Demonic Presence

Inside Tea Mountain Fort, people patrolled day and night.

Aside from squads of local braves, there were also ten powerful martial artists holding lanterns who wandered through the various zones.

As they passed the workshop area, they heard the sound of iron being hammered.

"Clang, clang, clang!"

"Hmm? Who is still hammering iron this late?" The one-eyed martial artist at the lead questioned those around him.

Another person replied, "It should be some craftsman working late into the night..."

They followed the sound and arrived outside the forging grounds. Looking inside, they saw a row of blacksmith shops with only one glowing, its furnace burning brightly in the night.

From afar, they spotted a youth with a focused expression and tense muscles, fiercely hammering... He forged for a round, immediately followed by quenching, and during the tempering interval, he spent not a single moment resting as he hammered another piece.

Repeating this process, he showed not the slightest intention of stopping.

"Oh, I remember him," a martial artist said. "This kid offended Steward Liao and was punished with no dinner. Perhaps Steward Liao made him hammer iron all night and forbade him from sleeping."

"Why?" The one-eyed martial artist asked.

The other person answered, "Don't we know what kind of person Steward Liao is? A petty scoundrel! So I'm not surprised that someone was punished by not being allowed to rest."

The one-eyed martial artist gave a light chuckle. Giving neither food nor sleep while making someone do such heavy physical labor was simply meant to grind a person to death.

Didn't that youth know? Late at night with no one watching, couldn't he be lazy for a while? Was he simple-minded?

Yet, pondering for a moment, he didn't meddle and led the others to continue patrolling, "All of you, be alert. Demonic creatures have been roaming Tea Mountain recently."

"Instructor Ma, are there really demons?" A thin martial artist asked.

"Really!" Instructor Ma touched the cloth covering his left eye and said solemnly, "And the demonic aura is terrifying! The fort master personally went up the mountain to test it and suspects it might be at the Spiritual Sense Stage..."

"Hiss!"

Hearing the three words Spiritual Sense Stage, quite a few martial artists present grew tense. To martial artists, this was definitely a major demon.

"Don't panic. The fort's human vitality is flourishing; what are so many of us martial artists afraid of? Besides, the fort master holds a noble and elevated status, so demons dare not harm him. Furthermore, all of us are registered in the military rolls, and the fort master reckons that even if that demon comes, it won't do much more than eat a few pariahs." Instructor Ma's tone was calm.

The thin martial artist worriedly said, "What... what if the demon disregards the mortal world fire and insists on eating us?"

Instructor Ma laughed heartily, "People like us who practice martial arts are indeed very nourishing, but the backlash of the mortal world fire is even more damaging. With disadvantages outweighing benefits, why bother?"

"If a cultivator uses magic power to kill a registered soldier, unless they dissolve it with special secret techniques, they will likely have a year of their Dao attainment whittled away by the mortal world fire."

"What kind of concept is this? The most famous mighty figure of the present age, Great Immortal An Qisheng of Penglai, has been cultivating since the Pre-Qin era. To this day, he has at least five or six hundred years of Dao attainment. This... is only enough to kill five or six hundred soldiers..."

"A hundred years ago, the Little Hegemon of Jiangdong, Sun Bofu, was arrogant and overbearing. He offended the Daoist Yu Ji of Taiping several times, wanting to put him to death. Yet because that Little Hegemon held the official rank of Kuaiji Administrator, inherited the title of Marquis of Wucheng, and even carved out his own territory with a faint aura of kingship, his mortal world fire could offset at least seventy or eighty years of Dao attainment. In the end, Yu Ji could only summon ghosts every night to frighten him, coupled with secretly plotting and manipulating worldly karma to cause him to drop dead suddenly."

The martial artists nodded. They had heard of all these things. Noble clans possessed a blazing fire, lesser gentry families came next, soldiers and runners followed that, and pariahs were the weakest.

If immortals, demons, or monsters suffered the backlash of the mortal world fire, their Dao attainment would be burned away and their realm would plummet.

The thin martial artist said nervously, "Noble fires burn brightly, but that doesn't mean they are necessarily immune to all evils. If someone is displaced, cold, hungry, and reduced to a plight as wretched as a refugee, the mortal world fire will rapidly decay."

Everyone wore solemn expressions; the mortal world fire was not unchangeable.

In the current chaotic world, many noble families had fallen on hard times, and countless commoners were displaced, causing their fiery vital energy to wane even further. Only then did monsters and abominations emerge everywhere!

The thin martial artist continued, "And I heard that immortals, demons, and monsters still have many ways to weaken the mortal world fire of us mortals?"

Instructor Ma curled his lip, "There really are quite a few methods... Some noble scions act lawlessly and hopelessly, and their mortal world fire was whittled away by demons."

"But most of that is courting death of their own accord!"

The thin martial artist wore a puzzled expression, "Courting death of their own accord?"

Instructor Ma said, "There are many circumstances that weaken the mortal world fire, the most severe being making oaths and curses! That is permanently irreversible."

"For example, back then, the young master of the Shen Family of Leling loved dallying with women. A demon used some illusionary tricks, claiming to be a goddess of Mount Wu who wanted to share the joys of fish and water with him and be immortal husband and wife forever... And he actually believed it!"

"Then the demon coaxed him into randomly swearing oaths to the heavens. Blinded by lust, that young master swore several oaths without fulfilling them, so ninety percent of his mortal world fire was whittled away, and he died at the hands of the demon."

The martial artists laughed aloud, "How truly audacious, daring to casually curse and swear to the heavens? It would be a ghost if the Heavenly Dao still protected him."

"Scions of wealthy families should all know that oaths cannot be sworn casually..."

"The ones at the top know, but the ones at the bottom don't, right!"

"Hahaha! Indeed, the word for lust is a knife hanging over the head!"

The thin martial artist was somewhat astonished, "Instructor Ma is truly knowledgeable and experienced, even clear on such secrets of wealthy families!"

Instructor Ma smiled smugly, "My Yanshan Sect is a renowned sect of a century; how could it be an undeserved reputation?"

Everyone felt envious. Although the Yanshan Sect had lost even its mountain gate due to the ravages of the Hu barbarians, it had previously been a truly renowned great sect. Instructor Ma had studied his craft at Yanshan, and even wealthy clans treated him with courtesy, making him naturally different from wild martial men like them.

The thin martial artist cupped his fists and said, "I wonder what other taboos there are. Please tell us, Instructor Ma, so that crude martial men like us can be on guard against demonic creatures."

"That's right, that's right... Please enlighten the brothers, Instructor Ma!"

Quite a few martial artists present did not understand the mortal world fire, so they eagerly asked for guidance.

Instructor Ma's face was filled with arrogance, "In that case, I shall tell you... Severing Mortal World Ties, do any of you know what it is?"

"Severing Mortal World Ties?" The martial artists looked blank.

Instructor Ma smiled, "Have you ever wondered why the old emperor clearly yearns for longevity yet does not cultivate immortality?"

"Because he lacks immortal bones?" The thin martial artist answered.

Instructor Ma shook his head. "Let me put it another way. Why do those with immortal bones in the royal family not become emperor? And why are none of the individuals with naturally born immortal bones among the major noble families and clans the family head? The court officials all love to talk about dark learning and metaphysics, yet not a single one cultivates immortality?"

"It is simply because the very first step to stepping into the immortal Dao is to sever mortal world ties!"

"Severing one's own mortal world fire, from then on becoming a person of the world outside!"

"They cannot possess any worldly power! Only thus can they use immortal bones!"

"Body-refining cultivators sever mortal world ties, activate their immortal bones, condense magic power, and thereby achieve spiritually awakened clear vision, stepping into the immortal Dao. This is the Mystical Stage."

The martial artists suddenly understood, though they were all people with no hope of immortal affinity, so they just listened to it like a story.

The thin martial artist asked in confusion, "What does this have to do with us? We don't have immortal bones either; could we possibly sever the mortal world fire?"

"You can!" Instructor Ma said gravely. "Anyone can make a vow to the Heavenly Dao to sever their own mortal world fire."

"In the past, the young master of the Gao Family of Pingcheng was deluded by a demon, and after self-severing his mortal world ties, he was reduced to a meal on a platter..."

The martial artists were dumbfounded, "This... this is simply too stupid!"

Instructor Ma shook his head. "That young master originally had immortal bones, but he was young and hadn't yet undergone primordial body-refining. That demon helped him refine his body, and after the two became sworn brothers, the demon told the young master to immediately sever his mortal world ties and break through rapidly. The young master didn't think much of it, so he..."

The martial artists exchanged glances, "Anyway, we don't have immortal bones, so we won't sever our mortal world ties even if beaten to death... No one can fool us!"

"Mortal world fire doesn't necessarily have to be self-severed; other people can sever it too!" Instructor Ma glanced at them sideways.

"What!" Everyone was alarmed.

Instructor Ma continued, "There are three things that can sever mortal world ties: the first is the Heavenly Dao! The second is the Son of Heaven!"

"As long as the Son of Heaven offers a formal sacrificial text in prayer to the heavens, he can sever the mortal world fire of anyone within the realm ruled by the state! Well, if wealthy clans control the imperial court, they can also manage to do this through the Son of Heaven."

The thin martial artist asked, "And the third?"

"That would naturally be a magical treasure!" Instructor Ma said with yearning, "Legend has it that artifact-refining mighty figures of the Dao Attainment Realm can forge magical treasures containing the rhythmic patterns of the Heavenly Dao, and these items can sever mortal world ties. Therefore, do not truly think that immortals do not kill mortals; they simply disdain to do so."

The thin martial artist smiled, "The demon here isn't that powerful, right? Are there any other taboos?"

"Haha, that's right, a Dao Attainment Realm mighty figure—what kind of lofty existence is that? The demon haunting Tea Mountain will never reach that in a lifetime, so this matter of severing mortal world ties is not worth mentioning."

"That's right, Instructor Ma, tell us another simple one."

Chatting and laughing, the martial artists had already patrolled to the livestock shed.

Unexpectedly, Instructor Ma's face sank, "There are simple methods too, but what if the demon overhears them?"

"If this demon is hiding in the dark and happens not to know how to whittle away the mortal world fire, it would learn it instead if I spoke of it!"

"Er..." Everyone's expression changed.

Instructor Ma looked at them suspiciously, "You have all been egging me on, asking me to tell you the methods to whittle away the mortal world fire! I almost let my guard down!"

"Could the demon be among you?"

He paid attention to everyone's expression, yet everyone looked at the others with shock and tension.

Their expressions were all natural, and not a single one resembled a demon.

"Instructor Ma, could you have mistaken it?"

"We've worked together for many years and know each other inside and out..."

They spoke all at once. Instructor Ma grew irritated and shouted, "Enough! Demons and monsters are best at deluding the human heart; whoever talks nonsense again, I'll behead him!"

Then he drew his blade, pointing it at the thin martial artist with sharp eyes and murderous intent.

"You! You were the one instigating from the very beginning, and from start to finish you were the one egging me on to reveal the method!"

For a moment, everyone looked at the thin martial artist. Thinking back, it was indeed true!

The thin martial artist widened his eyes, took a step forward, and anxiously explained, "No, I was just—"

"Don't f*cking come near me! Kneel down!" Instructor Ma's blade emitted dense, chilling qi, his intent to kill fierce.

The thin martial artist hurriedly dropped to his knees with a thud, "My lord! It really isn't me!"

Seeing him truly kneel without resisting, Instructor Ma's expression relaxed slightly, "It seems it isn't you. Otherwise, by this time you would either have made a move or fled, how could you kneel?"

"Right, exactly! It really wasn't me!" The thin martial artist breathed a sigh of relief.

With his blade held horizontally before him, Instructor Ma glared at the others and said coldly, "What about you lot? Kneel down for me as well!"

Everyone knelt in a neat row all at once. Just then, a youth walked out of the livestock shed carrying two bundles of grass in his hands.

They all recognized him; it was precisely the blacksmithing youth they had seen not long ago.

He was a pariah. In the past, they certainly would have been displeased—how could they kneel to him?

Yet given the special circumstances, seeing that the youth didn't step aside quickly and instead looked at them with a curious expression, accepting it calmly, the martial artists could only swallow their anger. The top priority was to clear their names and find the demon.

As for this pariah, if they knelt to him, so be it; they would survive the immediate crisis first.

Yet at that very moment, Instructor Ma's voice suddenly grew calm, "You're all so obedient; it seems none of you are demons... I am."

"You... You!" The martial artists' hair stood on end.

"Let me continue: there is another little-known method to whittle away the mortal world fire..."

"That year, the young master of the Qu Family in Northern Sea Commandery was deceived by a demon into believing a woodcutter in the mountains was a high immortal with the Dao. He kowtowed to him, causing his entire mortal world fire to wane and turning him into a meal on the demon's platter."

"It turned out that woodcutter was merely a pariah, displaced, suffering from a terminal illness, and having nothing left, he cursed the heavens in his anger, causing the mortal world fire on his body to vanish and scatter completely."

"And if one proactively kneels to a pariah who has completely no mortal world fire, one's own fiery vital energy will plummet a thousand miles down."

Instructor Ma's voice drifted unpredictably, and a terrifyingly chilling aura enveloped them like bone-gnawing maggots, seeping into the bodies of all the martial artists.

Hearing those words, the martial artists hurriedly tried to stand up, but it was already too late. Beneath the cold air, they felt their entire bodies go weak; they simply could not stand!

"Save... Save me!"

"There's a demon!"

"Don't kill... Don't kill me..."

"Gurgle, gurgle..."

As they wailed in despair, streams of water-like tentacles spread out from behind them, sweeping over their entire bodies.

Soon, everyone was wrapped in water, floating suspended in mid-air as they struggled desperately.

Instructor Ma's voice increasingly resembled that of a woman, a reminiscent tone carrying a hint of emotion, "Actually, back then, the young master of the Shen Family of Leling wasn't someone who dallied with women; he truly loved me."

"I made him swear ten oaths in succession, and in the end whittled away only ninety percent of his mortal world fire... When I ate him, I realized that his oath to marry me was sincere."

"Alas, so to commemorate him, ever since then I've called myself Shen Leling... Giggle, giggle, hee, hee..."

The nine martial artists trapped in the water were panicked and in extreme pain, feeling their vital essence being sucked away.

The thin martial artist reached out from the water toward the pariah youth, shouting, "Quick... call... someone!"

Yet his voice could not even break through that layer of water film.

"Giggle, giggle, giggle... Aren't we the patrol squad? Who else do you want to call?"

"After leading you around twice just now, my spiritual sense enveloped a radius of a hundred zhang. Aside from this youth, there was no one else nearby."

"My luck is truly wonderful. The moment I sneaked in, I ran into a mortal with no mortal world fire."

Shen Leling was still occupying Instructor Ma's body at this moment, and the countless streams of water were spreading out from behind Instructor Ma's one-eyed patch.

When using this demonic art, Instructor Ma's skin was as pale as a dead person's, his pupils unfocused and dull, and his body stiff and withered—it was clear he had been dead for a long time.

Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle. Countless bubbles emerged within the water films as the nine martial artists stopped moving altogether, looking as though they had been wrung dry.

Pata. The corpses dropped to the ground, actually shattering, as brittle as autumn's withered leaves.

"Hey! Youth, you're in a miserable state, aren't you? You don't have a single shred of mortal world fire." Shen Leling was extremely happy. The reason she could eliminate the nine martial artists so smoothly was precisely because the youth before her possessed completely no mortal world fire.

This was actually considered very rare.

Being displaced, wretched, and destitute in life would only cause a person's mortal world fire to wane, not erase it.

As long as one's background was passable, even in the depths of destitution, there would still be a tiny baseline. Many refugees, disaster victims, and pariahs actually still retained a tiny thread of it. If they had previously been soldiers or officials, the baseline was even greater.

Mortals in the world with absolutely no mortal world fire were extremely few. Heaven knew how lowly one's background had to be... or perhaps they constantly cursed the heavens for fun? In her life, she had only ever encountered one such 'abandoned by heaven' person, and he had quickly died of illness anyway. She hadn't expected to run into another one today, and this one was even physically robust with genuine qi.

"Giggle, giggle, poor youth, there is no price to pay for me to eat you at all." Shen Leling's voice reverberated from within the babbling streams of water.

A stream of water like a thread coiled around the youth, choking his throat, then looped upward to finally form the shape of a woman's face beside the youth's left ear.

The youth asked curiously, "Are you a demon?"

"..." Shen Leling's laughter paused, and she doubtfully wriggled her countless water tentacles: Wasn't she demon-like enough?

"Right! I'm a demon! A world-shhocking great demon!"

The youth carefully inspected the countless water tentacles with an expression that looked as though he were gazing at a rare animal: "I heard demons are cruel and vicious, so will you whip me too?"

"Whip? Hahaha!" Shen Leling laughed until she trembled. "No, I'm going to eat you!"

The youth's expression turned stern, "Will I die?"

Shen Leling was speechless. Didn't this fellow know people died when they were eaten?

At that moment, the youth touched the water wrapped around his body, then suddenly stuck out his tongue and licked the face she had formed!

After licking, he smacked his lips, finding it had no taste.

"You!" Shen Leling retracted the water with a whoosh. The youth's behavior far exceeded her expectations.

Stunned for a moment, she said, "Giggle, giggle... I've eaten countless people! Youth, aren't you afraid of death?"

"Afraid! Don't eat me."

Shen Leling smiled, "Good, then you have to listen to me. From now on, I order you to—hey, where are you going!"

"As long as you don't eat me, let's talk tomorrow. I have no time tonight; I still have to go hammer iron!" Upon hearing that she wouldn't eat him, the youth simply ran off.

Shen Leling was dumbfounded. What kind of fool was this? He saw a demon and still wanted to go hammer iron?

No wonder he offended the steward; there was truly rhyme and reason to it.

"Giggle, giggle, hee, hee... Interesting."

She did not give chase, nor did she wish to eat this youth. After all, he was a fireless mortal, and only a starved demon would eat one; she still had good use for him.

In an instant, countless streams of water drilled back into the eye sockets, and Instructor Ma's corpse slowly regained its flush of blood as his pupils re-contracted.

He smiled faintly, adjusted his eyepatch, cleaned up the scene, and fled wearing the appearance of panic.

"There's a demon! There's a demon!"

p.s: Sorry.