Chapter 61: The Tianqing Record Has the Effect of Reducing Desires…
After changing his line of thought, the way Yun Wuxiang looked at Song Yilou underwent some subtle changes.
A certain intuitive creature who indulged his instincts keenly sensed the anomaly. Song Yilou clung relentlessly to Yun Wuxiang’s clothes. “Temple Master, what do you mean by ‘just like, that’s all’? I feel like you are thinking about some strange things.”
“Strange things?”
Yun Wuxiang repeated the phrase. Looking at Song Yilou’s confused and probing expression, his state of mind entered a peculiar realm, and a vague sense of pleasure rose from the bottom of his heart. “What nonsense are you talking about? Isn’t the strangest thing here you?”
Isn’t the most unreasonable thing your brain?
Yun Wuxiang curled his lips into a smile. Red eyes, white hair, shrouded in demonic energy, paired with this faint smile that wasn’t quite a smileâhis whole body seemed to emit a layer of black aura, like some dark demonic entity quietly awakening.
Song Yilou placed both paws over his heart. “My heart seems to be jumping. Temple Master, what did you do?”
“You’re a ghost; where would you get a heart?” Yun Wuxiang found him baffling. He glanced lightly at his chest. Ghosts only had a Ghost Essence; they didn’t even have a body, let alone a heart.
He really still couldn’t completely understand Song Yilou’s thinking. Very good. This proved his own thinking was still within the normal range and hadn’t been assimilated by the neurotic.
“Tell me about the situation outside. The Black Mist Bird said the Tianqing Fruit is no ordinary item here. Where did you get this bag of fruit? And where did the injuries on your body come from?”
Yun Wuxiang hooked his finger at the side of Song Yilou’s collarbone, pulling it open to reveal wounds on his chest. They weren’t claw marks from beasts; the wounds were thin and neat. There were also whip marks similar to being lashed by rattan. Only an opponent using weapons could cause such wounds.
“Are there other living people here?”
Song Yilou looked down at the hand pulling his collar. “Should I shout ‘indecent assault’?”
Meeting a gaze that said “Is this guy acting up again? Should I beat him up?”, Song Yilou blurted out, “Temple Master, I want to assault you indecently.”
Yun Wuxiang let go. “Say any more useless nonsense, and you can get lost.”
Song Yilou’s eyes drifted unfaithfully to Yun Wuxiang’s collar. He wanted to make a move but remembered the original owner of this body. The feeling of having broken pottery shards mixed into a delicious mealâwanting to eat but unable toâwas unbearable.
Sooner or later, I’ll pull the Temple Master out of this shell!
“I met those two broken logs and fought them. These are my spoils of war! Look, Temple Master.”
Song Yilou looked away, reached into his storage ring, and pulled out a wooden box. Click, he opened the hidden clasp. The lid sprang open, revealing a whole box of Tianqing Fruits.
The Black Mist Bird’s words echoed in Yun Wuxiang’s mind: ăThe Tianqing Fruit is not a common item. There are very few left in the Great Prison as well.ă
Not a common item, very few left…
Gaze moving from the box of Tianqing Fruits under his nose to the fruits in the food box on the ground, Yun Wuxiang somewhat doubted if the “very few left” the Black Mist Bird spoke of meant something different from his understanding.
Yun Wuxiang looked up at Song Yilou’s proud smile, like someone showing off after winning a battle. “Fought them? I remember those two Wood Demonsâone Earth Demon, one Demon Lord. How did you fight? Ambush, or running for your life?”
“I won!” Song Yilou puffed out his chest, throwing his head back with a triumphant smile. “They didn’t dare use magic power here. Temple Master, in this place, the more magic power used, the faster one goes mad.”
“And those two guys are being hunted by the locals. A Demon Lord acting so constrained here looks hilarious. Hahahaha…”
Yun Wuxiang: “Are all those demons here?”
Song Yilou extended a finger and pointed upward. “Not here, up there. We were thrown by the Black Mist Bird to the place where the Fallen Rainbow Qi is most dense. This is a very deep rift valley. Without using magic power, if you fall down, you can’t climb back up. The locals above call this the Rift of Doomed Lives.”
No wonder Song Yilou started going mad after returning. Going back and forth in the rift valley and fighting othersâthis ghost thing probably hadn’t restrained himself from using magic power at all.
And there were actually locals here. Yun Wuxiang had noticed early on that the mad beasts outside were a mix of new and old. Although there weren’t any half-rotted ones, there were quite a few dried corpses mixed in, and many skeletons on the ground showing obvious signs of age.
For this situation to occur, either living creatures had always reproduced here, or there was a crack leading to the outside Secret Realm. The latter was unlikely; the creatures in the Secret Realm had all demonized into demonic beasts in the illusion filled with demonic energy. The animals here, aside from being abnormally crazy, didn’t differ much in strength from ordinary animals.
He guessed animals reproduced here, but he hadn’t expected living people.
“I originally wanted to move the Temple Master and the cage up together, but this cage is too heavy. Couldn’t move it.”
Song Yilou’s mood swings were always fast. One second he was laughing; the next, he found the cage an eyesore and kicked it twice.
The birdcage Yun Wuxiang was in looked ordinary, just larger, but in reality, the material was extraordinary. Neither its hardness nor weight was something their current levels could shake.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t be researching explosive talismans and spatial transfer arts here.
“Temple Master just needs to kill me to get out. Really won’t do it?” Song Yilou asked with a look of anticipation.
“Are your ears broken too? When did the Black Mist Bird say killing you would let me leave?” Yun Wuxiang picked up another fruit. “Or is one Tianqing Fruit not enough to make your brain completely sober?”
Song Yilou looked at the Tianqing Fruit with disgust. “Monk fruit.”
“Temple Master, this fruit is related to your cultivation technique. Is your lack of desire a problem with the technique?”
Yun Wuxiang’s unconscious movement of rubbing the fruit skin paused.
Does the Tianqing Record have the effect of reducing desires?
Seems not. I feel my emotions have always been quite rich.
However, Tianqing Qi indeed has the effect of purifying desires. But the technique I’m using after coming to the Demon Realm isn’t the Qingdi Record. Even after switching to demonic cultivation, I’m still the same old me, no change from before.
What’s the point of pondering this?
Smack!
Slapping away a certain someone’s restless paw, Yun Wuxiang said, “Don’t interrupt. What’s the situation up there now?”
“Don’t know. When I came down, those demons were fighting the locals, snatching their Tianqing Fruits. Don’t know if they’re done fighting now.”
As Song Yilou spoke, his eyes swept over Yun Wuxiang’s hair. He stared at the transition between black and white hair for a while, then secretly reached out a hand…
Yun Wuxiang rhythmically rotated the Tianqing Fruit in his hand, processing information in his mind.
It wasn’t strange for the demons to fight the aboriginals. Demons were a race adept at committing crimes. Before knowing the existence of Fallen Rainbow Qi upon entry, some demons must have used magic and then become irritable and crazy.
With that lesson learned, the other demons would become cautious. But given the nature of demons, they wouldn’t be willing to stay that way.
Given the importance of Tianqing Fruits, the aboriginals wouldn’t share their survival necessities with a group of outsiders either.
Conflict was inevitable.
Setting aside these superficial factors, the root cause of this situation was the Black Mist Bird.
The Black Mist Bird threw him and Song Yilou here, ostensibly to help him cut the marriage line, though ulterior motives remained unclear.
What was its purpose in throwing the demons here to fight the aboriginals?
Selecting an inheritor? Or simply wanting to torment these demons?
The Tower Spirit said Daoist Venerable Jiangzi disliked demons. Then, as the guardian of Daoist Venerable Jiangzi’s Inheritance Dao Artifact, what was the Black Mist Bird’s attitude toward demons?
Wait, if all the demons in the Secret Realm were dragged in, what about Liu Zhu and Zhao Sihai? Was the Core Area within the purple light’s capture range?
The protective talismans he left for those two hadn’t been triggered, so their lives should be safe for now.
Should he probe the Black Mist Bird again? Liu Zhu was a reincarnated Daoist Venerable after all; the Black Mist Bird should recognize him…
His scalp suddenly tightened, interrupting his thoughts. Yun Wuxiang turned his head back, his scalp pulled again. Following an affected and deliberate wail, Yun Wuxiang saw a safety knot woven from a lock of hair at the back of his head and a lock from the top of Song Yilou’s head.
Song Yilou blinked. “Temple Master, do you think this marriage knot looks good?”
Yun Wuxiang stared at the safety knot, all complex thoughts in his brain knocked away by a single thought.
“Wah! Temple Master, why did you cut your own hair? If you want to cut, cut mine!”
A sword gleam flashed past Song Yilou’s ear, and a tuft of hair flew away.
“Alright. Granting your wish.” Yun Wuxiang glanced at the short hair by his ear, then continued to examine the top of his head. reaching out, he called, “Come here.”
Song Yilou’s intuition told him the current Temple Master was very dangerous and he shouldn’t go over. But was he someone who cared about danger?
He placed his paw on Yun Wuxiang’s hand without hesitation. “Temple Master, I’m coming.”
Yun Wuxiang reached out and lifted a corner of the short hair cut by the sword Qi by his ear, his tone exceptionally gentle. “Don’t move. Look, it’s cut unevenly.”
Song Yilou’s instinct for danger was screaming, making his scalp numb, but he only wanted to get closer to the source of that danger.
He widened his eyes, gazing into Yun Wuxiang’s red eyes where the smile didn’t reach the bottom.
So fond of this!
Really fond of these eyes!
Too beautiful, this look!
Song Yilou completely didn’t hide his inner thoughts in front of Yun Wuxiang. Except when intentionally playing dumb, his thoughts were basically written on his face.
Yun Wuxiang looked at his shining eyes, like a puppy wagging its tail in excitement. The smile at the corner of his mouth deepened, and he enunciated clearly: “Let’s change your hairstyle. A bald head would suit you very well.”
Song Yilou: !?
What? Bald? Isn’t that a monk?
Instantly sober.
Retreating and bending over to dodge the sword gleam, Song Yilou jumped around in the cage. “Wah! Temple Master! Bald doesn’t look good! Really doesn’t look good!”
“I don’t want to be a monk!”
…
In a cave somewhere, a hairy aboriginal lay dead on the side, soul already returned to the homeland. Two bandits sat inside brazenly.
“That damned rotten scorpion! Next time I see him, I will definitely twist him into a fried dough twist, grind him into meat paste, and throw him to the man-eating flowers as fertilizer!”
Mu Mian ground his back molars, speaking with a fierce look in his eyes, while his hands carefully bandaged the wounds of the other demon.
“That is a ghost. No meat, can’t be fertilizer.” Mu Miao maintained his listless, lazy appearance, only groaning when the wound was pulled. “Wu, be gentle. It hurts quite a bit.”
“I’m already careful enough. You’re too delicate.” Mu Mian looked at the wounds on his back, brows furrowing together. Mimicking how Mu Miao coaxed him when he was little, he blew gently on the wound.
“That’s right, I’m delicate, so your movements must be light.” Mu Miao couldn’t see the scene behind him. After the wound was blown on, he said, “Suddenly a bit cold. Is it windy outside?”
Mu Mian snapped back to reality. Embarrassed and angry but not wanting to be discovered, he said stiffly, “Yes, it’s windy.”
“Move some things to block the cave entrance,” Mu Miao commanded.
A crisp sound of breaking branches came from the cave entrance. Both demons turned their heads to look at the entrance almost simultaneously.
The pink-purple-haired Incubus looked at the two faces that were highly identical, distinguished only by the demon markings on their foreheads, turning to look at him simultaneously. The invisible pressure of high-level demons tightened his heart. Outwardly, he greeted the two demons with a friendly expression. “Greetings, Your Highness Mu Miao and Your Highness Mu Mian.”
Mu Mian scanned the other’s long pink-purple hair with disgust, violent killing intent surging. “Incubus. Daring to appear in front of meâseeking death?”
Mu Miao said lazily, “I’ve long ceased to be a Highness. Just call me by name.”
Hearing this, Mu Mian turned his head back, glared unhappily at his back, and finally vented his anger on the Incubus at the entrance. “Ignore him. Just call us that. Dare to drop the honorific, and I’ll chop off your tongue.”
Man She’s pink-purple eyes swept over the once-famous twin brothers of the Wood Demon Clan. He restrained all the natural charm and amorousness of an Incubus, not daring to show even a bit. He spoke in a very serious tone: “Your Highnesses, any interest in cooperating?”
Mu Mian sneered. “I never cooperate with Incubi.”
“Don’t be in a hurry to refuse, Your Highness. The goal of cooperation is to snatch the Tianqing Fruits from that ghost scorpion.”
Man She didn’t beat around the bush, stating his intention. “He is too arrogant. Every demon I could contact has been schemed against by him. Our Demon Realm’s motto has always been: internal strife doesn’t matter, but resolve external enemies first.”
Mu Mian sneered disdainfully. “External enemy? Is he worthy!”
“Strength-wise, perhaps not. He is but a mere wandering ghost. But aren’t his actions a provocation to our Demon race? I finally bewitched a Green Tree clansman to share half his fruits with me, only for that ghost scorpion to take them away in the chaos.”
Man She asked the two demons in the cave with a face full of genuine anger, “My loss is far less than Your Highnesses’, yet even I cannot swallow this anger. How much more so for you two?”
“The other demons I found have agreed to revenge, but demons only submit to the strong. Without a leader who can command the crowd, I dare not gather them together.”
“So, I came to find Your Highnesses.” Man She continued, “Actually, venting anger is secondary. The Tianqing Fruits are what we must get our hands on!”
At the mention of Tianqing Fruits, Mu Miao, who had lain motionless after speaking one sentence, raised his head and gave the Incubus another look.
A sharp, fierce light flashed in the eyes of Mu Mian, who was already moved.
“Also, those Green Tree clansmen. If we didn’t lack Tianqing Fruits and dare not use power recklessly, how could we be chased by them so wretchedly? Dragging this on, our situation will only get worse. Better to counterattack while everyone still has strength, seize the Tianqing Fruit Tree. That is the long-term plan.”
“Your Highnesses, the dignity of the Demon race cannot be trampled by a ghost creature. We cannot sit and wait for death in our current situation.”
The Incubus issued the invitation again: “Please, Your Highnesses, lead the demons to kill the ghost scorpion and seize the Tianqing Fruits.”
Mu Mian was persuaded. He didn’t speak but looked at his twin brother.
Mu Miao looked at Man She and said slowly, “You are an excellent Incubus, very good at inciting emotions.”
Man She said modestly, “You praise me too much.”
Mu Miao said no more and lay his head back down. “Then let’s cooperate. Use your eloquence to get more demons over here.”
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