Chapter 973: They All Want to Fall into Darkness

Chapter 973: They All Want to Fall into Darkness

Lin Nuo barked orders in anger, commanding the Demon Practitioners to release the bound Fox People without any hint of defiance.

The Fox People sighed in relief, grateful that the great Knight Lin had arrived just in time to save them once again.

It was only natural for the Demon Practitioners to fear Lin Nuo’s reputation. However, their titles seemed a bit odd.

Grandmaster? Demon Practitioners?

Could it be…?

Regardless, as long as they survived, it didn’t matter whether they were demons or immortals.

“Young Master!”

“Step back, everyone. Take a rest. Don’t lay another hand on the Fox People.”

“Young Master, are those words true…?”

“Yes. They were indeed sent here by our esteemed Master. We’ve troubled the Master, but he’s broad-minded and doesn’t blame us.”

“Lin Grandmaster, you truly have a big heart!”

The Demon Practitioners were full of gratitude, as if Lin Nuo had spared their lives.

Lin Nuo paid no mind to them and first looked for a river; he needed a water source to set up camp temporarily.

Starting a fire, he prepared to roast some meat. While these Fox People could obtain spiritual energy from the spirit mines, he needed food; he couldn’t survive solely on spiritual energy.

It felt a bit wasteful not to roast meat out in the wild.

The subordinates captured a few wild beasts and brought them to Lin Nuo. With skilled knife work, he butchered the beasts, extracted the meat, and skewered it over the fire.

Ruo’er understood his intention and hurried to help when she saw Lin Nuo was going to roast meat. She was a professional servant, and she had a clear grasp of what Lin Nuo needed—something Liu Shuqin and Ling Meng lacked.

Liu Shuqin and Ling Meng also wanted to help, but with Ruo’er already assisting him, there was no need for them. Furthermore, they couldn’t read Lin Nuo’s intentions from his gaze and gestures like Ruo’er did. They suddenly felt the gap between themselves and her.

“That’s good. You watch the fire.”

“Sure~ Young Master~”

Ruo’er nodded, expertly turning over the many pieces of meat without a hint of chaos.

“Junior Martial Brother, it must be exhausting for Ruo’er to handle the meat alone. Let me help.”

“I’ll help too.”

Liu Shuqin and Ling Meng joined in, no longer needing to watch Lin Nuo’s gestures and expressions; they simply turned the meat on the grill to prevent it from burning. That much they could manage.

“Esteemed Master, if you’d like to eat roasted meat, you could just let my Demon Practitioners…”

“Their roasting lacks flavor. I prefer to do it myself.”

Lin Nuo flipped the two skewers of roasted meat, seeing they were almost done, and handed them to Liu Shuqin and Ling Meng.

“Here, eat up. Just cooked. Dip in some sauce if you like.”

“Ah, how can I let the esteemed Master…”

“Cut the nonsense. What’s the use of refusing? By the time you’re finished talking, you could have already eaten.”

Lin Nuo complained, while Ling Meng felt undeserving. It should have been her responsibility to prepare the meat for him!

“Thank you, Junior Martial Brother.”

Liu Shuqin didn’t hesitate like Ling Meng and accepted the meat, trying to prepare her own skewers in return for Lin Nuo.

Of course, before she could finish, Ruo’er handed Lin Nuo the cooked skewers she had completed, and he wasted no time digging in.

“I thought you’d lost your skills after spending so long in the Immortal Mountains.”

“Not at all~ Young Master~ I learned from you, how could I forget?~”

Ruo’er smiled with squinted eyes, eager to feed Lin Nuo, but he stopped her, as this sort of intimacy could stir trouble.

After all, there were two ladies present; if jealousy flared up, who knows where it could lead? Fighting wasn’t an option.

“Junior Martial Brother, I never imagined that immortals and demons could coexist. But you’ve made it happen. Although they still harbor distrust, it’s a good start.”

Liu Shuqin said with relief; in her view, Lin Nuo might be using this method to let all beings—immortals, demons, monsters, and humans—overcome their prejudice and live harmoniously.

“Don’t misunderstand. I have no plans for their coexistence; it’s merely a coincidence. If these Immortal Foxes don’t want to become demons, then I’ll ask them to leave.”

Lin Nuo said bluntly; he wanted to let this group of Immortal Foxes fall into darkness. Who was concerned with coexisting?

“Alright, I understand.”

Liu Shuqin nodded. No matter what Lin Nuo said, she believed he was working towards peaceful coexistence among various groups.

Her thought process was: first, let the Immortal Foxes become demons, then enable them to coexist and understand one another. Perhaps one day, he could purify them to become Immortal Foxes again.

Of course, this was her optimistic guess. Although Lin Nuo claimed he had no method of purification, she felt he was just holding something back.

Moreover, this life, Lin Nuo wasn’t the same as in the last. She could see from his eyes that he hadn’t lost his kind heart; every word from him reinforced that notion.

Her Junior Martial Brother wouldn’t repeat his past mistakes; he would definitely change.

“Falling into darkness? Esteemed Master, do you intend to turn these Immortal Foxes into demons? Will they become part of our Demon Practitioners?” Ling Meng asked curiously.

“Yes.”

Lin Nuo nodded.

“So, I told you not to harm them; they will be our people in the future.”

“They’re hard to change; even if they fall into darkness, they won’t willingly follow us. On the contrary, they’ll harbor resentment and attack us, or collude with other immortals against us. How could we make them our companions?”

“I won’t force them. If they want to, they stay; if they don’t, they can leave. Today, we managed to talk nicely, but if we meet again as enemies, that’s how it will be. They choose their own path. As for colluding with other immortals, these Immortal Foxes are already on the blacklist among the immortals. They are an independent group. Even if they did that, we wouldn’t have to worry; it wouldn’t cause a storm.”

Lin Nuo spoke as if it was nothing, then took another bite of meat, savoring it.

“What about her?”

Ling Meng pointed at Ruo’er.

“Of course, she’s my servant. There’s no way she could still be considered an immortal.”

“…”

Ling Meng felt anxious. Liu Shuqin was already tricky enough; with another servant, it might be even harder for her to gain Lin Nuo’s favor!

“After you finish eating, I’ll take you to perform the ceremony, Ruo’er. Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure, as long as I can stay with the Young Master.”

“Alright, eat more.”

The few of them huddled around the fire appeared harmonious on the surface, but there was a hint of rivalry in the air.

After the meal, Lin Nuo took Ruo’er aside; it was time to carry out the Demonization ceremony.

He could perform this ritual alone, but it shouldn’t be interrupted, so he had blocked the area in advance, leaving only him and Ruo’er.

He drew the Magic Array, which emitted a dark purple glow, instructing Ruo’er to stand in the center.

“Are you scared?”

“No, I’m not scared! This way, I can always be with the Young Master!”

Ruo’er squinted her eyes and smiled, eager to complete the ceremony as soon as possible.

“Alright, just endure a little.”