Chapter 8

Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.

Chapter 8: Secrets and Friends

Ji Yunhe conjured some water and moistened all the dry and cracked scales on the jiaoren's tail. It looked much better afterwards even though it was still covered in scars.

While Ji Yunhe tended to the wounds, the jiaoren finally gave in to exhaustion and fell asleep.

"Master Warden, here is the medicine," one of the guards called from outside the cell. He took one look at the demon lying on the ground, the loose chains placed aside, and did not dare to walk another step closer.

Ji Yunhe eyed him, "Are you asking me to go out and get you or what?"

The man trembled and hesitated a long while before reluctantly inching a step forward. Snow March could not take it anymore. "A demon master so scared of a demon, what has your master been teaching you? Shameful!" She took a few big steps to him, grabbed the medicine bag and threw it into the cell with a backhand.

The bag passed through the gap between the bars and was steadily caught by Ji Yunhe. The guy was honest enough to deliver a lot of good medicine, but they were all external medicine that would do nothing for internal injuries.

Demon masters usually did not heal internal injuries for demons so as not to replenish their power. It was common sense.

Ji Yunhe asked Snow March, "Got any ningxue pills?"

The ningxue pills were the best internal medicine made here in the Demon Valley.

Snow March was a bit surprised that Ji Yunhe would want such precious medication for the demon. She felt uneasy about it, but still pulled out a small bottle and tossed it over without saying anything.

The faces on the two guards changed at once, but they did not dare to question Ji Yunhe.

Ji Yunhe did not care much for what others were thinking anyway. She made an attempt to feed the jiaoren a ningxue pill, but his teeth were so tightly shut they would not open no matter what. She sighed and decided to set the pills aside for now. Then she took the healing ointment and started applying it little by little to the wounds on his body.

Her fingertips were gentle and soft. She was very thorough and did not pass up on even the slightest scratch under each scale.

The ugly wounds seemed to heal under her touch.

Some cuts were thin and deep, others were wide and massive. Applying the medicine was not an easy task, dressing them was even more difficult. By the time Ji Yunhe finished, she raised her head and saw the moon was already high.

Snow March was long gone, and the two men left on guard by Lin Haoqing were sitting back to back on a rock, dozing off.

Time always passed quickly when one stayed focused. Ji Yunhe tilted her head and twisted her neck which now felt a little stiff.

The last injury left to be treated was on his wrist where the binding chains had made their mark.

Ji Yunhe washed the wound, applied some ointment, and started to bandage it when she suddenly felt a cool gaze on her face.

"Oh, you're awake," Ji Yunhe greeted him gently.

Ice blue eyes stared at her. Ji Yunhe held the ningxue pill in front of his face. "Here, take this. It is good for your internal injuries."

The jiaoren did not open his mouth.

"I know what you're thinking." Ji Yunhe's hands kept working on the bandage and her tone was no different from a casual chat. "You are thinking -- might as well just die. If it were me, I would probably think the same. However, if you have a home, or unfinished business, or if there is someone you still want to see..."

She peeked at him and saw his eyes flicker.

Ji Yunhe knew he understood her words and possessed the same feelings humans did. He probably did have a home, things to do, and people to see.

And now he was thinking of them.

"Just stay alive. Your situation is not completely hopeless yet." Ji Yunhe patted the back of his hand which was now fully bandaged. She took out a ningxue pill, held it between her index finger and thumb, and pressed it against his lips.

Lips as cold as the pupils of his eyes.

After a brief silence, his teeth slightly parted and Ji Yunhe stuffed the pill down his mouth.

Seeing that he had taken the medicine, Ji Yunhe stood up, brushed off her bottom, grabbed the medicine bag and headed outside.

No more requests, no more words, as if she was here just to treat his injuries.

As if...

She had come to save him or something.

Ji Yunhe pushed the door outward, waking up the sleepy two.

They quickly stood up after seeing her lock the cell. "Master Warden is leaving?"

"Sleepy? Then go back and sleep," she said. "Won't need the lightning for a while, he is badly injured and cannot cause trouble anymore. You guys can just keep an eye on the door."

She walked away, leaving the two whispering to each other, "Master Warden… seems a little gentle toward this demon?"

"You haven't been here long, there are some things that you don't know. You're mistaken if you think Master Warden is any less tactical than the young valley master. She is just using a gentler approach."

They both turned their heads to look at the demon in the cell. His breathing was light, as if he did not understand anything, or could not hear them at all.

Ji Yunhe took a deep breath when she walked out. The dungeon was humid and stuffy, it could not compare with the cool breezes and fragrant flowers out here.

It was just a pity that the winds here in the valley lacked freedom compared to the world outside.

Ji Yunhe walked deeper into the sea of flowers.

This large flower field sitting in the center of the Demon Valley were planted by the very first demon masters that had settled here. It consisted of specimens from each of the four seasons and was in bloom all year long.

It had been fifty years since the establishment of the Demon Valley, and people lost interest in caring for the flowers long ago, letting them grow wild. Some branches were now half a person high while others were thorny or even poisonous. No one walked into the depth of these flowers.

For Ji Yunhe, this was a good place to quiet the mind.

She enjoyed the fresh scent while walking step by step until she unexpectedly came upon a force field.

A wall of magic blocked her way.

Ji Yunhe touched it with her hand and already had a good idea who made it. There was only one person who would cast a magic boundary in the depths of the flowerfield in the middle of the night... She gently knocked on it a couple of times and it disappeared, revealing two people standing quietly under a huge wisteria tree in full bloom.

Ji Yunhe said, "I knew it was you."

It was Snow March and... her demon slave, a cat demon with orange blond hair and exotic eyes.

Snow March publicly claimed that this was a stray she had picked up, that he was her right-hand man in demon hunting, and that he was completely subservient to her... She even gave him a name, called Li Shu.

Only Ji Yunhe knew the relationship between Snow March and Li Shu went far beyond that.

Ji Yunhe could still remember the night she met Snow March, when she was fifteen or sixteen years old.

It had been right after Ji Yunhe and Lin Haoqing turned against each other and she first thought of escaping the Demon Valley. But she was weak and alone, and was not able to do anything but dwell in her own helplessness... Just like tonight, she was pacing around in the flowerfield. Then…

Purely by chance, under the silver moon, she saw a girl with long floating hair gently kiss a man resting under the wisteria tree.

At that moment, Snow March's usually stern eyebrows became soft like water.

A young girl in love.

It was the first time Ji Yunhe saw that word written so clearly on someone's face.

What could not be spoken was the fact that the young girl was kissing Li Shu.

She was kissing a demon, her slave.

Fifty years ago, when the court first began to rule over the demon master tribe, the boundary between humans and demons had been clearly delineated and no one could trespass, especially demon masters. The royal family was full of caution and prejudice against those born different.

They did their best to widen the gap between demons and demon masters, so they could dominate over both.

Anyone who fell in love with a demon would be killed without mercy.

What Ji Yunhe saw was a matter of life and death. She chose to leave quietly.

But after a night of tossing and turning, Ji Yunhe felt like she needed to break her isolation.

Snow March held power here in the valley, and her force was the one thing Ji Yunhe lacked. She needed protection so she could develop her own.

So on the next day, Ji Yunhe took the initiative to confront Snow March. She told her, "Last night in the sea of flowers, under the wisteria tree, I saw something."

Although Snow March was just a young girl at the time, her power was enough to rival the most powerful demon masters. Her only shortcoming was she could only kill, not tame. When she heard what Ji Yunhe said, her already cold face immediately turned colder, and her palm coalesced a murderous aura.

"Take it easy," Ji Yunhe said with a smile. "I can see that you are a person of martial chivalry and righteousness. Just so happens, I am too."

Snow March sneered, "What moral righteousness is there here in the Demon Valley?"

"I appreciate you more for your bluntness. As you said, there is no moral righteousness here in the Demon Valley, but I have it." She took a step closer to Snow March. "I am a fair person, I now know your secret, so I will tell you one of mine in exchange, how about that?"

"Righteous adopted daughter of the Valley Master, what secret do you have that is worth exchanging for this life of yours?"

"Valley Master Lin Canglan is not a good man. He uses poison to control me and to use me in motivating his weak son. I am just a pawn doing all of his unspeakable deeds."

"What unspeakable deeds?" Snow March asked.

"Taming demons for the imperial court is just a facade. The truth is all the demons I tame remain loyal to the valley, and they are to deliver secrets of the royal family back to us."

Snow March was shocked.

Ji Yunhe smiled. "Is this secret enough to exchange for my life?"

The secret was more than enough to exchange for her life. If the royal family were to learn of this, the entire Demon Valley would be turned upside down. None of them, including the Valley Master, would be allowed to live.

Snow March was silent for a long time. She sized up Ji Yunhe for a while, then finally asked, "What do you want?"

"I want a friend." She grinned while grabbing a lock of Snow March's long hair, twirling it around her fingertips. "A friend who will never betray me."

A friendship built on the basis of such vital secrets would be indestructible.

"I also want a friend who can escape the Demon Valley with me."

Snow March was shocked again.

Ji Yunhe was not stupid. The moment she saw her kissing Li Shu, she knew exactly what Snow March wanted most. She, like herself, wanted to leave the valley and be free.

From that day on, Ji Yunhe began laying out her plans. She established alliances through mutual benefits, common interests, and friendships. She slowly built up her own power and force in the valley, bit by bit.

Fortunately, the friendship that had begun with an exchange of secrets grew into a true friendship.

Maybe some people were just born attracted to each other. Or maybe they were just too similar to one another. Rebel in the bones, nothing could make them bend.

Replaying such memories from the past made Ji Yunhe a bit emotional.

"Why are you wandering around here again?" Snow March's voice pulled her back to the present. "That demon's cured?"

Ji Yunhe waved her hand as a greeting. "You think his injuries can heal just like that?" Ji Yunhe glanced at Li Shu. "Take care of yourself. Right now things are not like they used to be."

Snow March nodded then turned to look at Li Shu, who returned her gaze with a gentleness not unlike her own.

The couple standing under the wisteria tree looked as beautiful as a painting under the moonlight.

They were so good together, but because of the imperial rule, they could only sneak around like thieves. Ji Yunhe sighed. She patted her dress and turned to leave. "Not going to intrude on you guys any longer. I'm heading back."

She looked up at the moon and hoped for everything to come soon. That they could leave the valley soon and live a life without scheming and deceit. That the people she cared about would soon be free.

Proofreader: Joker, Gem