After resting and organizing themselves, Shang Can and the others arrived at Wan Shao’s Demon Lord Hall.
“By the way.” Just as Wan Shao was about to step up the stairs, she suddenly stopped and lowered her voice to Shang Can, “The place you mentioned in your message, I’ve already sent the Night Crows to check it a few times, but they didn’t find anything unusual. It still looks as barren as ever.”
“…Mhm.”
Shang Can nodded, her brow slightly furrowed.
She had initially planned to explore that location during the three days of independent action. Knowing the identity of the fake Shang Can made it seem especially suspicious. Moreover—if Shang Can’s memory served her correctly—Pei Chen’s statement that “the only entrance to the Netherworld is in the Outer Heaven” was most likely erroneous.
But since she couldn’t bring herself to abandon Yun Duan, and that place was unsuitable for Yun Duan to accompany her as one of the parties involved, Shang Can decided to set the matter aside for now. It was clear that there had been no significant progress.
That was fine. After all, all roads lead to Rome; no matter how many entrances there were, they all led to the same Netherworld. She would check it out for herself first.
As she contemplated this, Yun Duan noticed Shang Can whispering with Wan Shao and kindly turned to walk away a few steps. Shang Can called out, “It’s fine, we’re done talking.”
Wan Shao, who had intended to continue the conversation, was silenced by the look Shang Can shot her. She quietly went to sit in the Demon Lord’s seat.
“I’ve heard most of the general situation from you,” she admitted, not hiding the fact that there had been communication between Bi Luo Huang Quan and Shang Can. “But this person only speaks in conclusions. Now that we have someone here, could you please explain it to me from the beginning?”
…It was going to be troublesome to recount what had happened when she fainted. Seeing Yun Duan visibly organizing her thoughts to relay the entire story honestly, Shang Can quickly interjected, “The demons attacking the city are disguised ghosts, and we’re preparing to head to the Netherworld.”
“That’s still just a conclusion!” Wan Shao retorted angrily. “What are you actually going to do there? You’ve already faced the ghosts directly. Doesn’t that mean the Outer Heaven hasn’t been watching closely enough?”
“That’s one way to look at it.” Shang Can tilted her head innocently, “But Pei Chen didn’t see the ghosts wandering outside himself; our words alone aren’t proof.”
“…Why do people from the cultivation world always insist on having evidence?”
Ignoring the Demon Lord’s grumbling about evidence, Shang Can added, “Besides, going down to take a look would be beneficial. We’d understand more about how many ghosts have emerged, who they are, and by what means and in what places they’ve released the ghosts. Knowing a bit more information is never a bad thing.”
In the Demon Lord Hall, Yun Duan usually remained quiet unless necessary. However, she seemed to agree with Shang Can’s opinion and nodded frequently. Wan Shao, initially confused, glanced between Shang Can and Yun Duan, her expression gradually softening before turning inquisitive again.
“I remember you basically determined who that person was already, right?”
Shang Can hesitated, instinctively glancing at Yun Duan, and answered vaguely, “…It’s not really that certain.”
Pff, she was quite certain.
The way she had zeroed in on the target was simply too difficult to explain to others. She couldn’t just say: that person shouted my name, Shang Can, after seeing me use heavenly fire, so it could only be that specific individual—what a mess! Before she exposed the fake Shang Can’s identity, her own secret would be thoroughly revealed.
She had previously wanted to avoid harming herself while taking down the enemy, and now she didn’t want to bring up that name, which she had deliberately ignored, in front of Yun Duan. So she shot a warning look at Wan Shao. The sharp-witted Demon Lord picked up on it immediately and, with a serious expression, asked, “Then why don’t you tell me? Maybe I can help you confirm it!”
Confirm what? Was this demon an idiot?
Shang Can silently cursed Wan Shao in her mind, then casually changed the subject.
“I came back to Bi Luo Huang Quan mainly to ask you for information about the ghosts.”
“After all, you’ve lived longer than I have,” Shang Can said sincerely, nodding. “You must have experienced the time when the ghosts were still fighting with the cultivators, right?”
“…Are you hinting that I’m old?”
“Absolutely not.”
Under Shang Can’s solemn assurance, Wan Shao skeptically pouted and frowned in thought, “Well, I did experience it…”
“…”
Though she maintained a calm demeanor, Shang Can noticed the slight widening of Yun Duan’s eyes, betraying her surprise. Unable to contain her amusement, she pretended to cough into her sleeve to hide the smile tugging at her lips.
It had been at least a hundred years since the ghosts had caused chaos… Ah, the lifespan of the demon clan truly was astonishing.
“If I were to share my impressions of the ghosts—” Wan Shao, still in her youth, wracked her brain for a moment before finally managing to say, “They really aren’t very likable.”
“Duh! Are we going to make friends with the ghosts?” Shang Can couldn’t help but interject. “Try to recall something more useful, like the ghosts’ habits.”
“Although I’ve read a lot in the Outer Heaven’s library, I still feel the need to ask you, someone who has genuinely dealt with the ghosts, just to fill in the gaps.”
Seemingly pleased to be seen as a resource for researching ghosts, Wan Shao exclaimed, “You’ve been poring over books in the Outer Heaven again? You really can’t tell that you’re someone who loves to read, diving straight into the library whenever you go somewhere—what have you found?”
“No tangible form; some have the ability to attach themselves to objects. Most are violent and cruel by nature, not as light-averse as the rumors suggest—they simply dislike light.”
Shang Can recounted her findings one by one, while Yun Duan added, “The ghost clan also has different levels of cultivation. Those with higher cultivation can retain their intelligence and ability to communicate, while those with lower levels can only emit incoherent howls, like those we encountered before.”
“Yes,” Shang Can sighed. “Those who maintain their intelligence essentially decide not to give up their obsessions, thus becoming part of the ghost clan… It’s not hard to imagine they aren’t exactly easy to deal with.”
“Don’t worry; those types of ghosts are quite rare.” Wan Shao reassured her. “Moreover, as far as I know, the ghosts living in the Netherworld aren’t as aggressive as they were in the cultivation world—they probably won’t be stimulated unless they see the real world.”
“Although I haven’t been to the Netherworld myself, if you need help once you get down there, I can still be of assistance.”
Puffing out her chest with pride, Wan Shao added, “Even though it’s called the Netherworld, it’s not only inhabited by ghosts; there are plenty of demons living there as well.”
“There should be demons from the Corpse Flower clan residing there—if we’re going to stretch family ties, they’d probably be relatives on my mother’s side.”
“Isn’t that completely unrelated to you?”
“No, no, no. All flower demons are related in some way.” Wan Shao seriously refuted Shang Can’s bewildered comment. “You can definitely go to them and mention my name; you’ll be treated as if you’re at home.”
Even after extracting all the information Wan Shao knew and leaving the Demon Lord Hall, Shang Can couldn’t shake off those words.
“…Treated as if you’re at home…”
Shang Can’s expression grew complicated as she repeated those four words, crinkling her nose in distaste.
“…It’d be better not to expect that kind of treatment in a place like the ghost realm.”
Even Yun Duan, who usually viewed everything with indifference, couldn’t help but murmur in agreement. Shang Can nodded heavily in agreement.
“However, all flower demons are related…” Yun Duan blinked, her jade-black eyes sparkling with curiosity. “That’s something I’ve never heard before.”
“It makes me think the ecosystem of the flower demons isn’t very healthy.”
Ignoring Shang Can’s harsh evaluation, Yun Duan asked, “What kind of flower is Wan Shao?”
…That touched upon her knowledge gap.
Shang Can found herself at a loss. She had never really paid attention to it; Wan Shao had never mentioned it, so she hadn’t thought to ask.
After pondering for a while, she tentatively spoke, “…Probably a lotus.”
When they returned to Shang Can’s residence, they both tacitly avoided parting and headed to the guest room to hold a summary meeting.
“Alright, to summarize what Wan Shao just said, the best preparation we can make against the ghost clan is—” Shang Can paused, “to eat well and sleep well.”
Yun Duan silently nodded, “That’s true.”
Although it sounded rather unreliable, since the knowledgeable Demon Lord had said so: “The ghost tribe you encountered before was merely insignificant pawns; those with real abilities wouldn’t resort to grabbing people with their claws like they did.”
Wan Shao’s expression turned grave as she stated, “The ghost tribe is best at using illusions as weapons, attacking the most vulnerable places in a person’s heart, which can lead someone into a deep pit without them even realizing it.”
“What’s most troublesome is that it’s hard to defend against.” Perhaps due to past experiences, Wan Shao displayed a look of lingering fear. “The heavier the worries and obsessions someone has, the easier it is for them to fall into their traps; the ghost tribe won’t play fair.”
“So it’s quite dangerous.”
On the surface, her words were directed at both of them, but her eyes were fixed solely on Shang Can, emphasizing, “Before going, you must at least ensure you can get a good night’s sleep and relax a bit.”
It seemed that Shang Can’s lack of proper rest had become evident to the skilled healer, the Demon Lord. Shang Can silently averted her gaze, sighed, and nodded in agreement.
“Also.”
Yun Duan’s voice sounded again, a bit serious this time: “If Wan Shao is right, and your Heavenly Fire is affected…”
A hint of worry crept into her tone, but Shang Can rolled her eyes, feeling that the problem wasn’t as significant as it seemed.
As Yun Duan mentioned, Wan Shao brought up another theory.
“I think your Heavenly Fire might be affected in the Underworld Ghost Realm.”
Her statement stunned both of them momentarily. Wan Shao quickly waved her hand, saying, “It’s just my speculation. After all, I’ve never heard of anyone else with your level of skill…”
“But there were indeed such rumors back then,” Wan Shao recalled. “It was said that one couldn’t start a fire in the Underworld Ghost Realm—something like that.”
“Of course, Heavenly Fire is completely different from regular fire. Perhaps I’m just overthinking it.”
Despite Wan Shao reiterating that it was merely her conjecture, Yun Duan seemed to remember this matter very well and had begun contemplating the worst-case scenario.
“It doesn’t matter even if it really is affected.”
Shang Can, the one involved, appeared quite indifferent, munching on an apple with no sense of urgency. She intended to share half of it with Yun Duan, but Yun Duan, caught up in her worries, declined. So, Shang Can leisurely continued chewing the apple, her cheeks puffing up.
“I’m not just reliant on Heavenly Fire. If necessary, I can fight using other means,” she said, placing her trusty Wuyou blade on the table, gesturing towards it. “This will be enough.”
Noticing Yun Duan’s frown deepening, Shang Can quickly added, “And we don’t necessarily need to fight, right? We’re just going to investigate; we’ll try to avoid conflict as much as possible.”
“…”
Yun Duan’s expression remained worried, and after a moment of silence, she softly said, “I will protect you.”
“Sure!”
Shang Can smiled at this, playfully pouring Yun Duan a cup of tea.
“I’ll make sure to serve the Lord Yunzong well these next few days—after all, hiring someone like you as a bodyguard must be quite expensive. I’m just a poor demon cultivator and can only repay you with my labor.”
Her actions brought a faint smile to Yun Duan’s face, which quickly faded as she shook her head quietly.
“I don’t want any rewards.”
Yun Duan lifted the cup of tea Shang Can poured for her to her lips, slowly sipping it, her gaze shifting slightly as if recalling some distant memory.
“I just want you to be okay.”
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