Chapter 431: Let Them Have Bad Luck

Inside the Lotus Cave, the atmosphere was somewhat subtle.

Yu Lin sat with a bold, confident posture on the main stone chair that originally belonged to Jin Jiao and Yin Jiao, his expression calm.

Tu Shan Zhi lazily sprawled on a soft mat not far from his feet, her nine tails gently swaying, her slender fox eyes curiously surveying the cave's furnishings.

In front of Yu Lin, the usually imposing Jin Jiao Great King and Yin Jiao Great King, who normally bellow at little demons, now stood side by side like two schoolchildren caught misbehaving, orderly and obedient.

He lowered his head slightly, his peripheral glances occasionally stealing a look at Yu Lin's expression, then quickly scanning the dignified Nine-Tailed White Fox, muttering silently to himself about his purpose.

At the entrance of the cave residence, a crowd of nosy, wide‑eyed little demons packed the doorway.

When had they ever seen their two mighty, treasure‑laden Great Kings show such almost 'well‑behaved' or even 'nervous' demeanor toward anyone?

For a moment, every little demon's gaze fixed on Yu Lin, speculating about this mysterious figure who could even make the Great Kings 'flustered'—who, indeed, was this divine being?!

The cave was silent, save for a gentle breeze slipping through the cracks, emitting a faint whooshing sound.

Finally, Yu Lin broke the silence: "I'm not here to blame you for anything."

At his words, Jin Jiao and Yin Jiao's tense shoulders instantly relaxed, they exhaled deeply, their faces breaking into relieved smiles, returning to their usual carefree air.

Jin Jiao pounded his chest, his tone exaggerated:

"Ah! Brother Yu! You scared us to death! You should have said so earlier! You made my little heart pound nonstop!"

Yin Jiao also nodded repeatedly, leaning in: "Exactly, exactly! When you showed up without a word, we thought we'd done something wrong and upset you!"

"So, Brother Yu, this time you've come… to 'do great deeds' with us?"

His eyes flashed with anticipation; evidently the so‑called 'great deeds' meant playing monsters to trouble the pilgrimage seekers.

"No." Yu Lin shook his head outright, rejecting Yin Jiao's guess. His gaze swept slowly across the Lotus Cave.

Though this cave residence is called a Demon Cave, it is far from the blood‑soaked, filthy, bone‑strewn lairs of ordinary monsters.

On the contrary, it is quite tidy: stone tables and benches are neatly arranged, there are even a few bookshelves holding Daoist scriptures and alchemy texts, and the air is filled more with a faint scent of herbs and spirit fruit than with blood.

He gave a slight nod and said softly, "I'm just passing by to see whether you've picked up any murderous, cannibalistic habits."

"So far… you're doing well, not forgetting your duties under Lao Jun."

Hearing this, Jin Jiao immediately placed his hands on his hips, a hint of disgruntlement and helplessness at being 'underestimated' flashing on his face: "Brother Yu! Look at how you speak! What kind of person do you think we brothers are?"

"What's tasty about the flesh of ordinary mortals? Nothing compares to the fragrant, spirit‑rich Immortal Pills in the Lord's alchemy chamber."

He seemed to think his argument lacked force, and added:

"Honestly, in my Jin Jiao eyes, those mortals haven't even smelled the scent of our Green Ox's dung yet!"

Yu Lin: "……"

Before he could react to this 'high‑brow' remark, Yin Jiao suddenly turned his head, his face full of surprise and sudden realization, looking at Jin Jiao like a curious baby and asking:

"Brother! Could it be… you've eaten the Green Ox's dung?"

"I've been on duty at Dou Shuai Gong for so long, never saw the Green Ox defecate; turns out you've been… Ugh!"

He didn't finish his sentence before Jin Jiao sprang up and slapped his forehead hard!

"Yin Jiao! You're itching for a fight, aren't you?!"

Jin Jiao's face flushed red, fists waving: "It was a metaphor! A metaphor! Got it?! Keep babbling and I'll make you really…..........."

Yin Jiao covered his head, dodging aside, sneering:

"Ah, just a joke, brother! My bad, my bad, don't be angry!"

Watching the lively brother duo bicker, Yu Lin's mouth twitched ever so slightly.

He raised his hand, pulling their attention back: "Alright, let's get down to business."

He looked at Jin Jiao and Yin Jiao, posing another question:

"Why did you adopt that Nine‑Tailed Fox of Yalong Mountain as a god‑mother? And why give Lao Jun's Gold‑Embroidered Rope to her? Is this also part of your 'performance'?"

Jin Jiao and Yin Jiao exchanged a glance, their expressions turning more serious.

It was the more articulate Jin Jiao who spoke up to explain:

"Brother Yu, this matter… actually follows the Lord's wishes." He lowered his voice:

"Before we descended to the mortal realm, the Lord hinted that we could… hmm, 'adapt to the terrain', find 'local forces' to cooperate with, to make it more 'realistic'."

"Her lifespan is waning, and she possesses some cultivation, having dwelled in this region for years. Recognizing her makes it more natural for us brothers to 'settle' here. As for the Gold‑Embroidered Rope…"

Jin Jiao scratched his head, uncertain: "Perhaps the Lord thought it amusing? Or maybe there's a deeper meaning? We're not quite sure ourselves."

"You know, the Lord up in heaven is so idle that he..."

Boom!

Outside the cave, the previously bright, cloudless sky was suddenly split by an extremely loud yet harmless ground‑level thunderclap!

Jin Jiao, startled, quickly clasped his hands, bowed toward the void in the direction of Dou Shuai Gong, muttering:

"Lord, calm your anger! Lord, calm your anger! I won't dare any more!"

Yu Lin watched the scene, understood, and nodded: "So that's it."

He asked no further questions, rose from the main seat: "Alright. Since you know the stakes, understand the gravity, and have not done evil, just do what you're meant to do."

"I won't trouble you further."

Having said that, he stepped toward the cave's exit, and Tu Shan Zhi leapt lightly, following at his heels.

Jin Jiao and Yin Jiao, seeing he truly was leaving, didn't try to hold him back.

They knew Brother Yu acted on his own principles, coming and going as he pleased.

The two hurried after him, escorting him to the entrance, waving and calling toward Yu Lin's back:

"Take care, Brother Yu!"

"Come by often when you're free! The scenery here is nice, and we have freshly picked fruit!"

Yu Lin turned his back to them, waved casually, and his figure quickly vanished onto the winding mountain path of the Flat‑Topped Mountain.

He watched the direction of his departure.

Yin Jiao poked Jin Jiao's shoulder:

"Big brother, Yu Lin is heading that way, seems like toward the Heaven-Reaching River, right?"

"I think so."

"I've heard that over there is Guanyin Bodhisattva's fish? The creature that eats boys and girls every year. Do you think Yu Lin would spare it out of respect for Guanyin Bodhisattva?"

"How could that be? Do you think Yu Lin would give Guanyin Bodhisattva any face? Are you underestimating him?"

"Fine, never mind, it's none of our business."

Yin Jiao nodded, didn't continue the topic, and only left a remark:

"Let them eat people recklessly; if they provoke Yu Lin, the contemporary Human Emperor, they'll be out of luck............."