I Swear I’m Not a Demonic Cultivator - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Fang Zheng! Enough with this woman’s kindness!

In Fang Zheng’s memory, Hundred Herbs Valley was a Sect of compassionate alchemists, revered throughout the land as “Living Buddhas.”

Only now, through the Village Chief’s words, did he realize that the Pill Furnace, meant for healing the dying and saving the wounded, wasn’t solely used to refine Spirit Herbs and Immortal Elixirs.

Hundred Herbs Valley secretly worshipped a Demonic God, practiced human sacrifice in their alchemy, and even conspired with the Fusang people to dump nuclear-contaminated water into the sea. They rewarded Wangzai Xiaoqiao with a million, and secretly converted all the Primogems in others’ Genshin Impact accounts into Blue Fates to pull on the Standard Banner…

Overwhelmed by rage, Fang Zheng couldn’t help but pledge to the villagers once more, “Everyone, I, Fang Zheng, have already enveloped the entire village with the Blood Sacrifice Floating Pagoda Great Prison-Suppressing Formation. You are now protected.”

“As long as I live, no one will ever oppress or harm you again!”

“If the people of Hundred Herbs Valley dare to come, I’ll make them pay dearly!” Fang Zheng declared with unwavering conviction, his righteous aura radiating powerfully.

Upon hearing this promise, the villagers’ faces turned deathly pale, their last shred of hope extinguished.

Outside the valley, two figures soared through the sky on their swords, descending to hover above the village.

The lead young man, Zhao Xun, wore the moon-white robes of an Inner Disciple of Hundred Herbs Valley. His handsome features were now creased with a deep frown.

“Such potent Demonic Energy… and such a sinister Formation!” his Junior Brother exclaimed beside him. “Senior Brother, when did this desolate backwater spawn such a Demon Lord?”

Zhao Xun didn’t answer, his gaze fixed on the village below, shrouded in a web of pitch-black Formation sigils.

The aura emanating from the Formation was chilling and malevolent, sending shivers down even this Intermediate Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator’s spine.

This region was Hundred Herbs Valley’s “Medicinal Field,” and the villagers were periodically harvested as “Medicinal Materials.”

Now, a formidable dragon had risen from this field.

“This Demonic Energy is overwhelming. A direct assault would be unwise,” Zhao Xun said coldly. “Let’s first scout the situation and ascertain his intentions.”

Suppressing their auras, the two descended like falling leaves, silently infiltrating the village.

At the village center, Fang Zheng sat cross-legged, his expression serene.

He was contemplating a grave matter.

How could he truly earn the acceptance of these pitiful villagers?

Perhaps he could start by helping them repair their homes? Or perhaps he could demonstrate the spring-breeze-and-nourishing-rain-like power of the “Guardian Formation” he had just mastered?

He was completely lost in his thoughts.

Just then, an extremely faint, colorless, and odorless gas drifted in on the gentle breeze generated by the Formation, stealthily seeping in.

It bypassed the Demonic Energy that automatically protected Fang Zheng’s body, directly targeting his Divine Soul.

This was the Hundred Herbs Valley’s secret treasure, the Drunken Immortal’s Fall.

It harmed neither the physical body nor the Cultivation Base, focusing solely on intoxicating a Cultivator’s Divine Soul. Even after awakening, their strength would be reduced to less than ten percent for three days.

Fang Zheng’s eyelids drooped, a wave of exhaustion washing over him. He lost consciousness, his body went limp, and he collapsed.

“Got him!”

Zhao Xun and his Junior Brother emerged from the shadows, rushing forward.

“Senior Brother, this Demon Lord doesn’t seem so tough after all,” the Junior Brother remarked, nudging the unconscious Fang Zheng with his foot.

“Fool! If he hadn’t been so arrogant, how could we have succeeded so easily?” Zhao Xun scolded, retrieving a dark green Immortal Binding Cord and tying Fang Zheng up securely.

Only after completing this task did Zhao Xun straighten his back, clear his throat, and address the entire village in a loud voice.

“Zhao Xun of Hundred Herbs Valley, acting under orders from my Master Sect, has come to collect the sacrificial offerings!”

“You villagers, come out at once to pay your respects!”

His voice echoed throughout the village.

Behind each tightly shut wooden door lay deathly silence.

Zhao Xun’s expression darkened.

“It seems these lowly commoners have colluded with the Demon!”

A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes as he signaled to his Junior Brother.

Understanding the signal, the Junior Brother grinned savagely and strode toward the Village Chief’s house. He kicked the courtyard gate open and dragged the Old Village Chief, who was collapsed on the ground, out like a dead dog.

Thump!

The Old Village Chief was thrown onto the open ground in the center of the village.

“Old man, speak! Where did this Demon Lord come from? What sacrifices have you offered?!” The Junior Brother stomped on the Old Village Chief’s chest, grinding his heel into the man’s ribs.

“Immortal… Immortal Master, spare us… We know nothing…” The Old Village Chief coughed up blood, pleading desperately.

“Know nothing?” Zhao Xun sneered. “It seems you won’t speak the truth until we teach you a lesson.”

Before his words could fully fade, the Junior Brother drew a barbed leather whip and lashed it viciously across the Old Village Chief’s back.

Crack!

Flesh split and blood splattered.

The villagers could endure no more. They rushed from their homes and fell to their knees en masse.

“Immortal Master, spare the Village Chief!”

“Please, we truly know nothing!”

Zhao Xun’s contempt deepened as he watched the villagers kneel and beg for mercy.

“You worthless curs,” he sneered, “have you forgotten the rules of Hundred Herbs Valley?”

“This time, every single one of you will become sacrifices!”

His words, like a final judgment, drained the color from the villagers’ faces.

Just then, Fang Zheng, bound by the Immortal Binding Cord, stirred. His eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was the “Immortal Master” brandishing a leather whip, an elderly man beaten to a bloody pulp, and a crowd of villagers wailing on their knees.

The desperate plea echoed in his mind like a thunderclap:

“Please… give us a quick death! Don’t let us… suffer the torment of those ‘Immortal Masters’ anymore!”

An indescribable rage erupted from the depths of Fang Zheng’s chest.

The dark green Immortal Binding Cord creaked ominously, straining under the impossible force.

“Oh, look who’s awake so soon,” Zhao Xun sneered. He yanked Fang Zheng forward, his fists raining down like a storm.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Fang Zheng felt no pain.

Fang Zheng’s Human Emperor’s Hell-Suppressing Body activated automatically, protecting its master. These paltry attacks were barely worthy of scratching an itch.

“Listen up, these villagers are medicinal materials cultivated by Hundred Herbs Valley. Do you think you have the strength to lay a finger on them?”

After the taunt, the attackers resumed their brutal beating.

Fang Zheng’s strength had dwindled to less than ten percent of its peak, and he remained bound by the Immortal Binding Cord.

Though he possessed the Blood Sacrifice Floating Pagoda Great Prison-Suppressing Formation, activating it would inevitably harm the innocent villagers surrounding him.

As the wielder of the Human Emperor’s Sacred Body, Fang Zheng was impervious to the Hundred Herbs Valley duo’s attacks. Yet the sight of the villagers being humiliated tore at his heart, his eyes burning with fury.

Finally, the Village Chief, unable to endure the humiliation any longer, choked out through his sobs:

“Fang Zheng! Stop your womanly sentimentality! Activate the Blood Sacrifice Floating Pagoda Great Prison-Suppressing Formation on us now!”

Tears blurred Fang Zheng’s vision as he trembled, “No! Village Chief Grandpa, I can’t! There’s still hope!”

The Old Village Chief spat out a mouthful of blood. “Fang Zheng, as your Village Chief, I command you to immediately activate the Blood Sacrifice Floating Pagoda Great Prison-Suppressing Formation on us! Carry the hope of our village and live on!”

Fang Zheng closed his eyes in agony, and with no other choice, reluctantly activated the Blood Sacrifice Floating Pagoda Great Prison-Suppressing Formation.