SOL Chapter 19

A Bond for Life

Li Shan originally thought that Tian Chang would definitely come looking for trouble again, but he didn’t know if it was because of Li Huai Su or some other reason, but Tian Chang had been unusually quiet for some days.

He noticed Tian Chang’s arrival while drinking medicine on the couch.

Li Shan’s physical body was mortal, and he still needed human medicinal recipes to recover his health faster. The medicinal vapor in front of him was bitter, but he finished it in one gulp without any expression. Tian Chang stood outside the window, separated by a layer of hazy silk, but never came into the room.

Li Shan placed the medicine bowl on the table. The witch doctor, who was standing by, saw the Demon Lord and immediately retreated with the bowl. He raised his eyes, suspecting that Tian Chang was acting out a story from a human drama. After a few seconds of silence, he said, “Since you’re here, come in and talk.”

This time, Tian Chang came through the main entrance. Li Shan immediately saw the obvious red mark on his face. The injury had probably healed, but the scar hadn’t faded, making it look a bit unsightly, like broken porcelain or jade, repaired with red lacquer during the rush to fix it, before gold powder could be sprinkled on.

Seeing Li Shan’s gaze on his face, Tian Chang raised his folding fan and covered half of his face with his hand, staring at Li Shan with a heavy resentment as he said, “Your good daughter, she really bites hard.”

Li Shan saw his concealing gesture and a strange thought floated into his mind – Tian Chang hadn’t come to make trouble because his face was disfigured.

The thought was fleeting, and Li Shan himself found it ridiculous and amusing. He replied in a calm tone, “You didn’t hold back either.”

Tian Chang unceremoniously sat down on the other side of the soft couch, saying nonchalantly, “The Great Brahma Demon Clan has always treated its descendants like this: if they can live, they live; if they can’t, they die.”

Li Shan couldn’t help but support his forehead and turn his face away.

Seeing this, Tian Chang immediately said, “I’m not here to argue with you. I’m here to sincerely apologize to you.”

Li Shan turned back, looking puzzled. “Victory and defeat are common, life and death are destined. I almost killed you, what are you apologizing for?”

Tian Chang said earnestly, “I asked Li Huai Su and learned that your sudden attack that day was probably because I mentioned the Yangzhou affair. Don’t worry, on this trip to Yangzhou, I will definitely restrain my subordinates’ actions.”

Li Shan looked at him, saying each word slowly, “Why do you need to guarantee this to me? I can’t stop you, and you may not keep your word.”

Tian Chang immediately became annoyed. “Of course, I want to live with you for a long time, that’s why I’m here to tell you some heartfelt words. If you don’t believe me, you can make a vow as proof.”

Li Shan was silent for a few seconds before saying, “Then what are your conditions?”

Tian Chang had obviously prepared his answer long ago, and immediately said, “You can’t go back to the Immortal Sect. You must stay by my side forever.”

Li Shan almost laughed in his heart. “Where do you think I can go back to?”

“I don’t care, that’s my condition.” After saying that, Tian Chang went even further, “Since you don’t care, then I’ll add another one: you can’t control that little monster to attack me anymore.”

Li Shan said, “Okay, but you have to grant me three requests.”

Tian Chang raised his eyebrows slightly. “Tell me.”

Li Shan said slowly, “I know that you and the Immortal Sect will inevitably have a war. My first request is that if the Demon World and the Immortal Sect fight each other someday, please, Demon Lord, do not indiscriminately kill.”

After hearing this, Tian Chang actually smiled. “I thought you were going to stop me from killing, or something like ‘don’t kill the people of Cui Wei Sword Pavilion.'”

Li Shan sighed. “Thousands of years ago, the demons slaughtered cultivators, and the Sword Ancestor killed the Demon Ancestor. The two races have deep-seated grievances. Since it’s a blood feud, fighting and death are inevitable.”

Tian Chang said slowly, “The battle between the Demon World and the Immortal Sect is only for victory. If killing ten people can win, why would I waste my energy to kill hundreds or thousands? That’s Li Huai Su’s behavior, I can’t learn it.”

Li Shan knew that he meant to agree, so he continued, “My second request is to protect the human world, not just Yangzhou City. Please, Demon Lord, do not harm the people of the human world.”

Upon hearing this, Tian Chang was silent for a few seconds, sitting up a bit straighter. “You’ve killed Garuda, so you should know that a large part of the demons are like him, uncultivated, without wisdom or humanity.”

Li Shan couldn’t help but frown. Since returning to the Transformation Joy Heaven, he hadn’t seen a smile.

Tian Chang had heard a lot about his time in Peach Blossom Village from Shi En, how Li Shan had acted coquettishly and obsequiously around Li Huai Su. Why did he look so bitter and resentful when he came to Transformation Joy Heaven?

Tian Chang immediately smiled and continued, “It’s difficult to control them, but since I’m the Demon Lord, I can try my best to manage them. When the Demon Race unifies the world, we can’t always be like savage beasts.”

Li Shan was too lazy to listen to Tian Chang’s grand plans. Anyway, he couldn’t stop him. He said sincerely, “Thank you.”

Tian Chang shook his fan and smiled. “Since I came of age, I’ve often transformed and appeared in the human world. I’m very interested in its customs and culture. If it declines and collapses, where will I find the stories of talented scholars and beautiful women, the calligraphy, paintings, and poetry? Of course, I hope the human race can prosper and endure. Why thank me?”

He added, “Why do you always negotiate with me on matters of the common people? I also know my limits. You can talk about your own affairs. I can’t pluck the sun and moon from the sky, but I can probably do anything else for you.”

Li Shan heard the eagerness in his words, but he didn’t want to accept his favor. He quietly said, “My last request is that the Demon Lord give the child a name.”

Tian Chang was originally leisurely shaking his fan, but he was obviously stunned when he heard Li Shan’s words. He didn’t expect Li Shan’s last request to be this.

Tian Chang stammered before asking, “Give which child a name? Give your and Li Huai Su’s son a name?”

Li Shan thought Tian Chang’s question was a bit stupid. There were only two children in Transformation Joy Heaven now. He hesitated before saying, “If you insist, you can ask his opinion.”

If he dared to ask, Li Huai Su would probably kick him out.

Seeing Li Shan’s reaction, Tian Chang knew he had said something ridiculous. Li Shan actually wanted him to name that little monster. He rarely showed a bit of helplessness. “…There’s no need for that, right?”

Li Shan looked at him with some dissatisfaction. “You can’t always call her little thing, little monster, can you?”

Seeing the dissatisfaction on Li Shan’s face, Tian Chang knew that he had misunderstood him. He waved his hands repeatedly, explaining, “I don’t mean to dislike her. Demons don’t need names. Most of the names you hear are given by you humans – becoming strong enough to be remembered by humans, and naturally you will have a name. As for those who are weak, they will naturally be lost in time.”

He added, “For example, Garuda. His face is covered with feathers, his mouth is a beak, and he has six wings on his back, shaped like a strange bird. And he and Shi En are brothers, so people borrowed the Buddhist allusion.”

Li Shan heard this for the first time. He asked hesitantly, “Then Shi En?”

Seeing that Li Shan was interested in hearing these stories, Tian Chang was happy to tell him. “He walks in the human world, and often uses the name of the Pure World Lotus Sect. Wherever he goes, the people receive his grace. This is ‘Shi En’. But it’s all his trick to fool people. How can mortals distinguish between true and false Buddhas? They only see him as a merciful and helpful monk.”

Li Shan was silent for a few seconds before saying, “Judging by deeds, not intentions, if Shi En saves lives, then that is kindness.”

Tian Chang looked at him with a mixture of understanding and confusion. “So that’s what you think.” No wonder he was glaring at him, but he had a good face for Shi En.

Li Shan asked again, “Then what about you? Why do you have your name?”

Hearing this, Tian Chang couldn’t help but laugh. “Me? Because I’ve lived long enough.”

Li Shan was obviously stunned when he heard this. Tian Chang continued, “It’s such a boring reason, but from ancient times to the present, haven’t humans always been pursuing the method of immortality? Seeing that I’ve lived long, they worship me as the eternal sun. So why bother giving that little monster a name? One day when she is strong enough, she will naturally have a name that belongs only to her.”

Li Shan sighed. “A name is the first thing parents give to their children, entrusting their hopes for the child’s future. You should give her a name. My mother gave me the name Li Shan before she died, hoping that I would be a kind person.”

Tian Chang had naturally learned to be smart, knowing that on these unimportant little things, he should just follow Li Shan’s wishes. He smiled and asked, “Okay, what’s the name of your and Li Huai Su’s child? Can you let me refer to it?”

Li Shan said, “He’s called Li Heng.”

Tian Chang asked, “Like the constancy of the sun, like the constancy of the moon?”

Li Shan said, “Wearing wild ginger and carrying Chinese thoroughwort.”

Tian Chang couldn’t help but joke, “Li Huai Su is really bookish.”

Even as he said this, Tian Chang seriously considered a name for the daughter. There were paper and pens on the table, and he casually drew on the paper.

But when he really started to choose, Tian Chang was entangled – this character was inappropriate, that character was not good, and the words that were both appropriate and good felt too neat and monotonous, always feeling something was missing, overshadowed by the character Heng.

Racking his brains, he chose a few but was always dissatisfied. Tian Chang folded the paper and threw it away, saying to Li Shan, “You should give her a name. I’m not talented enough, it wouldn’t be good if I gave her a bad name.”

But Li Shan still insisted, “I’m discussing it with you, otherwise why would I specifically tell you?”

Looking at him like this, Tian Chang inexplicably felt a bit amused, as if it were really an ordinary human couple naming their child.

Even though this child had just torn off half of his face not long ago, and he had beaten this child half to death, Tian Chang still felt some kind of family connection.

Tian Chang held the pen, propping it against his face, “What’s your favorite… flower?”

Hearing this, Li Shan was a bitConfused. “What flower?”

Tian Chang said, “For example, fragrant grass, or ginger lily, you always have a favorite, right?”

Li Shan really didn’t care much about these external things. Flowers, plants, and trees were all good as long as they were beautiful and full of life.

But because they were talking about the little monster, the first thing Li Shan thought of was the peach blossom she had given him that day. After a few seconds of silence, he said, “Peach blossom.”

Tian Chang gently turned the pen, “The peach tree is young and tender, its leaves are luxuriant, how about calling her ‘Zhen’? The meaning is good, and it also contrasts with Li Heng’s Heng. Brothers and sisters in the mortal world also have some connection in their names, right?”

Hearing this, Li Shan suddenly became quiet, just humming softly. Seeing him like this, Tian Chang knew that Li Shan also thought this name was good.

Tian Chang had seen Li Heng. Li Huai Su’s body had entered demonic cultivation, and Li Shan also had a mortal body. Although the child they left behind inherited power, her appearance was no different from an ordinary infant. Both of her parents were beautiful, and this little thing was also exquisite and charming, very pleasing, at least in the eyes of ordinary people.

Zhen, however, came from Tian Chang’s lineage, the true form of the Great Brahma Demon Clan, which was a very ugly and terrifying monster to humans. She hadn’t learned to transform and disguise herself yet, and couldn’t learn from her father to put on a beautiful painted skin to coax people, she could only crawl around dripping with blood and flesh, scaring people.

At this time, Tian Chang actually liked Li Shan’s soft and kind fault. Even towards such a little monster, Li Shan actually treated her equally, without favoring anyone.

Seeing that Tian Chang was in a good mood, Li Shan suddenly stretched out his palm and held it in front of him.

He stared at Tian Chang and said, “A high-five as a pledge.”

He still couldn’t completely believe Tian Chang’s sweet talk, so he could only use the weakest oath of mankind to restrain him.

Seeing his serious look, Tian Chang had a somewhat ambiguous smile on his face, but he also followed suit, raising his hand and giving him three high-fives, his tone teasing, “Your words are respectfully accepted.”

Li Shan was about to withdraw his hand when Tian Chang’s fingertips suddenly exerted force, holding his hand firmly. Li Shan couldn’t help but frown and look at him, suspecting that he had changed his mind, glaring at him, “You…”

But Tian Chang just smiled at him slightly, “Actually, you don’t have to worry about me breaking my promise. Demons who make vows can never betray them for life. Once anyone betrays the vow, they will suffer the pain of burning their hearts with fire every day, and even killing the other party cannot get rid of it.”

Li Shan didn’t expect the demons’ vows to have such great power, and was speechless for a while, but he heard Tian Chang continue, “You, in this life, in this world, forever and ever, don’t even think about leaving.

Hearing his almost curse-like words, Li Shan’s eyelashes trembled slightly. After a few seconds of silence, he said, “Okay.”