Chapter 3: Do you like the dragon more than the hound?
The old ancestor was determined to die.
The Ten Realms of Breaking Wind is the only place in the Three Realms where gods and monsters coexist. The miasma here is extremely heavy, and in addition to the mountain spirits and earth monsters that grow naturally, there are also the heinous criminals of the Heavenly Realm.
A wicked minister and a monster fought in the territory. The wicked minister won, and the place was then ruled by a god. The god had children, and the children had children, which formed the houses and bustling markets we see today.
"There is a set of rules for survival here, and a currency unique to this place. Spirit treasures and gold and silver are worthless here. Only by killing mountain spirits and earth monsters can you exchange them for currency at the Tongfusi Grand Money Official, which is called Tongbao."
When Duan Jiuyou said this, he had just brought back an Ao Sect disciple who was planning to use a spiritual treasure to buy candied hawthorns on the North-South Long Street.
This place is very similar to the human world, with food stalls, restaurants, academies, and embroidery workshops. Immortals could originally not eat, but because the spiritual energy here is weak, they cannot use energy to replace food, so there are various kinds of food.
As darkness fell, the streetlights, as was customary, illuminated the streets. Duan Jiuyou did not linger there but headed straight for a place called "Xianwei Mountain".
That place is where mountain spirits and monsters roam. The newly arrived sinful god is penniless and urgently needs to accumulate coins, so he will most likely appear there.
What does the imperial territory look like?
Duan Jiuyou had never seen his human form; during the Battle of Tian, he remained in his Dharma form until his death.
With a body as strong as a lion and a appearance like a dog, it is an imposing and awe-inspiring beast.
What would it look like now?
The original core descended to earth and became human. Although its life was preserved, the divine power of the former overlord of the Three Realms was reduced to only 30%.
She roughly sketched out an image in her mind of a man with a blurred face, tattered clothes, but a resolute gaze.
A fallen emperor, dressed in tattered clothes and with a swan-like face...
This is good, as it will make it easier for her to offer timely assistance and rebuild trust.
Suddenly, a burst of magical light erupted from Mount Xianwei, startling the distracted Duan Jiuyou so much that he almost fell over. His disciple quickly caught him, and at the same time, they heard a roar that sounded like that of an infant.
“It’s the ape-beast Haochi.” Duan Jiuyou stood on tiptoe to take a look.
This ape-like creature often plays among children. Before sunset, it leads them into the mountains to eat as its dinner. It is a vicious beast that feeds on children.
Several people in the distance were vying for the Hao Chi; the magical light from earlier had come from their hands.
The area is located in the cold, shady part of the mountain. As soon as night falls, many hunters appear. Hao Chi is a fat sheep and is quickly fought over by many more people.
Someone stabbed the beast, which led to an even fiercer struggle; before, they were fighting the beast, but now they were fighting other people.
The disciple, unable to bear it any longer, said, "Ancestor, wasn't it said that the Ten Realms of Breaking Wind are ruled by gods? Why are these beast hunters so cruel to their own people?"
Duan Jiuyou said, "The one who currently rules the Ten Realms is the Sin God Yuan Chi, who follows the law of the jungle. Those who end up here are all people who got in through fighting and brawling. If you throw any one of them out, they can cause a great disturbance. Naturally, their methods are much more vicious."
Duan Jiuyou followed the crowd and led his people closer, but suddenly stopped after passing through several layers of people and looked towards the mountaintop.
There was a group of people watching the battle, all standing at attention, lined up beside one person.
A young man sat at the head of the table, playing cat's cradle in a relaxed posture. He was sitting comfortably, his long white satin robe bunched up on his body, making him look a size too big. If he weren't in a place like the Tenth Realm, he would look like a wealthy nobleman living in luxury.
The blue light swirled between his hands, gradually forming a separate entity that peeled away from between his fingers.
When Duan Jiuyou saw him tilting his head down to measure the location, he sensed something was wrong.
The next moment, the rope left his hand and suddenly formed a magic circle, which he casually tossed into the crowd.
The earth shook violently!
He used an extremely peaceful formless magic array like fire and thunder, shattering flesh and blood in the blink of an eye!
Duan Jiuyou frowned deeply. She had witnessed the same formation before during the Battle of Heaven, but the difference was that the power of that formation back then was far more awe-inspiring than this one. All three thousand divine soldiers of the Dragon Clan were buried beneath it, turning to dust the moment they touched it!
She looked back at the mountaintop in shock amidst the blood-red mist. He stood up, hands tucked in his pockets. Moonlight poured down, illuminating a serene face. Compared to his divine form, this face was far more demure, even possessing a youthful and obedient quality due to his young age. He looked down at all living beings expressionlessly, as if he couldn't hear the roars of humans and beasts. He treated life and death with indifference, as if he held the destiny of the world in his hands.
It turns out that the Imperial Territory was not as destitute as imagined. In just twenty-three days, it had established its own power in the Tenth Realm of Breaking Wind.
As the blood mist dissipated, his men began to collect the corpses. The situation was far more troublesome than Duan Jiuyou had imagined. After a moment's thought, he decided to leave first.
She left in a hurry and did not notice Di Jiang's subtle gaze.
The Ao Zong Patriarch had a magical artifact called the Red Vine Staff. Because he loved hand-to-hand combat, he rarely used it and instead used it to tie his hair. He had been looking at the wooden hairpin in her hair that resembled a red vine.
He gave a wink to the vassal who was carrying the prey to report back. Half a meter away, the vassal didn't ask why and immediately lunged forward. Midway, his human form transformed into his true form, splitting into a ferocious beast that stirred up a hurricane.
Duan Jiuyou turned around in surprise. In a flash, the two forces clashed, and the image of the giant turtle in the clouds appeared briefly!
The vassal was knocked back, and as he transformed back into human form, someone teleported forward and caught him.
The two groups met again, and Di Jiang slowly walked out from behind his vassals.
It really is you.
He raised an eyebrow slightly and asked a question silently.
Duan Jiuyou noticed that he was very tall, and although he was thin, he gave off an imposing and intimidating aura.
He reached out to her, heading straight for her neck.
"Tai Xiao..." Duan Jiuyou looked at the young man so close to her and called him by his courtesy name. This encounter was too sudden, and she didn't want to fight him.
He glanced at her, but didn't stop. With his slender fingers, he brazenly pulled open her collar. He remembered biting her neck, his sharp teeth cutting into her skin, but now only two shallow teeth marks remained.
"You're really resilient."
He had a pair of aloof and charming eyes, and his features were absolutely stunning. His eyes were clean and clear. People in high positions like him and Bai Yanxing usually don't have much emotional fluctuation. Duan Jiuyou belatedly remembered that he was several thousand years younger than Bai Yanxing.
“Our clan is all tough,” Duan Jiuyou said.
"People with tough lives are cold-blooded, but you don't feel cold at all."
He was definitely not Bai Yanxing, unlike him who was so polite. He covered her neck with his hand, and now he was touching the back of her neck. His hand was very cold, and the touch sent a chill down her spine.
Duan Jiuyou had never seen such a reckless junior before, and he tried his best to ignore the unfamiliar tremor he felt.
"It's because you're too cold."
"My primordial spirit was shattered by that fat turtle, so naturally I can't warm it up." He recalled their grudges in a calm tone, a hint of confusion appearing in his clear eyes. After a brief pause, he asked, "Do you like Long Bi Hou more?"
Then they started looking for the missing debts.
Bai Yanxing had asked a similar question, and the answer was the same, but it varied from person to person.
"I actually like cats." Duan Jiuyou used a little trick. Unable to stand his constant icing on her, she grabbed his hand and pulled it into her palm to warm it.
Emperor Jiang let her hold his hand, his eyes lowered: "Then why not find a cat to rule the Heavenly Realm?"
Their voices are also very approachable; if you didn't know the relationship between the two, you'd think they were quite affectionate.
Duan Jiuyou couldn't answer and buried his head, rubbing his hands.
"You should wear more clothes. It's cold in the Ten Realms, and your body can't withstand this kind of hardship."
"Bai Yanxing sent you here?" The Ten Realms are not places that can be entered and exited at will. There is a blue sea stone gate in the sky, and only strange creatures like the Ao Clan have the ability to open it.
"He didn't know I was coming."
Duan Jiuyou knew he didn't believe her, so she stared at him with her almond-shaped eyes and asked sincerely, "How can you calm down?"
He looked away listlessly.
That's a pointless question. There's no way to make amends. She ruined the empire that was within her grasp. What can she possibly offer in return?
“I can give it to you again,” Duan Jiuyou continued.
Di Jiang laughed, looking back at Duan Jiuyou. It was a youthful laugh, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, as if he were looking at a rambling madman.
Are you kidding me?
He asked if you would lay a hand on him.
If you don't move, he might leave.
"I really came to help you," Duan Jiuyou thought anxiously. She followed him, chasing after his back, as if she were genuinely troubled by their relationship. Unfortunately, she couldn't get far before his men blocked her path. Duan Jiuyou tilted her head and looked up; they were all fierce-looking, as if they wanted to devour her alive. This feud was deep-seated; if she could die easily, she would be torn to pieces by now.
Her men were unconvinced and stepped forward to confront her, but she blocked them with a simple gesture, saying, "What are you doing?! Don't you think this feud is serious enough?!"
Di Jiang left with his men.
Duan Jiuyou didn't chase after them. With a bitter face, she was being coaxed and patted by a group of disciples. She had a childlike temper and would get angry and aggrieved if she didn't get what she wanted. It just so happened that the other party was a tough nut to crack, just like her, and not easy to coax. "Look at the way they left. They weren't on guard at all. If they wanted to fight, they would. Even if they only had 30% of their divine power left, they wouldn't hesitate to fight you."
Think back to that Formless Formation from before. Was it for hunting beasts? It was clearly designed to destroy the world. It could determine the fate of the universe and transcend life and death. It's a tough one to deal with.
The disciples were also troubled, but Duan Jiuyou felt that she was better than Di Jiang, at least she was not petty and did not hold grudges.
"He was being sarcastic towards me just now, and even called me a fat turtle."
Our ancestor is over 18,000 years old, how could he have ever been subjected to such a squeeze?
The disciple patted his back and said, "Then why didn't you retaliate?"
"Isn't this asking someone for a favor?!"
She understood how difficult it was to ask for help, and her delicate brows furrowed like a bun as she said, "Is it possible for me to knock him out of his mind, so he can forget his past and start over?"
She didn't have much time. Her instructions to Bai Yanxing were to go into seclusion at the Earthly Rest Palace. To avoid any unforeseen complications, she needed to make some progress on the Imperial Frontier side.
The disciple said, "Ancestor, this matter cannot be rushed. No one will have a good impression of the person who killed them. Building trust between people requires both time and affection."
"Feelings?" Duan Jiuyou lacked feelings the most. Her parents left early, and she grew up alone in the Earth Breath Mountain Realm as a little divine turtle. When she was hungry, she devoured spiritual energy, and when she was thirsty, she drank heavenly dew. When she got a little older, she was too lonely, so she went to the turtle village and brought back some eggs.
The Ao tribe has a long lifespan, but their eggs are not easy to hatch; all the ones brought back were stillborn babies that could not break open their shells.
She cooked them in a large pot, and it took more than three thousand years for the Ao Zong clan to emerge.
She doesn't know how to be kind to people, and she's always been straightforward in her dealings with others. For her, emotions are something even more difficult to understand.
The disciple said, "Emperor Jiang was once injured by Zhanlu's sharp edge, and he must still have some lingering illness. If we can stay by his side, take good care of him, and show him warmth and concern, it should alleviate his condition somewhat."
They need to proceed gradually; communication will only be possible once the relationship has eased.
"Anything else?" Duan Jiuyou asked.
"And another thing is... cook something nice? Anyway, you have to be patient. If he gets angry, you have to be tolerant and you have to coax him if he's unhappy."
"If your clothes are torn, sew them up; when you take your medicine, give you a piece of candy."
The disciples offered a cacophony of suggestions.
Duan Jiu tried to persuade them, but the way they looked at her clearly showed worry.
She suddenly got a little angry. Did they think she was someone with poor comprehension skills?
You have to take care of them and be tolerant of them.
It's like being someone's mother!
She has cooked more than two thousand eggs and taken care of a bunch of disciples, how could she not have experience?
At the same time, Di Jiang, who was unaware of Duan Jiuyou's plan to give his mother a sneeze, was quickly draped a cloak over his head by his ministers, which he then took off and threw on the ground.
In the past, he only wore a single layer of clothing under the cold moon, and his body was always warm. Now, his primordial spirit is greatly damaged, and he is afraid of the cold. He doesn't say it, but he is unhappy in his heart.
The vassal chased after him for a few steps.
"My lord, it's cold."
"It's not cold."
But if the vassal insists on reading it several times, he will probably listen.
Unfortunately, no.
The north wind was biting his face, and the Lord of the Great Wilderness had frozen himself all the way to his mansion. Someone had left a brazier of charcoal fire in the main hall. He glanced at it, moved to the soft couch closest to it, and his limbs began to warm up. He also became lazy and was about to close his eyes for a nap when he heard his vassal, who mistakenly thought he wasn't cold, tell the servants to remove the stove.
He stood expressionless with his hands tucked in his pockets, feeling that, as historical records show, there was indeed a reason why he had a bad temper and was prone to getting angry at his subordinates.
Who would be happy having such an idiot standing next to them?
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