Chimou’s gaze swept across the faces before him, finally landing on Xie Xuechen.
“It’s your respected Sect Leader, Xie,” Chimou said.
“Nonsense,” Fu Yuanting frowned. “You’re trying to sow discord within the Immortal Alliance.”
Xie Xuechen stared coldly at Chimou. Under that piercing phoenix gaze, Chimou felt a chill run through him and turned away, unable to meet Xie Xuechen’s eyes directly.
“I’m not lying,” Chimou said. “What bound me earlier was a magical tool of our demon race called the Judgment Vine. It’s a unique artifact crafted by our Great Priest for the Holy Maiden’s use, specifically designed to subdue demons.”
He Xianwo chuckled, “How amusing. Why would your Great Priest create a tool specifically meant to subdue demons?”
Chimou had never considered this question before. He hesitated, stumbling over his words, “It’s… it’s used to punish disobedient demons…”
Those disobedient demons had all been refined into demon pills by the Judgment Vine.
“Earlier, when Sect Leader Xie escaped from the demon realm, he took the Holy Maiden hostage,” Chimou added. “If you don’t believe me, you can ask Sect Leader Xie yourself.”
All eyes turned to Xie Xuechen.
Standing among the crowd, Xie Xuechen cut a proud yet solitary figure in his white robes.
“It’s true,” he nodded slightly.
The crowd was shocked. Chimou laughed triumphantly, “See? I didn’t lie. Your Sect Leader has been in secret communication with our demon race’s Holy Maiden. Hahaha!”
Xie Xuechen slowly moved forward, step by step, until he stood before Chimou. Chimou’s laughter seemed to be choked off by an invisible hand, stopping abruptly. The smile on his face hadn’t yet faded when it transformed into fear, making him look both strange and comical.
“Sangqi taught you to say these things, didn’t he?” Xie Xuechen’s icy voice said. “The demon race isn’t clever enough to come up with this on their own.”
Chimou’s pupils constricted, his body freezing up.
Indeed, those words had been taught to him by Sangqi through a sound-transmitting conch.
However, one person had an even stronger reaction – Su Ningzhen. Her hand gripping the Worldly Dust Whisk began to tremble uncontrollably, veins bulging on the back of her hand as her breathing quickened. She gritted her teeth and said, “Sangqi…”
Xie Xuechen glanced at her. Su Ningzhen stepped closer, demanding of Chimou, “Where is Sangqi?!”
Chimou replied, “The Great Priest naturally commands from the rear. He wouldn’t come here himself.”
Su Ningzhen laughed coldly, “That coward! Who is this Holy Maiden you speak of?”
“The Holy Maiden is the Great Priest’s disciple,” Chimou said. “Like the Great Priest, she’s half-demon. Hehe, our Holy Maiden is unparalleled in beauty. I suppose even Sect Leader Xie couldn’t resist her charms.”
Su Ningzhen suddenly recalled a person – that mortal woman who resembled Gao Qiuyun somewhat, but whose beauty could be described as nation-toppling. No wonder Gao Qiuyun had mentioned sensing a demonic aura from her several times. That woman was indeed peculiar! But what Su Ningzhen hadn’t anticipated was that this person’s identity was Sangqi’s disciple!
Su Ningzhen abruptly opened her six senses and seven apertures, sensing Mu Xuanling’s location. In the next moment, her figure vanished from its original spot, flying towards Mu Xuanling. Su Ningzhen suddenly appeared before Mu Xuanling. When Mu Xuanling had used the Judgment Vine earlier, she had already prepared herself mentally for being discovered. She quickly retreated, avoiding Su Ningzhen’s first strike. Su Ningzhen immediately lashed out with the Worldly Dust Whisk, attacking Mu Xuanling’s face, but her attack was blocked by a sword, forcefully deflected.
Su Ningzhen’s eyes were bloodshot, her hatred evident. She looked at Xie Xuechen who had stepped in front of Mu Xuanling, and said through gritted teeth, “So Sect Leader Xie is indeed protecting that demon woman.”
Xie Xuechen had blocked Su Ningzhen’s path with his Juntiansword.
“She just saved you all by binding Chimou with the purple vine,” Xie Xuechen said coldly. “If not for that, Chimou would have already possessed one of you.”
Su Ningzhen was very wary of Xie Xuechen. She was now deeply aware of the gap between them, but she still couldn’t easily let Sangqi’s disciple go.
“Half-demons are cunning, and demons are cruel. Who knows what their true intentions are? This apparent rescue could be a ruse hiding ulterior motives!” Su Ningzhen said angrily. “Sect Leader Xie, as the leader of the Immortal Alliance, how can you be so easily deceived by demons and monsters?!”
The onlookers who had rushed over frowned secretly upon hearing Su Ningzhen speak so disrespectfully to Xie Xuechen.
Gao Qiuyun had also arrived after hearing the news. She heard Su Ningzhen’s words and saw Mu Xuanling hiding behind Xie Xuechen.
“Master, she is a demon…” Gao Qiuyun said resentfully. “I didn’t wrongly accuse her!”
Mu Xuanling coldly surveyed her surroundings. She somewhat regretted intervening earlier – whether these people lived or died was none of her concern. She had only acted to prevent these weaklings from causing trouble for Xie Xuechen.
Mu Xuanling removed the jade bracelet artifact from her wrist, giving up on concealing her aura. Immediately, the qi of a half-demon and the aura of the demon race were exposed to everyone present.
“What Chimou said is true…” Fu Yuanting’s eyes flickered as he began to calculate inwardly how to speak and act in a way that would most benefit the Bixiao Palace.
He Xianwo was merely surprised. He didn’t discriminate against half-demons, and although the young woman before them had the aura of demons and monsters, it wasn’t turbid. She probably wasn’t a vicious and cruel demon.
The most intense reaction came from the Mirror Flower Valley.
Su Ningzhen’s attitude was resolute: “Sect Leader Xie, this half-demon is Sangqi’s disciple. She must be killed without mercy!”
Xie Xuechen said, “She saved my life.”
Su Ningzhen retorted, “Her kindness is false. She has ulterior motives for approaching you. We absolutely cannot trust her!”
Xie Xuechen said, “She has never killed anyone.”
Gao Qiuyun shook her head and shouted, “No, she wanted to kill me!” She recognized the figure before her and gnashed her teeth, “Master, the demon woman who tried to kill me in Xiao City was her. At that time…”
Gao Qiuyun’s words trailed off abruptly.
At that time, a man with a sword had stopped this demon woman. That man had no spiritual power, so he shouldn’t have been able to stop her.
That figure slowly overlapped with the person standing before her now, completely matching.
Gao Qiuyun’s face gradually paled as many images flashed through her mind.
— Sect Leader Xie truly cares for this demon woman.
— She shouldn’t have run away at that time.
Su Ningzhen had no interest in Gao Qiuyun’s thoughts at the moment. She only needed to know one thing: Mu Xuanling had killing intent. A half-demon sorceress who would kill must die! Moreover, she was Sangqi’s disciple.
Su Ningzhen said, “Sect Leader Xie, the Immortal Alliance is not yours alone. If you insist on your way, I’ll have no choice but to request a council to decide this demon woman’s fate!”
Fu Yuanting quickly stepped in to mediate, smiling as he said, “It’s just a demon woman. Why is Valley Master Su so angry?”
Su Ningzhen glared at him coldly: “Half-demons are evil. Elder Fajian was schemed against by the demon race and died, his body not yet cold. And here you are speaking for the demon race’s Holy Maiden. Shouldn’t her life be taken in exchange for Elder Fajian’s?”
Duan Xiaorong, seeing her husband being pushed around by Su Ningzhen, immediately stood up to defend him: “Valley Master Su, that’s not how we should look at it. Elder Fajian’s death has another culprit; not just anyone’s life can compensate for it. Sect Leader Xie also has a point. If this demon woman saved the Sect Leader’s life, we can’t simply put her to death. Besides, the urgent matter at hand is dealing with Elder Yinian and Chimou.”
By now, Su Ningzhen had somewhat calmed the rage in her chest. After regaining her composure, she withdrew her whisk and said coldly, “Fine, but this demon woman can’t be let off easily. Her powers should be sealed, and she should be imprisoned in the dungeons.”
Mu Xuanling looked towards Xie Xuechen’s back. After a moment, Xie Xuechen nodded slightly.
Back in his room, the moment Xie Xuechen closed the door, he could no longer suppress the injuries boiling in his chest. A mouthful of hot blood spurted out, staining half the door panel red.
He leaned against the door, half-kneeling on the ground, his face whiter than snow.
Elder Fajian was considered the foremost in Dharma manifestation, with incredibly deep cultivation. The power of his self-destruction was not something that could be easily blocked. Xie Xuechen had resisted with the power of his primordial spirit, and the Juntian sword had shared half the force. If not for this, he would have perished on the spot.
Blocking Su Ningzhen’s strike earlier had been the last of his strength. If Su Ningzhen had persisted and attacked again, he might not have been able to stop her. He could only temporarily inconvenience Mu Xuanling.
Xie Xuechen struggled back to his bed, circulating the Jade Threshold Scripture to regulate his qi.
— The righteous path has always been muddy and arduous; those who walk it must do so alone.
He had long known his path and had long prepared to walk it alone.
Xie Xuechen closed his eyes, let out a long breath, and silently made a decision.
A decision that might change the Three Realms.
It was well known that Su Ningzhen despised demons and monsters, but this was the first time Gao Qiuyun had seen her so enraged, nearly unable to contain her spiritual power. Gao Qiuyun even suspected that Chimou might still be influencing her mind.
“Master, are you alright?” Gao Qiuyun asked carefully.
But Su Ningzhen seemed not to have heard her words. She was immersed in her own emotions, the whites of her eyes tinged red, her hand gripping the Worldly Dust Whisk trembling slightly.
“Kill her… No, we can’t kill her easily. We must make Sangqi pay the price.”
Gao Qiuyun heard Su Ningzhen mention Sangqi’s name. She knew Sangqi was half-demon, the Great Priest of the demon race. This half-demon was mysterious and powerful, the true leader of the demon race. Since becoming Su Ningzhen’s disciple, she has deeply felt Su Ningzhen’s hatred for half-demons.
No, it should be said that it was hatred for Sangqi. Any mention of Sangqi, even the slightest word, would provoke an extreme reaction from her. Let alone Sangqi’s disciple standing right before her.
Gao Qiuyun despised and even feared Mu Xuanling’s existence, but she couldn’t match the level of hatred her master harbored. Why did Master hate Sangqi so much?
“Master?” Gao Qiuyun called out softly, stepping forward to support Su Ningzhen’s arm. “You’re badly injured. You should return to bed and meditate to recover.”
Su Ningzhen finally came to her senses and turned to look at Gao Qiuyun.
“Qiuyun, tell me again in detail about your encounter with that demon woman. Don’t omit anything!” Su Ningzhen said sternly.
Gao Qiuyun was somewhat afraid of Su Ningzhen’s current state. She swallowed hard, trying to control the tremor in her voice as she slowly recounted, “That day, I was following secret orders to search near Xiao City when I accidentally obtained a treasure-sniffing rat. But I was ambushed and injured, letting the rat escape. My junior brothers, sisters, and I saw a couple in a guest room at the inn. I suspected they were in disguise, but not knowing their background, I didn’t expose them on the spot. Instead, I secretly set up a Six-Petaled Flower-Crushing Formation.”
Su Ningzhen nodded slightly upon hearing this: “You were cautious enough.”
Gao Qiuyun continued, “At midnight, that demon woman indeed revealed her true form. She was trapped by my Six-Petaled Flower-Crushing Formation, but unexpectedly, her strength was too great. She broke the formation with one move and tried to kill us. Fortunately, the man traveling with her stepped in to stop her.”
“What was that man’s strength?” Su Ningzhen asked, puzzled. “Was he human, demon, or monster?”
Gao Qiuyun hesitated for a moment before answering honestly, “He was human, but he had no spiritual power.”
“An ordinary person without spiritual power couldn’t possibly stop a demon woman.” Su Ningzhen had barely finished speaking when she realized the truth, her face suddenly darkening. “It was Sect Leader Xie. His divine aperture was sealed before, and he had lost all his powers.”
Gao Qiuyun lowered her head in silence. So Sect Leader Xie’s divine aperture had been sealed before, but this was a secret of the Immortal Alliance, and her master had never told her. If she had known this earlier, she would have guessed Mu Xuanling’s identity sooner.
“Even with his powers lost, Sect Leader Xie couldn’t have been a match for the demon woman, unless she held back,” Su Ningzhen furrowed her brow.
“Master, they traveled to Yongxue City together,” Gao Qiuyun recalled encountering Nan Xuyue and Mu Xuanling at the gate that day. “Master Nan also knew about it. He was also covering up for that demon woman’s identity.”
“So this is the life-saving grace Sect Leader Xie spoke of.” Su Ningzhen laughed coldly. “I understand now.”
Gao Qiuyun looked at Su Ningzhen in confusion: “What do you understand, Master?”
Su Ningzhen’s face bore a mocking expression: “Half-demons are best at bewitching people’s hearts. Sangqi wants this demon woman to get close to Sect Leader Xie, using this to disrupt his cultivation.”
Gao Qiumin, however, felt there was a flaw in this reasoning: “But Sect Leader Xie was already in the hands of the demon race, trapped in the Melting Abyss. Why would he need to go to such lengths?”
“What do you know!” Su Ningzhen interrupted her. “Sang Qi is a crafty and vicious man who delights in toying with people’s hearts.” Su Ningzhen gritted her teeth, and in her agitation, she slammed her palm on the table, shattering it and startling Gao Qiumin into taking half a step back.
“Master…”
“He is the mortal enemy of our Mirror Flower Valley, a feud that cannot be settled under the same sky! I will not let him go, nor will I spare that demoness!”
Gao Qiumin stared at Su Ningzhen in shock, an almost absurd guess flashing through her mind, which she then blurted out: “Master, did Sang Qi… deceive you?”
“Nonsense!” Su Ningzhen angrily rebuked, “How could a lowly half-demon be worthy of touching someone from Mirror Flower Valley?”
“But you…” Your hatred is too intense.
Su Ningzhen said through gritted teeth: “You must hate him, you must! It was he who massacred Bright Moon Manor, and he who killed your mother!”
Gao Qiumin recalled that blood-soaked night when the vast manor turned into a sea of flames. Everywhere was filled with the howls of demons and the wails of the dying. She was carried on someone’s back, fleeing the manor, with demons in hot pursuit. A white-clad youth descended from the sky like a divine being, vanquishing evil with a single sword strike.
Of course, she hated Sang Qi, but that person was too mysterious and powerful to be a target of revenge she could presume to take on now.
Moreover…
Gao Qiumin was somewhat confused. Hadn’t her mother died in childbirth?
Mu Xuanling, Yi Nian Zunzhe, and Chi Mo were imprisoned in three separate cells. The dungeon of Embracing Snow City was deep within the mountain, never seeing daylight. The four walls were hard and inscribed with layer upon layer of magical runes, making it difficult even for demons to escape.
The stone room was simple and crude, with nothing but a pile of straw that could be called a bed. Torches hung on the corridor walls outside, their light only illuminating a corner of the cell. Mu Xuanling sat hugging her knees, her whole body shrouded in shadow.
After yesterday’s demonic energy dispersion and invasion, her body was very weak, merely putting up a strong front. Now her head began to throb dully again, preventing her from thinking clearly about ways to escape.
A rustling sound came from the corridor, the noise of shoe soles scraping against the ground. Mu Xuanling lifted her heavy eyelids slightly to see an elongated shadow cast on the ground outside the cell.
Soon, the owner of that shadow stood outside the cell.
It was Gao Qiumin.
Gao Qiumin opened her palm, using spiritual power to unlock the magical array, and walked into the cell.
Mu Xuanling closed her eyes again, slightly furrowing her brow as she endured the throbbing pain in her temples.
Gao Qiumin thought this was Mu Xuanling deliberately ignoring her, and anger surged in her heart. She sneered, “You’ve framed me time and again. Did you ever think you’d become a prisoner one day?”
Mu Xuanling didn’t want to bother with her. She sat leaning against the wall with her knees drawn up, appearing somewhat lazily comfortable to others, seemingly unconcerned about her situation.
She didn’t care. She had spent seven years in the demon realm without seeing daylight, and even before those seven years, she had suffered all kinds of hardships. This environment was quite good for her.
“I hear your name is Mu Xuanling,” Gao Qiumin stepped closer, looking down at Mu Xuanling. “You’re the personal disciple of the Demon Grand Priest Sang Qi. You must know him very well.”
Hearing Sang Qi’s name, Mu Xuanling’s eyebrows twitched slightly. She looked up at Gao Qiumin with some surprise and said slowly, “I just remembered, it was he who led the army to destroy Bright Moon Manor.”
Gao Qiumin’s breathing quickened: “Were you there too?”
Mu Xuanling tilted her head, thought for a moment, and revealed an ambiguous smile: “I was.”
Gao Qiumin drew her Spring Birth Sword, its cold, sharp tip pointing directly at Mu Xuanling: “Then I have even more reason not to let you go!”
“You weren’t planning to let me go anyway,” Mu Xuanling was completely unfazed by the threat before her. “But you’d better understand one thing: even if I’m to die, it won’t be at your hands.”
Gao Qiumin’s hand trembled slightly with anger: “Master was right, half-demons are all lowly creatures!”
“Heh.” Mu Xuanling lazily rolled her eyes. “Isn’t that how you human cultivators have always seen us? For the young lady to lower herself to visit this lowly creature, surely it’s not just to insult me a few times.”
Gao Qiumin bit her lip, her chest heaving violently as if still hesitating whether to speak.
Mu Xuanling hadn’t wanted to bother with her, but seeing her like this, she became a bit curious.
“I ask you…” Gao Qiumin said in a trembling voice, “How did Sang Qi harm my mother?”
“What?” Mu Xuanling frowned. “Didn’t your mother die in childbirth? What could that have to do with Sang Qi?”
Gao Qiumin knew this too. When she had asked Su Ningzhen about it, Su Ningzhen’s face had suddenly changed, and she had driven Gao Qiumin out of the room, refusing to say another word. Gao Qiumin was full of doubts, and the more she thought about it, the more afraid she became. Finally, she decided to ask Mu Xuanling. She thought that since Mu Xuanling was Sang Qi’s disciple, she might know about what happened back then. But from Mu Xuanling’s answer, it seemed she wasn’t clear about the circumstances either.
Since childhood, Gao Qiumin had heard people say that when she was born, there were strange phenomena. The room was filled with a dazzling light that no one could open their eyes to, and her mother’s body couldn’t withstand this auspicious sign, resulting in her death. Could it be that it wasn’t an auspicious sign at all, but some trick Sang Qi had played to kill her mother? Why would he want to kill her mother?
Gao Qiumin’s eyes betrayed her shock and fear, which Mu Xuanling saw clearly. She said, “Although I don’t know what Su Ningzhen told you, as far as I know, the year you were born, Sang Qi was in seclusion. It’s unlikely he could have gone out to kill your mother.”
“Why should I believe you?” Gao Qiumin glared at her.
Mu Xuanling snorted, “If you don’t believe me, there was no need to come ask me in the first place. Twenty years ago, although I hadn’t been adopted by Sang Qi yet, I heard from other demons that Sang Qi had been seriously injured, losing an arm. He was in seclusion for three years, rebuilding his body, so he definitely couldn’t have gone to the human realm.”
Sang Qi had once lost an arm.
This information wasn’t known to many. Gao Qiumin’s eyes flickered, seeming to believe Mu Xuanling’s words a bit more.
Mu Xuanling raised her hand to press her throbbing forehead and sighed, “Cultivator Gao, have you finished your questions? Please don’t disturb my rest anymore.”
Gao Qiumin was seething with hatred for Mu Xuanling. The people of the Immortal Alliance had all been hurt by Sang Qi’s schemes, yet here she was, looking comfortable and resting when she was one of the main culprits.
“Don’t be so smug. Do you think Sect Leader Xie can protect you?” Gao Qiumin’s tone was grim. “Sang Qi used two great demon gods to severely wound the Immortal Alliance. Yi Nian Zunzhe has already revealed all of the demon race’s plans. Soon, the Immortal Alliance will launch an attack on Two Realms Mountain to eliminate the demon race and half-demons. You’re Sang Qi’s disciple; using you as a sacrifice would be most fitting.”
“Whether he can protect me or not, you’d have to ask Sect Leader Xie,” Mu Xuanling smiled slightly. “I’ve already entrusted my life to him.”
Mu Xuanling’s smile stung Gao Qiumin’s eyes and made her heartache. Seven years ago, when Xie Xuezhen risked his life to save her, she had set her heart on him. He was of celestial bearing, unparalleled in the world. In Gao Qiumin’s eyes, only Xie Xuezhen was worthy of her attention, and only she was worthy of Xie Xuezhen. How could a lowly half-demon like Mu Xuanling be close to him, let alone catch his eye?
Was it because her face somewhat resembled her own?
Gao Qiumin gripped her sword tightly, her eyes blazing: “I may not be able to kill you, but what if I were to carve a few lines on your face? Who would say anything about a half-demon being disfigured?”
Mu Xuanling looked at Gao Qiumin with calm eyes, watching as she raised the Spring Birth Sword, its blade emitting a faint green light from spiritual power.
“I was once ugly and unsightly too,” Mu Xuanling’s calm eyes reflected the green light. “But he never despised me.”
Gao Qiumin hated her impassive, aloof manner. A lowly half-demon like her should be a demon slave, at others’ beck and call, begging for mercy! If she were to beg for forgiveness, perhaps Gao Qiumin’s hand would be lighter!
A vindictive look flashed in Gao Qiumin’s eyes as she brought the Spring Birth Sword down towards Mu Xuanling’s face. Mu Xuanling’s hands and feet were bound by shackles inscribed with magical arrays, preventing her from using spiritual power and making it difficult to dodge. She raised her arm to block the Spring Birth Sword. The blade struck the shackles, producing a ringing sound. The sword’s energy shattered Mu Xuanling’s sleeve, leaving a two-inch-long wound on her fair arm, from which blood immediately gushed out.
Mu Xuanling’s entire arm went numb from the impact. Having practiced demonic arts for many years, she didn’t find this pain particularly troublesome and merely furrowed her brow slightly. However, Gao Qiumin’s second strike immediately changed direction. Mu Xuanling dropped to the ground, barely avoiding a slash to her face, but the sword’s edge grazed her neck, leaving a bloody mark. If it had been three feet deeper, it would have been life-threatening.
By now, Gao Qiumin was seeing red, forgetting that she couldn’t endanger Mu Xuanling’s life. Her next strike aimed directly at Mu Xuanling’s heart. Mu Xuanling coldly watched the Spring Birth Sword coming at her chest, but at that moment, a folding fan flew out, deflecting the Spring Birth Sword. The sword tip plunged into the stone floor.
“Gao Qiumin!”
The fan spun once and flew back to its owner’s hand. A figure appeared outside the cell – it was Nan Xuyue.
Nan Xuyue’s face usually bore a smile as gentle as the spring breeze, but now it showed a rare, solemn coldness as he called out Gao Qiumin’s name directly.
Gao Qiumin’s sword-wielding hand tingled slightly. Only now did she come to her senses. She turned to look at Nan Xuyue, a mocking smile appearing on her face: “Hmm? Another man bewitched by the demoness?”
Nan Xuyue’s gaze swept over Mu Xuanling’s profusely bleeding arm and neck, his eyes darkening three degrees. He limped over to her side on his not-so-agile lame foot and crouched down, reaching out to press a few acupoints to stop the bleeding, appearing completely oblivious to others’ presence.
Gao Qiumin watched Nan Xuyue warily. She hadn’t expected that a cripple who couldn’t cultivate would have the power to make her retreat. That fan named “Fold Wind” was indeed not to be underestimated.
No, it was Nan Xuyue himself who shouldn’t be underestimated.