Chương 52: The Truth Behind the Demon

After the divine statue transformed into Fang Cheng's likeness, it gradually shrank to the size of an ordinary person. It walked up to Li Shuyan and pressed a finger to his brow. A vast, surging power, carrying a towering demonic aura, rushed into Li Shuyan's body. Ah! His whole body erupted in agony, as if every cell was being devoured by ants. But Li Shuyan endured it, not making a sound. He knew this was his opportunity. If he held on, he would gain a great fortune, perhaps even ascend in one step. Whew...

After some time, the pain subsided. He closed his eyes and looked at his Dao Field. The statue of the Literary Star Lord sat within, but upon closer inspection, its features bore a faint resemblance to Fang Cheng.

"Fourth Level Inviting the Deity. A true realm, not the false realm brought by demonic cultivation. Finally, I can continue cultivating." Li Shuyan's face was filled with emotion. He looked at Fang Cheng, stood, and bowed respectfully.

"This disciple pays his respects to the Literary Star Lord."

"Virtue." The statue nodded, then turned into a stream of light and returned to Fang Cheng's Dao Field. At the same time, a book fell from Li Shuyan's chest. Its pages were yellowed, and its cover read The Abai Detective Files. He was about to bend down and pick it up. Suddenly, a ghost flame erupted from the book, and it burst into flames. In the blink of an eye, the fire consumed the entire book, leaving only a pile of ash. If one looked closely, the ash seemed to form a blooming red flower.

Neither of them noticed this detail. Li Shuyan looked up at Fang Cheng. For him, Fang Cheng was his guide, and not just an ordinary guide. He was an Inheritance Bestower of a great legacy. Li Shuyan also felt that Fang Cheng could end his life with a single thought. So he waited for Fang Cheng to speak. But Fang Cheng was a bit confused. He felt like he had regained himself, yet his mouth kept wanting to make hissing sounds. It was just one Ninth Realm Sacred Manifestation crayfish. Why was he like this?

Stay focused. Stay focused. Damn demon sword, you ate your fill and left, dumping the mess on me. As he cursed inwardly, his mouth still could not help letting out: "Hiss, hiss, hiss..." Li Shuyan: "..."

"Uh... Brother Li, just pretend you did not hear that."

"Alright." Li Shuyan nodded and said no more. He had witnessed everything and understood clearly that Fang Cheng harbored many secrets. As a stakeholder, he would not mention any of it to outsiders, nor would he ask questions on his own. The cultivation manual said curiosity was the first step toward demonhood. He now had a righteous path. He would never become a demonic cultivator. Never! This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Li Shuyan made up his mind to follow Fang Cheng and cultivate diligently, hoping to achieve immortality one day. Wait. Could his Inheritance Bestower really lead him to immortality? He frowned, thinking. Reflecting on what had just happened, he felt he might have strayed down an even darker path. Oh well. It did not matter. Brother Cheng had killed his father and freed him from his chains. Even if he followed him down a dark path, so be it. With that thought, Li Shuyan felt much lighter.

But then, he heard it again.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss..." Li Shuyan: "..."

"Haha, Brother Li, standing out there has been tiring. Let us go inside and have some tea." Fang Cheng patted Li Shuyan's shoulder and led him back inside with a smile. After they sat down, Fang Cheng poured a cup of tea for Li Shuyan, then raised the pot to his own mouth and gulped it down. After drinking, he felt refreshed and energized. His stomach seemed full, and the hissing stopped. Good. Now he could talk normally. Fang Cheng asked, "Brother Li, what happened with your demonic possession?"

Li Shuyan sighed and explained.

"I was unhappy in the capital as an official. I was sidelined everywhere. I could not take it anymore, so I left and came to Xiangshi City to teach at a private school. About half a month ago, I was browsing the market and ran into a masked middle-aged man selling books from a stall. The strange thing was, I never read those cheap street novels, but that day I inexplicably walked over and bought one."

"Was it The Abai Detective Files?" Fang Cheng asked.

"Yes. The same one that just burned to ashes." Li Shuyan nodded and continued.

"That book had a strange power over me. The more I read, the more obsessed I became. In the first episode, a son whips his father to death. I felt a strange thrill reading it, and a seed of demonic energy took root in my heart. On top of that, teaching at the school, I saw how the magistrate and secretary treated their sons, and how they treated the factory workers. The resentment and anger I had bottled up for so long suddenly erupted. The demon in my heart took hold of my mind.

After that, my memories became hazy. I felt like someone was whispering in my ear. I now think that person was the masked bookseller. He gave me many instructions, and I carried them all out. But yesterday, he disappeared. I lost direction, like a headless fly. I happened to pass by the workshop and saw the magistrate and secretary beating their bellies. The demon in my heart almost burst out, but a strange fear held me back. Now I realize it was because I saw you, Brother Fang.

So I hesitated, but last night I finally lost control. I killed the secretary and the magistrate, then activated the demonic formation based on the memories in my mind. After that, you broke the formation and came here." Fang Cheng thought for a moment.

"So the masked bookseller was the real mastermind. But why did he abandon the plan halfway?" Li Shuyan considered the question and replied, "Maybe he felt the same fear I did when he saw you, Brother Fang. He ran away." Fang Cheng could not help but complain, "Are demonic cultivators in Lianshan Prefecture really that perceptive?" He recalled the demonic cultivators he had encountered in Xijiang Prefecture. They had all been arrogant as hell, killing anyone they met, cultivator or not, without a second thought.

Sigh. Xijiang Prefecture was better. Less thinking required. After that thought, Fang Cheng continued, "What about the secretary's Anti-Cultivator Alliance?" Li Shuyan shook his head.

"I do not know. The secretary came from the capital. I never heard of any Anti-Cultivator Alliance while I was there. I think it is probably a small operation, using some kind of mind-control technique to get the people to do their bidding." Fang Cheng frowned, thinking. He felt the alliance was not that simple. He recalled the people in the workshop beating their bellies. He had noticed nothing unusual about them, and no magic either. Yet they had acted like they were possessed.

But the secretary was dead, and the trail was cold. Fang Cheng had no choice but to set the matter aside for now.

"Brother Li, we have talked enough for now. Let us deal with the situation in Xiangshi City. The magistrate and secretary are dead, and most of the citizens are dead or injured. How are we going to explain this to the higher-ups... hiss, hiss, hiss?"