WYFSDLG Chapter 13

The bell rang three times, and the sound waves traveled around the world. Hearing the signal, the guests who were still talking stopped and looked up at the sky. However, the divine light that attracted everyone’s attention passed directly over the crowd and fell straight onto the stone pathway leading to the Heavenly Gate.

 

On the broken steps at the top of the pathway stood a golden cauldron with four, intact legs. According to the ancient rituals, the two Dao companions should have jointly worshiped the Heavenly Dao and Mother Earth, but the Heavenly Dao was already dead so that part of the ceremony was now replaced by worshiping a symbol of Heaven.

 

The back curtain moved slightly, and Feng Qingyun and Mu Hanyang came down from their respective sedan chairs at the same time. The two needed to insert two pillars of golden incense into the heavenly cauldron at the same time. If the incense burned continuously, it was considered to have been recognized by Heaven, and the Dao ceremony was completed. Feng Qingyun’s expression was still indifferent, but Bai Ruolin, as the master of ceremonies, looked more nervous than him. She pursed her lower lip slightly and handed him the exquisite golden incense prepared in advance with trembling hands.

 

Feng Qingyun smiled gently and took the incense, signaling her that there was no need to be nervous. As for Mu Hanyang, he looked down from afar and saw Feng Qingyun with a drooping gaze, gripping the incense stick. For a moment, he was a little dazed, almost thinking that what he was seeing was his wedding night, and his beloved departed wife waiting for him.

 

But when he also approached to get his stick of incense, a terrible feeling of loneliness and gloom washed over him. It wasn’t her. The one he held so dearly in his heart was obviously a woman, and he never thought of himself as being easily swayed by men. Therefore, how could he mistake his younger brother for Miss Yu again and again?!

 

Feng Qingyun lowered his eyes acting quite shy, but in fact, he simply didn’t want to look at him. However, he still clearly noticed the emotional changes in Mu Hanyang. It was ironic that the truth of that illusion still eluded Lord Mu. He even remembered that on the wedding night of his previous life, a drunk Mu Hanyang lost his soul and regarded him as his “Miss Yu”. At that time, Feng Qingyun didn’t know that Mu Hanyang had also entered that illusory world, let alone that he had a guilty conscience.

 

Being regarded as someone else only made him feel sad, but he still didn’t take off his wedding dress, wanting to comfort his newly wedded husband. Unexpectedly, the man was too drunk, and when he turned his head and saw Feng Qingyun wearing a wedding dress, he became surprisingly furious, sternly warning him not to try to disguise himself as his beloved. In the end, he even said that they should regard the marriage with respect and not interfere in each other’s lives, waved his sleeves, and left. Feng Qingyun looked at the moonlight alone and sat quietly for the entire night.

 

At that time, he couldn’t figure out why his elder brother was so angry.

 

But now, he finally knew.

 

Was it because he was annoyed and angry that others had exposed the most hidden secret in his heart, or was he afraid of the truth that was so close at hand?

 

Maybe both.

 

After all, how could the leader of the Righteous Path be moved by another man simply because he resembled his heart’s desire? And how could the hero who removed evil and promoted good be a heartless man who sent his newlywed wife into the Dragon Cave with his own hands?

 

He should have known a long time ago.

 

After that night, Feng Qingyun never asked about “Miss Yu”, and Mu Hanyang did not seem to be consumed by madness until the day the sky collapsed. And then came the fight they had when Mu Hanyang left the sect and his own death and subsequent rebirth. It was only now that the two of them stood once again as Dao companions, in front of the heavenly cauldron. Feng Qingyun looked up at the fiery sky, with an unknown emotion in his eyes that Mu Hanyang knew nothing about. After both of them received the incense sticks, they walked up the stone pathway from both sides, with a distance of dozens of feet between them. As the saying goes, it was truly a case of “The sun and moon are the highest and brightest, but a husband and wife are the closest yet the most distant[mfn]“至高至明日月，至亲至疏夫妻” comes from Li Ye’s “Eight Zhi” in the Tang Dynasty, and it reflects the idea that celestial bodies, though lofty and brilliant, remain constant, while the relationship between spouses, despite being intimate, can also feel distant at times. It highlights the complexities of marriage—where deep connection and emotional estrangement can coexist[/mfn].”

 

It took a full 80 steps to walk from the ground to the Heavenly Gate. In his past life, Feng Qingyun walked those steps feeling extremely nervously and happy but now, he finished them in the blink of an eye, a fact that thoroughly amused him. Back then, the end of the staircase was impossible to be seen at a glance, just like the long and lonely three hundred years that would follow. As he walked on the heavenly steps holding his stick of incense and feeling rather bored, Feng Qingyun let his divine consciousness unconsciously expand again, almost covering the whole Xiān Gōng Sect.

 

Soon enough, the conversations of countless guests poured into his ears. However, Feng Qingyun had long been tired of hearing those seemingly enviable but demeaning words, leaving him with no feelings at the moment. Just as he was about to regain his awareness, he suddenly seemed to have a premonition. He saw that among the countless guests who sat down, there was a seemingly ordinary person standing up, looking at him without blinking.

 

But everyone around him seemed to be unaware of his presence, naturally passing over him to toast and communicate.

 

It was like a person who accidentally broke into time and space.

 

Feng Qingyun’s heart jumped as he suddenly remembered that damned sentence that haunted the last moments of his previous life.

 

“As for the way of ascending that I still owe to you… I’ll tell you next time.”

 

Long Yin… Is that you?

 

…………….

 

“Present the incense!”

 

Mu Hanyang took the lead in inserting his incense stick into the heavenly cauldron. When he raised his eyes, he saw Feng Qingyun still holding his stick, frozen in place for some reason. He didn’t understand what the complicated and subtle emotions in the other party’s eyes meant, but it did not prevent him from jumping suddenly, as an indescribable sense of panic and coldness went all the way up his spine.

 

And in the next moment, his premonition came true. With a crisp sound, the Feng Qingyun who looked so calm, and in front of countless guests and people from all over the world, broke the golden incense stick in his hand.

 

The audience went silent in an instant, and everyone was stunned.

 

Feng Qingyun looked at Mu Hanyang, who looked as dumb as a wooden chicken, and gently hooked the corners of his mouth. No one knew whether he was saying goodbye to himself from the past, or to the one he had chased for half of his life only to find out that it was all an illusion. Then he suddenly turned around. In front of Heaven and Earth and under the shocked eyes of countless people, he raised his hand and resolutely tore off the beautiful bright red dress on his body, revealing the simple cultivator robe he wore underneath. His outfit was both skillful and plain, and it looked out of place with the happy event. However, it was obvious at first glance that he had come prepared.

 

This time around, Feng Qingyun did not walk down the stone pathway. He seemed to be mocking himself who had walked 80 steps for an obsession in his previous life, so he now chose to step into the void without looking back, simply falling down without showing any respect for the ceremony. As expected, all the guests and disciples of the Xiān Gōng Sect were thoroughly shocked, and no one moved. Even Mu Hanyang looked at everything that happened in front of him stiffly, acting as if he had been possessed.

 

In fact, his brain seemed to have turned on the self-protection mechanism. Since he was unwilling to accept reality, he simply couldn’t react at all.

 

What’s more, the speed of everything happened way too fast. Feng Qingyun left the stone pathway in a flash, and not even the most renowned of the guests could take notice of his speed. In less than three breaths, it was obvious to everyone that the seemingly useless Little Palace Master had in fact been thorough with his cultivation, reaching a terrible point without anyone’s notice.

 

Under the scorching sun, the bright red satin strips that decorated the Xiān Gōng Sect turned into bloody rain, falling down like rotten flower petals. Feng Qingyun stepped into the air among the falling red and finally stopped in front of a seemingly ordinary guest, saying in a surprisingly gentle tone: “Your Excellency was not invited. What do you mean by coming here?”

 

The other guests finally came back to their senses and looked around them filled with suspicion. As for the man than no one else could see, he also seemed to be surprised by Feng Qingyun’s approach, but only for an instant. Soon enough, he suddenly lifted the ban.

 

The surrounding cultivators were surprised to see a handsome man appear out of thin air, covered by boundless amounts of spiritual power. The air seemed to stagnate for a moment and after a brief silence, the stunned guests suddenly exclaimed: “A demon?!”

 

“It’s the Demon Lord, Long Yin–!”

 

“How could that demon be here?!”

 

It was at this time that Mu Hanyang finally came back to his senses. As the leader of the Righteous Path, his own Dao ceremony was quietly invaded by demons, which was simply a disgrace for him. So he suddenly drew his sword in anger, appearing in front of them in a breath. However, that was just the beginning, and the most embarrassing thing for him was yet to come. Long Yin’s eyes seemed to not see him, the leader of the Righteous Path, at all. Instead, he looked at Feng Qingyun and said jokingly: “I’m here to get back what’s mine.”

 

As soon as those words left his mouth, the audience fell back into silence. As for Feng Qingyun, he didn’t seem to be surprised at all. Instead, he raised his eyebrows and asked condescendingly: “And what is that?”

 

Long Yin hooked the corners of his mouth and answered in his familiar, mocking tone: “My bride, you.”

 

Mu Hanyang was furious and immediately wanted to cut the annoying demon with his sword. However, the next second, his whole body suddenly froze in place, simply because… He heard his little brother, the ever-so-obedient one who had never done anything out of the ordinary, look down at the demon in front of him and say: “Sure, I’ll come with you.”

 

Those words had the same effect as cold water being poured over a seemingly quiet oil pan. In an instant, one stone stirred up thousands of waves, and the whole audience started to boil. The head of the cultivation world, the Sect Leader of the Xiān Gōng Sect, saw his own little brother who had admired him for hundreds of years, elope with the Demon Lord, right during his Dao ceremony. Of course, it was an unprecedented shame.

 

Mu Hanyang was so angry that he didn’t pay attention to Feng Qingyun at all. Instead, he plunged toward Long Yin with his sword, and yet, Long Yin didn’t even lift his arm, as if he were surrounded by empty air. The guests who were close by subconsciously scattered, unwilling to be involved in the enmity of stealing Lord Mu’s bride. However, those who were far away saw that the dragon demon did not move at all, and secretly wondered whether he only sent an external incarnation, without coming in person. If that was true, then it wasn’t a big deal to be pierced by Mu Hanyang’s sword. It was simply a pity that the simple-minded Feng Qingyun was lured by his deceitful words, making him lose all his face.

 

But before those cultivators could even voice those thoughts, it became obvious that there was no need for Long Yin to react at all because somebody else moved faster. The Linshuang sword came out of its sheath, forcibly stopping Lord Mu’s sword. In the Xiān Gōng Sect, even the crows and sparrows turned silent, witnessing Feng Qingyun in his plain, white robes, standing in front of the Demon Lord with an indifferent expression, holding his sword and looking at his older brother condescendingly.

 

And then the whole world cracked.

 

A plain sword managed to stop the leader of the Righteous Path, but Feng Qingyun had only been promoted to the Foundation-Building stage so… How could he be that strong?!

 

Wasn’t he defeated by the Demon Lord in front of the Heavenly Gate just a few days ago?! How come he was now as strong as Lord Mu?! Was everything that happened before just a farce and could it be that the two of them had actually been accomplices all along?! Did the Second Palace Master of the Xiān Gōng Sect raised his level by engaging in dual cultivation with th Demon Lord?!

 

Many people were shocked and doubtful, busy turning white into black, but they still couldn’t help but think about whether they had offended Feng Qingyun recently. As for Mu Hanyang, the one who was blocked by his own younger brother’s sword in front of everyone, he stared with a blank face for three seconds. After returning to his senses, he was both stunned and angry, roaring: “Qingyun, what do you mean?!”

 

“Qingyun didn’t mean it. Now that I’m leaving, the position of Second Palace Master will be handed over to you as well. Just give it to whoever you want.” Feng Qingyun said calmly, continuing with a hint of subtle sarcasm: “I hope you’ll reunite with your partner as soon as possible and have a good relationship with her.”

 

As soon as that was said, Mu Hanyang’s face changed slightly, but the people around him immediately heard the slight slur in Feng Qingyun’s words.

 

“Did you hear me last night…” Mu Hanyang suddenly realized something, but he immediately bit his tongue as soon as he said it. “It’s not what you think, Qingyun! It’s just that Master asked me to take care of you before she ascended…”

 

However, Feng Qingyun directly interrupted him, saying: “Did Master ask you to take care of me, or take care of the position as Sect Leader? I think you know better than I what she meant.”

 

A simple sentence like that solidified everyone’s guess, and many people’s expressions immediately became subtle. It turned out that the disciples of the Xiān Gōng Sect were fighting for power, leading to a complete fiasco. After all, everyone knew in their hearts that it was Feng Qingyun who was the real Sect Leader of the Xiān Gōng Sect and in fact, Mu Hanyang has long been marginalized in his own sect for various reasons. In that way, it was not Feng Qingyun who disregarded his Master’s wish, but rather Mu Hanyang who forced his little brother to give up his rightful power.

 

People were always willing to believe what they believed. As for whether it was the truth or not, it never mattered. After all, even if it was a lie, as long as enough people believed it, it became real.

 

Mu Hanyang was put to the point where he could no longer hide from the world’s eyes thanks to Feng Qingyun’s words, about to be crucified on the shameful pillar of “forcing his younger brother to flee to the demonic path in order to regain his rightful position as the Sect Leader”. At that critical moment, his good apprentice Liu Wu resolutely stood up. It seemed that he had been spoiled by Feng Qingyun since he was a child, thinking his uncle would not dare to do anything to him. Seeing the way things evolved, he shouted directly: “Uncle, you were deceived by the demon! Master is dedicated to the Xiān Gōng Sect! If it’s only about the position of Sect Leader, why wait until now? Master had already been benevolent to you, so don’t be stupid anymore! If you lose your way, the Rightful Path won’t take you back…”

 

But before his words were finished, a palm suddenly rose from dozens of feet away, hitting Liu Wu’s face directly. After a crisp sound, he was sent flying into the audience, toppling everyone in his path.

 

“Ah Wu!!!”

 

“Big brother!” 

 

“Brother!”

 

It turned out that Liu Wu’s guess was in fact correct. Feng Qingyun really didn’t do anything to him. It was Long Yin, who had not said a word since the beginning.

 

“The rules of your Xiān Gōng Sect are so disrespectful and frankly speaking, totally useless. Can you shout at your Master like this?” He said slowly. “It seems that as your new uncle, it’s my duty to educate you well.”

 

……………………..

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