Chapter 182: Chapter Thirty-three Foolishness
Ya Xin spent a hundred years collecting the soul of the legendary Grievance Dragon, finally forging the Grievance Dragon Hate Heaven Banner, an artifact for the Nine Nether Grievance Dragon Array.
Although Bai Qi had vanished, the Demon Heart Palace had not ceased to exist but had gone underground. The Elders of the Demon Heart Palace changed their appearances, lived incognito, and bore disgrace, all waiting for the day the Emperor Lord would return and rule the world again. Ya Xin had also been acting towards this goal, creating the Nine Nether Grievance Dragon Array, awaiting the Emperor Lord’s return…
A hundred years, an entire century! Thinking of this century, Ya Xin felt immense hardship. She had traveled all over Qixia Isle day and night, constantly searching for dead Dragon Corpses, refining them, even going so far as to design attacks against the Dragon Clan, drawing their wrath and being chased, nearly losing her life… But it was all for the Emperor Lord! The myriad demons of the Demon Heart Palace deeply revered the Emperor Lord. Especially Ya Xin, without Bai Qi’s enlightenment back then, she might still be a little tigress who just ate and slept. All of this was worth it!
“The Emperor Lord once said she would return one day. We just need to prepare in advance and wait for her return,” Ya Xin said, hugging her chest, “Use these humans as bait to lure the powerful Human Race cultivators here and refine them into Pills.”
The disciples of the Snake Demon Tribe’s eyes glazed over. Those long legs, that valley, that figure… Their snake tongues dripped with saliva. To Cultivate Together with her once would be worth dying for! But Ya Xin was at the Integration Stage, someone he definitely couldn’t afford to provoke, so he quickly suppressed his infatuation.
“Yes, Elder is absolutely right. Everything is for the Emperor Lord!” Suddenly, Ya Xin’s expression changed. “Hmm, someone actually defeated Hei Xiao Hu?”
The Snake Demon Tribe disciple said, “Elder! Hei Xiao Hu is at the late stage of the Golden Core Realm. The person who defeated it must be at least two Human Race Cultivators at the Nascent Soul Realm. Should we go and investigate?”
“There’s no need. Hei Xiao Hu is uneducated and idles around all day. After nearly a hundred years, it still hasn’t broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm. It’s a complete waste. Being able to defeat it isn’t that impressive,” Ya Xin berated Hei Xiao Hu. Hei Xiao Hu was, strictly speaking, a distant relative of Ya Xin, so by leveraging this connection, it managed to secure the title of Guardian Demonic Beast. However, Ya Xin didn’t consider it much of a combatant, more like a security guard for appearances.
“Compared to Hei Xiao Hu’s situation, I’d rather go and see that group of Human Race Cultivators. Perhaps there are some talented Heavenly prodigies among them.” Ya Xin didn’t take the Cultivator who defeated Hei Xiao Hu seriously at all. Because she had the confidence to do so. Ya Xin herself was at the third layer of the Integration Stage. Across Qixia Isle, even the Sect Masters of some top orthodox Sects might not be able to match her in terms of raw strength. Arrogance was her capital. What, are you going to break the Nine Nether Grievance Dragon Array? This is an extremely evil array personally taught to me by the Emperor Lord. In this world, besides the Emperor Lord and me, no one else can break it! Ya Xin was that confident.
“I’m leaving now. You all stay here and keep an eye on these women from Wuhua Palace. Their bodies will be of great use. I will refine them into Demonic Pills later,” Ya Xin ordered. “Remember, no one touches their bodies. Keep them alive and don’t ruin their medicinal properties! Anyone who dares to touch them will face my wrath!”
“Elder, your disciple obeys!”
…
“Senior Sister?” Ling Xiaoxing called out. There was no reply. She turned her head and called out to others, “Junior Sister?” Still no reply. Ling Xiaoxing now knew for sure that she was the only one awake; everyone else had succumbed. She felt a sense of despair. The people from the Demon Heart Palace not only wanted to refine them into Demonic Pills but also wanted to use them as bait to lure out the powerful individuals of Wuhua Palace. But these demons didn’t know that the Palace Mistress was very rational and would never come to take such a risk. Anyway, there was no longer any possibility of anyone coming to save her.
“Perhaps I should just end it all…” Rather than be used by the Demon Heart Palace, Ling Xiaoxing felt it would be better to die. Ling Xiaoxing opened her mouth and bit down on her tongue. She wasn’t sure if biting her tongue to commit suicide was viable after cultivating, but with her limbs restrained and her meridians sealed, this was the only feasible method. Her teeth slowly closed, and Ling Xiaoxing’s consciousness began to blur. The torment of the miasma for the past few days had pushed her mental state to its limit, making her feel like she was already dead. Suddenly, she saw something, unable to discern if it was an illusion or reality. Ling Xiaoxing wasn’t even sure if she was dead or if she had gone to a paradise… Oh, no, she was of the Demonic Path. After death, she should go to hell, not paradise. Ling Xiaoxing suddenly found herself amusing, shedding two streams of tears. In fact, her entire life had been rather laughable. Ling Xiaoxing’s birth was a joke. Her mother was the daughter of a wealthy family. Her mother was betrothed to a rich and powerful official as a concubine. But one day, Ling Xiaoxing’s mother met a Cultivator. After spending a few days together, the Cultivator developed worldly affections. Long-lived Cultivators absolutely could not fall in love with Mortals; their lifespans were unequal, so it went against the natural order. But her mother, in pursuit of love, resolutely combined with that Cultivator, and in doing so, left Ling Xiaoxing in her womb. The Cultivator promised that he would first report to his Sect and then return to marry her mother, giving her a proper status. Her mother believed him, saying she would wait for his return. And so, she waited and waited. As a result, the Cultivator never returned. Her mother’s belly grew day by day, and she could no longer hide it. The family learned of this and was furious, expelling Ling Xiaoxing’s mother. Yet, even so, Ling Xiaoxing’s mother insisted on giving birth to her and found ways to survive. As a child, Ling Xiaoxing was raised by her mother and never met her father. Her mother tirelessly told Ling Xiaoxing her story, describing her father as dashing, handsome, and deeply affectionate. The more Ling Xiaoxing listened, the more distressed she felt, unable to understand why her mother could still be so happy. Ling Xiaoxing’s mother came from a prominent family and had lived a life of luxury since childhood. Earning money while raising Ling Xiaoxing was a struggle, and her body finally gave out.
In her mother’s final moments, Ling Xiaoxing couldn’t help but ask her mother why she didn’t return to her family. Her mother smiled and said, if she returned to the family, she wouldn’t be able to wait for him to marry her. Until the moment of her death, Ling Xiaoxing’s mother still believed that the man had not abandoned her, but was merely entangled in some unavoidable circumstances and would definitely return… Believing a lie until death. She was truly foolish, a foolish woman to the core. From that day on, Ling Xiaoxing could no longer trust men. She wanted to return to her family and declare her identity, but she couldn’t even get through the gate. She was beaten and called a bastard, then ruthlessly driven away. Ling Xiaoxing began her life of wandering. She traveled to many places, eating all sorts of disgusting things just to survive. Sometimes, she didn’t even know why she wanted to live. One day, while wandering in an alley in Peach Town, Ling Xiaoxing encountered a ruffian. The ruffian noticed Ling Xiaoxing’s dirty appearance and thought she seemed quite beautiful. The man intended to assault her. Ling Xiaoxing, in utter despair, thought, “I’m such a worthless person, it’s better to just die.” The man grabbed Ling Xiaoxing’s arms and pinned the petite girl beneath him. Just as he was about to act, a sword light flashed, severing the man’s head. Ling Xiaoxing looked up in astonishment and saw a girl of similar age standing at the alley entrance, her expression indifferent. She wasn’t gentle at all, but brutal, as if killing wasn’t to save her but simply because she found the man displeasing. The girl didn’t even bother to say a word to Ling Xiaoxing and simply left. The next day, Ling Xiaoxing learned that the girl was the Young Palace Mistress of Wuhua Palace, named Luo Yingying. She wanted to thank her, to meet Luo Yingying, and then find a secluded place to die silently. However, she couldn’t get past the gates of Wuhua Palace. So, Ling Xiaoxing devised a plan. In the heavy snow, thinly dressed, she knelt down, begging Wuhua Palace to accept her as a disciple. She knelt for three whole days, her body nearly turning black and blue from the cold, only to be carried inside after collapsing in the snow. Later, Ling Xiaoxing joined Wuhua Palace and became an Outer Disciple. The Inner Disciples of Wuhua Palace said that they accepted her not out of pity, for Wuhua Palace disliked pitying anyone, but simply because her talent was quite good. At this point, Ling Xiaoxing truly found it laughable. If it weren’t for that man, Ling Xiaoxing would never have gone through all this. But without that man’s bloodline, she wouldn’t have possessed the talent for cultivation, nor would she have entered Wuhua Palace. It was ironic, truly ironic. Her existence was indeed a joke. Yet, even so, Ling Xiaoxing still wanted to personally thank Luo Yingying for saving her. Perhaps Luo Yingying didn’t care about trash like her, but that was fine. She had finally found a goal to live for. Ling Xiaoxing initially thought she would never get involved with men in her life. But there were still some accidents. She met a young man. Luo Yingying’s Cultivation Cauldron, Wuxiao. Ling Xiaoxing truly detested Wuxiao. Luo Yingying used to be so brutal and unfeeling, so why did she change after he arrived? Why? Why! Ling Xiaoxing knew very well that someone like her couldn’t change Luo Yingying in the slightest, nor did she believe others could. Therefore, Wuxiao’s actions were unacceptable to her. She felt very resentful, became extremely disgusted with him, and even unconsciously projected her hatred for her father onto him. But through repeated contact, through repeated accidents… She seemed to understand why Luo Yingying could change herself for Wuxiao. Even vaguely, Ling Xiaoxing herself had changed. Unconsciously, Ling Xiaoxing was attracted to Wuxiao. She had warned herself that she could never like men, that he was Luo Yingying’s Cultivation Cauldron, the person Luo Yingying liked, and she absolutely, absolutely, absolutely could not. And men were untrustworthy, they were liars, and the price of believing them was heavy indeed. But the more she couldn’t, the more she liked him. Sometimes, women are indeed foolish… Ling Xiaoxing seemed to understand her mother a little. She knew Wuxiao wouldn’t like her, yet she couldn’t control her feelings. He was very gentle; it was the first time she had received gentleness from anyone other than her mother. She couldn’t help but indulge in it. She also knew that Wuxiao always wore a mask to hide his true self. Her past experiences told her that Wuxiao must be a huge liar. But in her heart, Ling Xiaoxing still harbored fantasies. Perhaps, what if, maybe, it’s possible… Ridiculous, laughable, this was her life. Until death, still a joke. Ling Xiaoxing knelt on the ground, tears streaming down her face. She had already retracted her tongue. She had a strange and foolish fantasy again: What if the young man she liked could come and save her? Just as her mother, until the moment of her death, refused to return to her family, still believing that the man she deeply loved would fulfill his promise and return to marry her. In the end, she was just as foolish as her mother… “Senior Sister Xiaoxing, why are you crying?” The disciples of the Demon Heart Palace suddenly collapsed. A young man walked out, removed his mask, looked at Ling Xiaoxing, and smiled beautifully. ———————— This chapter is 3.5K, 500 words free.
