I Failed to Fake My Death After Scumming the Demon Lord [Transmigration] - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Before Yan Baishu practiced demonic arts, he was a rogue cultivator without any sect. As it turned out, among all the people present, Qin Gu was actually the one who understood him the best.

Everyone else in the main hall was watching him, clearly waiting for his arrangements.

Qin Gu thought to himself: In Merchant Jia’s mansion, he had deliberately declared that he was going to eradicate the monster not only to extract memory fragments while the merchant let his guard down, but also to say it for the benefit of the crow hidden in the shadows—Yan Baishu.

But based on Yan Baishu’s behavior in the original book, it was impossible for him not to be suspicious. Therefore, he had to play the part to the very end.

Qin Gu cupped his hands toward the others, “The success of this mission depends entirely on tonight. Everyone, I ask for your assistance.”

Relying solely on himself and Ji Yun, they were not guaranteed a steady win against Chan Niang, who had been refined by a demonic cultivator. But Qingsong Temple was adept at subduing monsters; with Qingli joining them, they would achieve twice the result with half the effort. As for Qingyu, as the acting Temple Master, the mobilization of Qingsong Temple’s disciples rested entirely on him.

There was still some time before nightfall, so Qin Gu planned to return to his room to rest and build up his strength. Before he had taken many steps, cat-like, soft footsteps sounded behind him.

Qin Gu turned slightly to the side, and sure enough, he saw Ji Yun following him. The fourteen-year-old youth only reached his shoulder. Ji Yun raised his head: “What does Senior Brother intend to do?”

Qin Gu indeed had a plan, but he did not answer directly, instead asking in return: “What do you think?”

Although he had been leading the Lady of Double Happiness case from beginning to end and Ji Yun’s presence felt low-key, Qin Gu had not forgotten that the protagonist of this book was Ji Yun, not him. The protagonist’s attitude was crucial. If Ji Yun hadn’t come to look for him, he had also intended to find a time to ask for Ji Yun’s opinion.

Seemingly surprised that Qin Gu had pushed the question back onto him, Ji Yun pondered for a moment: “Master and the elders taught us that monsters and demonic cultivators who wreak havoc in the human world should be killed without exception.”

When he said this, Ji Yun’s eyes were as black as an abyss without emotion. Qin Gu’s heartbeat stuttered briefly.

Ji Yun’s answer was unexpected. Qin Gu swallowed, his throat feeling dry.

Ji Yun gazed into his eyes: “Senior Brother, can monsters and demons be forgiven?”

Monsters and demons clearly encompassed both monsters and demonic cultivators. Recalling that Ji Yun would be the Sovereign of Monsters and Demons in the future, the corners of Qin Gu’s lips twitched slightly—

What kind of life-or-death question is this?!

But Qin Gu didn’t want to spout grandiose, empty words. He replied truthfully: “Naturally, they cannot. But every rule has exceptions. Yan Baishu refined Chan Niang into a monster. It is not Chan Niang who should be executed, but Yan Baishu.”

“…” Ji Yun’s eyes blinked. “Many thanks, Senior Brother, for your instruction.”

He then added: “Senior Brother’s shoulder wound has not yet healed. Please rest well.”

As he turned and left, whether it was Qin Gu’s imagination or not, he seemed to see Ji Yun’s eyes brighten. At the same time, the mechanical voice in his ear chirped:

[Quest success rate is: 7%]

It had risen another 2%! Although this toothpaste-like increase made one feel anxious, it at least indicated he hadn’t said the wrong thing.

The sun gradually sank, and Qin Gu’s door was knocked upon once more. Opening the door, Qin Gu subconsciously called out: “Qing…”

Looking closely, the visitor’s eyes were vacant, as if covered by a layer of shadow, so he immediately corrected himself: “Senior Brother Qingyu.”

Qingyu cupped his hands toward him and untied a gourd engraved with floating scriptures from his waist: “Give.”

This was the Demon-Suppressing Gourd that held the Earth Soul. Qin Gu reached out to receive it, and violent vibrations were immediately transmitted through it. It was as if a fish were struggling fiercely inside a tank. The demonic energy surged like waves, crashing against the talismans and emitting a metallic ringing sound. As the impact grew stronger, a crack even appeared at the bottom of the gourd.

The Demon-Suppressing Gourd was almost unable to contain the Earth Soul anymore.

Qingyu’s lips touched: “…”

The expressionless acting Temple Master seemed to be very conflicted. In the end, he only looked at Qin Gu with disapproving eyes. Qingli was not here, but Qin Gu managed to understand Qingyu’s meaning. Qingyu did not approve of Qin Gu’s decision to bring the Earth Soul into the bamboo forest. The reason was simple: Qingsong Temple was the place with the most abundant spiritual energy in Lin’an City, and even there, the gourd was on the verge of shattering. If it were brought into the bamboo forest and reunited with the monster, it would likely shatter in an instant. At that moment, wouldn’t they be even more vulnerable?

How could Qin Gu not have thought of this? But he didn’t explain. He only raised his hand, letting red light condense at his fingertips, layering golden light over the green to add another restraint to the gourd.

He said: “Rest assured, Senior Brother Qingyu, I have my own sense of proportion.”

Seeing this, Qingyu no longer pressed him, instead taking a stack of talismans from his sleeve: “Take these.”

This was complete, absolute trust. Qin Gu was pleasantly surprised, and what surprised him even more was: “Senior Brother Qingyu, it turns out you can speak in full sentences!”

“…” Qingyu was silent for a moment. “Mm.”

During their conversation, the wind brought clouds and mist, obscuring the setting sun and waking the moonlight. Along with the mist, a barely perceptible yet exceptionally murderous demonic energy dissipated.

Qin Gu tied the Demon-Suppressing Gourd to his waist and looked up at the full moon in the sky: “It is time to go.”

The disappearance cases had ultimately affected the common folk in the city. The night streets had few pedestrians, and thick fog rolled on both sides of the road.

Qingli gripped his horsetail whisk nervously: “Young Alliance Leader, why do I feel the situation is a bit…”

The white mist was chilling, penetrating right to the bone. It was clearly not a natural change, but the result of demonic energy entering the body.

Qin Gu rubbed his palms together, his breath turning into white frost: “The situation is not looking good, but since we are here, we are here.”

Qingli: …

Is that how you use that phrase? Have I boarded some pirate ship?

Just as he was about to say more, Qin Gu suddenly made a soft “Shh” sound. In the thick fog, human shadows suddenly appeared, one, then two…

Young men and women were gathered in groups, marching toward the city gates like rows of majestic wandering corpses. With every breath, their steps were perfectly synchronized, and even the arc of their swinging arms was identical.

The surroundings were extremely quiet; only the rhythmic sound of footsteps rang out. The deathly white moonlight occasionally pierced through the mist, adding a sense of eeriness.

Even though he had mentally prepared himself, Qin Gu still felt his hair stand on end. He controlled his facial expression and signaled for the others to follow.

Mixing into the crowd as they left the city, the closer they got to the bamboo forest, the thicker the mist became. Eventually, one couldn’t even see the person walking a few steps beside them. The heavy fog even muffled sounds. Only his own rapid breathing remained in his ears. The damp, cold air surged into his lungs, and every pore on his skin screamed of the cold.

After walking for some more distance, a woman’s singing wafted slowly over:

“Home-cooked meals and coarse cloth clothes,

A wife who knows when I am cold and when I am warm…”

Here it comes!

The wind blew the mist away, and the woman’s graceful figure floated among the bamboo. Qin Gu hurriedly lowered his head. Sounds of fabric rubbing against fabric came from his side. A coarse cloth hem appeared at the edge of his vision. Qin Gu relaxed slightly—

He recognized this fabric. In order to blend into the bewitched crowd, they had changed into cloth clothes ahead of time. The one approaching him was clearly Ji Yun. Turning his head to look back, Qingli was to his rear left, his face filled with nervousness.

“Heartless man, oh, heartless man…”

Ghostly shadows were everywhere; for a moment, he couldn’t tell if they were shadows of bamboo leaves or wandering souls. Chan Niang sang among the bamboo as if no one were around, at times giggling, at times weeping. Her voice was extremely sharp, causing a physiological sense of discomfort.

The atmosphere in the bamboo forest changed abruptly. The lingering demonic energy gathered together as if it had received an order. Qin Gu kept his head down, and suddenly, a pair of dirt-stained embroidered shoes appeared before his eyes.

A black-nailed hand pinched his chin. Qin Gu was forced to raise his head. His vision moved upward bit by bit: tattered robes, pale skin, black strangulation marks on her neck. Moving further up, a face covered in heavy makeup, looking both like it was crying and laughing, was closing in on him at a bizarre angle.

Demonic energy attacked him with a fishy, salty wind. His internal spiritual energy instinctively wanted to resist, but Qin Gu gritted his teeth and stopped it, letting the demonic energy continuously invade through the maple leaf mark on his brow.

Chan Niang’s lips curled upward until it almost tore her face apart. She blew a light breath, and the last shred of demonic energy burrowed into Qin Gu’s brow.

Chan Niang’s singing sounded like a sigh:

“What a pair of truly devoted lovebirds, you make me so envious…”

Before he could ask who the lovebirds she referred to were, his consciousness plummeted into a dull darkness.

The scene around him crumbled and reassembled. Qin Gu opened his eyes and found himself on a stage, the area beneath filled with bustling spectators. The cumbersome theatrical costumes felt like a puppet’s strings. He could not control his limbs and began to dance along to the sound of gongs, drums, and flutes.

“…Hateful that he achieved riches in one day, ungratefully abandoning his devoted wife…”

As the lyrics left his lips, his heart shuddered—

This was clearly a woman’s voice, soft and melodious, filled with tenderness. As he turned his sleeves to dance, the bronze mirror on the stage reflected a person’s face. The person in the mirror was heavily made up with rouge and powder, eyes filled with sentiment. It was Chan Niang!

Before he could look closely, his body began to move on its own. After the song ended, thunderous applause erupted from the audience, and Qin Gu’s gaze shifted uncontrollably among the onlookers—

A young man dressed like a scholar was waving at him with a face full of smiles. Looking closely, the contours of this man’s brow and eyes were extremely similar to Merchant Jia, only he looked many years younger and had not yet grown plump.

A feeling of intense warmth seemed to surge in his chest. Knowing the truth, Qin Gu nearly vomited, forced to display a bright smile at Merchant Jia.

The situation was already very clear: his soul was residing within Chan Niang’s shell. And looking at this display of mutual affection, the two were clearly in the heat of a passionate romance.

Qin Gu tried to mobilize his spiritual energy, attempting little by little to gain control of the body. Chan Niang had already left the stage and rushed straight toward Merchant Jia in the crowd. The two hugged tightly, and Merchant Jia’s voice came from above: “I have decided to go to the capital for the imperial examinations, but… I am afraid the money I have on me won’t be enough to support me until I reach the capital.”

Chan Niang said: “My love, do not worry. I still have some savings, and I can pawn my theatrical gear; I will certainly be able to scrape enough together for you.”

Merchant Jia stroked her—now Qin Gu’s—face affectionately: “Chan Niang, once I achieve success and fame, I will certainly give you a proper title.”

Qin Gu sneered coldly in his heart. At this moment, Chan Niang was trapped in the trap of sweet talk; how could she ever think of the tragic ending awaiting her? But he knew that not a single character of Merchant Jia’s light promise would ever be fulfilled. He didn’t achieve success and fame through examinations but became a wealthy merchant in Lin’an. He was surrounded by women, long having forgotten his devoted wife, who was far away in her hometown and had spent every cent she had to raise travel funds for him.

The scenes shifted. Qin Gu revisited from Chan Niang’s perspective how she had pawned all her theatrical gear and how she had spoken in hushed whispers and endured cold glares to borrow money. But the emotions surging in her chest told him that Chan Niang was happy at this time.

The day of the farewell, Merchant Jia cut a lock of his own hair, tied it with Chan Niang’s long hair, and put it into a tattered cloth pouch to give to her.

—It was exactly the one that fell out of the Lady of Double Happiness statue.

Chan Niang kept the pouch close to her body, stroking it day and night. If there was the slightest tear, she would meticulously sew it up with needle and thread, while the clothes she wore herself were long since full of holes. At first, Merchant Jia would send letters back. Chan Niang, who was illiterate, would beg people everywhere to read them to her, her face full of happy smiles. Later, the letters became fewer and fewer. Chan Niang waited at the village entrance every single day, yet no more letters ever came.

Chan Niang continued to wait every day, and the waiting lasted ten years. Her passionate feelings never changed. Such devotion was so profound that even Qin Gu could not bear to reproach her.

—The abrupt turn of events happened in the eleventh year, which was this year outside the illusion. A scholar who had failed the exams returned, saw Chan Niang, hesitated for a long time, and said to her: “Stop waiting. Your husband… has long been married! He has even taken in several concubines!”

An immense sense of bewilderment washed over him. Qin Gu felt his heart being pierced by a knife. This was the emotion belonging to Chan Niang. However, in reality, precisely because he could empathize with Chan Niang at this moment, he could perceive clearly that deep within her heart, she had long realized what had happened. She had only been deceiving herself. Until this very moment, the well-meaning advice of others tore her heart to shreds and left it bleeding.

Qin Gu was powerless. Knowing full well what awaited her, he could only let the firm voice of Chan Niang spill from his throat: “I must go and ask him face to face.”