Heaven’s will is ever elusive, a profound mystery difficult to fathom. More so are the old sorrows of human emotion, easily triggered and nigh impossible to articulate.

To stand against Heaven’s will – it is simple enough to utter, but to truly set oneself upon the opposing path is a matter of a thousand, ten thousand difficulties.

Do not look upon the myriad mad scholars of antiquity, each with grand gestures pointing towards distant horizons, speaking with soaring spirit. One desires to overturn Heaven and Earth, another yearns to patrol the celestial spheres. As if without such grand ambitions, without extinguishing some “Heaven,” one cannot be considered a hero.

Yet, from ancient times to the present, how many have truly managed to overcome the so-called Heaven’s will?

Even one as mighty as Yu Beidou, a true master of divination, the pinnacle of achievement in the path of fate-reading, the foremost contemporary true person in calculation power, a terrifying existence capable of temporarily lifting others out of the river of fate, could only lament:

“It is the time, it is the fortune. Fate cannot be reversed.”

He could only sigh, “This is not my era.”

How many heroes and valiant figures have spent a lifetime battling Heaven and man, trekking thousands of miles, only to reach old age and look back upon their lives, realizing they have never truly stepped outside the path of fate?

Only then do they sigh, saying, “Human power is sometimes exhausted, Heaven’s will is unknowable!”

All speak of Heaven’s will, Heaven’s will. But what exactly *is* Heaven’s will?

Even with the cultivation world developed for so many years, it remains something that cannot be precisely described by any one person.

From ancient times to the present, too many great existences have attempted to interpret Heaven’s will, each expounding upon only a single facet.

What of fate divination? What of bloodline divination? What of star divination?

The long river of fate flows eternally!

A partial manifestation of “Heaven’s will” can be understood as “world will.”

World will, in turn, can be explained as the aggregation of a world’s rules, the instinctive protection of a world for itself.

It possesses no emotions, and is even less concerned with love or hate.

Rather than saying it harbors hostility towards a specific existence, it is better to say that this existence has touched upon the world’s rules, thereby triggering a spontaneous exclusionary reaction from those rules.

This natural rule is like a pool of still water. Enter the water, and ripples naturally form. The larger the body, the bigger the waves.

Those who can swim may navigate a few turns; those who cannot drown on the spot.

World will is constantly repairing the world, and also confronting all actions that attempt to harm it. But it will obey the world’s inherent rules, mobilizing everything within this world to achieve the expulsion or elimination of “heretics.”

Jiang Wang recognized Heaven’s will!

He had even personally witnessed how the Venerable Bone God from the Underworld, through eons of meticulous planning, achieved a minor victory over the “present world’s Heaven’s will,” securing the possibility of a Dao fetus descending.

But upon closer inspection, while that could be considered a victory for the Venerable Bone God, it doesn’t necessarily mean the Venerable Bone God triumphed *over* the present world’s Heaven’s will.

That White Bone Dao fetus ultimately descended successfully, but it also truly became a part of the present world. What harm did that ultimately inflict upon the present world?

He had also seen how Zhang Linchuan, with his astonishing talent and prowess, the seven souls substituting for life, challenged Heaven’s will with the Nine Tribulations method, and ultimately how his path reached a dead end.

So when he realized he was being “targeted” by the demon world’s Heaven’s will, he panicked—

I, Jiang Wang, am only at the Divine Arrival realm of cultivation, merely twenty-one years of age. I haven’t destroyed any great plans of the demon clan, nor can I cause any fundamental damage to the demon world… By what virtue or ability am I actually hated by this world’s Heaven’s will?

But to think of sitting idly and awaiting death was absolutely impossible.

In that year, the divine prophecy of Bu Lian declared that the human race was destined to lose, that it was Heaven’s will and could not be violated.

What did the Human Emperor do? He killed Bu Lian and changed the prophecy.

He counter-attacked the demon clan, reversing Heaven and changing fate!

Jiang Wang dared not compare himself to the Human Emperor, but he would forever refuse to give up on himself.

At the very least, he was now able to summarize information and analyze himself, detecting who his opponent was, rather than one day in the future dying inexplicably in some accident.

Not until the moment of death would he simply sigh, “Heaven’s will is hard to violate.”

Just like all his experiences along the way,

After discovering the opponent, the natural course of action is to overcome them.

No matter who this opponent may be.

Thanks to the White Bone Evil God, thanks to Zhuang Chengqian, thanks to Zhang Linchuan, thanks to the world will he felt within the Senhai Source Realm… Everything he had experienced had given Jiang Wang some understanding of “Heaven’s will.”

Speaking of “Heaven’s will” as unfathomable and all-powerful is true in a sense, but it itself does not possess inherent abilities. It will orchestrate countless coincidences, causing the targeted individual to irrecoverably fall into the abyss.

But these coincidences all have traces to follow; they cannot simply materialize from nothing…

Just as his thousand-mile pursuit and killing of Zhang Linchuan could be considered the present world’s Heaven’s will targeting the White Bone Dao body. But without the deep-seated hatred between him and Zhang Linchuan, he would not have been so relentless in his pursuit. Without his own constant efforts, mobilizing power and reputation, exhausting connections, it would also have been impossible to completely kill Zhang Linchuan.

Heaven’s will is mysterious and profound, immeasurable, but it must have a cause.

Jiang Wang’s choice to hide inside the mirror and entrust all actions in demon clan territory to Chai A Si is his first step against the demon world’s Heaven’s will.

In order to erase that “cause.”

His plan is based on this premise – he jumping into the fish’s belly itself does not stir the water. Then all the waves in this still pool are likely only related to the swimming fish that already existed within the water.

Chai A Si is a small demon native to the demon world. Chai A Si’s birth, growth, and experiences are all recognized and even encouraged by the demon world’s Heaven’s will.

Why did Jiang Wang finally agree to let Chai A Si participate in the Jinyang Terrace unlimited martial arts competition?

Because that was based on Chai A Si’s own heartfelt decision.

At that moment, he suddenly realized that he should not interfere too much with Chai A Si’s decisions.

Would a Chai A Si who completely carried out Jiang Wang’s will still be Chai A Si? Could such a one still help avoid the demon world’s Heaven’s will targeting?

To sever causal links, to let nature take its course, to try not to touch this side of the world – based on the world’s rules, “Heaven’s will” would likely have no way to react.

Furthermore, following Chai A Si’s original wish and letting him participate in the Jinyang Terrace unlimited martial arts competition could also quickly open up the situation.

If Chai A Si could obtain a good ranking in the martial arts competition, he could also rise dramatically, gaining status in Moyun City.

A mere herb-gathering small demon’s capabilities are truly limited.

But for the champion of the Jinyang Terrace unlimited martial arts competition, obtaining more injury medicine resources, joining the army, transferring to the front lines… such things should all be possible.

Bang bang bang!

“Si Er!”

Suddenly, knocking sounded, interrupting the ancient god’s thoughts inside the mirror and halting Chai A Si’s sword practice.

Both the god inside the mirror and the demon outside the mirror were startled.

The former was startled by Heaven’s will, the latter by evil spirits.

But before Chai A Si could go open the door,

In this dilapidated courtyard, the door was truly not much of a door.

The uninvited guest only knocked twice before lifting a foot and kicking. The courtyard door boomed open.

“Scar Brother!”

Chai A Si immediately lowered the iron bar in his hand, his face wreathed in smiles, and went forward to greet him: “Which wind blows you here?”

Kicking down a door is, of course, a rude act.

But Chai A Si was long accustomed.

With no money in your pocket and no demon at your back, who would grant you “etiquette”?

Standing in the courtyard doorway at this moment was a sturdy ape-clan male, middle-aged in appearance, wearing leather armor. A diagonal knife scar adorned his face, giving him a fierce look.

He hailed from the renowned Huaguo Association, holding the position of one of the incense masters of the Shuilian Hall.

Such a rogue gang naturally couldn’t appear on the grand stage, but the Huaguo Association was backed by the Moyun Ape family, and therefore could not be lightly dismissed.

Shuilian Hall represented the Huaguo Association, managing the underground order of these three blocks in the northern part of the city.

This hall had five incense masters, each capable in a fight, all of them having spilled blood on several streets. Especially this scar-faced ape-clan, his fierce reputation was the most prominent, his ten-step rushing fist having defeated opponents throughout Flower Street.

Among the small demons in this area, he was generally called “Scar Brother.”

He was a head taller than Chai A Si, standing horizontally outside the door like a wall of flesh. Seeing Chai A Si approach, he raised a hand and delivered a slap—

Chai A Si was slapped back, barely steadying himself. Covering his face, he still forced a smile: “Scar Brother! Scar Brother! Is there some misunderstanding?”

Being slapped in the face was, of course, humiliating, and his face also hurt.

But the outcome of resistance, he had long known.

Accompanying this “Scar Brother” were two followers, but they only stood outside, watching everything with mockery.

Meanwhile, the ape brute called “Scar Brother” slowly rolled up his sleeves, his eyes not even looking at Chai A Si, only saying: “I thought you went into the mountains and lost your mind, forgetting our Huaguo Association.”

“How could that be?” Chai A Si intentionally or unintentionally blocked the ape brute’s front, preventing him from noticing the room inside, flatteringly saying: “I’d forget my own father before I’d forget you! We all rely on you for food and drink around here!”

Throughout Moyun City, the Spider family was considered the head, followed by the Dog family, Feather family, and Ape family.

All who made a living in this city depended on the breath of these four families.

As for why Chai A Si, clearly of the Dog clan, yet mixed in among the Ape family’s ranks, he naturally had his story – the carriage that killed his grandfather belonged to the Dog family.

Of course, this was nothing worth mentioning. Among the small demons muddled in the lower levels, who lived an easy life?

The ape brute casually sized him up with two eyes: “What is that thing you’re holding?”

Chai A Si somewhat awkwardly pulled it back inside: “My sword.”

“This is a sword? Ha ha, let me see!” The ape brute reached out and took it, examining it closely. Indeed, it was just a broken iron bar, covered in rust spots, only sharpened a little at the very tip.

He casually threw it to the ground, where it made a clang-clang sound.

His eyes still rested on Chai A Si.

Chai A Si didn’t dare pick it up, only managed to say: “I’ve made a fool of myself.”

The ape brute tsked twice: “You seem quite sensible now, so why did you forget to pay the protection money?”

Chai A Si was genuinely puzzled and aggrieved: “This month’s protection money, I paid it long ago. I paid it at Old Ape Tavern, just a few days ago. Is there some misunderstanding?”

He often went to Old Ape Tavern for a drink, which was also one of the Huaguo Association’s businesses. Every time he paid the protection money, he went there.

This time, after returning to the city and selling his herbs, he had gone early to pay the protection money. Carrying the ancient god mirror, he even wished to isolate himself from the world, waiting for his divine skills to be perfected before emerging. At that time, he would sweep across all directions, marry Zhu Lanruo, and step onto the peak of demon life… Why would he deliberately invite trouble?

The ape brute said with a cold face: “We no longer cooperate with Old Ape Tavern. Do you truly not know, or are you pretending not to know? From now on, you must all come to my casino to pay!”

“Sorry, sorry Scar Brother, I truly didn’t know!” Chai A Si bowed and apologized: “I didn’t know when the rules changed?”

The ape brute looked left and right at this broken courtyard, seeing no other wealth to be extracted, and said casually: “Two days ago.”

“Good, this small one remembers!” Chai A Si said respectfully: “Next month I will know where to pay the protection money.”

“Then what about this month?” the ape brute asked.

“Before the rules changed, I already went to Old Ape Tavern to pay the protection money… Look, can’t you just go over there and ask…”

“Hmm?” The ape brute frowned: “I have to clean up your mess?”

Chai A Si understood.

This Scar Brother clearly wanted to take advantage of the change in payment locations to extract an extra sum for himself. Whether paid to Old Ape Tavern or the casino, it all went to the Huaguo Association.

Only when this elder personally came to the door demanding payment, it was for his own pocket.

But understanding was one thing; Chai A Si could only accept it.

Like that folk song sang: Rolling in the mud with forced smiles, a worldly small demon. Helplessly laughing with no one to rely on, a pitiful, innocent insect…

He fumbled in his bosom for a long time, counted out eight five-zhu king coins, and respectfully held them out: “This is this month’s protection money, please accept it with a smile.”

The highest value currency circulating in the demon clan market was the five-zhu Heaven coin. Next was the five-zhu Emperor coin, and finally the five-zhu King coin.

One five-zhu Heaven coin was equivalent to one hundred five-zhu Emperor coins.

One five-zhu Emperor coin was equivalent to one hundred five-zhu King coins.

Below the five-zhu King coin were “copper shell coins,” usually called “big children,” generally only used for small additions and not useful for buying anything significant. Between one hundred twenty and one hundred fifty of them could exchange for one five-zhu King coin.

Strictly speaking, the protection money collected by the Huaguo Association was not considered high. Compared to the gangs supported by the Feather family and Dog family, they were somewhat more lenient.

But living in Moyun City, various taxes were also not low. Furthermore, being exploited by gangs, and still being extorted by guys like the ape brute… Small demons like Chai A Si indeed did not have easy lives.

Seeing the money in hand, the ape brute’s face showed a hint of a smile. He snatched it: “Just now my hand slipped and hit you. Don’t take offense. You know me, I’m not a bad demon at heart, just have a bit of a temper.”

“I understand, I understand,” Chai A Si repeatedly nodded: “Your demon character is renowned. And I have thick skin and tough flesh, not at all hurt!”

The ape brute chuckled twice, patted his shoulder, and again sized up the courtyard, casually saying: “No demons have come to bully you recently, right?”

After so many years, Chai A Si was long accustomed. There was nothing particularly humiliating about it. He chuckled and said: “Of course not! Who would be so foolish? I’m under Scar Brother’s protection!”

“Good.” The ape brute smiled and looked inside the room again, then suddenly said: “Why are you always blocking me? Is there something in your home that shouldn’t be seen?”

“No, no,” Chai A Si’s heart sank, but he tried to cover up: “You know I live here. Thieves who come in have to cry…”

But the ape brute had already pushed him away with one hand: “Wouldn’t be hiding some treasure, would you? Ha ha.”

He strode inwards: “Heard you haven’t been out recently, and you’ve even started practicing your sword again… How about it, had some fortuitous encounter in the mountains?”

Chai A Si quickly followed behind, desperately trying to hide his panic: “I’m just practicing aimlessly…”

The ape brute suddenly stopped and shouted towards the outside: “Those outside! Close the door!”

He brought his two subordinates inside, and with a cruel smile, he pulled the courtyard door shut.

He then looked down at Chai A Si from above, enjoying his tension: “Si Er, Scar Brother has always appreciated you. But if you encounter good things and don’t think of Scar Brother, Scar Brother finds it very difficult to be happy for you.”

This herb-gathering small demon was still too tender in front of him, an old hand in the Jianghu. Some of his thoughts were simply impossible to hide.

Normally, he would pinch and scrape for even a single five-zhu King coin, crying and shouting. Today, he supplemented eight and was so straightforward? Clearly, he had gotten fat recently!

Especially now, his panicky appearance explained everything.

If this knife wasn’t fiercely brought down, he would have called himself “Scar Brother” in vain.

Chai A Si was both afraid and flustered. His living environment from a young age had only taught him to endure. He knew how to curl himself up when being beaten, protecting his vital points. He knew how to live alone, moving forward little by little. But he didn’t know how to resist.

That grandfather who had endured his entire life without resisting had been run over and killed by a carriage.

His heart sank constantly, his eyes filled with sorrow: “Scar Brother, you know I’ve always been honest…”

The ancient god mirror was the key to changing his fate. He absolutely could not lose it, absolutely could not let it be plundered. But what could he do?

The ape brute simply pushed him away with one hand.

“Scar Brother, Scar Brother!” Chai A Si tried to block him again.

The ape brute directly kicked him in the chest, sending him back to the center of the courtyard, his eyes revealing a fierce light: “Dare to block me again, and I’ll kill you!”

Chai A Si sat on the ground dejectedly, fearfully looking at that retreating back—

Since his grandfather died, this broken house had been ransacked countless times by how many demons. Now, only a bare bed frame remained. All the other things he was once familiar with had been moved away…

He should have long been accustomed to this posture, to looking at such backs.

But… he was so unwilling.

From small to large, he had been mediocre and muddled for so many years, incompetent and powerless for so many years. He had finally encountered an opportunity to change his fate, only to hand it over like this?

At this time, his hand touched a hard object. A familiar touch told him—

That was his sword, casually thrown to the ground by the ape brute.

He subconsciously gripped the broken iron bar tightly.

Small demon Chai A Si gripped his sword.

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