Chapter Two: Fairy or Demon?

"I must admit, I underestimated you just now," the man in the black robe remarked with some surprise. Still, it didn't matter; his earlier slip had been a moment's carelessness. He would not make the same mistake again. Now, he would unleash all his power.

Yi An's face was torn with indecision. With no way to retreat, his only path to survival was to abandon this hard-won body and let his consciousness escape.

There was no time left to delay!

The black-robed man closed in on him. If Yi An didn't break free now, he would perish along with this body, both body and soul.

At that critical moment, Yi An suddenly felt a flash of white before his eyes, but quickly regained clarity.

"Who is helping me?"

Just now, someone had sent out a divine thought—no feat for a mortal. Though it wasn't directed at him, Yi An's heart was far from calm.

As for the man in black, he fared much worse. It was as if a bolt of thunder exploded in his mind; his eardrums seared with pain, and blood streamed from his eyes. For a long moment, he stood dazed.

Strike while the iron is hot!

Though Yi An's body was frail, facing a tiger that had lost its fangs, he found it easy to subdue his foe.

He seized the black-robed man's throat. The man, a true martial artist, had even trained his neck to a strength far beyond ordinary men.

Sensing his life threatened, the black-robed man regained some consciousness and reflexively tried to resist, but it was too late.

Yi An's hands tightened mercilessly. With a crisp snap, the man's eyes bulged in fury and his heavy body crashed to the ground.

Yi An gasped for breath. That seemingly effortless blow had in fact drained all his strength.

Events unfolded with theatrical irony—a killer, in the next instant, becoming the killed.

"You are young, yet your heart is ruthless," came a clear, melodious voice from behind him.

Yi An was startled, cold sweat breaking out across his body. He spun around to see a young woman standing there, dressed all in white, graceful as a willow. Her eyes were as clear as spring water. She appeared eighteen or nineteen, but her cool and spirited gaze held an enchanting, otherworldly allure that was difficult to resist.

He thought she looked much like the immortal maiden who had pursued the fiend last night, though his memory was hazy. Still, in this remote wilderness, for such an extraordinary woman to appear, she was likely some demonic entity.

Even if not, he dared not let down his guard.

"First, let me thank you for saving my life. I owe you a great debt. If there is anything I can do for you, I am at your service. But I don't believe I was in the wrong."

"This world is governed by the law of the jungle. If I hadn't killed him, he would have killed me."

"I held no grudge against him; he had neither old nor new quarrel with me. Yet he murdered my nurse, who raised me from childhood, then chased me all this way. Tell me, was I wrong to kill him?" Yi An drew a deep breath, steadying himself.

Fighting for one's life is no child's play—here, no one speaks of morality. By any means necessary, the goal is survival. As for appearances or others' opinions, they matter little.

The young woman broke into a cheerful laugh. "You're an interesting one, but such a bloodthirsty temperament is hardly a virtue. You're a frail scholar, yet after killing a man, your face doesn't flush nor your heart race. You're nothing like the timid bookworm I saw before, who turned to stone at the first hint of threat."

"So it really is her!"

Yi An relaxed slightly, and offered a defense: "Earlier, you chased after a demon—surely you are a fairy dedicated to ridding the world of evil. This black-robed man was as wicked as any monster, taking lives at will. Killing him spares countless innocents; it is a virtuous deed, not a sin."

"How do you know I'm a fairy, and not a demon myself?" the young woman asked, her expression softening as she gazed at Yi An.

"Demons aren't so kind, nor would they bother saving a stranger like me," Yi An replied.

"No, you are mistaken. I am a demon," she said suddenly, her face turning cold as frost, her gaze fixed on him as if she might devour him at any moment.

"Miss, the path of cultivation is not easy. Do not doom yourself. If you slaughter the innocent, when the tribulation of the Earthly Immortal comes, it will not go easy on you." Yi An froze for a moment, a chill creeping up his spine.

Yet he forced himself to remain calm. This was no time to show weakness. With demons and ghosts, strength repels, weakness invites attack.

Suddenly, the young woman burst out laughing. "Silly boy! If I truly were a demon, you'd be the first I'd eat. Come here, open your eyes and see for yourself the abundance of vital yang energy in me. Have you ever seen a demon with such energy?"

Yi An hesitated, but stepped closer as she beckoned. Indeed, the aura radiating from her was pure yang—she was alive, undeniably human.

In truth, sensing a person's aura is the best way to distinguish between demons, ghosts, and the living. Demons exude demonic energy; ghosts, the aura of death.

"You are right, you are no demon. Even those with profound cultivation cannot perfectly disguise their aura unless they have passed the Earthly Immortal Tribulation. Only then can a demon shed its nature. But you, Miss, not only possess a strong yang aura, but your cultivation has already reached the Daoist Foundation Establishment stage."

Yi An's heart calmed. At least, she seemed to bear him no ill will.

"Oh? It seems you know quite a bit. How interesting. Most scholars are full of talk about virtue and morality, valuing their own reputation above all else. They could never act with your decisiveness. And, scholars never speak of strange powers or spirits, yet you are so well versed." The young woman now looked at him with a hint of curiosity.

"A person who only reads dead books is a fool. True scholars know to be flexible, to take what's useful, discard the dross, and compensate for their own shortcomings. Even if some knowledge is never used, it does no harm to know more," Yi An explained, though in truth he was no scholar. Still, he had to cover his tracks.

"Well said, well said! To think there are scholars like you in this world. If the old, pedantic curmudgeons found out, you'd be in for trouble," she said, nodding in approval. She then continued, "At first, I only meant to tease you, not to ask for repayment. But now, I do have a task for you. I wonder if you'll agree to help me?"

"Please speak, Miss. If it's within my power, I shall not refuse," Yi An replied, surprised. Though he was grateful for her aid, he was but a frail scholar with no background or strength; what could he possibly help with?

"My request is simple: when the next imperial examination comes, I want you to earn the title of Presented Scholar. Do you have the confidence?"

Yi An was stunned. He had not expected such a request.

Though he possessed the memories and insights of the body's original owner, passing the imperial examination was hardly so easy. The original owner studied diligently for ten years and barely became a licentiate, only to be stopped at the next hurdle. Yi An doubted he would fare any better.