One light remark after another drifted into the Demon Heart’s ears.
The long-lost sensation made the Demon Heart tremble several times. It knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly: “M-M-M… Master, please forgive me.”
Xiao Jingchen lazily lifted his eyelids, glancing at the shivering Demon Heart. “Forget it.”
He unhurriedly poured the cup of tea meant for the Demon Heart into a flowerpot. The flowers inside visibly withered and wilted. “But according to what you said, the Heavenly Dao and I are enemies?”
“Of course!” the Demon Heart exclaimed indignantly. “We are sworn enemies! She stole your noble demon bone! She is utterly despicable!”
“Since I’ve lost my memories and entered the cycle of reincarnation, the Heavenly Dao must have done the same,” Xiao Jingchen chuckled softly, his smiling eyes shimmering with a faint light. “In that case…”
He casually tossed the empty teacup onto the table, where it rolled a few times before settling steadily beside the teapot.
The softness in his eyes vanished, replaced by a deepening smile at the corners of his lips. “Then find her and kill her.”
“Whether it’s Dao bone or demon bone, I’m not interested in such things. It’s just that the name ‘Heavenly Dao’… sounds like something that makes one want to…”
He paused, then uttered three words softly and deliberately: “Annihilate her.”
This aligned perfectly with what the Demon Heart had in mind. Overjoyed, it thought to itself: The Master is as rebellious as ever. Excellent!
“Master is wise!”
The Demon Heart’s eyes darted around as if it had thought of a plan.
“Master, tomorrow night, I have a way to lure the Heavenly Dao out!”
“If I release a bit of demonic energy, not everyone who shows up will be the Heavenly Dao. But the one who appears the kindest, most saintly, and most compassionate in the entire world—that will definitely be her.”
“For millions of years, the Heavenly Dao has always been like this. If she steps on an ant, she’ll lament the spirituality of all living beings, heal it, shed tears of remorse, and never forgive herself.”
“She is kind-hearted yet foolish—the easiest to find.”
“Master, rest assured. This time, we will surely kill the Heavenly Dao.”
Meanwhile, at the Prime Minister’s residence.
Wen Shuyu was reprimanded by Prime Minister Wen for an entire hour before she was allowed to return to her own Qingzhu Garden.
First, it was: “You tied the Crown Prince up and dragged him to a brothel? Have you lost your mind! What if the Crown Prince, in a fit of rage, harmed you?”
Then: “Do you even realize your mistake? If it weren’t for the Empress Dowager and the Empress protecting you, just for tying the Crown Prince up and taking him to a brothel, the Emperor would have had your head!”
Followed by: “You are not to leave the residence for the next three days. From now on, you are forbidden from chasing after the Crown Prince. What if you provoke him and he hurts you? If you die, I won’t want to live either. Are you trying to take your father’s life?”
And finally: “What kind of man isn’t available in the capital? Why must you fixate on the Crown Prince? You can’t even defeat him in a fight. What if he beats you up?”
Wen Shuyu listened to these reprimands, which were almost identical to those from the Empress and the Empress Dowager, nodding repeatedly with “Mhm, mhm, mhm.” In the end, just as she had done in the palace, she clearly stated that she would “never repeat such a mistake,” and only then was she allowed to return to her room.
As soon as she entered her room, Wen Shuyu saw Xiao Liu floating in the air.
Xiao Liu paced back and forth, looking troubled. “It shouldn’t be… It shouldn’t be possible for you to be talentless. Master, give me your hand. Let me check your spiritual power.”
Wen Shuyu extended her hand. “Here, checking again won’t change anything.”
Xiao Liu extended its little paw to sense her spiritual power, then suddenly jumped back in shock: “Demon bone?!! Master, how can there be demon bone and demonic energy inside you?”
“Where is your Dao bone? Was it stolen by that despicable Demon Venerable? He even maliciously implanted a demon bone in you, trying to lure you into becoming a demon!”
“Demonic energy can interfere with a person’s mind. Aside from those of the demon race, anyone else affected by demonic energy will be influenced. Master! How have you been feeling all these years? Are you alright, Master?”
Xiao Liu nervously examined Wen Shuyu from head to toe, feeling as if a heavy stone were pressing on its heart.
Oh no, what should we do now?
The Heavenly Dao has lost all of its Dao bones, and now there’s chaotic demonic energy and a demon bone inside.
Those damned demons—if it ever meets the Demon Venerable, it will definitely kick him to death. How despicable!
Wen Shuyu shrugged and patted its head: “It’s fine, it’s fine. What’s a little demonic energy? I’ve been through ten reincarnations and nothing’s happened.”
“But I definitely can’t be the Heavenly Dao, because I don’t possess any of the qualities needed to be the Heavenly Dao—things like kindness, compassion, none of that exists in me.”
Xiao Liu: “…”
It immediately retorted: “You definitely are. A thousand years ago, you sacrificed yourself alongside the Demon Venerable for the sake of all living beings. Afterward, your three souls and seven spirits scattered across the mortal realm, reincarnating ten times until today.”
“Otherwise, how do you explain a mortal possessing memories from ten lifetimes? Even possession or body-switching couldn’t happen ten times.”
“Master, our top priority now is, first, to find the Demon Venerable, who also entered the cycle of reincarnation, and then…”
“And then torture him, force him to reveal the whereabouts of the Dao bone, and after finding out, kill him with one strike!” Wen Shuyu finished its sentence. “Right?”
She wore an expression that said “I understand,” startling Xiao Liu into wiping the sweat from its forehead.
Xiao Liu: “Master, you are the Heavenly Dao. In stories, we are the greatest righteous faction. We can’t just kill people arbitrarily. If we can guide him toward goodness, that would be best. These are all things you once taught me.”
Wen Shuyu spread her hands: “See? I told you my character couldn’t possibly be that of the Heavenly Dao. I’d only kill him to eliminate the threat forever. Guide him? Is he even worthy?”
Xiao Liu: “…”
This is bad.
Its Heavenly Dao master seems to have grown crooked in the mortal realm.
Well, not exactly crooked—it must be influenced by the demonic energy inside her. Her emotions and desires have been infinitely amplified by malicious thoughts.
Thinking this, Xiao Liu’s eyes filled with admiration again: “You truly are the Heavenly Dao. Others affected by demonic energy and demon bones would fall into demonic ways, destroying heaven and earth and harming all living beings. Only you, just like the storytellers in the teahouses say, have become a bit more lustful, a bit more arrogant, and your reputation has worsened a bit, but there’s still hope.”
Wen Shuyu: “…” Fine, whatever you say.
And so, on the following day, over the course of an entire day, Xiao Liu thoroughly experienced what “crooked” truly meant. Xiao Liu was nearly numb.
Until nightfall, as dusk descended.
Everything proceeded according to “Demon Heart’s” plan.
In the outskirts outside the capital, among a group of beggars.
A young man in tattered clothes, his face covered in wounds that obscured his features, was drenched in fresh blood. He crawled weakly toward a few dirty steamed buns scattered on the ground.
When Wen Shuyu arrived from the Prime Minister’s residence, Xiao Liu was still hidden in her mind, conversing with her: 【It’s him! There’s a trace of demonic energy on him—he might be the Demon Venerable. Fortunately, I sensed the demonic energy in time and had you rush over.】
【He looks so pitiful! Covered in blood! Clearly, he was just beaten by a group of people, and even his food was thrown far away.】
【Heavenly Dao, he seems to be living a hard life. While he has no memories, let’s take him back and teach him properly. Perhaps he won’t turn into a demon in the future.】
Just as the boy’s frostbitten, bloodied hand was about to reach a dirty steamed bun on the ground—
Suddenly—
Wen Shuyu stepped forward and, right before the boy’s eyes, crushed the bun on the ground with her foot.
She took out a pristine handkerchief, pinched the boy’s disfigured face, and met his gaze, enunciating each word clearly: “My Bone-Testing Bell is ringing. It’s a spiritual artifact that can measure a person’s potential.”
“You have hands and feet, and your potential is decent, yet you don’t cultivate or strive to support yourself. Instead, you lie here like a dog, playing the beggar, letting others bully and beat you like this. I’ve never seen a waste like you.”
“If you have no food in the future, go and snatch it from those who bully you instead of letting them take yours. If you can’t snatch it, steal it. If you can’t steal it, find a way to kill them all. You’re so cowardly and useless—not cultivating, not stealing, not snatching, not killing. Do you even deserve to eat?”
“Even a stranger like me, just passing by, thinks you’re a waste. That’s proof enough—you truly are a waste! You can’t even beg properly, letting others bully you like this. Fool!”
Xiao Liu: ???!!
Xiao Jingchen, who had disguised himself as a young beggar on the advice of the Demon Heart and was waiting here for the Heavenly Dao to take the bait: “…”
The Demon Heart hidden within Xiao Jingchen: ??
Wait, who the hell is this? This is practically the style of our demon race…