Chapter 71: The Ascension Play

“Disciple, what are you planning to do?”

The old Daoist inside the sack suddenly spoke.

Zhou You did not answer.

Seeing this, the old Daoist sighed softly and tried to persuade him.

“A small lack of patience can ruin a great plan, disciple. Although hearing that would make anyone lose control, there’s no way you can take on two of them by yourself...”

Zhou You remained silent for a long while. Just as the old Daoist thought he was about to snap, he suddenly did something completely unexpected.

He smiled and released the dagger hilt he had already gripped.

“...Disciple, have you changed your nature? Since when did you become so reasonable?”

The corners of Zhou You’s mouth rose.

“No, your disciple hasn’t changed. It’s just...”

He looked toward the wolf demon and suddenly revealed a peaceful smile.

“First, as Master said, now truly isn’t the right time to make a move. Second...”

His smile deepened slightly.

I’ve suddenly realized what my next meal is going to be.

For the moment, let us set aside Zhou You’s side of the conversation.

On the other side, the wolf demon and Madam Bone were chatting enthusiastically.

“...Thanks to the Star Lord’s protection. In past years, eating people wasn’t nearly this easy, let alone preparing them with such care...”

“Exactly. Nowadays people deliver themselves right to your doorstep without you even leaving home.”

“...I heard that pig demon in Huangzhong Cave has eaten so well that he’s put on several rounds of fat. This truly is a year of disaster for humans and a year of abundance for us.”

“The most important thing was that the Star Lord joined forces with the county government to attack Youtai Mountain and caught that Xuanyuan fellow completely off guard. Otherwise, if he were still around, we...”

The conversation abruptly stopped.

The lively atmosphere instantly turned cold.

Madam Bone stared across the table with icy eyes. Only then did the wolf demon seem to realize he had said something wrong. He hurriedly cupped his hands and bowed repeatedly in apology.

“Madam, Madam, I’m terribly sorry. I forgot about what happened to you before. I got carried away for a moment and accidentally...”

Idiot.

This time, both Zhou You and the old Daoist muttered it under their breath.

Neither demon noticed.

Madam Bone stared at the wolf demon coldly for a while before suddenly smiling again.

Only this time, there was no warmth in that smile whatsoever.

“Lord Qingshan, a slip of the tongue may happen once. Let there not be a second time. Agreed?”

The wolf demon nodded frantically.

Madam Bone brushed her hair back, then waved a hand. Several skeletal claws emerged from nowhere atop the table and retied the bundle.

“I’ll take the goods. Come back after some time to collect the finished product. Same arrangement as always. Twenty percent for me, eighty percent for you. Anything else?”

The wolf demon hesitated before saying:

“I killed a bit too much before. The quality isn’t as good as this one, but throwing it all away feels wasteful. I don’t have Fat Pig’s preservation skills, and I don’t know how to store it properly. Could I trouble you to process those too?”

Madam Bone frowned, but still nodded.

“Fine. Dry them first and deliver them separately. But the split will have to change. I’ll take forty percent and you’ll get sixty. How does that sound?”

The wolf demon’s face immediately became rather ugly.

But since he was asking a favor, he could only nod helplessly in agreement.

After receiving a positive answer, Madam Bone turned toward Zhou You with a smile.

“My apologies, honored guest. I neglected you somewhat just now. By the way, regarding the business we discussed earlier, have you made a decision? While I don’t have any live livestock or live humans available at the moment, I still have plenty of stored meat. Shall I make up the difference for you?”

Zhou You adopted a thoughtful expression, but quickly shook his head.

“My apologies, but let’s forget it.”

Before Madam Bone could show any disappointment, however, Zhou You continued:

“But prepare the remaining grain reserves for me. Also, I’d like to stay here for a few days while waiting for the goods to arrive. Would it be possible to rent me a room?”

Zhou You placed a pile of loose silver on the table.

Madam Bone’s smile immediately became radiant.

“Of course. As the saying goes, customers are the Three Pure Ones.”

Following the proprietor’s guidance, Zhou You walked up to the inn’s second floor.

The place was not large. Strangely, however, every room around him was completely silent, as if there were no other guests besides himself.

Madam Bone’s explanation was:

“Grand Duke Jupiter’s birthday is approaching. All the demons and strange entities across eastern Cangzhou are heading there. There were several guests staying here before, but as the date draws nearer, they’ve all checked out one after another.”

This was yet another time Zhou You had heard the phrase “Grand Duke Jupiter’s birthday.” Tilting his head slightly, he asked in an apparently casual manner:

“Madam, although I claim to be seeking a future under Lord Grand Duke Jupiter, the truth is that I’m an outsider and don’t know much. Could you perhaps offer some guidance? For example, what does Lord Grand Duke Jupiter look like? What are his preferences?”

The proprietress merely maintained a mysterious smile and said nothing.

Understanding immediately, Zhou You produced another handful of silver.

After all, it was not his money, so there was no reason to feel bad about spending it. Besides, none of the common items from this scenario could be taken out anyway.

He placed the silver into Madam Bone’s hand.

She immediately burst into giggles.

Lifting her clothing, she tossed the silver into her chest cavity. The rotting, foul-smelling flesh inside instantly swallowed it up.

Only then did she speak.

“Young man, you’re far more sensible than those mountain creatures. If you weren’t a corpse incapable of getting it up, I’d truly be tempted to spend the night with you.”

Zhou You wisely chose not to respond.

So Madam Bone continued:

“As for Lord Grand Duke Jupiter’s appearance, the truth is that I don’t know either.”

What?

Seeing the astonishment on Zhou You’s face, Madam Bone’s smile became even broader.

“I’m not fooling you. In fact, quite a few people in Cangzhou have seen the Star Lord, yet not a single one can clearly remember what He looks like.”

She paused.

“How should I put it? It’s a very strange feeling. I know what He looks like. I know His form. But every time I try to recall it, everything vanishes completely from my memory.”

Madam Bone’s false smile suddenly faded, replaced by a trace of seriousness.

“But I remember at least one thing. The Star Lord is extraordinarily majestic, yet also extraordinarily terrifying. So when you meet Him, prepare yourself. Under no circumstances should you behave disrespectfully.”

Zhou You silently committed this information to memory before asking:

“And what sort of hobbies does Lord Grand Duke Jupiter have?”

Madam Bone replied casually:

“Hobbies? Quite a few, as far as I know. For example, He enjoys eating exceptionally high-quality humans. He also enjoys transforming people into livestock or masses of flesh and watching them beg miserably for mercy. But there’s one thing very few people know.”

At that point, she fell silent again.

So Zhou You could only let out a helpless sigh and produce another bit of silver.

After pocketing the money, Madam Bone continued without hesitation.

“This is actually exclusive information. Several months ago, I frequently entered Lord Grand Duke Jupiter’s Immortal Palace in order to teach the art of Animal Transformation, so that’s how I learned it.”

“Lord Grand Duke Jupiter is extremely fond of opera performances and theatrical plays.”

“But unlike ordinary plays, these use living humans as their material, creating spectacles of the utmost horror and grotesquery.”

“And at this birthday celebration, Lord Grand Duke Jupiter plans to perform such a play before all the guests.”

“The play is called...”

“Ascension.”