Capturing My Demon King Costar

MY COSTAR ISN'T WELL

Tan Liansi is taken aback by Yao Shen's words, but it buys them enough time for her rage to subside.

Hers and Gao Wu's both, whose eyes keep drifting towards the painting, his thick eyebrows furrowed in consternation.

Yao Shen is sorry to add one more sorrow to Tan Liansi's, undoubtedly, already long list. It's clear from her hazy gaze that she didn't consider the possibility of Mei Shuang trying to protect her and Xin Hulei in whatever way she could, until Tan Liansi found a way to get them out of Frozen Peak.

In fact, who's to say didn't try to help Xie Huan too?

If possible, Gao Wu is even more shaken than her. "All these generations... my family's purpose has been to eradicate evil from earth." He looks down into his hands one bloodied and one whole, both of them shaking. "I'm the last descendant of our family-I"

Yao Shen picks up the fallen horsetail whisk and holds it in front of himself and the dazed Tan Liansi. "If you attack us, I'll do everything in my power to kill you." He says, his gaze hardened by intention. "I won't stop Tan Liansi again either."

Gao Wu's eyes look lost when he lifts him again. "I- I've only wanted to protect the common people," he stammers. "That's why I became an actor, because we got reports that the entertainment industry was riddled with demons. I wanted to root them out...I-I..."

Yao Shen lets out a derisive snort. "There probably are plenty of terrible demons around the country and the world," Yao Shen says. "Probably no less than the number of terrible humans, however."

Yao Shen wraps one hand around Tan Liansi's shoulder and helps her stand up. "We found evidence of a terrible crime that happened in our own hotel in Hengdian by listening to the complaints of the victim's ghosts."

His gaze grows narrow. "Does exposing a vile murder seem like the actions of someone bound on destruction?"

Gao Wu looks at him in anguish. Not the anguish of physical pain, but the one born from having your worldviews forcefully reshaped. There's nothing more harrowing than confronting your own morality and finding it lacking.

"I didn't think about that...I thought, you and Tan Liansi weren't demons, I thought Xin Hulei was manipulating you."

Yao Shen points at the cell in the corner of the room. "That seems like very dramatic action for a couple of 'thoughts'."

Tan Liansi pats him on the back twice, her eyes still unfocused and distant. "Let's go. I don't want to be here anymore."

Yao Shen nods.

She dissolves the ice walls, and kicks down the frozen off cell door lock with a kick. It crumples to the ground.

Inside, none of them show any signs of regaining conscience soon, despite all the commotion outside the cell.

Yao Shen pulls the dark cloth bag covering Xin Hulei's head, while Tan Liansi releases their bindings.

Xin Hulei's eyes are closed in slumber, and his skin feels cold to the touch.

Yao Shen taps him a few times on the cheek but nothing changes.

He turns around to glare at Gao Wu. "What have you done to them?" he asks, the panic growing in his voice.

"I- I needed to put them under while I performed the ritual to send them back to the Underworld." Gao Wu stammers. "So I injected them with blood from a fresh corpse."

Tan Liansi roars. "That's poison to a demon."

From the look in his eyes, it's obvious Gao Wu was aware of that.