Inner Demons

Chapter 62: Principles

Li Yunxin shook his head slightly, wiped his face with his fingertips, and then flicked off a small piece of flesh.

The clothes he had just changed into, still smelling of soapberry, were now splattered with bloodstains.

Then he sighed again, spread his hands, and said, "First time meeting, you don't even say your name, nor do you know the details. You just aggressively ask me why I harm people—Friend, let's be reasonable, isn't this a bit rude?"

In those few seconds, Li Yunxin had quickly and carefully observed the woman.

The result was rather alarming.

He had walked into the Qiao Family so openly because he wasn't worried. Not worried that someone would break in and he would be unaware.

The Taoist priest from the Weicheng Shangqing Elixir Cauldron Sect and the Sword Cultivator from the Lingxu Sword Sect were only at the Illusory Realm cultivation level. He might not be able to confront those two head-on, but he had a hundred ways to mess with them. If those two had walked through the courtyard gate, he would have known immediately, given his prior precautions.

However, he only noticed this woman when she arrived.

This woman... her cultivation level was at least not below his own. And she seemed to enjoy playing around—first entering the illusory realm to admire the scenery, and then, when she wanted to step out, she did.

She had just killed someone with a flick of her finger. She killed decisively and calmly. Judging by the technique...It was not the Dao of Painting.

Then it should be Daoist Orthodoxy.

Sword Cultivators kill with their swords, while Taoist priests excel at drawing talismans. When cultivation reaches a profound level, some simple talismans can be drawn from thin air with spiritual energy, just like she did.

Li Yunxin wanted to see her expression and capture her thoughts. But a quick glance made him realize the woman had used some technique on her face—he could see her face, but he couldn't clearly discern it.

It was as if there was a fog in his head.

It was probably some kind of Dharma Artifact. His parents had told him about "Dharma Artifacts," but this was his first time seeing one.

This was a normal phenomenon—since Dharma Artifacts contained the word "treasure," they were bound to be rare. If every cultivator could easily possess one or two, they wouldn't be called Dharma Artifacts.

So he could only "read" her from the content of her words, her tone, and her body language.

The first conclusion he drew was—good. Not a social (harmonize your sister) personality disorder psychopath, barely classifiable as a normal person.

Of course, the possibility of her being a deeply hidden psychopath couldn't be ruled out.

He spoke with an air of calm and righteousness, completely without the panic of someone who had "used evil magic to harm people and been caught by a fellow practitioner."

The woman frowned slightly, scrutinized him for a moment, and then murmured, "Interesting."

Li Yunxin rolled his eyes.

Young Master Nine also said he was interesting, Bai Yunxin also said he was interesting. Now this woman also said he was interesting.

Her demeanor, if he had encountered it for the first time, might have made him think of her as an "unfathomable" master, making him nervous. But now that he had met great demons like Young Master Nine and Bai Yunxin, looking at these human cultivators...

There was absolutely no pressure.

He pointed at himself: "I am Li Yunxin. And what may I call you, Miss?"

One second later, the woman imperceptibly straightened her chest, and her head tilted slightly backward—this indicated that she was currently in a "more formal" state of mind—

"Langya Grotto-Heaven's Head Disciple of the Sect Master, Lingkongzi." She hesitated slightly, then added in a strangely and imperceptibly joyful tone, "When walking among mortals, you may call me Liu Ling."

Got it.

Just that one hint of emotional fluctuation.

A "Head Disciple of the Sect Master from Langya Grotto-Heaven" who finds things and people "interesting."

A noble status.

There are eighteen Grotto-heavens in the Daoist Orthodoxy. Every Sect Master of a Grotto-heaven is a disciple of a Book Saint. This woman called herself "Head Disciple of the Sect Master"—if she wasn't lying—she could almost sit as an equal with anyone below the thirty-six School masters.

Legend has it that the Grotto-heavens are "immortal realms" unimaginable to mortals. Miss Lingkongzi, coming from such an "immortal realm," now walked into this haunted house to see "scenery" and called him "interesting."

And when she introduced her "mortal name," there was a hint of joy and novelty in her tone...

A rich and beautiful woman who carries a huge sum of money to the slums to experience life, and casually sees moss in brick cracks, leaky roofs, and dying old people basking in the sun on street-side rattan chairs, and thinks "how beautiful"—that image was now clearly sketched in his mind.

Li Yunxin then smiled: "Hmm. Miss Liu. Look, the situation is like this—you should know that we, the cultivators in the secular world, also have our own ashrams."

"This is my ashram. I don't know what your attitude is towards spirits and monsters. But in my opinion, spirits and monsters, in fact, are good and bad. I don't know if you've heard the phrase 'teach all without discrimination'—since both spirits and humans can aspire to the Dao, if I have the means, I will help them."

"Beasts that have gained sentience, if left unguided and undirected, are very likely to go astray. They might eat human flesh, harm villagers, and eventually be eliminated by a master like you who travels among mortals—they kill people, and then they don't live either."

"You see, what a tragic outcome that is. Cultivators like you and me practice the Celestial Heart Orthodox Law. Where does the Celestial Heart Orthodox Law come from? It was passed down by the Celestial Beings. In the eyes of the Celestial Beings, are we truly more noble than those beasts are in our eyes? I don't think so. Since the Celestial Beings can compassionately pass down the methods of cultivation to us, then shouldn't we also have a responsibility to help other suffering beings?"

"Miss Liu, look at this world, why is there suffering? Because of the unfair distribution of resources."

"Some people possess wealth, yet they still exploit and oppress others. And those who are exploited and oppressed constantly accumulate resentment in their hearts, and eventually they will always resist. Dynasties change—I believe that's how it comes about. This is about the human world. But if we talk about the entire world we inhabit, what role do we play? We control the most resources, while those spirits—"

Liu Ling stood listening to him speak. At first, she merely stood casually. Later, she tilted her head slightly, and a slender index finger began tapping gently inside her sleeve.

She was thinking—from initial non-committal to subsequent earnest engagement.

She felt... that what this young man, Li Yunxin, was saying actually made a lot of sense. Although something felt not quite right, it still made a lot of sense.

"...So I call this Great Harmony world, Communism. Humans and demons living together harmoniously and happily, what a wonderful world that would be." Li Yunxin concluded his speech. "So that person just now, you know, was particularly annoying. Why do I call him a test subject? I originally wanted him to try and get along with these newly sentient little demons. But what he did, you know—"

"You are a good person," Liu Ling interrupted him. "No need to explain."

Li Yunxin's eyes widened.

He heard Liu Ling continue in a calm voice: "What you say may not be true, and what you do here may not be as righteous as you claim."

"But you can actually say... such insightful words. Leaving aside whether that principle is right or wrong, you must have thought it through carefully. A person who thinks about these questions cannot be a bad person. You are a person with an extremely kind heart."

She definitively "characterized" Li Yunxin with an unquestionable tone, then turned and left.

"Since you say it's your ashram, then it is your ashram. I will go back and think carefully about your words. If I don't understand anything, I will come back and ask you."

Li Yunxin blinked, staring at her for a moment.

When she was about to walk out of the moon gate, he couldn't help but ask, "Miss Liu, what are you doing in Weicheng?"

Liu Ling stopped and turned to look at him.

"Dao Heart," she said. "I came to find my Dao Heart."