Chapter 5 (Part 2) of Volume 6: Burn Your Boats Online!

  The Tengu let out a strange howl, swung its iron hammer and struck it down at me with all its might.

  "Wow, it can transform! Is it a monster or a divine beast?" I hastily retreated, the wind sound of the iron hammer was like thunder, shaking my ears.

  "Not all beasts can cultivate into demons. For example, the Tian Gou, even if its power is strong, cultivating for tens of thousands of years, it still cannot completely transform into a human form, and will always be a wild beast that cannot speak." Yue Hun's voice was tinged with a hint of sadness: "This is fate."

  I suddenly thought of Tsukumogami, this guy also didn't have a human form. However, the urgent situation in front of me made it so I couldn't think about it much and could only run around tiredly. The Tengu's iron hammer swung wildly, creating countless hammer silhouettes everywhere, if not for Mai's dance-like dodges, I would've been smashed into minced meat long ago.

  "Bang", the twin hammers of Tengoku clashed, like a thunderclap on a clear day, shaking my body out of control. "Bang bang bang", the twin hammers struck each other more than ten times, like a series of exploding thunderbolts, continuously striking me. My mind went blank, as if I had suddenly lost consciousness. Tengoku swung his hammer and struck, sending a blue flash of lightning shooting straight at my chest.

  The vast mist suddenly swept over, striking the lightning. At the critical moment when life and death were at stake, Gan Ning really drew his sword to block a fatal blow for me. I came back to my senses, took advantage of the momentum, and spat out a mouthful of Samadhi True Fire. The flames grazed the tip of Tiangou's nose, causing it to yelp in pain.

  "That's enough." The masked oni glared at Kanata, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes. Son Shiyao stopped the tengu, who transformed back into a dog and slipped into Son Shiyao's sleeve.

  The masked monster paused for a moment, then said: "Your skills are not bad, you indeed have the qualifications to compete with Ye Liu Bing. You shouldn't be demons from Mo Xian, right?"

  I panted heavily and said, "Let's not care who we are now, can't we have an open and honest talk?" I understood in my heart. ||| The old demon let the Heavenly Dog attack me, with the intention of probing our depths again. Since entering the Northern Territory, I have encountered many demons, but he is the most cunning.

  The masked demon and Sun Si Miao exchanged a glance, dryly laughing: "We've long been open and honest with each other, otherwise how would I have taken the initiative to appear? However, wanting to kill Ye Liu Bing, I don't have that ability, nor do you."

  "Is he really an immortal monster?"

  "It seems you've already explored Dream Lake. Hmm, you're also familiar with flight."

  My heart skipped a beat, and with just one sentence, the masked monster had grasped my several weaknesses. Facing such an old cunning fellow, I really need to be careful with what I say from now on.

  The masked oni continued: "You're right. Yoru no Kōri can't be killed, because he's not a being of flesh and blood."

  Haixi shook her head decisively: "Since it's a living demon, how can it not be flesh and blood?"

  "In the entire Demon Realm, only a few monsters knew the true form of Ye Liu Bing. The masked monster stood up and slowly walked to the window, coldly laughing: "The Monster King Ye Liu Bing is a monster condensed from dreams." I was shocked and couldn't close my mouth: "Condensed from dreams? Are you kidding us?"

  "The wonder of the world, far surpasses anyone's imagination. Do you understand?" Sun Si Miao glanced at me disdainfully. The masked demon said calmly: "No matter how high or low a person's magical powers are, they will always dream when they sleep. Dreams are very mysterious things. Wishes in real life, sometimes can be miraculously fulfilled in dreams. A life full of regrets, may become perfect in dreams."

  I chimed in, "That's true, I used to be very poor, so I often dreamed of becoming rich. Hugging a pile of gold ingots and drooling." Old Mouse also echoed, "I often dream of beating others until they run away everywhere."

  The masked monster suddenly lost his smile, and then said: "So from this point of view, dreams are the beautiful wishes deep in one's heart. For thousands of years, countless monsters' dreams gathered but did not disperse in the demon world, and days passed by slowly. These dreams took on a life of their own. They condensed into Night Flowing Ice. Dreams were originally ethereal and elusive things, so the Night Flowing Ice condensed from dreams would naturally not be flesh and blood either."

  I suddenly realized: "No wonder Ye Liu Bing likes to pursue perfection, it turns out that his true form is a dream!"

  "But dreams are ultimately just dreams, unable to replace reality, and can also be said to be the shortcomings of real life. So Ye Liu Bing's fate was sealed as a tragedy. Ye Liu Bing always pursued perfection, because his heart was filled with shortcomings. As for Ye Liu Bing's magical powers, he had three specialties: Ice Charms, Enchanting Fragrance, and the most terrifying Sleep Technique. He used the Sleep Technique to make the female demon he married fall into a dream state, never waking up, forever maintaining what he called a perfect posture." The masked demon's eyes were filled with hatred as it spoke of this.

  "I asked in surprise: 'How do you know Night Flowing Ice so well? Is it because of some deep grudge or hatred between you two?'"

  The masked monster said in a trembling voice, "Because... because..." and couldn't say anything more. I was secretly puzzled - even an old fox like him had moments of excitement?

  "Because Ye Liu Bing is his junior, and the female demon who was hung half dead by Ye Liu Bing in the Burial Flower Abyss is their junior sister." Sun Si Miao let out a long sigh and patted the shoulder of the masked demon comfortingly.

  "What?!" I exclaimed. The news was too astonishing, more surprising than a sow climbing a tree - the masked demon and Ye Liu Xiang were actually sworn brothers!

  The masked demon gazed out the window at the deep, dark night, as if lost in thought: "Ye Liu Bing's appearance is handsome, and he has always been liked by my fellow disciple. Although I had long warned my fellow disciple that Ye Liu Bing has married countless wives, with a heart as cruel and ruthless as can be. But my fellow disciple said that Ye Liu Bing was a pitiful demon, and insisted on marrying him to become his 97th wife, hoping to change his nature. She even said that I had a narrow mind and ulterior motives. Tell me, isn't my fellow disciple laughable? Isn't it fitting that she has fallen to her current state, with her appearance completely changed?" The masked demon let out a maniacal laugh, grasping the windowsill tightly with both hands, his veins bulging as the sturdy purple sandalwood windowsill crumbled like flour.

  I couldn't help but sigh, and I also guessed the feelings of the masked demon towards my junior sister. Needless to say, he had come to avenge himself on Ye Liu Bing. Gan Ning Zhen said quietly: "Who made her like Ye Liu Bing? Even if Ye Liu Bing was worse, more venomous, she still liked him."

  The masked monster was stunned for a moment, saying: "Years ago, I wanted to deal with Ye Liu Bing, but my magic was always one step behind him, and I was alone. Without absolute certainty, I didn't want to startle the snake. Since Ye Liu Bing surrendered to the Demon Master three years ago, the hope of revenge has become even more elusive."

  "So you let your junior sister suffer for so many years without caring."

  The masked monster spoke calmly: "If I make a wrong move, who will save my master's sister?"

  Ginger is indeed old and spicy, I secretly admire the masked demon, watching with eyes wide open as his loved one was tortured, yet he endured in silence, what a ruthless character. I tentatively asked: "May I ask your esteemed surname and given name? Since you're from the same school as Ye Liu Bing, you shouldn't be some unknown minor figure, right?"

  The masked monster didn't answer, and continued: "Heaven doesn't abandon those who work hard. Ye Liuqing took the initiative to find Sun Simiao. Finally, I've been waiting for this opportunity. ||| Old Sun and I are sworn brothers, so he immediately told me about it. Then, I quietly dug a tunnel near the Burial Flower Abyss, which leads directly here. When Old Sun arrived, I took advantage of his chance to treat his sister's illness and switched with her. You all already know this."

  I curiously asked, "With the Night Flowing Ice's magical powers, how didn't you notice me digging a tunnel?" "I only move during the hours of Hai to Zi. Besides, relying on the Living Flower Brush, it's enough to deceive the Night Flowing Ice." The masked monster's bare hand stretched out from its sleeve, and in the darkness, its index finger dripped with colorful liquid, shining brightly to the point of being eerie.

  "I've said all I need to say." He paused, narrowing his eyes. His gaze was like a sharp needle: "Now tell me your identities."

  I let out a hearty laugh: "It doesn't matter who we are, the key is that everyone works together sincerely to get rid of Ye Liu Bing. But Ye Liu Bing isn't a flesh-and-blood person, so aren't we at a loss for what to do with him?"

  "How I deal with Ye Liu Xing is my business. However, I can promise you that I will make a move on the day of the grand wedding in two days' time. The condition is that you must follow my arrangements."

  That old fox, the masked demon, also left a hand and refused to tell the truth. It's really a headache to cooperate with such an old fox, and if not careful, I might be used by him as a gun. I looked at Hai Ji and Gan Ning Zhen inquiringly. Hai Ji said softly: "You decide." Gan Ning Zhen nodded slightly.

  "Alright, it's settled then! Let's take action the day after tomorrow!" I thought about it carefully and finally made up my mind. I agreed to his request. If we didn't rely on the masked demon, it would be difficult for us to rescue Jū Danmei, so we had no choice but to trust him temporarily.

  "Let's make a pact!" The masked monster raised its hand, and we clasped hands to seal the deal. One by one, it also made pacts with Haiji and the others, vowing not to go back on their word. Sun Simiao watched with a pleased smile spreading across his face.

  I suddenly felt something was off, and before my eyes, a burst of colorful light flashed, accompanied by the sounds of birds chirping and beasts roaring. The four auspicious creatures - Qinglong, Baihu, Zhuque, and Xuanwu - which were originally inlaid on the beams, suddenly broke free and flew out, each charging towards me, Mouse Gonggong, Haiji, and Gan Ningzhen at incredible speed.

  The one that pounced on me was a white tiger, its jaws wide open and claws swiping wildly. I let out a furious roar and threw a punch infused with the power of the Hunyuan armor technique, aiming to knock the white tiger back into its symbol form.

  My fist had just touched the White Tiger, when it suddenly transformed into a wisp of white smoke and drilled into my palm. In the blink of an eye, a tattoo of the White Tiger appeared on my hand. The color was very light, almost imperceptible to the naked eye. I felt a sense of foreboding, and all I could hear were the soft cries of Hai Ji and the others. Mouse Gong Gong and Hai Ji had respectively been imprinted with the tattoos of Zhu Que and Xuan Wu, while only Gan Ning was jumping up and down inside the house, lightly leaping and dodging, shaking her head and swinging her tail as a green dragon chased after her relentlessly.

  "It's useless, you've already made a pact with him by hitting your palms together, and you're bound by the Four Spirits' oath. Even if you escape to the ends of the earth, you can't avoid being possessed by the Four Spirits. Moreover, the Four Spirits have already secretly resonated with your spirits, so you can't harm them." Sun Si Miao said calmly.

  Indeed, Gān Lǐng Zhēn's Three Thousand Weak Water Sword struck out, and the Green Dragon was pierced by the sword energy as if it were air, without a single hair being harmed. No matter how Gān Lǐng Zhēn dodged and weaved, the Green Dragon pursued him like a parasite on bone, tightly chasing after him. In the narrow space, I could only see two figures jumping about like bullets, rapidly shuttling back and forth, making my eyes dizzy.

  "Good!" The masked oni couldn't help but applaud: "Such skills are top-notch even in the Northern Realm! However, no matter how powerful your magic is, it's still hard to dodge the Azure Dragon's possession."

  I was furious and indignant, bursting into a torrent of abuse: "You treacherous, shameless, good-for-nothing old scoundrel! You sneaky, conscienceless, illegitimate spawn! The moon is bright in front of the bed, I'll screw your mother! Your words are worthless, your whole family's guts will rot!" All the filthy language I'd learned since childhood came flooding out like a burst dam.

  The masked monster stared blankly: "I've lived for tens of thousands of years, and I've never seen anyone as good at scolding as you. The four spirits' possession is just to prevent you from breaking your oath, and it won't harm you in any way. After the day after tomorrow, the four spirits will automatically disappear." His expression turned solemn: "Little friend, our interests are the same, I absolutely won't harm people..."

  The old fox seemed to be right, although possessed by the white tiger, I didn't feel uncomfortable. Gan Ning suddenly let out a light sigh, standing still, the green dragon flashed into her jade palm like lightning. On her forehead, a faint fragrance had already begun to seep out.

  "Able to hold out against the Four Spirits for so long, you're the first. I suppose your reputation precedes you in the North Territory." The masked demon scrutinized Gan Lingshen deeply: "You can rest assured, as long as you don't go back on your oath, the Four Spirits won't erupt."

  Gan Ning's expression was indifferent, not saying a word. Hai Ji directly called him despicable. I hated it so much that my teeth were itching, but now, I can only endure his control. Every day, he would humiliate me, no wonder the old fox was willing to hand over his grudge with Ye Liu to me, it turned out that he had already made preparations.

  Until now, the masked monster slowly and carefully told his planned plan. In the dark, staring at his cunning and flashing eyes, I suddenly realized that this monster is more terrifying than Ye Liu Bing!