The Demon Lords

Chapter 835 185: Simpleminded Smile

Zheng Fan brought Fanli into the house. This residence was Zheng Fan's temporary home because although the external framework of Lord Pingye's mansion had been completed, the interior decorations like artificial rock mountains and flowing water required more time for refinement. Additionally, places like secret tunnels and basements required significant effort, so Zheng Fan hadn't moved in yet.

The residence is divided into a front and a back house. Originally, Ke lived in the back house, with her bedroom right next to Zheng Fan's. However, after Siniang arrived, Ke had to move to the front house.

Though Ke, having experienced war and displacement, was well aware that Zheng Fan was the man she needed to cling to as her true reliance for the rest of her life, she understood upon her first meeting with Siniang that this woman was not her match.

Women's innate intuition is sharp, so she chose to lower herself before Siniang, taking whatever Siniang said as truth, while continuing to play the role of a "servant woman."

When Zheng Fan brought Fanli inside, Ke proactively offered hot tea, wanting to linger a bit to serve them. Yet, estimating the time, she expected Siniang to return soon, so she bowed her head and returned to her own room.

Lord Zheng sat there, picked up the teacup, skimming the tea leaves while blowing on the rim,

and said,

"If there's something, just speak."

Fanli took out a packet and handed it to Zheng Fan, saying:

"Master, mix this into the tea and consume it."

"What is it?"

"A tonic."

Zheng Fan shook his head, saying:

"I won't eat it."

For one, a man could never admit in front of outsiders that he needed a tonic for that aspect;

Furthermore, Lord Zheng was genuinely frightened by the drugs presented by the demons.

The last show by Xue Three had him in unbearable pain in the hot spring.

Though it ultimately proved effective, the stimulus from that medicinal bath greatly expanded his qi and blood, allowing him to quickly achieve the "original accumulation" from the Seventh Rank to its peak. But he was just a hair's breadth away from dementia, stroke, and paralysis.

In truth,

if it were an old herbalist advertising on street poles, it wouldn't matter. An experienced person might not be able to cure illness, but at least they wouldn't concoct something deadly. However, whatever the demons liked, it was all powerful medicine!

Fanli chuckled foolishly,

and said:

"Master, this medicine is fine."

Fanli insisted.

"I won't eat it."

Lord Zheng remained firm.

Fanli nodded, pursed his lips.

"If you have something to say, say it quickly."

Zheng Fan urged, then took another two sips of tea.

Lord Zheng didn't like drinking very hot tea. Since arriving in this world, he had more opportunities to enjoy things but mostly kept things simple like his tea, which was merely to quench thirst.

Thus, according to Lord Zheng's habit, the servants would mix some cool boiled water into the tea to make it hot but not scalding.

Fanli murmured silently:

"Master, before you returned, I had already tossed the packet into the crock of cool boiled water in your kitchen."

Zheng Fan's expression tightened,

and he instinctively began to circulate the qi and blood within him,

but upon doing so, he felt his head starting to spin and float, as if his whole body were about to lift off.

In that instant, his body staggered, and he fell back into the chair.

"Ah Li, what nonsense are you up to!"

Zheng Fan asked.

Fanli silently stood up,

Fanli silently took out the axe tucked at his back waist,

Fanli silently raised the axe,

Fanli silently walked over to Zheng Fan,

Fanli silently swung the axe.

Zheng Fan, his face and heart filled with absurdity and confusion, watched Fanli's series of silent actions,

Then Zheng Fan's vision began to spin, spin, spin, and spin,

Until finally,

Falling onto the ground,

"Bang!"

...…

"Bang!"

The eardrums hurt, the sound was crisp.

Zheng Fan opened his eyes to find a youth beside him being stomped into the ground by a big man with a boot.

The ground was yellow soil, not very hard, yet nowhere near soft.

The youth's face was pressed against the ground, misshaping it, his lips scraped and starting to bleed.

Soon after,

An iron collar was fastened around the youth's neck, with a chain attached to the back of the collar.

The big man held the chain and started to walk back,

Zheng Fan's gaze followed the big man's movement,

Seeing the big man attach the chain to a large hollow ball where ten other chains were already fastened. Looking further along the chains, Zheng Fan saw over a dozen youths, each with an iron collar around their necks.

Behind the ball was a chariot-like structure, only its style was overly extravagant.

From a "general's" instinctive proficiency, this chariot would be cumbersome on a battlefield.

"It's secured, master."

The big man stated respectfully.

"Every day they die, every day they are replaced. Isn't it tiring for you when it's already tiring for me?"

A young lad in fine clothes boarded the chariot, complaining discontentedly.

The big man promptly apologized:

"Master, there's really no alternative; the slaves bought over the years aren't what they used to be. Their bodies are increasingly frail, unable to be used properly."

"Enough, enough."

The young lad grabbed the reins before him, pulled back with a reverse hand, causing the ball to begin scraping and moving, dragging along the youths with collars, each showing expressions of pain.