Ch. 101I Did Not Collude with Demons
Summary: I Did Not Collude with Demons (Chapter)
1. Key Plot Points
- Lu Yun discovers a demonic aura wisp embedded in his shoulder wound, realizing it was planted by Chen Xiangzhu to lure demons to him and frame him as a colluder.
- Lu Yun breaks down in despair—his loyalty to his master is shattered—and tells the disciples to find Yu Sheng, warning her that "Chen Xiangzhu colluded with demons."
- Demons track the aura outside Yong Province Pass. Led by the one-armed Old Xu, they capture Chen Xiangzhu and Deacon Luo at their secret meeting.
- Deacon Luo, trying to save himself, confesses the entire plot against Lin Shu and offers to lead the demons to him.
2. The Twist
- The demons deliver Chen Xiangzhu and Deacon Luo to Lin Shu—the demons are working with him, not against him.
- Lin Shu reveals himself as a demon named "Devour Moon" (食月/Syria) by having Monkey write the characters in Chen Xiangzhu's blood.
- Lu Yun's earlier warning "Chen Xiangzhu colluded with demons" ironically inverts:
Lin Shu himself is the demon.
- Lin Shu kills both prisoners by crushing their heads under his boots.
3. Additional Key Events
- The Zhao Family disciples sent to kill Lin Shu are already dead—seven piles of fresh bones and depleted Blood Spirit Stones mark the battle site.
- Lin Shu personally killed eight Jade Liquid/World-Walking disciples alone, in about two hours.
- Old Xu and Azure Nether Demon General captured Chen Xiangzhu and Deacon Luo for Lin Shu.
- Gu Nanzhi (from Blackwater City) recognizes Lin Shu, and Monkey (the demon who saw Lin Shu's crimson moon form) becomes excited upon recognizing him.
4. Significant Themes
- Identity and Duality: Lin Shu is simultaneously a "renowned Yu Family disciple" and a demon with the name "Devour Moon"—posing the question of what it means to collude with demons when you are one.
- Betrayal and Loyalty: Lu Yun's years of devotion are undermined by his own master (Chen Xiangzhu), who framed him; Deacon Luo betrays everyone to survive.
- Irony and Inversion: The chapter title "I Did Not Collude with Demons" is a thematic reversal—Lin Shu is a demon; Chen Xiangzhu's accusation is technically true but misapplied.
- Power Dynamics in the Cultivation World: Deacon Luo, a Half-Life Immortal, is crushed by demon force; the "foolproof plan" against Lin Shu collapses utterly.
5. Character Developments
- Lin Shu: Confirmed to be a demon hiding in the Yu Family, more powerful than anyone suspects, with connections to a demonic network (Old Xu, Azure Nether Demon General, Monkey).
- Lu Yun: Falls from devoted disciple to broken man consumed by hatred and a desire for vengeance against Chen Xiangzhu.
- Chen Xiangzhu: Her scheme unravels; she dies in the clearing, having tried in her final moments to drag Lin Shu down with her.
- Deacon Luo: Cowardly, treacherous, and ultimately useless—dies despite bargaining for his life.
- Gu Nanzhi: Now a demon who "cannot bear the light," she still has emotional ties to Lin Shu but is lost to her new nature.
6. Character Interactions
- Lu Yun's frantic breakdown with fellow disciples: he abandons all pretense, screaming that Chen Xiangzhu framed him and that he will kill her.
- The demons' interrogation of Deacon Luo, with Monkey's enthusiasm curbed by Old Xu's warning.
- Lin Shu's casual dialogue with Old Xu ("Much obliged—Caught them on the way"), revealing an established relationship.
- Gu Nanzhi's hesitance and emotional embarrassment before Lin Shu—old acquaintances who are now on different paths.
- Monkey's explosive recognition of Lin Shu as "Devour Moon," preceded by his terror at the crimson moon (a callback to a previous event).
7. Notable Foreshadowing / Symbolism
- Lu Yun's wound carries the demonic aura that Chen Xiangzhu planted—connecting his flesh to the betrayal.
- The name "Devour Moon" symbolizes night, concealment, and hunger—matching Lin Shu's dual nature.
- Blood as ink (Monkey writing) and bone piles emphasize the violent cost of Lin Shu's survival.
- The chapter ends with Lin Shu's crushing footsteps—clinical, absolute, and efficient.