Chapter 318: Is This Not the Guidance of an Immortal?

Staring at the plump, wriggling worms, the three nobles—who had been accustomed to the finest delicacies—felt an overwhelming wave of disgust.

They had seen people eating tree bark and tree cores over the past two days. Since those were technically plants, they didn’t find them too repulsive.

But eating worms? That was something else entirely.

Perhaps noticing their hesitation, the one-eyed boy chuckled. “That’s normal. I couldn’t eat them at first either… But with injuries like yours, just eating tree bark will take too long to heal. These worms are as good as meat.”

To emphasize his point, he picked up a worm and casually popped it into his mouth, chewing it without hesitation.

The Third Prince and Royal Prince Ye immediately felt their stomachs churn. They lowered their heads, stuffing pieces of tree core into their mouths and chewing forcefully—anything to avoid looking at the scene before them.

Only the Fifth Prince, despite his own nausea, kept his gaze fixed on the boy.

After a moment, he reached out, picked up the fattest worm, and ate it.

Both the Third Prince and Royal Prince Ye had the same thought:

A man willing to consort with demons will stop at nothing.

Seeing the Fifth Prince grit his teeth and swallow the worm, the one-eyed boy smiled approvingly. “Honestly, it’s only hard the first time. Once you get used to eating tree bark, these worms actually start feeling like a delicacy for people like us…”

The Fifth Prince stretched his neck, chewed another piece of tree core, and grinned. “Thanks, little brother. These worms actually taste pretty good.”

“Want another one?” The one-eyed boy nudged the palm leaf toward him.

The Fifth Prince shook his head. “No need. Catching these must’ve been tough. You should eat more.”

“Mm.” The boy nodded, then asked, “Where are you three from? Did your village get attacked?”

At this, the Fifth Prince exchanged a glance with the other two before taking the lead. “We were small-time traveling merchants. Got raided by bandits, and now we’re refugees.”

“We’re heading to the capital of Great Wu to find a distant relative for help.”

“Oh?” The one-eyed boy responded. “Then your relative must be quite wealthy to live in the capital… That place is right under the emperor’s nose.”

“Just moderately well-off.” The Fifth Prince deflected the topic. “By the way, little brother, your eye…?”

The boy reached up, touching his right eye socket. After a brief pause, he said, “Back in my home county, I stood up for someone—just like you did. The corrupt officials sent their men to gouge my eye out.”

“They were going to take both, but the villagers begged for mercy, so they only took one…”

Hearing this, the Fifth Prince’s expression stiffened. “Which county?”

“Liuhuo County.”

The Fifth Prince nodded slightly. “I’ll remember that. When I reach the capital, I’ll report this to the imperial court for you.”

Before his words even finished, the one-eyed boy waved his hands urgently. “Don’t! The officials in Great Wu all protect their own. If you try to report it, you might end up getting yourself killed instead.”

Keeping the name “Liuhuo County” in mind, the Fifth Prince didn’t press the matter further. Instead, he changed the topic. “Little brother, what about your parents?”

The boy’s expression darkened. “Dead. Eaten by demons.”

The Fifth Prince continued, “So where do you plan to go next?”

The one-eyed boy hesitated for a moment, then replied, “Find a place to start an uprising. Overthrow this bastard empire.”

“And if we can’t overthrow it… we’ll at least take down as many corrupt officials as we can.”

For the first time, the ever-composed Fifth Prince found himself at a loss for words.

Meanwhile, the Third Prince and Royal Prince Ye, who had been quietly chewing tree bark, showed clear signs of discomfort and unwillingness to engage further in the conversation.

Noticing their reactions, the one-eyed boy popped the last worm into his mouth, then smiled. “Alright, it’s getting late. I’m heading to sleep. You should rest too.”

The Fifth Prince gave a quiet “Mm.” He watched as the boy walked away and lay down under a large tree, using the ground as his bed.

At that moment, the Third Prince spoke in a low voice. “Refugee uprisings like this aren’t isolated. We must return to court quickly and send troops to suppress them.”

“Heh… not pretending to be mute anymore?” The Fifth Prince sneered, then lay back and went to sleep.

The Third Prince glared and snapped, “You—” but seeing that the other party ignored him, he only snorted and lay down as well.

Royal Prince Ye glanced at his two nephews, pondered for a moment, and then also lay down to sleep on the ground.

It was unclear how much time had passed. The refugees in the wasteland had all fallen asleep, leaving only the sounds of snoring and chirping insects filling the night.

“Creak… Creak… Creak…”

The Fifth Prince was a light sleeper. The new sound of chewing near his ear pulled him out of his dreams. As he slightly lifted his head to look in the direction of the noise, the sight before him sent a cold sweat down his spine!

Just ten or so steps away, beneath the tree where the one-eyed boy had been sleeping, a shadowy figure covered in coarse black fur was hunched over, gnawing on the boy’s body.

The thick stench of blood made the Fifth Prince’s hair stand on end. He reached out and gently nudged the two people beside him.

“Aah! A demon! A demon!”

A sudden scream rang out in the distance!

In an instant, the previously slumbering refugees bolted upright. Shouts of terror erupted all around.

The dog demon that had been devouring the one-eyed boy was drawn by the commotion and lunged at the fleeing refugees, tearing into them!

There was no time to think. The Fifth Prince shouted, “Run!” to the two startled men beside him and took off in the opposite direction of the wasteland.

In this moment of crisis, the Third Prince and Royal Prince Ye also burst forth with an unprecedented speed, dragging their injured bodies as they caught up with the already fleeing Fifth Prince.

They ran without knowing how far or how long, finally stopping by a small creek.

Panting heavily, the Third Prince roared in fury, “Ye Kunxing! This is the disaster you brought upon us!”

The Fifth Prince leaned against a tree, catching his breath, and sneered, “Disaster? Even if I hadn’t worked with demons, would there be fewer of them in Great Wu?”

“Third Brother, you’ve been too sheltered in the court to realize how rampant the demon scourge is among the people.”

“Great Wu’s demon crisis is a festering wound. Since it can’t be eradicated, unconventional methods must be used!”

Hearing this, the Third Prince exploded in rage, shouting, “Utter nonsense! If you have such ‘unconventional methods,’ why did you flee from those demons just now? Why didn’t you use your so-called methods to deal with them?!”

For the first time, the Fifth Prince’s expression turned serious as he replied, “The root of Great Wu’s demon crisis lies in the lack of a ruling leader among the demons. If the great demons of Northern Huangtian were allowed to enter the realm and establish order among the lesser demons, then humans and demons might yet coexist.”

“Humans are not wholly good, so why must demons be wholly evil?”

“Insanity! Utter madness!” The Third Prince bellowed. “Humans and demons cannot coexist! If demons were to run rampant in Great Wu, humans would be nothing more than livestock for them to feast upon!”

“The old ways of thinking persist,” the Fifth Prince said coldly. “There’s nothing more to discuss between us.”

He continued, “That one-eyed boy being eaten by a demon… in a way, it’s a better fate. At least he won’t die under your iron cavalry when you suppress the rebellion…”

“Besides, since Mr. Gu ordered us to return as commoners, he meant for us to experience the suffering of the people firsthand. So why not make it a competition?”

“Whoever returns to the capital first shall claim the throne and rule the nation!”

“Third Brother, Uncle!” The Fifth Prince’s face twisted into a manic grin. “How is this not the guidance of an immortal?”

“I hope you make it back to the capital alive!”

With that, the Fifth Prince plunged into the shadows of the dense forest. The sound of his body brushing against the undergrowth, rustle~rustle, gradually faded into the distance, until he vanished from the sight of the Third Prince and Royal Prince Ye.