Demonic Beast

"D—Demonic beasts?" Ouyang Xueqing stammered in disbelief.

She had heard of the demons. It was the kind of legend that was told in tow with the King of Hell. They were two peas in a pod. If the King of Hell's favorite was to torture the tainted souls, then the demons were the real nightmare for all living kinds.

They were said to be bloodthirsty, cold-blooded and merciless. They killed without reservation. They had been consumed by madness and became uncontrollable. It was to the extent where demons' extermination was carried with all the livings joined hands together.

It was all but a legend.

Like the King of Hell, isn't he only a story that was made to scare children?

And now, she was faced with the fact that she was demonic?!

"But…" Ouyang Xueqing was baffled as she stared at her own hand. It was short and plump, her milky white skin was shining against the light. It was totally normal.

"How…how could we be demonic? Isn't that only a mere legend? Had the demons not been wiped out?"

Ling Wenfu poured himself a cup of tea before he continued: "To be precise, we inherited the demon's bloodline from our ancestors."

Ouyang Xueqing muttered in a weak voice: "But we are not bloodthirsty and cold-blooded." They were all living peacefully, they had feelings and they couldn't be demons for sure!

"Princess, I know it's hard to accept, but it's the truth. The truth always hurts." He said carefully. "Actually, the solid proof you could find are there in front of your eyes."

"What is that?"

"The deranged beasts."

Ouyang Xueqing felt like her mind was stuffed with too much information. It was too much for her to bear and she couldn't think clearly anymore. "The…deranged beasts? Why?"

"The deranged beasts as we all called them were the true nature of our kind. Because we had the demon bloodline in us, sooner or later, the demonic part of our blood will be awaken whether we want to or not. It was a subconscious and natural event which we called the heavenly tribulation."

"When the demonic beasts undergo their first heavenly tribulation, the seed of their demonic blood will sprout. It was the beginning of our change. As we level up and go through more and more heavenly tribulation, the seed will blossom into a huge tree, rooted deep in our soul and contaminate our mind."

"The weaker someone's mental strength, the easier the demon blood within us to take control of our mind and body. The beasts that had totally surrender to their demon blood was the deranged beasts. The opposite happens to those with strong mental strength, they can take control of their demon nature and make it their own strength, but until now, there had never been a beast who could control their inner demon."

At this juncture, the always silent Ling Xiaochen drawled out in a languid manner. "That's why Supreme Emperor Sheng Li created the protective array. It was to prevent us from losing our mind and create havoc like how it was in ancient times. If we are not in any kind of peril situation, the seed within us will remain docile."

Ling Wenfu nodded. "That's right. Now, do you understand why I remain here? It's because if our identity is exposed in the outside world, we will be in huge danger. Why not enjoy the life of leisure and peace here?"

Ouyang Xueqing found her voice after a long time, even then, she sounded croaky. "But then, the deranged beasts still exist, right? Doesn't it mean that we will still go insane no matter what we do?"

"No, those deranged beasts here was the only exception. They were the kind that was greedy and lost themselves in their own selfish ambition. They were the kind that succumbed to evil. Yet, there was said to be another possibility for our kind to hasten the growth of the demonic seed."

"Another possibility? What's that?"

Ling Wenfu pursed his lips as he said solemnly. "Extreme negative emotions. For example, intense rage, fear, regret, or despair."

Ling Xiaochen: "Rest assured, you are the happy-go-lucky princess, after all!"

Ouyang Xueqing's veins throbbed. "…" I could say the same to you, humph!

"Does Imperial Father know all of these?"

Ling Wenfu contemplated for a moment. "No, I don't think he knows. I doubted anyone other than my most trusted subordinate know of the truth."

Honestly, Ouyang Xueqing didn't really like the feeling of keeping secrets from him. It was a little too late though. Having this kind of meeting was already considered her secret. She protested. "Why? Shall we tell him? It was such an important thing about our origin."

"No. We shouldn't. What do you think will happened if one person know? In the next day, another will know. It is a matter of time before it spread. It will create chaos and confusion everywhere, and it's not something that I want. Never tell any single soul, ever."

"Then, why did you tell me? Are you not afraid of me telling somebody else?"

"Business transaction always come with a risk." Ling Wenfu's smile was faint, but his eyes were dead serious. "I am willing to take this risk for you, Princess. On the other hand, do you dare to betray my trust?"

Ouyang Xueqing gulped nervously and shook her head. She was just a little bit scared that one day her mouth would blabber unconsciously.

She stood up gracefully as she tucked her loose hair behind her ears. "Thank you very much for your trust. I look forward to what kind of information you will bring me."

She had spent quite some time here. Ren Yupei must have been searching for her. She must hurry and go back!

He nodded. "Rest assured. I guaranteed that you will not be disappointed. Cheers to our future cooperation." He offered his hand which Ouyang Xueqing shook with.

It was huge, dry and rough yet it managed to fill her with excitement and anticipation.

Ouyang Xueqing smiled widely. "Cheers." She turned to Ling Xiaochen who had almost fallen asleep on the couch. "Follow me!"

She blinked sleepily. "What for?"

"Of course to bring you to meet An Zhengnan! Don't tell me you don't want me to introduce him to you?"

"What?!" She sprang up instantly. Her bored expression vanished without a trace. Her little face blushed shyly as she murmured in panic. "Wait, right now? Oh dear, my hair is a mess and I smell of sweat, how can I meet him like this?!"

Yet Ouyang Xueqing had promoted herself as a matchmaker who didn't accept any rejections. "Fret not. He will not notice it."

Ling Xiaochen: "…" What do you mean? Should I feel hurt?

She pulled the girl's hand and they walked side by side together with Ling Wenfu seeing them off. "Ling Xiaochen let me warn you. Don't you dare follow him home!"

She rolled her eyes in frustration. "Am I such a person in your eyes?"

Ling Wenfu: "Yes!"

Ling Xiaochen's eyes twitched. Can I not want this kind of father? She stumped her feet and declared: "If I, Ling Xiaochen, am that kind of shameless person without any pride nor dignity, then I am a dog!"

She turned and dashed out. Ouyang Xueqing nodded at Ling Wenfu and followed her. "Princess."

"Yes?"

"Remember not to disclose any information you've heard or see. The moment you step out of the door, you must forget all of it. Those that betray the underground black market will live a life worse than death, and you see, I don't want it to happen to you."

Ouyang Xueqing felt a shiver down her spine and her lips stiffened. She nodded without a word and flee from the residence that was still full of gambling activity as if she had seen a ghost.

Ling Wenfu's smile deepened as he looked at the diminishing back.

Suddenly, the skinny man that had brought them the tea and sweets just now appeared without a sound. He, too, look at the two girls before asking softly. "Boss, is there any need to scare her like that?"

"What?��� He teased cheekily. "Do you pity her? Does your heart ache?"

The skinny man sighed. "I am just asking."

"Of course, I need to get the rules straight. In this place, I am the king and I really don't like anyone to defy me. Not even if he is here."

At that moment, his calm and languid eyes shone sharply with merciless look. His expression was stern and cold.

If Ouyang Xueqing was there, she would surely notice the familiarity between Ling Wenfu and her Imperial Father!