Qing Luan flew very quickly, far more reliably than Bai Yuxiao’s Seven Treasures Copper Coin.
When Liu Shuang arrived at Kun Lun, she saw many armored immortal soldiers who didn’t appear to be from Kun Lun. This time, her visit to Kun Lun was clearly more welcome—the disciples guarding the Immortal Gate let her in directly.
“Are these immortal soldiers from the Heavenly Clan?” she asked.
The Kun Lun disciple answered: “Yes, Chi Shui Immortal Lady, they are indeed.”
Had Feng Fuming visited Kun Lun?
As Liu Shuang pondered this, an old man with a white beard approached, snorting: “Little girl, what are you doing here at this time?”
“Kun Lun’s spirit veins are unstable. I’ve come to see Shao You.”
Immortal Master Wo Jiang thought of his young lord and felt bitter. He spoke sarcastically: “The Immortal Lady finally remembers our young lord after being all sweet and tender with that demon.”
Liu Shuang lowered her head: “It’s my fault for not coming to visit Shao You sooner.”
Wo Jiang’s anger was merely verbal. He knew this wasn’t Liu Shuang’s fault. Kun Lun had troubles, but hadn’t Space also faced difficulties?
With young immortal lords like Bai Zhuixu falling, Liu Shuang’s pain was no less than theirs.
But the little girl didn’t defend herself at all, simply accepting her mistake. Wo Jiang felt somewhat sorrowful. There was no right or wrong—it was ultimately fate, simply a lack of predestined connection.
He spoke seriously: “Kun Lun already has strategies for dealing with the spirit veins. The Young Lord instructed that with Kun Lun’s affairs being busy lately, if the Chi Shui Young Lady visits, please ask her to return to Kung Sang. Our Young Lord will visit you another day.”
Liu Shuang looked at him: “What strategy does Immortal Master speak of? I heard from Kun Lun disciples that the Heavenly Lord had come. Is that right?”
Wo Jiang turned away: “Chi Shui Young Lady, please return.”
Liu Shuang already sensed something amiss in Kun Lun’s atmosphere and quickly caught up to him: “Immortal Master Wo Jiang, what exactly has happened in Kun Lun?”
Heavenly Clan troops were stationed everywhere, and the immortals wearing Kun Lun disciple robes all looked worried.
Wo Jiang glanced at her, something flashing through his mind. Having made up his mind, he said: “If the Immortal Lady truly wishes to know, follow me.”
He led Liu Shuang through a series of floating pavilions.
Finally, he handed a pearl to Liu Shuang: “Wear this. They won’t detect your presence in Kun Lun for a while.”
The pearl felt warm to the touch—it was a Ming Xi Pearl.
Ming Xi Pearls could even resist heavenly lightning partially, so concealing one’s aura was certainly possible. After preparing everything, Wo Jiang formed hand seals. Several peachwood pieces emerged from his sleeve, finally combining into an octagonal diamond-shaped mirror.
Wo Jiang waved his hand, and Feng Fuming’s face appeared in the mirror.
“This happened a few days ago,” Wo Jiang said with a solemn expression.
Liu Shuang had an ominous feeling.
Looking closely, she saw in the mirror that Feng Fuming sat in the main seat, with Feng Cai Yi standing behind him.
Feng Fuming smiled kindly: “Why is it, Ji Mo Young Lord, that if you sincerely wish to marry Cai Yi, you offer the Shennong Cauldron as a betrothal gift, yet you’re unwilling? Are Kun Lun’s spirit veins and the lives of countless disciples worth less than the Shennong Cauldron in the Young Lord’s eyes?”
In the hall, Shao You stood, pressed his lips together, and said: “The Shennong Cauldron is crucial to Kun Lun’s grand formation and is a divine artifact left from ancient times. It’s not that I’m unwilling, but moving the Shennong Cauldron would shake Kun Lun’s foundation. I beg the Heavenly Lord’s forgiveness.”
Just as Yan Chaosheng needed to obtain the Primordial Mirror, a place where a clan resides must have something as a formation eye to protect everyone’s safety.
Feng Fuming said, “This Lord certainly knows the importance of the Shennong Cauldron to Kun Lun. However, I have only one sister, and the Heavenly Clan has only one spirit vein. Sharing a spirit vein is an enormous matter. This Lord dares to hand over the spirit vein only after seeing Kun Lun’s sincerity. Kun Lun’s spirit veins are nearing exhaustion. I’ve heard that immortals die from this daily. Since Ji Mo Young Lord is unwilling to offer the Shennong Cauldron as a betrothal gift, then, where is the Young Lord’s sincerity?”
In the silent room, Shao You, seated below, slowly knelt on one knee.
“Young Lord!”
“Young Lord…”
Feng Fuming’s lips curved slightly. Behind him, Feng Cai Yi wanted to step forward but glanced cautiously at Feng Fuming and didn’t dare move.
Wo Jiang clenched his teeth and looked away, unable to bear watching this scene again.
Liu Shuang felt a pang in her heart. The Shao You she knew would never cry out in pain even under the heaviest injuries, nor would he ever kneel submissively before others despite any hardship.
Feng Fuming smiled: “Oh? What does the Young Lord mean by this?”
“Ji Mo Shao You swears upon his divine soul that if the Heavenly Lord saves Kun Lun from danger, from this day forward, the Kun Lun Immortal Realm will submit to the Heavenly Lord and accept his commands.”
“The Shennong Cauldron’s jade refinement?”
Shao You said, “The Ji Mo immortal clan will pay tribute annually.”
“The Peachwood Veins?”
“Available for the Heavenly Lord’s use at any time.”
Feng Fuming raised an eyebrow: “Attack the demon clan?”
Shao You closed his eyes briefly: “Shao You is willing to lead troops in battle until death.”
Behind Shao You, all Kun Lun’s ministers lowered their heads in sorrowful reluctance. What Feng Fuming wanted was not a worthy husband for the Feng clan princess, but a puppet he could control.
He wanted the divine jade refined by the Shennong Cauldron, the Peachwood Veins that Kun Lun used for divination, and Shao You to lead troops against the demon clan, drawing them into this conflict.
But once Kun Lun’s spirit veins were exhausted, thousands upon thousands of clan members would die. If the Young Lord didn’t compromise, Kun Lun would have no way out.
They could only watch helplessly as he knelt before Feng Fuming, acknowledging him as overlord.
Liu Shuang’s fingers trembled.
In the image, Feng Fuming smiled: “Then Ji Mo Young Lord must treat Cai Yi well from now on.”
Feng Cai Yi bit her lip, wanting to say something. Her face showed complex emotions as she lowered her head.
Shao You said, “Yes, Heavenly Lord.”
The scene before Liu Shuang’s eyes gradually disappeared as Wo Jiang put away the octagonal mirror. Wo Jiang said, “Chi Shui Immortal Lady, now you’ve seen Kun Lun’s situation. Your Kung Sang can stay uninvolved and keep clear of this muddy water. The Young Lord asked you to leave. But this old man privately hopes you can help our Young Lord.”
Having said this, his face filled with sorrow as he prepared to kneel.
Liu Shuang perceived his intention and quickly supported him. This was Shao You’s childhood master—she couldn’t bear to receive such a gesture from Immortal Master Wo Jiang.
“What do you hope I can do? Please just say it.”
“This old man hopes the Chi Shui Young Lady could form a marriage alliance with Kun Lun, bringing Kung Sang’s spirit veins to merge with Kun Lun’s, saving Kun Lun from disaster.”
Liu Shuang remained silent for a while. Wo Jiang thought she was unwilling and smiled bitterly: “It seems this old man has asked too much. Please consider these words unspoken. Chi Shui Young Lady, please return to Kung Sang.”
Liu Shuang said softly, “Regarding the spirit vein transfer, I’d like to see Shao You and discuss it with him.”
Hearing her say this, Wo Jiang’s eyes brightened: “Good, good.”
Liu Shuang smiled wryly: “Don’t have too high expectations. Transferring spirit veins isn’t something I alone can decide. Kung Sang’s Realm Lord is now my father.”
Wo Jiang said, “Still better than submitting to the Feng clan. Feng Fuming has wild ambitions and is too overbearing. Besides…”
Besides, Liu Shuang was Shao You’s beloved. Marrying one’s beloved would certainly be better than marrying someone unloved. Wo Jiang didn’t finish these words—they weren’t for him to say. Better to leave them for the Young Lord.
Shao You had always lived for Kun Lun. As a Kun Lun citizen, Wo Jiang was grateful to have such a lord. But as Shao You’s master, Wo Jiang hoped Shao You would fight for himself once.
Turmoil across the Eight Wildernesses was inevitable. Kung Sang was also involved and couldn’t withdraw.
If the Young Lord could be with the Chi Shui clan’s little girl, the hardships and difficulties they would face in the future wouldn’t be so unbearable.
Indeed, as Wo Jiang said, Liu Shuang’s arrival in Kun Lun was kept very secret—even Shao You hadn’t detected it.
In the evening, Feng Fuming departed on the Heavenly Carriage with Feng Cai Yi. The Heavenly Clan’s immortal soldiers had not all withdrawn with them.
Under Wo Jiang’s arrangement, Liu Shuang entered Shao You’s pavilion.
His immortal pavilion was elegant and magnificent. Clusters of flowers bloomed outside, and the back garden bordered a large peach forest.
Kun Lun’s ancestors had the bloodline of the ancient peach wood deity. Peach blossoms in Kun Lun bloomed perpetually without withering.
Though the mortal realm was now in the snowy winter season, Kun Lun’s peach blossoms still bloomed brilliantly, warm and pleasant, far better than the cold Demon Palace.
Liu Shuang found Shao You reading scrolls beneath a peach tree.
Peach blossoms had fallen onto his shoulders. His expression was calm, his features elegant, like a person from a painting. It was as if all those troubling and humiliating events had left no trace on him.
Shao You seemed to sense something and looked up. Seeing Liu Shuang, he was surprised for a moment, then smiled: “Are you better now?”
His smile was gentle, serene like moonlight.
Recalling the hundred years of companionship in the mortal realm, the paths Shao You had patiently walked with her, Liu Shuang felt a surge of grief.
She went over and sat across from him, forcing a smile: “Yes, Warrior Zhan’s medical skills are excellent. I’m completely healed now.”
Shao You said softly, “That’s good. I’m sorry I couldn’t return in time to bring you the dragon blood.”
She hadn’t expected Shao You’s first words to be an apology about this. Liu Shuang’s nose stung even more. She didn’t dare speak, fearing she might cry.
She shook her head.
No, how could it be your fault? It’s my fault, always my fault. It was she who, unable to let go of Bai Zhuixu’s death, had left him alone for so long, desperately facing Kun Lun’s spirit vein exhaustion, with no way out but to compromise with Feng Fuming.
Seeing her like this, Shao You recognized her distress and said: “What’s wrong? Did someone bully you, or is it about Bai Zhuixu…”
She felt terrible inside. Peach blossoms fell continuously. For Shao You, who had knelt, and for herself, who couldn’t see the future.
Liu Shuang asked: “Regarding Kun Lun’s situation, do you truly plan to submit to Feng Fuming?”
Shao You smiled helplessly: “So you already know…”
“I once promised you that when you returned, we would discuss how to sustain Kun Lun’s spirit veins,” Liu Shuang said. “Now, Shao You, do you still trust me?”
Shao You slowly raised his head to look at her: “You don’t need to do this. Kung Sang can now avoid any connection with Feng Fuming and remain uninvolved in the Eight Wildernesses.”
Liu Shuang: “Immortal Master Wo Jiang said he hopes you could live for yourself once. Do you truly want to marry Princess Cai Yi and lead troops against all demons in the world?”
Shao You remained silent.
“If saving Kun Lun has only this one path, then, Shao You, tell me. In your heart, would you choose to form a marriage alliance with Kung Sang or with Bu Zhou Mountain?” she said softly. “My father… he wouldn’t share spirit veins without reason. Shao You, the world is so difficult. Immortal Master Wo Jiang hopes I can help you. I also hope I can help, but I understand my father. He’s in his prime, with power and prestige not inferior to Feng Fuming, and his ambition is growing.”
She gritted her teeth, yet sincerely told him: “If you form a marriage alliance with Kung Sang, my father will also try to use you, control you.”
He looked at her, his gaze calm as still water. As if being a chess piece in the turbulent Eight Wildernesses, he had already grown accustomed to it.
“Shao You, I’ve been thinking there’s another way…”
Shao You, who had been silent, suddenly said: “I choose you.”
Liu Shuang looked at him in surprise.
Shao You closed his eyes briefly, revealing his feelings for the first time: “If Master and you both hope I can be true to myself once, I want to choose you, Liu Shuang.”