freenovelworld Chapter 4 Welcome to the World of Demons
Chapter 4 Welcome to the World of Demons
“Officer.” Ning Xiaoxi stepped out from behind Ning Ziqing, slightly turning her body. “We have some supplies that we need to purchase, but there are quite a lot of things. We don’t have pen and ink. I wonder if we could come out with you, officer, so we can help you carry the items.”
The constable seemed surprised that the speaker was a young woman. He glanced at Ning Ziqing, who was trying hard to straighten her body but was clearly frail, and then looked Ning Xiaoxi up and down. "How much do you want to buy?"
Ning Xiaoxi readily took out her purse. "I need to buy four baskets, four sets of cotton-padded clothes and trousers, forty steamed buns or flatbreads, one earthenware pot, ten catties of coarse rice, five catties of salt, and four water bags." As she spoke, she slightly turned her body to the side, hiding behind Ning Ziqing to avoid the gaze of the crowd, opened the purse, took out a small amount of silver, and then tightened the purse.
As Ning Xiaoxi handed over the silver particles in her hand, she saw the constable's dark and gloomy face.
"You and this young man can go together," the constable muttered irritably.
"Okay, sure." Ning Xiaoxi didn't pull her hand back. She placed the silver particle in her brother's hand, winked at the constable, and quickly called out, "Brother, let's go together."
Ning Ziqing nodded to his sister, then moved closer to the constable and quickly placed the silver particle in the constable's hand behind his back. "Thank you, constable brother."
The constable didn't pay any attention, subtly withdrawing his hand and glancing around, "Anyone else?"
The people inside looked at the Ning siblings standing next to the constable with various expressions, but no one came out.
"Alright, then it's just the two of you. Let's go." After saying that, the constable turned and left the room.
Ming Luoying and Ning Shi followed to the door of the room, watching the backs of the brother and sister with a little nervousness.
"My wife, it's alright. The child is older now, and the constables are with us. It'll be alright," Ning Shi said softly, supporting Ming Luoying's arm. It was unclear whether he was comforting his wife or reassuring himself. Even now, he couldn't quite process what had happened. From being arrested at the morning court session, to waiting to be beheaded at the execution ground, to the turning point that led to his exile thousands of miles away—how did it all come to this? His few meetings with the Third Prince had all been in public; how had he become an accomplice in the Third Prince's sorcery case?
Ning Xiaoxi followed the constable out of the room with a slight nervousness. She saw other constables leading out three or four prisoners. Those people didn't seem to be the heads of their households, but rather servants in charge. She suddenly realized how little she knew about this era. Was her rashly stepping forward inappropriate for her current status? Without understanding the broader context, some things seemed different from what she had imagined.
[System, come out.] Ning Xiaoxi's thoughts raced, and she finally remembered that she had a cheat ability.
[Ding ding ding, your system has arrived.] A small, cheerful electronic girl voice popped out, [Time freezes!]
As the system voice sounded, Ning Xiaoxi noticed that everyone around her had stopped moving. The constable's raised leg and hand holding the knife, her brother's slightly raised head and clenched fist, the constables guarding the entrances of the various rooms in the courtyard, the workers carrying goods back and forth at the entrance of the courtyard, the birds flying in mid-air, and even the leaves blown by the wind inside and outside the courtyard had stopped moving.
"Where have I ended up?" Ning Xiaoxi murmured softly, her eyes wide open.
The Great Xia Dynasty, a human dynasty, was established eight hundred years ago after the extermination of the demon and monster races. Located on the continent of Polaris, its territory spans thousands of miles and belongs to the Middle Thousand Worlds of the Three Thousand Worlds. Currently, the human dynasty has steadily developed on the continent, and humanity is flourishing. After eight hundred years of cleansing, the demon and monster races have weakened, leaving only small, scattered forces across the continent. Your system primarily helps you eliminate the remaining remnants of the demon and monster races in the human world, ensuring the steady development of the human continent.
Ning Xiaoxi was completely stunned, utterly bewildered. Wasn't she supposed to be a well-bred young lady exiled for survival? How did demons appear? Has survival turned into fantasy? What demons? What monsters? She's just a lazy bum, why are they turning her into a fairy?
"I am delicate, weak, and uneducated. What merit do I have to shoulder this heavy responsibility?" Ning Xiaoxi tried her best to defend herself.
[Host, don't underestimate yourself. You only had the chance to come to this continent, which is merely a place to wipe out the remnants of demons, because you won the grand prize. If you were unlucky, the demons would establish a dynasty, and humanity would be barely surviving, needing to lead humanity to its peak—that would truly be a life-or-death opportunity! Even being randomly selected from among the three thousand worlds is a rare privilege; you've won the grand prize, making you the best of the best!]
"Are you sure this is an opportunity? Or a calamity? Am I cursed by the god of bad luck?!" Ning Xiaoxi cried, tears streaming down her face. "This isn't fair! In my original world, I was already living a carefree life. Why did I have to be dragged into this hellish situation? I'm just an ordinary, unremarkable person. Can't I just live a peaceful and contented life?"
[Your newbie gift pack is now a hundred years old, immune to all poisons, and perfectly healthy!] Who can understand the joy of a loli voice!
Ning Xiaoxi lowered her head and covered her face. Was this some kind of forced sale? [How is this task considered complete?]
After more than 800 years of extermination efforts by the Celestial Master Pavilion of the Great Xia Dynasty, six demons and eleven monsters remain and must be sealed away promptly.
[Celestial Master Pavilion?]
[A government office in the Great Xia Dynasty specializing in magic, responsible for exterminating demons and monsters.]
"Then just let them do it. Their government offices have been established for eight hundred years; why do they need outside help?"
Because in eight hundred years, they only sealed away three demons and two monsters.
Damn it, what kind of work efficiency is this? [Since the human race was able to wipe out the territories of both the demon and monster races, their abilities are clearly not weak. Why has it taken them eight hundred years to seal away so few demons?]
In the final battle between humanity and the demon race, powerful human beings perished alongside the Demon Emperor and Demon King, nearly 90% of their lineage was severed. Simultaneously, the war damaged the spiritual energy of the Polar Continent, rendering future generations of humanity almost incapable of cultivating advanced techniques. For nearly three hundred years, neither the demon nor the demon race has seen any new life; those who survive are mostly ancient great demons and the Demon Lord who coexisted with the creation of the world. Despite the Celestial Master Pavilion's best efforts, it was unable to completely destroy the seal. Furthermore, with the source of their power unable to be repaired, the loss of spiritual energy has become even more severe, rendering humanity incapable of fulfilling its responsibilities alone. If humanity establishes a dynasty and fails to become the true ruler of the Polar Continent for a thousand years, then the Polar Continent will be erased, the world will restart, and chaos will be reborn.
Ning Xiaoxi stared in disbelief. "Do you believe anything you're saying?"
Three thousand worlds constitute a small cycle of reincarnation; three thousand small cycle of reincarnations constitute a large cycle of reincarnation; three thousand large cycle of reincarnations constitute an era. Worlds are like ants, born and destroyed according to circumstances, endlessly cycling through birth and death.
Ning Xiaoxi rubbed her cheeks weakly, feeling her fingers stiff and her cheeks numb, as if they didn't belong to her at all.
How many hosts have you fooled?
【Oh dear, host, don't say that! This is all work, let's all work together happily!】
How many of your hosts died of natural causes?
Great undertakings always involve sacrifices!
How can someone with such a weak body subdue demons and monsters?
Your system can provide you with powerful technical support, enhance your software and hardware capabilities, and ensure the successful completion of your tasks.
What skills can I improve now?
[Skills require specific environmental conditions and events to trigger them.]
Can I switch to a different operating system?
Once the system is linked, returns are not accepted.
If I die, is it just a matter of finding a new host for you?
Yes, if the host dies a natural death.
What about unnatural deaths?
[The type of abnormality must be determined; different situations require different approaches.]
To navigate the world with an unreliable Tai Chi master system, Ning Xiaoxi felt her world crumbling once again. [What punishment will I face if I don't slay demons and monsters?]
[It's possible if you could live a long and healthy life without ever encountering a demon, but given your exceptional constitution, escaping is impossible.]
What kind of system is this for giving up, and what kind of life is this where you want to give up but can't?
Ning Xiaoxi felt utterly hopeless. Transmigration wasn't enough, exile wasn't enough, and now she had to slay demons and monsters? Was there any justice in this world?