Chapter 14: The First Signs of Inner Demons

“Grandfather, are you finished with your work?” She stopped in front of Qi Shuoyuan and looked up to ask.

Lately, Qi Shuoyuan had been so busy he was hardly seen; being the sect leader was truly exhausting.

“Yes, I’m done.” He took his little granddaughter’s hand. “Didn’t you say you wanted something delicious before, Jiu’er? Do you still have room for more?”

He would occasionally check on his granddaughter, and just happened to see her nestled in a pavilion with the girl from the Feng family, both enjoying roasted spirit chicken. Seeing how well the two got along, he and Master Feng decided not to disturb them.

At the mention of good food, Ji Jiuxuan’s eyes sparkled.

To ask a seasoned foodie to go three years without eating anything, and then be presented with delicacies again—it was like a starving wolf pouncing on its prey.

Recalling the deliciousness of the roasted spirit chicken just now, Ji Jiuxuan grew even more eager to see what treats her grandfather had brought her.

Qi Shuoyuan chuckled as he pulled out an exquisite box of pastries and some dried roasted meat from his storage space. She couldn’t tell what kind of meat it was, but the spiritual energy it contained was extraordinarily rich.

Both were perfect as snacks.

“Thank you, Grandfather!” Ji Jiuxuan beamed, taking two pieces of pastry. Happily, she brought one to Qi Shuoyuan’s lips. “Grandfather, you have some too.”

Qi Shuoyuan was delighted that Ji Jiuxuan was willing to share with him, his heart brimming with joy. He resolved to seek out even more delicacies in the future.

Watching his little granddaughter eat with such delight, Qi Shuoyuan couldn’t help but feel happy as well.

“Jiu’er, would you like to go to the Beast Taming Sect to join the Spirit Valley trial?”

Ji Jiuxuan hadn’t expected her grandfather to ask her directly, but she answered honestly, “I would.”

Then she asked seriously, “Grandfather, is there a spot for me this time?”

She hadn’t inquired how many spots Elder Dongcheng had given to Xuantian Sect this time; such matters were likely to be decided within the sect, and she didn’t want to trouble her grandfather by being too inquisitive.

Since her grandfather had brought it up himself, and from his tone, it seemed likely she had a spot. Still, she was curious if her name was on the list.

“There is.” Qi Shuoyuan stroked her hair. “When it’s time, shall I have your Uncle Min escort you?”

Min Chengjun?

Information about him surfaced in Ji Jiuxuan’s mind.

Min Chengjun was her grandfather’s second disciple, known to the world as Mister Min. Outwardly, he appeared refined and scholarly, but rumor had it he was fond of making money and doing business, with a very streetwise air about him. His enterprises were scattered across the world; in all of Xuantian Sect, no one was wealthier than he.

Her father’s junior brother had little interest in cultivation, yet his strength was second to none, and he was fiercely protective of those close to him.

She’d heard from Wen Ying that her grandfather once considered making Min Chengjun the next sect master, but he ran off faster than anyone else at the idea.

“Alright!” Ever since learning she had such an uncle, Ji Jiuxuan had been deeply curious about him.

Her grandfather soon became busy again. Ji Jiuxuan waited until the moon was high in the sky, but Wen Ying still hadn’t appeared. Growing worried, she sent her a message via communication jade, but received no reply for a long while.

Becoming anxious as night fell, Ji Jiuxuan got up, intending to seek out her junior uncle for help in finding her.

At the gate, Ji Jiuxuan saw Wen Ying. Today, Wen Ying was different—dressed in black robes, her entire presence was strange, like a powerful figure emerging from the darkness, intimidating to behold.

The moment she saw Ji Jiuxuan, Wen Ying’s aura shifted back to normal, as if Ji Jiuxuan had imagined what she’d just seen.

“Aunt Ying, where did you go? I couldn’t find you.” Ji Jiuxuan was puzzled. Had something happened to Wen Ying just now? Why did her aura feel so odd?

“System, do you know what happened to Wen Ying just now?”

Ji Jiuxuan asked her system directly. She didn’t expect an answer, but instinctively wanted to confide in someone to ease her unease.

“Something came up. Jiu’er, you should rest now—you must be exhausted,” Wen Ying replied with a gentle smile, her whole demeanor becoming softer, just as usual.

Such a change only made Ji Jiuxuan more curious.

“She’s entangled by a heart demon. If she doesn’t resolve it, she’ll eventually fall into demonic ways,” the system answered, leaving Ji Jiuxuan both shocked and worried. “Is there any way to help?”

“She’s lost her memory, doesn’t even know what her true heart demon is, yet she’s particularly obsessed with it, so the heart demon will only grow stronger,” the system explained thoroughly, even offering some comfort: “Don’t worry, perhaps you are the key to helping her overcome it.”

The system’s words were ambiguous.

A heart demon could be vanquished either by eliminating the person at its core or by fulfilling a long-held wish.

Given Wen Ying’s attitude toward her, Ji Jiuxuan guessed she might be one of the keys to helping Wen Ying fulfill her wish.

But with Wen Ying’s memory lost, perhaps even she herself didn’t remember the details.

“System, is there any way to help Wen Ying recover her memory?” She’d heard Wen Ying’s memory loss dated back to her arrival at Xuantian Sect, and the only ancestor who knew her circumstances had already passed away.

“When you’re strong enough, you’ll find out. Don’t worry; for now, her condition is still relatively stable.” When she might lose control and turn completely demonic, the system honestly couldn’t say.

So she would just have to wait.

“I’m not tired.” Led into the courtyard by Wen Ying, Ji Jiuxuan resolved in her heart: if she had to wait until her cultivation improved before she could help Wen Ying, then she would work even harder to make that happen.

It was a pity that her healthy development settings limited her training time.

Still, she wasn’t the type to dwell on her current situation. Things that needed to be solved, she would solve; and life had to go on as it was. She’d simply strive to improve her cultivation whenever her allotted time allowed.

“Aunt Ying, tomorrow I’d like to go to Wangchen Peak to play with Feng Hanxiao.” The thought of delicious food made her mouth water.

“All right, but don’t neglect your daily assignments. And remember to attend your lectures at the academy.” Today, Wen Ying had come to terms with things; at least within the sect, it was relatively safe.

For a cultivator to grow, they couldn’t be protected too closely; they needed space to develop.

“Don’t worry, Aunt. I’ll be diligent with everything. Hanxiao is going to the academy too, so I’ve arranged for us to go together.” Suddenly, her foodie companion was about to become her classmate.

The night passed uneventfully. Ji Jiuxuan seemed to suddenly revert to a childlike state, waking early and looking forward to her trip to Spirit Beast Peak and the Spirit Herb Garden.

Glancing at the sky, Ji Jiuxuan decided to head to Wangchen Peak first. If Feng Hanxiao wasn’t free, she’d just wander around the peak for a while.

After using a cleansing spell and tidying herself up, she informed Wen Ying before heading out.

Wen Ying watched Ji Jiuxuan, sensing the even smoother flow of spiritual energy within her, and nodded in satisfaction. This child was gifted, her cultivation advancing quickly; going out more and gaining experience would do her good.

At the spirit beast station, Ji Jiuxuan discovered the moon-white rabbit from the day before was still there. Delighted, she ran over, climbed onto its back, and deposited spirit stones into the pouch attached to its saddle. “Bunny, we meet again. Take me to Wangchen Peak!”

“Hello there!” The moon-white rabbit’s voice was as gentle as ever. Seeing a familiar face, it was quite happy and quickly set off toward Wangchen Peak.

At first, Ji Jiuxuan thought she would have to descend the main peak and follow the main road to reach Wangchen Peak—a trek that would take an ordinary person an entire day.

To her surprise, the moon-white rabbit carried her toward the back of the station, where a curtain of light shimmered. Beyond the light, a hidden road could be faintly seen.