Chapter 130: Human? Demon?

In a dark, damp secret chamber, a faint, foul odor lingered in the air. Occasionally, small black creatures could be seen crawling on the ground and walls, emitting faint squeaking sounds.

A jailer wrinkled his nose as he opened the door to the room. After glancing at the person inside, he averted his gaze and bowed slightly to the newcomer, speaking in a submissive tone:

“Chief, the prisoner is held here. Be careful—the floor is slippery.”

Zhang Qianyue waved his hand, signaling the jailer to leave, then turned his gaze toward the half-dead figure on the ground.

With a casual flick of his hand, Lan Shuli’s battered body was flung uncontrollably against the wall, producing a dull thud.

“Stop pretending to be dead. The injuries you suffered were only superficial—you must have recovered by now.”

Zhang Qianyue looked down at Lan Shuli with a mocking tone.

“Heh, what difference does it make whether I die sooner or later? Death is inevitable anyway.”

Lan Shuli sneered, speaking calmly, clearly having already resigned himself to his fate.

“Hah, quite the tough guy.”

Zhang Qianyue spat, and with a flick of his thumb, a set of torture instruments materialized out of thin air.

Rows of sharp tools gleamed coldly in the dimly lit room, sending chills down one’s spine.

“Don’t worry, I generally practice humanitarianism and won’t resort to violence against prisoners.”

Zhang Qianyue laughed, then continued. “Speak. Who stands behind you?”

“The Heaven Demon Sect.”

Lan Shuli answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world, without the slightest hesitation.

The entire room fell silent for a moment.

The smile on Zhang Qianyue’s face froze briefly, clearly not expecting Lan Shuli to answer so readily.

But as a seasoned veteran of the Jianghu, he burst into hearty laughter and looked at Lan Shuli with approval.

“You really don’t want to suffer at all, do you?”

“I am loyal only to myself. Why should I risk my life for others?”

Lan Shuli replied frankly.

“Loyal only to yourself? So you secretly raised a Demon Lord, then offered it to the Heaven Demon Sect once it grew up?”

Lan Shuli scoffed contemptuously. “Offer it to them? Ridiculous. Why would I give such a treasure to those beasts in the Heaven Demon Sect?”

“Oh? Then what were your plans?”

Zhang Qianyue’s tone carried a hint of surprise. He never expected that such a major case, one that had shaken the entire Tianyuan Star, would yield clues so easily.

This Lan Shuli was unexpectedly loose-lipped, answering every question without any intention of enduring hardship.

“You won’t torture me, will you?”

Lan Shuli glanced at the torture instruments behind Zhang Qianyue and asked in return.

“As long as you tell me everything you should, I promise I won’t lay a hand on you!”

“At your age, haven’t you suffered any hardships?”

Zhang Qianyue responded disdainfully.

“Heh, I’m just a bag of old bones. It’s only right to treat myself well.” Lan Shuli sighed in relief upon hearing Zhang Qianyue’s assurance.

Then, he dropped a bombshell.

“Have you ever considered… that Pei Qin might actually be human?”

Boom!

The words exploded in Zhang Qianyue’s mind. His fierce eyes locked onto Lan Shuli as he strode forward and lifted the latter into the air.

“What did you say!”

Lan Shuli dangled in the air, a bright red mark quickly forming around his neck from the pressure.

“Ugh…”

Thud!

Lan Shuli fell to the ground, groaning in pain.

“How could Pei Qin possibly be human!”

Zhang Qianyue roared, as if his worldview had been overturned. His first reaction was that this cowardly professor was trying to deceive him.

“Ahem… Chief, if you think what I said is wrong, you can refute me with words. Please don’t resort to violence.”

Lan Shuli caught his breath and spoke politely.

Then, ignoring Zhang Qianyue, he continued.

“Chief, have you ever considered that while the Martial Way of Tianyuan Star is advancing with the times, the demonic beings are also evolving to adapt to the era?”

Zhang Qianyue remained silent. In his ear, a tiny electronic panel emitted a faint red glow.

All the dialogue here was being transmitted to the important figures on Tianyuan Star.

“I wrote ‘Human Race Martial Dao’ to belittle the Martial Artists of Blue Star, and you all felt pleased.”

“Hah, you naively believe that the Martial Way of Tianyuan Star is the most perfect Transcendent system in the world. But have you ever thought that all things are born from heaven, follow the Great Path, act in accordance with Heaven’s Mandate, and thrive against adversity!”

“Those great terrors you once despised and suppressed have also found a sliver of life within this Great Path?”

“What do you mean?”

Lan Shuli’s gaze grew obscure.

“Demons… have evolved…”

Zhang Qianyue shuddered, his facial muscles contorting, and an inexplicable fear arose within him.

The important figure on the other end of the earpiece was likely no better off than Zhang Qianyue at this moment.

“Pei Qin’s Origin Source is human, and then he evolved into a demon? When I first learned of this, my initial reaction was just as pitiful as yours.”

Lan Shuli calmly observed Zhang Qianyue’s reaction.

He spread his hands.

“Humans have a chance to transform into demons. Isn’t that tempting?”

His tone gradually turned sinister.

“Do you think the Heaven Demon Sect, the Subversive Faction, and the Sunset Pavilion would be thrilled to learn of this?”

“And those people on the other end of your earpiece.”

Zhang Qianyue’s pupils trembled violently, and he instinctively covered his ears.

“No need to cover them. I’ll say everything I need to say.” Lan Shuli said indifferently.

“Then why did you bring Pei Qin back? You know full well that if he grows, he could overturn the entire Tianyuan Star!”

“Would leaving him outside prevent that?” Lan Shuli lost control and shouted. “It makes no difference! Pei Qin might grow in the outside world, or he might perish midway, just as he could on Tianyuan Star. There’s no difference at all!”

“This is Heaven’s Mandate! The rules are overturned. Humans can become demons, and demons can become humans. And I, Lan Shuli, am merely a witness!”

“You’re insane!”

“I’m not insane. It’s you who are afraid!”

“Huff…”

Bang!

“Don’t resort to torture! I won’t argue with you anymore!”

Lan Shuli cried out, the dignity of a professor vanishing entirely.

Cowardly yet stubborn.

Zhang Qianyue forced himself to calm down, no longer continuing to argue with this madman.

“By the way, have you told the Heaven Demon Sect about Pei Qin being human?”

“No.”

Zhang Qianyue’s expression eased slightly. “You did the right thing.”

“It’s useless. This news will inevitably reach those people sooner or later. As for the trigger…

I suspect it will be those beings on the other end of your earpiece.” Lan Shuli spoke each word with force.

Zhang Qianyue took a step back, not daring to respond to Lan Shuli.

At that moment, the earpiece vibrated, and a hoarse voice came through.

“Kill him.”

Zhang Qianyue’s eyes trembled, and he closed them.

A burst of blood mist exploded.

Zhang Qianyue removed the earpiece, threw it to the ground, crushed it into powder, and walked out of the interrogation room expressionlessly.

His lips trembled slightly, his brown eyes already bloodshot.

“When the heavens are about to collapse, maggots rise to wield power—how can our Tianyuan Star remain unscathed?”

…

Just then, a prison guard jogged over.

“Chief, the young man who killed the Demon Lord has come to claim his reward.”

Zhang Qianyue snapped out of his thoughts, regaining his usual composure.

“Mm, take me to see him.”