From a sunny, cheerful youth to a dark, sinister demon king, Demonic Eye transitioned seamlessly, giving an impression of pure naturalness. It was as though he had always been a man embodying both good and evil.
The muscles of Demonic Eye's sturdy upper body bulged, veins protruding beneath his flesh. His expression turned fierce and ferocious, resembling a god of slaughter straight out of hell.
He struggled to break free from the camphor tree, the entire prison cell trembling with his movements as the canopy rustled and swayed violently.
"You've accumulated this much strength? That's impossible..." Elder Dog was dumbfounded, his cute canine face showing an almost human shock.
Veins crawled across his cheeks. Looking like an eerie, demonic god of war, Heavenly King Demonic Eye curled the left corner of his mouth:
"The strength of an Ancient God of War comes from the mind, from the will! As long as my fighting spirit never dies, my power will never run dry!"
Elder Dog nodded in realization. "So you've been secretly gathering strength all along..."
At this point, a strange look flickered through his black, button-like eyes. "I knew you valued Yuanshi Tianzun, but I never expected him to hold such a high place in your heart."
Over an unconfirmed piece of intelligence, he had grown furious to the point of losing his reason, going so far as to expose the power he had hidden for so long.
The loves and hates of an evil class were different from those of ordinary people. Decades of friendship might mean nothing in their eyes, yet a single glance or a fleeting moment of recognition could make them willing to lay down their lives for you.
Deformed and twisted.
Elder Dog said coolly, "Yuanshi Tianzun isn't dead!"
The trembling cell suddenly calmed down. The canopy ceased to shake. Heavenly King Demonic Eye froze, asking with a bewildered expression:
"Why didn't you say so sooner?"
Elder Dog could not help raising his voice: "You're the one who flew into a frenzy for no reason."
"Oh, then never mind!" The murderous intent and savagery in Demonic Eye's gaze dissipated instantly. The corners of his mouth tilted up, returning to his sunny, cheerful persona. "What happened to him?"
Elder Dog fell silent for a long moment before saying slowly, "He killed a colleague."
A brilliant light flared in Demonic Eye's weary eyes. His head leaned forward instinctively, his gaze burning into Elder Dog as he pressed in a voice tight with suppressed excitement:
"Give me details! Tell me everything!"
Elder Dog frowned, deeply displeased with Demonic Eye's excited demeanor. "A few days ago, he went to the Jinghai Branch on a mission..."
He promptly recounted what had happened at the Jinghai Branch in brief. Finally, Elder Dog sighed:
"He should have made a more rational, proper choice, yet he acted regardless of the consequences and brought about a terrible disaster."
Demonic Eye was struck dumb.
Silence descended upon the cell. After a long while, a low chuckle sounded.
The chuckle gradually grew louder, swelling into laughter, then wild, unrestrained guffaws.
"Hahahahaha!"
Demonic Eye threw his head back and laughed maniacally, beside himself with joy.
This was entirely different from his usual cold, mocking smirk. He laughed with such abandon, so loud and heartily, his booming laughter echoing again and again through the room.
"Have you laughed enough?" Elder Dog raised his head, looking down his nose in annoyance. "Anyone who didn't know better would think you were being crowned emperor today!"
Heavenly King Demonic Eye ignored him and kept laughing at the top of his lungs. Only after quite some time did he stop, reluctant to let it go, and eagerly asked:
"The last time I saw him, I sensed that the hostility in him had grown heavier! What did he say when he killed him? What was his expression? Do you have video? Quick, send it to me! Let me see, hahaha!"
"Enough!"
Seeming provoked, Elder Dog slapped a paw onto the ground.
Vines came alive one after another, coiling tightly around Heavenly King Demonic Eye's mouth to silence him physically.
After a while, once Demonic Eye had calmed down, Elder Dog waved a paw to retract the vines and asked in a deep voice:
"I know Yuanshi. He is resourceful, profound, skilled at weighing pros and cons, and never loses his reason. He is by no means someone paranoid or perverse.
"You cursed him, didn't you?!
"I want to know exactly how you managed it."
Heavenly King Demonic Eye curled his lip. "You've got one thing wrong. I did curse him, but that was just meaningless trash talk. I'm only a Bewitching Demon, not a Witch Doctor."
Elder Dog was stunned.
***
Fujia Bay, basement.
Inside a thirty-square-meter room, Zhang Yuanqing sat by a round table, looking at the refined man wearing gold-rimmed glasses across from him, smiling:
"We meet again, Doctor Sun!"
The middle-aged man was slim and refined, yet without the slightest hint of frailty. Instead, he possessed the unyielding resilience and dignity of bamboo. His white shirt and gold-rimmed glasses merely softened his sharp edge.
This was the very psychiatrist responsible for assessing and evaluating the mental state of Songhai's official walkers during the grand health check.
"I've heard about what happened with you," Doctor Sun sighed. "You should have come to see me sooner."
"My Decurion warned me, but I didn't feel there was anything wrong with me. No mental patient ever thinks they have a problem, right?" Zhang Yuanqing said candidly.
Doctor Sun's eyes brightened. "So that means you admit your mental state is problematic?"
"Not really." Zhang Yuanqing first shook his head, then said, "Even now, I still don't think killing Wei Yuanzhou was wrong. But after cooling down and thinking it over, I was a bit irrational back then. I should have tied him up and brought him back to Songhai.
"If it were the old me, that's probably what I would have done. I can feel that I've changed quite a bit, so my reason tells me that maybe I ought to see a psychiatrist."
"Being able to acknowledge your mistake means there is still room to turn things around." Doctor Sun nodded. As an experienced psychiatrist, he easily grasped Yuanshi Tianzun's meaning.
It was like a person who used to be timid and cowardly suddenly turning bold and fearless; they could clearly sense the difference between their past and present selves.
Yet at this moment, Yuanshi Tianzun did not truly believe there was something wrong with him, because self-perception was highly subjective. A madman never considered himself mad.
Doctor Sun asked, "Then what do you think caused such a pronounced change in you in such a short time?"
Without hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing replied:
"It's Demonic Eye's curse. That bastard once cursed me to become just as mad as him. I didn't care at the time, but without realizing it, I became demonized like him. Frustrating, isn't it?"
Doctor Sun frowned. "But I heard from Elder Fu that Demonic Eye never cursed you at all. A Bewitching Demon truly has no cursing skills."
"I'm not quite sure either. Elder Dog also said I wasn't cursed, but the facts speak for themselves," Zhang Yuanqing said helplessly.
This question was destined to reach no conclusion. Doctor Sun pondered for a few seconds before moving to the second stage of psychological diagnosis. He asked gently:
"Do you think Wei Yuanzhou deserved to die?"
"Shouldn't someone who murdered his own kin die?!" Zhang Yuanqing nodded.
"He certainly deserved to die, but why did you overlook his assassination of a colleague?" Doctor Sun asked.
"Assassinating a colleague is wrong, of course, but that falls under resorting to underhanded means to achieve an end. Which successful person in this world hasn't used dirty tricks? He deserved to die, but that wouldn't make me angry," Zhang Yuanqing said.
*His moral perfectionism has intensified, turning him extreme and paranoid—a heavily diluted version of Heavenly King Demonic Eye.* Doctor Sun made his assessment and continued along this line of questioning:
"Before coming here, I gathered as much information on you as possible. What drew my attention most was the Bronze Sparrow Tower incident. I'd like to ask, what is your current attitude toward the dignitaries involved in that case?"
The question plunged Zhang Yuanqing into a long silence. Doctor Sun waited patiently without pressing, a gentle, amiable smile remaining on his face.
With a long sigh, Zhang Yuanqing said:
"I saw the arrogance of those in power. I was very angry, but I was powerless. I said those words not long ago, and they were my truest feelings. I was dissatisfied with the subsequent punishments for Bronze Sparrow Tower, and I was dissatisfied with the Shakou District Public Security Bureau's refusal to admit fault, but I couldn't change anything.
"Just like most people, all I could do was grumble in my heart."
Doctor Sun pressed immediately, "And now?"
Zhang Yuanqing said slowly, "I would probably still endure it."
*Probably still endure it—meaning he might also take justice into his own hands...* Doctor Sun nodded, expanding the topic to guide him further:
"It's undeniable that oppression exists everywhere in this world, and fairness and justice are relative. An adult with rich life experience and worldly understanding is often hard to brainwash because they have seen too much injustice and darkness to believe in ideals anymore. What do you think?"
Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "Although you're fishing for my thoughts, I agree with what you're saying."
"No, it's not fishing, it's an honest conversation!" Doctor Sun corrected, then listened as Yuanshi Tianzun continued:
"Because human hearts are just like that. There is goodness in human nature, but there is also extreme selfishness and darkness. Once a person gains power, they will inevitably seek benefits for themselves and their families. To do that, they will plunder those without power, and thus exploitation and oppression arise."
Zhang Yuanqing said, "I said I felt powerless because I cannot change human nature."
Having formed an initial grasp of Yuanshi Tianzun's mindset, Doctor Sun decisively moved to the third step: guidance.
He said:
"Indeed, human nature cannot be changed. Then why not try coexisting with it? We can view the darkness in human nature from a more rational, objective perspective.
"What do you think?"
His eyes fixed intently on Yuanshi Tianzun.
Zhang Yuanqing smiled. He looked back at Doctor Sun and said, word by word, "Why the hell should I coexist with it?"
Doctor Sun froze.
***
"Impossible!"
Elder Dog raised his voice. "Although I didn't detect any trace of a curse on him, the effect you wanted has been achieved! Yuanshi truly grew extreme and perverse in a short time. That is an objective fact."
Heavenly King Demonic Eye flashed an eerie smile and said:
"Remember what he said the day he visited me?"
Elder Dog recalled briefly. "He said greed is human nature, that we must face human nature and its dark sides head-on. While punishing evil and promoting good, one must also learn to blend with the world. I admired his words very much. They were rational, and they were right."
Heavenly King Demonic Eye burst into laughter:
"Bullshit! That was pure nonsense! He was bluffing you—no, he was bluffing himself!"
"What do you mean!" Elder Dog's expression hardened.
Heavenly King Demonic Eye countered:
"Do you know why I value Yuanshi Tianzun so much? I barely know him and don't know much about his life. It's true that I admire his courage—never abusing his power for personal gain, never bullying the innocent, and willing to fight villains to the death for justice.
"Yet people like that, rare as they are, can still be found in decent numbers if I search hard enough. But I have never favored anyone like this, nor have I ever regarded a righteous man as a kindred spirit.
"He is the sole exception. Don't you find that strange?"
Elder Dog fell silent. He pondered for a long time, an inkling of a guess forming in his mind:
"You mean..."
Heavenly King Demonic Eye laughed madly:
"Because he is inherently that kind of person! Being slick is just the protective coloration he uses to hide his paranoia; rationality is merely the smoke screen he uses to numb himself and others!
"He is an utterly paranoid madman! There's a beast hiding in his eyes! The very first time I met him, I caught the scent of my own kind on Yuanshi Tianzun, no matter how well he disguised it!
"He is destined to be my companion! Together, we will stride down the path of cleansing the world, ultimately forging a realm free of oppression and tyranny—a world of true fairness and justice!"
Demonic Eye's exhilarating laughter reverberated throughout the room.
***
*Why the hell should I coexist with it...*
Doctor Sun remained dazed for a long while before fixing Zhang Yuanqing with a sharp gaze:
"Do you realize what you're saying? What difference is there between your words and Demonic Eye's?"
*The biggest difference is that I'm rational while he isn't...* Zhang Yuanqing muttered inwardly, saying aloud:
"I know this sounds extreme. Let me give an example, Doctor Sun. If you see a pile of dog feces on the street, and you happen to have both the time and the tools to clean it up, would you choose to clear it away?"
"I would!" Doctor Sun nodded.
"Exactly. When I was just an ordinary person, I only dared complain about injustice in my heart because I knew I was powerless. But now that I have the power to sweep away that filth and grime, why should I still endure it? Why must I coexist with it? Coexistence is merely a compromise born of powerlessness." Zhang Yuanqing laid bare his true inner feelings.
"Your analogy is flawed. A proper analogy would be: if I saw a robbery on the street, I would subdue the robber and deliver him to the Public Security Bureau so the law could punish him," Doctor Sun said. "Rather than chopping off the hand he used to steal. If judicial power falls into the hands of individuals, that is what truly brings injustice to the weak. Yuanshi, if everyone acted like you, where would order be?"
Zhang Yuanqing countered:
"Then have you considered this: you drag that robber to the Public Security Bureau, only for him to turn out to be the bureau chief's brother-in-law? They turn around and let him go, and he continues robbing and terrorizing people outside. Is that fair to the weak?
"If you want to split hairs and say the law will naturally punish the chief and his brother-in-law, my point still stands—what if the head of the inspection team happens to be their brother-in-law too?"
Doctor Sun thought to himself, *I was almost led astray by you.*
Taking a deep breath, he said in as gentle a tone as possible:
"We just established that human nature has an ugly side and must be disciplined. The Five Elements Alliance's investigations and punishments of derelict members have never ceased. Your example is an isolated case, an attempt to shift the premise.
"If everyone acted as you did, the world would fall into chaos."
Zhang Yuanqing fell silent. He did not speak for a long time, seemingly at a loss for words.
Just as Doctor Sun prepared to reshape his perspective further, Zhang Yuanqing lowered his head and asked softly:
"Do you know about Wei Yuanzhou's grandfather?"
"I've heard of him!" Doctor Sun nodded.
"Then who speaks for him? Who gives him justice? You talk about the organization handing down punishments—he raised his grandson for over a decade, but did the organization punish anyone? Did they restore justice to him? Would he have resorted to extremes if he hadn't been driven to a dead end? The ancients said that injustice provokes outcry. When no one restores justice to me, I must cry out myself," Zhang Yuanqing said.
"And cases like his are by no means rare. I don't even know if your 'constant punishment' reaches the majority, leaving only a few through the net, or if it merely targets a tiny minority while far more people who deserve death remain scot-free.
"The number of corrupt, lawbreaking elements punished by the Five Elements Alliance probably isn't even as many as the tyrants Demonic Eye kills in a year. Is it possible that most plunderers and lawbreakers walk free without ever facing retribution? Perhaps they never will in their entire lives.
"If so, on what grounds can you say I am wrong?"
Doctor Sun was rendered speechless for a moment.
Zhang Yuanqing continued:
"I killed Wei Yuanzhou, but I'm not happy about it. Because even though he deserved death, he was also one of the victims. The outcome of this affair is that a poor family's bloodline has been completely severed.
"What caused such an outcome? Was it me?
"Of course, I admit my methods were improper. I was impulsive. I had better ways to handle it, but only because I had the power and the channels to ensure Wei Yuanzhou faced punishment.
"Yet Doctor Sun, how many people have nowhere to turn?"
Silence fell over the room. After a prolonged quiet, Doctor Sun stood up and said:
"I understand your thoughts. I don't think there's any need to continue today's consultation."
He gave a slight nod and walked out of the room.
***
Fujia Bay, study.
Led by a bunny girl, Doctor Sun met Fu Qingyang.
"How was the diagnosis?" Fu Qingyang asked.
Doctor Sun recounted the conversation between them to Fu Qingyang and sighed:
"He has a fierce sense of justice, but he is extreme, paranoid, and prone to acting on impulse. Worse still, his set of principles carries a certain logic and validity, aligning with common sense and human sentiment. That makes it even harder to reverse. How can we possibly overturn something that is fundamentally right?
"Yet if this isn't effectively contained and corrected, he might very well become a second Heavenly King Demonic Eye in the future."
Fu Qingyang's face darkened. Resting his elbows on the desk, he said slowly:
"We still don't know what form Demonic Eye's curse took. Elder Dog has gone to probe him. I will share the results with you shortly, hoping they may provide inspiration for your treatment plan."
Noticing Doctor Sun hesitating to speak, he frowned slightly. "Speak your mind."
Doctor Sun nodded and said:
"Perhaps Demonic Eye never cursed him at all."
Fu Qingyang was taken aback. "What do you mean?!"
Doctor Sun chose his words carefully and said:
"During the grand health check, I once asked about his family background. Yuanshi Tianzun lost his father at a young age, and his mother left him in the care of his maternal grandparents, neglecting him.
"For a child to suddenly live in an unfamiliar environment leaves a profound impact. If he was frequently bullied during his school years..."
Fu Qingyang's expression grew colder and darker, and he cut him off sharply: "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Doctor Sun smiled bitterly:
"Could it be that this is the real Yuanshi Tianzun? Being smooth and skilled at socializing was merely a choice he made to adapt to his environment. The rationality we saw before was the same.
"Being rational, cheerful, and sociable is his surface persona. But in truth, the core of his character is paranoid and unyielding.
"I once wrote in my assessment that he is an idealist... In fact, that was only the tip of the iceberg of his true nature."
At this point, he glanced at Fu Qingyang. Seeing him listening with a dark countenance, he continued:
"After becoming a Spirit Realm walker, his abilities grew stronger and his level higher. His subconscious felt he no longer needed to hide behind a mask, so he gradually began revealing his true nature."
Fu Qingyang said with a hint of anger:
"No, Yuanshi is not that kind of person. If the personality he displayed were entirely a facade, do you think I wouldn't have noticed?"
Doctor Sun replied:
"It is possible. For instance, he might not even be aware of his true personality himself. For example, what we often call... a split personality!"
Chapter 340