Demon King: Hero, don’t run away!
Chapter 171 To Avoid Mental Contamination

Chapter 171: Chapter 171 To Avoid Mental Contamination

Pressing the special stone blocks on the wall in sequence, the bricks miraculously slid sideways, and the secret passageway piercing through the underground city appeared once again before Yang Yu.

At the other end, Iyas and Bai Jin had been waiting for a long time, and upon seeing Yang Yu, both of them simultaneously let out a sigh of relief.

A dull roar echoed from beneath the ground. Ignoring Yang Yu’s orders, Bai Jin didn’t hesitate to run into the Underground Maze, searching for Yang Yu as she dashed downwards.

Upon reaching the fourth floor, Bai Jin encountered Iyas and a group of petite Hani, but Yang Yu was nowhere to be seen. She persistently questioned Iyas about the loud noise earlier and what exactly Yang Yu was doing.

Iyas hadn’t expected Yang Yu to cause such a big commotion and could only explain everything to Bai Jin.

Originally intending to follow Yang Yu’s orders to take the treasures from the seventh floor Treasure Box and return with Bai Jin, who had barged in, to the entrance of the Hani Maze and await Yang Yu’s victorious return, Iyas couldn’t resist Bai Jin’s insistent demands and took her to the hidden passage.

Standing on the platform of the secret passage leading to the eighth floor, time slowly passed.

Bai Jin’s eyes constantly fixated on the glowing wall; the longer they waited, the more worried she became, and finally, she couldn’t help but urge Iyas to open the entrance to the eighth floor to check if Yang Yu was alright and to support him if necessary.

Before implementing the strategy, Yang Yu had instructed Iyas that if she completed the Task, she should go directly to the entrance of the Hani Maze with Bai Jin and remember not to be dragged down by strange noises and undue concerns.

Now, the strange noise Yang Yu had mentioned must have been that noise.

Iyas relayed Yang Yu’s words to Bai Jin just as he had said them,

"You two have known each other longer than I have. You know his character better than I do. Since he gave me those instructions, it means he is confident in defeating that...Dark Origin. Excessive worrying will only make things harder for him, trust him."

Joining her hands at her chest, Bai Jin silently prayed for Yang Yu and quietly waited for him.

After another hour, Yang Yu finally opened the secret passage, returning with a host of Hani.

The suspense finally lifted, Bai Jin, without thinking, rushed to Yang Yu’s side, grabbed his hand, tilted her head up, her eyes brimming with relief, and she even displayed tearful joy.

Bai Jin’s smile couldn’t help but rise slightly. However, that smile soon transformed into a mischievous grin,

"Hehehe, I knew you wouldn’t die easily in the maze. Someone like you, always scheming how to charm more girls and live a better life. There’s no way you’d give all that up to die."

Halting mid-sentence, Bai Jin realized she was slipping into her old habits, hurriedly let go of Yang Yu’s hand, covered her mouth, and tried to restrain her swirling emotions before slowly letting go, attempting to express her true feelings.

"I’m sorry... I mean, it’s really great that you came back safely."

Having said that, Bai Jin smiled, finally able to speak her mind. It was a small step for her, but a significant leap towards change.

However, the smile Yang Yu saw wasn’t one of gentleness or sweetness, but one that was grim, disdainful, and tinged with a bit of taunt.

Yang Yu was sure that if he could learn this smile, using it to taunt others and mastering the "Taunt" Skill would be a matter of minutes.

But clearly, under these circumstances, grabbing Bai Jin’s leg and asking her to teach him how to sport such a unique smile was inappropriate.

Yang Yu gently patted Bai Jin’s head, "I made you all worry. I’m back. Also, Bai Jin, your smile..."

It’s beautiful.

Yang Yu originally wanted to comment symbolically, but he stopped himself just before the words left his lips. If Bai Jin misunderstood his meaning, wouldn’t he have to face that kind of laughter every day?

After some thought, Yang Yu expressed his opinion to Bai Jin, "Your smile needs more practice. We might not mind because we are partners, but if you show that smile to others, eight out of ten times, you will end up getting pinned to the ground for a beating. As a Mage, your Taunt skill shouldn’t be that high."

Bai Jin, frightened, touched her own cheek, "Is my smile really that bad?"

"It is that bad, practice more. Change doesn’t happen overnight. If you can’t find a practice partner, I’ll be your practice partner from now on. Don’t be shy."

Actually, helping Bai Jin communicate like a normal girl was secondary for Yang Yu.

As long as he looked at that expression more, Yang Yu was confident he could learn it. Then, he could use both words and expressions to Taunt more effectively, greatly hastening his learning of the "Taunt" skill.

With that plan in mind, Yang Yu turned to look at Iyas,

"Iyas, the task I commanded you to do was well done. Is there another thing, did you find the Treasure Box?"

"Yes, it’s right over there."

Iyas casually pointed at a bundle thrown in the corner. It was the treasure Yang Yu had ordered her to find in the looping passageway—the real treasure spoken of by the doll Hani, which included equipment collected and made by Hani, as well as numerous gemstones they had found.

After a quick glance, Yang Yu stored the items in the System and left the Underground Maze with his team.

The Hanis in the Underground Maze took Yang Yu’s word for it. They had been acting as monsters in the underground city only because of the erosion from the Dark Origin. Since every one of them had been "cleansed," it was natural they couldn’t stay in the Underground Maze as monsters any longer, so they followed Yang Yu and the others out.

On the way, when Yang Yu asked what plans the Hanis had for the future, the group of Hanis curiously looked at Yang Yu,

"What is a plan? Can you eat it?"

True to Hani form, they had no grand dreams for the future, taking life one day at a time.

In a sense, this race was truly awesome.

After sighing for a while, Yang Yu no longer talked with these Hanis to avoid getting contaminated by their carefree spirits.

What if he really became the kind of "what is a Demon King," "sounds like it’s something formidable," "but what does it have to do with me" type of couch potato—forever farming and retiring, indifferent to worldly affairs?

Back in the village, the sinking sun seemed unaffected by the fog near Hani Village, casting an orange-red glow over the Hani settlement.

The Hanis were all standing at the village entrance. They weren’t there to greet Yang Yu, nor were they conducting any ceremony.

"Oh oh oh! Look! Look, I’ve turned into an orange-red Hani!"

"Hani! Hani! How did you do that, hey, I’ve turned into an orange-red Hani too!"

"Ah! Hani Hani, I feel like I’m filled with Strength!"

In reality, they were just basking in the sun, feeling the mysterious charm of nature, enjoying the simple and mundane joy.