It was not until Ku Xue left that Feng Qingyun finally registered what had happened. Long Yin sat by his bed, peeling fruits and feeding them to him, but Feng Qingyun was numb, looking over in a trance. Seeing his blank appearance, Long Yin couldn’t help laughing and waving his hand in front of him: “Little Palace Master?”, he asked. “Don’t want to do it? Or you just can’t stand it?”
“…You already knew it would be like that,” Feng Qingyun said, looking at him with watery eyes.
It was not a question, but an unquestionable fact.
Long Yin hummed and said: “I already told you, your Dragon God is omnipotent.”
Feng Qingyun vaguely felt that he had fallen into a trap that someone else had designed a long time ago… But he couldn’t say anything. After all, everything was because of him. For ordinary cultivators, not to mention relatives or friends, not even their own parents might be willing to donate blood every day.
Therefore, he couldn’t suggest that it was better to replace essence with just plain blood. After all, taking both at the same time was indeed too much for most people and, with Feng Qingyun’s temper, he really couldn’t be that picky. In the end, he could only pinch his nose and do it, admitting defeat.
As for the matter of forming another blood contract after he finished blooming… Neither of them mentioned it.
Feng Qingyun reluctantly accepted his new reality after eating four or five grapes in a row, followed by a couple of lychees. Considering what Mu Hanyang might do next, they were close to missing the time for the Ghost Gate to open, unable to delay it any longer. Therefore, the plan of getting him to bloom was suddenly put on the agenda, and that included paying a visit to his so-called demon clan, in the Demon World.
Originally, the two of them should have started a long time ago, but the problem was that Bai Ruolin no longer wished to return to the Xiān Gōng Sect. After what Mu Hanyang did to her and seeing his twisted face, she felt sick to the stomach whenever she thought about that man. Even if she swallowed this injustice and temporarily thought that nothing happened, she would still not be able to deal with it if she returned home.
With Bai Ruolin’s temper, the first thing she did after her brother woke up was to swear to get revenge for him, only to be stopped by Feng Qingyun. Before the blood deed was completely erased, it was better to prevent further angering the other party, or else Mu Hanyang might come to disturb their plans at any given time. The best thing to do was to be quiet and do nothing.
And after the blood deed disappeared, there was no need to say anything more.
There were nine Golden Core cultivators in the entire cultivation world, and if one of them were to suddenly and dramatically fall in rank, the others were bound the be intrigued. At that time, everything that Mu Hanyang had done would become common knowledge, with nowhere to hide.
As for the disciples training under Bai Ruolin, although she was violent and short-tempered, she never procrastinated in her teachings and the level of her fundamentals was solid. Therefore, although there were not many people who were training under her, the Xiān Gōng Sect’s Third Palace was full of martial arts idiots, a solid and unshakable line in the sect.
In fact, when the sky collapsed in Feng Qingyun’s previous life, it was Bai Ruolin’s Third Palace who rushed to die protecting the Heavenly Gate. Despite its chaotic reputation, it was still an existence that everyone in the cultivation world admitted was worthy of respect.
So Mu Hanyang could not say that Bai Ruolin also abandoned her duties and defected to the Demon World. With his character and the image he showed to the outside world, he could only choose to stay quiet and continue to take care of Bai Ruolin’s disciples, in case the little girl planned to run amok and ruin his reputation outside.
Considering those details, after tossing and turning for a long time, Bai Ruolin finally couldn’t help but find Feng Qingyun and confess: “…Brother, I don’t want to go back… Can I accompany you to find information from your spiritual plant clan?”
After saying that, she was quite apprehensive, never in one thousand years thinking that Feng Qingyun’s reply would only be: “Okay.”
It came so unexpectedly that she was suddenly a little confused.
However, Feng Qingyun followed by saying: “Each of the demon clans has a very powerful patriarch. There are at least three of them who come close to the rank of a demon general, not to mention the countless powerful soldiers under them. With your current cultivation, it’s hard to guarantee your safety.”
“Here, it’s only the demon fox clan who showed a very kind attitude towards me, so you should at least have the ability to protect yourself from the rest before you can come.”
As soon as that was said, Bai Ruolin reluctantly accepted the bitter taste of reality. “Then…”, she started. “If I break through and advance a rank, can I come with you?”
“Well, if you manage to break through and advance a rank in such a short time, I can ascend in peace knowing that you’ll take care of all my future problems,” Feng Qingyun nodded while saying in a gentle tone. “But I don’t want you to put that much pressure on yourself, it’s enough to just master your current sword practice and consolidate your realm. There are still some things to take care of here, so we can wait a few more days. Can you do that?”
In fact, the original plan was to set off tomorrow, but in the face of his excited little sister, Feng Qingyun became soft-hearted.
“…Yes!” Bai Ruolin gladly reassured him. “Before I came, I vaguely felt that my bottleneck was about to loosen, but the entire sect was in a mess. No one was available to practice with me, so I may need my brother’s guidance now.”
Feng Qingyun smiled and said: “Well, as long as you need an opponent, you don’t need to come to me. Everyone here is more than willing to help you.”
Bai Ruolin was stunned, feeling that her older brother had gained the aura of a tiger, seemingly overnight. Touching her nose awkwardly, she mumbled: “…My brother really became His Highness.”
Feng Qingyun raised his eyebrows: “What?”
“No, nothing, let’s start now.”
……………………..
In the next few days, Bai Ruolin had the time of her life. The Demon Palace was amazingly big, but also amazingly empty and quiet, and all of her time was divided between eating and practicing her swordsmanship.
Normally, cultivators didn’t need to eat, but the food brought by Yue Jinshu was so delicious that she couldn’t help herself, eating a couple of mouthfuls too much.
…It was simply a nice vacation compared with the days she lived in the Xiān Gōng Sect before!
In fact, there were a lot of servants in the Demon Palace, but they were scattered everywhere. With Bai Ruolin’s daily itinerary of waking up at dawn every day, she was mostly alone. However, once on a whim of hers, she wanted to see if the awkward empty field in front of the palace improved or not. As soon as she approached a window, it looked like two demons appeared out of thin air in the garden, ready to scold their masters:
“Then what?! They want us to move everything back again?!”
“I heard that Changle Sword Master thought the garden was too ugly like this, asking for everything to be replanted.”
“Be serious… His Majesty was so happy to remove everything for his wife, saying there only needed to be one flower in his entire Demon Palace…”
“What’s the difference between that and giving in to lust?! In my opinion, His Majesty can go ahead and enter that Xiān Gōng Sect if he likes it so much. I can keep the throne warm for a couple of days…”
Well, needless to say, Bai Ruolin was shocked. Listening to the two little demons talking in such an unruly and arrogant manner, she didn’t know whether to stop it or not. However, the two servants really talked a lot over there, soon turning the subject to her…
“Speaking of which, what kind of Changle Sword Master is that… At first, I really thought it was some powerful cultivator but… It’s just a little girl, ah?!”
“I think the young lady is good, quite pleasing to the eyes but… Her head is not as smart as His Highness… It’s really a case of taking after one’s mother in only looks and not brains.”
“Smart or not, it’s probably a good thing she came. His Majesty has such a good temper now… What they say it’s right, getting a wife will change a man’s life, but it’s having a daughter that will bring the most joy!”
As soon as they finished speaking, they seemed to have also finished their work. Unexpectedly, they turned back, only to come face to face with the stunned, “not so smart” Bai Ruolin who really… Had no time to hide. Both parties looked at each other in silence for a brief second, separated by the cold, jade window.
“Lady… Lady Changle Sword Master!” The two demons quickly exclaimed in fear.
But Bai Ruolin was confused, too confused to scold them. Was that how she looked in the eyes of the Demon World?!
…Was she now the Demon Emperor’s pretty daughter?!
Besides, she was not that smart compared with her “mother”?!
The two little demons tried their best to swallow the hearts that rose to their throats, looking panicked and frightened, and carefully testing: “Lady Changle Sword Master, did you just…?”
“Uh… I heard nothing!” Bai Ruolin quickly waved her hand, paused for a moment, and then continued: “Actually, I think… You’re probably right.”
Except for the fact that she was not very smart!
After the two servants looked at each other, they were so relieved to hear her words that they exclaimed: “Right? You also think so!”
“Let me tell you,” one of them continued. “A few days ago, some idiot attempted to assassinate His Majesty, but this time around, the Lord only dismembered and threw him in the fire pit, not kill him on the spot!”
Was that… Having a good temper?!
Bai Ruolin couldn’t help but shiver, but she also noticed the subtle changes in the Demon Palace. After Feng Qingyun came, he took over part of the affairs. As a result, the death rate inside the Demon Palace plummeted, and the loyalty the servants showed while serving “the royal couple” increased a lot.
At least on the surface, the assassination attempts Long Yin dealt with changed from a regular, everyday affair, to only happening once a month.
If one were to look at it from that angle, both sides got satisfactory results.
It’s just that for righteous cultivators such as Feng Qingyun and Bai Ruolin, living under the rules of the Demon World was still difficult.
However, no one there seemed to sympathize with them. At present, the demons were only slightly embarrassed, asking Bai Ruolin: “Where… Where is the Lady going? We want to go and pick some fruits, do you… Want any?”
Half a month ago, Bai Ruolin would have considered that way of carefully addressing her to be completely magical but now… She was used to it. “I have to go to practice,” she answered. “Thank you for your service, but I don’t need fruits. You can eat them.”
After saying that, she hurried off in the distance, flying on her sword like the dignified but “not so smart” beauty she apparently was.
………………..
When she arrived at the training ground, her “parents” were already waiting for her, already in a deep conversation about something else.
“Did you contact your clan?” Long Yin asked.
Feng Qingyun replied: “No, I only spoke with the foxes.”
Because of his nasty mouth and unruly temper, there were still several ancestral demon clans who refused to bow their heads to Long Yin. After all, his reputation could not even compare to Mu Hanyang’s, so he could only rely on Feng Qingyun’s connections to safely travel in that mysterious part of the Demon World.
Fortunately, although Zhong Yulan, Feng Qingyun’s already ascended master, also had a bad temper, she was stronger than Long Yin, so the connections she left behind were still barely available.
Feng Qingyun continued: “But as the fox Patriarch said, he might be able to find some information about what’s wrong with my primordial body but… I’m afraid we’ll have to pay for it.”
It sounded like they were talking business. When Bai Ruolin heard her brother’s words, she was about to push the door in, but the next second, Long Yin suddenly said: “Why isn’t your sister here yet?”
“Yes.” Feng Qingyun also hesitated for a moment before answering: “Why isn’t Ruolin here yet…?”
That place was specially built, as the only space in the entire Demon Palace that couldn’t be spied on by divine consciousness. After all, it was a training dojo, so having outsiders aware of what was happening inside was not a wise move.
But forget about using your divine consciousness to spy on them, even with the door closed, one could still hear the sounds inside!
For example, the poor Bai Ruolin who was standing at the door could hear everything clearly! After the two men inquired about her absence, the voices inside became a little smaller, with Feng Qingyun pausing for a moment before saying something that sounded suspiciously like: “While she isn’t here…”
Long Yin smiled, put down his teacup, and gently knocked on the table.
At first, Bai Ruolin didn’t realize what was happening. It was not until the delicate and sticky watery sounds started coming from the cracks in the door that she suddenly froze.
Inside the room, Feng Qingyun’s eyelashes trembled slightly as he obediently kissed Long Yin, an action that, over time, became as normal for him as eating or drinking water.
Since he was forced to do it every day, it became Feng Qingyun’s regular diet.
But it was still extremely embarrassing for Bai Ruolin. At that moment, she was like a child who unknowingly stumbled upon her parents being intimate with each other, unable to neither go inside the dojo nor leave it.
Fortunately, Feng Qingyun only needed a small amount of essence, soon ending the kiss and pretending like nothing was wrong. However, the more he tried to play it as official business, the more ambiguous and sticky it seemed…
…Just like sneaking out in the middle of the night to fool around with your lover, making Bai Ruolin blush.
However, after sharing a kiss, the two men inside the dojo continued to talk about work, really acting like nothing happened.
“The situation with your buds is still the same as before,” Long Yin said. “What did that fox bastard say again? Does he have a way to fix your problem but wants to sell it for profit?”
After drinking a mouthful of tea, Feng Qingyun answered: “He said he might know something, but never mentioned what it is specifically.”
“It’s probably something related to the illusions the fox clan specializes in,” Long Yin said, “It’s said that they can spy on your most desired thing, so maybe his way is to drag you into an illusion and see if there’s an answer hidden in there.”
“The fox clan’s art of illusion…” When it came to that, Feng Qingyun paused for a moment, as if he remembered something.
Long Yin wanted to ask what was wrong, but at that moment, Bai Ruolin accidentally touched the door. The two heard the movement outside and suddenly stopped talking. Feng Qingyun cleared his throat and asked: “…Ruolin? Why wait at the door?”
Bai Ruolin pushed the door in stubbornly. Just now, she was just eavesdropping outside, with no idea of what was actually happening in the room. However, as soon as she opened the door, she saw that Feng Qingyun was busy… Collecting his rose wine. It was easy to understand that just a moment ago, he was busy parading his buds in front of someone.
…What was the difference between that and doing it in broad daylight?!
Bai Ruolin blushed with red ears, pretending she didn’t see anything. Walking over, she said: “Brother! …Senior.”
“Hmm.” Feng Qingyun put down his teacup and said. “We’ll leave tomorrow. Although you did not achieve a breakthrough in your cultivation, at present, just your experience is enough. You just need to consolidate your knowledge again, and we can set off.”
Every time he was nervous, he… Talked a lot. Bai Ruolin pretended to be stupid, only nodding. “I have reached a little understanding today,” she said. “Please brother, give me some guidance.”
Feng Qingyun said nothing more. In an instant, he was already holding his Linshuang sword. Dressed in exquisite silk robes, he was the real embodiment of a true master.
Just looking at him, no one would be able to guess that he was a blood-sucking demon.
“Take out your sword and let brother see your progress.” Feng Qingyun said softly.
Bai Ruolin’s sword was sharp enough, but Feng Qingyun’s still blocked casually. However, he still nodded and praised her: “Your swordsmanship is much stronger.”
“But your speed is not faster than before. Come again.”
Hearing that, Bai Ruolin pursed her lips and pinched her sword, eager to attack again. The empty hall was full of the sound of metal colliding for a while, mixed with some gentle teachings from time to time. In fact, Feng Qingyun’s teachings had always made people feel like they were caressed by the gentle, spring breeze.
For Hua Ying, she liked alchemy but lacked any sort of martial training. Feng Qingyun asked her to refine three furnaces per day, but even that was too hard for the spoiled little girl.
As for Liu Wu, his foundation was not solid enough. In addition, his bones were weak, and even his meridians were thinner than those of ordinary people. Feng Qingyun tried to consolidate his foundation before he could show any sort of progress, but Liu Wu ignored the truth. On the day he should have bowed down to his master, he abolished his martial arts, running away to Mu Hanyang.
So, compared to Lord Mu’s doting, Feng Qingyun was a strict teacher.
Therefore, although all of Mu Hanyang’s disciples grew up under him, they still vaguely preferred him over Feng Qingyun, simply because Lord Mu never bothered with them, allowing the freedom to follow one’s heart.
Just like in a mortal family, a child will always prefer the father who would occasionally play with them for a while, over the mother who would strictly oversee their education.
Most children were close to their mother but didn’t necessarily like her.
And that situation was often caused by the fact that the “father” was always busy, so even if his children’s educational achievements were lacking, he never cared enough to get angry.
Feng Qingyun seemed to have that kind of gentle mother temperament, but in fact, he only looked like that on the surface, with the truth being slightly more elusive. Most people were either docile all their lives or gradually changed after encountering difficulties…
…But as a demon, Feng Qingyun’s view was vastly different.
Normal people were inherently good to others but, if the other party refused, they would gradually withdraw their favors. But Feng Qingyun was different. His changes in mood seemed sudden from the outside, not at all linked to what others thought of him.
Back when he was young, his master was not very good at taking care of children. For entertainment, she gifted him a small, stone sword to hold and play with, and yet, Feng Qingyun treated that object as an equal, watering it every day in hopes it would bloom.
Of course, a stone would never bloom no matter how much water it received. When faced with that type of situation, a regular child would quickly understand, growing from impatient, to disappointed, and finally, to resigned. But Feng Qingyun never did. He watered it with boundless hope every time, never regretting his failure.
Until suddenly, he stepped out of the blue.
Mu Hanyang asked strangely: “Little brother, why did you stop watering your precious stone?”
“Because of this, I realized stones can’t bloom,” little Feng Qingyun said with a smile, not regretting any of his wasted efforts. “I’m going to find a seed that will sprout like me.”
The same was true when he was dealing with people, showing pure kindness and never expecting anything in return. As long as the other party responded to him, he never thought about gains and losses. But when he finally realized that a response would never come from a piece of stone, he would pull away completely and without waves, as if the previous relationship never existed. On ordinary days, he was not that different from others. However, in the eyes of those who hid secrets in their hearts, he was just as moody and cruel as a demon.
Even Mu Hanyang accused him of being inhuman more than once. Obviously, he could freely give himself to others, but never warned them when it was time to take it back.
But what Mu Hanyang didn’t realize was that most demons were similar… Eager to please, but just as eager to turn the tables on you when mistreated. It’s a pity that Lord Mu never cared enough to fully understand him, so Feng Qingyun’s favors never truly belonged to him.
In the end, all the paranoia in Feng Qingyun’s personality molded him into a strict teacher who would always give his best for his students but, if his teachings failed, it would never affect his conscience.
Bai Ruolin knew what was right and wrong, so she never complained about Feng Qingyun’s severity. However, she also failed to appreciate exactly how gentle he was, compared to someone else.
“Do it like that, and we’ll still be here next year, teaching.” Long Yin, the real demon who had been silently watching for a long time, finally put down his teacup and said. “There is no murderous intent in her sword. She obviously never had to deal with someone who truly wanted her dead, so she’s not used to properly defending herself.”
Feng Qingyun was just analyzing Bai Ruolin’s movements. Hearing his man had something to comment about, he turned his head and looked at him. “Then what?”, he asked. “Do you think you can teach her better?”
“What do you mean?” Long Yin actually got up with a serious look on his face, loosened his shoulders, and said: “You just think about how you’re going to thank me later.”
Before Bai Ruolin could understand the meaning of his slightly dirty words, Feng Qingyun sneered, throwing his own Linshuang sword to the demon: “Go ahead. Teach her well, and if she manages to break through her bottleneck, I’ll thank you however you want. However…”
“If she doesn’t–”
Long Yin took the sword and raised his eyebrows, asking: “What if she doesn’t?”
“If she can’t do it,” Feng Qingyun stared at him before continuing: “Then you’ll be the one coming to me to beg.”
Unfazed by his threat, Long Yin smiled and answered: “Okay, as you say. This Lord is extremely pleased with both of those options.”
Bai Ruolin opened her eyes as wide as she could, looking shocked at Feng Qingyun, and then looking just as shocked at Long Yin.
That… That was Feng Qingyun’s life sword! How could he so easily give it to a demon?!
As for her brother, he returned to his seat and elegantly sat down. He even had the leisure to take a sip from the same cup Long Yin was using, looking at the training court with grace.
Bai Ruolin was stunned, but soon enough, she no longer had enough space in her brain to complain about her “parents” treating her as a reason to flirt…
…After the huge demonic Qi unfolded, threatening to swallow her whole, there was only one sentence playing in a loop in her mind–
He… He’s going to kill me, right?!
……………………..
As usual, up to five chapters in advance are available here, with five more coming next week! There are also exclusive illustrations waiting for you ❤️ Happy reading!
T.N: Hello everyone, I have exciting news. I decided to move another one of my projects here, a little QT novel called When it comes to hooking men, I’m the Master! The first 2 chapters have already been posted, and I will update it every Friday. Below is the synopsis, I hope you’ll like it!
After Lu Chi died, he was inexplicably recruited and bound by the Quick Transmigration Department of a novel world, becoming a glorious and reliable… third wheel (!?)
“Professionally Immoral” System: Baby, you’re not only good-looking but most importantly, you’re also morally bankrupt! Please give it your all to break up the protagonist couple and become the thorn between the Shou and Gong!
Lu Chi: …Okay.
Later on, Lu Chi didn’t just become a thorn in the couple’s side. He became their inner demon, haunting them day and night.
To this, Lu Chi proudly declared: “Heck yeah, that’s my style!”
1. [Campus romance plot]
The renowned A University hired a new assistant lecturer: young, handsome, and frivolous, practically radiating the words “social butterfly.”
Rumor has it that Mr. Lu loves clubbing after work, often dancing wildly and even stripping on the floor…
Where’s the morality? Where’s the decency? More importantly, where’s the address of that nightclub?!
However, the student council president was from a wealthy family, a dignified young man known for his cold and rigid demeanor. Everyone assumed he disapproved of the new teacher… Otherwise, why else would he stare at Mr. Lu so intensely in every class, as if deeply contemptuous of his popularity?
Until one late night, when someone witnessed the president kick a junior (who was there to confess his love) straight into the river, then drag out the onlooking Mr. Lu, asking him in a hoarse but eerily calm voice:
“You’re out partying from morning to night.”
“Then at midnight, you say you want to break up with me, saying you need more love than I can give you.”
“Lu Chi, do you need to see a doctor?”
Lu Chi: ……
The beautiful Mr. Lu blinked, looked at the protagonist Shou who was nearly drowning in the river, then back at the protagonist Gong who was on the verge of madness, and innocently asked the system in his mind: “So… Does this count as keeping them apart?”
