Inner Demons

Chapter 182: A Passerby

Yue Yunzi didn't get angry at the other person's tone and suggestion. This was because he knew that if this Linliang Zi was truly Linliang Zi, then the force behind him was incredibly mysterious and strange.

A smart person doesn't really need friends, but they definitely don't need enemies.

However, he was still a True Realm Taoist priest. In this world, besides the Two Saints, no one could order him around.

So Yue Yunzi smiled. "Are you ordering me, or begging me?"

Unlike the often emotionally unstable Qingliangzi, this Linliang Zi was calm and composed, acting very much like a cultivator from a Daoist Orthodoxy or a Sword Sect who had survived various tribulations.

He caused Qingfuzi's body to utter a calm and low female voice. "Neither. I'm just giving you a constructive suggestion. It would be more troublesome for me to do this myself, and I haven't been meticulously planning in Weicheng for as long as you have."

"If it's a suggestion, there's no need to rush." Yue Yunzi raised an eyebrow, a slight excitement welling up inside him again—a feeling he hadn't experienced for a very, very long time, at least a hundred years.

"That Dragon's Son is an interesting fellow. I want to have a good time playing with him. Your sect's Qingliangzi died at his hands—he was one of my few friends. Since your sect wants revenge, there's no need to rush. Crushing all his hopes and grinding him into dust when he's at his most arrogant and proud is the most thorough form of revenge."

Linliang Zi shook his head without hesitation. "We don't want to kill him to avenge Qingliangzi. It's because he knows things he shouldn't and is trying to do things he shouldn't. He's extremely dangerous. I still sincerely suggest that you kill him immediately—tonight would be best. Our sect will be grateful for your kindness in the future—you will receive a generous reward."

Yue Yunzi frowned slightly, seriously contemplating for a moment. Then he said, "First, tell me what he did that he shouldn't have."Linliang Zi stared at him with a pair of calm eyes—the same eyes that Yue Yunzi had considered dull and foolish just an hour ago. "If you knew the answer to that question, you would also appear on my kill list."

It was then that Yue Yunzi sneered. "What a big mouth."

"Just stating the facts, Master Yue Yunzi. This is not a threat."

"Then I'll give you a suggestion: don't have any more thoughts of killing him." Yue Yunzi narrowed his eyes slightly, sizing up the unfamiliar "Qingfuzi." "He is my toy. He will die when and how I want him to. How dare you deprive me of a pleasure I haven't had in a hundred years... Hmph. I used to like Qingliangzi because he was interesting, and then I looked at the sect behind him. Do you think I, the Head Seat of the Vinaya Hall of Langya Grotto-heaven, need your 'generous rewards'? You're a frog in a well, completely unaware."

After saying that, he flicked his sleeve and walked through the door.

Qingfuzi, whose body was occupied by Linliang Zi, stood in the courtyard for a while, then patiently said, "Perhaps he is not the person you think he is. Perhaps he has more secrets. If you are determined to delay his death, then I hope you will be more prepared—and do not fail."

The only response was a sneer.

Qingfuzi sighed, then collapsed softly—a swirling gust of cold wind left the courtyard.

...

...

"If I'm not mistaken, things will go smoothly from now on," Li Yunxin said to Old Daoist Liu. As he spoke, he frowned slightly—the sudden drop back to the initial stage of the Manifestation Realm made him feel very uncomfortable. This discomfort was not just psychological, but also physical.

The body is like a container, and Spiritual Power is like the water inside it.

As the spiritual energy slowly increases, the container gradually expands—while expanding, it also mends any possible cracks.

But if the water is suddenly drained in an instant, the container won't feel good. It might even be crushed instantly, like a fragile, thin glass container from which the air has been suddenly sucked out.

"Brother Xin is right. Very smoothly. Someone from Yu Manor came this morning and said they would rush to build our main temple on Taoxi Road, while also going out to the city to repair bridges and pave roads. The locations and scale are not restricted at all, they will do whatever we want." Old Daoist Liu looked at him worriedly. "Brother Xin, in your current state... do you still have to go personally?"

"How can I inject spiritual energy if I don't go personally?" Li Yunxin stood up, his lips slightly pale. As he walked toward the door, he smiled. "This isn't like in the Yeyuan Forest, when I was killing those swordsmen. I drew a Brocade Robes at Night Journey Painting and you added the finishing touch—that was a rough job, with a lot of room for error."

"But now we're dealing with Yue Yunzi—an Enlightened Master. He's terrifying."

He took a few steps and felt that something wasn't right, so he turned back into the room. To go out of the city, he still needed to borrow the excuse of repairing bridges and paving roads. The long robe looked nice but was not suitable; it was better to wear a short jacket and trousers.

Old Daoist Liu took the clothes he had taken off, redid his hairstyle, and helped him change into his new clothes.

"So every stroke cannot go wrong. If even one stroke is wrong, the formation is over. Yue Yunzi now thinks he has me figured out and is sure of my defeat. What do you think he's thinking?" Li Yunxin, having finished dressing, stretched his body and winked at Old Daoist Liu. "I told him how I killed Qingliangzi, and he took it to heart. The careful bastard, he hates me so much he wants to play with me like a mouse."

He walked out the door. "Just like that Qingliangzi."

Old Daoist Liu followed behind him, listening to him talk, but there was still some worry in his eyes.

This time, it seemed different.

When he was plotting against Prefect Li and Liu Ling, Old Daoist Liu felt there was no chance of victory. Despair, ironically, made him care less, and a glimmer of hope was enough to brighten his heart.

Now that he knew Brother Xin's methods and had been told all the details, he felt that his plans were exquisite and his mind was terrifyingly cunning. But because of this, he also knew about the back-and-forth between Yue Yunzi and Li Yunxin—and felt that both of them were so clever they were almost like demons. Unless he was a parasite in their stomachs, it was truly impossible to say who would win and who would lose.

Perhaps Yue Yunzi already knew everything at the very moment they felt satisfied?

This feeling made Old Daoist Liu feel uneasy.

But on Li Yunxin's face, he saw genuine joy.

It was as if...

Everything in this world was boring.

Only by fighting a dangerous opponent with a sharp blade on a tightrope over a cliff would he feel that life had become vivid and bright again.

Although Old Daoist Liu was very unwilling to think this way, he was gradually coming to the realization that...

Brother Xin didn't seem to be a normal person.

This thought made him a little unhappy. But he knew that Li Yunxin was someone who could read a person's thoughts just by looking at their face, so he didn't want to make him worry at a time like this.

Just as they were about to leave the house, he found something new to talk about to distract himself.

"The Mister Li from Yu Manor came over this morning and said that the young master Yu Meng wanted to come and see you, but he couldn't stop him. However, just as he was on his way, something happened in the fourth branch of the Yu Family—and now he has to represent Lord Yu at the scene, so he really can't come."

"I thought about it and realized it's been a long time since we've seen him, and I haven't thanked him for saving my life that time." Old Daoist Liu said as they walked in the warm morning sun. After walking for a while, he felt his body gradually warm up. "It's quite a coincidence that it happened—"

But his words were interrupted by Li Yunxin. "What happened in the fourth branch?"

After a pause, he added, "Did that person named Wang Mingde die?"

Old Daoist Liu was surprised that Brother Xin was interested in this kind of thing, but at least it changed the subject. He thought for a moment. "I'm not sure about the name, but he was surnamed Wang—he married a concubine's daughter from the fourth branch. He had always been unlucky."

"I never had any dealings with him, just saw him from a distance once. That time I went to the fourth branch's mansion to do a painting, and I saw him from a distance, also coming to the mansion to do something. A steward led him in, but didn't even give him a sip of water. He was down on his luck, sigh."

"This time, they say he came up with some kind of medicine that can be used for building roads and mountains. He was supposed to meet Yu Qi this morning, but he committed suicide this morning." Old Daoist Liu frowned. "If you ask me, he probably finally felt he had a chance to make a name for himself, but then the old master of the fourth branch tried to steal his formula. He had been depressed for many years and was narrow-minded, so he hardened his heart and took his own life, causing a big stir. Sigh, I feel sorry for his wife..."

Old Daoist Liu babbled on, not noticing Li Yunxin's expression.

Li Yunxin's face calmed down, and his eyes became clear.

Sure enough...

A landmine he had casually left behind had been triggered.

This landmine was actually unrelated to Yue Yunzi, Lingkongzi, Chiwen, Yazi, or the Lord of Dongting, and had nothing to do with what he was about to do in Weicheng.

It was just because he felt that Qingliangzi was strange, that the organization behind him was strange, and that this world... was even stranger based on the limited history he knew.

So he casually found an incompetent person and gave him a landmine.

Now it had exploded.

Did this mean that the ridiculous thought he had...

was true?

Old Daoist Liu turned his face and saw his expression, stunned, stopping his words. "Brother Xin, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Li Yunxin narrowed his eyes slightly, subconsciously looking around.

The people from Yu Manor already knew that he and Old Daoist Liu didn't like to be disturbed, so the maids and servants who had been sent were all dismissed. Now the two of them were walking through the bustling streets toward the city gate to meet the people who were building the bridge today—there was nothing out of the ordinary on the street.

However, he would occasionally hear passers-by mentioning the words "Divine Dragon Cult." The sun was bright above, and a few wisps of clouds were scattered across the azure sky.

Li Yunxin let out a light breath, also to hide his thoughts, and said, "Earlier, Yue Yunzi's people went to South Mountain."

Old Daoist Liu was stunned, then was silent for a while and just said, "Hmm."

Li Yunxin didn't say anything more and just walked side by side with him on the street. After walking for a while, Old Daoist Liu said, "Will they... become suspicious?"

"After all, our Divine Dragon Cult started in South Mountain. Now that we have left and come to Weicheng, we have left her there alone." Old Daoist Liu thought for a moment. "If that Yue Yunzi thinks that we are cold-hearted and don't care about her life... then he might discover that scroll of 'Water Cloud Strength'—we shouldn't have left the person with the 'Water Cloud Strength' in South Mountain without any precautions. This flaw... is a little too obvious."

Li Yunxin shook his head slightly. "This is your thinking, but it won't be his. You and Shi Kuizi think that the 'Water Cloud Strength' is a treasure, but Yue Yunzi must have many secret manuals that are more profound than that one. He has seen a vast number of them. He won't think that it's anything special."

"He was not a wild Taoist priest like you used to be—a wild Taoist priest desperately searching for a true scripture and unable to find it, so you can understand that feeling—but he used to be a high-ranking official, directly taken to the mountain by the Grotto-heaven Sect Master who came down the mountain. The starting point is different, so he can't understand your mindset."

Old Daoist Liu said "Hmm" and didn't ask any more questions. He just walked silently.

When the two of them were about to reach the city gate and saw two wealthy merchants walking quickly toward them, Li Yunxin turned his head and sighed. "You, really. I'm not the kind of person who does good deeds without wanting recognition—I love it when people praise me."

"You are so grateful to me, so just say thank you! What's so embarrassing about that."

Old Daoist Liu was stunned, then felt a warmth rise in his heart. He felt that whether he smiled, kept a straight face, or was grateful to Li Yunxin, it was all wrong.

In the end, he walked seriously to Li Yunxin's side, bowed deeply, and said solemnly, "Thank you, Brother Xin."

Li Yunxin didn't help him up, and instead accepted the bow properly, showing his teeth in a smile. "You're welcome. All right, you've thanked me, and I've accepted your bow—don't think about it anymore. We're even—do a good job today."

"...Yes!"

On this day, four major things were accomplished.

First, a bridge was built over a small river named Mingxi. This stream was calm and quiet on a sunny day, but it would flood as soon as it rained.

Although it didn't rain often now, the Divine Dragon Cult Master insisted on doing something here, so others had to comply.

Li Yunxin and Old Daoist Liu personally laid the foundation stone—using eighty-one bluestone slabs to form the shape of a drop of water, which was said to calm the spirits.

Then there were the other three roads.

When the first two roads were built, everything went smoothly. But on the third one, the Divine Dragon Cult Master said he wanted to go through a mountain.

It wasn't a big mountain, but a small hill. The road could have gone around the hill, but the Divine Dragon Cult Master insisted on going through it.

To go through it, they had to open the mountain. According to the locals, there weren't many stones in this small hill, just mud and sand. It wasn't impossible to open the mountain, but it would take some time and manpower.

The Divine Dragon Cult Master listened and smiled slightly.

He immediately ordered everyone to stand far away, while he himself stood in place, exhaling and exerting his power—

A golden light shot out from his palm and split a path straight through the middle of the small hill!

This was the first time he had displayed his "divine power," and it was also the first time people had witnessed such powerful Daoist Arts. It was at this moment that the wealthy merchants who had been with him all this time, and even that Mister Li from Yu Manor, realized...

This young man was not a puppet at all!

However, in Yue Yunzi's eyes, only one key point was seen.

That third road was a straight line, a line that passed through the small hill. It also had to be a straight line—to be part of the painting.

Because of this, he did not take a detour and... anxiously displayed his divine power.