What is demonic path? A kind of path, that has its own ideology and beliefs.
Is it cruel? Yes, not only to others, but more towards oneself.
...
In a distance far away from the Bai Gu Mountain, there is a small hamlet lying in a mountain basin.
The hamlet was surrounded by short stone walls, with guards standing on several points. It was evening now and the farmers were returning in groups, walking to the hamlet with hoes and other farm tools on them.
However, these were all mortals, not cultivators.
"This year's caravan is leaving already!"
"Everytime I see these snakes, i get a little scared."
"Lord Gu Masters are really amazing, they can make these ruthless snakes so tame."
"I hope my cured meat can be sold this time, I don't expect a high price, I'll be satisfied with just a few primeval stone fragments."
Among these people, some were all locals, others were from other villages, carrying goods with them.
Places with people will have competition for benefits.
This caravan is a mixed one, with many different clan forces among them gathered together. It was not like the Jia clan caravan, with Jia clan as the main force. This caravan, other than the selected leader, there were also a number of vice leaders, like a alliance army.
"Inspect the goods once more!"
"Tie the ropes tightly, if anything drops during the journey, we will punish you with a hundred beatings."
"Quick, quick, quick, feed our black skin beetles till full."
Gu Masters ordered and sent their family servants into a busy state. Some had bad temper, holding a whip in their hands, whoever moved slowly would be whipped. Some loved their Gu worms, and fed them personally.
Suddenly, a messenger Gu Master from the caravan came running.
There was a stack of paper in his hand, as he ran and shouted: "All members take note, there is a new arrest warrant, there is a new arrest warrant!"
He shouted as he pasted a piece of paper on a black skin fat beetle's body.
"New arrest warrant? From which clan? How much bounty, retrieve it for me." Chen Gu Master was interested.
"Yes, vice leader." The messenger Gu Master quickly handed over a piece of paper.
Chen Gu Master looked: "Oh, an arrest warrant from Tie clan. As long as information is accurate, they will give a fifty thousand primeval stones? So much!"
Chen Gu Master's eyes shone, gaining interest in the matter.
There were two prices on the warrant, one was information price, the other was killing price.
Information priced at a ten thousand primeval stones, normally it is used for a wanted demonic cultivator that has made a name for himself. But this poster only showed one youngster, with proper features, and one was even more handsome.
"A rank five Gu Master, with an information bounty of fifty thousand primeval stones and a kill price of one million." Chen, the Gu Master, gasped in shock at the staggering sum.
He felt a twinge of pity for the target—so long as it wasn't someone from the Chen family.
....
The setting sun dyed the clouds with colors; red, orange, grayish red, purple… there were all kinds of colors. The clouds also formed into all kinds of shapes; appearing like a roaring lion one moment, or galloping pegasus the next moment, or a blossoming sea of flowers.
The multicolored sunlight shone upon the valley which resembled a jade-green gem. After the caravan finished all the arrangements for the night, there was a certain area in the caravan that was a cacophony of noises.
"Come, have a look, today's freshly slaughtered beast meat!"
"Buttermilk, fragrant and sweet buttermilk…"
"Only ten pieces of clothing remaining, stock clearance sale!"
"Oh, my God!"
"The kind-hearted lady of Zhang clan has arrived!"
"Lady Zhang is compassionate and kind, she is a fairy incarnate!"
"She is a really good person, I won't go hungry today…"
"Lady Zhang!""Fairy Zhang!!" A group of servants flocked over to the woman, and instantly, the bazaar entrance was crowded.
"Don't be in a hurry everyone, there is plenty of it, slow down." The green clothed girl said.
Her voice was gentle and soft, and was immediately submerged in the shouts of the crowd.
The green clothed girl had silky jet black hair draping over her shoulders, accentuating her beauty. Her eyebrows were like thin like smoke, her eyes as clear as the moon. Her skin was snow-white, and her lips were pink and tender.
She had no makeup on her face, looking soft and gentle. The slight smile she gave from time to time when distributing the steamed buns, was pure and innocent.
She was wearing green clothing and had a fresh and plain aura. She was elegant like an orchid, graceful like a lotus and gentle like water.
If a woman has fine appearance, they can only be considered to be good-looking, just like common beverages. Only with disposition, can they be called beautiful, like well-aged liquor.
No doubt, this green clothed girl was an absolute beauty.
"Keep your mouths shut! Line up and come one by one. Anyone that dares to rush over or shout, will immediately be slashed by me!" Suddenly, a thunderous voice resounded within the little bazaar.
An old but tough Gu Master appeared in everyone's sights. And as he gazed at everyone with his ferocious gaze, the noisy little bazaar immediately went silent.
This was the authority of a Gu Master!
There was no one who didn't believe he wouldn't do what he just said. As a Gu Master, so long as their mood was bad, what was killing off two or three mortals considered?
The crowd pushed and shoved each other, and soon lined up in a neat long row.
In front of the queue, the green clothed girl held a basket of steamed buns and distributed them.
The whole little bazaar was absolutely silent.
Countless gazes looked at the green clothed girl with respect, worship and even love.
...
In the distance, far from the caravan, a lone figure stood atop the trees, silently observing the scene below.
A faint smile played on his lips as he murmured, "Shang Xin Ci."
"In all my countless lives, you were always the same—naïve, soft-hearted, hopelessly fixated on ideals like compassion."
"You pitied mortals, wasted resources on friends, even emptied your personal treasury for the clan, purely out of misplaced sympathy."
She fell in love with him, convinced she could change him.
"Heh, your father reprimanded you many times, but you never changed."
Even when everyone else abandoned him, she held on. Even when her own clan teetered on the edge of ruin, she refused to ask for his aid—preferring to spill her strength alone—even though she once subsidized him.
Life, in her view, was about compassion, loyalty, redemption—meanings painted onto a canvas that ended in dust.
But for Fang Yuan? Emotion is weakness. Love is a tool. Sentiment is a lie. Power is the only truth; survival the only goal.
"Shang Xin Ci,"
"You—sentimental, naïve—fool."
"You cling to sentiment, even as your world burns."
"Compassion is weakness."
"Love is a lie draped in virtue."
"Morality is a mask to hide cowardice." He sighed, glancing at the sky before muttering in a firm tone.
"You chase redemption. I chase survival."
"You can have your tears and your ideals. I have my will."
He doesn't pity her. Doesn't care about her devotion.
Because in his mind, there's only one truth.
One goal.
Eternal Life.