The Sect Leader’s wife left after preparing plenty of food for Chang Yao, but she didn't eat a single portion. Lying on the bed, she suddenly felt a bit unaccustomed to the quiet.
For most of the past three years, she had been at Kunlun, constantly absorbing the vast spiritual essence. While it nourished her, it also served to repair her.
As a half-demon, losing her human spiritual meridians had, after all, incurred some loss.
Why did I do it back then?
Chang Yao extended her hand, squinting slightly as she looked at her palm.
Her mother once said that a demon need not refrain from being moved by emotion; what one must always be wary of are those cultivators whose hearts hold the Great Dao.
That night, her mother stood before the waterwheel barrier, accompanying her as they watched the white-clad sword cultivator inside, who sat alone with his back to them starting a fire. Stroking the top of her head, her mother smiled and said: "As a demon, you need not fear love. On the contrary, you should learn how to utilize such an existence. The mortal world harbors great misunderstandings about demons, believing they only know slaughter. While a portion are indeed like that, our clan is born with spiritual intelligence; the minds of great demons with profound cultivation are even harder to fathom."
"Parents, friends, lovers—sentiment is the same everywhere, whether in the human world or the other three realms." She looked at the white-clad sword cultivator in the barrier, her usual unbridled arrogance softening into tranquility in that moment. "Some will give everything for it, while others will cast it aside like a worn-out shoe. Those without passion or desire are actually the ones acting against Heaven. It is a pity you are a half-demon, mixed with his bloodline and inheriting the same weakness."
Her mother looked back down at her, her gaze filled with a rare pity and softness.
She remembered every word her mother said in her youth, yet some words remained only half-understood even after many years.
Following her mother’s teachings, Chang Yao did not fear being moved. She had even learned how to use the word "affection" to get what she wanted. Toward Song Jixue, she perhaps felt pity, admiration, or even worship—but it was not love.
Occasionally, looking at Song Jixue, Chang Yao would wonder idly: I don't even love a man like this; is my taste too high? Or do I still feel my realm is insufficient, and that love would hinder my cultivation?
But what was the "weakness" her mother spoke of?
Past events entered her dreams. When Chang Yao woke, she found Song Jixue had not returned, so she got up and ate a little.
More and more cultivators were arriving at the West Sea. Major immortal sects from Kunlun, the Central Provinces, and the Upper Courts had all come. Their determination to seal the Earth Ghost Gate was intense. With the Immortal Leader Fu Ji leading the call, rogue cultivators from all over the world were also trickling toward the West Sea's Xuantian.
It was very lively.
Chang Yao wandered around and arrived at the small courtyard where Madam Yang lived.
The maidservants on guard were absent for some reason, which surprised her. Without much thought, she stepped inside and found Madam Yang sitting under a cherry blossom tree in the courtyard. The rocking chair creaked softly. Madam Yang wore only an outer robe, her black hair spilling onto the ground. Her originally beautiful face was pale and gaunt as she stared blankly at the approaching Chang Yao.
She was conscious now.
Madam Yang gripped the armrests to stand, but Chang Yao gently pressed her back. "Why are the maidservants not here?"
"I let them go." Madam Yang shook her head slightly, her eyes gloomy and her voice low and raspy. "I have failed Xuantian; how can I have the face to let them care for me?"
Chang Yao consoled her: "That was True Lord Feili’s fault, not yours."
Madam Yang gave a bleak smile, the gloom in her eyes deepening.
"In the past, he was always busy traveling to slay demons. He didn't have even a bit of time to accompany me. Even when he was at Xuantian, his mind was spent on his disciples—expanding cultivation methods and scriptures, seeking spiritual stones to forge swords, brewing elixirs, and so on. When I asked him to listen to music or walk through the gardens with me, he always said 'next time'."
Chang Yao listened patiently and quietly. Perhaps because Song Jixue hadn't come for her, she was bored; listening to someone ramble and complain was a way to pass the time.
"When it happened too often, I would get angry. We argued back and forth simply because I wanted to ask if he still cared for me. Was I really inferior to his disciples and the common people? But back then, I was attracted by his seriousness and responsibility, and I resolved to spend my life with him until our hair turned white. Although I quarreled and nagged, he would always give me a satisfying answer in the end, letting me know he cared." Madam Yang’s smile was mocking. Her pale face made her dark eyes stand out, gleaming with intense, intertwined light of love and hate. "Only now do I know it was all fake."
When she was clear-minded, her speech was articulate, especially that last sentence, which was spoken almost through gritted teeth, dripping with hatred.
Chang Yao’s expression froze slightly.
Madam Yang gripped the armrests tightly, her knuckles turning white: "He lied to me. He lied to me for decades! Everything was just to pave the way for the Demon Emperor; it was all for his ambition and his mission. He had no affection for me at all. Marrying me was only to successfully enter Xuantian! He made me live like a joke!"
Chang Yao lowered her eyes, her dark pupils reflecting the agonized, hateful face of Madam Yang.
That last sentence made Chang Yao’s heart skip a beat. For a fleeting moment, she felt as if she had grasped something, only for it to slip away. It was too brief to recall.
Madam Yang seemed to lose all her strength, covering her face and letting out a pitiable, wretched sob.
"Mistress of Yunshan?" a late-arriving maidservant said in surprise upon seeing Chang Yao. "So you are here. Please come with me; the Sect Leader’s wife is looking everywhere for you."
Chang Yao glanced at Madam Yang, who was immersed in her own world of weeping, said nothing, and turned to leave.
Song Jixue became busy the moment he reached the West Sea.
His cultivation had reached the Life-Transforming Tribulation, a realm of semi-ascension. As the foremost practitioner of the Heart Sword, his reputation meant there were many tasks requiring his attention.
First, he went to the Golden Luan Terrace at sea to inspect the state of the Earth Ghost Gate, then repaired the seal to barely suppress it. Afterward, he discussed the rampaging demon beasts and the spreading plague with various sect leaders and True Lords.
Chang Yao stayed at the Xuantian Sect’s Office of the Chief Justice, boredly watching a group of medical and alchemical cultivators repeatedly brew and test medicines.
The Xuantian Sect Leader’s wife was also a medical cultivator. She had brought Chang Yao along fearing she would be bored, but once the work intensified, she couldn't look after her guest.
The medicine hall smelled of bitterness. Chang Yao quietly slipped out. Only when she reached the outer hall corridor and smelled the elegant fragrance of flowers did she breathe a sigh of relief, looking out at the deep blue sea in the distance. This place was high up on the mountain rocks; the corridor wound down toward the sea level, with several large open areas among the tiers.
She stood behind the railing looking at the crimson sun over the sea. Beneath the sun was the Golden Luan Terrace—originally just a small island, but hidden within the turbulent waters and difficult to find until the demon race used a scheme to break the seal, revealing it from the mist.
Only then did everyone realize that the Earth Ghost Gate lay beneath the Golden Luan Terrace where Xuantian performed sacrifices.
Chang Yao tapped her fingers on the railing. A green vine growing on the rocks outside shook gently, and a red demon flower bloomed from the tender green branches to look at her.
"Where is the Mountain Fei?" she asked.
The demon flower turned in a direction to point the way.
Chang Yao looked where it pointed and, after a moment, said: "Pass the news to the people of the cultivation world. Let them go there."
The demon flower withered instantly.
Just after noon, the West Sea received news that the Fei beast had been sighted at Duyia Bay.
Chang Yao, who was still outside the medicine hall watching Xuantian disciples practice their swords below the terrace, received a transmission from Song Jixue’s jade slip. He informed her that he was going to Duyia Bay and told her not to leave the Office of the Chief Justice.
Chang Yao leaned lazily against the railing and hummed her agreement.
A moment later, Song Jixue spoke again: "Forget it, I'll take you with me."
"It's fine, I want to stay at the Office of the Chief Justice," Chang Yao said patiently. "With so many cultivators gathered at Xuantian right now, this is actually the safest place. You should be careful when you go to face the Fei; it is a truly great and fierce beast."
Only then did Song Jixue drop the matter.
After putting away the jade slip, Chang Yao turned to find the Sect Leader’s wife had stepped onto the corridor at some point. She smiled at Chang Yao: "Lord Yunshan protects you with such care; others would be envious."
Chang Yao blinked and smiled, feigning a delicate manner as she said: "Unfortunately, my body is weak now, and it is hard for me to help him with anything."
"As long as you are safe and sound, Lord Yunshan will be satisfied." The Sect Leader’s wife looked at her with pity. "Techniques are not the entirety of life. Do not be too hard on yourself. If you don't know what to do, try finding something else to distract yourself. Perhaps raising a child would be good."
A child?
Chang Yao had never thought of it, and Song Jixue had never mentioned it.
Seeing her stunned expression, the Sect Leader’s wife said teasingly: "You and Lord Yunshan have been married for over three years; have you really never thought about this?"
Even though the West Sea and Kunlun were far apart, the fact that Lord Yunshan doted on his wife was known across both realms.
Chang Yao was a bit dazed: "That is true..."
Seeing her stuttering and appearing to blush with shyness, the Sect Leader’s wife felt even more fond of her and laughed: "If you have such thoughts, there is no need to be shy about expressing them. However, you are both still young; there is plenty of time. When passion is at its peak, one cannot tolerate the intrusion of others—not even one's own child."
Is that so?
Chang Yao regretted that she possessed no such realization or thought.
However, the words of the Sect Leader’s wife made her realize that the fake love she performed for Song Jixue was flawed.
As expected, what is fake is fake.
Chang Yao obediently stayed at the Office of the Chief Justice. The deadline lasted until dusk. As the crimson sun sank, the Mistress of Yunshan returned to her room to rest. When night fell, a maidservant quietly entered the room to light the lamps, preventing the room from being pitch black should the Mistress wake.
The shadows of the candles flickered by the window, and the maidservant waited peacefully by the door, but the person inside the room was no longer human.
The cultivators heading to Duyia Bay were all of extraordinary strength—either sect leaders or highly respected True Lords. Everyone came for one purpose: to kill the Fei demon.
The Fei beast was the source of the plague. Only if it died would the terrifying plague haunting the mortal world end.
But the Fei was a great and fierce demon that appeared only once every few centuries. It was not something that could be killed easily. If things went wrong, there was a high probability the one dying would be oneself. To this day, few cultivators have ever killed a Fei.
This Fei that had entered the world from Wujiu Mountain had lived for nearly three thousand years. Each time it appeared, it brought national destruction. Plagues ran rampant, followed by war and death. Mountains of corpses and seas of blood were everywhere. The mortal purgatory would eventually return to peace, waiting for the next upheaval.
This Mountain Fei was very lucky; it had never encountered a being capable of slaying it and ascending to godhood over its corpse.
As for the Fei that had come out of the Earth Ghost Gate seal, there was too little information, and Chang Yao had no interest in following it. She used the Mountain Fei to lure the cultivators here solely to kill Song Jixue.
Song Jixue had no guard against her, which was very boring.
Chang Yao was unwilling to act under such circumstances. After much thought, she finally decided to lure Song Jixue into a battle with the Fei beast. Even if she were to act, it should be when Lord Yunshan was exerting his full strength.
Otherwise, it would be too much of an insult to a supreme of the mortal world who practiced the Heart Sword.
After nightfall, a thin mist rose on the island. Cultivators were still searching for traces of the Fei.
Chu Chenxing, who had first discovered the Fei beast, walked beside Fu Ji and said: "I could not have been mistaken. It was him—one eye, a white head, a snake's tail. It just disappeared in an instant."
There was a hint of annoyance in her voice as she finished.
Fu Ji said: "Axing, do not be in a hurry. We will surely find it."
He looked toward the village with lit lanterns and said: "Right now, those who need you most are the plagued villagers. Leave the search for the Fei to us."
Chu Chenxing bit her lower lip and finally nodded unwillingly after a long silence.
Fu Ji smiled and said gently: "Go."
He watched Chu Chenxing return to the village, the softness in his eyes gradually fading.
"Sect Leader?" a sword attendant asked softly. "Is something wrong?"
Fu Ji shook his head and sighed: "I just have a very bad feeling, as if something is about to happen."
He looked back and asked: "Where is Lord Yunshan?"
Song Jixue realized something was wrong the moment he stepped into the forest.
The vegetation at his feet swayed with the night wind but trembled as if being strangled. The emerald green was gradually turning into a withered yellow.
The sea mist was thick, the moon bright and the stars sparse. In the hazy light, he saw an eye open in the chaos—a dark gold vertical pupil staring at him without blinking.
Shaped like a bull, with one eye and a long snake's tail—this was the Fei.
Large patches of grass and trees died around it. Song Jixue raised an eyebrow, showing no panic. Facing the Mountain Fei’s gaze, which held neither sorrow nor joy, he gripped the hilt of the sword behind his waist and laughed softly: "How coincidental."
The long, slender black snake tail flicked lightly. The Mountain Fei bowed its head, its bull hooves treading lightly on the ground as it turned around. The withered vegetation was instantly tainted by rising black energy, dyeing the sea mist black and emitting a rustling sound as it circulated.
The instant the sword blade reflected the moonlight, it also struck out a dazzling golden sword light. The Mountain Fei, which had been about to turn away, looked back, its single eye staring with a hint of appraisal at Lord Yunshan, who was surrounded by black mist.
Chang Yao stood behind a tree, her silhouette merging with the black mist, sharing the same aura as the Mountain Fei. Thus, Lord Yunshan did not know a second person was present.
Her face was hidden in her hood; when she raised her head, only a small portion of her chin was visible. She looked gloomily at Song Jixue as he confronted the Mountain Fei.
At this moment, all of Lord Yunshan’s attention was on the Mountain Fei. It was the perfect opportunity to ambush him.
When Chang Yao raised her hand, a flicker of black light condensed at her fingertips. The fierce wind from Zhigui's strike overturned many trees; wood chips flew and withered grass scattered. The killing move she intended to use shifted its direction when she sensed another surge of killing intent rushing toward Song Jixue.
It was a long black feather arrow made of spiritual power. Its target was clearly Lord Yunshan’s heart from the back, but it was severed by the faster black light.
At the same time, Song Jixue, who had summoned a barrier with an incantation, frowned and looked back. Although he had sensed the danger and responded, that spiritual arrow was a pure killing move intended to deliver a fatal blow while he dealt with the Mountain Fei. Had it not been severed by the black light, he would have been heavily injured if not dead.
Chang Yao looked toward the direction from which the long feather arrow had been shot, her gaze cold.
Before the two could react further, a second long feather arrow arrived, its target still Song Jixue.
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