Struggling with His Inner Demon

Foreword:

Walk as you please, sit at ease, drink when thirsty, eat when hungry, and sing when drunk.

--Guan Hanqing

[Part 1: Lights Out Talk]

Unable to control her inner demons, Dan Chenzi pulled Zhang Guiren and her junior brother Jin Xu together to discuss a plot to rebel.

As for the two Guling and Jingguai little demons, Tiger Vanguard didn't take them seriously at all. These useless creatures who couldn't even cultivate into human form weren't worth using as pawns—as long as they obediently kept their mouths shut, that was enough.

The two brothers, Jianying Jianxiong, each carried their luggage and carried Xiangxiang, and went back to their guest room to rest.

In the dead of night, the two turned off the lights and extinguished the fire, preparing to go to sleep, but they couldn't fall asleep no matter what they did.

Jianying is a steady, even somewhat dull, person. He always lives in a mindset of being prepared for the worst, and is prone to suspicion and worry.

He was dressed in the human skin of an ancient wolf demon, squatting by the window, looking towards the Buddhist hall of the local earth god temple—no one came out, and there was no sound of wind.

At this moment, Jianying took a short knife from Zhang Guiren's doctor's bag.

This was also the knife used to cleanse the faces of the two brothers, a tool used to shave the two rustic men into human form.

Zhao Laoda remained silent and gently moved closer to the unconscious Xiangxiang, careful not to wake his younger brother.

Zhao the Second was feigning sleep.

--He had no intention of closing his eyes to sleep. In such a complex and dangerous environment, wearing the skin of a demon, how could he possibly sleep? Moreover, there was a prostitute beside him. Seeing his elder brother approaching with a knife, the seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy immediately whispered a warning.

"Big brother, what are you doing?!"

Zhao Laoda was startled. At first, he heard a delicate female voice, and his hands and feet stiffened and his mind went blank. It wasn't until he came to his senses that he realized it was Zhao the Second speaking.

Without hesitation, Jianying replied, "I want to kill her."

Jianxiong: "Why?!"

Jianying: "She's an enemy, and she knows who our benefactor is. We can't let her live."

"Wu Xiuwen is also an enemy! He harmed us too." Jianxiong still wanted to protect Xiangxiang: "A true man keeps his word, brother. We promised her we would take her to Taiye."

"So what if they agreed?" Zhao Jianying's eyes were bloodshot, and even Guling's skin began to emanate a terrifying murderous aura. "Wu Cheng Zhang agreed, Wu Xiuwen agreed, and this woman agreed—in the end, not a single promise has been kept!"

"Second brother! Don't stop me, our benefactor is right."

"That wretched woman, Xiangxiang, is like a mountain weighing us down."

"Along the way, whenever I saw her, I was agitated. I wanted to sleep with her, and I also wanted to kill her. But when I heard her call me 'good husband' or 'great hero,' I felt sorry for her."

"My heart is broken. I am not an immortal, nor a saint."

"If I keep her here, how can I repay my debt of gratitude? How can we get down the mountain? Will we even be able to escape Black Wind Ridge?"

"You could say Wu Xiuwen deserves to die too, but I don't want to offend this cunning rogue—I can't beat him. He's quick-witted and eloquent, and he has a benefactor protecting him. If I were alone, I could just kill him and be done with it, even if it meant exchanging my life for his."

"But you have to live, Jianxiong."

Zhao Jianying gripped the dagger tightly and said through gritted teeth.

"For the sake of livelihood, for the sake of my family, I can endure anything, I can endure it forever. I can kowtow to Wu Cheng Zhang —and I still will now."

"If we kill Xiangxiang, we won't have to endure her verbal threats anymore. If our benefactor questions us, I can take the blame for the murder. I can endure it. But you can't."

Zhao Jianxiong hesitated. He didn't know why his benefactor wanted to leave this prostitute behind and bring a burden like this into a dangerous situation.

"My benefactor said he doesn't kill people."

Zhao Jianying immediately said, "So I'm here to kill him; you can't break his rules."

Zhao Jianxiong sensed something was wrong, but couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"But."

Jianying interrupted, "Shouldn't that vicious woman die? How many heroes and good men has she framed in Zhuzhou City? I rid the County Magistrate of this scourge. If she had just been lenient and put less poison in her potion, we could have found a chance to escape and wouldn't have become meat on the chopping block."

"Brother, you were the one who killed the bear, but you're taking the credit." Zhao Jianxiong didn't dare to look his brother in the eye. "The courtesan from the brothel wanted to entertain the two of us, and I was so carried away that I readily agreed, which led to this disaster. How come in the end, it's all your fault for doing something stupid?"

"That's not right."

Jianxiong felt uneasy.

"This is wrong, this is unfair, this shouldn't be happening."

Zhao Jianying: "I'm destined to be a workaholic."

The two sat down Xiangxiang without rushing to kill her.

When he was with Zhang Guiren, Jianying couldn't talk to Jianxiong about family matters. But when they arrived at the Sifang Land Temple and were about to enter the Black Wind Village, the two brothers finally found an opportunity to have a proper talk.

"Where in the world is there any fairness?" Zhao Jianying said again, "Wu Xiuwen has found a good father, is that fair?"

"Wu Cheng Zhang was castrated in the palace. He spent his whole life seeking an official career, only to become a fifth-rank prefect. When he arrived in Zhuzhou, he still had to be subservient to Commander Liu. He was demoted to a seventh-rank county magistrate before he dared to put on his official hat. Is that fair?"

"Zhang Guiren treated the Emperor of the Nine Realms, which makes her a first-rank official. Is that fair?"

"What strength do we have? What right do we have to talk about fairness?"

At this point, Jianxiong finally understood what was "wrong".

"Brother, since that's the case, you absolutely cannot kill Xiangxiang."

Jianying angrily retorted, "Are you bewitched by this woman? Just like me? Can't bear to part with her?"

Before he could finish speaking, Boss Zhao drew his knife and lunged at Xiangxiang, intending to end the life of this femme fatale with a single blow.

Zhao the Second grabbed his elder brother by the collar, and with lightning speed, pulled and lifted him up, then tumbled him to his side.

The two wrestled in the dark hotel room, using all their strength. The older brother, fearing the knife might not have eyes, immediately released his grip. He took two punches and two elbows to the face, and his nose immediately gushed out a large spit of soy sauce, both sweet and salty.

Smelling the blood, Zhao the Elder seemed to be truly enraged. He used his older and stronger physique to bully the Second Elder, pushing and shoving him, causing them to tumble off the communal bed and crash into a pillar on the floor.

Old Zhao the eldest grabbed Zhao the Second by the neck. The dim yellow light shining through the window illuminated the "monster sister's" blood-covered face, and he became more and more excited, unable to tell who the person in front of him was for a moment.

Despite being restrained, Zhao the Second remained calm. He forcefully slammed his knee into his elder brother's back, sending the two of them tumbling to the other side, where they landed near the dining table in the guest room.

When he got up again, Zhao Laoda picked up the knife and kept wiping his nose, trying to stop the bleeding.

Zhao the Second's right ring and little fingers were broken, crookedly leaning to one side. He was in so much pain that tears streamed down his face, but he couldn't cry out.

Zhao Laoda appeared to be possessed, unable to distinguish between enemies and friends.

He had endured for far too long, and was on the verge of madness, about to be controlled by the demon within him. Not only did he want to kill Xiangxiang, but he also wanted to kill the second brother in front of him, who was dressed in the skin of a demon.

He wouldn't have risked his life fighting the bear if it weren't to save his second son.

Without this Black Bear, he wouldn't have been able to enter Zhuzhou.

If I hadn't come to Zhuzhou, I wouldn't have suffered this calamity.

He thought to himself, if Jianxiong also died in the plague, the whole family would be together and all would be over. He would have already torn off his human skin, discarded all propriety and shame, and would not need to be a "big brother". He would burn all the corpses of his family, take his ancestral property and travel expenses and find a good place to go, whether to join the army or start a family - he would not need to keep a low profile.

Because of this foolish and simple-minded younger brother, he had to obediently wear human skin, suffer the torment of the moral sword, and preach about the principles of returning to one's roots and the etiquette of respecting elders and juniors. Who would have thought that he would end up in such a dilemma today?

Jianying felt that everyone in Zhuzhou City, including Zhang Congfeng, was a ruthless villain who would devour people without spitting out the bones.

Does owing someone a favor mean you have to repay it? He could easily just walk away, but what then? As the older brother, should he set an example for his younger brother by showing him how to be an ungrateful person?

"Big brother!" Jianxiong cried out anxiously, "Big brother! It's me, Jianxiong! Big brother!"

Affected by the unique spiritual pressure environment of Black Wind Ridge, Zhao Jianying couldn't hear the call either. He gripped his knife, preparing to kill.

--At that moment, the noise from the two fighting was so loud that Xiangxiang was awakened from her nightmare.

The courtesan suddenly got up and stood on the straw mat on the communal bed, staring in astonishment at the two brothers. The two "beautiful girls" had blood on their faces and looked ready to fight to the death.

"What are you doing?" Xiangxiang asked hesitantly, her voice trembling.

Zhao Jianying suddenly woke up. He saw the pitiful and helpless woman, and then he saw the copper basin on the sink next to the dining table. In the mirror, he also looked miserable with injuries all over his body.

What kind of upright man is he? Wearing this mask, he's just like Xiangxiang, a lamb to the slaughter, even worse than a female dog.

Realizing this, Zhao Jianying fully sobered up, feeling only lingering fear.

He almost raised his knife against his second brother and even tried to kill an unarmed woman.

He was controlled by his survival instinct, completely succumbing to evil, and was willing to kill someone over a few words of suspicion or a few thoughts.

"Jianxiong." Zhao Jianying exhaled a breath of stale air, his eyes clearing. "I..."

Zhao Jianxiong did not respond, fearing that Jianying might harbor murderous intent again.

--His older brother is much stronger than him. If it really comes down to a life-or-death situation, Jianxiong is no match for his older brother.

Thinking this through, Jianxiong asked a series of questions.

"Xiangxiang! My brother and I have done nothing to wrong you! Why are you trying to harm us?"

Xiangxiang trembled. Seeing the knife in Zhao Jianying's hand, she naturally understood what had happened and immediately knelt down to beg for mercy.

"Heroes, spare my life! Spare my life! Please spare my life!"

"It was Magistrate Wu's idea. If I'm not going to dance, someone else will. If I'm not going to feed you, someone else will."

"Alright then." Zhao Jianxiong slowly moved to Xiangxiang's side, shielding the prostitute behind him, and faced his elder brother. "I'll trust you this once. Zhang Guiren saved my brother and me, and treated our injuries. If Xiangxiang stays in Zhuzhou, Wu Cheng Zhang will definitely kill you to silence you—so we both have to repay your kindness."

"My elder brother doesn't believe you and is coming to kill you. Do you understand?"

Xiangxiang immediately replied, "Understood! Understood! I will definitely keep it a secret!"

"Zhang Guiren will definitely do what he says." Zhao Jianxiong's eyes shone brightly as he stared intently at his elder brother. "Your life was given to you by him. If you want to escape Black Wind Ridge, not to mention the beasts and demons roaming the mountains and plains—just look at this place, far from any village or shop. Who will guide you? Who will protect you?"

Xiangxiang immediately exclaimed, "It's a benefactor! A benefactor saved me!"

It's important to have someone in the team who is clear-headed and can recognize the situation.

Unfortunately, such talent is rare in this world, and even with it, it's difficult to convince others.

To put it in a wonderful metaphor--

--It's like when your SIM signal is completely destroyed, and voice messages keep coming in one after another, saying all sorts of nice things, it's still hard to stop a teammate who's contemplating killing you.

Zhao Jianxiong had just broken through the illusion and emerged from his state of dullness and idiocy; he possessed this power.

After saying this, it sounded like Xiangxiang was being asked to swear an oath and understand the consequences, but for Jianying, the only way to escape from Black Wind Ridge was to rely on Zhang Guiren's magical powers.

To survive, he could kill Xiangxiang, and he could kill Wu Xiuwen; his next step would be to betray Zhang Congfeng. If he killed Xiangxiang with one blow, Jianying would succumb to fear, and he too would become a man-eating demon, growing inseparable from the wolf demon's skin.

[Part ② - So you call yourself a demon?]

At this moment, Jiang Xueming was still unaware of what had happened in the guest room.

He entrusted Xiangxiang to Jianying and Jianxiong for care, which was originally a very simple matter.

This woman was very clever; everyone who came from this special industry was a shrewd person who knew how to read people's expressions—yet she was so frightened by her own words that she fainted. Xue Ming was puzzled, thinking that she must have fainted from hunger because she hadn't eaten for a long time.

How many lies did Wu Cheng Zhang and this woman tell? If Xiangxiang hadn't been able to tell, she would have become a good business opportunity for Cai Family Village long ago.

As for the story about "sending you to Tiger Vanguard's mouth for a feast," it would be a miracle if Xiangxiang believed it.

These are all complicated people; none of them are good, and their motives are not pure.

Reaching Black Wind Ridge was even more dangerous; they had to constantly fight their inner demons, and if they couldn't overcome this obstacle, they would die.

As for whether he could bring them all down the mountain safely, Xue Ming wasn't sure. After all, this wasn't the Nine Realms, a beautiful paradise where a kind cat would deliver a fairytale just by being full of enthusiasm and courage.

"This, this, this..." Dan Chenzi gripped the sword, wanting to test the Soul Dissolving Sword's power. "I'll bring this treasure out later."

Wu Xiuwen, standing to the side, boasted, "It terrified the Hundred Eyes Demon!"

"But when I picked up the sword, I couldn't feel any spiritual power at all." Dan Chenzi couldn't distinguish between the real and fake swords, so naturally he couldn't activate any divine power when wielding the fake sword.

"The Buddha Sculptor added a restriction to this magical artifact to restrain the Hundred Eyes Great King," Jiang Xueming casually fabricated. "If you don't know about the restriction, you can't break its seal and therefore can't activate the true energy within."

"Oh?" Dan Chenzi became interested. "Even the Buddha Sculptor was afraid that this sword would fall into the hands of villains?"

"That's right," Jiang Xueming replied. "The Hundred Eyes Demon has no reverence for Guanyin Bodhisattva, so of course we have to be wary of it to prevent it from having evil intentions again after taking back the magic weapon."

Dan Chenzi: "How do we break this restriction?"

Jiang Xueming was about to speak, but then closed his mouth with a troubled expression.

"Speak freely!" Dan Chenzi laughed heartily, "We're all brothers! I'll go to Black Wind Village Stronghold to pay my respects, and bring the precious sword to the palace. The Hundred Eyes Demon will definitely lower his guard—then I'll pretend to offer this magical treasure made from bone and blood essence. He'll be overjoyed, and in the blink of an eye, I'll behead him!"

"Zhang Guiren, how can I accomplish this without a divine decree?"

Dan Chenzi leaned close to Zhang Congfeng and whispered.

"After it's done, I'll send you down the mountain, give you travel expenses, and stuff your little bag full of gold and silver jewelry."

Jiang Xueming reached out for the fake sword.

In the blink of an eye, Dan Chenzi's eyes closed and opened.

Xue Ming placed the real sword on the table and put the fake sword back in the cloth.

"Pick it up and chant the incantation."

Tiger Vanguard picked up the heavy sword and asked in confusion, "What incantation?"

Jiang Xueming thought for a moment and then randomly picked a spell from a children's TV program. His youngest daughter often watched TV all day long, so he remembered some strange spells.

After all, he's not like Meteor; his anime/manga sensibilities are too low, and he doesn't have that many ulterior motives.

"Gunara, God of Darkness—Transform!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Dan Chenzi pointed his greatsword at Wu Xiuwen.

Wu Xiuwen then saw a cloud of blood mist and red smoke rising from the sword blade.

The smoke quickly condensed in the hall, transforming into a shy and delicate woman who brandished a kitchen knife and slashed at Wu Xiuwen.

Wu Xiuwen panicked. "Help me, benefactor! Help me, senior brother!"

This woman was Wu Xiuwen's inner demon, and also the romantic debt he left behind in Zhuzhou City. She was a virgin from a small salt merchant's family. Xiuwen had seduced her and agreed to marry her, but Magistrate Wu disagreed—he couldn't go against his father's wishes, and it was also a marriage between people of unequal social standing.

In the end, the girl didn't cry or make a scene, nor did she have any thoughts of suicide. However, Wu Xiuwen kept it in mind. After all, it was his first love, and the guilt in his heart turned into a demon in his mind.

"Good! Good treasure!" Dan Chenzi stood up, sword in hand, and carefully examined the demonic incarnation.

A gleaming, crimson cleaver slashed down towards Junior Brother Jin Xu's forehead!

Wu Xiuwen broke out in a cold sweat, barely managing to dodge the attack, only to see a crack appear on the table.

The woman, a manifestation of the inner demon, raised her sword and slashed again!

Dan Chenzi grinned and shouted, "Junior brother! I never knew you had a girl in your heart! Hahahaha!"

"Don't laugh at me!" Wu Xiuwen dodged left and right, but he was no match for the inner demon. He hid behind the table and chairs, picked up the scrolls and brushes on the bookshelf and threw them, but these physical attacks were completely useless against the inner demon.

The projectile struck the cloud of bloody mist and vanished without a trace, only to fall completely to the floor a moment later from behind.

However, the damage caused by the cleaver was real. Before long, several bloody wounds appeared on Wu Xiuwen's arms and back. Fortunately, he dodged in time, otherwise his bones would have been broken!

"Ouch! Blood has been drawn!" Tiger Vanguard quickly sheathed his sword. He was also afraid that Jin Xu would hold a grudge. If this rat turned against them before the battle and sent the news to Hundred Eyes Great King, things would be terrible.

The demonic manifestation floated up and down in the direction the sword blade pointed, vanishing into nothingness the moment the sword was sheathed.

"Hiss! Huff... hiss." Wu Xiuwen, barely alive, gasped for breath, clutching his body and whimpering in pain to avoid revealing his weakness. A hint of reproach flickered in his eyes as he secretly glanced at Zhang Guiren —but Zhang Guiren said nothing, nor did she offer any help. "Senior brother, what are you joking about? My cultivation is shallow; naturally, I can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman."

"Why don't you test the sword with yourself, Senior Brother? I wonder if the Chang Ghost is more powerful, or the inner demon is stronger?"

Dan Chenzi, of course, wouldn't fall for this provocation. If there was any inner demon he harbored, it was most likely the Buddha Sculptor—

After all, this skill needs to be disciplined with cages and chains, and the person who builds the cage and chains for Tiger Vanguard is the most terrifying in its heart.

"Hehe!" Tiger Vanguard wanted to make a little joke right then and there, and pointed his sword at Zhang Congfeng: "I wonder what kind of devil is hiding in the heart of Zhang Guiren?"

Jiang Xueming: "I advise you to be kind."

Ignoring everything else, Dan Chenzi began chanting the incantation.

"Gunara, God of Darkness—Transform!"

Suddenly, a cold wind swept through the hall, and the crimson aura that had just dissipated condensed once more.

It kept changing, dancing on the blade, then crawling to the ground trying to coalesce into a human form.

After a while, it finally transformed into a complete face. Before he could even make out the person's features clearly, Xue Ming felt like he had seen this face somewhere before, but he couldn't remember where—after all, he had killed so many people, there was no need for him to remember them all.

The process of the inner demon taking human form was coming to an end. The human face had expressions, and it opened its eyes to examine itself carefully. When it saw Jiang Xueming's face clearly, it immediately let out a terrified scream, and its blood energy scattered like firecrackers and mercury.

Dan Chenzi was stunned by this commotion. She first looked at the sword, then at Zhang Guiren.

"I am a doctor."

Jiang Xueming said with absolute certainty.

"No inner demons."