Chapter 41

Demons and beasts share many similarities.

In the struggle for survival in a life-or-death environment, even the heaviest wounds are never shown easily, as one must be cautious to hide their presence and tracks. They avoid light, avoid human presence, and in a safe enough place, lick their wounds alone, waiting until they recover.

Whether in the colorless city or the Nine Underworlds, Mo Lin always remained vigilant, never allowing any enemy to find an opportunity.

He should have noticed Liuyu’s approach much earlier.

But in fact, it wasn’t until Liuyu’s presence was close enough to strike at any moment that he finally looked up, meeting her soft, misty gaze.

“I thought you were still discussing matters with Shen Tu and Yu Lei. I didn’t expect you to be here.”

She slowly crouched by the shore, her pale gold skirt flowing and drifting in the water.

“Who injured you? Did they die?”

Mo Lin watched as she idly played with the water at the edge of the pool.

She wore only a thin gauze robe, intended for bathing. Her wide sleeves were rolled up, revealing her delicate white wrist, and her long, fair fingers stirred the water, sending ripples that spread toward him.

“They’re all dead,” his voice was low.

Liuyu propped her chin and looked at him. “Were they very strong? Strong enough to hurt you?”

“I let them,” he said, raising his hand to check the bruises on his knuckles.

“If not for them, the Demon Academy wouldn’t have had trouble recruiting students, and the Nine Underworld demons wouldn’t have been torn apart. Burning them alive would have been too merciful.”

Liuyu stared at him for a while and said, “You hate them this much, yet you’ve endured for so long.”

In his previous life, Mo Lin had to fight the Jade-faced Spider and the forces behind it while also guiding the Nine Underworlds onto the right path.

He spent a hundred years.

With such patience, he almost showed no personal emotions.

Mo Lin, of course, hated the demons of the Demon Subjugation Sect.

He hated them for wreaking havoc in the Nine Underworlds.

He hated them for colluding with enemies.

And he hated them for being foolish and selfish, doing things that harmed others without any benefit to themselves.

Many times, if not for Bai Pingting’s persuasion, he would have already attacked Jade Mountain and burned those demons who betrayed their own kind.

“The Nine Underworlds isn’t a place where power alone decides everything. What the lord faces isn’t a people whose loyalty can be forged just by breaking through the Colorless City. Think about it, if cultivation alone could control the world, then shouldn’t the four Grandmasters of the Great Zhao be sitting on the imperial throne today?”

Bai Pingting’s mother came from a royal family, and under her upbringing, Bai Pingting understood politics better than most demons.

That’s why Mo Lin endured.

The Jade-faced Spider had the support of the Great Zhao, with endless wealth. He did not.

The Jade-faced Spider had the bloodline of a Demon Lord, and many demons were willing to support him as the legitimate ruler. He did not.

But he had a desire to present the Nine Underworlds as something more refined and prosperous.

He didn’t want her to step into the Nine Underworlds one day and find a chaotic, fragmented place.

He wanted the Nine Underworlds to be as grand as Xian Du Yu Jing, full of poetry, song, and countless talented scholars, with abundant resources.

Only by cleansing the rough, lowly past of slavery could he compete with the talented youths around her.

“When there’s something you desperately want, but the heavens won’t let you have it so easily, the only way is to endure and wait patiently.”

His gaze was thick with emotion, as if speaking about the Nine Underworlds, but also something else.

He stepped forward, approaching Liuyu.

The water parted with his steps, and the sound of it rippled louder with each step.

Mo Lin had expected her to look away.

At this moment, his appearance wasn’t pleasant—besides the numerous wounds, the demon markings on his skin hadn’t faded, making his pale skin appear even more grotesque.

But Liuyu didn’t look away. Instead, she stared at him intently.

She had never looked at this demon so directly.

Tonight, the frost-white moonlight covered Jade Mountain, illuminating the intricate demon patterns on his firm muscles.

Liuyu even saw, with each of his breaths, the black markings on his waist and abdomen seemingly alive, slowly moving.

When Mo Lin reached a position within arm’s reach, Liuyu reached out and gently touched the markings on his waist and abdomen.

The demon marks and his muscles tensed at once.

“How fascinating,” Liuyu remarked softly.

“Is this like the scales on your body? Do they appear every time after a fight?”

The shallow water by the edge of the pool allowed Mo Lin to see the girl looking at him directly, her gaze fixed on his waist. His eyes were heavy with a deep, unreadable expression.

“Yes.”

He then said, “Hand me the clothes behind you.”

Liuyu looked at him.

He could take the clothes with his power from a distance, yet he asked her to hand them to him—his intentions were clear.

She tapped her chin thoughtfully and said, “Why do I feel like you don’t want me to hand you the clothes?”

His expression was indifferent as he replied, “I really don’t want to, but you once said you didn’t want to see my demon marks, so I had to wear them—don’t I even sleep with my gloves on?”

Liuyu finally recalled that he had always worn black gloves.

She blinked and said, “Isn’t that just your own quirk?”

“I have many quirks, but I certainly don’t have that one.”

Demons and beasts have many similarities.

In an environment where survival is a struggle, even the gravest injuries will never make one easily show weakness. One carefully hides their presence and tracks, avoiding light, avoiding human traces, and licks their wounds alone in a place of safety, waiting for recovery.

Whether in the Colorless City or in the Nine Hells, Mo Lin remains constantly alert, never allowing any enemy to find an opportunity to strike.

He should have sensed Liuyu’s approach earlier.

But in fact, it wasn’t until her presence was so close that she could strike at any moment that he raised his head, only then meeting her soft, smoky eyes.

“I thought you were still in a meeting with Shen Tu and Yu Lei, didn’t expect you to be here.”

She slowly squatted by the shore, the pale golden skirt flowing down, gently swaying in the water.

“Who hurt you? Did they die?”

Mo Lin watched her as she played with the water at the edge of the pool.

She was only wearing a thin gauze dress, her wide sleeves rolled up, revealing her slender white wrist. Her long, pale fingers stirred the water, sending ripples that reached him in layers.

“They’re all dead,” he said in a low voice.

Liuyu tilted her chin and looked at him. “Were they strong enough to hurt you?”

“I did it on purpose.”

He raised his hand to look at the bruises on his knuckles.

“If it weren’t for them, the Ghost Path Academy wouldn’t have struggled to recruit students, and the Nine Hells demons wouldn’t have been torn apart. Just burning them to death was too kind.”

Liuyu stared at him for a moment and said, “You hate them this much, yet you’ve endured for so long.”

In his past life, Mo Lin had to fight against the Jade-Faced Spider and the forces behind it, while also guiding the Nine Hells back on track.

He spent a century doing this.

With such patience, you couldn’t see any trace of personal emotion.

Mo Lin obviously hated the demons of the Demon Hunter Sect to the bone.

He hated them for causing chaos in the Nine Hells.

He hated them for colluding with the enemy.

And he hated them even more for their foolish selfishness in doing things that harmed others with no benefit to themselves.

If not for Bai Pingting’s persuasion, he would have long since marched to Yushan and burned those demons who betrayed their own kind.

“The Nine Hells isn’t a place where you fight with your fists. The Lord must face more than just the hearts of people who once united to break out of the Colorless City. If strength alone could dominate the world, wouldn’t it be the four great grandmasters of Da Chao sitting on the imperial throne today?”

Bai Pingting’s mother came from a royal family, and under her guidance, Bai Pingting understood politics better than most demons.

That’s why Mo Lin endured.

The Jade-Faced Spider had the support of Da Chao, and an endless supply of riches. Mo Lin did not.

The Jade-Faced Spider had the bloodline of the Demon Lord, and many demons were willing to rally behind him as the rightful leader. Mo Lin did not.

But he had a peony nurtured carefully in the Nine Hells.

He did not want her to step into a land of chaos and ruin one day.

He wanted the Nine Hells to be like the immortal capital of Yujing, full of poetry, scholars, and abundant resources.

Only by washing away the remnants of his past life as a slave could he stand a chance to compete with the young talents around her.

“When there’s something you desperately want, but Heaven won’t let you have it so easily, there’s no other choice but to endure and be patient,” he said.

His eyes were heavy with meaning, as though speaking about the Nine Hells, yet also about something else.

He moved, stepping closer to Liuyu.

The water parted with his steps, and the sound of ripples grew louder, clearer.

Mo Lin thought she would avoid his gaze.

His appearance wasn’t flattering—apart from the numerous wounds, his body was still marked with demonic tattoos, which under his pale skin appeared even more menacing.

But Liuyu did not avert her eyes. Instead, she looked at him with focused attention.

She had never looked at this demon so openly before.

Under the frost-white moonlight, Yushan was bathed in a silvery glow, highlighting the intricate demonic patterns on his muscular body.

Liuyu could even see the black markings on his waist and abdomen moving slowly, as though alive, with his breath.

When Mo Lin stood just a hand’s breadth away, Liuyu reached out and lightly touched his waist.

The demonic marks contracted, tightening around his muscles.

“Really amazing,” she whispered.

“Does it show up like your scales after every fight?”

The water around them was shallow. Mo Lin looked down at her, her long lashes brushing against his palm.

“Yes.”

He then said, “The clothes behind you. Pass them to me.”

Liuyu glanced up at him.

He could easily summon things from a distance, but he asked her to pass them. His little intentions were almost written on his face.

She tapped her cheek with a finger, “How come I feel like you don’t want me to pass the clothes to you?”

His gaze was indifferent, and he answered in a low voice, “I really don’t want you to, but you once said you didn’t want to see the demonic tattoos on me, so I had to wear them—don’t I even wear my gloves when I sleep?”

Liuyu finally remembered the black gloves he had always worn.

She blinked. “Isn’t that your own quirk?”

“I have many quirks, but this one isn’t mine.”

“Fang Fucang sent word that after defeating several other noble families, the Xiangli family took Taiping City. This really is a narrow road for enemies. It seems like heaven is urging me to quickly deal with Xiangli Shen.”

The jet-black hair, like satin, spread out in the water. Mo Lin’s fingers passed through the soft strands, and his heart seemed to drift along with the flowing water.

“Do you need my help?”

“Not for now,” Liuyu narrowed her eyes. “Once Jiufang Xinglan brings the message to the head of the Jiufang family, you’ll be my fake husband, looking the part but not truly with me. If the Demon King intervenes, the traces would be too obvious. You can’t help me take Taiping City.”

“Do you have a plan then?”

“A bit.”

Liuyu smiled.

“Xiangli Shen spared no cost to take Taiping City from so many hungry wolves. He must have a reason for doing so. I guess he must be lacking money. Everything needed for the Wuliang Sea, from immortal herbs to spiritual plants, isn’t cheap. Only by taking Taiping City, this treasure trove, can he continue his research into the Wuliang Sea and strengthen the Xiangli family.”

“With money, he’ll naturally need more test subjects for his medicine—he can target the people of Jiuyou, splitting them apart. This trick can be used against them too.”

Although the Xiangli family is no longer a top-tier noble family, in the past, they were the most loyal dogs of the Jiufang and Zhongli families.

Destroying the Xiangli family would be like cutting off one of their arms.

However, it couldn’t be done in the name of the Yinshan family to avoid raising their suspicions too early. To achieve this, more thought would be needed.

Mo Lin could tell from her tone that she already had a plan.

“But there will be a time when I’ll need your help. I’ll tell you when it comes.”

His warm fingers cupped her chin, and Mo Lin looked down at her upside-down face.

“Just tell me?”

Liuyu blinked.

“The Demon King has his own way of doing things.”

Mo Lin circled around her neck and kissed her from above, all the while pulling her hand back.

As a low sigh escaped his throat, he whispered:

“The young miss needs to learn to command on her own.”