The Demon Venerable Entered the City

Wind swept through the sparse woods, stirring waves of sound through the pines.

A figure in a dark green robe stood beneath a tree, his expression utterly indifferent.

"Heh..."

The Demon Emperor suddenly laughed. "Even a vicious tiger does not devour its own cubs."

"Brother Qianyuan, your heart is harder than even mine, and I am a demon."

"If I did not know you were of orthodox human lineage, I would suspect that a demon had truly possessed you."

Li Qianyuan slowly extended his hand and caught a falling dead leaf.

The leaf swiftly withered in his palm, crumbling into ash that drifted away on the wind.

"Since that girl is my own offspring, helping me attain the Dao is her good fortune."

"Having resolved to enter the Tower-Climbing Realm, one should first sever ties with the mortal world, then cut off all bonds of kinship."

"After worrying about your parents, you worry about your ancestral shrines. After your ancestral shrines, the common people. After the common people, you turn your thoughts to heaven and earth."

"Heaven and earth turn, the sun and moon wax and wane, all according to their own principles. What does any of that have to do with me?"

"I seek only enduring life and a glimpse of transcendence into sagehood. For that..."

"Never mind a mere daughter."

"Even if I must spare nothing and sacrifice the countless lives of the Great Tang, or even this entire world."

"So long as I can attain the Dao."

"All may be killed."

"All may be forsaken."

The Demon Emperor listened quietly to the end.

A few threads of cold unease inevitably crept into his heart.

Yet none showed on his face. Instead, he clapped his hands in admiration. "Since you possess such resolve, Brother Qianyuan, refusing you again