Inner Demons

The heavily injured Young Master Nine did not wake up until half an shichen (one hour) later—this was a considerably long period for Li Yunxin.

Because he knew that one of the most powerful existences in this world, the world of living beings, was currently right... above his head.

The True Dragon must be present within the heavy, oppressive dark clouds of the night sky. The golden light mass hanging high above his head in his fan was pulsing rhythmically, as if breathing along with the world.

Therefore, he spent the entire half shichen thinking: What kind of person does the True Dragon like?

There was no definite answer to this. He didn't know the other party well enough yet.

If based on the Lord of Dongting's words, the True Dragon dearly loved the Nine Sons—which is why he was sent to his "father's" side. This was both to guard the Dragon Soul Restriction in Dongting and to have the Lord of Dongting protect him.

If based on Yazi's words, the Dragon Clan was indifferent to whether they loved a particular Dragon's Son or not—after all, they all originated from the Divine Dragon. And now that the Dragon Clan as a whole had gained a new Dragon Vein like Li Yunxin, it should be a great piece of good fortune for the True Dragon.

But there was also another, darker conjecture—which was almost instinct for a person like Li Yunxin. Good things are always rare, but darkness is everywhere.

For example, for Yazi, a Great Demon known for his brutality, his friendly attitude toward Li Yunxin was anything but normal.

Li Yunxin tried to make himself believe the other party's statement that "having one more Dragon Clan bloodline is a good thing." But what was so good about this "good thing"?

Good because "our happy, loving family has a new member"?

He wasn't an eight or nine-year-old child—and in both his previous life and this one, by the age of eight or nine, he had already experienced the world's most dangerous and ferocious side.

It was indeed good to have one more member. As for why it was good...

Long Jiu died and went into Yazi's body. Yazi's body was shared, yet he did not become extremely angry, but calmly accepted it. Compared to other brighter, more friendly reasons, Li Yunxin was more willing to believe that—

—For example, if the other seven were to die and Yazi found a way to draw them all into his body, he might find a way to transform himself into an even more terrifying existence.

The phrase "Indestructible Dragon Soul" and the idea that "the Nine Sons were originally divided from half of the Divine Dragon's Spiritual Soul"—when mixed together, made it difficult for Li Yunxin not to have such thoughts.

If Yazi thought this way and intended to do this, would the Divine Dragon also have such a notion?

To reclaim all the split-off bodies?

If these deductions were true, then the emergence of Li Yunxin at this moment—he could actually create additional Dragon Clan bloodlines!

This was almost equivalent to him being able to create a "Dragon Soul" out of thin air!

With this conjecture, looking back at Yazi's attitude and the Divine Dragon's attitude—which specifically waited for him, a mere True Realm demon, for an entire shichen—

—Didn't that make things much easier to explain?

He knew a way to create the Dragon Clan bloodline. He was a treasure right now—no matter what Yazi and the True Dragon planned to do with this extra bloodline, and no matter what other untold stories existed between the True Dragon and the Dragon's Sons.

Of course, there were many other possibilities. But one of Li Yunxin's favorite principles was "Do not multiply entities without necessity." Specifically for himself... if he could use a simple, direct, and dark thought to guess and explain a situation, then he would not allow himself to believe in another reason that seemed bright and beautiful but was much more complicated and confusing.

Now, he needed to try and verify his idea—to see if he, a small figure, a minor demon of the True Realm, could possibly guess the mind of the True Dragon.

—The existence closest to a god in the world of living beings.

Therefore, when Young Master Nine finally woke up, Li Yunxin sat on the high city wall of Weicheng and sighed: “Young Master Nine, why go through all this trouble?”

The flames behind him were still burning fiercely, and he was sitting on the battlements of the city wall—which made him look as if he were sitting on a throne, backed by a brilliant wall of fire.

Young Master Nine slowly got up from the ground.

The Great Demon's body had suffered serious damage. His movements were slow at the moment, like an old, rusted machine. He used his arms to prop himself up, then rolled over and sat on the ground, looking up at Li Yunxin.

Thus, Li Yunxin saw the flames of hatred that had not yet been extinguished in his eyes.

Li Yunxin then spoke loudly again: “I was the one who saved you. Does that mean we're even on life-debts now? You had also previously killed one of my split bodies. So, one could say you owe me now.”

Young Master Nine breathed heavily several times. Li Yunxin saw sparks of fire floating out of his nose and mouth—he was probably breathing fire like he used to exhale clouds and mist? But everything nearby was bathed in firelight, so Li Yunxin couldn't see clearly.

Young Master Nine stared at him and hissed: “Life? This is not about a life-debt between us!”

Li Yunxin smiled—this was the answer he wanted. He wanted Young Master Nine to say this sentence so that he could say other things that were not just for Young Master Nine to hear.

He leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on his knees. Looking down at the demon below the city wall, he sighed again: “You know... sometimes you make me feel embarrassed. I mean, friend, don't always keep bringing up how I tricked you, how I played with your feelings, and so on—”

“Every time we talk, you get so emotional, and we can't solve any problems. Neither of us is a child anymore—you are over a thousand years old, and me? I'm fifteen or sixteen? Let's say sixteen—every time I listen to you say these things, I feel a sense of shame.”

“...The world is just like this. Some people offer their sincere feelings and are rewarded, and some people mistake a person and feed their heart to a dog. When you encounter such a thing, you have to try to accept it, instead of thinking that the whole world owes you something, is against you, and you want to defy the Heavens and change your destiny—that's not called courage, that's called being a chuunibyou (eighth-grader syndrome). Specifically regarding the matter between us, don't you realize?”

“...You cannot defeat me. At least, you cannot defeat me tonight. By the time it's dawn and your Second Brother reappears, you will have absolutely no way to deal with me. Because the True Dragon is also coming—and he will support me. You might as well take advantage of my current feeling of guilt toward you and suggest conditions that we can both accept.”

Li Yunxin spread his hands: “I think this is the wise thing to do.”

“You're saying that after all those things you did to me... now you're telling me I should suffer the consequences and endure it?!” Young Master Nine said through gritted teeth, “You're dreaming a fool's dream!”

“That's what I mean,” Li Yunxin said calmly, “In your world, I am a villain who toyed with your emotions and discarded your sincere heart. But the reality is that villains don't necessarily face retribution, and may even live well—let's assume I am your villain. But you just can't do anything to me, and you have to accept it. I repeat—I am giving you the entire night to discuss terms. If you don't value this, the offer expires.”

After saying this, he casually glanced at his fan—the light spot representing the True Dragon was still there.

It was hard to tell if the other party liked him or disliked him, but at least he had not lost interest.

Young Master Nine looked as if he had heard something hilarious—and so, in his extreme anger, he laughed instead: “True Dragon? Supporting you? What scheme are you plotting now?”

Li Yunxin smiled, saying unflustered: “You know what? I wasn't the one who lured you here—it was your Second Brother who brought me. The purpose was for me to safely survive this night.”

“And do you know why this is so?” Li Yunxin looked at him, “Because I can—after killing you—become you again. This means the world will have a tenth Dragon's Son.”

“I am a minor figure of the True Realm, and Yazi is a Profound Realm Great Demon. Profound Realm demons are rare in this world, but True Realm demons are not uncommon—yet he treats me with gentleness and courtesy. Because he knows I have this method.”

“According to Yazi, the True Dragon is also interested in this—” Li Yunxin slowed his speech as he said this and glanced at his fan—then his heart gave a little jolt.

This was because the light spot representing the True Dragon also pulsed slightly, with a movement that was extremely subtle. If the painting hadn't been personally created by Li Yunxin with great effort, he would have thought the pulse was an illusion caused by the flickering firelight behind him.

The light spot was already pulsing slightly—as if breathing and absorbing along with the world. And the change that occurred now... did it mean that the existence above felt an emotion like "astonishment"?

Emotions could be hidden.

But the mountains, rivers, and even figures displayed in this painting were the fundamental reflections of the spirits of all things—emotions could be hidden, but the fundamental nature could not.

Everything would be displayed in this scroll in its most essential form. This... was something Li Yunxin had never thought of.

His parents were also people of high attainment. But they were not so brilliant as to be able to create a "Spirit Painting." Therefore, they knew little about this rare treasure, and so Li Yunxin knew little.

It was only now, with the Spirit Painting in his hands, that he realized there were still many mysteries and wonders—that he had not understood before.

If this slightly more obvious pulse really meant that the powerful existence in the sky had experienced a change in emotion—Li Yunxin forced himself not to jump up in surprise—it also meant that he had gained a powerful "weapon"!

He could perceive the emotions of that one!

With this thought, he decided to test it again. He needed to figure out if this was just a coincidence, or if it was truly the case!

Therefore, after saying the sentence, “According to Yazi, the True Dragon is also interested in this,” he then said slowly but clearly: “I guess—your Second Brother guessed the True Dragon's true desire.”

If Li Yunxin's previous conjecture was correct—that "Yazi might have ulterior motives" and "The True Dragon is also planning something of his own"—then his saying these two sentences would surely provoke a reaction from the True Dragon.

And indeed.

The light spot pulsed slightly again. But perhaps because it had been "astonished" before, this time the change was even less noticeable. If he hadn't been staring intently at the fan surface, he would have missed it.

Li Yunxin was silent for a moment, then let out a breath.

He felt joyful from the bottom of his heart.

It was as if the immense burden that had been pressing down on him had instantly disappeared. He felt his limbs were unbound, and even the intensely hot air around him felt cool.

He was never afraid of a challenge, only afraid of a situation being out of his control and having no clues!

Yet now, he felt he had regained, even if just a little—the initiative!

Therefore, a cheerful smile appeared on his face. He looked at Young Master Nine, his tone becoming lighter: “—It is said that the True Dragon is also interested in this, and I guess your Second Brother has guessed the True Dragon's true desire. But those two are existences I can only look up to, and I, as a small figure, dare not guess their minds.”

“All I can rely on is the facts—the Dragon Clan is powerful and mysterious. How majestic was the True Dragon back then? Ranging over the four seas and subduing all the demons in the world!”

He seemed to become excited as he said this. He waved the fan in his hand, his gaze quickly scanning it—the light spot pulsed again.

Did that mean "pleasure" or "satisfaction"?

“But what happened afterward? One must maintain the empire after building it—and so the Nine Sons were there to guard the four directions. But how numerous are the demons in the world! And the Daoist Orthodoxy and the Sword Sect are constantly eyeing them with hostility. Though the Dragon Clan is strong, they cannot contend against the world with the power of one clan. Why? Because the bloodline is scarce!”

But while saying this, the light spot's fluctuation was normal.

“But now I have a method in my hands—you die, and I take your place. I die, and perhaps I have a way for someone else to take my place. The Dragon Soul is inexhaustible—if there can be a tenth Dragon's Son, there can be an eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth.” Li Yunxin looked at Young Master Nine: “Don't you understand yet? In a sense, to the True Dragon, I am much more important than you.”

“Therefore, do you think the Divine Dragon will support me?”

Li Yunxin felt he was speaking reasonably, passionately, and sincerely. And Young Master Nine was not a fool—he was just a very impulsive person.

This impulsive person could only listen to Li Yunxin talk eloquently because of the severe, unrecovered injuries on his body. By this point, he had indeed listened to some and pondered some.

He did not immediately burst into a rage. He stared at Li Yunxin with a look of despair, anger, and sorrow: “My Second Brother... did he truly lure you here and is he going to help you?!”

Li Yunxin looked at him with sympathy: “Yes.”

Young Master Nine was silent for a while in the blazing flames.

Then he looked up at Li Yunxin again: “How... did you become me?”

Li Yunxin breathed a slight sigh of relief.

—He was finally willing to address the problem.

His asking this question meant he had taken the first step. Although he didn't know what the final outcome would be, it was better than him seeing Li Yunxin and rushing to kill him regardless of everything—even a Young Master Nine in a fit of rage, with an intolerable IQ, was still a Profound Realm demon, after all.

Therefore, Li Yunxin smiled and said: “I possessed your body.”

And he only said this casually, not expecting Young Master Nine to be able to hear it—the Dragon Clan members were in a state of hearing without listening to everything related to that word.

Then he habitually looked at the Folding Fan in his hand.

And then... his eyes suddenly widened.

Because that light spot pulsed violently!