Chapter 45: Forty-Five Cuts - "The Greatest Villain Under Heaven"...
When Xie Changming made this suggestion, a clap of thunder sounded outside the window, a gesture used by the Misty Star Sea to express their protest.
It's outrageous! If the Misty Star Sea had thoughts, it would definitely be cursing Xie Changming right now for slacking off so much while he was supposed to play the role of a Supreme Immortal Lord.
Theoretically speaking, he did not reveal his identity; he merely offered to play the role of his former self.
Xie Changming's actions were flawless, so Misty Star Sea could only blindly unleash its thunder, displaying impotent rage.
But Luo Mingshu didn't think the "Supreme Immortal Lord" in front of her could pull off the role successfully. She glanced at Xie Changming sideways and said, "He's a demon, and good-looking at that. You—"
"You look so ordinary, how could you possibly impersonate him?" Luo Mingshu asked. "You couldn't even conjure up the current security captain, could you?"
Luo Mingshu was fine as long as she didn't mention the current security captain, but she got upset as soon as she mentioned Xie Changming. He didn't expect that after he left, Luo Mingshu would actually not look for him. Not only that, she immediately promoted a new one.
“I can transform,” Xie Changming said to Luo Mingshu. Although he could transform back at any time, he still had to pretend. “Imagine what he looks like now.”
Xie Changming's appearance was unforgettable, let alone Luo Mingshu, who liked to admire handsome men. She immediately pictured Xie Changming in her mind.
Xie Changming tapped Luo Mingshu's forehead, and a wisp of her divine consciousness was extracted, revealing Xie Changming's original form in the void.
"It's him?" Xie Changming put on quite a show, his tone even tinged with sourness, like a self-made vinegar jar.
“It’s him.” Luo Mingshu’s gaze lingered between Xie Changming’s illusory figure and Xie Changming disguised as the Supreme Immortal Lord. It was quite strange that she couldn’t tell the difference between the two, one human and one demon, in front of her—this Supreme Immortal Lord was quite pleasing to the eye.
"I've changed," Xie Changming said. He was still more used to his current appearance because the body wrapped in divine bone wood was ultimately not his original form.
Luo Mingshu watched as the Supreme Immortal Lord transformed into Xie Changming, his long eyelashes half-flicked up as he glanced at her.
At this moment, Xie Changming was still wearing the clothes of the Supreme Immortal Lord—all in white, graceful as a banished immortal, and possessing a somewhat unfamiliar aloof and cold temperament.
His face suits him perfectly whether he's wearing black or white.
Luo Mingshu was very satisfied. As expected, handsome men are more pleasing to the eye. She nodded and said, "That's it. The white clothes will stay on your body. You're not allowed to change them."
Xie Changming's feelings were complicated. He was extremely conflicted. He wanted Luo Mingshu to care about the past him, but he also wanted her to care about the present him. In short, he wanted Luo Mingshu to only have eyes for him, but Luo Mingshu was obviously a womanizer.
"Manman and that broken system are here." Luo Mingshu muttered to herself. She walked out the door and saw Manman playing on the grass outside, holding the green bracelet.
She slowly picked him up, and the green bracelet continued to communicate with him, making "gurgling" sounds.
Their conversation went something like this:
"Little Mouse, take me back to my room, or interrupt them, and I'll give you points to exchange for sugar-roasted chestnuts."
He'd been eating too many roasted chestnuts these past few days and was getting a bit tired of them, so he wasn't going to bother with the mission anymore—of course, the main reason was that he was still a little afraid of Xie Changming.
So he refused: "I don't want to go back. Let me take you out to play instead."
"You can choose other food, you can pick." The system coaxed patiently.
"I'm afraid of the male cultivators inside, you go by yourself." Manman still didn't want to move.
Immediately afterwards, Luo Mingshu picked it up and said, "Don't listen to this green bracelet. Take your time. I'll give you something else to eat another day."
Slowly and obediently, she nestled back onto Luo Mingshu's shoulder and went to sleep.
He had just fallen asleep when Xie Changming picked him up and threw him into the cage in the room.
The green bracelet returned to Luo Mingshu's hand, and the system's angry voice rang out, a voice that both of them could hear.
"You actually dumped me on that little rat!" the system said angrily. "You—"
"What about us?" Luo Mingshu asked him with a cold smile, holding the green bracelet in one hand. "Tell me, what is your purpose? Why won't you let me know my own identity?"
"I...you..." The system realized it was too late; Luo Mingshu already knew her identity. He panicked. "I...host, don't you suspect that this immortal lord is lying?"
"If he's deceiving me, what good will it do him? Once we leave the Misty Star Sea, he'll disappear along with the exploration scene." Luo Mingshu didn't believe the system's words, and besides, there were no logical flaws in what the Supreme Immortal Lord had just said.
"He, you didn't notice him—" The system wanted to speak more, because of its special attributes, it could tell at a glance that the Supreme Immortal Lord was Xie Changming in disguise. However, due to the constraints of the rules of the Misty Star Sea, it could not reveal the truth.
"Didn't find him? Feeling guilty? Keep talking. If you don't want me to know your true identity, then just say it. I can't just smash you up. After all, if I keep you around, I'll interrogate and torture you more." Luo Mingshu never hid her sinister intentions.
After listening to Luo Mingshu's long speech, the system, which had failed to obstruct the process, broke down. It trembled in Luo Mingshu's hand and was even preparing to self-destruct in despair. Luo Mingshu actually knew her identity, so how could it, as a system, continue its operation? If this operation failed, returning to the Heavenly Realm would be worse than death.
However, he failed to self-destruct because Xie Changming raised his hand and added another layer of protective magic to the outside of the green bracelet. Now, even if the system wanted to self-destruct, it had no choice but to comply.
This man and woman are truly... truly the most wicked people in the world! One is vicious, the other is insidious, they're in cahoots, a pair of scoundrels! The system cursed Luo Mingshu and Xie Changming in its mind, but it dared not say it out loud. It could only lie in Luo Mingshu's palm and tremble in humiliation, looking utterly devastated.
Luo Mingshu didn't think she had gone too far. After all, the things this system did behind the scenes were probably worse than what she had done. She picked up the green bracelet and questioned again, "Who ordered you to do this?"
"Is the book I saw in my dream related to you?" Luo Mingshu asked.
There was certainly a connection, otherwise the system wouldn't have been bound to Lu Yaoyao in the first place. But how could the system dare to say that? It immediately denied it, saying, "Of course there's no connection."
At this moment, Xie Changming's voice rang out: "What book is it?"
Luo Mingshu said fiercely to the system, "You're just an outsider who doesn't know the truth, listening to that statement. Okay, I know you're related to that book."
The system completely collapsed, and he dared not speak to Luo Mingshu again.
Instead, Luo Mingshu and Xie Changming started chatting again. Because Luo Mingshu mistakenly thought that the "Supreme Immortal Lord" in front of her was just a passing character in the exploration scene, and because she subconsciously trusted his image, Luo Mingshu told Xie Changming about the book.
"That book says I'm a supporting character, the kind of supporting character who will have a miserable ending. I've forgotten the specific plot, but I guess they couldn't come up with anything useful," Luo Mingshu said angrily. "And it even says that I was betrayed by the Demon Lord of the Demon Realm. I must find a chance to punch that Demon Lord."
Xie Changming was stunned when he suddenly heard Luo Mingshu mention him. Luo Mingshu was still saying, "Don't you agree? That Demon Lord is so outrageous. I must beat him up."
"Yes." Xie Changming simply stopped explaining. He had been threatened by Luo Mingshu for a long time, so he agreed.
"Fortunately, you are not the real Xie Changming, otherwise he would definitely be dissatisfied if he heard me scolding his boss behind his back." After Luo Mingshu finished scolding the Demon Lord, he even said this to Xie Changming.
Xie Changming: "..." I just want to knock you out and shut you up.
He listened quietly as Luo Mingshu complained about the plot of the book, letting Luo Mingshu's words about the "Demon Lord" go in one ear and out the other.
Xie Changming had actually been staring at the pair of small horns on Luo Mingshu's forehead the whole time. Although he had cast a concealment spell on the pair of small dragon horns, he could still see them himself.
These little horns were indeed very cute, crystal clear, and emitting a faint purple light. Xie Changming thought back to a long time ago, when she was still like a little fish, she would always use these little horns on her forehead to nudge his palm.
So, while Luo Mingshu kept talking, he couldn't help but reach out and touch her little dragon horns—dragon horns that only he could see.
Luo Mingshu stopped speaking immediately. She stared at Xie Changming, somewhat surprised: "Why are you touching my horn?"
Xie Changming didn't move his hand away because the little corner felt quite nice: "No, I think it looks dirty, let me wipe it."
Luo Mingshu felt this wouldn't do: "I've heard there's a taboo circulating among mortals that you shouldn't touch a child's new teeth after they've lost their baby teeth, otherwise they won't grow in properly. So you shouldn't touch them either, or what if they don't grow in later?"
She still cherishes her pair of little dragon horns very much.
Xie Changming had never heard of this saying before, because demons don't change their teeth, but he still withdrew his hand, looking somewhat aggrieved.
What's wrong with touching it? Can't I touch it?
Luo Mingshu squinted and scrutinized him, looking him up and down. This immortal lord actually had a strange fetish for touching dragon horns.
However, when her gaze shifted downwards, she noticed a small thing peeking out from under his shirt.
She had seen this thing many times; it always peeked out from under the hem of her black dress, sometimes quite well hidden.
Xie Changming was dressed in white this time, so this small tail was particularly eye-catching, and the fluffy tail was swaying gently.
Of course, Xie Changming was also stunned because he accidentally exposed his tail while touching the little dragon's horns so happily, but he was able to maintain composure on his face and began to think of reasons to explain.
A clap of thunder sounded in the sky, and the Misty Star Sea was on the verge of collapse. It had never seen explorers so blatantly trying to expose themselves.
At this critical moment, it was Luo Mingshu who turned the tide, using her unusual intelligence to salvage the situation.
She looked down at Xie Changming's tail and said in a flippant tone, "Oh, you're quite the actor, you even conjured up a tail."
The thunder in the sky stopped abruptly, and the Misty Star Sea was like, "?" Is that even possible?
Xie Changming hadn't expected Luo Mingshu to explain it for him herself. He nodded and said, "When I'm impersonating someone, I'll naturally be very serious, I won't overlook any details, and there won't be any mistakes."
Misty Star Sea was so angry he wanted to thunder again: You're talking nonsense! Do you call this taking pretending to be someone else seriously?!
Just when Xie Changming breathed a sigh of relief, Luo Mingshu obviously would not let him off easily.
She bent down and grabbed the tail: "It's changed, so let me touch it."
Xie Changming's body stiffened, and he tried to retract his tail with a "whoosh," but Luo Mingshu gripped it tightly.
"It's fake anyway, so touching it won't hurt," Luo Mingshu said matter-of-factly.
Xie Changming pursed his lips: "..." Of course it's true, touching it will definitely cause problems.
Luo Mingshu was already rubbing his tail at this time. She really treated the tail as a plush toy. After all, she thought it was fake.
Xie Changming couldn't retract his tail, so he could only let Luo Mingshu pet him.
He couldn't take it anymore and said in a hoarse voice, "Stop touching me."
Luo Mingshu looked at him suspiciously: "It's not your tail, why are you so concerned?"
She wanted to touch it again, but Xie Changming leaned down and grabbed her wrist: "Don't move."
Luo Mingshu didn't let go, but at that moment a clear female voice came from outside the courtyard: "Super beautiful goddess, are you there?"
While Luo Mingshu was distracted, Xie Changming quickly hid his tail, but he still held Luo Mingshu's wrist tightly, his palm warm.
Perhaps because Luo Mingshu is an Yinglong, whose attribute is water, she always feels cool, like a piece of cold jade.
Luo Mingshu rubbed her hands together in disappointment. The Supreme Immortal Lord's transformation magic was indeed impressive; the tail felt just like a real one.
She responded to the people outside the courtyard: "Come in."
Han Yu stepped back from the door and came in, and Xie Changming released his grip on Luo Mingshu's hand.
Upon entering, Han Yu saw the demon he least wanted to see, and the system's evil voice also sounded at the right time—after suffering such humiliation, he could still call Luo Mingshu host, acting like a normal system, which was quite dedicated.
"Host, this is bad. After seeing your former security captain, Fairy Hanyu's favorability has dropped by twenty points," the system warned.
Xie Changming: "..." Is there really such a good thing?
Luo Mingshu: "..." Whatever, I've already used up all my points anyway.
She nodded to Han Yu and asked, "What do you need me for?"
“Beautiful goddess, I clearly saw the immortal lord enter. How come this demon has appeared again? Does the immortal lord have no objection?” Han Yu asked, bowing.
“He has no objection.” Luo Mingshu said this frankly, because Xie Changming beside her was actually the Supreme Immortal Lord in disguise. Although she didn’t know why the Supreme Immortal Lord had become so easy to talk to, she was happy for him to do so, because if Xie Changming really returned in a few days, she would definitely be able to use this “substitute” to annoy Xie Changming.
However, there was no such thing as a stand-in or not, because there was only Xie Changming from beginning to end.
"Where is the Immortal Lord?" Han Yu actually became suspicious.
"Inside the house." Luo Mingshu pointed to his room.
"What a beautiful goddess! The Immortal King is actually willing to enter your room?" Han Yu cried with joy.
"What? Is there poison in my room?" Luo Mingshu was angry.
"No, the Immortal Lord has always been reluctant to get close to you, Goddess. Perhaps he was afraid you would misunderstand?" Han Yu recalled the past with a tone full of emotion.
"Is the Immortal Lord really inside?" Han Yu was still a little skeptical.
Xie Changming cast a spell, creating an illusion in the room. He turned to Han Yu and said, "Go and see."
Since Xie Changming said so, he must have a plan, so Luo Mingshu did not refuse and asked Hanyu to go and confirm.
Pushing open the door, "Supreme Immortal Lord" was reading at the desk by the window. This phantom, controlled by Xie Changming, turned around, nodded to Han Yu and the others, and could even speak: "I just returned to Wuji Palace and want to take another look at what has happened in the Heavenly Realm in recent years. As for what the Goddess wants to do, just have the security captain accompany her."
"The demon race is not a terrible race. Your security captain is strong, and I feel at ease with him protecting the goddess," said the Supreme Immortal Lord, speaking with great confidence.
Xie Changming played both roles with ease. After controlling the phantom to finish speaking, he remained silent.
Han Yu regarded the words of the Supreme Immortal Lord as truth, so she could only bow and acknowledge Xie Changming's existence.
She reported something else to Luo Mingshu: "Super beautiful goddess, because you subdued several forces near Wuji Palace, the divine soldiers and generals guarding there are now under your command. Now, the Dongzhi Immortal Realm has expressed their opinions."
"The Cold Fairy has brought people with her and wants to see you. They seem to have ill intentions. Should we ask the Immortal Lord to intervene?" Han Yu asked.
Luo Mingshu knew why Shui Qingnian had come. News of Xie Changming's departure had spread, and now they had four explorers on their side while they only had three. Shui Qingnian wouldn't let go of this opportunity to take advantage of their vulnerability.
Although she knew that the Supreme Immortal Lord was right beside her, she didn't want him to help her at all: "I'll just take Ai Chi and Neng Da with me; they can't cause any trouble."
Even if there were four people opposite him, Luo Mingshu would not be afraid.
Xie Changming actually wanted to get involved, but since he was still using the alias of the Supreme Immortal Lord, he could only be an observer.
Luo Mingshu took him to find Xu Qian and Meng Weifang, and on the way she reminded him: "Don't make a move, I'll do it myself. And don't give yourself away, so they don't find out that you are the Supreme Immortal Lord."
Xie Changming agreed, and naturally he wouldn't reveal himself, because he was simply himself.
When Luo Mingshu entered the Wuji Hall, Xu Qian and Meng Weifang were already waiting there. With the addition of a pair of dragon horns, Luo Mingshu seemed to walk with a bit more pride.
Her confidence was off the charts, but her strength hadn't improved at all; it seemed like the dragon horns were just for decoration.
Luo Mingshu didn't think that much about it; she still wanted to teach Leng Xiannu and O Xiannu a lesson.
Xu Qian and Meng Weifang noticed Xie Changming standing next to her. Xu Qian said with surprise, "The security captain of No. 19 is back. We can pin Leng Xiannu to the ground and beat her up now."
Meng Weifang was somewhat disappointed: "Am I still the security captain?"
“They’re on par; Wuji Palace can afford two security captains,” Luo Mingshu replied. “But how should I put it? This time, Yi Jiu won’t be involved. This matter is a bit complicated, and we need to deal with Fairy Leng and the others ourselves.”
"The three of us can do it too." Xu Qian herself is quite capable and isn't afraid of the other side.
“The Cold Fairy and the Oh Fairy are nothing to fear. It’s the two new explorers from the Eastern Branch Wonderland that we need to observe and understand further,” Luo Mingshu analyzed. “I don’t know what their purpose is, but it seems like they’re going to have a fight.”
"We'll observe them first." Luo Mingshu had never seen the mysterious fourth exploration team before, and she became excited.
The meeting place was set in Tianluan City in the central part of the Heavenly Realm, from which the journey to Dongzhi Wonderland and Wuji Palace was the same.
As usual, Luo Mingshu brought out her tortoise. Xie Changming wanted to sit in the back seat as usual, but Luo Mingshu refused: "Don't think that just because you're dressed as the security captain, you can sit in the back seat of my travel treasure."
“You’re a Celestial Lord, you should be able to fly quite well, right? Fly there yourself, I won’t carry you,” Luo Mingshu said.
Xie Changming was taken aback, and his feelings became complicated again. Although he knew that Luo Mingshu still had a special status, she was not giving him a ride now!
But Luo Mingshu had already driven the tortoise forward at high speed, so Xie Changming could only cast a teleportation array on the spot and teleport to the outside of Tianluan City.
He's too lazy to fly; teleportation is much more convenient.
Luo Mingshu's tortoise back seat hadn't been this empty in a long time. To make her beloved ride look more full, Luo Mingshu put Manman on the back seat of her car and had Manman pull on her belt with its paws as she drove forward.
When Luo Mingshu carried him out, he had an ancient bell hanging around his neck. It was the Soul-Calling Bell. Manman still missed Wei Qing a little, so he would sometimes take the Soul-Calling Bell out to play with it.
So, as Luo Mingshu gradually approached Tianluan City, the soul-summoning bell hanging around Manman's neck rang, the sound becoming increasingly urgent.
"Coo-coo-coo!" Slowly, he hugged Luo Mingshu's belt, reminding her.
Recently, because Wei Qing's movements would pass through the sensing range of the Soul-Summoning Bell, the bell would ring from time to time. However, Luo Mingshu was too lazy to look for it, because Wei Qing would be sent out of the Misty Star Sea after the exploration scene was cleared.
But this time was different; the sound of the soul-summoning bell grew increasingly urgent.
Luo Mingshu drove the Turtle, speeding across the sea of clouds in the celestial realm. Behind her, the clouds swirled and flowed. She noticed that the closer she got to Tianluan City, the more urgent the bell became.
Unable to resist the constant tickling, Luo Mingshu could only deviate slightly from her course and follow the direction indicated by the Soul-Summoning Bell. Finally, on a road not far from Tianluan City, she saw Wei Qing dressed in a green robe ahead.
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