Chapter 4: Similar Dilemma

Ji Yunhe walked up to the cell and looked through the thick bars full of talismans. The jiaoren hung by his hands and his body was covered with wounds. Large iron hooks pierced through his clavicle, and the chains wrapped around his blue and white tail confined him from all movements.

His blood dripped down, soaking the chains, and his face looked as pale as paper under the moonlight. Even though Ji Yunhe had been in the valley for many years and witnessed many gruesome scenes, she still could not help but feel chills right now.

Along with the chills, she also felt a bit lost in his appearance. There were always some people or things in this world that could touch the heart, whether they were in bloom or in wilt.

She took one step forward. This step seemed to have brought her into his area of guard. His lashes fluttered, and his ice blue eyes opened with a shimmer. He looked at Ji Yunhe and his pupils reflected the darkness of the dungeon, the dim flames on the wall, and her shadowy figure.

The corners of his mouth were slightly downturned, adding to a majestic look of nobility that he was born with. His eyes were aggressive and displayed a mixture of wariness, anger and detachment.

He remained silent. The eunuch who had delivered him did not provide any information at all. Where did he come from? What was his name? What was his physical condition and what level of magic power did he possess...

Naturally, the eunuch also did not tell anyone if he was able to speak. The wish to have him speak human words… Was that to simply make him speak or to teach him a whole new language?

Ji Yunhe did not shy away from his gaze. She took another step closer and pressed herself against the bars to examine him. The two pairs of eyes met, each one deep in thought.　　

Ji Yunhe did not know what the jiaoren was thinking, but she had an eerie feeling that her current situation was very similar to his entrapment. Staying in the Demon Valley was a misfortune, and leaving would not be good either.

If the Demon Valley could not tame him, then he would be sent to the Demon Terrace in the north, the Demon Island in the east, or the Demon Mountain in the west...

Under the control of the imperial court, these were the only four places left in the world allowing people born with demon master powers to exist and survive.

None of these places were friendly to demons. What was the difference between him and Ji Yunhe? Lin Haoqing and Lin Canglan, the former was defensive and suspicious of her and wanted to get rid of her, the latter used her in every way possible and could not squeeze enough blood out of her.

If she were to escape from the valley, the poison in her body would activate, not to mention the entire world under royal power would regard her as a traitor. None of the four major demon master quarters would accept her again.

Between the jiaoren and Ji Yunhe, one was a plaything under the power and one was a pawn. They were both prisoners. The sound of blood dripping down in the dungeon was faint but clear. Ji Yunhe looked across his sturdy chest and muscular abdomen. She raised her eyebrows and sighed to herself. He looked very strong.

And then her eyes shifted down. His fish tail was no longer as smooth as during the day when she first saw him. Due to a lack of water and punitive lightning strikes from earlier, the scales were now rough and uneven. Some were overturned, revealing the flesh underneath. It was a bit scary to look at. For demon taming, Ji Yunhe had never been fond of using violence.　　

She turned her hand and her palm conjured a small, clear spring of water. With a wave of the fingers, the water floated over and rolled onto the jiaoren's tail. It was an act of sympathy toward him, probably also sympathetic that his situation was not unlike her own.　　

He subconsciously resisted and shifted slightly. As soon as he moved, the black iron chains made a clattering sound, and a bolt of lightning instantly flashed out and dissipated into his flesh.　　

The jiaoren's body shivered and he clenched his teeth. Another stream of blood trickled out from the wounds covering his body... He endured it all in silence.　　

"Don't move," Ji Yunhe opened her mouth with a voice lower than an ordinary woman.

"I do not want to harm you." She looked up again and met with his blue eyes.

Her hand did not stop as the stream of water continuously floated out from her palm, warm like the temperature of her body. It covered the jiaoren's tail. The scales slowly smoothed themselves down piece by piece. Soon the entire tail was shining again with the dazzling luster it used to have. He looked at her with cold eyes still void of emotion.