Chapter 47: You’ll Make Me Feel Guilty Doing This

“Young Hero Wu, could it be that your mind has been clouded by a demon?” Chiyuan’s voice turned stern. “Or perhaps some fiend has taken on your form?”

Wu Chang leisurely gnawed on a leg of lamb, embodying the relaxed confidence often spoken of among his peers.

Unfazed by Chiyuan’s sharp tone, he smiled and said, “Taoist, are you familiar with demon transformation?”

At the mention of “demon transformation,” Chiyuan’s expression shifted abruptly, his eyes filled with suspicion and unease.

Even if Wu Chang had guessed the color of his undergarments, he wouldn’t have been this startled.

Seeing Chiyuan fall silent, Wu Chang continued at his own pace.

“Demon transformation is a peculiar dark art. It forges the essence of a demon into a magical artifact, which then merges with the human body, turning the person into a demon.”

Chiyuan narrowed his eyes, his face grave.

“Such heresy is unheard of in my circle.”

“No one else has spoken of it, but I’ve certainly seen it in practice,” Wu Chang teased.

Chiyuan snorted coldly. “Young Hero Wu, some jokes are simply unacceptable!”

Noticing Chiyuan’s growing agitation, Wu Chang felt his suspicions deepen.

He wanted to say, “I know you’re anxious, but don’t rush,” yet doubted Chiyuan would understand, so he held back.

“Taoist Chiyuan, do you recall when we first met, I mentioned the magical artifact you carry is steeped in resentment? Do you remember how you responded?”

Chiyuan flicked his sleeve dismissively and replied coldly, “Of course I remember. My artifact requires a demon’s essence as its core, and once forged, it inherits the demon’s grudges and karmic consequences.”

Wu Chang spoke slowly:

“But in Chenjia Village, I witnessed a man who drove a fog demon by embedding a demon-forged dagger into his chest. He massacred nearly thirty percent of the village. When transformed into the fog demon, he bore no trace of resentment, yet when I slew the fog demon and extracted the dagger, all the resentment converged on the blade.”

“What are you implying?” Chiyuan asked.

Wu Chang drew out a damaged demon-forging dagger. “The weapon alone doesn’t kill; the wielder does. The resentment of the slain does not cling to the weapon but to the killer.”

“If a magical artifact can transform into a demon and bear the killer’s karmic burden and resentment, then the true wielder might commit countless evils while remaining pure and unblemished.”

Chiyuan was silent for a moment, then replied ambiguously, “I know little of such dark arts and cannot judge.”

Seeing Chiyuan unwilling to admit anything, Wu Chang pressed on.

“The man who turned into a fog demon was a mere mountain bandit, ignorant of magic. The demon-forging dagger must have come from someone else—someone who cultivates and is skilled in forging.”

“Taoist Chiyuan, by these two points, you fit the description perfectly.”

Chiyuan gave a self-deprecating smile. “The world is vast, filled with countless capable individuals. I dare not claim mastery in forging.”

Wu Chang was relentless. “One coincidence, sure. But it’s no coincidence that the Liu brothers in Huai Valley found a fragmented manual and inexplicably attained enlightenment, also walking the path of forging demon artifacts. It makes one wonder if someone orchestrated this entire plot in Bai Li Huai Mountain.”

“The mastermind has cultivated the area for years and knows the mountain’s secrets intimately. You claim ignorance of the demon energy’s origin in Huai Valley and sent me to investigate. Yet you lent me the Spirit Purging Banner, the most effective artifact against dark spirits and evil ghosts.”

“One coincidence is a coincidence. Repeated coincidences—are they still coincidences?”

Chiyuan’s face remained calm. “And what does that prove? I lent you the Spirit Purging Banner because my artifact is best suited to prevent demons from emerging.”

“As for villagers finding a fragmented manual and learning forging, I repeat: I don’t claim to be an expert, nor am I the target of Young Hero Wu’s suspicions.”

Wu Chang, having nearly finished his lamb, placed the remainder back over the fire. He took out a silk cloth from the Chenjia Village clan treasury to wipe the grease from his hands, then continued deliberately.

“I’ve been pondering the purpose behind the scattered attacks on Chenjia Village, the forging of demon artifacts, and the manipulation of the Liu brothers to create evil ghosts.”

“Connecting Chenjia and Huai Valley, it’s easy to recall the bandits who fled into Bai Li Huai Mountain five years ago.”

“Those bandits disguised as villagers slaughtered Chenjia without mercy, then turned their sights on Huai Valley. The mastermind is likely a survivor of Huai Valley, like that little fellow. If I were him, I’d act decisively as the dark spirits near defeat.”

At this, Wu Chang and Chiyuan exchanged wary glances, each scrutinizing the other’s reaction.

“Taoist, do you still carry the magical artifacts you brought before?”

Chiyuan’s gaze did not waver as he revealed the sword, copper bell, and iron mirror Wu Chang had seen earlier.

“All are with me.”

“That’s good.”

Wu Chang said, “The mastermind will surely send demons again to attack Chenjia Village. When I saw the mountain ape reappear and engage Liu Shan, I marked it subtly.”

“Taoist, you might want to inspect your artifacts. If I’m right, there should be a red thread at their base.”

Chiyuan picked up the copper bell and examined it, then showed it to Wu Chang.

“I told you before, this has nothing to do with me…”

Suddenly, Chiyuan stiffened, sensing something was amiss.

Wu Chang pursed his lips and raised a finger, tapping Chiyuan playfully as if to say, “Got you.”

“Taoist, I don’t believe I asked you to check that particular artifact.”

“Are you deceiving me?”

Wu Chang shrugged. “You noticed too late.”

They were both seasoned wanderers; thick skin was a basic skill. In earlier years, Chiyuan had handled countless weddings and funerals in town and was no stranger to embarrassment.

Relying on his strong professional composure, Chiyuan recovered quickly and turned the tables, questioning Wu Chang.

“Young Hero Wu, why such measures? Is the truth truly so vital to you?”

Wu Chang wanted to say: It’s about completing the mission, of course it is.

But to aid Chiyuan’s understanding, he gave the official line.

“Taoist Chiyuan, don’t you think a story is only complete when all the loose ends are tied up?”

Chiyuan sighed. “Knowing too much does not benefit you.”

He shook the copper bell, which transformed into a golden light, manifesting a four-meter-tall mountain ape that shook the earth and roared.

He plunged a wooden sword into the ground; it grew swiftly into a towering tree demon whose swaying branches cleaved the night wind into fragments.

He shook the iron mirror; the Bagua patterns swirled, and the engravings animated, becoming a black iron serpent as thick as a water trough, its metallic scales layered and impervious to blades.

“Young hero, why can’t you be like other cultivators, upholding the principle that humans and demons cannot coexist, releasing the evil spirits from their torment? Or like the righteous sects, who spout lofty principles to justify opposing my actions, giving me reason to kill you?”

“You make me feel guilty.”