Chapter 86: Flexibility and Nonexistent Moral Standards

“Hmph…”

Although I let out a frustrated snort as if I were very human-like, when Ya Zi turned back, he ultimately did not strike out with his deadly claws. Instead, he temporarily swept his long tail, which lacked a sharp blade, to knock down the terrified demons fleeing or retaliating recklessly one by one.

From Miss Vilyric rescuing Little Mole herself to the Ground Mouse Gang members either being subdued, knocked out, or killed, all fighting spirit was lost. The duration of this battle hadn’t even exceeded the time it took for a matchstick to burn out.

For true strong ones, having the advantage in numbers means nothing.

After resolving all enemies, Ya Zi did not stop there but flew out of the inner hall of the spirit shrine. Shortly after, he brought back a certain mouse demon, who was trembling in fear and pale-faced.

Who else could it be but Elder Tian Er, who was trying to escape while his subordinates stalled for time?

“Bah.”

Spitting the mouse demon, who was soaked from drool, onto the ground, a certain golden retriever, who could both fight and be cute, returned to Miss Vilyric’s side, lazily lying down as if he had merely taken a stroll.

While Bai’er and Murong Yun accompanied the still frightened Little Mole to check and deal with the remaining members of the Ground Mouse Gang, Miss Priestess and Ling Feng approached Elder Tian Er with smiles.

“So, how about it? Didn’t I tell you not to think about escaping?”

“You… you you you you you all… who exactly are you? Do you know who you are opposing? You are looking for death, looking for death! No one can come out unharmed after offending them!”

Seeing Elder Tian Er so frightened yet still trying to act tough and threaten us, Ling Feng’s expression darkened, exuding an aura of terrifying authority.

“What nonsense! Just a mere Demon-Suppressing Sect dares to be so arrogant in this sacred place? Do you think they are from Lingyin Fairy Island or the Twelve Holy Peaks?”

“A bunch of sneaky thieves! If they truly had that ability, why wouldn’t they dare to openly establish their sect and set up camp, instead of sneaking around in the dark? What a ridiculous joke!”

“Fool! What do you know? It’s because they cannot be found that they are even scarier! No one can locate them, but they can approach you anytime and take your life!”

As if greatly frightened by Ling Feng’s brief display of authority, Elder Tian Er’s entire body trembled uncontrollably, yet he still didn’t show any sign of backing down verbally.

“Don’t think that just because you have some strength you can challenge those people. Even if you don’t care and dare to fight them to the death, you still have family, spirit beasts, friends you care about, right? Can you guarantee they all have the ability to escape their grasp?”

Scoffing, Vilyric interrupted the mouse demon, who was now branded with indelible fear and had unconditionally submitted to evil forces, and said indifferently.

“What you fear doesn’t mean others will fear it too. My friends and family need not worry about your concerns… Now tell me, where are the people from the Demon-Suppressing Sect? What are their plans? Where’s your boss, the Digger King?”

The mouse demon trembled all over, quickly lowering its head.

“I… I can’t say. If I say, I will die a horrible death! They left a mark on me; they can find and kill me at any time.”

“If you don’t talk, you will die right now in a horrible way, and that Elder Tian San is your brother, right? As a demon with some cultivation, you should be able to feel that he is still alive. But if you don’t cooperate, hehehe…”

Elder Tian Er suddenly lifted his head, glaring angrily at the black-haired girl who had made the threat.

“Is this your way of upholding justice?”

Miss Priestess shook her head in exasperation.

“Hey, when did I say I was a justice warrior? It’s been 1000 years since the Four Holy Era; is this still a trend? Only the bad guys can do whatever they want, while everyone else has to be law-abiding, right?”

“Let me be frank with you; I have plenty of tough methods to make you talk. It’s just that seeing you still worry about your brother, I chose to give you a chance out of a slight shred of conscience. I hope you appreciate it.”

“You… you woman…”

Unable to handle soft or hard tactics, the mouse demon, realizing that this black-haired girl was as indifferent as when she lit the match earlier, took a deep breath, hesitated for a long time, and could only sigh gloomily.

“Fine, fine… I’ll just admit defeat. Since I’m dead anyway, who wouldn’t want to trip up those bastards who enslave demons?”

“However, actually, the valuable information I have isn’t much. Only the Digger King truly participated in the core of the events; we were simply valuable laborers.”

“No problem; say as much as you know. If you perform well, I can guarantee you won’t be harmed.”

Not fully believing in the black-haired girl’s words, Elder Tian Er helplessly sighed again and spoke in a deep voice.

“This matter goes back a few months.”

“A few months ago, on a certain day, boss Digger King suddenly gathered a few core members of the gang, saying he wanted to introduce us to someone…”

…

“That’s how it is. What our Ground Mouse Gang needs to do is fundamentally just this. Everything else is basically trivial.”

“You’re saying… you dug a tunnel on Peach Blossom Peak?”

Exchanging startled glances with Ling Feng, Vilyric continued to ask.

“How long is the tunnel, and where does it lead?”

Elder Tian Er shook his head.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know at all. We were only responsible for choosing and assisting the people from the Demon-Suppressing Sect in controlling those brothers who were digging the tunnel. After that, aside from Digger King, they never came back. This kind of thing… is something we wouldn’t dare to ask about.”

“Digging a tunnel on Peach Blossom Peak…”

Glancing at the statue of the “Nine-Patterned Earth Spirit Sage” standing tall in the center of the shrine, Vilyric pondered without speaking immediately. Ling Feng quickly continued the previous question.

“Then, what was the identity of the person from the Demon-Suppressing Sect who came to your nest? And where is he now?”

Upon hearing this person, Elder Tian Er immediately wore a bitter expression.

“Actually, this little demon isn’t sure if he came from the Demon-Suppressing Sect. At first, Digger King just brought that person over, forced us to brand ourselves with a mark, and cooperated fully with his actions.”

“We had no idea of his name, age, or origin; but that person was very strange. His hair and eyebrows were pale like an almost dead old man, yet his face and exposed skin were so rosy, it was hard to believe he was normal—simply a monster.”

“As for his regular title, we generally called him the ‘Pharmacist.’ That was the name he gave himself.”

“You said… ‘Pharmacist’?”

Hearing the unusual tone in Ling Feng’s voice, Vilyric turned to look at her, who had just finished pondering.

“What’s wrong? Do you know this guy?”

The girl nodded without hesitation, then grew serious, whispering in a volume only they could hear.

“The ‘Pharmacist’ is one of the Seven Day Demon Lords, one of the most bizarre, terrifying, and mysterious existences; one could say he’s the hardest to deal with demon lord.”

“This person’s origins are a mystery; he has been active for at least several hundred years. Among the Seven Day Demon Lords, he has appeared publicly the least, almost always operating behind the scenes and rarely engaging in battle directly, but his influence and the disasters he causes are the most severe and difficult to manage among those monsters.”

“Even the ‘Fleeting Void’ who is exceptionally elusive poses only a minor threat to a few high-ranking targets and remains within controllable and preventive ranges. But ‘Pharmacist’ is different; he is not interested in killing but is instead keen on researching all kinds of unheard-of drugs.”

“Medicinal drugs that save lives, deadly drugs, drugs that bring joy, drugs that bring pain, drugs that drive people mad—if he can think of it and do it, the ‘Pharmacist’ will try it.”

“However, the ‘Pharmacist’ does not possess the moral values of a normal person or the ethics of a healer. His drug research cannot escape the subjects; wherever he goes, he will use the local common folk as subjects to experiment with the new drugs he has just developed, without any regard to the potential consequences.”

“And once he verifies the effects and changes of the drugs, he will quickly leave the area, disappearing without a trace, leaving behind innocent people who fall into various tragic situations due to strange drugs. At best, it causes a riot; at worst, terrifying plagues spread, causing countless deaths.”

“The most outrageous thing is that the ‘Pharmacist’ once admitted he has the ability to solve these problems, he just doesn’t want to and thinks there’s no need. He never actively harms lives, yet he has never regarded life as life.”

“He is arguably the worst, most unscrupulous, and terrifying… evil doctor in the world.”

   

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