Chapter 33: Accomplice

Lin Canglan's body was already cold next to Ji Yunhe and Lin Haoqing. The room was so quiet, it was as if they both had died too.

Finally, Ji Yunhe got up from the bed and stood face to face with Lin Haoqing. She was half a head shorter but her stance did not lose to him.

"Lin Haoqing," she also called him by his full name, "after all that's happened, I will feel a pity if I make an enemy out of you again. But I am not afraid to either."

"Huh," Lin Haoqing let out a sneer.

"I see that you are not thinking clearly. If you take away the jiaoren, not only will you make an enemy out of me, but also the entire Demon Valley. Or worse, out of Princess Shunde and the entire imperial court!" Lin Haoqing took a step closer to her face.

"Let's not consider whether or not you have the ability to take him away. Even if you do, do you think it'll be over then? That you two will be carefree?"

Lin Haoqing threw one word at Ji Yunhe, "Ignorant."

"I don't care if it's ignorant or not," Ji Yunhe said.

"I only know he belongs in the sea, not here."

"His tail has been split, do you think he still belongs in the sea?" Ji Yunhe's fist tightened and she went silent. Finally, she lifted her head and looked directly into his eyes.

"Yes, he does."

Whether or not he grew legs, or changed into some other form, his big beautiful tail had existed, and it would never be forgotten.

In Ji Yunhe's mind, Changyi would always belong to the clear blue sea and all of its magnificence, whether in the past, the present, or in the future. And she firmly believed that he would eventually return to it. Lin Haoqing looked at Ji Yunhe.

"Think carefully, I will only give you this one opportunity. You've been wanting freedom for so many years, are you going to give it up for a demon?"Ji Yunhe cocked her head.

"Lin Haoqing, you wanted to kill Lin Canglan and I happened to come and help you, so this opportunity was not given to me by you, it was given to me by fate. And my freedom is not for you to grant. It is rightfully mine."

Ji Yunhe decided that she had completely spoiled this negotiation with Lin Haoqing today. After a brief reconciliation, they were now back at each other's throats. She turned to leave, but Lin Haoqing suddenly asked, "Don't you want the antidote?"

"I want it, but you can't give it to me right now." Ji Yunhe pointed to Lin Canglan's dead body on the chair.

"You should think about how to dispose of him. The old men in the valley, the eyes of the court, and the Grand Master will not allow a man who murdered his own father to become the next Valley Master. What they want is someone obedient."

Ji Yunhe exited the inner room and headed for the door, reaching out to push it open. But the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside.

"Valley Master! Valley Master!"

A demon master shouted in panic as he stopped at the door and knocked anxiously. His shadow was cast onto the door screen by the rising sun.

Ji Yunhe's hand reaching out froze in mid air. After her conflict with Lin Haoqing, it would be better for Ji Yunhe to take him down and become Valley Master herself. The best way to do that was to publicize his killing of Lin Canglan. He would be abandoned by everyone and exiled by the court. Ji Yunhe would then have the power to save Changyi.