Capítulo 45: Governed by the heart
"Elder Tai Ho, Have you heard of the name Bai BaoShi?" Hua Tianshu asked as he switched the topic in order to lighten the intense atmosphere.
"I don't recall."
"Then do you happen to have heard about a female demon being banished from the demon realm or coming to settle here in the mortal realm?"
Elder Tai Ho took a minute to think about it before he shook his head and spoke, "Demons can't choose to come and settle here in the mortal realm. If a demon commits a crime, it is unlikely for them to be banished and more likely for them to be killed on the spot. That's the rule of the demon realm. There is no pity and no forgiveness."
"Bai BaoShi was Bai LiuXian's mother and we believe that she was a demon who can no longer return to the demon realm. Can you think of any reason why that may be so?"
Elder Tai Ho took a deep breath in as he gave it a moment before speaking, "Are you sure she was a demon?"
Hua Tianshu and Jie Fu Lian nodded their heads in unison.
"In that case, it is likely for her to be a high-ranking demon, but female high-ranking demons have a more important status in the demon realm. For the last thousand years, there have been no high-ranking female demons that have left the demon realm and come down to the mortal realm."
Jie Fu Lian looked to be a little confused and he wanted to ask something further but before he could open his mouth, Hua Tianshu had already spoken up first.
"It seems that our investigation was purposefully misled. According to Elder Tai Ho's insights, she is unlikely to be a demon. In that case, we might need to go back and look into things a bit deeper."
Jie Fu Lian was even more confused as he heard Hua Tianshu's words.
He naturally thought Hua Tianshu would also want to ask a few more questions but it seemed like Hua Tianshu had already heard everything that he had wanted to.
With a nod, Elder Tai Ho spoke, "I hope I was of some help. That Brat Jie Fu Lian-" He suddenly clicked his tongue as he recalled some old memories, "He was always a headache but he wasn't a bad kid."
"..." Jie Fu Lian was a bit speechless and stared at the man with a stupefied expression.
"His death was quite a pity but I'm glad to see that you have decided to move on from it," Elder Tai Ho slightly smiled with a sympathetic expression plastered on his face as he looked at Hua Tianshu.
Hua Tianshu also smiled politely as he heard this and said nothing as a response.
"Jie Fu Lian is dead. It's no use worrying about the dead but Hua Tianshu, you are still alive and I can't help but not be worried about you," Elder Tai Ho added as he quickly took a glance at Jie Fu Lian and continued, "You have already heard about Xue Lan's fate, have you not? It wasn't his fault for falling in love but his love was certainly the reason for his demise. Mixing with the demon realm... There is hardly any good coming out of it. It's best for you to think about this more thoroughly."
Jie Fu Lian slightly frowned as he heard this, not being able to understand what the man was saying.
With a smile, Hua Tianshu met Elder Tai Ho's eyes confidently and spoke, "I never consider what is good and what is bad. I am a simple man who is governed by his heart. There is no need for Elder Tai Ho to worry about me. I know exactly what I'm doing."
Elder Tai Ho sighed as he heard this and said nothing more.
Soon, they all said their goodbyes, and the three descended the mountain without any delay.
"Hua Tianshu, what was he talking about?" Jie Fu Lian immediately questioned as he looked over at Hua Tianshu with an expectant gaze.
"Hmm?"
"When he told you to think about it. What did he mean?" Jie Fu Lian asked again, guessing that his previous question wasn't clear enough.
"He was talking about you," Hua Tianshu replied.
"Huh?" Jie Fu Lian's eyebrows creased together and he looked to be confused at first, but eventually, he understood it.
Elder Tai Ho hadn't recognized him as Jie Fu Lian but he had already seen through his facade and guessed that he was a demon.
"That old geezer is always poking his nose where it shouldn't belong," Jie Fu Lian huffed, feeling a little pissed off.
Elder Tai Ho had warned Hua Tianshu about hanging around a demon right in front of that so-called demon's face! This was clearly something to be offended about!
Hua Tianshu softly chuckled as he shook his head.
"Master, I also have a question," Duan Luoyang spoke up, feeling a little left out.
"Hmm?"
"Why did you not ask him about Bai BaoShi?"
"I did ask him about Bai BaoShi."
"But you didn't continue the topic. He said she was probably not a demon and you simply believed him without asking anything more."
Jie Fu Lian also looked to be quite interested in hearing Hua Tianshu's answer.
"Bai BaoShi wasn't her real name," Hua Tianshu sighed as he responded, "We don't know her real name and it is unlikely for Elder Tai Ho to know every single female demon out there. If he hadn't even heard the name Bai BaoShi, it is obvious that he would not be able to give us any information."
"Oh~" Duan Luoyang and Jie Fu Lian reacted together.
"But master, why did we leave so soon? The sun has already gone down, we might not even find a good inn to stay the night. It would have been better to stay with Elder Tai Ho."
Jie Fu Lian scoffed as he heard this and questioned, "You want to live in that shabby house that can't even be called a house?"
"..."
'At least it was better than sleeping on the street,' Duan Luoyang thought.
"It's late and that's why we left." Hua Tianshu spoke up as he informed, "At night, it is better not to meet Elder Tai Ho."
"Eh?"
Unlike Duan Luoyang, Jie Fu Lian wasn't so confused to hear this. Instead, he nodded his head as he agreed with Hua Tianshu, "Elder Tai Ho gets scary at night."
Duan Luoyang's eyebrows creased together as he heard this and his creative imagination made him imagine quite a lot of scenarios that he probably shouldn't have imagined.
"At night, Elder Tai Ho forges swords," Hua Tianshu added with a sigh, already knowing that if he didn't explain, his disciple would imagine the worst. "During the process, storm clouds churn above the entire mountain. Nobody knows when lightning might strike. It rains and you can hear the thunder rumbling all night long."
Duan Luoyang looked to be a bit stunned as he heard this and for a second here, he wondered if his master was lying to scare him or really telling the truth.
"This is the Elder Tai Ho of the legends," Jie Fu Lian laughed as he chimed in, "Of course, he would do something like this. The result of such dedication is clearly seen in the finished sword that can shake both heaven and hell."
"But... Doesn't his disciple also live up there?"
"Disciple?" For a second, Jie Fu Lian looked a little lost before he suddenly remembered the girl they had just met a few hours ago, "Ah, you mean Ren Lei?"
Duan Luoyang nodded his head.
"She is probably used to it by now," Jie Fu Lian shrugged his shoulder as he answered, "Since she's his disciple, she might also be just as crazy as him. She has quite the temper, maybe even lightning doesn't dare fall on her."
His words were only meant to be a joke, but Duan Luoyang, who had a young and pure heart, naively believed in everything he said.
Duan Luoyang looked to be a little excited as he exclaimed, "If she's already living a life like this, that little sister is definitely going to become very famous in the martial world. I should also work hard!"
His eyes trailed towards Hua Tianshu expectantly.
Hua Tianshu gave a small thin smile that wasn't really a smile and spoke, "You should work hard. To start off, you should run down the mountain and book us a place to sleep."
"..." Duan Luoyang, who had been greatly motivated just a few seconds ago, suddenly felt as if he was being teased.
"That's a great idea!" Jie Fu Lian exclaimed with a grin, "I've heard that many great saints choose to live on top of mountains because traveling around becomes a great form of exercise. When you were young, you also did it a lot, didn't you, Brother Hua?"
"En," Hua Tianshu, with his eyes closed and his hands crossed behind his back, nodded with an expressionless face.
Duan Luoyang's excitement came back and he enthusiastically exclaimed, "Then leave it to me! I'll make sure to find us the best accommodation possible!"
After saying this, the boy ran ahead and descended the mountain first.
Once he was out of sight, Hua Tianshu and Jie Fu Lian both looked in the direction he had gone off and gave a thin smile as they muttered in unison, "So naive..."
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
cherlyswan
cherlyswan Even Elder Tai Ho can see through Hua Tianshu's feelings. I wonder how long it would take the thick-headed MC to realize.
Thank you for reading and don't forget to vote, comment, and support the author by adding this novel to your library!~
Stay hydrated and healthy<3
Capítulo 46: Lying to me or lying to yourself?
"Why did you make him leave?" Jie Fu Lian asked as he side-glanced at Hua Tianshu, "Is there something that he mustn't hear?"
Hua Tianshu didn't confirm it but he didn't refute it either. With a sigh, he simply continued walking side-by-side with Jie Fu Lian.
After a long pause, he asked, "Jie Ming, do you remember that time when I saved you?"
"Eh?" Jie Fu Lian looked to be a little surprised by the sudden question and only reacted properly after a minute, "Wasn't it the other way around? Hua Tianshu, I was the one that saved you. It was the second time I had met you, how can I forget?"
"The second time?" Hua Tianshu muttered and let out a short laugh as he asked, "You were counting?"
"Of course, I was!" Jie Fu Lian enthusiastically responded, "You were such a hard person to meet! In my entire eighteen years of living, I had only met you thrice! Not only do I remember the number but I also remember all the meetings in detail. If you tell me to narrate it, I can even word-to-word spell every conversation we had."
Hua Tianshu's eyes slightly widened as he heard this and in the very next moment, the corners of his eyes formed creases as he smiled, "I'm afraid, I have met you more than just three times. You are either bad at counting or bad at remembering."
Jie Fu Lian immediately frowned as he heard this and crossed his arms in front of him as he stopped walking, "You're the one with the bad memory. We've only met each other thrice and our relationship wasn't exactly good. We were enemies. After my death, did you conveniently forget all that?"
"I never considered you my enemy and I had always treated you very well so how can you say our relationship wasn't good?" Hua Tianshu smiled as he asked and for a second there, Jie Fu Lian wondered if the man was being honest or just teasing him to get a reaction.
"Your definition of treating someone well must be very messed up," Jie Fu Lian argued, "Whenever we talked, you always insulted me and made me want to murder you."
"..."
"If I hadn't died like that, I would have probably killed you by the fourth time we met," Jie Fu Lian added with a sigh, without putting too much thought into it.
Hua Tianshu suddenly stopped walking and stood in front of Jie Fu Lian as he looked at the man.
"What is it?" Jie Fu Lian unconsciously took a step back, feeling a little intimidated by the man who said nothing and simply stared at him, blocking his way.
"You didn't kill me."
"Huh?"
"You met me again as the demon king. I surrendered to you of my own free will. You had the power to both torture me and kill me but you didn't. Since I was the only one who knew your real identity, you also had a reason to kill me but you still didn't."
Jie Fu Lian became a little speechless, too taken back by Hua Tianshu's words.
"Jie Ming, if I was your enemy, you must have a very soft heart. 'Cause you couldn't even kill an enemy you claim to hate so much."
Jie Fu Lian gritted his teeth as he defended, "I am Jie Fu Lian. The wicked half-demon who once stood on top of this martial world. I tricked hundreds and deceived thousands. Be it back in my original body or in my current one, I have both the power and the will to kill an enemy I hate. If I want to, who can stop me?"
Hua Tianshu smiled, almost looking as if he had expected to hear this response, "Then you must not hate me."
"..." Jie Fu Lian suddenly felt as if he had been tricked.
Hua Tianshu took a step closer as he continued, "Jie Ming, why are you so dishonest with yourself? You keep saying you hate me but since the very beginning, the way you look at me isn't how one would look at the person they hate. Tell me, when did we first meet?"
"Eh?" Jie Fu Lian gulped and took a step back as he answered, "Wasn't it at the annual sword competition held at HuiXue Sect?"
Hua Tianshu smiled as he nodded, "Let's say that was our first time meeting each other, but even if it was the first time, why did you go out of your way to challenge me? Especially in a state where you knew you couldn't beat me?"
Jie Fu Lian's face turned a little red as he heard this and he wasn't sure if it was because of embarrassment or anger.
"What do you mean I can't beat you?! I challenged you because I wanted to! If you had accepted that challenge, you would've known that I truly can beat you!"
Hua Tianshu let out a short laugh as he heard this and shook his head, "So you did it because you wanted to? Then why me? Why not anyone else? Jie Ming, why did you choose me?"
"Hua Tianshu, you were the rising star of the HuiXue sect. Everywhere I went, I heard tales about you. I was also curious to see just how powerful you were so of course I took the opportunity to challenge you. At that time, I felt that you were the only one worthy of having a dual with me." Creases formed on Jie Fu Lian's forehead as he explained and although he was answering honestly, he still felt as if he was being dishonest.
Hua Tianshu looked at the man in disbelief and had a mocking smile on his face as he heard this, "Jie Ming, are you lying to me or lying to yourself?"
"..."
With a sigh, Hua Tianshu shook his head as he added, "Forget it. Even spelling it out for you would not make you understand."
For some reason, Jie Fu Lian felt both clueless and offended as he heard this.
"So where are we going next?" Jie Fu Lian asked as he looked at Hua Tianshu.
"The Jin sect."
"Eh?"
"They were the ones in charge of the Yan Sect case. They were also the ones who had investigated Bai LiuXian's murder case. It's best to go and talk to them directly."
Jie Fu Lian frowned as he heard this and asked, "Are you sure that's a good idea? It's clear that the Jin Sect didn't investigate things properly. They simply wanted to get rid of the Yan Sect. If we go and ask them, they might even try to mislead our investigation."
"I'm afraid, our investigation has already been misled," Hua Tianshu firmly spoke.
Jie Fu Lian's eyes widened in shock, "What do you mean?"
"We suspected Bai BaoShi to be a demon but what if she wasn't?"
"Huh?"
"Bai Yaling and Bai Guanyu were said to be lovers, but even when Bai Yaling died, Bai Guanyu didn't shed a single tear. Instead, he got married to Bai BaoShi the very next day. Bai BaoShi was someone who was never introduced to the public and before their marriage, the two seemed to have no connections with each other. The most suspicious one, in this case, isn't Bai BaoShi but Bai Guanyu himself."
"Are you saying Bai Guanyu is a demon? But that can't be. If he was a demon, Bai YiJun would have also been a demon."
"The real Bai Guanyu might not have been a demon but the one pretending to be Bai Guanyu was probably a demon."
Jie Fu Lian repeated Hua Tianshu's words in his head and slowly realized what the man was trying to say.
"Are you saying that... Bai Guanyu also died?!"
Hua Tianshu nodded his head.
"Then why are we going to the Jin Sect? We should go and check Bai Guanyu!" Jie Fu Lian suddenly stopped walking as he exclaimed.
Hua Tianshu shook his head, "The current Bai Guanyu might not be a demon."
"Huh?"
"If he were a demon, he wouldn't have collapsed."
Jie Fu Lian frowned as he heard this but nodded his head as he agreed, "That's true."
"The demon probably possessed Bai Guanyu's body for a certain period of time and when the use of the body was done, he left the body and fled. Since there was no longer a soul inside the body, Bai Guanyu's body collapsed. Even if we go and pay him a visit, we won't get any information."
Jie Fu Lian gritted his teeth and felt a little helpless as he heard this.
"Bai Yaling died of natural causes, isn't that right?"
Jie Fu Lian nodded his head.
"But what if that wasn't true? What if she was killed because she had realized that her husband had suddenly changed?"
Jie Fu Lian's eyes suddenly widened and he frowned, feeling extremely unhappy.
"Wouldn't that be too cruel...?" Jie Fu Lian asked in a volume that was barely above a whisper.
"It would be cruel but everything would start to make sense."
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES
cherlyswan
cherlyswan
He's definitely lying to himself keke
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