Inner Demons

Chapter 208: The Choice

He was very tempted—he wanted to use the emotions Kun Wuzi was currently displaying to set another trap.

For him, any strong emotion was a clear weakness, but there were two problems.

He didn't know if Kun Wuzi was telling the truth or not. He had seen too many situations that "sounded" sincere, but the reality was often different.

Furthermore, his opponent was no longer Prefect Li, Lingkongzi, or Yue Yunzi—not a single individual with limited information. And he himself was no longer Li Yunxin, hidden in the thick fog.

His opponent was practically the entire Daoist Orthodoxy, and their ability to gather information was astonishing. In this regard, he had almost no advantage. The other side also had the ability to completely overwhelm him with force, and violence couldn't solve the problem entirely.

Therefore, for a long time to come, he likely wouldn't possess the advantage of "information asymmetry"—unless he could get more.

More secrets. And he believed the Black and White Yama Kings, the Lord of Dongting, and the Mutual Aid Society were all hiding huge secrets. But he still needed time.

He wasn't strong enough to be a third party yet, so a choice he was very reluctant to face was laid out before him: side with the demons or with the Daoist Orthodoxy?

The Daoist Orthodoxy was considered the "official" power in this world. But due to some past life experiences, he had a natural sense of unease toward all "authority" and "official" bodies. These two words didn't necessarily have a negative connotation, but "dislike" didn't need a reason. What's more, it was the Daoist Orthodoxy and the Sword Sect that had repeatedly made things difficult for him, while the demons were the ones who had saved him.

But he didn't like the demons either. Kun Wuzi was right—"happy and unrestrained" demons? He wasn't a naive teenager; he wouldn't believe such nonsense. A person or organization might be misunderstood and slandered for a short time, but it was impossible for them to be misunderstood for thousands of years. The demons were notorious, and Li Yunxin probably knew what kind of people they were.Yet, he had now become a "focal point," a "core," and could no longer remain aloof. What exactly was the Lord of Dongting's intention in leaving him in this restriction?

Li Yunxin thought for a long time—probably the longest he had ever thought about anything in this world.

He weighed many things within his capabilities, simulating and planning several possible routes.

—If Kun Wuzi was telling the truth, what would happen if he went to the Daoist Orthodoxy, and how should he handle it? If he ignored them and stayed in Dongting on the side of the demons, what kind of situation would he encounter in the future, and how should he deal with it?

The biggest uncertainty came from his bloodline. If he were an ordinary person, Kun Wuzi probably wouldn't be so friendly—at least, it seemed like he was "being friendly." But he was also very afraid that because of this bloodline, his siding with the demons would make him a target that the Daoist Orthodoxy and the Sword Sect absolutely had to eliminate.

After half an hour of such silent contemplation, Kun Wuzi waited patiently as well.

Then, the sky in the east began to lighten.

Li Yunxin, who was so indecisive for the first time in his life, finally raised his head. He looked at Kun Wuzi. "I can't open this Dongting. But even if I could, I wouldn't. I've done many things in the past few months, not just to survive, but also to be free from fear."

"The Daoist Orthodoxy and the Sword Sect have a system and rules. I might have privileges there, but I would still always be 'a part of it.' Being a part means being constrained and having to abide by rules others have set for me. And I've always been afraid of that—I don't want to hand over my fate and decision-making power to others."

"Everyone has the freedom from fear—to say something you can't understand, this is called a natural human right. In the current world, it's not realistic to talk about this freedom, but it is the goal I have been striving for."

"I was scared by the demons before, and also by the people of the Daoist Orthodoxy and the Sword Sect—they all made me feel threatened and afraid. Therefore—"

Kun Wuzi already understood what Li Yunxin was going to say.

He found the term "freedom" to be novel and would only fully understand the freedom and pursuit Li Yunxin was talking about much later.

But he couldn't understand or agree with it right now.

He said in a deep voice, "Demons also have systems, rules, and hierarchy. They are even more rigid than humans. I can speak peacefully with the Seven Sons behind me. There might be some demons who can do that, but there certainly aren't many. The Daoist Orthodoxy and the Sword Sect may not represent light, but the demons surely represent darkness—if you still see yourself as a 'human' or have some humanity left."

"But it's still different." Li Yunxin smiled. "Among the demons, I can be a lord. But in the Daoist Orthodoxy... Do you know why I managed to get Yue Yunzi killed?"

"A Manifestation Realm demon like Young Master Nine can rule a territory in the Wei River, but Yue Yunzi, a True Realm Taoist priest, had to scheme and sacrifice thirty-six fellow practitioners to get a small post guarding Weicheng—I don't want to end up in his situation."

"The Daoist Orthodoxy and the Sword Sect..." Li Yunxin thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "A large company, good benefits, high and stable salary. But I'm not a peaceful person. What I want isn't a high salary; I value career growth and future prospects more. I... want to be a Demon King. Since I've come here and have had so many opportunities and adventures, and I'm a genius—"

"I won't be able to forgive myself if I don't reach the very peak of this world—can you understand me?"

Kun Wuzi might not have understood the terms Li Yunxin used. But anyone who had studied the art of words could probably grasp the general meaning from the individual words.

He roughly understood.

The head of Langya Grotto-Heaven pondered for a moment, his face ashen. "If I had never met you, I would think you were bewitched by those demons. But since I've dealt with you, I know these are your own intentions. Since that's the case, Li Yunxin, listen closely."

"When Emperor Li cultivated his Ghost Emperor body, the world was shaken. Killing four and injuring one was a calamity not seen in a thousand years. But you saw it clearly just now—such a great demon was also killed by my Daoist Orthodoxy within two months. It was not my effort alone—as the Ghost Emperor headed toward the Wei River, wherever he passed, any disciple of my Daoist Orthodoxy stationed there risked their lives. This is the power of the Daoist Orthodoxy and the Sword Sect over thousands of years."

"Many things you think are a big deal are just a breeze passing over a mountain ridge for us. A gentle breeze or a strong wind, they are still just wind and won't harm the mountain ridge in the slightest. As for this so-called..." Kun Wuzi shook his head. "War? Perhaps for the demons. But for the Daoist Orthodoxy and the Sword Sect, it's just a matter of freeing our hands to deal with matters that should have been dealt with long ago. Li Yunxin, you are standing on the side that is destined to fail."

Li Yunxin smiled. "It doesn't matter. I don't plan to stand on it forever."

Kun Wuzi sighed. "I shouldn't have come to ask you. To tell you to open the restriction and hand over Dongting—you think I'm threatening you, but in the Daoist Orthodoxy, this is an extraordinary act of leniency. Since that's the case, I will now inform you: After tomorrow, cultivators within the Qing Kingdom will arrive at the Wei River, at Dongting. For only one thing—to confirm whether there is a True Dragon's spiritual soul in this Dongting Lake. If there is, they will obtain it."

"After that, the world's cultivators will cleanse the demons—regardless of their reputation or cultivation level. If you want to blame someone, blame Emperor Li. While the matter of Emperor Li did not shake our foundations, it has made the Daoist Orthodoxy and the Sword Sect realize that the world has reached a turning point. Demons should no longer be indulged. This world only needs humans, that's enough. The Daoist Orthodoxy and the Sword Sect have the resolve to sacrifice all Profound Realm cultivators—for us, this is just a minor loss that can be compensated for in a few hundred years. In the past, we have experienced much more."

When Kun Wuzi said these words, he really didn't sound like he was threatening; he sounded like he was giving Li Yunxin a heads-up so he could prepare.

Li Yunxin couldn't guess why the other party was doing this, and Kun Wuzi wasn't too sure why he was doing it himself. But he just felt it was a pity.

The world knows of the Two Saints. But the Two Saints have been living in this world for three thousand years. Three thousand years ago, the Two Saints were unknown cultivators, and two thousand four hundred years ago, they reached the Supreme Indifference realm.

And after that?

In the two thousand four hundred years that followed, there were no more cultivators in the Supreme Indifference realm. Even cultivators in the Broad Life Profound Realm were only eleven.

But even before that, cultivators in the Supreme Indifference realm were not common, but there would be four or five of them every thousand years. Kun Wuzi was not happy to see this situation. In his opinion, this Li Yunxin was a good talent for cultivation.

It was a pity that such a person had entered the demonic path...

Just like "that person" a thousand years ago.

After they had made things clear, Kun Wuzi no longer lingered. He waved his sleeve, and a thin mist suddenly rose between him and Li Yunxin. The mist climbed onto the restriction surrounding the Dongting Lake, as if a layer of mist had covered a pane of glass, and the outside could no longer be seen.

This hazy milky white quickly extended for several miles and spread around, eventually obscuring the entire Dongting Lake.

Li Yunxin realized that this time, he was being isolated from the world by the joint effort of the demons and the human cultivators.

He let out a soft sigh, turned, and headed straight into the Dongting.

He spent half an hour finding Lady Hong. When he found her, the carp demon was on the white sand beach of Jun Mountain.

Kun Wuzi's overturning of the Dongting water had not spared Jun Mountain. The former one of the eight scenic spots of Dongting was now unrecognizable. There was originally lush vegetation on the mountain, but now the smaller trees had been broken, let alone the even smaller shrubs and grasses. These plants had rolled down the mountain and piled up on the shore and the beach. Of course, there were also dead fish, dead birds, and dead animals.

Although only one night had passed, the weather in Dongting in July and August was like a steaming basket. Their bodies, soaked in water, were starting to emit an unpleasant smell. Lady Hong was in the midst of this mess on the shore, looking up at the Ziwei Palace.

The Ziwei Palace was unharmed.

When Li Yunxin first saw the Lord of Dongting on Jun Mountain, he thought this wooden palace was nothing special and was just a place for the great demon Lord of Dongting to play and eat people in his spare time. But now he knew it was not an ordinary thing—the eaves on the stone archway on the shore with the three large characters "Ziwei Palace" were not damaged and still looked the same as when he first saw them.

He also came to the mess on the ground, and the feeling of solid ground under his feet made him feel a little more at ease.

"My Lord Father never allowed me to come here before," Lady Hong said, looking at the archway. "But now he can't stop me."

She then turned to look at Li Yunxin. "Did something happen over there? I was afraid of those Taoist priests and didn't dare to listen."

Li Yunxin frowned slightly and waved his sleeve. A demonic wind suddenly rose from the ground, sweeping all the scattered plants and corpses into the depths of the lake.

There was mist by the Dongting Lake, but the sky above was a clear blue. Here, you could still see the sun rising from the east. The debris that had been swept away by his demonic wind created a wave in the distance and then returned to calm.

He squinted at the water for a moment before turning to look at Lady Hong. "War has started."

Lady Hong was slightly stunned, her eyes wide as she asked him, "What war?"

Li Yunxin drew a circle in the air with his hand. "Demons."

He drew another circle. "The Daoist Orthodoxy—war has begun. The Daoist Orthodoxy plans to wipe out all the demons in the world."

After hearing this, Lady Hong became less interested.

"Oh." She turned her head and pointed to the white sand beach in front of her. "I used to think this place lacked some life. I liked the wooden pavilion on White Heron Island, but it was destroyed. Now that my Lord Father is not here and this place is sealed, we can build a wooden pavilion here too. We can use the paulownia wood from Jun Mountain—when we are free, we can drink and talk in the pavilion. Young Master Li, don't you think that's a good idea?"

"Are you... not afraid of the war? This is a big deal for every demon—you are also an Yin Spirit, a demon."

Lady Hong blinked and smiled. "What's the use of me being afraid? I am a woman, and my magic power is not that strong. I might have some authority in front of small demons, but in front of a great demon like Young Master Li, I am just a little soldier."

"Besides, the great trends and disputes of the world are not something I can decide. To say when the happiest and most carefree time of my life was... it's right now."

Lady Hong hesitated for a moment, then finally took a step and walked toward the archway of the Ziwei Palace. The first few steps were cautious, but after realizing there was nothing unusual, she walked faster and faster. She stopped at the threshold and glanced at the front hall hidden in the flowers and trees in the distance.

Finally, she crossed the threshold.

She stood quietly in the shadow of the trees behind the threshold for a while before turning to Li Yunxin and revealing a joyful smile. "See—it's right now. Young Master Li and I are trapped in this Dongting. Let the human cultivators and demons outside fight. When they get a result, if the demons win, we can continue to be carefree and happy. If the human cultivators win, Young Master Li can kill me and use me as a sign of his submission, and I'll be happy too. How good would that be?"

Li Yunxin spread his hands silently and sighed. "Okay. This isn't your business, but it's mine. First, tell me, how do I get out of this restriction?"