Chapter 68: You Ate Aoki

At first, the appearances of Nongli and Aoki didn’t make Benji change his mind. He just wanted to test whether this Aoki was really the same Aoki Lin Qiyou had mentioned.

Unexpectedly, this Aoki actually possessed the Qi Technique and flawlessly transcribed it for him.

Well, that made things very interesting.

The situation in the Demon Realm was complicated. He wanted the Qi Technique not only for power but also to protect his territory, which was surrounded by strong enemies. That was why he allied with Lin Qiyou.

He used the Qi Technique to help Lin Qiyou “revive” Aoki, and the revived Aoki would provide him with the Qi Technique.

But now, this Aoki had already given him what he wanted. So why should he continue helping Lin Qiyou?

Nongli’s future was limitless. Helping Nongli and Aoki could mean Nongli would stay by his side, contributing to his territory. If he were to sacrifice Nongli, that would truly be a waste of a precious resource.

Therefore, the alliance with Lin Qiyou had to be reconsidered.

Recently, Benji’s research on corporeal Qi Technique left him a bit disheartened. As a corpse demon, he couldn’t cultivate corporeal Qi Technique and had to rely on unconventional methods.

Find a body capable of cultivating Qi Technique, wait until it was fully refined, then consume it?

That was just too time-consuming.

So, where was there a ready-made one?

There was one indeed.

And right beside him.

That person was Lin Qiyou.

Lin Qiyou’s spiritual vein had been transplanted from that very Aoki.

If he just ate Lin Qiyou, wouldn’t he have everything?

Besides, killing Lin Qiyou would surely please Nongli.

What else could make Nongli more grateful to him?

But on this matter… Benji was cautious. He felt he couldn’t let Aoki know.

Aoki didn’t need to be aware of this.

Only he and Nongli needed to conspire.

“What are you thinking about?”

Lin Qiyou interrupted Benji’s thoughts.

“Ah, nothing. Just the affairs in the Demon Realm have been rather taxing lately.”

Benji shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose, looking exhausted.

“Hm, who did you just go see?”

Lin Qiyou referred to the fact that she had arrived but Benji had kept her waiting for half an hour.

Normally, she was a guest of honor, and Benji always waited for her in advance, but this time he hadn’t.

“Taxing affairs.”

Benji repeated his answer.

Lin Qiyou looked at Benji a little longer, then nodded and said, “Then, see you next time. During this period, take good care of her, okay?”

“Next time, you’ll get what you want, I promise.”

Benji nodded and sent Lin Qiyou off.

Seventeen days later, Nongli emerged from seclusion, radiating overwhelming demonic energy and joy, charging toward the fleeing but soon-caught Aoki.

Benji clapped from the side in congratulations.

Knowing there was no chance of interacting with Nongli that day, Benji chose to keep his distance. On the third day, he sent a small demon to summon Nongli.

“Lord Benji.”

Nongli looked a bit older now, appearing like a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl. The Fox Spirit’s charm was undeniable, and she was much more polite than before.

This was probably due to Benji’s recent help with her and Aoki.

“Miss Nongli, please sit.”

Benji gestured to the cushion in front of him. Nongli, with her three tails, walked over and sat cross-legged.

“Do you have any way to make my Master immortal?”

Before Benji could speak, Nongli went straight to the point. Benji understood this must have been from a previous conversation between Aoki and Nongli that prompted her question.

“There is no such thing as immortality in this world.”

Benji smiled and shook his head. “Miss Nongli, please don’t joke. Even I, a demon king, or you, carrying the blood of an ancient great demon, cannot achieve it. How could a mere mortal?”

“Then I’ll make a scene!”

Nongli was about to overturn the table in front of Benji. He had noticed that whenever the topic involved Aoki, she couldn’t contain herself.

“You and your master will be together for a long time. As long as I am here, I will always protect you both until your wings are strong enough for you to protect him on your own.”

Benji’s words were comforting, and Nongli frowned slightly, putting the table down. This meant that he would help Nongli with whatever it took regarding the “Youjianxian” matter.

But then Benji shifted tone. “However, there is a problem that I must discuss with you.”

“Does my master know?”

Nongli was cautious.

“No.”

“Then you must discuss it with my master first.”

Benji inwardly thought Aoki had his ways—he had never expected Nongli to be so obedient after his adjustments.

“Alright, how about you see something first?”

Benji drew a crystal ball from his sleeve. Nongli instinctively recoiled, still wary. Then the crystal ball blurred, revealing an image.

The image showed a white-robed fairy staring at another crystal ball, which also contained something, though it was unclear what.

The meaning of the scene was unclear, but when Nongli recognized the white-robed fairy’s identity, she bristled with hostility.

“What’s your relationship with her?!”

Nongli’s three tails flared, and she shouted at Benji, the room instantly filled with surging demonic energy.

Benji remained calm and waved his hand. “If I really wanted to do something to you and Aoki, I wouldn’t wait until now to act, nor would I show you this. I believe you understand—you are a clever fox.”

Hearing this, Nongli calmed down but remained highly alert. Her golden fox ears flattened backward, forming a round shape.

“Actually, I have an agreement with Youjianxian. She has a fox spirit she needs to use to revive someone, and I…”

Benji slowly explained his pact with Lin Qiyou. Nongli’s face changed dramatically upon hearing it.

So Lin Qiyou’s decades-long failure to capture her wasn’t because she was useless, but because Lin Qiyou had other plans—not to kill her.

For a moment, Nongli felt an overwhelming sense of defeat.

“I knew you were hiding something from me!”

Nongli frowned. “Just as I thought.”

Benji didn’t hold back. “Yes, not just this matter. There is a huge secret I must tell you, but you should prepare yourself.”

“What is it?”

Nongli felt a sudden unease because the previous words hadn’t mentioned a certain person—the one whose body she had eaten in the grave.

“Well… you ate Aoki.”

Benji said.

“…”

Nongli had no reaction.

“Did you not hear me? I said you ate Aoki.”

Benji repeated.

This time Nongli heard clearly and her expression changed. She snarled viciously, “Fuck you, my master is in the bedroom.”

This phrase wasn’t taught by Aoki; she had learned it secretly from someone else.

“Still not reacting?”

Benji sighed. “The one in the grave was also Aoki. You ate him.”