Since they weren’t relatives, Yuan Di’s motive was practically leaping out at him.
Teaching an enemy’s grandson the demonic path, turning grandfather and grandson against each other, causing pain to loved ones and pleasure to enemies, and ultimately leading to the destruction of the family…
It just so happened that *Huitian* was very suitable for those without a Spiritual Root.
‘Tsk, this little Yuan Yuan is truly insidious and despicable.’
Wang Sandong grumbled inwardly, but he also learned a great deal.
He decided that if anyone provoked him in the future, he would corrupt that enemy’s child.
There probably wasn’t a more satisfying way to take revenge in the whole world.
But on second thought, it still wasn’t as satisfying as direct vengeance — if his strength permitted it.
However, he had now become a Demonic Cultivator.
If he were discovered, he would surely die a miserable death.
In this world, there wasn’t a single person who wouldn’t want to take a Demonic Cultivator’s head to the Righteous Alliance to exchange for a reward.
Therefore, even if he had enemies and the strength for revenge, he had to be cautious.
He couldn’t easily reveal his power, and he had to hide his abilities as much as possible.
Thinking that far ahead was a bit premature.
To be thinking about how to hide his strength when he didn’t have any yet…
It was the height of absurdity.
But strength might not be too far off.
Wang Sandong discovered that by practicing for only 1 or 2 hours every night, after only 3 days, he could clearly feel a strange power surging within his body — Demonic Qi.
It was exactly as Yuan Di had said — “it grows very fast.”
Only 3 days had passed, yet it was comparable to 3 years of effort by others.
He was startled, not daring to feel joy.
Various cultivation manuals shared a similar viewpoint: cultivation should be slow.
An overly rapid progression would surely have great drawbacks.
It was like pulling at sprouts to help them grow, killing the goose that laid the golden eggs, or draining a pond to catch the fish.
History was full of instances where people died from their bodies exploding because their cultivation progressed too quickly for their physical forms to handle the immense power.
Wang Sandong felt like a starving man who had suddenly started eating without restraint; he might be more likely to choke to death than an ordinary person.
Looking at his pale, sickly, and clearly fragile face in the mirror, Wang Sandong’s heart was filled with complex emotions.
He was also a bit worried about Mr. Yi.
Watching Mr. Yi, whose eyes were slightly closed as he placed two fingers on Wang Sandong’s wrist to take his pulse, Wang Sandong’s heart leaped into his throat.
He swallowed hard, his young Adam’s apple bobbing slightly as he hesitated to speak.
He was worried.
What would happen if Mr. Yi discovered he was practicing Demonic Arts?
Even if he didn’t discover it, seeing that his health had improved wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
If someone without a Spiritual Root like him could live a healthy life, many people would be curious and want to investigate, wouldn’t they?
Even if others didn’t care, the elders of the Wang Family would be curious.
When the time came, someone would surely discover that he had become a demon…
Abandoning kin for the greater good, acting on behalf of heaven, and eliminating demons for the sake of the Way…
These phrases popped into Wang Sandong’s mind.
“Sigh.”
Mr. Yi withdrew his hand and let out a heavy sigh.
Opening his eyes to look at Wang Sandong, he hesitated before speaking, “The Third Young Master has a detached and elegant temperament. This old man shall speak plainly.”
‘A detached and elegant temperament? Where is he getting that from? He must have misunderstood.’
Wang Sandong gave a bitter smile and said, “Please, go ahead, Sir.”
“If you have any unfulfilled wishes, Third Young Master, please attend to them as soon as possible,” Mr. Yi said with a touch of sadness.
Wang Sandong stared at Mr. Yi in a daze.
He was genuinely surprised.
Mr. Yi not only failed to realize he was practicing Demonic Arts, but he hadn’t even noticed that his physical condition had improved — or had it not improved at all?
Was that Yuan Di person lying?
Did practicing *Huitian* not allow him to survive?
Mr. Yi was a famous doctor, known throughout the Old Capital; surely he wouldn’t misdiagnose him.
After a brief thought, Wang Sandong said, “I need to go to Fengyue Tower. It’s on the way, so I can give you a ride, Mr. Yi.”
Mr. Yi looked at Wang Sandong, and the sadness in his eyes quickly turned into admiration.
“The Third Young Master is a man of true character. This old man admires you.”
As he spoke, he actually laughed.
“Simply visiting a brothel, yet you make it feel like a heroic endeavor. It is truly rare.”
Having said that, he smiled, stood up, and picked up his medicine box.
“I have other patients to see elsewhere, so I won’t trouble you, Third Young Master.”
With a bow, he departed.
Wang Sandong wasn’t going to Fengyue Tower for a heroic endeavor; he simply wanted to find Yuan Di.
‘That girl…’
‘That boy…’
‘If that bastard dares to lie to me, I don’t care if she’s one of the Five Emperors or the Heavenly King himself — I’ll give her a piece of my mind. I’m a dying man anyway, what do I have to fear from you?!’
—
Inside Fengyue Tower.
This time, when Yueniang saw Wang Sandong, she didn’t seem as terrified as before.
In fact, there was an added hint of flattery in her expression.
“Hehe, Third Young Master, we haven’t seen you in a few days. Your complexion… looks much better.”
Looking at Wang Sandong’s haggard, pale, yet handsome face, Yueniang gave a dishonest compliment.
She approached with a swaying waist and a beaming smile, offering a few pleasantries before adding, “Master, the main hall is quite noisy. Why don’t you go upstairs to rest?”
Wang Sandong looked at Yueniang with a scrutinizing gaze, wondering about the relationship between her and Yuan Di.
A smile played on his lips.
“Very well, lead the way.”
On the third floor, in the very room Wang Sandong had stared at for 1 year.
The lazy-looking Yuan Di picked up a glass of wine poured by Yueniang and signaled for her to leave.
Wang Sandong watched as Yueniang closed the door behind her, then turned back to look at Yuan Di, who was tilting her head back to drink.
He let out a grin.
“Rarely do high-level cultivators come to places like this. It’s actually an excellent hiding spot.”
After saying that, he glanced at the wine on the table, caught a whiff of its fragrance, and licked his lips.
Wine was a good thing.
He had craved it for 16 years.
Unfortunately, his body was too weak; he didn’t dare touch a drop.
Yuan Di gave a slight smile, refilled her glass, and asked, “That doctor not only failed to realize you’ve practiced Demonic Arts, but he even concluded your life is nearing its end, right?”
“Tsk, Yuan Yuan… Yuan Di, you really are as wise as a god. I’m impressed,” Wang Sandong complimented, stuttering slightly.
Yuan Di ignored his “stutter” and said, “*Huitian* can only keep you breathing to ensure you don’t die, but it won’t improve your physical condition. Once some things have happened, they are beyond repair and can never be changed.”
As she spoke, Yuan Di seemed to become somewhat melancholy.
She tilted her head back and drained her glass.
Wang Sandong frowned slightly.
Looking at Yuan Di’s fair neck, he noticed an Adam’s apple that wasn’t very prominent — it was said that some women also had them.
When Yuan Di put down her glass, Wang Sandong shifted his gaze to her beautiful eyes and chose his words carefully, “If it can really keep me from dying, that’s good enough.”
As he spoke, he pinched the flesh of his leg hard with the hand resting on his lap.
He was afraid he would get too excited.
After all, the five words “ensure you don’t die” carried too much weight for him.
It was like a doctor telling a terminal patient there was hope.
For someone who had fallen into a dark abyss, a single ray of dawn was equivalent to a blazing sun.
A few days ago, he had worried that the ray of light wasn’t real.
Today, it could be confirmed beyond a doubt.
Even if it only meant keeping him breathing!
Wang Sandong clenched his fists, suppressing his emotions, terrified that his excitement might lead to tragedy.
Yuan Di met Wang Sandong’s gaze.
After a moment, her eyes crinkled into a smile.
“What I appreciate most about you is your mindset. Compared to normal children, your mind is much more mature. At the very least, you don’t act like a child in his teens at all.”
‘A child?’
Wang Sandong gave a self-deprecating laugh.
“I’m not a child anymore; I’m 16.”
He then looked at Yuan Di’s fair face and slender fingers and asked, “How old… are you exactly?”
The Yuan Di of 16 years ago looked exactly as she did now.
“Some books say that Yuan Di, one of the Five Emperors, is nearly 200 years old.”
“No need to be envious. Practice *Huitian* well, and if nothing unexpected happens…”
Yuan Di said, “While eternal life is illusory, living for 200 or 300 years is not difficult.”
“The word ‘unexpected’ is quite thought-provoking.”
“After all, this is a newly refined cultivation technique. Its specific effects have yet to be verified,” Yuan Di laughed.
“You’re a dead horse anyway, so you have nothing to lose.”
Treating a dead horse as if it were still alive.
Even if he was a “test subject,” he indeed lost nothing.
Wang Sandong understood Yuan Di’s meaning and fully agreed.
He laughed along and looked at the wine flask on the table.
“Will I die if I take a sip?”
“While *Huitian* can keep you breathing, if you actively seek death…”
“So I can’t drink, and I shouldn’t even think about having a good time…?”
“You can still ‘think’ about it,” Yuan Di joked.
Wang Sandong felt a bit of regret, sighing and shaking his head.
“That’s a pity.”
Besides drinking and seeking pleasure, what else was there to celebrate a “new life”?
He felt a bit dissatisfied.
“I’ve already become a Demonic Cultivator, yet I still look like a sickly weakling. Doesn’t that lack presence? This *Huitian* of yours isn’t that great, is it?”
Yuan Di pursed her lips, ignoring Wang Sandong’s complaining despite his good fortune, and instead said, “Smile if you want to. As long as you don’t get too worked up, you won’t die from laughing. There’s no need to hold it back so painfully.”
“No, I should hold it back. One must remain unruffled regardless of joy or anger.”
Even as he spoke, Wang Sandong’s face beamed with a smile.
“Sigh, suddenly I feel like life is very long.”
“Yes, it is very long.”
“Ha, I shouldn’t be happy too early.”
As Wang Sandong spoke, his pale face began to flush slightly, and his chest heaved more intensely.
“What if you’re lying to me? After all, you’re a major devil; you can’t be trusted.”
Though he said this, he didn’t truly doubt it.
After all, a legendary figure among the Five Emperors wouldn’t waste time teasing a dying man.
As he spoke, Wang Sandong’s hands unconsciously rubbed his legs, and his legs began to shake rapidly.
Yuan Di glanced sideways at Wang Sandong’s “restless” limbs.
A hint of mockery flashed in her eyes, but her lips curled into a smile.
Perhaps because a good mood was contagious, seeing Wang Sandong’s excitement made her unable to resist smiling as well.
Wang Sandong looked at Yuan Di and praised her sincerely, “You look really beautiful when you smile.”
Yuan Di rolled her eyes at him, though her smile didn’t fade.
Wang Sandong added, “Your mood seems quite good.”
“Yes, seeing as you didn’t die from practicing *Huitian*, my mood is indeed quite good.”
“…”
The smile on Wang Sandong’s face froze.
Reflecting on Yuan Di’s words, he felt a wave of lingering fear.
“So, not only is the transformation uncertain, but whether or not I’ll die early from practicing *Huitian* is also uncertain?”
“For you, is there a big difference between dying yesterday or dying 10 days later?”
Yuan Di said, casually taking a sip of wine.
Then, seeing Wang Sandong’s “survivor of a calamity” expression, her smile widened.
“If your body is weak, you shouldn’t have such emotional fluctuations, nor should you hold them back so hard.”
Wang Sandong laughed along, then tried his best to stop, but he failed.
He simply gave up on full restraint and instead tried to control the “intensity.”
Thus, while smiling, he began to ask Yuan Di questions about cultivation.
Although he had read many books, he had never truly stepped into the world of cultivation, so he felt the helplessness of a “theoretical general.”
Furthermore, *Huitian* was a Demonic Art, and there was very little information about such things in books.
What little existed was often highly biased.
Fortunately, Yuan Di was there.
After a long conversation, Wang Sandong felt as if a light had been switched on in his mind.
He supported himself against the table to stand up, performed a very serious, deep bow, and said emotionally, “Thank you for your guidance, Master.”
Yuan Di gave a cold laugh.
“I am not your Master.”
“One who teaches and imparts knowledge is naturally a Master.”
Yuan Di squinted at Wang Sandong and gave another cold laugh, saying, “Demonic Cultivators are cruel and bloodthirsty. Even with a disciple, I wouldn’t go soft.”
“Uh…”
Seeing that Yuan Di had seen through his little scheme, Wang Sandong felt a bit awkward.
He forced a smile and said, “One should indeed be decisive and ruthless; that’s how a hero should be.”
Seeing Yuan Di’s face full of disdain, his awkwardness vanished instantly.
He shamelessly sighed, “Living isn’t easy; I have no choice. If getting close to you allows me to live, I wouldn’t just call you Master; I’d call you my ancestor.”
Having said that, he sat back down and picked up his chopsticks to eat.
“These dishes are a bit too plain.”
He poured a cup of tea and complained further, “And this is tasteless.”
Yuan Di ignored him, drinking on her own.
By the time the flask was empty, a slight flush appeared on her face.
“Master, you can’t handle your liquor?”
Wang Sandong joked.
“Don’t call me that.”
Yuan Di used her thumb to wipe a remnant of wine from the corner of her mouth and mocked herself, saying, “If I couldn’t get drunk even after 1,000 cups, why would I drink at all?”
As she spoke, she leaned heavily against the back of the chair as if she were truly drunk.
Her body slumped slightly, causing her collar to open a bit.
Wang Sandong hesitated for a moment, then craned his neck to peek into Yuan Di’s collar — he mainly wanted to see if Yuan Di was male or female.
Unfortunately, the collar didn’t open wide enough, and Wang Sandong didn’t dare to reach out and pull it.
Wang Sandong wasn’t a fool.
He knew very well that a legendary expert among the Five Emperors couldn’t possibly get drunk so easily.
He had heard that some high-level experts liked to use wine to intentionally numb their senses.
Yuan Di was likely the same.
Wang Sandong craned his neck for a few more peeks but couldn’t discern anything.
Looking once more at Yuan Di’s stunning face as she sat with closed eyes, immersed in her tipsiness, Wang Sandong let out a soft sigh.
“I’m leaving. Goodbye, Yuan Yuan.”
With that, he pressed his hands on the table, pushed himself up, and left.
Outside, the sun was shining brightly.
The midday sun baked the ancient city without mercy.
Though the former capital had long since lost its past prosperity, the weight of history had made it feel more profound and beautiful.
“This is great.”
Wang Sandong looked at the street scene before him and smiled to himself.
The young servant Wang Tong drove the carriage over and happened to hear Wang Sandong’s words.
He asked with a smile, “Young Master, what’s great?”
“Everything is great,” Wang Sandong replied.
A horse came galloping toward them.
The rider flipped off the horse in front of Wang Sandong and bowed.
“Third Young Master, someone from the Zheng Clan has arrived. The Master wants you to return home immediately.”
“Oh? Are they here to break off the engagement?”
“No, no, no. They’re here to settle the date for your wedding with the lady of the Zheng Clan.”
Wang Sandong remarked dismissively, “I’m busy. My parents can decide on the wedding date.”
With that, he reached out for Wang Tong to help him into the carriage.
Once he was settled and had caught his breath, he revealed a smile and said, “Go, let’s head to the teahouse to listen to some storytelling.”
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.