Inner Demons

Chapter 161: Losing Composure Share Comments

When a bright moon hung high over the Huangshan pine at the edge of the cliff, the last believer who had come to the mountain to worship finally left.

Old Daoist Liu carefully inspected the main hall of the mountain god temple and then locked the door.

There were no valuable possessions in the hall, only some clay statues. To have a clay artisan from White Heron Island make such statues would cost no more than a corner of a silver coin each.

But he knew that now those clay statues were not just clay statues—they had spirits on them.

He knew of these spirits and had dealt with them. However, there was a difference between humans and demons, and he always felt that he should not get too deeply involved.

In fact, it wasn't that he had any particular opinion about demons—few demons were good things—what other particular opinion could there be? It was just that he had been a temple keeper for so many years and knew many things. He understood that some demons would display their divine powers and do good deeds.

However, their basic nature was hard to change. You never knew when they might suddenly and casually do something that would make your heart leap into your throat.

It was just that these few… hmm, the Green Dragon Emissary, White Dragon Emissary, Black Dragon Emissary, Red Dragon Emissary, and that strange “Dragon Crown Prince,” as well as… the ghost of that Qiao Family child, were different.

Old Daoist Liu had once unintentionally overheard them “holding a meeting” in the hall when he got up one night.

That “Dragon Crown Prince” was talking to the four demons who had revealed their true forms about the “three views”—Old Daoist Liu stood there in a daze, listening for a long time, until his hair was damp with the night dew before he returned to his room.The next night, he couldn't help but go outside to eavesdrop again.

Halfway through listening, the hall suddenly went silent. A moment later, he heard that strange “Dragon Crown Prince” speak—“Yi? That old fellow outside… aiya, ptooey ptooey, not an old fellow, hmm… aiya, the grand elder of my Divine Dragon Cult? Hehe, what are you eavesdropping on? This lady is transmitting the teachings on behalf of the sect master!”

The old Daoist knew he had been discovered. He sighed and pushed the door open to enter. He said to the “Dragon Crown Prince,” who was possessing the golden statue and whose form was indistinct, “The ‘three views’ is not something you speak of like that—it’s not about, if you believe in our Divine Dragon Cult, you must build three Daoist temples when you establish a sect in the future. It refers to… hmm, one’s view on life, one’s worldview, and one’s values—these three things.”

As he said this, he remembered things from the past.

Actually, it hadn't been long, just a month… but it felt like yesterday.

He remembered Brother Xin in the courtyard of the Dragon King Temple, under the slender bamboo, slowly drinking wine while explaining the Water Cloud Strength to him. From time to time, he would say a few words that he couldn't quite understand… and then laugh to himself.

The old Daoist thought of this and sighed again in the hall. Then he realized that the hall had fallen silent.

His heart tightened slightly as he thought, oh no, how could I be so foolish? These are demons after all. Have I angered them?

Who would have known that a moment later, that “Dragon Crown Prince” suddenly cried out, saying, “Aiya, what you said is right, aiya, the sect master did indeed say it like that that night,” and so on.

Then they forced him to talk for another night.

What did he have to talk about?

Although he knew that Li Yunxin had taught these demons Daoist Arts, he didn't know to what extent. According to the rules, since he had received the Water Cloud Strength from Li Yunxin, he absolutely could not teach it to others without permission—he hadn't even taught it to Shi Kuizi.

So he picked some stories about their time together to tell, and the demons listened with rapt attention.

Gradually… he began to feel that these demons were not so frightening.

However, when he woke up the next morning, he felt a lingering fear—how did he know that the demons weren't using some innate ability to bewitch his mind?

So he felt… uneasy again.

When Brother Xin was around, his heart was always full of courage, and he wasn't even very afraid of seeing great demons. Now that he was gone, although he heard that the child he was reincarnated as had created this Divine Dragon Cult, it was still…

Old Daoist Liu sighed. He walked towards his room in the moonlight.

The light in Shi Kuizi's room was still on; this had been her habit these past few days. She would always wait for him to finish cleaning the courtyard and return to his room to extinguish his lamp before she extinguished hers and went to sleep.

When he reached the outside of his room, he coughed lightly twice. This was also a routine, to let the woman know he was about to rest.

Then Old Daoist Liu pushed open the door and turned to close it.

This room was not like the Dragon King Temple he had lived in in Weicheng; it had walls of yellow earth. After he came, Shi Kuizi had papered the walls. But when a fire was lit in the outer room for cooking, the paper would smell of scorching. However, apart from being slightly choking, this smell did not bother Old Daoist Liu.

On the contrary, he felt very comfortable.

The smell of a fire. There was a woman, lighting a fire to cook, so this scorched smell had a bit of a “home” feel to it. He felt that he would probably slowly settle down on this South Mountain. Slowly…

He slowly turned around.

The room was not lit, and the paper on the window was not very transparent. So after he fumbled his way in, his eyes needed a moment to adjust to the light in the room…

Only then could he see, by the kang bed, next to the rough wooden table, bathed in moonlight, a person sitting there.

Old Daoist Liu let out a soft breath, as if he was afraid that if he breathed too heavily, he would startle the person and they would disappear in the blink of an eye.

Then he heard that person say in a familiar voice, “I know you have broken through the Intent Realm and reached the Illusory Realm. Once you reach the Illusory Realm, you cannot cultivate on your own. Without someone to guide you, it’s easy to run into problems. I thought about it… and so I came.”

Old Daoist Liu gasped a few times, feeling his breath grow slightly hot and trembling. He looked around in a panic, wanting to reach for something to prepare. But he felt he couldn't do anything.

He thought for a long time and remembered that there was half a pot of cold tea on the wooden table next to the person, but it wasn't good tea; drinking it would leave a mouthful of foam.

After being flustered for a while, he suddenly calmed down.

He let out a long breath and said, “What Brother Xin said… is right. Even after reaching this Illusory Realm, I always feel that the snow mountain is unstable and the Qi Sea is chaotic, so I don’t dare to continue cultivating.”

As he spoke, he slowly walked to the opposite side of the person, pulled over a wobbly-legged round stool, and sat down knee-to-knee. This allowed him to see the other person’s face more clearly…

That really… was Brother Xin.

A living person.

He sat leisurely in a rattan chair, leaning against the backrest, with his arms on the armrests. He wasn't looking at him, but at the window. The window paper was originally a bit yellowed, but in the moonlight, it had turned a bright white—he was staring at the bright white window paper.

He looked calm, but Old Daoist Liu saw that his eyes were slightly narrowed. The shadow cast by his eyelashes on his face would occasionally tremble slightly. His lips were also pressed together, just as he used to be. It seemed as if in the next moment, some faint, playful, yet startling words would pop out.

This was Brother Xin.

Old Daoist Liu let out another breath and said, “A few days ago, when I was circulating the Water Cloud Strength to the third level, when the qi reached the hand’s shaoyang meridian, I felt a little discomfort in my chest. I paid it no mind and continued to circulate it. Who would have thought that after another quarter of an hour, the Qinglengyuan, Jiaosun, Ermen, and Sizhukong acupoints all felt wrong. I almost deviated my qi.”

“What time was it then?” Li Yunxin asked faintly, without moving.

“Just after youshi. I was thinking that the next hour would be the time of the dragon and tiger…”

“The time was wrong.” Li Yunxin sighed slightly, still staring at the window paper. “On ordinary days, youshi is correct. But the position of your South Mountain, the seasonal qi—a few days ago, youshi belonged to the western earth element. Of course you would run into problems. It seems you… haven’t touched that Shi Kuizi these days? Otherwise, a balance of yin and yang would have prevented you from going astray.”

Old Daoist Liu’s old face turned red, and he said embarrassedly, “Um… well, that matter is not something to be done casually…”

At this moment, Li Yunxin turned his face. Looking at Old Daoist Liu, he finally smiled. “You all thought I was dead, and now that you see me again, how come you’re not excited at all, and have no reaction? It really hurts my feelings.”

Old Daoist Liu didn't speak. He was silent for a moment, then he also laughed. “I know Brother Xin doesn't like that kind of drama. If I were to cry and shout, ‘Aiya, you’re not dead after all, what happened all these days…’ Brother Xin would feel annoyed and awkward, and might just disappear on the spot and not come back for two or three days.”

Li Yunxin smiled and sighed. “It’s still most comfortable talking with you.”

“Sigh, Old Liu, I’ve missed you these days.”

The two sat opposite each other like this for a while longer. Li Yunxin then sat up straight in the rattan chair and became lost in thought again.

Old Daoist Liu didn't know what he was thinking. He sat with him for a while, and seeing that he still had no intention of speaking, he quietly got up, took the teapot from the table, and went out.

After a while, some faint sounds of conversation, the clinking of cups, and the sound of someone carrying firewood could be heard from outside. Then slowly, the smell of scorched wall paper began to drift into the room.

A quarter of an hour later, Old Daoist Liu pushed the door open and came in again. In his hand was a wooden tray with a pot of tea and a plate of dried sweet potato slices. He placed the wooden tray gently on the table next to Li Yunxin, sat down opposite him again, and said, “There's nothing good. Brother Xin, fill your stomach first.”

Li Yunxin let out a low “en.” Then he took a long breath.

“Let’s talk business, Old Liu. First, let me ask you, since you know I’m not dead, and you’ve reached the Illusory Realm—do you want to do great things with me?”

Li Yunxin's sudden excitement slightly surprised Old Daoist Liu. But he also noticed that when the other party said this, his gaze drifted towards the door and lingered a little longer on the dried sweet potato slices. However, he did not think about it any further—because what the other party said was something he needed to consider carefully.

But it was only a moment of careful consideration.

Then he said, “I do.”

Li Yunxin looked at him seriously. “I am no longer a human now. I am now… in the body of the Dragon's Son Chiwen. In other words, I am a demon.”

Old Daoist Liu let out a soft breath. “Isn’t that even better? What’s the fun in being human?”

“And you also need to know that right now, there is a three-thousand-year-old great demon in Dongting Lake. In Weicheng, there is a True Realm Daoist priest. That great demon is not a friend, and that Daoist priest is a complete enemy. And it was I who designed the killing of that Young Master Nine, and also killed Lingkongzi—wherever I look, I am surrounded by powerful enemies.”

Old Daoist Liu smiled. “Brother Xin, I am no longer Hunyuanzi. Now, my real name is Liu Gongzan.”

Li Yunxin was silent for a moment, then said, “Then before, I treated even you as a chess piece. And now, asking you if you want to do great things with me is to turn you from a hidden piece to an open one. You will return to Weicheng and face many people and matters. The True Realm Daoist priest in Weicheng will take action, perhaps soon, and he may have helpers. You will become my public signboard… attracting many people’s attention and bearing great risks.”

“You know, I like to plan. But plans don’t always succeed. Once I make a mistake… you might die. A real death, where you can’t even hope to become a Ghost Cultivator.”

Old Daoist Liu smiled. “Then after returning to Weicheng, will it be grand enough, stylish enough?”

Li Yunxin was silent for a moment, then laughed out loud. “You will return to Weicheng as the sect master of my Divine Dragon Cult. And I have already made many arrangements and plans in Weicheng—when you go back, there will be resounding gongs and drums, children clearing the way, and believers kneeling in worship—grand enough, and stylish enough!”

Liu Gongzan spread his hands. “Then, what else is there to say? A man is born into this world, isn't what he seeks just grandeur and style!”

“Good. Then, listen to me explain the current situation in Weicheng and the Wei River.” Li Yunxin took a deep breath and began to tell Old Daoist Liu in a calm tone about the earth-shattering events in the cultivation world these days, which were unknown to mortals.

And so he spoke for a full hour.

After he finished, this Old Daoist Liu blinked his eyes and lamented, “So that’s what it’s like—this kind of world…”

“It’s just that Ghost Emperor…” He frowned slightly again. “That Li Kingdom emperor certainly has a great many common people, but other people or things, for example… sigh, for example, the Dragon's Son Yazi that Brother Xin mentioned.”

“The hundreds of millions of people in the Li Kingdom all know of Emperor Li, so those hundreds of millions of people must also know of Yazi. In my humble opinion, there are even more people who know of Yazi. After all, this world is vast. As Brother Xin said, the Tuluhun Kingdom in the far west and the Beng Kingdom in the far south—just riding a horse to the capital of the Li Kingdom would take more than ten years. With such a vast distance, perhaps the people there don't even know when this deceased Emperor Li ascended the throne. They might still think that the previous Emperor Li is managing the Li Kingdom.”

“But whether it’s the Tuluhun Kingdom or the Beng Kingdom, the people there all know of the Divine Dragon, the Dragon's Son, and Yazi, right? In that case… Yazi clearly has more believers than Emperor Li, so why isn’t he as powerful as Emperor Li?”

“Or to put it another way… in the martial world, there are also some famous figures—the number of people who know them is no less than the number of people who know the emperor. But why haven't those people become that powerful?”

“That's a good question, Old Liu.” Li Yunxin let out a soft breath. “No one has told me about these things either. But I have now become a Yin Spirit, I am Chiwen. And quite a few people know of this Chiwen. I'm afraid the number of people who know of Chiwen… is also greater than the number who know of that Emperor Li. So why am I not as powerful as him?”

“I have experienced and pondered this for a long time. I have vaguely understood some rules. For example, you, Old Liu, on a normal day, have no worries about food and clothing, and you worship a god at home. When you have nothing to do, you go and pray to him, asking for peace in your home. This is you believing in him and respecting him, giving him the power of faith every day.”

“But he has never shown his divinity in front of you. Although you believe he exists, it’s just like the common people of this world—who truly believes with certainty? What they see are things they can see and touch. They know that the great officials in the city are people, and they know the emperor—although that emperor is unreachable. But they also know he is a person, right?”

“He is a real, tangible person just like themselves. Every day, they live on the emperor's land, abide by the emperor's laws, are governed by officials sent by the emperor, and have to pay taxes for the emperor.”

“These are all real, tangible, and intricate things. People know they are real, know that the emperor exists—they are certain that the emperor exists. If someone were to jump out and say, ‘Hey, maybe that emperor doesn’t exist. Maybe the emperor’s laws are not effective?’”

“—People would laugh at him as a madman.”

“But those deities… the deity you worship at home. If someone were to say, ‘Hey, maybe this god you’re praying to doesn’t exist at all, maybe he didn’t even hear you speak and won’t show his divinity.’”

“What is the reaction of an ordinary person?”

“—‘I also know he might not really show his divinity, I’m just seeking peace of mind’—right? You’ve been a temple keeper for so many years, you must have heard such words many times.”

“So in my opinion, this thing called faith is also divided into two types—strong faith and weak faith.”

“You normally pray to the deity in your home; this is weak faith—you think he should exist, but you’re not very sure, and you’re not certain he will definitely show his divinity in your home.”

“The people of the world know Yazi exists, and when a child cries, they scare him—‘if you cry again, Yazi will come and take you away.’ They say this, but who would really believe that Yazi would come down from the heavens and take the child away? This is still weak faith.”

“Those people who know of my Chiwen, who know of the Wei River Dragon King, hmm, they know there is a temple here. However—do they mention it on a normal day? Only when there is a drought and it’s hot will they lament, ‘Aiya, why isn’t the Dragon King bringing some rain.’”

“After saying it, they forget about it—and continue to carry water to water their vegetable garden. This is also weak faith.”

“And the emperor… today you commit a crime and are caught and beaten with a paddle—you have violated the Son of Heaven’s laws. That is knowing for a fact that you have transgressed, and the paddle is hitting your body!”

“This kind of faith is many, many times stronger than the faith in your household god, in Yazi, or in my Chiwen. This… I call it strong faith.”

“Then you think about it. So many people so strongly believe in the existence of the Li Kingdom emperor.”

“So many people so strongly believe that the Li Kingdom is the largest and strongest empire in the world.”

“Since Emperor Li can govern such a vast empire—that Emperor Li is so majestic and grand!”

“And then… Emperor Li died.”

“You go and tell an ordinary commoner that Emperor Li has died. This commoner will say, ‘Aiya? Emperor Li is actually dead?!’”

“—Such a powerful emperor is actually dead. He will think of many more things. If he is also a subject of the empire, then, panic, astonishment, worry—if the emperor is dead, will the world fall into chaos? And when chaos breaks out, it’s the common people who suffer the most—if only the emperor hadn’t died!”

“There will even be people who genuinely, from the bottom of their hearts, mourn and weep for Emperor Li. This kind of faith… has already far surpassed strong faith—this is an explosive, super-strong faith.”

“Hundreds of millions of people, this kind of super-strong faith… was almost simultaneously bestowed upon the ghost body of that Emperor Li within a few days. The Ghost Emperor created in this way is, of course, formidable.”