Chapter 108

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Chapter 108: Together Always

They could hear Lin Haoqing coughing before he even entered the door.

"Shunde killed her brother and ascended the throne." Lin Haoqing was still coughing non stop. "She's gone mad. She's been using the forbidden arts and devoured the spiritual power of many disciples of the Grand Master's house. The court is now just a one man show. There will be countless refugees fleeing over to the north soon, so get ready."

Kongming was in disbelief. "Impossible, how come we haven't received any news on this?"

"Siyu is my demon servant, her real body's here with me." Lin Haoqing touched the sword at his side and continued, "She can contact me instantly. These things just happened in the capital, so your messengers are probably still on their way."

Ji Yunhe frowned, "Princess Shunde has the power of the jade phoenix and the Grand Master, I'm afraid no one can take her on."

Lin Haoqing coughed again. "It's my fault. I didn't think this would happen."

"No one expected this," Ji Yunhe said to Lin Haoqing. "It's useless to blame yourself. Let's try to find a way to defeat her. You gave her the pill to refine humans into demons, is there anything we can do?"

"If only she had used Ji Chengyu and another demon for sacrifice, it would've been easy to deal with her. But the jade phoenix..."

"Who?" Kongming suddenly interrupted Lin Haoqing.

"Ji Chengyu…" Ji Yunhe said.

Lin Haoqing looked at Ji Yunhe and Kongming. Even though he did not know Ji Chengyu personally, he could guess that his relationship with them was not ordinary. "Yes. Shunde's subordinate, Zhu Ling, was a long time friend of his. He helped trick him into her trap."

Zhu Ling...

Ji Yunhe still remembered when she and Changyi left the Demon Valley six years ago, it was Zhu Ling and Ji Chengyu who had come to pick them up. The two of them had very different personalities at the time, but one could still see Zhu Ling's admiration for Ji Chengyu. Who knew their friendship would end like this...

Ji Yunhe felt sorry for Ji Chengyu while Kongming went silent.

Then the monk turned around and walked out the door, bumping into Luo Jinsang outside. "Baldy, where are you going? … Baldy? Wait for me..."

Just as Ji Yunhe was feeling disheartened over the current situation, her hand was taken into someone else's. She looked at Changyi, and his calm, blue eyes took in all of her worries and stress. She tightened her grip on his hand and reminded herself that no matter what, she was no longer alone.

Her chaotic emotions calmed down, and she quieted her mind. Ji Yunhe looked at Lin Haoqing again. "I remember you telling me about tampering the medicine you gave Shunde with a spell. So now that it's been broken and can no longer kill her, might it still cause her some damage?"

"Or delay her from coming north," Changyi said. "It will take some time to settle the refugees flooding in."

Lin Haoqing frowned. "I shouldn't be telling you what to do in the north, but with all due respect, I didn't inform you of this matter so that you can take in the refugees."

Lin Haoqing continued, "Shunde is now stuck in the capital trying to fuse and control the powers inside her body. Once she succeeds, she will come full force in the blink of an eye. However, the power of the jade phoenix and the Grand Master are too strong, to completely fuse them together is not an easy task. The Northlands can take advantage of this opportunity to set up a magic boundary at the border in defense. The resources here are already scarce, admitting too many refugees will just add to the strain, and intensify the conflicts between the residents."

"So Valley Master Lin intends for us to just watch thousands of people die outside the border?" Snow March's voice came from outside the door as she slowly stepped in, staring at Lin Haoqing with animosity. Her impression of him had clearly stayed at the Demon Valley six years ago. "Like father, like son," she sneered.

Lin Haoqing stayed silent.

Ji Yunhe called to her, "March."

After learning of the whole truth, Ji Yunhe felt like his situation was the same as hers. They were both nothing but pawns, pathetic and sad...

Ji Yunhe said, "What Lin Haoqing said was not without logic."

Snow March frowned. "Yunhe, you also want to abandon those people?"

"I can only say -- try to save as many as we can." Ji Yunhe turned to Changyi. "I don't think we can accept them unconditionally. We need to set up a time and a limit, then lay down the boundary after that. What needs to be done will have to be done. Nothing is perfect in this world, and sacrifices are inevitable…"

Changyi deliberated for a while.

This was a decision to grant life, and death.

But nothing could be gained in this world without giving up something else in return.

"Come," he called in two servants and instructed them. "Before April 15th, allow in five hundred people a day at each gate. If any were found to have committed a heinous crime, deny entrance."

"Yes."

The servants received the order and left.

"Shunde's power centers around the wood element, so a fire boundary would be ideal," Lin Haoqing suggested. "Although my spell in her body is broken, it did leave a primer. A strong fire attack may be able to draw it out and cause her some serious injury."

"Hmm," Changyi said, "there were five thousand, eight hundred and thirty people in the north proficient in fire magic, that's counting both demons and demon masters. I haven't yet checked on those who entered the border recently while I was away, but I am guessing the total now is still less than ten thousand. I'm afraid that is not enough people to set up a boundary to stop Shunde."

Ji Yunhe looked at Changyi. This fish… Previously he had wanted to beat and kill people over frivolous things, but in fact, he never truly slacked on official business, and was mindfully aware of each and every one entering the city.

"I also cultivate in the art of fire," Ji Yunhe took the initiative to tell him. "The black flame of the nine-tailed fox demon is far superior to ordinary demons and demon master crafts. I can go first to set up a foundation for the boundary at the border. Others can then inject power to build onto it and strengthen it. As for manpower... maybe do it like how we dealt with the lava, so people who do not practice fire magic can help enhance the power of those who do."

"Okay." Changyi lifted his head and looked at Lin Haoqing. This was the first time in six years they really came face to face again.

But now, they gazed at each other with no hatred or grudge. They both had let go of the past.

"Valley Master Lin, we haven't yet finished counting all the demon masters that joined the north. Since you are more familiar with them, you can call forth some suitable candidates to go help with the boundary."

"I already have some people in mind, and I will bring them here tomorrow."

"Thank you."

Lin Haoqing coughed a bit then said, "Jiaoren, everyone should thank you. Without you, there wouldn't be a Northlands for them to seek shelter in. What kind of a world would that be… Do not thank me again, I'm not qualified."

Lin Haoqing coughed some more and went out the door.

Changyi turned around and stared at Ji Yunhe, so much that it made her feel uncomfortable. "What is it? Do you not agree with what he just said?"

"I don't agree," Changyi said. "I came to the north initially to get back at you. If we go by his logic, then everyone in the world should come and thank you."

He singled out the past so bluntly that Ji Yunhe did not know whether to laugh or cry. She stroked Changyi's silver hair and said, "Laying the boundary is serious business, I will leave for the border tomorrow to scope it out and make preparations. You have overexerted yourself too much lately, so you must not use your magic again. Stay here as your Lord of the North. You can still oversee everything and delegate."

Changyi was quiet for a long time before commenting, "My people would always stay together once they have exchanged the mark of the jiaoren, but people on land always seem to part ways."

Ji Yunhe felt bad again and held his hand. "It will get better. Once everything is over, Changyi, we will never separate again."

They looked at each other with love and affection.

"Okay."

...

After leaving Changyi's room, Snow March kept glancing at Ji Yunhe with smiling eyes as they walked down the road.

"Staring at me the whole way. If you have something to say, then say it." Ji Yunhe could not stand it anymore.

"So unexpected!" Snow March clasped her hands together and teased, "When everything is over, we will never separate again..." She laughed a little then continued, "If I were to tell the old Ji Yunhe that she would say something like this, she would've beaten me up."

"I can still beat you up now!" Ji Yunhe feigned some anger, but it disappeared in the next instant and both of them laughed out loud.

The sun of spring had finally warmed up the north. Walking on the stone path in the light of day recaptured some nostalgia of the past.

Snow March elbowed Ji Yunhe. "What does it feel like to be a demon?"

"No different from being a human."

"I'd like to try being a demon sometimes too."

"Why?"

"I want to know what it's like to be similar to Li Shu."

Ji Yunhe paused her steps and extended her hand, "Come."

Snow March did not understand, but she still placed her hand inside Ji Yunhe's palm. "What is it?"

"Squeeze me."

Snow March listened and squeezed Ji Yunhe.

"Feel anything different?" Ji Yunhe asked, and Snow March shook her head. Ji Yunhe then said, "You've also held Li Shu's hand, you should remember the feeling. It's no different from mine, right?"

"His hand was bigger than yours."

Ji Yunhe smiled and patted her. "Back then, we didn't really get a chance to say goodbye, nor did we get a chance to talk about Li Shu's blood sacrifice." Snow March's smile faded from her face, but Ji Yunhe went on, "In your opinion, perhaps Li Shu was using you, and maybe saw you as a substitute."

"Is your opinion not the same?"

"Not exactly. It was obvious that he prepared for a long time for breaking the seal, but why did he choose to do it when you were captured? Performing such a ritual under the public eye was very unwise, so it couldn't have been part of his plan." Ji Yunhe analyzed. "I believe Li Shu found the ten eyes a long time ago, but he postponed his plan. Instead, he chose to follow you left and right for years, because he didn't just see you as a substitute for Qing Ji."

Snow March looked at her hand and was silent.

"He didn't want to end this relationship with you."

Snow March grew emotional and her lips trembled.

"In the end, he did the ritual in order to save you." Ji Yunhe patted her on the arm. "So, don't think that Li Shu didn't like you, or he was just using you. And definitely don't think you being a human had anything to do with it."

Under the sunlight, Snow March finally gave a faint smile. "Yunhe, no wonder you're the most powerful demon master in the valley. You really do understand them."

"As I've always said, treat demons as people, then it wouldn't be so difficult to understand them. You guys just never listen." Ji Yunhe waved her hand and stepped away. "But maybe there's no need for me to keep saying that."

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