Misery: There is a pawn shop here

Chapter 128 Moths and Cocoons

At the bottom of the Four Realms lies the Fiery Prison of Buddhas, a place akin to the deepest abyss, forever shrouded in darkness, never seeing the light of day. Within, filth and turbid energy surge, like the wailing of ten thousand ghosts, filling the heavens and earth, suffocating all who behold it. This realm has always received the scraps discarded by the other three realms, its resources utterly scarce. Yet, as the saying goes, national crisis breeds good generals, and turmoil reveals loyal ministers. Though the Fiery Prison of Buddhas is in dire straits, it has repeatedly produced great rulers, truly embodying the principle that "adversity refines character."

Throughout history, the kings of the Buddhist Prison have all harbored lofty ambitions, striving diligently to elevate this realm above the Four Demons. The former ruler, Xie Tian Yu Wu, was particularly brilliant and ambitious, single-handedly stirring up storms within the Four Demons and unleashing a massive upheaval. Unfortunately, fate was unyielding; only the combined might of the five dragons of the Poetic Heavenly City could subdue him, imprisoning him and reducing him to a prisoner. However, the new ruler, Zhou Shi Zhu, shows no fear. The defeat of his predecessor has not deterred him; instead, it has fueled his fighting spirit even greater.

Seeing that a direct assault on the Four Realms would be ineffective, he turned his attention to the Bitter Realm and secretly plotted a long-term strategy. To this end, he even sent the Marquis of Triumph, who held military power in the Fire House Buddhist Prison, to infiltrate the Bitter Realm.

Li Xuanxiao naturally knew about the Lord of the Fire Prison, the Lord of Curses. He was undoubtedly a pure and rational king, as well as an ambitious and ruthless hero. Even Li Xuanxiao had to admit that the existence of the pawnshop was undoubtedly a great help to this Lord of Curses.

However, as Li Xuanxiao continued his journey, his path gradually changed. Although there were soldiers patrolling the Fire Prison and the Fire Prison's specially cultivated Greedy Evil Wood, Li Xuanxiao's figure and aura merged into the space, allowing him to travel through the Fire Prison unimpeded. Naturally, Li Xuanxiao also saw the final royal city of the Fire Prison, which was also the residence of the Cursed Lord.

However, the system's guidance was not within the royal city. Following the guidance, the defenses became increasingly sparse, and the traces of the Greedy Evil Tree gradually diminished until it disappeared completely. What appeared before them was a cave with an external array, with no light inside, only a dark and eerie atmosphere.

"This place, it seems..."

Even the array set up by the Lord of the Fire House Buddha Prison Curse was nothing special in Li Xuanxiao's eyes. He continued forward without ever touching the array. Stepping into the cave, the outer array remained unchanged. Given the peculiar geographical environment and the seal at the cave entrance, Li Xuanxiao had already guessed what was inside the cave.

But it was precisely because it was this person that even Li Xuanxiao was somewhat surprised. What could a heartless person crave?
The cave wasn't large; Li Xuanxiao hadn't walked more than a few steps before he reached the center. In the very center, a gigantic cocoon was pulsating, emitting deep, rumbling sounds like muffled thunder. Surrounding this gigantic cocoon were five distinctly different stone statues.

There were men and women, scholars and military officers...

"It really is you." Li Xuanxiao murmured to himself, looking at the huge cocoon that was constantly pulsating in front of him.

There are three great legends in the Four Realms: the astonishment of the Tower of Compassionate Light, the redemption of the Shattered Isle of Slaughter, and the anomaly of the Burning Buddha Prison.

This anomaly refers to none other than the Demon Prince Ningyuan, the only son of the King of the Fire Prison, the Lord of Curses. Because he caused excessive damage to the Fire Prison, the Lord of Curses, with the assistance of the Demon Prince's alternate form, Chijing, and four generals, ultimately sealed the Demon Prince within the Cocoon of Sleep. However—

"Even so, you are still not content with loneliness, Demon Prince. What do you crave? Let's have a good talk."

After muttering to himself for a while, Li Xuanxiao's figure transformed into a red light and disappeared straight into the giant cocoon.

The world within the cocoon was a hidden paradise, yet also a desolate wasteland. The sky was pure darkness, the earth barren sand, devoid of any life. Only one person sat cross-legged, with red hair, black armor, and beast horns on his head. His handsome face exuded an aura of sinister danger. Even with his eyes closed in meditation, the aura emanating from him was terrifying, as if he could unleash a bloodbath at any moment.

"No need for pretense, Demon Prince," Li Xuanxiao said. "Now that I've entered your domain, there's no need for concealment. Let's be frank." Silence. Only silence. Suddenly, the Demon Prince opened his eyes, and in an instant, an aura of destruction and chaos, like a surging tide, swept out. The Demon Prince tilted his head, staring at the visitor before him, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, quickly replaced by mockery.

"Oh dear, an outsider has set foot in this secluded place. Could it be that the Burning Buddha Prison has been destroyed?" The Demon Prince chuckled. "However, if my dear father were truly in dire straits, he would surely come here, risking his life to beg me to save his people. So, you mysterious one, having found this place, has my father changed his mind and decided to release his beloved son?"

"You seem to know quite a bit about the Lord of Curses," Li Xuanxiao said with a faint smile, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes.

“That’s for sure,” the Demon Prince laughed. “Filial piety and parental love are virtues I’ve always upheld. So…”

He blinked, his eyes full of anticipation. "Did you come to bring me good news?"

"Regarding your question," Li Xuanxiao paused, "while it may not be perfect, it's not far off. However…"

"But what?" The Demon Prince tilted his head curiously, a glint of cunning in his eyes. "If you want to regain your freedom," Li Xuanxiao looked directly into his eyes, "what price are you willing to pay?"

Upon hearing this, the Demon Prince suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter filled with arrogance and unruliness, as if he were a heartless person who only wanted to watch interesting people, things, and events, and did not care about the outcome.

He stood up and slowly paced back and forth. His red armor gleamed eerily in the darkness, and his beast horns cast sinister shadows overhead.

"The price?" The Demon Prince stopped and turned to stare at Li Xuanxiao. "To me, the most precious thing in this world is freedom. If you can restore my freedom, let alone freedom itself, I would gladly give you this fiery hell."

He suddenly leaned closer, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "But you need to understand, if you can't do it, then... it seems like we can't do anything either?"

Looking at the Demon Prince before him, Li Xuanxiao sensed the chaotic aura emanating from him, yet felt no fear whatsoever. He knew that the person before him was an anomaly within the Fire Prison, acting entirely on impulse without any rhyme or reason, but in a sense, he was skilled in both literature and martial arts; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to turn the tables and take the initiative.

However, how could the owner of the pawnshop be controlled by him?

"Would a heartless person still care about freedom?"

(End of this chapter)