Inner Demons

Therefore, in this demonic lair, at the bloody feast of human flesh... he closed his eyes in deep thought.

The strategic planning he had previously agonized over needed to change. But this change would not happen overnight. Things had come up suddenly, and he had to seize every minute. Li Yunxin knew he had always been cautiously walking on a tightrope across a cliff. On one side of the tightrope was the Daoist Orthodoxy Sword Sect, and on the other were the demons of the unorthodox path. While on the tightrope, the blue sky and white clouds were visible. But the moment something went wrong, coupled with a bit of bad luck, it would be a bottomless abyss of eternal damnation.

He had more or less relied on the White Yama King's special care for him. Now, however, he realized more clearly that the other party's care must come with a demand.

And he now knew he was not the only candidate. What the White Yama King had told him implied that others had done similar things and received similar care, yet had failed. He was not the "only one." He had to prove his worth to gain greater value in return.

...Damn it.

Li Yunxin sighed, hearing footsteps.

The footsteps echoed lightly in the long cavern. Of course, this "lightly" was relative to a typical Demon King—his own footsteps were also in the "lightly" category. Most Demon Kings were large and muscular. Even if they weren't, they would try hard to eat themselves into a fat one. Perhaps this was due to the primal instinct of beasts—a larger size always meant greater deterrence.

He had been delaying his descent here, waiting for such a person.

Demon Kings wouldn't care about "inner qualities" or "talent." Since he was small compared to them, it was hard to build a connection. He needed at least one companion of a similar build—such a person was bound to be mocked upon entering. And such mockery could quickly shorten the distance between the two of them.

So, he looked up and indeed saw a figure comparable to his own.

People in this world were generally short. In his view, the average height of adult males in Weicheng was around 165 centimeters, and females around 155 centimeters. This was because Weicheng was a major city of the time, and the standard of living was much better.

This was actually the most normal phenomenon—people at this time lacked food and clothing and started having children early. It would be a miracle if they developed well.

Even in such a world, he still stood out, "tall and handsome." Walking on the streets of Weicheng, he always attracted attention. But his build was not unusual among demons, and only considered "tall and towering" among the cultivators of the Daoist Orthodoxy and Sword Sect. Demons transformed from beasts always sought to be tall. And cultivators, with their fine food and clothing, and years of body cultivation and refinement, it would be a miracle if they didn't develop well.

But the Demon King approaching now, though similar in height, was wider.

He had corded muscles. This Demon King wore purple clothing, but his upper body only covered his chest and back, exposing a pair of vein-popping arms. His lower body's crotch was covered with pink silk, and below that were short purple trousers. He had somehow gotten hold of human silk and brocade, and without worrying about the color or style, put it all on himself.

However, this Demon King had a pair of large, dark, and round eyes. When he walked, he looked left and right, like a child.

Li Yunxin watched him from the shadows. He saw the Demon King stop at the end of the cliff entrance, first looking down.

As soon as he saw the scene in the hall and smelled the blood... he frowned.

—He did not like the sight. Nor did he like the smell.

This slightly surprised Li Yunxin—was there a demon who did not like blood food?

So, he straightened up and walked out of the shadows: "I don't like this smell either."

The purple-clothed Demon King was clearly not used to being approached. Hearing this, he seemed slightly startled. First, he looked at Li Yunxin, then around. Seeing no one else nearby, he realized the person was indeed talking to him...

He then blinked and opened his mouth slightly, letting out an "Ah."

This reaction made Li Yunxin slightly surprised inwardly as well. It would be normal for a common person to react this way—inexperienced, timid, and shy. Being so nervous they blinked when a stranger suddenly spoke to them. The slightly open mouth unconsciously revealed their nervousness and surprise, and the slightly lengthened philtrum further suggested that this person was usually timid and fearful.

But the problem was...

This was a Demon King.

But he remained composed, taking three steps forward, bowing with a smile: "I am Debonair Jade-Faced Little Silver Dragon, here from Dongting to attend the gathering. May I ask what this Demon King is called?"

The Demon King still did not speak. He stared at Li Yunxin with wide eyes, his nostrils slightly flared in tension, his face flushed. After a while, he managed to squeeze a sentence out of his throat: "I... I... I am Old Seven."

Li Yunxin slightly narrowed his eyes, thought for a moment, and then smiled: "Old Seven... Are you—the seventh god-son of this Evil King?"

Li Yunxin's tone was gentle, his expression was gentle, and his demeanor was even more gentle. Because of this, the Demon King who called himself Old Seven slowly calmed down. Once calm, his speech became much smoother, though still shy: "Ah... that's right. I am a god-son, I am Old Seven, and my godfather is the Evil King. I have six older brothers... they are all inside now. Oh dear, I'm late, my brothers will scold me..."

After saying this, he rushed to leave, seemingly genuinely afraid of being scolded.

Li Yunxin rolled his eyes, quickly stepped forward to stop him: "Brother, hold on. Since you are late, you will definitely be criticized if you go in like this. Why not come with me? Just say that you met me on the way and we had a pleasant conversation—they can't scold you in front of a guest. Come on, tell me which one are your six brothers. I admire the famous names of the seven of you and intended to make your acquaintance anyway, so there's no time like the present, isn't today a perfect day!"

As he spoke, he familiarly stepped forward and took Old Seven's hand, then rubbed his strong arm—Whoa! These truly were muscles as hard as steel. Old Seven's muscles were incredibly hard; saying they were "like steel" was by no means an exaggeration. Li Yunxin, being a Dragon Clan member with a strong physique, could leave marks on a large stone if he pressed his fingernail slightly. But as he brushed Old Seven's arm... not a single white mark was left.

Old Seven was immediately embarrassed when Li Yunxin grabbed his hand and tried to pull away. Li Yunxin let him. But the few rubs he had managed... had already told him that Old Seven's cultivation was not low, at least not below the Manifestation Realm. He did not know what his true form was, to be able to withstand his grasp.

Although Old Seven was embarrassed, the physical contact seemed to have brought him a little closer to Li Yunxin.

Li Yunxin let go of his hand, sighed, and looked injured and disappointed, remaining silent.

Old Seven, who had pulled away to leave, turned his head to look at Li Yunxin's appearance and actually felt sympathetic. He blinked for a while, fidgeted nervously, then frowned, and said: "You... don't be angry. You come... I'll show you a treasure."

After speaking, he reached into his waist, looking expectantly at him.

For some reason, Li Yunxin felt a bit uneasy under his gaze. But he still slowly walked over—only then did he clearly see what Old Seven had taken from his waist.

Then Li Yunxin frowned and was stunned.

In Old Seven's pair of thick, large hands, he was holding... a gourd.

Old Seven saw him in a daze and thought his treasure had attracted him. He finally stopped frowning and chuckled: "Don't be angry, don't be angry. Look at my treasure, it can suck you in. Hey, you are called Debonair Jade-Faced Little Silver Dragon—Little Silver Dragon, if I call your name, do you dare to answer?"

Li Yunxin answering would be a miracle. Not only did he not answer, but the expression on his face became strange.

He stepped back slightly and scrutinized Old Seven from top to bottom... then his expression grew even stranger, and he suddenly asked: "I say, Old Seven, is your Big Brother... very strong? Is your Second Brother... able to see far and hear far? Is your Third Brother... iron-headed and iron-armed? Can your Fourth Brother... breathe fire?"

Old Seven was unfazed by his question, only slightly stunned: "Oh, how do you know that?"

Then he thought about it, and nodded happily: "Could it be that you are a friend of one of my brothers?!"

Most demons had inherent abilities. These abilities could often serve as a trump card, rarely revealed to outsiders. But the seven god-sons of the Evil King were also great demons in their own right, and it was not surprising that a few people knew their inner secrets. After all, they might often fight, and their abilities would eventually be seen by others. Therefore, when Li Yunxin said this, Old Seven thought he might have previously associated with his brothers.

But after saying that, he noticed that Li Yunxin's expression had become even stranger—this self-proclaimed Demon King Old Seven had never seen such a complicated expression on anyone's face.

After a long while, Li Yunxin finally let out a soft breath: "I don't have that honor. I just heard a friend mention it before. I say... Old Seven, let me ask one more thing—do you know who that person from before was?"

If Old Seven had a keen mind, he would probably know who Li Yunxin was asking about. But he looked like a Demon King with corded muscles, but a simple mind. Therefore, Li Yunxin's words left him with a blank expression, only opening his mouth: "Huh?"

Li Yunxin sighed inwardly, deciding to drop the topic for now. But a voice suddenly came to his ear—

"The 'person from before' you spoke of, are you asking about the great demon who was defeated and killed by my godfather?"

This was a thick, resonant male bass. It immediately brought to mind elements overflowing with masculine hormones such as broad shoulders, a dark, angular chin, and rock-like muscles. Li Yunxin immediately turned his head, but there was no one beside him. Thus, he knew the other party had used some kind of "sound transmission into secret" magical ability.

Old Seven looked and acted like a common person. The voice that now appeared in his ear sounded proper, without the usual hostility or brutality of demons. Combined with the word "godfather," Li Yunxin knew it should be... one of Old Seven's brothers.

The method of sound transmission into secret might be rare among demons, but it was not difficult for cultivators.

Li Yunxin smiled, his lips moving slightly, and said silently: "This must be Old Seven's Second Brother. I am Debonair Jade-Faced Little Silver Dragon, here today to attend the gathering, and I intend to make friends with all of you."

He paused slightly, and a daring idea suddenly flashed in his mind. He took another second to consider the cause and effect, and then added a sentence: "I want to discuss a major matter with the seven brothers."

The other party did not immediately reply. Li Yunxin turned his head to look into the main hall again.

People were coming and going in the hall, with light and shadows intertwined. It took Li Yunxin two or three seconds to see the people he was looking for—six Demon Kings were sitting in the northern part of the hall.

Although demons did not like human etiquette very much, they still had to observe rank and seniority. Thus, after transforming into human form, they also learned some human customs and social hierarchy. For instance, the seating arrangement in the hall had specific rules. Those insignificant minor Demon Kings sat on the ground, those with a little power had a stone platform. Those with stronger abilities had stone stools, and those even higher up sat properly—on large stone tables and high stone-backed chairs.

The six Demon Kings Li Yunxin saw now were sitting in chairs cut from a single huge piece of stone. Although they were not as tall as other demons, each was as muscular as Old Seven, looking majestic and awe-inspiring.

As his gaze found them, he noticed that the six Demon Kings had long been looking in this direction. Their eyes glowed fiercely in the firelight, and he could feel the vitality in them even from such a distance.

Li Yunxin saw their attire. The style of clothing of the six brothers was similar to Old Seven's, just different colors. Big Brother was in red, Second Brother in orange. Third Brother in yellow, Fourth Brother in green. Fifth Brother in cyan, and Sixth Brother in blue. Including Old Seven, this made the seven colors of the rainbow.

Li Yunxin looked closely, a strange smile appearing on his face. Then he bowed from the cliff towards them, and turned to Old Seven: "Seventh Brother, I have met your six brothers. Please introduce me!"

The seemingly dull and shy Old Seven certainly didn't know what Li Yunxin was scheming. But he really liked this "new friend." Where else in the demon world could he find such a gentle, handsome, and well-spoken person?

Moreover, the seven brothers were different from most of the demons in the hall. For example, those demons loved blood food, but the seven brothers tended to dislike it. Even now, the six of them were only drinking plain water while sitting in this hall, and even the minor demons of Trapped Sky Mountain didn't dare to approach much—they would run away quickly after presenting the food and drink, seemingly afraid that the smell of blood on them would offend the noses of the six.

Therefore, Old Seven immediately agreed and led Li Yunxin down the cliff by the hand.

As soon as he entered, the noise in the hall immediately died down by a third. Old Seven looked shy and awkward, and was even more nervous now that he was around many people. When he got nervous, he tensed his face—he was big and strong, with a dark, angular chin, thick eyebrows, and a face full of scowls. No matter why he tensed his face, he looked intimidating... and he was one of the Evil King's god-sons.

The demons in the hall made way for him, looking at Li Yunxin and then at the gourd at Old Seven's waist, likely knowing that it was also a rare magical treasure.

The two headed straight for the north side of the main hall. Once they had passed, the demons became lively again—their thoughts were always simpler than humans.

When Li Yunxin and Old Seven approached, they saw the orange-clothed Demon King stand up, his lips tightly sealed, staring intently at Li Yunxin. Old Seven was slightly alarmed by his brother's gaze, fearing a scolding. Li Yunxin knew it wasn't directed at him. He patted Old Seven's shoulder and walked straight over.

He walked past the Sixth Brother, all the way to the Second Brother. But he changed his expression.

If he were a common person who had experienced many things, it would not be difficult to understand what Li Yunxin's expression meant—he frowned slightly, narrowed his eyes, and his mouth was slightly open. His gaze swept over the Demon Kings one by one, but he definitely scrutinized each one carefully.

As he walked slowly, he even shook his head slightly with an imperceptible amplitude and sighed a few times.

When he reached the Second Brother and withdrew his gaze from the Big Brother, his chest suddenly heaved rapidly, and he closed his eyes... before "regaining his composure."

Then he looked at the Second Brother with a loving gaze, sighed, and said: "...You've grown so strong."

This Second Brother was known for his telepathic sight and hearing. Earlier, he was suspicious when he heard Li Yunxin talking with his seventh brother on the cliff, which was why he had "invited" him over. Seeing him, he felt he looked unfamiliar and very strange. Thus, his vigilance increased greatly.

But he had no idea that this person would suddenly act like this, stand in front of him with such an expression, and then say this sentence—

The Second Brother was stunned—the six Demon Kings subconsciously looked at each other.

In human terms, they were... staring blankly at each other.

Because the demeanor of this "Debonair Jade-Faced Little Silver Dragon" looked... just like an old man in the human world who had been separated from his children and grandchildren for a long time. Returning home after many years to see his children and grandchildren grown up but not recognizing him—he felt both pain and compassion, yet also a third part of relief.

Coupled with the phrase "...You've grown so strong"—the six of them were all a bit bewildered. They didn't know who this "Little Silver Dragon" was.

The Second Brother frowned after being stunned for a moment, knowing that this person might be unusual—he had previously asked about "that person."

The seventh brother was young and ignorant and did not understand, but the six of them knew. The "person from before" in Little Silver Dragon's mouth was... the great demon who had been defeated by the Evil King a long time ago. And the seven of them had once been under the command of that great demon. As for why they were now the god-sons of the Evil King, and why they were willing to be his god-sons, the story was much more convoluted.

Therefore, he looked at Li Yunxin, hesitated slightly, and said in a deep voice: "Who exactly are you? What you are asking about is not good to ask here."

Then he looked up and around, adding: "My godfather does not want to hear these words."

But this "Little Silver Dragon" did not seem to care about the Evil King at all. He gently shook his head: "You seven children, do you still remember his name? Are you now here, afraid to even mention his name?"

A Demon King being called a "child" should have been furious. Any other demon would have been even more furious—their minds were too lazy to turn more than a couple of times.

But these six seemed to be exactly the kind of rare "smart people" that Li Yunxin loved so much. First, they were stunned again, then silent. Following that, the Second Brother's expression softened further. Yet within that softness, there was an obvious, deliberate "anger" and "indifference" in Li Yunxin's view—he snorted coldly: "What's there to be afraid of mentioning? Our master, the seven brothers, was the great demon of the Profound Realm, known by the name 'Old Devil Fulu'—what can happen if we say it?!" (To be continued.)

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