PID Chapter 15

The Xiao mist ball was contentedly saturated with the aroma of the meal. Chu Jinglan ate at a normal pace, not deliberately prolonging the time or using the food’s fragrance to tease the inner demon’s appetite this time.

 

Xiao Mo was still savoring the experience. Noticing that Chu Jinglan hadn’t intentionally tormented him at lunch today, he felt his heart-to-heart talk had some effect and was quite pleased.

 

The satisfied inner demon took out his flute.

 

What’s the definition of repaying kindness with enmity?

 

Well, this is very demonic.

 

Chu Jinglan’s hand reflexively curled.

 

He probably never imagined that one day he would fear a flute. If a low-level magical tool had such destructive power, he dared not think about the consequences if it were a high-level one.

 

Earlier, Xiao Mo had wrapped the flute in black mist, making it unclear. But when Chu Jinglan went to the sea of consciousness, he saw it clearly – a jade green bamboo flute.

 

At the same time, Chu Jinglan also sensed that the bamboo flute wasn’t an illusory product, unlike the moon lake or trees in the sea of consciousness, but a real magical tool.

 

The question arose: how did an inner demon, who was either in the sea of consciousness or by his side, obtain a magical tool?

 

This was already beyond the current common knowledge of the cultivation world. Just like how he, at the Golden Core stage, had produced an inner demon – both Chu Jinglan himself and this inner demon were very special.

 

Chu Jinglan noted all these anomalies, but he knew now wasn’t the right time to bring them up. The inner demon’s seemingly sincere confession in the forest yesterday concealed too much, making it difficult for Chu Jinglan to distinguish truth from fiction.

 

Just because Chu Jinglan didn’t mention the various suspicious points didn’t mean he wasn’t aware of them.

 

Xiao Mo gave advance notice: “I’m going to start playing now?”

 

He wasn’t asking for permission, just giving a heads-up.

 

“Beep—”

 

Xiao Mo had learned about breath control, so the flute sound rarely tore through the air explosively anymore. But he could make even a simple note twist and turn in bizarre ways, never hitting the right pitch. If music should form a beautiful composition through its ups and downs, Xiao Mo’s flute sounds had nothing but ups and downs.

 

This is what it sounded like:

 

Up down, down down down down down beep beep—

 

Chu Jinglan had just taken a sip of tea and suddenly felt the water stuck in his mouth, unable to swallow or… well, spitting it out was impossible.

 

He struggled to swallow the tea, then spread out some paper.

 

Usually after lunch, he would meditate for a while. But today, he picked up a brush and ink and started writing something.

 

Xiao Mo, while playing, floated over to take a glance.

 

He discovered Chu Jinglan was transcribing the Heart Sutra from memory.

 

The force with which he pressed the brush into the paper clearly showed that the writer’s heart was far from calm.

 

Xiao Mo: “…”

 

Alright, he knew it was his fault.

 

Ahem, no big deal. He was already improving. Surely in no time, he’d be able to let Chu Jinglan hear a proper rendition of the children’s song “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”!

 

Chu Jinglan had tried using sound barriers, but unfortunately, they couldn’t block out the inner demon’s voice.

 

Fine, add that to the list of notes.

 

They had finally bid farewell to the days of constant verbal sparring, entering a strange mode of coexistence that looked unimpressive but was relatively peaceful in a dialectical view.

 

In the two or three days that passed, not much and not little happened. The day of the secret realm selection quickly arrived. Chu Jinglan still woke up at his usual time, finished cultivating, ate breakfast, and then went to the front courtyard to meet with others.

 

He was still considered early.

 

Surprisingly, the inner demon, who rarely appeared in the morning, was also floating around.

 

Of course, Chu Jinglan didn’t know that the inner demon was no longer that lazy inner demon. Xiao Mo now practiced the heart method every morning. As long as he didn’t sleep, he couldn’t oversleep – no problem there.

 

Xiao Mo lazily floated out, listlessly flying around Chu Jinglan for a while before deciding not to trouble himself and simply plopping onto Chu Jinglan’s shoulder.

 

There weren’t many people around Chu Jinglan, so he didn’t have to worry about others seeing him talk to thin air. Chu Jinglan lowered his voice: “Get off.”

 

Xiao Mo lacked energy: “Let me rest for a bit.”

 

Inner demons indeed don’t need sleep, but for someone who had been an ordinary human for over a decade, habits lingered deep in the soul. After two straight nights without sleep, his mental state wasn’t great.

 

Xiao Mo yawned. He wasn’t sleepy, just too lazy to move.

 

Chu Jinglan automatically assumed the inner demon had gotten up early to join the excitement and hadn’t slept enough.

 

Still lazy, indeed.

 

Chu family members soon arrived one after another. Chu Yusheng, Fifth Sister Chu, and Young Tenth Chu were naturally among them. The latter two politely greeted Chu Jinglan, while Chu Yusheng merely gave an arrogant nod. It wasn’t clear where his confidence came from. Was it just because he was two years older than Chu Jinglan but shorter?

 

Xiao Mo, perched on Chu Jinglan’s shoulder, spoke devilishly: “He’s so arrogant.”

 

Chu Jinglan’s eyes flickered.

 

The inner demon had been around for so long, yet had never instigated him to confront others.

 

Causing trouble for the host was also one of the things inner demons often did. What, was it because there weren’t many people around him before, so there was no opportunity, and now it was finally time to stir up trouble?

 

Did it want him to deal with Chu Yusheng?

 

Chu Jinglan calmly waited for Xiao Mo to continue. Xiao Mo asked him: “Don’t you think so?”

 

Chu Jinglan still spoke in a low voice: “It’s fine.”

 

“Fine!?”

 

Xiao Mo was so surprised that his entire mist form shook: “Since when did you become so good-tempered?”

 

He thought for a moment and could only find one suitable reason: “Could it be that yesterday’s poison is still affecting your brain? Do you remember what your name is?”

 

Chu Jinglan: “…Get lost.”

 

Since having an inner demon, this word had gone from unfamiliar to familiar, becoming easier to say each time.

 

Xiao Mo said seriously: “Hmm, you’re definitely the Chu Jinglan I know. Why are you so tolerant of Chu Yusheng?”

 

Chu Jinglan probed: “Do you want me to deal with him?”

 

Xiao Mo keenly sensed something and didn’t take the bait: “I have no intention of stirring up trouble.”

 

“Given what he’s done to me, however I deal with him wouldn’t be excessive,” Chu Jinglan said slowly in a low voice. “Have you forgotten?”

 

They say an inner demon is the dark shadow of its host, inheriting the host’s memories when born. Chu Jinglan was clearly trying to fish for information again. Fortunately, although Xiao Mo couldn’t hear Chu Jinglan’s inner thoughts, he saw through his intentions.

 

The Xiao inner demon’s vigilance was fully heightened. He deliberately used a nonchalant tone: “How could I forget? The one who hired people to kill you and framed the Bian family, wasn’t that him?”

 

At that time, Chu Yusheng was still young, and Chu Jinglan even younger. When the Chu family elders discovered this, they suppressed the news, educated Chu Yusheng, and let the matter drop.

 

After that, Chu Yusheng indeed didn’t dare to act recklessly again. They kept the truth from Chu Jinglan, not knowing that although Chu Jinglan remained silent, he was fully aware of everything.

 

Chu Jinglan had indeed taken revenge.

 

But he was too young then, and his actions weren’t clean enough. The family elders quickly discovered his retaliation against Chu Yusheng. They gave him a meaningful look, only saying that brothers shouldn’t harm each other, but didn’t punish him.

 

They didn’t even scold him.

 

But they cut off Wan Yu’s medicine for two days.

 

The young Chu Jinglan went to the ancestral hall and knelt for a day. His small face was stubborn and pale as he said he knew his mistake and wouldn’t dare mistreat his brothers and sisters again. He begged that his mother not be implicated for his error.

 

After Chu Jinglan’s kneeling, Wan Yu’s medicine supply was restored. Since then, Chu Yusheng mostly avoided Chu Jinglan, and Chu Jinglan treated him like air.

 

Chu Jinglan could endure his own suffering, but he couldn’t let his mother suffer.

 

Hearing Xiao Mo give the correct answer, Chu Jinglan temporarily stopped probing. Xiao Mo secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

 

Fortunately, Chu Jinglan had chosen a plot point from the book. If he had picked an event that wasn’t described in the original story but had naturally occurred in the characters’ lives within the world, it would have been dangerous.

 

After all, even the information possessed by the system, this super-strong assistant, was based on the original story. Actions like Chu Jinglan’s introspection of his sea of consciousness at the Golden Core stage due to his determination to improve couldn’t be foreseen even by the system.

 

After all the Chu family members had arrived, led by the family head and three elders, they guided dozens of Chu family disciples and some guards towards the location of the secret realm selection meeting.

 

The selection venue was chosen near the Mu Mountain Secret Realm. It was a large area with arenas divided by formations. Various areas glowed brightly, using light pollution to create an imposing effect. The locals were used to it, but it could still impress an inner demon who hadn’t seen such grand scenes in the cultivation world before.

 

Xiao Mo: Wow.

 

Clouds and mist swirled, the sun shone on Mu Mountain, immortal guests rode flying swords, their grand aspirations surpassing thousands of mountains.

 

Flying swords piercing clouds used to exist only in fantasy, magical battles were just special effects on screens. When the dimensional wall was broken and it became reality, no one could control the trembling of their mind.

 

A small shock of the cultivation world for the modern inner demon.

 

Xiao Mo floated up from Chu Jinglan’s shoulder, lost in thought.

 

He had originally thought that since he had joined the ranks of cultivators, he should come and watch others compete in magical battles, to gain insights into the true essence of cultivation from their real combat. He didn’t expect there would be unexpected gains.

 

The scene was perfect!

 

None of the families participating in the selection wanted to lose face. To make a grand showing, they all brought many people. If there weren’t enough eligible disciples, they made up the numbers with spectators. Guards and servants were all arranged, creating a bustling and lively atmosphere.

 

The families who should have been exchanging pleasantries or trading barbs all turned their attention to the Chu family when they arrived.

 

The Chu family head and the Grand Elder straightened their backs, thoroughly enjoying the attention.

 

Those gazes precisely found Chu Jinglan among the Chu family members, and whispers arose.

 

“His aura has become even more profound.”

 

“Could he advance to Nascent Soul before twenty?”

 

“What kind of monster has the Chu family produced!”

 

The more they discussed like this, the more the Grand Elder smiled, striding forward proudly. Whether Chu Jinglan heard praise or criticism, he remained unmoved by favor or disgrace.

 

He was long accustomed to these people’s faces. Except for his mother, all living beings looked the same in his eyes.

 

Yes, Chu Jinglan thought indifferently, these people he encountered, with their scheming and false benevolence, were nothing but— Before he could finish the thought after “but,” he saw the inner demon ball shoot out at lightning speed.

 

Like a black lightning bolt, it seemed related to the formation lights in the venue.

 

The young master Chu’s philosophical life view was forcibly interrupted halfway through.

 

He watched the inner demon ball rise with the wind, spinning and jumping around the tall dragon pillars, leaping onto the arena, bouncing left and right in the golden light of the defensive formation.

 

Finally, it charged straight towards the highest seats in the audience, apparently not even noticing it had exceeded the distance limit, and then was forcibly teleported back to Chu Jinglan’s side due to the restriction between host and inner demon.

 

When the inner demon was pulled back, due to the excessive force, its body was deformed like a rubber ball. It bounced a couple of times before regaining its round shape.

 

However, it still appeared full of energy.

 

Chu Jinglan’s expression went blank for a moment.

 

His emotions shifted from vigilance to surprise, and then to confusion.

 

What was in the arena? What happened to the inner demon?

 

As Chu Jinglan’s gaze turned towards the inner demon, it also happened to pass over a young outer disciple of the Chu family.

 

This disciple was about thirteen or fourteen years old, not surnamed Chu, with ordinary talent. He had originally come from a small place outside Huanghun City with a rogue cultivator, and his experience was limited.

 

As he looked at the arena, his eyes were filled with amazement, sparkling with excitement. If he hadn’t been afraid to leave the queue, he would have already rushed out.

 

If he had rushed out, Chu Jinglan had no doubt that the young disciple’s joyful appearance would have overlapped with that of the inner demon from earlier.

 

Chu Jinglan: “…”

 

He had a ridiculous guess: Did the inner demon overcome its laziness, yawning but still getting up, because it was looking forward to the selection tournament?

 

It must be said that while the process was wrong, the result was correct.

 

This small, poor lower realm had limited resources. Even the arena built jointly by the great families of Huanghun City couldn’t compare to an ordinary sect in the middle realm in terms of grandeur.

 

Chu Jinglan had been taken to the middle realm before, where he had seen the towering pavilions of the Huanjian Sect reaching into the sky, and witnessed disciples’ grand competitions where swords whistled through the heavens and shattered stars shook the earth.

 

Having seen such grand spectacles, Chu Jinglan didn’t believe he could be awed by the small wonders of the lower realm.

 

Chu Jinglan once again became suspicious: Did this inner demon, who called himself Xiao Mo, really have all of his memories?

 

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1 Kofi = 1 Extra Chapter