Inner Demons

Chapter 78: Painting Demon

But after only a short while, Li Yunxin paused slightly after inadvertently meeting the young Daoist disciple's gaze.

Earlier downstairs, Shi Kuizi said that they received the invitation yesterday and rushed to arrive today. Twenty li, or ten kilometers, was not a short distance in this era. The person who delivered the invitations must have left even earlier. If they rode horses or a ox-cart, they would have had to depart yesterday morning.

So the decision for "Lingkongzi to invite them to the assembly" must have been made before she met him yesterday.

This meant that Lingkongzi had already arrived in Weicheng before she met him yesterday.

Yin Pingzhi couldn't get one of these twelve high-grade invitations.

So...

It was Lingkongzi who did it.

This woman came to Qiao Family to see him yesterday, and it wasn't a coincidence.

When Li Yunxin paused, the young Daoist disciple became smug. He thought Li Yunxin had defied him earlier because he didn't know his identity—now that he saw him here too, he was shocked and surprised.

So he thought it was indeed not good to dress too modestly when going out—today, he dressed like this because a distinguished person was coming, and he didn't know what kind of attire that person would wear. If he had dressed in brocade as usual, the fellow by the window probably wouldn't have dared to utter a word.But he couldn't let them off the hook because of that.

The young Daoist disciple gave Li Yunxin a sinister smile and pointed at him.

This idiot... Li Yunxin turned his gaze and continued to think about his own matters.

The Head Disciple of the Sect Master of Langya Grotto-Heaven, Lingkongzi, had taken an interest in him, probably due to two matters.

One matter was the death of the three Lingxu Sword Sect Sword Cultivators.

The two cultivators in Weicheng were idiots, but that didn't mean all cultivators in the world were idiots. It was reasonable for Lingkongzi to suspect him—what she saw him do at Qiao Family that day almost confirmed that suspicion.

But she didn't attack; instead, she seemed amiable.

Another matter...

Was the Lucid Jade Slip. If she came after him because of the Lucid Jade Slip, this matter was even more messed up.

In fact, if either of these matters were confirmed, it would almost certainly be a life-and-death situation.

But Li Yunxin sat by the window, and after deducing these two possibilities, he smiled faintly instead.

Old Daoist Liu was carefully picking out the fruits from the edges of the fruit platter, not wanting to make a mess or ruin the arrangement. At this moment, he inadvertently glanced at Li Yunxin and found a peculiar smile on Brother Xin's face.

This was the second time today he had seen such a distinct smile on Li Yunxin's face.

But this time, it wasn't a warm smile, but rather...

Old Daoist Liu didn't have much experience after all. But if he were a scoundrel who had lived on the streets for many years, he would find Li Yunxin's current smile quite familiar.

It was the dangerous and excited smile of a skilled gambler facing an unavoidable high-stakes gamble.

...

...

At this moment, Lingkongzi stopped in the back alley of Qionghua Tower and said to Cong Yunzi, "Don't come today."

The old Daoist from Shangqing Elixir Cauldron Sect was startled, "...What does the immortal mean?"

"I originally came to do two things." Lingkongzi looked up slightly towards the second floor, "One of them is to investigate the deaths of the three Lingxu Sword Sect Sword Cultivators. The death of three Sword Cultivators in the secular world is no small matter... I had an audience with the Sword Saint before coming. The Sword Saint gave me some instructions for my travels."

"You... met the Saint?!" Cong Yunzi's eyes immediately widened.

Because it had been almost... a century since anyone had seen those two Saints.

But Lingkongzi did not answer this meaningless rhetorical question, "Before, I was also investigating you, investigating Pu Nanzi. But now I think this matter wouldn't be done by you. You're not smart enough."

"So don't come to the Treasure Blossom Assembly, lest you delay my affairs."

Daoist Priest Cong Yunzi didn't know whether to be happy or depressed after hearing this. He stood rooted for a while, then finally said, "Then immortal... what's the other matter?"

Lingkongzi narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at the second floor, "Exterminating demons."

After saying this, she paused, then added, "Painting Saint remnants."

Cong Yunzi frowned slightly, "Huh?"

"Oh. You don't know the Painting Saint." Lingkongzi nodded, "Want to know?"

Cong Yunzi froze for a moment.

But Lingkongzi's words just now didn't seem to be asking for his opinion.

"You only know the Two Saints of the world, but you don't know that there were three Saints before. Two thousand years... hmm, such a long time is enough to forget everything."

"You should at least know about Painting Daoists. Their cultivation method is different from Daoist Orthodoxy and Sword Sect, yet it is truly a Celestial Heart Orthodox Law. Aren't you curious how that is?"

"Such a methodical, systematic, and solid method, yet without a higher level, cultivation above the Manifestation Realm, don't you find that strange?"

"Because in the past, besides Daoist Orthodoxy and Sword Sect, there was also the Painting School. The Grandmaster of the Painting School was called the Painting Saint."

"Unfortunately, the Painting Saint later became a demon and was exterminated by the Celestial Being and the Two Saints and cultivators of the world. Those Painting Daoists who remain today... were formerly disciples of the Painting Saint. Look at those Artificers in the marketplace..."

"Hmm, now they worship the Two Saints, thinking that the low-grade methods they cultivate are just scraps from the mouths of Daoist Orthodoxy and Sword Sect cultivators."

"But they don't know that those are the surviving cultivation methods of the Painting School—passed down by the Painting Saint whom they now worship, and who was exterminated by the Two Saints."

"Ah, no, I shouldn't call him Painting Saint. He's Painting Demon. Now I'm here to exterminate demons."

"Is it clear now?"

Cong Yunzi was dumbfounded. Because these secret past events related to the Two Saints were just poured out to him by Lingkongzi.

He... didn't want to hear any of it!

There had to be a reason why these matters had remained unknown for thousands of years, and now he knew everything—

Cong Yunzi was dazed for a while, and then a chill ran through him, "Immortal, are you saying... the demon you are here to exterminate is also at the Treasure Blossom Assembly? Did you tell me these things because you want me to do something?"

"You can't do anything. Your realm is too low, and your mind isn't smart enough." Lingkongzi said, stepping forward, "Go back. I told you these things because they were bothering me too much inside; I had to speak them to feel better. Now you know—if you carelessly spread them, you will also be a demon. And I will exterminate you too."

After saying this, she took a few more steps, then walked from the flat ground into the air, as if a row of invisible stairs had appeared in the air.

After walking another dozen steps, she reached the second floor of Qionghua Tower—behind that gilded screen.

She stopped, looked at the people through the gaps in the screen, then looked at Li Yunxin.

"How did you do it?" She watched for a while, then suddenly turned her face slightly and whispered, "Interesting."