Chang Yao hadn't even noticed that at this moment, she only dared to grasp Song Jixue’s sleeve, not daring to touch even a sliver of his skin.
"A-Yao." Song Jixue turned back and lightly flicked her forehead with his finger. "Even if the whole world disbelieves you, I will always stand by your side."
Hearing this, Chang Yao slowly released her hand. She watched his familiar features and smiled again, but the smile in her eyes gradually faded after he left.
The maid stepped forward and whispered, "Mistress, what should we do about her?"
Cui Miaomiao had, at some point, fainted on the ground.
Those who can be possessed by a Painted Skin Demon are mostly people on the brink of death. To infiltrate Kunlun like this without being detected spoke of a deep cultivation; likely, only the one beside the Demon Emperor could achieve this.
"Send her back to where she came from." Chang Yao walked toward the hall.
The maid lowered her head and complied, but she couldn't help but steal another look at her.
The words just now lacked their usual patient and gentle tone; the Mistress seemed to be angry.
Upon returning to her room, Chang Yao pushed open the window and took a deep breath, looking at the mist over the distant cliffs.
In the current immortal sects, only the Kunlun Sacred Mountain possessed spiritual energy that was everywhere—surging, thick, and inexhaustible. If a commoner stayed here for three to five years, their primordial foundation and physique would be well-repaired and strengthened, let alone a cultivator.
It wasn't just humans who coveted this place; demons did too.
Chang Yao tilted her head back, her dark, bright eyes reflecting the magnificent Milky Way.
The starry sky on that night was just as vast and beautiful as this.
On New Year's Eve, the prayer lanterns of Shangyuan City lined the way all the way to Kunlun, looking like a fire dragon sleeping between heaven and earth. People held lanterns, bowing every three steps in the direction of Kunlun, praying for peace and health for themselves or their families.
On the "Longevity Path of Prayer" opened once a year, small stalls gathered at intervals, selling various snacks or items needed for the festival. Everywhere was decorated with lanterns and streamers, bustling with life.
She had walked within that long dragon of lanterns, watching the people heading toward Kunlun bow every three steps. That scene was both pious and staggering.
The bustle of the human world always seemed to have something more than the Demon Realm.
As for what exactly it was, she couldn't say. At that time, she was thinking that once everything was settled, this departure would be a complete separation from Song Jixue. He would be the Sect Leader of Yunshan in Kunlun, while she would return to Wujiu Mountain to continue her diligent cultivation, waiting to ascend to godhood.
Just as she was prepared to speak of separation, Song Jixue took her hand.
Fine snow fell from the sky, landing on her hair and sleeves, only to be brushed away with gentle care by Lord Yunshan. People passed by her laughing and playing; the candlelights of the stone lamps reflected the brilliant light of heaven and earth, the mountain rocks and mist, the stars and falling snow. This human scenery was peerless, but she couldn't see it; her eyes could only hold the man holding her hand as he spoke seriously.
Song Jixue wasn't serious very often.
Chang Yao remembered that from the first time she met him, this man had an air of casualness—"Everything is up to you, I'm fine with anything." If you made a mistake, he wouldn't nitpick or blame; at most, he would tease you a bit. If you encountered a difficult problem, he wouldn't give the answer directly but would guide you to think and discover what was wrong.
This casualness reflected his strength and composure from the side.
Song Jixue’s thoughts were too deep; even his closest fellow disciples who grew up with him could not see through him.
Chang Yao lowered her head to look at her palm. Does he really believe me?
Song Jixue loved her deeply; that was beyond doubt.
Chang Yao also knew very well that she did not love Song Jixue.
It wasn't that she didn't understand the love of mortals, but she didn't have it.
To describe her treatment of Song Jixue, she could only choose the word "utilize."
Chang Yao could even say that Song Jixue was the person who treated her best in this world, but all of this was because he loved the facade of her disguised as a human. If that hypocritical side were torn away and Song Jixue were made aware of her true form as a demon—would this leader of the immortal sects, the high-and-mighty Lord Yunshan, still love her?
Given his personality, he would probably let love turn into hatred.
Song Jixue must never know.
Chang Yao told herself this in her heart.
Whatever conspiracy the Demon Emperor had, whatever the great demons of the Phoenix clan were doing in the human world, and however the cultivation world planned to strike back—it had nothing to do with her. She only needed to care about Song Jixue alone.
Chang Yao’s open fingers clenched into a fist. A wisp of black energy leaked from between her fingers and vanished. Far away, the evil demon causing trouble at Wushan let out a wail, blood splattered on the spot, and its soul dissipated.
Wushan, Goddess Peak.
The carved doors and windows reflecting the candlelight were covered in crimson. The evil demon’s blood stained the entire hall door, and broken, ugly greenish-black limbs remained on the ground.
The Lady of Wushan glared hatefully at the remains of the evil demon.
"This evil demon was protected by miasma and had a very high cultivation. When I tried to capture it alive, it actually tried to perish together with me. Its intelligence was not lacking," the Lord of Wushan said in a deep voice as he stood by his wife. "Green face, long fangs, tall as a tree, with three horns on its head—is this a Ghost-Faced Tree Demon?"
He looked up at Song Jixue at the door.
Song Jixue didn't answer. The Jiuping Peak Master took over: "Yes. Ghost-Faced Tree Demons mostly come from the southwest mountain range of the Demon Realm, where the Phoenix and Fox clans lead. This one has at least six hundred years of cultivation. However, Tree Demons usually cultivate in the mountains and do not leave easily unless they are acting under orders."
"Every root of a Ghost-Faced Tree Demon after three hundred years of cultivation can be considered part of the same body. In other words, its main body might still be in the great mountains of the Demon Realm," the Lord of Dayin Mountain said. "It remains to be seen if this one is from the Phoenix or Fox mountains."
"It must be Fu Jin of the Phoenix clan playing tricks!" the Lord of Wushan said angrily. "The Phoenix clan is closest to the Demon Emperor and has opposed us several times before. Now they are arrogant enough to infiltrate Wushan and take my son's arm!"
Xia Sangyi walked to the remains of the Tree Demon and examined them closely before musing, "Although the Ghost-Faced Tree Demon is a demon, it is of a clan that cultivates by absorbing the spiritual essence of heaven and earth. It can possess surrounding flowers and trees, sharing their breath and life, making it difficult to distinguish. This is the best choice for the demon clan to infiltrate Kunlun without being easily discovered."
"Then the traitor must be passing information through the Tree Demon," the Lady of Wushan scoffed.
Song Jixue finally spoke: "To monitor the Three Mountains, one Tree Demon is not enough."
The Jiuping Peak Master immediately said, "A Ghost-Faced Tree Demon can have over a hundred roots. There is definitely more than one in Kunlun; many more are lurking."
"While the Tree Demon can possess Kunlun’s plants and share their breath, it fears the touch of Still-Spirit Rootless Water. A single drop can break its disguise. Sprinkle the water throughout Kunlun to force them to reveal themselves, then find an opportunity to capture one alive." Song Jixue looked at Xia Sangyi. "How long will it take?"
"To sprinkle it across all of Kunlun, give me half an hour," Xia Sangyi said with apology in her eyes.
The Lord of Dayin Mountain comforted her, "It’s fine. Half an hour it is."
Xia Sangyi nodded and left quickly to return to her mountain to prepare the medicine.
As Song Jixue stepped out of the hall, he heard the Lady of Wushan’s cold questioning from behind: "Why was it Wenjue? He knows nothing of immortal sect affairs and didn't interfere with the Gate of Earthly Ghosts in the West Sea. Why did the traitor and the evil demon lurking in Kunlun wound him, out of all people, for no reason?"
The Jiuping Peak Master’s heart skipped a beat, and the others fell silent.
Song Jixue’s expression was normal as he turned back at the door.
The Lady of Wushan said with dark eyes, "Lord Yunshan, do you know who the only person my son offended that day was? It was Chang Yao! He accidentally killed the Three-Legged Phoenix during the day, and his hand was cut off by an evil demon at night. I don't believe in coincidences; this was Chang Yao’s intentional revenge!"
Some of the people present did not know about the incident between the Young Master of Wushan and the Three-Legged Phoenix. Hearing it now, the scales in their hearts tipped slightly toward the Lady of Wushan.
"If a hand was cut off to avenge the Three-Legged Phoenix, the mastermind should be me," Song Jixue said unhurriedly. "I care about the Three-Legged Phoenix more than A-Yao does. Learning of its death was truly hard to accept. A-Yao would only say forget it, as it was the bird’s own fault for flying into the sword range. But everyone knows my temper; I wouldn't think it was the bird's problem. Avenging the bird and ordering a demon to cut off a hand sounds more like something I would do."
The Lord of Wushan’s brow twitched violently: "Jixue!"
Song Jixue pulled back slightly. "Of course, I wouldn't do that, and neither would A-Yao."
The other Peak Masters looked at their noses and hearts and said nothing. The scales in their hearts tipped back toward Chang Yao, because they believed Song Jixue’s words—given his temper, he might actually dare to do such a thing.
The Jiuping Peak Master cleared his throat and offered a polite but awkward smile to smooth things over. "Sprinkling the Still-Spirit Rootless Water still requires the assistance of an array. Everyone, go and prepare quickly. Once we catch a Ghost-Faced Tree Demon, everything will be clear."
And so they dispersed.
Only the two of them had come from Yunshan. On the way back, the Jiuping Peak Master reported the various affairs of Yunshan during the half-month Song Jixue was away. Song Jixue listened patiently, responding from time to time.
"Is the Sect Leader returning to Shangyun Peak first?" The Jiuping Peak Master was very observant at this moment.
"Yes." Song Jixue nodded, his eyes sweeping back for an instant. "Peak Master Bai, do you think the same way?"
The Jiuping Peak Master’s expression faltered slightly.
Usually, Lord Yunshan addressed him as Jiuping Peak Master; only on very rare occasions did he call him Peak Master Bai.
"What is the Sect Leader asking?" The Jiuping Peak Master looked at him with an innocent face.
Song Jixue walked ahead without stopping. "What the Lady of Wushan said."
"If it concerns the Sect Leader’s wife, I naturally do not believe it," the Jiuping Peak Master said seriously.
Song Jixue’s face showed no change as he said calmly, "Is that so?"
The Jiuping Peak Master immediately sharpened his focus. "The Mistress has never managed Yunshan affairs; she has no way of passing useful information to the demon clan."
Song Jixue continued walking. "As long as she asks, I will definitely tell her."
Jiuping Peak Master: "..."
He spoke again: "But why would the Mistress do such a thing? Like she said, there is no reason."
Song Jixue, who had been walking in front, turned his head back.
The Jiuping Peak Master smiled like a Maitreya Buddha.
"When she was identified as the traitor, you didn't look at a single person. Only when the matter of the evil demon wounding someone in Wushan was mentioned did you frown twice and look at the Lady of Wushan three times." Song Jixue looked directly at him. "What you care about isn't the traitor, but this incident."
The innocent smile on the Jiuping Peak Master’s face stiffened slightly.
He quickly collected his thoughts. "I am indeed somewhat concerned. I just feel this matter is too much of a coincidence. Perhaps the demon clan intentionally chose this timing to frame the Mistress."
After saying this, the Jiuping Peak Master felt ashamed in his heart for even daring to say such nonsense.
Song Jixue looked at him silently. Because of his silence, the Jiuping Peak Master felt a string of tension in his brain. Fortunately, the silence did not last long. Lord Yunshan turned his head toward Shangyun Peak, simply waved his hand, and left.
Seeing the other's figure vanish in an instant, the Jiuping Peak Master quietly let out a sigh of relief. After Song Jixue disappeared from view, he sighed again.
Because he was obsessed with cultivation, he had also studied unorthodox paths in his youth. He was particularly fond of human spiritual veins and had written many documents. Based on his records, he had categorized the Kunlun Three Mountains and even modified some heart-method operations.
The Jiuping Peak Master remembered a snowy night several years ago. Song Jixue, who had not yet become Sect Leader, stood at his courtyard gate holding a blood-covered Chang Yao. That day, he had the privilege of seeing the unsociable and eccentric little monster of Yunshan with reddened eyes, clutching the woman in his arms as if she were his last life-saving straw—so careful and full of pity.
What bewildered the Jiuping Peak Master even more was that this arrogant and peerless little monster actually lowered himself to beg him, in a raspy voice, to save her.
If she were seriously ill or injured, he should have sought out the foremost medicinal cultivator, Xia Sangyi. But Chang Yao wasn't sick or wounded; her spiritual veins were shattered.
At that time, the Jiuping Peak Master thought that this woman must be extremely important to Song Jixue.
Later, he felt that Song Jixue truly loved this woman to death.
Occasionally, when he heard people chatting and saying Lord Yunshan married his wife out of gratitude and not true love, he couldn't help but want to laugh.
This was also good. Those who love each other getting married—a wonderful thing.
But looking at it now, his heart was filled with trepidation.
Yan Zibian would not lie, nor did he have a reason to. There must be a reason why Chang Yao’s name came from his mouth.
Even if Chang Yao was not a traitor, she certainly had a side unknown to others.
And this side might be something that even Song Jixue, who loved her deeply, was unaware of.
The Jiuping Peak Master scratched his head, feeling very worried about his Sect Leader’s future.
Comments
Post a Comment