Chapter 530: Demonic Thoughts Hard to Suppress

The sky had initially been partly cloudy, with the sun only occasionally obscured. However, by the time Ji Yuan and the others ascended Beishan Ridge, it had turned completely overcast, threatening rain at any moment.

Beishan Ridge was not merely a single ridge, but rather a name for a mountainous region crisscrossed by various paths. Ji Yuan and his companions saw no need to wait for a larger group. They swiftly scaled the hill and continued their journey along the mountain path.

For an ordinary person walking, it would take at least half a day to travel from the old farmer's location to Beishan Ridge. Yet, the three of them covered the distance in just fifteen minutes.

It had been midday when they were in Miaodong Village, south of the mountain. However, having traveled through numerous places along the way, it was no longer early. Once they re-entered the mountains, the sky noticeably darkened at a rapid pace.

"Mr. Ji, it seems there are bandits in Beishan Ridge, doesn't it?"

Jin Xiu had discerned the undertones in the old farmer's earlier remarks and was confident that Mr. Ji also understood them. Only A Ze seemed to be unaware.

"Indeed, there are bandits," Ji Yuan confirmed.

Ji Yuan admitted it candidly, but even A Ze showed no signs of nervousness, understanding that they were in the company of an immortal.

This mountain region naturally contained more than one path. However, following the direction from which Ji Yuan and the others had come, the most convenient route was to continue north. After passing through the initial open area, the three found themselves on a narrow mountain trail where the vegetation pressed closely against their bodies.

As the three walked along the narrow path, A Ze, who hadn't paid much attention to the scenery before, now found his surroundings much closer. With no conversation to distract him, he began to notice that the landscape sometimes seemed a little blurry. More precisely, it wasn't that the scenery itself was unclear, but rather that his vision occasionally felt out of sync with their footsteps, creating a disorienting, almost dizzying sensation—a kind of displaced blurriness in his visual perception.

"Sister Jin," A Ze murmured, "I feel like I'm flying…"

Jin Xiu gently patted the back of A Ze's head, whispering to help him clear his mind.

"This is a form of displacement technique, also known as 'shrinking the ground'," she explained. "There are many similar but distinct marvelous methods. With each step we take, we actually cover a great distance."

Unbeknownst to them, the path widened, and soon they could see a broad mountain road in the distance. A Ze and Jin Xiu then noticed figures stirring within the bushes ahead. The people there seemed completely oblivious to their approach, continuing to converse among themselves.

They were several burly men, their heads wrapped in cloth, and each carrying a weapon.

"Big Brother," one man quickly reported, approaching another who was sitting behind a roadside rock, "I've scouted it out. That group isn't coming up the mountain tonight; they're camping at the northern foot. What should we do?"

"Damn it, those cowards!" the sitting man grumbled, his companions equally annoyed. "Beishan Ridge isn't that big. If they walked faster, they could have crossed before dark. But no, they just camped at the foot of the mountain!"

"Exactly, they're too timid!" someone else echoed.

"So what do we do now?" another asked.

There were six men in total, all with menacing expressions. This ferocity wasn't just in their features but an aura emanating from their faces—a clear indication that they were not benevolent individuals, as "the face reveals the heart." Judging by their conversation, they were almost certainly mountain bandits.

A Ze was hesitant to speak. Even though these men seemed unable to see them as they passed, he feared that making a sound might draw their attention. He nervously gripped Jin Xiu's arm.

"Silly A Ze," Jin Xiu reassured him softly, "they can neither see nor hear us right now. What are you afraid of?"

A Ze then offered a sheepish smile and quickly released her arm.

Meanwhile, the six men had finalized their plan.

"Alright, let's go gather the other brothers!" the leader announced. "Tonight, once they're fast asleep, we'll creep down to the mountain foot and snatch everything they've got!"

"Understood!" "Good, let's do it!" his companions agreed.

No sooner had these men settled on their plan than a faint voice reached their ears as Ji Yuan and the others drew closer.

"Freeze."

Immediately, A Ze and Jin Xiu saw that the six men had become completely motionless. Some were frozen mid-crouch, poised to stand, while others had their mouths askew, mid-chew. It hadn't seemed odd when they were moving, but now, frozen in place, they appeared utterly bizarre.

For ordinary individuals with no spiritual cultivation, the energy required for Ji Yuan to cast his immobilization spell was negligible. After casting the spell, Ji Yuan continued walking without pause. Jin Xiu and A Ze were incredibly curious but dared not stop.

"They're not moving!" A Ze exclaimed, finding it amusing. "Mr. Ji, how long until they can move again?"

Jin Xiu asked out of curiosity. As for why they were motionless, she knew Mr. Ji had just performed a spell and didn't press for details.

Ji Yuan simply replied, "Three days," and led them past the "sculptures." Being immobilized in the mountains for three days meant they would truly be left to fend for themselves.

A Ze and Jin Xiu had almost passed, but as they walked by the man who had been called "Big Brother," A Ze suddenly paused. He then lunged towards the half-crouching man and ripped a dagger from his waistband.

A Ze himself owned a similar dagger, a gift from his grandfather. His grandfather also had one, which hadn't been found when he was buried. He never expected to see it here.

"H-huh… h-huh… h-huh…" A Ze gasped.

His breathing grew rapid, and his eyes became bloodshot.

"Is it you? Is it you? Was it you?"

He roared at the bandit, whose face remained frozen in a fierce smile, unmoving like a statue.

"H-huh… h-huh… It must be you! It must be you!"

*Zheng…*

The boy immediately drew the dagger in his hand and, without a moment's hesitation, plunged it into the man's right eye.

*Pfft…*

There was a distinct sound of a sharp object piercing flesh, yet no blood spurted forth.

"A Ze!" Jin Xiu cried out.

Jin Xiu was greatly startled and quickly rushed to pull him back. A Ze turned, his eyes bloodshot and tearful, as he gritted his teeth and pointed at the bandit.

"It's him, it's them, it must be them!" he insisted.

As he spoke, he pulled out the dagger and fiercely plunged it again towards the man's right shoulder. However, due to the awkward angle, it only grazed the bandit's leather armor, creating a shallow gash on his arm. Still, no blood spurted, and even from the hole in his right eye, only a reddish hue was visible, with no blood overflowing.

Ji Yuan's brow furrowed slightly. He stepped closer to A Ze, grasped his arm, and stopped the third strike, which had been aimed at the bandit's throat. A Ze looked up to see Ji Yuan's calm eyes, reflecting a tranquil ancient well under the moonlight, utterly serene.

"Let's ask first," Ji Yuan said.

After speaking, and seeing A Ze's breathing calm slightly, Ji Yuan turned his gaze directly to the bandit leader. With a mere thought, he released only that man from the immobilization spell.

The moment his body regained sensation, the bandit leader swayed, then an intense pain pierced him, followed by blood spurting from his right eye.

"Ah… ah… my eye! Ah… my eye!"

The bandit dropped his weapon and frantically clutched his right eye with both hands. Blood continuously seeped from between his fingers as he writhed in agony on the ground.

"You all, come help me! Where are you bastards? Ugh, I'm in so much pain!"

A Ze stood there seething, while Jin Xiu stood nearby with a furrowed brow. Ji Yuan held A Ze's hand, calmly observing the man writhing on the ground. Although no death-resentment qi clung to the bandit due to the influence of this specific Cave Heaven, making his karma seem unmanifested, it was in fact deeply entwined with his soul. He was, by all accounts, the kind of person whose death would not be lamented.

"H-huh… uh-huh… Who… who's there? Have mercy! Brave heroes, please have mercy!"

After half a day of pained cries, with no brothers coming to his aid and his own inexplicable severe injury, the bandit leader finally grasped the predicament he was in. Having endured the initial intense pain and terror, he was now able to push through the agony, struggling to sit up. Trembling, he used his left eye to scan his surroundings.

Before him stood three figures: a man with the demeanor of an elegant scholar, a beautiful young woman, and a half-grown boy. In the past, upon seeing such a group, he would have instantly seized the opportunity to lunge at the woman. But now, he dared not. He knew he had undoubtedly encountered powerful individuals.

"Please, brave heroes, have mercy," he stammered. "There must, there must be some misunderstanding…"

"This dagger," A Ze demanded, his voice trembling, "where did you get it?"

A Ze's eyes were even more bloodshot, appearing eerily red. The bandit leader glanced at them and felt a flicker of fear. He then looked at the dagger, recognizing it as his own. Overwhelmed by dread, he dared not speak the truth.

"This… this was a gift from someone else…" he stuttered.

"You lie!" A Ze roared, his eyes blazing. "You lie! You stole it after killing the villagers of Miaodong Village, you bandit!"

The bandit leader immediately realized his mistake and hastily cried out in protest.

"No, no, no!" he desperately pleaded. "It wasn't taken from slaughtered villagers, never! I took this from a passing merchant a year ago. We absolutely never pillage villages! We're only twenty or thirty men in total; how could we dare raid a village? Farmers, hundreds of them, would kill us with hoes!"

In his agitation, more blood spurted from between the fingers of the hand covering his right eye. A Ze continued to pant heavily, but a hint of bewilderment now clouded his expression.

"Actually, having demonic thoughts isn't what's truly terrifying," Ji Yuan began, his voice calm. "What's terrifying is allowing oneself to be truly controlled by them. Even true demons are not irrational; they understand the need to seek advantage and avoid harm. In a situation like this, if you were to mistakenly kill an innocent person, it would be a source of deep regret. Moreover, even if you weren't mistaken, for the sake of your deceased kin, you should seek clarity. Even if he were the one who killed your grandfather, there are surely other culprits. If you let demonic thoughts control you, you might kill just one, but what if the others escape?"

A Ze looked at the bandit with a cold expression, his gaze only softening slightly when he looked towards Ji Yuan and Jin Xiu.

"Sir," he asked, "is he telling the truth?"

Ji Yuan nodded and replied, "Yes."

Upon hearing this, A Ze tightened his grip on the dagger. He walked up to the bandit and, before the man could react, slashed the blade across his throat.

"Ugh… ah… h-huh…"

The bandit clutched his neck, his mouth agape, making gurgling sounds as he collapsed to the ground, struggling. Blood rapidly stained a large patch of the mountain earth.

At this point, A Ze himself felt bewildered. Moments ago, he had only felt an overwhelming urge to kill the bandit, a conviction that he *must* kill him, otherwise his heart would continue to burn like fire, an unbearable sensation that threatened to tear him apart.

"A Ze, you were so scary just now!" Jin Xiu exclaimed.

Jin Xiu spoke as she drew closer to A Ze, pulling him away from the dying bandit. She also cast a cautious glance at Ji Yuan, somewhat concerned that he might suddenly take action against A Ze. Although her own cultivation was not high, she could discern that something was amiss with A Ze.

Ji Yuan, observing everything with his Dharma Eye, looked at A Ze, then at the bandit, and finally at the world around them. It was clear that A Ze's demonic thoughts were indeed significantly influenced by the Nine Peaks Cave Heaven.