HPDBC Chapter 11 Ancient Paintings
Chapter 11 Ancient Paintings
In a five-star hotel.
Having discarded his coat, Alkaid changed into the new clothes a staff member had just purchased for him.
He moved his body slightly, shaking his muscles and bones, and found no hidden injuries on his body.
However, recalling Lei Ao's violent and fierce struggle before his death...
"Very strong,"
he muttered.
That demon was very strong.
Its physique had possibly reached the limits of the human body.
Although under his restriction technique, it had no chance to demonstrate its prowess and was killed by two swords.
But...
This demon was certainly not the upper limit for demons.
But he...
was nearly reaching the human limits.
Images from Alkaid's original body flashed through his mind as he crossed over.
It was a gruesome scene of a demon sucking out the brain marrow of several teenagers.
Having hunted demons incessantly for a year, he had realized that the human brain could enhance the intelligence of demons, accelerating their evolution.
This was the relationship between hunter and prey.
Irreconcilable.
The key was...
Who was the hunter, and who was the prey.
Demons infiltrated human society, hunting humans.
He lurked in the shadows, hunting demons.
Who would ultimately prevail, Alkaid did not know.
All he could do now was to enhance himself and solve the problem at its root—kill.
...
"Demons see humans as mere ants, and even forcing them with a sword only brings them great shame and unleases their demonic nature, adding to the danger. To this day, I still do not know where the demons come from; this world's feature...is it..."
Scenes from sci-fi and fantasy movies flickered through Alkaid's mind.
"An invasion from beyond?"
The former...
would be somewhat better.
Demons and humans have coexisted since ancient times, reaching a natural balance.
But if it were the latter...
"Three-headed demons gathering in one place, this is something I haven't encountered before; there should be more gains to expect."
Alkaid pondered with his head bowed, his gaze shifting towards the sword in his hand.
To ensure absolute safety, he had to carry a weapon.
But this sword...
"Needs to be replaced."
It was a shortsword.
Less than eighty centimeters long.
Straight and without a handle.
At first glance, it looked like a sharpened, flattened stick.
This style was very suitable for Alkaid to conceal.
Through the "Formless" secret technique, the shortsword was hidden in his arm like a magician's prop, and due to the constant nourishment of qi and blood, it became a part of his arm—undetectable even by some detection devices.
Zhang Qing quickly made arrangements.
In less than half an hour, their vehicle arrived at the checkpoint.
They hardly needed to handle visa formalities; someone even opened a small gate to let them out of the country.
Guangming City was located just across from Shanlong City. Its economic prosperity was even less than that of Shanlong City. At first glance, there were very few buildings taller than ten stories, most being four- or five-story residential buildings constructed haphazardly without any plan.
Although there were cars on the streets, there were more bicycles and motorcycles.
And each cyclist did not adhere to traffic regulations, often blocking the streets completely.
In such conditions, it took their sedan about an hour to stop in front of a yard located on the outskirts of the city.
The front yard sold framed and ready weapons, while the back yard was a residential area. At first glance, it had the feel of a makeshift, privately-owned small enterprise.
"Is Old He here? I'm introduced by Boss Zhou, a big client has arrived."
Upon seeing the reception staff, Zhang Qing asked directly.
The staff, seeing the distinguished attire of the two men and that they were introduced by an acquaintance, quickly led them into the inner yard.
Though it was a residential area, there were quite a few swords and blades on display.
And it was apparent that the quality was definitely a cut above.
Alkaid glanced at them.
Each of these swords and blades was no less exquisite than his shattered dagger.
However, after a brief examination, his gaze fell on a specially framed and protected ancient painting on the wall.
On it, numerous tiny figures wielding long spears and clad in armor were besieging a bull-headed, three-faced, six-armed monster.
In comparison, the monster stood about thirty meters tall, roaring up at the sky.
Above the monster in the heavens, a massive sword, countless times larger than the monster, pierced through the clouds, as if descending from the heavens.
Just the tip of the sword emerging from the clouds conveyed an oppressive feeling that took one's breath away, making it hard to imagine the true size of the entire sword.
"Heavenly Sword Demon-Suppressing Chart?"
Alkaid uttered.
"This is a historical relic traceable back a thousand years and is also one of the treasured artifacts of our Heavenly Sword Workshop."
At this time, a spirited elderly man around his sixties came out and introduced with a cheerful laugh.
"Heavenly Sword Demon-Suppressing?"
Alkaid inquired, "Are there really demons in this world?"
"It's a thousand-year-old matter, who can say for sure? Believe it and there is, doubt it and there isn't."
The elderly man spoke somewhat sentimentally.
But Alkaid could tell at a glance that he was being deliberately mysterious.
Ignoring it, he directly said, "I want to see your best sword."
"Then, esteemed guest, you've come to the right place. Our Heavenly Sword Workshop has been carrying on the tradition for over eight hundred years. We have reached the pinnacle in sword-making, winning not just once at major sword-making competitions. Not to mention just Guangming City, but across the entire Feiyu Country, almost no one can match our craft..."
The elderly man boasted.
But all the words used were superlatives like "peak," "strongest," "exceptional," with not a single specific ranking mentioned.
Fortunately, Alkaid wasn't looking for a divine weapon.
The old man led him around the yard to various rooms storing renowned swords and treasured blades, and the quality of the swords was indeed satisfactory.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have garnered a certain reputation.
Only the price was a bit steep.
Alkaid chose a short sword with a similar design. The Heavenly Sword Workshop directly asked for five hundred thousand.
Zhang Qing wanted to pay on his behalf, but he refused.
After purchasing the sword, they left the yard and drove back.
But after a moment, they saw a minibus ahead, its window suddenly opened, and then a slightly frail girl jumped out, shouting for help.
Alkaid glanced at her...
She looked somewhat familiar.
It seemed she was the woman who had taken the same cab to Shanlong City with him a couple of days ago.