Short end of the stick

Even though it now looks like a twig, in the end, it is still a top quality immortal sword. Satisfied that his sword had not turned into trash, he puts it away into its sheath. Facing the mist, Su Yang cautiously walks into it, his senses alert.

When he walked into the hazy mist, his eyesight was blurred for a split second, and by the time he had recovered, he was already in the demonic realm. His surroundings were a lush green forest, not at all like how he imagined the demonic realm to be. If he hadn't known this was the demonic realm, he really wouldn't have been able to tell the difference.

Seeing the forest, Su Yang let out a small sigh of comfort. Although his body was no longer a plant, he still felt a natural affinity with them. Strolling through the forest, Su Yang took out the crystal ball and held it in his hand. Although Xi Wei had entered the demonic realm before him, he had followed right after him so he shouldn't be too far ahead. If he wants to find Xi Wei, now would probably be his best chance.

Decisively using the crystal ball again, it trembles once and another thin crack joins the one from last time. An image shows up, but it left Su Yang baffled.

In the image was a busy tavern filled with people, and even though the crystal ball emits no sound, he can still hear the loud and cheerful chattering.

The crystal ball showed him a table with four people, each eating their own meal without talking or looking at each other. None of them seems to know each other, resulting in this particular table to be silent compared to their lively surrounding.

However, what baffled Su Yang wasn't the odd atmosphere of this table, but that none of them was Xi Wei.

There was a young man with white skin that was completely devoid of blood. His downcast head looks only at his bowl as he ate slowly. In the seat next to him was a man whose face was completely planted onto the surface of the table. His hand held a jar of wine that was half spilled. Every once in a while the man would lift his head to take another drink, with his golden hair sticking onto his face and cheeks flushed, evidently drunk.

Across from the drunk man is someone wearing a dark cloak that covers their feature. Su Yang is unable to discern this person's gender, but the cloaked person neither ate or drank, only sitting with a sword by their side.

The last person had a sword as well, placed leaning against his chair. He sips tea slowly with a plate of buns left untouched in front of him.

Could it be that Xi Wei had also disguised himself? Looking over at the four people, Su Yang tries to figure out which one of them is Xi Wei.

Right off the bat, Su Yang eliminated the drunk golden-haired man. Xi Wei is underaged and Su Yang doesn't believe that Xi Wei would be stupid enough to go into the demonic realm just to get drunk.

Suddenly Su Yang had a thought. Isn't Xi Wei part of Peerless peak? A Peerless peak disciple is naturally a sword cultivator! Even if Xi Wei wasn't of age yet to pull out an immortal sword from the Sword mountain, he definitely should still have an ordinary sword!

The problem is there were two people carrying swords... which one of them is Xi Wei?

As he approaches the end of the forest, the trees got less dense giving away to a town. The town wasn't big and consisted of a small number of villagers and a few shops. There was only one tavern in this remote village. Other than accommodating travelers passing through the village it also serves as a gathering spot where bored villagers go to gossip.

A worker with small smiling eyes and two tusks protruding from his lips greeted Su Yang when he walked into the tavern. "Welcome dear customer, are you alone? A seat for one then?"

The worker led Su Yang to a table that was already partly full. Su Yang ordered a pot of tea and sat down in his seat. Looking around the tavern, he saw that not far from where he is, was the quiet table of four that he had seen through the crystal ball.

His pot of tea came, and Su Yang pours himself a cup as he carefully watches the two people carrying a sword.

Five minutes passed and still, nothing happened.

Ten minutes... twenty minutes... thirty minutes...

Eventually, an hour had passed, but other than eating and resting the two people did absolutely nothing else. Su Yang's tea had grown cold and flavorless, his mind wandering off. The three people sitting in the same table as him was chattering about something, and Su Yang being bored, tuned in on their conversation.

A woman wearing blue cotton robe had a bottle of wine and drank carelessly as she talked. "Have you hear that the Mo Jin Palace is taking in new disciples?"

"Yah, Mo Jin Palace? Sigh, only those who don't fear death wants to enter that sect. If you are not strong enough, even if you did get accepted into the sect, what awaits you is only death! For low-class demons like us, it's better to know our place and live a peaceful life!"

Mo Jin Palace... Su Yang blearily listened to their conversation, but when he heard the words Mo Jin Palace, he jerked into attention.

What kind of place is Mo Jin Palace? It is the indisputable number one demonic sect and though a sect in name, in truth it had expanded to be its own kingdom.

The sect master of the Mo Jin Palace is universally recognized by both the human and demons alike as the unofficial demon king. Since the beginning of Mo Jin Palace's establishment, the sect master position has always been obtained by strength. If you are not strong enough, forget about the sect master position, even your life would be hard to guarantee.

Such a scary place, Su Yang definitely wants to avoid it. Thankfully, Mo Jin Palace is located some distances away from the demonic boarder. As long as he doesn't go seeking trouble, he should be alright.

Su Yang was snapped out of his thoughts when he notices that the mysterious hooded person has gotten up and was prepared to leave. As he left, Su Yang didn't follow after him, rather he once again took out the crystal ball. Now that thme two people are separated, the crystal ball should be able to help him figure out which one is Xi Wei.

The crystal ball trembled more violently this time before a third crack appeared on it. It dulled into a gray color before disappearing back into the system space.

Su Yang for the nth time today was frozen from shock. What he had saw wasn't one of the two swordsmen like he thought... instead it was the pale gloomy guy that he had totally neglected! Su Yang begins to question his own judgment... at least he wasn't the drunk one...

Now that he thinks about, the reason that Xi Wei doesn't have a sword was because of him!! He had broken Xi Wei's sword when he had been trying to kill him back in the Beastial Forest...Su Yang's heart suddenly feels incredibly bitter. Why is it that the one who died was him but the one that keeps getting the short end of the stick was still always him??