CHAPTER 409: CHAPTER 409: SPEAKING OF YIN

"Hu Yijun!"

A dark figure burst out from the shattered rocks of the mountain, speeding away into the distance.

"Do you think you can escape?"

Hu Yijun said softly, and then the divine wind swept through the heavens and earth.

"Ah——"

A miserable howl echoed, forcing the shadow to stop and reveal its form.

Surrounded by black aura, it had long arms and legs, stood seven feet tall, with eyes red as blood and a face as dark as iron, sharp fangs and teeth, not at all human-like.

"Luo Tao!?"

Xin Yuniang exclaimed in disbelief.

"The True Desire Old Demon is dead, yet you, a brat who has cultivated demonic skills, still dare to linger near Dingfeng Mountain causing trouble?"

Hu Yijun’s eyes flickered as he waved his hand again at the demon.

The next moment, the Geng Metal Divine Wind slashed towards Luo Tao with the force of knives, and the black mist around Luo Tao seemed to have no effect, unable to withstand the cutting winds.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

A relentless onslaught, each slash struck fiercely.

"Ahhh!!!"

Luo Tao cried out miserably, attempting to flee but found himself bound by the divine wind, unable to move an inch.

"Hu Yijun! Hahaha! Back then, the Ancestor didn’t kill you and let you escape, and here you are, revealing yourself instead of hiding away?"

Luo Tao laughed loudly, showing no fear of being caught.

"The Ancestor is dead? Hahaha, just wait, when the Ancestor emerges, the world will be overturned!"

"Holy Spirit Wuxin, True Desire is the evidence, both Immortal and God, only the Demon stands supreme!"

"The Saint Demon Ancestor said: Its heart is perilous, blood and flesh are not enough to sustain it, temper it into void, desires infinite, reaching Divine Communication!"

Hu Yijun shook his head, and in an instant, Luo Tao was sliced to pieces by the Geng Metal Divine Wind, turning into a mist of black blood.

The divine wind swept through, the blood mist and black smoke were blown away into fine ash and dust.

"This person indeed inherits the True Desire Old Demon’s legacy, and the True Desire Old Demon is indeed not dead," Hu Yijun said in a deep voice.

Lu Zheng nodded with a grave expression and simultaneously counted the Light of Fortune extracted from his Mind Jade Seal.

Another wave of demons, then Xin Yuniang’s turn.

Lu Zheng blinked, feeling as if he were harvesting leeks, sensing he’d found another path to riches.

At this moment, Xin Yuniang flew tremblingly to join the group.

"Hu... Master Hu... that... that demon, he..."

Hu Yijun glanced at Xin Yuniang, "Younger Brother Lu noticed something off about Luo Tao, so he came back and informed me. If it weren’t for his vigilance, in a little while, your heart would have been refined into desire by him."

Xin Yuniang’s heart pounded, her face pale, and upon hearing this, she hurriedly bowed to Lu Zheng, "Thank you, Young Master Lu, for saving my life."

"No need, no need, I just delivered a message. Without Brother Hu’s supreme cultivation, we wouldn’t have been able to handle this demon," Lu Zheng waved his hand dismissively.

Even though the demon was consistently restrained by Hu Yijun in mid-air, its aura was undeniably real, powerful and chilling, definitely a terrifying existence.

Lu Zheng was relieved he had cautiously returned to Dingfeng Mountain to notify Hu Yijun; if he had exposed everything recklessly in front of Xin Yuniang...

The thought was too appalling to imagine.

"Master Hu deserves thanks, but without Young Master Lu, I fear I wouldn’t have escaped this catastrophe," Xin Yuniang said wisely, understanding that Hu Yijun probably didn’t need her gratitude, but thanking Lu Zheng might earn points in Hu Yijun’s eyes.

Thinking of this, Xin Yuniang couldn’t help but glance at Liu Qingyan.

Too bad, if Liu Qingyan weren’t here, Xin Yuniang would definitely have offered to share a bed.

"It’s noon now, if you don’t mind my humble abode in the cave, please join me in a chat," Xin Yuniang invited, then looked at Lu Zheng, "I’m also very curious, how did Young Master Lu discover this demon’s background?"

Lu Zheng had no objections, and Hu Yijun wanted to know how the demon got close to Xin Yuniang, so he nodded and said, "Lead the way."

Xin Yuniang, surprised and delighted, quickly descended from the clouds, landing, and bowed beside the cave entrance, gesturing with her hand, "Please!"

Hu Yijun led Lu Zheng, Liu Qingyan, and Hu Zhou along with his wife to the cave entrance, then followed Xin Yuniang into the cave dwelling of Jiyue Mountain.

Xin Yuniang, who loved beauty, had a cave that, although just a mountain cave of Jiyue Mountain, had a vermilion gate, and the inner walls were polished smooth, with a torch every few steps along the walls, lighting up the cave passage.

After rounding a few corners and walking through the passageway, the group arrived at the reception area.

About ten large luminous pearls were embedded in the ceiling of the cave, shining brightly after being enchanted, even brighter than outside.

There was an exposed underground river in the space, excavated by Xin Yuniang, forming a small pond above it, with a dozen kinds of flowers planted, and a small pavilion built.

Xin Yuniang led the group into the small pavilion and waved for a few handsome youths to leave, then hesitated a bit, "Apologies, my previous meals were all prepared by Luo Tao..."

Given Luo Tao’s exposure, Xin Yuniang could easily guess there were issues with the food.

"No worries, Miss Xin, please take a seat," Lu Zheng said, then tapped his gourd, letting a few plates of small dishes and a pot of Flower Carving wine fly out, landing on the table.

"Pardon my embarrassment," Xin Yuniang said, somewhat embarrassed, as she took her seat.

Hu Yijun, unceremoniously, asked, "Xin Yuniang, how did Luo Tao join your ranks?"

Xin Yuniang sighed, "I actually saved him from under a giant snake."

This was just an ordinary story.

That day, Xin Yuniang, tired of the youths in her cave, sent them off with some elixirs to return to their villages, and she wandered leisurely through other villages seeking new youths who could catch her eye.

She happened to encounter Luo Tao entangled by a giant snake on the outskirts of a village.

With one swift move, Xin Yuniang slew the snake, and seeing Luo Tao’s composed gratitude, learned he hailed from a lineage of Central Plains literati, aspiring to leave the mountains and return to the Central Plains. He set out northward alone, but after months of travel, hadn’t yet escaped the mountains and nearly became snake food.

Xin Yuniang found Luo Tao’s handsome looks and refined demeanor appealing, so she brought him back to her cave, engaging in a deep exchange of cultured dialogue that night.

Initially, Luo Tao wished to leave, but after a few reprimands from Xin Yuniang, he eventually gave up and settled down contentedly.

Luo Tao’s behavior allayed Xin Yuniang’s final wariness, and when he complained about the cave’s food and offered to prepare meals that tempted the appetite, she did not suspect anything.

"So... was it the food that caught Young Master Lu’s attention?" Xin Yuniang asked Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng nodded, pointing with his chopsticks at the small dishes before him, "Quite coincidentally, my culinary skills are somewhat commendable."

Liu Qingyan chuckled at this, having never seen a chef more skilled than Lu Zheng.

"That’s why I was very certain those appetizing meals weren’t a chef’s handiwork and became suspicious."

Lu Zheng nodded, explaining further, "Miss Xin, you wouldn’t know, but while chatting with Luo Tao, I discovered his literary talent matched the best of Great Jing, which seemed unlikely to have developed on its own in the Southern Border.

Or at least, it’s not something someone merely in their twenties could develop unless he truly was a genius."

"Thus, the next day when I left, I probed a bit more."

"That sword?" Xin Yuniang inquired.

Lu Zheng nodded, "Even someone like Jun Yu would be thrilled to receive such a weapon, yet he remained unflustered at the time.

And such a reaction only has one explanation: the sword didn’t impress him, leading me to my conclusion."

Lu Zheng paused, finally saying, "He was a master hiding his true identity."

Everyone heard this and nodded in agreement.

The subsequent events were clear; Lu Zheng wouldn’t dare bet on whether Xin Yuniang could contend with Luo Tao and opted to return to Dingfeng Mountain to ask Hu Yijun for help.

As for why he was referred to as a demon...

Previously, Hu Yijun had mentioned the Heartless True Desire Demon Ancestor. While dining, Lu Zheng noticed his inexplicable surge in appetite.

It’s well-known that insatiable greed, even in the form of appetite, is a kind of desire.