Inner Demons

Chapter 99: Repaying a Life

Chapter 99: Repaying a Life

In such a vast world, rivers crisscrossed everywhere. ... And among these seventy percent of the waterways, the portion belonging to the ninth son, Chiwen...

Was only this single Wei River—and that was merely in name.

Because the river basin beyond the Qing Kingdom was not within his control.

The Great Ghost didn't know why this was, but it didn't matter. Li Yunxin already knew... why Young Master Nine was such a Young Master Nine.

The suspicion, loneliness, moodiness, and intense desire for validation he displayed...

This was practically a textbook example of a patient suffering from severe chronic psychological trauma due to childhood, family, and early life hardships.

Therefore, after Li Yunxin spoke, Young Master Nine's full-blown rage instantly vanished.

Li Yunxin let out a second sigh of relief inwardly.

Demons... although they lacked human nature, they were still sentient, logical beings. Even if their logic differed from humans and formed its own system, since it was still "logic"...

It was still within his grasp.

This banished Dragon's Son, upon hearing Li Yunxin's words, stood by the surging Wei River, seemingly trying to make himself look more ferocious. Yet, he was ultimately flustered by the sudden influx of emotions, and after two or three breaths, he finally said fiercely, "Even so, why did you do this?"

Li Yunxin no longer seemed flustered; instead, he stood upright, took a deep breath, and said word by word, "Young Master Nine, have you ever heard this story?"

"—The King of Tianfang Kingdom had a retainer named Pianli. This retainer had served three different countries, all of which were eventually destroyed. So Pianli came to Tianfang Kingdom. Later, Tianfang Kingdom was also destroyed. The retainer, as usual, escaped."

"A few years later, the King of Yetan Kingdom, who had destroyed Tianfang Kingdom and killed its king, encountered an assassination while crossing a bridge. But he was unharmed, and the assassin was captured. The King of Yetan Kingdom asked him why he tried to assassinate him. The assassin said that he was Pianli, the former retainer of the King of Tianfang Kingdom."

"In those few years, he had scarred his face with a knife, disfiguring himself. He had also swallowed hot charcoal, destroying his voice. Then he waited that long, finally getting this opportunity."

Li Yunxin paused slightly, wiping the sweat from his face, giving him time to think.

The expression on the Dragon's Son's face at this moment had become quite complex—this was the first time Li Yunxin had seen such a close approximation of normal human emotion on his face. He frowned and asked, "Why didn't you escape this time?"

"Pianli said that when he served those previous kings, they all treated him as a servant. But when he followed the King of Tianfang Kingdom, the King treated him as a national scholar. Therefore—" Li Yunxin straightened his body, his expression solemn and grave, and said amidst the surging sound of the Wei River, "My King treated me as a national scholar, so I shall repay him as a national scholar! In that temple, you saved me once. In Qinghe County, you saved me again. Though it was an effortless act for you, to me, it was a debt of rebirth."

"Previously, I didn't understand the crucial points and recklessly impacted the seals with incense votive power, committing a great taboo in cultivation, making further progress impossible. Since that's the case... I shall repay you with my life!"

"That woman knew I was friends with you, Young Master, so she held me hostage, wanting me to help her kill you—how could I be ungrateful?! So I told that woman that you are the Wei River Dragon King, enjoying incense votive power. Once all the temples that worship you are removed, you will lose the faith of many believers and your strength will inevitably be greatly damaged. At that time, we can kill you."

"That woman didn't believe me... Heh heh, of course, I have a way to make her believe me," Li Yunxin smiled sadly, "Replacing divine statues with paintings always requires attaching some spiritual energy, so those Temple Keepers and Daoist Temple Masters would truly believe it was a genuine divine position and willingly change them. So I told her... if she didn't believe me, I would become the one worshipped! I, a human, receiving incense votive power, would lead to the dispersal of my cultivation and death..."

"I'm even giving up my own life, so she naturally... believed me," Li Yunxin shook his head, "She asked me again why I did this. I said that when I was with you, Young Master... I committed many grave sins. If your death is related to me... I also wouldn't have the face to live on!"

After saying this, Li Yunxin began to breathe deeply. His chest rose and fell violently, as if his emotions were surging, making it difficult to calm down for a long time! ꭆÁɴ𝖔𝔟Ёṩ

Young Master Nine stood blankly before him, listening to his words. After listening, he was stunned for a few more seconds, then suddenly burst into rage.

With a wave of his hand, he struck Li Yunxin several yards away, his face instantly becoming hideous and distorted as he yelled furiously, "Fool! Fool! Fool! And here I thought you were interesting, young master!"

"I—am the Wei River Dragon King! The Wei River Dragon King!! How dare you act like this?! Fool! Truly a fool!!"

He stomped around furiously like a child, but he did not lay another hand on Li Yunxin.

After raging for a full quarter of an hour, he suddenly slumped to the ground, looking sideways at Li Yunxin, who had already sat up from the grass.

He stared at him gloomily for a while, then suddenly let out a long sigh: "You... why didn't you tell me sooner?!"

The angry blow was extremely powerful. But Li Yunxin was wearing the soft armor he had given him, so he only felt a slight sweetness in his throat. Seeing him raging there, he knew that this was... expressing his emotions.

He didn't know the lifespan of dragons, nor how long these demons lived before becoming "adults."

But just looking at Young Master Nine, he knew...

This was still a child.

At least psychologically, he was still a child. He didn't know how to express his emotions, nor how to control them. He was happy because he had gained his first "true" friendship, but this happiness quickly turned into frustration because of the bad news that followed.

Li Yunxin didn't even have to exert much effort...

He had already completely controlled his emotions.

Seeing him like this, even Li Yunxin suddenly felt a slight... unwillingness in his heart. This Dragon's Son, at least at this moment, truly considered him... a friend?

Because of this reluctance, he even began to think—perhaps there was another way...

But, when Young Master Nine spoke his next words, that slight softness of emotion and illusion... completely vanished from Li Yunxin's heart.

"...Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Young Master Nine's voice had slowly calmed down, "I found the family where you released that ghost earlier—you let that ghost go, didn't you? Hmph. I've been looking for it! I still found it! That ghost said you borrowed a bronze mirror from that family, hmph."

"At that time, I was angry with you... I saw the young lady of that family with tender skin and flesh, and casually caught and ate her... Now that I know what happened, hmph." Young Master Nine frowned, "I should have known not to eat her. Actually, the taste wasn't very good. But... in the end, she was just a human."

He seemed a little ashamed. But that hint of shame quickly disappeared like dew under the scorching sun: "Alas. Since it's come to this, you're bound to die, right? I, the young master, have no solution... It's a pity about you, alas. Then tell me, what did you tell that woman?"

Li Yunxin's expression did not change at all. Not even a slight twitch of his eyelids.

He calmly looked at Young Master Nine: "The woman you're talking about, is she from the Yin Family? A young girl? Named Yin Xuerou?"

"Perhaps?" Young Master Nine frowned, seeming to grant him more but limited patience because of Li Yunxin's sacrifice. "Who has the patience to remember her name? Just blood food. If you like, when you die, I'll sacrifice a few more to you!"

"Oh." Li Yunxin smiled slightly. He lowered his head, was silent for a moment, then spoke again.

But his voice had become clear and articulate.

"So, here's the thing. I told that woman that I would pretend to still be your friend and stand on your side. When the two of you start fighting, I'll take you by surprise and release a Talisman, temporarily sealing your cultivation. At that time... you'll be at my mercy."

"But when that time truly comes..." Li Yunxin articulated clearly, his eyes sharp, staring directly at the Dragon's Son before him, "I will use this Talisman on her."

Young Master Nine frowned slightly, thought for a while, then looked at Li Yunxin a few times, his eyes rolling.

Then he tilted his head slightly: "Is it that simple?"

"No matter the scheme, the simpler and more effective it is, the better," Li Yunxin looked at him and replied, "A scheme with too many steps and too many variables is prone to problems and complete failure. So—yes, it is that simple. I will decide the victor."

Young Master Nine thought for a moment, then suddenly looked troubled: "That woman... hmm. You said she's a Taoist priest?"

"A Manifestation Realm Taoist priest. She said... she specifically removes Dragon's Sons."

"Hmph... if I happen to be busy that day, well—"

"There's nowhere to go, my friend," Li Yunxin interrupted him, speaking to him in a firm and serious tone for the first time, "You have nowhere to hide, my friend. Is this Wei River... not yours? Where else could you go?"

Young Master Nine's eyes suddenly widened: "How dare you speak to me like that?!"

But Li Yunxin only sighed: "I am a dying man."

This made the Dragon's Son calm down again. He frowned in annoyance, paced a few steps, and then roared in fury: "I am the Wei River Dragon King!!"

As his voice fell, a cloud of mist suddenly rose from the ground, enveloping him and carrying him straight into the great river.

Li Yunxin turned around and stared in the direction where he entered the water for a long time, then raised his head, facing the sun, closed his eyes, and let out a long breath from his nose.

Demons...

"Casually grabbed and eaten."

Such a simple sentence, spoken so simply.

Li Yunxin then knew... any further soft-heartedness would be seeking his own death.

Perhaps one day, that very sentence would apply to himself.

Being friends with an orange doesn't mean you won't eat tangerines.

When eating tangerines... do you need to consider the feelings of the orange?

He sighed again, applied another talisman to himself, and walked towards the city.

The matter here was settled. Young Master Nine wanted to hide, but now knew he couldn't—what would he be if he lost the Wei River? He could only fight.

Liu Ling... would probably be very curious about what he had done by coming out of the city. She, Liu Ling, was in the Manifestation Realm, and although Li Yunxin's Snow Mountain Qi Sea was sealed, he was also in the Manifestation Realm. Given this... she wouldn't be foolish enough to try any means to monitor him.

So...

Since he had already "repaid a life" here.

He would go back and "lure her into a trap."