Chapter 10 Light of the Sky (Part Two) Taming the Sword
The sedan door opened softly, and a servant's voice came from outside the curtain: "Your Highness, please."
The "princess" took a deep breath, raised her fan, and stepped out through the curtain.
This is the Xingzhi Palace where the Demon Lord resides. What one sees here is completely different from the flower-filled and extravagant human royal palace, and it is also quite different from what the people say.
The area was much more spacious, and as soon as Lin Feiran landed, he smelled a pleasant fragrance.
The surrounding area is lush with flowers and plants, bathed in bright sunlight, with egrets soaring in the sky. Beneath your feet are smooth blue stones and shallow grass that barely covers your shoes. The palaces are all hundreds of meters away, and the only building is the grand hall in the center of the lake.
Looking into the distance, a light mist hangs over the hall, and a jade plaque bears the inscription "Yaoguang Terrace".
A servant stepped forward quietly and whispered, "Princess Mingyue, our clan does not have a face-covering ceremony. Be open and honest... at least show your eyes first."
Lin Feiran reluctantly pressed down the fan, revealing a pair of carefully drawn eyes.
The wounds on her body could be temporarily concealed with elixirs and perfumes, but there was no way to hide her slightly red eyes. Fortunately, Mingyue was skillful and simply added a few strokes of rouge to adorn them.
"Princess, this way please."
A servant stepped forward to lead the way for her. The group crossed a winding corridor bridge and arrived at the palace gate. Lin Feiran couldn't help but look around, a habit she had long maintained.
Yaoguang Terrace was built in the center of the lake, but it was not built with walls. Instead, it was supported by rows of lacquered red wooden doors and tall pillars. At this moment, the wooden doors on the east, west and south sides were wide open, and the thin, flowing silk gauze hung down, moving with the wind.
The lake was shrouded in mist, with the occasional white crane flying by, calling softly. The bright sun shone through the wooden door and the gauze curtains, casting neat rows of windowpane shadows on the ebony floor. The gauze curtains fluttered slowly, and the eaves bells jingled gently.
The colors are rich and vibrant, and the scene before my eyes is as thick and brilliant as an oil painting. The reflection in the lake makes it bright and gorgeous, unlike the eerie demon realm, but rather like some kind of holy land.
"Your Majesty, the people have arrived."
As the attendant's voice faded, the various demon kings sitting on either side of the hall all looked toward the hall entrance, their expressions varied.
Lin Feiran glanced at both sides out of the corner of her eye and looked towards the highest point.
There aren't many rumors about the Demon Lord in the human realm. Most people only know that he is called Ru Xian, a member of the Peacock Clan, with a high level of cultivation, and rarely leaves the Demon Realm. Other than that, there is nothing else.
In the original novel "Qing Qing Zhi Wo Yi", his character is ambiguous, both good and evil. He is said to be a villain, but he does not confront the protagonist and others. He is said to be a good person, but he is too unconventional and often makes the protagonist and others unhappy. He is a very special character with few appearances.
In the original book, he mostly appears as a background character. When people talk about the strongest people of the time or people with eccentric personalities, they will mention him briefly, but that's about it.
He truly appears later in the story, when the fox clan is in trouble, Qiu Tong's parents are seriously injured, and she and Wei Changzai are fleeing from place to place in the demon realm. Helpless, they hide in the demon capital Lan City, where they finally meet Ru Xian.
In his few appearances, there was no mention of a marriage alliance, so Lin Feiran was not sure what would happen after arriving in the Demon Capital.
But in any case, it won't be worse than being in the human world.
Lin Feiran had been pondering how to respond in the manner of "bright moon," but the moment she looked up and saw him, all the descriptions of his terrible temperament in the book faded away, leaving only a sense of bewilderment.
With a high nose, red lips, snow-white hair, and emerald eyes, her entire body was dazzling in white and gold, like snow piled on flowering trees and emerald green dotting an empty mountain. Her slightly raised face revealed a sense of inviolable divinity and pride in the interplay of light and shadow.
Her appearance, which should have been delicate and aloof, was marred by a red mark that swept across her left eye like a blazing gold flame. The mark moved to the corner of her eye and then flicked upwards, like the crimson hue forged in the golden light of the rising sun, or like a decadent and beautiful scene of snow-capped peaks being crushed.
A blend of vibrancy and coldness, aloof and magnificent.
She looked down on everyone, possessing both stunning looks and exceptional beauty.
If Wei Changzai is like the snow on Cangshan Mountain, cold and desolate, making people stop in their tracks, then he is like the light of the sky, brilliant and intense, something to be admired but unattainable.
Ru Xian leaned casually against the back of the chair, sitting with her legs crossed. Her left wrist was slightly open, while her right wrist was bound with a lotus-shaped gold ring. It was a magnificent civil and military style sleeve. Her long fingers hung down, and the middle of her robe was tightly wrapped with a gold-embroidered waist belt. The lower part of the robe flowed down to her ankles like water.
He was already used to seeing such stunned expressions, so he was neither surprised nor offended. Just as people are naturally drawn to a beautiful flower, his momentary daze was perfectly understandable.
The demon kings of the various tribes sized up the human princess who had come from afar, and couldn't help but laugh, "It is said that Princess Mingyue has a face as beautiful as spring flowers in the morning and a figure as graceful as the moon in the wind. How come she seems quite different today?"
Those present no longer concealed their true feelings and burst into mocking laughter.
Lin Feiran was startled, immediately feeling surprised and alert, but not because of the cold mockery in her ear.
She has never cared about beauty or ugliness, nor is she a lecherous person, but just now she was actually momentarily distracted by this person's appearance. If her identity is exposed and she is faced with him in the future, and she is distracted again because of this, wouldn't she be throwing her life away for nothing and dying unjustly?
While she was secretly reflecting on her actions, Ru Xian glanced at the crowd with apathy, her fingertips tapping absently as her gaze swept around the room, finally settling on the golden-red figure in the center.
The guest from afar was rather tall, and the wedding dress seemed to be ill-fitting, a bit too short. The skirt, which should have reached the ground, only went up to her ankles, and the shoulders and back were also slightly taut. She also had a cloying fragrance of perfume emanating from her body.
The gold powder and rouge, the colorful silk skirts, somehow seemed completely out of place on her.
He paused, his bright eyes glancing at her, and said, "Take the fan away."
The hall fell silent instantly. The earlier banter seemed like an illusion. Everyone fell silent and lowered their heads as if they had been choked, no longer moving. For a moment, only the shimmering light of the water could be heard in the hall.
Lin Feiran gathered her thoughts, gently lowered her fan, revealed most of her face, and raised her eyes without making a sound.
The two realms rarely interact, and Mingyue often resides deep within the palace, rarely seeing outsiders. Among these prominent figures in the palace, who could possibly recognize the true face of a mere princess?
The person on the high seat tilted his head slightly to examine her, and after a while spoke, his voice as clear as pearls and his tone slightly cool: "You are the bright moon of Taiwu Kingdom?"
Lin Feiran lowered her eyes slightly, bowed deeply, and tried her best to play the role of a submissive human princess who dared not say a word.
Seeing this, Ru Xian raised his eyebrows slightly, rested his chin on his left hand, and lightly tapped the armrest with his right hand, seemingly lost in thought. He stopped tapping and casually said, "Sit down," before looking at the others.
"Now that the person has arrived, let's present the gift."
Since taking office, Ru Xian has lived in seclusion in the demon capital of Lan City, never holding banquets to entertain guests, nor making friends with tribes, and rarely managing affairs.
As everyone knows, his only love is sleeping.
As long as they don't provoke him or bother him in Lancheng, he won't interfere even if everyone makes a ruckus. For this reason, the various tribes of the demon realm enjoyed many years of carefree life, each ruling their own territory.
Today is Ru Xian's first banquet. Although many people came with the intention of making friends, his reputation for being eccentric was already well-known, and no one wanted to be the first to act, so no one made a move for a while.
As the atmosphere grew tense, Lin Feiran took his seat, not in the high position beside Ru Xian, but alongside the demon kings of various races, sitting behind the desk.
As soon as she sat down, she began to observe quietly.
Ru Xian sat on the jade platform on the north side, separated from the crowd below by five jade steps. Below the steps, two young men stood on the left and right sides, with remarkable appearances, like a golden boy and a jade girl.
The boy on the left was dressed in brown clothes, with a chestnut-colored short ponytail that reached his shoulders. He looked young, and his figure was slender and tall, which was unique to young people. As if he noticed her gaze, his slightly round eyes glanced at her quickly before looking away.
Then I glanced at it again.
He glanced at it again.
Lin Feiran sensed the innocent confusion in his eyes.
Feeling a little embarrassed, she looked away to her right, where she was met with a pair of curious eyes.
The girl on her right was staring at her.
It wasn't dissatisfaction or anger, but rather sheer novelty, like a person from the deep mountains seeing the sea for the first time—direct, naked, and so staring that Lin Feiran turned away.
"Hmm?"
The girl noticed her turn around and couldn't help but let out a questioning sound, which was especially clear in the already quiet hall.
Upon hearing this, the demon kings of various tribes felt a chill run down their spines, thinking that the envoy was urging them. Unable to remain silent any longer, they all took out their grand gifts, tying ribbons and wiping brocade boxes, seemingly very busy, yet still no one got up.
Just then, a man with gray hair standing on end and wearing a large cloak stepped forward. He carried a sword box to the center and spoke in a booming voice.
"This Green Edge Sword was taken from the Valley of Pilgrimage. It is the only one of its kind in the world, and it is specially presented to Your Excellency!"
The Pilgrimage Valley is the place where human saints pass away. Cultivators cannot live forever either; passing away means dissipation. The physical body dissipates, and the things they possessed in life naturally fall into the valley, leaving them as opportunities for future cultivators.
However, it is a sacred place for humans, and the valley contains the soul of a saint. It is extremely difficult for demons to go there to seek opportunities, and humans are unwilling to give it up easily. Therefore, the treasures of the Pilgrimage Valley have always been priceless and extremely rare in the demon realm.
Everyone looked over and gasped in surprise.
"The Green Edge Sword?" Ru Xian rested his chin on his hand, drawing out his words. Suddenly, his gaze shifted to someone whose face was mostly obscured.
"I do not use a sword and do not understand its mysteries. This Qingfeng Sword is a treasure of the human race. Why don't you let Princess Mingyue come and appraise it?"
As everyone's gaze turned to him, Lin Feiran's back tensed for a moment.
She held up her fan and looked at Ru Xian, about to refuse, when the King of Kuofeng walked to the table in a few steps, slammed the huge sword box onto the table, making the fruits and vegetables tremble.
He deftly unlocked and opened the box, revealing the three-foot-long Green Peak Sword inside: "The human royal palace has many treasured swords. How do they compare?"
The demon race is truly decisive and efficient.
The item was right in front of him; he couldn't help but see it even if he didn't want to. Lin Feiran glanced at the sword in the box, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
Although the sword had both a cold gleam and a sharp edge, its edge was bright but not responsive, and penetrating but not radiant. She could tell at a glance that it was fake. But this person seemed unaware of the truth. If she revealed it on the spot, wouldn't it embarrass him?
Moreover, this demon lord may not truly be ignorant of treasures. If she praises them against her will and ends up harming this person, then it would be her fault.
Lin Feiran rarely spoke politely. Just as she was pondering, King Kuofeng understood her silence first and assumed she didn't understand swords. So he snorted and said, "The Human Emperor Clan is born with a broken meridian. They don't even understand cultivation, so what do they know about precious artifacts and jade swords?"
The girl below the jade steps glanced at him upon hearing this and couldn't help but mutter, "What if they can tell that this sword is fake? It's hard to say."
He turned around and glared at her, but the girl immediately looked at Liang Zhu, as if to say, "I didn't say anything."
Before he could even cast a spell to draw his sword, the Qingfeng Sword, now free from the restraint of its scabbard, began to move on its own.
With a flash of dark light, Lin Feiran immediately stood up and retreated. The huge sword box rose into the air and suddenly burst open with frost, falling to the ground and turning into dust.
The Qingfeng Sword flew into the hall, buzzing loudly. It moved with incredible speed, like a whirlwind, and in the blink of an eye, it swept back and forth within the hall. The surrounding air suddenly became much colder, and even the sunlight reflected in the windowpanes became much more gloomy.
Those present were all cultivators, and naturally they could feel the undeniable sinister aura emanating from the sword.
King Kuofeng suddenly turned around and saw his usually obedient son looking at the sword behind the desk, a wild and arrogant smile on his lips.
He was slightly startled, and glanced at the person sitting high up. He immediately turned around to grab the sword hilt, but a whistle came from somewhere that echoed the sword's cry. Instantly, the sword light shone brightly, and the murderous aura within it shook people's souls, forcing King Kuofeng to retreat repeatedly.
The green-edged sword and the whistle played in unison, the trembling sound like the rustling of white paper, or like an old insect flapping its wings and shedding its shell, each sound eerie and chilling.
Finally, the sword revealed its original form: the hilt was like a withered bone, the blade like fine teeth, and the surface was uneven. The dark shadows reflected on the blade were like bloodstains, shocking to the eye.
A teeth-grinding roar emanated from the sword, interspersed with the sudden, resounding sound of a Buddhist bell, its ringing like chanting scriptures, occasionally mixed with the wails of evil spirits, repeating back and forth, causing the minds of those present to tremble and become confused.
Someone covered their ears and shouted, "This is the Shangxie Sword!"
The hall erupted in an uproar.
It is impossible to know who forged the Shangxie Sword, but since its creation, it has always been worn by the monk Dajue of Baishan Temple and has never been drawn. After the monk Dajue passed away, the sword was left in the Pilgrimage Valley.
The Shangxie Sword's sword intent is chaotic, and its sword energy is extremely poisonous, enough to bewitch people's minds. It is unknown who brought it out of the valley.
Chaos erupted instantly inside the hall, but Ru Xian merely glanced at the sword before lowering her gaze and fixing it on Lin Feiran.
She kept her head down, occasionally turning to avoid the oncoming crowd, seemingly retreating, but not actually hiding behind.
The sword wandered around, merely for amusement, but the sinister sounds it emitted were soul-stirring. Those with weak wills were now banging their heads on the ground in agony.
The demon kings in the hall had different thoughts, yet they were surprisingly united. They either fought or hid, but all of them stayed inside the Yaoguang Platform and did not leave. They only cast their gazes at the person sitting on the high seat through the gaps.
Who wouldn't want to be the ruler of a realm?
Back then, Ru Xian stepped onto the high city and killed the previous demon king with a single spear thrust, and then proclaimed himself the Venerable One. He was undoubtedly a powerful figure. However, the path of cultivation is ever-changing. So many years have passed, who knows what state he is in now? If he can use this Evil Sword to test his strength, then this trip will have been worthwhile.
For a time, the Evil Sword was unchecked and moved freely throughout the hall as if it were empty.
It darted in and out like a fish, swimming close to the crowd. Wherever the sword energy touched, intact flesh tore open inch by inch, revealing deep black bone. Some people fell to the ground, clutching their faces and screaming in agony.
Lin Feiran stared at the sword, still conflicted in his mind.
It is common knowledge that the Human Emperor clan is born with blocked meridians and cannot cultivate. She happened to have stagnant spiritual meridians, so she easily hid herself by taking a concealment pill. However, if she were to make a move now, she would inevitably expose her spiritual meridians.
She had just arrived in the demon realm, and was injured. She was surrounded by demon kings from various tribes. If she were exposed, she would have nowhere to escape.
The porcelain plate on the desk overturned and shattered, the air filled with chaos and the hum of swords. A whistle came from somewhere outside the hall, and the sword light of the Shangxie Sword instantly increased to more than twice its original size. The resulting gust of cold wind blew the silk gauze inside the hall out, startling white cranes flying away in the distance.
It no longer plays around; the blade slashes fiercely at everyone, never stopping until a drop of blood is drawn.
"The Evil Sword!"
Someone tried to intercept it, but to little avail. It seemed to have finally gathered its strength, and its sinister sword energy spread out in a wide arc. The blade whistled sharply, and the sound of the Buddhist bell rang, making people dizzy and unable to stand up alone.
The murderous aura intensified, and countless sword lights spread out like a dense net, tearing apart the silk gauze, smashing open the wooden door, and shattering the documents into pieces, forcing people to retreat step by step, unable to even protect themselves.
The young couple below exchanged a glance, their hands twitching slightly, their toes scraping the floor as if they wanted to make a move, but the person behind them gave no signal, so they could only hold back.
Seemingly having finally gathered its strength, the Shangxie Sword crawled across the ground, then suddenly changed direction, cutting through beams and pillars, disregarding all obstacles, attempting to pierce the seated person at the closest possible distance.
However, between the sword and the man stood a red-eyed girl. Rabbits tend to stiffen and become immobile when startled, so the sword was likely to pierce straight through her head.
"Qingqing!"
Amid her mother's sorrowful cries, the Shangxie Sword charged forward, its sword energy drawing near, its murderous intent piercing her eyes painfully, and she closed them.
The next moment, the longsword hummed, as if a fragrant breeze was blowing, extremely rich. The remaining wind blew through her hair and gently brushed against her cheeks. She heard her mother's hoarse cry, as if she had survived a calamity.
She held her breath and opened her eyes. The trembling Shangxie Sword was pointed directly at her brow, only an inch away.
Behind this evil sword, there was another person facing her across the sword; it was Lin Feiran, who held the hilt of the sword in one hand.
The person wielding the sword had pure, clear eyes, like a clear spring. She said, "Don't be afraid."
This was the first thing Lin Feiran said after arriving in the demon realm. Only then did everyone truly hear her voice, which was slightly hoarse, as if it had been tempered by wind and snow.
Jin Hong retreated with her sword, her ill-fitting wedding dress stretching even tighter, but her movements were unhurried. With a flick of her wrist, she pinned the Shangxie Sword downwards into the ebony floorboards.
In an instant, Buddhist chants and wails crashed open in my ears. With a surge of sword light, it flew out of my palm, swept past the crowd, leaped onto the jade steps, and headed straight for the hail of snowflakes.
The two men standing below the steps were about to make a move when they saw Ru Xian's movements, and their legs, which were about to step onto the steps, stopped.
Wherever the Shangxie Sword passed, frost suddenly rose, and a layer of solid ice gradually condensed, then quickly climbed up the jade steps, freezing the soft blankets. In an instant, a cold and foul smell filled the air, making people nauseous.
Ru Xian sat in his original spot, his legs casually crossed, and even as the ice reached his toes, he didn't spare a single glance.
He kept looking straight ahead until a golden-red hue, like the glow of sunset, appeared in his emerald pupils.
Lin Feiran leaped onto the jade platform. Without using any sword techniques, she spun around and stepped onto the sword hilt using only her movement skills. With a forceful step, she and her sword crashed to the ground in mid-air, instantly creating a spiderweb pattern on the soft carpet that was already covered in frost and ice.
The longsword hummed and struggled, but the stench and demonic sounds did not affect her in the slightest.
As the two forces clashed, the spiderweb-like cracks that had been smashed open instantly expanded outwards, breaking through layer by layer, and splitting all the way down the jade steps from the soft carpet. The condensed ice fragments flew everywhere, and the splashing ice shards reflected colorful light in the sunlight.
Lin Feiran stood on the soft carpet and suddenly caught a whiff of a strong yet subtle cold fragrance amidst the stench of decay.
She looked at Ru Xian, and their eyes met. One of them was full of interest, while the other was gentle and calm.
Lin Feiran lifted her foot and released the sword, which immediately stood upright. However, she grabbed the hilt of the sword while flipping over. The two of them flipped from the jade platform and landed in the hall, seemingly fighting, yet also appearing to be dancing together.
The golden boy and jade girl leaped to Ru Xian's side and looked together at the person in the hall.
The young girl asked, "My lord, what is she doing?"
Ru Xian leaned forward slightly, her left hand resting on her raised leg, supporting her chin. Her snow-white hair flowed down to her front like water, and her lips parted slightly: "This is taming a sword."
Swords that have been with a sage in the Realm of Returning to Truth are prone to developing spirituality, whether good or evil. A wicked sword like Shang Xie, though arrogant and vicious, is indeed a precious artifact, difficult to destroy.
Because it possesses a spirit, it cannot be easily broken like ordinary swords. Such a spirit sword must either be forcibly suppressed or tamed.
Only a very few people can tame a sword, so not many people know about it.
The girl didn't quite understand: "And then what?"
Ru Xian chuckled enigmatically: "In the end, it's still a sword. No matter how wicked it may be, dancing with someone who understands swords is like drinking the most abundant and sweet Qingli wine, leaving one in a daze, unable to draw the sword for months."
Can a sword get drunk?
The girl looked down and saw that the person in the hall was practicing with a sword. The sword moves were not fancy, but rather simple. Overall, there was nothing special about it, but the soft sound of the sword made everyone present startled.
Ru Xian stared intently at Lin Feiran's figure, seemingly lost in thought.
Taming a sword is no easy task; it tests one's temperament to the extreme. Lin Feiran was still recovering from his injuries and was in pain all over his body. Beads of sweat on his forehead soaked his hair.
With a hum, the longsword finally fell silent. Lin Feiran knelt on the ground, supporting herself on the sword, her chest heaving as she breathed heavily. Her hair ornament, which had slipped down, partially obscured her face, leaving only a glimpse of her slightly pursed lips.
She stood up, casually tossed the once-powerful sword aside like scrap metal, and it even rolled over, looking quite pleased with itself.
Silence fell as everyone stared at Lin Feiran, at this human princess who should have been cut off from her bloodline, their gazes filled with strangeness.
As Ru Xian rose from her high seat, her slightly lazy words reached everyone's ears, and all eyes turned to Lin Feiran.
Xun Feifei, who had not appeared before, also jumped down from the crossbeam and stood silently behind Ru Xian. The golden boy and jade girl also stood by her side, looking at her together.
Light and shadow surrounded the area, and the broken ice on the ground shimmered and flickered.
They look so alike.
It was just like the scene when she rushed down Sanqing Mountain, surrounded by wolves.
But she doesn't regret it.
She rushed down Sanqing Mountain to save herself, and she acted just now to save others. She knew she had to do it, so she did it.
Lin Feiran clenched her hands slightly, just like when she looked directly at Zhang Chunhe in the dojo, and she raised her head at this moment.
The shimmering light reflected in her eyes was like the ripples of an unsettling spring, revealing a sharp, piercing quality.
She met Ru Xian's gaze, and remained silent.
A silver fish leaped from the lake onto the Yaoguang Platform, then crashed down with a thud, its scales ripped by sharp ice shards. It struggled even more fiercely, and for a moment, the only sound in the hall was the tinkling of the silver fish breaking through the ice.
Suddenly, Ru Xian chuckled softly, but no one dared to look up. Only the girl in the center of the room, her body slightly tense and poised to strike, met his gaze. The deeper the smile in his eyes, the more focused she became.
He traced Lin Feiran's features with his gaze, completely ignoring her restrained yet powerful demeanor. He merely glanced at her with his eyes slightly, as if appraising her, and spoke softly.
"Such bright eyes."
The slight upward tilt at the end of the note is reminiscent of the lingering aftertaste of a delicious meal.
A note from the author:
Sitting with legs crossed refers to crossing one's legs, which is Ru Xian's favorite sitting posture because it looks particularly good. However, please do not imitate this posture, as it is bad for your health. He has practiced it (X).
P.S.: Lin Feiran is 175cm tall.
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