Chapter 216: “Not bad, pretty handsome”
The pearl farm in Tiantai Township was enormous. It was not only a pearl farm but also the lair of a shell demon.
Demons liked to shape their lairs according to their preferences, and the shell demon raised by the Zhen family particularly enjoyed eating. As a result, its lair was filled with its food.
Its favorite food was evil spirits, and the pearl farm was home to several of them.
Every day, the evil spirits randomly devoured people in the pearl farm. At the same time, the Zhen family’s overseers brought in new people from the outside to replenish the population.
These impoverished commoners, living under the constant threat of the evil spirits, were forced to endure grueling labor harvesting pearls daily.
They ate coarse bran, lived in shoddy thatched huts, and their bodies rotted from prolonged exposure to seawater.
They saw no hope for survival and had no chance of escape. Their loved ones, friends, and even themselves could be eaten by the evil spirits at any moment.
Despair hung over the pearl farm like a thick fog, turning the newly deceased into more evil spirits.
The shell demon merely needed to stay there and amplify their suffering to have an endless supply of food.
Among the former subordinates of “Silk Nest,” the shell demon was the one who most enjoyed staying in one place and engaging in such “farming.”
However, its farm was raided by Yu Guang today.
The sturdy, heavy gate of the pearl farm was kicked open by Yu Guang, and the guards and overseers were tied up together in a heap.
Yu Guang was highly efficient in everything he did. After clearing out all the obstacles, he first dealt with the man-eating evil spirits that thrived on human misery before heading straight for the shell demon.
Yu Yin followed closely behind Yu Guang and saw the shell demon hiding in a pool of water.
In a single encounter, the air was suddenly thick with mist. The shell demon used its life-preserving abilities to buy time.
Yu Yin had experienced the shell demon’s mirage dream before. In the past, the demon had used this ability to amuse him. But today, with them as enemies instead of allies, it had turned into a lethal weapon.
When the mirage dream became an attack, it dragged its target back to the most painful moments of their life, subjecting them to relentless torment with no escape.
Yu Yin found himself stepping on soft brocade, leaning languidly against a cushion. He wore even softer silk garments, draped like flowing water over his pale, fragile body.
A rich, subtle fragrance lingered in the dry, warm room.
As his dark eyes shifted, he was greeted by a strange vision.
From every direction, at every angle, he could see it all.
He saw himself sitting amidst intricate, gaudy brocade, bored and listless. He saw beyond the room, into the night filled with music and revelry in the Qiyun Tower.
Further still, he saw shadowy alleys, icy riversides, and lavish banquets held in the grand mansions of noble families.
He had countless puppets, and whatever they saw was visible to him.
This was the time he had spent in the lair of the Qiyun Tower, when he ruled as the demon “Silk Nest.”
So it was this memory. Was this really the most painful time of my life? Yu Yin’s lips curled into a faint, unreadable smile.
The shell demon, that fool, could observe the dreams within the mirage. Yu Yin could sense its gaze, feel its stunned confusion, and even detect the subtle tremors of unease rippling through the illusion around him.
With a single thought, Yu Yin prepared to summon the puppets of his former lair.
It would be an amusing diversion, he thought, to have the puppet version of the shell demon t*rtured to death right before the mirage master’s eyes.
As this malicious idea brewed in his mind, a sudden crash echoed above him, shattering the ceiling.
In the dark and secretive lair, wooden beams and tiles rained down. Standing in the gaping hole on the roof, someone looked down at him.
“Youngest, we’re in a hurry. Stop daydreaming and let’s get moving,” the voice called.
Yu Guang still looked like a young man. He broke through the tower, dismantled the lair, and, without a word, dragged Yu Yin out of the dimly lit room.
Yu Yin: “…”
After pulling him out of the illusion, Yu Guang finally noticed something unusual. He gave his younger brother a closer look and asked, “Is this what you look like when you’ve grown up? Not bad, pretty handsome.”
A face that could enchant anyone at a glance was, in Yu Guang’s eyes, simply “Not bad, pretty handsome.”
The commotion had startled the figures within the illusion, and they gathered nearby to watch nervously.
Standing on the roof, Yu Yin felt the sharp tiles cutting into the delicate skin of his feet. The rough calluses on Yu Guang’s hand had rubbed his palms raw. Despite it all, he couldn’t help but laugh abruptly.
His laughter was cut short when Yu Guang suddenly grabbed his now-taller brother around the waist, hoisted him over his shoulder, and leapt off the three-story roof.
As Yu Yin rested his hand against Yu Guang’s shoulder and back, he wondered what on earth his brother was doing. If they wanted to leave the illusion, the right approach would be to force the shell demon to reveal itself.
Grabbing Yu Yin’s flowing black hair to keep it from blocking his view, Yu Guang cheerfully said, “Look, your big brother will show you how to break this illusion!”
But how could they break the illusion without first dealing with the shell demon—
Yu Yin, with his head full of ideas for tormenting and frightening the shell demon, was suddenly interrupted by a loud, pitiful scream. In the blink of an eye, the vivid illusion dissolved back into dense mist.
They returned to the room, where a figure lay half-slumped by the pool. The figure was as pale and soft as clam meat, staring back at Yu Guang and Yu Yin in abject terror.
The shell demon had never encountered anyone who could escape its illusion in such a short time.
There had been no finesse, only an overwhelming force that tore the illusion apart.
As for the other figure—the seemingly frail one—the shell demon remembered what it had seen after invading his memories through the mirage dream. That recollection alone made it want to flee almost immediately.
What kind of monsters were these? It had to escape!
But naturally, Yu Guang wasn’t about to let the shell demon get away.
Grabbing the demon by the neck and preparing to snap it, Yu Guang paused when Yu Yin placed a hand on his arm and gestured toward the shell demon, indicating that he wanted it.
Yu Guang turned to look at his younger brother, his expression serious. “If you want something from your big brother, how should you ask for it?”
Yu Yin: “…”
He forced a fake smile, stepped forward, and hugged Yu Guang, his demeanor seeming obedient for once.
Yu Guang’s stern expression softened. “Alright, I’ll let you handle it.”
The moment Yu Guang released his grip, the shell demon collapsed to the ground like a pile of sludge. It looked up at Yu Yin with a mixture of fear and faint hope.
‘If it’s this person, maybe I’ll survive…’
“Don’t kill me! I’ll recognize you as my master. I’ll—”
Yu Yin was unmoved by its pleas. Without hesitation, he sliced open its chest and pierced its heart with precision.
The heart of a demon was unlike that of an ordinary person; it harbored a parasitic demon within.
In the case of this shell demon, its heart was host to a clam.
Some people, when on the verge of death, would attract parasitic demons due to unique constitutions or latent power.
The parasite would burrow into the heart of the dying person, creating an unholy symbiosis that turned them into a demon.
To kill such a demon, one had to destroy the parasite within its heart. Even decapitation wouldn’t suffice; the demon would persist unless the heart was destroyed.
All the demon’s power was contained within the parasitic creature in its heart.
Yu Yin picked up the pale clam, pried it open, and consumed its pearl-like flesh in a single bite.
The taste of blood and salt filled his mouth as he turned toward Yu Guang.
For their mission in Tiantai Township, Yu Yin’s intentions were clear, and without needing words, he and Yu Guang understood each other perfectly.
It wasn’t until Yu Yin successfully devoured the shell demon’s power without any interference from Yu Guang that he finally confirmed one thing:
Yu Guang didn’t seem to want to control him. His purpose was merely to restrain him, ensuring that Yu Yin wouldn’t harm innocent lives in pursuit of power.
He had nothing to gain from him. So why insist on being his brother?
Yu Yin extended a hand toward Yu Guang.
Seeing this, Yu Guang grabbed it and pulled him up effortlessly. “Finished? If so, it’s time to leave.”
Following the pull, Yu Yin leaned slightly against Yu Guang.
Though this body was still that of a fragile twelve-year-old, it was far stronger than the one he remembered, the one that had hidden away in a lair. At the very least, his skin no longer chafed against the calluses in Yu Guang’s palms.
Placing a hand on Yu Guang’s forehead, Yu Yin gathered all his strength and planted a few strands of spider silk into his brother’s body.
Yu Guang paused momentarily, not resisting the sudden act. After a moment of feeling the sensation, he commented lightly, “Feels like an ant bite.”
Then, a soft yet unfamiliar voice sounded slowly in his mind.
“Aren’t you afraid? These threads parasitizing your brain might turn you into my puppet.”
Yu Guang chuckled, ruffling Yu Yin’s hair with amusement. “Your big brother has yet to find something to fear.”
“Trying to make me scared? Or turn me into your puppet? Brave of you, Youngest! But you’re far from being able to pull that off!”
In his mind, Yu Yin let out two quiet laughs.
“Is that so? Then I’ll look forward to learning from you in the future, big brother.”
Yu Guang quickly made arrangements for the people at the pearl farm before leaving Tiantai Township and heading toward Zhuzhou City.
During their journey, Yu Yin’s mood remained pleasant. He rested a hand on the back of Yu Guang’s, using that small point of contact to continue speaking directly into his brother’s mind.
“Big Brother, after seeing how I dealt with that shell demon, you should understand the fatal weakness of demons now, right?” Yu Yin probed.
“Of course, I do,” Yu Guang replied confidently.
“Mine is the same—my heart. Big Brother, you’d better remember that.”
Hearing him bring it up repeatedly, Yu Guang paused to think it over, then promised, “Got it. When we get back, I’ll make you a protective chest plate.”
Yu Yin: “…”
He fell silent for a moment before bringing up another topic. “If I ever did something bad, big brother, would you kill me too?”
Yu Guang’s response was measured. “Depends on the situation. Don’t worry, before you can do anything bad, I’ll stop you first.”
“And if you can’t stop me?”
“Well, if I can’t, Youngest, then you’d better watch out. Big Brother will lock you up, tie you up every time you leave the house, and make sure you never see anyone again. You’ll face punishment for the rest of your life!”
Yu Guang’s tone was so serious that it left no doubt he truly would follow through.
If Yu Yin ever crossed the line, Yu Guang would indeed confine him, bind him, and completely suppress him.
Yu Yin fell into an eerie silence, his expression unreadable.
“Heh, it would be best if Big Brother could always be strong enough to suppress me.”
“Of course! I’m your Big Brother!”
“Then, about the problem we’re facing now—can you handle it alone?”
Yu Yin’s tone carried a subtle note of temptation. “Or would Big Brother consider letting me help you? I know exactly how to deal with the great families in Zhuzhou City.”
Most of them had been his subordinates in his past life, and the few who hadn’t had met their end opposing him.
When it came to handling them, Yu Yin felt far more adept than his big brother.
Unbothered, Yu Guang patted him on the head. “Kids shouldn’t think too much. Just focus on eating well, training hard, and sleeping properly. Big Brother’s got this.”
As they entered the gates of Zhuzhou City, they were immediately met by a group of over a dozen cultivators from the Exorcism Bureau. The cultivators stood in a tight formation, ready for confrontation the moment they laid eyes on Yu Guang.
“Yu Guang! The elders and stewards of the Exorcism Bureau are waiting for you. Come with us!” the leader barked, his voice sharp and commanding.
Over the past three months, Yu Guang had repeatedly fended off the cultivators tasked with escorting him back to the city. He had blatantly ignored the summons issued by the Exorcism Bureau, earning him a reputation as a rebellious troublemaker among its ranks.
The humiliation he’d caused to the Exorcism Bureau’s higher-ups had solidified their resolve to punish him.
Because of Yu Guang, tensions had flared between the family factions and the academy factions within the bureau. Several disputes had broken out, but in the end, the faction supporting him had been outmaneuvered.
Today, the Exorcism Bureau’s main office at the base of Shenxiang Mountain was set to mete out judgment.
No matter how powerful Yu Guang’s cultivation might be, or how much favor he had received from the ancestral spirits, his defiance had provoked widespread outrage. He would not escape without consequence today.
If he was wise enough to surrender, perhaps he might still cling to a slim chance of survival. Otherwise, he’d have no choice but to leave his life behind to appease the bureau’s fury.
