Entering the city, he saw that the streets inside were wide and lined with shops. It should have been a scene of prosperity, but unfortunately, the pedestrians on the road were just like the soldiers at the city gate—faces tense, everyone hurrying along, coming and going in a rush. Most of the shops were closed. Henry Clark walked for quite a while before finally finding an inn with its doors still open.

Inside the inn, there were hardly any people. Judging by the way the waiter was bustling about at the entrance, it seemed as if they were about to close up for the day.

Henry Clark hurried his steps and slipped into the inn.

Seeing a customer arrive, the waiter was not particularly enthusiastic. He walked up to Henry Clark and asked listlessly, “Sir, what would you like?”

“Five jin of beef and a jar of wine!” Henry Clark said boldly. He had always seen this kind of line in novels, and today, he finally got to enjoy saying it himself.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing Henry Clark’s words, the waiter showed a troubled expression.

Chapter Six: The Trapped Void Cave and a Glimpse of Fate (Part Two)

Seeing the waiter’s uneasy face, Henry Clark’s heart stirred. He deliberately put on a displeased look and asked, “What’s wrong? Don’t tell me your inn doesn’t serve food and drink?”

“Oh, sir, you misunderstand!” The waiter quickly put on a smile and said, “It’s like this—our humble inn really doesn’t have any meat dishes right now. If you’re willing to eat vegetarian, I can prepare something for you right away!”

“Only vegetarian?” Henry Clark frowned. “Is this an inn or a vegetarian hall?”

“You’re not a local, are you, sir?!” The waiter didn’t answer Henry Clark’s question directly, but instead asked in a roundabout way.

“That’s right. So what if I’m not a local? Don’t tell me you don’t sell meat to outsiders here?!”

“That’s not what I meant!” the waiter said. “It’s like this—our Qingliang Kingdom hasn’t been peaceful lately!”

“Not peaceful? In what way?!”

“Oh, it’s like this. Five thousand li southeast of Qingliang City, on Tianyin Mountain, a monster has appeared, called the Mo Ling King. This Mo Ling King is immensely powerful, with boundless magic. Every month, he comes to Qingliang City demanding food—only meat, raw or cooked, it doesn’t matter. Each time, he wants thirty thousand jin. If he doesn’t get it, he eats people instead. His Majesty has no choice but to agree. But our Qingliang City doesn’t produce meat itself; all the meat is brought in by merchants from other counties. Now, with the world in chaos and the Mo Ling King causing trouble, merchants have to take a much longer route to enter the capital, and the roads aren’t safe either. Three days ago, the Mo Ling King came again. To appease him, we offered up all the meat in the city. Now, everyone in the city can only eat vegetarian!” As the waiter spoke of these troubles, he shook his head repeatedly, looking very sorrowful.

“Such a thing actually happened!” Henry Clark was moved by the waiter’s words. “This demon is entrenched here, and no one can do anything about him?”

“Alas!!” The waiter sighed. “If only someone could deal with him. That demon is incredibly powerful. His Majesty has sent troops to eliminate him several times, but they were all wiped out. Countless mages and holy monks have been invited, but none have returned. Just now, another group set out—the leader was just appointed yesterday by His Majesty as the Grand Demon-Slaying General. Who knows what powers he has? Sigh, it looks like another group going to their deaths. Truly pitiful for those innocent soldiers!!”

“In that case, just bring me your best vegetarian dishes. No wine—bring me a pot of tea instead!”

“Yes, sir!” The waiter answered and went to the back to prepare the food, while Henry Clark began to ponder.

In fact, the moment the waiter mentioned the name Mo Ling King, something stirred in his heart, as if something was about to happen. “Could it be that the matter I previously divined, the one related to me, is connected to this Mo Ling King?!”

Thinking this over, when the waiter brought the food, he questioned him in detail about the Mo Ling King, then began to calculate again. This time, with more information, the calculation was much easier. Although he still couldn’t figure out exactly what connection Tianyin Mountain had to him, he vaguely sensed that there was a great opportunity and benefit for himself there.

Having thought this far, he lost interest in eating and drinking. When the waiter brought the food, he only ate a few bites before pushing the bowl away. After asking the waiter for directions to Tianyin Mountain, he set off straight for the mountain.

Two hundred li or so—not too far, not too close. At present, Henry Clark’s demon energy was not abundant, and he didn’t want to waste it, so he used his petty “touch-stone-to-gold” spell to buy a horse at the horse market. Leaving the city, he headed straight for Tianyin Mountain.

Heading southeast for a little over an hour, he finally saw a great mountain. The mountain soared into the sky, blocking the sun and birthing clouds. Its sharp peaks stood tall; its distant ridges stretched endlessly. Pines grew thick on the ridges; rocks gleamed at the cliffs’ base. The pines were lush, evergreen through all seasons; the rocks, bright and unchanging for millennia. In the forest, one often heard night apes cry; in the ravines, the slither of demon pythons was common. The calls of mountain birds were mournful; the roars of mountain beasts echoed. Mountain deer and muntjacs ran in pairs; mountain crows and magpies flocked densely in the sky. The mountain grass and flowers were endless; mountain peaches and fruits glistened with freshness.

Amidst it all, there was a faint trace of demonic energy—a kind of demonic energy that felt strangely familiar to Henry Clark.