Chapter 6: He still has to kill you himself, so he can’t let you die.
Yan Jingyu found his words strange.
What did he mean by “lovey-dovey with Qin Zhongyou”? His relationship with Qin Zhongyou was a proper, upstanding friendship.
But considering the words came from Liao Chen’s mouth, he gave up on refuting them. After all, if he and Liao Chen weren’t trading barbs and spreading rumors to annoy each other, they’d be doing themselves a disservice.
Yan Jingyu was suddenly pushed. He stumbled, and when he looked up again, he had been flung headfirst back into the Demon Palace, into the same bedchamber where he had first woken up.
He turned to look. Liao Chen was gazing at the Heaven-Scrutinizing Mirror in the air. Within the mirror was the very same floating island they had just left. By the misty lakeside, a man carrying a heavy sword appeared. He had white clothes and gray hair, but his face was remarkably young, his expression filled with an icy killing intent. His gaze searched the lakeside, then suddenly turned towards Yan Jingyu.
Yan Jingyu’s breath caught. He knew Qin Zhongyou had discovered the shadow-recording pearl Liao Chen had left by the lake.
His gaze met Qin Zhongyou’s through the Heaven-Scrutinizing Mirror. The other man’s figure grew larger and larger within the mirror, and then, his eyes locked onto him. “I will kill you both.”
With a faint cracking sound, the shadow-recording pearl shattered into countless fragments. The Heaven-Scrutinizing Mirror showed only a scene of tranquility.
Liao Chen waved his hand, putting the mirror away, his eyes filled with interest. “To think that one day, it would be Qin Zhongyou chasing after you to cut you down, and the one standing by your side would be me, Liao Chen.”
If it weren’t for him, Qin Zhongyou would never have misunderstood so completely. Yan Jingyu didn’t want to say more. He turned and flopped onto the bed, only to be hauled up in the next instant. “Do you know why that little apprentice of his was so angry when he saw you?”
Yan Jingyu gave a perfunctory reply. “Because he has a bad temper.”
“That’s not wrong either,” Liao Chen said. “Do you know why Qin Zhongyou took him as an apprentice?”
“He’s the youngest son of the Zuoqiu family. Qin Zhongyou is practically half the master of Hutian now. What’s so strange about him choosing a disciple with a good background?”
Liao Chen seemed not to notice the provocation in his words. “Because he looks like you.”
Yan Jingyu had guessed as much when he saw the boy’s face, but to have it pointed out so bluntly by Liao Chen, he still couldn’t react and was momentarily at a loss for words.
“Back then, your entire family was slaughtered, and it was said that not even your bones were left. Qin Zhongyou’s hair turned white overnight, and he fell into a state of demonic deviation. The reason those people forbade you from getting close to Qin Zhongyou today wasn’t just because of me.” Liao Chen’s voice was light and casual, his expression probing. “It was because you said you were an old friend of Yan Jingyu. They were worried that if Qin Zhongyou heard anything about you, he would fall into demonic deviation again.”
“Is that also why you deliberately provoked him?” Yan Jingyu met his gaze. Liao Chen’s lips curved slightly. “Of course. If Qin Zhongyou dies, it’s nothing but beneficial for me.”
Yan Jingyu didn’t respond. Liao Chen continued, “Qin Zhongyou’s feelings for you run deep. Everyone knows it. Even that little apprentice, who bears a slight resemblance to you, benefits from the association. The fireworks he set off in Yaoguang Valley last night were him and Qin Zhongyou… confessing their feelings for each other.”
He had a deeply meaningful expression, but Yan Jingyu didn’t understand at all. “What?”
“He wants to form a Three-Life Stone Pact with Qin Zhongyou.”
Yan Jingyu looked at Liao Chen, and Liao Chen looked back at him. To be honest, considering the man’s current status and cultivation level, seeing him so earnestly gossiping felt, to Yan Jingyu, a bit… comical.
Liao Chen’s face quickly fell. “What’s with that expression?”
“Nothing.” Yan Jingyu pressed his lips together. “No wonder he was so angry then. It turns out I disturbed their private time.”
Liao Chen watched him for a while. “Qin Zhongyou is about to be stolen away by his little apprentice. You don’t care at all?”
“Of course not. Qin Zhongyou is my best friend. Now that he’s found someone to form a Three-Life Stone Pact with, I am naturally happy for him.”
“You’re happy for him?!” Liao Chen exclaimed. “Your beloved is about to be stolen away by someone else, and you don’t feel sad at all? You don’t want to snatch him back? You don’t wish to one day stand side-by-side with Qin Zhongyou again and vanquish me, this demon lord, together?!”
Yan Jingyu finally understood what he was trying to say. He stared at Liao Chen blankly, suddenly realizing that he probably wasn’t deliberately spreading rumors, but had genuinely misunderstood something. The latter also seemed to realize that it wasn’t his place to say such things. He took a deep breath, abruptly produced a manual, and said coldly, “In three days, I will take you to Jiuyi Mountain. From now on, you will cultivate properly. If you dare to slack off, you’re dead!”
He got up and left. Yan Jingyu idly flipped through the manual he had left behind. It was much the same as the ones he had tried over the years. This method couldn’t possibly allow him to set foot on the immortal path again.
Yan Jingyu tossed the book aside. He had just flopped down when a hand grabbed him and pulled him up again. He looked up. It was Liao Chen again.
“What are you doing?”
“This manual is useless to me…”
Yan Jingyu cried out inwardly. Liao Chen isn’t really going to force me to cultivate again, is he? If I have to waste the next two years on effort and disappointment, he might as well just kill me now.
“Have you even tried it? How can you say it’s useless?”
“This cultivation method is largely the same as the system in my Hutian. It’s not like I haven’t tried it before.”
There was a hint of annoyance in Yan Jingyu’s voice. Liao Chen’s gaze lingered on his face for a few moments. “I have other cultivation manuals here.”
With that, he tipped his Qiankun Pouch over Yan Jingyu. Thousands of manuals came pouring out, quickly burying him completely.
Yan Jingyu pushed aside the manuals that had rained down on his head and face, and stared at Liao Chen with a straight face. The latter’s lips curved upwards. “See if there’s anything in here that suits you.”
Yan Jingyu gritted his teeth and idly flipped through a few. His expression was hesitant. After flipping through a few more, he finally couldn’t help but say, “These are all the secret manuals of clans that have been wiped out over the past thousand years.”
“Correct,” Liao Chen said. “Although your immortal sects’ cultivation system has always considered Hutian’s as the orthodox one, if you trace back a thousand years, those great clans inevitably had some different views. You can see if any of them can solve your current predicament.”
Yan Jingyu was speechless for a moment. He casually picked up a book. “The Song Clan’s manual. This is the family you personally wiped out back then.”
Liao Chen nodded noncommittally. “What, do you want to condemn me for my crimes?”
Yan Jingyu threw the book back and climbed out of the pile. “I don’t need these.”
Of course, Yan Jingyu knew he had neither the ability nor the standing to condemn Liao Chen for his crimes now. But he had interacted with those people back then. The faces and voices of his fellow cultivators were still in his memory. If he were to really use their cultivation techniques with Liao Chen, he would truly be in the same league as him.
He had only climbed halfway out when he was pushed back again. Yan Jingyu fell back into the pile of books and heard him say, “You only have two years left to live. The most urgent task is to find a way to prolong your life as soon as possible. Otherwise, you can only die with regret, watching your enemy live freely and happily. You don’t need me to tell you these things, do you?”
“My entire clan was also harmed by your Demon Realm,” Yan Jingyu looked him straight in the eye. “Back then, you were resentful about the matter of the Endless Sea, so you led the demonic army to invade Yaoguang Valley and seize the Heavenly Soul my father left behind. I am no different from these people whose clans were annihilated! Even if I were to die right now, I would never step on their blood and flesh to forge my own great path.”
Liao Chen stared at him expressionlessly for a few moments. ‘Lian Feng’ suddenly shot out of its sheath. The Demon Lord held the sword with one hand, the tip pointing backwards, and pressed the hilt heavily onto his shoulder. Yan Jingyu felt a slight pain and was forced to sit down completely, but he continued to look straight at Liao Chen.
“Hmph.” Liao Chen sneered. “If you’re unwilling to learn, I have plenty of ways to help you. Yan Qi, I’ll ask you one last time. Do you want me to erase your memory and force you to cultivate, or will you obediently put aside those foolish and worthless morals and start on your own? Choose.”
Yan Jingyu’s pupils shrank. After a long moment, he pushed Liao Chen’s sword hilt away. “Don’t forget, if I truly succeed, the first thing I will do is kill you to avenge my entire clan.”
Liao Chen added nonchalantly, “And to avenge those fellow cultivators of yours from back then.”
Yan Jingyu picked up the manuals again with a frown. Liao Chen had already sat down peacefully to one side.
He glanced over. The other man had his eyes closed, a faint spiritual light appearing around him. He had entered a state of cultivation again.
Yan Jingyu lowered his gaze. He had done that on purpose just now. Although it was rumored that Liao Chen had led the attack that wiped out his clan, and Yan Jingyu had indeed seen someone who looked exactly like Liao Chen invade his home, after just two exchanges, he knew that person was not Liao Chen.
His purpose in saying those words was simply to tell Liao Chen that he could never be on the same side as him, and at the same time, to probe him. He wanted to know how Liao Chen felt about being framed. But he hadn’t expected Liao Chen to just accept it.
He had thought he would refute it himself. If he cared about being framed, perhaps he could use him to find out who the real culprit was…
Yan Jingyu’s eyes held a hint of mockery.
Liao Chen had done so many evil things. He probably couldn’t wait to take the credit for annihilating the Yan family. To others, it was a stain on his reputation, but in Liao Chen’s eyes, it was probably an achievement.
“Cough…”
Yan Jingyu covered his mouth. Liao Chen, who had been meditating beside him, slowly opened his eyes. A pill floated over, and his voice was faint. “Don’t think about useless things. If you really want to avenge your parents, then focus on your cultivation. I will naturally fight you fair and square.”
“…” Lunatic.
Yan Jingyu took the pill and placed it in his mouth, calming the surging blood and vital energy in his chest. He took a light breath, focused on the manual in his hand, and tried again to draw spiritual energy into his body in different ways.
Soon, he looked over at Liao Chen. “I’m hungry.”
“It’s been an hour, and there’s been no movement from you at all, yet you still have the nerve to say you’re hungry?”
“Even if you erase my memory, you still have to feed me.”
Not long after, Mo Xia brought him food. Yan Jingyu glanced at the empty room. Liao Chen had disappeared.
He picked up his chopsticks. “Is your Demon Lord usually very busy?”
“He is,” Mo Xia said. “The Demon Lord has to cultivate, handle the affairs of the Demonic Domain, and from time to time, go on raids in the Immortal Realm. He’s very busy.”
“…” Yan Jingyu was speechless for a moment. “You rob the Immortal Realm, and you say it so matter-of-factly?”
“Isn’t it also a matter of fact that the Immortal Realm exterminates demons?” The young taotie’s tone was innocent. “Master said my parents were killed by your Mingshan Yuan Clan. When I grow up to be a great demon, I will definitely slaughter his entire clan.”
Yan Jingyu was slightly taken aback. “How long have your parents been gone?”
“It should be about two hundred years,” the girl mused. “My mother died before I was born. When her core was taken and her claws were pulled out, she wasn’t completely dead, so Master kept her body warm with spiritual energy until I was born. Master said I’m the last taotie in the world now. I’m very precious.”
Yan Jingyu averted his gaze slightly. After a long moment, he said, “Then Mo Dong…”
“He’s also the last nine-tailed fox in the world!” Mo Xia thought for a moment. “We’re both very precious.”
Yan Jingyu pursed his lips. Not until she nudged him did he look up. “Hurry up and eat. I have to clear the dishes.”
“You can take them away. I can’t eat anymore.” Yan Jingyu stood up, but was immediately pushed back down by her. Mo Xia looked down at him. “No. The Demon Lord said if you don’t eat, you’ll die. He still has to kill you himself, so he can’t let you die.”
Yan Jingyu could only pick up his chopsticks and continue to eat, though he still had no appetite. “Is there any wine?”
“You want to drink?” Mo Xia seemed to be confirming. Yan Jingyu nodded. “Any kind of wine will do.”
“Our Demon Lord said,” Mo Xia’s tone was serious, “if you ask for wine, I am to tell you that as long as you can draw spiritual energy into your body, he will give you any wine you want. Before that, don’t even think about a single drop.”
Yan Jingyu was helpless. The food was tasteless. It wasn’t that it was bad, but without wine to go with it, something was always missing.
This Demon Palace was really not free at all. Now, everything he ate and drank had to be approved by Liao Chen. Yan Jingyu’s face was a mask of misery. He inadvertently looked up again and found the girl watching him with her chin in her hands.
Yan Jingyu lowered his head and ate. A few moments later, he found she was still watching him.
Finally, he couldn’t help it. “Hm?”
“Are you really Yan Jingyu?” she asked the question that had been tormenting her again. This time, she even took out a shadow-recording pearl. Under the drive of spiritual energy, the figure of a white-robed youth appeared before them. He was sitting on the roof of a wooden house, listlessly chewing on a piece of straw. Soon, he seemed to see something. A smile suddenly curved his lips, his eyes full of peach blossoms. When he stood up, his high spirits were undeniable. “You’re finally here! I’ve been waiting for you for a long time!”
“Even the way he brushes the dust off his clothes is more handsome than you sitting there all prim and proper.”
Yan Jingyu: “…”
