The fox woman stared at the scene before her in stunned disbelief.
She had never expected that the man would not only fail to grow angry, but instead merely glance sideways at his guard with a smile tugging at his lips. He gave a light snort and said, “Who I call is none of your concern.”
Long Yin chuckled, slipping an arm around his waist, utterly unrepentant as he leaned in to steal another kiss.
The fox woman hurriedly turned her head away, resolutely refusing to look at something so improper. Unfortunately, her half-demon son blinked wide-eyed at the two of them, then tugged at her sleeve and asked with innocent curiosity, “Mama, what are the two benefactors doing?”
Feng Qingyun: “……”
The fox woman’s scalp nearly exploded. She hastily clapped a hand over the little fox cub’s mouth, flustered beyond measure.
Feng Qingyun snapped back to himself, heat rushing to his face at once. He lifted a hand and pushed Long Yin aside, then, out of courtesy, completely removed his veil. With that, he smiled apologetically at the fox woman, saying, “We’ve made a spectacle of ourselves.” However, the fox woman was utterly terrified. She scrambled to her feet, trying to offer her gratitude: “Not at all, not at all! It is my son and I who should be thanking you, benefactors! Such great kindness, such virtue… this one can never repay…”
Before she could finish speaking, the carriage suddenly lurched forward. Having just lost a tail, her body was already weak, so the jolt sent her tumbling back onto the seat. Perhaps feeling that her current frailty was unbecoming, shame washed over her face at once.
“You are unwell, young lady. There is no need for formalities,” Feng Qingyun said gently. “May I ask why you brought your child to this city?”
Though already a mother, the fox woman could not remember the last time anyone had addressed her as ‘young lady’. For a moment, her eyes nearly brimmed with tears. Holding her child close, she said softly, “This one is called Qiu Ying. I came to the Kingdom of Jinlin to look for this child’s father.”
Feng Qingyun continued, “And the child’s father is…?”
“This one… this one does not actually know,” Qiu Ying said in a low, ashamed voice. “He once passed by the Five-Pointed Mountain where I was cultivating and was injured by a tiger demon. I saved him, and afterward he was willing to pledge himself to me. But after we married… on the very night our child was born, he left without a word.”
As she spoke, she recalled the intimacy she had just witnessed between the two before her, and tears slipped down despite herself. The child lifted his hand, carefully wiping away the tears on his mother’s face, a face already marked by the loss of her tail and a crippled cultivation.
“Mama, don’t cry.”
Feng Qingyun felt a dull ache in his chest at the sight.
Qiu Ying quickly wiped her eyes and forced a smile. “I’ve made you laugh at me. This one’s cultivation is shallow. I came only to seek an explanation for my child; there is absolutely no intent to harm anyone. Please, benefactors, rest assured.”
“There is no need to justify yourself,” Feng Qingyun answered with a friendly smile. “Since we have protected you, we will naturally trust you.”
As they spoke, the carriage slowly entered Jinlin. Outside, the streets bustled with splendor and noise, yet Feng Qingyun suddenly sensed a dense aura of death. Qiu Ying was about to say something more when Feng Qingyun raised a hand to stop her. Then, he lifted the curtain and looked solemnly toward the Imperial City. Above the palace, a mass of black Qi hung faintly in the air.
Feng Qingyun froze, then immediately turned to Long Yin, saying, “Come look. What is going on there?”
Long Yin lifted the curtain, glanced once, and narrowed his eyes. “Someone is stealing the nation’s fortune.”
Only then did the simple-minded fox woman realize that the two before her were anything but ordinary, and she stiffened at once. As for Feng Qingyun, he frowned slightly, deep in thought, as the carriage came to a halt.
According to the false identities they had fabricated earlier, Feng Qingyun was supposedly visiting relatives. However, the arrangement had been entirely handled by Long Yin, so… as for who those relatives actually were, Feng Qingyun himself had no idea.
He was, in fact, rather curious how Long Yin had arranged things. Cradling the equally curious egg in his arms, he descended from the carriage with Long Yin’s support.
The fox woman, leading her son, followed cautiously, but the moment she lifted her head, she saw a grand, magnificent estate. Even the demon king of her mountain likely had never lived in such splendor, and an indescribable sense of inferiority quietly rose in her heart.
The heavy front gates slowly opened. Servants who had been waiting for a long time at the entrance bowed low, respectfully welcoming them inside. Just as Feng Qingyun was about to step through the gate, he suddenly paused. Turning his head, he looked suspiciously at the pair of stone lions standing guard. The two lions met his gaze for a long moment, then, rather awkwardly… shifted their eyes away.
They were actually stone lion demons!
Wasn’t the Kingdom of Jinlin supposed to strictly forbid cultivators from entering?! If even beneath the Emperor’s feet things were like this, where did that Imperial Advisor get the nerve to speak of a “fox calamity”?!
Feng Qingyun found himself momentarily at a loss for words. But seeing that the aura on the two stone lions was unusually pure, he did not say anything further in public. He merely turned away and led everyone into the estate.
The household’s mistress was already waiting in the courtyard. Since all arrangements had been handled by Long Yin, who had said everything was settled, Feng Qingyun had taken him at his word. Still, he had been wondering what sort of arrangement this actually was.
After all, the so-called imperial relatives within Jinlin were limited. Surely Long Yin could not have fabricated an entire clan out of thin air, right?
Well… that question was finally answered.
Standing within the elegant, lavish courtyard were a man and a woman. The man looked barely past his coming-of-age ceremony, with refined features. Upon seeing Feng Qingyun, he immediately stepped forward with a smile, asking, “You must be my wife’s cousin, yes? I’ve heard my beloved mention you many times! Long admired, long admired!”
Feng Qingyun turned his head and saw his so-called “cousin”…
Yue Jinshu.
Feng Qingyun: “……”
No wonder Long Yin had been so fearless, ah! The Kingdom of Jinlin had practically been infiltrated until it turned into a sieve, and yet no one seemed inclined to intervene!
“Just play your part,” Yue Jinshu said casually, turning to her nominal husband. “Go rest inside. Be good.”
The puppet bowed and turned, walking obediently into the house.
During the entire time, she had not restrained her aura in the slightest, so the oppressive presence of a demon general was enough to terrify the fox woman into trembling. In her eyes, the towering black shadow behind Feng Qingyun, the ‘cousin’, was nearly solidified. Even among the demon kings of her generation, she had never seen such overwhelming pressure.
And yet, such a terrifying existence, after watching her husband leave, withdrew her gaze and immediately lowered himself, bowing toward Feng Qingyun.
“This subordinate greets Your Majesty and His Highness.”
The fox woman stared at them in shock, nearly dropping to her knees on the spot. With her original cultivation barely at Qi Condensation, and now, after losing a tail, effectively no more than the middle of the beginning stage, she had almost been scared to death just encountering the Imperial Advisor! Let alone… whatever this was!
“There is no need for formality,” Feng Qingyun said, nodding as he cradled the inquisitive merfolk egg. “Sit. Let us speak.”
The courtyard was exquisitely arranged, with pavilions, towers, and scenic views at every turn.
They moved to a pavilion by the lake. The fox woman looked as though she might faint from fright, utterly afraid to sit anywhere. Seeing that, Yue Jinshu placed a pear into the child’s hands and looked up at her with a smile. “Sister, there is no need to be nervous,” she said. “To receive assistance from His Majesty and His Highness means you are a fortunate one. Treat this place as your own home. Please, sit.”
As she spoke, she also handed her a bottle of pills. Seeing that someone of such strength spoke to her so gently, the fox woman was too frightened to say another word and hurriedly sat down.
Yue Jinshu was about to pour tea for everyone when Feng Qingyun stopped her, saying, “Let him pour. You speak, tell us what you have observed these past days.”
With that, Long Yin, the lofty Demon Emperor himself, actually rose from his seat, taking up the teapot and pouring the tea personally. Yue Jinshu blinked, seemingly long accustomed to Feng Qingyun ordering Long Yin about. She sat down at once and answered, “This subordinate has been here for over a month now. My current identity is the newly married princess consort of the Marquis of Dingyuan.”
“When I arrived, the young marquis, who had just lost both parents, had already been brutally murdered. The killer seemed afraid that someone might use his soul to see their face, so his spirit was utterly ravaged. I begged and pleaded down in the Underworld, just to preserve what remained of it. In return, the young marquis agreed to let me disguise myself as his consort, on the condition that I help him find his murderer.”
“Less than three days after I married in, another murder occurred at the end of this very street. The victim was the son of the Grand Preceptor.”
Feng Qingyun frowned slightly. “When we entered the city, the guards said several murders had occurred recently within Jinlin.”
“That’s true,” Yue Jinshu nodded, peeling a lychee. “Within the Imperial City alone, seven or eight people have died suddenly in the past few days. Violent deaths, all within their own homes. Their wardrobes and dressing cases were ransacked, as though the killer was searching for something.”
The fearless little half-demon, under his mother’s tearful gaze, crept up beside Yue Jinshu and looked up at her eagerly. Yue Jinshu laughed and popped the lychee into his mouth.
Feng Qingyun’s brow twitched. “Could it be that someone is searching for Qinglong’s heart…?”
“It’s possible,” Long Yin said. “But what does the Grand Preceptor’s son have to do with Qinglong’s heart? Unless, aside from him, the others who died were all members of the imperial clan?”
“Not exactly,” Yue Jinshu shook her head. “Only one of them was Prince Yu. Excluding the young marquis here, the rest had no direct connection to the imperial family.”
“Prince Yu…” Feng Qingyun pondered. “What was his background?”
“That, I don’t know,” Yue Jinshu replied, shaking her head. “People seem extremely tight-lipped about Prince Yu’s identity. Even after his death, no one dares discuss it. The young marquis I’m attached to is already half-witted after his soul was pieced back together, so there was nothing useful to learn from him.”
Feng Qingyun nodded, yet could not help frowning. At that moment, Qiu Ying spoke hesitantly from the side, “This one… may know something about Prince Yu.”
Everyone’s gaze snapped toward her. She nearly bit her tongue in panic and hurriedly added, “It was told to me by this child’s father…”
Feng Qingyun said gently, “It’s all right. Go on.”
“Y-yes…” She hesitated, then said, “The current emperor should be named Mu Chongyue. The deceased Prince Yu’s original name was Mu Chonglan. He was born of the former empress. Above him, there is an elder brother of the same mother, the deposed crown prince, who is now imprisoned within the palace.”
“Emperor Mu Chongyue was born of a later consort. It seems that because of the struggle for succession, he was never on good terms with the deposed crown prince’s faction.”
“That is all I know,” Qiu Ying added cautiously.
From that, the matter seemed only loosely connected to Qinglong’s heart, far more like the emperor using the situation to purge remnants of the former crown prince’s supporters. Feng Qingyun was deep in thought when Long Yin peeled another lychee and brought it to his lips. Turning to Yue Jinshu, he asked, “Aside from this matter, are there any other leads?”
“No,” Yue Jinshu said with some embarrassment. “It feels like Qinglong’s heart should be in the palace. I’ve searched every prince’s residence, and there wasn’t even a trace of it.”
“And the entire Kingdom of Jinlin has been riddled through by the demonic clans,” Yue Jinshu added, voicing the same question Feng Qingyun had earlier. “Whether Qinglong’s heart is even in the hands of the imperial family is hard to say. The strongest demonic aura is concentrated in the Imperial Advisor’s residence, yet he’s only at the Qi Condensation stage. I don’t know what sort of thing he possesses, but even while concealing my presence and avoiding open conflict, I still couldn’t infiltrate his estate.”
Hearing that, Feng Qingyun narrowed his eyes slightly as he stroked the egg in his hands. A conjecture quietly took shape in his mind regarding the black mist above the Imperial Palace and that peculiar Imperial Advisor.
“As for the palace, that will have to depend on His Highness,” Yue Jinshu said, spreading her hands. “At the gates, there’s some sword Qi left behind by the Sword Master back then. At present, even if that Mu-surnamed dog came himself, he likely wouldn’t be able to break through it. In all the world, I’m afraid only His Highness could.”
Long Yin paused briefly at her words, but showed no sign of surprise.
Feng Qingyun had originally found it odd that he reacted so calmly, but upon reflection, it made sense. With half of the Heavenly Dao’s authority already reclaimed, few things in this world would truly be news to him.
In truth, Sword Master Zhong Yulan had originally been the daughter of the Jinlin Kingdom’s royal butcher, while Mu Hanyang had been the sole surviving prince of the fox calamity rebellion from a thousand years ago. Because of that, he still harbored a deep hatred toward the ancestral demonic clans.
As for that fox calamity, Feng Qingyun had once vaguely learned of it from Zhong Yulan herself.
A male fox demon had changed into a woman and caught the eye of the emperor, Mu Hanyang’s father, who insisted on bringing “her” into the palace. For a time, she was favored beyond measure.
However, a male fox could not bear children. Thus, by day, it reverted to its original male form and began an affair with Consort Liang, the former favored concubine who had lost the emperor’s affection upon the fox demon’s arrival. Later, Consort Liang gave birth to a son. The fox demon killed the midwife and used demonic arts to conceal the half-demon traits of the child.
Enthralled by the fox demon’s bewitchment, Consort Liang became obsessed with placing her son, the child she bore with the fox demon, upon the throne. To that end, she did not hesitate to harm the other princes and princesses, eventually even turning her blade toward her own biological sixth son, Mu Hanyang.
Later, Zhong Yulan, not yet Sword Master at the time, returned to the Jinlin Kingdom in search of her parents, only to sense demonic Qi billowing through the Imperial Palace.
By then, the old emperor had already been worked to the brink of death by the fox demon acting in concert with Consort Liang. After learning the truth, Zhong Yulan resolutely killed the fox demon.
She had originally intended to choose an heir between the eldest princess and the sixth prince. However, Mu Hanyang loathed the imperial throne to the core. Defying the Jinlin Kingdom’s prohibition against members of the royal family cultivating, he insisted on becoming a disciple of Zhong Yulan and, amid his birth mother Consort Liang’s anguished cries, he personally killed his own half-demon younger brother.
Consort Liang was so enraged that she vomited blood, and within half a month, she too died upon her sickbed. Afterward, Mu Hanyang was publicly struck from the Jinlin imperial genealogy due to his involvement in cultivation. As a result, few in the cultivation world knew of his origins within the Jinlin royal clan.
Yet as far as Feng Qingyun knew, for several hundred years, Mu Hanyang had continued to protect the Jinlin Kingdom in secret, even modifying the sword talismans left behind by Zhong Yulan into a sword formation and setting it before the Imperial Palace.
…But could the recent string of deaths within the Jinlin Kingdom be connected to Mu Hanyang?
Feng Qingyun slowly rubbed the eggshell as he weighed the plausibility of his conjecture. Yue Jinshu had noticed long ago that he was holding an egg, but at first, she had assumed it was merely a toy or ornament. Now that she was closer, however, she realized that not only did the egg radiate vitality, but that vitality was thoroughly infused with Feng Qingyun’s own demonic Qi.
She froze, then her eyes flew wide open, mumbling, “Your Highness… th-this, this couldn’t be something you…”
Feng Qingyun snapped back to himself at her words and cut her off before she could finish.
“It’s a merfolk egg!”
“Oh, oh…” Yue Jinshu responded vaguely, but whether she truly accepted the explanation or not was unclear. Instead, she made a couple of noises of acknowledgment, then visibly brightened, asking, “So it’s a little prince or princess, then?”
Hearing that, Feng Qingyun could not help recalling the dream they had down in the Underworld, how he had held that imagined daughter in his arms, and… how his chest had grown damp right in front of Yue Jinshu’s motherly gaze.
Under Long Yin’s half-smiling look, he fell silent for a moment, then said, “Merfolk have no fixed gender. It’s said they only choose their gender after reaching adulthood.”
Yue Jinshu blinked. “That impressive?”
Being praised, the little egg immediately straightened up as if to demonstrate its excellence.
“Oh my, Little Highness is so adorable,” Yue Jinshu said with delight. “Does the baby have a name yet?”
Feng Qingyun pressed his lips together.
“…Beichen.”
He always felt that naming an egg ‘Beichen’ was about as strange as naming a still nursing kitten after a famous war god, and thus rarely called it by its proper name. But having finally heard daddy call its name, the egg immediately bounced with excitement, puffed out its chest, and rubbed itself against Feng Qingyun’s palm.
Yue Jinshu’s eyes shone even brighter. Just as she was about to ask to hold the Little Highness, Feng Qingyun tapped the eggshell and said coolly, “Let’s focus on proper matters first. Tonight, Long Yin and I will go take a look at the Imperial Advisor’s residence. But we were rather conspicuous entering the city today. The Imperial Advisor may send people to watch this estate. Deal with them.”
Yue Jinshu immediately replied, “This subordinate understands.”
Qiu Ying, however, instinctively grew worried for her benefactors. “That Imperial Advisor is at the Qi Condensation stage, and according to Madam’s words, there are restrictions outside his residence. You two benefactors…” But before she could finish, Yue Jinshu looked at her rather strangely. Qiu Ying paused, asking, “…Madam, what is it?”
“You haven’t heard of… um…” Yue Jinshu glanced at Feng Qingyun. Seeing his approval, she straightforwardly spoke the Demon Emperor’s name. “The name Long Yin?”
Qiu Ying blinked.
“No.”
…Fine. A fool overcomes experts, Yue Jinshu thought bitterly. There wasn’t even an opportunity to show off their identities, ah!
Seeing through her thoughts, Feng Qingyun chuckled softly and teased Long Yin, “So that’s all there is to you, Your Majesty.”
Long Yin smiled, peeled a grape, and brought it to his lips. “Whether that’s all there is or not, the Little Palace Master will know tonight.”
Feng Qingyun bit down on the grape and immediately shot him a glare.
……………………
They had arrived in the afternoon. By the time the mortals within the estate finished their evening meal and Yue Jinshu arranged for Qiu Ying and her son to rest, evening had quietly descended.
With Long Yin having recovered half his authority, the two of them no longer needed to rely on the immortal artifact, the merfolk gauze, to conceal their presence as they had before. Therefore, Feng Qingyun was seized by the wrist, watching helplessly as both his body and Long Yin’s dissolved together into invisibility.
“…!”
The sensation was extraordinarily strange, unsettling, even.
Feng Qingyun had originally thought that after employing this method, the two of them would still be able to see one another, merely invisible to others. However, he had not expected that if Long Yin were not gripping his wrist, he might not even know where Long Yin was! As a matter of fact, he could not even see his own wrist! The sheer eeriness of the situation raised goosebumps across his skin.
Worse still…
That bastard Long Yin, cheating like the Heavenly Dao itself, seemed able to see him perfectly!
When the other party kissed him with unerring precision, Feng Qingyun’s expression turned nearly dumbfounded. The feeling of being utterly unable to control even his own body while another could control him so completely was unbearably shameful.
He didn’t even know where to aim if he wanted to slap someone!
It took Feng Qingyun quite some time to adjust before he could accept it. By the time they reached the gates of the Imperial Advisor’s residence, the sky had completely darkened.
All the other mansions of nobles and officials had gone dark along with the night; only the Imperial Advisor’s residence still glimmered faintly with lamplight. Feng Qingyun frowned slightly and tugged on Long Yin’s hand, about to move inside. As expected, there was an almost imperceptible restriction at the entrance, but such a thing was utterly insignificant before the Heavenly Dao.
With a casual wave of Long Yin’s hand, the two slipped silently into the Imperial Advisor’s residence, but just as they were about to proceed further, Feng Qingyun suddenly spotted someone seated in the courtyard. He halted abruptly, his heart jolting…
The strange cultivator they had met earlier in the inn back in Fengdu, the one suspected of being a hidden immortal, was sitting right there in the open courtyard!
Feng Qingyun immediately stopped. He had originally intended to advance a little farther, but unable to gauge the immortal’s true strength, he forcibly dragged Long Yin back with him. The two squeezed together in a corner by the wall.
Because they were invisible, Long Yin’s formless breath sprayed directly against Feng Qingyun’s neck, intimate, yet carrying an indescribable sense of dread. For a moment, Feng Qingyun did not even know where to rest his gaze. Fortunately, not long after, footsteps sounded in the courtyard. He turned his head slightly and saw the long-bearded Imperial Advisor from earlier walking up to the hidden immortal and lowering his head respectfully.
“Master.”
The Imperial Advisor was actually this crippled immortal’s disciple?
Under the moonlight, the immortal leisurely poured himself a cup of tea. Only after taking a sip did he speak. “Has Qinglong’s heart been found?”
The Imperial Advisor immediately replied, “It has been found. Just as Master predicted, Qinglong’s heart was indeed in Prince Yu’s possession. It has already been handed over to His Majesty.”
So the deaths within the city truly were the work of the Imperial Advisor.
“Good, as long as it has been found,” the immortal nodded unhurriedly. “Go and tell him this: the incarnation of the Heavenly Dao is none other than Lord Mu, his own ancestor. Once Qinglong’s heart, nurtured by national fortune, returns to its rightful place together with the incarnation of the Heavenly Dao, your country will naturally reap its share of benefits. There is no need to cling to temporary gains or losses in national fortune.”
The Imperial Advisor bowed respectfully. “Yes.”
After taking another sip of tea, the immortal suddenly seemed to recall something, continuing, “Oh, right, didn’t you say you encountered a rather insolent guard outside the city gates today?”
“Yes,” the Imperial Advisor said indignantly. “He even claimed his master could summon souls from the Underworld! If not for the fact that he possessed a heavenly fox token, and that Master did not wish to draw the fox clan’s attention, I would have long since…”
“He does indeed have that capability,” the immortal cut in calmly. “The fact that your head is still intact on your shoulders is already something you should be kneeling down to give thanks for.”
The Imperial Advisor froze as the immortal turned to look at him, asking, “Do you know who those two people are?”
Feng Qingyun’s heart skipped a beat. Sure enough, the next instant the immortal said…
“Demon Emperor Long Yin, and Linshuang Sword Master Feng Qingyun.”
The moment those words fell, the Imperial Advisor sucked in a sharp breath, his entire body going rigid as if frozen in place. Feng Qingyun’s expression, however, cooled slightly. That crippled immortal had indeed recognized them.
Then, after another sip of tea, the immortal continued, “Demon Emperor Long Yin is already coveted by tens of millions, so he’s nothing to fear. The only troublesome one is Feng Qingyun…” With that, his tone shifted abruptly, asking, “Have they made no move tonight?”
The Imperial Advisor seemed not yet recovered from his shock. Hearing the question, he took a few seconds before answering, “This disciple sent people to check. They reported that…”
The immortal paused. “Reported what?”
“…That the two seemed like dry wood meeting raging fire. They rolled straight onto the bed. They even heard “the guard” repeatedly asking his “master” how he compared to his ex-husband.”
Feng Qingyun: “……”
Long Yin: “……”
So this was how Yue Jinshu fabricated the illusion that they hadn’t left the estate?!
…Truly worthy of a demon general! Never forgetting one’s original nature!
Even without seeing him, Feng Qingyun could guess the expression on Long Yin’s face. His ears burned crimson as he turned his head away, pretending not to notice.
The immortal merely sneered. “If that is the case, then when Feng Qingyun sets out tomorrow, you will use Qinglong’s heart to lure him over. He likely holds Baihu’s and Xuanwu’s hearts, two of the Four Ancient Beasts. Kill him, take both hearts, and deliver them to me.”
Feng Qingyun’s heart jolted violently. Somewhere he could not see, Long Yin’s expression darkened in an instant, turning so black it seemed ready to drip water.
The Imperial Advisor appeared stunned by the task laid before him. After a long pause, his throat bobbed as he said, “But Master… this disciple is merely at the Qi Condensation stage. I fear I would not be able to harm Linshuang Sword Master in the slightest!”
“No matter,” the immortal said. With a wave of his hand, several extremely familiar seeds appeared beneath the moonlight… seeds of the same origin as those Mu Hanyang had previously used to forcibly activate the blood deed.
The moment those seeds appeared, Feng Qingyun’s mind exploded with a deafening roar. The Imperial Advisor casually flicked one of them onto the ground, watching as it slowly sprouted and unfurled its shoots.
The blood rose was, by nature, a solitary spiritual plant. Because blood itself was an exceedingly precious source of nourishment, blood roses were extremely resistant to blood relatives of the same origin. Coupled with Feng Qingyun’s past experience of having a blood deed forcibly triggered by such kin, his reaction to that was extraordinarily intense.
But what surged through him was not pain, but an indescribable agitation.
Especially with his most beloved prey so close at hand, the instinctive wariness toward blood kin carved into his very bones was instantly awakened, along with a maddening obsession. A trace of bloodlight even flashed through Feng Qingyun’s eyes. His demonic Qi and sword Qi nearly erupted together, and he felt an overwhelming urge to shatter that newly sprouted blood rose on the spot.
[So hungry…]
Feng Qingyun slid slowly down along the base of the wall, biting down on the back of his hand in an attempt to restrain his instincts. Long Yin raised his hand, reaching out to pull him back.
Feng Qingyun was already irritable from his instincts going unsatisfied. Unable to see where the other was, he could only haphazardly lean against what felt like Long Yin’s chest, and then opened his mouth and bit down hard.
“HISS!!!”
To his surprise, Long Yin was caught completely off guard, sucking in a sharp breath. The two figures in the courtyard immediately looked up, screaming, “What was that sound?!”
“!?”
Feng Qingyun snapped back to himself, freezing in place for a moment before realizing… What he had bitten just now did not seem to be a chest at all, but…!
The instant he understood what it was, Feng Qingyun’s cheeks burned red.
Fortunately, after a brief moment of alertness, the crippled immortal detected nothing amiss. Turning to his disciple, he continued, “…Probably just the wind. Nothing to worry about.”
Feng Qingyun exhaled in relief along with the Imperial Advisor, then lowered his head and leaned into the embrace before him. Long Yin guided Feng Qingyun’s hand to feel the place he had just bitten, teasing him in thought: [If the Little Palace Master wished to make this Lord abstain for a month, surely there was no need to be so ruthless?!]
Feng Qingyun, bold in action yet shy afterward, instinctively tried to turn his head away, but his instincts urged him to cling closer. His once-clear mind loosened with the momentary relief, gradually sinking back into haze. Seeing that, Long Yin’s heart softened completely. He could not help but hold him close and coax him gently.
[All right, all right. It’s fine. Be good. Lift your head and look at me.]
With the growing blood kin so near, Feng Qingyun’s instincts surged again. Hearing his words, he lifted his gaze in a daze, tilting his face upward, lips slightly parted, an unmistakably inviting posture for a kiss. Unable to endure any longer, Long Yin cupped the back of his head and kissed him deeply.
By then, the vigilant immortal had found nothing else out of the ordinary and finally withdrew his gaze. The Imperial Advisor turned his attention to the remaining seeds, asking, “May I ask, Master, these are…?”
“These are seeds of Feng Qingyun’s bloodline, artificially induced through immortal techniques,” the immortal replied. “Plant them around the Imperial Palace according to the formation. He will come but never leave again, with no way back.” He paused, then added in a nearly seductive tone, “The return of the Heavenly Dao is close at hand. Only when all those at the Golden Core stage are wiped out will cultivators like you, Qi Condensation and Foundation Building, have a chance to ascend.”
Yet the Imperial Advisor clenched the remaining seeds, still hesitant. “Master’s words are most reasonable,” he answered, “but in this disciple’s humble opinion… once those seniors ascend, wouldn’t our opportunities…”
“Naive and laughable!” The immortal interrupted with a cold sneer. “Opportunities? Do you know that this is already your second chance? If you had grasped the previous one, would you still be standing here, ignorant of everything?”
The Imperial Advisor froze. “What does Master mean…?”
“What I mean is this!” The crippled immortal’s voice suddenly turned sinister. “This world has already been reset once! And yet you know nothing of it, do you?”
Meanwhile, driven by the lure of those seeds, Feng Qingyun had wrapped his arms around Long Yin’s neck, nearly swallowing the other’s tongue. His robe had been rubbed askew, so only after a moment did he process what was being said. He forcefully dragged back a shred of reason and looked toward the courtyard in shock.
“What?!” The Imperial Advisor’s reaction was even stronger. “How did Master come to know this?!”
“I was not the one who activated the reversal of heaven and earth,” the crippled immortal said calmly, “so naturally, I retain no memories of the previous cycle. But countless clues point to this truth. For instance, you. Have you not noticed that from a certain point onward, your cultivation speed suddenly increased?”
The Imperial Advisor stiffened, dawning realization flooding his expression. The immortal sneered. “Did you truly think it was because you suddenly became enlightened?”
“How laughably conceited. Everyone in the world has experienced rebirth, but only a scattered few can dream of their previous life and realize the truth.” Staring unblinkingly at the Imperial Advisor, the immortal continued in a near-threatening tone, “This has caused countless people’s cultivation speeds to increase. When the Heavenly Dao returns to its rightful place, everyone in the world will recall their previous lives, but by then, it will already be too late!”
Feng Qingyun’s heart trembled.
So everyone in the world had been reborn, only they had not realized it. And when the Heavenly Dao returned, everyone would remember the previous cycle, yet they alone would forget the one who had turned the tide before the collapse of heaven…
Long Yin.
Feng Qingyun bit his lower lip unconsciously.
Beyond the wall, the crippled immortal’s words grew increasingly fabricated. “In the previous cycle, those great beings who could wield the authority of the Heavenly Dao chose to overturn heaven and earth together because they discovered this: there are only so many divine seats in the Heavenly Realm! But they made the mistake of allowing people like you to also gain the chance of ascension, occupying their positions! Thus, the world had to be reset!”
He spun lies with effortless fluency, even more convincingly than Long Yin himself, as he continued, “In this cycle, only those great beings dreamed of the previous life first. Do you truly think they would still allow you to ascend alongside them as before? Dream on!”
“Don’t be so childish. The remaining Golden Core stage cultivators, besides the Heavenly Dao, have already reached an agreement. Once they ascend, the path to ascension will be sealed immediately, just as it was before!”
Under the Imperial Advisor’s disbelieving gaze, the immortal withdrew his mocking smile, his tone turning icy. “I will give you one night to think it over. Whether you act or not, decide tonight. If by tomorrow night those seeds have not been planted outside the Imperial City, then I can only say that your path to ascension has been personally severed by your own hand.”
With that, the crippled immortal departed as abruptly as he had arrived, flicking his sleeve and leaving the Imperial Advisor standing alone.
Under the moonlight, the Imperial Advisor stood motionless before the stone table, staring unblinkingly at the seeds upon it, his expression dark as water. At that moment, suppressing his instincts, Feng Qingyun clearly realized: tonight was their best opportunity.
Killing what was left of that immortal would be easy enough, but no one knew whether he had accomplices hidden within the city. Only by sweeping everything clean in one move could they be certain.
Long Yin paused, holding him close, and asked softly in his mind: [And how do you propose to sweep everything clean?]
Feng Qingyun endured the discomfort and replied inwardly: [Replace all of those seeds.]
Long Yin froze, immediately understanding. He reached into his storage ring and produced several seeds from the Demon Realm. In appearance, they were nearly identical to the rose seeds, yet if the crippled immortal returned before tomorrow night, he would likely spot the discrepancy at a glance.
But as Long Yin frowned in hesitation, he suddenly heard Feng Qingyun’s soft voice echo in his mind.
[Use mine.]
Long Yin froze. Regaining his senses, he lowered his gaze.
[What?]
Under the moonlight, Feng Qingyun’s ears burned hot, his eyes darting away. Yet the voice in his mind trembled with resolve.
[Use my seeds.]
[Use…] Long Yin rarely showed such shock, his thoughts momentarily incoherent. [No, wait. Where would you even get seeds?!]
He looked utterly flustered by the sheer impossibility of it, but Feng Qingyun only leaned against his chest, his head lowered, and said nothing. The red of his ears spread all the way down his neck.
Yet in his heart, a quiet thought surfaced…
[Naturally… the seeds born for you.]
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