SWNOVELXO Chapter 112:
Chapter 112: Killing Demons, Killing Demons, and Even More, “People”:
The Martial Arts World was Xu Xi’s third simulation. Among the three simulated worlds, this one was by far the most wretched.
The people here.
The mortals here.
They were the most miserable of all.
In the world of immortal cultivation, mortals and immortals were separate. Mortals live under the governance of ordinary empires, and only occasionally do immortals descend to select children with spiritual roots. At times, kind-hearted cultivators even save lives and protect the innocent.
In the magical world, steam and magic intertwine within the fabric of civilization. Wizards and mortals coexist, functioning like two well-oiled gears propelling society forward.
But the martial arts world was entirely different—horrifyingly so.
Here, ordinary people didn’t even have the right to decide their own life or death.
Xu Xi had once inquired about life in Qingniu Town and ventured to other towns to learn about the people’s pasts.
What he discovered was shocking.
Most of these people had once lived in the Thirteen States of Daqian. However, due to their humble origins or offenses against high-ranking officials, they were exiled to the dangerous borders of the Ten Thousand Mountains.
Young men like Zhang Tieniu were born into the borderlands and had no knowledge of life inside Daqian.
The Ten Thousand Mountains were perilous, teeming with bloodthirsty and brutal demons. These relentless creatures destroy everyone at the border until no one was left, and then a new batch of “criminals” was sent in to repeat the cycle.
And so, an endless nightmare begins.
“Brother Xu, what do people in the cities eat? Do they eat demon meat too?”
“Aniu, why are you suddenly asking about this?”
“Hehe, my mom said city folk eat a lot of delicious food. She said white rice is much tastier than what we eat.”
“…Compared to what we eat, it is indeed much better. The rice is also of finer quality.”
“Wow~~~ That sounds amazing. I want to eat sweet white rice someday!”
The sky was gloomy, and the cold wind bit sharply. Trees swayed under the gusts, and the ground was frozen solid. Even a strong man would shiver in such conditions.
Aniu, the simple-minded and honest man, wrapped his tattered robe tightly around himself as he spoke, his tone full of longing.
Hearing Xu Xi’s description of white rice, he couldn’t help swallowing hard.
Though he had never tasted it, his imagination conjured the most wonderful flavor, making his mouth water.
“Brother Xu,” he asked again. “Are the gentlemen in the city really like Wenquxing and Wuquxing descended from heaven?”
“My mom said they were born to enjoy life. They eat ten pancakes at each meal and change robes five times a day. They’re not like us peasants.”
Aniu rubbed his hands together, exhaling a cloud of hot breath.
His hands were slightly purple—an unsightly but harmless side effect of consuming demon meat over time. Warriors could resolve it with their qi and blood, but for ordinary people, the discoloration was permanent.
“No, Aniu, they are not,” Xu Xi replied after a brief pause. He reached out his hand to pat the honest man’s shoulder and brushed snowflakes off his robe.
“There’s no real difference between the people in the Thirteen States of Daqian, those in the Imperial Capital, and those of Qingniu Town,” he explained.
“We all feel hunger and thirst. We all bleed. We all die.”
“They are no better than you, and you are no worse than them.”
Aniu seemed to understand, but confusion still clouded his expression. He processed Xu Xi’s words in his own way.
“Then… does that mean I can eat white rice one day?” A foolish grin spread across his face as he held onto the hope. After a long moment, he woke from his reverie and handed Xu Xi a basket.
“Brother Xu, these are vegetable dumplings my mom made for you. They’re still hot!”
The basket, woven from sturdy bamboo, was covered with a cloth to shield the dark green dumplings inside from the falling snow.
Xu Xi accepted it without hesitation.
“Thank you, Aniu. Please thank Aunt Zhang for me as well.”
“Okay!” Aniu scratched his head and turned away, walking off with inexplicable excitement.
Xu Xi stood there, watching Aniu’s figure disappear into the distance amidst the falling snow.
Reaching into the basket, he grabbed a dumpling and took a bite.
The taste was bitter and astringent.
It wasn’t crispy or flavorful in any way.
Xu Xi, who had lived in Qingniu Town for seven years, understood why. The dumplings were made from Fengtuocao, a rough and sour-tasting plant.
It was unpleasant, almost nauseating, yet it was the best food most people in Qingniu Town could afford.
This was how they expressed their gratitude to Xu Xi—for the demon meat he provided, which helped them survive.
“What a cursed world…”
Xu Xi raised his head, staring at the cold, gray sky, and slowly closed his eyes. The weather chilled his body, but his chest burned with emotion—a mixture of anger and sympathy.
…
[Time passed, as it always does.]
[In the blink of an eye, Wu Yingxue had been gone for a long time, and winter once again descended upon Qingniu Town.]
[As expected, the demon tide came—more violent and terrifying than in previous years.]
[Demons capable of marrow exchange and blood exchange appeared frequently, causing heavy casualties.]
[Qingniu Town endured.]
[Yet in the relentless tide, familiar faces disappeared forever: the old man who joked about finding you a wife, and the young child who once eagerly learned martial arts from you.]
[Killing demons spares no one—man, woman, young, or old. Death is inevitable.]
[Despite the casualties, you resisted the first wave of the winter tide. The surviving townspeople expressed their gratitude to you, though their voices were faint and sparse.]
Half the town was deeply grateful.
In his early days in Qingniu Town, Xu Xi had dreamt of entering the Thirteen States of Daqian to explore a world as vivid and grand as those depicted in fantasy novels.
But he gave up on that dream.
For one, a large army guarded the pass to Daqian’s interior, making it impossible for someone like Xu Xi to pass.
More importantly, he discovered that the life-and-death battles in Shiwanda Mountain improved his qi and blood martial arts just as much as the resources within Daqian could.
And so, he stayed in Qingniu Town, sharpening himself through combat.
Only, Xu Xi never truly knew his purpose.
In his first simulation, he spent his life desperately seeking ways to save his sister.
In the second simulation, he used mortal wisdom to unravel the mysteries of magic, leading the witch to appreciate the beauty of the world.
But in this life?
Should he train tirelessly to become the Sword God?
Or should he follow the path of a hot-blooded protagonist, carving an eternal legend of battle and triumph?
Snow fell heavily, blanketing Qingniu Town in silence and death.
As Xu Xi looked at the poor townspeople thanking him, he remembered the large army he once glimpsed years ago. They had guarded the pass with cold determination, intent only on maintaining control.
At that moment, Xu Xi finally understood his purpose in this simulation.
He wanted to kill.
Kill demons.
Kill monsters.
And kill “people.”