These gifts had been sent starting many years ago. The ones she dug out last night had piled into a small mountain, and she still had not opened them.
Some were interesting little trinkets from the mortal world, things casually brought back after he happened to pass through and found something amusing; some were extremely valuable, like carefully selected congratulatory gifts; she even found several lone copies of sword manuals long extinct in the cultivation world among them.
……
Seeing the slip of paper in her palm, this Demon instinctively stepped back, as though he had seen some kind of flood or ferocious beast.
When he came back to his senses, he immediately wanted to pretend he knew nothing about the slip—
But she happened to be staring at his demon horns. With a signature there, anything he did looked like he was trying to cover something up.
In the end, this Demon stiffly found an excuse:
“There are so many demons in the world. I’m not the only one with horns.”
An idea flashed through his mind, and he directly grabbed Xiao Yanjing, who had the same style of demon horns as him, and rudely stuffed him into her hands.
The utterly bewildered Xiao Yanjing: ?
She grabbed the snake, looked at the horns on Xiao Yanjing’s head, and smiled:
“So it was Xiao Yanjing who sent them.”
The Demon who had already walked halfway away: ?
He turned back and glared at her furiously, then walked off very quickly.
Many years ago, the little Demon truly had been illiterate. He could not write his own name, so he used two demon horns in its place;
Later, he captured Monk Guangping and made him teach him to read and write. He also gradually awakened the inherited legacy in the demon race’s bloodline, learned more and more, and could even write a beautiful hand—yet he could no longer sign his name.
After all, by then he was already the infamous little Demon. Whether she would accept his gifts was one matter, but if people discovered it, her situation would become very dangerous.
So year after year, the little Demon kept sending gifts, and year after year, he left behind two demon horns.
He wanted her to discover them, yet feared that she would.
✦ ─ ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ ─ ✦
When leaving Wuxiang Valley, she silently tied a sword tassel the Demon had given her onto the Kunlun Sword—
Sword cultivators dressed simply for convenience, and the only ornament they usually had was a sword tassel.
A piece of warm, lustrous spirit white jade hung from that tassel, matching the Kunlun Sword very well.
He indeed looked at it several more times.
Though he said nothing, the corners of his beautiful lips lifted slightly.
—It really looked quite good. He knew it.
Tch, humans!
Because her divine soul was unstable, they traveled by carriage this time. A carriage reinforced with spiritual power was fast and smooth, with no drawbacks except that it burned spirit stones.
Since there was now the extra, unnecessary Guangping, Hongniang also followed along with a cheerful grin.
Chao Jinsui taught her an illusion technique—those born with demonic seed possess bloodline inheritance, but rarely receive systematic education. Many things that are effortless for cultivators are as difficult as ascending to heaven for many demons.
Take high-rank demons like Hongniang—excellent fighters, yet unable even to perform a basic illusion technique.
Hongniang was immediately overjoyed, holding up a bronze mirror and looking at herself again and again.
A group of four people and one snake concealed their demonic aura, and within a single day entered the territory of Yuanyang City.
The Su family held great power in the cultivation world, famous for immense wealth and deep foundations.
The Yuanyang City where the Su family resided bore this name, of course, not because people here loved eating yuanyang hotpot.
Rather, it was because there was a tradition here—it was a sacred place for cultivation partners in the cultivation world. Most cultivators here came in pairs, and many cultivators traveled thousands of li to come here to form cultivation partnerships, seeking devoted love like mandarin ducks and harmony lasting ten thousand years.
Even the architecture was in all kinds of festive red.
The Su family was known as “Half of Yuanyang City”—half of the industries in Yuanyang City belonged to the Su family.
She lifted the curtain and saw bustling crowds outside the window.
At this time, just after winter had passed, peach blossoms filled the entire city. The red pavilions and towers of Yuanyang City, the pink clusters of peach blossoms, and pairs of people along the roads, laughing and playing.
Usually Yuanyang City was already crowded, but for some reason, today the number of people had doubled compared to usual.
Their carriage waited at the city gate for a long time before finally entering, and as soon as they entered the city, the carriage was bumped.
Facing them were carriage after carriage of crimson luan bridal sedans—these were for forming cultivation partnerships;
Immediately after came carriage after carriage of black hearses draped with white banners—these were for funerals.
Strangely, the number of those forming cultivation partnerships was almost the same as the number of funerals.
The two long processions were crowded tightly together, leaving almost no room for other carriages.
They had no choice but to get down first and let the red and white ceremonial processions pass.
Hongniang said in astonishment, “What exactly is going on in this city?”
People in the cultivation world had long lifespans; so many people dying together in clusters was unusual.
The Demon’s face was a bit dark, because the illusion technique had no effect on his demon horns. He had no choice but to keep wearing a bamboo hat and veiled hat, his vision obstructed. Raising his chin, he glanced at the funeral procession and signaled Monk Guangping to go check the situation.
Fortunately, Chao Jinsui did not want to run into acquaintances either, so she wore the same style.
The group first found an inn and took a window seat on the second floor. Just as they sat down, they heard the storyteller downstairs strike his sounding block with a crack, his voice booming like a great bell:
“Do you know of the battle a few days ago between the Su family head and the Kunlun Sword Sect’s sect master?”
“That Sect Master Chao of the Kunlun Sword Sect—his famed technique, the Plum Blossom Slash, once shook an entire region. Truly a formidable hero!”
“Who would have thought that when a man grows old, he grows muddled. The Kunlun Sword Sect was once so glorious, yet now they are bullied by the Su family until they cannot even lift their heads!”
On the second floor, one in black and one in white, both wearing veiled hats, instantly turned their gaze toward the storyteller.
As for the Su family attacking Kunlun, the matter had already spread throughout the cultivation world. The Su family had no intention of saving face for Chao Taichu. On that day, the siege of Kunlun had been watched from beginning to end by rogue cultivators at the foot of the mountain, and the news had spread like wildfire across the entire cultivation world.
Everyone knew that the Su family’s three hundred cultivators had attacked Kunlun, that Chao Taichu had not only acted like a coward hiding his head, but in the end had also lost. The storyteller spoke as if he had witnessed it with his own eyes:
“…Sect Master Chao was originally at the mid–Nascent Soul stage. Logically speaking, he and the Su family head should have been evenly matched. But the Su family head brought many disciples and won by strength in numbers. Sect Master Chao gained no advantage, was beaten into repeated retreat, yet could not return to the sect-protecting grand formation.”
“In the end, Sect Master Chao had no choice but to sever one of his own arms as compensation before he could escape back into the sect-protecting grand formation!”
Yan Xueyi smiled.
They had originally left the Su family members at the foot of the mountain precisely to let the Su family go trouble Chao Taichu.
They truly had not expected that even in such a state, Chao Taichu could still escape.
Su Baishan was certainly not one to be trifled with—his son had gone missing, his clan brother had died, and in the end he took one of Chao Taichu’s arms. Most likely, Chao Taichu had paid other prices as well.
If Chao Taichu had not bled heavily, how could the Su family possibly let him go! After all, Yan Xueyi believed that once the Su family discovered that their half–step Deity Transformation Nascent Soul ancestor had disappeared, their extortion toward Chao Taichu would only increase, never decrease.
Chao Jinsui had thought of this as well.
She understood Chao Taichu very well. He had always valued the face of the Kunlun Sword Sect above the heavens, and had always maintained the dignity of a sect master before outsiders. Now that this matter had spread throughout the cultivation world, his reputation was utterly ruined—something that likely pained him even more than losing an arm.
Did he now regret, even a little, how ruthlessly he had pursued his own daughter back then?
For a time, the entire inn was discussing this major event.
Then a furious female voice sounded from downstairs:
“Shut up! You petty wretch—are matters of the Kunlun Sword Sect something you can speak of?”
It was actually Chao Xiaotu’s voice—
With Chao Taichu injured, instead of staying at the Kunlun Sword Sect to take care of him, what was she doing here in Yuanyang City?
At this moment, Chao Xiaotu was both angry and anxious. Hearing the discussions, her anger flared, and she directly ordered someone to overturn the storyteller’s stall!
At that moment, from the second floor above, a chopstick suddenly shot out. With a faint cracking sound in midair, it stabbed into the ground beside Chao Xiaotu’s foot!
Chao Xiaotu was startled. Looking up, she saw two cultivators by the window, one in black and one in white, both wearing veiled hats.
The cultivator in white said coldly:
“This young lady, this is Yuanyang City, not your Kunlun Mountain. Even beneath Kunlun Mountain, there is no rule that forbids people from speaking.”
“Bullying the weak with strength—is this the upbringing of your Kunlun?”
The voice had been disguised, and Chao Xiaotu could not recognize who it was for a moment. Her eyes immediately reddened:
“This senior, he insults my sect and slanders my elders—how can I not discipline such a person?!”
Several Kunlun Sword Sect disciples stood beside her, all filled with righteous indignation:
By the window, the white-clad swordsman wearing a bamboo hat said coldly:
“The ones who did not dare descend the mountain when besieged by the Su family—that was the Kunlun Sword Sect; the one who compromised and would rather sever an arm than fight to the death—that was Chao Taichu.”
“So who is insulting your sect? Who is the one bringing shame and disgrace?”
Chao Xiaotu and the Kunlun disciples behind her turned deathly pale in an instant.
People around them began saying:
“Exactly, exactly—if you’re truly afraid of losing face, then go attack Yuanyang City!”
“I heard when the Su family’s three hundred people laid siege, Kunlun didn’t dare step out for days. And that’s supposed to be the bearing of a great sect?!”
Chao Xiaotu was both angry and anxious, still wanting to say more, but Lingyun beside her quickly pulled her back.
In the end, she did not dare cause further trouble. Under the strange gazes of the crowd, the group hurriedly left, their retreating figures looking rather miserable.
—Once upon a time, when disciples of the Kunlun Sword Sect went out, how spirited they were, how envied by all in the cultivation world. Yet now it had come to this.
It made people sigh, and also feel sorrow.
Chao Jinsui let out a sigh.
The Demon opposite her asked coldly, “Soft-hearted?”
She saw his phoenix eyes narrow dangerously, as though if she said she was soft-hearted, he would make sure to “wake her up” properly.
She smiled. “Not soft-hearted. Relieved.”
The era when the Kunlun Sword Sect stood at the height of its glory had long since passed.
She had once been one of those struggling to maintain that fading splendor. Only after leaving did she realize just how exhausting her previous life had been.
Only after breaking free did she feel how thankless all her past efforts to protect and worry over Kunlun had been.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Hongniang leaned over the railing, listening to the storyteller chatter about gossip from all corners of the cultivation world, utterly absorbed.
For some reason, the topic turned back to the Su family again.
“But speaking of it, the Su family’s eldest young master is truly miserable. I heard that when he was carried back, he was almost out of breath. Even now he’s still lying at home recovering!”
—Su Liuyun… hadn’t he died?
Hongniang was quick-witted. With a smile, she tossed a mid-grade spirit stone downstairs:
“Sir, tell us about the Su family’s young master—I want to hear more!”
The storyteller said in puzzlement, “Miss, judging by your attire, you’re from out of town. Could it be you didn’t come here for this matter?”
“The Su family’s Liuyun young master is so ill he can’t get out of bed. They’re preparing to select someone to bring celebratory fortune to their eldest young master! It will be in three days!”
“I heard that whoever is chosen will receive ten thousand taels’ worth of spirit stones. These past few days, everyone coming to Yuanyang City is here to watch the excitement!”
Behind the curtain, the two of them both set down their tea.
