CHAPTER 34: CHAPTER 34 I ORIGINALLY WANTED TO INTERACT WITH YOU ALL UNDER THE GUISE OF AN ORDINARY MAN

This Women’s Country... the horses run so slowly.

The carriage Wu Wang was sitting in was pulled by two Black Horned Horses and had only a simple canopy, with all sides open to the wind, which was not very comfortable.

After being jolted around for half a day and half a night, they hadn’t covered even a few hundred miles.

In the latter half of the night, they arrived at a post station. Before Wu Wang could find a room to rest, he was surrounded by layers of people, making it impossible for him to get through.

The wooden building of the post station was nearly crushed by the surging crowd!

The most common phrases Wu Wang heard were these:

"Is this a man?"

"Wow, this really is a man!"

"They don’t look much different from us, do they?"

There was absolutely no novelty in those remarks.

Of course, some bold and impulsive older women either attempted to touch him or tried to pull at his clothes.

Wu Wang endured as much as he could, dodging left and right while the archers brought by Feng Ge constantly shouted loudly, "This man is to be offered to the queen! If you dirty him, you’ll be the one answering for it!"

This kind of situation was actually understandable. If a woman went to the Husband Country of the Western Wilderness, the treatment would probably be much the same.

After two hours of chaos, Wu Wang finally got a quiet room where he could sit cross-legged on the bed and rest.

The inside and outside of the station gradually quieted down, but still, some women were unwilling to leave, lingering nearby and looking towards the station with hope.

"Really! It’s just a man. Why is everyone acting like they’ve gone mad?" Feng Ge’s complaint came from outside the door.

This general, carrying a wine jar and slightly intoxicated, kicked the door open and barged in, ranting, "I have been guarding the capital and the borders for so many years, can’t I enjoy some benefits first?"

Wu Wang’s face turned red, and he skillfully picked up the Dagger and held it to his neck.

Feng Ge’s ’drunkenness’ immediately subsided; she grumpily sat by the windowsill, curled up her right leg, hugged her knee, and lifted the wine jar to take a couple of swigs.

Wu Wang took a sniff... the alcohol content wasn’t high.

Feng Ge grumbled, "Get some rest quickly. Once it’s daylight, we’ll continue on our way. We should reach the capital around noon."

"Aren’t you going to rest, General?"

"What, afraid I’ll take advantage of you while you’re asleep?" Feng Ge chuckled. "You think too much. Offering you to the queen is the real big deal; why would I lay a finger on the queen’s treasure?"

This was a good opportunity to probe for some information.

Wu Wang smiled and said, "It seems that the people of the Women’s Country are simple and honest. Being a queen here must be quite worry-free, with no need to fear overly ambitious ministers."

"Exactly," Feng Ge patted her chest. "Whoever dares to disrespect the queen, ask me first!"

"Still, don’t be careless," Wu Wang said seriously. "People’s hearts are fickle, and the lure of power has always been irresistible. There has never been a shortage of those coveting the throne."

But Feng Ge dismissively waved her hand. "Impossible, you don’t understand our Women’s Country. Our queen, ah, she is the most perfect being."

There was a twinkle in the general’s eyes as she looked up at the roof beams and muttered, "She’s so beautiful. She has always been so beautiful and kind since she was young, not wanting any of her subjects to suffer even the slightest injustice."

It appeared that this Feng Ge must be a trusted general of the queen of Women’s Country, and her demeanor just now was certainly not feigned.

The night did not pass peacefully.

Wu Wang just focused on meditating to stabilize his breath, while Feng Ge kept reaching out of the windowsill, pushing down girls trying to peep in.

Early the next day, as the Sun Star had just risen.

Wu Wang rose and walked to the window. Looking down, he saw the grass outside the window was littered with young women, each either knocked unconscious or simply having fallen into a deep sleep.

Ah, this... In his heart, a little notebook seemed to light up, and he mentally added to the ’hatred value’ he held for the one who had cursed him with the ’Touch-Woman-Faint-Sleep Syndrome’.

Looking out the window, he could see fields of rice stretching far and wide. The gently rolling hills and the glistening terraced fields were also home to numerous orchards and tea plants, as well as some cattle, sheep, and Spirit Beasts grazing. The villages perched on various hills were filled with joyful laughter early in the morning.

Wu Wang’s eyes flashed with a silvery-white glow, allowing him to see the women practicing martial arts in the woods, those pounding clothes by the stream, those gathering firewood and boiling water, and the women butchering livestock with bare chests.

As far as the eye could see, from tottering children to hunched old ladies, all were women.

This secluded kingdom is rich in resources and affluent in life. The atmosphere in yesterday’s military camp didn’t resemble a realm on the verge of rebellion.

Wu Wang pondered briefly, and several guesses began to emerge in his mind.

Infiltration by the Ten Evils Hall? That didn’t seem right either. This was the Western Wilderness, a domain ruled by Innate Deities, aligned with the same faction as the Evil Gods behind the Ten Evils Hall. Although the Women’s Country was a realm of the Human race, it was much like the Da Lang and Bear Hug clans of the Northern Wilderness, and had little connection with the Human Domain. Moreover, the Women’s Country was protected by a national Barrier. While there were surely ways in and out, the country was secluded and unlikely to have entanglements of interest with the outside world. Could the ’rebellion’ Elder Shen Nong mentioned be a struggle among the powerful elite?

With such questions in mind, Wu Wang took his seat in the carriage and continued on his way, enjoying the scenery and casually probing for information from Feng Ge.

It had been who knows how many days since he’d left Auntie’s side. He missed the tea she brewed by hand.

He was on his second day away from Elder Shen Nong. TSK, TSK. Cultivating alone was indeed quite nice.

The population of the Women’s Country was nevertheless not small. The villages were close to each other, with plenty of forests and land, and roads bridging them, allowing for swift travel. From time to time, they could see one or two fortresses, and there would inevitably be a vast expanse of houses outside the city walls.

"This place seems carefree."

"Of course," said Feng Ge, with a hint of pride on her face. "Our country is just like this, with no enemies from outside. Everyone lives in harmony, though sometimes it can feel a bit boring. Look ahead! After we go around that hill, you will see our capital."

Wu Wang looked up and saw a slope covered with wildflowers and shallow grass, with far-off mountains that looked like eyebrows on the horizon.

Wu Wang exclaimed, "What a lovely place."

Feng Ge laughed and said, "Heh, if you live here too, you could hang out with our queen more often, going out to enjoy scenes of romance and beauty."

Wu Wang smiled without saying a word.

Just then, a large contingent of Cavalry appeared from behind the hill; each guard was clad in white capes and golden armor, racing down the main road.

Feng Ge made a gesture with her hand, and the convoy quickly stopped, with the bowmen moving aside.

From afar came a shout: "General Feng Ge! Is the man in the carriage behind you?"

Feng Ge laughed, "He’s here! Is the queen so impatient that she’s sent all of you out?"

The group of rushing female guards’ expressions changed dramatically, and they called out loudly, "Great General, retreat quickly! The queen has sent us to rescue you!"

"The man has transformed from an Evil Beast! They are cruel and ruthless! They have already spread panic in the capital!"

Feng Ge turned her head to glare at Wu Wang, her eyes full of confusion.

Wu Wang was just as baffled, but his Divine Thought had already penetrated the rings on his hands, ready for a strategic retreat at any moment.

The dozens of guards dismounted well before reaching him, drawing the swords at their waists. Their faces taut with tension, they quickly encircled Wu Wang. These guards must have been carefully selected, for they were all of exceptional beauty. But the murderous aura they radiated was no less real, as they focused intently, as if Wu Wang would tear off his clothes and transform at any moment.

What was it like to be surrounded by a group of beautiful young ladies?

Wu Wang, despite being the Young Master, had seen such scenes before and was still able to maintain his composure. He said, "Perhaps there has been some misunderstanding. I am far from being a match for General Feng Ge."

"Um," Feng Ge interjected, "don’t rush to conclusions, everyone. Could there be some kind of mistake? He was someone I caught at the border. Although I don’t know how he got through the national Barrier, his abilities are quite mediocre, and he doesn’t have any notable background. He’s a Cultivator from the Human Domain."

You’re the one who’s mediocre! He specialized in the Praying Star Technique before! Wu Wang thought indignantly.

The Golden Armor guard leading the group immediately said, "Great General, what you don’t know is that there’s a man in the capital now! This man, nobody knows how, made it to the capital, nor when he arrived, but when we caught him, he was in a citizen’s bed!"

Wu Wang’s mouth twitched uncontrollably—his bad premonition had indeed come true.

In the Women’s Country, besides men like himself who were decent and had a strange illness hanging over their heads, very few could hold themselves back when everyone was so enthusiastic.

A Golden Armor guard grated her teeth and cursed, "It’s been confirmed now that at least sixteen citizens have been victims of his evil deeds, losing the opportunity to enter the Holy Pool and breed the next generation!"

A guard at the side, with a look of frustration, bit her lip. "Damn it, why didn’t I get to meet that man first?"

A group of guards looked her way, and the guard who’d inadvertently spoken her thoughts quickly added, "That way, I would have been able to slay him with a single sword-strike!"

All the guards nodded in agreement and continued in righteous indignation.

Wu Wang also felt some indignation. Sixteen of them! What a beast!

He then heard one of them say, "The State Preceptor looked through the oldest scriptures in our clan and saw the whispers of the Gods. The Gods say: All men are liars, there are no men in the world who aren’t fickle-hearted, men should be carved up a thousand times over, men are born to hurt women! Men are Evil Beasts!"

"Ah, what?" Feng Ge was also a bit dumbfounded, looking at Wu Wang, and then back at the group of guards.

The guards immediately prepared to surge forward and dispose of Wu Wang with swift justice.

"Wait," Feng Ge mused, "what does Her Majesty say?"

A guard immediately answered, "Her Majesty says that the State Preceptor is right."

"How can men be Evil Beasts?" Feng Ge continued. "We are women, and men are our counterparts. If men are Evil Beasts, aren’t we Evil Beasts too? The population of the Human Domain’s Human race is many times more numerous than ours, all bred through men and women. As for losing the ability to breed the next generation..."

Wu Wang reminded her, "It means having shared a bed and consummated a marriage. Perhaps in your country’s Holy Pool, there’s a rule that one must be a virgin to bathe within."

"Right, I do recall such an old saying," Feng Ge stroked her chin, pondering.

Wu Wang coughed, stood up from the carriage. The group of guards around him instinctively stepped back a few paces, while the archers nearby remained on high alert.

Wu Wang said loudly, "Ladies, I must correct a common misconception of yours. The man you’ve caught doesn’t represent all men, and of course, neither do I. But I am different from him; I am a respectable man! I heed the teachings of the Human race’s sages! I am certainly not someone who covets at the sight of beauty, forgets benefits, or loses track of his actions for it!"

A guard immediately said, "There it is, the sweet-talking of a man!"

"Don’t be afraid, everyone, let’s take him down together!"

Wu Wang continued his desperate plea, "I support you in carving that man into pieces, but please don’t vilify the word ’man’! To be born human, male or female is not our choice, nor is it what truly distinguishes us! We are all part of the Human race, carrying the grand mission of reproduction. A person’s character is not determined by whether they are male or female, but by who they are as an individual!"

The golden-armored guards looked at each other, each showing signs of changing expressions.

An older female guard suddenly sighed and declared resolutely, "This man must not be allowed to live. He doesn’t even need to touch us, and he can already change our thoughts with his words. Bewitching people’s hearts! Kill him!"

"Kill! Kill!" The shouts rose around him.

Wu Wang looked around and saw that all the archers had drawn their bows, a flicker of determination crossing his eyes.

"Ah," Feng Ge wanted to speak up to stop them but suddenly hesitated, feeling extremely anxious, her thoughts in a complex whirl, uncertain about how to handle the situation.

Just then, the guards let out cries of alarm, and Feng Ge also caught a glimpse of a faint light, looking up in the direction it came from.

A pair of transparent Star Wings hung in the air, extending from behind Wu Wang.

Wu Wang sat cross-legged in midair, enveloped by a soft white light, with a purple crescent appearing on his forehead. His entire being radiated a holy temperament.

"There’s no use hiding my identity now. I am the Young Master of the Bear Hug Tribe from the Northern Wilderness, the only child of Cang Xue, chief of the Seven-Day Ritual of the Northern Wilderness, and the youngest in millennia to conduct both the Grand Star Ritual and the Moon Ritual in the Northern Wilderness. Now, by the command of the great Star God, I travel the Great Wilderness, seeking the True Scripture of the Star God to save the world. Passing through your land, I hid my identity to avoid trouble and also to learn if this place held the True Scripture I seek. Here are my identity documents and a sample of the handwriting from the Northern Wilderness’s Seven-Day Ritual, for the Women’s Country to verify my true identity."

As he spoke, several light orbs flew out from Wu Wang’s sleeves, floating in front of the few leading female guards.

Feng Ge stood with her mouth agape, and the guards looked at each other, all eyes falling on the few light orbs, where they could see the Sheepskin Scrolls and Crystal Balls.

Wu Wang sighed slightly, "General Feng Ge, do not mind. I had intended to interact with you as an ordinary person."

"Are you really a Divine Envoy from the Northern Wilderness?"

"You could say that."

The atmosphere at the scene suddenly became subtle.

「An hour later.」

A brand-new luxurious carriage appeared in the middle of the road, adorned with banners and flags and drawn by six horses, escorted by golden-armored female guards on either side.

Feng Ge also donned the full armor of a Great General, riding at the forefront.

The majestic city walls of the Women’s Country’s capital were still far away when drums and horns welcoming the distinguished guest could already be heard in the distance. Groups of girls in the flush of youth, holding wreaths and barefoot, danced gracefully on the spacious street inside the city gate.

Wu Wang sat serenely in the carriage, his face calm, eyes closed in concentration, surrounded by a faint soft light.

Upon reaching the city walls, the inside and outside were filled with people; the main street within had been covered with a red carpet extending all the way from the city gate to the splendid palace.

Suddenly, Wu Wang opened his eyes and looked up toward a figure hanging outside the city wall.

This was the man.

At that moment, he was covered in leaves, barefoot, with disheveled hair, hanging his head low in dejection. Feeling Wu Wang’s gaze, he suavely jerked his head trying to shake off the long hair, and upon seeing Wu Wang, he was taken aback.

Wu Wang also paused as he recognized the man’s face.

Just... just because I took an extra glance at you in the crowd...

"Bear... Bear... Brother Bear!" The hanging man shouted hoarsely, struggling violently. "Brother Bear, save me! It’s me! Ji Mo! Old Ji! Your faithful brother Ji! Brother Bear, save me! I’m innocent! I haven’t touched a single woman from the Women’s Country!"

Wu Wang’s forehead creased with lines of frustration as he suddenly turned to a female guard beside him. "The one you said you wanted to flay a thousand times was him?"

The guard replied respectfully, "Divine Envoy, it is him!"

"About this flaying business, are there any technical difficulties?" Wu Wang, with an elegant smile, said warmly, "If you’ve never done such a thing, I can provide you with some ideas. A fishing net is an essential tool when carrying out a flaying punishment."

The guards’ eyes suddenly lit up.