Chapter 29:*
"Li Ji, how did you get here?" Gu Yi asked, eyeing him with mild surprise.
"Well," Li Ji scratched his head awkwardly, "after that green light band appeared, I could feel your breath. So, I just followed it until I found you."
Gu Yi frowned. "What do you want him for? The Demon God is not someone to be trifled with. Perhaps one day you'll have the strength to challenge him, but right now, you're too inexperienced to face him."
Li Ji gave a confident grin. "Before you can defeat the darkness, you have to first understand it—learn to accept it. Only then can you truly conquer it. That's what you told me before."
A playful smile appeared on Gu Yi's face. Without waiting for Kunos to protest, she pointed a finger at his forehead. In an instant, his body shrank down to the size of an inch. Gu Yi bent down, carefully picked him up, and dropped him into a small bottle.
"Be careful with this," she warned, handing the bottle to Li Ji. "Don't lose it before returning to Kunlun. If he manages to take the coordinates of Earth to Turvas, your master could be in serious trouble."
Li Ji raised an eyebrow. "My master?" he asked, confused.
"Don't make a fuss about this." Gu Yi's smile was enigmatic as she added, "And say hello to him for me. Ask him how long it will take before he dies."
Li Ji's face twitched, his mind racing. The tension between Gu Yi and his master was clear, but he didn't dare to probe further. "Definitely. I'll make sure to ask."
He turned to leave the room, but as soon as he opened the door, a woman in her twenties with wild, disheveled hair bumped into him. She didn't even seem to notice him, rushing straight past him toward Gu Yi.
"Sorry, sorry!" she called out, though her gaze was fixed entirely on the Ancient One. "Master."
Gu Yi raised an eyebrow at the woman. "Pei Xin? What are you doing back here? Aren't you in charge of the Hong Kong Sanctuary?"
Pei Xin bowed respectfully. "I felt Kama Taj's demonic aura erupt from the Sanctuary. I thought there was an invasion, so I rushed back to investigate. But it looks like the demon's been dealt with already."
Gu Yi nodded with a smile. "You acted with good intentions, but you should return to the Sanctuary. It's no good if no one's there to oversee things."
Pei Xin agreed, giving a respectful nod. "Yes, Master."
As Pei Xin left, Li Ji found himself puzzling over the name. "Pei Xin... Where have I heard that before?"
---
Later that night, Li Ji returned to Kunlun. He made his way to Lei Gong's residence.
"Master, I'm back," Li Ji said as he entered.
"Ah, you're back already? Everything resolved?" Lei Gong asked, taking a sip from his tea.
"Master Gu Yi said she would handle it. She asked me to pass on her regards to you." Li Ji carefully avoided mentioning Gu Yi's actual message.
Lei Gong snorted, spreading his beard. "You call her 'Master'? Just call her old lady Gu Yi. She's always sending me greetings with a wish for my quick demise."
Li Ji couldn't help but grin. "Definitely, definitely."
Lei Gong squinted at him suspiciously. "So, did you get the souvenirs you were supposed to bring?"
Li Ji pulled out the vial containing Kunos, handing it over. "If this is the souvenir you mean, you should have it now."
Lei Gong carefully examined the vial. "Quite the clever little demon. If I let your junior brother go, maybe I could get some cabbage in return."
Li Ji shifted awkwardly. "What's the point of this? Are you going to study the power of darkness?"
Lei Gong shook the vial, looking thoughtful. "Gu Yi mentioned this demon is a descendant of Turvas. He inherited a special skill called Dark Curtain." Li Ji paused, reflecting on Gu Yi's playful grin and the way she'd said he'd been seen through long ago.
"Sure enough, a blood descendant of a powerful Demon God! This is getting more interesting." Lei Gong grinned widely.
Li Ji felt a little uncomfortable. "But what are you going to do with it? Is it for research?"
Lei Gong laughed lightly. "Did old Gu Yi try to fill your head with nonsense about darkness and light? Don't listen to her. You don't need to be deceived. Darkness, light, evil, justice—they're all just parts of nature. If you learn Kunlun's way properly, you'll understand that it's all about balance. Then, no matter where you go, you won't be afraid."
Li Ji was still a little unsure. "And this... demon?"
Lei Gong waved the vial casually. "This is just bait for fishing. Didn't you ask me why I always have a fishing rod in my room but never actually fish? Well, if you don't have bait, you're just casting the line for nothing."
Li Ji blinked, still not fully understanding, but he let it go. Sometimes it was better to just let Lei Gong explain things in his own way.
*********
If you want to read more there's 15, 30, 50 chapters there of my written fanfictions and translated works in my Pat.Reon.
Here is the link:
https://patreon.com/LordFisherman?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink
And if you can't find it just type my name: patreon.com/LordFisherman