A Good-for-Nothing

290. A Mere Vessel

Translator: Dragon Rider

In SMB.

What with the sneak attack from the Demon King’s minions, the conference was eventually brought to an unfruitful end. The leaders decided to give it a break and resume discussing the matter another time.

Zhen Daoyuan was wearily sitting in an office chair when a knock at the door was heard.

“Come in,” said Zhen Daoyuan, straightening his back. The visitor pushed the door open and entered. It was Zhen Ni, whose eyes were red.

In front of her father, Zhen Ni finally failed to keep up her pretense of toughness that she had been showing to outsiders all this time. “Father … ” she called, tears instantly streaming down her cheeks.

She spoke in such a chocked voice that her speech was barely intelligible.

She was Zhen Daoyuan’s only child. Though Zhen Ni had been docile since her childhood, Zhen Daoyuan still felt a jolt of heartache. His heart throbbing, he hastily rose from his chair, handed her a tissue and said, “There, there, stop crying, Zhen Ni.”

After sobbing for a while, Zhen Ni wiped her tears off and, eyes swollen and reddish, asked Zhen Daoyuan hoarsely, “I want you to be honest with me about this, Father. Is Chief really … really … ”

Zhen Ni found herself unable to utter the word “dead”.

Zhen Daoyuan let out a sigh and, patting Zhen Ni’s shoulder consolingly, replied, “Li Zong had indeed jumped into it when Mrs. Zhao and I went to check, but we all hope Li Zong has survived.”

With a heavy heart, Zhen Ni shook her head. Though Zhen Daoyuan did not give her a definite reply, his words were no different from an affirmative answer.

Zhen Ni left the office, broken-hearted. Zhen Daoyuan kneaded his forehead, then picked up his teacup and took a sip.

The door was pushed open again. This time it was Zhao Yidi who walked in.

She closed the door behind her as Zhen Daoyuan put his teacup back onto the desk and flicked her a glance.

“Zhen Ni’s just been here?”

“Yeah,” said Zhen Daoyuan with a sigh, leaning against the back of his chair, staring at the ceiling unseeingly, pondering over something.

Zhao Yidi sat down opposite him, looking apprehensive as well.

“Zhen Daoyuan, do you think we’re doing the right thing?” asked Zhao Yidi, a somewhat bemused look in her eyes.

Zhen Daoyuan smiled a mirthless smile. “I don’t know that either. If we are, then there might be a happy ending; if not, we’ll end up with a guilt we can never be rid of.”

Zhen Daoyuan’s eyes traveled out of the window as his mind went back to what he and Zhao Yidi had seen beside the Seal on Jiaowo Hill.

At that time, Li Zong’s whole body had been wreathed in karma flame, which kept them from seeing him clearly. In their eyes, Li Zong had directly jumped into the magic circle. In an attempt to figure out a way to get Li Zong out of there, Zhen Daoyuan and Zhao Yidi had gone to the edge of it to check only to find that what they had seen a moment ago was just a smokescreen of Li Zong’s, that there was a small Teleportation Circle beside the Seal.

“Given Li Zong’s powers, he could totally have got rid of the Circle. I think he meant it as a clue for us.” Zhao Yidi, eyes red, bitterly said, “What a cunning asshole!”

Zhen Daoyuan shook his head with a forced smile. “What concerns me is the possibility that Li Zong did that on purpose knowing we would go there to check. I just wonder what it is that he’s going to do next … ”

Zhao Yidi and Zhen Daoyuan did not fail Li Zong, though. They had claimed that Li Zong had fallen into the Seal. Even when faced with his daughter, Zhen Daoyuan had still steeled himself and kept the truth back from her.

“Li Zong would be spotted the moment he comes out of hiding. He’d better have a way to handle it, because if he doesn’t, he will be sorry when I get hold of him!”

Zhen Daoyuan smiled mirthlessly again. They had done all they could do for Li Zong. From now on, Li Zong was on his own.

On the hill behind the Great Hall of the Tigers and Dragons Mountain.

Having been reunited with the stolen soul, He Zheng’s body lying on the stone bed gradually regained some color, but he was still unconscious.

Li Zong touched He Zheng’s hand, which felt cold, then gave it a little squeeze.

Looking at Li Zong’s weary face, the former sect leader said, “Your colleagues will probably arrive soon, but I think they only know He Zheng’s body is in my place. It’s not likely they have knowledge of your presence here. Do you have any plans?”

“Yeah.” Li Zong nodded. He had adopted that method to extricate himself from the situation not because he had been scared, but because he had had to buy He Zheng some time. Now it seemed that he had made the right decision. Director Zhen and Zhao Yidi had indeed bought him some time.

“When He Zheng’s soul is complete again, I’ll ask him his opinions.”

The old man inclined his head, looking at He Zheng, mixed feelings in his eyes. When Li Zong had brought He Zheng to this place on that day, he had sensed that there was something unusual about He Zheng, that He Zheng had a trace of dark energy in him, but it was different from the powers that Demon’s Attendants obtained by refining their victims’ souls or those awarded to them by the Demon King.

In fact, He Zheng had been unconsciously using these dark powers, but the powers in him were purer, which was why there had never been any black gas leaking out.

Li Zong and the former sect leader had analyzed it. Zhu Ning had, following the God of Divination’s instructions, planted the Demonic Seed inside He Zheng. After so many years, the Seed had become one with He Zheng’s body. Zhu Ning had used an inhibition enchantment to suppress He Zheng’s talents because she had wanted to hold the Seed at bay, but it was only a matter of time before the Seed showed what it truly was. No wonder He Zheng had been making such quick progress in cultivation. The Seed was a major contributing factor.

However, as He Zheng’s powers grew, the telepathic bond between the Seed and the Demon King had been strengthening, which was why He Zheng had seen the Demon King in his dream that day. The Seed was part of the Demon King. Their relations were similar to those between Dan Zhu and Li Zong. If one of them died, the other would suffer greatly.

This meant that He Zheng was in grave danger.

Killing He Zheng would indeed thwart the Demon King’s plan, and it was also the simplest method, but Li Zong would not do that. He would not allow He Zheng to sacrifice himself for the greater good.

“There’s another way to make sure He Zheng survives – I kill the Demon King,” said Li Zong in an unemotional, matter-of-fact tone of voice.

This was his only bargaining chip.

The former sect leader, after hearing these words, shook his head. None of the couple of old buddies of his was willing to do that, and now the younger generation ended up having to shoulder the burden.

In fact, to maintain the large-scale protective enchantment shielding SMB, Zhou Yang, Zong Xian and all the others were trying to avoid getting into more fights lest they suffer any injuries which would accelerate their aging. If one of those geriatrics was willing to sacrifice themself for Tao, the Demon King was guaranteed to be eliminated.

Nobody knew how powerful the new Demon King was, so if Li Zong offered to do this thing, SMB might not necessarily deny him the chance.

Li Zong softly combed He Zheng’s hair with his fingers, wordlessly waiting for him to come around.

In fact, He Zheng was now in a very odd state. He heard each and every single word of Li Zong and the old man’s conversation, and the more he heard it, the lower his heart sank. Why was this happening? What did he have to do with the Seed? Why was killing the Demon King the only way to ensure his survival?

Amid countless confusing facts, He Zheng finally found the answer.

He Zheng was standing in a mountainous area, encircled by rolling hills. He had no idea where he was, feeling as though he had just fallen through thick mist, but he had a vague sensation that he had to move forward.

As the thought occurred to him, he put it into action, making towards a particular position.

A white shape gradually came into view. It was a woman, who had beautiful black hair, every line of her charming face etched with tiredness. A mere glance at her glued He Zheng to the spot.

Though his memories of this woman’s features had blurred, when she was actually in sight, his recollections came flooding back into his head.

The woman that he had been longing to see again for so many days and nights had materialized in front of him without warning.

He felt a twitch of eagerness so intense that his heart fluttered madly, threatening to burst out of his chest. He Zheng streaked up to the woman, who was startled by his sudden appearance.

“Who are you?!” demanded the woman, looking at him warily, but a hint of perplexity appeared in her eyes as they fell upon He Zheng’s face.

He Zheng, lips quivering, fixed the woman with a stare, unable to speak.

“Mom, I’m … He Zheng.”

The woman’s eyes slightly widened.

“I don’t know why I’m here. I–I don’t know anything,” faltered He Zheng, his nose burning, gazing at the woman’s face. Then, in a choked voice, he said, “Mom, I’ve missed you so much.”

Zhu Ning was no common person after all. Her watchful eyes quickly turned gentle. The striking likeness between this young man’s face and hers was unmistakable. ‘Maybe this is another arrangement made by the God of Divination,’ thought Zhu Ning.

“Good boy. I’ve missed you, too,” said Zhu Ning, patting He Zheng’s back.

“What do you want to do, Mom? Why are you here?” asked He Zheng. As the heartache ebbed slightly, he came to realize that Zhu Ning’s presence in this mountainous area did not make any sense.

Zhu Ning opened her mouth to speak and then closed it again as she cast him a glance. Eventually, she smiled a bland smile and replied, “I have no idea why you showed up in front of me, but I think maybe you came here to seek the truth.

So, my good boy, I’ll tell you everything.

But before that, Mom wants you to go somewhere with me.”

The sound of the word “Mom” struck He Zheng as the most pleasant thing in the world and greatly lifted his spirits. He nodded his agreement without a second thought. The two of them traveled across a valley and then a stream. He Zheng did not know how long they walked before they eventually arrived at a vast valley, in which, curiously enough, stood a colossal altar.

“Follow me,” said Zhu Ning, who had been holding He Zheng’s hand all the time. He Zheng obediently did as she said. Zhu Ning, who seemed to be very familiar with this place, led He Zheng to a secluded spot behind a statue of some god, where she did something which caused a cloud of black gas, shaped like a glass orb, to fly out of the statue’s heart.

“What is this, Mom?”

“This is the Demonic Seed, which will result in numerous misfortunes in the future,” said Zhu Ning in a tender voice.

He Zheng’s pupils contracted drastically. “The Demonic Seed?! Why haven’t you destroyed it?!”

Zhu Ning regretfully shook her head. “If I destroy it, the demonic Qi in it will enter the channels of natural power and spread to every corner of this world, and those whose willpower was not strong enough to resist it will fall victim and be reduced to half-demons.”

“Then what should we do?” asked He Zheng, terribly vexed, knowing that this was the very thing that the Demon King had been hell-bent on recovering, that if the Demon King got it, everybody would be doomed.

“I’ve already done it, and that’s what I’ve been feeling guilty about. It’s so unfair to you, my boy,” said Zhu Ning, stroking He Zheng’s face. He Zheng’s birth had actually been for a sacrificial ceremony. “I sealed the Seed inside you with an enchantment. You and the Seed have become one. You’re its vessel, and the Seed will naturally perish when your life comes to an end.”

He Zheng had never bargained on things coming to this.

So he was just a vessel?