Chapter 6: The Spirit of the Sea

"Master Warden is late," Lin Haoqing said as he lifted his hand and gave a signal. The lightning strikes that had disappeared briefly started up again. Black iron full of inscriptions flashed with blinding light, striking onto the jiaoren again and again.　　

The demon hanging in the air seemed to have no more reaction to the pain. His muscles autonomously spasmed a bit then became still. His head hung low and his long silver hair scattered across his body in a bloody, sticky mess.

Like a lifeless ragdoll. Ice blue eyes were now hidden behind his lids, no one could see any expression. Ji Yunhe put on a face of indifference. She lazily stretched her arms and said with a little bit of joke and sarcasm, "Why doesn't the young valley master say he is a little bit hasty."Lin Haoqing smiled.

"Yunhe is very good at taming demons, a brother does not dare to be slow. I need to do my best to be worthy of your competition."

"I have never had such a big audience while taming demons," Ji Yunhe teased as she pulled Snow March to the dungeon floor and sat down on a stone. Since Snow March remained standing by her side, she took the opportunity to lean comfortably against her legs. Snow March glanced down at her, but allowed her to be lazy. Ji Yunhe waved her hand and said, "Go on, brother. But..."

Ji Yunhe skimmed her lips with her tongue and continued, "I have heard the noble Princess Shunde is of very fine taste. She demands nothing less than perfection. This jiaoren… we don't even know how his healing abilities are. Brother, the competition is trivial, delivering a job well done is our top priority, yes?"

Lin Haoqing's eyebrows sank slightly. His eyes moved away from Ji Yunhe and fell onto the lifeless demon. Ji Yunhe was right. The world currently belonged to the imperial court. Demon masters no longer ruled like in the old days. The court had separated them into four corners of the land, dividing thus limiting their power. All four quarters now catered to the imperial court as a priority over demon mastery.

Training these demons to royal satisfaction was their most important task. Even though it was a contest for the position of the Valley Master, it still had to be played by Princess Shunde's rules. The princess wanted her jiaoren to talk, to grow legs, and to be submissive. She did not want a broken, beaten up slave.

Lin Haoqing waved his hand, and the assistant by the lever slowly eased the lightning strikes to a stop. Lin Haoqing walked to the bars. He lifted his head and looked at the jiaoren hanging inside the cell. "Jiaoren has always been an intelligent race.You should know what is best for you. As long as you do what I say..."

Before Lin Haoqing could finish, the jiaoren's hanging eyelids lifted abruptly and glared at him. Blue eyes looked clear and bright without the slightest sign of defeat. They even appeared more fierce than yesterday.

The jiaoren's body suddenly dispersed a light blue glow, prompting the assistant to immediately restart the lightning mechanism. Roaring thunder and flashing lights filled the air while the onlookers outside scattered and fled. The demonic energy emitting from the jiaoren's body was overflowing out of the dungeon.

Then Ji Yunhe saw him make his move. The huge white and blue fish tail swept out fiercely amidst a combination of lightning and blood, lifting the chain and uprooting the golden arrow binding it to the ground.

Clang!

They smashed against the black iron bars in front of Lin Haoqing in full force. The bars caved and bent outward from the impact, stopping just three inches short of Lin Haoqing's face.　　

"Young valley master!"

The assistants nearby rushed forward in defense, pulling Lin Haoqing back. "You're injured!" an assistant exclaimed in shock. An ugly gash had appeared across Lin Haoqing's cheekbone, dripping with blood. The assistant chanted a spell to stop the bleeding but found it did nothing. Lin Haoqing pushed him away.

"I was scraped by the enchanted golden arrow. You can't fix the wound."

Golden arrow... Everyone looked into the cell and saw the jiaoren was still staring at Lin Haoqing, his tail now a hideous wreck.

His attack had almost ripped the bottom of his tail apart. The chain was still deeply embedded within his skin and flesh, but the golden arrow at the end of the chain was now broken. When his tail pulled the arrow loose and smashed it against the iron bars, the arrowhead had broken off and flew out, striking Lin Haoqing in the face.

No one spoke, but their attitudes toward the jiaoren all changed a bit. No one had expected him to still have the strength to resist in his condition, nor the will. Out of all the demons they had seen, none would even have the desire to live by now...

This jiaoren…

Could he really be tamed?

The lightning inside crackled and flashed, the people outside scurried and shouted, dust and debris continuously fell all around… It was truly a chaotic sight.

All the commotion finally chased off Ji Yunhe's last bit of sleepiness. She quietly looked at the demon hanging in the cell. His ice blue eyes glowed with a light that she had not seen before, persistent and unwavering.

"Jiaoren is born from the spirit of the sea," Snow March murmured next to Ji Yunhe. "I thought it was just a myth, but it's really true." Ji Yunhe turned her head and looked at Snow March.

"Don't let others hear you."

Praising demons was unacceptable here in the valley. Even so, Ji Yunhe also found his persistence quite admirable.