NOVEL NEXT Chapter 355: Hey! I Opened This Mountain!
"Three black-patterned coins is truly too expensive. Is there any cheaper meat?" Sun Wukong asked.
"There is."
Seeing Sun Wukong had no intention to buy human flesh, the old lion felt a pang of disdain but still produced a sheep's head, saying, "This is the meat of a sheep demon, ten silver coins per pound."
"Forget it. It's too bloody. I'm not buying."
Leaving those words behind, Sun Wukong led Yuyan and Tie Shan to other stalls, leaving the old lion filled with question marks.
Too bloody?
Was their customer a lion?
The old lion suddenly realized that the trio of lions bore not a hint of stench on them; it was as if they were spirits fond of bathing.
"Tsk! A lion devoid of any scent is indeed a rarity. Could it be from another continent? Monsters from the Northern Jambu Continent aren't this clean," the old lion muttered to himself, then brushed it off—"What does it have to do with me? Even if they come from other continents, as long as they don't buy my meat, it's better not to meddle. But... heh heh, such clean monsters are truly the tastiest. I wonder if they'll survive the night."
If only he were not old, he would definitely try the taste of a young one of his kind.
Meanwhile, Sun Wukong and the other two continued on their way, while the monsters on the road eyed them greedily, their eyes shining and drool dripping from the corners of their mouths.
"I can't hold back anymore!"
"How delicious!"
A bear demon with heavy steps bumped into a smaller leopard demon and lunged at Sun Wukong.
"Let me take a bite!"
"Smack!"
With a slap from Sun Wukong, the bear demon was sent flying hundreds of feet, destroying buildings along the way and leaving countless minor demons to meet their doom unknowingly.
The monsters of this place had committed countless killings, and not out of hunger for food. Sun Wukong naturally showed no mercy.
Moreover, his actions fit perfectly with the survival of the fittest that ruled this place.
As expected!
After Sun Wukong killed the bear demon and a bunch of collateral smaller demons, not one of them came seeking compensation. They couldn't have been more eager to stay away and never to cross paths again.
Yuyan applauded, "Great King, dealing with these foul-smelling little demons requires a thunderous response."
"Let's move on. I've got a good understanding of the situation now." Sun Wukong continued walking, inquiring the prices at each stall before deciding to leave.
"Great King, why only ask about the prices?" Yuyan was puzzled. T&hi^s is a s*amp.l*e& fro+m My V#i+r%t+ua&l# Li%b*r.ar%y E&mpire. R*ead the re@s&t* on M.-V#L#E&MPYR..
"Though I asked about prices, I actually gathered more information. For instance, the flesh of a Qi Cultivation practitioner is three black-patterned coins per pound, while ordinary human flesh is one silver coin for ten, or even twenty pounds," Sun Wukong explained, "According to the monsters' attitude, they look down on the meat of ordinary humans, which is plentiful and cheap. This suggests that here on the Northern Jambu Continent, there is a vast human population, but they are at a disadvantage."
"Next, the currency of the Heavenly Dao, the everlasting coin, has already spread to the Northern Jambu Continent, and is even highly esteemed."
"Following that, there's the city built by these demons. Although there's some order, it's minimal, following the law of the survival of the fittest. The strong can directly seize from the weak, be it possessions or the demons themselves."
"There's an order, but it's minimal."
"That's what's most terrifying."
Tie Shan voiced her curiosity, "Great King, do you still need to scout for information when you possess the spell of foresight?"
Sun Wukong replied, "I'm teaching you that even if you can perceive everything with a sweep of your Primordial Spirit, some questions still require consideration."
"Understood," Yuyan nodded. She didn't have the ability to know everything with a sweep of her Primordial Spirit; it was better for her to use her little brain to think.
After leaving Lion City, the three of them reverted to their original forms and entered another human city.
"Tiger Wolf City?"
Yuyan looked at the words above the city gate and guessed, "The people here must be as brave as tigers and wolves."
Sun Wukong nodded, "Bravery is certain. In this harsh environment, if they aren't brave and good at fighting, they can't survive. But as the Great Emperor Zhenwu said previously, the people here also practice cannibalism."
"To call them humans is no different from calling them ghosts."
Tie Shan sighed, "Cannibalism, I thought it was brutal enough among demons. I didn't expect it to happen among humans as well, no different from beasts."
Yuyan remarked hopefully, "At least it's just the people of the Northern Jambu Continent like this, right?"
"That's not the case."
Sun Wukong corrected her, "In the Nanshan Continent, in the Western Ox-He Continent, there are also people who eat human flesh because they cannot survive. The people of the Western Ox-He Continent, however, are better off. The place is rich in resources, has many small kingdoms, and just one fruit tree can support a family of seven. The only thing to be cautious of are the layers of exploitation from the empire and being captured by demons for sacrifice."
Tie Shan also shared her views, "I have traveled with my master through the Nanshan Continent and the Western Ox-He Continent. In Nanshan, people chase after their interests, and life is hard for the common folk, with outrageous taxes from the kingdoms that hardly allow them to live."
"The only good point might be that the farmers are more united, and in places like the Nanshan Continent, there tend to be fewer demons, possibly because the Heavenly Realm pays more attention to that area."
"As for the Western Ox-He Continent, the empires tax the common folk less, allowing them to live somewhat better lives. As the Great King has said, the land is rich and sparsely populated, with many small kingdoms. The only downside is that there are somewhat more demons there."
Yuyan, not comprehending all of this, just said, "Then our Eastern Victory Divine Continent is still the best. Although there are also mountain spirits and wild monsters, they know to respect heaven and earth, not to mention having the Great King here—it's practically a heavenly paradise on earth!"