I Have A Dual World Seal

Lu Zheng glanced around. It was just past 5:00 AM, and the city gates had just opened. Farmers and vendors were flocking into the city, while some people hurried out. The gates were bustling, making those who stopped there quite noticeable.

"What a coincidence! We haven't had breakfast yet. Since we've met, it's destiny. How about we go to that porridge shop in front and have some porridge?" Lu Zheng cheerfully approached the short scholar, his whole body bursting with energy and vitality.

A barely audible tiger's roar sounded.

The two scholars shivered and then, with bitter expressions, found themselves caught between Lu Zheng and Yuan Jing as they reached the outside of a porridge shop on the city gate's inner side.

"Shopkeeper, four bowls of porridge and eight buns!"

"All right, just a moment please!"

Usually, the porridge shop was frequented by peasants who left home early without preparing breakfast and needed something to eat when they arrived in the city. Having scholars visit was quite rare, so the shopkeeper was proud, not only making the porridge thick for the four but also gifting them a portion of pickled vegetables.

"Enjoy your meal, everyone!"

Ignoring the surrounding curious glances, Yuan Jing and Lu Zheng each picked up a bun and started eating with the pickled vegetables first.

Lu Zheng looked at the two scholars, pointing at the buns, signaling them to eat.

The tall one and the short one exchanged glances, their faces full of bitterness. They could only pick up the buns and start eating the porridge. As for the pickled vegetables, seeing Yuan Jing and Lu Zheng continuously picking at them, they dared not compete for it.

"What are you afraid of? According to Da Jing Law, as long as you don't commit crimes, we won't do anything to you," Lu Zheng curiously asked.

Yuan Jing shook his head, "Junior Brother, you're wrong. If demons commit crimes, they would certainly be punished severely, but even if they don't, we can still deal with them unless they register in the state capital or join a Sect. Otherwise, Da Jing Law only protects humans, not demons."

The two scholars became even more tense. The tall one looked like... he was about to cry?

"Oh." Lu Zheng understood and then frowned, "Do we really look that fierce? Are we cultivators supposed to take down anything out of the ordinary? In the storybooks I read, there are many tales of harmonious coexistence between humans and demons."

The two scholars breathed a sigh of relief.

Yuan Jing nodded, "It depends on the person. Our Daoist Sect is better, while the Buddhist Sect varies according to factions. Martial Artists usually dislike demons, and military people even wish to eradicate all demons in the world, since the Three Northern Countries have always coveted the prosperous lands of Great Jing, each backed by great demons."

The two scholars tensed up again, as Lu Zheng had just demonstrated clear Martial Artist skills.

Lu Zheng showed his understanding. He was no longer the Xiaobai of the past and had supplemented a lot of common knowledge; he also knew about the Three Northern Countries.

Mengtian, Tu Yan, and Yanghuang, kingdoms built in the northern barren mountains and snowy forests, with small populations but fierce warriors. More importantly, humans and demons coexist, with many great demons supported by their incense, bolstering their presence. They engaged in annual fierce battles with Great Jing, aiming to move south.

Lu Zheng easily related to the conflict and wars between nomadic and farming cultures, only that this was a xianxia version of it.

Seeing the two scholars' frightened expressions, Lu Zheng gave a friendly smile, "Don't be afraid. We are good people. As long as you act in kindness, we won't do anything to you."

The short one nodded repeatedly, and the tall one swallowed a mouthful of saliva, also awkwardly smiling.

"So…" Lu Zheng tapped the bowl with his chopsticks, his smile becoming even more gentle, "Who are you looking for in the city?"

...

The two scholars fell silent immediately, like chickens, exchanging glances, neither daring to speak first.

The tall one pressed his lips tightly, while the short one swallowed hard, speaking word by word, "Looking for a woman."

The tall one nodded continuously.

Yuan Jing: ∑(´△｀)?!

Lu Zheng: (O_o)??

Could it be that we misunderstood? Are these two demons virgins, who, after transforming into humans with great difficulty, have come to the city to experience certain human pleasures?

In Pingtan County, there are indeed places like Fragrant Street and Chunfeng Building.

Lu Zheng licked his lips, "Well, you might have come a bit too early. The place you're looking for might not be open yet. Such places are usually bustling at night."

"Cough cough!" Yuan Jing lightly coughed. This topic made him a bit uncomfortable since he was also... cough cough...

The short one and the tall one exchanged glances. Did the other know exactly where they intended to go?

The short one blinked, "You know where the person we are looking for is?"

The tall one was both surprised and happy, "Is there really someone like that in the county?"

Poor kids... although they are male demons, they were going to the profession strictly, looking for professionals honestly. Lu Zheng didn't want to stand on a moral high ground to lecture them, as after all, it was consensual and a fair trade.

"By the way," Lu Zheng asked, "Do you have money? Doing this requires money, you know."

The short one was utterly confused.

The tall one exclaimed in shock, "It needs money?"

What a fresh thought! Lu Zheng frowned, "You think you can get away without paying? Were you planning to do the deed and run?"

The tall one and the short one exchanged shocked glances, wondering how the other had seen through their intentions?

Lu Zheng pouted, was this an attempt at a free ticket?

Lu Zheng suddenly felt like an experienced driver guiding newbies, warning them sternly, "What you're doing is a crime. You can't force buy or sell, nor can you abduct civilian girls, and you definitely can't directly reveal your true form. Understand? Otherwise, those who come after you won't be me, but the officials from the Anomaly Suppression Bureau."

The short one's eyes darted around, seemingly comprehending, and hurriedly nodded, preparing to express gratitude.

But the tall one spoke first, "What if the person we find is a civilian girl?"

Holy crap?!

Lu Zheng was dumbfounded, so you're just going to rely on a gut feeling and ignore identity?

"Of course not, you can only find people on Fragrant Street," Lu Zheng said.

"What if Fragrant Street has none?" the tall one asked.

"You're quite demanding; the women on Fragrant Street are really beautiful," Lu Zheng explained.

"But we need to find a virtuous and kind woman," the tall one clarified.

Yuan Jing: (⊙o⊙)

Lu Zheng: (°ー°〃)

The short one was dumbfounded, with a face full of despair.

Yuan Jing silently put down the bun in hand, Lu Zheng smiled more warmly, "Come, come, tell me, why do you need to find a virtuous and kind woman?"

The tall one flinched, looking at the short one with panic.

The short one smacked his lips, "Haha, actually my brother was just joking."

Lu Zheng looked at Yuan Jing, "Funny?"

Yuan Jing shook his head, "Not funny."

Lu Zheng turned back and looked at the two scholars, also shaking his head, smiling broadly, "I also don't find it funny."

The tall one... was about to cry again.

The short one forced a smile.

Lu Zheng kindly asked, "What is your true identity?"

Just after asking, Lu Zheng turned to Yuan Jing, "Was it polite to ask so directly?"

Yuan Jing nodded, "Not impolite at all, demons don't mind this."

"Oh, oh," Lu Zheng nodded, then turned back to the two scholars, "Once I know more, I can decide whether to buy a scarf or a pair of boots."

"Wah—" the tall one really cried, "Please spare us, senior, we were wrong, we won't look for anyone anymore, we won't go to the Southern Border."

Yuan Jing frowned, Lu Zheng's gaze flashed.

The short one patted his forehead, doomed!

Dealing with the Southern Border is not a small matter, Yuan Jing looked at the short one, asking deeply, "Do you confess yourself, or should I hand you over to the Yizhou Anomaly Suppression Bureau?"

The short one trembled all over, solemnly said, "Please, senior, I must report!"

Feeling Yuan Jing and Lu Zheng's imposing presence slightly diminish, the tall one couldn't help but swallow, cautiously looking at the short one, "Are we really going to report Elder Lady Yi? Isn't she from your clan?"

The short one gritted his teeth, met Lu Zheng's playful gaze, and said firmly, "She's a field mouse, I'm a hamster, not the same family!"

...

With the tall one assisting, the short one straightforwardly confessed the whole story.

In the deep mountains a hundred miles north of Pingtan County, there lived an Elder Lady Yi with hundreds of years of Dao practice, considered a great demon within ten miles of the vicinity.

However, Elder Lady Yi had always kept to herself, rarely seen, usually her offspring would venture out, but they also helped her establish a significant reputation.

Unexpectedly, a few days ago, Elder Lady Yi suddenly sent invitations to the surrounding demons, asking them to gather at her cave.

After they went, they found out that Elder Lady Yi had struck a deal with a Wizard from the Southern Border, needing to find a benevolent and virtuous woman. As long as this woman was delivered to the Wizard, the Wizard promised to carve out a territory in the Southern Border for the assisting demons, letting them command respect and claim the title of Immortal Ancestor.

"Southern Border..." Lu Zheng tapped the table.

The Southern Border differs from the Northern Domain, or rather, it is even more chaotic than the Northern Domain. The Northern Domain is merely a mix of humans and demons, suppressing Buddhism and Daoism, whereas the Southern Border is the Hundred Thousand Mountains, layer upon layer, with humans, demons, ghosts, and wizards all present.

Compared to the Great Jing Dynasty and the Three Northern Countries, the people living in the Southern Border are more primitive and also more... devout.

Aside from the local natives, almost every time a Central Plains Dynasty collapsed, its remnants would retreat into the Southern Border, and due to the complex terrain and factions, nearly every Central Plains Dynasty was powerless against the Southern Border.

Thus... the Southern Border became messier and more chaotic, with various systems of power being intricate and diverse, often thought-provoking.

For instance, the "White Bamboo Curse" that Lu Zheng obtained before is a secret spell from the Southern Border's White Bamboo Sect, whose origins are untraceable.

Later, various unclassifiable power systems emerged in the Southern Border, along with unknown legacies appearing out of nowhere, whether intricate and bizarre or vast and ancient, each branch not deep but wide, all of which were categorized under a relatively ancient but now intermittently inherited power system: Witchcraft.

Due to the chaotic power structure in the Southern Border, those living there could only pray that their protector's strength grew ever stronger, ensuring their protection, thus they would be more devout in their prayers.

Of course, this form of coercive prayer was also referred to by Daoist Mingzhang as deviant practices, not adopted by cultivators.

Now a Southern Border Wizard came to Pingtan County seeking a benevolent and kind-hearted woman, likely as a sacrifice for some unknown sect's witchcraft.

Lu Zheng looked at Yuan Jing, "Should this be reported to the Yizhou Anomaly Suppression Bureau?"

Yuan Jing nodded, "Of course."