Huang Jiu's reaction piqued my curiosity—what kind of matter could make our Ninth Master shiver like that?
Before I could ask, Huang Jiu said, "I'm just a little demon, I won't be of much help. You guys go, and I'll be waiting for your triumphant return at the shop."
"Master Ninth, this isn't like you," I joked.
Huang Jiu replied, "You wouldn't understand. A demon sacrifice is about refining demons. If I went, I'd be done for."
"Refining demons?" I asked, puzzled. "What does this have to do with the effeminate man?"
I had dealt with the effeminate man before and sensed a powerful entity parasitizing him, one that could block my spiritual sight. But it didn't seem like possession, as the effeminate man still retained his own consciousness.
Hu Wenhui explained, "There's a difference between demon sacrifices and demon refining. The effeminate man…" He almost got sidetracked by our conversation.
After pausing, he corrected himself, "He Yuan's body is extremely special—it's in between Yin and Yang."
I interrupted, "I know, it's called a half-demon!"
Hu Wenhui coughed, slightly helpless, and said, "You're a cheeky kid, don't cut me off."
After a pause, Hu Wenhui reorganized his thoughts and said, "His body is in a state between Yin and Yang, creating a unique internal space. Legend says this space is like an altar, used to seal demons. This is known as a 'demon sacrifice.'"
Huang Jiu added, "Such people are born as natural demon-refining vessels, destined to be the nemesis of demonkind."
As he said this, there was a hint of killing intent in Huang Jiu's eyes. He bared his fangs and said, "No, I can't let someone like that live."
Hu Wenhui explained, "He Yuan's condition won't pose a threat to you demons, because the Yin and Yang in his body are out of balance. The internal space is collapsing, and the demon seal is about to lose control."
This made me understand why the effeminate man had weak Yang energy.
I said, "If it's about sealing demons, then it's simple—just kill him. A few days ago, we killed a nine-tailed fox demon."
"I heard about that, but you killed a weakened three-tailed fox demon," Hu Wenhui said as the road jolted. He adjusted the steering wheel and continued, "But inside He Yuan's body is an adult flood dragon."
"A flood dragon!"
I was surprised, never imagining such a creature existed.
Hu Wenhui said, "With my ability, killing it is unlikely."
I said, "Then we can ask someone else. There are plenty of big sects in the Xuan world, surely one of them can kill a flood dragon."
Hu Wenhui responded, "If those people intervene, they might end up killing He Yuan along with the dragon."
"Can they really be that unreasonable?" I asked, astonished.
Hu Wenhui's eyes flashed with frustration and anger, but it quickly turned to resignation. "The truth is, strength always speaks the loudest."
"Besides, your wife is in the big city now. Those people are busy figuring out how to deal with her."
When I heard that they were targeting Xiaocui, I immediately got angry and said, "If they dare to bully my wife, I'll kill them."
Hu Wenhui said, "A storm brewing in calm waters—when it comes, it will be violent. I can't reveal too much about the Xuan world, but I'll remind you to be cautious."
I said these words out of anger, but inside, I felt a deep sense of unease.
I had thought I might become part of the Xuan world, but now it felt like a heavy burden weighing down on me.
When Lai Youwei spoke those words, I didn't care much, and it didn't shake my determination.
But now, I was truly shaken. I asked Hu Wenhui, "Uncle Hu, if I'm not orthodox, is it really impossible to enter the Xuan world?"
Hu Wenhui replied, "If it's just you, you can join any sect and naturally enter the Xuan world. But with your wife's presence, you can't join unless you sever ties with her."
I clenched my fists.
Huang Jiu said, "Li Ge, why be afraid? Our Ten Thousand Mountains are no worse than the Xuan world."
Hu Wenhui said, "It used to be true, but now, not so much. From what I've heard, your wife's departure from the Ten Thousand Mountains seems to have caused some internal issues. She's been ostracized."
"Xiaocui was ostracized?"
My heart sank.
Hu Wenhui said, "That's what I've heard."
I fell silent, clenching my fists tightly.
Huang Jiu smirked, his expression strange, with a touch of amusement.
But at that moment, I wasn't in the mood to entertain his teasing.
Hu Wenhui tried to comfort me, "Don't worry too much. As of now, the Xuan world hasn't dared to make a move on her."
I took a deep breath. "Thank you for telling me all this, Uncle Hu."
Hu Wenhui replied, "No need to thank me. What I've shared is just gossip. Although your wife's situation isn't great, I believe she wouldn't be weak in the Ten Thousand Mountains. If she were, people would have already tried to harm her."
The thought of people flocking to hurt Xiaocui made my expression darker.
How many would go crazy for the secret of immortality?
I remained silent for a long time before finally asking, "Uncle Hu, how should we deal with the effeminate man?"
Hu Wenhui replied, "We may need to go to the Shennongjia area. Years ago, some strange demons appeared deep in Shennongjia. The Xuan world didn't find anything, but I suspect there's an ancient demon-sealing tower there. If we find it, we can use it to seal the flood dragon in He Yuan's body."
Going that far definitely wouldn't be a matter of a few days. I told Hu Wenhui, "Uncle Hu, just call me when you're ready to go."
Hu Wenhui nodded.
By 5 PM, we were back at the shop.
Hu Wenhui was exhausted, so I stayed for a while before deciding to go home and let him rest.
Besides, Xiaocui must have been worried about me after a few days without news.
I checked outside but found that Old Song hadn't returned yet, which made me a bit worried.
But right now, I had enough worries of my own, and I didn't have the energy to think about anything else.
Along the way, I couldn't stop thinking about one question:
Had Xiaocui really gone crazy?
This was the first time I had seriously considered it after meeting her again.
Back in the cave, before she had fully awakened, she had called me a fool, and her tone then didn't seem like a madwoman.
Logically, even if there were problems in her awakening process, it shouldn't have turned out like this.
But after spending time with her, I couldn't help but feel that something was wrong with her.
I wasn't sure, so I asked Huang Jiu, "Master Ninth, do you think Xiaocui has really gone mad?"
Huang Jiu hesitated for a long time before saying, "You two have shared a bed, shouldn't you be clearer than I am?"
"Kid, you're not starting to dislike her, are you? Let me tell you, we don't tolerate ditching people after getting them into bed."
I was speechless. "Go away!"
Huang Jiu's teasing lightened my mood a bit.
If that day really came, at worst, I'd take Xiaocui and hide in the Ten Thousand Mountains.
Passing by a restaurant, I ordered a few small dishes, and when I got them, it was already past 5 PM.
Returning home, I decided to give Xiaocui a surprise.
She was the one who opened the door.
When she saw me, she jumped with joy, clearly very happy.
Seeing her, my fatigue instantly disappeared.