Chapter Eight: The Legend of the Thousand-Faced Demon Lord

The two of them approached and glanced at the signboard: Tao Yi Teahouse.

Inside, a storyteller was spinning his tale with great vigor, and the patrons were full of praise. Even the windows and doorway were crowded with beggars, eager to catch a bit of the story.

As they neared, the beggars at the entrance quickly moved aside, clearing a path. You Xiyue swept her gaze over them and stepped inside.

The attendant spotted them entering and hurried over to greet the guests. Upon seeing You Xiyue, he froze for a moment, and even the chorus of applause seemed to quiet.

Regaining his composure, the attendant swallowed nervously and said, "Immortal... Immortal lady, allow me to find you a private room."

You Xiyue was strikingly beautiful, drawing the attention of the tea house patrons, who turned to look. Concerned that she might be disturbed, the attendant offered the suggestion.

"No need," she replied, pointing to a table in the corner. "I'll sit there."

"This..." The attendant hesitated, glancing at You Xiyue and then at the surroundings.

"Why are you troubled?" she asked, puzzled.

"I'm only afraid... it might spoil your enjoyment of the storyteller," he explained, trailing behind her as she confidently took a seat, unconcerned by the stares.

"Listening to stories is best in lively places. Alone, it would be boring," You Xiyue said with a smile, turning her attention to the stage.

The storyteller, to his credit, carried on unfazed.

The attendant relaxed and put on a cheerful face, asking, "Is there anything you need?"

"A pot of tea and two plates of fruit."

As You Xiyue finished speaking, Jun Yang leapt from her shoulder onto the table.

The attendant was thoroughly startled, stepping back as he stared at the pale, winged serpent. Stammering, he said, "R-right away."

His legs trembled; though the snake was small, its appearance was unlike anything he had ever seen. When it landed on the table, a chill emanated from it—clearly no ordinary creature. Having lived under Qinglan Sect for so long, he had gained some insight; You Xiyue was no ordinary girl.

"Am I really that scary?" Jun Yang rubbed his chin with his tail. "For a snake, I think I look rather handsome."

You Xiyue glanced down and poked Jun Yang's head. "Not ugly."

Satisfied, Jun Yang grinned and was soon absorbed in the storyteller's tale.

"Now, the Thousand-Faced Demon Lord, surrounded by demonic aura, eyes red as blood, slaughtered without mercy. The Li family—all hundred souls—perished in an instant. But that was not enough. This fiend, cruel and bloodthirsty, controlled the corpses of the Li family, sending them to attack the Wang family, the richest household in Anlin City. The Wang family slept soundly, unaware of the impending doom. On that pitch-black night, the Demon Lord led a hundred corpses toward the Wang mansion—a dreadful parade of ghosts, blood covering the ground."

At this, the listeners gasped.

The storyteller continued, "Every household locked their doors in terror. The Demon Lord soon stormed the Wang home, and the deaths there were even more gruesome than at the Li family. Blood poured from the gates into the street, screams lasting until late in the night. The Wang family vanished from Anlin City, and the Li family's corpses were thrown into the wild woods and burned to ashes."

"What a wicked villain!"

"Terrifying, indeed."

"So ruthless—can no one catch him?"

The storyteller smiled. "Why is he called the Thousand-Faced Demon Lord? He possesses a thousand faces, can become an old man or a child. No one knows his gender or appearance; you never know which face is truly his. Where do you begin to catch him?"

"Such evil deserves the harshest punishment!"

Jun Yang listened with fascination, while You Xiyue noticed a young man nearby, angrily tossing down a silver coin and leaving, muttering about "nonsense."

Seeing this, You Xiyue reached into her Qiankun pouch and casually tossed a superior spirit stone onto the table, then pulled Jun Yang along in pursuit.

"Hey? Why are we leaving? The story's not over," Jun Yang complained.

You Xiyue ignored him.

The attendant, tidying You Xiyue's table, saw the superior spirit stone and stared in disbelief. For two plates of fruit and a pot of tea, a superior spirit stone? Not even a lower-grade one was needed—just a handful of coins would suffice.

You Xiyue did not alert anyone, but followed carefully. The young man headed toward the woods outside the city.

Following him, she discovered a gravestone deep in the forest, where few ever ventured. On it, written in fresh blood-red characters: "Li Family Hundred Souls' Grave."

The young man cleared the grass around the grave and knelt before the stone.

"I'm utterly useless," he said, bowing his head to the earth, choking back sobs.

Jun Yang glanced at the gravestone, poked You Xiyue with his tail, and whispered, "Could he be a descendant of the Li family slaughtered by the Demon Lord?"

You Xiyue did not answer, simply gazing at the gravestone.

The blood-red lettering still radiated intense demonic aura, but when she opened her spiritual eye to examine the bones buried beneath, she found they had lain there for over a decade. Moreover, if the corpses had been manipulated by the Demon Lord as the storyteller claimed, they would not be free of demonic aura—yet they were untouched.

This was highly suspicious.

The young man knelt at the grave for a long time, unaffected by the demonic aura.

"The Demon Lord must be powerful," Jun Yang mused. "The demonic aura is controlled perfectly. The inscription on the gravestone is clearly not the work of a mortal, yet such potent aura does not disturb the mind. It almost feels like the Demon Lord isn't evil at all."

"Indeed," You Xiyue agreed.

Watching the young man still kneeling, Jun Yang sighed, "A pity—he has no spiritual root at all. Revenge is but a dream for him."

You Xiyue raised her eyebrow, revealed her presence, and stepped forward to stand behind the young man.

"Do you seek vengeance?"

Startled by the sudden voice, the young man jumped up and turned, wary. "Are you human or ghost?"

You Xiyue blinked and thought for a moment. "That's a complicated question. I suppose I'm neither human nor ghost—I'm immortal. So, do you want to take revenge on the Demon Lord?"

At the mention of revenge against the Demon Lord, the young man's fear vanished, replaced by anger as he glared at You Xiyue. "Nonsense! Why would I seek revenge on the Demon Lord?"

"Aren't you from the Li family? Isn't the Demon Lord the one who killed your entire clan?" Jun Yang asked curiously.

"Absurd," the young man snapped, furious. "You call yourself immortal, yet you're as foolish as those tea house commoners. Vengeance? Ha! Ridiculous! He is the benefactor of the Li family!"