I Swear I’m Not a Demonic Cultivator - Chapter 23
Chapter 23: The Heart of a Savior
Fang Zheng stood rooted to the spot, his hand gripping the pitch-black Human Emperor Banner.
The banner billowed and snapped in the wind, despite the absence of any breeze.
The Prison-Suppressing Corpse Puppet (Zhao Xun), whom he had just “enlightened,” stood silently beside him with absolute loyalty, its eye sockets burning with eerie green ghostfire.
Having been completely purified, it would atone for its sins for all eternity.
This is the righteous path!
This is the most thorough reckoning for evil!
Yet the fire in Fang Zheng’s heart burned even brighter, undiminished by this victory.
One Zhao Xun had fallen, but behind him loomed Hundred Herbs Valley.
And beyond that, thirty-five more villages like this one—caged like livestock in a “medicinal field,” waiting in despair to be “harvested”!
The mere thought of the suffering endured by those innocent villagers pierced Fang Zheng’s heart like a thousand needles.
No!
I must act immediately!
I must save them!
Just as his grand ambition to “protect all living beings” reached its peak, the System’s cold, divine notification tone chimed in his mind, right on schedule.
【 Ding! Host’s unwavering Heart of a Savior detected! 】
【 Epic-level chain quest initiated! 】
Quest Name: The Human Emperor’s Expedition
Quest Objective 1: Liberate the Lambs. The Host must travel to the thirty-five remaining ‘Medicinal Field’ villages under Hundred Herbs Valley’s control. With supreme compassion, liberate all suffering souls from their mortal shackles and grant them eternal rebirth within the Human Emperor Banner.
Quest Reward: Human Emperor’s Seal x1 (Symbol of the Human Emperor’s authority, capable of commanding the Myriad Souls and suppressing national destiny.)
Quest Objective 2: Eradicate the Malignant Tumor. Completely annihilate Hundred Herbs Valley, the source of all evil, wiping it from the Profound Heaven Continent without leaving a trace of dust.
Quest Reward: Random Divine Ability x1
As Fang Zheng gazed at the lines of quest descriptions flashing with golden light on the System panel, his breathing grew rapid.
The Human Emperor’s Expedition!
What boundless ambition!
Liberate the Lambs, eradicate the Malignant Tumor—what supreme justice!
The Sect… no, the ancient righteous Dao inherited across this entire realm, is indeed watching me!
They acknowledge my actions and have bestowed upon me an even grander trial!
Fang Zheng felt the heavy weight of responsibility settle upon his shoulders.
This was not a burden.
This was glory!
“I, Fang Zheng, will not fail in my mission!” He solemnly swore to the void.
Fang Zheng’s heart stirred restlessly.
Finally, unable to suppress it any longer, he set out on his journey!
Thirty-five villages were scattered across the Eastern Region, separated by vast distances. Traveling only on foot, even if he walked until the Year of the Rooster, he wouldn’t be able to save many people.
Fang Zheng immediately sought assistance from the System:
“System, I need a Cultivation Technique for rapid movement, to fulfill my Guardian Dao!”
Ding! Host’s urgent grand ambition for Universal Salvation received!
Matching most suitable travel method for the Human Emperor’s status…
Based on the ancient ritual of ‘The Human Emperor’s Expedition, accompanied by all spirits, with majesty filling all directions,’ activating the optimal solution!
Cultivation Technique replaced with the Ultimate Ceremonial Edition:
《Netherworld Myriad Ghosts Path-Clearing Grand Art》!
Fang Zheng gazed at the Cultivation Technique’s name, a surge of heroic fervor rising within him.
Netherworld: a realm to purge the world of its impurities.
Myriad Ghosts: the heroic spirits of those I have saved.
Path-Clearing: paving a radiant path for the Human Emperor’s Expedition!
Marvelous!
Truly marvelous!
The System truly understands me!
Without further hesitation, Fang Zheng activated this newly acquired movement technique with a thought.
Boom—!
The Human Emperor Banner in his hand shuddered violently.
In the next instant, the hazy miniature world within the banner tore open.
In Fang Zheng’s eyes, the Old Village Chief and all the villagers he had “saved” transformed into radiant, golden Spirit Bodies, their faces wreathed in serene smiles, and soared forth from the banner.
They swirled around him, forming a massive, golden halo.
A powerful, warm, and irresistible force surged from all directions.
Fang Zheng felt as if the entire world’s benevolence was lifting him up. He transformed into a brilliant golden meteor, instantly soaring skyward, hurtling toward the nearest village marked on his map.
Velocity pushed to its absolute limit!
Presence reaching the apex of majesty!
Yet.
Beneath the vast skies of the Eastern Region, every living creature that witnessed this scene saw something utterly different.
Above the desolate ruins of a ravaged village, a pitch-black Demonic Energy, so thick it seemed to solidify, erupted skyward like a wolf’s signal smoke!
Immediately afterward, a Demon God clad in grotesque armor burst through the air, led by a massive black banner embroidered with a sinister human figure.
Behind him followed not golden Spirit Bodies, but tens of thousands of Vengeful Ghosts and Resentful Souls, their faces twisted in agony, emitting silent screams.
They coalesced into a sky-devouring black tide, swarming around the Demon God, their terrifying aura threatening to drag every living thing along their path into hell itself as they howled toward the horizon!
The forests they passed withered instantly.
Birds and beasts caught in their path perished on the spot, their hearts exploding from sheer terror, plummeting from the sky to their deaths.
A loose cultivator gathering herbs in the mountains, who glanced at them from afar, suddenly exploded.
Black Wind Village.
This was the closest “Medicinal Field” to Fang Zheng.
Yet the village atmosphere was two and a half times more oppressive than the previous village he’d been in.
Every door and window had been nailed shut with thick wooden planks, as if this could seal out the terrors of the outside world.
The villagers huddled in their dark huts, trembling in fear.
For today was the day the “Immortal Masters” from Hundred Herbs Valley would come to collect their “Medicinal Materials.”
Just as everyone sank into the deepest despair…
Darkness fell.
Not the darkness of storm clouds blocking the sun.
But an indescribable, pure darkness, surging from the horizon with unstoppable force.
Then came the wails of ghosts.
The howls of wolves.
The collective curses of billions of wronged souls, coalescing into the most malevolent incantation.
Boom!
A pitch-black meteor, trailing a long tail of howling ghosts, crashed with pinpoint accuracy into the village’s central square.
The earth trembled violently.
A massive crater yawned open.
Fang Zheng emerged slowly from the pit, the Human Emperor Banner in hand.
He surveyed the scene—the boarded-up doors and windows, the suffocating atmosphere thick with fear and despair—a pang of anguish piercing his heart.
Look!
How much they suffer!
How much they despair!
I was right to come!
Fang Zheng suppressed his aura and forced what he hoped was the warmest, most reassuring smile onto his face.
Addressing the entire village in a voice infused with the power of the “Guardian” Dao, he declared loudly:
“Villagers, fear not!”
“I have come to save you.”
“Please come out and gather around me!”
Fang Zheng’s resonant voice carried clearly to every household, reaching the ears of every villager.
Deathly silence.
The village was as still as death itself.
Fang Zheng did not lose heart.
He knew that years of oppression had robbed these poor souls of the courage to believe.
He needed to show them even greater sincerity.
Clearing his throat, he spoke again, his voice now imbued with solemn authority.
“I will completely liberate you from this endless sea of suffering!”
Creak—
A weathered wooden door cracked open a sliver.
A wrinkled old woman peered out, her cloudy eyes staring numbly at Fang Zheng in the pit.
She showed no fear, no cry of alarm.
Her face bore only resignation.
In her eyes, this newcomer was merely a Demon Lord even more powerful than the Immortal Masters of Hundred Herbs Valley, come to “harvest” them.
Once one appeared, others would follow.
One by one, doors creaked open.
Numb villagers emerged.
They gazed at Fang Zheng with vacant eyes.
They looked at Fang Zheng, then at the massive black banner behind him that seemed to devour all light, and the countless twisted ghostly figures flickering around it.
Then, they exchanged glances. Resigned and in perfect unison, they knelt on the ground.
No bows of supplication, no pleas for mercy.
They merely knelt, awaiting death.
Fang Zheng watched the scene, his eyes brimming with tears.
Look!
Look!
They understand my grand ambition!
They comprehend my compassion!
In this silent way, they welcome my “salvation”!
Fang Zheng raised the Human Emperor Banner high above his head, his heart swelling with a sacred sense of mission.
“Today, I shall cleanse your pain and sins through a Blood Sacrifice!”
“Now, I grant you eternal rebirth!”
With a thought, Fang Zheng prepared to activate the supreme Guardian Formation once more.
The Blood Sacrifice Floating Pagoda Great Prison-Suppressing Formation.
As the villagers heard the terrifying words spewing from the Demon God’s mouth, the numbness and deathly silence on their faces finally shattered, inch by inch.
“Blood Sacrifice…”
“Cleanse pain…”
“Eternal rebirth…”
They understood.
This Demon Lord found Hundred Herbs Valley’s methods too gentle.
He intended to sacrifice their entire village in a far more cruel and sinister manner!
Even their souls would be extracted, condemning them to eternal damnation!
Boundless terror finally breached the dam of numbness.
Yet no one screamed.
For extreme fear can render one speechless.
With the Blood Sacrifice Floating Pagoda Great Prison-Suppressing Formation in his left hand and the Human Emperor Banner in his right, Fang Zheng channeled his Spiritual Energy with all his might.
Meanwhile, in a distant, well-hidden spot, Lu Chuxue, the Hundred Herbs Valley disciple who had come to collect “Medicinal Materials” that day, cowered in the shadows, trembling violently.
As he watched countless villagers explode into blood mist, their souls being sucked into the billowing, smoke-wreathed Human Emperor Banner, Lu Chuxue instantly wet his diaper.