After Transmigrating into an Evil God - Chapter 40.1

Ding Qin sat in the Wei clan’s guest reception hall.

She had previously forced her way into the Wei estate.

Several quarters of an hour ago, the divine seal on Ding Qin’s forehead had burned hot with divine power surging restlessly, alerting her that Li Feng was in critical danger. At that time she was still outside the Wei clan’s main gate, but Li Feng’s life force had already grown faint and was about to be extinguished. She had no time to follow proper etiquette, pay her respects, and slowly wait to be announced and state her intentions.

Anxious in her heart, Ding Qin gritted her teeth and led Jin Yan and Wen Qianzi in forcing their way inside.

In the first half of the journey, the Wei clan hadn’t had time to react. This was the Wei clan’s ancestral land in Langyue City after all, where gods gathered and the times were peaceful and prosperous—who could have imagined that a young girl would suddenly force her way in?

Although retainers quickly gathered to block Ding Qin’s path, they were all ordinary people. Ding Qin didn’t even need to attack physically, merely using divine arts to help herself slip past them.

Those ordinary people only felt their vision blur before the intruders vanished.

However, the Wei clan also had gods and cultivators in their service, and by the latter half of the journey, these people had caught up. It was Ding Qin’s first time fighting others. Though Jin Yan assisted from the side, she ultimately lacked experience. While she wasn’t injured or captured, she was entangled and unable to advance. Just as she grew anxious, she happened to see Wei Qiuning in the distance carrying Li Feng toward the gate.

Without Ding Qin needing to act, the divine seal on her forehead spontaneously lit up with pure and vast radiance.

The divine art sealed within by Li Chi activated on its own. A pure ray of light flashed like spring thunder, and in an instant carried majestic authority that illuminated heaven and earth. This vast power seemed to slow time itself, making the instant feel prolonged, so that everyone could clearly see how that radiant light floated down like a light veil, enveloping Li Feng’s body. The poison within him was instantly dispelled, his injuries healed in a moment.

As the divine art descended, those entangling Ding Qin were also shocked into stopping their attack.

Ding Qin touched her forehead. She could feel that the power of this divine art within the seal had not been completely exhausted—enough remained for her to use and study it several more times.

Li Chi had previously taught her the method of converting divine power into life force, but this divine art was not the same. This divine art deeply exploited the inherent qualities of divine power itself—it was purification, dissolution, the removal of defilement, blessing all living beings.

This was the compassionate and gentle aspect of a High God. Ding Qin had a vague realization that although the divine art had activated spontaneously, it had operated through her, allowing her heart to gain understanding as well. Perhaps before the power of this divine art was completely depleted, she would be able to truly master the method of wielding it.

After saving Li Feng’s life, what followed was the negotiation between Li Feng and the Wei clan. The Wei clan showed their own magnanimity—though this sudden change had occurred, since the misunderstanding had been resolved, they invited Ding Qin and her companions to the guest hall where they were served tea and refreshments, asking her to rest for a while.

In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the true master responsible for receiving guests entered and bowed, saying, “I am Wei Yu. Things happened so suddenly and our hospitality has been inadequate. I hope you won’t take offense.”

Ding Qin rose and returned the courtesy. “It was I who suddenly barged in and disturbed you all.”

Jin Yan had revealed his demonic power while fighting with the Wei clan earlier, but now he pretended to be foolish again, standing on the table pecking at pastries one bite at a time, occasionally tilting his head to observe Wei Yu.

Wei Yu’s tone was refined and gentle. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he began inquiring about Ding Qin’s origins and purpose.

Ding Qin had nothing to hide and spoke frankly. “Mister Li Feng is my teacher. The High God I serve foresaw that Mister Li would face a calamity and ordered me to come to his aid.”

As for other matters, she wouldn’t involve herself—that wasn’t something she should meddle in.

Wei Yu understood this implication. He tentatively asked another question, wanting to know the identity and origins of the deity Ding Qin served, but seeing that Ding Qin deflected without answering, he asked no more. He had already inquired about what he wanted to know, and now he need only continue as a proper host.

However, bitter feelings accumulated in Wei Yu’s chest, difficult to resolve.

From Li Feng being poisoned to Qiuning’s resolution to sacrifice herself—only a few quarters of an hour had passed. He had no time to report to his father, and only after everything had concluded did he have the opportunity to explain the situation.

The Wei clan patriarch had already learned first that Qiuning was safe, but upon hearing from Wei Yu that she had resolved to die, he still lost focus for a good while. The brush in his hand forgot to descend, dripping an ink stain that spread across the gold-flecked letterhead he had just finished writing, blooming into a teardrop of ink.

The Wei clan patriarch did not blame Wei Yu. He had him come receive Ding Qin and her companions only to avoid the subsequent conversation with Li Feng. Wei Yu had been the one to administer the Three Lives Drunk. Though it was harmless, it had caused the poison Li Feng had contracted to dangerously erupt. After the rescue attempt failed, he had also shown signs of covering up and abandoning the effort. For Wei Yu to meet with Li Feng again would inevitably be awkward.

But while meetings could be avoided, one’s own heart could not be avoided.

Even avoiding conversation with Li Feng, Wei Yu could guess the result. When his fifth sister had resolved to die, he… had failed to stop her!

How exactly had things developed to this point? Where exactly… did it go wrong?

Humans have human authority, demons have the demon path. As subjects of Lu Kingdom, the Wei clan could not unite with demons. Was the Wei clan wrong? Each person keeps to their place and follows the path—wasn’t that… good?

Wei Yu looked at Ding Qin and couldn’t help asking, “What does the deity you serve have Mister Li Feng teach you?”

“Classics and histories, rites and divination, poetry and books and texts—all manner of things,” Ding Qin answered.

“As a divine messenger, do you need to use these things in your cultivation?” Wei Yu asked.

“Books don’t have anything about whether they’re useful or not. Though I won’t be taking examinations to enter government service, I still need to broaden my knowledge from them, knowing where they are right and also knowing where they are wrong.”

“Where they are wrong?” Wei Yu couldn’t help but repeat.

Ding Qin’s pair of clear, limpid eyes looked at him. “Books shouldn’t be selected based on whether they’re useful or not, and people shouldn’t act based on whether it conforms to their status. People aren’t naturally born to be placed and divided into a certain position.”

Wei Yu’s gaze grew vacant. A serving girl in the hall had already quietly withdrawn.

After everyone else left, Ding Qin stared blankly into space.

Jin Yan pecked at her hair. “Li Feng and Miss Wei can now safely be together—aren’t you happy?”

Ding Qin propped up her face, her voice somewhat confused. “No. I just… find this matter frightening.”

“Frightening?” Jin Yan tilted his head looking at her, not understanding.

Was she referring to how Li Feng had almost lost his life?

“Mister Li Feng, Miss Wei Qiuning, and the Wei family members—they’re not bad people. But if the High God hadn’t sent us on this trip, the result would have been so tragic. Why is it that when good people come together, they produce an evil result?”

In the Daqing Mountain Range, Li Chi sat under the corridor. The deity’s gaze, borrowing the divine messenger’s eyes, fell upon a deeply entangled pink karmic thread, and also heard the divine messenger’s question.

The red fox’s feelings ran deep. Not seeking to preserve both his body and life, he had risked danger multiple times to visit the Wei clan, all to obtain a solution where Wei Qiuning could have both.

Qiuning was strong and unyielding, like a fine qin sealed in its case unable to make a sound. Having finally found a kindred spirit, even if her strings broke and her body shattered she would not regret it.

The Wei clan was upright, prudent yet not lacking in elegance and tolerance, protecting and loving their descendants.

Who was in the wrong?

What was frightening about it?

In this story, if the Wei clan had been unreasonable villains, treating their daughter as merchandise to be sold—powerful, evil wealthy tyrants—it wouldn’t have been frightening.

It would merely have been a story of evildoers getting their due and good people receiving good outcomes.

But the Wei clan was decidedly not like that. Wei Qiuning’s father and brothers truly and sincerely treasured and cherished her. They allowed her to enter the clan school, gave her a token for the library, answered her questions when she studied, and chose the best husband for her.

But if Wei Qiuning had been male, would all that she received have been seen as special indulgence toward her, proof of her father and brothers’ doting love?

Yet how could one say her father and brothers didn’t dote on her? They truly had broken the conventions recognized by society for her sake.

It made every good person sincerely do what was right, yet also made every good person seem to have committed grave errors. It made deep affection reap the fruit of frivolity, made strength reap the fruit of selfishness, made uprightness reap the fruit of laxity—how could that not be frightening?

The deity lowered his eyes, his gaze like sweet rain.

The causes in this world that should lead to deserved fruits were already far too few—what harm in having one more today?

……

In the Wei clan patriarch’s study, the serving girl had already relayed to him Ding Qin’s earlier answers about her identity and the purpose of this trip.

Today’s events could be described as full of twists and turns. With things having reached this point, no matter how they were handled, it would be troublesome.

Though Ding Qin had not stated the identity and origins of the deity she served, that divine art like thunder breaking through clouds was already sufficient to demonstrate the awesome divine majesty of the god behind her. The fresh and pure nature of its aura far exceeded almost all the gods they had encountered. The Wei clan could not help but be cautious—the more thought given now, the less trouble later.

Especially that ghost god who had previously acted to help Li Feng resist the poison—he had personally experienced just how troublesome that poison was. Yet that deity, separated by great distance, using only a divine art channeled through the divine messenger, had completely purified the poison within Li Feng’s body. Even assuming that deity’s divine office happened to be particularly skilled at neutralizing poison, such ability was truly alarming.

Such a deity—even if they couldn’t be befriended, it was best not to make them an enemy.

Moreover… things had already reached this point.

Even setting aside the clan’s interests, the Wei clan patriarch, merely with the heart of a father, could no longer refuse to let go.

With things having come to this… so be it.

…….