Death Game: Starting as a Trickster, Pretending to Be a God

“You are Zhu Qiansi’s younger sister,” hearing the old man’s words from the medical hall, Yunzhen immediately went on high alert. “Miss Zhu… what exactly is going on here?”

Clearly, he knew that the suspected demonic presence inside this medical hall was none other than Zhu Qiansi.

Lin Yu also turned to look at the old man from the medical hall and said in a low voice, “Father, let me have a few words with this Daoist priest.”

With that, Lin Yu stepped forward, approaching Yunzhen, but with every step he took, Yunzhen took one back.

The two of them advanced and retreated seven paces in total before Lin Yu spoke.

“Daoist priest, I told you, we infiltrated Willow Town… and to do so, we naturally had to give ourselves a layer of identity.”

A cold chill settled over Yunzhen’s face. “So that means the ‘Miss Wan’ is also one, then?”

“That’s correct.”

“To scheme and seize another’s identity, your methods are nearly identical to that demon’s,” Yunzhen said again. “Even if you’re not a demon, you’re certainly no righteous path.”

Lin Yu looked at Yunzhen and gave a slight bow with his hands clasped. “Daoist priest, all I can say is… this wasn’t my choice, and it truly is that demon’s technique—I merely outsmarted it, allowing us to gain these identities as Willow Town residents.”

“You can also tell, Daoist priest, that I only just now learned what my identity was.”

“As for whether I’m righteous or evil, I ask Yunzhen Daoist to judge me by my actions, not by the methods I employ.”

Lin Yu’s tone was sincere and earnest as he spoke.

Yunzhen stared at Lin Yu, pondering silently for a long time before saying, “Then what do you plan to do?”

“Since the other party has set my identity as her younger sister, I’ll go and see for myself,” Lin Yu said calmly. “I want to see what scheme that demon is cooking up.”

Daoist Yunzhen had just been suspecting Lin Yu, but upon hearing this, he immediately grew worried instead.

“Absolutely not! That demon’s cultivation is very deep. There have already been several cases in the Prison Mountain Realm of entire caravans, escort teams, and even villages vanishing without a trace—it’s very likely its doing!”

“You were just advising me not to alert the enemy prematurely…”

As Yunzhen spoke, Lin Yu shook his head. “But that was based on her not knowing about our situation. Now, she’s already extended an invitation—at the very least, I’ve been exposed.”

“Wait here with the others I brought… and after your reinforcements arrive, you can discuss things in detail.”

Yunzhen still had his doubts.

“But…”

“Daoist priest, haven’t you realized that this is a perfect opportunity?” Lin Yu said calmly. “Besides, you yourself said… when subduing demons and exorcising evil, there are always sacrifices.”

“You can give up the lives of a million people, so why can’t you give up the life of just one person—simply because I’m the one talking to you, making me too concrete a person in your eyes?”

Hearing Lin Yu’s counter-question, Yunzhen finally had nothing left to say.

He only fell silent for a long moment before slowly speaking. “I understand. Take care.”

“That demon’s methods are strange and unlike the ordinary demons of the Prison Mountain Realm, but… lay disciple,” Yunzhen changed how he addressed Lin Yu, “you’re not someone from this realm either, are you?”

Lin Yu looked at Yunzhen in astonishment.

“How did the Daoist priest figure that out?”

“I’ve traveled the world for a long time. Even if I haven’t met the outstanding talents and formidable figures of the Two Mountains, Six Hells, I’ve at least heard of them,” Yunzhen said softly. “And besides, your goal is far too clear. While your group’s methods differ significantly, you share an extraordinary, unified tacit understanding… I’ve never met Otherworldly Ones, and it’s been centuries since any appeared in the Two Mountains, Six Hells, but I’ve read many ancient records left by my predecessors… You fit the description of an Otherworldly One.”

“Though I once met a great Fangshi master who was said to be infallible in calculations, and he claimed that after the Calamity of Heaven’s Wrath hundreds of years ago and the Dao Ancestor’s sealing of the Two Mountains, Six Hells, Otherworldly Ones wouldn’t appear again until five hundred years after our generation, I believe that even numerology has its limits and isn’t necessarily accurate—I trust my own instincts more.”

Yunzhen looked at Lin Yu, and then added as if suddenly enlightened.

“Of course, it’s also possible that the Fangshi wasn’t wrong, and you really did come from five hundred years in the future. After all, based on my deductions about this demon, its divine ability should involve manipulating cause and effect, transcending time… and our meeting really is a bit too ‘coincidental,’ so…”

Yunzhen extended his hand, quickly forming a series of hand seals. A wisp of pure energy swirled around his fingertips.

He burst into laughter.

“That’s it—I’m trapped in this ‘past.’ I knew something felt off, like there was a veil over everything… So this is inside that demon’s divine ability!”

Lin Yu watched Yunzhen muttering to himself, deducing the truth step by step with just a hand seal, and was utterly shocked.

This Taiqing Sect Founder was quite a character…

“Lay disciple, what are you here for?”

Yunzhen, however, was quite magnanimous as he looked at Lin Yu and asked.

“Naturally, I’m here for that demon too.”

“I see… It seems I didn’t manage to slay it… I failed?”

“No, that’s not a failure. That demon and Willow Town have been sealed deep underground for three hundred years.”

Yunzhen said, “Oh… So it’s quite powerful then. What kind of demon is it?”

“A spider, a very large one, called the ‘Thousand-Eyed Thousand-Silk Demon Lord.’ It has a innate divine ability called ‘Causality Silk,’ which matches your deductions. We’re currently inside an illusion constructed by the Causality Silk’s power.”

Lin Yu answered again.

Yunzhen nodded. “Indeed, it’s no ordinary creature… It seems I likely fell at its hands?”

“That probably isn’t the case either,” Lin Yu said in a low voice. “I was only able to get here with the help of a Taiqing Sect descendant. That descendant mentioned that the sixth-generation offering of the Taiqing Sect said that after the Taiqing Sect Founder dealt with the demon here, he returned to the sect and even took an infant to raise.”

“That’s also the reason the demon now has an opportunity to break through the seal.”

Yunzhen was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then burst into laughter.

“Hahaha, our sect is so flashy, yet it’s managed to pass down to the sixth generation? That’s no easy feat!”

“But, lay disciple… it seems I really did die here.”

Lin Yu was taken aback. “Why do you say that?”

Yunzhen said magnanimously, “Because I’m not the founder of the Taiqing Sect—that was my master. I was the first-generation chief senior disciple of the Taiqing Sect.”

“The one I sought reinforcements from is my master.”

“And you said my master took an infant… If I were still alive, such a thing would never have happened.”

“My master, that old man, is kind-hearted… though he is resolute enough, he just isn’t ruthless enough—if it were me, and I couldn’t wipe out that demon, I’d split every earthworm in Willow Town in half, and there’s no way I’d let an infant go.”

Yunzhen sighed. “What a pity… it seems I died too early and couldn’t persuade my master.”