Chapter Seventy-Three Reunion with Tian Qing (Part 2)

  Xuan Zhen lowered his head and looked at the young man on the ground with a surprised expression, his eyes filled with complexity.

  He had long been aware that this trip would definitely meet a fellow practitioner, and he had also made preparations. He was familiar with the face of his opponent, but at this moment, Xuan Zhen still couldn't help but feel fortunate that his previous sword hadn't actually hit its mark.

  In the midst of dust and smoke, I had seen many scenes where it was difficult to distinguish between friend and foe, mostly involving Qionghua disciples recklessly attacking lone Musou demons. Xuanmeng City was originally a city inhabited by the Musou tribe, and most of the old, weak, sick, and disabled demons hid within its walls. Once the barrier outside the city was broken, they would naturally lose their way. When Xuanshen's sword swept through the sky above this place, he caught a glimpse of the blue-white figure standing in front of the demon beast, and thought it was another one of those who enjoyed killing Musou demons, so he launched an attack with Chunshui's residual shadow. It wasn't until they clashed that he realized the person below was actually his familiar junior brother, still the same... Yun Xiaohu.

  In the distant Central Plains, at the foot of Mount Huang, in Yunjia Village, lived a widow who was their neighbor, and that mischievous little boy... That was the only period of time when Shen Bailong himself had lived among humans, seemingly so ordinary, yet it made him, who had never been so close to humans before, feel extremely nostalgic...

  Distant memories surged in his mind, like the swirling purple mist around him. The pair of black and white eyes at the end of his vision, after nineteen years, still looked at him with the same clarity as water. Facing the joy and surprise in those eyes, Xuan Zhen slightly curled up the corners of his mouth. This little monkey hadn't changed a bit.

  But he didn't change, but he was no longer the Shen Bailian of the past, and even more so, not his senior brother, Master Xuanzhen. Thinking of this, Xuanzhen's eyes sank again.

  On the ground, Yun Tianqing was overjoyed and didn't notice his senior brother's unpredictable expression. He looked up at the person in the air, having already forgotten about the unpleasantness of being attacked earlier. When Xuan Zhen slowly descended, he hastily rushed forward, grasped his arm and laughed: "Senior brother, I never thought I'd find you here! After you entered the demon realm that day, you disappeared without a trace. Our master and we were all worried sick, thinking you had fallen into the demon array with little chance of survival. Later, our master sent several groups of disciples to search for you in the demon realm, but they couldn't find any sign of you. We all thought you had died at the hands of the demons... it's great that you're still alive! It's really, really wonderful!"

  Looking at the bright eyes filled with sincere smile, looking at the delicate face with genuine joyful expression, even if his heart was heavy, Xuan Zhen couldn't help but reveal a warm smile.

  But the next moment, Yun Tianqing's question made him stiffen again. He heard Yun Tianqing ask: "Brother, where have you been hiding these days? Why couldn't we find you several times? I heard that after using the Qingyun Broken Cloud Sword, you still chased a Qiong demon and accidentally fell into the depths of the demon realm... Has that Qiong demon been killed by you, brother? Are you injured?"

  Xuan Zhen forced a smile, hastily pulling his arm out of Yun Tianqing's tight grip, and muttered: "It's a long story..."

  Yun Tianqing didn't think much of it, turned his eyes around, and was about to ask another question when he suddenly caught a glimpse of the baby girl sleeping soundly in Xuan Zhen's arms. He exclaimed in surprise: "Shixiong, this little girl is——" Before he could finish his sentence, his face took on a strange expression, and the gaze that swept over them also became strange.

  Xuan Zhen's face changed slightly, knowing that Yun Tianqing had already detected the demonic energy on the girl. He subconsciously tightened his grip on Yuanyu's hand and took a step back without leaving any traces. Just then, a clear and crisp laughter suddenly came from within his embrace. Xuan Zhen looked down to see that the infant girl, who had been put to sleep by his calming spell, was now wide awake and staring intently at Yun Tianqing. Their eyes met, and the little girl, being the daughter of the demon realm's master, showed remarkable bravery in the face of the invading human tribe. She narrowed her eyes, smiled fearlessly, and even seemed to be enjoying herself, which left Xuan Zhen feeling both vigilant and amused.

  The stiff atmosphere that had been frozen between the two of them was also alleviated a lot by this smile. Yun Tianqing's gaze turned around on the girl's face, and the vigilant meaning in his eyes gradually dissipated, but the puzzled expression became more and more intense. He glanced at Xuan Zhen, and after a while, he couldn't help but ask out the doubts in his heart: "Senior brother, if I'm not mistaken, this little girl should be... a Qiong demon?"

  Xuan Zhen's face was slightly tense, and he nodded: "...... Indeed."

  "Why... why are you, Master, with a little demon child?" Yun Tianqing asked again, this time the inquiring color in his eyes was even thicker, but those eyes were still clear and calm, without any malice.

  Facing such a gaze, how could Xuan Zhen still say that he was originally a demon? He had no choice but to sink into an even deeper, darker silence.

  It seemed that he had sensed something from the silence, and Yun Tianqing did not ask further. He just quietly looked at his senior brother in front of him, and the usually playful and frivolous face had lost its usual lightness, looking serious and even a bit stern. After a long time, he only heard him say softly: "Senior brother, Master... is dead." His tone was tinged with sadness, but more of it was confusion.

  Xuan Zhen lowered his gaze, looking at the ground, and nodded slowly: "I already know." How could he not be clear about this matter? The one who killed his master was one of his few remaining relatives.

  "There were many fellow disciples, they all... Many died right in front of me... One moment we were laughing and chatting together, the next, they became cold, lifeless corpses... These days have been like a nightmare. Cloud Qing's voice was even softer, his expression more sorrowful, "But I just can't understand, why... Why must the Qionghua Sect and the Demon Realm fight incessantly? Can't we cultivate through our own strength?"

  "What do you know? This is the method thought of by Dao Yin Zhenren, a renowned and profound Daoist of the Qionghua Sect. It took the blood and sweat of three generations of the Qionghua Sect to make it possible today. How can it be easily stopped?

  Xuan Zhen gazed at the infant in his arms, but his eyes suddenly flashed with the image of a young You Yao's mangled corpse, pierced by a sword from that Qionghua Sect disciple. He also recalled the words of Tai Qing Zhenren, who had repeatedly told him before he passed away: "You are first and foremost a disciple of the Qionghua Sect, and secondly a cultivator who protects the Dao... Ah, for the sake of becoming an immortal, for the Qionghua Sect's thousand-year-old wish, for the sake of bathing in the heavenly light of Yun Ding, achieving physical immortality... the Qionghua Sect is willing to go to any lengths, with deep schemes and careful planning... A person's life, a hundred years of cultivation, is nothing but this. It's better to enslave the demon realm, seize the demons' spiritual energy to aid oneself...

  Is this not an ingenious method?" Facing Yun Tianqing's shocked expression, he coldly laughed: "But have those Qionghua Sect masters and elders ever thought about whether the demons would be willing to be used and plundered by them? Whether they would be willing to have their homes destroyed, their families lost? Whether they would be willing to be slaughtered at will, for the sake of entertainment?"

  "It's not like that! Qingyang Shifu had also advised Chongguang and Zonglian Shifu to stop, to let the demon realm go," Yun Tianqing hastily explained, "But Chongguang and Zonglian Shifu were heartbroken over Shifu's tragic death, and vowed to avenge him and the fellow disciples who died in the sect, that's why..."

  "What about Su Yu and Xuan Xiao?" Xuan Zhen asked lightly, "They are the true hosts of the Double Swords. If they don't want to be bound by the Web of Illusions again, the Demon Realm can regain its freedom, and you naturally won't be able to enter this place again."

  "Su Yu... she may seem calm on the surface, but I know she's also extremely unwilling to see this tragic scene. She had even tried to persuade a few of the elders, but Su Yao said that our master was killed by the Lord of the Demon Realm, and as his disciples, we should seek revenge instead of just minding our own business... She didn't dare say anything else." Yun Tianqing said in a low voice, "Deadpan face... I and Su Yu had also privately sought him out. Since you, Big Brother Master, went missing and our master passed away, the few elders who are most valued among us disciples have been looking up to him even more. If he were to help persuade them, perhaps the elders would listen to reason. But he said... that in order to become an immortal, making sacrifices is only natural, and all he can do is fulfill the wishes of the Qinghua Sect, so as not to betray the spirits of our master and those who have passed away..." Yun Tianqing's expression grew heavier as he spoke, and suddenly he looked up at Xuan Zhen with a hint of hope in his eyes. "Big Brother Master, Deadpan face has always respected you the most, aside from our master and the few elders. You go persuade him, maybe he'll listen! Big Brother Master, why don't... you and I return together?"

  Xuan Zhen was taken aback, but a hint of bitter smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. He shook his head and sighed: "It's impossible now... How can I go back to Qionghua Sect?" Even if he wanted to go back, would the sect that had always regarded the demon tribe as enemies accept him, a demon himself?

  The light in Yun Tianqing's eyes dimmed again, and after a while, he continued: "Brother... thinking about the days when we practiced swordsmanship together, it was so carefree. But now, the people in our sect are like they're being bewitched by the dream of becoming immortals, killing demons on sight. Those who don't want to kill demons are scolded as cowards and traitors... Many people can't bear it and have left the mountain. Sometimes I've thought that it's better to just leave the mountain and roam the Jianghu, it would be more relaxing. But Xu Yu is still on the mountain, and I don't want to leave her alone, that ice block face of Xuan Xiao doesn't understand her thoughts at all, how can I put my mind at ease?"

  Xuan Zhen looked at the young man in front of him, who was holding his beloved woman and had a tender expression on his face. In his heart, he felt even more complicated emotions. That mischievous little monkey Cloud, that smooth-talking gibbon, had now shed its former greenness and revealed a mature appearance, but the cost of this growth was too great.

  "Yun Tianqing looked at him and said, 'Brother, I don't know why you must leave Qionghua, but I do know that with your temperament, you wouldn't want to see Qionghua and the demon realm continue fighting... Yun Tianqing doesn't ask you to return to the Qionghua sect, as it's not worth your stay anymore. But even if it's just to reduce more killings, please go see that ice-faced man. He insists on continuing to besiege the demon realm and fight a decisive battle with the Musou demon, all for revenge for our master and you. If he knew you weren't dead, perhaps he would turn back...'"

  Looking at the blue sky, Xuan Zhen felt that he could no longer remain silent. He pursed his lips and finally made up his mind, saying in a low voice: "Since it's like this, I'll go persuade Xuan Zhen for a while, but..." He glanced at the baby girl in his arms and hesitated for a moment.

  Yun Tianqing saw that he had relaxed, and a hint of joy appeared on his face. He immediately said: "If Master is at ease, I will take this child from you. I will definitely protect her from being harmed by other Qionghua disciples." As he spoke, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he reached into his sleeve to pull out a piece of bi-xi jade pendant with a red string, handing it over: "By the way, let her wear this piece of jade for now, to cover up the demonic energy on her body."

  Xuan Zhen's eyes were fixed on the emerald, staring intently at the vibrant green jade, muttering: "This is... Imperial Daughter Jade?"

  "Huh? Have you seen this thing before, Shixiong?" Yun Tianqing asked in surprise.

  How could Xuan Zhen not recognize this jade? More than a decade ago, wasn't it hanging around the neck of that little monkey? It was later taken by his own mother, and after her death, it fell into Chong Guang's hands. After many twists and turns, unexpectedly, this Emperor's Green Jade has returned to its original owner's side, this is indeed a wonder of fate!

  Yun Tianqing explained, "This thing was given to me by Heavy Light Shifu. He said that this jade is a rare treasure, capable of concealing all aura, and if I wear it when entering the demon realm, I can avoid the demons' detection. It just so happens that now, let this little girl wear it on her body, and even if several elders are nearby, they won't notice anything." As he spoke, he had already tied the Emperor's Jade to the infant's neck. The green jade pendant set off the infant's pale skin, and the vermilion mole between her eyebrows made her look even more adorable. Yun Tianqing tucked the jade into the infant's clothes, looked at her lovely appearance, and couldn't help but stretch out his hand to gently pinch her small face again. The last bit of reserve in his eyes also disappeared at this moment.

  After a while, amidst the purple mist, Xuan Zhen and Yun Tianqing went their separate ways. The two had agreed to meet again at the exit of the Huan Yin Boundary near that cluster of purple crystal stones an hour later, and the female infant was temporarily entrusted to Yun Tianqing's care.

  He took one last look at Yun Tianqing, who was standing still in the cluster of amethyst stones with a baby girl in her arms. Xuan Zhen grasped the hilt of his sword and the Spring Water Sword flashed out of its scabbard. With it, he charged headlong into the swirling purple mist that shrouded the entrance to the Demon Realm.