Chapter 49: The Great Demon Meets, the Old Man Pretends to Be Young
Outside Jizhou City, there is a grove of locust trees.
The girl in red walked among the golden fallen leaves, and for a moment she thought of Qishan.
The mountains are filled with the spirits of the dead, and the locust tree caresses the baby.
A bleak autumn wind blew by, accompanied by the crunching sound underfoot. Qingyu curled her lips slightly, "After all that charade, you've chosen a pretty good spot."
It was worth it for her to walk out of the city and arrive here amidst these golden leaves.
A biting wind blew, scattering golden leaves in a flurry. The wind howled like a blade, carrying a sweet, dreamlike fragrance.
I don't know when or where, but a black butterfly fluttered its wings.
"Young lady, there seems to be some misunderstanding."
A soft male voice came from outside. Qingyu raised an eyebrow and said, "Come out and talk."
They're all monsters. They fly around with wings to show off, and they hide behind trees making a rustling sound. Who are they trying to scare?
"hehe--"
The male demon behind the tree seemed amused by Qingyu's words. He slowly walked out from behind the tree, wearing a black robe with white embroidery, with a beautiful and gentle appearance. His eyebrows were decorated with dark blue patterns, and he had long, ink-black tassels hanging from one ear. His long black hair hung straight down his neck with black spots and a jade belt with a butterfly design.
Liu Ruonv looked at Qingyu, and the man smiled lightly, "So you're still just a little girl."
To be so talented at such a young age is truly remarkable.
Qingyu: "Yes."
What's wrong with being young? Go around asking around, how many people become great demons at sixteen? She is just that amazing.
Liu Ruonv: "...You have such a good temperament, it's I who am being disrespectful as an elder."
This little girl seems quite spirited; even with her injuries, she remains so straightforward. He's getting on in years, but he really likes this kind of younger generation.
He apologized, but the natural smile on his face remained unchanged. Qingyu closed his eyes, then said in a light tone, "Stop talking nonsense. What exactly did you intend to do by luring me with the fragrance of flowers all the way in Jizhou City?"
Liu Ruonv laughed. He raised his chin slightly, his eyes still smiling. "What's the rush, little girl? I've been in Jizhou City for so long, and it's rare to meet someone like me. What's wrong with calling you out to meet me?"
"Alright, you're still young, so it's natural that you're a bit impatient."
Qingyu smiled upon hearing this. She crossed her arms and glanced at Liu Ruonv from head to toe. Now that the two demons had met, Qingyu felt that the floral scent on him was somewhat different from the one she had smelled at first.
But that's not important. What's important is the meaning behind his words—he's just teasing her.
Qingyu had seen many such monsters since childhood. She had no intention of killing, but she was arrogant and always liked to run around with the little monsters, and would always say "Look how fun you are" at the end.
Whatever is taught is fun —
It's simply because they are too weak.
"You've created a trail of floral fragrance, which may seem a bit superstitious, but I understand. After all, a great demon is bound to be a bit arrogant."
"In the demon race, strength is paramount. I respected your cultivation level, and I even skipped breakfast to travel all the way from the city to here. Now that I'm here, you're just spouting nonsense and giving me a good slap in the face?"
"Met someone like me? 'Call' me out to meet you?"
As fellow powerful demons, they had both risked their lives to achieve their strength and cultivation. Now, seeing that she was just a little girl, he became arrogant. Who gave him the nerve?
Almost instantly, a fierce wind swept through the locust grove. The girl stood still, looked up, and amidst the fluttering of her red dress, countless leaves swirled in the wind—
Using fallen leaves as points, red lines connect everywhere, and a red array rises in response to the sound of the wind, revealing ancient patterns and Qingyu's killing intent. She raises her hand, and as the blood-red killing array swirls high, her calm words resound through the forest!
"Old man, do you really think I'm playing house with you?"
The moment the killing intent appeared, Liu Ruonv swept her robe and soared into the air. The man's black robe unfurled huge black wings, his black hair was blown away, and the man looked like a mad immortal, drunk on the fragrance of butterflies.
This little girl is a demon, yet she knows formations!
His heart surged with emotion, and he quickly replied, "Why are you in such a hurry, young lady? I do have something to discuss with you!"
This demoness was incredibly arrogant and domineering. She killed him with just a few words. Liu Ruonv had already suffered many minor injuries as she flapped her wings. Thousands of leaves flew through the air, forming a deadly array everywhere. If Qing Yu hadn't had his spiritual power damaged earlier, he probably wouldn't have been able to fly at all.
Qingyu smiled. She was injured, but her skill was superior and her killing intent was strong. If she really fought with this butterfly, it would end up being a lose-lose situation. If she didn't die, it would be fine. If she did die, they would die together.
A girl's disdainful voice echoed in the chilly autumn wind, "You say there's something to do, so what? Who made those rules?"
Qingyu quickly swung his hand seal, and countless cold leaves flashed with red light, heading straight for Liu Ruonv in mid-air!
Seeing this, the butterfly demon flapped its wings, its enormous black wings devouring countless red dots, until finally, specks of blood appeared on its wings—
"I have no intention of fighting you. We are both great demons. If we were to truly fight, life and death would be separated by a hair's breadth. Why must you do this!"
After speaking, Liu Ruonv raised her eyes, a red light flashed in her eyes, and a black butterfly flapped its wings. Suddenly, countless butterflies flew over from not far away. The butterflies flew by quickly, and the rich fragrance of flowers filled the grove!
A hissing sound rang out as Qingyu used her formation to fight off the frenzied butterflies—not long after, Qingyu's chest heaved, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth as she struggled to breathe.
Liu Ruonv smiled in mid-air, and unexpectedly, Qingyu smiled back at him.
The girl was strikingly beautiful, a smile playing on her lips, her eyes gleaming with an arrogant and crazed fighting spirit. She wasn't truly stupid; she wouldn't dare come here injured. Did they think she had no backup plan?!
Three thousand trees form dots, ten thousand leaves form threads; the Qingyu fishermen have not set up an array, but a net.
The air was filled with the fragrance of flowers, yet the sound of chanting could be heard. A faint, almost imperceptible scent of ink mingled with the fragrance of ink.
Almost simultaneously, Liu Ruonv felt a sense of foreboding!
He flapped his wings, ready to take off, but the fragrance of flowers filled his nose, ears, and mind. Suddenly, he felt his wings lose all strength – someone was helping this enchantress from behind!
"you!"
Liu Ruonv coughed up blood with a "poof," and the black butterfly flapped its wings one last time, falling into the leaf net.
Seeing this, Qingyu curled her lips in disdain, but suddenly felt a little weak. She leaned against the locust tree to recover, while a scholar came waving his fan and riding the wind from not far away.
Qin Tianshu chuckled and clicked his tongue twice at the unconscious butterfly demon on the ground, "I can be considered a book cultivator who has defeated a great demon."
Qingyu scoffed lightly, "This is very strange. There should be another one in the city."
The city is filled with the fragrance of flowers, and so is the area outside the city; they are very similar, yet different.
It should also be a butterfly fairy.
Qin Tianshu waved his fan and looked at Qingyu. He lowered his eyes and thought for a moment before saying, "There's one more?"
"Butterfly spirits have weak kinship ties and generally do not live in groups... Could they be a couple, with the male butterfly here and the female butterfly in the city?"
Qingyu: "Who knows? We can just ask him when he wakes up."
Qin Tianshu hissed, "Didn't the butterfly demon just say that you were going to fight him?"
They even attacked with deadly force, injuring themselves in the process.
Under the locust tree, Qingyu sat cross-legged. The girl still had her eyes closed, and she smiled, with traces of blood still on her lips.
"I already said, if he says something's going to happen, then something's going to happen. Who set those rules?"
"Furthermore, if this butterfly demon really has something to ask me, instead of coming to my door to explain, she makes me come here to play tricks and spout nonsense—even if I'm willing to listen to her, I'll charge her extra interest."
Her old injuries had not yet healed, and her spiritual power was insufficient. She originally did not want to fight this great demon, but the fragrance of flowers in Jizhou City was gradually increasing, and she could not refuse the demon's "hospitality".
Qingyu came with Qin Tianshu this time as a backup plan. Originally, she didn't intend to really ask Qin Tianshu to take action. After all, it was a matter of the demon race. The two great demons would fight first to test each other's strength and see what this old monster was up to.
Unexpectedly, the beautiful old butterfly demon became mysterious and couldn't even speak properly. Qingyu was really annoyed. If she couldn't speak properly, then she shouldn't. A beating would make her behave.
Qin Tianshu sighed when he saw her like this, "I know what you mean, but you've already injured yourself before your wounds have healed, why bother?"
Qingyu: "I know what I'm doing."
Qin Tianshu was a little angry at her, but he didn't show it. The scholar in blue sat cross-legged on a pile of fallen leaves, with a smile on his face.
"Qingyu, I think you should trouble us more."
Qingyu opened her eyes and gave him a strange look. "What...are you trying to say?"
Qin Tianshu tapped her with his fan, "Just tell me what happened. You think this old butterfly demon's words are unpleasant and you want to beat him up. We can do it together. Why force yourself into a corner before I have to take action?"
Qingyu didn't speak, she blinked, "I... I'm used to it."
Having lived as a demon for over a decade, she truly enjoyed risking her life. On the path of cultivation, this disregard for her own life helped her immensely.
Potential is always forced out in desperate situations, and Qingyu is used to using this self-torture-like method to grow.
Qin Tianshu lowered his eyes and smiled slightly. He sighed softly, "In the cultivation of the Great Dao, one can find a way out of desperate situations. I don't really know what to say about you."
The scholar in blue looked at Qingyu and said, "Qingyu, we are friends, and it would be an exaggeration to say that we are sworn brothers. I am also two years older than you, so I would like to say a few more words at this moment."
"Cultivation is always natural; potential is power, and borrowing power is also power."
"When you're traveling alone, you naturally have to rely on yourself for everything. But now that we're traveling together, it's only right that we help each other out if we encounter any unnecessary trouble."
"Why."
"Of course, what I said may not be correct."
"Ah, I was just reflecting on what I was reading lately, you don't need to be too moved by what I just said."
"There's really no need to be too touched."
Qingyu took a deep breath and looked at Qin Tianshu. "You...you're actually two years older than me?"
Qin Tianshu: "..."
Qingyu blinked, and the girl smiled at him, "I thought you were twenty."
"So you're only eighteen."
Qin Tianshu: "Two...twenty..."
He was speechless for a moment, fanning himself with a fan, his eyes glancing at Liu Ruonv on the ground. The boy kicked him, "This demon is still thirty!"
Thirty? He's very old.
Qingyu coughed twice with a smile, her tone casual and natural, "I estimate she should be over a hundred years old."
"One hundred years old? Doesn't seem like it,"
Qin Tianshu took a closer look. Liu Ruonv was dressed in a black robe with white embroidery. She had a delicate face. Although she looked a bit thin, her features and skin did not lie.
"This demon looks to be at most forty."
Whether you're a mortal, a cultivator, or a demon, you'll always show the marks of time when you're a hundred years old.
They're not immortal beings who never age.
Qin Tianshu: "Isn't this skin his own?"
The girl in red shook her head. After a brief exchange, she realized that the black butterfly demon's skin and bones were hers.
Qingyu sighed.
"This butterfly demon is strange. It's an old demon, but it seems like something is protecting it and helping it stay young."
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Author's Note: This story is set in the following way:
Both cultivators and demons age, but they live longer than ordinary people. The most powerful can live to be two or three hundred years old (and such people are very rare), unless they are long-lived creatures like tree demons that cannot take human form, or ancient dragons and beasts that are in slumber, but these are not mentioned in this article.
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