Chapter 36: Just... For Fun?

"Is that so?" Wen Jinge still harbored doubts about Lu Wei's memory. "Are you sure about this? Once the peak is renovated, I'm heading down the mountain to earn money."

"Yes, I'm sure. Go ahead! Isn't your Xuan Yun Sect a thousand-year-old sect?"

"Ten thousand," Wen Jinge corrected him. "It's a ten-thousand-year-old sect, but the other major sects are only millennia old. And that Demon Lord—rumor has it he awakens every century or millennium. To avoid trouble, we say we're a thousand-year-old sect to outsiders."

Lu Wei: ...

He finally understood why Wen Jinge was so cunning.

Turns out, it was a sect tradition!

"You're the troublemaker among the Seven Peaks, aren't you? Causing such a stir today—it's odd that neither the elders nor the other peaks have come to give you grief."

"You know," Wen Jinge stared at him intently, "when I brought you out, I considered they'd accuse me of colluding with the demons, that the most poisonous heart belongs to a woman, turning disciples into half-demons, neither human nor ghost.

When we left, the illusion wasn't broken yet, but I deliberately summoned an elder of the same generation as my master to seal the barrier. I purposefully stood before him with Qiao Yu. He glanced at us, said the sealed demon was troublesome, and left.

Something feels off! The world says you demons bewitch people, that you know the intricacies of human nature. Help me think—why didn't he expel me from the sect? Even though I sealed you, you can still escape! What if you destroy Xuan Yun Sect? What if you're only pretending to be sealed? What if you're a clone of the Demon Lord?"

"..."

Lu Wei was even more speechless.

To him, Wen Jinge was a peculiar person, Liang Si the senior disciple was odd, the other six peaks were strange, and the entire Xuan Yun Sect was bizarre.

"Maybe you've lost your memory, and they don't want the hassle?"

"I don't know." Wen Jinge waved her hand as if to dispel these chaotic thoughts. "If the water diversion fails this time, you'll take me back to the old site of White Deer, and we'll go treasure hunting, alright?"

"You have money?"

"Not for long."

Soon, Lu Wei realized just how quickly "not for long" was.

Because he failed. The man kept his word; though now a soul, he still agreed to Wen Jinge's treasure hunt.

Water was diverted using Wen Jinge's improved method.

Several disciples planted flowers, trees, and herbs by the shore, all medicinal plants freshly relocated from Medicine Mountain.

Fan Zifan, master of Qinghong Peak, came by for a look, confirmed Wen Jinge hadn't caused trouble elsewhere, and was reassured. He threw out a harsh line, "Ten and a half seats. Since it's for your own use, I'll give you half off. Remember to pay!"

"Find Junior Brother Ai; he won a lot betting against you."

Fan Zifan stormed off, fuming.

Though the trial ended abruptly, Qiao Yu, with Lu Wei's help, actually took first place.

Many lost money, few made a profit—just three peak masters: Ai Fengling, Song Huan, and Shan Hongxing.

"Your disciples aren't much, are they?" Lu Wei snorted.

Wen Jinge glanced at him, mimicking his arrogant tone when beaten, "I am Lu Wei, the War God of White Deer. Ha! To compare a mere War God with a bunch of novices—isn't that embarrassing?"

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Lu Wei's face; he was about to find a quiet place, then stopped.

Because Wen Jinge, gazing at the now-cleared water, squatted on the bank and produced a hundred storage pouches from her ring.

Red pouches held orange ones, orange held blue, nested four or five layers deep. She sprinkled pouch after pouch of spirit stones, first covering the small lake, then grabbing handfuls to embed along its sides.

After finishing, about thirty unopened red pouches remained at her feet.

"So this is what you meant by 'about to run out of money'?"

"Look at this huge peak. I used to be the sole disciple, raised in another's household. Now I suddenly have five disciples. Liang Si is about to advance to sixth grade, so soon won't need food, but the others do! What do they eat? Isn't it all money?"

Lu Wei was once again left speechless.

He paused for a while, seeing Wen Jinge drawing an array, recalling his prior failure, "I'll estimate the range for you, but won't interfere with your drawing."

"Alright." Wen Jinge wiped her face with her sleeve. "Is Qiao Yu's body almost healed?"

Lu Wei instinctively grew wary: "Are you planning to abandon him once he's useful?"

Wen Jinge stopped, realizing this man was truly hard to accommodate—let him out and he wants to go back, send him back and he wants to come out. "There's something I want him to do. Next time he faints, you can come out."

Lu Wei said nothing, only asked after she finished, "Will there come a day when I completely merge with your disciple?"

"Then tell me, when you awoke, did you sense any other demonic energy nearby?" Wen Jinge took a deep breath.

This question had troubled her for days. If not for insomnia, she wouldn't have opened half a library on Wanzhang Peak, nor been forced to renovate it for better living through constant study.

"Yes."

"A great demon?"

"The demonic energy was intense, at least..." Lu Wei looked at her, growing curious himself.

By rights, Wen Jinge's array was ancient and powerful. All demons, conscious or not, would seek the strongest demon's aura for shelter or seek to be devoured by one.

Demons are born from corruption, inherit sin at birth, devoid of emotion, knowing only battle.

Lu Wei paused, remembering his past as War God—it seemed he was no different.

A bitter smile touched his lips, sorrow filling his eyes. Was he born a demon after all?

"At least what?"

"I just thought, then, I should have gone to it, not to you—unless it hadn't yet developed self-awareness."

"I don't understand." Wen Jinge grabbed another handful of spirit stones, placing them in the array nodes along the lake. "No self-awareness—as in, like a fetus in a mother's womb, unformed? Or like a newly dead soul, lost without direction?"

"Either is possible."

"If it didn't return to the seal, could it survive in the illusion? Could it possess a beast—does that happen?"

"At least, I wouldn't," Lu Wei answered. "Maybe in your eyes, they're all willing sinners, but the former great demons were proud. They'd rather possess a ruined human than a beast."

"Is it possible one followed us out?" Wen Jinge's greatest worry now was just that—with so many disciples in Xuan Yun Sect, searching one by one would be a waste!

"It's possible."

"You've met the other six peak masters, right? Which one is weakest? Which is strongest? If you were to possess someone, who would you pick?"

"None of them."

"Name one!" Wen Jinge grew insistent, even muttering, "Next time I'm in a good mood, I'll get you a new body to stay in."

Lu Wei felt his scalp tingle, starting to wonder who was the real demon.

After days of observation, he finally asked, "Just... for fun?"

"Exactly."

Lu Wei began to feel grateful—luckily, the disciples were obedient and hadn't overheard their conversation.