Stranger Danger

“Phew…” A rotten, anomalous breath escaped Ye Qing’s lips. He had to give his head a strong shake to preserve his clarity of mind.

After fighting in this debilitating fog for such a long time, he was tired in both body and spirit. It was to the point where he could no longer tell if a certain object in front of him was an illusion. Although the Nature’s Water and the golden dragon-serpent runes could restore him to peak form immediately, the problem was that the doubt was really starting to get to him. He was starting to think that he would never find the corpse.

At this rate, he would run out of Nature’s Water and golden dragon-serpent runes eventually. When that happened, he would die.

Worse still, he still had no idea how to get the corpse or confirm that it was real. Longing, Hua Mei and Jue Yan’s suggestions and advices were completely useless here.

Should I let them out? Ye Qing considered the option for a moment. Perhaps the girls would have a way to track down the corpse or bring forth some sort of beneficial change. Worst case scenario, at least they would be dying together.

However, letting them out was the last resort. If he did it, there would truly be no turning back, not to mention that there was a huge chance the girls would attack him because of his failure. The mere thought of the three women ganging up on him—and not in the oh yeah way—sent shivers up his spine.

Heavens dammit, I should never have come to Tian Yong. I should’ve just stayed at Luo Shui and grind weak Strangers like a good boy. Practically nothing has gone smoothly since I embarked on this journey, and now, I might even lose my life. The adventure wasn’t worth it at all.

Regret and helplessness flitted across his features.

In fact, he had a second last resort. He could bring out the Annon Sutra to lure the corpse out into the open before pitting the three women against it. It would give him the opportunity to escape.

The Annon Sutra’s earlier reaction proved that revealing it would most likely draw the attention of a powerful, terrible existence, and on this ship, the only ones who fit the bill were Longing, Hua Mei, Jue Yan, and the mysterious corpse.

However, this was an unreliable last resort at best. For one, he wasn’t willing to give up the Annon Sutra. Two, there was a non-zero chance the Annon Sutra would play dead and refuse to reveal its power. His effort would be completely useless.

Therefore, this could only be the true last resort. He could only enact this plan if the three women proved useless after he released them.

“Well, it’s not over yet. I’ll make that decision when I’m truly out of options.” Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and patched up his wavering determination. He had experienced many dangers and led a full life of conflict and strife in the Nanke Dream, so he was no longer the naive and weak-minded young man he used to be. He would never give up until the very end.

Suddenly, the Fog Demon’s voice rang beside Ye Qing’s ears. “Kekeke… you’ll never find the coffin like this, boy.”

“Hmm? What do you mean?” Ye Qing asked while punching a few Strangers away with his fists. It sounded like the Fog Demon knew something. “What do you know?”

“I must say that you're a very smart person, boy,” the Fog Demon said leisurely.

“I know I’m smart, but there are better times to lick my boots. Get to the point!” Ye Qing chided the Fog Demon impatiently. What made it think that a life-and-death battle was a good place to lick his boots?

“Pooh! What makes you think I’m licking your boots? When I was ruling over the Nine Nethers, you were just a brat playing mud with your dick hanging out of your pants!” The Fog Demon scoffed. “I’m just trying to say that your intelligence, while a good trait in most circumstances, is the very reason you’re caught in this quicksand right now!”

“Be more specific.” Ye Qing was confused by its statement.

“I’m saying that you are too cunning, and think too much.”

“I… still don’t see the problem here.” It was always better to be careful than careless; safe than sorry. How could that be a mistake?

The Fog Demon didn’t keep him in suspense. “Like I said, it’s a good trait in most circumstances. But here on this level? It can only be a bad thing.”

“Seriously, what the fuck are you talking about?” He was only getting more and more confused.

“Excuse you? Is that how you beg for help from someone?” The Fog Demon harrumphed imperiously.

“Ahem. Senior, would you please explain it in a way that this junior can understand?” Ooh, I’m going to do such terrible things to it once it tells me what I want to hear.

Seemingly satisfied with Ye Qing’s response, the Fog Demon said seriously, “This place is strange.”

Ye Qing: “...” On second thought, I’m going to torture its foggy ass right now.

Unaware of Ye Qing’s thoughts, the Fog Demon continued, “Did you notice? Ever since you entered this chamber, every danger you encountered has something to do with your thoughts?”

“You were worried that the corpses would come back to life, and lo and behold, they did. You wanted to find that corpse, so the coffin appeared before you. You were sure that the corpse inside the coffin was dangerous, so it opened its eyes and nearly killed you. You wondered if there are Strangers lurking within the fog, and as if on cue, the Strangers came. Don’t you think it’s too much of a coincidence?”

“You’re… right!” Ye Qing thought back to what happened before and concluded that the Fog Demon was telling the truth. “Are these all illusions then?”

The Fog Demon denied it. “Not at all. They were all real. Your thoughts have made them a reality.”

“You’re saying that anything that I imagine in this place will come true?”

The Fog Demon shook its head. “No, no, only your fears and your worries would come true. To put it in human terms, it’s like your heart demon is made manifest. The more you think, worry, and fear, the worse your situation will become.”

“I see. In other words, this place could theoretically be perfectly safe so long as I keep a tight rein over my thoughts,” Ye Qing mused thoughtfully.

“Correct,” The Fog Demon confirmed. “The smarter and more complex you are, the greater the dangers you will face in this place. On the other hand, someone who is pure in heart, stupid or retarded are far less likely to run into danger.”

“But how can I find that corpse?” Ye Qing asked and killed several charging Strangers with a stomp of his foot. At the same time, he reined in his mind and focused solely on what was in front of him.

“This is one strange corpse you have here, and the fog makes it so much worse. In my opinion, the greater your desire to find the corpse, the harder it is you’ll be able to find it.” The Fog Demon explained, “Therefore, the only way to find the corpse is clear your mind and enter a state of nirvana—no desire, no love, and no wish. Only then can you find the corpse.”

Before Ye Qing could react, the Fog Demon continued, “However, this is near impossible for you humans. This is doubly true for smart people like you.”

“All humans possess desires, love, and wishes. Even your Buddhist monks, Taoists, Bodhisattvas and Buddhas cannot truly rid themselves of their mortal restraints, much less a heretical boy like you. Your mind is some of the most devilish I met, and you even cultivated the ‘Paranirmitavaśavartin Heavenly Demon Sutra’, a demonic art. As a result, your heart demon and desires are much stronger than most. You of all people have the least chance of entering a state of nirvana, keke!”

Ye Qing frowned, but he couldn’t deny the truth in the Fog Demon’s words. The “Paranirmitavaśavartin Heavenly Demon Sutra” fed on negative emotions to grow his demonic thought, so his heart demon and thoughts were greater than average. If he wasn’t careful, he could easily suffer a deviation and potentially perish. That was why he made sure not to cultivate his power too quickly.

In fact, this was a common characteristic of all martial arts of the Dark Ways. While fast to progress and incredibly powerful, martial arts of the Dark Ways possessed clear, oftentimes severe flaws as well.

“How did you know about this?” Ye Qing ignored the Fog Demon’s insult and asked doubtfully.

“Who do you think I am? I’m a glorious Fog Demon of the Nine Nethers! I’ve eaten more salt than you have rice, and I have witnessed countless fools falling for the same trap as you!” The Fog Demon declared arrogantly.

There was no way the Fog Demon was going to admit that it was the one who fell into the trap and almost died as a result.

“Well, you are definitely a knowledgeable and perspicacious Stranger, senior,” Ye Qing mused thoughtfully. “I’m assuming that you know a solution for this?”

The Fog Demon grinned. “I do, but you’ll have to beg me if you want my help.”

“Sure! Please help me, senior!” Ye Qing begged without hesitation.

Fog Demon: “...” Where’s your shame, man? Where’s your dignity?

The Fog Demon was hoping to see Ye Qing beg him with an ugly, humiliated expression, so it was a little miffed. Still, it had given its word, so it replied, “I’m a Nine Nethers Demon, and my expertise lies in toying and controlling with the human heart. If you lower your guard and open your mind to me, I promise I’ll conceal your heart demon and desires well enough to find that corpse.”

“Really now? You’re not lying to me, are you?” Ye Qing asked.

“Hmph. You and I are grasshoppers bound by the same rope. If you die, I die as well. Why would I lie to you at this juncture?” The Fog Demon scoffed with displeasure.

“True.” Ye Qing nodded, though there was a cold glint in his eyes the Fog Demon didn’t notice.

“Hmph. Guess you’re not an ingrate after all. If not for the fact that my life is bound to yours, and you’re not the worst master I ever served, I would never have made you the offer,” the Fog Demon said disdainfully.

“I didn’t know it pains you so much to help me. In that case, allow me to try my method first.” Ye Qing’s lips curled into a devilish smirk.

“W-What? You’re not actually suicidal, are you?” The Fog Demon was caught off guard by this declaration.

“Of course not. I still have much to live for. But like I said, let me try my method first,” Ye Qing said while killing the Strangers one by one.

It would appear that the Fog Demon was telling the truth. After he focused his thoughts and stopped his imagination from running wild, no more Strangers appeared while he slew the existing ones.

Of course, the same couldn’t be said for its so-called method. No, he wasn’t doubting its efficacy. As the Fog Demon said, its life was on the line as well. However, that didn’t mean it didn’t harbor some sort of ulterior motive.

In fact, he reckoned that the Fog Demon had figured out the trick behind the fog a long time ago. However, it chose not to tell him about it immediately because one, it wanted to see him struggle, and two, it wanted to offer him the solution after he had fallen into despair. Theoretically, he would be too distraught to consider the dangers of opening his mind to a Nine Nethers Demon and allowing it to do as it pleased.

The Fog Demon itself claimed that it was an expert in toying and controlling with the human heart, and Ye Qing always knew that it harbored malicious intent toward him. He would be in deep shit if the Fog Demon tried something while it was in control of his mind.

Plus, he wasn’t lying when he told the Fog Demon that he had his own method. Why would he resort to the risky method when he wasn’t out of ideas yet?

“Now’s not the time to crack a joke, boy. You may be suicidal, but I don’t want to die yet!” The Fog Demon wasn’t expecting Ye Qing to reject him. Assuming the boy really wasn’t joking, then everything he did would be for naught.

Although its life was in Ye Qing’s hands from the moment it became his artifact spirit—in fact, its situation was little better than the other Strangers who signed an Oath of Burden with Ye Qing—but as a Nine Nethers Demon, it had ways to circumvent its death.

For example, it could corrupt and control Ye Qing just like it had done to Xue Beikun. No one would notice anything amiss because the boy’s mind and energies were still intact. He just wouldn’t be the absolute authority of himself anymore.

While the Fog Demon was sure that Ye Qing would be on guard against foul play, it was confident that it could find an opportunity to corrupt and control Ye Qing once he opened his mind to him. Even if it failed, it could leave behind some suggestions that would tempt Ye Qing into the Dark Ways. Once he fell, it was only a matter of time before he became its puppet.

If that failed as well, then it could still unearth Ye Qing’s deepest secrets or weaknesses.

However, Ye Qing was saying that he didn’t need it. If it couldn’t gain access to his mind, then all of its planning would be for naught.

I thought for sure he’s desperate enough to try anything. Did he notice something? The Fog Demon couldn’t help but feel disgruntled.