Chapter 318: Truth Is Everywhere in Life!

Chapter 318: Truth Is Everywhere in Life!

“Hey, Rooster Spirit, wait!”

Seeing the rooster spirit dash inward, Qi Yuan wanted to call him back.

If other yao were mere substitutes for his white moonlight, the rooster spirit counted as half a white moonlight.

Alas, hearing Qi Yuan’s words, the rooster spirit only sped up, never pausing, heading into the abandoned courtyard.

Qi Yuan tugged at Xiao Jia’s icy sleeve, lost in thought: “Could it be he guessed I want him to help me pay off the star loan?”

Qi Yuan planned to buy a star arch, and the rooster spirit was perfect for repaying the loan.

Xiao Jia nodded, utterly obedient, as if she fully agreed with Qi Yuan.

Seeing this, Qi Yuan laughed heartily, pulling Xiao Jia closer by the waist.

From Xiao Jia’s sleeve, a wooden sign with a “happy” expression tumbled out.

Whether she was amused by Qi Yuan’s words, or because she heard him say she was his bride fetched with a grand sedan chair.

The abandoned courtyard was especially deep, but with Xiao Jia there, everything felt warm and serene.

“Come, Xiao Jia, shall we go meet my white moonlight?” Qi Yuan held Xiao Jia’s icy sleeve, but in his heart he wondered—if Xiao Jia grew jealous and wanted to kill these white moonlights, should he help?

After all, wife and white moonlight are born enemies.

With these strange thoughts, Qi Yuan and Xiao Jia walked deeper into the courtyard.

Along the way, Qi Yuan saw many stooped figures, their expressions numb, some sweeping, others serving tea.

If one looked closely, they would find these people’s throats and ears had been poisoned, turning them into deaf-mute servants.

As Qi Yuan and Xiao Jia arrived, a deaf-mute servant came to guide them.

Qi Yuan and Xiao Jia walked toward the shabby hall ahead; before they reached it, Qi Yuan caught a whiff of a pickled stench.

From within the hall came a refined and gentle voice.

“Dear fellow cultivators invited here, I cannot offer you fresh fare.

Old Goat feels deeply indebted; only these dried pickled goods—please make do.”

The three-horned old goat’s beard reached his waist, truly long enough to tie.

If he met a Blue Star human, he might recite a poem: “Wait till my hair reaches my waist, will you marry me?”

“Old Goat Head, this jerky needs some candied fruit. I like sweets, not salt,” said a wild wolf spirit in a tattered kasaya, grabbing jerky and stuffing it into his mouth.

“I prefer spicy, or else it can’t cover the stench of human flesh,” the rooster spirit spoke up, offering his opinion.

The yao in the group buzzed with discussion.

Then Old Goat Head said, “I hear today there’s a special fellow cultivator joining our gathering. I wonder if they’ve arrived.”

“I heard it’s a wedding dress that became a spirit—truly rare. This old man has lived three hundred years, considered long-lived, yet never seen a wedding dress spirit.”

“Now… you see one.”

Just then, Qi Yuan’s hearty voice rang out.

He led Xiao Jia into the hall.

“This is my wife Xiao Jia. I, Qi Yuan, am a good man.”

As Qi Yuan entered the hall, his eyes swept over the dozen or so yao present, his gaze filled with barely restrained delight.

As if his long-lost white moonlight had finally been fulfilled… seen.

The yao in the hall were unsettled by Qi Yuan’s look.

But most of their gazes fell on Xiao Jia.

Strange yao always drew attention.

“A wedding dress spirit—this old man has never heard of it, nor sensed any yao aura… Could it be a… human from the Demon Suppression Bureau has sneaked in?” An old man who had lived two hundred years voiced his doubt.

The other yao nodded in agreement, especially since this wedding dress yao had brought a human man inside.

“Old Locust dared to let her in; she is undoubtedly our kind. Unless… you all dare to doubt Old Locust?” Old Goat Head’s words silenced any further suspicion.

Old Locust’s strength was unfathomable, and his age was exceedingly ancient; this two-hundred-year-old man’s grandfather had once seen Old Locust.

Now centuries had passed, and Old Locust still rooted here.

Even Uncle Yellow and that one from the Water Tribe held Old Locust in great respect.

These yao nodded, accepting Old Goat Head’s words.

“Lady… please take a seat.” Old Goat Head made a gesture of invitation.

Qi Yuan led Xiao Jia, ready to sit.

But then a sharp voice rang out: “This is a gathering of yao; humans may not sit.”

It was the rooster spirit speaking.

Though he feared the wedding dress yao.

With so many yao here, he felt emboldened.

Qi Yuan’s face shifted, then fell into dejection: “Damn, you saw through my lie.

Alas, Xiao Jia wasn’t fetched by me with a grand sedan chair.

She fetched me with a grand sedan chair.

I know a live-in son-in-law has no rights and can’t sit at the table.

I won’t sit, as long as I don’t have to drink foot-washing water.”

Qi Yuan had a strong sense of morality and always followed the rules.

A live-in son-in-law not allowed at the table—this humiliation he had to swallow.

Next time Ning Tao came, if they got a marriage certificate, he would take the chance to swap the cat for the prince, get one with Xiao Jia too, and shed his live-in son-in-law status!

Xiao Jia, led by Qi Yuan and receiving his signal, said nothing but happily took her seat.

On the reddish-brown low table were some tea and pickled human jerky.

Then the rooster spirit spoke: “Old Goat Head, why did you invite us here this time?”

The rooster spirit’s words drew the attention of all yao present.

This time, the yao of Yunyan County were holding Ascension Yao Gatherings at several strongholds.

These ordinary yao had all received invitations.

But they were unclear on the purpose of the Ascension Yao Gathering.

Old Goat Head smiled and said, “I invited you all here for two matters.

The first matter, well… will begin shortly; as for the second, it concerns the future of all yao in Yunyan County, so we must wait for Uncle Yellow to announce it.”

Old Goat Head left them in suspense.

His words stirred a ripple through the gathering.

“This concerns our future, Old Goat Head—don’t exaggerate?”

“Are you saying the Demon Suppression Bureau is coming to slaughter us?”

The demons present grew anxious, their hearts trembling with unease.

“Everyone, calm yourselves. I can only say this is not bad news—for all of you, it is good news.

Now, let me announce the first matter.”

Old Goat Head’s gaze turned cold as he spoke.

“Bring Yang Fan in!”

At his command, a deaf-mute servant entered from outside, dragging in a disheveled goat demon with hair in wild disarray.

Clearly, they had not received Old Goat Head’s order through their ears.

“Uncle, spare me… I’ll change!” Yang Fan, shoved inside, wept and wailed, a pitiful sight.

At the sight of the goat demon, the demons present all shifted their expressions.

“Isn’t this Old Goat Head’s most beloved nephew? What crime has he committed?”

“Old Goat Head looks like he means business!”

Old Goat Head’s face was stern, his voice icy: “Prepare the oil cauldron.”

The deaf-mute servants scrambled in a flurry, and soon a cauldron of oil was set up in the hall.

Beneath it, blazing firewood crackled; above, the oil roiled and bubbled.

Murder flashed in Old Goat Head’s eyes: “This worthless nephew of mine colluded with humans and became a demon traitor!

For a paltry sum of silver, he leaked news of the Ascension Demon Assembly to the Demon Suppression Bureau.

So today, he must die—by the punishment of deep-frying.”

“Uncle, I didn’t mean to… waaah… spare me…” Yang Fan wailed uncontrollably.

He was filled with regret.

He had taken a fancy to a courtesan’s tender, delicious flesh, but it cost money.

Not enough silver—what to do?

Sell information.

Who knew… this time, he’d be caught, and his uncle would fry him alive.

How could he not be terrified? Tears streamed down like they cost nothing, and he even wished they would become an ocean to dilute the boiling oil.

“Into the cauldron!” Old Goat Head’s tone brooked no dissent.

Cries, curses, and pleas mingled together, a scene of utter misery.

Qi Yuan could no longer stand by, his sympathy overflowing. “Alas, look how pitiful he is, crying so wretchedly. To throw him into the oil cauldron—my conscience can’t bear it!

How about I pay to buy him off? Don’t deep-fry him—deep-fried… isn’t that… a bit off…”

After all, this was the first time he’d seen a whole goat fried.

Wasn’t it always roasted whole goat?

“Heh, honored guest, what price are you willing to offer?” Old Goat Head asked, unangered, turning to Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan reached into his bosom, fumbling as he pulled out silver: “Ah, my silver’s not enough—just over ten taels. Can’t buy your nephew… How about… sell me a dozen catties of him? I want the bloody parts, if that’s all right?”

Qi Yuan felt he was growing cleverer by the day.

He acted with high emotional intelligence, achieving a win-win.

First win: satisfying his own moral sense, putting humanity’s true goodness into practice—who wouldn’t say, upon seeing this, “There are still good people in this world”? Second win: he wanted Yang Fan’s demonic essence blood; if the purchase succeeded, the blood wouldn’t go to waste.

A true win-win.

Old Goat Head’s mouth twitched, then he glanced thoughtfully at Xiao Jia behind Qi Yuan: “Fry him first, then give him to the guest.”

“Be careful when you fry him—don’t drain all his blood!” Qi Yuan said urgently.

Old Goat Head said nothing.

Yang Fan, who had briefly glimpsed hope in his eyes, now glared viciously at Qi Yuan, as if he wanted to devour him.

Seeing this, Qi Yuan couldn’t help but sigh: “Isn’t this the farmer and the snake? I tried to save him, and he resents me instead. Great kindness breeds great enmity—now I finally understand the meaning of that ancient saying!”

Indeed, truth hides in every corner of life.

In a flash, Qi Yuan had an epiphany.

Under everyone’s gaze, Yang Fan was sent into the oil cauldron and fried.

His agonized screams echoed through the gloomy mansion.

When the frying was done, a thick stench of burnt hair and oil filled the hall.

The demons’ faces turned grim, tinged with awe.

Then, a gust of demon wind swept through, and a burly old man appeared in the center of the hall.

This old man leaned on a bone-white staff, his snow-white crew-cut hair standing on end like broken thorns, his eyes piercing, and a powerful aura radiating from him.

At the sight of him, Old Goat Head’s expression immediately turned reverent: “Greetings, Lord Huang!”

The other demons also rose, bowing respectfully: “Greetings, Lord Huang!”

The newcomer was none other than Lord Huang, a master of the perfected Qi-Blood realm and the nominal leader of this stronghold.

“Everyone’s here?” Lord Huang swept his gaze across the crowd, his eyes oppressive, like poisonous thorns pricking everyone’s skin.

“No more nonsense—I’ll talk about the Ascension Demon Assembly!” Lord Huang’s voice was gruff, like a brute’s.

A stark contrast to his brother Lord Huang Si’s refined demeanor.

The demons present grew tense, eager to know what this was about—something that concerned the future of all demons in Yunyan County.

“Half a month ago, Elder Kun encountered a demon in the sea.

That demon had three legs, three eyes, two fins, a strange form, and no intelligence whatsoever.

So Elder Kun brought it back to Yunyan County and had us investigate its identity.

After consulting ancient texts, we discovered that demon was none other than… the Child of Spirit Blood!”

“What?”

“The Child of Spirit Blood!”

“A mindless Child of Spirit Blood!”

The demons’ breathing quickened, their eyes burning with fervor.

“Does that mean, if we control it, we will one day… obtain a demon spirit!”

“A demon spirit! Even in ancient times, that would be a great demon, capable of founding a demon court!”

Among demons, the realms of power were divided into Qi-Blood Demons, Jade-Blood Demons, Demon Heroes, Demon Spirits, and even Demon Kings.

The child of spirit blood, that is, a demon bearing the bloodline of a demon spirit, and not merely bearing it in a simple sense, but rather... without bottlenecks, able to ascend directly to the realm of demon spirits as a colossal demon.

Such a colossal demon at the demon spirit realm is comparable to a martial spirit realm human warrior.

Translated into the world of immortal cultivation, it is a divine infant-level colossal demon.

To overthrow a nation, to stir up storms and waves, is well within its power.

Especially... this child of spirit blood has no consciousness whatsoever, meaning... they can be manipulated at will.

Thus, how could the demons present not be excited?

Yet some demons grew cautious.

"If Boss Kun discovered the child of spirit blood, why would he share it with us?"

"Such a precious thing as the child of spirit blood, if I were to obtain it, I would naturally not share it with other demon tribes."

Hearing these words, Old Man Huang's expression remained unchanged, and he spoke slowly: "This particular child of spirit blood is in a very special situation right now.

To grow up, it requires all of you to feed it with your essence blood.

So, Boss Kun and I discussed it and decided to invite you all to raise the child of spirit blood together.

Once the child of spirit blood matures, will it then be under our control?

Hehe, once it steps into the demon spirit realm, not to mention this Cloud Mist County, even the Wind Thunder Prefecture and the Tianchu Imperial Dynasty will be ours to command!"

Old Huang's words were quite stirring, and the demons present were all tempted, though some remained vigilant.

"If we feed the child of spirit blood, who guarantees that we can gain control over it?" asked the two-hundred-year-old elder.

After all, what if Boss Kun just treats them as laborers, only needing their blood, and once the child of spirit blood is raised, it won't listen to them?

"Rest assured, everyone. When feeding, you can all sign a Heartlink Curse with the child of spirit blood," Old Man Huang replied, his voice neither warm nor cold.

Hearing this, the demons present were all deeply tempted.

It could be said that among demons, none were unaware of the Heartlink Curse.

Once they signed the Heartlink Curse with the child of spirit blood, their essence blood would be even more effective for it.

But at the same time, the child of spirit blood would regard them as kin and protect them.

"Is Boss Kun really this generous?"

"This matter... I am somewhat tempted."

The demons present had no objections.

If they signed the Heartlink Curse with the child of spirit blood, their fortunes would soar for life.

"Does anyone have objections?" Seeing the crowd's eagerness, Old Man Huang spoke confidently, sweeping his gaze over them.

None of the demons present made a sound, some lost in thought.

At that moment, Qi Yuan, who had been silent all along, spoke: "I have an objection!"

"Oh?" Old Man Huang's sharp gaze fell on Qi Yuan, carrying a threat, as if trying to see through him.

But he had never seen Qi Er before, so he could not recognize Qi Yuan.

"I think this is too unfair to all the demon tribes.

Drawing essence blood every so often—how bad is that for your health?

You have no tonics here, draining their blood day after day, it hurts them, and it hurts my heart too!

That's demon essence blood, just giving it away to the child of spirit blood—what a waste, what a waste, so heartbreaking, so wasteful."

Hearing this, the rooster spirit's expression turned strange.

The demons present felt something odd, yet inexplicably moved.

Look, this human cares about our bodies.

What a good person.

"Hmph, you have no idea what that child of spirit blood means to us!" Old Man Huang's voice was cold and domineering.

"Don't be angry. Actually, I have a good idea that can solve this problem perfectly," Qi Yuan said, activating his clever mind.

"Oh? What idea?" The demons looked at Qi Yuan with curiosity.

They didn't want to donate blood either.

It really was bad for their health.

"Simple. Don't give your blood to the child of spirit blood. Give it to me instead. I'll take you to the hospital every day for glucose drips. Isn't that good for you?" Qi Yuan didn't know if glucose drips could replenish blood, but fooling this uneducated bunch should be no problem.

Qi Yuan's words left the demons stunned.

So... you want our blood?

"Are you mocking us?"

"You... are asking for death!" Old Man Huang was enraged, a powerful killing intent radiating from him.

Seeing this, Qi Yuan quickly waved his hand: "Don't get angry, it's bad for your health. What if your blood pressure and blood sugar spike?

What I said is absolutely true, I'm not lying to you.

Just let me eat the child of spirit blood. I have a special constitution; I will become the new child of spirit blood.

Then, you only need to offer your blood to me.

I'll hang a bottle of glucose for you every day—that's ten bucks a bottle, ten bucks!"

Qi Yuan said excitedly.

For the sake of this world, he had sacrificed far too much.

(End of this chapter)