Inner Demons

Tenth Prince Li Shan was stunned for a moment before saying, "That Old Man Su... isn't he already dead?"

Li Yunxin looked at him calmly, not knowing if he could feel his gaze. "That old man is not dead. He's currently on Jun Mountain. A while ago, he was hiding on an island for a few days, and a demon was with him."

"He said that demon was his old servant, and its original form was a big baiji." I've tasted its meat; it was delicious." Li Yunxin walked over to Li Shan, grabbed his arm, and lifted him up to scrutinize him closely.

At this moment, he was still in his God-Devil Dharma Body, like a small giant. Li Shan, in his human form, was like a child in front of him. Li Yunxin felt a subtle itch on his arm and chest, which he guessed was Li Shan trying to use a bolt of electricity to figure out his situation. He didn't stop him—instead, he hoped the other person could see the look in his eyes right now.

"I believed what that old man said; he had no reason to lie to me. But I don't believe you now. I am the Ninth Dragon Son, Chiwen, a great demon of the True Realm. Now I'm trapped in Dongting by a restriction left by a Divine Dragon and can't get out—I'm the demon someone told you to eliminate."

"Since I can't get out, I have to find a way to escape. However, before I escape, this Dongting is already my domain. I don't care how you all used to get along with the Lord of Dongting. But now that I'm here, you little brats—" Li Yunxin glared at him and pulled his body closer. "You all must tell me everything, without holding anything back, and worship me as your ancestor. You must pray to the Celestial Being day and night to help me find a way to escape quickly and get rid of me."

"I've eaten a baiji, but I haven't eaten a White Eel. If you dare to mumble again, your grandpa will turn you into a Dragon's Son—a lump of poop in his belly."

After saying that, Li Yunxin threw Li Shan to the ground and shouted, "Put on your gear and tell your grandpa everything, from A to Z! If I'm even slightly dissatisfied, I'll tear you to pieces on the spot!"

At this moment, Li Shan truly knew he had run into the real deal and was so panicked that he didn't know what to do.

But now, he saw a glimmer of hope. This Dragon's Son seemed genuinely interested in asking about some important matters and seemed to have the intention of taking control of Dongting. If that was the case, even a fake Dragon's Son like him needed a few capable assistants, let alone this true Dragon's Son.

So he thought it over carefully and finally stopped acting like a dead fish. He conjured a white robe on his body, crawled to Li Yunxin's side, and said, "Your Majesty, please calm down. Your Majesty, please calm down—I do know some things, but I felt they were too unbelievable... unbelievable..."

"...for words."

"Ah... too unbelievable for words, so I didn't dare to say it. I really didn't mean to hide anything. Since Your Majesty wants to hear it..."

"Speak!"

Li Shan shivered again and began to ramble.

"Your Majesty should first know that I don't have very good eyesight, so I don't often go to land. Many things are reported to me by the little demons under my command, so I'm not very familiar with them. But I do know that the Daoist Orthodoxy and the Sword Sect of this world are the right path for Xuanmen cultivators. I also know that Taoist priests and Sword Cultivators are not friendly to demons. They'll kill a demon with low cultivation as soon as they see one. So, when I make some waves and swallow some people in Dongting, hey, I'm just venting our demons' anger!"

"So when that Su family member came to me to curry favor—"

"What was that Su family member's name?" Li Yunxin asked.

"Uh... I should have forgotten it after more than two hundred years. But it so happens that the Su family member's name was easy to remember. His last name was Su, and his single name was San. He was called Su San."

"This wasn't an alias?"

"No, no." Li Shan said hurriedly. "After Su San died, I continued to interact with his descendants. They would often mention their ancestor and all said his real name was indeed Su San."

"Good. Continue to speak in detail. Don't take it upon yourself to leave anything out. Even if you think it's useless, you must tell me."

The White Eel demon Li Shan then continued to speak.

"So when the Su family member came to me to curry favor, I was not very willing. When he told me there was a Jiao Dragon in Dongting and told me to call myself the Tenth Dragon's Son, I became even more suspicious. You must know that although we demons are scattered, anyone who gets involved with the Daoist Orthodoxy and the Sword Sect is someone people avoid."

"I then asked Su San, 'How can you, a fisherman, know about these things? Are you a member of the Daoist Orthodoxy with some scheme?'"

"Su San then said that he did have some supernatural abilities, but they were not from the Daoist Orthodoxy or the Sword Sect. He was a fisherman, but he seemed to know everything about Human Cultivator matters. I was quite familiar with him by then, so I said, 'You're just talking nonsense. Do you know that all the demons in the world long to obtain the methods of the Daoist Orthodoxy and the Sword Sect to get on a shortcut to cultivation?'"

"Human Cultivators start cultivating from childhood. The talented ones can reach the Manifestation Realm in a few decades. The ordinary ones can also reach the Manifestation Realm, True Realm, and Profound Realm in a few centuries. How long did it take even the Two Saints of the world to cultivate to such a high realm? Only a thousand years. But we demons, even after taking human form and having the human meridians, always cultivate much more slowly. I was a seven-hundred-year-old demon at that time, and I had just barely reached the Illusory Realm. It's not uncommon for demons who have taken human form for thousands of years, but how many are like the Two Saints?"

"So, although I disliked the Daoist Orthodoxy and the Sword Sect, I couldn't underestimate their Celestial Heart Orthodox Law, and I argued with Su San about it. Su San said some vague things, which I ignored, and he finally lost his temper. He said, 'Since you don't believe me, I'll pass on a scroll of Celestial Heart Orthodox Law to you!'"

"—He immediately recited a set of incantations. After reciting them, he told me that to practice this technique, I first had to dissipate all my cultivation and then start over, like a Human Cultivator... to undergo Transcending Tribulation. At that time, my cultivation was low, I was born with some lightning abilities, and I had no mortal enemies, so I simply dissipated my cultivation and started cultivating again..."

"Do you still remember that technique? Tell it to me." Li Yunxin let out a light breath, feeling he was about to touch on something. His voice became low and calm as a result, and Li Shan sensed the change in his voice.

Therefore, he spoke even more carefully and meticulously, revealing the original incantations from that time.

But after listening and thinking, Li Yunxin was slightly disappointed. He didn't know what the incantations of the Daoist Orthodoxy and the Sword Sect were like, but he had seen the incantations of the Painting School in the Lucid Jade Slip and had learned a little from his parents.

Li Shan was telling the truth—what he had obtained was indeed a scroll of Celestial Heart Orthodox Law, and there was nothing strange about it.

But that was the strangest thing.

The Su San from two hundred years ago seemed to not think highly of the cultivation methods of the Daoist Orthodoxy and the Sword Sect, and even had a contemptuous tone. He also casually gave this Li Shan a scroll of Celestial Heart Orthodox Law that all the demons in the world dreamed of, just to vent his pique...

This reminded Li Yunxin of another person.

Qingliangzi.

That Qingliangzi also had great supernatural abilities, but in his words, he greatly despised the Daoist Orthodoxy and the Sword Sect. He said that he had dual cultivated both the Daoist Orthodoxy and the Sword Sect's methods, and there was nothing special about them, nor did he undergo Transcending Tribulation. Li Yunxin had fought with him and knew that although his words were arrogant, he was telling the truth.

Qingliangzi was a member of the Mutual Aid Society.

Li Yunxin had previously felt that there was a kind of evil energy permeating the events in Dongting Lake... that was the evil energy of the Mutual Aid Society!

Then, that Su San... was also very likely a member of the Mutual Aid Society.

This strange organization has been appearing and disappearing in the recent situation, like a poisonous snake lurking in the dark. Li Yunxin didn't know what their purpose was, but he had a certain guess in his heart. So, when he was in a battle of wits with Yue Yunzi, he buried a hidden bomb—he told Wang Sheng, the poor and dejected son-in-law of the fourth branch of the Yu family in Weicheng, the method for making black powder.

Then Wang Sheng was killed.

His hidden bomb was triggered. But this one event alone still couldn't prove the idea in his mind. Now... he had even found clues of the Mutual Aid Society by the side of Dongting Lake!

He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. Then he asked, "So, Su San became rich because of the box of treasures you gave him. Then, over these two hundred years, he established a large family with connections everywhere. If I'm not mistaken, you've helped them with many things over these two hundred years."

Li Shan was stunned and quickly waved his hands. "Ah... I... I haven't... haven't done anything for that person?"

This demon instinctively felt that Li Yunxin had some opinions about the Su family—and they didn't seem to be good ones. So he was eager to distance himself from them. But Li Yunxin didn't care much about what he said. Instead, he smiled. "Some people will make you do things for them without you even knowing it. For example, they might casually mention that a certain area's people are fat and juicy, arousing your interest. Then, a few days later, they'll tell you that a certain ship just happens to be carrying people from that area."

"—With this kind of method, you've done something for them, but you still think you've gained a benefit. He's a worldly man, and if the only return he sought for the great benefit he gave you was a box of treasures, his ambition would be too small. You are a demon, considered his powerful ally, and you can do many dirty things for him. Think about it again—how many people on land have you killed over these two hundred years? What kind of people? Did you truly want to kill all of them?"

Li Shan listened to his words and was dazed for a long time. Then he said, "Ah... ah... thinking about it that way... it really is..."

"Although you're an idiot. But to dare to use a demon as a knife and deal with you for so long without being noticed, it really does have the taste of the Mutual Aid Society stirring up trouble." Li Yunxin smiled. "That Su San was a formidable character. What happened to him later?"

"...Later, he died." Li Shan said cautiously. "One year, he went on a long journey and ran into bandits. He was killed, and his body was said to have never been found. After that, for these two hundred years... no one in the Su family was as interesting. I cultivated that Celestial Heart Orthodox Law, and my cultivation progressed quickly. I also gathered some demons under my command—sigh, it's all thanks to that Su San..."

"Thanks to him?" Li Yunxin sneered. "It's very likely this is the result he wanted to see. Furthermore, whether that person is truly dead or not is a different matter. Continue."

Li Shan dared not to refute him, only obediently listened. After listening, he quickly continued, "Your Majesty asked about that Old Man Su... he was an anomaly among the Su family. The Su family members over the generations have all been diligent and conscientious, managing their own family business. But that Old Man Su just loved to travel and didn't interact much with me. According to the rules, my matter is a family secret in the Su family, and every generation knows about it and comes to befriend and offer tribute. But that Old Man Su just... hey!"

"I also didn't like to pay attention to him. Who would have the patience to chatter with them if it weren't for some sacrifices? These remaining people didn't learn a single bit of that Su San's ability and character. Speaking of which, besides loving to travel, that Old Man Su also didn't like women. It was originally said that this branch of the Su family would end with him, but the family still had some old people who hadn't died yet. They managed to adopt a son and a daughter for him—they were already adults, and there was no familial affection."

"With these children, he cared even less about family matters, and the major family affairs were taken over by the son and daughter. That son was Su Zhizhang. Hey, although Su Zhizhang is boring, he is very attentive. It makes sense for him to want me to get rid of that old man of the Su family—after all, they're not blood relatives!"

Li Yunxin listened quietly and then pondered for a moment.

"Su Zhizhang told you that a great demon had arrived in Dongting and asked you to eliminate it?"

Li Shan hesitated for a long time before answering with a "yes." He then quickly added, "It was also heaven's grace that the annoying guy drowned as well—he's in my belly now!"

"So." Li Yunxin thought for a while longer and said slowly, "Does this mean that eight days ago, Su Zhizhang told you about this matter? It was also eight days ago that Old Man Su came to this lake by boat. Now Dongting is sealed, many people from the Su family died completely—and now, no one from the Su family has contacted you anymore."

Li Shan quickly clapped his hands. "Your Majesty is a brilliant strategist! That's exactly right, exactly right!"

Li Yunxin then knew that he had sorted out the sequence of events.

In his mind, the events were roughly like this—there may be many deviations and uncertainties, but it was the most coherent explanation he could deduce so far—two hundred years ago, a person named Su San, who belonged to the "Mutual Aid Society," came to the side of Dongting.

He was all alone, but he had some intelligence and information. He then relied on this intelligence and information to befriend Li Shan and get his first pot of gold.

Then, with his extraordinary courage and experience, he used the demon Li Shan to clear away many obstacles for himself and built a Su family.

Li Yunxin believed that this should be a node of the Mutual Aid Society's layout in the secular world. Rooted in the secular world, they could have a massive amount of intelligence and resources. The Daoist Orthodoxy and the Sword Sect, on the other hand, were high and mighty and didn't think much of such matters—their roots and vines were the official bodies of various countries, and they didn't care much about civilian forces.

The Mutual Aid Society filled this gap.

Li Yunxin didn't know how much they filled, but he felt it was definitely not just in Dongting.

You must know that a high-ranking cultivator of the Daoist Orthodoxy like Yue Yunzi, who was like a Celestial Being in the eyes of worldly people, was tied to the line of the Mutual Aid Society!

After that, for two hundred years, the Su family, whether they knew it or not, was doing things for the Mutual Aid Society.

Until Old Man Su appeared.

Li Yunxin still couldn't figure out how that Old Man Su possessed such terrifying supernatural abilities, how he ended up in the Su family, and how he became the patriarch. But it seemed certain that Old Man Su was trying to mess everything up—he wanted to bring down the Su family in a way that wouldn't attract much attention.

So he was forcibly adopted a son and a daughter. They said he "was too lazy to care about family matters anymore"—in reality, his power was seized.

But Li Yunxin also didn't know how someone with his supernatural abilities could have his power seized by worldly people.

After that... it was entirely his bold deduction—

Old Man Su's "malicious intent" was finally exposed, and Su Zhizhang decided to get rid of him. He even had a demon follow him to be safe. But Old Man Su knew about this and decided to play along, instead bringing all the high-ranking members of the Su family onto the boat.

Thus, we have the current situation: all the high-ranking members of the Su family are dead, and Old Man Su has temporarily achieved his goal in a sense.

Then the key point is that Old Man Su knew there would be a great disaster in Dongting that day—Li Yunxin also didn't know how he knew.

But in the end, besides all these things, Li Yunxin also realized something else.

The powerful Old Man Su seemed to have come to Dongting to avoid something or because he saw the situation was unfavorable. If he also knew about the existence of this Dongting restriction, it meant that in the eyes of such a powerful Old Man Su, the people outside had no way to break through this Dongting restriction and come in to threaten him.

In other words...

It seemed that he was indeed temporarily unable to leave and unable to break through this restriction with his own abilities!

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!