“Of course you are! I know both your spiritual and physical souls well!” Hua Zun was absolutely certain.
“Mom, what’s a former life? Why can’t I understand anything?” Tianci looked at one and then at the other. He really could not get it.
“Tianci, you’re still young. You don’t need to know these.” Hua Qiyue’s heart seemed quite lost. If only she were a child! How good would that be!
Carefree and without any worries. Forgoing love and enjoying quiet, happy times.
“Hua Zun, I’m Hua Qiyue, not Tao Xian’er. I am not the one you want to protect.” For some strange reason, Hua Qiyue felt vexed. She did not know why she would get a headache whenever she heard the name “Tao Xian’er”.
They arrived at the kitchen. It was very big and also held a dining room. On one side was the bloody carcass of an evil beast.
Hua Qiyue frowned. Tianpi saw this and immediately stored the carcass in his Space Ring.
Otherwise, Hua Qiyue would surely not eat with such a bloody carcass around.
On the jade table was a few bowls of steaming hot porridge. The aromatic smell of meat lingered in the air. Tianci took a deep breath. “Wow, smells so good. What evil beast’s meat is this? Meat porridge, yum yum. It’s the first time I’m having this!”
Tianci said and immediately leaped up a stone chair and sat on it. “Let’s start eating. Grandmaster, I won’t stand on ceremony!”
“Tianci, call me Brother Hua, understand?” Hua Zun saw that he could not please Hua Qiyue. He immediately sat beside Tianci, smiling gently.
“Brother Hua? You’re so thick-skinned. Humph, you’re an old man. He should call you Grandpa Hua.” Tianpi on one side started to remark sarcastically.
Hua Zun snorted coldly. “I’m always here and have never grown old. Well, let’s talk about you. You are still that same old devil as before. Your personality hasn’t changed.”
His words hinted that Tianpi was originally a devil.
Neither Hua Qiyue nor Tianci reacted. Tianci was happily eating the porridge. Hua Qiyue sipped a mouthful nonchalantly and suddenly, surprise brightened her eyes. “I didn’t expect this evil beast porridge to taste so good.”
“Of course. I stayed up the whole night to cook it.” Tianpi was quite proud.
Hua Qiyue jerked up the corners of her lips. A forced smile showed on her ravishing face. Hua Zun did not feel good at all. He quietly started to take the porridge. As he ate the tasty porridge, he felt himself back to 10,000 years ago.
More than 10,000 years ago, they and Tao Xian’er were having a wonderful time, living together in the Evil Beasts Forest.
Hua Qiyue inadvertently swept Hua Zun a glance. She saw his downcast look and felt pity for him. This man had waited for a woman for 10,000 years and had not given up. He must be the most sentimental man in the world.
He could live in this Ice Palace forever without aging. But she could not imagine anyone living alone for 10,000 years.
Hua Zun could sense Hua Qiyue’s gaze falling on him. He lifted his eyes a little and stared into her compassionate eyes.
Hua Zun started and was overjoyed. The fervor in his eyes made Hua Qiyue feel goosebumps all over.
These so-called “young masters” must have too little contact with women. Either that, or Tao Xian’er’s charisma was too great. Hua Qiyue only resembled her somewhat, yet he had gazed at him with such madly elated eyes. She was made very uncomfortable by his gaze.
Hua Qiyue retracted her gaze and glanced quietly at Tianpi. “Master, are there places here which are especially fun? Tianci can’t just cultivate all the time, can he?”
Right now, she really had no urge to cultivate. She was almost at the first level of Great Deity. Besides, she had Tianpi with her. Who would dare to provoke her?
Even Elder Xuan and Elder Bai were not his match.
A devil from more than 10,000 years ago and Hua Zun. Who would dare touch her?
Besides, cultivation would not take one day and one night. She decided to mingle work with play for Tianci.
“Yes, there are. There’s the Evil Beasts Forest at the extreme end of the snowy mountains, just in front of the Ice Palace. And 500 kilometers south, there’s the Ice City. This large city borders Gangchun Kingdom. There are plenty of traders and hawkers there selling tasty snacks and all sorts of rare treasures.”
Tianpi replied. His diabolically handsome face exuded laziness. “Why? Shall we visit the place now to play?”
“Yeah, yeah! Mom, I want to play there! Mom!”
Tianci was the first to put up his hand. He concurred with the suggestion excitedly.
Hua Qiyue glanced at Tianci with doting love. “Alright. I shall listen to you this time. After breakfast, we shall visit that place and have fun.”
Tianci heard her and started to devour the porridge in big gulps. He ate the big chunks of evil beast meat and was extremely excited. He kept praising Tianpi, claiming that the latter’s culinary skills had improved.
“It’s not his credit. I was the one who had put in the ingredients.” Hua Zun was most unhappy that he was neglected. He did not want all his “credit” stolen by Tianpi.
Hua Qiyue glanced at Hua Zun again. This man with hoary hair had boyish features. He looked quite adorable actually. Yet his head of gray hair was a match for Bai Qianxue’s. It was so snowy-white that it dazzled. Yet she could not really associate this boyish-looking Hua Zun with the aristocratic, nonchalant Bai Qianxue.
Hua Zun’s eyes on Hua Qiyue were still so fanatical.
“I see. So Uncle Hua’s great too.” Tianci really knew how to curry favor. He made Hua Zun’s tense face beam.
“Tianci’s a good boy. Later, uncle will buy you lots of tasty food.”
Hua Zun caressed Tianci’s small head, chuckling. After taking a bowl of porridge, Tianci said, “Mom, I won’t have another, or I can’t take all the food in Ice City. Anyway, Uncle Hua’s giving us a treat.”
Hua Qiyue tittered. “Alright, I’ll let you be and won’t force you.”
Seeing Hua Qiyue’s smile, Tianpi’s heart relaxed somewhat. She was finally willing to smile.
But Tianpi did not know that Hua Qiyue’s heart was ridden with holes. If it weren’t for Tianci, her heart would have died. She would not be able to rake up passion for anything and anyone.
Hua Zun glanced at Tianci and Tianpi quietly and his heart ached. Tianpi must be the one who had spent the most time with Hua Qiyue. And that man she loved— he must have been Tianci’s dad, eh?
Tianpi had not told him who that man was.
Hua Zun slowly sipped a mouthful of porridge. A warm smile appeared on his boyish face. No matter what, his Tao Xian’er had returned. He hoped that he could protect her from sufferings this life.
Although Tianpi had “reformed” himself, Hua Zun was still wary of him. Despite Tianpi dissipating all the evil energies in his body after being trapped for 10,000 years, the Hallucinatory Pearl was a very powerful item. It could make even the Eight-horned Dragon, who had enjoyed great prestige in heaven, lapse into Devil’s Path.
So he could only secretly observe Tianpi, wondering if he would regress into a devil or not. Hua Zun could not give him the slimmest chance!
After the company took their breakfast, they headed for Ice City. As they traversed the Evil Beasts Forest, the auras from their bodies made the nearby evil beasts flee madly.
“Mom, why are those evil beasts so afraid of us?”
Tianci could not understand. He asked curiously.
Tianpi glanced at the wavering anima energy and smiled. “That’s because ordinary people usually won’t visit the Evil Beasts Forest. If they do, they must be very powerful Qi Artists. When these evil beasts detect their great oppressive aura, they all flee.”
Tianci suddenly understood. He puffed out his chest very happily. “I see. Does that mean I am a very powerful Qi Artist?”
“Yes. You’re just like your mom when she was young— very powerful!”
Hua Zun said, gratified. Tianci must have inherited Hua Qiyue’s amazing genes!
Tianci started to chuckle smugly. He leaped out and grabbed hold of a tenth-level hummingbird.
There was a lingering fog in the Evil Beasts Forest. Layers of fallen leaves strew the path. This Forest without an end resembled their future, which would forever be shrouded in mystery.
—
Prince Nan’s mansion.
The day after the wedding.
News of Hua Qiyue running away from her wedding shocked the entire Changjing Kingdom. After all, Hua Qiyue and Yun Shimo were very close before the wedding. No one had heard any rumors on their estrangement.
Suddenly, a devil arrived and took Hua Qiyue away. Everyone thought that the devil must have fallen in love with Hua Qiyue. It must be that devil in legend. The news spread and the speculations became bizarre and distorted.
Despite ignoring the rumors, Yun Shimo had not taken any food for the entire day. He merely sat on his bed, staring at the large red character— “Wedding”. He felt his whole world was red.
Madame Yun was very worried over Yun Shimo. She kept him company the whole day, yet Yun Shimo said nothing all this while, making her anxious and worried.
Ji Feng and the others could not understand what had happened. They obviously could not get anything out of Yun Shimo in his present state.
After supper, the hare was asked by Madame Yun to the bridal room. The hare had returned to its former animal state since it had not recovered its former powers.
“I say, stinking lad, can you not act like this because of that girl? Ignore the fact she has left you. If you continue this way and meet Tianpi, you won’t be his match! Do you really want me to help you all the time?”
Hare’s biting words made Yun Shimo slowly regain his senses.
The Hare’s eyes were full of cold indifference. “Tianpi now is still quite sensible. But who knows when he will regress into a devil again? Or continue down the Devil Path gradually? So, if you want that lass and her boy to survive, you must survive yourself. Practice hard.”
Yun Shimo nodded silently. He had thought for a day and a night, but could not imagine himself raping the girl Rong Qiyue.
At that time, he was helped by Madame Yun. But when all had been said and done, it was still his fault.
“Is there any way… to make my powers match Tianpi’s?”
Yun Shimo finally spoke. Madame Yun was so happy that she wept. Yun Xuan stood outside quietly, sighing lightly.
“Take your supper first. Then I will tell you.”
Yun Shimo slowly looked at the food on the table. He had no appetite at all, but he still ate the food quietly, little by little. He had not had food for one whole day and his stomach was empty. A stone seemed to be gorging his throat, making it difficult to swallow.
Hua Qiyue had taken Tianci and left. His heart seemed to have been gouged empty. Even the merest thought or tremble would make it hurt like a profusely bleeding wound.
This sort of pain was so racking that it hurt to the marrow. It seemed someone was piercing into his bones repeatedly with a knife.
One could not recover so easily from such bone-racking pain. It would hurt less when one died from a physical detonation.
Finally, Yun Shimo finished his supper. Madame Yun glanced gratefully at the hare. “Mo-er, just try your best. Don’t be too hard on yourself.”
