Chapter 10 

Lin Sa Sa swore that if she managed to get out of Frost Ice Forest alive, she would pluck all the rabbits there to make herself a fur coat.

Even when she had been mistakenly killed while spectating a fight in the book, she had never felt such terror before. Now, she was running as fast as she could. Hearing the rustling sounds behind her, she couldn’t help but scream, “Dad, save me!”

Bang—

A Barrier appeared out of nowhere, blocking her path. Lin Sa Sa crashed into it and was flung back violently, the impact sending her tumbling to the ground.

“So it’s you.”

Lin Fu Feng didn’t hear Lin Sa Sa’s plea for help. The one who answered her call was He Lan Ling.

His loose robes clung damply to his body as he slowly walked up behind her. When he saw her face clearly, he inexplicably let out a soft chuckle, his voice low and quiet. “Heard everything, did you?”

Lin Sa Sa was terrified.

She frantically shook her head and scrambled backward, too afraid to stand up. Her skirt was strewn with scattered Magical Artifacts. “It wasn’t me! You’ve got the wrong person!”

He Lan Ling stared at her expressionlessly and took a step closer.

Lin Sa Sa shrieked in fear, covering her head. She grabbed a Magical Artifact at random and held it protectively in front of her, her face crumpling as she begged, “Don’t kill me! I didn’t hear or see anything! I—I—I was just here to catch rabbits, okay? W-would you believe that?”

He Lan Ling crouched down in front of her, his knee bent. How could he believe that?

Cold droplets of water slid down his cheek and into his collar. Just as Lin Sa Sa had once lifted his chin, he now pinched her cheeks, forcing her to meet his gaze. “If you didn’t see anything, then why are you so afraid?”

Up close, Lin Sa Sa noticed frost forming on He Lan Ling’s long lashes, yet the fingers gripping her chin were scorching hot, like a furnace.

Lin Sa Sa gulped and forced herself to reply calmly, “I’m not afraid.”

To prove it, she cautiously placed her hand on He Lan Ling’s wrist. Her fingers were cold from nervousness as she lightly encircled his wrist and pleaded, “Brother Ling, let me go, okay? I really don’t know anything.”

The next moment, she saw the Magic Crest on He Lan Ling’s forehead glow. A skull-shaped face formed from black mist squeezed out from the mark.

Lin Sa Sa: “!!!”

She was going blind.

Even though it was conjured from Demonic energy, the skull’s face was horrifyingly grotesque. Its hollow, cavernous eyes glared viciously at Lin Sa Sa as it opened its bloody maw and cackled. “Little girl, stab his forehead.”

Afraid she wouldn’t recognize him, the skull introduced itself. “I am Celestial Demon Yasha, the supreme ruler of demons. Free me, and I promise you immortality and eternal prosperity for your Sect.”

Lin Sa Sa wanted to cry. “Shut up!”

Even as a novice in cultivation, Lin Sa Sa had heard of Ye Sha—an Ancient Pure Demon born from the essence of heaven and earth.

Ten years ago, Ye Sha had emerged suddenly, wreaking havoc across the mortal realm. Every Sect in the Cultivation World had braced for battle, prepared to sacrifice themselves to save the world.

Back then, Lin Sa Sa had only been six years old. Though she didn’t understand why the Sects were so tense, the blood-red sky had left a deep impression on her. It was during that time that Lin Fu Feng had disappeared. When he returned, the crimson glow in the sky had vanished, and he had brought He Lan Ling back with him—a boy of only twelve at the time.

The sudden disappearance of Yasha had sparked countless theories in the Cultivation World. Some claimed it had been slain by Daojun and other mighty cultivators, while others insisted Daojun had trapped it inside a Magical Artifact and sealed it away. No matter the rumor, one thing was certain: Yasha would never return.

Who could have imagined this?

Even Lin Sa Sa hadn’t expected that such a demonic entity capable of destroying heaven and earth was not only still alive but also sealed within an ordinary mortal body under its control.

No—recalling the Heretical Ascension Art mentioned by Ye Sha earlier, Lin Sa Sa guessed this wasn’t a simple seal using the Body as Vessel. He Lan Ling had turned his own body into a Cauldron—he intended to refine, devour, and harness Ye Sha’s power!

This was a true act of defying the heavens, a heretical and demonic path. Had He Lan Ling gone mad?

A cold laugh sounded in her ears. Lin Sa Sa snapped back to attention and found He Lan Ling still staring at her.

The usually gentle and refined man, perhaps having torn off his facade and no longer bothering to pretend, gazed at her with deep, icy eyes. His warm breath brushed against her as he murmured, “So clever. You guessed it all.”

He had actually seen through her thoughts.

But then, “What should I do?”

His thumb slid down her cheek before his fingers lightly encircled her slender neck. He Lan Ling leaned in, pressing his forehead against hers as he whispered, “Killing you… I really can’t bear it.”

Not that he couldn’t bear it—it was just inconvenient to handle.

Lin Sa Sa was Lin Fu Feng’s daughter. Her father held an exalted position in the Cultivation World, his cultivation second only to the greatest in this era. In his current state, He Lan Ling stood no chance against him. So the one who truly couldn’t bear to lose her was Lin Fu Feng, not He Lan Ling.

“It might hurt a little.” He Lan Ling drew even closer, his lips brushing her ear as he spoke. “Endure it for me.”

To refine Ye Sha, He Lan Ling was enduring the agony of being scorched by flames. Lin Sa Sa’s cool body temperature provided some relief. If not for the fact that she knew too much, he might have truly considered keeping her alive. But now, he had no choice but to kill her—and to prevent Lin Fu Feng from discovering his involvement, he had to dispose of her body thoroughly, even crushing her soul.

How ruthlessly cruel.

At first, Lin Sa Sa had thought to play weak, hoping to soften He Lan Ling’s heart. But now, facing death, she realized this tactic was useless against him. Since it was futile, she couldn’t be bothered to feign cowardice anymore. As He Lan Ling tightened his grip around her neck, she spat, “You really are a dog.”

He Lan Ling narrowed his eyes. “What did you say?”

“I said you’re a damn mutt—a blind, perverted hypocrite. I always thought you were no good since we were kids, and guess what? I was right! A mere mortal trying to refine a demon and ascend? Aren’t you afraid you’ll burst? Can you even tell if you’re still human or just another demon now?”

To think she’d once considered He Lan Ling normal. Compared to him, even Feng Qi seemed tame.

Seizing the moment of his distraction, Lin Sa Sa grasped her only chance—channeling Spiritual Power into her fingertips, she struck at the Magic Crest on He Lan Ling’s forehead. If he wanted to kill her, she might as well strike first. Without the male lead, Luo Shui Wei could marry whoever she pleased. Wouldn’t that count as completing her mission?

At this moment, He Lan Ling was at his weakest. Perhaps he hadn’t anticipated Lin Sa Sa’s resistance, allowing her to actually touch his Magic Crest. Instantly, He Lan Ling was wracked with excruciating pain as Ye Sha rampaged wildly inside him. Waves of Demonic Energy surged from the Magic Crest.

“Release me! I’ll slaughter you all—”

The Demonic Energy coalesced into a grotesque face, howling toward the sky.

He Lan Ling lost control over Ye Sha within him. At this moment, he could no longer spare any attention for Lin Sa Sa, forcing himself to form hand seals to reinforce the Magic Crest on his forehead. Lin Sa Sa scrambled to her feet and retreated several steps, preparing to seize the opportunity to deliver another fatal blow to He Lan Ling. But just then, He Lan Ling’s hands paused mid-seal as his entire body became enveloped in Demonic energy, lifting him into the air.

What was happening?!

Lin Sa Sa halted her half-formed spell and looked up at He Lan Ling.

His robes and hair billowed without wind, his tightly shut eyes emitting pained groans before he suddenly let out a low, eerie laugh.

His voice, deep and pleasant, seemed to blend with another’s as he abruptly opened his eyes. His pale, handsome face now bore an enchanting yet sinister beauty, gradually covered in black patterns. What shocked Lin Sa Sa the most was that He Lan Ling’s pupils had been completely overtaken by darkness, turning into pitch-black voids devoid of light.

“Well said, little girl,” He Lan Ling’s voice mingled with Ye Sha’s, a raspy growl intertwined with smooth allure.

He tugged open his collar, exposing his skin and collarbone, stretching his neck as he inhaled the forest air with a twisted, intoxicated smile. “Exquisite.”

Lin Sa Sa’s face paled instantly—her instincts screamed that the person before her was no longer He Lan Ling.

‘He’ indeed wasn’t. Due to Lin Sa Sa’s lethal ambush, He Lan Ling had lost control, and now Ye Sha had taken over his body. The first thing Ye Sha intended to do was return to the demon realm to rally his forces for war. However, this wasn’t his original body, and He Lan Ling still clung to a sliver of consciousness, forcibly anchoring him in place.

“Young brat He Lan, I swear I’ll slaughter your entire lineage!” Ye Sha spat through gritted teeth.

If he could, he would gladly use He Lan Ling’s own hands to tear out his heart. But now that he inhabited this body, their lives were bound—harming He Lan Ling would only harm himself.

Since he couldn’t leave, he’d summon demons to fetch him instead. Ye Sha formed a seal and struck it toward the sky above the Cloud Hermit Sect, his voice dark and menacing as he called, “Gou Xiang, my slave, come greet me at once.”

Whoosh—

Demonic energy surged outward from the Cloud Hermit Sect.

When Lin Sa Sa heard the name Ye Sha had summoned, she gasped sharply. At the same time, a crisp chime of bells rang in her ears—ding!

[Plot is about to proceed as intended. Villain must fulfill duties to prevent the male and female leads from uniting.]

[Remember: Do not break the narrative.]

In other words, the opening arc had begun—if the male lead died now, how would the rest of the story unfold? Break the narrative, and you’ll pay with your life!

So all her earlier conjectures and plans had been wrong. Furious, Lin Sa Sa snapped, “Why didn’t you say so sooner?!”

Now that He Lan Ling had been reduced to a hollow shell by her actions, the warning came too late—what was she supposed to do?

The Book Spirit didn’t answer, merely shaking its bells by her ear and issuing emotionless reminders: [Narrative-break warning, narrative-break warning—]

[Villain must adhere to plot progression. Do not break the narrative.]

The noise nearly drove Lin Sa Sa mad. Left with no choice, she lunged toward Ye Sha. Recalling the sealing technique He Lan Ling had used earlier, her fingers flew as she channeled Spiritual Power into the Magic Crest, shouting, “He Lan Ling, wake up! If you don’t snap out of it now, we’re both doomed!”

She was gambling everything, buying He Lan Ling mere seconds.

Fortunately, He Lan Ling was no pushover. Seizing the opportunity, he began wrestling back control of his body. Ye Sha roared in fury within him, forcing He Lan Ling’s fingers to claw toward Lin Sa Sa’s eyes as he snarled, “I’ll tear you apart—”

The next moment, his pitch-black eyes regained a trace of clarity. The fingers that had reached toward Lin Sa Sa reversed direction and plunged into his own chest. He Lan Ling’s voice was icy as he said, “I’m afraid you won’t get that chance.”

Truly a ruthless man who dared to refine pure demonic energy—He Lan Ling was merciless even to himself.

To regain control of his body, he stabbed his hand into his chest without hesitation. While wounding Ye Sha, the sharp pain also brought him complete clarity, allowing him to retract all the dispersed demonic energy.

“He… He Lan Ling?” Lin Sa Sa tentatively called his name as she saw him once again enveloped in demonic energy.

The demonic energy dwindled until it was completely absorbed by He Lan Ling. His pale skin was as white as paper, his long lashes lowered. Hearing Lin Sa Sa’s voice, he slowly lifted his face, the crimson Magic Crest between his brows still emitting a faint glow.

Meeting Lin Sa Sa’s concerned gaze, He Lan Ling blinked sluggishly before suddenly reaching out with his bloodstained fingers to touch her cheek.

“Now…” he murmured, “killing me would be as easy as turning your hand.”

Before Lin Sa Sa could react, he collapsed straight to the ground, dragging her down with him.

Thud.

With a heavy impact, Lin Sa Sa landed on top of He Lan Ling, pressing him down and forcing a groan from him as he vomited blood before losing consciousness.

Lin Sa Sa was terrified. She scrambled up and patted his face frantically, only to see his frost-white robes soaked in blood, the stain still spreading.

Ding—

The bell chimed again. The Book Spirit, as if fearing Lin Sa Sa might take the opportunity to assassinate He Lan Ling, repeated its warning: [Plot Collapse Warning.]

[Plot Collapse Warning.]

[Villain must follow the storyline. Do not deviate.]

Lin Sa Sa didn’t want to deviate either.

Staring at the now darker night, she crouched beside He Lan Ling, pondering how to clean up this mess and restore everything to how it was.

Author’s Note:

33: I’m having such a hard time.

Thanks to the little angel who threw the grenade: Jing Zi 1;

Thanks to the little angels who nourished with nutrient solutions: Man Di, Li Ren Lei 10 bottles; Little Panda with Wings 2 bottles; Yi Zhi Hu Yan, Ran Ran’s Potato 1 bottle;