Chapter 147: The Black Dragon Trapped

None of the three had ever been to this region. Tiannu must have altered its course several times, traveling in a straight line before coincidentally passing through.

It could also be considered fate; an evil entity was wreaking havoc here, and they happened to pass by. Liu Lingshuang was kind-hearted and unwilling to let the creature torment the common people. Disregarding their own safety, the trio headed straight for the place where the demonic aura gathered.

Judging by the demonic aura alone, Ye Sansi could guess that the cultivation of this great demon was profound indeed, making it formidable to fight. However, his Suoyu Bracelet contained numerous magical treasures which, if deployed in time, would make subduing this demon quite easy.

Li Taiyi was extremely nervous. Although he had seen a great deal of the world, he was now facing a great demon; the slightest carelessness could cost him his life. He did not fear life and death itself, but he worried that the three of them would perish together, which he felt would be utterly worthless.

Hearing Ye Sansi's words, Li Taiyi let out a long breath of relief, his mind finally at ease. He slowly said, "I hope so. Brother Sansi, once we engage that demon later, you must display your full prowess so that I may witness it."

"Very well."

"What are you two men whispering about? You've been at it for half the time it takes to burn an incense stick. Where on earth is that demon?" Liu Lingshuang called out loudly.

Ye Sansi had naturally noticed Li Taiyi's furrowed brows. He drove his sword closer, smiled, and comforted him, "Taiyi, there is no need to worry. I have everything under control. If a battle ensues, you only need to protect Shuang'er. Leave this great demon to me."

"But... but Brother Sansi, are you truly certain?"

"During these dozens of days spent on official business away from the island, I have encountered many people and matters. My current capabilities are no longer what they used to be. Having been fortunate enough to acquire some divine weapons and treasures—each of them extraordinary—this demon is simply not to be feared."

Landing at a distance, the three entered the village on foot. Seeing outsiders approach, the villagers all greeted them with smiling faces.

One person stepped forward enthusiastically and asked, "Do you three honorable guests have any business in our humble little village?"

Ye Sansi replied, "There are some matters we wish to inquire about..."

Ye Sansi then muttered, "We are almost there, just a few miles away. Act according to my gaze, and once we get closer, be extremely cautious."

The dwelling place of this great demon turned out to be a dense forest, right outside of which lay a village and a town. Hearing the din of human voices and the bustling, prosperous scene, it looked nothing like a place plagued by an evil entity.

Finding this situation strange, the three discussed and decided to first inquire about the situation in the nearby village before making any plans.

"Village Chief, three guests have arrived saying they have some questions, so I brought them to you..."

"Very well, I know. You may withdraw." The village chief waved his hand, and the man departed.

The chief stood up, invited the three to be seated, and asked, "Judging by your ages, you are not old, but the heroic spirit between your brows far surpasses that of your peers. You are certainly no ordinary people. Allow me to guess: do the guests come from an immortal sect?"

"Would you mind following me, then? I will take you to see the village chief. He is an elder who knows much, and whatever you wish to ask, he should be able to answer."

Li Taiyi smiled and said, "Then many thanks to older brother for leading the way."

The three followed him deep into the settlement, entering a house to find an old man sitting cross-legged. He only slowly opened his eyes upon hearing the sound.

Ye Sansi spoke softly, "Village Chief, to be frank with you, we discovered an extremely powerful demonic aura within the dense forest outside the village. You must be aware of this great demon. Why have you kept it hidden?"

"This..." The village chief stammered. Ye Sansi continued, "If this demon were of a benevolent nature, we naturally would not make things difficult for it. But should other cultivators discover it, they would eradicate it regardless of good or evil..."

"Wait." The village chief stood up, feeling that what Ye Sansi said made some sense. If they truly waited for other powerful figures to arrive, the great demon in the dense forest might not survive.

Ye Sansi bowed and smiled, "Senior is discerning. The three of us are training in the mortal world, and passing through this place, we saw strange heavenly phenomena and feared that evil spirits were causing trouble and harming the people, so we came to investigate. Yet we found everything peaceful and quite strange, which is why we came to ask."

The village chief smiled, "So you are honored guests, and yet you still care so deeply about poor folks like us. I am truly grateful. However, we are living in peace, and no evil spirits have appeared. You may safely be on your way..."

Ye Sansi was quick-witted; seeing the village chief's expression, he knew the man was hiding something. To learn the truth from ordinary people, one need not test them, but simply be candid.

"However, some scoundrel actually perceived our benefactor as a demon and a scourge, showing utter ingratitude by inviting a Daoist priest to subdue it. That Daoist was formidable; using talismanic arts, he sealed our benefactor within the dense forest. Fortunately, the Daoist exhausted his strength; to completely annihilate our benefactor, he would need some time."

"The county magistrate took advantage of this opportunity to host a banquet in the town, inviting the Daoist to attend, only to intentionally set a trap for him, convict him of crimes, and throw him into prison. When interrogated about the method to undo the seal, the Daoist uttered not a single word, nor was it easy to take his life..."

When the chief finished speaking, Ye Sansi asked, "So the great demon has been trapped?"

"Three honored guests, this old man will speak plainly, but you must on no other account let this matter spread, lest it prove disadvantageous to the good demon in the forest."

All three nodded in agreement.

The village chief continued, "Three years ago, our region suffered from a severe plague. Ten villages and two towns were entirely unaffected—no, wait—none were spared. Though not immediately fatal, it left people utterly weak; if they didn't die of illness, they would starve to death. Afterward, this demon came, spending a month visiting every household until the plague was completely eradicated."

Li Taiyi hurried forward, patted Ye Sansi's shoulder, and said to the chief, "Village Chief, we are not ordinary people; we are disciples of immortal sects, having learned many profound techniques. Might as well let us give it a try? If there truly is a way to break the seal, wouldn't that be wonderful?"

The village chief nodded and slowly said, "There is indeed some reason to that. I shall immediately send someone to guide you to find our benefactor..."

Ye Sansi waved his hand and smiled, "There is no need. I can sense this demonic aura from afar. I will just follow the trail myself, no need to trouble anyone."

"Indeed." Whenever this matter was brought up, the village chief felt deep guilt. That demon had saved so many lives and was a great benefactor, yet a shameless villain had appeared, trapping it in the dense forest for three years. What a grievous injustice!

Sensing the chief's thoughts, Ye Sansi quickly said, "Village Chief, this great demon is of a benevolent nature and does not deserve such mistreatment. If you trust me, let us go and see if there is a way to undo the seal."

"Young heroes, this old man appreciates your kind intentions, but over these past three years, many of us have ventured deep into the forest to visit our benefactor. He said that whoever tied the bell must untie it, but since that Daoist refuses to say a word, there is truly nothing to be done."

After walking a thousand paces, feeling the presence grow closer and closer to the demon, Ye Sansi suddenly lunged toward Taiyi.

A leaf transformed into a blade sliced directly toward Taiyi. Ye Sansi intercepted it with his back; fortunately, clad in golden armor, he withstood the blow.

Ye Sansi hurriedly shouted, "Taiyi, quickly take Shuang'er and hide! Do not expose yourselves. My golden armor has been expended and will take some time to recover; I cannot shield you any longer. Hurry!"

The village chief saw them off as they left the village, and Ye Sansi's party walked straight into the depths of the dense forest...

Ye Sansi roughly understood the course of events. This benevolent demon had cured the villagers only to meet with a petty backlash, sealed in the dense forest by a Daoist priest—it was thoroughly pitiful.

Therefore, this was a demon Ye Sansi wanted to save, and save it he must.

In an instant, several more leaf blades flew from within the forest. Tiannu danced, parrying them one by one. Once the offensive subsided, Ye Sansi quickly called out, "Senior, we are not wicked people; we have come to save you."

After three breaths, a resonant voice echoed from the forest: "Save me? You practice immortal arts, you are disciples of immortal sects—how could you possibly save a wicked creature like me?"

Ye Sansi quickly said, "Senior, why do you still call yourself a wicked creature? You performed good deeds for the sake of the common people; how can you be mentioned in the same breath as evil-doing demons? Also, look at me." With that, Ye Sansi circulated the demonic power within his body.

Li Taiyi nodded repeatedly, executed the scorching Capture-Feather Step to reach Liu Lingshuang's side, grabbed her, and dragged her beneath a tree to hide.

Liu Lingshuang cried out, "Sansi, you must hide quickly too!"

Ye Sansi replied, "Hide yourselves well." As he spoke, Tiannu materialized in his hand.

"Very well, I permit you to approach..."

Ye Sansi walked ten paces forward, and feeling the hostility dissipate, he signaled Taiyi and Lingshuang to follow, and together they ventured deeper.

As they walked, the demon explained, "I am acquainted with the people of the surrounding villages and towns. Having lived alongside them for three years, they frequently send fish and meat over. Seeing that you are unfamiliar faces, I could not help but be cautious. Pray forgive any offense."

Having previously ascended to the heavenly realm and absorbed a fraction of the divine power of the Three-Eyed Divine General, Ye Sansi could now perfectly regulate the two forces within his body, no longer fearing backlash.

Circulating his demonic power, the demon gasped in astonishment, "What? You are also a demon?"

"Does senior believe me now?"

Arriving at the center of the dense forest, the sight before them left the three stunned. A massive beast was bound within the woods by several golden pillars, its head towering ten zhang high.

Li Taiyi gasped in shock, "This is a dragon!"

Indeed, the creature matched the legendary form, with razor-sharp claws and scales of pitch black, opening its eyes to gaze at the three.

Ye Sansi smiled, "Senior is too polite. It was also our rashness to intrude, but I have a question: do you harbor no resentment toward these mortals?"

"Resentment? Why should I feel resentment? Being sealed was the deed of that Daoist priest; what fault lies with these common folk? Furthermore, on my account, these mortals spared no effort, frequently sending food they themselves could scarcely bear to eat. I can see that they harbor deep guilt as well. What cause do I have for resentment?"

Ye Sansi smiled, "For senior to think this way is truly the fortune of these common folk. Do not fret; I will certainly find a way to rescue you."

Ye Sansi waved his hand, dismissing Taiyi's idea. He peered forward once more, furrowing his brow in deep thought for a moment before saying, "Senior, if I were to destroy all these golden pillars, would that break the seal?"

Liu Lingshuang covered her mouth and chuckled, "Sansi, stop praising senior's greatness for a moment and think of a way to help senior escape."

Li Taiyi suggested, "I reckon this array is beyond our capacity to handle. Why don't we go back and question that Daoist priest again, forcing him to reveal the method to break the seal?"

Ye Sansi remarked, "Senior's beastly form possesses top-tier aptitude even among the demon race, truly formidable. No wonder you were able to help the common people eradicate the plague."

The black dragon replied, "It ought to be feasible, but that Daoist is no ordinary person. What they imprisoned was merely a clone; his true form has already escaped. He has collected his wealth and never intended to take my life. These golden pillars are difficult to destroy, and since you are also a demon, this golden light will harm you. Fortunately, my beastly physique could withstand a portion of it, otherwise I would truly have been reduced to ashes. I appreciate your kind intentions, but there is truly no need to take risks for my sake..."

Ye Sansi smiled faintly, pointed his hand at the golden pillar, and unleashed Tiannu...