Humans and Demons, Good and Evil

The mystery of his origins left Jiang Cheng, an orphan, exceptionally anxious. He had lost his usual composure and hurriedly asked, "Does Sect Leader Chu know my parents?"

Who the hell knew who Jiang Cheng’s parents were? He only knew that Jiang Cheng was a descendant of Chi You.

This foolish boy kept digging into the matter. If his origins were truly laid bare, then he would become the target of public condemnation.

Jiang Cheng being a Half-Demon was far more serious than Zhang Xiaofan’s secret!

The latter merely possessed the cultivation methods of both Buddhism and Daoism. At worst, he possessed the demonic artifacts Bloodthirsty Pearl and Soul-Devouring Staff.

But Jiang Cheng…

He was a genuine Half-Demon!

In the worldview of Chinese Paladin, the Demon race had originally been the Beast race, created by Shennong, one of the Three Sovereigns. Their later leader, Chi You, was Shennong’s son.

In ancient times, the gods, humans, and beasts fought a great war, which ended in the Beast race’s defeat.

Chi You, their leader, sacrificed his life to open an entrance to the Demon World for the Beast race. The Beast race lived in the Demon World and gradually evolved into the Demon race.

However, not all of Chi You’s descendants had entered the Demon World. Some of their bloodline remained in the human world, and Jiang Cheng’s lineage was among them.

Legend had it that Demon World Supreme Lou had been formed from the fusion of Chi You’s blood essence and the baleful aura of heroic spirits from the ancient battlefield of the three races.

It was only a rumor. Whether it was true still required Chu Yang to verify it himself.

If it was true, Chu Yang would have a chance to obtain the bloodlines of Nüwa and Shennong among the Three Sovereigns. If he could also obtain Fuxi’s bloodline, that would be equivalent to obtaining Pangu’s essence, qi, and spirit.

Perhaps he could trace it back to its source and obtain Pangu’s supreme bloodline.

Unfortunately, Heavenly Emperor Fuxi was currently slumbering. It was impossible to obtain Fuxi’s bloodline from him, so another method had to be found.

Chu Yang did not directly answer Jiang Cheng’s question. Instead, he urged him once more to leave with him, which only made his behavior seem stranger to onlookers.

Jiang Cheng’s feelings were complicated, and he did not immediately leave with Chu Yang.

If, as others said, he was some elder’s illegitimate son, then so be it. That was nothing shameful. What he feared was that the situation might be even worse, something that needed to be concealed from others.

If that was the case, then he would rather not acknowledge this kinship.

Jiang Cheng’s thoughts were not wrong. If the demonic qi within him had not been overflowing to the point where his Half-Demon identity could not remain hidden for much longer, Chu Yang could not be bothered to concern himself with him.

"Jiang Cheng, Sect Leader Chu must have his reasons for doing this. You have always been calm and clever, so why can’t you understand such a simple principle now?"

Only after Ouyang Ying rebuked him did Jiang Cheng reluctantly prepare to leave with Chu Yang.

"Brother Jiang, if you have concerns, how about I accompany you?"

Xiahou Jinxuan suddenly stood up.

"Nonsense!"

Xiahou Zhang rose as well. He first observed Chu Yang’s expression, then placed a hand on his son’s shoulder.

Xiahou Jinxuan winced in pain, but he did not yield. He stared intently at Jiang Cheng.

Jiang Cheng slowly nodded.

"I’m going too!"

Xia emerged from who knew where. She had already changed into Shu Mountain Sect disciple robes, looking dainty and adorable.

After thinking for a moment, Chu Yang said, "Fine. It happens to concern you too."

Xia was utterly shocked. She had merely wanted to ease Jiang Cheng’s tension, yet she had not expected the fire to spread to herself.

Could it be…

Was he her long-lost brother?

The next moment, the two instinctively looked at each other. Jiang Cheng also wore a panicked expression, clearly having thought of the same thing.

"Hahaha, it’s so lively. Then I’m coming too!"

Xie Cangxing enjoyed stirring up trouble and squeezed forward with a grin.

Since he was going to spoil things anyway, he might as well make everything clear at once. Keeping it bottled up would only make him feel worse.

With that in mind, Chu Yang pointed at Mu Changlan, who was sitting not far from Xiahou Jinxuan. "You too. This has something to do with you as well!"

"Ah?" Xia cried out in disbelief. "Sister Mu, you too…"

Mu Changlan was completely confused. She had no mystery surrounding her origins. She knew her parents, family, brothers, and sisters perfectly well.

Xiahou Zhang frowned at them and said, "What a complete mess."

Chu Yang rolled his eyes. He had originally wanted to mention Xiahou Zhang as well and tell him that his younger brother had long since been switched out, but things were already confusing enough for everyone to imagine all sorts of things. There was no need to add fuel to the fire.

Thus, amid the chaos, Chu Yang led Jiang Cheng and the others out of the main hall and into a side chamber.

"Sect Leader Chu, there is no one else here now. Please speak freely. I can bear it!"

Jiang Cheng spoke with a resolute gaze.

You said yourself that you could bear it, so don’t blame me for being blunt.

Chu Yang said sincerely, "You are not human!"

Jiang Cheng’s face immediately froze, his eyes dull.

What did that mean?

He brought me here just to insult me?!

Everyone else wore expressions of extreme awkwardness.

Good heavens.

This Sect Leader Chu really did not seem normal.

Seeing Jiang Cheng’s constipated expression, Chu Yang sighed. "You are of the Demon race. More precisely, you are a human-demon hybrid. Half of your bloodline belongs to the Demon race."

Jiang Cheng’s pupils shrank sharply, and he immediately shook his head. "Impossible!"

Xiahou Jinxuan also denied it at once. "Brother Jiang and I have known each other for many years. He absolutely cannot be of the Demon race!"

Xie Cangxing and Mu Changlan said nothing. In truth, they had already noticed that something was wrong with Jiang Cheng.

During their journey, Jiang Cheng had shown signs of Qi Deviation several times. Looking back now, it seemed it had not simply been an issue with his cultivation method.

Xia said anxiously, "Brother Jiang is such a good person. How could he possibly be of the Demon race?"

Chu Yang asked strangely, "Why do you think the Demon race consists only of bad people? He is of the Demon race, so what does that have to do with whether his nature is good or bad?"

Xia’s words caught in her throat. She stared blankly at Chu Yang, not knowing how to refute him.

Jiang Cheng and the others were likewise stunned by Chu Yang’s "outrageous" words. It was hard to imagine that the dignified Sect Leader of Shu Mountain would say something like that.

"But… they are the Demon race. They are all very frightening beings."

Xiahou Jinxuan spoke hesitantly.

Chu Yang asked, "You must have passed through Thousand Peaks Ridge on your way here. There is a band of bandits entrenched there, correct?"

Xiahou Jinxuan nodded blankly.

Chu Yang explained, "Those bandits are actually all Half-Demons. They were oppressed by humans from childhood, and in order to protect themselves, they had no choice but to occupy the mountain and become bandits."

"Humans forced them into that place. Tell me, in their eyes, are humans frightening, or are demons frightening?"

Xiahou Jinxuan fell silent. The others could not offer an answer either. Or rather, they knew the answer, but found it difficult to say aloud.

Jiang Cheng suddenly recalled how the bandit leader of Thousand Peaks Ridge had called him a "kindred spirit" and told him to seek them out someday if he had nowhere to stand.

So that was what it meant…

With everything falling into place, Jiang Cheng had no choice but to believe what Chu Yang said. He stood there in a daze, utterly at a loss.

"Whether demon or devil, those who incline toward goodness are good. Whether human or god, those who incline toward evil are evil."

"I dare say my experiences have been more eventful than yours. I have seen devoted demons, deeply affectionate devils, heartless humans, and vicious immortals and gods."

"If humans and demons were the standard by which good and evil were divided, then this world would have long been filled with demons and devils."

After a long while, an expression of relief appeared on Jiang Cheng’s face. He bowed to Chu Yang and said, "Thank you, Sect Leader Chu, for your guidance."

Xiahou Jinxuan cupped his hands and said, "Sect Leader Chu’s words today were truly deafening. Jinxuan greatly admires you. That you could become the Sect Leader of Shu Mountain at such a young age is a blessing for all living beings under heaven."

"Oho, oho! Young Master, when it comes to flattery, you’re even better than me!" Xie Cangxing gave Xiahou Jinxuan a thumbs-up and winked with a cheeky grin.

"Brother Xie, please do not laugh at me. Those words truly came from the bottom of my heart." Xiahou Jinxuan blushed and scratched his head awkwardly.

"I think so too!" Xia nodded, then asked in confusion, "Big guy, don’t you think so?"

"Hey, hey, hey, don’t turn this around on me. My admiration for the Sect Leader is like the endless river, flowing on without cease!" Xie Cangxing hurriedly put on a flattering smile.

Mu Changlan sneered from the side. "I think the young master still has quite some distance to go before he can compare to Brother Xie in the art of flattery."

Jiang Cheng silently watched them bicker, and for some reason, he felt at ease. His fear of his Demon race identity gradually faded away.

"The reason I revealed your origins is, first, because the demonic qi in your body has already reached the point where it cannot be suppressed. If it is not guided away in time, it will surely bring endless future trouble."

"Second, I do not wish for you to be exploited by someone with ulterior motives. The half of your bloodline belonging to the Demon race is extraordinary. You are a descendant of Chi You, capable of doing things that ordinary members of the Demon race cannot."

"For example, opening the passage connecting the human, divine, and demonic realms—the Well of Gods and Demons…"

Chu Yang told everyone about the Well of Gods and Demons. Once they understood the gravity of the matter, their expressions became solemn.

Mu Changlan in particular looked not only grave, but also somewhat uneasy. She suddenly thought of the mysterious person who had secretly traded with her.

Jiang Cheng, keen-minded as ever, asked, "Sect Leader Chu, did the person with ulterior motives you mentioned refer to someone from the Demon race? Do you believe someone from the Demon race will use me to open a passage between the human world and the Demon World?"

Chu Yang shook his head. "It is not that I believe it. He has already begun acting!"

Everyone was shocked.

Xia asked anxiously, "Who is that person?"

Chu Yang answered, "His name is Mo Yi. He is the Grand Elder of the Yaksa Kingdom in the Demon World. As for why he is doing this, we must begin with the Yaksa Kingdom’s current situation…"

Only after the time it took to burn an incense stick did Chu Yang finish explaining the Yaksa Kingdom’s situation. When they heard that Mo Yi was seeking a way for his people to survive, everyone’s expressions became complicated.

Some demons were not purely evil. Their positions were simply different, as were the perspectives from which they viewed things.

"Because the two realms are separated, Mo Yi cannot descend into the human world himself. He can only seek controllable puppets to walk the human world in his stead and gather intelligence for him."

"More than ten years ago, a great earthquake struck the Central Plains. Among the humans who had just died, Mo Yi found two suitable bodies. He used the Soul Binding Technique to forcibly retain the souls that should have entered reincarnation within their bodies."

"Of those two bodies, one was an infant. It was inconvenient for Mo Yi in many ways, so he abandoned her."

"As that infant grew into adulthood, her soul remained unstable. Her five senses were weaker than those of ordinary people, and she often suffered from dizziness. Sometimes, she would even fall unconscious for several days…"

By the time Chu Yang reached this point, Xia had collapsed weakly onto the floor. She looked utterly lost, her eyes hollow. She had never imagined that this was the cause of her strange illness.

I’m dead…

Tears streamed down Xia’s face. She was still in the bloom of youth, with so many beautiful things left to experience, yet she had already been declared dead.

"Miss Xia! Don’t panic. Sect Leader Chu said before that he had a way to save you. Don’t frighten yourself."

Xiahou Jinxuan crouched beside Xia, patted her shoulder, and comforted her softly.

Normally, Mu Changlan would have comforted Xia as well, but after hearing the cause of Xia’s illness, she suddenly thought of the villagers in her hometown.

More than ten years ago, during the great earthquake, Mu Changlan’s Mu’ai Village had also suffered terrible casualties. Then, disease spread after the earthquake, and most of the survivors fell ill and waited for death.

By chance, a crack connecting to the Demon Realm appeared in Mu’ai Village. The Ghost Qi leaking from it barely maintained the souls that should have left the villagers’ bodies, freezing their time from then on.

The elderly no longer grew older, and children no longer grew up.

However, good times did not last. The crack linking the Demon Realm gradually closed, the Ghost Qi vanished, and most of the villagers died one after another, their souls returning to the underworld.

Mu Changlan’s Brother Qin, Mu TanHuan, found the Mountain God and begged him to hold open the crack so that the Ghost Qi could continue sustaining them. Only then did the last small group of people survive.

Unlike Xia, the people of Mu’ai Village could not leave the area covered by Ghost Qi. The moment they did, they would die. Thus, even after all these years, they remained trapped in Mu’ai Village, unable to leave.

In order to save her brother and the villagers, Mu Changlan had constantly sought a solution. While learning many skills, she had also begun dealing in information.

Mu Changlan stared fixedly at Chu Yang, wanting to know exactly what method he had.

Under Xiahou Jinxuan’s persuasion, Xia also rekindled her hope and looked at Chu Yang with expectant eyes.

Chu Yang summoned the ancient Tianque sword, which slowly flew toward Xia.

Even without activating its abilities, Tianque itself still had a positive effect on spiritual bodies. In the Jujutsu Kaisen world, Chu Yang had used Tianque’s power to restore those affected by Idle Transfiguration to their original state.

He intended to use that same ability on Xia, repairing the gap between her soul and body.

As gentle white light descended, Xia felt a warmth she had never experienced before. Ever since she could remember, she had never had much concept of cold or heat.

For the first time, she had a clearer understanding of what "warmth" meant.

A warm current filled every corner of her body, making her feel so comfortable that she wanted to fall into a deep sleep.

The white light slowly faded, and Xia felt completely different. Her skin, once pale like that of a corpse, now carried a rosy glow.

"How do you feel, Miss Xia?"

Xiahou Jinxuan asked nervously.

"It feels different, but I can’t say exactly what is different right now…"

Xia excitedly touched her body.

Xie Cangxing immediately suggested, "Girl, take a sip of wine and try it!"

Xia nodded, removed the wine gourd from her waist, and took a huge gulp. The warmth she had once felt now became like blazing fire burning down her throat!

"So spicy! So spicy! Why has this wine become so spicy?!"

Xia fanned her mouth desperately, sticking out her tongue as tears streamed down her face.

Xie Cangxing clutched his stomach and burst into laughter, his prank having succeeded. He trusted the Sect Leader’s ability, so he had been holding himself back from the beginning just to tease Xia.

Only realizing it afterward, Xia chased Xie Cangxing all over the place, though her face was filled with a brilliant smile.

Surviving a calamity was something worth celebrating for anyone.

While the two were fooling around, Mu Changlan silently walked up to Chu Yang and dropped to her knees with a thud.

Under everyone’s astonished gazes, she knelt on the ground, sobbing in grief.

"Please, Sect Leader Chu, show mercy and save my family!"