Chapter 151 Calming the Storm (Part Two) Jealousy

For many years, no one has been seen striking the drum to petition the emperor.

When Xian Chu first ascended to the throne, he declared to the crowd that anyone who wanted to become the Demon Lord could come to the Demon Capital and strike the Dengwen Drum to compete with him. If they could defeat him, they could take the throne.

At first, many came, but they were all driven away. After he fought and won against three Saints of the Returning to Truth Realm, no one dared to beat the drum anymore.

Has the arrival of the Prince of Qingping today meant that he has already broken through to the realm of carefree wandering?

While speculating in their hearts, the crowd retreated further and further away, fearing that the gods' fight would affect everyone.

A figure suddenly appeared atop the city gate; it was Ping An, who was frowning in response.

She lowered her gaze, looking directly at Prince Qingping, a smile playing on her lips, but little joy in her eyes: "Who is beating the drum?"

If the Demon Lord's boastful words from back then still hold true.

Ping An crossed her arms, showing no fear even when facing Prince Qingping. She simply laughed and said, "Your Excellency never goes back on your word, so it is true."

King Qingping shook the corner of his robe: "In that case, I humbly request Your Majesty to step forward and fight. All the clansmen present, as well as the clan leaders I have invited, are welcome to witness this."

As soon as he finished speaking, the curtains of various imperial carriages behind him were raised high, revealing the figures sitting cross-legged inside.

The disheveled man, holding a dumpling in one hand, asked in a muffled voice, "Young brother, I am a newcomer to this place. May I ask who these great figures are?"

The young man put down his chopsticks and hurriedly got up, intending to flee. But seeing how calm and composed the man was, he couldn't help but guess his identity. He figured he must be some unknown expert from the human race, so he sat down next to him.

"It's normal that you don't know them. These are all powerful figures who rarely show themselves."

The drummer is Qingping King of the Fox Clan; the one with the felt and dark blue-green complexion is Kuofeng King of the Wolf Clan; the one with the beaded curtain and extremely long eyes is Xiyao King of the Snake Clan, whose former demon king is her brother; the one dressed in black with his eyes closed is Gaoshan King of the Dog Clan; and the one with Buddhist beads is Putuo King of the Giant Bear Clan.

These individuals must have joined forces to try and kill the Demon Lord.

The disheveled man clicked his tongue and muttered, "Is this a rebellion? Oh dear, I just wanted to travel around the demon realm, but what bad luck I ran into!"

The young man glanced sideways and said, "This human senior, you really don't understand the Demon Lord. With him here, even if a few more minor kings come, it won't be a problem."

The man chuckled and shook his head, not responding, but only asking, "They're already at the doorstep, why hasn't the Demon Lord shown up yet? I've met him a few times before, and he doesn't seem like the type to tolerate things."

The young man seemed much bolder now: "Of course he's resting. Everyone knows that the Lord likes to sleep during the day. If you wake him up, these people will be in for a world of trouble."

"No matter how strong a person is, they can never be stronger than the human heart. Even snakes and rats can devour elephants."

The man held the wine gourd, took a sip, and leaned against the wooden table. His eyes, however, did not show the excitement of others. Instead, they revealed a numbness and indifference that had been ingrained for a long time.

"Boring, boring."

He turned around, his back to everyone, and continued slurping his dumplings, unwilling to watch this boring power struggle any longer.

Two more people arrived on the city wall: Xun Feifei and Qingzhu. One smiled coldly, the other looked down.

Beneath the city wall, the city gates were wide open, and many people came upon hearing the news. Qiu Tong and Wei Changzai mingled among them. One looked at Prince Qingping with a complicated expression, while the other calmly scanned the area in front of them before looking at the top of the wall, but did not see any familiar figures.

Qingzhu played with the folding fan in her hand, her smile gentle: "The Lord has indeed made some bold statements and has never regretted them, but if he has to accept every challenge, wouldn't that be bullying the weak?"

Therefore, only those who are better than his envoys are qualified to fight him.

"If Prince Qingping wishes to have an audience, he will likely have to get past us first; this is simply following the proper procedures."

“What the Right Envoy said makes sense, and I am not so ignorant of the rules.”

Prince Qingping slightly raised his hand, and his attendants immediately brought out a purple-gold incense burner. The incense smoke curled up from the burner, and silently a barrier was set up in front of the city gate.

He walked in and gestured.

"It will take some time for the barrier to be fully secured, and there are still many onlookers rushing here. Why don't we wait a bit? You can take this opportunity to awaken the Lord."

"Tell him that things are about to change."

The three envoys appeared calm on the surface, but their inner thoughts were not as composed and peaceful as they seemed.

Xun Feifei straightened the silver mask, thought of the runes he had discovered a few days ago, and also considered what Ru Xian had said. He already had the answer in his heart.

"It seems that the runes found in the city must be related to him, but such a feat is beyond the capabilities of the fox clan. He must have other helpers."

Qingzhu agreed: "Moreover, choosing this time must mean they know that the Venerable One is currently in seclusion... Ping'an, what are your chances of winning if you fight him?"

Ping An said in a low voice, "We are both at the Free and Unfettered Realm, but I have never fought him before. If I had to guess, it would probably be 50%. You should ask the Lord when he will come out of seclusion. I'll see if we should launch a strong attack or stall for time."

"I'll report it and come back as soon as possible." Xun Feifei nodded, his shadow rippled beneath his feet, and in the next moment, he had vanished from the spot.

Beneath the city gate, Qiu Tong stood in front of the crowd, her gaze fixed on the barrier, looking at the man in blue.

Despite being the center of attention, Prince Qingping remained calm and composed, as if he had discerned the most complex gaze among hundreds of eyes. He then shifted his gaze, which met Qiu Tong's eyes precisely. After a moment of intense staring, he gave her a smile.

Qiu Tong felt a chill run down her spine, gripping the Tai'a sword tightly in her hand, and Qing Yao's words echoed in her ears.

"...Qiu Tong, you must not take any chances. Leave as soon as possible... The reason I sent you this message a day late is because of the eight siblings. The fifth and sixth brothers are currently unconscious, the seventh brother has lost his right arm, and the rest are all seriously injured. Mother is imprisoned alone in the eastern suburbs. I have been taking care of them and did not have time to inform them in advance."

His older siblings had their wings broken by him, and his mother was imprisoned in his grasp, yet he could appear calmly, without a trace of sorrow or joy.

Looking at him now, there is a bone-chilling sense of unfamiliarity.

Qiu Tong pursed her lips, a chilling anger rising in her heart. Prince Qingping squinted at her, and seeing her expression, he simply smiled faintly.

She gripped the side of her skirt tightly, bracing her elbow against the person beside her: "Wei Changzai, after you break through to the next realm, would you be willing to go to the Fox Clan with me?"

Wei Changzai withdrew his gaze, his figure standing like a pine tree, particularly conspicuous in the crowd. He turned his head and looked down, a hint of confusion in his dark eyes.

Is she also certain that she will break through her current level?

What are you going to the fox clan for?

Qiu Tong looked up, her gaze more resolute than ever before: "I want your help to do something big."

Just because she wants it, does that mean he has to help her?

Master said that the most important thing on the trip to the Demon Realm is to break through to a higher realm. Whatever Qiu Tong’s request is, it can be fulfilled without having to consider the Dao and the Palace.

In the past, he would not have objected, but now he felt an unprecedented hesitation.

If he stays with Qiu Tong any longer, he will lose something.

Wei Changzai looked at her silently for a long time, seemingly lost in thought.

Seeing that he was not decisive, Qiu Tong guessed that he was probably thinking about Zhang Chunhe's instructions not to get too close to her, which was why he hesitated.

Her eyes flickered slightly, and she pursed her lips, saying, "If you find it troublesome, then there's no need. I will find someone else."

Wei Changzai's gaze turned strange, and he asked without hesitation, "The person you're talking about, is it Lin Feiran?"

Qiu Tong did not answer, but that was tantamount to her admitting it.

In this situation, the people around were either whispering or secretly passing messages to the clan. The whole place was not noisy, but it was like a swarm of bees dancing in the air, making a low buzzing sound.

Amidst the whispers, Qiu Tong looked down at the ground, her heart pounding. Just then, she heard another extremely soft voice.

"Why do you think she'll definitely say yes? Are you two close?"

Qiu Tong felt a chill in her heart and looked up in surprise, only to meet a pair of dark eyes as black as lacquer.

Wei Changzai looked at her, his expression unchanged, but there was a meaning between his brows that she couldn't understand.

"You have a jade tablet in your hand, which allows you to contact the person on the other side frequently. You communicate most often when you practice your sword in the morning."

That person is Lin Feiran, right?

Qiu Tong was speechless for a moment.

The two stayed in the inn. She only saw Wei Changzai when she practiced her sword in the early morning. Could it be that he came for this reason? She was eager to know who was on the other side.

Wei Changzai is jealous.

This surprised her greatly, but there was no other explanation.

He would be jealous, which was a good thing, but she wasn't as happy as she had been in her previous life; instead, she felt a little awkward.

Nevertheless, she still spoke up to explain, not wanting him to misunderstand Lin Feiran.

"Don't overthink it. I don't contact her as frequently as you think. I just ask her to teach me swordsmanship, so we only talk occasionally in the morning."

Wei Changzai glanced at her silently. Qiu Tong's eyes darted away, clearly indicating that the truth was not as simple as she had said.

Qiu Tong wasn't particularly meticulous in her work. He had seen her use that jade pendant many times, but he hadn't pointed it out.

Judging from her sword practice, it takes almost no effort to discern Lin Feiran's habits.

If he didn't want to confirm it, he wouldn't have meditated and performed spiritual exercises beside her every morning while she practiced her sword.

If it weren't for the lack of smugness in Qiu Tong's eyes, he would almost have thought she was showing off.

Why can Qiu Tong contact her anytime, but I can't?

"It seems I misunderstood; I thought you two had something to talk about every day."

Wei Changzai shifted his gaze away from Qiu Tong, then composed himself and looked at the farce unfolding before him that had nothing to do with him.

Unexpectedly, the image of him holding an umbrella and standing on the cloud carriage came to mind, along with the misty rain that belonged to him and the intimate posture of the two of them in the carriage. My heart felt as if it were being pierced by needles.

He thought that the other man was bound to lose this battle.

Qiu Tong felt a little lost upon hearing this: "Besides practicing swordsmanship, what else can I say to her?"

She looked at King Qingping again, and for the first time, she felt a sense of anticipation for the Demon Lord.

She has no intention of leaving the demon realm. Instead, she wants to stay here and see the end. If Ru Xian wins this time, she will no longer have to worry about what will happen afterward.

Each of them had their own thoughts and ideas, and they stopped talking. They just looked up at the city wall, their thoughts intersecting at that moment.

They thought Lin Feiran would definitely show up.

...

A quarter of an hour later, the barrier in front of the city gate completely closed, and a dark shadow suddenly loomed over the previously clear sky, like dark clouds pressing down on the city.

Everyone immediately looked up and saw that the newcomers were none other than the tribe that lived near the Demon Capital and were protected by the hailstones.

The elegant and magnificent carriage at the head of the procession stopped in mid-air, and a person stepped out from it, carrying a longbow on her shoulder and a quiver of arrows in her hand. It was Bi Qing, who was rushing to find someone. Sitting behind her was Qi Yu, the patriarch of the Jade Clan.

Bi Qing leaped down and landed on the city wall, looking at Prince Qingping with displeasure.

The clan leaders below looked up, but were not intimidated by the scene. Instead, they couldn't help but smile sarcastically.

At first glance, although there were many of them, they were all weak and not worth worrying about. Only the Jade Clan, who were skilled in magic arrays, were somewhat daunting.

Just then, Prince Qingping finally set off. He looked up at the city wall, where Xun Feifei returned to her position, and smiled.

"Everyone who was supposed to be here has arrived, and those who were supposed to ask questions have returned. Left Envoy Xun, what is Your Majesty's response?"

Xun Feifei looked down, her expression calm: "The Lord is still resting. He ordered me to convey that everything should remain the same. Prince Qingping is welcome to attack. If he defeats the other envoys, he will be qualified to compete with him."

Such arrogant and fearless words, coming from the mouth of the Demon Lord, made many people feel a great weight lifted from their hearts, and they breathed a sigh of relief, completely unaware that they had already swayed him like a hailstone.

Ping An looked at everyone, then exchanged glances with Xun Feifei and the others, nodded secretly, and threw the tall wine gourd into the barrier with a loud bang, raising dust and demonstrating the force of the blow.

She leaped down and landed on the spout of the teapot, looking down with a smile playing on her lips.

"Since Prince Qingping is so confident, why don't I start the ceremony?"

"Very good, this shows that you all are very cautious!"

King Qingping laughed loudly, formed a hand seal, and a beam of azure light flew out from his palms, crashed to the ground, and then quickly spread throughout the city.

"The sun is high in the sky, the auspicious time is just right, let's begin!"

As soon as he finished speaking, many runes suddenly rose into the sky above the Demon Capital.

Waterfalls and willows, jade-belt streams, blue brick and stone ground beneath your feet, eaves, beams and tiles... densely packed, countless.

The moment they appeared, each rune suddenly became detached, splitting into short and concise strokes.

The disheveled man put down the steamed dumplings, looked up at the air in surprise, his eyes narrowed slightly, and his expression became somewhat solemn.

Ping An looked up, puzzled. Bi Qing was even more baffled. The runes were unlike any of the ones that anyone recognized, yet they were dazzling to look at!

As the runes changed, Ru Xian, who was sitting cross-legged in the small world, frowned slightly. The spiritual veins that had been calmed and suppressed suddenly became violent. As the spiritual power surged wildly, the hand seals in his hands immediately changed, and his lips opened and closed, forcibly suppressing the violence.

The pill, which was mostly refined in his abdomen, was starting to draw out slightly. Just as he was distracted, a stream of pure spiritual energy entered the back of his neck, flowing in like a long-awaited spring of sweet water, and refining the pill once again.

He opened his eyes halfway and said in a hoarse voice, "You're back."

Author's Note: Wei Changzai: I will compete with everyone!