Master, Your Salted Fish Has Arrived - Chapter 55
Shi Yan reacted quickly. She grabbed the breakfast shop owner—who was already ready to abandon his stall and flee—thrust payment into his hands, and dashed back home.
Her crippled father, Shi Qianlü, was still there! Though not her biological parent, and though he had always looked at her with disappointment, even resentment toward her original self, they had lived together for years. Even if they were no more than landlord and tenant, she couldn’t just leave him behind in a moment like this.
On her way back, chaos filled her sight. Near the distant city walls, illegally built high-rises collapsed with earth-shaking booms, dust swallowing the sky. Half the heavens swarmed with ferocious beasts—hideous creatures raised by the Winter City Demon King. He had countless such monstrosities under his command, unleashing them to besiege cities as a show of wealth and might.
If they broke into the city, it would be like tossing a hungry cat into a cage of fish. She could already imagine the carnage.
Crane Immortal City was ruled by Master Crane, a seasoned city lord of the Demon Realm. After so many years in power, his city’s barrier was surely formidable. Yet in just moments, Shi Yan saw a section of the wall collapse as if crushed by an invisible hand.
A colossal black serpent, thicker than the wall itself, reared its head. Its feral face exuded savagery, its blood-red eyes gleaming with icy malice. This primeval monster had torn through Crane Immortal City’s barrier and defenses with nothing but brute strength. Even from afar, Shi Yan could clearly see it.
Though it was her first time laying eyes on it, she recognized it instantly. The beast was the personal mount of Sima Jiao, the Demon King of Winter City. It had no given name, yet its fame rivaled its master’s. In the Demon Realm, everyone referred to it—out of fear and reverence—as the Demon Dragon.
As it rolled across the battlefield, half of the city’s northern quarter collapsed beneath its body. Shi Yan’s breath caught sharply. She was terrified of snakes to begin with—how much more so when faced with one the size of a mountain?
The serpent writhed through clouds of dust, its body coiling like storm-driven mist. Demon cultivators within Crane Immortal City trembled as they watched, while Winter City’s generals held back behind it. None dared to enter the city until this ancient beast had finished its “play.”
In Winter City, the Demon Dragon held an exalted place. Their lord, Sima Jiao, was mercurial and ruthless; countless generals had died at his whim. Yet one creature had remained by his side all these years—the black serpent.
It was not clever, but it was loyal, and they dared not offend it. Even today, their lord had not come in person, but the serpent had. Should it suffer even the slightest harm, their return would spell doom. Better to flatter a beast than risk Sima Jiao’s wrath.
Thus, though demon generals gathered with their armies, brimming with killing intent, none moved before the snake. They could only wait for its rampage to end.
But soon, Master Crane appeared with his own generals. And instead of rallying his city, he raised his hands in surrender, pledging loyalty to the Demon King.
The Winter City generals: “…”
What? Surrender so quickly? They had been itching for battle, to storm the city, burn, plunder, indulge. And now—nothing?
But once a surrender was declared, they could hardly attack their new “colleagues.” Resentful, they followed Master Crane into the city as he rushed to placate them with hospitality.
The battle had ended before it began, yet Crane Immortal City remained in turmoil. Fear and uncertainty spread like fire among the citizens.
Shi Yan slipped into her own courtyard, where her father and brother sat grim-faced in discussion. Her aunt was nowhere in sight.
At once, Shi Qianlü said coldly, “Pack your things. We’re leaving.”
Shi Zhenxu added, “Sima Jiao’s forces came faster than expected. He himself isn’t here, but we can’t risk being discovered. We’ll have to relocate.”
Shi Yan was unsurprised. The Shi family’s fear of the Demon King was etched into their very bones. They cursed him in private, but when faced with him—even from a distance—they fled without hesitation.
“Are we leaving now?” she asked.
“Not yet,” Shi Zhenxu replied. “The city gates are crawling with Winter City’s men. Leaving now would draw suspicion. We’ll wait two days. Until then—don’t leave this house.”
Shi Yan agreed easily. She was used to moving often for work. What weighed on her heart wasn’t the city, but her friend, Red Spiral.
Her only true friend in this world. When she had first arrived, adjusting to this strange place, her father and brother had caged her like a prisoner. But Red Spiral had spoken with her, eaten with her, laughed with her. Red Spiral had been her one sliver of normalcy.
Now she had to leave without even saying goodbye.
For two days, her father and brother kept her close. But on the third morning, after feigning laziness and obedience, she slipped away toward Rouge Platform.
The northern ruins still lay uncleaned. Winter City’s soldiers infested the streets, their arrogance worse than the locals’. Still, Shi Yan reached Rouge Platform without incident.
The corpse-collector was there as always, expressionless. She nodded in greeting, but this time he stopped her.
“Wait,” he said.
Shi Yan blinked. This was only the second time he had ever spoken to her.
“What is it?”
He motioned her forward, leading her to a covered corpse.
“Collected last night,” he said.
Shi Yan froze. Beneath the cloth lay Red Spiral. Pale, swollen, lifeless.
For a long moment, she stood blankly. Then she bowed her head in thanks, lifted her friend’s body, and walked away.
The half-blind man watched her leave, unmoved. Perhaps he remembered how these two girls had passed this way every morning, laughing and chattering. Perhaps that was why he had held this corpse aside.
Outside the walls, Shi Yan set Red Spiral down, crouching beside her. Her friend’s face was cold, swollen, bloodied.
She had seen countless corpses since coming to this world. Once, they had sickened her; now, she thought herself numb. But looking at Red Spiral, she felt her chest constrict. She pressed herself against the wall and vomited.
Her stomach emptied, her heart twisted.
Memories surged: mornings spent eating together, Red Spiral’s endless chatter, the jokes, the careless laughter. More than her so-called family, this girl had made her feel less alone.
Once, Red Spiral had waved down at her from the ninth floor window of Rouge Platform and joked, “If I die here someday, collect my body, will you? I don’t want to be sold to corpse refiners.”
Shi Yan had laughed then, raising her hand in a mock salute. She had planned to say goodbye today. Instead—this.
After a long silence, she burned Red Spiral’s body and gathered the ashes in a cloth pouch.
And then—she hunted.
Two days later, in the fading light of dusk, Shi Yan stood over the headless corpses of Zhi Hunji and Zhi Hunji, their blood soaking the earth. Her hands shook as she wiped them clean.
Her revenge was complete, but her unease lingered. For no matter how many times she killed, her body always remembered the first time—her hands slick with gore, her father’s disappointment etched into her mind.
And now, the giant Demon Dragon had caught her scent.
The colossal serpent surged toward her, jaws snapping, swallowing her whole into its gaping maw as terrified generals and beasts gave chase.
Carried at lightning speed, Shi Yan could only curse inwardly—
Until the serpent crashed through Winter City’s inner wall, straight into the forbidden palace of the most dangerous being in the realm: Sima Jiao.
From his seat by the window, the Demon King turned slowly, eyes narrowing at the shrunken serpent and the figure caught in its jaws. Murderous aura rolled from him as he growled—
“You little beast… what have you dragged back this time?”