Fates Parallel Chapter 417 - Temptation (Patreon)

Eui finished rounding up the last of the demonic stragglers, confining them to the private rooms of the former medical center—now a makeshift prison. It hadn’t been too difficult—most of the truly mindless demons had simply fled, and those who remained had at least enough of a sense of self that they could be reasoned with. Between Eui and Yang Qiu, they were easily cowed, at least until their hunger inevitably overtook them.

“Yang Qiu, how much time do you think we have before they start causing trouble?”

The bound demon grimaced.

“No idea. Demons don’t tend to work well in groups. Sovereign Longyan never seemed to care one way or the other, and Yu Meiren practically encouraged the infighting. If someone was weaker, they were prey, if they were stronger, then you’d better hope you’re more useful as a minion than as food.”

“That doesn’t exactly sound sustainable...”

“It wasn’t—that’s why they were constantly bringing in new blood. These demons are going to have to eat eventually, and when they do you’re going to lose any semblance of control over them. Same goes for me, by the way.”

Eui looked askance at her.

“I thought the whole point of letting us bind you with your core was so that you wouldn’t have to struggle with that.”

“Yeah, but if my only options are to play nice and starve to death or eat one last soul before you kill me, I’ll take the more enjoyable death.”

“You know, I had a demon core for years and never once felt as though I was going to die from a lack of souls. I had...moments, for sure. Temptations, mood swings—I was a lot angrier than normal, and I’m already pretty short-tempered—but I always resisted crossing that line.”

Yang Qiu frowned.

“That doesn’t make sense—also what do you mean ‘had’?”

“My core merged with Jia’s when we ascended. Now it’s—well, I’m not sure what it is. Before then, our cores sort of balanced each other out. Maybe that’s why I was able to resist its influence for so long.”

“Wait, so she had like, what—some kind of anti-demon core?”

Eui chuckled.

“You should meet Lady Tennin, some time. That would be a hilarious conversation to witness.”

“Okay, well I have no idea who that is, but in lieu of a lover insane enough to form an opposite core and attach their soul to mine, I’m going to need to satisfy my hunger the old fashioned way—and so are all of these prisoners of yours.”

Eui leaned against the wall of the pavilion and tapped her finger thoughtfully on the hilt of her sword, then paused.

“Wait—Jianmo, you were stuck in a cave for ten thousand years—how did you survive that whole time?”

The blade vibrated with amusement.

“Hah! I was wondering when you’d finally get around to asking. I’m probably the foremost expert on demons in the entire world right now.”

“You didn’t know what a tennin even was until we met one, and I’m pretty sure the guy people literally call the Demon Lord might be more of an expert.”

“Pssh, details, details!”

Eui frowned, another thought blooming in her mind.

“Actually, come to think of it, are you even a demon anymore? You split off from your core, but still remained yourself. Is it possible to cure demonism?”

“Hmm, I’d personally reject the idea that it’s a curse or affliction that needs curing, but the simple answer is that it depends on the demon. You and I—and your new pet there—have kept our senses of self mostly separate from our cores, but that’s not the case for most beings.”

“Shen Yu mentioned something about that, I think. He implied that for demons, fiends, and elementals, the cores are the self.”

Jianmo laughed.

“I don’t hate how predictable that stodgy old man is. That’s the orthodox view—and thus automatically Shen Yu’s, the bore. However, the truth is more complicated. There’s always some level of integration, though—I definitely lost a part of myself when I separated from my core. And I don’t just mean power.”

“You seem the same to me.”

“Well pardon me if our brief time together hasn’t been enough to impart all the subtle nuances of Jianmo onto my cute little disciples.”

Yang Qiu rolled her eyes.

“Okay talking sword, if you’re so smart then how am I supposed to go without any souls to fuel my core?”

“That’s easy—just eat beast cores instead. Elementals work too. Human souls and spirits are the most tasty and nourishing, but if all you need to do is satisfy your hunger, cores will do. Now, if you want to overcome that hunger entirely—well, that’s a lesson I thought I’d have to teach Eui eventually, but she found her own path. I suppose I didn’t hate having disciples, though—so you’re in luck.”

“You want me to become your disciple?”

Jianmo chuckled.

“No, but I’m willing to be your master.”

“You’re a sword.”

“And you’re an ungrateful brat, what of it?”

She shook her head incredulously.

“What the hell is my life? Whatever—apparently you taught Yoshika, and she’s a monster. If that’s what you’re offering I’ll take it, assuming my masters allow it.”

Eui rolled her eyes.

“Sure, whatever helps. So we can just feed the demons with beast cores?”

Jianmo gave her the mental equivalent of a nod.

“For a while, at least. Some of them won’t be satisfied with that forever, though. The brat is right—you really ought to just kill them.”

“I’ll think about it. If there’s really no way to save them, then so be it, but I owe it to them to try.”

“Do you? Why?”

Eui frowned, idly tracing the brand on her forehead with her fingers. It would be trivial to remove it now, but she kept it there as a reminder of her vow to bring restitution to the victims of her past—those that still lived.

“To balance the scales...”

—-

While Eui, Jia, and Kaede dealt with diplomats and demons, Meili spent over an hour explaining everything that had happened to her family. Their reactions were mixed. Jung listened patiently, occasionally asking clarifying questions but otherwise letting Meili speak freely. Narae was starry-eyed the entire time, especially around the parts about her battles and the trials in Chou’s tomb. Jiaying, for her part, just sat silently, taking her time to process it all.

When she finally got to the end, they all sat in quiet silence for a moment before Jiaying spoke up nervously.

“So...what happens now? Are we staying here, then?”

Meili nodded.

“Only if you want to. I’ll be the first to admit that this is risky. Our shield is strong, but being at odds with all three great nations puts us in a vulnerable position. I don’t want to drag anyone into that against their will. If you want, I can arrange for you to return home—or to stay at the Flowing Purewater Sect. You too, big sis.”

Jiaying shook her head.

“Don’t even joke about that! I only liked staying at the sect because you were there with me. I wanted adventure, remember? The life of an itinerant rogue cultivator exploring the countryside. Your world-shattering quest for the Sovereign’s Tear was a bit more than I could swallow, but founding your own nation? I mean, that’s still huge, but I want to be here to see it.”

Meili hugged her with one arm from the side.

“Thank you. And I’m sorry for dragging you into all of this.”

She chuckled and shook her head.

“It’s fine—better than watering ginseng for the rest of my life.”

Meili turned to Jung and Narae, biting her lip nervously.

“And you?”

Jung smiled.

“Do you even need to ask? Of course we’ll stay, sweetheart. You’re always surpassing even my most idealistic expectations—I look forward to living in the land you create.”

Narae grinned up at her mischievously.

“If you’re the queen now, does that make me a princess?”

Meili laughed, then shrugged.

“I’m not a queen, Narae, but I suppose you’re as much of a princess as Kaede is.”

She jumped up and pumped her fist.

“Yes! I can’t wait to tell Haeun! We’re both princesses now!”

They all giggled at her antics, but then Jung returned her attention to Meili.

“Have you given any thought to bringing people in?”

Meili sighed.

“A bit, but it’s not going to be easy. We might get some Goryeon immigrants who see us as just another shield city, but Qin and Yamato are a lot more nationalistic. Plus, what little territory we have is totally empty, so it’s not like there’s much incentive.”

“What about the academy?”

“Sure, we’ve got one town, but it’s not really that big. We’re going to have to build more.”

Jung shook her head.

“No, not the walls and buildings—the academy. It brought people together from all over the continent once, didn’t it?”

Meili pursed her lips.

“It did, but that took some really powerful people pulling strings from behind the scenes. I’m not sure we’re going to have the same appeal a second time.”

“Why not? Its most notable graduates reached the xiantian stage in only a few years, and are more than happy to pass down what they’ve learned—for a price.”

Jiaying’s eyebrows rose.

“That’s surprisingly mercenary, coming from you.”

Jung smiled sadly.

“For better or worse, I lived in a world where everyone knew their own value, and how to evaluate that of others. Yoshika isn’t just valuable—she’s invaluable. Mortals and immortals alike will be tripping over themselves to pay for even a glimpse of the secrets that led you to such swift success.”

Meili frowned, casting an uneasy glance at Jiaying.

“I don’t know...that sounds a lot like the exploitative debt system that Qin’s sects use. I’m not sure if I’m comfortable with the idea of starting the academy back up, much less charging people for it. Trying to extract value out of people is a scary road to go down.”

“Oh, don’t be silly, dear. Of course you won’t charge tuition for citizens. Let the people of Jiaguo get their education for free, while the foreigners pay a premium. This way you kill two birds with one stone—you make yourself an indispensable asset to the powers that be, and you tempt powerful allies to your side with sweet samples of the benefits they could enjoy without limit if they were to join you.”

Jiaying stared at Jung in awe, her jaw hanging open.

“Meili, your sister is kinda scary when she wants to be.”

Jung covered her mouth and giggled.

“It’s nothing special—give people a taste of what they want, then tantalize them with more until they are eating from your palm. Anyone in my world knows that much.”

Narae raised her hand.

“I didn’t!”

Jung ruffled her hair, smiling.

“And thank the ancestors for that. No—thank you, Jia. I’m not ashamed of my work, but I’m grateful that Narae will never have to follow in my footsteps.”

Meili bowed.

“Of course, Jung. I’m just sorry I couldn’t be there for you sooner.”

“Nonsense—we’ve already had that conversation. You don’t owe us a thing, sweetie.”

“Maybe not, but we’re family. I’ll always look out for you.”

Jung beamed happily at her.

“I know, dear, and I’ll never stop being grateful. Now—speaking of temptations, did I see Yumi out there?”

Meili buried her face in her palms, blushing.

“Oh my ancestors, sis! This isn’t the time!”

“Tsk, of course it is. Who knows when we’ll have another chance? I need to make sure she remembers what she’s missing.”

Meili shook her head in disbelief. Jiaying was right—Jung really could be terrifying sometimes.