Chapter 86

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Chapter 86: Transformation

March. The south was already full of spring blossoms while the north was still unbearably cold.

On top of a frozen lake under the moonlight, a man in black stood inside the howling wind.

He was silent and still. If not for his long silver hair and black robe flying in the air, it would look like he had been frozen over.

When the moon started to fade, he finally parted his lips. "Someone said what you would say, and his name is similar to yours. He said I was wrong." He paused and looked at the ice beneath his feet. "Of course I was wrong."

He had been wrong ever since he came to the north six years ago.

Even earlier. He had been wrong when he first met Ji Yunhe in the Demon Valley, and when he leapt into the abyss with her in the Ten Square Formation. What's more... he should have never saved a human in that monstrous wave, a princess named Shunde.

This was an endless dispute among the human world, it had nothing to do with him.

But...

He turned to leave.

"Oh well."

His voice and shadow gradually faded into the wind and snow.

...

After a near death experience, Aji decided that she and Ji Ning should leave the north immediately. Then she could find a good time to get rid of him, and continue to seek her own peace and tranquility in the human world.

But strangely, Aji still wanted to see the jiaoren again... Even though he had beaten her to the point of spitting blood.

That jiaoren was dangerous and she should stay away, but...

Aji recalled the look of his back yesterday as he walked away while everyone else was celebrating their return from the dead. It was like he had turned his back on life and hope, and walked toward death alone.

Aji felt sorry for him...

"Hey! Aji, what about you?" Lu Jinyan placed a wine jar onto the table. "What are you planning to do now?"

The snake demon had arranged for her and Ji Ning to stay at the inn just outside the Demon Terrace for the night. Lu Jinyan came visiting with two jars of wine before noon.

Aji looked at the wine and laughed. "So much wine? I'd forget everything even if I did make plans. Bring me tea."

Ji Ning interjected in a soft voice, "I also drink tea..."

"I know what kind of people you Grand Master's disciples are, I won't force you to drink wine." Lu Jinyan muttered while bringing two large, coarse bowls from the side and poured some coarse tea for them. "But you? As a fox demon, you don't like to eat meat or drink wine, but prefer tea? You didn't train under some zen demon master did you?"

Aji chuckled and picked up the bowl. "I really did train under a demon master."

Lu Jinyan laughed. "Who are you fooling? You already have four tails! If a demon master trained you, then he must be world famous. So who was it? Who's this mighty guy?"

Of course Lin Haoqing was world famous, but she could not tell them...

She took a sip of tea and was just about to muddle him when sounds of gasping came from behind, followed by a familiar voice ringing in her ears, "I'm curious too, who taught you?"

Everyone's eyes instantly fell on the visitor.

Lu Jinyan and Ji Ning grew pale, and Aji spat the mouthful of tea she just took back into the bowl. She turned her head and saw his black robe and silver hair...

"Lo… lord..." Lu Jinyan sat down wrong and fell onto the ground. Ji Ning immediately retreated three steps and squatted down in the corner. Aji stood up stiffly and stared at Changyi.

The other people here all made a bow they seemed very familiar with, "Your Highness..."

Aji looked at him, then looked at the people with their special salute of some gestures across the chest. She really did not understand this bow, so she imitated them to the best of her abilities. She roughly crossed her chest and leaned down, "The… Your Highness..."

Calling him that felt truly awkward to her...

Changyi looked at Aji's head. "Get up, I am also here to drink tea."

He took care of himself and walked to the seat opposite of her...

As soon as he sat down, the people around emptied out.

Changyi turned his head and asked the terrified Lu Jinyan and Ji Ning, "You two are not going to sit back down?"

"I... I have to pee!" Lu Jinyan jumped up and covered his crotch. "Yes, yes, I urgently need to pee!" He immediately ran off. Ji Ning also trembled and said, "Me too..." Then he also escaped, nearly on all fours.

Only Aji remained standing at the table.

Changyi looked at her calmly and asked, "What about you? Are you also in need?"

Aji observed his facial expression and asked, "Can I be?"

"Best not."

Aji obediently sat down. "I don't really need to." But she muttered silently to herself...

This almighty god looked so arrogant and proud yesterday, like a lone eagle soaring in the sky. Why did he land inside their chicken coop today… Could it be, he felt bitter about letting them off so he deliberately came to find them some trouble?

"Your Highness..."

"Go on."

"Hmm?" Aji was a little puzzled by his interruption. "On with what?"

"Which demon master trained you?"

He still remembered this... Aji pondered for a moment. Her inexplicable mood swings when she saw this jiaoren proved that they had known each other before. But Lin Haoqing did not want them meeting, so it was clear that he and this jiaoren did not have a very good relationship.

Aji did not want to sell out her master, so she lied. "I was just teasing Lu Jinyan, I learned everything by myself."

Strangely enough, the feeling of lying to him also felt very familiar…

So the problem between them, was it because she had cheated him out of something valuable? Was she a thief…?

While Aji pondered, Changyi looked down and poured himself a bowl of coarse tea. "Oh. Then when did you acquire human form? Under what circumstance did the second tail develop? And how did the third tail break through? Now with four tails, you should have many stories to share about your cultivation."

His eyes lifted and he looked at her.

Aji stuttered under his gaze. "I..." she finally said, "I have to pee..."

"Go." Changyi put down the bowl. "We can continue after you come back."

Aji pushed away her bowl and dashed out the back. After she left, Changyi was now alone in the lobby with no one else around but a waiter and the innkeeper himself.

After a long time, the innkeeper finally came forward. He smiled and asked, "Your Highness... some good tea came from the south a few days ago, how about I change this one out for you?"

Changyi looked at him.

Ever since sealing Ji Yunhe in ice, Changyi had not been able to distinguish anyone's face. They were all a blur to him, and he only recognized them by their unique markings.

But today, he saw the face of the innkeeper clearly.

He had many deep wrinkles, the sign of a man who had been through everything. The ingratiating and humble look served as evidence of his inner fear -- he was afraid of this lord, but had to obey him.

Changyi looked down at the bitter tea he was still drinking.

Aji's rebuke in the hall yesterday echoed in his ears, "I think you've been sitting too high for too long, and have completely forgotten your original cause. I am afraid right now you are not worthy of all those who have died for the north."

He drank the rest of the coarse tea in his hand.

"No need," he said gently. "This tea is very good."

The innkeeper blinked a few times in disbelief. "Huh? This tea... this tea..."

"I will sit for a while then leave. You can get back to your business. Don't mind me."

"Oh... okay..."

The innkeeper scratched his head and walked back to the side. Changyi poured himself another bowl of tea while his ears twitched. His keen senses allowed him to clearly hear the three people chattering behind the inn.

Lu Jinyan sounded hollow and bewildered. "What do we do?"

"Have we been peeing for too long?" Ji Ning asked nervously.

Aji scratched her head. "That... demon... How do I...? Lemme think... um..." She abruptly made up her mind. "Forget it... let's run! "

The other two were caught off guard. "Huh?"

"Go go go! Let's go through the back door."

After a series of rustling, the backyard grew silent.

Changyi looked at the bowl of tea and curled his lips into a smile. Then he pulled out a jade pendant and placed it on the table. "Forgot to bring silver, I will pay with this."

He ignored the shock on the innkeeper's face and walked out the door. "Someone, come." A black shadow attendant appeared silently at Changyi's side like wind. The attendant knelt down on one knee and listened as his lord assigned him a task. "Go and find out how many tails that fox demon really has."

"Yes, Your Highness."

The attendant answered briefly and was about to leave when Changyi called out again. "Wait."

The black shadow stopped.

"Lift your head."

He lifted his head with a puzzled look. "Your Highness?"

A delicate face, not old, but already worn by time.

"I remembered your face." Changyi walked off. "Go."

Yes, he was supposed to remember them. Every face, every life that had entrusted him. They did nothing wrong, and should not pay for his mistakes.

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