A single sentence, "You are also of the Demonic Path," where the word "also" had exposed her true identity.
She had long since stopped caring, having unleashed her demonic cultivation and such thick demonic qi that even a fool could tell she belonged to the Demonic Path.
This left Shi Chun momentarily stunned.
What the hell? Had he really just escaped prison only to kidnap someone from the Demonic Path? Yet, he paused the knife he was about to thrust into Xiang Lan'er’s body, as she had surrendered.
He didn't want to push things to the brink.
In truth, he was the "fool" in Feng Chi's eyes; he genuinely didn't know what demonic qi looked like.
Had Feng Chi not mentioned it, he wouldn't have known she was of the Demonic Path.
Her words were like an unexpected blow, setting Shi Chun into a state of turmoil and a very troubled one at that.
Feng Chi made this assertion because those whose cultivation was beneath hers couldn't withstand her demonic sound technique, known as "Demonic Chant."
To endure her "Demonic Chant," one must have a higher cultivation or practice a powerful virtuous technique with restraining attributes.
Even then, those with significantly lower cultivation would still be affected.
Under her "Demonic Chant," some degree of mental disturbance was inevitable.
The only way not to be affected was for the other person to be practicing a demonic cultivation akin to hers — not some random variant, but one of the three main lineages of the Demonic Path.
Excluding this possibility left only one open: that this guy was hiding his true strength, which far surpassed hers.
Was it possible? Not in her estimation.
Hearing these words, Xiang Lan’er, with a face full of bitterness, was equally surprised and humiliated due to the competitive nature between the three lineages, and as she happened to be a Holy Maiden of one of them.
As for Shi Chun, he had no idea how to respond.
If going along with their misunderstanding could save his life, morals were the least of his worries.
He wouldn't mind pretending to be part of the Demonic Path, even dragging Wu Jinliang into the charade if needed.
Surviving was the priority, the future could wait.
The problem was that all he knew about the Demonic Path were a few rumors.
If questioned further, he’d be exposed instantly.
Frankly, he didn't even qualify to pretend to be part of the Demonic Path.
However, he had heard whispers about "Lianshan" and "Guizang."
After the Demonic Ancestor founded the Demonic Path, it split into three branches: Lianshan, Guizang, and Tianyi.
Following its downfall and ongoing attacks by the Righteous Path, the three branches had long vanished from sight.
As for the current situation of the Demonic Path, he had no clue whatsoever.
Luck was clearly not on his side; how did he wind up in this mess? He wished he could simply release his captives and ask them to spare his life.
But that was naive; these were people sought after by the Heavenly Court.
If they didn’t finish him off now, they’d likely hunt him to the ends of the earth.
In the Exile Lands, he had fought challenging battles at Eastern Nine Plains, understanding the complexities.
The real threat was those lurking in the shadows.
Still, he accidentally saw a faint hint of the dark mist drifting near him.
Why, when it approached him, did it stir a strange exhilaration within him? It was a natural, inherent liking.
Yet he remained wary of traps, using a method to hold his breath.
To his surprise, his skin pores spontaneously opened, inhaling the mist blissfully.
Alarmed, he feared he'd fallen for a demonic trick, but then something unexpected occurred within him.
A dormant force within his power seemed to awaken, functioning autonomously.
It didn’t seem entirely self-driven, more like, spurred by excitement, his subconscious had activated his cultivation technique.
With the black mist being absorbed, it invigorated his body and mind, bringing him an overwhelming sense of pleasure, soothing the eyes' pain from his technique.
Most shocking was the reaction of excess medicinal power from last night's overdose of three pills.
It finally let him experience the medicine's effects that had been elusive.
His long-stagnant cultivation showed movement, prompting an urge to let go of Xiang Lan'er and explore this new opportunity.
But with enemies before him, he dared not lower his guard.
Feng Chi waited for a reply, but seeing Shi Chun’s odd expressions, her brow furrowed.
She had patience, but the Holy Maiden did not.
She was bleeding and not up for games meant to torture her.
Yet she had to admit, this man might actually do it — he was capable of even the most despicable acts despised by even the Demonic Path. “Answer!” she demanded.
Shi Chun, seeking any chance, asked hesitantly, “Are you of the 'Tianyi' branch?” Among the Demonic Path's branches, she had only asked about Lianshan and Guizang.
Not Tianyi.
Maybe they were of Tianyi?
Feng Chi's voice was full of doubt, “Do you really not know who we are?” Shi Chun, sincerely, responded, “If I'd known, I wouldn't have touched you.”
Anger and surprise filled Feng Chi. “You didn’t know and you still dared to attack us?” There was a clash of beliefs.
Pointing to the still-bleeding blade in her miss’s side, she spat, “Take the knife out and stop the bleeding! The three lineages agreed there'd be no more internal conflict, only fair competition. What are you doing?"
Shi Chun asked back, “Then what about my brothers?” Feng Chi replied, “They’ll be fine, they'll wake up. Now, take the knife out and stop her bleeding, you hear me?”
Knowing the Demonic Path was not to be trifled with, Shi Chun complied, “Turn around first.” Reluctantly, Feng Chi did so, unable to argue with someone holding a hostage.
Swiftly, Shi Chun acted — pulling out the knife, stopping the bleeding in one fluid motion.
Finishing, he said, “Done.”
Now a bit of camaraderie formed between them as Feng Chi checked the wound, ensuring the blood flow stopped.
She then pressed on, “Which branch do you belong to?” Shi Chun wanted to pretend but was clueless about the intricacies involved.
All he could do was sigh and state, “You know my background; just released from that prison, born and raised in the Exile Lands. How could I possibly be Demonic?”
“Ha,” Feng Chi sneered.
She knew too well the Demonic Path's tricks.
Establishing several clean identities as cover was routine.
What did being born in the Exile Lands mean? It hardly took effort to set it up.
With a jeer, she offered, “Prove you’re not Demonic. I’ll give you the chance to prove it, and if you succeed, we’ll spare you.”
Hesitantly, Shi Chun asked, “And how would I do that?” With a nod at the black qi, she stated, “Breathe it in deeply, and you'll prove it.” The offer was tempting.
Before he could react, his impulse had him inhaling the mist heavily; it was invigorating, leading him to take several more breaths, realizing the surge in his cultivation.
Is this demonic qi? Shi Chun felt both exhilaration and consternation.
Was this really the solution to his stalled progress? The situation seemed surreal, leaving him unsure whether to rejoice.
Despite his apprehensions, the approaching mist attracted him, and he indulged once more, irresistibly.
Feng Chi scoffed, “You can’t be so powerful that inhaling demonic qi has no effect. Breathing it as if it were air, yet you say you're not Demonic? Nonsense! A man just released from exile targeting Wukang Mountain must have your reasons, just like we have ours. There's no point hiding it. Which branch are you from?”
The revelation was bitter, testing his resilience.
Shi Chun recalled his cultivation, taught rigidly by an uncle from Eastern Nine Plains.
Back then, he had memorized the technique, not understanding its meaning, only to later realize he had learned actual demonic cultivation.
The name carried so many "demonic" terms — “demon-severing palm” among them — that he assumed it meant fighting demons.
Clearly, this was a grave misunderstanding.
"Demon Bathing Technique" wasn’t a title to flaunt; he now knew his uncle's ignorance was problematic.
Lay low, he'd have to.
The journey, marked by fighting and struggling, now, unexpectedly made him aware of his true nature.
He was Demonic! Turning briefly to glance at the unconscious Wu Jinliang, he lamented their past boasts of vanquishing evil.
How would Jinliang react if he knew the truth?
(End of chapter)