Chapter 33

Chapter 33

The birds were silent, the sun blazing high.

The long-quiet Chongyao Sect finally came alive with voices.

As the vast spiritual power slowly flowed, an ancient gate silently emerged in the void, and a thick primordial aura slowly dispersed. The disciples who had been training in the secret realm were about to leave again. Looking at the closed gate in the void, their eyes were full of longing.

According to the elders, someone in that secret realm had comprehended a legacy left by the ancestor, breaking through rapidly in just a few short days, even causing anomalies in the Cloud Reception Terrace.

Even the rarely seen Chongyao Sect Master appeared once more. Wearing a feathered crown and clean robes, he burned incense and respectfully offered three sticks of incense to the ancestor enshrined in the hall above.

These days, the Chongyao Sect had suffered heavy losses and lost its reputation. Now that a genius had finally emerged within the sect, his mood had improved slightly. He planned to wait for that disciple to leave the secret realm and then take them as his personal disciple.

In the world of cultivation, temporary infamy meant little. As long as they could cultivate a renowned prodigy, countless disciples would still be eager to join their sect.

Take Chang Ye, for example.

He had established his foundation at seven, formed his golden core at ten, and won the championship in the Chang Rong Grand Competition. In a mere few decades, he had broken through repeatedly to rank among the top cultivators, enjoying unprecedented fame.

The Chongyao Sect Master sighed.

As time passed, the closed gate trembled. Amid the expectant gazes of the crowd, several young figures leaped out from the gate, rushing into the crowd. They excitedly shared what had happened in the secret realm, their eyes and brows brimming with exhilaration.

Then, they couldn't help but look at the black-robed male cultivator who lagged behind. His long brows slanted upward toward his temples, his features handsome and sharp, his eyes bright as ink. With each step, a mysterious ripple spread from beneath his feet, and his loose robes fluttered even without wind.

Compared to his usual silent and gloomy demeanor, he was now like a drawn sword, radiating an unmistakable sharpness.

Seeing Gu Lingqiu like this, everyone couldn't help but show envy. But thinking about Lu Yuanyin's recent matter, they felt a hint of schadenfreude.

Gu Lingqiu paid no attention to those around him. He strode with a few disciples toward the Artifacts Hall. In the secret realm, he had gained a sliver of opportunity, comprehending a legacy left by the ancestor. Not only had his cultivation skyrocketed, but he had also unexpectedly awakened his dormant celestial demon bloodline, making his strength unprecedented.

Gu Lingqiu unconsciously fiddled with the tassels on his sword, his mood was uncharacteristically good. He had even received a message from his old subordinates: his father had managed to survive and was not dead.

Now his father was hiding somewhere to recover, waiting for the right moment to come find him.

After awakening the celestial demon bloodline, his cultivation had become doubly effective. He was confident that within ten years, he could return to the demon clan and take the heads of those treacherous dogs.

Right now, he needed large amounts of spiritual energy for his cultivation. The spirit pills he had brought were long gone. According to past practices, after returning from training, those who performed well would be rewarded with various pills and spirit stones.

But as he walked, he discovered that the Chongyao Sect was no longer as he remembered. The mountain peaks were scorched black, the delicate pavilions had collapsed, and everywhere there was chaos. Gu Lingqiu looked at the unfamiliar scene, feeling as if ages had passed. He could hardly recognize this barren mountain range as the previous fairyland-like Chongyao Mountain.

Even stranger, as he walked, the disciples he met looked at him with indescribably complex expressions—sympathy, sarcasm, and schadenfreude all mixed together.

Gu Lingqiu hated such looks.

As more and more people gave him those weird and annoying glances, his patience wore thin. Just as he was about to lose his temper, they finally arrived at the Artifacts Hall.

There, a long line of waiting disciples stretched out. Some in the line were scowling in anger, staring at the steward and demanding, "The sect hasn't issued any spiritual pills for over ten days! We can't buy any even at the markets! How are we supposed to cultivate like this at all?!"

"Yeah! We joined the sect to cultivate properly, and now this?!"

As someone took the lead, others chimed in with complaints. Soon the entire Artifacts Hall was filled with noise.

Standing at the back of the crowd, Gu Lingqiu frowned at the chaotic scene.

He had only been in the secret realm for a month—how had the Chongyao Sect become like this? What had happened during that month?

The commotion grew louder. A white-haired old man slowly came out from the inner hall, leaning on a walking stick. He thumped his stick heavily on the ground, and everyone felt a buzz in their heads, as if thunderclaps exploded in their ears.

They instinctively stopped arguing and stared at the old man in surprise. "Hall Master..."

The Artifacts Hall Master looked at the dissatisfied disciples outside and sighed helplessly. "It's not that we don't want to give you spiritual pills. The sect has suffered greatly, and most of our stock has been destroyed."

"If Lu Yuanyin were still here, she could help out in a pinch. But now, we have no choice..."

Even if they wanted to buy, it was nearly impossible to acquire so many pills in such a short time, especially without enough spirit stones. The Chongyao Sect had always been notoriously poor, housing a bunch of gold-guzzling sword cultivators. Now, their industries and spirit herbs had mostly been burned.

The already impoverished Chongyao Sect was in even worse shape.

When they tried to buy large quantities of pills, the surrounding alchemists took advantage of the situation to raise prices. They were at their wit's end.

Back when Lu Yuanyin was still in the sect, she almost always sold her practice pills to the Artifacts Hall at extremely low prices. When the Hall provided her with spirit herbs, she even refined pills for free.

Though she was often scolded as trash by the other disciples, she refined pills quickly and excellently, capable of working seven or eight cauldrons at once—more than ten ordinary alchemists. Even her so-called "failed" pills were far superior to common ones.

For a while, most of the pills in the Artifacts Hall were supplied by Lu Yuanyin and a few alchemists she knew.

That was the most comfortable period they had ever experienced.

So when the rumor of Lu Yuanyin framing fellow disciples broke, he had immediately gone to the Chongyao Sect Master to plead her case.

He believed Lu Yuanyin wasn't that kind of person.

She was smart, resilient, and hardworking. Even if she had a grudge against those people, she wouldn't ruin her future over petty grievances.

Though Lu Yuanyin never said it out loud, he understood her concerns. She was too beautiful, and outside, she could easily fall prey to lecherous cultivators. Strong cultivators might take her by force and make her a captive.

Regrettably, back then, the Sect Master was solely focused on replacing Lu Sisi's spiritual root and refused to listen to anyone, even avoiding him outright.

Now most of their stock had been destroyed, and Lu Yuanyin had left in anger.

Falling into such an awkward situation—they deserved it.

These disciples had taken advantage of Lu Yuanyin's kindness for so long. Yet they bullied her, ostracized her, and even slandered her in such serious matters. He had often heard vicious rumors about her and tried to stop them, but to no avail. The disciples only grew more vile.

The Hall Master sighed. If his own daughter were slandered and tormented like that, his heart would ache.

The disciples' faces darkened.

Listening to the Hall Master recount these matters, they suddenly realized how much they had taken Lu Yuanyin for granted.

A petite female cultivator said hesitantly, "Senior Sister Lu really helped us a lot. I don't believe she did that either. But I'm nobody, and back then, no one believed me..."

She tugged at her sleeve. Though Lu Yuanyin was not one to socialize, she was extremely generous. When they were in need, she would even give them pills for free or cheap, often helping them refine pills at no cost.

They had grown so accustomed to Lu Yuanyin's generosity that they naturally overlooked her kindness. They accepted her help as a given, trampling on her goodwill.

As her words fell, the crowd fell silent, their faces stiff. Remembering the past, they felt a bitter taste in their mouths.

They had forgotten: when Lu Yuanyin first joined the sect, they hadn't disliked her. But it was unclear when the rumors began. They had joined in ostracizing her, mocking her, cursing her, and being ashamed to be associated with her...

Standing at the back of the crowd, Gu Lingqiu listened to the Hall Master and the disciples. He frowned, not understanding all this talk.

According to the sect's earlier punishment, Lu Yuanyin should still be confined to the Cliff of Reflection. How could she have left the sect in anger?

Just over such a small matter?

If it’s just a misunderstanding, finding evidence and explaining it properly should clear things up. Why does it have to escalate like this?

Gu Lingqiu thought of Lu Yuanyin’s increasingly odd and irritable nature lately, and couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on. One day, he would surely kill those traitors and restore the glory of the Demon Royal Family. He was destined to become the next Demon Lord.

If Lu Yuanyin still wanted to be with him, she would have to change her ways.

His future Demon Queen didn’t have to be a pure-blooded demon, didn’t need a dazzling background or family name, and could even be an ordinary person with mediocre cultivation. But she must not throw tantrums at him or act impulsively. She represented the face of their Demon Royal Family.

His time was precious and pressing; it shouldn’t be wasted on coddling women or indulging their whims.

Gu Lingqiu grew annoyed. He was angry at Lu Yuanyin’s pettiness and stubbornness. If only she were as gentle and considerate as Lu Sisi, they wouldn’t be in this mess.

Yet they were childhood sweethearts, and Lu Yuanyin was different from other women. He was willing to give her time to change.

Noticing the strange glances cast his way from time to time, Gu Lingqiu couldn’t be bothered to stay here any longer. He strode out of the Artifact Hall, only to see Lu Sisi running toward him with tear-filled eyes.

The moment she saw him, Lu Sisi finally let the tears she had been holding back fall. Her voice choked with sobs. “Brother Gu, I’m sorry. I couldn’t take good care of A Yin. A Yin, she…”

Gu Lingqiu frowned at her words, impatiently looking at the weeping Lu Sisi. “Where is Lu Yuanyin? Shouldn’t she be at Penitence Cliff right now?”

“A Yin ran away.” Lu Sisi could barely finish half the sentence before sobbing, crystal tears streaming down her thin cheeks. Her expression grew more aggrieved, her frail figure swaying as if about to collapse.

Gu Lingqiu’s brows knitted tightly. He asked coldly, “What happened to her?”

Lu Sisi wiped away her tears and looked up at the tall male cultivator before her, timid and fearful. Speaking haltingly, she said, “So many things have happened recently. A Yin is pregnant with the child of a Dragon Clan elder. Some time ago, she refused to accept the sect’s punishment of her, mistakenly thinking we wanted to dig out her spiritual root and harm her, so she invited that Dragon Clan elder over.

They attacked and injured several elders, set fire to Chongyao Mountain, and killed Senior Heijiao. Now she has already left with that Dragon Clan elder, and her whereabouts are unknown.”

As her words fell, Gu Lingqiu’s face instantly darkened. He stared at Lu Sisi in disbelief. A bloody glint appeared in his pitch-black eyes. His jaw tightened, veins bulging on his forehead, making him look like a wrathful demon crawling out of hell—unspeakably terrifying.

A moment later, Gu Lingqiu laughed in fury. “How wonderful!”

All that time in the secret realm, he had been worrying about her every day. Yet she had already been in cahoots with someone else. No wonder her attitude had changed so drastically lately, treating him so coldly. So she had found another patron behind his back!

Seeing him like this, Lu Sisi timidly tugged at his sleeve. Tears shimmered in her eyes. She whispered, “Brother Gu, please don’t be like this. I’m scared…”

He gripped the sword in his hand tightly, almost grinding his teeth as he growled, “Lu Yuanyin, you’re just amazing!”

Those dragons were naturally promiscuous and fickle. That dragon might be infatuated with her for now and willing to stand up for her, but once he grew tired, she’d better not come crying back!

Gu Lingqiu looked at the desolate mountains in the distance, then suddenly turned and strode off Chongyao Mountain.

Lu Sisi bit her red lips, but still followed closely behind him. She already knew from her father that Brother Gu was the one who had received the inheritance left by Chongyao’s ancestor, and his cultivation had soared. Even the elders praised him as no ordinary talent.

In the future, his prospects would surely be boundless. He might even have a chance to achieve enlightenment and ascend immediately.

She wondered if Lu Yuanyin would regret giving up Brother Gu later…

But whether she regretted it or not, it was too late now. She would never let go. Brother Gu could only be hers!

The old medical cultivator merely took Lu Yuanyin’s pulse and could already roughly guess most of the herbal remedies she had taken recently.

He looked timid, but his medical skills were extraordinary.

The prescriptions he casually wrote down and the spiritual pills he matched were enough to dazzle Lu Yuanyin. Having stayed at the Chongyao Sect all these years—a place full of sword cultivators—she had rarely encountered such a skilled medical cultivator.

Even the famous old physician at the foot of Chongyao Mountain was not his equal.

Holding the prescription, she studied it for a long time, and the more she studied, the more she realized its marvels.

Seeing that she liked it, the old medical cultivator stroked his beard and generously gifted her a thick medical tome, which recorded his experiences traveling all over the world over the years. It completely fascinated the young woman.

Although he was old and had failing eyesight, his intuition in certain areas was unnervingly sharp.

While taking her pulse and examining her, he would occasionally sense a pair of eyes watching from the shadows.

He looked up and saw a tall male cultivator standing in the dark. His face remained cold and aloof, as if indifferent to everything, yet his gaze kept drifting to the young woman.

But unfortunately, Lu Yuanyin was already completely absorbed in his medical tome, utterly oblivious to the figure outside.

The old medical cultivator couldn’t help but think of a peacock he once saw, desperately preening but failing to attract anyone’s attention.

He smiled and stroked his beard. In all his years, he had never heard of Huo Wuyan being so close to any woman. Even his own stepsister had repeatedly been turned away by him.

The old medical cultivator immediately became even more enthusiastic toward Lu Yuanyin. This young woman might well become the future Dragon Queen. If he could curry favor early, wouldn’t that be wonderful!

As time passed, Lu Yuanyin devoted herself entirely to that medical tome.

Huo Wuyan grew more irritable inside, but had nowhere to vent.

He didn’t even know why he was so restless.

Now that Lu Yuanyin was no longer pestering him or disturbing him, he should have been happy with the peace. Yet everything around him felt strangely uncomfortable.

Didn’t she like him? Why was she paying more attention to that medical book and that annoying old man than to him?

Before he realized it, Huo Wuyan found himself in the middle of a bustling street. Vendors hawked their wares enthusiastically, rich aromas of food filled the air, and the crowd was so dense that people occasionally brushed against him absentmindedly.

Huo Wuyan was tall, almost half a head taller than the average man, already striking. With his handsome face that was both mysterious and eerie, almost everyone on the road stared at him in surprise.

Their eyes held fear and awe, but also admiration.

Sensing the looks of the passersby, Huo Wuyan frowned and was about to leave.

He hated noisy places.

But then he heard a vendor shouting enthusiastically, “Still worried about disharmony between husband and wife? Still troubled by not understanding your wife’s thoughts?…

In half a cup of tea’s time, solve all your problems! Created by a team of famous storytellers in collaboration—you deserve to have this!”

Huo Wuyan paused mid-step.

The vendor was shouting himself hoarse when suddenly the light in front of him dimmed. Startled, he looked up to see a demon cultivator in a black dragon-embroidered cloak, tall and cold-faced, standing expressionlessly before him, staring coldly.

White hair fell loose between his horns, his aura intimidating, utterly out of place in the crowded street behind him.

The vendor’s heart trembled, his legs going weak. He had long heard that demon cultivators were quick-tempered, heartless and ruthless. Seeing the male cultivator’s cold face, he thought his stall was blocking the way and hurriedly moved it aside.

But the male cultivator just glanced at him without expression, then stopped again in front of his stall.

The vendor’s heart pounded wildly. Was he so unlucky as to have someone picking a fight? He looked around frantically for help, but everyone silently averted their eyes, pretending not to see.

Panicked, cold sweat instantly soaked the back of his clothes. Just as he thought he was about to get beaten up today, unsure what to do, Huo Wuyan raised his eyes and gave him a cold glance.

Expressionless, Huo Wuyan tossed him a storage pouch and said coldly, “Enough?”

The vendor was stunned. Never in his dreams had he imagined that this cold, aloof man would actually want to buy these miscellaneous items. But his hands had already instinctively squeezed the pouch.

Feeling the spirit stones inside, his face immediately bloomed into a smile. He cast aside all worries, took out the items, and quickly packed the books and paintings into the pouch, saying with obsequious enthusiasm, “Enough, enough! Sir, please take them and go well!”

Huo Wuyan casually took the storage pouch. He took a single step, and the next moment, he was already inside the inn.

Looking at the bustling crowd outside the window, Huo Wuyan picked up the blue book on top, flipped through it, then paused. On it, written in bold, sweeping strokes, were a few lines: "Female cultivators always say one thing but mean another. When she says no, she means yes—don't hesitate, kiss her!"

Huo Wuyan furrowed his brows slightly, couldn't wrap his head around it.

"No female cultivator can refuse a beautiful gemstone. If there is one, give her a whole bag."

Huo Wuyan didn't know if Lu Yuanyin liked gemstones, but as a dragon, the only thing he loved was shiny gems.

He casually picked up another book, then paused—the title looked unusually familiar, *Maiden and Dragon*.

He picked up a few others: *The Overbearing Dragon Lord's Little Wife*, *After Getting Pregnant with the Overbearing Dragon Lord's Child, I Ran Away*, *The Domineering Golden Dragon's Captive Love: The Little Runaway Wife*...

A subtle, strange feeling arose in Huo Wuyan's heart. He opened the blue book silently, and his expression froze.

Even he, slow as he was, could tell that the protagonists of these books were unmistakably him and Lu Yuanyin.

Author's Note:

I'm here~

Dragon: mixed feelings (jpg)