Part 2
Upon asking, Yun Wuxiang received Caituan’s reply: “The Daoist Venerable’s power is unaffected by the time reversal. Song Yilou borrowed the power of Daoist Venerable Shuji. You retained your pre-reversal memories because of Daoist Venerable Tianqing’s mark protecting you. Look at those demons, they remember nothing.”
The reversed demons remembered nothing; they were still hunting Yun Wuxiang for the Demon Venerable inheritance promised by Caituan.
Under the crazed group attacks of the demons, Yun Wuxiangâforbidden by Daoist Venerable Jiangzi from using talismans and arraysâbegan to explore the uses of his techniques and demonic qi.
As for techniques, Daoist Venerable Jiangzi didn’t teach him any new demonic techniques, instead telling him to continue practicing the Qingdi Record.
“I co-authored the Qingdi Record with Tianqing. Reversing the meridian circulation path makes it my technique. As for the names of the moves, she chose whatever she liked.”
“You don’t want to shout the move names before attacking? Then go modify the technique yourself. This is something Tianqing set up; I don’t know how to change it either.”
Daoist Venerable Jiangzi said so, but Yun Wuxiang harbored deep suspicions. He felt it wasn’t that she couldn’t change it; she was just indulging Daoist Venerable Tianqing’s chuunibyou tendencies.
While the demons were dodging the rain of needles, a long sword trailing a chain pierced through the demon crowd, taking several lives.
Pulling out the sword and chain from flesh and blood, blood sprayed from the wounds. Yun Xinyang clamped his mouth shut, raised a hand to block his nose and mouth, and looked away.
Caituan: “Fearing slaughter so much, no wonder an Inner Demon was born.”
“You fear him.” Daoist Venerable Jiangzi’s voice was like a pair of scissors, slicing open the fragile disguise on Yun Xinyang’s face.
His pupils contracted, and he patted his chest to cover up, laughing awkwardly: “Martial Aunt, you walk without making a sound, scared me to death.”
“There is no need to panic. Inner Demons are born from the deepest fears within the main body; it is perfectly normal for you to fear him,” Daoist Venerable Jiangzi said.
Yun Xinyang looked at the figure amidst the demon crowd from afar, pursing his lips: “But, Wuxiang treats me very well. He is my brother, earnestly acting as an older brother to protect me. It’s not right for me to still fear him.”
Caituan followed his gaze, looking at Yun Wuxiang fighting alone against the demon horde to hone his combat skills and experience. Then it looked at Yun Xinyang sitting on the ground, looking utterly dejected: “To be able to produce such an Inner Demon, you must be a rare genius too. Why can’t you even learn a single technique?”
“This, I don’t know… Haha,” Yun Xinyang laughed sheepishly.
“Tanyun and you were forcibly separated by the Ghost Gu borrowing Shuji’s power. He was born from you, yet is no longer your Inner Demon. Your Inner Demon remains in your heart.” Daoist Venerable Jiangzi’s gaze seemed capable of seeing through everything: “You are resisting this world.”
Yun Xinyang’s fingers curled, gripping the hem of his clothes: “I’m resisting…”
Yes, he did resist this place. He didn’t want to open his eyes only to see another unfamiliar place.
Daoist Venerable Jiangzi rolled the Buddhist beads on her wrist and asked again: “When Tanyun was born, what was the thing you feared the most? Think carefully before you answer. This is very important for Tanyun.”
“The thing I feared the most…” Yun Xinyang didn’t want to recall his past experiences, but Daoist Venerable Jiangzi’s statement that it was very important for Yun Wuxiang suppressed his urge to escape. He recalled in a daze: “I killed someone.”
“That was just the beginning. To survive, I turned into something neither human nor ghost, and I would have to continue killing people in the future.”
He couldn’t kill; murder was illegal. If his hands were stained with blood…
“I was afraid I would get used to slaughter, become numb and cold-blooded. I wanted… someone to help me.”
“And then, Wuxiang appeared. He kept helping me kill people.” Yun Xinyang stared at his hands, covering his face in self-isolation: “I let Wuxiang down.”
Caituan’s look at him changed: “How did you manage that? How is that possible?”
Creating an Inner Demon to kill people for you? Did you spawn an Inner Demon or get your wish granted?
“An Inner Demon born in anticipation, I see.” Daoist Venerable Jiangzi was well-informed and knowledgeable, yet even she felt a trace of marvel at her disciple’s origins.
Inner Demons have no souls. But what if, when the main body birthed the Inner Demon, they anticipated him having an independent soul completely separate from the main body? What if the main body didn’t view the other as an Inner Demon, but as an entirely separate individual unrelated to himself?
From the very beginning, Yun Xinyang gave Yun Wuxiang the possibility of possessing an independent soul, and used his own soul to nourish and hide him for years.
Then, a Ghost Gu dug him out from beneath layers of concealment, bypassing the flesh and soul.
“If the knot in the heart is not untied, it is hard to step onto the Dao path. Think on it yourself.” Glancing at Yun Xinyang acting like an ostrich, Daoist Venerable Jiangzi left those words and vanished. When she reappeared, she was behind Yun Wuxiang, flicking a finger to shoot a burst of demonic qi towards his back.
With a crisp clink, the chain collided with the demonic qi. Yun Wuxiang turned around with an attack, which was stopped by Daoist Venerable Jiangzi with a single finger.
Yun Wuxiang withdrew his gaze, raising a hand to summon several chains to whip away the demons closing in. Only after knocking down all the surrounding demons did he walk up to Daoist Venerable Jiangzi: “Master.”
Daoist Venerable Jiangzi swept her eyes over his baleful demonic aura, looking at those still clear and bright eyes, nodding in satisfaction. An Inner Demon naturally adapted to slaughter yet would not lose his mind. Yun Xinyang had inadvertently given Tanyun a great foundation.
“Earth Demon realm, this is sufficient. I will separate your Dao Companion from you now.”
Yun Wuxiang’s cold expression showed a faint ripple, fleeting and almost non-existent. His eyelashes lowered slightly as he replied: “En.”
Under Daoist Venerable Jiangzi’s operation, a black scorpion smaller than a thumb was extracted from Yun Wuxiang’s body.
“The trait of a Ghost Gu, rebirth through a split soul. This is enough. Feed it heavenly treasures and other soul fragments, and it will grow. Keep your Dao Companion safe.”
Reaching out to catch the black scorpion, Yun Wuxiang pinched it by the tail, dangling it in front of his eyes. Watching its two pincers close together to form a heart shape, a soft chuckle entered his ears.
Yun Wuxiang looked up at Daoist Venerable Jiangzi. The teasing in her still-smiling eyes was unconcealed: “No wonder you want to keep him as a pet. Indeed interesting.”
“Master, when will you give me the Heaven-Imprisoning Cage?” Yun Wuxiang asked, holding the black scorpion in his palm.
“Wait until you go outside, pass the tribulation, and become an Earth Demon. Then ask Caituan for it.”
Daoist Venerable Jiangzi turned her Buddhist beads with one hand, looking solemn and dignified. If one ignored the demonic qi on her, calling her a righteous orthodox cultivator wouldn’t seem out of place at all.
“Your Dao Companion is a descendant of Shuji, so as your Master, I cannot go too far. Otherwise, I could have given you other spells that work even better than the Heaven-Imprisoning Cage.”
She was indeed not a rigid Master; she was a Demon Venerable. Since her disciple wanted this Dao Companion, helping him keep his partner firmly in his grasp was no big deal.
“I just want the Heaven-Imprisoning Cage.” Yun Wuxiang wasn’t interested in the ‘other spells’ Daoist Venerable Jiangzi mentioned. Between him and Song Yilou, those things were unnecessary.
Daoist Venerable Jiangzi: “As you wish. Just do not fail Tianqing’s wishes.”
After spending this period together, Yun Wuxiang had grown accustomed to Daoist Venerable Jiangzi constantly bringing up Daoist Venerable Tianqing. The details of his meeting with Daoist Venerable Tianqing had long been inquired about by Daoist Venerable Jiangzi.
Now, Yun Wuxiang finally couldn’t hold back and asked the person involved directly: “Are you and Daoist Venerable Tianqing truly not Dao Companions?”
“Heh, what does a Dao Companion count for? Tianqing and I are close friends, more intimate than Dao Companions.” Daoist Venerable Jiangzi raised her chin slightly, expressing one thought with her entire being: Her Daoist Venerable Tianqing is the best in the world; no one can compare.
Yun Wuxiang gave a rather speechless look in his eyes.
Fine, close friends more intimate than Dao Companions.
Caituan said you act emotionally and harm yourself and others. Seems it isn’t completely false.
“Tianqing, Tianqing, all she knows is Tianqing. Heh, a majestic Demon Venerable, hmph.” Caituan’s cultivation naturally allowed it to hear their conversation. Yun Xinyang couldn’t; he only heard Caituan’s angry cold snort.
Yun Xinyang leaned his head over curiously and asked: “What are they talking about?”
Caituan shoved him away with a wing: “Go practice your technique!”
[Ding, Heart Excavation as Medicine plot completed.] The system notification rang in Yun Xinyang’s mind.
Heart Excavation as Medicine? What kind of bloody plot is this?
Yun Xinyang paused for a moment, then happily said: [The plot completed itself. Does this mean my travel funds to go home have increased?]
3339 wasn’t happy at all. A long-absent plot collapse had descended once more.
[How could it be so fast? What mess happened with the plot again?] [Quick, go tell the Guanzhu! The one getting his heart dug out is his disciple!]
“Fuck!” Yun Xinyang jumped up abruptly, shouting at Yun Wuxiang: “Wuxiang! Your disciple had his heart dug out!”
Among the corpses of numerous demons and mad beasts, blood-red baleful qi swirled around Yun Wuxiang. His white hair floated up for an instant before settling. A pair of red eyes looked at Daoist Venerable Jiangzi.
“Master, I want to go out.”
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