Chapter 44: Thoughts

Once the two had left the boundaries of the Moonlight Residence and saw that no one was pursuing them, Bat Yue gradually felt his heart settle. From time to time, he glanced at Hong Yun beside him, wanting to speak but not knowing how to begin.

“I didn’t expect you, Brother Yun, to be so formidable. You truly have no intention of joining any faction?” He recalled Hong Yun’s earlier words about always heading north, and a trace of reluctance lingered in his heart. “If you were willing to join my Purple Bat Palace, with your strength and cultivation, you’d surely rank among the top three. The Bat King would certainly do everything possible to aid your breakthrough.”

“You wish for my help so that you can eventually claim the seat of the Purple Bat Palace’s lord, don’t you?” Hong Yun shot him a glance, immediately discerning his hidden motives. Seeing Bat Yue’s pale face flush with embarrassment, Hong Yun felt a measure of indulgence. He cleared his throat and, noting Bat Yue’s shame rather than anger, spoke softly, “Remember, many things cannot be gained through external force alone. What you need is strength of your own. Only when your power matches your authority can your position remain secure.”

Bat Yue paused, stunned by these words, and stood lost in thought. Seeing their effect, Hong Yun did not linger; he shouldered the still sleeping Chai Xiaoyue and continued northwards.

Bat Yue’s careful protection had shielded them from any disturbances, so Chai Xiaoyue remained entirely unaffected; it was a considerate gesture.

...

My own strength truly falls short.

My father once asked the Thousand-Year Turtle King to divine my fate and talent; the chance to attain the Demon King realm was one in ten thousand. The Turtle King said I would have a chance to change my destiny in this lifetime. I didn’t understand then, but today, it seems I have awakened...

Returning to himself, Bat Yue firmly decided to follow Hong Yun. Raising his eyes, he found Hong Yun already gone.

“Damn, I thought too long!” He cursed himself, quickly determined his direction, and chased north.

He had made up his mind. Since his affairs were few, once they were settled, he would follow Brother Yun and travel with him. He had a strong premonition—perhaps this was his opportunity to change fate.

...

Since the child of destiny in this world is a half-demon, the calamity must be closely tied to him. If I nurture this child of destiny, the calamity will surely manifest. Hong Yun gazed at the stars and moon above, silently calculating their mysteries until dawn, but found nothing conclusive.

Yet it was not entirely fruitless—at least he discovered that those with karmic ties to him could still have their threads shifted, allowing him to glimpse traces of fate.

But this was not enough.

Divination in this world followed its own rules, unlike the primordial chaos. Clearly, he needed to find a master of fate to gain further insight.

“Brother Bat, I have heard your Purple Winged Bat clan is friendly with the Mystic Turtle clan. Might you introduce me to some of your kin?”

Hong Yun looked at Bat Yue with a gentle smile.

Mystic Turtle? Bat Yue’s eyes brightened at the mention, thumping his chest in delight. He had been wondering how to broach the subject; Hong Yun seemed to have read his mind and spoke first.

“Rest assured, Brother Yun. My very purpose in coming here was at my father’s behest—to deliver a birthday greeting to the Turtle King, who is soon to reach his thousandth year. This event has stirred much of the demon clan.”

A thousand years? Hong Yun’s eyes showed surprise. In this world, Demon Kings could live up to a thousand years, but that was the extreme.

This Turtle King was intriguing; for Demon Kings, a thousand-year death was nearly inevitable—how could he expect to reach such an age?

Bat Yue saw Hong Yun’s amazement and felt proud. “You may not know, Brother Yun, but he has long said he will live at least a thousand years. Those familiar with him never call him Demon King, but refer to him as ‘Thousand-Year.’ He is one of the most renowned among Demon Kings—even the current Demon Emperor benefited from him in his youth. If not for the need to divine the fate of the demon clan at Demon Gate Mountain and guard against the Human Clan’s legendary diviner, the birthday celebration would be much grander.”

Thousand-Year Turtle...

Hong Yun frowned. He had only heard of an old Mystic Turtle of the demon clan, restraining the famous Human Clan diviner, but now had uncovered more details.

Yet a hesitation arose—not for any other reason than hearing mention of the Demon Emperor.

The strongest in this world, though insignificant in the grand scheme, was not to be underestimated here.

To venture there unprepared was risky for anyone.

...

If the Demon Kings caught on to his human identity, they could use the calamity points to kill him outright.

Such an outcome would be disastrous.

But thinking it over, Hong Yun strengthened his resolve. With the calamity points as his safeguard, why not take the risk?

Whether the Turtle King could divine his identity remained uncertain, and even if he could, would he dare speak?

With that thought, Hong Yun exhaled, feeling refreshed.

If so, he would join the festivities, curious to see what skills the Mystic Turtle possessed.

“I’d like to seek advice from the Thousand-Year Turtle,” Hong Yun said to Bat Yue, a faint smile on his lips. “The Moonlight Residence’s master had the makings of a Demon King, but took life-extending medicine too early, upsetting fate. Do you think the Turtle King can divine how much life was gained?”

Life-extending medicine effective even for Nirvana realm? Bat Yue’s breath caught, his eyes filled with fear. Should word of such a thing spread—even the likes of the Peng Demon King or Elephant Marshal might swallow the Moonlight Residence’s master whole!

His mind went blank for a moment, then he recovered enough to caution, “Speak carefully.”

Hong Yun borrowed a map from Bat Yue, noticed that Demon Gate Mountain was conveniently on their route, and decided to attend the Turtle King’s birthday.

The older one lives, the more one knows.

The more one knows, the more one fears, the more one understands the unpredictability of heaven and earth.

There is always a higher sky.

Hong Yun wondered, if he casually revealed a few secrets, would the Thousand-Year Demon King lose his mind on the spot?