Pushed into it?
Ren Yijue thought, What kind of enemy could make Cui Xuanchan describe the situation like that?
Qian Xuelang said, “Go on.”
How does that young fellow put up with this temperament of his? Cui Xuanchan could not resist giving Ren Yijue a few more glances, making Ren Yijue’s skin prickle with unease. He had no idea what he had done.
Cui Xuanchan could naturally see Ren Yijue’s discomfort. Withdrawing his gaze, he said, “Everyone calls it the Demon-Extermination War, but I suspect you don’t even know what demon we were exterminating.”
Qian Xuelang gave him a puzzled look. “What do you mean?”
Cui Xuanchan chuckled. “Heavenly Demons, half-demons, demonic cultivators, demonkin who commit evil deeds. There are countless kinds of demons in this world. Which kind do you think we fought back then?”
Not only was Qian Xuelang left speechless, even Ren Yijue froze.
Cui Xuanchan said, “The Demon-Extermination War is famous, but what made it famous was the people involved. More than a hundred of the strongest experts recognized in their time all took the field. Naturally, no demon or monster could stand against that.”
“As for what actually happened, people at the time simply assumed the righteous and evil factions couldn’t coexist, so they’d arranged a date to fight it out. Such battles happened a few times every year. That particular fight was merely on a larger scale: an extraordinary figure had appeared among the demonic cultivators, making the conflict bigger, and the righteous cultivators joined forces against him. That was all, wasn’t it?”
Ren Yijue showed no embarrassment. He only smiled faintly. “That is indeed what people say.”
“And you?” Cui Xuanchan turned to Qian Xuelang. “How much do you know?”
Although He Tianjun had taken part in the Demon-Extermination War, Qian Xuelang had never shown any interest in the matter. He knew no more than Ren Yijue, and perhaps even less.
Qian Xuelang said, “If that were truly all it was, Master would not have acted. But I don’t know why he did.”
Cui Xuanchan fell silent for a moment, then gave a soft sigh. “Exactly. If it were merely some petty matter of worldly power and profit, the righteous and evil factions have risen and fallen against each other for thousands of years. When has it ever been otherwise? Why would someone like Immortal Lord He care?”
Although neither of the two yet knew what had happened, they now understood that the Demon-Extermination War had been far more complicated than the stories handed down to the present day.
“Sixty years ago, what we fought wasn’t a half-demon, a demonic cultivator, or even some wicked scoundrel.” Cui Xuanchan’s voice grew heavy. “It was a true, ancient Heavenly Demon.”
Ren Yijue understood how formidable such a being would be and stared in stunned silence. Surprise showed on Qian Xuelang’s face as well.
Cui Xuanchan said, “You know of Liuyanzhu, don’t you? That place came into existence as the result of a Heavenly Demon’s fall. The existence we fought in the Demon-Extermination War sixty years ago was one of that very kind.”
Qian Xuelang considered this. “Were the gods and demons not all dead?”
“They were.” Cui Xuanchan smiled bleakly. “But somehow one of them came back to life. How he did it, by what means, no one knows even now. Fortunately, when he returned, he wasn’t using his original body. That was the only reason we managed to kill him.”
Ren Yijue’s expression changed. “Not his original body? Was it a case of seizing another body?”
Cui Xuanchan shook his head. “It did resemble body possession. We considered that possibility too, but in the end none of us believed it was. The body he occupied belonged to a descendant of half-demons, but the bloodline was extremely diluted, and the person had no immortal roots at all. He was merely a mortal. Yet once the Heavenly Demon entered him, he possessed the Heavenly Demon’s cultivation and powers. He could even command half-demons and implant demonic brands in people who would become demon thralls.”
“Body possession is simply a change of soul,” Ren Yijue said. “No matter how capable the soul, it is still limited by what the body can withstand. In that case, it certainly wasn’t ordinary possession.”
Qian Xuelang was more concerned with the fundamental question of demon thralls. “Implant demonic brands? What are those?”
“A demonic brand is a mark a Heavenly Demon implants in an ordinary person. It can cause demonic transformation in humans with no demonic bloodline.” Cui Xuanchan’s face grew grave. “When first branded, the person cannot adapt and becomes weaker than usual. Once the body adjusts to the brand and begins its transformation, their cultivation can increase severalfold, and they may even become accustomed to turbid qi, much like a half-demon.”
Qian Xuelang and Ren Yijue exchanged a glance, finally understanding why Yin Wuchen had been so feeble.
He had not been injured by someone. He had been implanted with a demonic brand.
Ling Baiyao, meanwhile, had been a half-demon to begin with, so naturally there was no need to brand him.
“Whatever a person’s character was before, once the demonic brand is implanted, that person will obey its master for life,” Cui Xuanchan said. “That is why we call such people demon thralls.”
Qian Xuelang asked, “How can you tell who they are?”
“There is no way to tell. That is the worst part.” Cui Xuanchan let out a long sigh. “A demon thrall looks no different from anyone else. Even their memories and character remain as they were. Until their demonic transformation starts to show, there is absolutely no way to know who is a demon thrall. And when a demon thrall dies, the brand vanishes with them, leaving no trace of anything abnormal to be found.”
Cui Xuanchan put down his teacup and stood. He gazed at the moon slowly rising outside the window, remembering the events of those years as though they were a dream.
“Before the Demon-Extermination War began, we suffered badly over this. None of us knew demon thralls existed then. We thought the different sects and schools harbored ulterior motives and were seizing chances to cause trouble and fight. By the time we finally learned the truth… it was already too late.”
So there had been such hidden circumstances behind the Demon-Extermination War.
No wonder most of the records passed down were vague and evasive, glossing over the details until the war eventually became nothing more than a battle between the righteous path and demonic cultivators. Who knew how many people’s friends and loved ones had been branded, or what upheavals had followed?
If the calamity had lasted for decades, any serious attempt to investigate what had happened would almost inevitably look like an effort to settle old scores.
After considering it for a while, Ren Yijue asked, “If that was possible, couldn’t the Heavenly Demon have simply branded ordinary people until he had an army of demons?”
“How could it be that simple?” Cui Xuanchan laughed. “Do you really think there is such a wonderful bargain in this world? The power of a Heavenly Demon is immense and tyrannical. Do you imagine just anyone qualifies to become a demon thrall?”
After a moment’s silence, Qian Xuelang asked, “If it was all so well hidden, how did you discover it?”
Cui Xuanchan lowered his voice. “Most demon thralls accepted their brands of their own will. But there was one cultivator who…”
He suddenly stopped. Pain crossed his face, and his voice trembled. “He… In a moment when his judgment was clouded, he accepted the demonic brand. Several years passed, and his state of mind underwent a profound change, even as his body was gradually turning demonic. At last he came to his senses, resisted the brand, and told everyone the truth. Then he cut his own throat to atone, paying for his sins with his blood.”
Qian Xuelang said coldly, “So the demonic brand cannot completely control a person’s body and mind after all.”
“And what in this world can truly control a person’s body and mind?” Cui Xuanchan shook his head. “Come to think of it… that demon thrall today wasn’t undergoing an ordinary demonic transformation. He looked rather like the cultivator who broke through the brand’s restrictions. Did you do anything to him earlier?”
Did we do anything…
Ren Yijue hesitated. “When I left Yin Wuchen at Quiet Mountain Cloud Residence, I was worried he might wake and escape, so the Jade Beauty sealed his Niwan.”
“Sealed his Niwan?” Cui Xuanchan understood at once. “No wonder. The Niwan governs the whole body. It is the vital seat where a hundred spirits converge, the source from which vital fluids arise, and the crucial place where the soul and essence are stored. You sealed his spiritual consciousness. How is that different from taking his life? No wonder the demonic brand broke through its own restraints.”
Qian Xuelang suddenly said, “Then couldn’t this also be a way to test whether someone is a demon thrall?”
Cui Xuanchan froze.
Ren Yijue answered softly, “If someone weren’t among your nearest and dearest, who would trust you enough to let you seal their Niwan? But if they were among your nearest and dearest, who could bear to put them through such a test?”