My Arch-Nemesis Cried and Begged Me Not to Die 29

Chapter 29: Coaxing people for the Demon Lord?

“What did you mean just now?”

After the people of the Demon Palace left with a sigh of relief, Yan Jingyu jumped down from the blood beast’s head. He caught up to Liao Chen’s footsteps, his tone carrying a hint of dissatisfaction. “Why didn’t you let me light the lamps?”

Liao Chen glanced behind him. The blood beast dragged its huge body, clumsily following behind him, leveling all the snow around it like a small mountain. He said faintly, “It takes up too much space.”

Yan Jingyu also turned his face to look. The blood beast had been trapped in the blood pool for so many years, and its front and hind limbs seemed to have degenerated a little. Its body was already huge enough, pressing its soft front limbs down so they were limp. At this moment, it was less like it was walking and more like it was completely crawling on the ground.

“Then make it smaller.” Yan Jingyu said, “I’m afraid it doesn’t quite understand human language.”

Liao Chen hadn’t yet realized the deep meaning in his words. The blood beast’s figure actually shrank in an instant. Yan Jingyu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly bent down and picked it up, happily holding up its soft paws. “It has a spiritual consciousness! It actually has a spiritual consciousness!”

He had always thought that the blood beast had long since been devoured by resentment and hatred and had lost its own reason, which was why it was so violent. He had used the spoiled pills mainly for waste utilization, because the pills had no special characteristics. Carrying a large number of spiritual energy marks and rushing into its body, the moment they were activated was equivalent to it eating countless spiritual energy balls, which instead made the marks purer.

After all, in his haste just now, Yan Jingyu could only think of those pills, and he couldn’t find so many foods without special characteristics in a short time.

Those marks were engraved by himself and deepened by Liao Chen’s divine power, which was enough to awaken a moment of clarity in its spiritual platform.

“No wonder, I didn’t feel any strain when I used the Hongmeng Art just now.”

“Hongmeng Art?”

“That’s right.” Yan Jingyu looked up. “You forgot, my mother is the most powerful beast tamer in Hutian. The Hongmeng Art can establish a connection between one’s spiritual platform and any ferocious beast. That was originally the last step I had prepared. I had already thought it would be a bitter battle, but I didn’t expect… it has a spiritual consciousness.”

“You were talking so mysteriously over there just now. It turns out you weren’t very sure.”

“How was I not sure?” Yan Jingyu retorted, “My mother taught me since I was a child how to connect with ferocious beasts and how to think from its perspective. When dealing with a ferocious beast full of resentment, you absolutely cannot use violence to counter violence, because the resentment accumulated in its body is many times that of an ordinary person. Forcibly subduing it will only deepen its anger and make it even more violent.”

Liao Chen pondered.

In all these years, he had been in seclusion cultivating and hadn’t had much time to think about how to subdue the blood beast. He only occasionally came out of seclusion to suppress it with Yin Shi. After all, once it broke through the barrier, the first thing it would destroy would surely be the Demon Palace he had worked so hard to obtain.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t put his own marks on those rations. He had originally thought that there were too many of Chi Yuan’s spiritual energy marks left behind, and that he might need a long time to overwhelm him. Therefore, he had always put the marks very deep, always thinking of finding a batch of high-quality rations to subdue it after he had some free time… It was indeed possible that it had backfired.

But in the end, his and Chi Yuan’s thinking was the same. They believed that the blood beast was so ferocious that it must need a large amount of living flesh and blood to be fed. Back then, Chi Yuan had also constantly found a large number of high-spiritual-energy cultivators to feed it, but it had only made it more ferocious…

This fellow was still the same as before, always having unexpected tricks up his sleeve. To think that he would actually use spoiled mortal medicine to feed it.

“I thought you would want to kill him.”

“Didn’t they say that evil spirits can’t be killed?”

“Holy-grade and below holy-grade artifacts indeed can’t.”

“Even holy-grade can’t?!” Yan Jingyu said, “Doesn’t that just prove that evil spirits can’t be killed?”

His expression was clear, but Liao Chen’s pupils suddenly contracted.

…He had forgotten.

The Heavenly Mandate Eyes had been gone for too long, and his immortal quality was also being stripped away inch by inch. When the laws completely gave up on him, he would truly have only death.

Yan Jingyu also seemed to have realized something. He was stunned for a moment. “I seem to have, forgotten something…”

“It’s nothing.” Liao Chen spoke. As he turned to continue forward, Yan Jingyu followed with light steps. “What, are you a little uncomfortable that I snatched away the good thing?”

Liao Chen did not answer. His face was sullen, his lips pressed into a straight line.

He had to find the Heavenly Mandate Eyes as soon as possible. The scene from the inn that day suddenly flashed through his mind, Ruan Qixi’s “Watch out—!”

At that time, Ruan Qixi had said that Qin Zhongyou might arrive at any time, and his own divinity was unstable, so he hadn’t had time to chase after him and ask about the situation… Could that be the Heavenly Mandate Eyes?

“Aiya.” Seeing that the clear night was once again filled with falling snow, Yan Jingyu quickly reached out and grabbed his sleeve. “Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Here, you can touch it.”

I knew he would be uncomfortable that I tamed the blood beast… After all, between him and Liao Chen, they had always been unable to see each other do well. Just like when he saw Liao Chen break through to the demonic stage, he could be so angry he would vomit blood. Although he also knew that it was the result of the other’s efforts, as arch-nemesis for many years, how could there not be any emotions…

Liao Chen’s hand was taken by him and gently placed on the blood beast’s head. The blood beast closed its eyes, its chin resting on Yan Jingyu’s arm, its two ponytails with curved horns casually piled on its body. Liao Chen’s hand touched the hard scales, his palm a little cool, actually not very comfortable.

“How is it?” Yan Jingyu said, “In the future, let it guard the door for you, and you won’t have to be afraid anymore.”

There was not a single living person in the entire Suixing Hall. In that beautiful front hall, there were only dried-corpse-like puppets wandering unconsciously. Beside Liao Chen, only Yin Shi could get close… And that day, when he had just broken with Qin Zhongyou, Liao Chen had taken the initiative to talk about the past, and his ultimate goal was just to comfort him.

Yan Jingyu remembered all these things in his heart.

“How is it, are you very tou—”

“Are you trying to make me die faster?” Liao Chen said coldly, “If it eats me, I’m afraid its power will increase even more.”

“…” Yan Jingyu pursed his lips. “It won’t. It’s your spiritual beast now. Its body is full of your marks. During this time, I will carve some more small marks and use up all those waste pills of yours, so no one can snatch it away.”

“The marks you made, what do they have to do with me?”

Liao Chen withdrew his hand. Yan Jingyu resisted the urge to kick him. He really wanted to lose his temper with him, but he still said softly, “I used your external spiritual sea. And my soul-lamp has your mark on it. You even deepened those marks just now. Liao Chen, I subdued this for you.”

“You, for me?”

“That’s right.” Yan Jingyu’s mood improved a little again. “I know you’ve been raising it all this time and haven’t let it out to harm the world. You still want it in your heart, right? Now I’ve helped you subdue it…”

“On what grounds do you think I need your help?”

The snow seemed to have gotten a little heavier. Yan Jingyu was quiet for a moment again. “Because you can’t be without distracting thoughts, without desires.”

Liao Chen sneered contemptuously. “And you can?”

“I can.” Yan Jingyu looked at him. “I am a dying man, so I can do it.”

“You subdued it for me…” Liao Chen seemed to be so angry he was about to laugh. “Yan Qi, what do you think you are? You, a waste, you subdued the blood beast for me? Do you think I will be grateful? Do you think that in the future I will no longer kill you? You have a whole mess of your own! Your Heavenly Mandate Eyes are still missing, your Du Fang Sword is about to be given to someone else, Qin Zhongyou has already broken with you, you can’t even go home yourself, and can only eke out a living under my hand. And you still have the time to subdue the blood beast for me?!”

“Do you think you’ve done something quite remarkable? The Demon Realm finally no longer has to offer living sacrifices. How capable you are, Immortal Lord Dufang. You’ve saved so many people again. You can understand everything. You can even understand this kind of thing. You even want it to walk in the world with dignity… But are you dignified yourself?!”

“You don’t dare to reveal your own name. Now, not only Hutian, but the entire Demonic Domain thinks you are just a painted-skin ghost… You gave it to me. Do you think I’m some kind of good person? Do you think I won’t use it as a weapon of slaughter? Or do you think that now, in this world, only I am a little bit good to you, and your affection is so cheap that just this can buy you over? Then in the future, are you also going to die willingly at my hands?!”

“I’m telling you!” Liao Chen said, word by word, “I just want to defeat you fair and square, just want to cut you down with my own sword. I don’t want to have any friendship with you.”

The wind and snow grew heavier. Liao Chen turned around without looking back. The snowfield in front of him soon had only a string of footprints left.

The blood beast looked up and gently rubbed Yan Jingyu’s face with its nose. Yan Jingyu stood quietly for a while, then slowly took a step and sat down on the nearby steps.

“What is it…” His voice was hoarse as he gently stroked the blood beast’s ponytail. “It’s like I want to have some kind of friendship with you.”

“If it weren’t for…” He choked for a moment, then blinked hard twice, looked up at the falling snow, and trembled slightly for a while.

Forget it.

Why bother with him? The matter of Jiuyi Mountain must have been bothering him for a long time. Let him die of anger.

It serves him right that he has no one by his side. No, it serves him right that he only has Yin Shi by his side. Who can stand that rotten temper of his…

“If I can really ascend to immortality, the first thing I’ll do is stab him to death!”

“What’s so great… heh, and he thinks I’m so pitiful. What’s there for you to be proud of? So what if you’ve broken through to the demonic stage? You don’t even have a single confidant by your side. You don’t even dare to light the lamps in the middle of the night! You only dare to use dried corpses to sweep the dust!! Are you afraid of being killed in your sleep at night!!!”

His voice grew louder and louder. He took several deep breaths of the cold wind and snow and coughed several times before saying, “You’ve done too many bad things, you’ll always see ghosts… Although I won’t be able to see it, you will definitely not have a good end! Maybe one day you’ll be captured and your soul will be scattered to ward off disaster for someone… your blood will be drained and all made into phoenix blood pills, cough, cough, cough, cough, cough—”

A resentful demon slowly came to his side. The blood beast was about to jump out, but Yan Jingyu slapped it on the head. “It’s dirty. You’re not allowed to eat it.”

The resentful demon still lingered around him. Yan Jingyu waved his hand to open it, but could not disperse it.

He glanced at the feather jade at his waist and realized that the spiritual sea was about to be empty again.

Just as he was about to get up, a few more resentful demons rushed towards him. Yan Jingyu frowned and pinched the blood beast’s mouth, which was about to open.

It had taken so much effort to restore its clarity. If it were to swallow the resentful demons again now, it was very likely that it would enter a violent state again. Yan Jingyu didn’t have the energy to create so many spiritual energy marks at once again.

Several wisps of spiritual energy heavily scattered the mist with distorted faces. A figure appeared in front of him, tall and straight, with dark hair tied up high, holding a section of a black chain.

Yan Jingyu’s eyes darkened slightly. “Thank you, Guardian, for saving my life.”

“You should go back.”

“Mm.” Yan Jingyu also knew that he shouldn’t trouble others anymore. He walked silently towards the Suixing Hall. The closer he got, the slower his steps became.

“…You gave it to me. Do you think I’m some kind of good person? Do you think I won’t use it as a weapon of slaughter? Or do you think that now, in this world, only I am a little bit good to you, and your affection is so cheap that just this can buy you over?”

“Yan Qi, what do you think you are? You, a waste, you subdued the blood beast for me? Do you think I will be grateful? Do you think that in the future I will no longer kill you? You have a whole mess of your own! Your Heavenly Mandate Eyes are still missing, your Du Fang Sword is about to be given to someone else, Qin Zhongyou has already broken with you, you can’t even go home yourself, and can only eke out a living under my hand…”

Eke out a living.

He stopped his steps.

The ghost mask cast its gaze at him.

In the Heaven-Scrutinizing Mirror, Liao Chen also looked up silently.

Eke out a living…

He looked at the gate of the Suixing Hall and said softly, “The polar night of the Demonic Domain is really long…”

It was as if it would never end, and the wind and snow were also so cold, chilling to the bone.

Yin Shi looked at his pale face, his fingers clenching. After a long moment, he said, “The Demon Lord’s words just now were a bit heavy…”

“Not at all.” Yan Jingyu said in a low voice, “My staying in the Demonic Domain now is indeed eking out a living… eking out a living under his hand…”

He didn’t say any more, his head slightly lowered, his long lashes also pressed down very low.

He turned again and walked to the other side in the long night.

Yin Shi had to follow. “The Demon Lord asked me to find you.”

Yan Jingyu was silent. He felt a little aimless. Every step he took felt confusing, and his heart felt a little empty. But he knew very well that he couldn’t blame anyone. All of this was just because of his own incompetence…

“Yan Qi, go back. The Demon Lord is waiting for you.”

Yan Jingyu kept walking forward. Yin Shi had to follow him step by step. “Yan Qi, where are you going?”

Yan Jingyu didn’t know where he was going, but he knew very well that this was not his home. He could die at Liao Chen’s hand, but he could never live under his hand.

Liao Chen was too right. His affection now was too cheap. He had almost thought that the other was sincere with him… Clearly, back then at the Endless Sea, they had both dealt fatal blows. So many years had passed. Perhaps the hatred had faded, making him start to feel that perhaps he and Liao Chen could be considered old acquaintances…

But how could Liao Chen just be an old acquaintance…

“Yan Qi, look.” Yin Shi suddenly pulled him. Yan Jingyu looked up. A string of bright pearls suddenly flew out from inside the Suixing Hall, inlaid one by one into the grooves under the eaves.

Grooves…?

“Yo.” Yu Qiuye’s voice suddenly came. “What’s the situation? Our Demon Lord actually put back all the bright pearls he had taken down?”

Strings of glazed palace lanterns passed through the wind and snow of the polar night and hung steadily on the eaves of various places, one, two, three…

Under the high eaves, the glazed lanterns and bright pearls shone together. The falling snow in the air refracted a hazy glow under the light, and even the surrounding snow reflected countless splendors.

The entire Demon Palace was instantly as bright as day.

“Look.” Yin Shi said softly, “The Demon Lord is apologizing to you.”

Yu Qiuye leaned against the door, his divine sense passing through the vast and beautiful Demon Palace, looking at Yan Jingyu’s red eyes, then at the gentle-mannered Yin Shi beside him, his eyebrows raised slightly. “I thought the Guardian only did dirty work. I didn’t expect him to also do such a considerate business as coaxing people.”

Yin Shi lashed out with a chain. Yu Qiuye dodged in time. The chain landed on the small courtyard, directly causing the restriction to crack with a creak. Yu Qiuye’s back went cold, and he gave a fawning smile. “The two of you have come to my small courtyard by a strange combination of circumstances. We can be considered to have fate. How about it, would you like to come in for a drink?”

“Get lost with your courtyard.”

Yu Qiuye smiled, turned and rolled his eyes. Just as he was about to put the courtyard away, he heard Yan Jingyu say, “Alright.”

He immediately put the courtyard back down, ran up in two steps, and respectfully extended his hands. “Immortal Lord Dufang, please come in, please come in.”

Yan Jingyu walked in. The sound of a chain dragging on the ground came from behind. Yin Shi also followed in.

Just as the few of them had sat down, Yu Qiuye’s small courtyard was suddenly smashed open again. The dancer who was just about to go on stage was so scared that she retreated repeatedly. An Long had already strode in and opened his mouth to say, “Yu Qiuye! I ask you, is that Yan Jingyu a painted-skin ghost or not? What’s the deal with him subduing the blood beast?!”

As he strode in, he was met with a ferocious ghost mask. His steps paused, and he subconsciously lowered his voice, at the same time transforming into his female form, and said delicately, “So the Guardian is also here. It was An Long who was out of line.”

A few moments later, the Soul-Tethering Lock once again erupted and lashed out. An Long was directly sent flying.

Yin Shi’s voice was calm. “Change back.”