August in Jiangnan, unbearable heat.
The incessant sound of cicadas outside the window brings a bit of commotion to the tranquility of the midsummer, beginning with the sunrise.
Xue Dili sleepily opened a bottle of orange soda, lying sideways on the sofa, listening to the cicadas outside. This sense of idle tranquility almost lulled him to sleep.
As a prospective college student, he's 18 this year, having just finished the daunting college entrance exam like crossing a single-log bridge amidst thousands of troops, tearing up the thick books and watching them fall from the high building like snowflakes.
After completing the most critical event in his life and getting accepted into his desired key university, he should be enjoying these few leisurely moments.
Until...
"Argh! Ah!"
A hoarse roar emerged as if from the depths of the soul, echoing countless times within Xue Dili's skull, making his brain buzz.
"I am a noble General, yet deceived into this ugly form, and now, sealed within your weak, pitiful, fragile body. You deserve death!"
The roar continuously echoed inside the skull, Xue Dili bitterly smiled at
the mirror reflecting the face of a handsome youth like one straight out of a tokusatsu film, as classmates had once said, whether in looks or character, he suited acting in tokusatsu dramas.
He sighed; his leisure time was ruined!
On the day he received his acceptance letter, suddenly this wild, shouting hundred-year-old Old Deng appeared within him.
Every day, he would howl endlessly in Xue Dili's mind, especially with a hoarse roar, unpleasant like a Dark Lord's voice.
Initially, Xue Dili thought he was having a mental breakdown, but after dreaming that day, he saw the complete Old Deng in the dream, along with the remaining 6 days and 8 hours on the old monster's head.
Old Deng could only stay inside him for 7 days; as for whether another figure replaces him or he simply vanishes after, is still unknown.
"Stop yelling; you have 4 days left before leaving my body. Go back where you came from, Old Biben!" Xue Dili, having had enough of the unpleasant noise, retaliated.
The voice in his head paused briefly, but soon, akin to Uchiha's laughter, it resounded like a tsunami in the mind.
Ever since this Old Deng appeared in his mind, every night he dreamed would show Old Deng as a skeleton demon clad in bone armor, pierced by countless chains, hanging in his soul space.
Every night he also dreamt of Old Deng's past; he was an Imperial General in a Sword and Magic Otherworld, a top-tier Holy Knight. Known from youth, countless victories, a gallant youth with bright garments and vibrant steed. Later leading troops against undead calamity, guarding the frontlines for decades, he gave his life to the Empire.
Then he was betrayed; his successor didn't hold the lines or provide flank support when he charged toward the Witch Demon King but instead led the remaining troops to flee.
Despite this, the Imperial General still managed to confront the Witch Demon King, nearly perishing together, and in the end, using all his might, he killed the Witch Demon King, becoming a half-undead, now the form of a skeleton demon.
The tale of a noble Holy Knight tormented into a skeleton demon became a tragedy here, reminiscent of General Yue and Gao Changgong.
Moreover, the tragedy continued, as the Empire later branded him a criminal, wiping out his entire family, whereas the traitorous deserter was promoted and became the Grand General succeeding him.
Truly: A General dies a thousand deaths, becoming a criminal, a traitor turned deserter rises to Grand General.
And it wasn't over; as a half-undead aware of the betrayal, he merely wished to return to the Imperial Capital for justice, then was sealed into a sword, buried beneath a church, tormented endlessly day and night.
How sorrowful indeed.
His soul inexplicably broke free from the sword that sealed him and arrived in Xue Dili's body.
But this Old Deng, with "misery" written all over his thigh, had gone mad, and now seems intent on driving Xue Dili insane.
When Xue Dili was cooking...
"You weak ant, merely satisfied with fulfilling your desires with these? Pathetic insect!"
When Xue Dili was playing games...
"Stupid fly, your wisdom only deserves to be ambushed by those vile enemies!"
When Xue Dili was looking at forbidden pictures...
"Filthy maggot! I'll chop off your limbs, crush that rotten brain!"
"Are you mentally ill?" Xue Dili couldn't bear it, "What's it to me? Why shout at me so loudly? Whoever betrayed you, go kill his entire family. Why can't you kill them? Just because you're weak!"
The old monster seemed stunned, possibly couldn't believe Xue Dili dared to talk back.
Yet Xue Dili didn't spoil him, continuing with a critical blow: "If you're weak, train more; if you can't handle losing, don't play."
He continued browsing through forbidden pictures sent in the class group chat.
The world quieted, Old Deng seemed taken aback, trembling with anger, his chains trembling, were he not undead, he'd likely have a brain hemorrhage.
"You naturally evil little human..."
Mumbled for ages, only to come up with such a retort.
"Your attacks aren't strong enough; your barking has zero impact." Xue Dili swiftly retaliated.
He kept his retort tactful; after all, Old Deng's family was massacred, he wasn't so wicked to curse his family.
Truth be told, the old creature's story was quite sympathetic; if not for his incessant noise giving Xue Dili headaches, he wouldn't have said such heavy words.
Fortunately, it's finally quiet, almost as if the world became pleasant once again. Xue Dili opened the curtains, looking at the blazing sun outside, feeling revived.
If Old Deng could speak normally, Xue Dili wouldn't mind enlightening him, sharing stories about General Yue and Gao Changgong, wouldn't it be soothing to be a spiritual guide for elder lone undead?
For now, it's much quieter, just have to wait 4 days.
Xue Dili felt this Old Deng had completely gone mad, like a Xiang Lin Sao consumed by endless anger and resentment.
"Do you crave power?"
Suddenly, the hysterical undead old Deng ceased his mad mutterings and spoke quite normally.
"Come to me every night, I'll train you, teach you Imperial Swordsmanship, Riding Skill, Combat Techniques, Slaughter Techniques...and all the knowledge I possess..." The old undead's voice was exceedingly calm.
Yet Xue Dili sensed something akin to a deep volcano.
"And Divine Art, I was once a noble Holy Knight, those divine arts I haven't completely forgotten, I'll teach you everything I know."
"I have only one request, please go to my world... and annihilate the royal family and the Julia Family."
"No, not annihilate, that's too lenient. I want to inflict the most cruel, terrifying torment on the Emperor and that traitor, a thousand times more painful than what I suffered!"
Xue Dili looked at the old undead who remained calm for a short while but was again on the brink of mania, he sighed.
The old undead was still too kind, suffering such betrayal and torment, only wanting to annihilate the royal family and the traitor's whole family, not even considering the nine generations.
Still too kind.
If given to other villains, who knows, they might say something like "It's not me that's wrong, it's the world", "This is hell" and then plan to annihilate the entire world, at least the entire Empire, only considering crushing the nine generations as a last resort.
Otherworlders' moral standards seem suspiciously high.