On the training ground, Bai Ruolin swallowed her saliva, seeing that her two seniors were serious. In the end, she could only raise her Changle Sword and grit her teeth, preparing to meet the enemy.
Before starting, she still silently thought in her heart that at least the Demon Lord was not using his own sword, and her brother was still watching so… Maybe she would not lose too badly… Right?!
And yet, she ignored one thing. Not long ago, her brother was defeated by the same Demon Lord who used their own sect’s sword techniques to come and mess with them in front of the Heavenly Gate.
Long Yin, a literal God who had lived for tens of thousands of years, had no issues with bullying his so-much-younger rose, so sparing her was really… Not on his agenda. After all, the word “merciful” was never part of Long Yin’s dictionary, not even when dealing with his own subordinates.
So of course, Bai Ruolin was severely beaten. Lying on the ground, she looked at the clear sky above wondering…
…Not even one stick of incense later, I’ve already lost?!
Bai Ruolin started to think about it seriously, and for a moment, she even doubted the level of her cultivation. Was it normal to learn swordsmanship for so many years, only to lose miserably in a split moment?!
According to what had just happened, her brother was too gentle!
However, after eating a mouthful of dust, Bai Ruolin was still a big-hearted child. There was no sign of her throwing a tantrum and threatening to abandon her sword. On the contrary, she felt that her meridians started to open, vaguely seeing a glimpse of the truth in her desperate situation.
The fact that she was lying on the ground was not her showing resignation and disappointment. Instead, she was busy recalling the experience, trying to understand the breakthrough she might have experienced fully.
Bai Ruolin has been a sword idiot since she was a child, so Feng Qingyun was not at all surprised by the common occurrence of her becoming one with the soil of the training ground. However, he soon realized that although his sister’s cultivation had indeed improved, she obviously showed no signs of advancing a whole realm as someone bragged she would. Looking at Long Yin with a smile, he joked: “Your Majesty, what should a gentleman say in this situation?”
Long Yin raised his hand and threw him back his sword, answering: “I’m willing to admit defeat.”
Hearing that, Feng Qingyun couldn’t help but raise the corners of his mouth. And yet, Long Yin was still in the mood to tease him, walking to his side. He then supported the armrests on both sides of the chair, deliberately bent down, and asked: “Little Palace Master, are you waiting for this Lord to come and beg now? Huh?”
Feng Qingyun turned his face and said nothing, only showing the silhouette of his pursed lips, but there was a glint of something in his eyes.
For a second, Long Yin realized that he had never seen him show such a relaxed and happy appearance. Even if he were to carefully comb through the scattered memories he had accumulated for two lifetimes, Feng Qingyun always seemed to be in a state of sadness. And at present, that should have been more the case. Even with the dooming blood contract that could potentially hurt him at any time, Feng Qingyun’s posture was still more relaxed and comfortable than it had ever been in the past three hundred years.
Even if he counted his first life, one was afraid that he had never experienced the pleasure of the present.
Seeing his smug appearance, Long Yin couldn’t help but smile, patiently waiting for him.
Finally, Feng Qingyun thought for a long time, happily picking up a word he thought the Demon Emperor would never be willing to utter. He raised his eyes and said: “Your Majesty, I might be able to forgive you if you call me brother. Let me listen to that.”
When he said that, even the corners of his mouth were full of mirth as if he were very proud of his sneakiness.
And yet, Long Yin only sneered: “You thought for such a long time only to come up with that?”
“Leave me alone!”, Feng Qingyun urged dissatisfiedly. “You were willing to lose the bet! You said it yourself that you admit defeat!”
He thought Long Yin would struggle for a while, never expecting he would be oh-so-willing to say it without hesitation. Leaning over, he whispered in Feng Qingyun’s ear: “Brother~”
His voice was extremely low and mixed with the magnetism of a confident man. In addition to that, he also used a bit of Qi, making sure that word could easily penetrate the soul and hit Feng Qingyun’s mind.
Feng Qingyun suddenly heard it, falling into a stupor. After coming back to his senses, he blushed, not realizing that, with his thin skin, it was still Long Yin who was taking full advantage of him. His heart also showed signs of jumping out of his chest, but he innocently thought it was the result of successfully fooling Long Yin.
He did not dare to think about it deeply. Instead, he cleared his throat and said as if changing the topic: “Ruolin, come here.”
However, Bai Ruolin was still lying on the ground, looking at the sky without blinking and showing no signs of hearing anything.
Feng Qingyun was stunned.
Was she… Beaten into stupidity by Long Yin?!
He still did not dare to look at Long Yin… But the next second, Bai Ruolin suddenly jumped from the ground, like a carp out of water. The momentum around her seemed to change vaguely. Completely blind to her surroundings, she could only grab her sword and desperately slash down.
Feng Qingyun’s eyes turned cold as he pushed away the Demon Lord who was pressing on his body, raising his hand to counter her attack. The tremor after her sword was blocked made everyone present fall into silence, showing signs of something different.
Bai Ruolin actually had a breakthrough!
The little girl vaguely had the posture of the War Goddess who fearlessly defended the Heavenly Gate in Feng Qingyun’s previous life!
“Brother! I’ve done it!” After that sudden attack, she could no longer pretend to be serious, jumping around in surprise: “I’ve mastered it!”
She never expected that she would manage to overcome her bottleneck and advance in one single day so, at the moment, her eyes were full of: “Can I come with you now? Can I? Please ~”
Feng Qingyun cleared his throat and praised her from the bottom of his heart. “Naturally,” he said. “But Ruolin, you’ll really grow to become Changle Sword Master in the future, so you should act more seriously.”
But someone else was also excited… The eyes of the man next to Feng Qingyun were just as vivid, clearly conveying: “Come and thank this Lord already!” Bai Ruolin suddenly came to her senses, acting like advancing her cultivation also had a positive effect on her intelligence. “Thank you, Senior!”, she bowed and said.
Long Yin waved his hand like a benevolent master, but his words were a little subtle: “You’re welcome but don’t worry. Your brother will thank me later on your behalf.”
Saying that in front of children made Feng Qingyun stare at him vaguely. Fortunately, Bai Ruolin was immersed in the beautiful dream of becoming a sword master at such a young age so, for a moment, she couldn’t care less about what they said.
There were four big realms in the cultivation world, each divided into three levels. In his previous life, Feng Qingyun reached the peak of Foundation-Building, becoming a so-called Sword God. Although his cultivation was stuck there, unable to advance to Golden Core because of his inability to bloom, just relying on his Sword God level was enough to at least keep up with Long Yin[mfn]The author uses the same 4 cultivation stages we are used to encountering in these types of novels: Qi Condensation, Foundation-Building, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul. Apparently, each of them is further divided into 3 levels. We know that Feng Qingyun is in the latest level of Foundation-Building, close to advancing to Golden Core, that Long Yin and Mu Hanyang are both in Golden Core, alongside 7 other unnamed cultivators, and that there’s only one Nascent Soul cultivator, the healer Mu Tingwan. Now we also know that Bai Ruolin is also in Foundation-Building, probably advancing from level 1 to level 2[/mfn].
At present, Bai Ruolin has advanced her cultivation, entering the Sword Heart level at a very young age, right on track to becoming a Sword God like her brother. It could be said that she was invincible, with many underneath her and just a few above. As for those who could defeat her, there were fewer than ten in the entire cultivation world. Except for Feng Qingyun, Long Yin, and the healer Mu Tingwan who never fought anyone, she could still run away from the rest if she couldn’t beat them[mfn]I like how she included Mu Hanyang in the “run away from” category[/mfn].
In her previous life, Bai Ruolin only managed to break through Sword Heart a hundred years later, and even that gained her the title of a sword genius. What was happening now was virtually unheard of in the entire cultivation world. However, Bai Ruolin did not understand the seriousness of her advancement, only feeling joy over it. Thinking that she could finally accompany her brother on his quest to successfully bloom, she couldn’t wait to go back and pack her bags.
“Brother, shall we leave early tomorrow morning?”, she asked with bright eyes.
“Hmm.” Feng Qingyun saw through her heart at a glance, saying: “While it’s still early, go back and get ready.”
The little girl was always excited for adventure, but she always had a hard time deciding what to take with her. Concerned that it will take her half a year to choose, Feng Qingyun urged her to start early. Bai Ruolin also knew she had that problem, so after listening to Feng Qingyun’s words, she bowed to the two seniors, turned her head, and left.
After finally sending the child away, the dojo suddenly fell into a strange silence.
Feng Qingyun pursed his lips, deliberately acting like he was suddenly mute, and just as deliberately… Hugging his sword.
“Little Palace Master…” Long Yin’s voice sounded, and Feng Qingyun could almost guess his next words. “What should a gentleman say in this situation?”
Here we go, Feng Qingyun thought. Seeing no way to avoid it, he helplessly said: “…Okay, okay, I’m also willing to admit defeat.” Looking at Long Yin with his arms crossed, he continued: “Say it, how do you want me to thank you?”
Long Yin held back his words, only answering: “It looks like you’re not satisfied with my services, acting like you want to stab this Lord in the next second…”
“Don’t talk nonsense,” Feng Qingyun said. “Two more useless words and I’ll really stab you.”
“Okay, okay, then let me think about it–” Long Yin hooked the corners of his mouth, but still turned his words around, announcing: “This opportunity will be saved for the future. After all…”, he came forward and continued: “This Lord has already heard you call for me, and the words that haven’t been spoken yet should be said and listened to at the right time. What do you think, Little Palace Master?”
Feng Qing’s ears turned hot and, after squinting at him, he raised his hand to push that infuriating face away, warning: “If you dare to make me–“
“It’s okay, I swear by my godly powers,” Long Yin answered. ” I won’t make you say anything embarrassing in front of outsiders.”
After three seconds of suspiciously looking at him, Feng Qingyun hummed softly, reluctantly believing in that promise. After that, he withdrew his hand and, by the way, moved his sword from his left hand back to his right.
Seeing his action, Long Yin said: “You promised you won’t stab me.”
Feng Qingyun glanced at him angrily, turned around, and left. In the end, it took Long Yin only a moment to raise his heels and follow him.
…………………….
The next day, it was already time to delve deeper into the hidden parts of the Demon World. There was a certain time difference between the area that Long Yin ruled and the smaller realms where the ancestral demon clans lived. Even for those who were beginners in cultivation, reaching Long Yin’s Demon Palace was just a matter of hours, but travelling deeper into the Demon World was a whole different story.
For Feng Qingyun though, it was not the first time he interacted with the ancestral demon clans. As the acting Sect Leader of the Xiān Gōng Sect, he took care to preserve civil relationships with all members of the cultivation world. Just like the fox Patriarch personally attended the Heavenly Gate Ceremony every year, he too was required to participate in his fair share of celebrations, such as the Hundred Flowers Banquet and the Dance Festival.
However, there were simply too many festivals in the Demon World, and each time Feng Qingyun came over, he inevitably bumped into some sort of celebration. This time around, it was no exception.
At the boundary between realms, the Patriarch of the fox clan was waiting since early morning, flanked by a pair of tiger and wolf demons behind him. After seeing the three people emerging from the fog in front of him, he showed a timely smile: “Distinguished guests, welcome! I apologize for this humble one’s lack of manners, but with such short notice of your arrival, this is the best we could offer. I ask the guests not to be disappointed in the fox clan!”
“What are you saying?”, Feng Qingyun hurriedly answered. “We are sorry to bother you, please forgive our rudeness in coming over to disturb the Patriarch!”
Bai Ruolin was a sword idiot, concerned only with her cultivation. That type of “official gibberish” flew straight over her head, making her blink slowly and hide behind her brother, trying to make sense of what it was they were actually saying.
As for Long Yin, he listened to the “pleasantries” for a long time, unable to stop the sneer that threatened to form on his lips. “What kind of court speech is this, just let us in already–“
Feng Qingyun looked at him expressionlessly. After three seconds, Long Yin lowered his head and said: “Got it. This Lord will shut up now.”
The fox Patriarch paused for a moment, and then suddenly said: “I really shouldn’t use this kind of official language. The Second Palace Master is also from the demon clan. Even if our primordial bodies are inherently different, we still belong to the same family, so there’s no need to be polite with each other.”
Feng Qingyun also breathed a sigh of relief, answering: “Thank the Patriarch for your kind words.”
Long Yin didn’t say anything. Seeing that the moody Emperor was no longer dissatisfied, the fox master cleared his throat, continuing: “No worries, please follow me.” After saying that, he turned around and invited his distinguished guests to climb on his jade artefact.
As soon as they rose in the air, Feng Qingyun glanced over the familiar land that was spreading in front of his eyes. The fox patriarch was named Qing Luo[mfn]青罗- with 青 (Qīng) meaning green and 罗 (Luó) meaning to collect/to catch[/mfn] and, judging him simply by appearance, he was a tall and handsome man.
However, there was a certain difference between his appearance and the idea of a fox demon present in the general imagination.
The ears were still there, and nine fluffy tails emerged from his back, showing his identity and prestige as the Patriarch of the entire fox clan.
However, he was not born into the nine-tailed heavenly fox bloodline. Rather than that, he was a simple, two-tailed blue fox who self-cultivated his way to greatness, through hard work and determination.
The heavenly nine-tailed fox race, just like the dragons and the phoenixes, has been annihilated in the ancient war, leaving behind only one trace as the treasure of the entire fox clan…
…The celestial pendant, Tong Tianpei[mfn]通天佩, with 通 (Tōng) meaning to open/to pass through, 天 (Tiān) meaning sky, and 佩 (Pèi) meaning to wear. Could very literally translate to “wearing something that opens the sky”, so a celestial pendant[/mfn].
Rumor said that thousands of years ago, the Patriarch of the heavenly nine-tailed fox clan was the Dao companion of the previous Demon Emperor. He was a God in his own right, with a body made completely out of white jade. Despite already reaching the Heavens, he abandoned his cultivation when the world fell into disarray, choosing to fall back to earth and accompany his lover in the form of a jade pendant. However, he too died in the ancient war, alongside the previous Demon Emperor.
Although defeated, his godly essence was still preserved in the artefact he left behind. It was said that the Tong Tianpei pendant could spy on both the heavenly Dao above and the cycle of reincarnation below. However, after thousands of years of erosion and with the heavenly Dao now dead, it was left with just two remaining abilities: assessing one’s innate potential and measuring romantic fate.
Now, the pendant was placed at the foot of the Qingqiu Mountain, with colourful ribbons hanging from it. Countless little foxes touched it every day, praying for blessings in love.
However, it looked just like a regular stone, with not a single trace of godly aura.
When Feng Qingyun and Long Yin came to the fox clan this time, they did not hide their identities as they had before. Many foxes noticed their arrival, carefully watching from the side and assessing their intention…
All except the children who were busy praying for love under the Tong Tianpei pendant.
Seeing the hustle and bustle, Feng Qingyun withdrew his gaze, asking the fox master: “Is there a celebration happening today?”
“That’s right,” Qing Luo answered. “You came over by chance, but today happens to be the Fairy Wine Festival. If you’d like, the three of you can share a glass of wine with us, wait for a dream, and talk about business later.”
In fact, sharing a glass of wine and waiting for a dream was the fox clan’s way of doing business. The fact that the fox Patriarch proposed it so early could only mean that he wanted to get drunk first, leaving his guests no room to refuse.
Therefore, Feng Qingyun immediately nodded and said: “We’ll listen to the Patriarch.”
Although Qing Luo dared to order them around because he had his entire clan backing him, he still subconsciously looked at Long Yin, only to see that the Demon Emperor didn’t object at all, with not a trace of the rude words he had thrown around in the beginning.
In fact, his temperament seemed to be mellow and pleasant, completely molded by Feng Qingyun’s presence in his life, just like the rumors said…
…As it turned out, the rumors were true.
The Demon Lord really went over to kidnap Lord Mu’s wife right under the eyes of countless guests and disciples, however, the Second Palace Master was not coerced but rather…
He was willing.
………………………………..
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