Chapter 125: The Twelve Kingdoms World

  On that side, Ben became a subordinate of King Kaito. On this side, Yaka and Yousuke, who had escaped from the west of the river, finally met the first person... or beast? to show them complete kindness. They met the big rat just after they had killed a group of demons.

  That big rat, with a red scarf tied around its neck, was about one head shorter than Yangzi. It stared at Yajiao and Yangzi in surprise, unaware of what it held in its paws. The two held sharp swords in their hands, covered in bloodstains, but the slightly fishy smell told the big rat that they had previously fought against demons.

  His whiskers twitched as he said in a slow drawl, "I think you need clean water."

  This big mouse didn't have any evil spirit aura on it, but its sudden speech still made Yage's eyes flutter. Yangzi was shocked and exclaimed: "The mouse can talk!"

  The big mouse touched his head, and the face couldn't show any expression, but he could hear the helplessness in his voice: "You should be from Haikou, right?" Without waiting for Yangzi's changing facial expression to say anything, it continued: "I'm a half-beast. Ah, there aren't any half-beasts on your side of Penglai, are there? My surname is Zhang, my name is Qing, and my courtesy name is Lejun. You can just call me Lejun."

  Yakou's eyes twitched, the term "half-beast" was indeed accurate, but... weren't humans in the Twelve Nations all born from Ri Mu? How could such a strange species appear, unless it was that Heavenly Emperor's bad taste?

  Unlike the original play, Yaka is exceptionally talented and has always been by Yangzi's side, so she hasn't become very radical. Although still wary of this self-proclaimed half-beast big mouse, she followed him home nonetheless.

  Le Jyun went alone to the kitchen and busied himself for a long time before coming out and saying to the two of them, "The bath water is ready, who's going first?"

  "Yangzi, you first." The bloodstains on Yage's body were just an illusion; he wouldn't let himself actually fall to such a sorry state.

  She nodded, took the bundle and took out a change of clothes. Yangzi silently walked into the kitchen, saw the simple shower room separated by a template, hesitated for a moment and still walked in. This period of life has taught her a lot, having hot water to take a bath is already good, most of the time when they were outdoors, they could only use river water or stream water to wipe their faces.

  Outside the room, a silence fell between Yage and Da Lao Shu. Yage didn't want to speak for the time being, while Le Jun didn't know what to say. The two people they met this time were very special - although they were Hai Ke, they had the ability to kill demons with their winter equipment. This young man even made him feel a deep sense of pressure.

  Until Yang Zi finished washing up and came out, there was still no communication between the two. The situation didn't change until Ya Ge also went to wash up and sat down at the dinner table. The food on the table was simple, just some millet porridge and green vegetables, but it made Yang Zi's eyes narrow with pleasure.

  Since arriving in the Twelve Kingdoms, they had been eating some mantou and pickled vegetables in the captured village, and at other times, they had been making do with hot water and various dry rations. Now, they finally got to eat steaming hot food, and even Yangzi, who used to be very picky about her food, felt satisfied with these foods that she would never have touched before.

  Lao Da Shu was not silent on the dinner table, he roughly introduced his situation. Earlier when Ya Ge was taking a bath, there were soldiers holding papers with pictures of Ya Ge and Yang Zi who came to knock on the door, asking if Lao Da had seen these two wanted sea guests, and he just sent the soldiers away like that, which made Yang Zi relax his vigilance a bit.

  Yahiko had guessed that this clear-eyed half-beast would be an important figure for Yangzi, after all, Yangzi who had experienced betrayal and various trials and tribulations also needed a warm character to comfort her.

  He never thought this role would be a big mouse.

  They got more information about the Twelve Kingdoms from Rokuta. The white trees that were full of fruit, which they had encountered in the wilderness, were called "yamaki", and animals and plants were born from them. And when camping outdoors, next to yamaki was relatively the safest place.

  Is it that those beasts know this wild tree is their mother, so they obediently don't go to disturb? This is Ya Ge's private muttering.

  For the two sea guests, the best place should be the neighboring country of Qingguo, Yanguo. The king of Yanguo is very open-minded and never discriminates against sea guests. Under Lejun's persuasion, Yangzi decided to go to Yanguo to draw a bow and then find a way to ask for help from the Qilin of Yanguo.

  Afterwards, Yue Jun bid farewell to his mother who had been dependent on him for survival and sent Ya Ge and Yang Zi together to the country of Yan. Watching Yang Zi become more and more cheerful under his optimistic and kind influence, Ya Ge could only sigh that the protagonist was indeed different from others.

  In the past, his targets were mostly supporting characters or cannon fodder, and everything had to be calculated by him. This time is different. There are very few things that really need him to do, whether it's the thing that casts the illusion or Le Jun now, they are all Yang Zi's golden finger.

  So his mission target is Yang Zi? Didn't the system specify incorrectly? Obviously, that arrogant Zhong Er who looks like he needs to be disciplined and saved.

  His complaint system didn't respond, so this character still had to persevere. He just wanted to make one king happy in the Twelve Kingdoms, but the more he understood him, the more he knew how difficult this task was. Did he think the previous world's task was too easy, so the system arranged such a challenging world for him this time?

  To go to the country of geese, they had to take a boat from Ashore. The three traveled together all the way, but parted ways outside the city gate before reaching Ashore.

  A large group of demons arrived, and Yang Zi's eyes turned red as she killed with increasing ferocity. When she finally came to her senses, she realized that Ya Ge and Le Jun were nowhere to be found. Yang Zi remembered seeing Le Jun enter the city, but was afraid of being caught after entering the city, so he escaped in this way.

  And that illusion was entwining her, seductively telling her that Yage and Lejun might betray her, it would be better for her to go back and kill the two. After a struggle, Yangzi finally broke free from the illusion, and under the sunlight, her smile seemed to have been reborn, so beautiful. But when she returned to that city, she still couldn't find Yage and Lejun, fortunately, Yage had left some money on her before, so she chose to go to Ashore, board a ship and head to Yan Country.

  Yang Zi believed that in Guan Gong's country of geese, she would inevitably meet Ya Ge and Le Jun again.

  When those demons attacked, Yage's movements were slightly slower than Yangzi's. She saw her killing the demons like a madman. With a slight frown, Yage protected Lejun and some of the civilians beside him as they slowly retreated towards the city gate. He believed in Yangzi's strength, and somehow it seemed like something was blocking his approach.

  Perhaps this is the heavenly mandate of the Twelve Kingdoms, giving Youko a separate trial.

  After losing the news of Yangzi, under Lejun's worried gaze, the two set foot on the road to Yanguo. Yage believed that Yangzi, who wanted to return to Penglai, would definitely choose to go to Yanguo and wait at the port, which was the best choice.

  It was also at this time that Le Jun discovered the extraordinariness of this young man, who was far more capable than Yang Zi, who still had a lot to learn about the world. Although he lacked common sense in many areas, he grew rapidly with Le Jun's help.

  Facing such a poem, Le Jun's heart is complicated. In Qiao Guo, half-beasts and sea guests are also discriminated against, so even if he likes to read books and has this talent, he can only study until elementary school. Originally, continuing to study would have allowed him to become an official, thereby changing his mother's life. Unfortunately, because he is a half-beast, all of this became an illusion.

  At first, he was born in beast form from the inside of a tree, and his mother did not want to abandon him, so both mother and son were abandoned by their father. Le Jun didn't blame his father, whom he had never met, because in Qiao Guo, half-beasts were extremely unwelcome. His father didn't want a son like him, which was only human nature. It was just that his mother alone had raised him with hardship and bitterness, so he must repay her, even if she didn't need it.

  Le Jun accompanied Ya Ge to the country of Yan this time, not only because he didn't trust the two of them, but also for his own sake. The king of Yan, King Yan, was indeed a wise and just ruler, and anyone with ability, whether from the sea or the mountains, or even half-beasts, could enter the court and become an official. So Le Jun wanted to take a look at Yan, perhaps he could find a job based on his own abilities and bring his mother to Yan to live a good life.

  If possible, Yue Jun would not want to leave his own country. Although he could live by leaving Qiao Guo, the people of the Twelve Nations are more willing to live in their own country because that is where they were born and it is their roots. However, facing some phenomena in Qiao Guo, Yue Jun had to start thinking about some issues.

  Although it's not obvious, many places within the borders of Qiao have withered away quickly this month. If it's true that the king of Qiao has lost his way, then the peaceful Qiao country, which had been stable for 52 years, might fall into chaos again! Le Jun loves his own country, but he loves his mother even more. Faced with the demon, he has no ability to protect himself, so finding a way to send his mother to Yan country is now his top priority.

  Le Jun, who was still somewhat confident in his own abilities, was slightly crushed by Ya Ge. However, being naturally optimistic, he didn't become jealous or disheartened, but instead felt very happy. Le Jun knew how unrealistic it was for Ya Ge and the others to seek out Qilin's help to return to Penglai, and that if they were a bit stronger, they would be able to live better in this world.

  Le Jun, who regards Ya Ge and Yang Zi as his own friends, sincerely hopes that the two of them will be fine. Even so, occasionally Le Jun still feels a little intimidated by Ya Ge.

  The two arrived smoothly at the capital of the country of Gan, Guan Gong. Yaka registered her information at the Public Office with the help of Le Jun. The Public Office is a special institution in the country of Gan, dedicated to registering outsiders from the twelve countries - Haigui and Shangke. Yaka also took advantage of these few days to get a good understanding of this world.

  Yan is a country that has lasted for five hundred years, ranking second in the entire ordinary world. Perhaps because the king of Yan and Tai Fu are both Taifeng, this country is more inclusive than other countries. Due to the special nature of its rules and social forms, the Twelve Nations World is a relatively conservative country, except for merchants, privately, there is not much contact between each country, whether it is civilians or kings, but Yan is not so.

  Nowadays, the longest reign is 700 years of Zou Nan State, followed by 500 years of Yan Zhou State, then 300 years of Fan Xi State, and finally 200 years of Cheng Zhou State. Other countries are all less than 100 years old, including temporary kingless states like Qing Dong State and Fang Ji State, as well as Dai Ji State where the king and Qilin are both missing. The longer a king's reign is, the more prosperous his state will be, so only the 52-year-old Qiao Zhou State and Yan Zhou State are completely incomparable.

  Yajiao could only bitterly smile, as the monarch who had been in power for several hundred years was rare in history, and now there were several wise rulers in power at the same time. Yangzi's pressure would be great, and his pressure would also increase! This time he really needed to stay in this world for a few hundred years.

  At the same time, Ya Ge couldn't help but feel more and more reverence for King Yan Wang. To have specially set up a place like this in the public hall, where guests from afar could come to learn about the Twelve Nations, was truly considerate and meticulous. It must be a happy thing indeed to work under such a king's rule.

  Before she met Yang Wang, Ya Ge was thinking like this.

  After waiting for several days, Le Jun finally met Yang Zi at the dock. As they walked to the public house, chatting along the way, when Yang Zi mentioned that she was brought to the Twelve Nations by a person named Jing Qi, and that Jing Qi seemed to have a group of demons as his subordinates, who called him Tai Fu, Le Jun suddenly realized Yang Zi's special identity.

  After registering at the public office and finding Yage, the three went to the dormitory of the city's school, Itch Academy. Within a limited time, Haiketsu and others can study languages such as writing for free at Itch Academy, and then find suitable work to make a living.

  The principal of the Itchy Academy was a man named Boku Roujin, who was also a sailor. And here, they just happened to run into a young boy with blond hair who had brought along a shirtless person. As the shirtless person said something with an awkward expression after suddenly parting ways from the ship, the blond-haired boy stared at Yaka in surprise.

  Yah noticed the gaze, turned her head to look at the young man, and saw a strand of golden hair leaking out from under his headscarf. Yah's pupils contracted as she smiled at him, but it made the young man look like he had seen a ghost, his face filled with terror as he immediately ran away.

  He rubbed his face, and Yangzi smiled wryly. Was this appearance of his really that scary? It was actually able to scare away that suspected Qilin person! Before, when Jingqi saw him, he didn't have such a big reaction, but at that time, his appearance hadn't changed yet.

  Is it impossible for him to have a face so close to the real world in this world?

  The author has something to say: The last blond boy is the Qilin Yanqi of the Goose Country, and he was also frightened because he saw the royal aura on Yage's body.

  In the Twelve Kingdoms, except for their own king, a Qilin cannot sense the presence of another king on someone's body, and only those born in this country can become the king of this nation!

  Thanks to An Luan and Draco Malfoy two dear landmines~

  In case some of you haven't seen "The Twelve Kingdoms", Tudou will present the original story here, courtesy of Baidu's great god.

  Yang Zi got rid of the illusion and went back to look for Le Jun. She didn't find Le Jun, but unexpectedly met Zhu Xiang's team.

  Zhu Ji is not a person, but a group of wandering performers. They have no nationality and can enter and leave any country freely, making a living by performing skills. They often perform the "Divine Records" of the Heavenly Emperor's creation myth and stories about kings.

  In Zhu Jing's team, a little girl named Yu Ye recognized Yang Zi. This Yu Ye was the same little girl who had taken her to watch plays in the western river of Qiao Guo. The child's mother, Wei Zhen, seeing that Yang Zi was helpless and alone, let him temporarily join Zhu Jing's team on the road. At this time, Yang Zi, who was also wandering without a home, actually had many commonalities with Zhu Jing. Yang Zi wanted to go to A'an to take a boat, which coincidentally was the same route as Zhu Jing's.

  There was a man named Huang Tie in Zhujingzhong who knew that Yangzi was a wanted fugitive, so he had prejudices against Yangzi and was on guard everywhere. However, the leader of Zhujing - Zuozhang, warmly invited Yangzi to go together.

  Before, Yang Zi had always thought that the people in the Twelve Nations were all cold and selfish, but on Le Jun, Wei Zhen and Zuochang's bodies, Yang Zi felt warmth and love. At this time, Yang Zi only had one wish, which was to live on.

  Yang Zi became a member of Zhu Jing's troupe, helping them with laundry and cooking, and quickly learned some performing skills with her cleverness. When the government officials came to search for Hai Ke, these performing skills came in handy. Yang Zi's brilliant performance dispelled the officials' suspicions, because in their eyes, Hai Ke was not capable of performing so well.

  Unconsciously, Yang Zi and his group arrived at the dock. Wei Zhen told Yang Zi that three days later, the large ship from afar would set sail for Yan Guo, and Yang Zi was overjoyed.

  At the same time, Sugimoto, who was self-inflicted by the failure of pursuing and killing Yangzi due to the intervention of Tenglin, was exiled to a remote and desolate place by King Teng, where she would spend the rest of her life without being allowed to leave. From a farmer's mouth, she learned that this place was not like this originally, but in recent years, the water source had dried up and pests and diseases had spread. Sugimoto also knew another fact: when there were strange changes in heaven and earth, it must be that the king had made mistakes.

  Before long, the king of Kō called back Sugimoto because he had learned of Yōko's whereabouts and decided to have Sugimoto continue pursuing her. At this time, Kirin, the unicorn of Kō, was ill. Sugimoto saw the hand that Kirin stretched out from behind the curtain, on which many frightening spots appeared.

  Sugimoto, who had been ordered to pursue and kill Yangzi, entered Zhu's tent. She found Yangzi among Zhu's performers.

  Zhu Jing's leader, Zhang Chang and Wei Zhen, were worried about Yang Zi going to the Goose Country alone. After discussion, everyone decided to change their itinerary and take a boat with Yang Zi to the Goose Country. Sugimoto decided to follow them onto the boat and make his move on Yang Zi while on board.

  The next day, just as they were about to set off, Yangzi suddenly went missing. Sugimoto searched everywhere on the boat but couldn't find him anywhere. What he didn't know was that at this moment, Yangzi was standing on the shore, watching the big ship sail away. It turned out that when they were at the dock the day before, Yangzi had seen the officials on the boat and was worried that if her identity as a Hakka guest was discovered, it would implicate everyone else, so she didn't board the ship.

  Huang Tie hadn't seen Yang Zi before boarding the ship, but he had already guessed Yang Zi's intentions. After many days of getting along, Huang Tie had abandoned his prejudices against Yang Zi and this time he decided to secretly stay behind to help Yang Zi.

  Huang Tie found another small boat for Yang Zi to take. This small boat could catch up with the big ship before reaching the floating island, and after passing the floating island, it would no longer be within the borders of Qiao Guo, so Yang Zi wouldn't have to worry about being wanted anymore. Huang Tie also handed Yang Zi a wooden plaque called "Jiǎng Shì", which was a proof that didn't belong to any country. All the Zhu Xiang had this proof, and with it, they could freely enter and exit different countries without being inspected. Yang Zi took the Jiǎng Shì, thanked Huang Tie, and jumped onto the small boat.

  Sun Wukong didn't find Yangzi on the boat, instead he met a half-cat, half-boy creature. The creature thought that the king of Tongtai had lost his way. This was the first time Sun Wukong heard the term "lost his way". The creature told Sun Wukong that losing one's way meant that the king had strayed from the right path. The king of Tongtai had angered heaven, which was why monsters appeared and the Qilin fell ill.

  Sugimoto's eyes flashed before her the scene she had seen in Tsubaki Rin's room, and although it was through a curtain at the time, she could still feel Tsubaki Rin's weakness, as well as the terrifying spots that appeared on his hands... Thinking of this, Sugimoto's heart was filled with panic.

  When the big ship arrived at Fulong Island, Yangzi's small boat also caught up with the big ship. Sugimoto was about to draw his sword and attack Yangzi who had just boarded the big ship, but he was interrupted by an unexpected event - someone was being bullied on the deck. It turned out that several officials from Qiao Guo were bullying the half-beast. Sugimoto stepped forward to stop them, and Yangzi also stood up to help the half-beast.

  At this time, Yangzi did not recognize Sugimoto, who had changed his appearance due to Binman's possession. He admired Sugimoto for standing up and speaking out for the half-beast first, and also reflected on his own cowardice in the past that hurt his family and friends.

  Sugimoto's disdain for Haru slightly decreased as he saw him transform from a weakling to a brave and enthusiastic individual. The oni sent by Tō no Kanami to monitor Sugimoto, seeing that he was wavering, decided to directly command the Binyo within Sugimoto to take action. At the same time, Tō no Kanami, disregarding Tō no Rin's pleas, dispatched a large number of oni to hunt down Haru.

  Under Binman's influence, Sugimoto suddenly draws his sword and attacks Yoko. Yoko is perplexed, unable to understand why the person who was just standing on the same front line as her would attack her. Sugimoto mentions Asano, and it is only then that Yoko realizes the person in front of her is Sugimoto. Just as the two are facing off, a large group of demons sent by the Tsuchigumo King arrive. The demons' attack on innocent travelers enrages the serpent god who has been sleeping deep in the ocean. Faced with the terrifying serpent god, the demons flee in droves. Binman, the demon inside Sugimoto, is also afraid of the serpent god that preys on demons and is forced to flee. Sugimoto returns to his original appearance and personality. The half-beast, however, is killed by demons while trying to save the government official who had previously bullied him.

  The disaster has passed. The next morning, Sugimoto emerged from the cabin and found a new country in front of her - Yamato. Here, Yoko and Sugimoto will start their new life. Of course, that life won't be calm either.

  Yang Zi's wooden boat arrived at the dock of Yan Guo. Yang Zi unexpectedly met Le Jun, whom she had been thinking about day and night, on the dock. Not only did Le Jun not blame Yang Zi for abandoning him and escaping alone, but he had also been waiting for Yang Zi's arrival on the dock all along. Yang Zi was moved to tears and rushed over to hug Le Jun tightly. However, Le Jun suddenly became mischievous and told Yang Zi to be more careful.

  Le Jun brought Yang Zi to the government office. The so-called government office is a place where outsiders, such as sea guests, register and record their information.

  At this time, Sugimoto was visiting the streets of Gan Country. She found that the refugees from Qing Guo were well taken care of here. People also did not discriminate against Hai Ke. Soon, Sugimoto was also brought to the public office by enthusiastic people. The staff who received her at the public office actually communicated with her in Japanese. Because the number of digits in Sugimoto's postal code did not match the data held by the staff, they suspected that Sugimoto was impersonating a Hai Ke. Just then, Rou Qi Liu passed by and helped Sugimoto explain. Seeing that Rou Qi Liu understood Japanese, Sugimoto thought that Rou Qi Liu was also a Hai Ke. After leaving the public office, Sugimoto followed Rou Qi Liu all the way. Rou Qi Liu stopped to explain that there were people here who understood the language of Hai Ke. Sugimoto was slightly disappointed. Rou Qi Liu, who had softened for a moment, agreed to take Sugimoto to find a Hai Ke familiar with local conditions. Sugimoto looked up and found a strange parrot with fierce eyes on the eaves of a house by the street, which was a demon sent by Gao Wang to monitor her.

  This plot is something Potato doesn't want to write, but if it's not written, the south side will have some connection problems, so Potato can only paste the plot here.

  In the end, Tuber decided to write according to the original outline, and Yage's Qianji Hui was a brand new Kirin.

  Tan Lin is not bad, it's just that the hostess probably prefers to follow her own master. Just like Jing Qi, if he wasn't deceived by Yu Wang and went to Pengshan to abdicate, he would probably be willing to follow Yu Wang too.