Chapter 72

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Chapter 72: Argument

The four quarters of demon masters did not exist a hundred years ago, so all the kids wanting to become a demon master needed to find a teacher to learn the craft.

Controlling the spiritual power from the hidden pulse was not easy. One must start young, join a sect, and acquire a master to become a second parent. There were strict rules against a master and disciple love affair, even today.

Ji Yunhe was silent and did not tell Qing Ji about the woman in white.

What she knew from her dreams were mostly from her own guesses, and she could not tell Qing Ji about things that had not been confirmed.

If Qing Ji knew it was the Grand Master who had killed Ning Ruochu, she might recklessly go fight him. Even though she was likely the only one in this world powerful enough to take him on, no one had really seen his true strength over the past century. It was too difficult to predict who would win in the end…

And something happening to Qing Ji was the last thing Ji Yunhe wanted.

Not only because her existence brought a lot of confidence to the people in the Northlands, her friendship was also very important to Ji Yunhe.

Ji Yunhe pursed her lips and did not say anything more.

In the following days, Ji Yunhe hoped to see the woman in her dreams to clarify everything, but she did not appear again.

It seemed the closer she was to death, the more clearly she could see the woman. But once she got the jiaozhu, even if it was just looking and feeling better, she could not see the woman anymore...

Maybe a link between life and death really did exist...

There was no time for Ji Yunhe to dwell on these spiritual matters, Ling Haoqing was marching over right this minute with his army of demon masters.

Changyi was getting busier. People came looking for him all day long outside the screen. Ji Yunhe did not have time to say a single word to him for several days, but miraculously, she would always see him sitting at her bed every evening when she woke up.

And he would only leave after she opened her eyes.

Today, Ji Yunhe woke up but did not rush to open her eyes. She felt her wrist being held gently and cool fingertips on top of her pulse. The moment she opened her eyes, the fingertips withdrew themselves.

Hidden thoughts and suppressed emotions, Ji Yunhe let out a silent sigh.

While he turned to leave, she reached out her hand and took a hold of his wrist.

"Changyi." She watched as his ice blue pupils began to ripple and stir. "How are you going to handle Lin Haoqing?"

After hearing her ask about this matter, the ripples disappeared.

"What? Is Master Warden going to plead for Lin Haoqing for the sake of your old time friendship?" The voice of Kongming came from behind Changyi. Ji Yunhe tilted her head and saw the monk arranging his needle bag at the small tea table.

Kongming walked over with a silver needle and said, "If you have the energy, why don't you talk to the fish about taking back his pearl. Otherwise, we might need you to plead to Lin Haoqing for us instead."

Changyi brushed away Ji Yunhe's hand. "I know what I'm doing, others don't need to say anything."

Then he turned away and sat down in front of the screen.

The seal reactivated again. Ji Yunhe turned her head back just in time to feel a sharp pain on her forehead. The monk had roughly stabbed her with a silver needle. She was not sure if he was helping her or just venting.

But Ji Yunhe did not take it to heart. "You guys shouldn't deal with Lin Haoqing and his men with brute force. Princess Shunde knows your strengths very well, her plan is most likely not to have him destroy you, but to wear down both of your resources."

"Oh? Then according to the Master Warden, what should we do?"

"The aim is not to fight, but to make them give up without fighting. Use a formation to slow them down, ease their momentum, and convince Lin Haoqing to surrender."

After this statement, Kongming's needlework on her became gentler. "No wonder that fish likes you so much. You guys truly think alike."

Ji Yunhe was surprised.

Kongming put away the needle bag and continued, "That's already been arranged. Our men started on the formation two days ago, and should be done just in time for their army to arrive. It's not a problem to trap them for ten days or half a month."

Changyi had his own ideas now.

Ji Yunhe lowered her eyes and smiled. "That's very good."

It was very good that he had learned to plan and strategize.

He must have grown a lot helping Kongming build and develop the Northlands over the past six years. Or maybe, she had underestimated his complexity all along.

"The only issue now is talking Lin Haoqing into surrendering. In my opinion, after the army of demon masters step into the formation, it is best to send you over to talk to him, since you know him more than anyone else. But... the fish does not agree, and I also don't know if you will live till then."

"How much time do I have left?"

"Your pulse is faint and your organs are failing. Maybe a few days."

Ji Yunhe was silent for a moment. "Have you told him?"

"There is no need to hide it from him."

Oh... no wonder Changyi had been feeling her pulse before she woke up, he was afraid she would pass away in her sleep...

Even if she still had his mark on her ear, his jiaozhu inside her body, and was locked up in this square inch room, he was still full of doubt and insecurity.

At night, Ji Yunhe watched the candle flame behind the screen until dawn. When it was noon, the seal lifted and Changyi walked in. He saw her still awake and frowned.

"It's time to sleep," Changyi said.

"I will get plenty of sleep in the future, let me keep my eyes open for now." The window was slightly parted, shining some daylight onto Changyi. His silver hair looked so soft and clean in the winter sun. Ji Yunhe smiled. "Can't see the beautiful scenery in the distance, so I should enjoy the beauty in front of me."

Changyi was caught off guard and narrowed his eyes slightly. "Ji Yunhe." His voice was critical of her flirtatious behavior.

Perhaps also because her tone had reminded him of the old days...

"Sorry sorry..." Ji Yunhe smiled. "Changyi, come sit." She patted the side of her bed.

Changyi glanced at the place where her hand rested. It was where he usually sat, but now that Ji Yunhe had taken the initiative to invite him, he walked over and sat at the small tea table instead.

So awkward...

"Changyi, Lin Haoqing and his army will arrive in a few days. Who are you going to send to negotiate with him?"

Changyi looked at her sunken cheeks and shifted his gaze. He could not bear to see her like this.

"Either way it won't be you."

"It has to be me," Ji Yunhe said. "I know him and his demon masters the best. Yes, I did compete with him for many years, but the truth is there were other reasons. We're both enemies and friends... Maybe we can even be considered the only family left in this world."

"Oh?" Changyi said sarcastically, "I didn't realize you and Lin Haoqing were so close."

"I..."

The door was suddenly pushed open and Luo Jinsang barged in. "Fish man, fish man! Lin Haoqing and his demon masters stopped outside the formation!"

Changyi and Ji Yunhe were both taken by surprise.

Luo Jinsang often went out to spy these days since she had the power of invisibility.

She did not see Changyi in front of the screen so she ran to the back. "They seem to have noticed the formation and stopped just short of it. They also don't seem to be planning an attack, instead, they are setting up a blockade to disconnect the Northlands with the rest of the world!"

Changyi's brows tightened.

Ji Yunhe was confused, "Disconnect the Northlands? What do you mean?"

Changyi answered her, "Yunhe, you don't know the geography here. The Northlands is the northernmost part of the Dacheng Kingdom. Further north is nothing but deserted mountains and snowfields. The environment there is so harsh even demons find it difficult to survive. And right now, those coming to the Northlands are mostly people fleeing from Dacheng. They bring both manpower and resources that we need. Lin Haoqing setting up a blockade there will keep the resources from flowing in..."

"So he wants to isolate us," Ji Yunhe said. "The court wasn't able to do it, why would he be able to?"

"The court has help from the Grand Master's house, but ultimately their number is low. The only thing they can really rely on is the imperial army. I have demons that can avoid their blockades easily, traveling by air or water, or around the mountains."

"Mhm," Luo Jinsang nodded. "This time it's different. Good thing I can stealth, else I wouldn't have been able to come back. Their demon masters are controlling so many powerful demons, flying in the sky, swimming in the river, running on the ground… All the paths are now under their control."

Changyi thought for a while then said, "I was able to take down the Demon Terrace because many demon masters here did not really fight back. I am afraid the situation now is different."

Ji Yunhe said, "Lin Haoqing's move seems as if he really does want to take you down, but why? The longer you fight with the court, the better it is for him and his demon masters, no? What exactly did Princess Shunde promise him? He shouldn't really want to destroy the Northlands..."

"What are you guys talking about?" Luo Jinsang was confused. "Why didn't the demon masters here fight back six years ago to protect the Demon Terrace? But ran off to the south? And... if Lin Haoqing doesn't really want to destroy the Northlands, then why did he march all his men over?"

"Moving to the south was to combine and strengthen the forces of the demon master tribe."

Ji Yunhe answered, "Demon masters were divided into four quarters across the land and their freedoms were restrained because the imperial court wanted to limit their power. When rebels overturned the Demon Terrace, they evacuated the Northlands but did not go to the east or west which were closer, instead, they went straight to the southernmost Demon Valley. That's because it's the strongest."

"While the imperial court was busy dealing with the north, the demon masters grew and developed their own forces. They must have a plan." Ji Yunhe murmured to herself, "Lin Haoqing, Lin Haoqing… Why did you come? What do you want?"

"He wants you," Kongming interrupted her thoughts.

Everyone turned their heads, and the monk threw a letter that still had a chill on it onto the table in front of Changyi.

Luo Jinsang asked, "Baldy, what do you mean by that?"

"Lin Haoqing has sent a letter asking us to hand over Ji Yunhe. Once he gets her, he will retreat immediately. Here's the letter." Kongming looked at Changyi. "The courier is still here as well, waiting for your response."

Changyi did not even unfold it. His hand chilled and froze the letter, then crumpled it into pieces. "Tell the courier to get lost."

Kongming sneered, "I thought so." He turned to go, but Ji Yunhe stopped him.

"Wait a minute." As soon as she called out to Kongming, Changyi followed up with an order, "No waiting!"

Ji Yunhe looked at Changyi, both a little amused and a little frustrated. "I have not yet finished talking..."

"No need to say anything. My mind is already made up."

"How do you know what I'm going to say?"

"I just know."

"You don't know."

Luo Jinsang interrupted the two, "Grow up, you guys. Together you are almost a hundred years old..."

Ji Yunhe was not going to have it. "He is a demon, age is all grown on his head. A hundred years? He has to take eighty percent of it! I am still young!"

Luo Jinsang looked at Ji Yunhe with disapproval. "Yunhe... you're acting childish now."

The monk glanced at Luo Jinsang from the side. "You have the nerve to call others childish?"

"I'm trying to stop the argument here! Don't start with me, I warn you."

"Warn me? Luo Jinsang, you left the city again without telling anyone, I haven't even called you out on it yet..."

"So? You get upset when I stay, then you get upset when I leave! How come nothing I do is ever okay?"

Seeing those two had hijacked their squabble, Ji Yunhe felt a little dumbfounded.

"Enough!" Finally, it was Changyi who took on the role of an adult. "If you guys want to argue, go outside."

Ji Yunhe rubbed her temples. "Enough, all of you! Didn't you say the courier is still waiting? Can we talk about business?!"

The arguments finally came to an end.

Ji Yunhe let out a deep sigh and said, "Let me meet with Lin Haoqing."

"No way."

"I didn't say I'd go with him, what I said was: meet with him." Ji Yunhe looked at Changyi. "I need to know what he's planning on."

"No."

"Why not?"

Changyi paused for a long while then said, "Ji Yunhe, don't forget you are still my prisoner."

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