Mistaken Era 75

Chapter 75

The Demon Lord Wei Jie’s past actions were simply to try and change his own fate, to defy Heaven and ultimately transcend his demonic nature.

In Tang Youshu’s view, having witnessed his master’s tragic death, what were trivial romantic entanglements compared to changing that previous calamity?

Hearing this, Cui Xiaoxiao looked disbelievingly between Wei Jie and her former master Tang Youshu.

At this moment, Cui Xiaoxiao seemed to realize: Tang Youshu must have coldly observed for a long time, feeling that her dalliance with the legendary Demon Lord was simply unseemly.

He might as well take this opportunity to tear apart this ill-fated relationship that should never have occurred…

Wei Jie could no longer listen – all those male bastards deserved to be chopped like kindling and burned alive.

And the first one who should be burned was this treacherous disciple Tang Youshu.

This disciple had acted so sneakily, and now he was trying to blame everything on Wei Jie!

Wei Jie gripped Tang Youshu’s throat again, coldly saying, “Just what nonsense are you spouting? What do you mean I arranged this? What did I arrange? Xiaoxiao, don’t listen to his tricks trying to drive a wedge between us. This little brat’s insinuations are truly clumsy beyond belief!”

This time, he truly held nothing back with his grip!

Tang Youshu must be harboring malicious intentions, surely sent by that Prince Can!

Tang Youshu seemed to sense Wei Jie’s killing intent. At this moment of life and death, he suddenly waved his hand as if plucking something from thin air, producing a blue gemstone.

Cui Xiaoxiao recognized this as the spirit stone stolen from the mountain cave!

As the spirit stone rose into the air, both Cui Xiaoxiao and Wei Jie had a foreboding feeling.

Wei Jie didn’t even care about Tang Youshu, immediately rushing over to embrace Cui Xiaoxiao to protect her from the spirit stone.

The flame pattern on the spirit stone glowed an alluring light, bathing the entire room in a hazy blue radiance.

In the next instant, as if recognizing its master, it flashed and shot straight towards Wei Jie’s forehead.

Although Wei Jie raised a qi shield to block it, his efforts were in vain as the blue gemstone pierced through and struck his forehead.

The next moment, the gemstone vanished, but the same flame pattern that had been carved on it now appeared on Wei Jie’s previously smooth forehead – in the cave, Cui Xiaoxiao had seen the ancient Flame Emperor with an identical mark.

After being possessed by the spirit stone, Wei Jie’s body suddenly collapsed backwards. Cui Xiaoxiao quickly supported him and laid him down on a mat, calling out to him a few times, but he remained unconscious.

Cui Xiaoxiao’s heart burned with anxiety. She finally drew her sword and pointed it at her former master’s neck, “Master! What did you do to him?”

Tang Youshu nursed his bruised throat from Wei Jie’s grip and eyed the Heaven-Smiting Sword pointed at him. After a ragged cough, he said, “Nothing, the artifact has simply returned to its original master. This spirit stone contains the remnants of the ancient deity Flame Emperor’s divine power. Although only half remains, it is still formidable. In this life, you took Wei Jie’s place in undergoing his tribulations, but his current cultivation would be difficult to withstand the coming trials. All my efforts were merely to increase Master’s chances… Xiaoxiao, you’ve been to the back mountain cave and know the legends of the Flame Emperor. Yet the Demon Lord Wei Jie is that reincarnated deity who was supposed to undergo those tribulations and regain his divinity. You two were never destined to meet and know… let alone love each other!”

Cui Xiaoxiao did not withdraw her Heaven-Smiting Sword, only asking sternly, “If he is truly a deity, then why was he slain by Qin Lingxiao in the original timeline and unable to regain his divine position?”

Tang Youshu’s expression turned resentful as he recalled the past, “Because someone didn’t want him to return to divinity and laid a trap, arranging for his divine position to be usurped, completely altering Master’s destiny!”

Cui Xiaoxiao realized that in the previous life, it must have been the cunning Prince Can who ultimately became an immortal after usurping Wei Jie’s divinity.

But for such a heaven-defying act, without someone’s covert support, how could the Prince Can have altered the fates of Heaven itself with just his own abilities? Just who was secretly supporting the Prince Can and guiding him down this path?

At this moment, Tang Youshu continued, “Originally, when the Flame Emperor fell into the mortal realm for his reincarnation, he had to undergo seven major tribulations to regain his divinity and return to rule over the spirits of the underworld. But when Master experienced the sixth tribulation and was about to regain his divine status, he was ambushed by Qin Lingxiao. I only later inadvertently discovered this conspiracy – his divine position had also been usurped by that despicable Prince Can. In this new life, if I cannot assist Master in quickly regaining immortality, what meaning would there be?”

Cui Xiaoxiao looked into Tang Youshu’s eyes and, she didn’t know why, but chose to believe his words.

She slowly withdrew her sword, then crouched down and placed her fingers under Wei Jie’s nose. His breathing was steady, but the intervals were growing longer, a sign of his increasing cultivation.

It seemed Tang Youshu hadn’t lied – this spirit stone did greatly benefit one’s cultivation.

For some reason, Tang Youshu kept looking at Cui Xiaoxiao with pity, saying softly, “This spirit stone contains the Flame Emperor’s divine power. Back then, it was only when breaking through the sixth tribulation that Master found the method to unlock the formation in the back mountain and discovered this spirit stone. But he found it too late. Although he managed to purge the demonic nature from his body in time, it gave that bastard Qin Lingxiao an opportunity… Now that I’ve helped Master obtain the spirit stone early, even if I bear deep sins and end up in hell, I’ll have no regrets!”

Perhaps it was Tang Youshu’s ever calm demeanor and convincing reasons, but Cui Xiaoxiao felt any further accusations would be pointless.

She lowered her eyes to the still unconscious Wei Jie and said softly, “What will happen to him now that you’ve given him this spirit stone?”

Tang Youshu averted his eyes with some shame and remained silent for a moment before saying, “To become a deity, one must extinguish all desires and emotions. If he is possessed by this divine power, he will inevitably take on the original deity’s nature. The Flame Emperor governed the deities of the underworld. Although Master will still retain memories of you, he will likely gain great enlightenment and be unable to indulge in human loves and desires… Before Master ascends to immortality, I cannot send you back to two hundred years later, or else it will greatly disrupt your karmic destiny. So… do you want to leave Lingshan for now and go somewhere else to cultivate in seclusion?”

Cui Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but let out a wry laugh, “If he still remembers me, how could we possibly cut ties so abruptly? The matters between him and me, do they need your decision?”

Tang Youshu watched as Cui Xiaoxiao smiled, but her face suddenly turned pale, clearly believing his words.

A flicker of pity flashed in his eyes, but in the end he still steeled his heart and said, “Originally, I didn’t want to force an early separation between you two either, but a brief pain is better than a long-lasting one… You were never meant to walk the same path. For the rest of your lives, you won’t be together!”

Cui Xiaoxiao’s hands trembled with anger, but she still couldn’t bear to be rude to her former master.

She finally sheathed her sword and lifted Wei Jie up, intending to take him away from Tang Youshu.

She was well aware of the vast obstacles between herself and Wei Jie. But whether their relationship worked out was a decision for the two of them alone. Lord Tang had no business interfering!

Tang Youshu clearly guessed Cui Xiaoxiao would blame him and let out a faint sigh.

Over these past few days, every interaction between Master Wei Jie and this young lady had been witnessed by him. The tenderness Master displayed was something Tang Youshu had never seen before, leaving him startled yet filled with regret.

If possible, he didn’t want to play the role of separating these lovebirds either.

But after his master’s death, he had secretly infiltrated the Prince Can Manor of the Regent King in the capital and saw those fragmentary pages, clearly understanding that the Flame Emperor’s destiny, whether as a deity or human, did not include any worldly romantic connections.

So this relationship between Master and Cui Xiaoxiao, who was born into the wrong era, was destined to be nothing more than an ill-fated dalliance!

If that was the case, it was better to cut it off cleanly while their bond was still shallow.

Unfortunately, Cui Xiaoxiao was still unaware of the spirit stone’s power and stubbornly insisted on supporting Wei Jie.

At this moment, the man lying on the mat suddenly opened his eyes and slowly sat up.

Cui Xiaoxiao carefully studied his face. Apart from the added flame mark on his forehead, Wei Jie’s appearance was unchanged, yet he seemed like a completely different person.

The current Wei Jie had a profound gaze and chilly countenance, devoid of his former lazy nonchalance. Instead, he resembled that cold and stern Demon Lord who rarely smiled from her dreams.

Now, his eyes held endless iciness when looking at Cui Xiaoxiao, lacking any of their former warmth.

When Cui Xiaoxiao reached out to support him, he coldly waved his sleeve, forcefully brushing her aside.

The spirit stone’s power was not to be underestimated – his inner energy had surged tremendously in that instant!

Caught off guard by this forceful shove, Cui Xiaoxiao lost her balance and her head struck the corner of a nearby table, causing her to tear up from the pain.

Though the Talisman Sect was small, everyone used to dote on Cui Xiaoxiao like a precious treasure.

Seeing Cui Xiaoxiao accidentally injure herself so badly, even Tang Youshu was slightly moved and went to support his beloved disciple.

The newly awakened Wei Jie reacted faster than his mind, reaching out his arm as if to embrace the tearful girl. But as his long arm extended, the flame mark on his forehead flickered with light.

Indulging emotions and desires was a great taboo in immortal cultivation. Especially for one who formerly governed the spirits of the underworld, his heart could not contain a shred of worldly attachment.

When Wei Jie merged with the spirit stone containing the Flame Emperor’s power, it was as if he had a profound enlightenment, completely understanding the path to immortality.

He would instinctively avoid emotional entanglements, his reaction naturally suppressing any lingering human sentiments, as if his heart had been sealed off from joy and sorrow.

So while Wei Jie retained memories of his past with Cui Xiaoxiao, they seemed shrouded by a heavy veil, visible yet lacking any sense of true tenderness, like a bystander observing someone else’s affairs.

The intimate affections he had once craved day and night now seemed utterly trivial in an instant…

Now, seeing Cui Xiaoxiao’s tears, Wei Jie even felt a strange irritation. He closed his eyes like a monk in meditation, no longer looking at Cui Xiaoxiao.

Cui Xiaoxiao pushed away the supporting Tang Youshu and slowly sat up, nursing her head. Since meeting Wei Jie, she had never seen such a cold and ruthless side of him.

She slowly turned to Tang Youshu and said word-by-word, “Why does it seem like he doesn’t recognize me anymore? Did you erase his memories?”

Tang Youshu let out a silent sigh and said calmly, “He simply won’t indulge in human desires anymore. Didn’t you expect there would eventually be a day when you would part ways? This day has merely come sooner… you should have been prepared.”

At this moment, the man who had awakened with a cold expression finally spoke in a chilly voice, “Cui Xiaoxiao, you go out first. I still have matters to discuss with Tang Youshu.”

This uttering of her full name sounded unnatural, for since they had known each other, Wei Jie rarely addressed Cui Xiaoxiao so formally.

When pleased, he would affectionately call her Xiaoxiao. When displeased and moody, he might disrespectfully say “Master”.

But this polite and distant use of her full name seemed to be the first time coming from his lips.

Cui Xiaoxiao suspected Tang Youshu was controlling him, so she tentatively asked, “Wei Jie, do you truly know who I am and what’s happening now?”

Wei Jie said coldly, “You’re just my nominal master who has taken the Patriarch’s title without teaching me anything, right? What does it matter if I don’t remember someone like you?”

At another time, faced with such a vicious and merciless taunt, Cui Xiaoxiao might have guiltily applauded her disciple.

But now, Cui Xiaoxiao felt she was only hearing Wei Jie’s true feelings – after having his emotional desires sealed, she was truly worthless in his eyes…

Perhaps not wanting to see the pitiful sight of the tearful young lady, Wei Jie waved his hand again, forcefully pushing Cui Xiaoxiao out of the study and slamming the door shut.

With only Wei Jie and Tang Youshu remaining inside, Tang Youshu’s face was suddenly struck by a vicious slap, splitting his lip and causing blood to spill from his mouth.

Wei Jie was aware that Tang Youshu’s earlier actions seemed to assist in increasing his cultivation without malice. After disciplining Tang Youshu with that slap while showing a slight trace of restraint, he said coldly as if suppressing his earlier irritation at seeing Cui Xiaoxiao’s tears, “Explain to me exactly what is going on, or don’t blame me for being unable to tolerate you!”

The Flame Emperor governed the deities that suppressed demons and carried an aura of killing intent to subdue evil spirits. His nature was solitary and callous.

In Wei Jie’s original destiny, after undergoing numerous tribulations, he was supposed to have transformed into this ruthless existence.

Unfortunately, in this lifetime he had been cavorting with Cui Xiaoxiao, indulging in food, drinks and romantic dalliances, his nature drifting ever further from divinity.

So although he struck his master with that vicious slap, tears of gratitude welled up in Tang Youshu’s eyes. At this moment, he truly felt he had returned to his youthful days studying under his master’s strict guidance and scolding.

However, explaining everything from the beginning would be far too lengthy.

Thinking of this, he took out a thick, tattered old book from his robes and handed it to Wei Jie.

Wei Jie narrowed his eyes at the familiar cover – wasn’t this the book Cui Xiaoxiao frequently read in secret, never allowing others to touch?

It turned out the parcel Cui Xiaoxiao had lost was actually picked up by Tang Youshu.

Originally, Tang Youshu had left behind this secret book to guide Wei Jie in avoiding the pitfalls of his predetermined fate. But Cui Xiaoxiao ended up utilizing it thoroughly, taking Wei Jie’s place on that fated path.

Now with this book recording Wei Jie’s original life, Tang Youshu could finally reveal the truth that he and Cui Xiaoxiao had traveled back from two hundred years in the future.

Only by informing Master of his original destiny could Tang Youshu prepare him to face the unknown coming tribulations and overcome the hidden enemies lurking in the dark.

He didn’t speak of it before because with Wei Jie’s lingering emotional attachments, the truth would have only created unnecessary obstacles.

But now that Wei Jie had regained his divine nature as the Flame Emperor and seemed to have distanced himself from Cui Xiaoxiao, Tang Youshu dared to reveal this book that divulged the secrets of heaven.

Even if it risked violating the heavenly rules, he was determined to support Master Wei Jie in ascending to his divine position!

Wei Jie took the book Tang Youshu handed him, staring at it for a while before finally flipping it open to the first page…

As for Cui Xiaoxiao being pushed out of the study, Yu Ling’er was anxiously waiting outside the door.

Seeing Cui Xiaoxiao stumble out, Yu Ling’er hurried over to support her and asked urgently, “What’s going on with your Talisman Sect today? How can you randomly interrogate people like this? What mistake did Lord Tang make for Wei Jie to treat him that way… Ai ya, what happened to your head? You’re bleeding!”

It turned out when Cui Xiaoxiao bumped against the table earlier, she had scraped her scalp and it was now bleeding.

Yu Ling’er was startled and quickly pulled Cui Xiaoxiao back to her room, first applying medicine to the wound.

But when she asked again what had happened, Cui Xiaoxiao remained silent, only hugging the little fox’s neck as she sobbed bitterly.

Earlier in the study, she had been brought to the verge of wailing grief several times by that damned master-disciple duo, but had persevered.

Her beliefs shattered, the mischievous disciple she doted on revealed as the mastermind manipulating her all along! And before the devastated Cui Xiaoxiao could even confront this great deceiver, that Wei fellow suddenly turned cold as ice, acting like an aloof immortal.

In her life, the only other time Cui Xiaoxiao had cried so hopelessly was when her mother sold her as a child.

Although unaware of what made Cui Xiaoxiao cry, Yu Ling’er had always seen her as strong, easygoing, and optimistic by nature.

No matter trapped in the mirror realm of Luoyi City or facing any danger, Cui Xiaoxiao was always calm and composed, their pillar of strength. She was like a warm sun, her presence comforting everyone around her.

Oh heavens, what immense grievance had this Cui Xiaoxiao suffered to make her weep so utterly devastated in this moment?

Foxes were naturally emotional creatures. Triggered by Cui Xiaoxiao’s tears, Yu Ling’er also couldn’t help but burst into tears, hugging her tightly as she whimpered and stroked her head, “It’s okay, just let it all out. No matter who bullied you, I won’t forgive them! Even if it was Lord Tang… Lord Tang is not allowed to bully you!”

After crying for a while, when Cui Xiaoxiao lifted her head and saw the little fox’s pitiful snotty-nosed appearance, her tears somehow more wretched than the true victim’s, she couldn’t help but break into laughter again. She then held up a mirror to Yu Ling’er.

Caught off guard by her own disheveled appearance, Yu Ling’er let out a shrill fox cry before hurriedly grabbing Cui Xiaoxiao’s sleeve to wipe her nose. Cui Xiaoxiao tried to pull her sleeve back, but the little fox refused to let go.

After their shared outpouring of grief, the two ladies finally managed to somewhat compose themselves.

Cui Xiaoxiao took a deep breath. She did have the ill-fated “Ten Injuries” destiny, so she might as well calmly face the myriad sufferings of the world that she was destined for.

As for Wei Jie, some things could not simply begin or be forgotten just because he said so!

Others might treat her as a chess piece, but she could not devalue herself so cheaply. Even if their relationship ended up an illusion, she had to demand an explanation from that deceitful master-disciple pair!

That day, Wei Jie and Tang Youshu conversed in private within the study for a long time. When Cui Xiaoxiao finally calmed down and approached the study door, she happened to catch them as they were leaving.

This time, even Yu Ling’er following behind Cui Xiaoxiao sensed the complete change in the tall man’s demeanor.

The lazy, carefree smile that used to grace Wei Jie’s face had vanished completely, replaced by an icy, emotionless expression.

Seeing his cold visage, Cui Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but feel pensive: No wonder people said Qin Lingxiao had that arrogant, aloof immortal air – he was simply emulating his Master Wei Jie.

It seemed to cultivate immortality, one had to adopt such a sourpuss, walking dead demeanor…

Cui Xiaoxiao didn’t know what she was still hoping for when Wei Jie strode past without sparing her a glance. She suddenly grabbed his large hand, tightly grasping it as their fingers intertwined.

His palm was still warm, the sensation of holding his hand the same thrilling feeling as every time their fingers entwined before.