I have a composite mirror

Chapter 18: The Secret Records of Demons and Monsters

Gu Shenyan looked around to make sure no one was nearby.

Only then did he walk over and pick up the book, "The Secret Record of Demons and Monsters".

The booklet was very light, and the paper felt rough to the touch, suggesting it was printed in some small, unlicensed workshop.

He turned to the first page.

On the title page, a passage was written in tiny, neat characters:

"Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs."

Chaos is approaching, and demons roam freely.

All people of my kind should strive for self-improvement.

This record contains tales of demons and monsters gathered from the common people; their veracity is difficult to discern, so take them with a grain of salt.

Gu Shenyan continued scrolling down.

The contents recorded inside are varied and diverse.

There are legends of mountain demons, water ghosts, zombies, and fox spirits;

It contains descriptions of cult rituals and blood sacrifices;

There are also cases of demons causing trouble in various places...

Gu Shenyan skimmed through the pages, his gaze suddenly landing on one particular page.

The title of that page was: [On the Origin of Demons]

The following text reads:

There are two types of demons.

Firstly, the original demons.

Such beings are born of heaven and earth, and are created by mountains and rivers. They are the spirits of nature, neither good nor evil.

They kill only to fill their stomachs; they never kill more than necessary, nor do they deliberately torture.

Just like tigers and leopards, they stop hunting when they are full; this is their nature.

Secondly, they have degenerated into demons.

Such beings are the result of human depravity and are the most dangerous.

Humans have seven emotions and six desires, including resentment, hatred, greed, and anger.

When these negative emotions accumulate to their extreme, and given the right opportunity, a person can transform into a demon.

"These kinds of demons retain human wisdom but have lost the restraint of humanity."

They kill not to fill their stomachs, but to vent their resentment.

Therefore, they resorted to cruel methods and stopped at nothing.

Whenever a corrupted demon is born, a catastrophe is sure to follow.

Gu Shenyan felt a chill run down his spine upon seeing this.

Corrupted demons... He remembered the rumors about the water monkeys at the dock.

Is this thing a primordial demon or a corrupted demon?

He was about to continue reading when suddenly...

"You seem quite engrossed in reading; perhaps you've encountered some kind of puzzle?"

A voice came from behind.

The voice was clear and melodious, with a hint of laughter, like a clear mountain spring, tinkling and melodious.

Gu Shenyan was startled.

He quickly closed the book and turned around.

The girl stood beside the bookshelf, backlit, looking like someone who had stepped out of a painting.

She is seventeen years old this year, which is the best age for her.

She wore a lake-blue, modernized cheongsam, well-tailored, neither too revealing nor too revealing, perfectly outlining the girl's graceful figure.

The phrase "beauty that could topple kingdoms" seems too vulgar to describe the girl's appearance.

Her eyebrows were like distant mountains shrouded in mist, her eyes like flowing autumn water, her nose was high and straight, and her lips were like cherries.

Her hair was styled into the most popular "Western-style bun" at the time, adorned with a white jade hairpin, simple yet exquisite.

Standing there, she possessed both the elegance of a well-bred lady and the carefree spirit of a modern female student, the two qualities blending perfectly.

Gu Shenyan was stunned for a moment, then quickly bowed:

"Princess Bai..."

"Don't."

Bai Cailing raised her hand to interrupt him:

"I've told you so many times, just call me senior."

She walked over and sat down at the table, casually picking up the book "New Thoughts" and flipping through it:

"What era are we living in? Why bother with all this empty formalities?"

Gu Shenyan gave a wry smile: "But you are ultimately a member of the White Deer Prince's Mansion..."

"The White Deer Prince's Mansion?"

Bai Cailing chuckled softly:

"Just remnants of the previous dynasty."

If my grandfather hadn't been pragmatic and surrendered to the revolutionary army early on, our family would probably have been wiped out long ago.

She put down the magazine and her gaze fell on the "Secret Records of Demons and Monsters" in Gu Shenyan's hands:

"As for you, what are you doing reading this kind of book? Are you perhaps interested in demons and monsters?"

"Just out of curiosity." Gu Shenyan put the book back on the table.

"There have been a lot of incidents at the dock lately, and I'd like to find out what's going on."

"curious?"

Bai Cailing's eyes held a hint of amusement: "I think you're worried, aren't you?"

She stood up and walked to the window:

"You're worried that the water monkey will threaten the martial arts school and your sister."

Gu Shenyan did not deny it.

"Don't worry."

Bai Cailing turned her back to him and looked out the window:

"Although the water monkey is dangerous, it only causes trouble on the beach."

As long as you don't go near the dock, there's no problem.

"Besides..."

She turned around and looked at Gu Shenyan with a half-smile:

"You've awakened your bloodline now, why would you be afraid of a mere water monkey?"

Gu Shenyan looked at the ferocious demon illustration on the book page and shook his head with a smile:

"My bloodline is so thin that it can be almost ignored."

"We're probably outmatched in dealing with the water monkeys."

"Insufficient strength?"

Bai Cailing walked back to the table and sat down opposite him: "That's not necessarily true."

She rested her chin on her hand, scrutinizing Gu Shenyan with great interest:

"Though your bloodline is rare, you possess something that others lack."

"What?"

"variable."

Bai Cailing slowly uttered two words.

Gu Shenyan's heart skipped a beat.

variable?

Judging from your expression, you don't seem to understand what I'm saying.

Bai Cailing smiled:

"How about we play a game first, the usual way?"

"A game of 'Flying Flowers'?"

"Exactly."

She extended her slender finger and gently tapped the table:

"The word for today will be 'change'."

"Should you go first or me?"

Gu Shenyan nodded modestly, "Senior, please go first."

Bai Cailing didn't refuse: "As the heavens change, so too do the ways; let's use the new fire to brew new tea."

Gu Shenyan realized what was going on.

He was familiar with this line of poetry; it came from a poem by a Song Dynasty poet.

The original first stanza was "Do not think of your homeland when you are with your old friends," but Bai Cailing changed it to "When the heavens change, so does the way."

Combined with her earlier self-deprecating remark about being a "remnant of the previous dynasty," the underlying meaning is quite intriguing.

He pondered for a moment: "When things reach an impasse, they must change; change leads to progress; progress leads to longevity."

"The Book of Changes?"

A look of admiration flashed in Bai Cailing's eyes:

"Very well, then I'll say something like this: 'Time changes, stars shift, autumns come and go, reform and strengthening depend on human planning.'"

Gu Shenyan had never heard of this poem before, so he figured she must have made it up on her own.

He pondered for a moment: "Life is like a game of chess, constantly evolving; those who adapt survive while those who don't persevere."

The two exchanged blows for seven or eight rounds.

In the end, Bai Cailing took the initiative to stop:

"That's enough, continuing to fight won't determine a winner."

She dropped her joking expression and said seriously:

"Let's get down to business."

"First of all, congratulations on successfully activating your bloodline."

Gu Shenyan bowed:

"Thank you for your guidance earlier, senior. If you hadn't reminded me, I wouldn't have thought of searching for that spirit fish."

"Guides?"

Bai Cailing shook her head:

"I was just saying it; the one who can truly seize the opportunity is yourself."

"Besides, do you really think it was just a coincidence that I 'unintentionally' mentioned the spirit fish before?"

Gu Shenyan's heart skipped a beat: "What does Senior Sister mean...?"

"I used the aura observation technique to see the aura emanating from you."

Bai Cailing's voice became serious:

Do you know what "observing the qi" means?

Gu Shenyan shook his head: "This student does not know."

"The art of observing qi is one of the oldest and most secretive traditions of Eastern Taoism."

Bai Cailing seemed to be telling a long-ago legend:

"Legend has it that in ancient times, there was a sage who could observe celestial phenomena, examine the earth's veins, and understand people's hearts."

One glance reveals the rise and fall of dynasties, one glance reveals the fortunes and misfortunes of individuals.

"Later generations of Taoist sects inherited this technique, which evolved into the 'Qi Observation Technique'."

She reached out her hand, her fingers loosely clenched, as if grasping at something unseen:

"All things in heaven and earth possess energy. Mountains have mountain energy, water has water energy, and people have human energy."

"Through special methods, practitioners are able to 'see' the flow and changes of these energies."

"The mountain air is like dragons and snakes coiled up, the water air is like clouds and mist swirling around, and the human air is even more mixed—some are clear and some are turbid, some are righteous and some are evil, some are prosperous and some are declining."

Gu Shenyan listened intently.

It seems my younger sister was born with these skills.

Judging from Bai Cailing's words, this was actually a secret inheritance of the Taoist sect?