“Not many things in this world can move me,” Long Di explained. “However, something wicked has entered this world.”

“What are you talking about?” Yaomu Shou was immensely confused.

Long Di pondered for a moment, before saying, “Let me tell you a story.”

****

“A story?” Yaomu Shou grew even more confused.

However, Long Di didn’t concern himself with this, he simply directed a look to another one of his companions. Without another word, this person moved towards Zi Yu.

“This sister, how about we take a look at the scenery of this city.”

When Zi Yu heard this, she felt slightly rueful. She wanted to hear Long Di’s story as well. However, she knew that he had no reason to trust her and it seemed as if this story was something he wouldn’t easily talk about.

As such, Zi Yu and the person who accompanied her had their speed slow down considerably to give Long Di and Yaomu Shou some space. Even the group who had followed Long Di slowed down as well. They naturally heard from Long Di himself some details surrounding why he acted the way he had that day. He was going to have Yaomu Shou do certain things for him, revealing this bit of information wasn’t too bad. Since there was no need for them to hear this all again, they naturally hung back with Zi Yu as well.

Yaomu Shou noticed the difference in everyone’s countenance and realized that Long Di’s story could very well have a direct connection to the omen-like phenomenon.

“When I was young, I was… separated, from my parents,” he couldn’t bother to explain the whole isekai, Truck Kun, goddess situation, so he had to bend-ish the truth here and there.

“During that separation, I was taken in by someone who claimed to be my uncle. There was no one who challenged his guardianship over me.”

Though Long Di’s tone was monotonous and apathetic, there was a great deal of sorrow and woe that infected all who heard it. This was incredibly peculiar and worth ruminating over. Sadly, there was none to do so.

Yaomu Shou naturally felt it as well, but quickly shook her head to free herself from these thoughts. Why in the world would she feel like this when he had barely said anything of worth?

“With no one to challenge his claim in becoming my sole relative, my days thereafter weren’t quite… well.” Long Di paused as if he was considering how to continue from here.

“Anytime I was with him, pain would not be far removed from me. I had long grown numb to everything else as far as pain was concerned, and only his hand could continue to torment me. I’ve never known peace with that man. In addition, it always felt as if he was taking something from me, something apart from my happiness for that was long gone, and there was an air of killing intent that he bore towards me, but never acted upon.”

Normally, Long Di would never be able to say for sure if the design that his uncle held towards him was filled with killing intent or not. However, after he came to the cultivation world, and felt this more than once, he was sure that was what he felt back then.

“There was a rapaciousness in his eyes, but he never took what he wanted all at once, whatever it may be. Though if I had to guess, it would be his obsession to further break me as a person. He salivated for me to be less than I am, and it would be a loop of continuous torture for me. My days were destined to be filled with more of the same. Until…”

A strange glint appeared in his eyes as he continued from here, “Through a twist of fate, I was able to reunite with my parents and my uncle was not able to pursue me… or… at least that was how it was supposed to be.”

Long Di still remembered how he felt that day when he was helping the disciples train. Back in his days on earth with his uncle, his expression never changed when his mind went beyond a certain point.

The only reason he reacted the way he did that day was because he was showered with love from his parents. Though it was slow, it was grinding away the trauma his uncle left on him.

Remember, his impassiveness and apathetic nature were something he himself subconsciously manifested to protect what little sanity he had left. As a result, this emotionless state of his was something that held up even in the face of the transgressor. Unfortunately, the ‘healing’ his parents levied upon him didn’t last too long before this invisible disaster descended. His slightly healed heart and soul reacted with fear in the face of that man’s possible reappearance.

He looked down at this point, his expression the very same, but this scene inspired heartache in those who saw it. “My uncle has a smell, an aura, an air about him, that is otherworldly and exaggeratingly malicious, matched by no one else who I have seen in this world, and I can say that no one has come even remotely close.

“I don’t know how, and I don’t know why, but what caused this world to nearly come crashing in on itself was my uncle. That smell belongs to no one else but him, as I don’t believe that reality would allow for something so vile to exist as more than one person. I know this is a bit unbelievable, but you have to-”

“Sniffles!”

Before Long Di could finish what he was about to say, he was assaulted by a hug from Yaomu Shou that came without warning.

Tears streamed down her face as she listened to Long Di’s story. She didn’t care for the blood that stained his robes and hugged him tightly.

This was not something that would be done easily by anyone. A girl hugging a man that was not her beloved, and in the middle of the street no less!? How bold!

Suddenly, killing intent descended on Long Di shortly after Yaomu Shou had hugged him. The latter naturally sensed this and released Long Di with a dark blue blush that stopped only at her neck. She then looked furiously in her surroundings before snorting in derision at the perpetrators.

However, when she looked at Long Di, her expression changed once more to one of pity.

“… I believe you,” Yaomu Shou said suddenly.

“You do?” Long Di was a bit surprised that she believed him so easily. Though what he said was mostly true, wasn’t she a bit too gullible?

“You’re eleven years old, and yet you’re in the Core Flame Evocation realm. No normal force would be able to nurture you or give birth to you. As a result, anyone related to you is probably able to summon wind and rain on a whim. For someone who has such wicked intentions to pursue you whilst triggering what happened back then. it’s a bit hard to believe, sure; but what fool would dare to claim responsibility for what happened. At best, everyone would ignore you like the plague, and at worst you’ll be killed in an attempt to stave off whatever it is that targeted you.”

When Yaomu Shou said it like this, Long Di had no choice but to admit that a lot of thought was put into her believing him. He still felt that she was a bit gullible though. Yaomu Shou also paid attention to the fact that Long Di refused to call names in his story. Uncle and parents were the terms that he used.

In her eyes, Long Di is probably the descendent of some ancient force and his background is not something that can be easily uttered, even in this backwater place.

“When you told me you wanted to be the emperor, was it somehow related to this?” Yaomu Shou finally asked.

“Not at all, but I don’t have much of a choice now. I need to increase my strength. It feels like an invisible blade is hovering above my head, separated by the thinnest of strings. Power is the only thing that can allow me to shatter this blade, and shatter it I will.”

Yaomu Shou nodded with a smile on her face. The determination that Long Di was currently exuded reaffirmed that her choice in choosing was correct.

“Don’t worry Long Di, I will support you. But you have to help me so that I can help you.”

Long Di nodded in response to this. To Long Di, this didn’t need much thought. He already owed Yaomu Shou a favor for protecting the disciples, so whatever she wanted his help with, as long as it wasn’t defecating on people’s heads, he would help her with it.

By now everyone else had caught up with Long Di and Yaomu Shou. They naturally saw when the young demon hugged Long Di, but they didn’t react in any way about it.

In fact, Shen Ling did the same when she heard the story. She was unable to help herself at the time.

Even Feng Yu stood to the side with tear-filled eyes. The only one who didn’t react was the Nymph and that was because Long Di had removed her from the conversation since he barely knew her.

At this time, they had arrived at the Qian Dao Sect’s auction house. Long Di heard that something unusual had appeared in this auction, and if he was interested, he would try his best to get it.