Qian Gu had earned the title of "Demonic Overlord" despite doing nothing in particular to warrant it. His rapidly growing demonic power, however, caused an increase in miasma across the land, allowing demons and evil spirits to run rampant. As a result, people labeled him as such.
Once he acquired this title, I, his former master, also became a topic of gossip. After all, the first immortal in centuries to emerge from Shen Zhou had managed to teach the first great demon of the era. It was a laughable tale, no matter how you spun it.
But these rumors didn’t affect my life. I’d occasionally hear them during trips down the mountain and then let them pass.
Lately, though, I noticed Qian Ling visiting the Ling Xu Cave more frequently. While I found it suspicious, I chose to trust her character.
That is, until one day when Qian Ling came running excitedly to me and exclaimed, “Master, Second Senior Brother has admitted his mistakes! You should go release him!”
That stubborn little brat admitted he was wrong? Raising an eyebrow, I followed her to the Ling Xu Cave.
Inside, Qian Zhi sat cross-legged on the floor behind the jade-iron bars. Hearing my footsteps, he opened his eyes. It had been years since I’d seen him. His gaze was now steady, and his once impulsive temperament seemed to have calmed considerably.
It seemed confinement had worked after all.
“So, you’re finally willing to admit your mistakes?” I asked.
“Yes, Master,” he replied with a nod. “Over these years, I’ve focused on my cultivation. Lately, Junior Sister Qian Ling’s tireless efforts to reason with me have finally made me recognize my wrongdoings.”
Still skeptical, I raised my eyebrow higher. “Tell me, then—what exactly did you do wrong?”
He extended his palm. “Master, look.”
This was the Ling Xu Cave at the peak of Kong Ling Mountain—my domain for centuries. Naturally, I didn’t suspect anything amiss and took a casual step forward to inspect his hand. A strange fragrance suddenly reached my nose. Realizing something was wrong, I tried to retreat, but my body had already frozen.
“Qian Zhi?” I said coldly, glaring at him.
“Master, please don’t blame me,” he said. “I really don’t want to stay here any longer.”
“Qian Ling!” I called.
“Master, please don’t blame me either.” She stepped forward from behind me, retrieved the keys at my waist, and unlocked Qian Zhi’s jade-iron cell. “Over the past few days, I’ve been listening to Second Senior Brother, and I’ve come to agree with him. The Kong Ling Sect’s rules are far too rigid, filled with injustices we cannot correct. Even when we act righteously, we’re punished for it. I’ve thought long and hard, and I’ve decided that I’m not suited for Kong Ling. I want to roam the martial world with Second Senior Brother and live freely, seeking justice and vengeance as I please!”
The sheer absurdity of her statement made me nearly choke on my own breath. “With your pitifully mediocre skills, you’ll get yourself killed out there. Don’t you dare say you’re my disciple!”
“I won’t,” she replied cheerfully.
Forcing myself to stay calm, I asked through gritted teeth, “Where did you get the medicine?”
Though these two brats were disobedient, at least they were honest. “I followed Second Senior Brother’s advice and went down the mountain to find Elder Sister Yue Lao Hong,” Qian Ling confessed. “She gave me the medicine.”
“How long does it last?”
“I don’t know.”
Grinding my teeth, I watched as Qian Zhi bowed and said, “Master, I have never believed myself to be in the wrong all these years. But for drugging you, I accept the charge of unforgivable defiance.”
Hearing this, I couldn’t help but recall the past. After a long silence, I managed to force out a single sentence: “If your Senior Brother were here, he wouldn’t stop until he beat you senseless.”
Qian Zhi nodded. “Then I’ll go tell Senior Brother what I’ve done and beg his forgiveness for poisoning Master.”
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