Zhu Demon, originally named Zhu Six because he was the sixth child in his family, was called Zhu Six.
When he was little, his family was very poor with many siblings, but his parents would always keep the best things for their few sons.
Little Zhu Six vowed that when he grew up, he would definitely let his parents live a good life. But when he went out into the world, he realized that things he thought were simple when he was little were as difficult as ascending to heaven.
It's just like when we looked forward to growing up when we were little, thinking that when we grow up we can earn money and buy things we want.
But when grown up, we can't afford the things we want to buy, and can't casually buy the food we want to eat.
When Zhu Six saw cultivators for the first time, he finally understood that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't compare to just one sentence from them.
Since then, he swore to become a cultivator, but reality is always so cruel that he could never become one.
He didn't believe Heaven would treat him like this. He looked everywhere for sects that would let him cultivate, failing over and over again, being rejected over and over again, making him disheartened.
Until a woman appeared and gave him his accomplishments today.
Reality is like this - no matter how hard you work, how diligent you are, it doesn't compare to meeting a good master, seizing one opportunity.
A hundred years of hard work made him the Zhu Demon today, the demon many sect cultivators feared.
Yet his parents whom he once swore to provide for became a forever unseen memory, his one and only pain.
As usual, Zhu Demon was preparing to return to his cave dwelling.
Just as he was about to enter, he felt a black shadow shrouding over him. Looking up: "What the!"
"Boom!"
A loud crash as a corpse fell on him, knocking Zhu Demon to the ground.
"Hasn't fallen apart yet, just about right! Wait, it's my turn to draw cards." Dao Ancestor hastily said.
Zhu Demon was smashed heavily, his whole body as if falling apart. Pushing away the corpse on him, he crawled up.
"Who ambushed me? Show yourself!"
After surveying his surroundings, he discovered no one was there!
Looking down at the ground he was given a fright: "What the, did you steal someone else's wife or kill someone's whole family? What great enmity, what great hatred, to stab you into this shape."
"Since we have such affinity, I will refine you into a living dead."
Carrying the corpse into the cave dwelling, he started examining the corpse's basic condition.
"First restore the body, will consider later what kind of puppet to refine it into, bleh! A living dead that is."
After plugging all the holes and openings, Zhu Demon nearly exhausted himself to death.
"Didn't expect that as a former Foundation Establishment cultivator, his fleshy body is also stronger than other cultivators at the same stage. Interesting."
"Let's see what spiritual roots he had before."
"Spiritual roots? There are no traces of spiritual roots at all?"
"What freak are you? Why can't I cultivate like you?"
Zhu Demon paced around, pondering this problem: "Physique is one reason, but the cultivation method must be key."
"If I can obtain this method, it will be a great opportunity for our Kindness Sect."
Zhu Demon said to the corpse: "I won't let you die before you hand over the method."
Then he worried: "Ai~ With his soul dispersed, what use is saving an empty shell? He can't tell me the contents of his method anymore."
Just when Zhu Demon's expectations had turned into disappointment, a bottle made of unknown material rolled out from Tang Xiaoyu's body.
Zhu Demon was given a fright: "What's this about? I already stripped you bare, then you drop out a bottle, trying to scare me because I'm timid?"
Opening the bottle, segments of memories appeared before Zhu Demon's eyes, from sending his younger sister to cultivate, to having his own family in White Tiger City.
From battlefields with thousands of soldiers and horses, to leaping off the Spirit Boat.
Zhao Siqi's face dead white, to the ungrateful Sanqing Sect.
Finally getting Dao Ancestor's favor and cultivation attainment after much difficulty, only to end up dead himself and his temple destroyed for selling his own things for money.
On his journey, everything Zhu Demon saw made him feel ashamed about himself. He didn't expect there to be someone who maintained a kind heart no matter how reality and life treated him.
Advising himself over and over to become a bad person, yet giving up over and over for being unable to do so.
Understanding everything yet understanding nothing. Understanding human warmth and coldness, not understanding human malice.
"I always felt that Heaven was very unfair to me. From working hard diligently, to giving up on myself, to resenting Heaven and blaming others, to doing all kinds of evil things now."
"I also often wondered why Heaven insisted on tormenting one person to death. Why couldn't it choose someone else instead?"
Zhu Demon returned Tang Xiaoyu's soul and memories to him.
Stepping out of the cave dwelling and gazing at the majestic mountain peaks in the distance, Zhu Demon leisurely said:
"I have been kind all my life and never did anything bad, yet no human suffering spared me. The mortal world is a nice place, but I won't come again next life."
"Perhaps...just as you said, the mortal world is the real hell."
Tang Xiaoyu's experiences moved Zhu Demon greatly.
He had parents but lost them himself. Tang Xiaoyu didn't have parents yet fulfilled his duty as an elder brother.
There's no comparison, and no way to compare. Compared to Tang Xiaoyu, he is the biggest failure.
"Rest assured! I won't let you die, I still want to become friends with you!"
Over ten days of restoration consumed all of Zhu Demon's talents and treasures of heaven and earth, as well as racking up huge debts.
The greatest debt was to the Sect Leader.
After over ten days of effort, Tang Xiaoyu's soul finally stabilized. Zhu Demon tried waking Tang Xiaoyu up.
Tang Xiaoyu's world was pitch black darkness, but there was a voice constantly calling out his name. He searched around but besides the darkness, there was only more darkness.
When he was lost and helpless, a point of light appeared in the distance. He desperately ran towards that spot, not knowing for how long, until his world lit up.
Opening his eyes, the first thing Tang Xiaoyu saw was an evil, withered old face.
"What evil spirit, report your name quickly!" Tang Xiaoyu was given a fright.
Zhu Demon: "..."
Zhu Old Six thought for a bit: "It was that Dao Ancestor who truly saved you."
Tang Xiaoyu warily asked: "What have you found out?"
Zhu Old Six took out the bottle from earlier: "Your soul, memories, they were all stored in this bottle. When I opened it I saw all your memories after you sent your sister to cultivate."
Tang Xiaoyu grew even more nervous: "What did I do that you know everything about now?"
Zhu Old Six nodded.
"Then you might as well have let me die, I don't have the face to live anymore."
"I think you're a real man, I admire you a lot, so I just want to make friends with you."
Tang Xiaoyu thought to himself: [So that means a lot of things didn't show in my memories, Dao Ancestor must have erased them.]
Tang Xiaoyu directly knelt: "Life saving grace, I have no way to repay you. From now on you are my big brother, I am your little brother. I won't hesitate to go through fire and water for you."
Zhu Old Six quickly helped him up: "Too serious! From now on you're my brother. Whoever bullies you, bullies me."
After chatting for a while, Tang Xiaoyu had a rough idea about this place.
Then Zhu Old Six awkwardly said: "Xiaoyu, could you impart your cultivation method to our sect members as well?"
"Rest assured! We definitely won't ask for it for nothing. State your conditions, we'll do our best to meet them."
Tang Xiaoyu thought for a bit, and made a decision: "The method is only imparted to disciples of Dao Ancestor's lineage. You know Dao Ancestor."
Zhu Old Six said: "No problem, our Kindness Sect was built from the ground up by our leader anyway. Becoming Dao Ancestor's disciple isn't out of the question either, but I need to discuss with my leader first."
Hearing Kindness Sect, Tang Xiaoyu felt something was off.