mortal hunger? Torment and pleasure entwined. Ha, what irony."
A waiter turned suddenly, brows furrowed at the strangely diminished dishes. Tian Yu crouched behind a silk curtain, eyes glinting, lips twitching with mischief.
"Almost caught. Hah, how long it's been since I last played such games."
The waiter approached, baffled, touching empty plates while the guests remained oblivious. From behind the curtain, Tian Yu stifled his laughter. "Hah, amusing. They sit here, so certain of their wealth and power, yet they cannot guard even a slice of meat before their eyes."
He moved again, vanishing into shadows. His thin hand snatched roast duck, slipped buns into his sleeve, and even poured wine into a chipped cup hidden in his ragged clothes. All so fast, no one noticed the hall remained filled with laughter.
A wave of satisfaction coursed through him as the wine burned warmly down his throat. Tian Yu's dark eyes glowed faintly. "Hmmm… for the first time, I admit the mortal world offers pleasures rare even in the demon realm. This… is bliss."
But before he could continue, a sharp voice cut through the air.
"You there!"
Tian Yu paused, lips twitching upward. A tall young man in blue silk stood nearby, eyes narrowed in suspicion toward the shadowed corner.
Servants turned too, tension rippling across the tables.
Leaning against a pillar, Tian Yu's smile widened. "Finally, someone perceptive enough to sense me. Interesting…"
The young man strode forward, sandals echoing against the wood, the hall suddenly too silent. Servants swallowed hard, edging back, yet all eyes fixed on Tian Yu's corner.
"Who are you?" the young man demanded, voice sharp with practiced authority. "A filthy beggar dares enter this place?!"
Guests turned, laughter fading to murmurs. Some sneered, others watched with wary curiosity.
Half-hidden behind the curtain, Tian Yu tilted his head, smile intact. "Beggar, you say? Hm… amusing. If I were truly a beggar, would you kick me out like a stray dog?" His voice was soft, but carried easily across the hall.
The young man stiffened at the mocking tone. "Insolent wretch. You don't even know who you're speaking to."
Tian Yu chuckled, cold and inhuman. "Oh, I don't care who you are. But I know one thing stand in my way, and it will be the gravest mistake of your life."
A predatory pressure seeped from his frail body not spiritual energy, but sheer instinct, enough to make nearby servants stagger back, hearts racing.
The young man gritted his teeth, gesturing sharply. The two guards from outside rushed in, spears raised. "Seize him. Throw him out before he causes trouble."
Tian Yu stepped forward, leaving the curtain's shadow. The lamplight struck his dirt-stained face, yet his black eyes gleamed with inhuman sharpness. The guards lunged, spears flashing.
But Tian Yu only smirked.
"Mortals dare touch me? Intriguing."
In a blink, his body blurred dissolving like smoke swept by night wind. The guards froze, eyes wide, their weapons stabbing nothing.
"Wh-where did he go?!" one cried, panic edging his voice.
Whispers rippled through the hall, guests rising pale-faced. The young noble in silk scanned wildly, sweat beading at his brow. "Impossible… I saw him right there."
Above them, perched on the restaurant's rafters, Tian Yu lounged casually, twirling a stolen cup of wine. His voice drifted coldly through the hall.
"Such is the mortal world… always staring straight ahead, never realizing the shadows will kill them from behind."
He drank deeply, then melted once more into darkness leaving only the faint scent of wine and a fear that clung to every heart in the hall.
In the narrow alley behind the restaurant, Tian Yu stood calm, breath steady. Wine lingered on his tongue, but his gaze was sharp as ever. His ragged, filthy appearance would draw too much attention if left unchecked.
"This wretched body… must be disguised. I will not walk the world as a rat."
He slipped through the market alleys like a phantom, eyes catching a merchant's laundry line: coarse robes, plain trousers, a gray cloak. In moments, they vanished into his grasp. Soon he was in an empty storage shed, stripping away the foul rags and donning stolen clothes.
In the cracked mirror on the wall, a new figure emerged a lean youth with piercing black eyes, no longer the beggar of moments before. His lips curved faintly.
"Hm… sufficient. Now I appear an ordinary man. None would suspect a cosmic demon hides in this mortal shell."