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CHAPTER 35: Her Secret
As the saying goes, while the righteous path rise a foot, the Demon rises a ten-foot yard.
When the Taoist takes a step back, the Demon marches straight into the bedroom.
The couch was originally more than large enough for one, but with the towering Demon Lord occupying it, the space instantly became narrow and suffocating. A heavy, murderous aura still clung to him, and after the night’s great battle, he carried a lazy sense of exhaustion. He leaned back, long legs bent, refusing to budge.
"Yan Xueyi," she asked, "are you injured?"
After a long silence, hearing no movement from him, she turned to look. He had actually fallen asleep. Under the lamplight, his profile was cold and sharp, his thin lips pressed tight, a beauty that was both exquisite and dangerously aggressive.
Perhaps he truly was exhausted. She reached out to gently pry his hand open; he furrowed his brow but did not wake. The wound from the Kunlun Sword last time had already grown new flesh, only to be replaced by fresh injuries.
She saw that the palms of his large hands were covered in bloody gashes, wrapped crudely in strips torn from his own clothing. Indeed, the Heaven-Mending Stone pendant was so small that he must have snatched it barehanded. He seemed oblivious to pain, always treating his own body with utter disregard.
She fell silent for a moment, then couldn't help but let out a soft, helpless laugh. She thought; she didn't envy Chao Xiaotu so much anymore.
Demons rarely slept. For those whose very essence was saturated with demonic energy, sleep was often nothing more than an endless nightmare.
He couldn't remember exactly when it started, but as a young demon, he had loathed sleep. In his dreams, there was only boundless darkness, vitriol, and ceaseless slaughter. Later, when he truly returned to the Demon Realm, he spent years fighting his way up through endless plunder, combat, and ambushes. He had never once closed his eyes in peace. Every demon knew that closing one's eyes in the Demon Realm meant never knowing if or when you would wake. To not fight was to die.
This was his past, a life of treading on thin ice beneath the surface of his glory, a desperate existence of a man living on the edge of a blade.
But there was a scent about her that was very pleasant. Staying by her side felt as though those battles were far away. He would only think of her gentle gaze, of a sweet grass he had eaten as a child, of the songs she hummed, and of her kiss.
Subconsciously, the Great Devil tightened his grip on her hand, pulling her into his embrace like a dragon coiling around its treasure.
Even in sleep, the ill-tempered and volatile Demon Lord was overbearing, especially since he insisted on hogging the entire couch. The sword cultivator, being a disciplined and proper person, slept in the standard posture recommended by the Sword Cultivator's Manual for Rest, the most standard position for gathering spiritual energy while sleeping. One could almost tuck a bunch of daisies in her hands and she’d look ready for a peaceful burial.
Consequently, throughout the night, she opened her eyes countless times, attempting to break free from his demonic clutches and return to her standard sleeping posture.
She failed.
She didn't understand why his sleeping style was just like his personality: lawless and utterly arrogant. As she thought this, she was once again stuffed into the devil’s chest. She looked like a kitten on Bright Moon Mountain having its head caught in the mouth of a large dog.
Chao Jinsui: Unable to sleep, regretting for the tenth time, why did she ever give him the Demon Subduing Sword?
The next morning, when the grumpy Great Devil woke up, he found his hands neatly wrapped into two large white buns. Unable to sleep in the middle of the night, she had gotten up and wrapped them in four thick layers.
While he loved the focused look on the sword cultivator’s face when she bandaged him, he found these things incredibly restrictive. It felt as if his very destiny was being throttled. How was he supposed to pillage and burn with hands like these? It was a complete blow to his majestic aura!
However, the moment he tore them off, the sword cultivator immediately circled back and re-wrapped them layer by layer. He tried to quietly loosen them again.
As if she had eyes in the back of her head, she whipped around, and the Demon Lord instantly began slowly winding the gauze back on.
Last night, a group of demons had stormed the forbidden grounds and reaped a great harvest. After nearly turning Taiji City upside down, they had finally secured the Clear Mind Manual. Had the Demon Lord not suddenly doubled back and sustained some injuries, the mission would have been considered perfectly smooth.
That morning, Guang Ping noticed the Demon Lord’s movements were exceptionally strange when he drew his sword. Curiously, he asked, "My Lord, why are your hands wrapped like that?"
The Demon Lord shot him a glance. "You’re a monk; of course you wouldn't understand."
Guang Ping: "..."
The Demon Lord: "It’s a switch."
Guang Ping was intrigued. "What does that mean?"
The Demon Lord dazed for a moment: A switch that, as long as it was pulled, would make the sword cultivator turn her head.
He glanced at the monk again. "Then again, why am I telling a monk like you?"
Guang Ping: "..." He felt like rebelling. If he recruited Little Eye, what would their chances of success be?
Little Eye, the one being plotted against, let out a sneeze. Drooling, it asked Hong Niang, "Is there meat to eat today?"
Hong Niang rolled her eyes charmingly and went to knock on the door. "The people from Taixuan Wuji are here again. They say they will give an explanation today. Are you going?"
Chao Jinsui was currently staring blankly at the half-pendant. If Yan Xueyi hadn't happened to snatch this item back yesterday, she wouldn't have had a single clue. Now, this half-pendant was the greatest lead. She had always felt the shape was familiar, yet she couldn't quite place it.
Hearing Hong Niang’s voice, she opened the door and asked suddenly, "Hong Niang, have you seen this before?"
Hong Niang leaned in to look. "Look there, isn't that exactly what’s drawn on the Taixuan Wuji banner?"
Chao Jinsui turned around and indeed saw the Taiji Yin-Yang fish on the Taixuan Wuji flag. The banner’s design naturally had its origins, and if she wasn't mistaken... it was a depiction of Taixuan Wuji’s sect-protecting treasure!
She was stunned. She hadn't even thought in that direction. Because the Su clan’s Heaven-Mending Stone was hidden underground, she had assumed all such treasures would be in highly concealed locations. But as they say, the darkest place is under the lamp; she had nearly been fooled this time.
She tucked the pendant away and let out a soft laugh. "Let's go. Today, there is a hard battle to be fought."
On the other hand, the situation at Taixuan Wuji was not so optimistic. When it rains, it pours.
The elders had stayed up all night discussing strategy, only to be shocked by the news that the forbidden grounds had been destroyed. The entire sect had been brightly lit, with people scurrying about all night. Since last night, countless messenger pigeons had landed at the gates, all from various sects who had heard of yesterday’s events and were seeking inquiry. Even the Jade Sword Alliance had personally inquired, showing how significant the matter was and how much it had shaken the cultivation world.
Elder Ping’s communication talismans had been lighting up non-stop; she was utterly overwhelmed.
In the morning, when Chao Xiaotu was brought out by Shi Chunqiu, even the ordinary disciples of Taixuan Wuji couldn't help but glare at her.
Shi Chunqiu took a deep breath and asked, "How much do you really know about Chao Jinsui? Are you sure she won't move against you today?"
"Grandfather, don't worry. Chao Jinsui is a woman of her word."
Shi Chunqiu was skeptical, but Chao Xiaotu spoke with absolute certainty. He thought about it and realized: while Chao Jinsui was indeed cunning, she was also a very standard sword cultivator with extremely strong principles. He immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
Chao Xiaotu had known Chao Jinsui for two lifetimes. She actually despised Chao Jinsui’s lofty arrogance, but she had to admit, having an enemy like that was far better than a despicable one, wasn't it?
Thus, when the grandfather and granddaughter arrived at the Hall of Radiant Light, Chao Xiaotu appeared emboldened and unafraid.
The expressions of the others, however, were complex. Before yesterday, the elders never imagined things would reach this point. She was just a junior no one cared about. Taixuan Wuji was such a behemoth; even if her cultivation was high, so what? She was still just one person, alone and easily bullied.
But after yesterday, would anyone still see her that way?
Chao Jinsui, whose character and ability had been doubly affirmed by her enemies, did not show any lack of cooperation. Perhaps having learned their lesson, the Hall of Radiant Light was closed today, with no outsiders invited to watch.
Elder Ping announced, "The Hehuan Sect case has been reopened and will be publicly tried shortly. Our Taixuan Wuji will execute the elders who misjudged the case as an apology to the world. Regarding the other case Miss Chao mentioned, Taixuan Wuji will also handle it impartially. Today, we are primarily here to withdraw the Scarlet level bounty, clear Miss Chao’s name, and offer compensation."
Shi Chunqiu looked at her nervously.
Chao Jinsui indeed remained silent, showing no intention of pursuing Chao Xiaotu for false accusations. She simply stood with her hands down. When Elder Ping asked her, she even smiled: "I gave my word yesterday; I will not hold Xiaotu responsible."
Chao Xiaotu and Shi Chunqiu both breathed a sigh of relief. Chao Xiaotu couldn't help but feel disdain in her heart: What a noble spirit! The Buddha in the temple should be replaced by her.
The supposed "Buddha," Chao Jinsui, patted Ling Yun.
Ling Yun would forever remember the terror of being trapped in the spider cocoon, feeling she would die at any moment. Recalling this, her round eyes glared at Chao Xiaotu, burning with boundless fury and hatred.
She summoned her courage and took a step forward. "Elders of Taixuan Wuji, I wish to accuse Chao Xiaotu of attempting to take my life!"
Chao Jinsui stood right behind Ling Yun, looking calmly at the people opposite her. It was clear she was backing the girl. She said nothing, but merely by standing there, her presence was enough to give someone immense strength.
Chao Xiaotu almost thought she had heard wrong.
But Ling Yun didn't stop there. She added, "I have evidence! I remember everything clearly!" She presented a memory pearl, it contained the entire process of Chao Xiaotu pushing her into the spider’s pit that day.
Halfway through the projection, Chao Xiaotu immediately argued, " I was too scared at the time!"
Ling Yun asked, "And what about after that?"
In the memory pearl, Chao Xiaotu, who claimed to be terrified and had kicked Ling Yun away, threw her to the spiders to draw their attention, while she herself lunged in the other direction, to save the coffin Madam Zi used to resurrect Su Liuyun.
Ling Yun’s voice trembled, choked with sobs. "You thought that once I was caught by the spiders, I wouldn't be able to see, didn't you? You clearly used me to distract them! You didn't value my life as a life at all!"
Chao Xiaotu quickly regained her composure and spoke with a cold sneer, "Ling Yun, you are merely an outer disciple of the Kunlun Sword Sect. Who do you think you are?"
Ling Yun’s small face turned bright red.
However, Chao Jinsui didn't even look at Chao Xiaotu. She only looked at Elder Ping. "Has Taixuan Wuji truly reached the point where a mere Golden Core cultivator can be the spokesperson?"
Chao Xiaotu was pulled back by Shi Chunqiu. Her heart was full of the humiliation of being ignored, and she completely failed to notice Shi Chunqiu’s face turning deathly pale.
Times had changed. Ordinarily, Shi Chunqiu could have helped her cover up such a small matter. But just yesterday, Taixuan Wuji had misjudged two major cases, and their only two Scarlet level bounties had both been blunders. Overnight, every street and alley in Taixuan City was discussing it; the cultivation world was in an uproar.
In the face of such a massive crisis, Taixuan Wuji had to do everything possible to turn the tide! In such a critical moment, how could Taixuan Wuji sacrifice its own reputation to help Chao Xiaotu maintain her lie?
Chao Xiaotu asked what kind of person Ling Yun was? Then what kind of person was Chao Xiaotu? She was merely Shi Chunqiu’s granddaughter. Even if it were Shi Chunqiu himself, Taixuan Wuji would still have to sever the limb to save the body!
Chao Xiaotu was still glaring at Ling Yun. "Ling Yun, you’re so proud because someone is backing you today? Do you even see where you are?"
She didn't notice the elders present looking at her with complex gazes. Tears welled in Ling Yun’s eyes because she knew Taixuan Wuji had Shi Chunqiu, Elder Ping... Ling Yun silently stepped back. She didn't like causing trouble. Having the Young Sect Leader here today and being able to speak her grievance was already enough.
However, in the next second, Elder Ping roared: "Enough! Chao Xiaotu, you bullied this young girl Ling Yun first; then, after the incident, you used your companion’s life as a trade for your own survival! Unkind and unrighteous! You are a disgrace to all cultivators!"
Chao Xiaotu whipped her head up. Ling Yun was also in disbelief.
Elder Ping said sternly, "According to the rules, you shall be punished with fifty lashes and imprisoned in the Taixuan Wuji dungeons for a hundred years! Men! Drag this unfilial and unrighteous person away!"
Chao Xiaotu’s face turned ashen. Clearly not understanding what was happening, she began to struggle. A cultivator’s life is long, but being imprisoned for a century was an extremely severe punishment! Especially since the lashes of Taixuan Wuji could truly leave one half-crippled. Fifty lashes? It was a bolt from the blue!
Not long ago, she was still gloating that Chao Jinsui was a living bodhisattva, but she found she was miserably mistaken. The one who had dropped her into hell was someone she had never even considered! She had never cared for Ling Yun, not when she threw her to the spiders, and not when she saw her walking behind Chao Jinsui today. Ling Yun wasn't an important character, just a girl with low cultivation. She naturally didn't care about the life or death of such a minor figure.
Yet she never imagined that the one to deal her the fatal blow today would be this very person she had always looked down upon.
"Grandfather! Elder Ping!" Her mouth was immediately covered, and before she could even groan, she was dragged outside!
Ling Yun’s eyes were wide. She turned to look at Chao Jinsui. Chao Jinsui laughed at the girl’s round eyes and asked, "Are you satisfied?"
Ling Yun almost burst out laughing! She whispered in disbelief, "Young Sect Leader, how did you do it?" This was Taixuan Wuji!
Chao Jinsui laughed softly. "The right time, the right place, and the right people, all three are indispensable." If you grasp the right moment, what is impossible?
Right now, Taixuan Wuji had a mountain of trouble to deal with and didn't dare make a single wrong move. Even with the next matter she was about to mention, today’s Taixuan Wuji would have no choice but to agree!
Chao Jinsui said, "Elder Ping, do you remember what I said before the gates of Taixuan the other day?"
Elder Ping’s heart skipped a beat. "I remember. Since Taixuan Wuji truly wronged you, we will fulfill our promise."
Chao Jinsui said leisurely, "I recall that Taixuan Wuji seems to possess a piece of the Taixuan Yin-Yang Fish."
As she spoke, the elders present all drew a cold breath. The way she said it was as if she were remembering Taixuan Wuji had a common cabbage. Elder Ping and the elders regretted nothing more than issuing that bounty. How else could they have provoked such a disastrous star? That was Taixuan Wuji’s sect-protecting treasure! This was a blatant lion’s maw!
Elder Ping’s face was grim. "What bold words!"
Chao Jinsui said unhurriedly, "By issuing a Scarlet level bounty, Taixuan Wuji opened its mouth for my life. That was quite bold as well. Which is more important? Taixuan Wuji’s credibility or a piece of stone? I ask the elders to weigh it carefully."
Stepping out of the Hall of Radiant Light under the hateful gazes of a group of people, Chao Jinsui suddenly had the illusion that she had experienced being a Great Devil. It wasn't bad. No wonder that devil liked to show off his power. Because it truly was magnificent.
As she thought this, she calmly led Ling Yun and Hong Niang back. Ling Yun chirped away to Hong Niang, her eyes full of worship for the Young Sect Leader. Hong Niang’s ears were filled with talk of how amazing her Young Sect Leader was, much to her amusement.
However, when the group reached the main gate, Chao Xiaotu had not yet left. She was in a state of utter disarray, hugging a pillar tightly. As a Golden Core cultivator, the people around her couldn't drag her away for the moment.
Chao Xiaotu wasn't stupid. After crying at the gate for a long time, she had actually calmed down. She gradually realized that Shi Chunqiu was truly powerless. Taixuan Wuji wasn't joking. She realized she had no one left to rely on.
"Chao Jinsui! I want to talk to you alone!"
The sword cultivator didn't even turn her head.
"I know your secret!"
Chao Jinsui’s steps faltered. She knew Chao Xiaotu, like her, knew about the future, and she had guessed the girl knew a lot. But how much? She let Ling Yun and Hong Niang go first and dismissed the others. She came before Chao Xiaotu.
Chao Xiaotu’s eyes were still red. But she knew this was her last chance. She smoothed her hair, composed herself, and spoke: "Chao Jinsui, I know Yan Xueyi is the future Demon God. As soon as he returns to his position, the cultivation world will face a world-ending calamity."
Chao Jinsui: "What does that have to do with me?"
Little Eye on her wrist sensed something and immediately poked its head out, looking like a treacherous little snake ready to tattle. Chao Jinsui stuffed Little Eye back into her sleeve and flicked it.
Chao Xiaotu sneered. "Stop pretending. I know you two are involved! On the surface, you act like mortal enemies, but in reality, you’ve long been entangled in a tryst, oblivious to the world!"
Chao Jinsui: "..."
Little Eye: ??
Chao Xiaotu: "You think I don't know? If not for you, why would he kill Su Liuyun? Why would he destroy Kunlun?!"
Chao Xiaotu: "If I wanted to, I could expose this at any time. When the news of you and the Demon Lord gets out..."
Chao Jinsui was very calm. "Do you have proof?"
Chao Xiaotu’s anger-clouded mind finally cleared. After a long silence, she suddenly said, "Chao Jinsui, you saved him when you were a child. I saw it in the Kunlun Water Mirror."
Chao Xiaotu pulled a memory pearl from her storage bag. When Chao Jinsui was very young, she had indeed saved Yan Xueyi. That was their true first meeting. In the memory pearl was a ragged, wounded young demon, only eight or nine years old. More strikingly, he was locked in a massive, blood-stained iron cage.
"By then, the whole world will see that the high-and-mighty Demon Lord of today was once nothing more than the lowliest slave, locked in a cage waiting to be bought!"
"Tell me, how will the world look at him then?"
Those words completely enraged the quiet sword cultivator. She looked up sharply, her gaze becoming terrifying. Little Eye also looked up, a powerful demonic pressure radiating from its eyes toward Chao Xiaotu!
Chao Jinsui closed her eyes. "Have you thought about the consequences of enraging the Demon Lord?"
Even now, when she and the devil had made peace and shared an unspoken understanding, she would never try to touch his scales or his past wounds. What difference was there between that and provoking a giant lion?! And Chao Xiaotu actually wanted to announce the Demon Lord’s most humiliating moment to the world! Was she mad?
"What do you think Yan Xueyi is? A paper tiger?" She was almost driven to laughter by Chao Xiaotu’s stupidity. "You also know he is the reincarnation of the Demon God. If you do this, have you thought about the consequences?"
Chao Xiaotu sneered, "I don't care. I only know that if I don't find a way, I will be doomed. As long as you are willing to save me..."
Chao Jinsui said coldly, "And then be threatened by you for the rest of my life, right?" She took the memory pearl and turned to leave. She felt that if she stayed another second, she wouldn't be able to stop herself from drawing her sword and piercing Chao Xiaotu through!
She had to find a way to prevent Chao Xiaotu from acting on this madness! She couldn't be certain that if Chao Xiaotu did this and truly enraged the devil, she would be able to hold him back. The demons were a chaotic and disorganized race. Enraging them was a terrifying thing. Once demonic energy went out of control in such a crowded place! And in Taixuan City, there were so many demon generals under the Demon Lord’s command watching from outside!
And she had to admit, she didn't want it. She didn't want that devil’s most shameful side to be bloodily exposed. She didn't want the proud little demon to have his most pathetic past seen by others. She was protective.
But Chao Jinsui knew that as long as Chao Xiaotu remained Shi Chunqiu’s granddaughter, Taixuan Wuji would ultimately spare her life! She could not kill Chao Xiaotu in broad daylight today, so sooner or later, the girl would act on her madness!
She took a deep breath to calm herself, her mind racing. One hand was still pressing firmly on Little Eye.
However, she heard Chao Xiaotu sneer behind her, drawing everyone’s attention. "Chao Jinsui, that little secret of yours..."
Now, everyone was looking. Elder Ping narrowed her eyes; Shi Chunqiu looked puzzled.
But the moment Chao Xiaotu spoke, Chao Jinsui acted. Chao Xiaotu felt a chill at her neck and her throat went dry. Her eyes widened in terror as she suddenly realized she couldn't speak a single word.
Chao Jinsui paused. "As it happens, I also know a little secret of yours. For instance, why you never returned to Taixuan Wuji after the age of fifteen. For instance, why you could watch Shi Chunqiu kneel and remain unmoved. For instance, why you grew up in Taixuan Wuji yet regard its rules as nothing."
With every word, Chao Xiaotu’s eyes widened. How could Chao Jinsui know the secret she feared most, the one she was most unwilling to have known? In that moment, an overwhelming terror struck her. She trembled all over, nearly fainting.
Shi Chunqiu and Elder Ping both stood still, looking squarely at Chao Xiaotu!
"Because you are not Chao Xiaotu at all. When Chao Xiaotu was fifteen, her soul was replaced, wasn't it?"
If Shi Chunqiu, who loved his granddaughter to the bone and could kneel for her, knew that his own granddaughter had been possessed, how would he treat this Chao Xiaotu?
In an instant, Shi Chunqiu was shocked and stared intently at Chao Xiaotu! Clearly, the old fox’s suspicions were immediately aroused.
Chao Xiaotu was trembling with fear. But Chao Jinsui had not finished. Her voice was very light, making her monumental fury undetectable.
"That is why you didn't dare stay in Taixuan Wuji. Because those familiar with you would know Chao Xiaotu’s personality, and you would be exposed. So you ran to the Kunlun Sword Sect, because no one there knew you, right?"
"You dare to come back now because decades have passed, and it’s plausible your personality has changed, right? But you have no feelings for your grandfather at all. You don't care that he is being humiliated for you, and you don't care about Taixuan Wuji at all, right?"
Three questions. Chao Xiaotu was so frightened she couldn't move, her face pale and her body shaking.
In this life, Chao Jinsui hadn't revealed this despite countless provocations. She hadn't revealed it despite several attempts on her life. Not until the girl tried to tear open someone else’s deepest wound to entertain the world.
The sword cultivator opposite her smiled slightly, her exquisite and cold face becoming vivid. But in Chao Xiaotu’s eyes, she was no different from a devil.
"Do you dare take a Heavenly Oath? Swear that you are not a possessor, that you are my own sister, Chao Xiaotu?"
You’re looking for death, aren't you? I’ll grant your wish.
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