Chapter 275: Dragon Soul

The Old Daoist listened to his words, frowned, and thought for a moment.

Then he spoke hesitantly: "Can Brother Xin elaborate more? It's not about anything else, but... you are not in a good state right now."

As he said this, he reached out and tugged at the back of Li Yunxin—the corner of his robe was being stepped on, and Li Yunxin hadn't even noticed.

Li Yunxin was stunned. Although he was usually unrestrained, he was a person who cared very much about his image. Now, he had even overlooked such a detail about himself, showing that his mind was in disarray. A confused mind can easily lead to wrong or one-sided conclusions—Old Daoist Liu must be worried about this.

He appreciated Old Daoist Liu's kindness.

He also realized that this person beside him was probably the only one in the world who could follow his train of thought and "have a proper talk" with him. He felt a hint of genuine emotion in his heart. So, he tried to let himself calm down slowly.

After calming down, he recounted the matter again, selecting the parts Old Daoist Liu could understand—

"I'll use an analogy for this matter."

"Let's say we Demons in Dongting set up a Little Demon Protection Association and are now going to bring down the Daoist Orthodoxy. Old Liu, you've already infiltrated the Daoist Orthodoxy first."

"Then, our people also need to sneak into the Daoist Orthodoxy to cause trouble. For example, the Divine Dragon Cult's password is 'Divine Dragon Cult Master, eternal blessings and longevity.' Now, a Demon runs into the Daoist Orthodoxy, and when you see the Demon, you say 'Divine Dragon Cult Master'—the Demon will naturally know the next line is 'eternal blessings and longevity.' So, you both confirm each other's identity within the Daoist Orthodoxy, right?"

Old Daoist Liu thought for a moment: "Then... the Daoist Orthodoxy is like our world, and 'I' in the Daoist Orthodoxy is like the Black and White Yama Kings?"

Li Yunxin nodded: "Yes. As for the Demons who infiltrated the Daoist Orthodoxy one by one, they are like the people who came to this world before me... don't be surprised yet. I also only recently learned that there were others similar to me who came to this world before. And then the problem comes—Old Liu."

"Now you are in the Daoist Orthodoxy and know that the Daoist Orthodoxy is all human. Once you identify a Demon, what will you think—you will definitely think they are one of our little Demon people."

"But one day, you discover another Demon has snuck into the Daoist Orthodoxy—a Demon, mind you. You will definitely think that one of our Little Demon Protection people has come to cause trouble. So, you treat him with special care. But that Demon is actually not one of our people at all. He just cultivated his path randomly in the wilderness and stumbled into the Daoist Orthodoxy by accident—Old Liu, you take care of him, and he also feels, hmm, this Old Liu also seems to be here to cause chaos in the Daoist Orthodoxy. Then we are naturally allies."

"Until one day, Old Liu, you say 'Divine Dragon Cult Master' to him—but he has no idea what that means!" Li Yunxin pointed to himself. "I am that Demon. This is the situation right now. But the problem is that I already know so many secrets... I don't know what will happen to me once it is discovered that I am not that person."

After hearing his explanation, Old Daoist Liu was silent for a while, then nodded slightly. Then he rubbed his hands: "So that's it..."

"That truly is a troublesome matter. How does Brother Xin plan to find that... true prince?"

Li Yunxin walked a few more steps in the sunlight and raised his hand to rub his face: "You hit the nail on the head."

"It's precisely because I thought of the question you asked that I suddenly realized some things. And these things confused me even more. Look, if I want to find someone with a similar identity to mine, what should I do?" Li Yunxin thought for a moment. "I have to leave many secret codes and marks in this world—things that only the person I am looking for can understand."

"I thought of this method, and upon careful reflection—someone has already done this. The Painting Saint did it. And another group of people did it—the Mutual Aid Society. Don't ask me how I know, because I have already discovered the secret codes they left behind." At this point, he looked up and glanced into the hall.

"This means there might be other things I don't know. But I've had enough—I don't like riddles at all. Right now, there are so many threads and clues in front of my eyes, and every single thread seems to lead to a large pile of mysteries and answers. But I don't want to be greedy anymore. Instead, I want to figure out at least—one thing first." Li Yunxin took a deep breath. "For example, let's first figure out what kind of people the Mutual Aid Society truly are."

Old Daoist Liu always respected Li Yunxin's decisions, but at this moment, he couldn't help but feel a little worried. So, he hesitated slightly and said: "But Brother Xin must also be careful in his actions. That is... the Yama King, after all."

"Yes. It is the Yama King." Li Yunxin was silent for a moment, then said regretfully: "He helped me with many things before, and I once thought that we would continue to coexist harmoniously for at least a period of time. But now I know... the honeymoon is over."

"But I also know another thing—the Black and White Yama Kings are not omnipotent. At the very least, they mistook my identity. And they still need to rely on me to do some things. They may be considered gods, but not the gods in the eyes of the secular people."

"A true god should be the rule-maker. But in my view, those two... are merely powerful individuals who are good at manipulating the rules. They are not the masters. Of course, maybe there is no master at all." Li Yunxin narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance—a figure was approaching there. "From this perspective, this can also be considered the limited fairness of this world—everyone is just a player. She's back."

As he spoke, the figure in the distance had appeared before them, landing on the hall's square.

Bai Yunxin took a few steps to Li Yunxin and glanced into the hall.

"It's all taken care of," Li Yunxin smiled at her. "What's the situation outside?"

Bai Yunxin seemed relieved. She said seriously to Li Yunxin: "Yazi is outside. But he can't get in for the time being. The Evil King didn't come."

"Ah... he'll come sooner or later. Thank you for your trouble." Li Yunxin waved his hand at Bai Yunxin. "Then I'll go back and ask that female Demon what her great King is up to now."

But Bai Yunxin reached out and stopped him: "Li Yunxin. I'm going to take the Dragon Soul now."

Li Yunxin was slightly stunned: "Now? Today?"

"You told me to wait before, and I've waited for a long time now. Your matters are mostly settled, and I can't wait any longer." Bai Yunxin's tone was calm, and her hair strands gently swayed in the late summer breeze. At least at this moment, there was no sign of the Demon's sinister horror on her, making her seem quite gentle.

Li Yunxin frowned slightly, looking at the beautiful woman in front of him: "But the Dongting Restriction relies on that Dragon Soul. If you take the Dragon Soul away, the Restriction will be gone—my situation will become very dangerous."

Bai Yunxin suddenly smiled: "Don't you know? The Dragon Soul was taken long ago. The Restriction on Dongting right now does not rely on any Dragon Soul, but on the remnants of Divine Dragon power supported by the Jiao Dragon skeletons beneath the Dongting waters."

"...What?"

Bai Yunxin smiled and pushed Li Yunxin aside, taking a step forward. Then she suddenly transformed into a gust of wind and rushed into the Central Hall's inner chamber, grabbing Lady Hong in one move.

There was a Restriction set up by Li Yunxin in the Central Hall. But he hesitated slightly—he wasn't sure why Bai Yunxin was acting out now. However, in just that moment, Bai Yunxin had already brought Lady Hong out the door. She was gripping the Dongting princess's wrist, locking her vital points with Spiritual Power. The two stood on the Central Hall's flying eaves, their clothes billowing, like two celestial maidens about to fly away on the wind.

Bai Yunxin looked at the Dragon's Son on the square: "The Dragon Soul is in her body. The Dragon Soul was sealed inside a section of the Jianmu Tree—and that section of the Jianmu Tree was refined into her daughter's body by the Lord of Dongting. Li Yunxin, do you truly not know?"

Li Yunxin didn't know what to say for a moment—did he know or not?

He remembered seeing the Lord of Dongting roasting a fish on a fire with a tree branch skewered through it. Later, he learned that the fish was Lady Hong's true form.

He also remembered Lady Hong telling him before that killing her could lift the Dongting Restriction—was that also an allusion to this matter!?

...

He stood on the ground, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled it, raising his hand to knock his forehead. Then he didn't lower it, tilting his head back to speak loudly to Bai Yunxin, blocking the sunlight with his hand, with a helpless tone: "Even if that's the case—you didn't have to do this. I thought we had a decent relationship... damn it. Why do so many things go wrong today—why can't we talk properly? What are you trying to do like this? Kidnapping? Hostage-taking? Didn't I already promise you I would help you break off the engagement?"

Bai Yunxin slightly looked up at Li Yunxin, the smile on her face slowly turning cold—but he wasn't sure if the coldness was directed at Li Yunxin.

"I really want to trust you. But for this kind of thing... how can I entrust my life and fortune to someone else?"

Bai Yunxin said this while raising her hand to smooth Lady Hong's scattered hair, as if she were fondling a plaything: "She has the Dragon Soul on her. If I take her away and find a way to extract the Dragon Soul from her body—I can deal with my foster father myself."

Li Yunxin frowned: "If I remember correctly, the last time I asked you why you listened to the Peng King, your answer was—'He is my foster father, after all'?"

"That was because I didn't know what kind of person you were... ah, a Demon." Bai Yunxin looked at him. "Now that I know a little more, I am even less assured. On one hand, I feel you really would go find my foster father for me. On the other hand, I also think you might very well turn around and sell me to the Divine Dragon. So... I am afraid."

Li Yunxin burst into laughter: "Afraid? Three months ago, I was still terrified of being eaten by you in one bite, and now you say you are afraid of me?"

Bai Yunxin smiled and looked at him: "That's why I'm even more afraid of you."

"Furthermore..." She thought for a moment, and her expression became serious: "The True Dragon will be here very soon. That's why I need to leave quickly. Once he intercepts me, I won't be able to escape."

Li Yunxin was shocked: "How do you know?"

Bai Yunxin looked at him strangely: "I have roamed the world for a thousand years, and my foster father is the Golden Winged Great Peng King—do you truly think you know all my methods?"

Li Yunxin thought for a moment, then sighed: "You're right. You are also a great Demon who has roamed the world—I was thinking before how to turn you into my right arm. Looking at it now... indeed, everyone is the protagonist in their own world—and I was looking at others with a protagonist's perspective again. Perhaps in your world, I am the side character?"

Bai Yunxin frowned slightly after hearing his strange words.

But Li Yunxin smiled again: "But what are you going to do with her?"

It was only then that Lady Hong spoke: "Young Master Li, you don't need to worry."

Because her vital points were locked, her voice sounded weak—but she had always spoken in this manner: "The Dragon Soul is indeed in my body. But it's also very easy to extract. I shall go with her; Princess Golden Peng and I have no enmity, and we are both Yin Spirits. After taking the Dragon Soul, she naturally won't make trouble for me; there's nothing to worry about."

Then she looked at Bai Yunxin: "Isn't that right?"

Bai Yunxin thought for a moment: "If you don't cause trouble, then out of consideration for my annual visits to Dongting to collect insect meat, I naturally won't harm you."

Lady Hong then smiled at Li Yunxin.

Li Yunxin was about to say something more, but Bai Yunxin turned her head to look in the northwest direction, and without another word, she carried her and soared into the sky—leaving behind only one sentence: "With the Dragon Soul gone from the lake, the Dragon Qi at the bottom of the lake is also like a tree without roots. This Restriction can only last for one more day—take care of yourself."

Bai Yunxin's cultivation was higher than Li Yunxin's. With him having one clone killed and his mind filled with worries and troubles, how could he possibly catch up?

When he first met Bai Yunxin, he only remembered her sniffing him like a wild beast. After getting along with her for a long time, he could talk to her properly like a secular person. But at this moment, Li Yunxin realized that, deep down, Bai Yunxin was still the Demon he had first met that night—

She was powerful, beautiful, and absolutely unwilling to be anyone's subordinate. Essentially, she was similar to Li Yunxin. They were both very reluctant to truly trust anyone—especially someone who might be more powerful than themselves.

He stared in the direction Bai Yunxin flew off for a while, then sighed softly: "Lady Hong said the Dragon Soul can be extracted. What do you think?"

Old Daoist Liu thought for a moment: "Brother Xin should go back to the hall and interrogate that female Demon first."

Li Yunxin stood still for a moment, looked into the distance again, and sighed once more.

...

...

Bai Yunxin and Lady Hong fled thirty miles in one go, and only then did they leave Dongting by taking a detour through Bai Yunxin's Traveling Palace.

After leaving Dongting, the little maid and the black donkey were already waiting in the forest.

This place was on the west bank of Dongting, separated from Weicheng by a large lake. Ordinarily, Bai Yunxin liked to ride the black donkey. But today, she seemed truly afraid of pursuers, so she said to the maid: "This place is not safe to stay, so we won't bring it."

The maid didn't seem to be experiencing this for the first time. She first nodded, then turned to look at the black donkey...

And raised her hand to strike the donkey's forehead.

How could this beast withstand such force? It didn't even make a sound; its four legs rigidly straightened, and it collapsed onto the ground.

Lady Hong's eyes widened.

She had heard Li Yunxin discuss the matter of the Golden Peng's foster daughter a few days ago. She knew that the most unique thing about her was her mount—a sleek black donkey with a small red cloth tied to its forehead.

A True Realm great Demon who could instantly flee a thousand miles riding a donkey—it was clear that this donkey was no ordinary creature.

They had discussed, when the atmosphere between them was relatively normal, what the donkey's true form was and why it could follow Bai Yunxin for so long, enduring so many dangers.

But now...

It was actually killed by a single palm strike right before her eyes?!

Seeing her shocked expression, Bai Yunxin said flatly: "It's just a beast. Why the surprise? Don't you eat meat and blood on ordinary days?"

At this point, the maid had already joined her fingers like a knife, using the Spiritual Power materialized at her fingertips to cut open the donkey's skin. She first picked out the soft internal organs, like the heart and liver—she turned her wrist and stored them away.

Presumably, she put them into her own Traveling Palace.

Then she cracked open the donkey's skull and collected the white, pulpy brain matter as well.

Only then did she cut some tender meat from the body—there was still a large portion of the donkey meat left, but she was too lazy to process it. She straightened up and said to Bai Yunxin: "This donkey meat is tough. Not as good as the previous one."

Lady Hong was then surprised: "It's just... an ordinary donkey?"

Bai Yunxin tilted her head and looked at her: "What else would it be? I can play with it, and when I get tired of it, I can eat it—do you think it's some kind of treasure?"

Lady Hong sighed: "Young Master Li and I wasted so much time guessing."

Bai Yunxin had originally intended to flee with her again. But hearing her mention Li Yunxin, she slowed her pace and turned to look at her.

She suddenly narrowed her eyes and smiled: "You told Li Yunxin in Dongting that the Dragon Soul is very easy to extract. Since it's easy to extract... you can take it out right here. I'll take the Dragon Soul and leave, and you can go back to Dongting yourself, alright?"

Lady Hong gently touched her hair, smiling sweetly: "Does Sister believe what I said at that time?"

Bai Yunxin thought for a moment: "I heard that the Lord of Dongting refined the Jianmu Tree into your body. That means your life is one with it. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to extract it without harming myself. Perhaps you have some unique method, younger sister?"

Lady Hong looked at her: "I don't."

Bai Yunxin feigned surprise and blinked: "Then if I use force to extract the Dragon Soul—wouldn't you die? You are already a Ghost Cultivator Yin Spirit now. Dying again won't bring you back to life."

Lady Hong still smiled gracefully: "Yes."

The little maid listened to them talking, and her expression didn't reveal what she was thinking.

...One was her mistress. The other was the princess of her homeland. She could only walk away slowly after a moment of silence, vigilantly listening for nearby sounds.

And Bai Yunxin stared at Lady Hong for a while, her voice suddenly becoming softer: "Why didn't you tell him then?"

Lady Hong turned and looked toward Dongting through the dense forest. Unfortunately, the trees were lush and towering, so she couldn't see the water waves.

She said softly: "Yazi is outside the lake, and the Evil King is outside the lake. You also said the True Dragon is coming. Every single one of those things could take his life."

After a long while, Bai Yunxin's voice could be heard from behind her, giving a scoff: "I can figure it out; he might not be able to."

Lady Hong turned and smiled: "He's only a teenager. And he hasn't obtained the path for long. It's natural that he might not know enough about some things and believe there is an easy way out—how can we blame him for that?"

"It's just wishful thinking." Bai Yunxin scoffed again. "You've mourned enough; let's go!"

Lady Hong smiled and shook her head: "It's just the obsession of my Ghost Cultivator Yin Spirit. I know it, but I can't quit it. But Sister... are you unhappy because I mentioned him?"

Bai Yunxin ignored her, clamped down on her pulse, and carried her away, transforming into a whirlwind that disappeared into the forest.