Edited by Ea
The emergence of evil Qi cultivators didn’t attract too much attention in the Nine Lands, to be honest. Firstly, the evil Qi cultivator ran out from the wilderness surrounding the Purple Emperor’s Heavenly Capital. At that time, it was only Lin Xuanzhi who could almost catch up to them. Even though the Yan family sent someone to track them, there’d been no follow-up news since. Thus, many people were skeptical about this.
People in the Nine Lands rarely saw evil spirits, not to mention evil Qi cultivators who had never appeared in the Nine Lands since the Great Immortal Demon War. Most people didn’t even know what an evil Qi cultivator was.
Therefore, the existence of evil Qi cultivators did not attract too much attention, and even when someone talked about this matter, the people would feel that they were exaggerating and attracting other’s attention.
Although Lin Xuanzhi sent the Reincarnation Palace to search for traces of evil Qi cultivators, there had been no progress, as if the evil Qi cultivator he saw that day was just a dream.
The divination of Esteemed Lan Yue, who had also calculated the reappearance of evil Qi cultivators in the world and that a storm was approaching the Nine Lands, gave support to Lin Xuanzhi’s claims. Without Esteemed Lan Yue’s divination, Lin Xuanzhi was afraid that not even the elders of Myriad Dao Academy would believe him. However, even though they believed him, no one became vigilant.
This was the most terrible outcome — one where there was no sense of crisis.
Lin Xuanzhi said, “Originally, I wanted to hide my identity, avoid other people’s eyes and ears, and sneak into the Dragon Tomb Holy Land to find clues about evil Qi cultivators. But now that the Dragon Emperor has personally spoken and invited me, I have to accompany Hai Kuanglang inside. I’ll leave the matter of the evil Qi cultivators up to fate.”
Yan Tianhen lowered his eyes, and his eyelashes fell like a half-arc fan, only to hear him say, “Dage, I have cultivated evil Qi again now, so I can be considered half of an evil Qi cultivator. If they’re willing, evil Qi cultivators can sense each other. I can search for him if necessary.”
After he finished speaking, Yan Tianhen found that there was no sound around him.
With a curse in his heart, he couldn’t help but look up. He was confronted with Lin Xuanzhi’s dark eyes that held cold light and anger.
Yan Tianhen, “…”
I’m done for. He might as well not have said anything. Why did he want to seek death?
Lin Xuanzhi narrowed his eyes, his voice chilling as he spoke, “Ah Hen, you really know how to make me angry.”
Yan Tianhen’s desire to survive suddenly soared, “I’m just saying this. Of course, I don’t want to find that evil Qi cultivator. I really just casually mentioned it.”
Lin Xuanzhi replied, “Don’t even think about it. Don’t mention it. If I find out in the future that you have contacted that evil Qi cultivator, be careful that I’ll break your legs!”
Lin Xuanzhi was really afraid that Yan Tianhen would be abducted and taken away by those dirty dogs. He was even more worried that if those evil Qi cultivators were really those people from ten thousand years ago, then they would pester Yan Tianhen after discovering his identity.
Yan Tianhen blinked and tried to make himself look clever. “I dare not.”
Lin Xuanzhi looked at him for a moment, but he didn’t know whether to believe it or not. He didn’t let this issue rest until Yan Tianhen rushed over and kissed him on his lips for a while, acting spoiled.
Yan Tianhen’s heart was full of worries. When he mentioned the evil Qi cultivator, Lin Xuanzhi became hostile. He really didn’t dare to casually mention it again in the future.
On Little Penglai that day, Lin Xuanzhi was alone on the cliff, the night wind blowing against him for a long time. He had set up a barrier around him. Even if Yan Tianhen wanted to say something, he was blocked a hundred feet away. Yan Tianhen didn’t know what Lin Xuanzhi was thinking. He just stared at the man who stood still for a long time alone in front of the pale silver waning moon, and felt a pain like a dagger in his heart. Although the cursed oath was cruel, it wasn’t like he didn’t have any method to get around the cursed oath. Not all truths needed to be expressed in words.
He didn’t reveal too many secrets, and because he was also bound by the cursed oath, he forgot what he wanted to say the moment he opened his mouth. Thus, he used a trick. When Lin Xuanzhi asked, he deliberately made his words vague and misleading. Lin Xuanzhi was so wise that he could speculate he was Youshan Lingyu based on a sword refined by himself alone and by the clues left by Yan Tianhen. So, how could he not understand what kind of person his sweetheart was? Even if he didn’t know Youshan Lingyu, he knew who Yan Tianhen was and what temperament he had.
The phrase “Do you believe that I’m a good person?” and the blood from the oath were enough to make Lin Xuanzhi doubt the past, doubt good and evil, and doubt truth and lies. As long as there was doubt, he would try his best to find the truth.
The old friend had returned, the old enemy had appeared, history was very likely to repeat itself, and all the secrets hidden in the dust in the past would eventually be revealed to the world.
Yan Tianhen lowered his eyelids.
He was scheming Lin Xuanzhi.
Lin Xuanzhi probably also knew this. After all…… He used to be the Demon Emperor Youshan Lingyu, who was full of lies and schemes.
In the meantime, Lin Xuanzhi and his wife were treated very well because they were guests and their status was valuable. Naturally, their treatment was the best. Even if some people didn’t like them, they didn’t dare to dip a toe out of line. Even the Dragon Queen, who was humiliated in public, still needed to maintain the superficial tradition by sending a servant to be caring and attentive, while bringing them additional clothes and warmth.
On the other hand, Hai Kuanglang, who came to fight for power against his siblings, and Elder Martial Brother Zhan Fengting, who was more attentive than him, were not treated so well. Even the rooms arranged for them were the worst in the entire Dragon Palace.
Hai Kuanglang immediately refused to accept this. In his eyes, he could bear it even if those people bullied him, despised him, and didn’t even bother arranging accommodation for him — after all, it wasn’t a big deal if he were to stay outside. It wasn’t like he didn’t have money. However, Zhan Fengting had followed him here. Not only did nobody show Zhan Fengting courtesy, there were also people looking down at him everywhere. That was what Hai Kuanglang couldn’t stand.
“This is not a place where people can live. This prince doesn’t want to live here. Go and tell the Dragon Queen, if she doesn’t arrange a residence of this prince’s specifications, I will let everyone know that the Dragon Queen is hard on the illegitimate child of the Dragon Emperor.” Hai Kuanglang acted calm, and his lips were still sporting a smile that looked very kind, but between the lines, he was full of the desire to stir up trouble.
The servant who had arranged the accommodation for him was naturally from the Dragon Queen’s side. When he heard this, his heart pounded, and he inadvertently felt as if he’d learned something terrifying secret. He was so scared that he quickly lifted his head and said, “This little one will report back to the Dragon Queen at once. Please wait a moment.”
Then the servant ran away quickly.
The yard was littered with dead plants that had not been taken care of for many years. Looking towards the eaves angle, one could also see cobwebs that had seized territory, and cobwebs that were still wrapped in fresh dead insects and birds.
Zhan Fengting looked around and said with emotion, “The Dragon Queen really thinks highly of us.”
“It’s been so long since I came back,” Hai Kuanglang said, “so much so that this woman forgot my temper.”
When he was a child, even if he was given one less piece of charcoal, the wild Hai Kuanglang could throw a tantrum to upset the whole Dragon Palace. Because of a flower, he could fight with Longyao Lingheng and cause him to spit a mouthful of blood. Even if he was in the lower position, he would never suffer any loss and always take his revenge. In those days, he provoked the Dragon Emperor and Dragon Queen so much, but they were helpless against him, even after racking their brains.
Now, the Dragon Queen had taken the initiative to provoke him. She had really been living in peace for too long.
Zhan Fengting naturally knew what he had done when he was a child. He smiled and even said with some nostalgia, “When you were young, you really made people worry. The scariest time was when you broke into the Dragon Tomb Holy Land alone. You were only over one meter tall that year. Where did you get the guts?”
When mentioning this matter, there was coldness in Hai Kuanglang’s eyes, but his voice was gentle, “I still remember that it was that bastard Longyao Lingheng who tricked me away and forced you into the Dragon Tomb Holy Land. I will remember this account my whole life.”
Zhan Fengting replied, “I won’t forget it either.”
It was not only Hai Kuanglang who held grudges, but him as well. He just never talked about them casually, just as he never put his feelings for Hai Kuanglang into words.
That year, Hai Kuanglang had just transformed into a lovely one-meter-tall child. Although he wasn’t young, his intelligence was still that of a child’s. He had a natural perception of good and evil.
A child as young as that, after discovering that Zhan Fengting had been forcefully thrown into the Dragon Tomb Holy Land, didn’t care about danger and slaughtered his way into the Dragon Tomb Holy Land without another word, despite danger lurking everywhere. If Zhan Fengting hadn’t seen Hai Kuanglang in time, he was afraid he would have already been frozen into ice by the blizzard and curses inside.
But even so, there were still some aftereffects on Hai Kuanglang.
For many years afterwards, he coiled in the shape of a small snake around Zhan Fengting’s wrist to keep warm and sleep. He rarely even woke up. This obviously hurt his foundation. He was afraid of the cold even when practicing ice spells — this was really rare in the world.
If it weren’t for later joining Fuyao Sect and meeting Esteemed Lan Yue and You Ming, who had profound alchemy attainments, Hai Kuanglang might have suffered even more. Zhan Fengting didn’t hold a lot of grudges only because those things hadn’t touched his bottom line, but this matter did.
When the servant came to report, the Dragon Queen had just had dinner and was chatting with her two sons to enjoy the happiness of heaven and man.
In addition, there was the next Holy Maiden, Longyao Yizhu, sitting beside Longyao Lingheng with a pair of clear eyes like autumn water. From time to time, she would look toward the majestic Longyao Lingheng.
It had to be said that over the years, Longyao Lingheng looked more and more handsome like a prince. It was unknown how many girls had fallen in love and were eager to spend a night once with Longyao Lingheng. However, this man was destined to be hers alone.
The Dragon Queen was saying, “Today, I saw that little bastard. He didn’t know how to behave or how to advance and retreat. At first glance, he is not as good as my son. He is not even your match. When my son enters the Dragon Tomb Holy Land this time, he must watch out for that bastard who might kill you in the dark. I think Huarong Sword Venerable and Yan Tianhen who followed him also aren’t anything good, especially that Yan Tianhen.”
The Dragon Queen naturally remembered Yan Tianhen’s public humiliation of her, so she also hated Prince Ye now. However, the two people didn’t have interactions after that, so she couldn’t find an opportunity to retaliate yet.
“Yan Tianhen really is annoying. So what if he’s a prince from the Purple Emperor’s Heavenly Capital? King Zhang has made a comeback, and King Zhen in the North Land is recuperating and is now ready to move. Who can guarantee that it will be King Ye’s Palace who will sit on that throne in the future?” The more that the Dragon Queen thought of this, the angrier she became. She hadn’t felt this humiliated for many years. Now she was contradicted in public by a boy whose hairs weren’t even fully grown yet.
