Reward

Chu Xingchen listened to the constant rattling of the iron chains and looked at Donggua, whose pupils were dilated with terror.

He said in a calm tone, "You don't have to be this happy, do you?"

Li Yingling stood behind her master. She could hold back her reactions to his previous villain-like remarks, but upon hearing this, she couldn't help but complain,

"Does this look like happiness? It's clearly scared to death, okay?"

Chu Xingchen glanced back at his rebellious disciple and said with certainty,

"Of course it's happiness. Haven't you heard that life is precious, but freedom is priceless?"

"If Donggua goes out, the worst that will happen is getting some 'special attention' from Xu Linglong, but what it gains is freedom! How could it not be happy?"

Li Yingling pointed at Donggua, who, after hearing her master's words, had already started imagining its life after prison and was now twitching slightly. She said,

"Junior brother... if our master says a few more words, its life really will be freed from its body."

At this moment, Li Yingling also came to a realization, finally understanding why Donggua hated Cui Hao so deeply.

Her master definitely had a hand in this. Cui Hao's previous confusion and bewilderment were truly justified.

When it came to drawing aggro and hatred, her master was absolutely top-tier.

No wonder her master disguised himself as Cui Hao to come here, even spouting nonsense like "when there's too much debt, it stops feeling like a burden."

Looking at it now... that nonsense actually made sense.

Judging by Donggua's current reaction, even if Cui Hao had genuinely saved Donggua's life a few times, it probably wouldn't dispel Donggua's murderous intent towards him.

Seeing this, Chu Xingchen raised his hand and summoned a ball of water, smashing it right into Donggua's head while saying calmly,

"Donggua is a legendary demon with profound cultivation. How could it die so easily? This is just caused by excessive happiness. Splashing some water will fix it. See, hasn't it recovered?"

Li Yingling felt too exhausted to retort and slightly turned her head to look at her second junior brother next to her.

Li Xingtian, who usually had an expressionless face, was now frowning slightly.

Her second junior brother, aside from his red spiritual energy that made him look like an evil cultivator, didn't act like one at all.

Her master, on the other hand, aside from his spiritual energy and his ultimate goals making him look like a good person, acted very much like an evil cultivator.

Chu Xingchen slowly walked up to Donggua and said in a teasing tone,

"So, you should understand now, right?"

Donggua gasped heavily, looking at the face of "Cui Hao" in front of it with blurry vision. It opened its mouth but found itself unable to speak a single word.

It wasn't due to any restrictive spell, but rather that it had temporarily lost the ability to speak.

Perhaps from terror, or perhaps from anger.

Chu Xingchen naturally continued,

"I guess you want to ask what it is you're supposed to understand, right?"

"You demons just love playing dumb when you already know the truth, always insisting on clinging to that tiny sliver of hope."

"I'll be blunt. If you leave the Tianyan Sect, if you leave us, Xu Linglong will absolutely deal with you using methods thousands or millions of times more terrifying than the most horrifying things you can imagine."

"The reason is simple. Betrayal is a plague that infects those with weak resolve. To eradicate it, one must use lives to draw a safety line that no one dares to cross."

"Right now, you are that safety line."

"Just think about how you would treat a traitor."

"Value is everyone's final trump card, and you have already handed yours over so easily."

"You've lost the right to choose. Now, every word I say is the only path you can take."

"Donggua, it's time for you to give up your fantasies."

Donggua stared intently at "Cui Hao's" face in front of it, as if trying to memorize every detail of it.

There was a long silence.

Donggua said in a hoarse voice,

"I am still a demon. In the end, it will only be a dead end. You won't let me go."

Chu Xingchen said earnestly,

"Yes, but at least you can choose a death you prefer, one that isn't so painful. If you insist on having a tiny bit of hope, you can count on us showing great mercy after dealing with the Heavenly Demons and deciding to coexist harmoniously with you."

Hearing this, Donggua began to laugh, though the laughter was somewhat desolate.

"What value do I have left? I've already told you everything I can."

Chu Xingchen said calmly, "Your value depends on how we use you. I just think that when we reach a mutual understanding, it will be easier for you to trust us a little more."

"Donggua, beating a drowning dog is indeed immoral, but it is also the most convenient time to do so."

"Besides, falling into the water was your own carelessness; you can't blame me."

"Having heard what I just said, you should understand that both you and I are people without morals. Therefore, no morality can bind either of us."

"Now, your answer will determine whether you get packaged and sent to Xu Linglong, or if you get to live for yourself for a brief moment."

"At the very least, you can be the last demon to die."

Donggua sneered, "You speak so grandiosely. Aren't you just saying all this because you know you have me completely under your thumb?"

"Choice? Since when did I have a choice?"

Chu Xingchen nodded gently.

"Then hello, Donggua. Welcome to forsaking the darkness for the light, and welcome to the human family."

Donggua let out a heavy breath. It no longer had the energy to respond to that statement and instead asked,

"So, can you tell me what you want me to do now?"

Chu Xingchen turned away leisurely.

"I haven't figured it out yet. I still need to research some methods to prevent you from giving up on yourself. It would be even better if you could volunteer some."

"However, given that you've forsaken the darkness for the light, congratulations on receiving an upgrade in your treatment."

"No need to thank me. This is the reward for making the right choice."

"See you later, Donggua."

Donggua watched "Cui Hao" turn and leave without a shred of reluctance.

Li Yingling and Li Xingtian didn't say much either and left together with him.

Then the cell door closed, and everything returned to silence.

After a moment.

Donggua felt a bit dazed, wondering if everything that had just happened was an illusion, if it hadn't happened at all.

An unknown amount of time passed.

The muffled sound of the door being pushed open rang out again.

A Mahayana realm cultivator of the Tianyan Sect, who was responsible for guarding it, walked in and raised his hand, retracting the iron chains wrapped around Donggua's body.

Donggua fell to the ground with a thud.

It stood up very skillfully, stretched out both hands, and brought its feet together.

The Mahayana cultivator swept a cold gaze over it and said coldly,

"There is no need for that this time."

Donggua looked over in surprise.

The Mahayana cultivator turned around. "Follow me."

Donggua subconsciously stepped forward.

It stepped past the stairs, walked across the flat ground, and headed up a slope.

Until a ray of midday sunlight shone on Donggua's face.

Only then did Donggua realize that all of this was real.

This was the first time since Donggua entered the Tianyan Sect that it was walking on its own, without any restraints on its body.

The warm midday sun seemed to pierce through Donggua's body.

Donggua narrowed its eyes slightly and took a deep breath.

This meant.

The agreement it made with "Cui Hao" was real.

And it...

...was about to step onto a path of no return.

The sunlight at this moment was a reward.

But it was also the final reward.