I braved ice and snow for your sake.
You Youju woke up at night and found himself lying in a carriage. He felt thirsty and got up to see Zhu Xun's water bottle on the windowsill. He took a few sips and found that it was still hot.
There was firelight and whispering outside the window. He got up and found a hot water bottle in his bedding. Zhu Xun was still very thoughtful.
I put on a cloak, got out of the car, and found the night was deep. It was snowing lightly, the snowflakes swirling in the air as they fell.
Four people sat around the fire. A man in a pink fox fur cloak was talking incessantly, raising his eyebrows and wrinkling his nose, quite lively. Sitting to the side was a guard in a black cloak, with a stern face, intently brewing tea at a low table, with many snacks and dried fruit on the plate. The other two had their backs to him. Both of them had their hair half-tied up, but one had green hair tied up like waves, while the other had hair tied up to his waist with a silver hairpin.
Song Song seemed to have finished speaking. The man with the silver hairpin got up and prepared to walk towards the carriage, holding a hand warmer in his hand, as he had just changed the charcoal fire.
Zhu Xun was not wearing a cloak, and You Youju thought that he seemed to be on his own bedding.
His posture was upright, his straight hair flowing. The north wind ruffled his hair, revealing several thin braids that swayed gracefully. The cold snow reddened the tips of his nose and the corners of his eyes, making him exceptionally beautiful. The snow began to fall softly, seemingly heavier now. It was as if there were translucent crystals on the boy's eyelashes. He came to greet the snow; the once spoiled and soft-spoken child had now become a distinguished young man.
Zhu Xun saw him and ran over in a few steps, putting the hand warmer into You Youju's hands: "Uncle is awake? I was changing the charcoal just now, why didn't you call me?"
You Youju took off her cloak and draped it over Zhu Xun, saying, "Are you cold? Put on something warm first." She then got into the carriage and draped Zhu Xun's cloak over herself. Tonight seemed particularly cold.
Zhu Xun rubbed the fox fur and covered You Youju's ears with his hands: "Uncle cried out that he was cold in his sleep. I was afraid you wouldn't sleep peacefully, so I carried him to bed. How are you now?"
You Youju put his hand down: "Why would I say I'm cold? You must be dreaming."
Seeing the two talking in front of the carriage, the lively atmosphere suddenly disappeared, so Song Song hurriedly called out, "Brother Youju, come quickly! Have some hot tea!"
The two walked over side by side, warming themselves by the fire.
Huai Jing handed the teacup to You Youju: "The roads are slippery on this snowy night. Let's rest for a while and set off again tomorrow."
You Youju naturally chimed in, "What were you guys talking about just now? I'd like to join in the fun."
Zhu Xun remained silent, and moved closer to You Youju.
Huai Jing pinched his fingertips, added two pieces of dry firewood, and said helplessly, "It's nothing more than some strange tales. Zi Tang is very curious, loves to listen, loves to tell, and loves to scare people."
Song Song became interested, his face flushed from the fire, and his eyebrows danced with excitement: "It doesn't have to be a strange tale! I love any story! Brother Ju, do you have any good stories?"
The bright moon shone, its cool light scattering like shards of silver across the ground. The people, warmed by the firelight, felt a strange comfort. Zhu Xun moved closer, and the two shared scents mingled together, creating a heartwarming and intoxicating atmosphere.
Zhu Xun knew You Youju had many stories, but he felt a little jealous sharing them with others. However, this time, You Youju told him a story he had never heard before:
"There is a famous poem in my hometown, one line of which is 'If you are like the moon, always bright and pure, I would brave ice and snow to warm you.' It is a story."
You Youju took a sip of tea and slowly began to speak: "There was a man named Xun Can, who was extremely talented and unrestrained. His older brothers all became officials, but he alone disliked being an official. His brothers all studied Confucianism, but he preferred Taoist metaphysics."
"This man is quite remarkable, daring to go against the current." Song Zitang took the pine nut candy that Qi handed over and distributed it to everyone.
Several people glanced at Song Song simultaneously.
"They once said, 'A woman's virtue lies in her lack of talent,' emphasizing that when choosing a wife, one should value her moral character and cultivation, not her talent or appearance. But Xun Can refused to accept this fallacy. He believed that those who said such things were too hypocritical. While both virtue and talent are important, who doesn't like a beautiful girl?"
He frankly admitted that "women are not worth mentioning in terms of talent and wisdom, and should focus on beauty." Although it was not a compliment, he did marry a beautiful wife. Her name is unknown, but her surname is Cao. Legend has it that she was a great beauty.
Miss Cao was happy to dress up beautifully every day, and Xun Can was happy to do the same. Regardless of what others thought of Xun Can, they remained deeply in love, practically inseparable.
"But beautiful flowers don't bloom forever, and good times don't last forever."
Soon after, the young woman fell seriously ill, suffering from a persistent high fever. It was the dead of winter, and Xun Can stripped naked and stood in the freezing cold for a long time, enduring the biting wind. Once he was thoroughly chilled, he used his own body to cool the woman down and alleviate her suffering.
But beauty is fleeting; a flower-like person ultimately withers away in the cold winter.
From then on, Xun Can was devastated and heartbroken.
When his friends who came to pay their respects saw how haggard he looked, they tried to comfort him, saying something like, "There are so many beautiful women in the world, why are you so fixated on just one?"
Xun Can sighed sadly, saying, "Such a beauty is hard to find again! Though the departed could not possess the allure to topple kingdoms, she cannot be said to be easily found."
He wept bitterly, and soon fell ill with lovesickness. Within a year, his soul dissipated, and he entered the underworld to reunite with Miss Cao.
The story was over, and everyone fell silent.
Song Song sighed with a sorrowful expression, "Xun Can truly loved his wife deeply. He stayed true to himself and found a good wife. It's just a pity that their love was deep but their fate was short. Those who hear this will shed tears."
Huai Jing also said, "Xun Can has only Miss Cao in his life, which is truly rare. He spoke like a playboy when he was young, but from then on he was only for one person. It is easy to find a beautiful woman, but hard to find a true sword. However, meeting her in the Yellow Springs after death is the best ending." The fire, which had not been lit, was a little dark. Although he was smiling, the firelight flickering in his eyes made his heart feel gloomy.
Zhu Xun didn't speak, but his eyes brightened a bit.
Qi, who had been silent all along, spoke up for once: "This senior must have died from an illness caused by frostbite."
Silence fell instantly...
Song Song gave Qi Yi a whack: "You ruined the good atmosphere! Really!"
Qi lowered his head meekly and said, "I misspoke, young master, please don't be angry."
Song Song waved his hand, and You Youju looked at Qi, who was very clever, and laughed out loud: "Alright, the meaning is the most important. It's almost dawn. Put out the fire and go back to the carriage to rest."
After everyone returned to the city and rested, they gathered at the dinner table again.
Song Song voiced the question on everyone's mind: "Brother Youju, does that demon extract essence to refine its cultivation technique? I think it can only beat that little blockhead He Gui."
You Youju almost forgot about this: "He is a subordinate of the Demon Regent. But have any of you noticed anything unusual about him?"
Song Song shook his head.
Huai Jing put down his teacup, his smile revealing no depth: "Over the years, even if it's just one household per month, they've slaughtered them all, and I haven't heard of any difference in the birth dates of the deceased. It seems they're just killing children to refine evil pills."
Zhu Xun said, "I learned that the young boys and girls who disappeared in their early years all had certain characteristics that were different from ordinary people."
You Youju nodded: "As far as I know, the Demon Regent should be searching for people who are 'different from ordinary people'. He has sent people to be stationed in more than one town, right? Maybe it's some kind of fate-telling or something. It should be that the local powerful people are using it as a cover for him, which is quite cheap. But Fu Cheng has the evil idea of cultivating himself."
Next comes a well-known story, which is also one of the background elements of this book:
Fifty years after the death of the old Demon Emperor, the Demon Emperor's bloodline will search for a new successor. This successor will undoubtedly differ from ordinary mortals in certain aspects, such as hair color, eye color, skin color, and superhuman strength...
The Demon Regent was licentious and cruel, capturing young men and women with unusual appearances and torturing them to death. He didn't care what they were; once caught, it was over. The Demon Emperor, though mortal, wouldn't die unless killed by pure yang power or his body was already exhausted from the draining of his bloodline. He would endure torture like cutting flesh and bleeding, even if his life was hanging by a thread. This was the Regent's method of selection. Furthermore, those with beautiful faces and young ages were tortured and imprisoned as his personal playthings.
The Demon Emperor is about to be born, and the Regent, who has held power for many years, is unwilling to relinquish it. He also wants to improve his own cultivation to resist the Demon Emperor's innate demonic power.
The regent of the demon realm is usually the person the former demon emperor trusted most, who may be a minister or a child.
The regents at the beginning were all very loyal, but their desire to seize power was met with great enthusiasm. Since the Demon Emperor was the chosen one, it took a lot of effort to consolidate this power and sideline the Demon Emperor.
However, every Demon Emperor's ascension to the throne inevitably involves a massive purge. Disobedient? Then kill them all. Anyway, we're not familiar with you. I'm the number one in the Demon Realm. If necessary, I'll start over.
Of course, there are also successful examples, such as the previous Demon Emperor, who was a puppet who was squeezed out of his inherent value before he passed away.
"Whether it's improving your cultivation technique or torturing and killing someone, it's always better to kill the innocent than not to kill at all."
Song Song exclaimed indignantly, "Is that so?! The Demon Emperor is about to descend! All these years, only the God of War has been able to keep them in check. I really don't understand why the God of War of each generation has failed to kill the Demon Emperor of each generation! Those damned demons! That damned Regent! They treat human life like dirt! I wish I could gouge him out!"
Although Huai Jing's face remained calm, his anger was still evident: "I know some fellow Daoists from Chaoyun Mountain. I will immediately send a telepathic message to stop the Regent from killing indiscriminately!"
You Youju's eyes darted around, quickly glancing at Huai Jing.
Huai Jing replied to Song Song: "However, throughout history, some war gods and demon emperors have coexisted peacefully, some were born at the wrong time, some were evenly matched, and some lacked experience or temperament... These are all unpredictable and are... the will of Heaven."
Zhu Xun's pupils trembled slightly for a moment as they met You Youju's gaze. You Youju blinked, as if to reassure him.
Legend has it that the ancient God of War fought against the first Demon Emperor. That battle blotted out the sun and the heavens. The first Demon Emperor cleaved the sky and split the earth, washing away blood from the human and immortal realms. The chaotic war lasted for two hundred years, the heavens and earth were shattered, and all living beings suffered, making it like a living hell.
This demon is surrounded by chaos and can absorb immortal techniques; it is extremely yin and evil.
Moreover, he used despicable methods, wielding a large axe and hacking wherever he pointed, displaying extreme arrogance. The celestial realm barely managed to suppress him, and the battle was at a stalemate. He declared himself the ruler of the three realms, sweeping away all the lackeys of justice, forcing those immortals to kneel on chains and bark like dogs every day, barely clothed. As a result, most of the immortals who were captured chose to end their own lives to prove their innocence and demonstrate their immortality.
Such a despicable and vile villain deserves to be killed by everyone; people hate him so much they grit their teeth but are powerless to do anything about it.
Seeing that he had no rivals, this demon occupied three states and spared the lives of those who came to him. In no time, the city gates of the three states were bustling with activity, and countless people came to join him.
After declaring himself queen, he would frequently take breaks, ostensibly to give everyone a vacation, and then, in a fit of rage, launch surprise attacks, bombarding and harassing everyone in his path with utter despicable tactics. The people of heaven and earth lived in constant fear and unease. This scoundrel actually became the most powerful person in the world.
Until that person appeared, a person with a pure Yang body was born in the human world.
In fact, the Demon Clan's judicial system had already foreseen this child's birth, but the First Demon Emperor didn't care. Who could be stronger than him?
Besides, being invincible is lonely.
For a century, the demon was oppressed by his tyranny. A young hero, riding high on the hopes of the people, wielding a divine sword, fought the demon for six hundred rounds. Using himself as a medium, he gathered the energy of heaven and earth, summoned nine layers of heavenly thunder, and perished together with the demon emperor.
Before his death, the Demon Emperor laughed with a sense of relief, gripping the divine sword in reverse and linking the two together. Their blood mingled, staining the glass beads embedded in the sword crimson. One bead absorbed and purified the blood, while the other, enveloping the demonic blood, was corrupted. The two beads then split into two forces, falling into the cycle of reincarnation, existing outside the mortal realm, locked in a relentless struggle, devouring and hindering each other. His divine sword, "Purple Emperor," required the merging of the two beads to unleash its full power, thus imprisoning itself within Cloud Emperor Peak.
From then on, the sky was clear and the sun shone through the clouds. The God of War and the Demon Emperor were destined to meet, an outcome that could not be reversed. Therefore, the Three Realms reached an agreement not to interfere with or harm each other, forming a balanced yet strange system of checks and balances.
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