Return to the Ruins (II)

The light was dim in the depths of the Demon Palace. Demon cultivators usually did not like light. By this time, the night had already become deep and it was already the late night.

There was a person sleeping on the couch far away, her snow-white hair almost reaching her ankles. She didn't know how to tie her hair up, and she didn't let Ji Cang touch her hair. She just tied it up casually with a hairband every day.

The jade token placed on the table was still lit.

"Well, I understand. What else?"

"Also... the matter of Immortal Lord Ying Heng can no longer be suppressed. I don't know why, but it suddenly became a commotion yesterday. Many people know that Ying Heng is not dead, and Miss Tian is good friends with Sang Dai, so many people are now..."

Ji Cang asked calmly, "Do you have any opinion about Tian Yuxue?"

"……yes."

"What do they want me to do?"

"...drive Miss Tian out of the demon world."

Ji Cang laughed and glanced lazily at Tian Yuxue who was sleeping soundly. She was a heartless person. Even though she hated him, she liked his soft couch and occupied it, like a real little bully.

"My Lord, what are you laughing at?"

"Do I need to chase her away? She is eager to leave the demon world and find Sandy. As soon as I open the door to the demon palace, she will appear in the demon palace."

In short, no matter whether Su Xuan or Sang Dai was in trouble or not, she could come and go in the Demon Palace as she pleased.

"This……"

Ji Cang tapped the table with his knuckles, his expression still calm: "What do the city lords of the thirteen regions say?"

"I request that you, my lord, lead your troops to attack the demon world together with the immortal world and force Ying Heng out."

Ji Cang lowered his eyes, was silent for a while and then asked: "What about the underworld?"

"The Lord of the White Blade, Fu You, has not expressed his opinion. I don't know what he is doing."

"Yes." Ji Cang responded, "Try to stabilize the civilians and the lords of the thirteen regions first, and tell them that I have been thinking about countermeasures recently."

"Yes, my Lord."

The jade token was hung up and the Demon Palace fell into silence.

Tian Yuxue seemed to be having a nightmare. He kicked the quilt and said a few words in his sleep.

Ji Cang raised his eyes and looked over.

She was too much like a child, exactly like the person Ji Cang met when he was in his teens. Even though she was dozens of times older than Ji Cang, her heart was as pure as a child's. She was just angry when he detained her in the demon world. He served her well with food and drink, and had no temper and let her beat and scold him. She was actually willing to stay here.

Ji Cang knew that Tian Yuxue liked Sandy very much, not only because Sandy helped her calm her out-of-control talent and gave her back her freedom, but also because Sandy was a descendant of the Weisheng family. Tian Yuxue was a monster transformed from a rib of a snowy owl. The closer he became to Sandy, the deeper his dependence on her became.

Sandei is her first friend and her only friend. Ji Cang is just a servant to Tian Yuxue. She eats and drinks at his expense but is unwilling to get close to him. However, she treats Sandei completely differently.

She didn't like him in the first place. If he led troops to attack the demon world and fight against Sang Dai, Tian Yuxue would probably be furious.

Ji Cang was really overwhelmed. He hadn't had a good sleep for several days. He held up his hands and pinched his brows.

He selfishly did not want to draw his sword against Sandei, even though they had fought many wars with the Immortal Realm before, and Sandei almost died in the war between the Demon Realm and the Immortal Realm a few months ago. Ji Cang had no feelings for Sandei, he just thought that this heavenly-level spiritual root awakener was very strong and very favored by the Heavenly Dao.

He awakened his heavenly spiritual roots at the age of three and formed a golden elixir at the age of seventeen. He was the youngest golden elixir cultivator in the history of cultivation. His talent was unmatched. If he had not been poisoned by the Sword Sect, Sandy would not have ended up in that state a few months ago.

Ji Cang propped up his head and looked at Tian Yuxue lying on the bed.

She didn't sleep well and kicked away the quilt. Anyway, she was not afraid of the cold and Ji Cang never cared about it.

"If I killed Sandy, you would be angry..."

She will definitely be angry, and maybe she will never see him again in her life.

Ji Cang leaned back in his chair and raised his head, his Adam's apple moving slightly, and he felt upset and depressed.

It seems that the reason why he didn't want to kill Sandy was not just because it was about to snow.

Ji Cang always felt that something bad would happen after killing Sandi. He clearly didn't know what it was, but he felt anxious whenever he thought about it.

I could do it before, why can't I do it now?

When did this change begin?

"What a mess..."

A moan was heard in the Demon Palace.

Ji Cang turned sideways to look.

Tian Yuxue almost rolled off the bed, hugged the jewel pillow and pursed his lips, his eyes were still closed, but his grievance was clearly visible.

"What's wrong with me eating one more fruit..."

Ji Cang’s eyebrows twitched.

She would remember in her dreams that he would not let her eat any fruit during the day. The fruit she ate was red ginseng fruit, which was very hot and incompatible with Tian Yuxue's extremely cold body. She ate four or five in one breath and then her seven orifices started bleeding. Ji Cang, who had just finished his business and returned to the Demon Palace, was so scared that he almost lost his soul. He ordered that from then on, anything Tian Yuxue ate must be approved by him.

Why are you so angry?

It was about to snow. The cricket pupa was a little closer to the bed and could roll down with just a turn. Ji Cang could no longer endure it, so he stood up and walked towards her, leaned over, picked her up and put her into the bed.

Tian Yuxue suddenly closed his eyes at this moment.

Ji Cang looked at her.

Someone slapped him in the face: "You're taking advantage of me! I told you I don't like young men like you. You're not even a fraction of me, and I'm thousands of years older than you!"

There was a red and swollen slap mark on Ji Cang's cheek. He closed his eyes and resisted the urge to abandon her, and threw her inside.

He stood up with his arms crossed over his chest and looked at Tian Yuxue on the bed. She was not afraid of him at all. She sat up with her legs crossed and crossed her arms like him.

She was shorter in height, but she was definitely not inferior in momentum. She raised her chin slightly and said to him, "You, send me to the demon world tomorrow. I want to go find Dai Dai to eat cakes."

Ji Cang refused coldly: "Don't go to the demon world recently."

"Why? Silent Cang, are you going to imprison me?"

Ji Cang closed his eyes, clenched his fists until they cracked, and then opened his eyes again: "I will not let her live in the Demon Palace when I imprison her. There are many dungeons in the Demon Realm."

Tian Yuxue stood on the bed and kicked him in the chest. After stamping hard, she said, "Then why can't I go to the demon world!"

Ji Cang pursed his lips slightly, tightened his jaw, and asked in a cold voice: "Tian Yuxue, you are really naive and don't understand anything."

Tian Yuxue's eyes turned red: "I don't understand anything. I'm thousands of years old and I haven't been awake for even a few years. No one talks to me, so what can I know? You demons have beaten me a lot in the past thousands of years. Your father almost beat me to death!"

But Ji Cang was not born at that time, so these things actually had nothing to do with him.

He could only remain silent.

Tian Yuxue asked him, "Are you ready to attack the demon world?"

Ji Cang replied coldly: "I can't do anything about it."

Tian Yuxue clenched his fists and said, "Ying Heng is right, why did you start this battle?"

"If he cannot prove his innocence, then he is guilty and he must die."

"You! You are unreasonable! All of you are unreasonable!" Tian Yuxue was angry: "I want to help Dai Dai! I will freeze you dogs to death!"

She was very loyal, and as she spoke, she jumped off the couch, her clean feet stepping on the black floor tiles.

Ji Cang got angry for the first time: "Stop!"

He spoke very loudly and had never been angry with Tian Yuxue in these days. Only this time could she really feel his anger.

When she kicked him in the face before, he just gritted his teeth and punished her with a meal, and never yelled at her.

Tian Yuxue was stunned for a moment and looked at him blankly.

Ji Cang turned his head away and breathed rapidly, his chest heaving violently. The demonic energy surrounding this demon was dense.

"Do you know how serious Ying Heng's crime is?"

he asked suddenly.

Tian Yuxue said hesitantly, "He destroyed the Guixu Spiritual Vein and massacred the Cangwu Taoist Temple, but he didn't do these things. I believe Daidai. Why do you want to accuse him of a crime when he is innocent?"

"Flag him with a crime? Do you think destroying the Guixu Spiritual Vein is just a crime?" Ji Cang turned to look at her, staring into her eyes, and asked word by word: "Do you know what the Guixu Spiritual Vein means to the Four Realms?"

The sky is about to snow and I am speechless.

"The few spiritual veins you gave to the demon world are all derived from the Guixu spiritual vein. The Guixu spiritual vein is the main vein and the foundation of the four worlds' cultivation. Do you know why I have been fighting and plundering spiritual veins all these years? Because there is no Guixu spiritual vein anymore. The four worlds now have one less spiritual vein after using one. After I die, the demon world will be finished sooner or later. I must get more spiritual veins for them while I am alive. Do you understand?"

It was the first time that Tian Yuxue heard Ji Cang speak to her so seriously. Even though she had a childish nature, she knew that this was not the time to joke.

Ji Cang continued, "The Guixu Spiritual Vein has been destroyed. Within five thousand years, the spiritual veins of the four realms will all be used up, and the cultivation of the cultivators will come to an end. The massacre of the Cangwu Taoist Temple is not enough to make the four realms hate him to this extent. Destroying the Guixu Spiritual Vein is the original sin. Tian Yuxue, do you think I want to start a war?"

"You think I like wars, you think I am too greedy for always attacking the immortal world and the underworld, searching for spiritual veins everywhere, but I also hate death. Look at those demon cultivators outside, do you know how much spiritual veins our demon world lacked more than a hundred years ago? I have no choice, I am the Demon Lord, I must seize more spiritual veins for them."

Tian Yuxue said blankly: "I'm sorry... I, I didn't mean that. What I said to you before was just angry..."

Ji Cang suddenly stepped forward, picked her up and placed her on the couch.

He squatted down so that they could look at each other at eye level.

"Do you know what will happen to Sandy if she protects Yingheng?"

Tian Yuxue did not answer.

Ji Cang said: "She will definitely die. If you follow her, you will die too."

will die.

Tian Yuxue blinked, and her throat suddenly felt dry.

Ji Cang spoke calmly, "Tian Yuxue, friends are not as important as life. She is just a friend of yours. If she dies, she dies. You will have more friends in the future. Don't make it difficult for me. I don't want you to be sad, and I can't just ignore this matter under the pressure of the people in the demon world."

"Until Ying Heng's matter is resolved, you must not leave the Demon Palace or go to the demon world."

He stood up and walked out: "I'll go take care of things, you take a rest."

When Ji Cang was about to walk out the door, Tian Yuxue suddenly called him.

"Silence."

He didn't turn around, but stopped to listen to her.

"Do you think I, Tian Yuxue, am afraid of death?"

Ji Cang's breathing stagnated slightly.

Tian Yuxue raised her eyes to look at his back. This was the first time that the man who had always spoken rudely spoke to him nicely.

"Jicang, I was really sad and desperate in the past. The Great Cold kept me from freedom, and the four realms were calling for my death. I was thousands of years old, but I only woke up for a few years. I seized every opportunity to go out and look for Weisheng's family, to eat and drink, because such days were too rare for me."

"I once thought that after fulfilling the Snow Owl's wish, I would end up in the snow. I've had enough of this life of being deprived of freedom and having to sleep. I'm not afraid of death. It was Dai Dai who gave me the chance to be reborn."

"I am childish and have a bad temper, but you never get angry. You have always been very good to me. I know that, but Ji Cang, you still don't understand me."

Ji Cang's breathing was trembling. He suddenly turned to look at her and said, "What do you mean? I have made it clear to you that you will probably die if you go to Sandy. Do you still want to go?"

"I'm going. I'm going."

Tian Yuxue put on her shoes and stood up. Her height was not even as high as Ji Cang's shoulders. She looked up at him and said, "My life was saved by Dai Dai. It's okay to give it back to her. Ji Cang, I didn't ask you to go with me, nor did I ask you to defy the demon world for me. From the beginning to the end, I was talking about only myself. My life is in my hands. I have the final say over my life. It has nothing to do with you."

"You clearly know what I mean..."

"I also said that I don't like young men like you, but you always restrain me and won't let me leave the demon world."

Ji Cang suddenly turned his head away, raised his hand and pursed his eyes.

"It's snowing, you are really great."

He didn't want to see her anymore, so he turned and walked out, his wide robe rustling.

"Love, go away! Love, go away! You ungrateful bastard!"

Tian Yuxue was the only one in the Demon Palace.

She occupied his luxurious and extravagant magic palace, forcing Ji Cang to sleep in the side hall all day.

He was very good to her. No matter how hard she hit him or how angry he was, he would only cut off her food for one meal, but he would double her food the next time.

Tian Yuxue clenched her fists. When she saw him leaving just now, she wanted to keep him for the first time.

But as soon as he took a step forward, he stopped himself.

There is a huge gap between her and Ji Cang. She is older but more immature. She can do nothing and understands nothing.

Ji Cang is young, but he has a heavy heart. He has killed too many people over the years and is full of evil spirit. Tian Yuxue doesn't like him very much and feels that she is the only one being calculated in front of him, which makes her feel very insecure.

No one had ever taught her how to like someone, and she didn't understand why Ji Cang fell in love with her when she treated him so badly and even brought her to the demon world to live there.

Tian Yuxue stood in the hall for a long time and walked out tentatively.

She came to the gate of the Demon Palace without any obstruction. In the past, there were demon generals guarding this place, who would stop her every time. Only when Ji Cang went out with her would they not stop her.

But this time, it seemed that all the demon generals had been withdrawn, and no one was seen along the way.

Tian Yuxue pulled the door and it opened smoothly.

The moonlight came in, making the already snow-white face of the girl seem almost transparent.

She looked back at the deep devil's palace, as if someone was looking at her in the darkness at the end.

She knew that Ji Cang didn't want her to leave, he wanted her to stand against Sandy.

Tian Yuxue lowered his head and suddenly remembered a sentence he had asked Snow Owl in Xueyuan before.

She asked Snowy Owl, "Does it make sense to stay here for ten thousand years just to fulfill a promise?"

Snowy Owl said: "I don't know if it makes sense, but Xue, I won't have any regrets."

"You protect the Weisheng family like this?"

"It was the Weisheng family who protected me in the past. I am willing to give my life back to them."

"So you died protecting them."

"It's worth it, so I don't regret it."

She knew what it meant to help Sandei. The people of the demon world might betray Sandei. If the matter of Guixu Spirit Vein was really related to Sandei, she would face a siege from all four realms.

But Tian Yuxue opened the door of the Demon Palace without hesitation, and teleported towards the demon world while lifting her skirt.

She walked for a long time, and the candles in the demon palace were lit.

The demon generals hiding in the dark whispered, "Master, do you want to chase them back?"

Ji Cang's breathing was trembling and he covered his eyes.

But the demon generals clearly heard the crying.

"You are such a heartless person... Just die if you want to... Just die if you want to..."

The demon generals looked at each other in silence.

After a long time, a hoarse voice was heard again.

"Send the city lords of the thirteen regions over here."

"Yes, my Lord!"

***

The ghost lights of the underworld, a few lights in the white blade went out again.

The ghost cultivator asked: "City Lord, do you want to go and place the seal?"

Fu You raised his eyes and looked at the bright lamp hanging in the sky.

He whispered, "No need, no need in the future."

The ghost cultivator was somewhat puzzled: "City Lord, why?"

Fu You curled his lips and smiled softly: "Because..."

He turned and walked away, and the white clothes gradually disappeared in the ghost fire.

It was not until he had walked out for a long time that the ghost cultivator heard his voice.

"I no longer want to be the Lord of the White Blade."

Fu You came to the Burning Heaven Realm and came here again.

She was still sitting on the tree, her wide dress covering her legs, and no one knew that she had cut off her feet.

Fu You came under the tree and looked up at her.

"I will no longer be the master of the White Blade."

Ling Yin lowered her eyes and looked at him, and asked him, "Why?"

"The Immortal Realm has already taken action, and the Underworld also wants me to lead the troops to follow the Immortal Realm. As the Lord of the White Blade, I must take action against Sandy."

"so?"

“So, I just do Fuyou.”

He laughed, a gentle smile on his face: "The underworld wants me to attack the demon world, but Lingyin, Sandy is the only one who can take you out."

Lingyin asked him: "Do you want to help her?"

"I must help her." Fu You said, "Don't you know that Sandy is going to ruin the ruins? Regardless of whether Ying Heng is involved or not, she will go to the four realms to be surrounded and killed, but she cannot die."

Lingyin supported the tree trunk with her arms, sat on it and asked him with a smile: "If you help her, you will be betraying the will of heaven, and you may also die."

"You are helping her too."

Lingyin shook her head and smiled: "No, I'm not helping her."

She raised her eyes and looked at the faint will-o'-the-wisp in the distance.

"I am helping the Four Realms. I want to change the destiny I saw that year."

The destiny that made her give up her ascension and earn the hatred of the Heaven, the extraction of her spiritual roots by the four realms, the burning of her flesh and blood by raging fire, the destiny that she never forgot even after turning into a fierce ghost.

The Four Sufferings will corrode the Guixu Spiritual Vein, and all people in the Four Realms will become evil spirits enslaved by the Four Sufferings.

The four realms may be destroyed.

But if they are not destroyed and returned to ruins, the four realms will surely perish.

***

It's almost dawn.

The old farmer ran over to a monk and quickly took the machete from him: "Ah Huai, I can do this kind of work. You only stay here for a few months a year, why would you be needed to do any work?"

Tan Huai laughed and said, "It's okay. I'm young and strong. I'll help you chop all the firewood."

The old farmer wet his silk hand and took Tan Huai's hand to wipe it for him: "Even if we need to chop wood, we can't finish it in one day. I'm the only one left at home. The wood you chop is enough to burn me to death."

Tan Huai still smiled and quite consciously stretched out his other dirty hand.

The old farmer treated him like his own son, and Tan Huai would stay with him for a few months every year.

The cause and effect of eliminating evil more than ten years ago could not be broken in the short life of this old farmer.

Tan Huai looked at his old face, his eyes suddenly curved, and asked him: "Grandpa."

"What's wrong?"

"Tell me, if one day someone came to tell you that I am the greatest sinner in the four worlds, what would you think?"

The old farmer raised his head and said angrily: "You are obviously a good person. If anyone says anything bad about you, I will chop him with my machete!"

"What if, what if someone says that Tan Huai is a bad guy and that Tan Huai has done something terribly wrong?"

"How could I believe it? They must have seen it wrong. You would never do anything to harm others."

Tan Huai smiled and had his hands wiped clean by the old farmer.

He waved his sleeves and set up a barrier outside the courtyard.

The old farmer asked, "What kind of formation is this?"

Tan Huai said: "It is a formation to protect you. If there are evil spirits in the future, this formation can resist them."

"...Ahuai, are you leaving?"

Tan Huai said: "Well, we need to go somewhere."

"Where are you going? When will you be back?"

Tan Huai smiled and said, "We're going to a very dangerous place. We may not be able to come back."

The brocade handkerchief in the old farmer's hand fell to the ground, and the dust splashed on it and was wetted by water into mud.

Tan Huai leaned over and hugged him, saying, "Grandpa, I have to do what my parents didn't do. I have to help them complete this task."

The cold wind blew up the fallen leaves all over the ground. The old farmer stood at the door and watched Tan Huai leave.

He was still the same as before, dressed in a monk's robe and completely innocent.

He waved his hand without turning his head and said goodbye loudly.

"Someone has to die, and it doesn't matter if it's me."

As the sunlight breaks through the darkness, the last star falls.

The sky was bright, but it started raining outside.

Sandy suddenly opened her eyes and gasped for breath.

The little fox who was sleeping nearby was startled and quickly got up and came over to see her.

The swordsman's eyes were blank, his forehead was covered with sweat, and his face was as pale as snow.

"Daidai?" Su Xuan wiped the sweat off her face and asked her softly, "What's wrong with you?"

Sandy, however, met his gaze and looked at him quietly, as if she wanted to memorize this face into her bones.

"Dede?"

She was silent for a long time, staring at him without blinking.

Su Xuan frowned and called out again: "Daidai?"

Sandy suddenly raised her hand to his chest and felt his heartbeat.

Su Xuan was confused: "Daidai, did you see something again? What did you see this time?"

Sang Dai suddenly smiled and said, "Su Xuan, I love you so much. I really love you too."

Although he was clearly confessing his feelings, Su Xuan's heart suddenly tightened.

"Dade, you——"

"My Lord!"

He was interrupted by a sound from the courtyard.

Su Xuan propped himself up and pulled aside the bed curtain, his mind suddenly dizzying for no reason.

Sandy sat up in silence.

"Butler Liu, the Lord and his wife haven't gotten up yet!"

"I have something to do, Cuishao, get up!"

Liu Lixue slammed the palace door with great force, her voice sounding panic-stricken.

"My Lord, Madam, something happened in Yaoshan County!"

Su Xuan sat up quickly: "What?"

He put on his robe without even fastening the belt, walked a few steps to the door and opened it.

Liu Lixue also looked like she had just woken up from a dream, with black hair and a loose red dress. She did not enter the palace, but stood at the door of the palace and said hurriedly: "In Yaoshan County, many people in Yaoshan County have gone crazy and their minds have suddenly become unclear. All the demon soldiers stationed there have been killed. It's a mess inside. In Huaying's place... several children died. They couldn't be saved!"

"Moreover... the Immortal Alliance has brought people here, right outside the gate of the Demon Realm, and they are determined to hand over Immortal Lord Ying Heng. It will only take one night, just one night!"

They all came in one night, and even though they knew it would happen sooner or later, they couldn't have imagined it would happen so soon.

When Su Xuan heard this, he was about to walk out, but someone behind him interrupted him.

"Su Xuan."

The little fox paused and looked back.

Sandy had already put on her coat and said calmly, "The crazy people in Yaoshan County must have been eroded by the Four Bitternesses. I have the spiritual power of Guixu, I will go there."

"You go outside the demon world to deal with the people who come. They want to use the Tongtian Mirror this time, so you help them open the Tongtian Mirror and prove my master's innocence."

Sandy stepped forward, smiling as softly as ever.

"Little Fox, please help my master prove his innocence. I will also protect Yaoshan County. It is a gift you gave me, and I will definitely protect it."