Inner Demons

"Heartology," he repeated, smiling at the Lord of Dongting. "You are not wrong in the slightest."

"I figured out long ago that your son was a Chiwen. Now I have also become a Chiwen, and I thought you would miss your son, that you would cry for him."

"If you miss him and cry for him, then the more you hate me—the killer of your son—the more you miss the son who was killed. These two emotions are not completely opposite; there is a subtle line between them."

"That's why when I spoke with you just now, I was using Heartology to constantly hint and guide you. Step by step, little by little, I would weaken the hatred in your heart and amplify the compassion. In the end... I would completely hypnotize you. Your longing for your son would completely overwhelm your hatred for me, and you would see me as a replacement for Young Master Nine. Ultimately, you would not only spare my life but also compensate me twofold."

"This does seem to defy common sense and is hard to imagine... but it's not impossible. It's the same principle as victims falling in love with their kidnappers or captors. This is Heartology."

Li Yunxin burst into laughter. "It's a shame my goal was off from the very beginning... you weren't crying for your son at all! Were you?"

"Oh. It does sound like an interesting subject," the Lord of Dongting said, lowering his eyes and stroking his beard. "You're right. I was not crying for him."

"So you didn't really care how I became a Chiwen."

"I did not," the Lord of Dongting said calmly. "I also don't care about your Heartology. You thought I would be curious. Alas... you are still just a child. You don't know many things, such as people. A child who sees their mother use a needle and cloth to make new clothes will be curious and want to know how it was done."