Chapter 69: Disciple and Wife
“Bang!” A half-person-tall basket overflowing with high-grade spirit stones landed on the floor.
“Thump! Clatter!” Another basket followed, its contents carelessly spilled onto the floor.
The dimly lit room brightened, the spirit stones’ glow outshining the nearby fire, their radiance highlighting the luxurious couch.
The youngsters peering through the doorway: …Our eyes!
They had never seen such a casually extravagant spirit gathering formation.
As the formation activated, a wave of pure, concentrated spiritual energy washed over them, like the refreshing burst of fresh air after a rain shower.
It was a strange sensation, spiritual energy as palpable as rain, invigorating and revitalizing.
Tao Ning, lying on the couch, her eyes closed, absorbed the energy instinctively, her depleted meridians eagerly drinking it in.
Cen Dianshuang, seeing this, felt a wave of relief.
But the lingering resentment from the Wanhun Cauldron still clung to Tao Ning, a shadow in her aura. They needed to return to the Hanshan Sect soon.
Cen Dianshuang stepped outside, retrieving two bottles of pills from her spatial pouch. She offered one to Pang Xueting. “Replenishing Pills. One each. Restore your spiritual energy.”
“Thank you, Senior.” Pang Xueting took the jade-red bottle, then looked up, puzzled, as Cen Dianshuang offered another.
Cen Dianshuang tapped the second bottle. “Cleansing Pills. Everyone needs to take one. Even the children. It will… prolong their lives.”
Pang Xueting, her admiration growing, nodded. “Thank you, Senior.” She hadn’t expected the Senior to be so considerate.
The savior’s master is also a kind person. Cold and aloof on the outside, but warm-hearted.
Shadow City, steeped in resentment for centuries, was devoid of spiritual energy, making cultivation impossible.
The disciples had initially relied on Replenishing Pills, but their supply had run out, forcing them to rely on their own dwindling reserves.
Cen Dianshuang returned to Tao Ning’s side, maintaining her vigil.
Pang Xueting distributed the pills. As she handed one to Zhuang Shimei, he suddenly slapped his thigh, his eyes widening in realization. “I remember!”
The others, startled by his outburst, turned to him.
Zhuang Shimei, having depleted his arsenal of protective artifacts, no longer cared about their loss.
His voice was filled with awe. “I went to the Hanshan Sect with my father once, to trade for pills. I saw her there, calling the Peak Master ‘Senior Brother.’ Later, my father told me she was Elder Cen, the Disciplinary Hall Elder! Immortal Dianshuang! I remember the red mark on her forehead clearly!”
“I knew she looked familiar! I was too young back then. I just remembered!”
The others stared at him, their hands frozen mid-air, the pills clutched in their fingers.
Who? Who did you say she was?
And what hall did you say she managed?
How did such a powerful figure end up in this remote, desolate city?
When Cen Dianshuang emerged again, she found a group of unusually subdued and respectful youngsters.
Cen Dianshuang: …This feels like I’m back at the Hanshan Sect.
Hanshan Sect disciples were notoriously respectful, and terrified, in her presence.
She turned to Pang Xueting, who seemed the most articulate among them. “You…”
Pang Xueting straightened up, bowing respectfully. “What are your instructions, True Person Cen?”
Cen Dianshuang: “…”
Tao Ning awoke to the sound of hushed whispers, her depleted meridians gradually replenished by the concentrated spiritual energy.
She opened her eyes to the dust-covered ceiling, 520’s voice echoing in her mind. 【After five hundred years, you finally awaken.】
Rubbing her temples, she sat up, her complexion returning to its normal, healthy glow. She hadn’t been injured, just drained of spiritual energy.
She remembered Cen Dianshuang taking the Wanhun Cauldron. That was reassuring.
Maintaining her current disguise, concealing her true identity, possessing the cauldron would have been a liability. It was better off in the Hanshan Sect’s custody.
The most powerful sect in the Radiant Realm would surely find a way to contain its resentment. She had no desire to reclaim her title as Demon Lord.
The room was empty, the door closed. Looking down, she saw a pile of grey stones at the foot of the couch, their texture softer, less dense than ordinary stones.
The spirit stones, their energy drained, were now just… husks.
Poheng lay beside the couch. Touching its hilt, she said, “520, check the Sever Fate progress bar. Five hundred years later.”
520 hesitated, its tone suggesting it already knew the answer. 【Um… current progress: 98.7%. It decreased by 0.02% while you were unconscious.】
Tao Ning, her hand still resting on Poheng’s hilt, stared at the grey stones, lost in thought.
520, rummaging through its database, found this situation wasn’t unusual, but for Tao Ning… it was.
It should have reached 99%. How could it decrease?
After a long silence, Tao Ning sighed. “Never mind. It’s not important. We’ll investigate later.”
She stood up, putting away the spirit jade couch, and opened the door.
It was still dark outside. Shadow City, nestled at the foot of a mountain, was always shrouded in shadows.
With the Thousand-Thread Gu mostly eradicated, the disciples felt safe enough to gather outside, huddled around a fire.
Hearing the door open, they turned.
Pang Xueting, the first to stand, approached Tao Ning. “Senior Tao, you’re awake! Are you feeling alright?”
Tao Ning, her gaze sweeping over the small group, her eyes cold and distant, noticed several young, mortal children hiding behind the cultivators.
Perhaps a trick of the firelight, but her expression was sharp, almost predatory, making them instinctively avoid her gaze.
Pang Xueting, standing closest, felt it most acutely, her heart pounding as Tao Ning’s eyes met hers.
“Where’s my master?”
Pang Xueting quickly replied, “True Person Cen asked me to tell you she’s dealing with the cultivator’s cave. She said it’s where the mother Gu is located, and it needs to be destroyed to prevent the Thousand-Thread Gu from returning.”
Tao Ning nodded. “Did you only find these children in the city?”
The children hadn’t been in the cultivator’s cave, but hidden in the cellar of another abandoned house, the walking corpses bringing them food. Several had fallen ill, only recovering after taking Cen Dianshuang’s pills.
One, a girl in a pink dress with two braids, the daughter of the wealthy man who had hired them, clung to Pang Xueting’s side, peering at Tao Ning with wide, curious eyes.
Pang Xueting, stroking the girl’s hair, replied, “Yes, only these children. Why do you ask, Senior? Are there others trapped in the city?”
Tao Ning, withdrawing her extended spiritual sense, smiled. “No.”
Looking at Pang Xueting, her voice softening slightly, she said, “Stay here. I’m going to find someone.”
Pang Xueting, assuming she was going to find Cen Dianshuang, readily agreed, promising to keep everyone safe.
Tao Ning smiled, a curt nod. “Good.”
“Senior Sister Pang, doesn’t Senior Tao seem… different… since waking up?” a young disciple asked after Tao Ning had left.
Pang Xueting’s face hardened. “The Senior fought all night, slaying countless Gu insects and the Zombie King, then defeating the rogue cultivator, exhausting her spiritual energy before collapsing from exhaustion. She just woke up.”
“That’s not what I meant. I just…” The disciple looked aggrieved, wanting to explain, but struggling to articulate the unsettling feeling.
It was like… the aura of someone struggling with a heart demon.
But he wasn’t sure, unable to distinguish between the influence of a heart demon and residual resentment.
Pang Xueting, not wanting to hear any more, said, “We’re running low on firewood. If you have time, help me dismantle those broken tables and chairs. We need to keep the fire going.”
The disciple, knowing he had upset his senior sister, quickly obeyed.
Pang Xueting didn’t notice that Tao Ning wasn’t heading towards Cen Dianshuang’s location, but towards the western part of the city.
Before its fall, the western district had been the city’s commercial center, its streets and alleyways a maze of buildings, easy to get lost in.
A perfect hiding place.
A figure landed silently on a rooftop, her hand resting on her sword hilt, the full moon casting her shadow against the wall, like a scene from a shadow puppet play.
Below, three voices argued, two female, one male.
Tao Ning recognized one of the female voices: Er Lan, whom she had met briefly at the Hanshan Sect’s outer territory. The other two were unfamiliar.
But she recognized the man’s voice: Xiao Haoran. And the other woman, who kept referring to herself as “Princess,” was the Demonic Beast Realm princess, Chi Xiaxia.
In the original storyline, the protagonist’s vast harem was categorized into ranks: one Empress, two Noble Consorts, four Celestial Consorts, and eight Beauties. Chi Xiaxia was one of the Noble Consorts.
Born with six tails, a sign of exceptional talent among the Chi Fox clan, she was also notoriously playful, often sneaking into the Radiant Realm, her elders’ scolding having little effect.
On his way to Shadow City, Xiao Haoran had rescued Chi Xiaxia, who, trapped in her fox form after being ambushed, had been captured by fur traders.
Xiao Haoran, guided by the Heavenly Book, had arrived just in time, buying her and nursing her back to health. Later, upon entering Shadow City, she had repaid his kindness by protecting him from the walking corpses, revealing her human form.
Er Lan, initially assuming Xiao Haoran had another lead on a treasure, had reluctantly accompanied him to Shadow City, only to discover he had rescued a fox demon.
She recognized Chi Xiaxia as a member of the Chi Fox clan, and specifically, the six-tailed princess.
Secretly, she had been impressed by his luck. Perhaps his claim about obtaining the Wanhun Cauldron wasn’t so far-fetched after all.
This had made her tolerate his… impulsive actions.
They hadn’t revealed their true intentions to each other yet. The princess, assuming Er Lan was Xiao Haoran’s lover, and accustomed to getting her way, was jealous, treating Er Lan with open hostility.
Er Lan, a spy loyal to the Demonic Realm, found the clingy, six-tailed fox, constantly vying for Xiao Haoran’s attention, incredibly annoying. If not for the Demon Lord’s instructions to bring both Xiao Haoran and the Wanhun Cauldron back to the Demonic Realm, she would have eliminated them both.
Their argument ended unresolved, Er Lan, unable to tolerate the princess’s whining any longer, storming out.
“I’ll cultivate elsewhere tonight.”
The princess’s petulant voice echoed after her. “She’s just jealous! Why won’t you come to the Demonic Beast Realm with me? My father can easily help you with your cultivation bottleneck.”
Xiao Haoran’s soothing voice followed, not mentioning that returning to the Demonic Beast Realm wasn’t a good idea right now, simply blaming Er Lan’s behavior on concern, unaware of his true nature, assuming she saw him as a human cultivator.
Er Lan stepped out into the moonlight, then paused, glancing around, a flicker of unease in her eyes.
But the city was quiet, only the distant sounds of Cen Dianshuang’s battle reaching her. No one was watching.
She sighed inwardly. They were too late. Cen Dianshuang had likely taken the Wanhun Cauldron.
Facing Cen Dianshuang directly would be suicide.
Shaking her head, she walked away, seeking a quieter place, away from the annoying fox.
Tao Ning wasn’t interested in killing Er Lan. She was just a pawn, her actions dictated by others.
Poheng’s blade shimmered as she dropped down from the rooftop.
Chi Xiaxia’s voice, sharp and accusatory, echoed from within the house. “You like that Er Lan, don’t you?! That’s why you won’t come to the Demonic Beast Realm with me!”
“Xiaxia, calm down. I…”
“No explanations! I’m leaving!”
Before Xiao Haoran could finish, Chi Xiaxia, transforming into her fox form, jumped out the window.
Xiao Haoran, after a brief, half-hearted pursuit, muttered, “Jealous women are so troublesome.”
The door behind him opened, a gust of wind entering the room.
“Xiaxia, I really didn’t mean… ” He turned, expecting to see the princess, waiting to be coaxed back, but the figure standing in the doorway was unfamiliar.
His hand instinctively went to the saber at his waist. “Who are you?”
Tao Ning, her gaze cold, replied, “You carry the scent of the Demonic Realm.”
It wasn’t Er Lan’s scent. She cultivated spiritual energy, her actions in the Radiant Realm those of a human cultivator.
His secret exposed so easily, Xiao Haoran’s heart pounded. “I can explain.”
The woman’s expression remained impassive, her attack swift and brutal.
Xiao Haoran drew his saber, blocking her strike, the clash of metal echoing through the room. “There’s no need for violence, fellow cultivator. I’m Xiao Haoran, a member of the Hanshan Sect.”
Tao Ning twisted her wrist, deflecting his attack, sparks flying as their blades met, the force of their colliding spiritual energy creating a miniature whirlwind.
Seeing the inner sect disciple token at her waist, he quickly added, “There’s another Hanshan Sect disciple next door. She can vouch for me!”
In a sword fight, agility and precision often trumped brute force.
He had assumed his superior cultivation level and his powerful saber, which had once cleaved a mid-tier Heaven-grade spirit sword in two, would give him the advantage. He was wrong.
Their spiritual energies clashed, and Xiao Haoran, unable to withstand the force, was sent flying, crashing against the wall, the impact shattering his supposedly invincible Golden Core.
My Nascent Soul… it feels… fake.
If Tao Ning knew his thoughts, she would agree.
Of course it felt fake.
He had needed the sacrifice of another Nascent Soul cultivator, the Pleasure House Mistress, to achieve his breakthrough. Now, he would never meet Pang Xueting, the Mistress of the Pleasure House.
There was no Pleasure House Mistress named Pang Xueting. Only a Heavenly Heart Sect disciple.
Xiao Haoran coughed up blood, his meridians shattered, his spiritual core broken. The pain was blinding.
Footsteps approached, and he watched helplessly as the woman in green walked towards him, his body unable to move, his escape routes blocked.
Her sword, glowing with a faint purple light, pierced his already shattered core, extinguishing the last flicker of life within him.
He stared at her, his eyes wide, memorizing her face, his voice a raspy whisper. “Who… are you…?”
As the sword was withdrawn, Tao Ning knelt beside him, two fingers reaching for his forehead.
Panic surged through him. He wasn’t afraid of death. He had a soul-protecting artifact. He would simply regenerate.
But she was targeting his soul. His survival instincts kicked in, a golden light erupting from his forehead, deflecting her attack.
Tao Ning, her fingers tingling, frowned, puzzled.
She tried again, her fingers almost touching his forehead when a gust of wind brushed past her face. She struck out, her palm connecting with something solid.
A cry of pain, and a figure in red tumbled from the window, a concealing artifact rolling across the floor.
Ignoring the pain, Chi Xiaxia, her six crimson tails flaring, their fur bristling like needles, lashing out at Tao Ning, the force of the blow shattering the walls of the small room.
Tao Ning dodged, but the sharp fur grazed her hand, drawing blood. She ignored the wound.
Poheng flashed, severing one of the tails.
Chi Xiaxia, losing a tail, a century of cultivation gone, coughed up blood, her face ashen.
“Leave now, and I’ll spare you. I’m the princess of the Chi Fox clan. I have far more ways to kill you than you, a mere Golden Core cultivator, can imagine.”
“Save your breath,” Tao Ning replied, attacking again.
A few moves later, another tail fell, and Chi Xiaxia, ignoring the pain and the loss of cultivation, focused on survival, throwing a barrage of artifacts at Tao Ning.
She retreated, partially shifting to her fox form, her fingers elongating into claws, their battle seemingly evenly matched, but a sense of dread filled her.
Who is this cultivator? Why is she so strong?
A faint zither melody echoed through the night, and Tao Ning’s attack faltered, giving Chi Xiaxia the opportunity she needed. She lunged, forcing Tao Ning back, then turned, grabbing the unconscious Xiao Haoran.
The teleportation formation on one of her artifacts activated, and they vanished.
“520, check the progress bar,” Tao Ning said, Poheng still humming in her hand, its blade eager for more.
Why did Master stop?
520: 【Current progress: 99%. Increased by 0.03%.】
It was starting to wonder if the mission required the protagonist’s complete and utter demise, but it doubted the criteria were that simple.
Tao Ning, ignoring the numbers, frowned. “The progress bar is still active.”
He was still alive. Killing the protagonist of a cultivation world was proving more difficult than anticipated.
She suspected that even without the zither melody, something else would have happened, allowing Chi Xiaxia to escape with Xiao Haoran.
Glancing at the scratches on her hand, she wondered how to explain them to Cen Dianshuang.
Cen Dianshuang arrived quickly, having sensed the commotion and the surge of demonic energy.
Taking in the scene – the ruined buildings, the two severed fox tails – she asked, “What happened here?”
Tao Ning, hiding her injured hand, smiled brightly. “Master, you came! A demon attacked me. I fought back.”
Circulating her spiritual energy, she healed the scratches on her hand.
Cen Dianshuang’s brow furrowed. “A demon attacked you? Are you injured?”
Before Tao Ning could answer, Cen Dianshuang began examining her, pulling up her sleeves, searching for any hidden wounds.
Tao Ning stood still, her expression innocent, allowing her master to fuss over her. “I’m fine. Unfortunately, the fox demon escaped.”
Cen Dianshuang’s hand, holding Tao Ning’s, suddenly stilled, then she released it, her expression unchanged, pulling down Tao Ning’s sleeve.
“What are your thoughts on demons?”
Tao Ning blinked, then, emboldened by Cen Dianshuang’s subtle encouragement, spoke her mind. “All creatures are born with the potential for both good and evil. Demons are no different. They have their own territory, separate from the Radiant Realm. We coexist peacefully. If a demon living in the Radiant Realm chooses the path of righteousness, there’s no need for eradication.”
She felt like she was knocking on a closed door, unsure if it would ever open.
But it didn’t matter. She could pretend to be oblivious, if necessary.
Cen Dianshuang didn’t respond, unable to before Tao Ning, her spiritual energy depleted once again, collapsed.
Catching her, Cen Dianshuang frowned, checking her pulse before scooping her up.
She expertly adjusted Tao Ning into the most uncomfortable carrying position.
This disciple was… high-maintenance. She needed to bring her back to the Hanshan Sect, where she could keep a closer eye on her. A third incident of spiritual exhaustion would damage her meridians.
The disciples waiting in the courtyard were worried. They had heard the sounds of collapsing buildings and fighting, Tu Shimei reporting seeing massive fox tails.
But Senior Tao had left a protective formation. They dared not enter.
As dawn broke, they finally saw the two figures returning, their posture… unusual.
Senior Tao had left standing. Now, she was being carried by Cen Dianshuang.
Pang Xueting’s mind reeled. What happened?!
Why does Senior Tao keep fainting?
Wait… was that my imagination?
She rubbed her eyes, staring at the returning figures.
Cen Dianshuang, putting Tao Ning down, her gaze lingering on the two white feathers in her disciple’s hair, smiled.
It was a small, subtle smile, but its warmth was undeniable, her eyes shimmering with affection.
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