A Demon's Path Chapter 92

Shen Nanfeng was caught off guard. He never expected Ling Xiao to know exactly what he was about to ask. Quickly adapting, he asked, "Can you give the Sunken Wind Valley an explanation?"

Ling Xiao seemed to have anticipated this attack of words from Shen Nanfeng. He said with a small smile, "Tang Yingying is a very beautiful demonic beast. I like her and am prepared to marry her. But that doesn't mean I want to marry her mother too."

"Pfftt…" Many people couldn't help themselves from snickering. They stole glances at Shen Nanfeng whose face looked both furious and deathly pale. "What's the meaning behind your words?"

"Tang Yingying is Tang Yingying, and her mother is her mother. Just because her mother the Demon Lord has made it a job killing people doesn't mean her daughter will too," Ling Xiao slowly said. There was tranquility in his eyes.

To Li Yuanchong's surprise, every hint of impurity shrouding Ling Xiao disappeared without a trace when he brought up Tang Yingying. Even though he hadn't met her before, he knew she wasn't a bad beast. How could someone who could calm Ling Xiao down in such a manner be bad?

"How can the Demon Lord's daughter possibly be a good person?" Shen Nanfeng raged.

As these words entered Ling Xiao's ears, a weird smile appeared on his face. "If that were truly so, won't I have to think the person who could teach Young Master Shen to betray one of their own is Valley Master…?"

All the Elders paled. None of them had ever dared to criticize Shen Nanfeng before, especially when his mood was so sour. They didn't doubt he would kill Ling Xiao in a violent fit of rage. But Shen Nanfeng didn't make a move, flabbergasting the Elders. When did the Valley Master's temper take such a good spin?

Shen Nanfeng was naturally enraged, but not so much as to lose his rationale. He didn't want to suffer the attack from the array Li Xuanyi buried inside Ling Xiao's body. Moreover, as long as the array activated, Li Yuanyi who was well acquainted with spatial arrays would immediately rush over.

Shen Nanfeng valued Ling Xiao as much as Li Xuanyi did. But that also meant that since he'd fallen out with Ling Xiao, the boy had to die. Where Li Xuanyi was often the bigger man, Shen Nanfeng would only feel endless shame for being inferior to others. He needed to find a waterproof plan to sentence Ling Xiao to death, while also leaving Li Xuanyi with no room to voice his objection.

"Even if the mother's guilt doesn't extend to her daughter, she's a demonic beast when all is said and done. She's not of our kind, and so her intentions are definitely suspicious!" Shen Nanfeng couldn't refute Ling Xiao's words. At his wit's end, he brought out the hegemonic theory of 'if I say you're a bad person, my word is gospel'.

Ling Xiao had yet to find the words to counter Shen Nanfeng, when Li Yuanchong spoke up, "My Aunt is also a demonic beast, is that enough?"

These words ended the discussion, there was nothing even Shen Nanfeng could say. Li Xuanyi had five sons. The eldest of them, Li Chengfeng married a woman from the Demonic Clan. This was something everyone in the Seven Grand Holy Lands knew. Even though Li Xuanyi didn't like this woman, he didn't chase her out of Heavenly River City either. This meant he tacitly approved of her status as his daughter-in-law.

By saying this, Li Yuanchong made his view on the matter clear. And who was Li Yuanchong? Even if he was the worst of the bunch, he was still the grandson of Li Xuanyi, the number one genius of the Seven Grand Holy Lands!

After staying silent for a moment, Shen Nanfeng actually bowed toward Ling Xiao.

What is the Valley Master doing? The Elders were astonished. Even Ling Xiao felt odd as he quickly helped Shen Nanfeng back up. "Valley Master, you bow to no one."

Shen Nanfeng had a look of grief and indignation on his face. "Elder Ling, Xuan'er disgraced my Sunken Wind Valley this time. In a moment of confusion, I wanted to find trouble for Elder Ling. I hope Elder Ling will take no notice of the insane words I said in the heat of the moment."

Who was Shen Nanfeng? He was an unreasonable man who always had to have things his way. He was the person who was most famous in the Clear Sky Continent for covering up his shortcomings. A person like this actually bowed and apologised to Ling Xiao in front of so many subordinates today!

The Elders kept shaking their heads. They couldn't believe their eyes. Was this really happening?

Ling Xiao thought to himself, Amazing! Shen Nanfeng, you're taking a step back to move forward. I can't even fall out with you and leave now. After all, he was still an Elder of the Sunken Wind Valley. If the Sunken Wind Valley asked for it, he had to give them his life, regardless of the reason.

But Ling Xiao didn't want to fall out with Shen Nanfeng in the first place. After arguing with Shen Nanfeng the moment he returned to the Sunken Wind Valley, he realised that so long as Shen Nanfeng didn't go fully insane, he'd refrain himself from attacking him. Even though he was unaware he had the protection of Li Xuanyi's array in him, he knew the Sunken Wind Valley couldn't leave his side at this very moment. The reason being that Shen Nanfeng mentioned a few days ago that as long as he needed anything related to pills, he shouldn't hesitate to approach the Sunken Wind Valley for it.

If Shen Nanfeng killed Ling Xiao or forced him to leave, he might not necessarily be able to find another pill cultivator like Ling Xiao who could concoct 1,000 pills in a single sitting for his Sunken Wind Valley.

After everything that had happened recently, the Sunken Wind Valley was in a huge mess. That would only become worse if Ling Xiao left. After all, he was someone Shen Nanfeng roped in because of the will of the people.

Betting his life on this line of reasoning, Ling Xiao firmly squeezed out as much as he could. He unbridledly forced Shen Nanfeng to cripple Shen Xuan, while also starting a duel of words with him.

Ling Xiao only realised his back was drenched in cold sweat when he helped Shen Nanfeng back up. With this last act, he gave Shen Nanfeng enough face. He cupped his fists at Shen Nanfeng and said, "Ling Xiao has offended Valley Master. I hope Valley Master is a magnanimous person and won't blame me for it." His lips spoke of such words, but he was silently cursing Shen Nanfeng a hundred times over in his heart, A petty person like you being magnanimous? Who would believe it?

Shen Nanfeng showed great excitement to Ling Xiao's words. The both of them acted out a touching scene of making peace, keeping their sinister motives hidden in their minds.

The Elders were well aware of this. They shook their heads. It's really a waste if these two don't become actors. They could easily compete for the award of Best Actor in the Clear Sky Continent and even win!

The act had finally come to an end, for now.

Ling Xiao stayed in the Sunken Wind Valley for the night, sending a message of his safe return from Seadragon City to his Master. The next day, he followed Li Yuanchong and together they headed off to Heavenly River City.

"It's not over yet," Ling Xiao said to Li Yuanchong when they were already quite a distance away from the Sunken Wind Valley. "If I find out where Shen Xuan is hiding, I'll still want him dead!"

Li Yuanchong remained silent. He knew all too well that even if Ling Xiao didn't go looking for Shen Xuan, Shen Xuan would find him. His limbs were broken? So what! With Shen Nanfeng's tricks and strength, Shen Xuan would recover even if he was at the brink of death. Soon enough he'd leap and frisk about like a wild rabbit in the mountains.

Li Yuanchong complied with Ling Xiao's suggestion. He let Yue Mingming and Yang Chao stay behind in the Sunken Wind Valley. They would take care of Zheng Hao, while also discreetly sourcing out information. At the same time, it also kept others from linking them to Ling Xiao, which could arouse Shen Nanfeng's suspicions.

Ling Xiao and Li Yuanchong walked side by side without saying a word for what felt like forever. Once he realised Li Yuanchong was so dull and boring, Ling Xiao started talking seemingly without thought, "You said your Aunt is a demonic beast?"

Li Yuanchong cast a sidelong glance at Ling Xiao. "It's best if you don't ask too many questions about other people's family matters."

Ling Xiao ignored Li Yuanchong and continued in an extremely serious manner, "I only wanted to ask if the child of a human and a demonic beast would become half human and half demon."

Li Yuanchong remained silent for a long time. "I've heard that's not the case. That older cousin of mine is a perfectly normal guy. I heard he's gone off on a secret mission though, so I don't know where he is now."

"Rumour has it you're the grandson Li Xuanyi favours the least? Why is that so?"

"Rumour has it everyone in Heavenly River City is gifted. Is it because you guys have some kind of secret medication?"

"Rumour has it…"

To Li Yuanchong's despair, he realised what a wrong and deceptive choice it was on his part to find a common road between Ling Xiao and himself.

…

Outside the Clear Moon Pavilion, a masked person stood guard on the path leading up the hill. He suddenly heard an almost inaudible voice say, "Shi Tou, thank you for helping me take care of that boy…"

Shi Tou's body lightly trembled. But he quickly returned to normal, acting as though nothing had happened.

Inside the Clear Moon Pavilion, Shen Mingfang whose world was shrouded in darkness spoke aloud, "Boy, you said you're going to nurse my eyes back to health. You can't have died so easily… How come you've never once used the pearl I gave you? Have you already forgotten about me, your chatting buddy?"

…

Shen Mingfang's voice that was filled with hidden bitterness rang out in Ling Xiao's soul chain. His heart shuddered for a moment, then returned to calmness.

Li Yuanchong stared at Ling Xiao blankly. "What's up with you?"

Ling Xiao viciously glared at Li Yuanchong. "Do you wish to tire me to death with your talking? I just want to take a break. Can't I continue talking later?"

Li Yuanchong thought to himself, If you're tired, you're tired. It'd best if you're so tired you become a mute for the next seven days and seven nights. We'll have reached Heavenly River City by then.

Li Yuanchong's wish came true. Ling Xiao soon shut up. He would either talk to himself, beam with smiles, or be deeply worried. Li Yuanchong just couldn't make heads or tails of what was going on with him. You pitiful baby, you're not running a fever, are you?

Only when they reached the gates to Heavenly River City did Ling Xiao slowly regain his senses after behaving a little like an idiot along the way. He exclaimed in admiration, "Wow! Is this Heavenly River City? The city I've heard so much about?"

Chapter end