Crashing into Daylight

Chhaapptteerr 88:: IIlllluussoorryy DDeemmoonnss

Xu Yinian’s heart skipped a beat as he looked at him in disbelief. Yu Huai’s gaze on him remained calm and unruffled. 

A commotion gradually picked up near the stage as the light blue-tinted barrier started to dissipate at a speed that was visible to the naked eye. Su Tang could no longer stay calm, her panicked voice shattering the frozen atmosphere of the room. “We’re out of time!”

Chen Ran swiveled his head round, only to see the Illusory demons, the patrol squad, and the demon slayers from the Qihai branch breaking through the barrier. His expression did not bode well at all.

They were this close to escaping. Why did they have to run into Yu Huai…!

The Illusory demons who escaped the barrier lunged forward like hungry tigers pouncing on their prey. Chen Ran and Su Tang’s faces had both gone pallor, and the demons who were originally indomitable had all but lost their fighting spirit the moment they saw Yu Huai, all standing dismally still in place. In the split second that the Illusory demons were about to charge at them, a hand delicately flicked at the air.  

Spiderweb-like puppet strings came falling from above. The Illusory demons had not yet realized anything was wrong, merely sensing a light prick along the side of their necks. The fine strings had already plunged into their spines. The fingers of that hand clenched tightly, then tugged upwards—  

The Illusory demons halted their movements all at once, frozen in place like wooden puppets. A short distance away, the patrol squad along with the Qihai branch demon slayers were all facing the same predicament. None of them could move an inch, all turned into lifeless stone statues. It was as though the pause button had suddenly been pressed, resulting in this absurd scene.  

Upon seeing the hundreds of puppet strings connected to Yu Huai’s fingers, Xu Yinian and Chen Ran looked at each other and both saw astonishment in the other’s eyes.  

What was going on, an internal strife? 

Sound abruptly picked up from the four main doors of the auction hall, and a large crowd of demon slayers dressed in white uniforms forced open the doors. On the chest of their uniforms, there was an embroidered logo of the central office. The young man in the lead had a face that was handsome with a touch of bizarre, his long and golden hair sparkling under the light. This was a feature that was typical of demon species. 

It was Yuan Mu, the half-demon vice-principal of Maple Bridge Academy. 

Yuan Mu headed directly to Yu Huai’s side, as if Xu Yinian and the rest trapped in the barriers were invisible to him. Entirely unaffected, he greeted him, “You’ve worked hard.” 

“If the Demon Slayer Bureau could arrive earlier next time, then I wouldn’t have to work as hard.” As Yu Huai spoke, he recalled his puppet strings. Before the Illusory demons and demon slayers that had barely just regained their freedom could resist, they were promptly seized by the demon slayers from the central office.

It was at this moment that Xu Yinian roughly understood the situation, realizing that Yu Huai had no associations with the organizers at all. He had most likely been asked by Yuan Mu to help with the situation. Xu Yinian cheered up immediately, inwardly exclaiming that Yu Huai hadn’t gone down the wrong path! His joy made him lose himself for a moment, even forgetting that he was still stuck in that narrow barrier. His head slammed hard onto it.  

Xu Yinian hissed in pain, but his cries were trapped in his throat as a result of Yu Huai’s silencing charm. This sudden impact led him to be abruptly reminded of a question that he had temporarily forgotten about.  

Since this was the case, then what was the purpose of Yu Huai’s series of villainous actions?

Was he bored? Acting? He couldn’t have just been having fun screwing with him, right??

Chen Ran also reacted, letting out a sigh of relief. The other demons that were also trapped in the barrier felt as though they had just gone on a rollercoaster, and the only sensation left after the ups and downs they had just experienced was numbness. Many of them had sat down onto the ground. 

Yuan Mu walked in front of a group of demon slayers that had been detained. Recognizing that he was leading the team personally, the faces of the demon slayers from the Qihai branch went pale quickly. Yuan Mu had lived for over a hundred years, and most of the demon slayers present had all been his student once upon a time.  

“We received news that the Illusory demon clan organized an illegal underground auction and that the Qihai branch rejected our students when they requested reinforcements.” Yuan Mu was all smiles and very amicable as he faced one of the demon slayers. “Is this true?” 

The person who was questioned looked even more pained than someone crying. “Yuan Laoshi… n-no, Mr Yuan! I’m not too clear about the situation myself, I only came here to uphold order. We’ve detained a couple of the Illusory demons and are now preparing to seek further instructions from the higher-ups.” 

“In that case,” Yuan Mu nodded, signalling to the large crowd of white uniforms behind him, “if there’s anything you don’t know, ask for instructions from the central office directly.”

“…”

“Auctioning off humans and demons, smuggling prohibited goods, dereliction of duty… do you know how many years of prison that adds up to? It’s enough for all of you to spend the rest of your lives in the Black Pagoda! And that’s only if your lives are still intact after your trial!” With every line of their crimes being recited, Yuan Mu’s face grew darker, while the faces of the Qihai branch demon slayers paled.    

After Yuan Mu finished, he returned to his initial gentle tone. “As outstanding graduates from the academy, you’ve tossed away all the vows you previously made. You’ve all disappointed me.”

Yuan Mu concluded his lecture, then gestured. “Take them all away.”

The demon slayers who had been seized had their heads hung in despair, all of them like quails unable to fight back. Yuan Mu made his way before the massive translucent barrier, undoing the barrier set up by Yu Huai personally. This was the first time that the demons who had suffered all night experienced the warmth of a spring breeze since the arrival of the Demon Slayer Bureau, all of them so emotional they nearly grabbed hold of his hand. “Comrade from the central office, can you guarantee our personal safety?” 

“Of course,” Yuan Mu smiled. “Don’t worry, we’ve already seized all of the Illusory demons.” 

“No, no, I’m not talking about that. Over there, can’t you see? Yu Huai!” The demon whispered like he was a sneaky thief, “He trapped Xu Yinian into a barrier alone! Other than settling the score, what could he be doing that for? The peach blossom debt1 between them, don’t you understand?” 

“Oh, you’re talking about him?” Yuan Mu’s expression remained unchanged. “He’s the emergency external backup we requested. He set up the barrier to protect everyone.”

“?” The demons were thrown for a loop. This was their first time seeing the backup behave even more villainously than a villain. 

Yuan Mu scanned the hall, then walked towards the Xu Yinian who stood trapped in a barrier alone. The laughter in his eyes intensified, “What, he even set up a barrier just for you?”

Xu Yinian could only let out sounds of ‘mmpphh’, gesturing wildly for Yuan Mu to undo the barrier. Yuan Mu was extremely thoughtful, not only removing the barrier but also undoing the silencing charm on him as well. The instant Xu Yinian could speak again, he shouted with truculence. “Yu Huai!”  

The Ghost in question looked at him composedly, “didn’t you hear? The barrier was set up to protect you. This smaller one is much safer than the one I used on them.” 

“?” Xu Yinian couldn’t have imagined that he would be this shameless, capitalizing on Yuan Mu’s presence to continue complaining. “Forget about the barrier, why did you silence Chen Ran and me?”

Yuan Mu seemed to find this scene very entertaining, acting as though he was busy helping Xu Yinian get justice as he nagged at Yu Huai. “Then you’re the one in the wrong here. How could you bully your juniors?”  

“They were making too much noise.” Yu Huai brushed over the subject casually, changing the topic without missing a beat. “When do we talk business?” 

Yuan Mu smiled but did not continue the thread of conversation, using his eyes to signal towards the empty entrance. “Perfect timing, he’s here too.”  

Sounds of commotion came echoing from the entrance, as though there was someone walking towards the auction hall. Demons were arrogant and unyielding by nature; the majority of them did not expose any signs of nervousness or cowardice even after having handcuffs put on them by the Demon Slayer Bureau. But the instant they saw that silhouette by the entrance, many of the Illusory demons who had their hands stained with blood all lowered their heads in fear.    

“Apologies for my tardiness.”

“Not at all,” Yuan Mu said, “You’re just in time. We haven’t started the discussion yet.”

“While I was preparing for the daytime auction, there were people in my clan getting ready for the underground action at the same time. Things even came to a head, with the Demon Slayer Bureau and the academy having to step in. This was my failure.” Hua Hengjing walked over and spared his captured clan members a glance. “Are you sending them to prison? Would you mind leaving two for me? We also need to investigate those involved… the two of you, then.”   

The two Illusory demons that had been randomly selected by Hua Hengjing were both stunned. The more clever one immediately started to beg for mercy. “Patriarch2, pick someone else! I don’t know anything, take the leader back instead! He’s the only one that received the order from the Hall of Elders!”

“You just reminded me,” Hua Hengjing instructed the subordinate by his side. “Find the person that led this.”

“Already dead.” Yu Huai blurted out.

Hua Hengjing didn’t seem to have expected this, his face full of surprise. On seeing this, Yu Huai added, “You don’t mind, do you?”

“Of course not, Yu Laoban.” Hua Hengjing recovered with a smile, signaling to his subordinate. “It’s still better to bring the both of them along then.”

Upon hearing this, the faces of the two Illusory demons went ashen. Knowing full well that they were at death’s doorstep, they clung to the ground, even begging for help from the Demon Slayer Bureau when they were being dragged away. “Please, I’m begging you! Bring me to jail! I’m willing to be trialed in court!” 

The sight of the Illusory demons struggling for their life was rather pathetic. An experienced demon slayer shook his head unforgivingly at a newcomer, signaling for him not to say more.

Strictly speaking, Hua Hengjing’s course of action was not in line with the standard protocol. But even though his tone was polite, it was clear that he was not giving the Demon Slayer Bureau an option. Moreover, the internal affairs and tensions within clans were always tangled and complex. It was inconvenient for the Demon Slayer Bureau to intervene. 

“Based on our preliminary investigations, the underground auction is connected to the Hall of Elders of the Illusory demons. We still need to continue looking into this matter.” At this point, Yuan Mu spoke up, “due to the death of two students, the academy will be working with the Demon Slayer Bureau to investigate the incident…” 

“Two students died?” Xu Yinian had not expected to hear this. 

Someone else other than Gu Xiaodong had died?

“A girl in your team died in the underground warehouse. There were numerous bodies stacked there, the organizers probably used the humans to satisfy some of the conditions for the blood sacrifice to take place.” Yuan Mu let out a soft sigh. “Her name was Jiang Qiuyue.” 

Xu Yinian’s eyes widened in shock; Chen Ran’s head also jerked up. 

They practically yelled in unison. “How’s that possible?!”

Yuan Mu beckoned for them to elaborate. Chen Ran spoke very quickly, “the last time Xu Yinian and I saw her was above ground. She didn’t have an entry pass, so how could she have been able to get underground on her own?”  

“When was the last time you saw her?”

“In the evening, she told us that there were two demons acting suspiciously. We kidnapped them and made our way underground while she stayed aboveground to wait for the academy’s response. 

“Based on the stiffness of the limbs of the corpse, her time of death is likely to have been in the morning.”

“Illusory techniques.” Yu Huai said, “Someone pretended to be her in order to lure you down here.”

“…” The tips of Xu Yinian’s fingers lit up with lightning. He looked towards Yuan Mu, “Vice-principal, I think—

Yuan Mu cut him off immediately. “Don’t even think about it. And don’t look so eager.”

From the sidelines, Yu Huai was rubbing salt into the wound. “Your attitude of ‘if someone screws with me from start to finish then I’ll personally make them pay’ is not right. Being so impulsive is not advisable.”   

Without waiting for Xu Yinian to retort, Yu Huai added on, “If you somehow think that you’re responsible for a classmate meeting with an accident… Are you the reincarnation of Buddha? You’re ready to take the blame for everything?”

Flying into a rage from the humiliation, Xu Yinian spat out Eight Words of Truth3, “None of your business! You’re full of crap!”

Su Tang inhaled sharply, Chen Ran buried his face in his hands, while Hua Hengjing appeared to be enjoying the show. Only Yuan Mu appeared unaffected. “Yu Huai is right. Kids who haven’t even passed their graduation assessment have no business sticking their noses in the affairs of adults. Why are all of you still here?”

Although their team was unlucky enough to meet with this series of unfortunate events, no matter the ending, they still failed to pass the graduation assessment this time. Highly self-aware, Chen Ran and Su Tang took their leave right away. Only Xu Yinian stood unmoving. “Don’t mind me, please continue.” 

Yuan Mu looked at him funny, then turned back to address Yu Huai. “We’ll operate as I mentioned early. The academy and the Bureau will work together, with Hua Hengjing contributing wherever necessary. If you’re also interested in taking part, you can take full charge over the academy’s involvement in this.” 

If he was representing Maple Bridge Academy as part of the investigation, all procedures would become legitimate and proper.

Standing by the side, Hua Hengjing let out an ‘en’ in affirmation, then spoke gleefully. “Rumors have it that the vice-principal and Yu Laoban have a great relationship. The rumors are indeed true.”

Yu Huai cast a sidelong glance at him. “I have something to ask you. Let’s go.”

“Bye now, little friend.” Before Hua Hengjing left, he did not forget to send a word of encouragement Xu Yinian’s way. “All the best for your graduation.”

Xu Yinian choked out, “… are the two of them even human?”

Yuan Mu kindly reminded him. “They were never human to begin with.”

As the demon slayers from the central office made their way around, the handcuffed Illusory demons were escorted away one by one.

After they walked out of Yuan Mu’s line of sight, Hua Hengjing half-jokingly noted, “Xu Yinian is pretty cute. I’ve never seen you spare the energy to tease anyone else; you’re very patient with him.”

“The involvement of the Demon Slayer Bureau alone is not sufficient to link this back to the Hall of Elders.” Yu Huai didn’t respond to his mockery. “If you intend to clean out your backyard in the name of the Bureau and the academy, this is an opportune time to do so.”

Hua Hengjing understood the implication behind his words.

Yu Huai didn’t mind if he used him to do the dirty work to get rid of another; he wouldn’t ask questions. 

Hua Hengjing sighed. “Since you’ve already said so, then I’ll be honest about something. I sent someone to pretend to be ‘Jiang Qiuyue’. I lured them underground on purpose.”

Yu Huai lowered his voice, “you are truly frank.”

Hua Hengjing decided that he might as well continue smashing the cracked pot, forcing himself to own up. “There’s one more thing; the Wolf demon that was grabbed and threatened by Xu Yinian was actually me.”  

Yu Huai looked in his direction, his face devoid of emotion. Observing that he was not in the greatest of moods, Hua Hengjing rushed to add on. “Don’t misunderstand. I bought Xu Yinian because I wanted to use him to complicate the underground auction and get the Demon Slayer Bureau and academy involved.” 

“Hua Hengjing.” Yu Huai’s tone was cold, the undertone of his words unfathomable. “You’re certainly very skilled in illusory techniques. I couldn’t even tell it was you.”

The patriarch of the Illusory demons derided. “You flatter me. After all, this is my specialty.” 

Without waiting for Yu Huai to respond, Hua Hengjing reluctantly continued. “I’m afraid you’ll find out something that results in a misunderstanding; how about I come clean first? After I succeeded to my position, the old folks in my clan have all been singing a discordant tune. The elders prioritize the honor and reputation of the clan, and constantly dream about the Illusory demons becoming the number one clan in the Demon Realm. As for me, I’m nowhere near as ambitious. I’m just looking to make some money while still having the spare time to ogle beautiful human ladies. Both the Demon Slayer Bureau and the humans want to co-exist peacefully with us; how could family honor compare to the money and might within my reach?”   

“Have you ever expressed your opinion to the Hall of Elders?”

“Of course I have, one of them even told me to get out right away after listening. The underground auction is the opportunity I’ve been waiting years for. I’m aware of what they’ve been up to behind my back, but I don’t plan to stop them. In fact, I hope they make things as grand as possible – the bigger the better. Such a grand affair requires the right people to uncover it. Xu Yinian and Chen Ran are no ordinary people; if anything happens to them, the academy won’t brush it aside. The Demon Slayer Bureau will definitely prioritize the matter.” 

Hua Hengjing paused for a second, then solemnly said, “I didn’t know you… If I’d known, I definitely wouldn’t have used him.”

The air was stale for a long time.　　

“There will be no next time.” Yu Huai warned.

Hua Hengjing breathed a sigh of relief, smiling as he stuck his hand out to pat Yu Huai’s shoulder. “The old freaks from our family aren’t easy to deal with. For the next while, I look forward to a pleasant cooperation.” 

Peach blossoms refer to love and romantic luck. So here a peach blossom debt between Yu Huai and Xu Yinian would refer to their past relationship, that Xu Yinian owes Yu Huai for breaking off their engagement.家主: Head of the clan/house.This follows the previous line of Yu Huai lecturing Xu Yinian for acting like he’s the reincarnation of Buddha. 八字真言 is actually a genuine mantra derived from the Buddha Shenrab, also known as Saṃbhogakāya of the Trikaya. Tried my best to fit eight words in nicely!小郁 Xiao Yu: nickname for Yu Huai. 小 + a character from a name, in this case the ‘Yu’ in ‘Yu Huai’, is commonly used for nicknames!