Chapter 57: Breaking Up From now on, you and I are no longer friends. ...
"Ayao..." Xu Lian stared blankly at Zhan Yao's resolute profile and murmured.
She never expected that Zhan Yao would help her shoulder such a big responsibility.
"No..." Xu Lian opened her mouth, wanting to explain, but she hesitated, as if she couldn't say anything.
"Zhan Yao, this matter is of no trivial importance. Don't take on things that you shouldn't take on just because of a momentary impulse." Zhan Yao's words sounded reasonable, but Chu Ye still felt that he couldn't fully believe it.
Song Xinghe looked straight at Xu Lian.
Under such a straightforward gaze, Xu Lian became even more speechless and could only gently pull Zhan Yao's sleeve with her hand.
"I didn't do it. The responsibility for this matter lies with me." Zhan Yao did not waver. She took the responsibility for the matter expressionlessly, pulled her sleeve out of Xu Lian's hand without even looking at her.
Seeing that she was so persistent, Chu Ye and Song Xinghe stopped asking questions. The most urgent thing at the moment was to tell Jiang Hanqiu the news that Mu Fuyun was kidnapped by Cang Yan.
"Since you insist so much, we won't say much. You spoke carelessly outside and revealed the situation of your fellow disciples, which violated the sect's rules. Considering that you repented in time and confessed voluntarily, you will go to the Punishment Hall to receive punishment after you return." After Chu Ye finished speaking, he and Song Xinghe turned around and left.
Zhan Yao and Xu Lian were left in the yard.
Xu Lian looked at Zhan Yao bewilderedly and tried to tug at her sleeve again. "Ayao, you don't have to do this. I, I should go and talk to Senior Brother Chu right away!"
As she spoke, she turned around and wanted to chase after him.
But Chu Ye and Song Xinghe were flying on their swords, and in a moment they had walked a long way, their backs becoming particularly hazy in the dark night.
Zhan Yao ignored her and just silently adjusted the sword at his waist. He said, "I have already taken responsibility for this matter. It has nothing to do with you. But, A'lian, this is to repay you for all the kindness you have shown me over the years."
Zhan Yao has had no friends since childhood.
She was a strong-willed person who refused to give in easily, making her a loner among most children her age. Furthermore, the excessive restrictions and pressures from the Zhan family made her stand out even more from the crowd.
Xu Lian was the only friend over the years who took the initiative to approach her, could tolerate her overly strong and persistent temperament, and was not driven away by her blunt and harsh words.
When she was young, Xu Lian was educated at the Zhan family along with other children from other families. Other children did not dare to approach her, fearing that they would offend her eccentric temperament and be disliked by the Zhan family.
Once, because she forgot the mental skills she had just learned, her father punished her by making her kneel on the bluestone slab for two hours.
It was already late, and the other disciples were leaving one after another, passing by her without pausing for a moment. Only Xu Lian had secretly gone to the cafeteria, brought back two chicken legs, and stuffed them into her arms.
The greasy chicken legs got all over her hands and even stained the front of her lapel.
Except when she was practicing swordplay, she always loved cleanliness, and her hair and clothes were meticulously kept. However, she did not feel the slightest bit of disgust towards the two chicken legs.
She was punished to kneel, but of course she didn't eat a single bite. She just held the chicken leg in her hand until the moon was at its highest point in the sky and she was finally able to stand up. Then she sat on the ground and ate the chicken leg by herself.
When she finished eating, Xu Lian came back, handed her the water bag, and helped her back to the house step by step.
It was from that day on that she and Xu Lian gradually became friends.
Later, they came to Tianyan and met Zhou Su. Zhou Su also became friends with Xu Lian because she was close to her.
"We've known each other for many years, and I know you've always been the one to tolerate my temper. This time, I've helped you, and that's been my repayment. From now on, we're no longer friends. I won't care whether you live or die, whether you're good or bad, I won't care anymore."
"Ayao..." Xu Lian knew that she was a person who kept her word. Her originally evasive gaze suddenly turned into panic and guilt, and a layer of misty tears appeared in her eyes. "Don't be like this..."
Zhan Yao finished speaking and turned away without hesitation. Her expression was cold, as if she was facing a stranger.
…
Dozens of miles away, Cang Yan took Mu Fuyun all the way north, and did not even go to the camp in Beiwu Town, but went directly back to the farther Demon Realm.
There was the sound of the howling wind again, and I was being carried to a completely unfamiliar place without any care.
Mu Fuyun felt that things really did change.
She had just taken revenge on Chu Ye for being forcibly dragged to Tianyan, and now, she was being treated like this by Cang Yan.
"The journey is long, why doesn't the Demon Lord use the teleportation array?" Mu Fuyun asked, growing increasingly impatient.
As soon as she opened her mouth, a gust of cold wind rushed into her mouth, making her teeth dry and the chill penetrated into her throat.
Also blown by the cold wind, Cang Yan's long hair fluttered, his robes fluttered and rustled, but his face was calm and relaxed.
Hearing her somewhat hoarse voice, he seemed to have just noticed her discomfort and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Flying with the wind, free and unrestrained, how can a teleportation array compare to that?"
He always liked the feeling of riding the wind. When traveling, he rarely used the teleportation array, and even the flying boat was rarely used.
This was probably a habit he'd inherited from before returning to the Demon Realm and becoming the Demon Lord. While cultivating in the righteous path, he'd often been bullied by fellow cultivators. When his cultivation was low, he couldn't escape and could only huddle in corners, avoiding the gazes of others. Later, when he could fly with the wind, he realized the vastness of the world.
Seeing Mu Fuyun's face that was extremely similar to Mu Fuyue's, he rarely felt a trace of sympathy.
"Your cultivation—" He extended a slender index finger and lightly tapped her forehead. He quickly cast a spell, instantly reducing the cold wind blowing on her face by half. "It's too weak, far inferior to your sister's."
"Yes, after all, she is born with a sword body, and even the head of Tianyan said that I am not a 'waste' who can practice that kind of sword." Without the stimulation of the cold wind, Mu Fuyun no longer felt dry when he opened his mouth, but his voice was still a little erratic and weak in the wind.
It was this weakness, which sounded like the sound of a mountain spring, cold and clear, that extinguished the warmth in Cang Yan's heart.
"Talent and bloodline are all predetermined at birth," he said indifferently.
Mu Fuyun curled the corners of her mouth, and the red ribbon on her high ponytail fluttered beside her cheek, adding a touch of liveliness to her pale face.
"So what if it's destined? Am I not already on this path now?"
She is a person who does not believe in evil and is unwilling to compromise with her already predetermined fate.
"But you, Demon Lord, are supposed to be the person who least believes in fate in this world. How could you say such a thing? I thought my sister had already 'converted' you."
Mu Fuyue in the book is like the "light of righteousness". Hasn't she illuminated Cang Yan yet?
Cang Yan was stunned for a moment, then chuckled softly, a hint of mockery in his voice. "I don't believe in your 'righteous path' stuff. Quite the contrary. It was because Yue'er told me that life is predestined, and since the righteous path won't accept me, why bother stubbornly pursuing this path to the end? That's why I gave up everything I had and came to the Demon Realm alone."
At that time, he was deeply influenced by the righteousness of the fairyland and always felt that the cultivators of the demonic path should be despised by everyone. Even the half of the demon blood in his body made him feel dirty.
"Really?" Mu Fuyun was a little surprised. He didn't expect Mu Fuyue to say this to Cang Yan. Isn't this just a way to make Cang Yan give up the righteous path and "fall" into the evil path?
"If that's the case, why did the Demon Lord later go to such great lengths to rectify the Demon Realm and establish a non-enemy and non-interference agreement with the three major sects?"
You know, the conflict between the immortals and demons has a long history, especially during the Battle of Changgeng, because of Kun Sheyang, the conflict between the two sides was completely intensified and almost led to another war.
Cang Yan was silent for a moment, with no intention of hiding anything. He said calmly, "Yue'er said that since she has become the Demon Lord, she must do something to establish her authority. If she can stabilize the entire Demon Realm and allow it to coexist peacefully with the Immortal Realm, then what happened between her and me will not cause her to be criticized."
Mu Fuyun didn't know what to say for a moment. She just silently looked at the Demon Lord who seemed to have extremely high cultivation and was full of danger, but actually obeyed her sister's orders. She didn't feel afraid for a moment, but instead felt a little more pity.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Cang Yan frowned, somewhat displeased. He stared at her face and said, "It really doesn't look right to me. It's better to turn her into a puppet as soon as possible."
This time, Mu Fuyun no longer felt the chill on his back as before.
Cang Yan's appreciation for Mu Fuyue is no less than that of Chu Ye and Song Xinghe.
"Don't, a puppet is just a puppet after all, how can it compare to a real sister?"
Cang Yan raised his eyebrows: "What do you mean by that?"
At this time, they finally arrived above the Demon Palace. He brought Mu Fuyun down from mid-air and without giving her any instructions, he stepped into the main hall door and walked towards the soft couch inside.
Unlike the Guizang Palace with its red corridors and green tiles and elegant simplicity, the Demon Palace looks exceptionally luxurious and magnificent.
The white marble steps and columns, with their intricate reliefs, were plated with gold. Under the eaves, extremely precious eternal lamps were lit, making the gilded white jade sparkle.
"I mean, my sister isn't truly dead. She still has a chance to return. Doesn't the Demon Lord want her back?"
Cang Yan was stunned, unsure whether what she said was true or not. He sat cross-legged on his couch and looked at her with a half-smile. "If I could come back, I would. But what does this have to do with you? Even if I make you into a puppet, I can still use you for something."
"Of course it has something to do with me," Mu Fuyun smiled and pointed at himself.
"Because, it is my blood and flesh that can bring her back."
Cang Yan's expression gradually became serious, and the look in his eyes became unfathomable.
"You're talking about the Soul Cultivation Technique." Cang Yan was, after all, a Demon Lord. This kind of immoral and vicious practice originated from some demonic cultivators. "But that requires Yue'er's consciousness and soul. She died in the collapsed and dissipated secret realm. Where can she find it?"
"The lotus lantern in the back hall of Tianyan Guizang Palace, the one that belongs to my sister, has never been extinguished, because - there is a trace of soul attached to it, which is exactly what Chu Ye preserved from the secret realm."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
