THE WHITE MOONLIGHT ONLY HAS A HAPPY ENDING - CHAPTER 45

"The... the Sea of Sin," Xu Tiancheng stammered, his voice trembling. "Have you truly never heard of him?"

"I've heard of him," the Great Demon replied nonchalantly.

He leaned back, catching Chao Jinsui’s hand and turning it idly in his palm. Not only had he heard of him, but he had personally lopped off that old dog’s head.

Even Guang Ping was momentarily stunned. He knew places like Heavenly Gift Manor were slow to receive news, but he never expected them to be decades behind the times.

Chao Jinsui recognized the name as well. Having spent time in the Demon Realm, she had struck up a decent friendship with Ran Yang, who often shared gossip. The Sea of Sin was a frequent topic. Apparently, the former Demon Lord had been a deranged head-collector whose primary hobby was counting the severed trophies kept beneath his bed.

Compared to such a predecessor, Yan Xueyi’s image in her mind shifted instantly from "unhinged demon" to "perfectly normal." She suddenly felt that her past antagonism toward him had truly wronged the poor man.

Look at how sane he is, she thought. Aside from the occasional bout of instability, he is a rare specimen of normalcy among demons.

"Then who is Nie Chun to Nie Hie?" Chao Jinsui asked.

"His son!" Xu Tiancheng cried. "Nie Hie had three sons, and the youngest is Nie Chun!"

Sensing he had finally revealed a powerful enough backer, he felt his life was secure. "Now that you know, unhand me this instant!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the fool was struck by Little Eye’s tail. He spun three times in place, stars dancing before his eyes. The small snake rolled its eyes in pure disdain.

"So, the three sons of Nie Hie fled to the mortal realm," Guang Ping remarked.

After Yan Xueyi killed the former Lord, he had conducted a massive purge of his loyalists. Legend had it that the Demon Race was so ruthless in their exterminations that they would shake the whites out of a rival's eggs just to be sure. While reality wasn't quite that dramatic, they did believe in pulling weeds by the roots; if a rival had a chicken, it ended up in a pot.

Yet, the three sons had never been found. It was no wonder they hadn't been unearthed despite the demons digging three feet into the earth, they had been hiding among humans all along.

Yan Xueyi tapped his fingers rhythmically. "And where are these three 'vile beasts' hiding?"

"It’s Nie Chun! Not 'vile beast'!" Xu Tiancheng corrected.

Little Eye’s tail whipped out again, sending the man spinning once more. The snake hissed, "When the Demon Lord speaks, do not interrupt!"

Covering his face, the man wailed, "Mount Changming! The Changming Sect, right on the edge of Heavenly Gift Manor!"

Yan Xueyi let out a cold sneer. "Changming? Everlasting Light?"

Everlasting Light against Eternal Night. Those three beasts had actually picked up some culture in the cultivation world, though their attempt at concealment was as transparent as a man plugging his ears to steal a bell. Originally, this had nothing to do with Yan Xueyi; he was merely here to escort his sword cultivator. But once the sons of Nie Hie were involved, the Demon Realm could no longer stay out of it.

Chao Jinsui turned to the captive. "What is your name?"

Having failed to intimidate them with his backer and receiving a beating instead, Xu Tiancheng was now unprecedentedly honest. Shaking all over, he whispered, "Xu... Xu Tiancheng."

Chao Jinsui scrutinized his shifty, rat-like features. "The Xu family of Heavenly Gift Manor?"

There was only one Xu family in Heavenly Gift Manor. It was, nominally, her mother’s maiden home. Though, according to Chao Zhaoyue, this "maternal home" claimed her mother never existed.

After a moment of thought, she leaned in and whispered a few words to Yan Xueyi.

She wanted to visit the Xu residence first. Their primary goal was to find Chao Zhaoyue, and since he had come here looking for their mother, the family might know his whereabouts.

Yan Xueyi had no objections. However, as she whispered in his ear, the tickling sensation sent a thrill through him. The fact that she was sharing secrets with him put the demon in an exceptionally good mood.

Of course, once Chao Zhaoyue was found, he fully intended to have a "heart-to-heart" with those three brothers about their old hometown. Chao Jinsui agreed.

Having reached a consensus, Yan Xueyi dispatched Guang Ping. "Go and scout the depths of this Changming Sect."

Then, he turned his gaze back to Xu Tiancheng. The man was horrified. "What did you say? You want me to... take you home?"

"What? You're unwilling?" the Great Demon asked softly.

Little Eye raised its tail, ready to strike. With his last incisor wobbling precariously, Xu Tiancheng clutched his face and sobbed, "I’m willing! I’m willing!"

He had truly provoked a set of ancestors this time.

The Xu family was the wealthiest in Heavenly Gift Manor, owning a lavish estate halfway up a mountain. While it paled in comparison to the Su family, it was still grand. Xu Tiancheng was a useless fop; though his Foundation Establishment subordinates called him "Ancestor Tiancheng," he was merely at the Golden Core stage. His tyranny in the manor stemmed entirely from being the seventh son of the Xu patriarch.

As the youngest child, he was the spoiled brat of the family, yet he had returned from a trip bringing back three genuine terrors.

The Xu household seemed incredibly busy. No one even bothered to ask why Xu Tiancheng had brought strangers home.

"Forgive the poor hospitality," Xu Tiancheng sweated profusely. "The family is simply overwhelmed right now."

They soon learned the cause of the commotion. On the way to the guest rooms, they crossed paths with Xu Tiancheng's brothers.

"What have you prepared for Lord Nie Chun?" the eldest brother asked. "I've acquired a piece of thousand-year Spirit Jade Marrow!"

"I have Spirit Coral from the South Seas!" the third brother boasted.

The fourth brother chuckled. "Heh, I have prepared a peerless beauty!"

Xu Tiancheng’s face flushed with shame. He had intended to rob someone to secure a birthday gift for Nie Chun, only to rob his way into the hands of a demon. Now empty-handed and mocked by his brothers, he fled in humiliation.

When he turned back to attend to his "guests," he jumped in fright. The sword cultivator, who usually looked as gentle as a fairy, was now radiating a bone-chilling cold.

Chao Jinsui looked at this place she had once longed for. It was nothing like she imagined. It was supposed to be a family of mortals, yet there were plenty of cultivators here. More importantly, the entire manor was suffocating under an atmosphere of sycophancy. Everyone was racking their brains to please those three demon brothers.

The thought that these people might actually be related to her made her Kunlun Sword hum with restless irritation.

Xu Tiancheng retreated three steps, practically shoved them into the guest rooms, and bolted like a rabbit.

Chao Jinsui downed two cups of tea before she could swallow her rage. The Great Demon leaned back, enjoying the sight of her livid expression. She usually had such a mild temperament, rarely letting her displeasure show. He was used to her being distant and composed, while he was the one with the dark scowl. Seeing her like this was novel and, in his eyes, rather cute.

"I used to think my mother’s family would be a house of kindness," she fumed. "At the very least, they shouldn't have fallen this low. Worthless, the lot of them!"

To think they were groveling to the sons of Nie Hie!

The demon let out a snort. "Pfft…"

Chao Jinsui glared at him.

"Tell me," Yan Xueyi teased, "if you found out they really were your kin, would you beat them one by one? Would you force them to practice the sword? Would you make them strive for self-improvement?"

"Is there something wrong with that line of thinking?" she asked, still frustrated.

Seeing her so worked up, the demon seemed to have his funny bone tickled. He leaned his head against her shoulder, his long hair trembling with his laughter.

"A little manager," he murmured. "A meddlesome little manager."

She pushed him away, but he didn't stop. Annoyed, she gave him a firmer shove toward the bed. He let himself be pushed, falling back with his hair splayed across the silk, his eyes full of mirth. The scene was unexpectedly intimate.

Her anger dissipated, replaced by confusion. "I'm not trying to be meddlesome. It just... it irritates me."

The handsome demon sat up and cleared his throat. "Sui-sui, you don't need to manage this family."

"They aren't your relatives."

This protective streak of hers, he thought, should be reserved for me alone.

She finally looked at him properly. "Why do you say that?"

She expected some profound insight, but the demon simply stated, "You don't look like them."

He brushed his slender fingers over her eyes. She had beautiful, large almond eyes. Every member of the Xu family, man or woman, had narrow, squinting eyes.

"Your eyes are much larger," he noted.

Chao Jinsui stared at him. Her first instinct was that he was teasing her, but his expression was dead serious. On second thought, it made sense. Her eyes were said to be exactly like her mother’s. If her mother had almond eyes, it was unlikely the rest of the Xu family would all have narrow ones.

Bloodlines were strange; like her brother Chao Zhaoyue, there were always subtle similarities in temperament and features. Yan Xueyi had decided the moment he saw Xu Tiancheng that the man lacked any aura of her lineage.

In the main courtyard, the Xu patriarch, Xu Panshan, was the man in charge. He was a mere mortal who had extended his life through pills. For a mortal to survive a century in business with cultivators, one would expect him to be a financial genius or incredibly lucky.

But the truth was simpler: they had a backer. A very powerful one: the Kunlun Sword Sect.

The white-haired old man bowed low toward a water mirror. "Sect Leader Chao!"

The image of Chao Taichu appeared. The Xu family relied on Kunlun for their longevity pills and status, all because they helped Chao Taichu guard a secret. Chao Taichu didn't mind throwing them crumbs to keep that secret buried.

However, since they were a mortal family, Chao Taichu remained uneasy. He had found a second partner: the three sons of Nie Hie. With the Xu family acting as eyes and ears within the manor and the Changming Sect guarding the perimeter, the secret was safe.

"If that rebellious daughter of mine appears in Heavenly Gift Manor, notify me immediately! Hold her there!" Chao Taichu commanded. He knew she would come looking; if she found the truth, his years of effort would be wasted. "If possible, keep her steady and have Nie Chun take her down!"

"Of course, of course," Xu Panshan replied. "And regarding the Illusory Realm of Water and Clouds..."

"I will send people to the Manor tomorrow!" Chao Taichu paced. "The realm is currently in the hands of the Changming Sect. Do not sour your relationship with Nie Chun."

The patriarch nodded and bowed. They thought Chao Jinsui hadn't arrived yet, plotting to catch a turtle in a jar. Little did they know, his son had already brought the "turtle" home for dinner.

At the feast, Xu Panshan made an appearance. Based on his age, he would have been the brother of Chao Jinsui’s mother. He first saw Yan Xueyi, who sat there like a dangerously beautiful tyrant, and immediately looked away.

Then, he saw Chao Jinsui. Her hair had grown past her shoulders, tied back with a white ribbon. When she raised her eyes, Xu Panshan’s pupils constricted.

It was as if he were looking at the girl named Puniang from all those years ago. Those eyes were identical.

His first instinct was to notify Chao Taichu. He maintained a smiling facade. "Welcome, welcome!"

As he moved to lead them away, his sleeve fluttered. He was about to crush a transmission talisman.

Thwack!

A chopstick flew through the air, piercing his sleeve and pinning it, and the talisman, firmly to the wall. The atmosphere turned deadly silent. Xu Tiancheng turned pale.

The Great Demon withdrew his hand, explaining lazily, "There was a fly."

He pointed another chopstick at the old man. "Why don't you sit down and eat, Patriarch Xu?"

The old man, face white as a sheet, sat down. "Eat! Let us eat!"

No one had an appetite.

"He was trying to contact Chao Taichu," Chao Jinsui whispered.

Yan Xueyi closed his eyes for a moment. A faint black mist flickered around him before vanishing. "Don't worry. I've placed a barrier here. They won't be contacting anyone for a while."

Chao Jinsui felt a weight lift. "So they truly are in cahoots with Chao Taichu. That means Zhaoyue’s visit must have alerted him. I need to find out where they sent him."

She set her chopsticks down. "I won't hide it. I came here today to find my Kin."

The patriarch remained expressionless. "Kin?"

"Is there a woman in the Xu family named Xu Puniang?" She watched him intently.

The old man was calm, but she remembered his initial shock. He knew her mother. She gripped Yan Xueyi’s hand, and he squeezed back.

"No," the old man said after a feigned moment of thought. "There is no one by that name."

"Then did a sword cultivator come here a month ago asking the same thing?"

"I was away on business two months ago," the old man evaded. "How would I know?"

He was a slippery old fox. Chao Jinsui sneered. Her hand slammed onto the table, and the Kunlun Sword unsheathed with a ring!

In the blink of an eye, she was behind the patriarch, her cold blade pressed against his throat.

"Where is Chao Zhaoyue?"

"I... I don't know!"

She didn't hesitate. She drove the sword through the old man's finger, pinning it to the table. He let out a blood-curdling scream.

"I am your uncle!" he wailed in terror. "How can you treat me like this?"

From "I don't know" to "I'm your uncle" in seconds. A cold fury rose in her chest. "Uncle?"

She understood now why Chao Zhaoyue hadn't acted, he likely thought these people were his blood relatives.

Before the old man could say more, a crazed old woman rushed out from a corner. "Monster! You are that monster's daughter! A little monster!"

She tried to claw at Chao Jinsui, but the demon youth caught her by the throat, lifting her off the ground. Her curses died in her throat.

Yan Xueyi’s eyes went pitch black. "Who did you call a monster?"

The seven brothers were huddled under the table, trembling. Chao Jinsui turned her cold gaze back to the patriarch. "Uncle? You called my mother a monster?"

She kicked him aside, the tip of her sword trembling with rage. "I don't care about 'uncles.' Tell me where Chao Zhaoyue is, or I will kill every last one of you today!"

As she spoke, fierce karmic flames erupted around the room.

Wait, she thought, that wasn't me.

The patriarch’s mouth was shut tight, but the flames were too much for Xu Tiancheng. The useless seventh son shrieked, "I'll talk! Stop the fire!"

The patriarch tried to silence him, but Chao Jinsui knocked the old man unconscious with the hilt of her sword.

"A month ago, a man came looking for Xu Puniang," Xu Tiancheng babbled. "My father told us to stay quiet. He led the man... to the Illusory Realm of Water and Clouds in the Changming Sect! I don't know what happened after that!"

The Illusory Realm. It matched her theory.

"How do we enter?" Yan Xueyi asked, kicking him.

"I don't know! The Changming Sect guards it. Only Lord Nie Chun knows the way!"

If they wanted her brother, they had to face the three beasts.

"What do you know about Xu Puniang?" Chao Jinsui asked.

Xu Tiancheng shuddered. "I only know that when I was a child, many people died in the Xu house. Anyone who had seen her or knew her... they all died!"

"Except for your father and that madwoman, right?"

The fop went silent. Chao Jinsui didn't bother asking the others. She didn't want to hear about her mother from people who called her a monster. She would find her brother and ask him herself.

She placed a barrier over the estate. "This will stay for three months. It will lift once we leave Heavenly Gift Manor."

As they left, the sun was setting, and the lights of the city were flickering on.

"When I was five," she said softly, "I asked Chao Taichu why I didn't have a mother. He told me it was my fault she died."

The demon looked at the horizon. "When I was five, I was thrown to spiritual beasts to perform 'narrow escapes' for the amusement of nobles. When I refused, I was beaten half-to-death and tossed back into the cage."

"When I was ten, my brother and I ran away to come here. We walked for three days before we were caught."

"When I was ten," the demon countered, "I was fighting other little demons for a place to sleep in the Myriad Demon Abyss."

"My greatest dream as a child was to see my mother once."

"My greatest dream was to have one full meal."

She looked up at him. The handsome Yan Xueyi smiled down at her. "See? I’ve always had it a bit worse than you. Does that make you feel any better?"

She was stunned. She had lived in a cold sect, but she had never wanted for food or safety. This demon had survived slavery and the horrors of the Abyss. He had become the man he was today with no one to guide him.

"Yan-yan," she whispered, "as the saying goes: 'When Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on a man, it first exercises his mind with suffering.' You are the most incredible demon I have ever met."

The Great Demon never thought his past was pitiable; other demons usually spoke of it as something shameful. But coming from her, those hardships felt like they were merely a prelude to something sweet.

His lips quirked up. The most incredible demon? If he had a tail, it would be wagging.

Suddenly, he leaned in, his expression turning "pitiful" again. "I used to get beaten every day."

"?"

"I had to fist-fight spiritual beasts."

"?"

Why was he suddenly selling his misery?

He leaned his beautiful face closer, his demon horns glinting in the twilight. "I didn't even have food to eat."

The hint was loud and clear: He’s suffered so much; isn't he at least owed a kiss?

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