Are you afraid of death? For Jie Fu Lian, who had already come to terms with his death, the thought of being alive was scarier. Although his death was quite tragic, he still lived a fulfilling life. He had done everything that he had wanted to do and he had achieved everything that he had strived for. Even as he died, he only had a single regret. He regretted the fact that he couldn't thank Hua Tianshu, an enemy who had stood up for him till the end. His death was quite painful but he wasn't unhappy with it. However, it should have ended right there. Why the hell was he now possessing the body of a tyrannical demon king?! The heavens above were certainly playing with him and laughing at his misfortune! As if possessing the body of his enemy wasn't enough, out of all the people that he could run into, why did he have to run into Hua Tianshu?! Just when Jie Fu Lian thought his luck couldn't get any worse, Hua Tianshu just had to go and recognize him as well! "Is this what an ill-fated relationship means?" Jie Fu Lian's lips twitched. It was as if even death couldn't break the red strings that had tied the two of them together. "Why are you so nice to me?" “You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you the reason,” Hua Tianshu sighed. “You are falsely accusing me. I trust everything you tell me.” “I like you.” “I like you too, brother,” Jie Fu Lian beamed, however, this response only disappointed Hua Tianshu whose words had been misunderstood once again. “We are clearly not on the same page,” Hua Tianshu sighed as he turned around and left. Jie Fu Lian frowned as he tilted his head cluelessly. The new demon king is a thick-headed idiot who can’t even take a hint! Cover art by: Cherlyswan
"What do you mean you were acquainted with the Yan Sect?"
"I had once been helped by the young cultivator named Jie Fu Lian. Although our relationship wasn't too deep, I still had a very good understanding of him. He was a kind and honest boy. To think that such a boy would be involved in demonic cultivation and dare to murder someone so cruelly... I simply cannot believe it."
"So you just want to clear his name?"
"No. If I can clear his name then of course it would be good, but that is not my main purpose," Jie Fu Lian replied without missing a beat, looking so natural that one wouldn't even dare to think that the man was lying, "What I want to do is reinvestigate the case. No matter what results come out, it wouldn't change the fact that both Jie Fu Lian and the Yan Sect have already disappeared and cannot be brought back."
"If you are that aware of reality then what do you expect to gain from this reinvestigation?" Bai YiJun clicked his tongue as he questioned, "Is it simply because you want the world to know the truth? Is that your grand reason?"
Jie Fu Lian smirked as he heard this and looked at Bai YiJun with an amused yet unsettling expression as he asked, "How can that be it?"
"Huh?"
"Finding the truth is a noble reason that only a man with a lot of free time would want to pursue. I am not a man with a lot of free time," Jie Fu Lian looked directly back at Bai YiJun with no hesitance as he revealed his true intentions, "What I want to find is the real perpetrator and once I find that person, I'll avenge the Yan Sect."
Bai YiJun was clearly not the only one who was shocked by Jie Fu Lian's words.
Even Duan LuoYang was a bit stunned to hear this response and looked at Jie Fu Lian with his mouth slightly open in a daze.
He was completely unaware of the avenging plan and it could be seen on his face.
"Jie Fu Lian must have saved you from a really dangerous situation if you are willing to go this far for him," Bai YiJun gulped as he commented.
"I admire him quite a lot," Jie Fu Lian shamelessly spoke as he boasted about himself, "Afterall, Jie Fu Lian was one of the youngest and most talented cultivators of all times. At the mere age of eighteen, he had already surpassed many great saints. If he had still been alive, he would have surely ascended to immortality."
Bai YiJun smirked as he heard this and with a slightly bitter tone, he spoke, "At the mere age of eighteen, he was also blamed and killed for sins that were perhaps never committed by him. Having him as your role model is probably not the smartest idea you could have."
"..." Jie Fu Lian felt a little embarrassed that he couldn't defend himself.
"But I want to help you," Bai YiJun added with a sigh, "Not because I support your admiration for him, but because I want to see how exactly you plan on avenging the Yan Sect."
Jie Fu Lian smiled as he heard this and nodded his head as he spoke, "I'll be thankful for your assistance and..."
"And?"
"Although he died at the mere age of eighteen, his name is still remembered as one of the greatest cultivators to ever exist. Jie Fu Lian might have died before he could ascend to immortality but he is still referred to as immortal Jie Fu Lian. Isn't there a saying that true legends only die when their names can no longer be remembered?" Jie Fu Lian smiled as he continued, "If you still hear people talking about him then he is not completely dead."
Bai YiJun paused for a second and looked to be quite impressed by the man's words, but suddenly, he broke out laughing as he spoke, "Respected customer, there is also another saying. If people curse you even after your death, it means you've truly lived a life of a Dog."
"..."
"I wonder if brother Ming ended up as a legend or a Dog," Bai Yijun taunted as he glanced over at Hua Tianshu.
Jie Fu Lian awkwardly gulped as he pursed his lips and didn't dare say anything as a response to that.
The demon King's subordinate certainly referred to him as 'Immortal Jie Fu Lian', so for a second there, Jie Fu Lian had almost thought his name and reputation had been cleared, however, it seems that nothing had really changed.
"He was neither a Legend nor a Dog," Hua Tianshu sighed as he spoke up, glancing over at Jie Fu Lian, "He was a good and talented person with a kind heart."
Bai YiJun smirked as he heard this, "It's funny to hear you say that. Did you already forget how much he hated you? According to him, you were a selfish arrogant Hypocrite who cared for neither Man nor dog."
Hua Tianshu didn't argue with the man on that and Jie Fu Lian couldn't help but frown as he heard this.
It was true that he had hated Hua Tianshu. In fact, even when he had been resurrected as the Demon King, he still did not have a favourable opinion on Hua Tianshu.
For him, Hua Tianshu had always been a selfish arrogant hypocrite.
However, to hear his own thoughts coming from somebody else's mouth really didn't sound all that good. Especially since he recently had no problems with Hua Tianshu.
Hua Tianshu had changed a lot and now that they could actually have a proper conversation together, Jie Fu Lian felt that they could get along well.
"Young Master Bai, your words are quite harsh," Duan Luoyang suddenly spoke up as he glared at Bai YiJun and defended Hua Tianshu, "My master is always kind, selfless and fair. He cared about Master Jie Fu Lian a lot. I am sure Master Jie Fu Lian was also well aware of it. If he wasn't then he's the one at fault."
"..." Why did Jie Fu Lian suddenly feel as if he had been stabbed by this man's words?
'Kind, selfless and fair...?
I'm afraid I wasn't aware.
But it's not my fault! How can I know all these when he acted like an arrogant brat all the time?!'
"What was your name?" Bai YiJun politely smiled as he looked at Duan Luoyang and asked.
"Duan Luoyang."
"Ah... So you must be the disciple Daoist Hua took in," Bai YiJun muttered with a small smirk, "It seems that there is a reason why you call him 'Master Jie Fu Lian' and talk as if you knew him so well."
"However, I'm sorry to disappoint you but your Master Jie Fu Lian was really an idiot who could not tell apart the feelings of favorability and hatred," Bai YiJun added with a sigh and Jie Fu Lian once again felt as if he had been stabbed by the man's words.
'If you want to trash-talk about me, then trash talk about me, but at least do it behind my back! Why diss me in front of my face like this?!'
"That's enough," Hua Tianshu stopped Duan Luoyang from arguing with Bai YiJun, "Since you were so close to him, you should understand him the best. There is no point in having this conversation with you."
Bai YiJun smirked in satisfaction as he heard this.
"Today, we have come here for information and you have constantly been trying to distract us with conversations. Do you really think I can't see what you are doing?" Hua Tianshu clicked his tongue as he glared at the man and spoke, "Stop buying time and start speaking."
There was no change in Bai YiJun's smile, but from his clenched fist alone, it could be sensed that he was quite pissed off.
"Follow me," Bai YiJun spoke as he turned his wheelchair and started going forward, seemingly into the darkness.
The three cultivators obediently followed behind with no questions asked and after walking for a few minutes, they suddenly heard the sound of the wheelchair stopping which made them halt as well.
"Telling you the story would not be as fun as showing it to you," Bai YiJun spoke up.
They were completely covered in darkness and with the help of their spiritual energy, they could make out the distance between themselves and where they were standing.
"So if you'll agree, I'll show it to you," Bai YiJun added.
Duan Luoyang frowned as he heard this and wondered what the man meant while both Hua Tianshu and Jie Fu Lian immediately understood the implied meaning.
"I'll agree," Jie Fu Lian spoke up and nodded his head, although this gesture couldn't be seen in the darkness.
"Then get ready," Bai YiJun's voice sounded rather amused as he spoke up, "You might see some gruesome things that are too shocking to believe but make sure that you remember this: Whatever you see is the truth."
"Huh?" Duan Luoyang muttered in confusion as he looked around in the darkness, cluelessly.
"Now I'll send you back," Bai YiJun added, "To the time when my younger brother had died."
Poor Jie Fu Lian has to listen to his ex best friend trash talk about him to his enemy XD
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