Record of a Demon's Cultivation Chapter 3: Fate

Translator: Cinder Translations

---

After trudging for a complete quarter-hour, the trio reached a remote nook in Tian Sha Gang.

An isolated courtyard stood here, directly facing the mountain.

Steel swords and crossbows armed the guards encircling the courtyard. Icy expressions marked their faces, their sturdy builds radiating an intangible aura of menace.

Rows of simple huts came into view as they stepped into the courtyard.

A two-story structure rose at the mountain's base behind the huts.

Neat fields surrounded the building, filled with unidentified herbs.

A robust man jabbed toward the huts and barked in an authoritative voice,

"Pick any empty room to stay in. Meals will be delivered three times a day. Until someone calls for you, you are not allowed to leave the cottage."

With that command, the robust man shot a icy glare at Song Wen, pressing him to select a room swiftly.

Song Wen randomly chose a vacant room and stepped inside.

The room contained a table with chairs, a bed equipped with linens, and a teapot sitting on the table. Nothing else filled the space.

After checking the room, Song Wen pivoted and shut the door.

In the act of closing it, he peeked outward to assess the surroundings.

The two robust men had already exited the courtyard. Dense guards stood watch outside. They showed no fear of Song Wen stirring up trouble.

Door now shut, a savage fury twisted Song Wen's features.

Only moments before, he had bottled up the rage boiling inside.

Tian Sha Gang's brutal dominance sparked deep frustration and bitterness in him.

In that instant, an overwhelming thirst for power consumed Song Wen's heart.

The previous day, while scavenging food near the teahouse, he'd eavesdropped on patrons chatting about martial experts who could dash across rooftops and cling to walls in this realm.

He desperately wished to become a formidable martial artist capable of crushing the whole Tian Sha Gang.

Trapped in the room, Song Wen endured seven full days there.

The first two days brimmed with his hatred toward Tian Sha Gang.

Helpless as a fish awaiting the knife, utterly powerless to fight back—it felt utterly wretched.

Fortunately, meals arrived precisely three times daily, substantial ones featuring both vegetables and meat.

Surviving those initial two days, Song Wen began to settle his mind.

During the final two days, enlightenment dawned on him. Tian Sha Gang had deliberately locked them in to quash any defiance and compel them to accept their lot.

On the eighth day, a shout finally rang out beyond Song Wen's door.

"Everyone, come out of your rooms immediately. Those who delay will be severely punished."

Doors promptly creaked open all around in response.

Song Wen threw open his door and emerged.

Glancing across the yard before the huts, he noted clusters totaling roughly a dozen youths around fifteen years old. More than ten Tian Sha Gang members with swords lingered at a distance.

These lads huddled in tight groups, obviously abducted just like Song Wen. Many whispered their complaints softly.

Yancheng locals all, they grasped Tian Sha Gang's fearsome power. Despite burning anger and reluctance, they could only gesture and mutter grievances at the guards—furious yet voiceless.

Among them stood a plump boy in fine clothes, conspicuous amid the ragged, gaunt others.

The plump boy bellowed in rage,

"How dare you, Tian Sha Gang, dare to kidnap me, Zhang Erhe! My father is the county magistrate of Qingyuan County. You better send me back!"

His booming voice seized everyone's attention on the spot.

Song Wen's eyes turned toward the plump boy as well.

Qingyuan County served as a vassal under Yancheng, just a hundred miles off.

Within Qian Country, a county magistrate commanded substantial authority.

Song Wen pondered how Tian Sha Gang might deal with this plump youth.

Was the boy a clueless rich heir blind to the truth, or had Tian Sha Gang unwittingly struck a tough obstacle?

The guards faltered briefly at his claim but held steady. Clearly, this wasn't his first time declaring his status to them. Still, handling the plump boy posed a bit of a challenge for the guards.

Right then, a figure stepped forth from behind the guards.

The arrival looked about forty, gaunt with a pointed goatee on his chin.

Spotting the plump boy raging in the yard, impatience flickered across the goateed man's face.

He lifted his hand, a yellow talisman clamped between his fingers, and blew gently.

"Go!"

Suddenly, the talisman gripped in his hand crumbled into ashes, manifesting a fireball as big as a person's head from nothing.

A fearsome heat radiated from the fireball, warping the air around it.

Accompanied by a howling gust, the fireball hurtled forward with a savage roar, arriving right before the plump boy in a flash.

Fear overwhelmed the chubby boy as the fireball materialized in front of him. Before he could even consider fleeing, it slammed into his chest.

His plump body took the brutal impact, launching him airborne.

"Ah!..."

The chubby boy's agonized screams rang out as blistering flames swiftly consumed his whole form.

He became a blazing human torch before even crashing to the ground.

The sizzle of roasting fat filled the air, soon joined by the stench of charred meat.

Within mere dozen breaths, the once-living man reduced to dust, without a single bone left.

The abrupt turn of events left everyone dumbfounded. Over a dozen youths stared in terror at the human inferno, their faces ashen and mute.

Song Wen, reborn into his second life after an ordinary existence, felt equally stunned by the sight.

He trembled at Tian Sha Gang's boldness, executing the county magistrate's son right there, showing utter disregard for Qian Guo's court and the youths before them.

He also dreaded the bearded man's techniques. That yellow talisman had summoned a fireball—not like any martial artist's skill, but akin to legendary immortal cultivators from his previous life.

"Is this a world of immortal cultivation?"

As doubts and fears swirled in Song Wen's mind, one youth in the group clarified it for him.

"He is an immortal!"

A simply clad man with patched clothes dropped to his knees abruptly, his face a mix of terror and yearning.

The youth's cry jolted everyone awake. Increasing numbers of young people knelt, prostrating before the "immortal".

The "immortal"'s enigmatic and brutal display crushed rebellious notions in most youths' hearts.

Song Wen knelt too, swept up by the crowd's response.

Tumultuous waves churned in his heart.

This was genuine might, far surpassing those aimless martial wanderers.

"Someday, I will surely wield this power."

After days of grievances, resolve burned in Song Wen's gaze.

Such immortal prowess would rank him among the world's elite, free from manipulation and torment.

Not just the youths reeled from the bearded man's immortal art; even Tian Sha Gang's guards betrayed profound dread in their eyes.

Beholding the spectacle, a smug grin tugged at the bearded man's lips.

Killing one to scare the rest had worked perfectly as intended.

His eyes raked over the kneeling youths, exuding an aura of total supremacy.

"I am a cultivator of immortal Dao, named Ji Yin. I follow proper Daoist paths. Fear not."

"I've assembled you here to grant a grand fortune—a path to longevity and immortality."

"Over the coming month, I'll teach you the 'Longevity Technique' myself. Whoever 'draws in qi' successfully in that time becomes my personal disciple."

"Seize this cultivation chance. Even without longevity, power, riches, and fame will come effortlessly."

Ji Yin's declaration ignited fervor among the youths. All gazed at him with blazing eyes, brimming with hope and desire.

Song Wen felt thrilled too. Never did he imagine stumbling upon cultivation fortune so readily.

Yet caution lingered within him as well.

Ji Yin's heart-stirring tactics proved masterful. He first struck with ruthless force to cow them, then dangled immortal cultivation as bait.

It was the timeless mix of rod and reward. Thus, every youth here would pour their all into practicing the 'Longevity Technique'.

"It's unlikely as straightforward as Ji Yin claims. Why hand out immortal cultivation chances without hidden aims? Ji Yin surely schemes something! This cultivation shot won't come easy."

(End of the Chapter)