Chapter 33 "Do you like the God-King?"
It was late at night.
The city of Fengshen remains brightly lit, its prosperity like a dream.
Under the pitch-black night sky, Hua Xun rode the wind and sped away from the city. He looked listless, lost in thought, sometimes frowning, sometimes sighing, completely devoid of energy.
Xiao Yunxi had been watching her for a long time, and when she sighed again, she couldn't help but say, "Do you know how many people want to train with this immortal lord? They'd fight tooth and nail for a chance, and now you, little demon, are sighing and complaining!"
Hua Xun briefly snapped out of her slump and turned to look at him: "Immortal Lord Yunxi, are you pleased to be training with me?"
"Of course I'm not happy!" Xiao Yunxi reacted strongly.
Hua Xun withdrew her gaze: "Then why is Immortal Lord Yunxi criticizing me?"
Xiao Yunxi was speechless, and said irritably, "If you're not happy, then go back. It's cheaper for me to go alone."
“That won’t do,” Hua Xun said seriously. “I promised the Divine Lord that I would come in his place.”
Xiao Yunxi felt a tightness in her chest, glared at her angrily, and then refused to look at her again.
Hua Xun didn't care and continued flying forward, soon landing in front of the private residence outside the city.
Compared to the bustling city center, this place seemed unusually deserted.
The night wind was bleak, and there wasn't a single light around. Under the moonlight, however, several tire tracks could be seen on the road in front of the door.
There were lights on inside the private residence, but the deathly silence only added to the eeriness.
The guards were stationed at every exit of the mansion with impenetrable security, not letting a single detail slip by.
Hua Xun pursed her lips, about to ask Xiao Yunxi how she planned to enter, but when she turned her head, there was no one around.
Looking up again, Xiao Yunxi had already leaped onto the tall wall, raising her eyebrows and looking at her: "Come up."
Hua Xun carefully looked around before flying into the courtyard.
The private residence was very large, with more than a dozen courtyards in total, each with six or seven side rooms.
Surprisingly, the private residence did not have the eerie atmosphere that existed outside; instead, it was just like an ordinary family home.
A lantern hangs at the entrance of each courtyard, clothes are drying on ropes in the courtyard, books are upside down on the stone table in the pavilion, and zithers and harps are placed on the bench.
Hua Xun and Xiao Yunxi carefully walked inside, not forgetting to summon the spiritual consciousness they had injected into the recording mirror and report in their hearts: "Divine Lord, Divine Lord Yunxi and I have entered the mansion."
Hua Xun did not hear a response from the deity, unsure whether he had brought the recording mirror with him.
She didn't seem to care, and continued to say from time to time, "This place looks like an ordinary family home."
"There are also wooden swords and ponies for children to play with."
"My Lord, haven't you looked at the mirror yet?"
"My Lord..." Hua Xun hadn't finished speaking when she suddenly bumped into the back of the person in front of her, and her nose immediately felt a dull pain.
She covered her nose, blinked away the tears from the pain, frowned at Xiao Yunxi in front of her, then looked ahead where there seemed to be nothing unusual, and asked softly, "Why did you suddenly stop?"
Xiao Yunxi felt her back stiffen and turned around, saying in a muffled voice, "You bumped into me!"
"How could I have hit you if you hadn't stopped?"
"I..." Xiao Yunxi's voice trailed off, "Who told you to get distracted?"
"What were you thinking about just now? I called you and you didn't hear me. Were you thinking of another way to pester the Divine Lord?"
Hua Xun lowered her eyelashes guiltily, and after a moment asked with feigned composure, "Did you call me just now?"
Xiao Yunxi looked at her shifty eyes, remained silent for a moment, and then snorted coldly, "This place is unusually calm. If you are captured, this immortal lord will not care about you."
Hua Xun glanced at him: "I'm surprised that Immortal Lord Yunxi is taking care of me."
Once again angered by her, Xiao Yunxi took a deep breath, decided not to argue with her, and turned to continue walking.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he turned his head, he stopped again, staring seriously at the swaying child at the end of the corridor.
The child, who looked no more than five or six years old, was carrying a lamp and staggering into the woods, seemingly getting up to relieve himself.
Hua Xun's view was blocked by Xiao Yunxi: "What..."
Before I could finish asking, someone covered my mouth and hid me behind a red pillar.
Hua Xun opened her eyes wide and stared at the boy in front of her, asking him with her eyes what had happened.
Xiao Yunxi felt her fingertips being touched by soft, warm lips. Her fingers trembled slightly, and she quickly lowered her hand, cleared her throat, and looked towards the end of the corridor with her.
To Hua Xun's astonishment, the child was just like the young lady of the Xiao family, with his body covered in blue scales, his eyes like black holes, and black horns on his forehead.
At that moment, the child was walking blankly down the corridor, until he reached the center and suddenly stopped.
At the same time, a voice suddenly echoed in the previously silent courtyard: "Master..."
The child looked up at the sky and then called out, "Master."
In an instant, the door to the room was opened, and several figures walked out of the room blankly, calling out in unison, "Master, save me."
The sound was completely flat, like the strange noise of a puppet.
Each figure was in their demonic form, men, women, young and old, all covered in scales and black horns. They stood in neat rows, chanting the same words over and over again as they walked through the courtyard.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the group of terrifying-looking people stopped at the same time, stood there blankly for a moment, and then returned to their respective rooms.
"This Xiao Wancang actually imprisoned all the others who were poisoned by the demon here," Xiao Yunxi sneered. "He thinks that way no one will know."
Hua Xun removed the invisibility talisman from his body, his brows also furrowed.
As Xiao Yunxi said, these people were clearly in the form of demons, but they had no demonic aura, and even... no malevolent aura.
"I'm leaving." Xiao Yunxi waved her hand and appeared, speaking in a relaxed tone.
Hua Xun followed beside him: "Are these people considered demons or not?"
"I agree," Xiao Yunxi said as she leaped into the air.
Hua Xun hurriedly followed: "Then why is there no demonic aura?"
"You're asking me?" Xiao Yunxi raised an eyebrow. "Why should I answer you?"
Hua Xun's expression darkened, and he silently increased his speed.
"Hey, where are you going?" Xiao Yunxi caught up and asked.
"Go ask the God."
Xiao Yunxi paused slightly, and after a long while said, "They only have the appearance of demons, but no demon cores. Even their meridians only contain pure qi, without a trace of turbid qi."
"It could be said that they were nothing more than mortals with the appearance of demons."
Hua Xun asked in surprise, "Then who turned them into this?"
"We'll know once we find the culprit," Xiao Yunxi said, raising an eyebrow.
"How do we find them?" Hua Xun pondered intently, then suddenly remembered something and her eyes lit up. "Since these people have been poisoned by the demon, they must have something in common. If we can unravel the clues and find the connection, we might be able to find the culprit."
Xiao Yunxi glanced at her sideways: "Not that stupid."
Hua Xun was delighted by her discovery and too lazy to refute him, only saying, "I never expected that Immortal Lord Yunxi would be willing to tell me the reason."
Xiao Yunxi paused for a moment: "This immortal lord is afraid that you will find another excuse to approach the divine lord."
Upon hearing the title "Divine Lord," Hua Xun recalled the words she had spoken to the Mirror of Recalling, which the Divine Lord had never responded to.
Although the reason is unknown, the deity must have encountered some troubles.
Glancing down at the still bustling night market, Hua Xun's eyes lit up. She immediately said, "Immortal Lord Yunxi, go back first," and then landed silently.
Compared to dusk, the night market was much less crowded, with mostly young men and women and patrolling guards remaining.
Hua Xun wandered through the streets, wanting to bring back anything interesting she saw to please the God.
The deity enjoyed listening to storytelling, so she bought all the popular storybooks to take back to him and entertain him.
The lanterns, which display different flower varieties when viewed from different angles, were carefully placed into a purse by Hua Xun.
And then there's that pleasingly painted pottery phoenix, with its round, bright eyes that resemble flowing fire; even the gods would think so.
Just as Hua Xun was about to continue strolling along, someone behind her suddenly asked, "What are you buying all this for?"
Hua Xun was startled and turned around to see Xiao Yunxi leaning against the wall outside the ceramics shop, arms crossed, raising an eyebrow at her.
"What are you doing here?" Hua Xun forced herself to relax, but was still quite annoyed.
“I… I’m asking you that,” Xiao Yunxi straightened up, walked up to her, looked down at the pile of small items in her arms, and asked again, “You got off halfway just to buy these?”
"certainly."
Why?
“It’s for the God.” Hua Xun said matter-of-factly.
Xiao Yunxi frowned: "The Divine Lord does not show favoritism towards anything."
“I know,” Hua Xun said, puzzled. “Even a god wouldn’t dislike anything, would he?”
Xiao Yunxi was slightly taken aback, watching her dart around in the bustling night market like a free bird.
No, her true form is a bird.
He watched the bird, wishing he could buy everything he passed, and even his purse, which contained a mustard seed space, gradually bulged.
All living things have an instinctive affinity for God.
At first, he thought that Hua Xun wanted to get close to the Divine Lord for the same reason.
But looking at her overly serious and focused expression, and at her bright eyes that curved into crescent moons whenever she mentioned the God, a thought suddenly sprouted in his heart...
Seeing that the night market was coming to an end, Hua Xun bought a lucky charm from the vendor at the very end, happily held it in her hand, and was about to head home.
"You like the God?" An incredulous voice suddenly rang out.
These words rang in Hua Xun's ears like a thunderbolt, and her cheerful figure suddenly froze. It took her a while to turn her head to look at Xiao Yunxi, who had spoken these words.
If Xiao Yunxi was merely testing the waters earlier, seeing Hua Xun's expression now was enough to confirm it.
For a moment, Xiao Yunxi couldn't express how she felt.
She should have been angry, because her worldly love between a man and a woman had desecrated the supreme deity.
But a strange sour feeling welled up in my chest.
"You really do like the God." Xiao Yunxi heard her own voice again.
Hua Xun moved her lips, but couldn't utter any denial.
Even now, when someone puts their own feelings for the God of War together, she feels a sense of relief and ease.
Hua Xun nodded and said frankly, "I like the God."
Xiao Yunxi stood there, stunned.
Hua Xun looked at him and said, "I know you don't like me getting close to the Divine Lord, but now that the facts are clear, I will not leave the Divine Lord."
"But don't worry, I don't need the God's response, I just need..."
"Have you ever thought about what the God would do if he knew your thoughts?" Xiao Yunxi interrupted her.
Hua Xun had never thought of this before and was momentarily stunned.
If the God knew her thoughts...
As evening fell, after releasing the river lanterns on the riverbank, perhaps due to the atmosphere, she was unable to conceal her feelings.
The deity gazed at her with profound eyes, as if he could see right through her...
Afterwards, the deity refused to accompany her, and instead allowed her to sneak into the mansion at night with Xiao Yunxi.
He never even responded to the words she left in the mirror.
A growing unease began to spread through Hua Xun's chest.
"The Divine Lord will not spare you any longer." Xiao Yunxi's tone was more serious than ever before.
“The Divine Lord is not that kind of person…” Hua Xun subconsciously retorted, but in the end, she ran out of arguments.
The deity said that gods do not need romantic love.
The deity kept her only because of the Spirit Rhinoceros Gu.
If the deity knew her feelings, although he wouldn't drive her away to save her life, could she really endure it if things became distant like tonight?
Hua Xun's expression gradually became confused and lost.
The Lingxi Gu also became listless and uneasy.
*
The City Lord's Mansion.
Shenjun Jiuqing stood beside the artificial hill in the courtyard, watching the plum blossoms peek out from the branches, and the flowing water gurgling with mist.
The scenery he had seen over the past ten thousand years—whether it was flowers, mountains, or water—was no different to him.
But he had a subtle feeling: the flowers here were not as beautiful as the peach blossoms at White Mist Cliff.
In his sea of consciousness, he could sense his true self quietly gazing at the mirror.
The girl in the mirror vividly recounts her every move, without getting tired of it.
She entered the mansion, saw something, and discovered something else.
Its clear, melodious voice is the only remaining source of life on the ancient, silent White Mist Cliff.
Until a cry of surprise, she bumped into Yunxi's back, and the sounds of a young girl and boy arguing rang out, back and forth, sharp and confrontational.
But upon noticing something amiss, one person covered the other's lips, then tacitly hid behind a pillar, before peeking out one after the other to nod.
Such playful movements are the vitality and energy that only come from the interactions between young children.
After observing for a moment, the deity severed the connection between the image in the mirror and that spiritual consciousness, and calmly admired the scenery of the courtyard.
There was clearly no wind in the courtyard, yet the plum branches swayed gently on their own.
It kept shaking, one wave after another.
He, at White Mist Cliff, missed a sincere prayer.
"Young Master Sang?" A melodious voice sounded from behind.
The deity turned his gaze and saw a woman wearing a veil standing at the entrance of the courtyard, looking at him through the white veil.
Xiao Ling had locked herself in her room for nearly ten days, but even so, every night at the second watch, she would still uncontrollably step out of her room and, following the inexplicable longing rising in her heart, call out "Master" numbly.
She feared that if she lost control, people would see her terrifying appearance, so her father specially dismissed most of the servants in the mansion.
When Xiao Ling woke up tonight, she realized that she had walked into Wanyuan Garden.
The once deserted courtyard now features a snow-white figure.
Xiao Ling wanted to go up to him and ask if he had heard anything, but when she saw that face that should have been forgotten after a glance, she couldn't help but feel a natural sense of closeness and trust.
She recalled the reactions of the three newcomers when they saw her transformed appearance at dusk.
The flower-faced monk was pretty and kind-hearted, his eyes showing pity, yet he was still taken aback by her current appearance.
Although the little immortal ancestor was not frightened, his eyes were full of arrogance and disdain, making one feel ashamed of oneself.
Only the young master surnamed Sang before them had a calm and gentle expression, a smile on his lips, and eyes as all-encompassing as the sea.
In that instant, Xiao Ling felt that asking him if he had heard her strange calls and asking him to keep it a secret was an impolite question to him.
"Why is Young Master Sang here so late at night?" Xiao Ling asked softly.
The deity smiled slightly: "Enjoy the night view."
Xiao Ling, who was already reluctant to see the sunlight due to her drastic change in appearance, would only go out for a short breath of fresh air when it was dark at night. Hearing this, she hesitated for a moment before asking, "Today, Young Master Sang did not seem to be frightened by my appearance."
The deity's voice was gentle and slow: "Appearance is nothing more than a shell."
After speaking, she seemed to remember something and lowered her eyes.
Xiao Ling was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. In the past few days, she had gone from a beautiful young lady to an ugly monster overnight. This was the first time she had heard a word of comfort from a human.
"Young Master Sang is good at cultivation," Xiao Ling said, though she knew she couldn't truly accept that appearance was just a shell.
The deity did not respond again. His gaze, like a hidden spring, passed over the woman in front of him and looked towards the courtyard gate.
The girl, with a bulging purse slung across her shoulder, walked toward the courtyard with her eyes downcast. The boy walked alongside her with his arms crossed, glancing at her every now and then.
The two seemed to be at odds, neither paying attention to the other, only their shadows on the ground appearing and disappearing.
Noticing something, the boy raised his head, lowered his arms, his high ponytail drooping slightly, and nodded slightly: "Sir."
The girl was startled by what she heard. She suddenly raised her head, and her gaze flashed with a faint light when it met the God, but it was quickly dimmed and covered up.
She glanced quickly at the young lady from the Xiao family opposite her, forced a smile, and called out, "Sir."
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