Month: November 2023 (Page 8 of 12)

Chapter 26

 

As they watched Jiuying gradually dissipate, silence fell over the group. Only Xie Li felt curious and jumped up, trying to grab the starlight, but he ended up falling flat on his face.

 

“Your Highness, did that big snake die?” Xie Li asked casually.

 

“Yes,” replied Si Lan.

 

“Wasn’t he the monster that split the mountain in two earlier?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Well, he must have been a pitiful creature, with just a single head floating around…” Xie Li continued, gesturing with his hands.

 

Seeing this, Quze pulled Xie Li behind him, preventing him from bothering Si Lan any further.

 

Si Lan looked a bit exhausted at the moment. He was about to lead a group of children out of the cave when he remembered someone and quickly woke up the Snake Mother who had been choked behind the statue.

 

The Snake Mother had taken human form and was lying on the ground. When she woke up, she looked around cautiously, not seeing the nine-headed snake’s figure. Her voice trembled as she asked, “Is he dead?”

 

Si Lan nodded.

 

The Snake Mother sighed in relief, and her gaze became steady as she looked at Si Lan. Then, she tried to stand up but her body gave way, and she fell into Si Lan’s arms.

 

Si Lan hurriedly supported her and said, “Be careful.”

 

“I… I can’t walk.”

 

She hadn’t eaten since being imprisoned, and her cultivation had been sealed, leaving her with less energy than an ordinary woman.

 

Si Lan originally intended to have Quze carry the Snake Mother, but he noticed that one of Quze’s iron arms had broken. So, he ended up carrying the Snake Mother himself.

 

The Snake Mother lowered her head slightly, her cheeks blushing.

 

Click.

 

Si Lan suddenly heard a sound and turned to see that Hao Wei’s small hand was pinching the rock wall. When he pulled his hand back, the part he had pinched crumbled and fell.

 

Hao Wei clapped his hands lightly and said, “The rock wall is a bit soft.”

 

Si Lan was speechless.

 

As they walked out of the cave, disciples from the Xuan Ling Sect and the Charm Snake Clan immediately approached. Although they didn’t know what had happened, they had heard the desperate and agonized cries of Jiuying in the forest, so they guessed that Jiuying had died.

 

“Lord Si, is that monster dead?” Xu Yi asked.

 

“Yes.”

 

“That’s great!” Xu Yi and the other disciples cheered. “Our master and mistress can finally rest in peace. The only regret is that we didn’t get to see the monster die a miserable death!”

 

“But, even though his head is dead, there are still eight of his heads sealed under Xuan Ling Mountain. So in the future, you will have to continue guarding this place to ensure the safety of this realm,” Si Lan said to encourage them.

 

In reality, Jiuying’s eight remaining heads couldn’t gather his soul anymore. Even if the seal were broken, they would rot instantly.

 

He said this to motivate the Xuan Ling Sect disciples. Although Lou Yu was gone, the Xuan Ling Sect still had a role to play in this world.

 

After discussing with his junior disciples, Xu Yi began cleaning up Xuan Ling Mountain, determined to rejuvenate the Xuan Ling Sect.

 

On the side of the Charm Snake Clan, the Two-Headed Charm Snake saw Si Lan hugging the Snake Mother and led a group of young Charm Snakes over to take the Snake Mother. They quickly expressed their thanks and then gathered around her to help her heal.

 

Si Lan observed the situation around Xuan Ling Mountain and found the center of the Eight Trigram Array. He reached out and, in an instant, a huge Extreme Sound Eight Trigram Array appeared on the ground.

 

The array had eight directions and a central point.

 

The central point of the array was missing a piece, which had caused Jiuying’s head to wake up.

 

Si Lan gently touched the central point of the Eight Trigram Array and repaired the missing piece.

 

Although Jiuying would no longer cause chaos in the world, the Eight Trigram Array contained countless illusory phases. If someone accidentally fell into it, they would likely be trapped inside and die.

 

After completing these tasks, the Two-Headed Charm Snake inexplicably walked over and respectfully said, “Lord Si, our Snake Mother wants to speak with you.”

 

Si Lan raised his eyebrows in surprise and turned to look at the Charm Snake Clan. He saw a group of young Charm Snakes surrounding the Snake Mother. The Snake Mother was gently touching their heads one by one, smiling at them.

 

What did the Snake Mother want to say to him?

 

Perhaps sensing Si Lan’s gaze, the Snake Mother raised her head slightly, and her eyes met Si Lan’s with a gentle and affectionate look. She then quickly lowered her head.

 

Si Lan hesitated and said, “Alright.”

 

By a babbling brook, Si Lan and the Snake Mother walked side by side without a clear destination.

 

The Snake Mother had a graceful and elegant figure, with a slow and steady pace. It seemed that her injuries had not fully healed, and she occasionally coughed softly, appearing more fragile and pitiable.

 

Seeing that the other party remained silent, Si Lan took the initiative to speak, “Are your injuries getting better?”

 

“Somewhat,” the Snake Mother replied, lowering her head even more. “Thank you for saving me.”

 

“It’s nothing. You don’t need to thank me for that.”

 

“But I really don’t know how to repay you. Yet, I also want to repay you in my heart…” Suddenly, the Snake Mother turned around, raised her eyes, and gazed steadily at Si Lan.

 

Most likely due to the nature of snake women, the Snake Mother’s crimson eyes inexplicably captivated one’s heart and soul, with a hint of hidden charm. Her eyes reflected a few strands of hair swaying in the wind, making her enchanting.

 

Seeing the sincere look in her eyes, Si Lan spoke honestly, “Actually, I have killed three wives on my wedding day, and I have carried a bad reputation with me. No woman is willing to marry me.”

 

Upon hearing this, the Snake Mother lowered her head, her hands entwined in front of her.

 

“So, I probably won’t get married in this lifetime, and I won’t have children. This is the biggest regret in my heart. If you really want to repay me…”

 

“I’m willing,” the Snake Mother softly interrupted Si Lan.

 

“Alright… then call me ‘Father’ to make up for the regret of not being a father.”

 

“…” The Snake Mother.

 

—

 

In no time, Hao Wei and the others saw the Snake Mother returning, grumbling and completely different from the frail and pitiful appearance she had earlier.

 

Seemingly filled with anger, the Snake Mother beckoned and led the Charm Snake Clan away.

 

Si Lan followed from behind, picking two wild fruits along the way. He saw the Charm Snake Clan leaving in a hurry, and on his face, there was a trace of helplessness and confusion. But out of kindness, he reminded the Snake Mother, “Please don’t get angry easily because you still have restrictions in your body.”

 

The Snake Queen’s body staggered for a moment, but she didn’t say a word, only quickening her pace.

 

At this moment, a lone little Enchanting Snake transformed into a human form, specifically waiting for Si Lan to return. After waving farewell to Si Lan, the little Enchanting Snake set off to catch up with the Enchanting Snake clan.

 

It was Yu Shi.

 

The little Enchanting Snake whose two fangs had been removed by Si Lan.

 

Si Lan hadn’t seen Yu Shi before and had thought that Yu Shi had died in that massacre. His lips twitched, and he gave Yu Shi a faint smile.

 

“Your Majesty, what happened between you and the Snake Queen?” Xie Li curiously tugged at Si Lan’s robe and asked with gossip in his eyes.

 

Si Lan sighed and recounted his conversation with the Snake Queen. After finishing, he added, “She’s four hundred years old, and I’m over a thousand. She could be my daughter, right?”

 

Except for Xie Li, who didn’t understand, Hao Wei and Quze, upon hearing this, had slightly twitching faces.

 

It’s unclear whether this Demon Lord genuinely didn’t understand or was pretending not to.

 

“Oh, Your Majesty, I understand now. Maybe she wants to be your granddaughter.” Xie Li plucked a wild fruit from Si Lan’s hand, took a bite, and mumbled.

 

Si Lan nodded in agreement, “I think so too.”

 

Hao Wei and Quze…

 

Si Lan remembered that Hao Wei hadn’t eaten in a while and couldn’t let the Crown Prince of the Heavenly Realm go hungry, so he handed another wild fruit to Hao Wei. “Here, it’s fresh.”

 

Hao Wei took the wild fruit, his eyes twitching slightly.

 

Did this Demon Lord remember to pick some fruits for himself while chatting with the Snake Queen?

 

This Demon Lord had a bit of a conscience, but not much.

 

Before leaving Xuan Ling Mountain, Si Lan made another trip to Lou Yu’s grave.

 

Lou Yu, apart from practicing the sword, didn’t have many hobbies. Si Lan didn’t know what to bring to Lou Yu, so he brought a jar of wine.

 

He had many things he wanted to say in his heart, but when he actually opened his mouth, he found that he couldn’t say a word. In the end, he could only say helplessly, “Idiot.”

 

Perhaps this idiot didn’t think of himself as foolish but believed he was happy.

 

Si Lan took out the small stone that Jiuying had given him, used a spell, and looked at the dream world where Lou Yu and Zhong Mu were.

 

—

 

In the dream world’s Demon Valley, it appeared as it had before the great fire. The enormous Soaring Dragon Tree stood intact, its brown branches and leaves densely covering the sky.

 

Beneath the tree, Lou Yu was dressed in a red wedding gown, his figure tall and straight, standing there without moving.

 

Zhong Mu, as if waking from a nightmare, hurriedly rushed outside after putting on a long robe. As if guided by something, he stumbled his way to the Soaring Dragon Tree and saw a tall figure standing beneath it.

 

Leaves gently fell with the wind, Lou Yu turned around, his eyes gentle, and a slow smile appeared.

 

Zhong Mu’s heart suddenly moved, and he instinctively moved forward to hug Lou Yu.

 

But this time, in Zhong Mu’s dream, the figure he hugged didn’t dissipate. The two of them clung tightly together, as if transcending life and death, transcending worldly constraints, with nothing to hinder them.

 

Zhong Mu didn’t see the moment when Lou Yu, while embracing him, lowered his long lashes and shed tears.

 

In this dream, Zhong Mu and Lou Yu would have a smooth wedding and spend their remaining days in Demon Valley, free from obstacles.

 

Si Lan didn’t look any further and withdrew his consciousness from the illusion.

 

The dream was perfect, and he had never seen Lou Yu smile so gently before. Love truly intoxicated people.

 

The jar of wine was not yet finished; Si Lan emptied it in front of Lou Yu’s tombstone.

 

“I don’t know when I’ll have the time to visit you next. If you miss me, send me dreams.”

 

In the distance, three little kids were still waiting for Si Lan.

 

Hao Wei and Quze continued to wear frowns that made them look like someone owed them money, despite their young age.

 

And little Xie Li was on the side, counting his candies with intense focus.

 

When Si Lan approached them, he purposely made heavy footsteps. Xie Li heard the sound and quickly hid his candies in his pocket, then turned to Si Lan with a silly smile. “Your Majesty, you’re back.”

 

“Mm.” Si Lan patted Xie Li’s little head, thinking that Xie Li had been through quite a lot these days, so he would let him secretly eat a few candies.

 

“Your Majesty, are you going back to the Demon Realm?”

 

“Mm.”

 

As soon as Si Lan finished speaking, Quze used the remaining strength in his left hand to perform a Cloud-Walking Technique and summoned a cloud.

 

Si Lan remembered that Quze was injured, but throughout the journey, Quze never said a word about the pain, let alone mention the severed right arm.

 

This child was always unwilling to trouble Si Lan. If Si Lan didn’t ask, he wouldn’t speak.

 

Calm and mature to the point of being somewhat self-punishing.

 

Si Lan suddenly looked at him with compassion. “Quze, the images Jiuying showed you were real. I did indeed cut off your right arm.”

 

“I know,” Quze replied with an unchanged expression.

 

Si Lan tentatively asked, “Aren’t you angry?”

 

“If Your Majesty cut off my right arm, there must have been a reason.”

 

“…” Si Lan.

 

Hao Wei, on the side, raised his head and looked at Quze with an expression that probably said, “Is this guy not a fool?”

 

Quze’s trust in Si Lan, on the contrary, made Si Lan feel somewhat ashamed. He pursed his lips and carefully explained, “I wasn’t planning to tell you this, but now that you know, I’ll tell you the whole story.”

 

Quze nodded.

 

“My second wife, Lan Lan, was a koi spirit from the Jing River. Shortly after her death, the Jing River was attacked by the Blue Shrimp Yao Clan, and all the koi spirits were slaughtered. The koi spirit chief, on the brink of death, found me and begged me to take you in. The Blue Shrimp Yao Clan also came and demanded that I hand you over.”

 

“The enmity between the Blue Shrimp Yao Clan and the koi spirits spans thousands of years and is difficult to untangle. When the koi spirits were thriving, they almost wiped out the Blue Shrimp Yao Clan. So now that the Blue Shrimp Yao Clan is in power, they want to exterminate the koi spirits. I didn’t want to get involved in the war between these two groups, but I owed Lan Lan a debt. You, being a koi spirit and a member of Lan Lan’s clan, the chief asked me to save your life for Lan Lan’s sake, so I decided to protect you.”

 

During this time, there was a little episode. Quze had been crying continuously, and Si Lan approached him with a stern face, asking him not to cry. Quze stopped crying.

 

At that moment, Si Lan felt a bit more fond of this obedient little koi spirit.

 

“I told the Blue Shrimp Yao Clan that I would take care of you from now on and make sure you wouldn’t be a threat to them. However, they didn’t believe me. So, in their presence, I swung my sword and severed your right arm. Only then did they agree to spare you. That night, you asked me why I didn’t give you a new arm, and I told you I couldn’t, but I lied. I could help you regenerate your arm, but if the Blue Shrimp Yao Clan found out, they would still try to eliminate you.”

 

After Si Lan finished speaking, he thought that Quze’s expression might change, but he realized that Quze remained expressionless. “Your Majesty, I understand.”

 

“If you hate me, it’s only fair.”

 

“I don’t hate you. I know you were trying to save me.” Quze replied without hesitation.

 

Even if Si Lan had no reason to cut off his arm, he wouldn’t bear any resentment. Si Lan had given him his life, and without Si Lan, he would have died countless times.

 

In his youth, he often found himself in dangerous situations, and every time he cried “Your Majesty,” Si Lan would instantly appear at his side, rescuing him from peril.

 

Si Lan never thought of him as foolish or troublesome. He would personally teach him how to break through formations, use spells, and subdue monsters and demons.

 

Si Lan’s kindness to him had accumulated over time, seeping into every aspect of life. His trust in Si Lan was also built in this way, and it couldn’t be easily broken by a few words from others.

 

Si Lan nodded with satisfaction. Quze was truly a promising disciple, and it was not in vain that he had saved him from the Blue Shrimp Yao Clan.

 

“Now that you know your origins, do you want revenge?” Si Lan’s innermost wish was for Quze not to seek revenge but to look ahead. However, he couldn’t advise his disciple to be magnanimous when he himself couldn’t overcome his own hatred.

 

“Your Majesty, no matter what I do in the future, I will always tell you the truth.” Quze didn’t provide a clear answer.

 

Si Lan knew that Quze was likely struggling with his feelings and didn’t press further.

 

The cloud descended on the Zhuyun Peak, and the group returned to the Demon Realm.

 

Si Lan stood on the mountaintop, looking at the twelve peaks in the distance, shrouded in clouds, and turned to Hao Wei, saying, “Look, those are the lands I’ve conquered for you.”

 

Hao Wei glanced at him indifferently, turned away, and left.

 

A childish Demon Lord.

 

“Chong Ying, your father sent someone to the Demon Realm to find you last time. Are you going back?” Si Lan asked as he followed Hao Wei.

 

Hao Wei made a sound of agreement. His cultivation had mostly recovered, but he still wanted to taste a drop of Si Lan’s blood before returning.

 

Si Lan seemed a bit reluctant and sighed. “If you miss me, you can come to the Demon Realm to see me.”

 

“…” Hao Wei.

 

Who would miss him?

 

Hao Wei gritted his teeth and decided to drink a bit more of his blood later to make up for the humiliation he had endured during this time.

 

Si Lan reached out to pat Hao Wei’s head, then checked his spiritual realm, still unable to discern his level of cultivation.

 

“Chong Ying, when we were in the cave, Jiuying almost broke out of the formation within me. It was you who used your spiritual power to suppress him, right?” Si Lan asked tentatively. When he was severely injured and on the verge of spitting blood, almost losing half his life to Jiuying, a powerful force broke into his body, suppressing Jiuying.

 

He thought about it, and at that time, there were only Hao Wei and Quze with him in the cave. Quze couldn’t possess such powerful cultivation, so it must have been Hao Wei…

 

Hao Wei didn’t intend to reveal his true identity to Si Lan to avoid conflicts. Besides, if people found out that the Demon King had captured and toyed with the Emperor, it would ruin his reputation and dignity.

 

“It wasn’t me,” Hao Wei replied tersely. Perhaps feeling a bit guilty, his expression became even more tense after he spoke.

 

“Then it must have been you who injured Quze.”

 

Hao Wei’s lips twitched. “I just pushed him lightly, and he started coughing up blood.”

 

“…” Si Lan.

 

After a moment of silence, Si Lan simply said, “Okay,” and didn’t inquire any further.

 

That night, Si Lan was making a prosthetic arm for Quze and ended up working late into the night. He ended up dozing off in his chair.

 

Hao Wei walked up to Si Lan, his gaze tracing Si Lan’s forehead, nose, chin, and down to his neck. He leaned closer, his eyes sharp, and suddenly bit into Si Lan’s shoulder and neck.

 

Si Lan groaned, his eyelashes quivering slightly as if he was about to wake up. Immediately, Hao Wei extended his hand and pressed a point on Si Lan’s body, causing Si Lan to fall into a deep sleep once again.

 

Hao Wei saw that the bite mark on Si Lan’s neck had faded, and he bit down with even more force.

 

This mark would probably not disappear easily for a while.

 

—

 

Si Lan slept deeply, only waking up the next day around noon.

 

The scattered parts and fragments of the unfinished prosthetic arm on the ground had disappeared, leaving only a fully assembled iron arm lying there.

 

Si Lan picked up the prosthetic arm, licked his lips, and wondered why he remembered falling asleep halfway through making it the night before.

 

He tried the prosthetic arm and found that the mechanisms inside were much more flexible than what he had initially crafted.

 

At that moment, he felt a sharp pain on his neck. He reached to touch it and saw a faint bloodstain on his fingertip.

 

He quickly stood up from his chair, “Chong Ying… Chong Ying…”

 

This little creature is incorrigible!

 

And he dares to sneakily drink his blood!

 

Does he really consider him a walking blood bank?!

 

He didn’t hear a reply and thought that the little guy had hidden somewhere. He walked out and raised his voice to call him, but there was still no response, only a flock of wild birds on the Zhuyun Peak taking flight.

 

It was then that he realized that the little one had returned to the Heavenly Court.

---

T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

 

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

 Chapter 25

 

At this moment, it wasn’t just him; even Haowei, who always had a stern expression, couldn’t help but be astonished when he saw Junli’s face.

 

Afterward, Haowei looked at Si Lan and squinted his eyes.

 

Is this a coincidence? Or is there some connection?

 

Junli stepped forward, gazing at the blood bead and murmured softly, “Idiot.”

 

“No wonder Bian Rang’s soul was shattered, it turns out it was to free up cultivation to protect this fetal crystal.”

 

As the child of the Heavenly Dao, regardless of gender, if one is willing to conceive, the fetal crystal will gestate within the core.

 

After Bian Rang’s core was pierced by a sword, he didn’t choose to heal the injury but instead wasted his cultivation to save the fetal crystal, which resulted in his soul scattering!

 

Originally, after the Heavenly Dao’s omen appeared, the spiritual power of the three of them had been gradually weakening and couldn’t withstand such turmoil.

 

Fanyu couldn’t help but say, “Is it worth losing your life for the child of a snake demon?”

 

Junli parted his lips but remained silent.

 

This gesture was almost identical to Si Lan’s little habit.

 

Si Lan, seeing this expression on the other’s face, felt a bit complicated. The excitement of seeing his idol had now been completely replaced by shock.

 

“What should we do with this fetal crystal?” Junli asked.

 

“I’ll keep it in the core for Bian Rang first. If I have any issues, I’ll hand this fetal crystal over to you.” Even though Fanyu felt that Bian Rang was a fool in his heart, he was still willing to personally nurture the fetal crystal in the core as their cultivation gradually weakened.

 

Junli nodded.

 

Then, the two of them vanished in an instant.

 

However, at this moment, Si Lan was still trying to recover from the successive shocks he had experienced. He felt that he had some grasp of the current situation and subconsciously asked Haowei beside him, “Chongying, did you also see that bead? Do you think it looks like Xie Li’s original form?”

 

After asking this question, Si Lan felt like he had asked in vain. This little white dragon wouldn’t know anything about Xie Li’s original form.

 

However, Haowei calmly responded, “It’s not just similar, it’s the same.”

 

“How do you know?”

 

“The aura.”

 

Si Lan pursed his lips, “So… does this mean that the fetal crystal underwent a transformation in the core, with the bloodstains inside forming a young embryo, and then it took shape when it came to me?”

 

Haowei succinctly replied, “Yes.”

 

Si Lan remained silent.

 

Initially, the bead had been entrusted to Fanyu for nurturing, but after Fanyu’s soul shattered, it was probably handed over to Junli. Then, after Junli’s death during the Heavenly Tribulation, the bead might have followed him in the cycle of reincarnation.

 

Finally, the bead appeared next to Si Lan, and Si Lan and Junli looked identical…

 

Although it was hard to believe, the answer seemed evident: Si Lan might be Junli’s reincarnation!

 

So, all these years, the person he admired was actually himself?!

 

Si Lan, upon seeing the helpless yet somewhat pleased expression on the other’s face, couldn’t help but sigh.

 

It seemed this Demon Lord had quite the self-love, admiring himself.

 

“This bead is a fetal crystal, not a reincarnation bead. I don’t know whether to tell Jiuying about this; whether he can handle it…” Si Lan mused with a furrowed brow.

 

Considering Jiuying’s current situation, if he were to learn that Bian Rang had passed away and had no chance of reincarnation, it would likely lead to his immediate demise.

 

Haowei, sensing Si Lan’s dilemma, calmly stated, “If you don’t tell him the truth, he won’t survive either.”

 

Jiuying had almost wiped out the Snake Demon Clan, committing a great atrocity. He would undoubtedly face judgment, and that would result in his soul shattering.

 

“Ah…” Si Lan sighed again, “I can’t tell him directly, but maybe I can give him a pleasant surprise.”

 

If Jiuying learned that Bian Rang had left behind a child before his death, it could provide some comfort to his troubled heart.

 

Si Lan had searched tirelessly for Xie Li’s biological parents for so long without any leads, and now, he had stumbled upon the answer quite unexpectedly.

 

Fate was a strange thing.

 

Thinking about this, Si Lan looked up at the sky. After Jiuying had killed Jiutou’s Snake Clan, the Heavenly Dao had withdrawn its condemnation.

 

The wasteland had returned to calm, and the night sky was inexplicably eerie.

 

He felt as though he were an onlooker, observing the story of Bian Rang and Jiuying. Was the Heavenly Dao also watching his story?

 

With this thought, he suddenly felt a bit uneasy and quickly cast a spell to dispel the blood magic in his palm.

 

The world in front of him slowly dissolved, replaced by the real scene. Two worlds intertwined, a hundred thousand years passed in the blink of an eye.

 

In the cave, the figures of Si Lan and Haowei appeared within the star and moon formation.

 

Quze had been guarding the formation all along and, upon seeing Si Lan’s arrival, immediately approached and asked, “Your Excellency, how are you feeling? Do you have any discomfort?”

 

Si Lan shook his head and lowered his gaze, noticing Haowei standing beside him.

 

Haowei’s small face was tense, giving the impression of an old sage.

 

Si Lan couldn’t help but smile and looked up at Jiuying.

 

Jiuying, who had recently appeared, seemed to have aged thousands of years in an instant. His head was covered in cracks, his eyes had changed from red to black, and his aura was nearly nonexistent. It seemed that after activating the Return to Origin spell, he had suffered significant cultivation loss.

 

Jiuying’s voice was hoarse, and he could hardly contain his excitement, “Did you find the blood bead?”

 

“I found it.”

 

“Where is it?”

 

“It… it’s not a reincarnation bead. It’s your and Bian Rang’s child.”

 

With each word Si Lan spoke, Jiuying’s expression became stiffer, and he stared at Si Lan in disbelief.

 

That blood bead was his and Bian Rang’s child?

 

Are they joking?

 

Si Lan could tell that Jiuying was struggling to accept this revelation and continued, “As the child of the Heavenly Dao, regardless of gender, when you killed Bian Rang, he was already carrying your child.”

 

Jiuying couldn’t find the words to express himself, and his head trembled slightly, likely due to the overwhelming shock.

 

A child? Bian Rang was carrying his child?

 

But Bian Rang had always been joking, saying that he wanted Jiuying to bear his child. How could it turn out that Bian Rang was carrying his child?

 

Si Lan saw Jiuying unable to speak and continued, “I brought the child to you. He carries the blood connection between you and Bian Rang.”

 

With that, Si Lan used magic to bring Xie Li, who had been surrounded by disciples of the Xuanling Sect and the Snake Demon Clan at the foot of the mountain, into the cave. Xie Li had his mouth full of sweet candy, given by the Xuanling Sect disciples and the little Snake Demons. He was happily eating when he suddenly found himself in a dark cave, and his little face turned pale.

 

Fortunately, he quickly saw Si Lan’s figure and ran happily to Si Lan’s side.

 

“Umm… Your Excellency…” Perhaps remembering something, Xie Li hastily swallowed the candy in his mouth.

 

The Excellency didn’t like him eating candy.

 

Jiuying had been watching Xie Li since he appeared, his gaze fixed on Xie Li. His lips trembled with excitement. This child was his and Bian Rang’s child?

 

But he had no idea that Bian Rang was carrying his child!

 

Si Lan pushed Xie Li toward Jiuying, and Xie Li suddenly saw the enormous snake head of Jiuying, causing his little body to shiver. He quickly hid behind Si Lan.

 

“Your Excellency, there’s a monster…”

 

Si Lan couldn’t help but feel a bit helpless. Xie Li himself was a little monster, so it was strange that he would be afraid of his own kind.

 

Moreover, this “kind” was his father.

 

Jiuying slowly extended his snake tongue, getting closer to Xie Li. Xie Li stared wide-eyed in fear at the snake tongue that was circling around him. His small hands involuntarily clenched the hem of Si Lan’s clothes.

 

As Jiuying got closer, he realized that the child bore some resemblance to Bian Rang. His snake tongue touched Xie Li’s head and explored, sensing the blood connection between Xie Li and Bian Rang.

 

Sil

 

an saw Jiuying’s reaction, “I brought the child to you. He carries the blood connection between you and Bian Rang.”

 

With that, Si Lan used magic to bring Xie Li, who had been surrounded by disciples of the Xuanling Sect and the Snake Demon Clan at the foot of the mountain, into the cave. Xie Li had his mouth full of sweet candy, given by the Xuanling Sect disciples and the little Snake Demons. He was happily eating when he suddenly found himself in a dark cave, and his little face turned pale.

 

Fortunately, he quickly saw Si Lan’s figure and ran happily to Si Lan’s side.

 

“Umm… Your Excellency…” Perhaps remembering something, Xie Li hastily swallowed the candy in his mouth.

 

The Excellency didn’t like him eating candy.

 

Jiuying had been watching Xie Li since he appeared, his gaze fixed on Xie Li. His lips trembled with excitement. This child was his and Bian Rang’s child?

 

But he had no idea that Bian Rang was carrying his child!

 

Si Lan pushed Xie Li toward Jiuying, and Xie Li suddenly saw the enormous snake head of Jiuying, causing his little body to shiver. He quickly hid behind Si Lan.

 

“Your Excellency, there’s a monster…”

 

Si Lan couldn’t help but feel a bit helpless. Xie Li himself was a little monster, so it was strange that he would be afraid of his own kind.

 

Moreover, this “kind” was his father.

 

Jiuying slowly extended his snake tongue, getting closer to Xie Li. Xie Li stared wide-eyed in fear at the snake tongue that was circling around him. His small hands involuntarily clenched the hem of Si Lan’s clothes.

 

As Jiuying got closer, he realized that the child bore some resemblance to Bian Rang. His snake tongue touched Xie Li’s head and explored, sensing the blood connection between Xie Li and Bian Rang.

 

“He is truly the child of him and Bian Rang!

 

He remembered the moment when Bian Rang handed him the blood bead, but he intentionally pretended to crush it in front of Bian Rang. At that time, Bian Rang was so furious that he vomited blood, his soul scattered.

 

At that moment, Bian Rang must have thought he had killed their child…

 

Even though he acted so maliciously, at the very last moment, Bian Rang saw his tears and consoled him.

 

“Jiuying, I’m fine. Even if my soul scatters, I will reincarnate.”

 

“When the snow in the north river is gone, I will return.”

 

Jiuying closed his eyes, and black tears fell one by one.

 

He didn’t understand why Bian Rang didn’t tell him the truth at that time.

 

Did he think that telling him wouldn’t matter to him?

 

Yes, at that time, all he thought about was killing Bian Rang.

 

Probably Bian Rang himself understood… but he still allowed his actions and ultimately died by his hand.

 

After his head cleared, he realized many things. Rather than saying he killed Bian Rang, it was more accurate to say that Bian Rang willingly died by his hand to fulfill his dream.

 

He didn’t know what he had done wrong.

 

He was exiled by kind people and loved by evil demons.

 

—

 

Seeing the snake head on the ground, Xie Li felt a profound sadness. He turned to look at Si Lan, who nodded at him. Encouraged, Xie Li approached Jiuying.

 

Jiuying slowly opened his eyes and, as if afraid of frightening Xie Li, lowered his head and lay on the ground in a submissive posture.

 

Xie Li handed a piece of candy to Jiuying, the sweetest one he had hidden and rarely ate himself.

 

Jiuying hesitated for a moment but then extended his serpent tongue and took the candy into his mouth.

 

The taste of plum candy was very sweet.

 

Jiuying extended his head, wanting to nuzzle Xie Li, but Xie Li was startled and ran back, hiding behind Si Lan, only showing a pair of big eyes as he watched Jiuying.

 

Jiuying felt strangely content. This was enough.

 

He didn’t need to gain anything more, and he didn’t deserve it.

 

He could see that this child lived a simple and peaceful life. In his round, innocent eyes, there were no worldly worries. Si Lan took good care of him, so there was no need to disrupt his innocence.

 

He communicated through mental transmission to Si Lan, “Thank you for taking care of him. Please don’t tell him about the things between me and Bian Rang. Let him be a carefree child.”

 

“Alright.”

 

“Why is he following you?”

 

Si Lan casually made up a reason, “I obtained a jade pendant from a snake demon, and that jade pendant turned into Xie Li, staying by my side.”

 

Jiuying seemed to believe this explanation and didn’t ask further.

 

Si Lan then asked, “Jiuying, do you know who unsealed your imprisonment?”

 

“I don’t know. When I woke up, there was nothing around me. It took me a hundred years of cultivation to free my head.”

 

Si Lan furrowed his brows, contemplating whether the unsealing of the Extreme Sound Eight Trigram Array was accidental or deliberate.

 

If it was deliberate, what was the purpose of releasing Jiuying? Was it to kill the Charm Snake Clan?

 

However, the person capable of unsealing the Extreme Sound Eight Trigram Array could easily wipe out the Charm Snake Clan without involving Jiuying.

 

“Perhaps, after ten thousand years, the Eight Trigrams Array loosened, and my head was accidentally released,” Jiuying explained when he saw Si Lan’s puzzled expression.

 

Now that he had no cultivation left, he only had one breath left. He hadn’t fulfilled his promise to Si Lan, so he conjured a small stone and presented it to Si Lan.

 

Si Lan took it and discovered that the small stone contained mystical inscriptions.

 

“When I entered the illusion, I carved these inscriptions. Anyway, I’m about to die, so I’m giving them to you…” He looked at Si Lan with a pleading expression. “But I still have one last request. Can you help me with it?”

 

“What’s your request?”

 

“Check if the snow in the north river has ended.”

 

Si Lan didn’t say anything and disappeared from the cave in an instant, reappearing a thousand miles away in the north river.

 

White snow covered the mountains, glistening like silver, stretching endlessly, without a sign of sun or moon.

 

The phrase “When the snow in the north river is gone, I will return” was just a comforting statement Bian Rang had made to Jiuying.

 

Ten thousand years later, the north river was still blanketed in endless white snow.

 

Si Lan returned to the cave and saw Jiuying waiting for him, but his body was motionless, with only his eyeballs moving with difficulty.

 

Si Lan approached him. “Jiuying, the snow in the north river has not yet ended.”

 

Jiuying seemed to smile, closed his eyelids, and his head shattered into specks of starlight, disappearing into the air.

 

It was good that Bian Rang could be reborn.

 

It was enough for him.

---

T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

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Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

 Chapter 24

 

Si Lan couldn’t help but be on edge for Jiuying. In front of everyone, he had killed “Bian Rang.” With Bian Rang’s violent temperament, it was likely that he would have torn him apart.

 

However, in the illusion, Jiuying explained to Bian Rang that it was a fake Bian Rang who had thrust the sword. Astonishingly, Bian Rang believed him and didn’t question Jiuying’s actions anymore.

 

Yet, Bian Rang continued to smile, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

 

It sent shivers down one’s spine for no apparent reason.

 

Jiuying, with a stiff upper lip, followed Bian Rang, who broke through the illusion by wielding his sword. Then, he struck the enormous insect shell, creating a momentary crack, and a painful scream echoed from above.

 

Jiuying finally realized that this enormous shell was the true form of the illusion beast.

 

The illusion beast turned into a cloud of smoke, frantically trying to escape, but Bian Rang blocked its path. As Bian Rang was about to subdue the illusion beast, Jiuying suddenly cried out.

 

“Save me… Master…”

 

Without much thought, Bian Rang turned back to rescue Jiuying. But as he embraced Jiuying, something felt off. This wasn’t Jiuying; it was an illusion.

 

At this moment, a long sword thrust into Bian Rang’s abdomen from behind.

 

Bian Rang groaned and, on impulse, pulled the sword out from his front, then turned to see who had stabbed him. However, he entered into the next illusion.

 

Bian Rang found himself in a grand hall, with numerous wine bottles in front of him. He seemed to have consumed a significant amount of alcohol, reeking of it, and possibly it had affected his body as his abdomen throbbed with pain.

 

His memory had briefly disappeared, but he recalled that he had been drinking with Jiuying that night in the Ninth Heaven.

 

But where was Jiuying?

 

“Jiuying…” Bian Rang stood up and called out Jiuying’s name. His vision was blurred, but he faintly saw a dark figure approaching him. Unable to resist, he reached out and touched the figure’s cheek. “Where did you go?”

 

“Master, I’ve been here the whole time.” Jiuying hadn’t expected that when Bian Rang was trapped in the illusion, he would dream about the night they had spent drinking.

 

He wondered what was so memorable about that night?

 

The illusion magnified people’s desires, making them feel their innermost impulses more intensely.

 

Bian Rang moved closer to Jiuying, his fingers tracing Jiuying’s face, and he whispered, “Jiuying, I want…”

 

To have you.

 

Jiuying felt Bian Rang’s desire, and his body tensed instantly. Although they had never gone all the way, he knew that every time Bian Rang got close to him, his breath became fiery and unnerving.

 

But all Jiuying thought about was how to kill him.

 

Unfortunately, that one sword hadn’t killed him, just distracted him momentarily into the illusion.

 

However, it had provided enough time for the illusion beast to escape.

 

At this moment, Bian Rang was focused on touching Jiuying’s face, feeling every inch of him. His fingers moved lower, and his heart raced.

 

He had never imagined that, after ten thousand years of existence, he would experience such a rapid heartbeat. He was created by the Heavenly Dao to maintain the order in the Mortal Realm, a cold and desireless weapon.

 

Bian Rang had no plan, but his only thought was to possess Jiuying.

 

Jiuying was the first person he had genuinely liked in the Six Realms.

 

Jiuying held Bian Rang’s increasingly unrestrained hand. He thought that the illusion beast had fled far enough, so he decided to break the illusion. But when he looked into Bian Rang’s wet eyes, Jiuying suddenly changed his mind.

 

In recent days, the wild desire in Bian Rang’s heart had always revolved around him, making him restless and fearful.

 

Now, he wanted to take advantage of Bian Rang being trapped in the illusion to destroy this beast himself.

 

He suddenly pressed Bian Rang back onto the table, causing Bian Rang discomfort. Lips quivering, he said, “Master, you’ve always wanted to have me, haven’t you? Now, like this, you have me…” Jiuying was speaking near his ear, as if he had remembered something, and then he gritted his teeth. “I may not be as strong as you, but I am of the serpent clan.”

 

Bian Rang groaned, feeling the pain in his chest intensify, along with another place that hurt even more. It was as if something had been forcibly ripped open, and then sharp blades plunged into his organs.

 

He couldn’t move, couldn’t enjoy any love, only the frenzy of plunder.

 

“Pain…”

 

At this moment, Jiuying somewhat enjoyed the feeling of violence.

 

Corrupting the Son of the Heavenly Dao, who was supposed to be lofty and virtuous, was truly addictive.

 

He suddenly understood why Bian Rang liked watching beasts fight. It was because having absolute control over others’ life and death, easily determining the fate of others, was truly addictive.

 

When Jiuying pinned Bian Rang to the table, Siren had already covered Haowei’s eyes and cast a spell to bring Haowei out of the illusion.

 

He hadn’t expected to witness such an exciting scene…

 

This Jiuying, young in age but not in heart.

 

Thinking of Bian Rang’s agonizing cries, Siren’s heart trembled for a moment, and, at this moment, he unexpectedly felt a little sorry for this ruthless tyrant who killed without hesitation.

 

“I hope that when Bian Rang wakes up, he won’t kill Jiuying.” Siren murmured softly.

 

Although Bian Rang appeared to have an unusual tolerance and affection for Jiuying, there was no guarantee that this tyrant wouldn’t go mad and kill someone after being humiliated.

 

“Is it almost time for Jiuying to kill Bian Rang?” Siren lowered his gaze and looked at Haowei.

 

“Yes,” Haowei responded expressionlessly.

 

Haowei remembered reading ancient records about the gods when he was young. It mentioned the true forms of the Heavenly Dao’s three sons.

 

Junli was the spring breeze, Fanyu was the autumn rain, and Bian Rang was the winter frost.

 

The three of them had no gender distinctions.

 

Thinking of this, a bizarre thought quietly arose in Haowei’s mind.

As they were conversing, they noticed the illusion had disappeared. Jiuying carried the unconscious Bian Rang and used magic to leave.

 

The sword in Bian Rang’s body quickly healed on its own, but he remained in a state of unconsciousness. His delicate and beautiful face looked as if he had been crying, invoking a sense of pity.

 

Jiuying was about to leave after setting him down, but then he remembered something and cleaned up Bian Rang.

 

“I’ve been conscientious enough,” Jiuying said.

 

The next day, when Bian Rang woke up, he felt pain all over. On instinct, he lifted the bedsheet to see his condition, and his face changed as he realized what had happened in the illusion had flooded into his mind.

 

Jiuying’s dominance, Jiuying’s tyranny, Jiuying’s possession…

 

Each scene impacted his heart.

 

His face turned red and green with anger, and he clenched his fists.

 

How could Jiuying treat him like that in the illusion while he was injured? Just as he was about to get out of bed, a sharp pain shot up from his tailbone and exploded in his mind. He couldn’t help but groan.

 

This subordinate Jiuying, didn’t even use magic to heal him after humiliating him like this?

 

Did he dare act so freely just because he knew Bian Rang doted on him?

 

But Bian Rang didn’t know that Jiuying had deliberately made him feel pain to remember this humiliation.

 

Bian Rang used magic to heal his injuries, but his complexion remained pale. He had never been this disheveled in his entire life. He intended to go out and hold Jiuying accountable when he saw Jiuying entering with a bowl.

 

Jiuying seemed to think he had done nothing wrong. When he saw Bian Rang, his expression changed, “Master, you’re awake. I’ve made porridge for you to nourish your body.”

 

Bian Rang pushed the bowl away and said coldly, “Jiuying, your audacity grows day by day.”

 

“Master, didn’t you say… that you wanted me?” Jiuying also noticed his growing audacity and surprisingly felt no fear at the moment.

 

Bian Rang feigned a smile and said, “You know very well that’s not what I meant!”

 

“Master, I also want you very much.”

 

After Jiuying finished speaking, he put down the bowl, raised his head, and looked at Bian Rang with a determined gaze.

 

Bian Rang couldn’t find the words, but he met Jiuying’s gaze. However, his ears turned slightly red, showing a touch of self-mockery and sadness.

 

In the illusion, he remembered that when he was in too much pain, Jiuying had kissed him and looked at him with such eyes.

 

Bian Rang’s heart raced, but he pretended to be calm. He attempted to raise his hand to hit Jiuying, but Jiuying grabbed his hand and kissed his fingers one by one.

 

The gentle touch widened Bian Rang’s eyes, and Jiuying intentionally bit Bian Rang’s fingertip with force. Bian Rang couldn’t help but utter a sound, then realized the awkwardness and quickly closed his mouth.

 

Seeing Bian Rang’s reaction, Jiuying’s actions became less frantic than the day before.

 

“Jiuying, you…” Bian Rang’s words were interrupted by a hum.

 

After a long time, everything returned to calm.

 

Jiuying lay on the bed, looking up at the empty hall. He had a somewhat ridiculous thought: what if Bian Rang weren’t so cruel, just an ordinary monster? That would be nice.

 

“Jiuying…”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Never mind.”

 

“…”

 

“Jiuying… Jiuying…”

 

“I’m here, Master. What’s wrong?”

 

“Never mind.”

 

“…”

 

Jiuying ignored Bian Rang’s calls, pretending not to hear, and closed his eyes, soon falling asleep.

 

Bian Rang, on the other hand, couldn’t sleep. He lay there, looking at Jiuying, murmuring his name.

 

He didn’t know how much longer he could be with Jiuying like this. The Holy Punishment of the Heavenly Dao was slowly affecting his body… that’s why he fell into the illusion created by the Illusion Beast.

 

As for the person who had stabbed him from behind…

 

Bian Rang looked at Jiuying and smiled, a somewhat self-deprecating and melancholic smile.

 

He put on his robe, walked outside the hall, and gazed silently at the crescent moon in the sky.

 

The night in the Ninth Heaven was unusually cold, and solitude enveloped his figure tightly.

 

He felt like a person torn apart, out of place in this world.

 

Why did the Heavenly Dao create him, only to destroy him?

 

What was the purpose of his existence?

 

He didn’t know, but he did know that, in the midst of bloody slaughter, his blood would tremble, and his heart would beat, and the meaning of life seemed to be just that.

 

“Master…”

 

Suddenly, he heard Jiuying’s voice from behind.

 

Bian Rang turned around, thinking Jiuying had woken up, but he realized Jiuying was still dreaming.

 

Bian Rang lay down next to Jiuying and gently touched the smile at the corner of Jiuying’s mouth, which seemed to be a pleasant dream.

 

In this world, there would be moments when people called his name with a smile, not out of fear.

 

Since killing him was what he sought, he would fulfill Jiuying.

 

Perhaps the strong obsession before going to sleep had led Jiuying to dream. In the dream, Bian Rang was not the Son of the Heavenly Dao but merely his husband. They were living a peaceful and leisurely life in the Great Wilderness.

 

However, this beautiful dream was interrupted by a voice in his mind.

 

Jiuying abruptly woke up from his dream, seeing that Bian Rang was sleeping beside him. He held his breath and entered his spiritual consciousness, communicating with Xumo.

 

Siren and Haowei couldn’t hear Jiuying’s conversation in his spiritual consciousness. They only saw Jiuying conjure a black sword out of thin air. The sword had a cloud pattern on the blade, shimmering with a golden dark light, and it appeared extraordinarily sharp.

 

This sword was forged from the last bone joint of the Heavenly Dao’s little finger.

 

“This last bone joint may not be as powerful as the Heavenly Dao’s true form, so it can’t annihilate Bian Rang’s soul. But at least it can kill him.”

 

Jiuying breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Xumo’s words about not annihilating Bian Rang’s soul.

 

Actually, killing Bian Rang in this lifetime would be enough.

In the next life, Bian Rang might not have such a cruel temperament, and his cultivation might not be as fearsome.

 

“Hmm,” Jiuying replied.

 

Withdrawing from his spiritual consciousness, Jiuying saw Bian Rang tilting his head, as if he was about to wake up. Quickly, he concealed the sword he held in his hand.

 

Bian Rang didn’t wake up, just shifted into a different sleeping position.

 

However, Jiuying couldn’t sleep anymore and lay on the bed with a troubled expression.

 

Si Lan saw all of Jiuying’s anxiety and unease and felt a sense of pity for him. Young Jiuying, who had once detested the cruelty and violence of Bian Rang, had eventually become someone like Bian Rang, cruel and slaughtering the Snake Tribe.

 

In this world, people were still unaware that divine retribution had already descended. The Nine-Headed Snake Tribe hadn’t produced a newborn in ten years, and no pure, superior bloodline had been born within a hundred years. This wasn’t because Bian Rang had abducted the Snake Tribe’s strong men, preventing them from giving birth to pure bloodlines, but because of divine retribution.

 

After the Heavenly Dao created the human realm, it didn’t allow for too much power to exist. Even the Heavenly Dao’s three sons had to make way for humans, let alone the various demon races.

 

From this perspective, it seemed that ordinary humans were the true sons of the Heavenly Dao.

 

It was unclear if Jiuying hadn’t found the right opportunity or couldn’t bear to kill Bian Rang, but for the next month, Jiuying and Bian Rang spent peaceful and serene days together.

 

Perhaps even immortals couldn’t resist temptation. Bian Rang, who had indulged in worldly pleasures, found that such activities were more interesting than watching arena battles. He often pestered Jiuying.

 

The two spent day and night in their chambers, as if it were a never-ending carnival before doomsday.

 

The weakening of Bian Rang’s cultivation was noticed throughout Zhonghuang. His control over Zhonghuang was no longer as strong as before. The barriers he had established were no longer as secure, and the curses he had cast showed signs of loosening. All of these signs indicated that his body was in trouble.

 

During this time, Xumo approached Jiuying again, urging him to kill Bian Rang as soon as possible, to avoid more trouble.

 

So, when Jiuying accompanied Bian Rang to capture the fierce Yao in Manghuang, he had already secretly collaborated with the fierce Yao, setting a trap to lure Bian Rang in.

 

Bian Rang seemed oblivious and reassured Jiuying, “That fierce Yao is extremely brutal. Stay close to me and don’t wander.”

 

Jiuying smiled and asked, “Is there a Yao more brutal than you?”

 

Bian Rang cast a sidelong glance at him with an amused expression in his peach blossom eyes. Jiuying looked at him quietly, his expression hidden by tension. He couldn’t let Bian Rang sense his uncontrolled emotions.

 

Eventually, Bian Rang agreed to take Jiuying along. When they arrived in Manghuang, several eagle demons circled above. Their strange calls filled the air.

 

Bian Rang transformed his sword, and in an instant, sword energy cut through all the eagle demons.

 

“Bian Rang!”

 

An angry roar suddenly echoed from above. The white cloud in the sky changed shape and formed into a snow-white eagle demon, diving down from above, screeching as it tried to devour Bian Rang.

 

Bian Rang quickly pushed Jiuying away and used his sword to block the attack. The eagle demon had massive wings that could easily cause chaos. The dust filled the air, and everything around was engulfed in a sandstorm, obscuring their vision.

 

Bian Rang closed his eyes and relied on his senses to locate the white eagle demon. However, just as the attack was about to land, Jiuying’s cry for help echoed in the distance.

 

“Master… Master… Save me…”

 

Bian Rang suddenly opened his eyes and narrowly avoided the sandstorm. He realized that he wasn’t surrounded by sand; it was an illusion.

 

The illusion wasn’t created by the white eagle demon and Jiuying. It was set up beforehand, and perhaps Xumo was involved.

 

Maybe even Jiuying was part of it.

 

Jiuying stood in mid-air, silently watching as Bian Rang was trapped in the illusion.

 

Bian Rang, who cared so much about his appearance that he didn’t even want to be exposed to the sun, had a bleeding cut on his face.

 

Bleeding profusely, he continued to wield his sword, breaking through one illusion after another.

 

“Save me… Ah… Master…”

 

The false voice created by the illusion continued to torment Bian Rang, and he felt anxious. He couldn’t afford to take the risk. What if something really happened to Jiuying?

 

He didn’t hesitate to break through the illusion, even at the cost of losing three levels of cultivation. But as he escaped from the illusion, a longsword pierced his heart from behind.

 

In an instant, he felt a sharp pain in his heart, and when he tried to use his cultivation to heal, he found that he couldn’t channel his spiritual energy.

 

The sword that struck him was no ordinary weapon; it was the Heavenly Dao…

 

This time, he managed to turn around and saw the person who had stabbed him.

 

It was Jiuying.

 

He didn’t feel shock but smiled at Jiuying, “As long as you’re safe…”

 

Hearing these words, Jiuying couldn’t hold back his emotions any longer. He let go of Bian Rang, and with tears in his eyes, he said, “Why pretend, Bian Rang? You, a cruel and heartless person, don’t understand feelings at all!”

 

Bian Rang fell backward to the ground, his eyes gradually losing focus, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he suddenly spat out blood.

 

Jiuying instinctively rushed to his side, wanting to say something but unable to find the words. He looked at his pale and transparent face, his eyes reddening.

 

He was going to die.

 

Everything was coming to an end.

 

Bian Rang reached out to him, his fingers covered in blood, holding a bloodstained bead in his palm.

 

“It…” Jiuying took the vermilion bead and said fiercely, “What are you pretending to be sentimental at this moment? I don’t want this broken bead!”

 

He extended his hand, squeezed the bead forcefully, and, in front of Bian Rang, crushed it into powder, scattering it on the ground.

 

“You… cough…”

 

Bian Rang, seeing the bead turning to dust, seemed unable to hold on any longer. He coughed up blood, and his body quickly turned transparent, his bones and flesh becoming transparent starlight.

 

It was only then that Jiuying realized something was wrong. It appeared that Bian Rang wasn’t just dying; his soul seemed to be disintegrating.

 

How could this happen? Weren’t the instructions clear that the bone would only kill him?

 

“Bian Rang… Why is it like this? I didn’t intend to kill you completely…” Jiuying had removed the seal and enchantment that Xumo placed on the short sword, hoping that Bian Rang’s death in this life would be a form of redemption, not to deny him rebirth.

 

“Bian Rang… Bian Rang…”

 

Bian Rang closed his eyes and was unable to speak. He used the last bit of his spiritual power to convey a message to Jiuying, “Jiuying, I’m fine. Even if my soul disintegrates, I will fall back into the cycle of reincarnation.”

 

“When the North River’s snow melts, I shall return.”

 

After saying these words, Bian Rang’s body completely turned to dust and vanished in the wind.

 

Jiuying stood there in shock, with an intact bead in his palm.

 

In the sky above Zhonghuang, all the invisible enchantments and curses placed by Bian Rang disappeared. Countless demons and creatures rejoiced, knowing that Bian Rang had died.

 

Zhonghuang was free!

 

They would no longer be controlled by the demon!

 

Si Lan finally understood why Jiuying helped Louyu; it was because they both killed the people who loved them but later realized they loved each other in this lifetime. Si Lan couldn’t help but sigh at the complexity of their situation.

 

Si Lan flew to Jiuying, intending to examine the blood bead, but Jiuying concealed it in his chest.

 

Behind them, Xumo appeared out of nowhere, his eyes gleaming with delight. “Jiuying, is he really dead?”

 

Jiuying, with a fake bloody bead, handed it to Xumo after ensuring it was without issue.

 

Xumo carefully inspected it and, upon confirming it was genuine, breathed a sigh of relief. “This child of Heaven’s Dao might have a unique rebirth. I thought he gave you a rebirth bead.”

 

Jiuying’s eyes twitched slightly. “A rebirth bead?”

 

“Yes, when an immortal is near death, they condense their soul into a rebirth bead. After a thousand years, the rebirth bead will reform and start a new cultivation.”

 

Jiuying’s chest heaved at these words but he said nothing more.

 

Si Lan was puzzled and asked, “A rebirth bead?”

 

“That’s not a rebirth bead,” said Haowei succinctly.

 

“What is it then?”

 

Just as Haowei was about to answer, the scene before them suddenly changed. The sky darkened abruptly, and rolling dark clouds filled the atmosphere, accompanied by mournful thunder. In the next instant, from the sky, enormous rocks fell, not as raindrops but as massive stones.

 

These stones seemed to have life and descended furiously, smashing into the ground. Those demons and creatures that couldn’t dodge in time let out desperate roars.

 

“Ah…”

 

Accompanying the falling stones was black rain. Wherever the raindrops landed, everything turned into black sludge.

 

“It’s divine retribution! This is divine retribution!”

 

“We killed the child of Heaven’s Dao! Heaven’s Dao is angry!”

 

“Help… Help… My child… Don’t harm my child!”

 

In an instant, the entire Zhonghuang was enveloped in a cacophony of despair.

 

Xumo and others hadn’t even had time to savor their victory before they were forced to immediately deploy their formations to withstand Heaven’s punishment.

 

“Return to the Nine-Headed Snake Tribe!”

 

“Leader, please save us!”

 

“Now Heaven’s Dao is punishing us! We’re all going to die!”

 

“Who killed the child of Heaven’s Dao?”

 

Xumo instinctively looked at Jiuying. Jiuying, his face pale, was about to explain but was interrupted by the cacophony of accusations.

 

“Jiuying, how could you have killed the child of Heaven’s Dao?”

 

“You completely disregarded the tribe by doing this!”

 

“Jiuying, return my child… Return my child…”

 

Jiuying never expected things to turn out this way. He thought that killing Bian Rang would make the world better, but instead, it had turned into a living hell.

 

He was being treated as the scapegoat and pushed forward to atone for the sins of others.

 

The same people who had sent him to kill Bian Rang were now avoiding his gaze and coldly telling him that if he could die to appease Heaven’s anger, they would accept it.

 

Jiuying’s heart was filled with a sense of irony and absurdity. He had led a miserable life, and the one person who genuinely loved him in this world, he had killed.

 

But he couldn’t die now. He had to resurrect Bian Rang.

 

Jiuying attempted to use his magic to escape, but before he could move, Xumo grabbed him.

 

“Jiuying, sacrifice yourself to save all of Zhonghuang.”

 

“Why is the responsibility of saving Zhonghuang falling on me again? What has Zhonghuang ever done for me? Let go…”

 

He roared and reverted to his true form, revealing his nine heads and eighteen eyes, glaring fiercely at the others.

 

“Sorry, Jiuying,” said Xumo.

Xumo and several elders joined forces, using a spell to pin Jiuying’s body in place.

 

“He made the soul of Heaven’s Dao’s child disintegrate. Killing him might not be enough to appease the wrath of Heaven’s Dao. We must cut off his nine heads, seal them in the Jiyin Bagua Formation, and offer them as a sacrifice to Heaven’s Dao. Only this way can Heaven’s Dao see our determination to make amends.”

 

“Very well.”

 

“Chief, please hurry. My child has only one head left!”

 

In the illusion, Jiuying gave up struggling, smiling as he watched his body being severed, and his physical form being annihilated by the formation. His heads were cut off and sealed within the Jiyin Bagua Formation.

 

However, when the last head was being sealed, Jiuying shouted to the sky, “If I break out of this seal, I will rebuild my body with the blood of the entire tribe.”

 

—

 

Long before the Nine-Headed Snake Tribe began cutting Jiuying’s body, Si Lan couldn’t bear to watch any longer and covered Haowei’s eyes.

 

The few lines in the history books concealed the countless lives and bloodshed. Witnessing this series of tragedies that occurred ten thousand years ago in person filled him with a different kind of emotion.

 

“People in Zhonghuang probably haven’t realized that the real culprit manipulating their fate and toying with their lives isn’t Bian Rang but Heaven’s Dao.”

 

To maintain the balance of the Six Realms, Heaven’s Dao had long wanted to weaken the major demons. Now that they had killed Bian Rang, it provided the perfect excuse for Heaven’s retribution.

 

In fact, even if they hadn’t killed Bian Rang, he wouldn’t have lived much longer.

 

The demise of Heaven’s Dao’s three sons was inevitable. Three years after the Truth Practice, another ten years, and Fanyu, another son of Heaven’s Dao, perished as he rebelled against Heaven’s Dao, leading to the disintegration of his soul.

 

Thirty years after the Truth Practice, Junli, the only son of Heaven’s Dao to die less tragically and be able to reincarnate, also met his fate.

 

As Si Lan watched Jiuying being killed, he noticed that Jiuying had hidden the bead in his mouth just before his head was sealed within the formation.

 

He was about to search for it when a shadow suddenly appeared out of thin air. The shadow walked straight to one of Jiuying’s severed heads and, with a gesture, made the red bead float in the air, passing right before Si Lan’s eyes.

 

Only up close did he see that the bead was indeed as Jiuying had described, translucent with specks of bloodstains. But what Jiuying hadn’t mentioned was that the blood-red gem also bore a cloud-like pattern on its surface.

 

The same cloud pattern adorned Si Lan’s own true form—his blood gem. However, the size of the true gem was much larger, and the small bloodstains had congregated at the lower right corner, resembling an embryo.

 

Thus, Si Lan had never connected the bead Jiuying was searching for with Xielin!

 

At this moment, the shadow turned around, revealing a refined and handsome face. Si Lan looked into his eyes and saw that they were blue.

 

These were the characteristic eyes of Fanyu, Heaven’s Dao’s son!

 

Si Lan was amazed and excited but tugged at Haowei’s sleeve, urging him to look at Fanyu.

 

Haowei, in turn, pulled at Si Lan’s sleeve and gestured for him to look behind.

 

Si Lan turned around and saw that someone had appeared behind them. This person was wearing a white robe and a hat.

 

Although their face was partially obscured by the hat’s brim, their graceful figure and unparalleled beauty couldn’t be hidden.

 

Si Lan’s heart suddenly raced, overwhelmed with excitement, to the point that he didn’t even notice how tightly he was gripping Haowei’s hand.

 

This person was Junli!

 

He was the idol Si Lan had admired for over a thousand years!

 

He had never imagined that one day he would cross ten thousand years and achieve success in his star-chasing journey.

 

“Bian Rang is really a fool,” Fanyu suddenly said coldly, reaching out to Si Lan and lifting the blood gem. “Look.”

 

Emerging from the shadows, Junli took off his hat.

 

As his face was fully revealed, Si Lan’s expression suddenly crumbled, a mix of surprise and horror. It wasn’t because Junli was ugly or strange; it was because Junli looked exactly like him!

---

T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

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Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

 

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!