Chapter 5: Ruthlessness of the Five Poisons—Part 4

The night was filled with flickering flames, and shadows of demons roamed outside the cave.

In this eerie atmosphere, Ti Ying’s sudden questioning left Chen Da dumbfounded.

Chen Da cried out helplessly, “Little Fairy, are you mistaken? I’m just an ordinary human. How could I collude with demons? What would demons see in me?”

Ti Ying looked puzzled. “Why not? That creature called ‘Wuzhi’ or something hides in the Five Poisons Forest, shrinking away during the day and only daring to come out at night to harm people. It means it must have some unavoidable reasons. If I were it, I would… I’d make you, this ordinary person, lure those cultivators who enter the forest into my cave. I’d feast on their souls to enhance my cultivation. Someone like you, lacking spiritual energy, would make a perfect ‘ghost’ for me.

“I could deceive you—as long as you obediently follow my instructions, step by step leading the cultivators into my trap, I won’t kill you.”

She didn’t bother to conceal the malice in her eyes.

Even as she spoke of her conjecture, she chuckled with amusement—her smile was sweet and innocent, but coupled with her words, it sent shivers down Chen Da’s spine.

Jiang Xuehe glanced at Ti Ying.

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Chen Da said, “I shouldn’t have to worry about demons eating me… Don’t I have you guys? Isn’t this the trial ground of your Yujing Sect? Demons in this forest see cultivators like you every day. Why would they care about me?”

Ti Ying was taken aback.

She suddenly realized, “You know that my senior brother and I entered the Five Poisons Forest! Have you been secretly following us?”

Chen Da laughed somewhat strangely.

Ti Ying’s gaze turned fierce as she grabbed his throat with one hand and slammed him against the cave wall.

Chen Da wanted to cry out for help, but the other youth in the cave remained calm throughout, indifferent to Ti Ying’s madness.

Even though Ti Ying’s spiritual power was weak, she was still a cultivator. Chen Da gasped violently, feeling like he was losing his breath, and couldn’t help but slap Ti Ying’s hand, signaling her to release him and indicating his willingness to cooperate.

Ti Ying snorted coldly.

Once Chen Da regained his freedom, he quickly ran to sit beside Jiang Xuehe, sticking close to him.

With lingering fear in his heart and being unwilling to play tricks, he honestly confessed, “I don’t know what kind of demon Wuzhi is. But my family has lived nearby for generations, and we knew that demon before it died. It used to be called Suan Yu, appearing as a scholar. Everyone in our village, within ten miles, was more or less cared for by it.

“Originally, everyone lived in peace… But later, hmm…Suan Yu accidentally provoked the Yujing Sect.”

After a moment of silence, Chen Da lowered his head and looked at his hands, reminiscing, “The Yujing Sect wanted to eliminate demons. Suan Yu must have been a powerful demon. It seems the Yujing Sect couldn’t handle it, so they came up with a dirty trick… Heh, even such a major sect would resort to dirty tricks.”

Ti Ying listened with interest, eagerly speaking up, “What kind of dirty trick? Let me guess—if I couldn’t defeat a demon, I would deceive it, take advantage of its flaws, and kill it in one fell swoop.”

Chen Da sneered, “Little Fairy and the Yujing Sect seem to have quite a connection. The dirty trick they came up with is similar to yours—they sent a female disciple disguised as a mortal and somehow managed to deceive Suan Yu. That female disciple lured Suan Yu into falling in love and deceived him into marriage.

“Then, on the day of their wedding, the female disciple led Suan Yu into this Five Poisons Forest and used a formation set up here in advance to kill him.

“But for some reason, even though Suan Yu died, he didn’t completely die; just like you said earlier, Little Fairy, after his death, Suan Yu transformed into a great demon named Wuzhi or something. He can’t leave this forest, but he specifically opposes the people of the Yujing Sect.

“With you guys around, of course, I dare to go up the mountain. That big demon surely wants to kill you guys, so I just hide behind you, and I’m completely safe.”

Ti Ying listened in astonishment.

Chen Da’s story had many inconsistencies, but Ti Ying immediately thought of the song “Blood Wedding Dress” still sung outside and instantly understood why the song came about—

The big demon was waiting for his new bride.

The big demon would never get his new bride, but he wanted to use innocent people as sacrifices.

It was a very poignant story, but the listener, Jiang Xuehe, remained calm, while Ti Ying was ruthless.

The cave was quiet; not a sound could be heard.

Ti Ying looked at Jiang Xuehe, who sat quietly on the side.

Jiang Xuehe’s hood moved slightly.

Ti Ying rested her chin on her hand and said, “You really won’t contribute anything? Don’t you feel something is off about this story? You have the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to come up with some doubts for me, or else I’ll throw you out to feed those patrolling demons outside!”

Chen Da took a deep breath and said……What a wicked woman!

A perfect match for the deceitful Yujing Sect.

Yet Jiang Xuehe remained obedient.

As Ti Ying urged him to think, he really thought: “As far as I know, humans and demons have had a harmonious relationship for thousands of years. Unless there are special reasons, humans and demons wouldn’t deliberately target each other. The Yujing Sect, as one of the four major immortal sects, is usually very busy. Why would they have a problem with a demon?”

Chen Da stuttered.

Jiang Xuehe gently said, “In my opinion, perhaps Suan Yu caused some trouble, attracting the attention of the Yujing Sect?”

Chen Da’s gaze flickered.

He stiffly replied, “I’m just a mortal; how would I know!”

Even the innocent Ti Ying could tell that this person was hiding something.

Yeah, Ti Ying had been on the run all this time, never deliberately making enemies with humans or demons. The powerful Yujing Sect: why would they focus on just one demon like Suan Yu?

Ti Ying was about to strike Chen Da, but he hastily said, “Regardless of anything, it wasn’t me who did it! Besides, the Yujing Sect is despicable—they can’t defeat a big demon, so they trick him into a formation and kill him.

“Killing him wasn’t enough; even after Suan Yu’s death, his soul was imprisoned in the Five Poisons Forest, becoming the present demon. He can’t leave here, but you guys can come and go as you please. You new disciples have been tormenting Suan Yu in the Five Poisons Forest once every few years. You, you… dogs biting dogs!”

Ti Ying blinked.

She said with ill intent, “It seems you have some grievances against the Yujing Sect. Well, when my senior brother and I go out, we’ll take you to visit the Yujing Sect…”

Chen Da’s face turned pale. “No! Miss, I’m just a mortal. Who I like or dislike won’t affect anything. Please don’t torment me.”

Ti Ying remained silent.

She didn’t fully believe Chen Da’s words. There were two possibilities when an ordinary person dared to enter the Five Poisons Forest and showed a bias towards a demon.

One, Chen Da truly colluded with the demon and deceived them to approach the demon, only to be killed by it.

The other possibility was that Chen Da was directed by someone to come to the Five Poisons Forest to deceive them, intending to use the demon to get rid of them.

Ti Ying thought of those people who had been chasing her all this time.

She entered the Five Poisons Forest and met Senior Brother Jiang. She risked her life with Senior Brother Jiang in the Five Poisons Forest, but those people chasing her didn’t enter the forest…

In Ti Ying’s pitch-black pupils, evil intentions emerged, with a hint of murderous intent.

Chen Da fell to his knees with a thud, frightened by her.

Ti Ying pretended, “Why are you kneeling to me? I’m going to worship the Great Immortal Sect. I wouldn’t do anything to you, just an ordinary person.”

In her heart, she added: Using you, an ordinary person, to get rid of those who bully me. As long as it’s done cleanly, without the Yujing Sect knowing, I’ll still be the innocent little fairy about to join the Yujing Sect.

While Ti Ying was contemplating her sinister thoughts, she noticed that Jiang Xuehe hadn’t spoken for a long time.

She wondered: It seems I can’t get away with doing bad things with this unfamiliar senior brother around.

So she raised her face and asked, “Senior Brother, what are you thinking?”

Jiang Xuehe slowly said, “Junior Sister, have you never heard of ‘Wuzhi’ before?”

Ti Ying, being a country girl, indeed hadn’t heard of “Wuzhi” before. But—

Ti Ying blinks without hesitation. “It’s just a powerful demon; what’s there to be impressed about?”

Jiang Xuehe seemed to not have heard her: “When the heavens and the earth have no demons, there are no impure divergences.”

“…?”

Ti Ying suspected he was trying to explain something to her.

Jiang Xuehe patiently explained, “It is said that thousands of years ago, there were demons in the mortal realm. Legend has it that the great power of the Yujing Sect at that time had the opportunity to ascend to immortality but chose to sacrifice themselves to seal the great demon. Since then, there have been no immortals or demons in the world, and humans and demons have been separated and governed, attempting to live in peace.

“In the world, there are always some impurities that have nowhere to go. The combination of the resentment and impurities of living beings after death gave birth to ‘Wuzhi’. Demons manipulated by Wuzhi are called impure ghosts. Impure ghosts have no intelligence and cannot be killed. They have always been a headache for the cultivation sects.”

“In the presence of demons, Wuzhi will become demonic. The existence of demons enhances the impurities of the world, making life unbearable even without taking any action. Now that there are no beings capable of becoming demons, Wuzhi has nowhere to go and will make more and more impure ghosts.”

Chen Da listened with a bewildered expression.

Ti Ying listened with a sense of unease.

Jiang Xuehe voiced his inner unease: “Nowadays, although Wuzhi cannot become demonic, it is still very powerful.”

He puzzled, “Would such a powerful demon be the test given by the Yujing Sect to its prospective disciples? The Yujing sect killed Suan Yu and resorted to deception. How do they deal with Wuzhi? They let those who haven’t truly entered the sect handle it?”

Ti Ying quickly picked up the jade tablet again and carefully examined every word on it.

After reading it, she looked up and said, “Sorry, Senior Brother.”

When Junior Sister behaves so obediently, there must be a problem.

Jiang Xuehe remained composed. “Hmm?”

Ti Ying behaved so well: “The Yujing Sect only asked us to leave the Five Poison Forest within five days, without intending for us to encounter Wuzhi. If we don’t turn back, Wuzhi won’t find us. Leaving the Five Poisons Forest within five days counts as passing the trial.

“But now…”

It seemed they had already provoked Wuzhi.

Was this the consequence of not liking to read?

Ti Ying defended herself: “I understand each word, but when they are put together, it’s very obscure. I don’t enjoy reading it.”

Jiang Xuehe thought to himself: If you don’t enjoy reading it, then don’t read it.

He didn’t know if Ti Ying could discern the thoughts behind his silence, but she asked strangely, “Then what?”

Chen Da, laughing heartily on the side, said, “Oh, you two are such silly fools, hahaha…”

He was knocked unconscious by Ti Ying.