Chapter 61: My Whole Family Were Always Demons

Yang Wenan opened the Eye of Eight Trigrams and first glanced at the Gouchen sword in his arms. The purple glow was fading, and the sword's ancient form resembled that of a wooden blade. His junior sister, who had been guarding him, was now staring incredulously into the distance, where his master stood rooted, as if stunned. His junior brother, too, looked bewildered, oddly fixated on the person pinned beneath them.

With a slight frown, Yang Wenan slapped the face of the Three-legged Golden Crow. “I’m giving you some respect!” Another slap followed. “Speak! Who are your accomplices?”

Having once been the head of the sect, he still found it hard to take a bite out of the beast-form Golden Crow, despite his covetous thoughts. In human form, he simply couldn’t bring himself to do it. Though the Grand Master was asleep, it wasn’t impossible for him to awaken. His master’s enigmatic behavior was clearly meant to stall for time. His second senior brother might be a reckless youth, but their eldest brother was personally mentored by the patriarch, the senior disciple of two peaks! Which personal disciple among the peak masters of Xuan Yun Sect could compare to their eldest brother? Yuan Qingling had come to understand this after observing the mountain life these days.

“I don’t have any!” The Golden Crow tried to slip out of Yuan Qingling’s restraint, edging away, but she pressed him down again.

Another slap.

“Will you speak or not?” He eyed the Golden Crow’s body, and from an angle invisible to Wen Jinge, flashed a wicked smile. “If you don’t speak, beware—”

“I’ll talk!” the Golden Crow cried.

Another slap.

“I’ll talk, I’ve said everything I have to say!”

Another slap.

“I don’t want to hear it!” Wen Jinge instinctively touched her own cheek, Yang Wenan mirroring her. The two exchanged a look, both startled.

The Three-legged Golden Crow shouted desperately, “I—I want to talk on my own!”

He broke into loud sobs, as if suffering the greatest injustice. Now, his only wish was that Wen Jinge would turn around; at least she only had a sharp tongue and a quirky sense of humor—but that was because he struck first. Yet, Wen Jinge did not turn. Instead, she beckoned to the Green Sand Beast, which was holding the earth element, “Are you tired?”

“Tired.” The Green Sand Beast had been thoroughly tamed these days; too many oddities on Ten Thousand Fathoms Peak made it wary. It dared not act out.

“Put them down, come here.”

“Oh.” It was eager for the chance. If they were objects, it would handle them as it pleased, but they were people. Except for Wen Jinge, every person in its eyes was fragile, liable to shatter at a touch—including the one possessed by a demon; the body was just as brittle.

“They’re still people…” The Green Sand Beast repeated its earlier answer to Liang Si, then added on its own, “I can’t sense the little master’s location, Master…”

“I know. Go inside and sleep.” Wen Jinge shrank it down, tucked it into her storage pouch, and handed it to Wang Xi. “Hold onto this.”

“Alright.”

Wen Jinge glanced at Yang Wenan, who was meditating; his aura was restrained, his state normal. She looked at Gouchen, “Don’t touch the Demon Zither anymore. There are things I still don’t understand. Be careful not to get hurt.”

“Okay, alright.” Yang Wenan managed a smile. “Master, as long as you’re not angry with me.”

“I’m not angry. The mountain can’t give you a shortcut to rapid growth. I came down precisely to help you all grow.”

Wang Xi stepped forward, swinging the jade bead bracelet in her hand, one bead shining brightly.

Five beads—while the others were dim, only one gleamed.

“Master, do you know about the Longevity Token?”

“Yes.”

“This one is mine. Third Senior Brother and I each have one string.”

“Why don’t I have one?” Yuan Qingling protested. “Is it because I’m older?”

He was so adorable now; his junior sister shouldn’t show favoritism.

“Because there are only two strings.”

“Two strings…”

After receiving a glare from Wen Jinge, Yuan Qingling fell silent and resumed slapping the Golden Crow.

“Whose is this?” Wen Jinge discerned the meaning—the Longevity Token’s extinguished light signified trouble, a bright bead meant safety. This bracelet, it seemed, worked oppositely.

“It’s Senior Brother’s. If it shatters, he’s gone; if it shines, he’s in soul form.”

“Wrong.”

“Master, it really is Senior Brother’s,” Wang Xi insisted.

“Your Senior Brother didn’t die at this time.” After speaking, she instinctively looked at the sky—no anomaly. “Nonexistence” truly screened her off.

“Master…” Wang Xi anxiously shoved Yang Wenan, urging him to explain.

Then their master said something even more frightening, “Your Second Senior Brother shouldn’t have died either.”

Suddenly, she turned, Demon Zither in hand, and strode toward the Three-legged Golden Crow.

“What’s your backup plan?” Yuan Qingling was well aware of how terrifying Wen Jinge’s anger could be. Though his master appeared carefree, he had witnessed her rare moments of battle. Even though her cultivation was now only ninth rank, her strength rivaled those of the super second rank.

His master was formidable; he didn’t want to be cleaved in half.

But the Golden Crow wouldn’t let him.

The Golden Crow was strong, but he was small—a child. Caught off guard, he was entangled.

“Master, I—I can’t get up, please don’t cut me!”

The Demon Zither hadn’t struck yet, but the Golden Crow’s expression changed, his face flushed, greedily clutching Yuan Qingling and sniffing him. He uttered something that sent chills down Yuan Qingling’s spine, “You’re a demon! I knew something was off! Don’t be this woman’s disciple—be my wife, will you?”

Yuan Qingling was utterly undone, struggling to stand. “What did you say! You’re the demon! Your whole family’s demons! All of you!”

“My whole family really are demons!” His eyes were glazed, intoxicated. Yes, Wen Jinge hadn’t misread him.

She had found Yuan Qingling’s regression to childhood rather jarring, but never expected something even more outrageous could happen here. Covering her eyes, she rummaged in her storage pouch for a piece of clothing. “You people—if you’re human, act like one; if you’re demon, at least behave like a normal demon.”

Whether the Golden Crow heard her or not, he just hugged Yuan Qingling, sniffing him like a cat.

Wang Xi’s eyes were covered by Yang Wenan, who watched their master flee without the Demon Zither and promptly tossed a piece of clothing, setting up a barrier. Though he didn’t understand why the situation had grown so bizarre, he followed his master.

“You all better behave!”

“Senior Brother! Help me!” Yuan Qingling protested. He knew what the problem was.

But his voice could no longer be heard—the barrier cut him off.

Demon pill!

The aura of those thousands of demon pills; normally, that aura was concealed.

Nervous!

Yes, it was nerves. Because of anxiety, his demon aura leaked. Those puppets controlled by Crow Green didn’t pay him any mind, so no one tried to communicate with him.

Yang Wenan was always taciturn in his master’s presence, never responding to others. The senior brother had been alert from the start, and thanks to the tricks on the flying fish robe, his junior sister had only suffered minor burns—Crow Green likely hadn’t entered her body yet.

“Master, are we not going to help Junior Brother?”

“Two birds with one stone—why bother? Go find your senior brother.”

“Huh?” Wang Xi asked, confused.

“Your youngest junior brother will be back to normal soon.”