Chapter 298: Take a Gamble

The flickering firelight in the distance reflected his face, making it appear uncertain and shifting. And then, he "smiled" again.

This kind of smile terrified the Wolf Daoist most. The wolf-headed demon subconsciously let out an "Ah," took a slight step back, looked around, and stammered: "Ah... Great King, what do you mean by this? This humble one has no intention of harming you at all! How would I dare!"

"Even if I gave you ten times more courage, you wouldn't dare." Li Yunxin spoke softly as he lowered his hand, pacing two steps to the edge of the shadow cast by an old tree to observe the distant scene. "What displeases me is that you, a fellow like you, played mind games in front of me—and more than once."

"At first, I thought you were a simple and cute thing, but later I found you had a bit of cleverness and talent. As for now? Let me ask you, what is the use of making Rong City like this? These dozen or so demons are likely to suffer heavy casualties, and finally, the people in Rong City will take control of this city—what good does it do you? You are also a demon, yet people think you are their leader. Don't tell me you are some freedom fighter seeking welfare for the people of Rong City."

"If the situation is merely like this, when people from the Sword Palace truly arrive, they will likely deal with you for dereliction of duty before thinking of anything else." Li Yunxin turned to look at him. "So, are you really that stupid?"

The wolf demon blinked in the darkness and suddenly fell silent.

Li Yunxin waited for his silence. Then, the Wolf Daoist whispered: "Who exactly are you? Those people from Wood South Residence recognize you. Who exactly are you?"

"Good. You finally plan to tell the truth." Li Yunxin smiled. "You mentioned Wood South Residence. So it seems Wood South Residence is also in your plan. Let me take a guess—"

"The people in Rong City are currently stronger than the demons in Rong City. You want to fish in troubled waters, but right now there is only troubled water and no fish. You certainly don't want to take responsibility for such a riot, so it must be some force you cannot resist that allows you to extricate yourself. I thought about it... actually, you have another source of outside help."

The wolf demon's nose twitched, his green eyes staring at Li Yunxin.

"So it's the Jackal Daoist, right?"

The wolf demon's expression underwent a subtle change. When Li Yunxin first met him, this wolf demon looked like an arrogant fellow. But after witnessing Li Yunxin's methods, he turned into a cowardly and weak demon. Having planned this series of events tonight, he seemed to have some cleverness. But now, it seemed, was his true form.

The Wolf Daoist's ears stood up, and his tone became serious: "Fine. Since you've thought of it, I will tell you. However, this humble one did not expect that you, too, are a clever person."

Li Yunxin smiled: "Speak."

The wolf demon hesitated for a moment, looking at Li Yunxin: "Indeed, it is all for the Jackal Daoist. The dozen demons in the city were never on my side; they secretly surrendered to the Jackal Daoist and were essentially here to monitor me. They are short-sighted and cannot stand my tolerance toward humans. These stupid things don't even know why they can practice in Pingyuan Temple and learn the Celestial Heart Orthodox Law today."

"It is nothing more than the fact that within the borders of the Yu Kingdom, demons and humans can live in peace. That is why there is the Sword Palace, why there are Daoist Arts, and why they are not hunted down by the cultivators of the Sword Sect, and instead have Medicinal Pills and Stone Pellets to advance their cultivation."

"Those things are not worth pitying even if they die. I am ashamed to be associated with them. This time, when the people of Rong City kill these demons and I escape the city, the city will be leaderless. That Jackal Daoist has been lurking outside for a long time and his power has grown; how could he miss such a great opportunity? With his people dead and the city in chaos, he will have an excuse to enter the city."

"As for Wood South Residence. Hmph, I am not a dull person. Although I don't know who their backer is, after all these years, I know they are not ordinary mortals. The Jackal Daoist has courage but no strategy; once he enters the city, he will surely massacre the residents to establish his authority. I know he has long disliked Wood South Residence as a place beyond the law and will certainly take the opportunity to cause trouble. Once he has killed people and provoked Wood South Residence—it will be hard for the people in the Sword Palace and the capital not to be enraged!"

"You said it doesn't matter if some people die in Rong City—it truly isn't a big deal. But if Rong City falls and Wood South Residence is wiped out, that is a matter of the highest order! I don't believe... those people in the capital will be able to sit still!"

The Wolf Daoist spoke these words with righteous indignation, losing all his previous cautiousness in front of Li Yunxin.

Li Yunxin listened seriously and then burst into laughter: "Good, good, good. This is the real you. I didn't expect you to be such a person—so you're saying you did all this entirely for the sake of the Sword Palace's foundation, without any selfish motives?"

The wolf demon hesitated for a while and said stiffly: "On a small scale, it is for the Sword Palace. On a large scale, it is for the demons. Demons and humans are born between heaven and earth. Now that the Way of Humanity is prosperous, demons can only scrape by. The situation for demons is better in the Yu Kingdom, but what about elsewhere? Except for those world-shaking demons, the rest are nothing more than livestock under the blades of Human Cultivators."

"Demons are fierce and cruel; that is said to be their nature. But if humans lose the civilizing influence of self-interest and education, their ferocity and cruelty are no less than that of demons. Do you know my origin?"

Li Yunxin shook his head: "Tell me. Say more. I am very interested."

He stopped smiling now, and his expression became serious.

He found this wolf demon interesting. What the wolf demon was saying now seemed to be heartfelt—this was the first time Li Yunxin had met such a demon.

This kind of sentiment—"caring for the world" and "seeking welfare for the race"—actually appeared in a demon.

"I come from the Far North." The wolf demon sighed slightly. "Few people have heard of that place—the people of Yu Kingdom and Qing Kingdom think Li Kingdom is already the northern land. But compared to where I come from, Yu Kingdom is merely the warm south. It is freezing cold there all year round, a land of eternal day, never knowing night."

"But there are people living there too. My original form is a True Fire Snow Wolf of the northern lands." At this point, the Wolf Daoist raised his hand and brushed it over his head, revealing his original appearance.

His appearance... actually caused Li Yunxin to show a strange expression.

The Wolf Daoist's original form still had a wolf's head, but while it was previously a greyish-blue wolf head, there were now markings on his face.

—There were two oval white spots above his eyes, and a white stripe between his eyes—resembling a white firework. But the eye sockets were greyish-black, and the muzzle down to the neck was white.

Li Yunxin's lips moved, but he restrained the urge to speak, only listening as the demon continued.

"In the north, humans and my tribe coexist. It is full of glaciers and snow, making it hard for horses and carts to travel. Therefore, over thousands of years, my tribe has pulled carts for humans. Humans, in turn, hunt and fish, providing us with food. In Yu Kingdom and Qing Kingdom, these are called dogs—but we are wolves. We are not domestic hounds; we still have a wild nature. Without humans, we can still return to the vast snowy plains to multiply and thrive."

"The climate in the north is harsh, and life is difficult for humans. It is common for a blizzard to last for over a month. Thus, it is also common for human tribes to be wiped out by natural disasters. Sometimes, when a human child is dying, it is not uncommon for them to be adopted by a mother wolf in our tribe who has lost her cubs—"

Li Yunxin interrupted him: "In the wild? They can survive?"

The Wolf Daoist froze for a moment and then said: "Heh. Northern people are different from you southerners. To you, they might not even seem human, right? They have thick fur like us, and they wear clothes for warmth, but even without clothes, like us—they wouldn't necessarily freeze to death."

Li Yunxin nodded: "The Great World is full of wonders."

At this moment, the fire in Rong City was growing larger, resembling Weicheng to some extent. Most houses at this time were made of wood, it was autumn, and there were many trees in the city. Once it started burning, it became uncontrollable. The firelight illuminated the Wolf Daoist's appearance more clearly, and the Wolf Daoist didn't seem very hurried now, as if he just wanted to speak what was in his heart.

"Those northern children adopted by our tribe grew up, and what did they look like? Heh." The Wolf Daoist grinned. "They ate raw flesh and blood just the same, were just as moody, just as fierce and cruel. There was once a child who grew to fifteen or sixteen and was picked up by another tribe. Guess what? In the night, he bit three people in that tribe to death, ate half of another alive, and escaped back to us!"

"Tell me, without the civilizing influence of self-interest and education, what is the difference between humans and demons or beasts? They are just a bit smarter, having opened their Spiritual Wisdom—isn't that exactly a demon?!"

"Look at me again." The Wolf Daoist pointed to himself. "I cultivate and live in this Rong City, I understand poetry, the classics, etiquette, and education. Aside from my origin, what is the difference between me and a human? Therefore, if all the demons in the world could be civilized—couldn't we live in harmony, just like the Yu Kingdom today?!"

"Look at the fire of war in this city again—" The Wolf Daoist pointed into the distance. "Is it only demons who do such things? When your Qing Kingdom was founded, you massacred Weicheng for three days, humans killing each other. Were the people killed any fewer than those killed by demons?"

His words were impassioned and righteous, carrying a sense of grand vision.

Then he saw Li Yunxin raise his hand and clap gently: "Well said. A grand ambition indeed. Looking at it this way, you are a demon who has transcended low-level interests. I suppose I did a good deed by sparing your life back then."

The Wolf Daoist's eyes widened: "You are a Human Cultivator; do you see it that way too?"

Li Yunxin smiled: "It has nothing to do with identity. I just think your idea is good. But while your idea is good, your vision is insufficient."

The wolf demon was silent for a while, but eventually couldn't help himself: "Where is it insufficient?"

He seemed somewhat unconvinced, yet didn't dare to flare up.

"Your scope is a bit small, and your thinking is a bit conservative." Li Yunxin pointed toward Rong City. "I know you're not convinced. You think burning Rong City, killing both demons and humans, makes you ruthless enough to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals. But your guiding ideology is flawed. Let me ask you, how do you think the cultivation of your Palace Master, Yang Jianzi, ranks in the world?"

A phrase like "My Palace Master's Daoist Arts are profound" reached the wolf demon's lips, but he thought about it and swallowed it back. Because this person in front of him gave him a special feeling—the things he was thinking in his mind had been there for years. He was a clever demon, believing himself to be deep-thinking and ambitious; if Palace Master Yang Jianzi gave him a few good opportunities, his achievements would surely be limitless.

Unfortunately, he was just a low-cultivation Illusory Realm demon. Never mind looking at the whole world; he wasn't even top-tier in this one Rong City. Where were the good opportunities?

Thus, like those humble scholars in the secular world who believed themselves well-read but had no way to serve their country, he too felt the frustration of unrecognized talent.

Now he had met Li Yunxin. Although he didn't know the other's background, he was held by him. He had no way out, no plan to execute. He had just been forced and enticed into speaking his heart... he had prepared for the other's sneer, but he didn't expect this person to listen so seriously!

So, at least for tonight, at this moment, he felt he had met a "soulmate."

Now Li Yunxin was pointing out his problems. Although the Wolf Daoist felt the other might not be more brilliant than himself, being able to discuss these matters with someone was already beyond imagination.

He composed himself, thought for a moment, and swallowed those words back.

Then he let out a low sigh: "My Palace Master... is in the True Realm. He is a great demon of a region. But looking at the whole world, he is not a top-tier powerhouse. He can only be considered a local hegemon."

"So he can only manage the Yu Kingdom." Li Yunxin nodded. "What your Palace Master has done, even a Profound Realm demon might not necessarily achieve. He must have other supports. But the problem is that Yu Kingdom has been like this for a thousand years, and during these thousand years, the outside world has been quite different. And the reason Yu Kingdom is like this is that it is relatively remote, Yang Jianzi's cultivation is superb, and there are likely other factors."

"So Yu Kingdom is just an isolated case. You only see Yu Kingdom now. But looking at the entire world... no one can accept the state of Yu Kingdom."

"The Daoist Orthodoxy and the Sword Sect are the guardians of the Way of Humanity; they are even stronger than the demons. This isn't even counting the power of the secular dynasties—if nearly a hundred people in this Rong City dare to challenge a dozen demons, what about the integrated power of human dynasties?"

"With such an advantage, do you really expect them to suddenly say to the world's demons: 'Hey, I'm in a good mood today, let's coexist in peace and slowly pass through thousands of years of painful integration'?" Li Yunxin smiled. "So, your Yu Kingdom's method of peaceful evolution won't work. Of course... if you only want to cause trouble in Yu Kingdom, what I'm saying is nonsense. But if you want to overturn the world—"

The Wolf Daoist immediately cut in: "I do!"

"Quite the mouth on you." Li Yunxin smiled again.

But this time, the Wolf Daoist respectfully took a step back and bowed to Li Yunxin: "Listening to your words is better than reading for ten years. Please enlighten me!"

"Not in a hurry to leave the city now?"

The Wolf Daoist was slightly stunned: "The Jackal Daoist is at Red Ridge. Tonight's events were sudden; he will surely need some time to react. And... with you here, I do not fear him."

Li Yunxin seemed to enjoy this subtle flattery. He smiled comfortably: "This is the right attitude."

"But regarding what I am about to say to you, think carefully whether you want to hear it." His expression suddenly turned cold. "If you listen, you will have to work for me in the future. If you listen and do not plan to follow me—you will die immediately."

The Wolf Daoist was stunned: "Ah?"

Then he said with difficulty: "This... this humble one doesn't know what you're going to say yet. And we have only known each other for a day—"

"That is exactly how one can see the torment and struggle of nature. To me, that is a joy." Li Yunxin said coldly. "And I don't have much patience. Tonight, on a whim, I felt you might be a talent worth molding, so I am asking you. I don't have the heart to wait for you to slowly get to know me. So right now, you aren't sure of my origin, you aren't sure of my ability, you aren't sure what profound theories I have, and you certainly don't know what people or forces are behind me—are you willing to take a gamble with your life?"

The Wolf Daoist fell silent for a long time.

Li Yunxin sighed slightly and raised his hand, about to break the Restriction he had set up.

But the wolf demon's eyes suddenly widened: "Please, speak! After all... regarding the things I said tonight, I never thought anyone would agree with them. You are the first."

Li Yunxin lowered his hand: "Good. Then listen."

"First, you must understand one thing. The affairs of this world are no different from the affairs within your wolf pack. If you want something, never hope for the charity or gifts of others. Any bit of interest must be taken by reaching out yourself. Even something that seems to come for free is something you deserve. For example, when a famine occurs in the secular world and the government opens the granaries to provide relief. This 'free' grain is given because they fear these individuals gathering together to form a force and rebel, destroying the interests of the nobles. This, too, is something they deserve as people who can kill and loot."

"So what your Palace Master does in Yu Kingdom might not be out of care for the world as you think. If I ask you to do things in the future, it will be because you have value for me to use."

The Wolf Daoist remained silent.

"If you want demons to share the vast universe like humans, there is only one way—to kill and loot. Rights are not bestowed by others; they are fought for by oneself. Now that the Way of Humanity is uniquely prosperous, they will not be willing to share the sun, moon, and starlight with demons, but you can force them to do so."

"But you said, the Way of Humanity is powerful..." the Wolf Daoist opened his mouth hesitantly.

"Right now, yes." Li Yunxin looked at him. "So destiny, of course, depends on individual struggle. But one must also consider the course of history. Currently, the course of this world has reached a juncture—do you know of the Mutual Aid Society?"

The wolf demon thought for a moment and shook his head blankly: "This humble one has lived in Yu Kingdom for a long time and has shallow knowledge... what kind of thing is that?"

"Then you know the name now. And I want you to remember this name firmly from now on." Li Yunxin said solemnly. "This organization contains a group of clever and powerful people. Over these thousands of years, they have continuously infiltrated the Daoist Orthodoxy, the Sword Sect, and even the demons. Sect Master Kun Wuzi of the Daoist Orthodoxy's Langya Grotto-Heaven has a beloved disciple named Fei Yunzi; he is a hidden chess piece of the Mutual Aid Society within the Daoist Orthodoxy—and he is only one of them. Just last month, he killed Kun Wuzi—a Taoist priest of the Great Accomplishment Profound Realm."

The wolf demon opened his mouth slightly, looking even more lost.