Chapter Twenty-Nine: A Man's Name, A Tree's Shadow

Zhuge Yi nodded. “The Enchanted Nectar, also called the Imperial Moon Nectar, is the essence of moonlight condensed into tangible form, flowing into the Celestial Azure Realm. At present, there’s no way to collect or store it other than direct absorption. For humans and most other beings, it’s useless, but for the demon races, it’s a great fortune. As long as they can endure the essence of the moon, the more they absorb, the more demon power they gain—almost without side effects! There are always cases where a weak demon, unable to even defeat an average martial artist, suddenly leaps ahead in cultivation, even gaining power to rival Martial Sovereigns or Emperors!”

Zhang Ning said, “That’s just too…”

Zhuge Yi took a seat in Zhang Ning’s room. “Exactly. That’s why every time, the demon races fight tooth and nail to seize these essences. Yet, parts of the demons’ bodies are also excellent materials for human alchemy and crafting, so many martial artists use the chaos as an opportunity to claim the remains of defeated demons, or simply kill them in the fray! The periods when this essence appears aren’t fixed, ranging from a few years to decades. The last time was five years ago… But don’t worry.”

Here Zhuge Yi paused, his expression turning faintly grim.

“Though the lesser demons lose their senses during these special nights, the powerful ones remain lucid. Normally, we’d have no reason for concern, but this time, we are only here to recruit new disciples—we haven’t prepared for this kind of event. To be safe, we’ll abstain from getting involved.”

Zhang Ning gazed out the window, momentarily speechless.

Countless demons and humans fought savagely, limbs flying, the blood on the ground pooling into rivers as grand as the luminous rivers in the sky. The battlefield’s brutality gave Zhang Ning his first real taste of what it meant to struggle for supremacy in this world—and the importance of resources. It struck him that he’d never truly worried about such things.

At that moment, a tall, thin man entered and bowed to Zhuge Yi. “Third Prince, the one in his room wishes to come out.”

Zhuge Yi smiled faintly at the news. “This is not the time for him to act on impulse. Activate the formation outside his chamber.”

Sensing Zhang Ning’s questioning glance, Zhuge Yi explained, “It’s your friend Han Zun. He wants to leave his room… but that’s impossible. Regardless of other factors, we can’t spare the attention to ensure his safety right now—he might run into powerful demons outside. Whether he stays within the boat or tries to leave, it’s simply not allowed. I’m looking at the bigger picture.”

Zhang Ning blinked, finally grasping the phrase ‘revenge does not wait for the night.’ Han Zun had only just offended his third senior brother earlier that day, and now at night was forbidden from leaving his room. Whether Han Zun wanted to test his skills outside or had other schemes, it was impossible. It was as though he lived in a story where he was not the protagonist, with no room to make an impact.

Thud!

Something struck the Great-bellied Boat. Zhang Ning looked quickly, and saw only a body—perhaps demon, perhaps human martial artist—turning to dust in midair!

He inhaled sharply. The entire boat must be under the protection of a formation. The dark cloud patterns all shimmered, making the vessel glow like a sacred cloud, yet the aura of power was unmistakable—no one would dare test its might.

Looking down, Zhang Ning saw that the battling masses kept clear of the boat’s path, sticking to either side. Clearly, the earlier incident was an accident. These people, like pedestrians on a road, had no reason to deliberately crash into the great tree at the roadside.

A man’s reputation casts a long shadow!

This natural order of things sent a shock through Zhang Ning’s heart.

He couldn’t help but ask himself: Without this “tiger skin” on his back, the gifts his master bestowed, the effortless path he’d walked thus far—would he still be sitting high above it all? Or would he be one of the cultivators down below, muddling through, playing tricks, overjoyed to snatch a treasure or two and run? Perhaps he’d only become the latter after years of hard work and careful cultivation.

When will I be able to become so strong on my own? The desire to grow stronger surged within Zhang Ning.

He thought something would surely happen tonight, some conflict would ignite—but nothing did.

His third senior brother, Zhuge Yi, remained seated with him the entire evening. At one point, he even encouraged Zhang Ning to sleep. But Zhang Ning, though not carefree, could not possibly rest—so the two waited in silence for the night to pass.

Sensing the similar atmosphere aboard the Great-bellied Boat, Zhang Ning realized that many disciples were likewise on edge, watching events unfold from their rooms. He wondered if they too were shaken by the awe-inspiring power of the Grand Demon Sect’s reputation.

During the night, there was one incident—two mighty auras clashed in the sky, so intense that even Zhuge Yi tensed for battle. He said they were both of the Martial Saint realm, that is, Demon Saints among the demon race—one step below the Martial Venerable.

Zhuge Yi borrowed the Tang Blade from Zhang Ning, sending it with a jade token to meet the demon saints. Zhang Ning didn’t know exactly what happened, but after the boat paused for a time, the two demon saints—like swords poised to strike—abruptly held back, making way for the boat, waiting in silence for it to pass.

Zhang Ning thought he sensed a hostile gaze upon him, but perhaps it was just his imagination.

Only after they’d traveled some distance did he see, far behind, the aftershocks of a great battle—yet they’d felt no pressure from it at all.

He knew Zhuge Yi must have prepared contingencies and trump cards, yet none were needed.

This left Zhang Ning deep in thought.

Not until the darkest depths of night, when one could not see a hand before one’s face, did they finally leave the region of the Imperial Moon Nectar. Only then did the world outside quiet down.

Zhuge Yi finally relaxed, bidding Zhang Ning to rest well. Before he left, Zhang Ning asked why, with everything so carefully arranged, Zhuge Yi had stayed to accompany him. This question brought a sincere smile to Zhuge Yi’s face. “Because I worry about you, little brother. If anything were to happen, I could never forgive myself. After all…”

As Zhuge Yi spoke, the lamplight outside cast a golden glow on his curly hair, and his smile made him look like an angel about to ascend—rather than the famed heir of a demonic holy land.

He said, “Misfortune and fortune come without warning.”

After Zhuge Yi left, Zhang Ning did not sleep.

He summoned Su Ye, who reported that he had already set everything up—after considering Zhang Ning’s request, he had created a platform named after Zhang Ning, similar to the video sites Zhang Ning remembered from his previous life. It would host interesting pre-recorded videos, accessible via the Grand Demon Sect’s special communication talisman, the “Little Freedom,” in any city blessed with earth veins.

Everything had been running for several days, and viewership was already up. People everywhere were eager to share insights into martial arts, pill-making, formation arts, and more. The ambition of this world’s people secretly impressed Zhang Ning. However, this wasn’t quite what Zhang Ning wanted—Su Ye had only managed these features, and the technical challenge of live broadcasting remained unsolved. So Zhang Ning pressed Su Ye for a definite timeline.

Su Ye studied Zhang Ning’s pale face, noticed the way he didn’t bother to hide himself beneath his blanket, and realized the prince must have been shaken by the day’s events—eager to grow stronger. Su Ye recalled his own difficult times in the past, and deeply understood.

After a long silence, Su Ye bowed deeply and said, “If I follow conventional methods, it would take another eight years to overcome this hurdle. But if you do not ask about the means… I can solve it in two hours, and you’ll be able to broadcast live in three days. I only need to confirm two things with you. First, do you trust me? Second, when it comes to your lord’s trust in you, and this live broadcast—which is more important to you?”

Zhang Ning closed his eyes slowly, and when he opened them again, he said, “As for the first question, to say I don’t trust you would be a lie—I know your talent. To say I trust you completely… I don’t want to deceive you. But I can bear the consequences of believing in you.”

Su Ye met Zhang Ning’s gaze, his own even steadier than his master’s.

Zhang Ning clenched his hand. “As for the second…”

Three days later

Zhuge Yi looked at Zhang Ning with deep concern, his tone filled with as much trust as worry. “Fifth Brother, are you certain?”

Zhuge Yi’s worry was justified. Zhang Ning had suddenly announced that he no longer wished to participate in the disciple recruitment and wanted to strike out on his own, with his own plans and people. Although he left behind many impressive psychological tests, what worried Zhuge Yi most was Zhang Ning’s safety.

Yet Zhang Ning seemed to have grown overnight. “I’m certain!”

An hour later

A small, boat-shaped artifact quietly slipped away from the Great-bellied Boat, carrying Zhang Ning and his team of talents toward a new destination.