HomeZhang Sheng JueSi Ming - Chapter 44: Demonic

Si Ming – Chapter 44: Demonic

Er Sheng had never been to the capital before. The ancient seat of three dynasties silently carried the weight of historical resonance beneath layers of prosperity and extravagance.

In the past, walking along these bustling streets, Er Sheng would have marveled at the ornately carved buildings. But now, carrying the unconscious Chang Yuan on her back, she searched for her target with blood-red eyes.

“Where is the Imperial Preceptor?” she asked everyone she met, finally finding his residence amid the terrified gazes of common folk—

The Hall of Heaven’s Prayers.

Rumors said this Imperial Preceptor possessed tremendous magical power and rarely left the deep palace, yet he had protected the empire through years of favorable weather. To show respect and importance, the Emperor had specifically renovated the Hall of Heaven’s Prayers behind the palace for the Imperial Preceptor’s residence, asking him to dwell there and focus on ritual matters, praying for the nation’s fortune.

“What lowborn trash dares come here! Get lost! How dare such rabble approach the Hall of Heaven’s Prayers!” The guards at the grand gates saw Er Sheng covered in dirt and carrying a half-dead man, assuming she was some village woman seeking the Imperial Preceptor’s aid for an ill relative. They shouted in contempt.

Er Sheng stared at them and stated matter-of-factly: “I don’t want to go in. Tell the Imperial Preceptor to come out.”

The guards exchanged glances before bursting into mocking laughter: “What presumptuous peasant dares demand to see the Imperial Preceptor!”

As they laughed merrily, their words full of mockery and abuse, Er Sheng listened quietly for a moment. The blood-red in her eyes, which had dimmed slightly, slowly brightened again. Without a word, she stepped toward the entrance.

A guard carelessly pushed her: “Go on, we pity you for your dead man, but don’t force us to beat you.”

Of course, his push couldn’t move Er Sheng. The guard’s smile barely had time to fade as he looked strangely at his hand, his gaze meeting Er Sheng’s blood-red eyes. His heart suddenly went cold as Er Sheng asked icily: “Who did you say was dead?”

The guard suddenly felt an invisible hand grip his throat, choking him. The others, seeing something wrong, drew their weapons and pointed them at Er Sheng: “Hey! You bit—”

Before they could finish, blood sprayed through the air—the guard’s arm had been severed and sent flying. He didn’t even have time to cry out before falling backward stiffly, his face purple-black. He was already dead.

Everyone was horrified, the scene becoming still.

“I want to see the Imperial Preceptor,” Er Sheng repeated, her gaze slowly falling on the others. The remaining guards felt their hearts freeze; one’s legs gave out and he collapsed, while another suddenly came to his senses and scrambled toward the Hall.

Hearing the waves of chaos rising from within the Hall’s high walls, Er Sheng felt a strange pleasure, as if making others fear her was somehow gratifying.

“What demon dares cause havoc at the Hall of Heaven’s Prayers!”

Er Sheng looked up toward this angry shout. At the top of the high steps inside the main gates, a group of young Daoists in religious robes had formed into formation. Er Sheng, still carrying Chang Yuan, stepped inside and repeated: “I want to see the Imperial Preceptor.”

The Daoists looked at each other, none answering, when suddenly a highly amused laugh came from within the Hall: “What a persistent girl.”

A man in cyan Daoist robes emerged, steadily descending the steps toward Er Sheng. All who saw him immediately knelt in respect.

Er Sheng saw his face and suddenly frowned—it was him, Kong Meiren.

Unlike his previous appearance, Kong Meiren now had less frivolity and more gravity in his bearing. Two long whiskers on his face made him look like a middle-aged Daoist near enlightenment, but no matter how weathered his appearance, those phoenix eyes still held an unmistakable allure.

Er Sheng had genuinely despised him before—if he hadn’t forced her to swallow the bone mite’s core, she wouldn’t have been affected by demonic energy and fallen into the demonic path. But seeing him now, she didn’t find his face hateful. Instead, a mysterious aura emanating from him felt both familiar and intimate.

But at this moment, Er Sheng set aside everything else. As Kong Meiren approached, she extended her hand: “The antidote.”

Kong Meiren completely ignored her outstretched hand, stroking his chin as he examined the unconscious Chang Yuan, muttering to himself: “Truly the descendant of an ancient divine dragon… though such things should be kept closely confined.”

Er Sheng showed no embarrassment at being ignored, decisively drawing the Yi Lin sword and pointing it at Kong Meiren’s throat: “Give it to me, or I’ll kill you.”

The Yi Lin sword radiated killing intent. Kong Meiren glanced at Er Sheng indifferently, noting the demonic flame mark on her brow and her blood-red eyes, his heart suddenly filling with joy: “An immortal fallen to demon… it’s been long since the world has seen such a being.”

The Yi Lin sword’s tip pressed forward, piercing Kong Meiren’s throat as blood slowly seeped out: “The antidote.”

Kong Meiren spread his hands carelessly, assuming a righteous pose: “In this life, death comes to all. Go ahead and kill me.”

The surrounding guards and Daoists were moved to tears by the Imperial Preceptor’s noble integrity.

Er Sheng’s eyes darkened. Her Yi Lin sword traced a flourish, suddenly lifting upward and violently cutting off a neatly arranged hair bun. The crown fell, releasing all the bound cyan hair.

Kong Meiren’s eyebrows twitched. Er Sheng swung again, forcibly shaving the hair from his crown.

Er Sheng changed her threat: “The antidote, or I’ll shave you bald.”

No bird fears anything more than losing its feathers…

In that instant, Kong Meiren’s expression remained calm, though his eyes narrowed slightly, his body emanating killing intent that seemed ready to tear Er Sheng apart.

Yet Kong Meiren still suppressed this anger, thinking: this girl, to have developed true sight in such a short time, was able to see his true form.

Given Er Sheng’s cultivation level, it should have taken her a hundred years to develop the ability to see Kong Meiren’s true form. That she had this power now must be thanks to the demonic energy. For all who fall to the demonic path, the deeper the demonic energy, the stronger their power. It seemed Er Sheng was indeed significantly influenced by demonic energy.

Before Kong Meiren could respond, a Daoist shouted: “You demon dare threaten the Imperial Preceptor! You deserve death a thousand times over!”

Without a word, Er Sheng released a sword strike. Kong Meiren’s eyebrows lifted as his wide sleeve swept out, somehow catching Er Sheng’s killing intent midair. Stroking his whiskers, he affected a pose: “Do not harm my disciples. Come into the hall with me, and I shall give you the antidote.”

At these words, the Daoists all wore expressions of both moved and indignant, wanting to protest but too afraid after witnessing Er Sheng’s earlier display of power.

Er Sheng obediently followed him in. As Kong Meiren closed the great hall doors, he told his indignant disciples outside: “Guard the exterior, this Imperial Preceptor shall enlighten this demon.”

Having just settled Chang Yuan, Er Sheng gave a cold laugh. The doors closed with a heavy “thunk,” shutting out the sunlight and noise.

“Little girl, your expression seems quite disdainful of this king.” With no others present, Kong Meiren couldn’t be bothered maintaining his profound act. Wiping off his whiskers, he resumed his frivolous manner. He walked slowly toward Er Sheng, each step releasing extremely heavy killing intent. “Given that you’ve just entered the demonic path and your mind is unstable, I’ll overlook this disrespect. But next time…”

His eyes narrowed as his finger lifted Er Sheng’s chin: “I’ll teach you the meaning of fate worse than death.”

Er Sheng neither dodged nor avoided, staring straight at Kong Meiren: “I only want the antidote.” She only wanted the antidote, caring about nothing else. She didn’t care how this demon had climbed to the position of Imperial Preceptor, nor which realm this “king” ruled. She only knew Chang Yuan’s poison came from this person, he had the antidote, and after getting it, she would kill this scourge who made Chang Yuan suffer.

“Such disagreeable eyes.” Kong Meiren released Er Sheng’s face with a sneer: “Little girl, don’t think this king doesn’t know your calculations. Never mind whether your petty schemes and abilities could harm me, but consider the person you carry—whether he lives or dies depends entirely on my mood. And my mood depends on whether you’re willing to listen to me.”

“What do you want?”

Kong Meiren smiled: “You’re ugly, girl, but you carry quite a few treasures. Now that you’ve fallen to the demonic path, how about coming with me to the Nine Abyssal Demon Capital in a few days?”

The Nine Abyssal Demon Capital…

Er Sheng had heard of this place.

Thousands of years ago, when the Demon Sect rebelled, the Heavenly Emperor raged and sent the War God Mo Xi to suppress the rebellion. Mo Xi’s divine power was exceptional—he crushed the rebel army and led his forces straight down into the Nine Abyssal Demon Capital, slaughtering until blood flowed like rivers through the entire demon realm. For ten years, no demon sounds were heard, and all demons above three years old were completely exterminated.

This legend greatly established Heaven’s authority, and many books in Wufang’s library recorded this event. But the books spent great effort describing the War God’s might, rarely mentioning the demons who were nearly annihilated.

This Kong Meiren…

“Since you’ve already become one of our paths, sooner or later you must go to the Demon Capital to pay respects to the Demon Lord. After the great calamity a thousand years ago, our demons gradually declined, and our people became very few. Therefore, demon-kind takes a blood oath at birth to forever remain demonic, preserving our bloodline. After taking the oath, you’ll be one of our people, under our protection. If not… have you seen that fallen immortal Chang An? Those so-called righteous sects cannot tolerate him, and we demons cannot accept him either. All alone in this vast world—utterly pitiful! Moreover, little girl, going to the Nine Abyssal Demon Capital now would greatly benefit you who haven’t yet learned demon clan techniques…”

Before Kong Meiren could finish his threats and enticements, a hand extended before him: “Give me the antidote and I’ll go.”

Looking at Er Sheng’s slightly dark red eyes, Kong Meiren paused briefly, then smiled: “Good. I’ll get the antidote, but today I’ll only give you half. Three days later, I’ll wait for you in Purple Scale Town, and then I’ll give you the other half.”

“Where is that place?”

“A small town south of the capital. The entrance to the Nine Abyssal Demon Capital is hidden in the forest behind the town.”

“Wait…” Er Sheng hesitantly called to Kong Meiren, “Can Chang Yuan come with me?”

Kong Meiren grinned: “We demons are few and always welcome outsiders falling to the demonic path. However, little girl, for demons, it’s best not to care too much about anything in this mortal realm.” His eyes beneath long lashes reflected cold light: “Because sooner or later, you won’t be able to control your desires, and you’ll destroy him with your own hands.”

Er Sheng’s heart grew slightly cold as her gaze fell on Chang Yuan.

He lay quietly with closed eyes, like a merciful Buddha.

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