———
~ Please support this site by disabling your ad-blocker ❤️ ~
______
CHAPTER 24: Entering Mandarin Duck City
The stream of gifts had begun many years ago. When she had unearthed them the previous night, they were piled into a small mountain, most of them still sealed.
Some were charming trifles from the mortal realm, things likely picked up on a whim while passing through. Others were priceless, clearly chosen with painstaking care as formal offerings. She had even discovered several unique, ancient sword manuals within the heap texts thought to have been extinct in the cultivation world for centuries.
...
Seeing the slip of paper held in her palm, the Great Demon flinched instinctively, backing away as if he’d laid eyes on a flood dragon or a vicious beast.
Once he regained his composure, he immediately tried to feign total ignorance of the note’s existence. But she was staring pointedly at his horns; with his "signature" right there on the paper, any denial felt like a clumsy attempt to cover a gaping hole.
Left with no choice, the demon lord squeezed out a dry excuse: "There are many demons in this world. I am not the only one with horns."
Struck by a sudden flash of inspiration, he grabbed the little snake, Xiao Yanjing who happened to possess a pair of horns identical to his own and crudely shoved the creature toward her.
A thoroughly bewildered Xiao Yanjing: "?"
She caught the snake, looking at the little horns atop its head, and smiled. "So, it was a gift from Xiao Yanjing."
The Great Demon, already halfway out the door: "?"
He whipped his head back to throw her a furious glare before storming off at a lightning pace.
Many years ago, the little demon had indeed been illiterate. He didn't know how to write his own name, so he had used two horns as a substitute. Later, he had kidnapped the monk Guang Ping to force him to teach him how to read and write. As the heritage in his demonic blood awakened, his knowledge grew, and he eventually developed a beautiful hand of calligraphy yet he could no longer sign his name.
By then, he was already the notorious "Little Demon." If he sent her gifts, her acceptance was one thing, but if the connection were discovered, her very life would be in peril.
And so, year after year, the little demon sent his gifts. Year after year, he left the mark of two horns.
He wanted her to find out, yet he lived in terror that she would.
...
As they departed Wuxiang Valley, Chao Jinsui silently tied a sword tassel to the Kunlun Sword, one of the gifts the demon had sent.
For the sake of convenience, sword cultivators usually dressed simply; a sword tassel was often their only adornment. This particular one featured a piece of warm, spiritual white jade that complemented the Kunlun Sword perfectly.
As expected, he stole several glances at it.
Though he said nothing, the corners of his elegant lips curved upward.
It actually looks quite good. He knew it would.
Tsk, humans!
Considering her unstable soul, the group traveled by carriage. Powered by spiritual energy, the vehicle was both swift and steady; its only flaw was its voracious appetite for spirit stones.
Since they were saddled with the "superfluous" Guang Ping anyway, Hong Niang had gleefully tagged along as well.
Chao Jinsui taught her an illusion technique. Those born as Natural Demon Seeds possessed an innate bloodline heritage, but they rarely received a formal education. Many tasks that were second nature to cultivators were as difficult as scaling the heavens for demons. High-ranking demons like Hong Niang were masters of combat, yet they didn't even know a basic concealment spell.
Hong Niang was instantly delighted, preening in front of a bronze mirror without pause.
The party of four and one snake repressed their demonic qi. Within a single day, they crossed into the territory of Mandarin Duck City.
The Su Family held immense power in the cultivation world, famed for their staggering wealth and deep foundations.
Mandarin Duck City didn't earn its name because its inhabitants enjoyed hotpot. Rather, it followed a long-standing tradition as the ultimate sanctuary for Daoist couples. Most cultivators here traveled in pairs, and many journeyed from thousands of miles away just to formalize their unions here, seeking the blessing of the "Mandarin Ducks" a symbol of lifelong devotion and eternal harmony.
Even the architecture was a riot of festive reds. The Su Family were the "Lords of Half the City"; nearly fifty percent of the industries in Mandarin Duck City belonged to them.
Chao Jinsui lifted the curtain, taking in the bustling scene outside.
Winter had just passed, and peach blossoms were in full bloom across the city. Mandarin Duck City was a sea of crimson pavilions and pink petals, its streets filled with laughing couples. While the city was always crowded, for some reason, the population seemed to have doubled today.
Their carriage waited at the city gates for a small eternity before finally gaining entry. No sooner had they crossed the threshold than the carriage jolted from an impact.
Coming toward them was a procession of Red Phoenix Fragrant Carriages that were for weddings. Immediately following them was a line of black carriages adorned with white funerary streamers those were for burials.
Stranger still, the number of weddings seemed almost equal to the number of funerals. The two long dragons of carriages squeezed against one another, leaving no room for anyone else.
They were forced to dismount and let the "Red and White" ceremonies pass first.
Hong Niang remarked in wonder, "What on earth is happening in this city?"
Cultivators lived long lives; it was rare for so many people to pass away at the same time.
The Great Demon’s expression was dark. Because the illusion spell proved useless against his horns, he was forced to wear a bamboo hat and a veiled mili. With his vision obscured, he tilted his chin up and swept a cold glance over the funeral procession, signaling the monk Guang Ping to go investigate.
Fortunately, Chao Jinsui didn't want to run into any acquaintances, so she wore an identical veil.
The group found an inn and took a window seat on the second floor. They had just sat down when the storyteller below slammed his gavel with a resonance like a bronze bell.
"Do you all know of the battle between the Head of the Su Family and the Sect Leader of the Kunlun Sword Sect a few days ago?"
"That Sect Leader Chao of Kunlun... his 'Plum Blossom Slash' was once famous across the lands! He was quite the hero in his day!"
"But as they say, when a man grows old, he grows muddled! Kunlun was once so glorious, yet now they’ve been bullied by the Su Family until they can’t even lift their heads!"
At the window, the two veiled figures one in black, one in white instantly turned their gaze toward the storyteller.
The news of the Su Family’s assault on Kunlun had long since spread through the cultivation world. Su Baishan had no intention of saving face for Chao Taichu. The rogue cultivators at the foot of the mountain had witnessed the entire siege, and the rumors were flying wild.
Everyone knew that three hundred Su family cultivators had stormed the gates, that Chao Taichu had hidden like a turtle in its shell, and that he had eventually lost the fight. The storyteller spoke as if he had been there himself:
"...Sect Leader Chao is at the Mid-Nascent Soul stage. Logically, he should be a match for Head Su. But Head Su brought a small army of disciples and overwhelmed him with numbers. Sect Leader Chao gained no ground, was beaten back repeatedly, and couldn't even retreat into his own sect's protective array!"
"In the end, Sect Leader Chao had to sever his own arm as an apology just to escape back inside!"
...
Yan Xueyi let out a soft laugh.
The two of them had left the Su family members at the mountain base specifically to ensure they would make trouble for Chao Taichu. He hadn't expected the old man to escape even in that state.
Su Baishan was no saint with his son missing and his elder brother dead, taking an arm was likely only the beginning of the price he'd extracted. Chao Taichu must have bled a fortune to get the Su Family to back off.
Chao Jinsui reached the same conclusion.
She knew Chao Taichu well. He had always valued the "face" of the Kunlun Sword Sect more than heaven itself, maintaining a stiff, dignified persona before outsiders. This scandal spreading through the cultivation world would leave him utterly humiliated a wound far more painful than the loss of an arm.
She wondered if he felt even a shred of regret for trying to drive his own daughter to such a dead end.
In an instant, the entire inn was buzzing with gossip. Then, a sharp, frantic female voice rang out from below:
"Shut your mouth! You petty scoundrel, who are you to speak of the Kunlun Sword Sect’s affairs?"
It was Chao Xiaotu's voice.
With Chao Taichu injured, why wasn't she at Kunlun tending to him? Why was she here in Mandarin Duck City?
Chao Xiaotu was both livid and anxious. Hearing the mockery, her anger boiled over, and she ordered her followers to flip the storyteller's table!
At that moment, a chopstick shot out from the second floor like a bolt of lightning. With a faint crack of breaking air, it thudded into the floorboards right at Chao Xiaotu's feet!
Startled, Chao Xiaotu looked up to see two veiled cultivators by the window.
The one in white spoke coldly: "Young lady, this is Mandarin Duck City, not your Kunlun Mountain. Even at the foot of Kunlun, there is no law that forbids people from speaking."
"Bullying the weak is this the 'upbringing' of your Kunlun Sect?"
Her voice had been disguised, so Chao Xiaotu couldn't recognize her. The girl's eyes reddened instantly. "Senior, he insulted my sect and slandered my elder! Why can I not teach him a lesson?"
The Kunlun disciples beside her were equally indignant. "Anyone who dares insult Kunlun deserves a thrashing!"
The white-clad swordsman by the window replied icily:
"The ones who hid like cowards while besieged by the Su Family were the Kunlun Sword Sect. The one who chose to sever his arm rather than fight to the death was Chao Taichu."
"Who truly insulted your sect? And who is the real disgrace?"
Chao Xiaotu and the disciples turned deathly pale.
The surrounding crowd chimed in:
"Exactly! If you're so afraid of losing face, go attack the Su residence!"
"I heard that with three hundred people at the gates, Kunlun didn't dare step outside for days. Some 'Great Sect' that turned out to be!"
...
Chao Xiaotu was fuming, but her companion, Ling Yun, quickly pulled her back. She didn't dare cause more trouble. Under the strange, judgmental stares of the crowd, the group hurried away, their departing backs looking utterly pathetic.
Once, whenever Kunlun disciples walked the world, they were the envy of all. To see them reduced to this was as jarring as it was pitiable.
Chao Jinsui let out a soft sigh.
Across from her, the demon lord asked coldly, "Heart softening?"
She saw his phoenix eyes narrow dangerously, as if to say that if she dared feel pity, he would personally "wake her up."
She smiled. "It's not pity. It's relief."
The golden age of the Kunlun Sword Sect had long since passed. She had once been the one desperately propping up its fading glory. Only after leaving did she realize how exhausting her past life had been. Now that she was free, her former devotion felt like a thankless, wasted effort.
For a moment, silence fell between them.
Hong Niang leaned over the railing, listening to the storyteller recount gossip from every corner of the cultivation world. Somehow, the topic drifted back to the Su Family.
"But speaking of which, the eldest young master of the Su Family is truly pitiful. I heard he was barely breathing when they carried him back. He’s still bedridden, trying to recover!"
Su Liuyun? Wasn't he dead?
Hong Niang was quick-witted. She laughed and tossed a mid-grade spirit stone down to the stage. "Mister, tell us more about this Master Su. I’m curious!"
The storyteller looked surprised. "Lady, by your dress, you look like a traveler. Didn't you come here specifically for this?"
"Young Master Liuyun is so ill he can’t rise. The family is preparing a 'propitiatory marriage' to drive away the ill fortune! It’s happening in three days!"
"They say anyone chosen will receive ten thousand spirit stones. Everyone in the city these days is just here for the spectacle!"
Behind the veils, both travelers set down their tea.
They had heard of such marriages for the living, but never for the dead. If they hadn't killed the man with their own hands, they might have actually believed Su Liuyun was coming back to life.
Shortly after, the monk Guang Ping returned from his scouting.
"Many people have died in Mandarin Duck City these past few days all of them young men. I examined them; they were drained of their yang essence until they withered."
Evidently, the monk had been busy prying open coffin lids. And likely more than one.
Noticing her strange look, Guang Ping folded his hands and smiled. "Do not worry, benefactor. After I opened their coffins, I recited the Rebirth Sutra for each of them."
Chao Jinsui: "..."
The state of those men sounded exactly like what Guang Ping had described; they were being drained by Love potions.
"It seems," Guang Ping added, "that Miss Chao isn't the only one in this city afflicted by a Love Potion."
Between the essence-draining and the "healing" marriage, what was the Su Family playing at? Could a dead man truly be brought back?
Yan Xueyi thought of that lingering remnant soul and narrowed his eyes.
It made sense. Su Liuyun was selfish to the core; even under soul-rending torture, he had refused to reveal who held the Love Gu. Unless... Su Liuyun believed he could still live! As long as he kept his mouth shut, he thought he had a chance.
The demon lord nearly sneered. Even if there were some secret forbidden art to call back a soul from the cycle of reincarnation, Su Liuyun didn't know that Yan Xueyi had already destroyed his path to the underworld.
Chao Xiaotu entered the Su family estate.
When the Kunlun Sword had been unleashed, half of the Forbidden Grounds had collapsed. Chao Xiaotu had barely survived. By the time she was pulled from the debris, she saw her father being coerced by the Su Family, forced to sever his arm and pay a staggering ransom.
To her, it felt as though the sky had fallen. She had cried for days.
Chao Taichu was seething, but his injuries were severe. He viewed this as a temporary humiliation a slip in the dark. Once he recovered, he fully intended to turn on the Su Family. But the Su Family was relentless, showing no mercy and demanding the promised spirit stones and sword manuals immediately.
When Chao Xiaotu heard that the Su Family was looking for a bride for the propitiatory marriage, she volunteered to go to Mandarin Duck City as a bargaining chip. Hearing this, Su Baishan finally stopped harassing Chao Taichu and agreed to leave Kunlun.
Chao Taichu was touched by her sacrifice and allowed several disciples to accompany her for protection. However, after a few days in the city, Chao Xiaotu realized she wasn't the only one "volunteering" for the role.
Her mood, already sour from the blow to Kunlun’s reputation, worsened. She began visiting Madame Zi’s courtyard with increasing frequency.
Finding Madame Zi at her dressing table, Chao Xiaotu stepped forward and called out, "Godmother." She asked tentatively, "Godmother, do you really have a way to find Brother Su?"
Madame Zi replied softly, "Child, what is the rush?"
Chao Xiaotu had seen Su Liuyun’s soul-lamp go out with her own eyes. But then she remembered Su Liuyun was the "protagonist." He couldn't stay dead.
"Godmother," she added thoughtfully, "I think I saw my sister."
Recalling the white-clad swordsman from earlier, she felt a nagging sense of familiarity. "I wonder if her being here will ruin things. You know she hates Brother Su to the bone now!"
Madame Zi’s hand paused. The surrounding maids trembled.
Ever since the news broke that Chao Jinsui had stabbed the Eldest Young Master, Madame Zi hadn't smiled once. Her expression grew colder by the day.
The maids knew she used to prefer Chao Jinsui over Chao Xiaotu after all, Jinsui had the talent, the cultivation, and the Young Master’s heart. Madame Zi had doted on her, helping him pick out gifts and constantly speaking of her.
But now, merely mentioning that name meant being dragged out and vanishing into the basements.
The maids held their breath as Chao Xiaotu spoke. Yet, Madame Zi didn't fly into a rage. She saw through the clumsy provocation and actually smiled.
"It doesn't matter."
In fact, it was perfect.
After Chao Xiaotu left, Su Baishan emerged. Chao Xiaotu believed the Sus were a devoted couple, but she failed to notice that the entire family was now operating under Madame Zi’s command. Even Su Baishan was uncharacteristically submissive toward his wife.
"My lady," Su Baishan said, "should I send men to find her? This Love Gu has absorbed the essence of over two hundred men. It should be enough to restore our son’s soul. I fear her presence might cause a disturbance."
Madame Zi’s beautiful smile turned briefly monstrous.
"Let her come! I was afraid she was too far away, and that the potion would be too slow to draw her in time for our son's return!"
The Love Gu served as a beacon. Even if she hadn't come, Madame Zi intended to lure her.
"I used to blame Liuyun for being useless enough to need such a petty trick on a girl. Who knew my son would die so miserably? Without this Love Gu, I wouldn't know how to deal with her!"
"She stabbed my son once. I shall stab her ten thousand times!"
Su Baishan looked at his wife’s eerily gentle reflection in the mirror and felt his entire body stiffen. Thinking of the terrifying, spiked Love Gu King hidden beneath the Su estate, even a Nascent Soul cultivator like him felt a cold sweat break across his back.
That night.
Perhaps due to the proximity, the closer they got to Mandarin Duck City, the more clearly Chao Jinsui could feel the Love Gu within her growing. It was as if the distance allowed its power to surge.
For safety, Yan Xueyi insisted on sharing her room. Xiao Yanjing remained coiled around her wrist for protection. She didn't refuse.
Having sensed the strange movements in the city, Chao Jinsui had no intention of sleeping. Instead, she closed her eyes and entered the second page of the Kunlun Sword Manual.
It was the second stage: the State of Mind-Accord.
She had used a glimpse of this technique earlier with the chopstick. This time, the little golden figure of the Ancestor didn't immediately attack her.
In her sea of consciousness, the golden figure sat cross-legged opposite the solidified Kunlun Sword. The figure closed its eyes. After a moment, the golden Kunlun Sword moved on its own, tracing a magnificent flourish in the air!
This was Mind-Accord to move the sword with a single thought, requiring no spiritual energy at all. The sword and the heart became one.
Chao Jinsui focused, imitating the figure. But on her first attempt, even using every ounce of her will, she couldn't make the sword budge.
She refocused, concentrating her entire divine sense into a single point, visualizing the sword moving. Despite being deep in meditation, she remained alert to the outside world Madame Zi’s home ground.
Suddenly, her heart lurched. The Love Gu was moving.
Madame Zi’s voice seemed to drift in from the horizon, calling to her, urging her. But this time, it wasn't a command to feast on essence. It was a low murmur, pulling her consciousness toward a deep slumber.
She was using the Love Gu to hypnotize her!
Chao Jinsui felt her control over her body slipping away, being usurped by the parasite. A chilling thought struck her: if the Love Gu took over completely, Madame Zi could make her turn her own blade on herself, and she wouldn't be able to stop it.
"System!"
The system panicked, trying to sting her. "Host, it’s no use! The Love Gu has no sense of pain!"
Damn it. She had to break the hypnosis.
In her sea of consciousness, she glared at the Kunlun Sword. The Ancestor just taught me this. Move the sword!
A sharp pain lanced through her mind. Outside, a low hum echoed. The Kunlun Sword suddenly twitched!
Mind-Accord. She had done it.
It was a surreal sensation. Usually, the sword obeyed her commands, but the sword was the sword and she was herself. Without spiritual energy, it was impossible to drive it. Now, the sword felt like an extension of her own limb part of her body.
Hearing the vibration, the demon lord’s eyes snapped open.
The Kunlun Sword moved across the table, carving a single word: "Love Gu."
She was still clumsy; the strokes looked like someone writing with their non-dominant hand. But it was enough. The demon lord would understand.
Sure enough, a moment later, a fierce, domineering surge of demonic qi flooded her body. Chao Jinsui thought he was trying his old trick of suppressing it, and she wanted to tell him it wouldn't work this time.
But then, another voice erupted in her mind.
Madame Zi’s voice, echoing eerily: "Sleep... sleep... sleep..."
The Heart Demon’s voice, roaring: "Get the hell up! Kill her for me!"
Madame Zi: "You are tired. Relax. Give it all to me—"
The Heart Demon, irritable: "Shut your damn mouth!"
Madame Zi: Sleep, sleep, sleep.
Heart Demon: Kill, kill, kill.
Chao Jinsui: "..."
Right. She had forgotten. There was already a Heart Demon in her body. One wanted her to sleep; the other wanted her to go on a rampage. It was a case of fighting poison with poison.
Surprisingly, it worked. Under the clashing interference, her control over her body returned.
She opened her eyes to find the demon lord’s beautiful phoenix eyes inches from hers. His expression was cold, almost cruel, a far cry from the foul-mouthed internal voice she’d just heard.
Neither spoke. They listened intently to the lingering sound of Madame Zi. Her voice remained gentle, unaware of the internal battle. Clearly, the Love Gu wasn't just targeting Jinsui; Madame Zi was broadcasting a general command, and she couldn't hear the responses.
On the other side of the city, Madame Zi felt the joyful resonance of countless Love Gu's. She smiled. She had no idea that her most important "child" had already broken free.
With Madame Zi’s soft command "Children, come to me" the night deepened.
Mandarin Duck City fell into a deathly silence. No cultivator was out at this hour, leaving the streets desolate. But that emptiness only made the sight more haunting: one by one, beautiful young women stepped out of their doors, faces expressionless, walking toward the city outskirts in a trance.
The Love Gu's acted like children yearning for a mother’s embrace, urging Chao Jinsui forward.
She played along. She sat up, climbed out of the window, and headed in the direction the Love Gu demanded.
The demon lord didn't stop her. His form dissolved into a cloud of black mist, merging with the shadows as he followed.
They both knew: tonight, Madame Zi was making her move.
Read only on https://royaltywrites.com.ng/
.jpeg)
We hope you enjoyed this chapter! You can vote for this novel translation and drop a review on Novel Updates!
Show support by clicking on the support button below!❤️
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg&description=THE WHITE MOONLIGHT ONLY HAS A HAPPY ENDING - CHAPTER 24){kind=link}
0 Comments
What's on your mind...