Become a true immortal by emulating all demons.

"Don't make a fuss."

Lin Shu raised her wine bowl and said softly.

With these words, he acknowledged everyone's suspicions and reassured them.

This also helped to calm these people down a bit.

"What's wrong, sir?"

Yunlong Demon Lord tried to calm his breathing, and his eyes were filled with gratitude as he looked at Lin Shu, even more so than when the other party had saved his life.

After hesitating for a moment, he couldn't help but ask another question.

Although the demons were unwilling to believe that Lord Yuanyuan had perished, seeing him alive with their own eyes finally put their hearts at ease after so many years.

However, the adult seems to be in a very strange state right now.

Not only has he lost his domineering aura as a demon king, but he has also become somewhat mentally unstable and even a little foolish.

"It will get better gradually."

Lin Shu offered a simple reassurance, saying that the man was much better now than before.

At least in the beginning, given the other party's stubborn and inflexible nature, it was impossible for me to persuade them with just a few words when it came to serving tea and water.

The recovery process should not be rushed to avoid unexpected events, otherwise it may alert the Qi family.

"Where has he been all these years, and how have you managed to contact him?"

Jinhe Shiyi also knew the seriousness of the matter. He suppressed the violent turmoil in his heart, looked away from the man, and asked cautiously.

Since Lord Yuanyuan is still alive, why hasn't he come looking for us?

Could it be that in Yongzhou, there are beings more worthy of the Demon King's trust than his former subordinates?

Where has the other party been hiding all these decades? How did the little demon king find Lord Yuanyuan's trail? What is the connection between the two...?

This matter is far too complicated to explain.

Lin Shu didn't want to recount every detail, from how she opened her eyes and met Old Yang, to how the cripple went to Anren Prefecture and met Yuan Yuan.

He hesitated for a moment, then uttered a name: "Su Jingci".

"..."

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned for a moment.

Jinhe suddenly recalled the little demon king's previous arrangements outside the Qingyuan Treasure Land.

The general of Yongzhou pitied the demon people and, despite the possibility of offending Qi Hanshan, was unwilling to use the Ten Thousand Soul Banner to reap the lives of mortals.

This is surprising enough, but still somewhat understandable.

After all, Su Jingci's governing philosophy had long been criticized by the immortal sects.

But now it seems that this general actually dares to take in Lord Yuan Yuan?

Don't mention that you were once fellow disciples.

Which of the demon lords present wasn't betrayed by their closest relatives when they were first expelled from the immortal sect?

What are fellow disciples?

It's not uncommon for sons to report their fathers to the Demon Slayer Bureau.

The fact that Su Jingci was able to remain in the position of general after Lord Yuanyuan betrayed the demons shows that he has earned Young Master Qi's trust.

"Is the most dangerous place the safest place?" Jinhe asked with a strange expression.

After a long silence, the Demon Lord Yunlong suddenly said, "He has had a hard time all these years."

Not only was he secretly protecting Lord Yuan Yuan, but the rule that this general set for his subordinates to stay put was also likely a way of protecting the demons of Yongzhou.

Given their position and the pressure from the immortal sects, it's truly remarkable that they could achieve this level of success.

The words fell.

Everyone realized something at the same time, and their expressions changed.

In that sense, Su Jingci was not only one of their own, but also a great contributor to the demons of Yongzhou.

At this moment, with the three Qi family prodigies all perishing, this great hero is still in the most dangerous Yongzhou City!

"Let's eat."

Under the watchful eyes of many anxious people, Lin Shu lowered her gaze slightly and ended the conversation.

Everyone has their own circumstances beyond their control.

He once used this phrase to advise Chang Yi: "How can there be a perfect solution in this world? How can everything go smoothly?"

Even now, the demons of Yongzhou have occupied Dragon Ridge and half of Anren Prefecture, with nearly thirty demon lords under their command, and behind them is the Yuanyuan Demon King, who can unleash his Nascent Soul strength at any time.

With such a force, they could sweep through any major prefecture as easily as crushing ants.

However, as long as those two half-immortals are still alive, the demons, including themselves, will always be at a disadvantage, and can only live like rats in the gutter.

Earlier, Lin Shu had thought Yuan Yuan was a madman.

But now, he has gradually begun to understand the other person.

To put it bluntly, it's a matter of sunk costs.

If a person only thinks about living a leisurely life, then that would be incredibly easy.

But if you've already done a lot and things are getting better and better, only to find that it was all destined to be destroyed and all your previous efforts were in vain, you'll always feel a little reluctant to let it go.

At such times, there is a high probability that one will lose their usual rationality and composure and act impulsively.

"..."

Thinking of this, Lin Shu looked at the tall, imposing man beside her who was enjoying his meal.

So, you encountered a similar situation back then and decided to take a gamble?

After a moment, Lin Shu looked away and smiled helplessly.

Fortunately, I won't have to face this kind of difficult choice.

Because of Young Master Qi, he had no choice but to gamble.

The problem is... he still hasn't been qualified to sit at the table.

The ones who can determine the course of the situation in Yongzhou are never those at the Golden Core stage, but rather a handful of figures standing at the very top.

Inside the inn, there should have been a lively victory celebration banquet.

Now it seems to have turned into a zoo for visiting the Demon King Yuanyuan.

Everyone sat absentmindedly in their seats, their eyes fixed on Yuan Yuan's face, no matter what they were doing.

Until even this imposing man got fed up, he put down his greasy pork knuckle and glared back at them one by one.

"Everyone, let's disperse for now."

Lin Shu checked the time and found it was about time, so she got up and led the man upstairs.

It was still that familiar guest room.

He himself was the one who broke through from Foundation Establishment to Core Formation here, and even raised a fully grown Filthy Moon Wolf Lord.

"call."

He let out a soft breath, sat down at the table, and then summoned the panel and the merit and evil coins.

After deducting the costs of improving his cultivation, engaging in combat, and refining magical treasures, this trip to Yongzhou actually allowed him to accumulate a considerable amount of savings.

The amount of bad silver was 150,000 taels, and the amount of good silver was 260,0

Eight ounces and one mace of Karmic Fire Gold Essence, and one ounce and five mace of Calamity Relief Gold Essence.

But it was clear that after killing Zhao Hexi, his savings had increased significantly.

First came the group of Zhao family's Golden-Striped Black Tigers. Those who could be summoned by the prodigy to deal with Qian Yiru were all members of a clan with outstanding strength. Except for the first one that died, which was slightly weaker, the rest were all over 20,000.

These alone amounted to 180,000 taels, and with Zhao Hexi added, it became 210,000 taels.

The essence of karmic fire is also four ounces and seven mace.

Compared to the ill-gotten gains from murder, the opportunities to earn good deeds are extremely rare.

After all, this thing requires waiting for an opportunity and cannot be operated by hand. Moreover, driven by the instinct for survival, not everyone is willing to fight to the death.

For example, this time, there were clearly nine demon lords present.

However, Lin Shu only received six related notifications.

This definitely includes Yunlong Hongling, Leiyin and Qian Yiru, as well as two other powerful demons I don't recognize.

Anyway, that demon lord in the late stage of the Golden Core realm wasn't among them.

Newly promoted demon lords like Lei Yin only received five thousand taels of silver. The other two leaders, however, had made breakthroughs in their cultivation levels, barely surpassing the ten thousand tael mark. In addition, the two Great Shun demon lords were all at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm.

Finally, Qian Yiru was included.

In total, it amounted to less than 70,000 taels of silver and 1.4 taels of gold essence for relieving suffering.

The remaining demon generals and even lesser demons were hardly of any use in the face of these donations of tens of thousands of silver coins.

"It's alright."

Lin Shu wasn't too disappointed.

A powerful demon like Jintang, born in the Great Shun Dynasty, has only recently arrived at Longjizhang. It's already quite remarkable that he's survived this long. Why should he fight to the death on the border for a group of unfamiliar demons from Yongzhou?

Correspondingly, it can be seen from Shan Yin's hint that Zhao Hexi's trip was purely to restore the Zhao family's reputation and, incidentally, to avenge Zhao Zhiyue.

As a prodigy of the immortal sects in the Great Shun Dynasty, she had no intention of massacring the Dragon Ridge Mountain or helping the Qi and Yu families, these two mortal enemies, resolve their troubles.

"360,000 taels of bad silver and 340,000 taels of good silver."

"What an embarrassing number."

After counting her spoils, Lin Shu closed her eyes and sighed inwardly.

Both sides look like they have a lot, but they're both missing a little bit. It would be great if we could switch them out.

With just 500,000, one has a good chance of obtaining a Nascent Soul technique.

He banished his distracting thoughts, reopened his eyes, and took out several small, shimmering trinkets from his storage treasure.

An antique bronze mirror and a stone chariot with a figure the size of a palm—these are the treasures of the Yu family.

And there are the silver needles I just received.

Then there was a small, dark banner and a finely crafted, square seal, which had been taken from the Qi family.

The latter is called the Five Ghosts Half-Mountain Seal, which is also a spiritual treasure of the spirit and soul type.

Qi Wenxuan once tried to use it to break through the Lotus Flower Minor Tribulation, but his physical body was too weak. Before it could be used, he had already lost consciousness under the Tribulation.

Aside from these, Lin Shu left treasures like the Bagua Dragon Locking Plate, which require multiple people to perform a ritual, with Jinhe and the others, instead of letting them gather dust in her storage ring.

His gaze swept over the items one by one, a hint of emotion in his eyes.

With the help of spiritual treasures, his path to the Golden Core stage was smooth and steady. Even in the most dangerous situations, he always had a trump card up his sleeve.

However, even now, while they remain extremely useful tools, they are no longer the decisive factors that can turn the tide and decide life and death.

Although they are all called spiritual treasures, their quality can only be seen when they are placed side by side.

The Mountain God Mirror, though seemingly incredibly powerful, remained the weakest even after consuming a coin's worth of Karmic Fire Essence.

No wonder it was left at the border, to be guarded by Yu Qiheng.

It's probably similar to the situation with the Blackwater City Ink Dragon Sword Bracelet; it was placed in the mountains and rivers to absorb the essence of the earth in an attempt to improve its quality.

The one with the strongest aura was actually the dark soul banner.

However, it is clear that although there are differences in quality, these five magical treasures are still at the same level.

"..."

Lin Shu reached out and picked up the Heavenly Wolf Ten Thousand Soul Banner, only to feel its icy touch and a chilling wind rushing towards her arm.

This item was a gift from Su Jingci.

Although the general outwardly displayed strong confidence, guaranteeing that nothing would happen to him once he returned to Yongzhou City.

But Lin Shu wasn't stupid either.

The fact that the other party "left behind" the Soul Banner can only mean that the situation has become so serious that it doesn't matter whether the banner exists or not.

During this period, Lin Shu often examined this object.

He originally planned to pour a larger amount of Karmic Fire Essence into it, attempting to break through its current level.

However, after further observation, Lin Shu noticed something amiss.

He is a person who doesn't care about details.

In the past, if I found treasures from immortal sects, regardless of whether they were refined from the bodies of cultivators, they had already become magical artifacts, so I couldn't just throw them away and not use them.

But this time it's different.

He sensed that the souls within the Ten Thousand Souls Banner... still possessed consciousness.

Those creatures that were once taken in were not stripped of their minds.

This magical artifact works by tormenting the souls within it to gain more resentment, thus maximizing its effectiveness.

If the karmic fire essence, known for its violence, is then added, it will undoubtedly transform the banner into an endless hell, bringing eternal torment.

But it just so happens to be the spiritual treasure closest to a breakthrough, and I am currently lacking the strength and means to achieve that.

Lin Shu couldn't help but hesitate.

Now things are much better. The Essence of Releasing Calamity has reached nearly three ounces, and because it is far from enough to improve one's immortality, it has never been of any use.

The phrase "to relieve calamity" seems to perfectly describe the current situation.

With this in mind, he no longer hesitated and directly put all the Essence of Calamity into it, then put it back into his storage ring and let it slowly digest.

"I want to break through."

After taking stock of her spoils, Lin Shu looked at the imposing man beside her.

He slowly rose, cupped his hands in a salute, and said with a serious and humble expression, "Please enlighten me, Demon King."

Despite Yuan Yuan Demon King's seemingly foolish appearance, Lin Shu has discovered through these days of experimentation that his memories are like a treasure trove sealed away.

After swallowing the demon infant, the treasure vault was opened, but it was too messy and needed someone to help "search it out".

"Huh?"

The man paused for a moment, then scratched the back of his head.

He pondered for a long time before stammering, "Master Lin is already very strong, why the rush? It's dangerous to be too hasty in this kind of thing."

You can tell he's genuinely worried about this young man.

Furthermore, the man lacked confidence in his fragmented memory and, to avoid any potential mishaps like going into a trance, hoped to sort it out before discussing the matter further.

Thinking it over, he waved his hands with a slightly goofy expression, reassuringly saying, "Why the rush? There's no rush, let's wait a little longer."

"call."

Lin Shu remained silent for a long time, then suddenly smiled and slowly opened her palms, frankly admitting, "Because I'm really greedy."

Although sunk costs are not involved in major decisions.

He also knew that no one could win forever, and that there would eventually be a day when someone would lose.

However, he was genuinely afraid that he would gradually get used to the taste of losing.

Take Su Jingci as an example.

Lin Shu did not want a repeat of what happened in Shuangyun Prefecture.

If he were to return to Yongzhou Prefecture someday and, by sheer luck, defeat the Qi and Yu families, he would not want to see the general's corpse hanging on a spear before seeking revenge.

He hoped that Su Jingci could live a good life and witness all of this.

Greedy Wolf, who came from Blackwater City, not only wanted to win, but to win big.

Can 360,000 taels of silver be enough to earn a chance to be served at the table?

Lin Shu turned her gaze back to the man in front of her.

"..."

Under that burning gaze, the Demon King Yuanyuan's expression shifted from dazed to distress.

He furrowed his brows, then let out a muffled groan as if his head was splitting open.

After an unknown amount of time, he finally spoke in a hoarse, broken voice:

"Then you need to look carefully."

As soon as he finished speaking, his linen clothes suddenly shattered, and a dark red mist of blood energy coiled around his body like small snakes.

Suddenly, strange and obscure black runes appeared on his muscular and robust body, as well as his thick arms.

With the blessing of these runes, Lin Shu once again felt the oppressive feeling that had previously plunged him into despair and helplessness.

However, last time it was the suppression of powerful demonic energy, this time it's the huge difference in the way of body tempering.

To cultivate two completely unrelated paths to the Nascent Soul stage simultaneously—truly worthy of being a renowned demon king of Yongzhou!

"Ha!"

Lin Shu was trembling uncontrollably all over.

Only those eyes still shone with a fierce light, and even as she held her breath, she stared intently at the black runes on the man's body, unwilling to miss the slightest detail.

Finally! He finally saw the chips that would get him onto the table!