For Daniel Davis, the world was straightforward: good was good, and bad was bad. For example, the parents of Huai Mi and his siblings harmed humans, and they were killed by Murong Ziying. That was justified. However, Huai Mi and the others had not harmed anyone, and Daniel wouldn't act against them based on some unfounded accusations.
When it came to life and death, Daniel Davis was the most detached person Murong Ziying had ever met. As Daniel put it, humans eat other animals to survive, which isn't wrong. Similarly, if someone were killed by an animal while hunting, he wouldn't harbor resentment.
"Ridiculous. If we don't kill them now and they grow stronger, only to harm humans later, won't we regret it?"
To be fair, Murong Ziying wasn't entirely wrong. Eradicating a threat completely is sometimes essential. One couldn't let pity sway them just because the threat seemed small—like Malik's daughter, Stephanie. If Daniel had eliminated her earlier, she wouldn't have later led Hydra.
Of course, such decisions require a case-by-case analysis and adherence to the principle of pragmatism.
"We've never harmed humans!" shouted Huai Zhi, the youngest of the group. Huai demons were generally peaceful creatures and wouldn't harm humans under normal circumstances.
"Demonic lies! How can they be trusted?" Murong Ziying raised his Heaven-Shaking Sword and addressed Daniel, "Step aside."
"No, I won't let you hurt them," Daniel said resolutely. For someone as pure-hearted as him, there was no overthinking. He considered the Huai demons his friends now, and naturally, he wouldn't allow Murong Ziying to harm them.
"Ziying, calm down. Not all demons are bad," Han Lingsha interjected, stepping between the two to stop them from fighting.
"Lingsha, you're siding with demons too?" Murong Ziying's face darkened further upon hearing Han Lingsha's words.
"Ziying," Liu Mengli spoke softly from the side.
"You too, Mengli? What about you?" Murong Ziying turned his gaze to Daniel. From the words of Han Lingsha and Liu Mengli, he could already tell they disagreed with him.
"Ziying, I admire your dedication to eliminating demons, but it must be done judiciously. In my view, whether human or demon, there are good and bad among them. We can't generalize. For me, it's about distinguishing right from wrong, not human from demon," Daniel said calmly.
"Fine. Fine. Seems like I'm the odd one out here. If we don't share the same path, there's no point in continuing this discussion. Since you're all here, I won't force the issue today. Farewell," Murong Ziying said, his chest heaving with suppressed anger. Despite his strength, he was clearly upset by their words. With a cold snort, he sheathed his Heaven-Shaking Sword and turned to leave.
"Ziying, I have a question. Can you clarify something for me?" Daniel called after him.
"Speak."
"Earlier, at Hidden Fragrance Mountain, if that Fox Spirit hadn't been a celestial beast but an ordinary demon, would you have spared it, or would you have killed it outright? Is it the case that celestial beasts can be forgiven for their wrongdoings, but demons, no matter how innocent, must be exterminated just because they're demons?"
Murong Ziying froze at the question. He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to reply, but ultimately said nothing. With a flick of his sleeve, he left without another word.
"Looks like we've thoroughly offended Ziying this time. Sigh." Watching his figure disappear, Han Lingsha let out a light sigh.
"We'll have to talk to him properly when we get back," Liu Mengli said softly.
Neither Daniel, Han Lingsha, nor Liu Mengli felt the need to apologize to Murong Ziying. After all, they didn't see themselves as in the wrong and thus had no reason to admit fault.
"Huai Mi, I didn't expect to see you here. How have you been?" They soon set aside thoughts of Murong Ziying and began chatting with Huai Mi and the other Huai demons.
"Meow, the elders here treat us very well. Although there are many demons in this area, everyone gets along and doesn't hurt others," Huai Mi said softly.
"By the way, why have you come here? Few people ever visit this place."
"We're investigating incidents of water demons attacking humans. You mentioned you were saving people, but why have there been so many fishermen falling into the water?" Han Lingsha briefly explained the situation with the fishermen.
"It's because there have been many whirlpools on the lake recently. Boats get sucked in if they get too close. The elders ordered us to rescue any humans we see falling into the water and bring them to shore."
For demons, rescuing humans and bringing them to safety was already quite benevolent. Expecting them to provide medical care would be moral overreach.
"That's strange. I've been to Lake Chao before and never heard of whirlpools appearing here," Han Lingsha said. Having dived into Lake Chao to search for the lost Chu State, she was familiar with the area.
"Meow, the elders say it has to do with the moon and tides. Recently, a large floating island passed overhead, affecting the lake's surface. The whirlpools are a result of this and will return to normal after a while. The island, I hear, only passes by every decade or so. The barrier here became visible because of it, meow."
"The Illusionary Nether Realm really is fascinating," Daniel remarked. Moving along a specific trajectory above the lake, the Illusionary Nether Realm seemed to function like a satellite.
"Looks like we'll need to notify the local fishermen to avoid fishing for now," Han Lingsha said. Since the phenomenon was caused by natural forces, it was beyond their ability to resolve.
"By the way, Huai Mi, could we meet the elder here? Besides investigating the fishermen's incidents, we're also looking for something," Han Lingsha said, describing the Kun scales and the large fish they were searching for. Since the Chu State had long resided in the area, they were likely to know about such a creature.
"A large northern fish? Could it be the Kunpeng? I vaguely recall one of the Sword and Fairy stories mentioning the Kunpeng."
The Kun scales, one of the Three Frigid Artifacts, clearly weren't from an ordinary fish. Daniel vaguely remembered a Sword and Fairy story about the Kunpeng but couldn't recall the details.
"Alright," Huai Mi nodded after hearing Han Lingsha's request.
"Bronze cauldrons, bronze masks—this must be the ruins of the Chu State from the Shang Dynasty!"
As they followed Huai Mi to the elder's residence, Han Lingsha's face lit up with excitement at the sight of the architecture and decorations around them.
Though she was a tomb raider, she was also something of an amateur archaeologist. Seeing these legendary ruins thrilled her.
"A turtle elder? Does this mean there's actually a dragon behind the Chu State?"
Led by Huai Mi, the group arrived at the elder's home. The elder was a short, white-haired old man whose most striking feature was the black turtle shell on his back.
For humans, such a sight might seem strange. If the elder could take on human form, why not fully transform? But to demons, this was perfectly normal.
"Elder, these are the good people I mentioned," Huai Mi said after bowing to the elder, explaining Daniel and the others' intentions.
"I've already observed you. Humans who speak on behalf of demons are rare indeed."
"Huai Mi is our friend, so of course we stood up for him," Daniel replied directly. To him, his actions weren't about taking the demons' side but standing up for his friends.
"Humans willing to befriend demons are indeed few and far between. I understand your purpose. Here, take this Kun scale as a gift," the elder said, producing a black scale.
"You're just giving it to us? I heard this is incredibly valuable," Han Lingsha said, shocked.
"You're friends of Huai Mi, and you've spoken up for him. Besides, the Kun scale isn't particularly useful to us," the elder said with a smile.
While the Kunpeng might be rare to others—being tied to one of the Three Frigid Artifacts—it wasn't uncommon in the Chu State. When the northern fish appeared in Lake Chao, the state had acquired many of its scales.
"Thank you so much," Han Lingsha said, stepping forward to accept the scale, only to be stopped by the elder, leaving her puzzled.
"I've weakened the scale's frigid properties through a spell, making it safe to hold. However, young lady, your body is inherently cold. Prolonged contact would be unwise," the elder explained, gesturing for someone else to take it.
"Impressive that he could discern Han Lingsha's condition," Daniel thought.
In the end, it was Cloud who carried the Kun scale. After all, he was immune to both water and fire.
"Alright, we've now collected the last of the Three Frigid Artifacts. This means we can free Xuanyao. Since we're here, Huai Mi, how about showing us around?" With the scale secured, the group thanked the elder and left his home.
Initially, Daniel wanted to leave the Chu State immediately, but Han Lingsha suggested that they take the opportunity to explore this unique demon city, as they might not get another chance. Liu Mengli quickly agreed, and so the four of them, led by Huai Mi, began touring the Chu State.
The Chu State was a city much like human ones, with various shops selling goods not commonly found in the human world.
"There are humans living here? Why would they choose to stay in a place like this?"
Upon learning from Huai Mi that humans lived in the Chu State, Han Lingsha and the others were shocked. They had assumed it was exclusively inhabited by demons.
But as Huai Mi explained, the humans here were mostly those who had married demons. This revelation left Han Lingsha and Liu Mengli even more astonished. They had no prejudice against demons, but the idea of humans and demons marrying was entirely new to them.
In most cases, such unions would lead to trouble once exposed, forcing some couples to seek refuge in the Chu State.
Interestingly, most of these humans were cultivators, with even the weakest being martial artists. Many were disciples from prominent sects, including immortal cultivators.
These individuals had often changed their perspectives after encountering non-evil demons during their missions to subdue them. Of course, not everyone who changed their views ended up with a demon partner, as love requires fate. But those who did became more discerning in their future dealings with demons.
Han Lingsha was deeply moved by this revelation, while Liu Mengli grew increasingly silent.
"The Chu Academy? Demons really are keeping up with the times," Daniel remarked.
Aside from human-demon relationships, what surprised the group most was the Chu Academy. This institution educated demon children and half-demons. Several of Huai Mi's younger siblings had joined the academy after arriving in the Chu State.
Demons could generally be categorized into two types. The first were natural demons—animals or plants that gained intelligence and power through cultivation. The second were descendants of demons, like Huai Mi and his siblings.
"Huai Mi, we'll be leaving now. We'll visit again when we have the chance."
"Meow, it's a promise. My brothers would love to see you again," Huai Mi replied.
After making plans to meet again, Daniel and his companions left the Chu State. As for the lingering tensions between Huai Mi and Murong Ziying, neither side brought it up, knowing the situation was complicated. However, given Murong Ziying's strength and the fact that the Huai demons weren't particularly powerful, it seemed unlikely they'd ever have the chance for revenge.
"Looks like Ziying has already left," Han Lingsha sighed softly when they returned to Bai Lingzhou and found no trace of Murong Ziying.
"Lingsha, you and Cloud should take the Kun scale back to Xuanyao. I'll head back to inform my father so he can issue a notice warning fishermen to avoid fishing for now," Liu Mengli suggested.
Lake Chao fell under the jurisdiction of Shouyang County, which was governed by Liu Mengli's father.
"Mengli, why don't we go together? It won't take much time, and they won't expect us to have gathered all three artifacts so quickly," Han Lingsha offered.
"No, it's better to deliver the Kun scale sooner so Xuanyao can be freed. I'll return shortly after notifying my father," Liu Mengli declined.
"In that case, how about I stay behind and accompany Mengli to Shouyang County? You two can take the Kun scale back first," Daniel suggested.
"That works," Cloud and Han Lingsha agreed after exchanging glances.
If it had been before, Cloud might have objected, but with the Kun scale finally in hand and Xuanyao's freedom imminent, he was too excited to notice Liu Mengli's condition. After all, Cloud wasn't the most observant person.
"Alright," Liu Mengli nodded in agreement after glancing at Daniel.
"Let's return the fishing boat to the fishermen first," Daniel said. While insignificant to them, the boat was essential for the fishermen's livelihood.
"Sure."
With Liu Mengli taking the lead, Shouyang County quickly dispatched constables to inform the nearby villages around Lake Chao.
"Guess we'll have to check out that big bird on Bai Lingzhou next time."
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