Chapter 47: You Being Like This Will Make Me Feel Guilty

"Young Master Wu, could it be that your mind has been affected by some demonic entity?" Chiyuan's voice grew stern.

"Or perhaps, some demonic entity has assumed Young Master Wu's appearance."

Wu Chang continued to leisurely gnaw on the lamb leg, displaying the kind of relaxed demeanor that certain groups call confidence.

He did not care in the slightest about the tension in Chiyuan's voice, and said with a smile, "Does the Daoist priest know of 'Demon Transformation'?"

As soon as the words "Demon Transformation" were spoken, Chiyuan's expression changed abruptly, his look one of shock and suspicion.

Even if Wu Chang had guessed the color of his undergarments to his face, he would not have been this horrified.

Seeing Chiyuan remain silent, Wu Chang began to speak on his own.

"Demon Transformation is a very special evil art. It can smelt the essence and soul of a demon into a magical artifact, and then fuse that artifact with a human body, causing the person to turn into a demon."

Chiyuan narrowed his eyes, his expression grave.

"This kind of evil art, this poor Daoist has never even heard of it."

"You haven't heard others talk about it, but you've done plenty of it yourself, haven't you?" Wu Chang teased.

Chiyuan snorted coldly: "Young Master Wu, some jokes are not to be made!"

Seeing Chiyuan becoming increasingly agitated, Wu Chang became even more certain of his deduction.

He really wanted to say: I know you're in a hurry, but don't be in a hurry yet.

But fearing Chiyuan wouldn't understand, he regretfully let it go.

"Daoist Priest Chiyuan, do you still remember that when we first met, I said the magical artifacts on you carried resentment? Do you remember how you responded to me back then?"

Chiyuan flicked his sleeves and said coldly: "Of course I remember. This poor Daoist's magical artifacts require a demon as a guide; once the artifact is refined, it inherits the resentment and karma of the demon."

Wu Chang said slowly:

"But I once saw a person in Chen Village who turned into a Mist Demon by plunging a magical dagger into his chest, slaughtering nearly thirty percent of the village's population. When he transformed into the Mist Demon, he wasn't tainted by a single shred of resentment, but when I slew the Mist Demon and cut out the artifact, I discovered that the resentment had all gathered on the artifact."

"What are you trying to say?" Chiyuan asked.

Wu Chang took out the broken Demon Transformation dagger, "A murder weapon doesn't kill; the one holding the weapon is the killer. The resentment of the dead doesn't fall upon the blade, but upon the person who committed the murder."

"If a magical artifact turns into a demon, it can bear the karma and resentment of the killer. If so, could the person truly controlling the artifact remain pure and unstained, no matter how many evil deeds they commit?"

Chiyuan was silent for a moment, then said noncommittally: "This poor Daoist does not know much about evil arts and cannot judge."

Seeing that Chiyuan was not prepared to admit it, Wu Chang continued: "The person who transformed into the Mist Demon was just an ordinary mountain bandit and didn't understand magic; the Demon Transformation dagger must have come from someone else's hands. That person must be a practitioner and skilled in artifact refining."

"Daoist Priest Chiyuan, you happen to fit both of these points."

Chiyuan laughed at himself, "The world is vast, and there are countless talented people; this poor Daoist would not dare claim to be skilled in artifact refining."

Wu Chang pressed on, "Once is, of course, a coincidence."

"The coincidence is that the brothers Liu Wei and Liu Wu in Huaigu Village picked up a fragmentary cultivation manual while hunting, and for some reason, they attained enlightenment and also followed the path of refining artifacts to transform into demons. This forces one to suspect whether someone has set a trap in the Hundred-Mile Huai Mountain."

"The mastermind has been deeply entrenched for many years and knows the situation in the mountains like the back of their hand. You, Daoist, claimed you didn't know the source of the demonic Qi in Huaigu Village and let me come to investigate, yet the Soul-Cleansing Command Flag you lent me is the very artifact that most suppresses evil spirits and vengeful ghosts."

"Once is a coincidence, but is it still a coincidence when it happens time and again?"

Chiyuan said with a calm expression: "And what does this prove? I lent you the Soul-Cleansing Command Flag because, among the artifacts I possess, it is the most suitable for stopping demons from emerging."

"As for the villagers you mentioned picking up a fragmentary manual and attaining enlightenment in refining, I repeat: this poor Daoist does not dare claim to be skilled in refining, and I am not a target worthy of Young Master Wu's suspicion."

Wu Chang had eaten his fill by now. He placed the remaining lamb leg back on the fire, took out a piece of silk he had brought from the Chen Village ancestral treasury, and used it as a handkerchief to wipe the grease from his hands, continuing his analysis in a measured tone.

"I was wondering before what the purpose was for the mastermind who controlled demons to attack Chen Village, refined Demon Transformation artifacts, and induced Liu Wei and Liu Wu to create vengeful ghosts, having laid out so many scattered plans." "So I put his targets, Chen Village and Huaigu Village, together, and it was easy to associate them with the Black Mountain bandits fleeing into the Hundred-Mile Huai Mountain five years ago."

"After slaughtering the Chen Village—which was disguised as the Black Mountain bandits—to the last man, and then setting their sights on Huaigu Village, the other party is likely a survivor of Huaigu Village, just like that little fellow. If I were him, I would definitely make a move when the evil spirits were about to fail."

Speaking to this point, Wu Chang locked eyes with Chiyuan; both were observing every move the other made.

"Daoist, are the few magical artifacts you were carrying before still on you?"

Chiyuan's gaze did not flinch as he revealed the magic sword, copper bell, and iron mirror that Wu Chang had seen before.

"They are all here."

"That's good."

Wu Chang: "When the mastermind makes a move, they will definitely send out the demon that attacked Chen Village again. So, when I saw the mountain demon appear again, I took advantage of the time it was fighting with Liu Shan to leave a little mark on it."

"Daoist, you might want to check your artifacts. If nothing goes wrong, there should be a red line on the bottom of the artifact."

Chiyuan picked up the copper handbell, took a look, and then showed it to Wu Chang.

"This poor Daoist already told you that this matter has nothing to do with me..."

Chiyuan stopped there, sensing something was wrong, and froze in place.

Wu Chang pursed his lips, raised his index finger, and pointed at Chiyuan with an expression that said, "I've got you."

"Daoist, I don't think I said which artifact to check."

"You tricked me?"

Wu Chang shrugged, "You realized it too late."

Everyone who wanders the pugilistic world knows that having a thick skin is a basic skill. In his earlier years, when Chiyuan was performing ceremonies for weddings and funerals in the city, he had done plenty of shameless things.

Relying on his strong professional composure, he only felt awkward for a moment before returning to normal, taking the initiative to question him instead.

"Young Master Wu, why go to such lengths? Is the truth really that important to you?"

Wu Chang really wanted to say: It concerns the completion rate of the dungeon, so of course it's important.

However, to make it easier for Chiyuan to understand, he gave the official answer.

"Daoist Priest Chiyuan, don't you think that for any story to be complete, all the loose ends must be tied up?"

Chiyuan sighed, "But knowing too much is no benefit to you."

Killing the Black Mountain bandits could be called revenge, but the method of refining humans into demons was a genuine evil path.

Especially since the people he refined were all chivalrous heroes who had come from outside to help; if this were known to outsiders, he would never be tolerated by the world.

Only the dead can best keep a secret.

Moreover, from the very beginning, he had set his sights on Wu Chang as a blank slate for a new artifact. Such a talented young master—if he didn't become a part of his path to the Great Dao, wouldn't it be a waste?

To this day, he could no longer turn back, nor would he.

He shook the copper handbell, and the bell transformed into a burst of yellow light, manifesting as a four-meter-tall mountain demon. The mountain demon blew across the earth, roaring loudly; he plunged the wooden sword into the ground, and the sword grew against the wind, turning into a giant tree demon. The tree demon shook its branches, and layers of sword Qi shredded the passing night wind into fragments;

He shook the iron mirror, and the Eight Trigrams swirled upon it. The patterns behind the mirror swam out, turning into a black iron serpent as thick as a water vat and over ten meters long, its metallic scales layered and impervious to blades.

"Young master, oh young master, why can't you be like those other practitioners, upholding that humans and demons cannot coexist and directly granting the evil spirits release? Or learn from those righteous sects, full of high-sounding principles, accusing me of my actions, so that I would have a reason to kill you?"

"You being like this will make me feel guilty."

(End of chapter)