10 Chapter 10

The day gradually turned into evening. The sun was setting, and it seemed that it, like a young girl, was leisurely bathing in the dark waters of Zheng Li Hu Lake[1], filling it with a soft glow.

Near the shore, splashed myriads of restless water spirits, which, possessing an incorporeal shell, were much stronger than many cultivators who were at the stage of completing the formation of the golden core: merging into a quiet song, their voices reached the ears of tired travelers, luring them closer to the water, stepping into which a person lost all will to live. Forgetting about resistance, his body sank like a stone, becoming food for catfish and other large scavengers, and his soul joined the endless round dance of other spirits frolicking in the waves in anticipation of a new victim.

After leaving Tai Yan, Shi Yu headed east, where the Snow Wind Clan was located. He walked along the edge of the shore, and cold splashes settled on the black hem of his robes, embroidered with silver thread. As soon as they felt the presence of the Demon Lord, the spirits began to whisper fiercely: Shi Yu had never been in the capital of the Clan of the white snake before, and it was the first time they had seen such a strong and high-ranking immortal with their own eyes.

– My Lord! – some shouted enthusiastically. – The Lord has ascended to the mortal world! Does this mean that another war is coming, like the one that happened a hundred years ago?

– Lord Shi Yu! – others exclaimed, – we are ready to fight on your side, just help us get out of here! Death has bound our souls to the waters of Zheng Li Hu, in which we must languish until the end of years. Dry up the lake, and we will become your most loyal companions!

Even the smallest spirits are treacherous and dangerous. Bearing this in mind, Shi Yu never turned to Zheng Li Hu, showing his interest. His eyes saw only sharp fragments of stone under his feet, and the sloping roofs of low houses that appeared from nowhere in the distance, and his ears completely ignored the most tempting offers, reacting only on the sounds of the steps of an annoying companion, clumsily shuffling on wet pebbles.

– Ge-ge! Ge, ge, I'm tired, – In He constantly whined, following him for some unknown reason. Could you walk a little slower?

Shi Yu stopped, grinding his teeth in frustration.

– Stupid boy! – exclaimed he angrily, when In He, panting, stopped next to him, wiping his forehead with his sleeve. – You should have stayed in Tai Yan, not followed me! For what, the question is, a terrible sin, do I have to tolerate your presence at all? What did I do to anger the Goddess of Fate so much?!

– How can such an educated person express himself in such a way? Besides, I've already told ge-ge, that he should be responsible for the night before last.

– I, – he pointed at his chest with the tip of his index finger, – am the sole heir of the Lian family. The weapons we manufacture – are widely known throughout the middle world. The last time when father put it up for auction at the Tai Yan trading house, the Lord of the Clan of the Blood Moon offered a price for just one knife, for which one could buy a thousand slaves in Ban Li[2].

In He comes from a respected family and respects all traditions and laws[3], – he added. Ge-ge spent the night with me, which means that now we have to bow three times[4].

Shi Yu snorted.

– Do you think your father will be happy if you bring such a daughter-in-law into your house? Besides, do I look like a person, who is ready to play a lavish wedding with the first man that he meets? – he asked contemptuously, taking a couple of sips from a leather bottle of wine.

In He hesitated, intently examining the frowning face of the Demon Lord.

– No, – he admitted, after a moment's thought. – Ge-ge doesn't look like a person at all. If I could express myself beautifully, I would say that ge-ge is more like God. I have heard that all the Gods have charm and flawless beauty that doesn't change with the years, – In He smiled dreamily, – beauty that disturbs the hearts and makes you follow her.

– You don't know anything about me, – Shi Yu choked, and a large drop fell from his lips, leaving a wet trail on his white neck. – What if I'm a demon who wants to steal your soul to eat it? Don't think of me as God or special, because in reality, I'm completely different, – he abruptly turned around, continuing his way to the east.

Still hearing the insistent footsteps of the young caster behind him, Shi Yu was silent, but for a moment his lips closed in a barely noticeable ghostly smile. He didn't remember what happened between him and In He at night, but this boy seemed trusting to him, and that made him even more funny.

"It's been a long time since I've talked to people," – he thought, measuring out step by step. "It's always such a strange and incomprehensible feeling… On the one hand, I have to hate mortals and wish them harm, on the other – they are too interesting to harm them. Perhaps even more than all the Gods and demons combined."

A soft splash interrupted his thoughts. Shi Yu turned around, but Zheng Li Hu was already engulfed by In He with his head. Only a pair of shoes of the young caster stood alone on the shore, abandoned at the water's edge.

[1] Zheng Li Hu – the lake of truth.

[2] Ban Li – chestnut, is the capital of the Blood Moon Clan.

[3] In He speaks of himself in the third person to emphasize that Shi Yu is superior to him.

[4] This refers to the custom associated with the triple bow of the newlyweds.