Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 611 Northern Demon Realm
Early spring is a time of fluctuating temperatures, with the weather warming up only to be chilly again.

Lu Zheng boarded the spirit boat and headed straight north along the predetermined route.

As for Elder Yunhe, he did not travel with Lu Zheng.

Yunhe had not set foot in the North for many years, and thought he would go ahead and take a look, see some old acquaintances, and see if he could make some arrangements in advance.

The two had already agreed to meet when Mr. Huai celebrated his birthday.

Below, the land is covered with rolling mountains, the soil is barren, vegetation is sparse, and there is no sign of human habitation.

Looking towards the distant horizon, the land gradually flattens out, revealing a touch of green.

He knew he had left the snowfield and arrived in the northern region, a desolate land near the Wei Kingdom.

The Northern Region, also known as the Outer Demon Realm, refers to the vast area north of the Wei and Yan kingdoms that was occupied by demons.

Of course, this vast land is not inhabited only by demons.

There are still many humans living here, and even small countries or powers where humans are respected.

Once upon a time, a powerful emperor unified the world, incorporating even the northern regions into his empire.

To facilitate management, most of the demon race were forcibly relocated to the north, where they multiplied and gradually grew stronger.

After that dynasty collapsed, the demon race in the Northern Region became powerful while the human race declined. Even at the height of the previous dynasty's power, it failed to conquer the Northern Region.

Even now, the Wei and Yan kingdoms are still frequently at war with the various kingdoms and forces of the demon realm, making the situation quite chaotic.

People call all plants, wild animals, and other creatures that have gained intelligence "demons".

But in reality, the differences between demons are sometimes greater than those between humans and dogs.

Therefore, various demon clan forces formed in the northern demon realm.

Some demon races have even established their own kingdoms, with their own demon bloodline being the most prestigious.

For example, the princess of the demon kingdom that Lu Zheng met at the Yunmeng Sect was from the Chaofeng Kingdom in the demon realm and had the bloodline of a phoenix.

Within its demon kingdom, bird demons hold the highest status.

Throughout the Northern Demon Realm, the status and position of various demon clans differ depending on the region, forming a hierarchy of social stigma.

Even among the various races in the Northern Region, the human race is not at the very bottom.

Even ordinary humans possess sufficient wisdom and creativity to accomplish many things.

Some demons, even those who have gained intelligence and taken human form, are not very intelligent, find it difficult to rid themselves of their bestial nature, and are easily despised by other races.

Some demons are looked down upon by others because of their lowly bloodline.

To thrive in the demon realm, one needs not only strength, but also status and noble bloodline.

Without strength and a powerful background, having too much bloodline can be extremely dangerous, as one could easily be captured and refined by either one's own kind or another race...

The chaos in some parts of the Demon Realm is even greater than that of the Holy City that once stood at the foot of the Great Snow Mountain.

After passing through a high mountain barrier, Lu Zheng clearly felt that the atmosphere of this place was somewhat different.

This new region is faintly filled with a demonic aura.

Lu Zheng understood that he had now truly entered the Demon Realm.

Although it was his first time here, Lu Zheng was well-prepared, bringing with him many maps of the Demon Realm.

After observing the surrounding mountains and rivers for a while, he figured out where he was.

A thousand miles to the southeast, one can enter the territory of the State of Wei.

However, he needed to go to Huai Jun's place, so he had to travel north from here.

According to the vulture monster, Huai Jun came to this region decades ago and established his own power.

As a powerful demon who had reached the level of enlightenment within a short distance, Huai Jun was highly respected by the surrounding forces, both large and small, and they were willing to associate with him. In Lu Zheng's view, seeking enlightenment and being about to seek enlightenment were two different concepts, with a significant difference between them.

No matter how powerful that Lord Huai was, he was not a Dao Inquiry Great Demon, but merely a Tongxuan Realm cultivator.

Lu Zheng pondered that since he had encountered such a powerful demon, he still had the ability to reason with it.

Lu Zheng steered the spirit boat at high speed, and suddenly saw roads crisscrossing the mountains and fields.

It was dusk, and in a field, a group of people were preparing to set up camp for the night.

The group was quite large, and there were also horse-drawn carriages carrying a lot of goods.

Lu Zheng looked closely and his gaze settled on a flag in the group, which had clear writing and markings on it.

"The Great Merchant Guild? They've expanded their business here?"

Lu Zheng's eyes flickered. He had encountered members of the Great Merchant Guild in the Ghost State of Chu before, and now he was also encountering a caravan of the Great Merchant Guild in the Northern Demon Domain.

These businessmen are truly remarkable; they have large merchant guilds all over the country.

After thinking for a moment, Lu Zheng put away the spirit boat and headed towards the caravan's encampment on the clouds.

I learned some information about the local area from the vultures, but to truly understand this place, I need to ask around and travel there myself.

Upon seeing someone flying in, the guards in the caravan reacted quickly and assumed a defensive posture.

When traveling as merchants in such places, they inevitably encounter all sorts of demons and monsters, so they never dare to let their guard down.

Lu Zheng didn't get too close to the caravan. He flipped his hand, took out a plaque, and gently tossed it towards the caravan.

The sign landed with a soft sound.

A tall, sharp-eyed guard quickly and cautiously stepped forward, drew his long sword, and used the tip of the blade to lift the sign.

"what?"

Upon closer inspection, the guard couldn't help but let out a soft exclamation.

The man then turned to look at one of the caravans, "Boss, our guild's VIP badge is from the Chu Kingdom..."

At that moment, a figure appeared in the crowd.

She was a woman dressed in a black outfit, who looked to be no more than twenty years old. She had regular features and a heroic and spirited demeanor.

The woman glanced at Lu Zheng, who was standing not far away, her eyes flickering. Then she looked at the token in the guard's hand and reached out, saying, "Let me see it."

The guard quickly put the token away, and after passing through several hands, it finally reached the woman's hands.

The woman examined the plaque closely, even triggering the hidden spiritual seal on it with her hands to confirm that the item was genuine.

The woman, accompanied by a group of guards, approached Lu Zheng and politely clasped her hands in greeting, saying, "My name is Xu Ying, the head manager of the 32nd branch of the Great Merchant Guild. I did not expect to meet such an honored guest from the State of Chu here. Please forgive my rudeness."

Xu Ying gave a wink to the guard beside her.

Someone then stepped forward and handed the plaque back to Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng raised his hand and put the plaque away, then cupped his hands and said, "I am Lu Zheng, a native of Anguo. I once traveled to Chuguo and encountered the Daxing Merchant Guild, from which I obtained this plaque. Today, I have come here again to see the people of the guild out of curiosity, and I apologize for disturbing everyone."

Xu Ying's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Lu Zheng? Is that the scholar Lu from Anguo!"

Xu Ying stared at Lu Zheng again and took a closer look, and found that he really did look a lot like the person in the portrait.

The others also looked at Lu Zheng, their expressions suggesting that they had heard of him before.

Lu Zheng couldn't help but ask, "Does the young lady recognize me?"

Xu Ying quickly averted her gaze to avoid being too impolite, and said with a smile, "Who doesn't know the reputation of Young Master Lu?"

(End of this chapter)