Yin Wuhui’s mind was consumed with thoughts of being abandoned by Hua Sijin, and his speech became incoherent: "Ants, these ants! How dare they defy me? They deserve to die, all of them deserve to die!"

Shang Chimei said, "Your Excellency."

Yin Wuhui's gaze was fierce as he said, "Do they think the illusions of Fen Qing Palace are dead? Let them come. This Demon Lord doesn’t need to lift a finger; I can make their blood flow like a river!"

Yin Wuhui glanced down at Hua Che. By this time, the Demon Lord had calmed down considerably. He waved his hand and said, "Take him away and have someone keep an eye on this rebellious child at all times!"

Shang Chimei bowed and acknowledged, "Yes, Your Excellency," and Hua Che was escorted to the water dungeon.

The so-called water dungeon was established at the centre of Fen Qing Palace, in a lake that was blood-red. From a distance, it looked like a flowing red brocade, astonishingly beautiful.

However, as one approached, the stench of blood emanating from the lake became clear. It was said that the lake was originally normal water, but it turned blood-red due to the large number of deaths in the water dungeon.

The cultivators who died in the water dungeon met tragic ends, tortured to death, so the surface of the lake was filled with an enduring resentment that refused to dissipate. The yin energy was extremely vicious, and ordinary people walking near the lake would have their vitality drained by the malevolent energy.

Hua Che jumped into the lake, passing through a crevice in the large rocks, where the water prison's barrier was located.

Once through the barrier, the bloody water disappeared. With his golden core sealed and his cultivation nullified, Hua Che was like an ordinary mortal, following Shang Chimei.

The layout here was no different from a regular prison, with each person in a separate, spacious cell. Occasionally, a rat or cockroach would run by their feet.

Hua Che walked into his cell, which was well-lit. Streams of clear light shone through the skylight above. He turned and waved at Shang Chimei, saying, "Take care!"

Shang Chimei instructed the shadowy figure in the darkness, "The master commands that you watch him closely and ensure nothing goes wrong."

The person slowly emerged from the shadows and whispered, "Understood."

Hua Che trembled all over.

Shang Chimei left with his hands behind his back. The demonic cultivator, dressed in black like the disciples of Fen Qing Palace, wore a Fen Qing Gu on his hand, glowing a vivid red in the moonlight.

A cold, sinister gleam flashed in Hua Che's eyes. "Lu Yao."

The demonic cultivator was startled and turned sharply. "Hua Qingkong!?"

*

After a year, Lu Yao had changed.

It wasn't just that he had transformed from an immortal cultivator to a demonic one; his youthful spirit was completely gone. Although he was only seventeen, he looked like a man of thirty-seven.

His hair had turned entirely white.

Disturbed by inner demons, his internal organs were in chaos, his true essence running backward. Falling into the demonic path was inevitable for him.

During the grand martial arts tournament, Hua Che's flute melody had planted inner demons in Lu Yao. If he had received the calming music of another music cultivator in time, Hua Che's influence would have dissipated. Unfortunately, Lu Yao's luck was too poor.

By the time he realized his inner demon problem, he was already in a daze. Before those around him noticed, his father's scandal broke out, and he fled from the Shangqing Immortal Sect and the entire immortal realm. Like a stray dog, where else could he go but the demonic world? Without seeking refuge in Fen Qing Palace, where would he find a place to stay?

"It’s you..." Lu Yao’s reaction was unusually calm. The cell door was not locked; he simply pushed it open and entered. "Why were you captured by the Demon Lord?"

Hua Che did not answer his question but said, "So, you’re in Fen Qing Palace now?"

"You knew?"

"I guessed."

Lu Yao let out a soft laugh. "Yes, besides here, where else in the Nine Provinces could I find a place to stay?"

His smile deepened, and his expression could almost be described as "harmless and pure." "Have you been well, Qingkong?"

Hua Che stared at Lu Yao. "You have something to ask me. Go ahead."

A flash of hostility crossed Lu Yao's eyes, but he concealed it well, almost immediately reverting to his simple and timid demeanour.

He did not ask as Hua Che wished but instead spoke to himself, "I was born into nobility, opening my eyes as the son of the sect leader. I was born with a halo, envied by all, flattered by everyone."

"Later, I began cultivating as well. My father taught me hand in hand, and the elders of Shangqing put in great effort to train me, hoping to shape me into an outstanding successor. It was universally accepted that I would inherit the entire Shangqing Immortal Sect," Lu Yao laughed bitterly. "Initially, that's what they thought, and I believed so too. But later... they changed their minds because this favoured child was too foolish, lacking the qualities of a sect leader's son."

Hua Che remained silent, listening attentively.

Lu Yao continued, "I was naturally dull-witted; there was nothing I could do. Heaven was unkind, and I was born lagging behind others. Who could I blame? I wanted to make a name for myself, to work hard and bring honour to my father, but I just didn't have the talent. My father said I was useless in both literary and martial arts, that I was a disgrace to him, and that I was destined to live an unremarkable life. I knew all this without him constantly reminding me."

"It's said that strict teachers produce outstanding students, but the truth is, if a disciple is stupid, they're just stupid. No matter how strict the master is, it doesn't help." Lu Yao looked deeply at Hua Che. "Do you know, my father took pleasure in criticising me."

Hua Che, of course, knew this.

Perhaps it was out of disappointment. Lu Mingfeng himself was not ambitious and placed all his hopes on his son, pushing Lu Yao relentlessly to practice martial arts, hoping he would surpass everyone and become the champion of the grand martial arts tournament.

Lu Yao was beaten from a young age, not in secret but openly in front of all the disciples and elders of the sect.

In Lu Mingfeng's words, today's humiliation is your motivation to move forward tomorrow.

At first glance, this statement seemed correct, but Lu Mingfeng took the wrong approach.

Lu Yao might have felt indignant and worked harder after the first humiliation. To outsiders, it seemed like he had made progress, but to Lu Mingfeng, it was never enough, resulting in a second punishment.

Then a third, fourth, countless times...

No matter how strong one's self-esteem is, it will eventually be shattered.

Gradually, Lu Yao became timid, fearful, indecisive, and weak.

Lu Yao said, "He always blamed me for being cowardly, for being unreliable. Haha, wasn't it all his doing? If he had encouraged me, said something nice, I wouldn't have turned out like this—hesitant and indecisive!"

"Don't think having a strong father is a good thing," Lu Yao sneered. "His brilliance is too intense, it burns you. Others will compare you to him, making your life miserable."

"My father is so outstanding, why is his son such a waste? Sect Leader Lu is the best in the world; is his son destined to be the worst? Was he adopted? Are they truly father and son?" Lu Yao stepped closer, looking at Hua Che with a haunting gaze. "You hear such things every day."

"I even started doubting myself, wondering if I was really my father's son. Why is everyone else so capable... Elder Qianyang once said that Zuo Qi was not very talented, yet even someone as mediocre as him surpassed me, and then he called me junior brother, hahaha..."

"Fortunately, Heaven has not been unkind to me."

"Who says I'm not Lu Mingfeng's biological son? The once-revered Sect Leader Lu, he wasn't that talented after all! He was just like me, a mediocre talent. When he called me worthless, cowardly, and useless, wasn't he just talking to himself? Outwardly, he scolded me, but in reality, he was scolding himself,"

Hua Che said coldly. "You knew about Lu Mingfeng harming the disciples, yet you joined him in his crimes."

"They deserved it!" Lu Yao shouted fiercely, his gaze suddenly becoming vicious and ruthless. "Who told them to look down on us fools? Those who prided themselves on their exceptional talent, those self-proclaimed geniuses, they despised us from the bottom of their hearts! They were all arrogant and conceited! They deserved it. So what if they were talented? So what if they were Heaven's favourites? In the end, they still ended up serving my father, didn't they? Hahaha, they deserved it!"

Life is inherently unequal. Some are born into poverty and low status, while others are born into wealth and royalty.

Can you overcome such jealousy?

Lu Yao resented everyone with better talent than his, like a wounded beast trapped in a cage, roaring and struggling in vain.

In truth, Hua Che could understand.

Jealousy is a natural human emotion, and he had felt it too. When handling Hua Meier's funeral and struggling to survive with Granny Jiang, he saw the high officials and wealthy young masters frequenting the Drunken Mansion. He was indeed envious and indignant.

Some people do not hesitate to wag their tails and crawl to survive, kneeling to lick others' stinky feet just for a meal.

Others, with vast wealth, indulge in extravagance and waste food without a second thought.

Alcohol and meat smell, with frozen bones scattered along the road.

He had seen too much of this.

But what use is resentment? Those people had accumulated good karma in their past lives and were born into fortunate circumstances in this life. While he was born to suffer, living a life of hardship. Complaining about Heaven and others wouldn't help; it was just the retribution for his past life's sins.

"Lu Yao," Hua Che suddenly said calmly. He half-squatted, looking at Hua Che, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground. "I have never wronged you or done anything against you, have I?"

Hua Che looked up.

Lu Yao's eyes were filled with righteous indignation. "Why did you harm me!"

This question had likely troubled Lu Yao for a whole year!

Hua Che's eyes briefly flickered with a faint smile.

He had once tried desperately to save Lu Yao from Lu Mingfeng's clutches, only to have Lu Yao wish for his death, deeply resenting him, even wanting to kill him before Chu Binghuan.

"Never done anything against me?" Hua Che sighed softly in his heart. "I won't hold past grievances against you. I intended to kill only Lu Mingfeng, ignoring that you were more cruel-hearted than I had imagined."

Lu Yao was stunned.

"I thought you were young and ignorant, only fifteen at the time. What could you understand? Even if you stumbled upon Lu Mingfeng's secret, how could you resist? With this thought, I softened and decided not to harm you. I was tired and only wanted to live idly in the Lingxiao Palace, not wanting to deal with these messy affairs. But you..."

Hua Che smiled bitterly. "Back then at Qingcheng Peak, you invited me to join the Shangqing Sect. Do you remember what you said?"

Lu Yao looked confused. After a moment, his eyes widened in shock.

Hua Che repeated word for word, "If I speak on your behalf, I can ask my father to take you in as a disciple under the sect leader."

Lu Yao stood up in shock, retreating two steps.

Hua Che's lips curled into a bitter, cold smile. "You certainly are a dutiful son, traveling far and wide to find poultry for your father. Lu Yao, Lu Yao, I saved your life when we were kids, and this is how you repay me now?"

Lu Yao was so choked up that he couldn't say a word.

Hua Che ignored him, got up, and walked to the wall. He listened through the wall but heard no movement from either side, making it impossible to determine if Wen Yuan was there.

The Immortal Binding Lock could seal his golden core, preventing Hua Che from using his true energy for the moment. He heard faint, subtle footsteps approaching from behind but didn't bother to turn his head. He merely said, "Think carefully about the consequences of harming the Young Lord before you act."

Lu Yao's footsteps halted, and he dared not approach any further.

 

Translator: DarNan