CHAPTER 73.1: A RATHER STRANGE WORLD

The game interface is gone?

Qi Yuan instantly got wary. He rushed back to Heaven’s End, only to find he couldn’t return at all.

“Which means, the game interface disappears once I leave the forbidden and end zones?“ Qi Yuan froze. “Doesn’t that mean I’m no different from an NPC now?”

However, it didn’t take long for him to accept this reality. He recalled the words of a certain great figure and stopped dwelling on it.

“Even without a game interface, I can still slaughter the demons beyond the domain! The only downside is, I can no longer contact Jin Li. Hopefully I won’t run into those cliché scenarios of mistaken identity?”

He’d heard plenty of blind dates gone wrong stories, or meeting the wrong person in real life.

Qi Yuan called softly as he held her hand, “Little Bride.”

Little Bride obediently merged with him, transforming into a tattoo on his chest. He also donned the Faceless Mask he’d obtained from the Tattered-Cloth Emperor. His figure also shrank, transforming into the guise of an ordinary mortal. Now, he looked like one of the palace’s demonic imperial guards.

“Now, I look like some final boss.”

Moreover, the mask also had a nice little perk: it could briefly block the alien demons’ perception.

The Tattered-Cloth Emperor had been an exceptionally gifted genius. The alien demons despised such prodigies the most, and would target them with Flesh-Hooks. It was only thanks to the Faceless Mask that the Tattered-Cloth Emperor could stay under the radar. And yet, he would ultimately perish by that same hook after recklessly breaking through to the Heaven realm within the demon-infested Garment Tomb Forbidden Zone.

Meanwhile, Qi Yuan was a level 99 powerhouse already. He couldn’t just carelessly wander the mortal zone.

Hoisting his giant sword, he looked toward the southeast, where the enormous Ancient Qichun Tree stood. “Thousands of miles away... Tsk. A shame that there’s no flying ship here. Couldn’t make one, either. Even if I could, it would be useless. Guess I’ll just have to walk.”

In the game, the Martial Dao was the path to take, but in the real world, it was the immortal path that reigned supreme. Practicing the game’s cultivation methods wouldn’t feed into his foundation as they weren’t resources. Unfortunately, they couldn’t be cultivated in the real world, nor even used to supplement the Qi Yuan Scripture. The first time Qi Yuan had attempted it, he nearly scared himself to death. He’d wondered if he was insane for attempting to cultivate game techniques in reality.

Qi Yuan blurred into a streak of blood-red shadow, flying toward the ancient tree. “Alright, let’s head to the Ancient Qichun Tree. It’s time for a meet-up in the Moonlight Kingdom!”

However, after who knew how long, he plummeted from the sky into the desert. To make matters worse, he found rows of dried stumps, each bearing human corpses. There were about fifteen in total, shriveled into husks under the blazing sun. Appearance suggested that the oldest was perhaps eleven or twelve, while the youngest were barely three months old, and there were many of them.

They’d obviously been brutally murdered and left exposed to the elements. Vultures tore at their flesh as if it were rotting garbage, flapping away the moment Qi Yuan appeared.

He gazed at the frail, withered corpses. Looking up at the scorching sun, he muttered, “Being left to dry like this in such heat isn’t right.”

With a wave of his hand, all the stumps sank, and the bodies were buried beneath the sand. For ordinary mortals, all karma was extinguished once they died.

This world doesn’t seem quite as beautiful as Jin Li described. Maybe because I stand in the shadows.

With this thought, Qi Yuan soared back into the heavens. This time, he flew higher, detached from the mortal zone, as if unwilling to be disturbed by it. There were too many worldly entanglements, and at times, distinguishing right from wrong became difficult.

What is right and what is wrong?

***

A streak of blood-red light swept across the sky. The Ancient Qichun Tree was only a few hundred li away. As a town came into view below, Qi Yuan descended.

He had two tasks here. Firstly, to ask for directions to the Moonlight Kingdom. Secondly, to get a proper rest. He wanted to eat and change his clothes.

A long line stretched beyond the city walls, and Qi Yuan landed quietly at its end. A plump, fair-skinned man stood before him. Then, Qi Yuan glanced at the city gate. Two words were inscribed above: Kunwu City.

Hundreds queued outside the city walls and the sun beat down. The fat man wiped away his sweat. Judging by his attire, he was no commoner.

Qi Yuan stood quietly, his eyes drifting to another entry gate at the wall. Clearly, it was a special passage as almost nobody queued there. Yet, it wasn’t a privilege for the powerful or wealthy, but for the elderly. Those at that gate appeared to be fifty or older, many in their sixties and beyond. They’d bypass the queue and enter directly.

Qi Yuan couldn’t help but sigh, “Respect the old, cherish the young. Kunwu City really has simple, honest folk customs.”

The fat man in front turned his head. “Friend, you must not be from around here?”

Startled by Qi Yuan’s mask, his eyes briefly narrowed. However, he quickly regained his composure. “What you just said was only half right.”

“Oh? Which half?”

“The respect for elders is true, but cherishing the young part? I wonder about that.“

Qi Yuan frowned.

“In Kunwu City, once you reach fifty, you won’t have to work another day. Food, clothing—everything is provided. Fall ill and the physicians will come to you free of charge.” The fat man smiled lewdly. “The courtesans will even visit your home for free. All the elders’ needs are covered by the government.”

Qi Yuan was stunned. “Isn’t that amazing?”

Kunwu City sounded like an ideal society. Once one reached fifty and above, they could just enjoy life. It was way better than on Blue Planet, where many worked past sixty. Some didn’t even have pensions, their old age bleak and fragile.

Perhaps Jin Li was right, this world does have bright spots. A society where the elderly could live in peace. Isn’t that something?

The fat man sighed, a shadow passing his face. “Too bad I’m only thirty-five. Fifteen more years... if I even live that long.”

“What about the part I got wrong?” Qi Yuan asked.

“The young aren't cherished,” the fat man whispered nervously. “No one under fifty is.”

Qi Yuan still didn’t follow.

The man sneered. “Here, age is the highest power. Over fifty, you enjoy all privileges. Under fifty... heh... You live worse than beasts.”

Qi Yuan’s gaze swept over the queue ahead. “What do you mean by that?”

He spotted a woman blankly holding a child—or to be precise, the corpse of one.

“For example, if the young show even the slightest disrespect toward their parents—especially those over fifty—do you know what happens?”

“What happens?”

The fat man said grimly, “Death!”

Qi Yuan’s heart jolted. “Kunwu City is insane. Has everyone gone mad?”

He wondered if he should leave and ask elsewhere. What if he failed to give way to an elder, would he be executed on the spot?

The fat man pointed. “You see that woman up ahead?”

“Yes.”

”Her child died yesterday. The boy weaned late, and she offhandedly mentioned that he’d accidentally bitten her while nursing one night. The gossip spread, reached the officials, and the child was executed for violating filial piety! They’re letting her carry the corpse for now. But soon, even that will be taken away.”

Qi Yuan stared at the woman again.

The fat man warned softly, “Young man, without fifty years under your belt, you’d best keep your head down in the city. Show respect, especially around the old.“

Qi Yuan muttered, “I think I’d better get going.”

This city was nothing like Jin Li’s description. Am I lost? Did I take the wrong road?

However, without the game interface, he couldn’t contact her.

The fat man smiled helplessly. “And where would you go? The hundred cities nearby are all the same.”

Qi Yuan frowned. “One city, maybe I could understand, but a hundred? And no one resists?”

The young were the true backbone of the world. How could they all be suppressed?

“Resist?” the fat man gave a bitter smile. “When the Black Army appears, even the mightiest warriors die. How are we supposed to resist? We live carefully. At least, there’s one hope: survive until fifty. Then, it’s all worth it.”

Qi Yuan silently noted the name Black Army. The line moved forward and more people arrived. The fat man fell silent while Qi Yuan stood lost in thought.

Suddenly, he had an idea. On the Ascension Platform, I killed for hundreds of years. That makes me the oldest of men, I should have the highest tier of privilege!

He quickly convinced himself. To hell with queuing!