Chapter 0: She’s Still a Child
“Have I offended Brother Lin and Youqing recently? Why would they do this?”
On the spirit boat, Qin Gou looked at the Jade Slip of the Demon Saint Ranking in his hand, his face a mix of red and green, looking utterly dumbfounded as if questioning life itself.
He immediately used the “Cherishing Heart Ring” in his hand to communicate with Lin Youqing, and the answer he received was… that the father and daughter indeed had good intentions.
Upon learning of his sworn brother’s true identity, Lin Boyuan, driven by a desire to repay kindness, wanted to clear his obstacles. However, the Demon Saint Ranking had always been jointly issued by several peak dynasties, and it was not something he alone could easily abolish. Thus, he did what he could, at least withdrawing all the promised bounties from his own Yuan Cang Dynasty and no longer participating.
As for the suggestive “No comment,” it was because the Lin father and daughter felt that the real reason was naturally not for outsiders to know. It was mainly to express their determination to Old Qin.
In other words, it showed how close their relationship was, didn’t it?
“Youqing!”
For a moment, Qin Gou was filled with helplessness. Indeed, it was not wrong for him to have secretly called that wench Youqing ‘silly girl’ back then. The way her little head worked was always straightforward, and Lin Boyuan, when faced with a request from his only treasure daughter, mostly couldn’t say ‘no’!
Thus, not only did the Demon Saint Ranking still exist, but wouldn’t it also make people misunderstand, as if this so-called ‘Demon Master’ had committed some earth-shattering deed that struck such fear into the powerful Yuan Cang Dynasty that they had to remain silent and retreat?
After all, the unknown is the most terrifying. At this point, how many people racked their brains but couldn’t understand why Lin Boyuan, the Human Emperor of Yuan Cang Dynasty who had dominated the Cultivation World for over a thousand years, would suddenly become so ‘cowardly’!
Qin Gou, at this moment, could only express his gratitude for their good intentions while also feeling like crying without tears. He repeatedly and earnestly instructed his two good brothers to consult with him in advance if similar matters arose in the future, otherwise, he was truly afraid that if this continued, the Demon Saint Ranking alone might not be able to contain him anymore.
“If Master truly detests the ‘Demon Saint Ranking’ so much, why don’t we solve the problem from the root and eliminate all future troubles once and for all?” Qingyu, on the side, draped her long, snow-white legs over the edge of the spirit boat, swinging them casually as she suggested.
“Little Yu, have you noticed that you have a habit of saying very terrifying things with a calm expression or a sweet smile?” Qin Gou said, feeling somewhat ashamed.
“Have I?” Qingyu blinked her innocent, clear eyes, looking wronged.
“Don’t you mean that you want to eliminate all the peak dynasties that jointly issued the Demon Saint Ranking, leaving not a single one alive?” Qin Gou asked with annoyance.
“Of course not.” Qingyu shook her head like a rattle, “Qingyu’s idea is that since we can’t change them, why not find a way to replace them and firmly place the decision-making power of all the lists in the Cultivation World into Master’s hands! Just like the efforts Qingyu made among the Dragon Race back then…”
As she spoke, Qingyu couldn’t help but chuckle mischievously, “Who dares to accuse the Dragon Saint under the hall?”
“You wench.” Qin Gou immediately chuckled, seemingly taking Qingyu’s words as a joke.
But not long after, Old Qin actually couldn’t help but take a closer look at the Jade Slip of the Demon Saint Ranking in his hand. Among the several peak dynasties jointly compiling it was the Yuan Cang Dynasty where Rong Shan was located. And didn’t Lin Boyuan always say he had brothers and comrades all over the world? He wondered if he could help invite the rulers of these major dynasties to Arc-Moon Mountain, where Qin Gou would play the host, and they could get to know each other sincerely and have a good gathering.
…
Mystic Maiden Raksha Palace.
“Cuiyan, where are you hurrying to?” Gu Caihe asked, puzzled.
However, Ling Cuiyan, just as when she had encountered Qin Gou before, left quickly without a word, as if avoiding a venomous snake.
“Cough, never mind. I’ll go see Xinting first.” Qin Gou didn’t care, greeted everyone, and headed directly towards Youyun Hall.
Seeing this, Gu Caihe’s suspicion deepened. After instructing all the Deacon Disciples to entertain the guests, she and Yi Chengying followed Ling Cuiyan.
“Cuiyan, what’s wrong? You seem so flustered.” Gu Caihe asked quickly.
“Caihe, Chengying, I’m not targeting you two, but because of that Qin Yue…”
“Absolutely not!”
Gu Caihe’s beautiful eyes widened, and she said earnestly, “Caihe and I, Sister Chengying, can be targeted by you however you please, but only Qin… Palace Lord Qin, Cuiyan, you must never be disrespectful to him in the future!”
“What? Caihe, why are you suddenly so biased towards Qin Yue?” Ling Cuiyan was stunned for a moment, covering her mouth, and then realized, “Could it be that those rumors and my previous guesses were not wrong? You and Chengying are indeed Qin Yue’s people… Fine, Gu Caihe, what if the Palace Lord finds out about this!”
“Ling Cuiyan!”
Gu Caihe’s pretty face flushed with shame as she exclaimed, gritting her teeth, “There are plenty of rumors about me, Gu Caihe, and I don’t care anymore, but…”
After a pause, Gu Caihe suddenly pointed at the little chair, indignantly saying, “I absolutely forbid you from slandering Sister Chengying’s innocence like this, she’s still a child!”
“Sister Caihe.”
The little chair’s face immediately blushed bright red, and she tugged at Gu Caihe’s arm, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, “It’s not ten years ago anymore!”
However, in the next moment, Gu Caihe and Ling Cuiyan’s gazes immediately fell on Yi Chengying. Suddenly, they formed a united front for some inexplicable reason, having the same thought, and said in unison, “But we haven’t seen Sister Chengying grow up anywhere!”
“Ah?”
People’s joys and sorrows are not shared. Every time I return to Mystic Maiden Palace, I am either insulted or on my way to be insulted. – Excerpt from “The Unshakeable No. 1 Follower of Lord Qin, Yi Chengying’s Tearful Diary”
…
Demon Emperor City, Abyss Palace.
The entrance to the dungeon, already sealed by various high-level killing formations, was still shrouded in deep blue Eternal Seal Ice.
Underground, inside the largest piece of Eternal Seal Ice, Demon Emperor Mo Qingyang still maintained the pose of kneeling on one knee, his eyes filled with shock and rage. Not far from him, a Ban Qin Saber, sharpened and capable of cutting through iron like mud, had slowly carved a straight, small tunnel from the inside out, nearing the surface of the Eternal Seal Ice.
This was not due to active manipulation but rather a series of small formations that Mo Qingyang had hidden in advance, activating their operation. The Eternal Seal Ice was terrifyingly abnormal, and it was unlikely that any other Emperor Weapon possessed by Mo Qingyang, besides this one, could achieve such a feat.
At the same time, although Mo Qingyang could not move an inch, his consciousness remained clear.
“Soon, very soon… Qin Gou of Arc-Moon Mountain, your madness, willing to perish together, is indeed surprising. But you brute likely never imagined that I would rise again and break free in such a short time!”
