Capturing My Demon King Costar

MY COSTAR ISN'T THE ONLY VICTIM OF THE PAST

Yao Shen is almost as shocked at Gao Wu by Tan Liansi's words.

The two of them remain rooted to the spot as she walks across the room only to come to a stop in front of the painting of Gao Wu's ancestor teacher.

She raises her hand towards the face of the stoic Master and then lets it drop with an anguished sigh.

"So this is what became of you, Shuang-er," she says, her voice no louder than a whisper.

Yao Shen immediately understands what's happening. He points at the painting. "She was Mei Shuang? Yan Shuyi's first disciple?"

Gao Wu's frown deepens, he raises the horsetail whisk horizontally in front of his chest. "So you're one of them too. I should have known."

He doesn't wait for an explanation before whipping up a cyclonic wind around himself with the whisk.

Yao Shen ducks to the floor protecting his ears from the howling wind. All of his attention is focused on the cell in the corner of the room, and its three motionless occupants. They can't defend themselves against whatever Gao Wu throws at them.

Tan Liansi swipes one of her arms in a wide arc in front of both her and Yao Shen and a giant ice wall rises up from the ground. She aims the palm of her other hand towards the cell door, and a block of ice freezes up the bars, protecting Xin Hulei, Jincan and Heimao inside.

The wind Gao Wu whipped up towards them meets the ice wall and can move no further, eventually losing strength until finally dissipating.

Tan Liansi takes advantage of a moment of distraction to shoot and ice shard towards his hand, knocking the whisk out his grip and opening up a large gash on the back of his hand.

He staggers backwards, clutching his injured hand to his chest. "If something happens to me other peo-"

Tan Liansi sighs, lowering her arms, but keeping the ice barriers up. "I'm not doing anything to harm you."

It's obvious that Gao Wu doesn't believe her. He stumbles a few paces away until his back hits a wall. "Demons always try to persuade you of their harmlessness, all the better to sink their fangs into you when you are unaware."

Yao Shen gets up from the floor with a grunt. "That's rich coming from the guy who attacked us first."

"All you heard were the second-hand accounts passed down through generations," Tan Liansi says, her eyes glued to Gao Wu. "I was there."

It's obvious that Gao Wu doesn't expect that, even though he must be aware of demon immortality.

"Then...do you know what happened to my grand ancestor's sect?"

"What happened that day was orchestrated by the Underworld, the ghost kings of Youdu used one of their own to muddle my ge's mind, and have him set up an explosive instead of the key we were promised." Her eyes narrow in hatred. "The fire from the explosion wasn't natural, and it spread through every building like it was carried by invisible wings. Everyone tried to put it out, including me, but I outed myself as a demon by doing it."

"She never forgave me." Tan Liansi raises her chin towards the painting. "She thought it was something that I, Xin Hulei and Xie Huan had been planning since we joined Frozen Peak."

Gao Wu's eyes widen almost comically, his injured hand trembles against his chest. "Then, the drama...it's all real? You were there, seeing it happen?"

Tan Liansi makes a sew-saw motion with her hand. "More or less, the drama and the novel aren't 100% accurate, as I'm sure you know. But yes, Xin Hulei and Xie Huan did join Frozen Peak to try and get the sect's relic to stabilise Youdu's protection wards. I went later to remind Xie Huan of the betrothal contract our families signed, and of the urgency of getting the relic as soon as possible."