《Rebirth of a Villainess》


 1 Prologue: Fatal Attack

    Xu Hui was taking a night stroll on the sect''s ground, the soft breeze slightly lifted the edges of the purple sect robe she had on, her dark hair was arranged in accordance to the sect''s way. Softly humming, her mind clear of mundane things. It was a moonless sky as eerie shadows surrounded the ground she walked on, most of the sect members wasalready in bed. She knew it was against the sect''s rule to loiter at night, but couldn''t resist the lure of the enchanting night.


    All of a sudden, she felt a sense of unease settle within her, turning from side to side in hope of locating where it was coming from. Nothing, prepared her for the silver string attached to her neck, she could feel her throat beginning to constrict. Then, she felt something trickle down, as her eyes widened in fear at what it might be.


    Reaching up to pull at what was squeezing her neck, only to see red stains on her fingers. Desperate to free herself, both hands kept trying to tear away the string. She thought she heard a whooshing sound, but before she could turn to where it was, she felt something pierce her from behind. This time she could no longer, hide from the pain she was feeling, as she let out a sharp painful cry, falling fall on the ground, with the sword by her side which also landed in a loud thud.


    She heard the movement of approaching feet, struggling to get to her feet, only to land back on the ground by a kick from the unknown assailant. Although, wincing in pain, Xu Hui was determined to stand up again. Her movement was stopped on hearing a familiar voice.


    "Sister Hui, kindly remain where you are, you don''t want to be sliced to tiny pieces."


    The voice sounded gentle, but there was nothing tender in the way he acted, Xu Hui was still trying to overcome the shock she felt.With mouth trembling, she chose to address her sect brother.


    "Brother Feng!..... Why are you doing this?! What crime did I do,..... for you to treat me this way?!"


    What followed her inquiry was a forced hard laugh, which went on for quite some time. As though wiping some invincible tears from his eyes, Feng Yueming answered, "You really are such a fool! I did everything I could to make you notice me, but in your heart I''m only just a brother to you and nothing more! Now that I''m to be paired with another sect leader''s daughter, do you think Iwill allow your very existence to keep tormenting me?!"


    On the ground, Xu Hui was slowly bleeding to death, coughing up blood, the weapons that was used on her was draining her qi, there was nothing she could do as the arrow had pierced her heart. Her eyes was beginning to blur from tears. She could not believe what she was hearing.


    Did she even know this person? Or had a demon possessed his body? Yes, she did see him as her brother, but did that give him the right to harm her this way?!


    Wanting to clear the evidence of what he did, Feng Yueming forcefully pulled out the arrow from her back, causing blood to gush out from the piercing. Bending on his knees, he took the string that was on her neck. Attaching it back to the blue zither from which it came from, this was his special technique.


    The mark made by the string was slowly closing up, a smug smile appeared on his face, as he rose up after examining that there was nothing left that would tie him to her death.


    "Sis Xu, I bid you farewell."


    With a slight bow, Xu Hui watched the sect brother that had gone through training together with her, walk away, leaving her in a pool of blood.


    "One day I shall return..... and when I find you....."


    She could not finish her last words, as it ended in her violently coughing out blood, before the last breath left her body.

 2 Awakening to a Nightmare

    Feeling as though someone was shaking her by the shoulder, Xu Hui heard voices calling out a name she didn''t recognize.


    "Young Miss Li! Young Miss Li! Please open your eyes!"


    Earlier on, theyoung woman had been playing by the stream, before she slipped and fell backward into the pool of water. The maids that was there when it happened, rushed to pull her out of the water, carefully laying her down on the ground.


    They each tried different things to rouse the young woman, her elegant peach robe was already soaking wet and filthy from the fall and dirt where she laid. Some of the servants had rushed into the inner courtyard to alert everyone inside of what had happened.


    Although, the young woman''s eyes was still close, she was picking up on what was being said by the people around her, none of them knew that she was listening in on their conversation.


    "What is going to happen to us! If anything happens to young miss Li, Master Li will not spare any of us!"


    On hearing what one of the servants said, the rest began to cry in fear. In truth, they knew that Li Jiao was the YuanLi sect leader''s only child. Her mother passed away while giving birth to her, there was no one that didn''t know how much Li Guoliang treasured his daughter, for him to see her this way would mean, heavy punishment to all the servants.


    Rushing out of the inner courtyard closely followed by the servants, Li Guoliang almost passed out, when he saw how pale and lifeless his daughter looked. He was a respectable looking man, in blue robes, his flowing dark hair was held in place by a plain white hair stick. His good looking face was beginning to show signs of passage of time. He rushed to the side of his daughter, firmly holding on to her icy cold hands, tears trickled down his cheeks, as he called out her name in sorrow.


    "A''Jiao!"


    Wondering who the strange man was, Xu Hui slowly opened her eyes, this didn''t go unnoticed as the father of the young woman cried out in joy from seeing that his daughter was alive and well. The sect leader then issued a command to the servants.


    "Get Physician Shen! Hurry! Take A''Jiao to her chambers!"


    They all jumped into position as the male servants carried the young miss into her chambers, closely followed behind by her sobbing father.


    Xu Hui chose not to say a word, as she took in her surroundings, none of them found it strange that she didn''t speak to hervisibly shaken father. Inside, she was still mulling over the fact that she might be someone else.


    "It seems, that the heavens have chosen to give me another chance at redeeming myself."


    As the thought crossed Xu Hui''s mind that she might actually have come back to life, hidden by the folds of the servants robes, was a face that had a smile of deep contempt. Now that she knew that she had been brought back to life. Although, frightened by the thought of coming back, yet she chose to savor the feeling of satisfaction.


    One the ground was a hair stick that had fallen off when Li Jiao was placed on the ground, one ofthe young maid stooped to pick it up, before heading in with the rest of them.

 3 A New Identity

    Carefully settling the sect leader''s daughter on her bed, Xu Hui watched "her father" pace up and down her bedchamber, uncertain about how to address him in the new body she was residing currently. The maids stayed close to where she was, while the male servants stood a few feet away.


    A few moments passed as a firm rap against the door sounded. Assured that the knock at the door was the physician, Sect Leader Li called out in a loud voice, "Come in!"


    The door slid to the side, as an elderly man dressed in humble brown robes, his graying hair was held in a simple dark wooden clasp. Carrying on one shoulder was a wooden brown bag containing supplies for treatment.


    They all curtsied to him, and likewise he reciprocated the greeting back. After asking the sect leader what had happened, Physician Shen asked everyone to step out of the room, with the exception of only two maids to stay behind the translucent plum patterned screen that stood between where her bed was and the rest of the room.


    Reluctant to leave the side of his daughter, but also knowing it was for her own good, Sect Leader Li walked out of the room, along with the rest of the servants. The other sect members had been told to stay away until Young Miss Li had made full recovery.


    Spreading a plain white cloth on her left wrist, Physician Shen placed a hand over it to check her pulse. He had been the sect''s physician for many years, therefore he had intimate knowledge regarding the YuanLi sect''s family.


    It didn''t take him long to find out that, something was terrible wrong with the sect leader''s daughter. He was the type that knew each person''s pulse by heart and this clearly did not feel like the pulse of Li Jiao, wanting to put his doubts to rest, he took a folded cloth containing series of acupuncture needles of various length and color.


    He laid the folded cloth on the bed, until the needles had been exposed. Picking a couple of needles, he lightly, but firmly placed them on her body across pressure points that will stimulate circulation of Qi and blood flow.


    After a while, he took the needles out and rechecked her pulse, but this time there was no change. That was when Physician Shen knew without a shadow of doubt that the pale faced young woman that he was attending to could not be the sect leader''s daughter.


    While all this was going on, Xu Hui kept had been keeping a close look at the face of the physician from the time he began attending to her, she knew the moment when he discovered that she wasn''t who she presented herself to be. On his aging face was confusion, shock and fear.


    Grabbing the elderly man by the sleeves of his robe, Xu Hui slightly rose up from where she laid, whispering faintly, "Physician Shen, let what you see remain here! If you expose my identity, Do you think Father will believe you?! Let''s say he does, what do you think will happen to YuanLi sect?!"


    The elderly man slowly nodded, his dark eyes was filled with great sorrow, deep within him, he knew there was no way he could bring himself to tell Sect Leader Li that the person who he thought was his daughter, wasn''t his and what would that do? This could lead to unimaginable turmoil within the sect and other cultivation clans.


    Slowly rising up to his feet and gathering his belonging, Physician Shen quietly left the room of Li Jiao, swearing within him never to breath a word of what he saw tothe leader of YuanLi sect.


    The maid in the room, walked over to the sect leader''s daughter, informing her that they would be preparing a scented tub for her to cleanse her body.


    "Bring the mirror over there to me!"


    Xu Hui sharply commanded the maids, as one of them rushed over to get the mirror standing by the table where the sect leader''s daughter usually kept her jewelry box. Although, they were surprised by the tone of Li Jiao, they carefully hid their expression.


    On getting close to her bed, the maid curtsied before handing the mirror to Li Jiao. Once in her hand, Li Jiao saw the reflection that stared back at her from the mirror, it was a delicate beauty whose eyes sparkled like gems.


    "Li Jiao, I don''t know how I came to possess your body, but there is someone I need to kill, even if it means the destruction of your clan. Although, I feel sorry towards you, my soul will know no peace until he dies by my hand!"


    Feeling convinced by the thought, that her action was right, a cruel smile appeared on her face, such that the maids in the room took a couple of steps away from where she was. Never in all the years they had served by the sect leader''s daughter, did an expression of such intense hate show on her face. They both wore on their faces a baffled expression, turning around to prepare their Young Miss bath.

 4 Trip to the Pas

    Once the bath was ready, the maids walked back to where the sect leader''s daughter was, helping her out of the bed by standing one on each side to gently pull her up by the hands. Hidden behind her bedchamber, opened up to a wide closed space with a big wooden tub filled with glistering clear water and brightpink scented petals.


    Sliding the door to the side, they walked into a room covered in steam. Still keeping their position by the side of the sect leader''s daughter, they told her what they would be doing, before reaching out to takeoff her soiled robe. Li Jiao raised a hand to halt their action, saying, "Wait! I will do this by myself. You can all leave!"


    The maids in question, were of similar age to Li Jiao, and was carefully selected by her father before they could serve by her side. Not once had the sect leader''s daughter ever taken a bath by herself, in the past it used to be some nurturing older maids that took care of her, before they were switched to younger maids when she was starting to become of age.


    They found her behavior very distressing, but chose to oblige. Pulling the door back, and firmly sliding it back, leaving the sect leader''s daughter to care for herself alone.


    Xu Hui slowly released the sash that held her robe, pulling off an item of clothing at a time, each dropped to the ground at her feet. Lastly, taking off her white undergarment. Stark naked, she walked to the other side of the floral screen where the steamy tub stood.


    Placing one leg at a time, she got into the tub. Unable to get rid of past tendencies, she delved deep into the steamy water, before abruptly shooting out from it and shaking her head.Spraying everywhere with water.


    Satisfyingher impulsive action, Xu Hui returned back into the tub. One of the petals stuck to the deep pink nipple of her breast. That was when, Xu Hui began running her hand through the newly acquired body, cupping both globes in her hands. In the past, she used to be flat chested, but seeing how endowed Li Jiao''s body was made her thankful to the heavens for blessing her with such body.


    Xu Hui still shared the memories of Li Jiao, resting her back comfortably against the wall of the tub, Her eyes closed, freeing her mind to wonder and dig into who Li Jiao was, seeking the memories buried deep within.


    -----------------------------------------------------


    The day Yuan Huiling got married to Li Guoliang, it was a time of great celebration which lasted for seven whole nights. It was rare to see, two powerful cultivation sect join in marriage without being forced to do so. Their marriage was the talk of the cultivation world for many years, but fate wasn''t kind to them. Yuan Huiling was born with a weak heart, it was common knowledge and despite warnings that she could not bare a child, because it will put unnecessary strain to her heart. The first few years, she was closely watched, her time with in her husband''s chamber was very restricted. Not wanting to lose favor from him, she decided to put on an act of obedience, allowing the usual check from the sect''s physician each time she paid her husband a visit in his private chamber.


    What Yuan Huiling saw on the faces of the sect members, servants and maid and also in people from other sects was the look of pity. How she hated the way they looked at her! If not because she was from a strong prominent sect, would they even dare to offer the customary polite greeting?!


    Still bidding her time, until she was sure she had been able to fool the sect physician. Paying the usual visit to her husband without any change in the way she was towards him. Having stopped taking the pill for a short while, it was a risk she was prepared to take.


    One day, Yuan Huiling pleaded with her husband, asking to be allowed to visit the ZhenGu temple beyond the mountain to pray for good health and prosperity of the sect, beggingonly to be allowed to stay there for six months.


    Moved by the nature of his wife''s request, the YuanLi sect''s leader gave in to her request, unaware of the underlying motive. Taking a few of her trusted maids with her, and some of her belongings, Yuan Huiling was given a grand farewell by her husband and members of the sect, under the bright morning rays.


    On getting into the temple and welcomed by the monks into a huge plain chamber, with greeting exchanged and a few talks, Yuan Huiling bid the monks goodbye, blotting the door to the room, before turning to face the maids that came with her.


    The Mistress of YuanLi sect, told them the real reason for coming to the temple and forced the maids to take an oath of secrecy. Their actions did not rouse the suspicion of the monks, as each day they rose up to offer prayers in the main hall, kneeling in front of a giant Buddha statue. The monks were not aware of the things that went on in the cultivation world, when her belly began to grow, they took it as a lady from a wealthy home, praying for the well being of her unborn child.


    The promised time to leave came. Setting out at dawn and bidding a farewell to the monks, Yuan Hiling walked back to the YuanLi sect, using the same path they took a few months back.At the entrance of the sect, waiting expectantly was the sect leader and the rest of the sect when they saw the familiar figure of the women, at first they were filled with joy, but as they drew closer, that was when a change came over them, so shocked were they to see their mistress heavy with child.


    Li Guoliang collapsed from the shock, as everyone scurried to get him in, once inside his chambers and attended to by Physician Shen, he finally came to himself.This was a tough time for the YuanLi sect, the physician became a regular visitor, checking in on the sect leader''s wife until the day to give birth came.


    It was a very difficult night delivery, Yuan Huiling lost a lot of blood, in fierce determination despite knowing her heart was failing her, she gave a final hard push, expelling the baby from within her. In a weak voice, she asked the baby be handed to her, only catching a glimpse of the child''s face before she fell back to the bed, the last breath leaving her blood soaked body.


    This wasn''t the only tragic news that Li Guoliang received, for after the physician had checked the baby girl, he noticed some anomalies in her pulse, which was very similar to those of her mother''s. Knowing he could not hid what he had discovered, Physician Shen broke the news to the YuanLi sect leader, who on hearing it coughed up blood and fainted from receiving too much bad news in one day.

 5 Memories within 1

    Feeling disheartened by the passage of his wife, the YuanLi sect leader shut himself away for many days, the newborn was cared for by two wet nurses, servants and Physician Shen. Xu Hui continued to watch the memory flash within the mind of the body she inhabited. Not eating or having a single sip of water, the sect leader fell into great depression, locked way in his chambers.


    He only came out four times a month, barely eating what the servants brought to him, he no longer had the same countenance as before. Pressured by others not to leave the new born without a name, the YuanLi sect leader without putting much thought into it, gave his child the name Jiao without any festivities to mark the child''s entry into the world.


    Yuan Huiling was a delicate beauty of unsurpassed grace, it wasn''t surprising when she caught the attention of the sect leader who was also good looking. Her passing was a deep loss to the sect, it was a time of great morning.


    Abandoning his duties, he left his sect behind, wandering from place to place, never caring for the child he bore. It was on one of these days, that he overheard some travelers talk about how the young miss of YuanLi sect bore a striking resemblance to the late wife of the YuanLi sect.


    Wearing tattered robes of brown, with a scruffy appearance, Li Guoliang no longer looked like his handsome refined self of many years ago, having traveled from place to place for over a decade. His untidy hair with streaks of grey gave him a somewhat unwelcoming presence.


    In a bid to satisfy his curiosity, Li Guoliang sneaked back into the sect to see for himself if the words he heard were true. It was late evening when he made it back, climbing over the sect walls, steadily moving in a stealth way to avoid the suspicion of the YuanLi sect members.


    Walking side by side on the sect grounds was a young lady in green robes, heartily talking with the sect''s physician and followed behind by a few chamber maids, Li Guoliang watched them from the tree he was perched on, he could only see the side of the young lady''s face, but when she turned to face Physician Shen, that was when he saw her whole face.


    Shocked by the striking resemblance to his late wife, Li Guoliang fell hard on the ground from where he was. Wanting to see who it was, the two ran over to the shabby looking man, who laid down in pain on the ground unable to get up by himself.


    At first, Physician Shen did not know who the scruffy man was, but on getting a closer look, he was shocked to see that the man lying on the ground was none other than the YuanLi sect leader! Taking to his knees he offered his greeting to the sect leader. Surprised by what she had discovered Li Jiao questioningly asked, "Father?!"


    That was the last bit of memories Xu Hui saw, before she was pulled back by a stabbing headache that came from delving into the memories of Li Jiao.

 6 Memories within 2

    A few months before the tragic end of Li Jiao, her health had been suffering a great decline. Back in the days as a young man, Physician Shen practiced the art of medicine and cultivation, intertwining the two together, with time he grew in fame as the top physician in the cultivation world, due to his vast knowledge of medicine. As time went by, he later chose to focus solely on the art of medicine.


    To others Li Jiao was a pleasant person to be with, she always had a smile on her face, but none of them knew the deep resentment she harbored within. Envious of those from other cultivation sects who could cultivate, while she couldn''t, because of the strain that it would place on her heart.


    Whenever her chamber maids left, after they had taken care of her for the night, Li Jiao will blot the doors to her bedchamber and run into the wash roomin her chambers to cough up blood, that had been firmly restrained at the back of her throat. The reason being that, whenever the physician wasn''t around, she would cultivate in secret. Knowing that she was the only one from a prominent sect that couldn''t even cultivate, nearly drove the young lady close to madness.


    Unfortunately, not even the physician was aware of what going on, the effect was like a slow poison eating away at her heart muscles, by the time the effect became more noticeable, it was already too late. Angry at her stubbornness, Physician Shen threatened to inform the sect leader.


    In response, she promised to take her life if he told her father of the state she was in. Caught between letting the sect leader be aware of his daughter''s act of rebellion and forcing the young miss Li to take her life. Reluctantly, Physician Shen chose to hide the secret from Li Guoliang.


    On that fateful day, Li Jiao never knew she was going to die, her heart muscles had become paper thin, while splashing around in the stream with the maids also playing along, it happened just like that, in a blink of an eye, her dark eyes almost shot of their sockets, feeling a painful squeeze from her heart, she could feel the metallic taste of blood at the back of her throat, having been so used to keeping pent up blood, it cut off the little air she had left. Her feet became like jelly, as her knees gave way, falling backwards into the shallow body of water.


    Li Jiao heard voices coming from a distant, but she no longer had the energy to move any part of her body, the bubble of air where she laid in the water was swiftly dying out.On that bright day, the hour of death was rapidly approaching.


    Her life flashed before her eyes, instant regret crossed her mind, but it was all gone, her spirit leaving her useless body behind, it was brief but she thought she saw a bright light pass by to enter the body she was leaving behind.


    One moment she was playfully splashing water around and thinking she still had more time to spend with the people she held dear; and the next she was sucked into a mass of blackness.

 7 Sect Dinner 1

    Not too long, Xu Hui got out of the tub, walking over to the screen to pull out a plain white cloth, drying the moisture from her hair and body. Discarding it to the ground, she reached for the screen again for her purple robes and white under garment, donning them one at a time.


    Sliding the door to the side, Xu Hui walked out of the wash room. The maids on seeing her, curtsied and asked if they could help out in anyway. She chose to dismiss them, delivering instructions to inform "her father" of the need to rest until evening.


    Curtsying again, the maids left her chambers to deliver her message to the sect leader.


    Meanwhile, Physician Shen when he earlier left her bedchamber he sought out her father, who was at the ancestral shrine offering prayers for his daughter''s speedy recovery. The sect''s physician waited until he was done, before letting the sect leader know that his daughter was in safe hands and the heavens had blessed her with a miraculous change in her qi.


    At first, Li Guoliang did not believe that his daughter''s qi will drastically change in one day, he had for a while been trying to come to peace with his daughter passing away probably before his time. But, to be told that she was in good health, the sect leader was feeling thankful that all the prayers he''s been offering on behalf of his daughter was finally answered.


    When Li Guoliang got to know the cause of his wife''s weak heart, they tried all they could to reverse her negative qi, but nothing worked. Night after night he will burn incense and offer prayers to the heavens to bless his wife with long life. Before he married Yuan Huiling, he believed that as long as he had a great Physician by his side, they could overcome her weak heart together.


    It didn''t take him long to find out that, what he foolishly thought he could overcome with a high level of medicine, was only wishful thinking on his part. What opened his eyes to the errors of his ways was their first night together, his wife could not stand the exertion that came from the joining of their bodies, coughing up blood, late that night the physician had to be called in, walking into the embarrassing position they both were on the bed.


    From that day on, Li Guoliang had to practice restraint along with his wife, even though his body was on fire each time he thought of her and saw her in person, it was a torture they both went through.


    Rising up from the floor cushion, the sect leader gave an heartfelt thanks to the sect physician, before they both parted ways.


    Usually Li Guoliang did not visit the kitchen for any reason, but this time he ran over to convey to the kitchen attendants that a grand feast be made for the safe recovery of his daughter and even promised them that they will receive an additional reward to their usual monthly allowance. Feeling very happy by the generous gesture of their sect leader, they all gave a prolonged curtsy to him.


    The kitchen was bustling with so much going on, different dishes was prepared. Some of the servants had gone into town to get jars of festive wine.


    The sect disciples of YuanLi had been informed to gather in the hall at evening to celebrate the miraculous recovery of the sect leader''s daughter.


    In the bedchamber of Li Jiao. Asleep in bed from exhaustion as a result of inhabiting a new body was Xu Hui, wrapped in a dreamless sleep.

 8 Sect Dinner 2

    A few maid dressed in plain purple robes, Knocked softly against the chamber door of Li Jiao, "Young Miss Li, please wake up! The festive dinner is about to begin!"


    Still rolling on the bed, reluctant to stand up was Xu Hui, groaning in annoyance that her sleep was being rudely disturbed.


    It didn''t take too long for her to realize that, a strange sensation was coursing though her, assomething was pulsing strongly within. On closer look, it was then she discovered, her body was engulfed by azure wisps of pulsing energy, flowing almost forcefully.


    Taking her gaze off the supernatural phenomenon, to toss aside the bed covers. She jumped out of the bed, landing on her bare feet, to sit cross legged on the floor assuming the lotus position, this way her qi could remain in harmony.


    All these happened within seconds, before she got up to open the door to let the maids in. Each of the seven maids had steamy water in bronze basins with white wash clothes across the side.


    None of them could hide the surprise from their faces, they had never seen the Young Miss of the YuanLi sect look so disorderly in appearance. Her hair was in disarray across her shoulders.


    After they got over the surprise of seeing her that way, they went on to get her ready for the banquet at the sect''s main hall.


    Positioning themselves around her, they began taking off every piece of clothing she had on, until she was stripped naked. Xu Hui in her past life was used to caring for herself, but seeing as they stood in a threatening way around her, made her give up on arguing with them about her grooming.


    Dipping the washcloth into the water, they ran it over her body, cleaning every inch of her pinkish skin until she felt they were going to remove all the layers from her bones. Afterwards, they dried her skin withunused washcloths. Next, they slip her undergarments on her, followed by purple robes made from the highest quality fabric. They placed each leg in a purple silky shoe.


    Running the comb through her long tendrils, and arranging it in a bejeweled hair clip, they went on to take care of her face, powdering her skin lightly and smearing a tinge of red on her lips, each ear had on themlight golden earrings.


    One of the maids handed her a bronze mirror to look at her reflection, before taking it back from her.


    Stepping aside, they curtsied , as the Young Miss of YuanLi sect walked out of her chambers, heading straight for the hall where the festive dinner being held in her honor was to take place.


    At the grand hall, purple Camellia totem on a pennon hung at various parts of the hall. Each end of the hall was rows of dinning set with young men dressed in purple robes sitting and chatting with each other. At first none of them knew she was already around their vicinity, until she had gotten a bit closer to them. That was when they rose up to greet her, their salute was one that conveyed deep respect.


    Once they saw she was seated at the table, that was when they all sat back down, whispering to each other, as their dark eyes darted back and forth to her.


    Later on, sect leader Li Guoliang, walked in with Physician Shen in tow, they all got up with no exception, to greet the two most powerful people in the room, beforeeveryone settled down on their seat.


    One by one, the servants from the kitchen brought in trays upon trays of assorted dishes and cups with jugs of crescent peach wine, a wine of the finest quality in Li town.


    With the trays set on each table, that was when the sect leader got up to give a toast to his daughter''s new gift of health, they all rose in unison giving a toast back to show their support for the Young Miss of YuanLi sect.


    Not long after, the feast had commenced, that was when one of the servants walked in and went up to the head of the table to whisper something into the ears of the YuanLi sect leader.


    "Matters of utmost importance has come to my attention, continue to enjoy the feast!"


    With that, Li Guoliang excused himself, leaving Physician Shen and Xu Hui at the table. The rest kept eating. Moments after, one of the disciples turned in the direction of the sect leader''s daughter.


    "Miss Li, is it true that you were possessed all this time?! That is why you couldn''t cultivate?!"


    It was a younger looking disciple that spoke, the rest gasped in surprise. Not expecting that he could be so bold as to blatantly question Li Jiao.


    At first Xu Hui wanted to ignore the jab that was aimed at Li Jiao, but from what she had seen of her memories, it was a really sad one.


    Standing up from where she sat, until she got over to where the junior disciple that spoke was, with a bright smile on her face as though she was about to say some thing pleasant.


    Withoutany warning whatsoever, Xu Hui grabbed him by the neck, lifting him from where he sat, squeezing the muscle of the fair skin. The disciple began making choking sounds from the back of his throat.


    A stunned look crossed the faces of all who watched what was going on, it was asthough something held on to their tongues, none dared to step in to his rescue.


    This went on for a while, his face had already taken on a deep blue shade. At the entrance to the hall, leaning against the wall, was a senior disciple of YuanLi sect.


    Fu Zian watched from where he stood, a smile of merriment showed on his face. He always knew Li Jiao to be of gentle nature, but to see her stand up for herself was more of an amusing display than anything else.


    Knowing that if she kept at it, the disciple that she held in her hands would most likely die.


    Reaching for the purple zither from behind him, holding it in one hand, he released a single string, a semblance of it wrapped around her neck. Unknown to Fu Zian, it was a place that held bad memories for Xu Hui.


    Xu Hui, felt something wrap around her neck, digging into her skin. Flinching from the intenseimpact of the mysterious thing, she flung the disciple held in her hand to the ground.


    Turning to see, who could be so bold as to challenge her. With eyes blazing with seething rage, her red lips curled in a savage smile almost bordering on insanity, that was when Xu Hui began walking towards him, with one thought in mind. To break him apart, crushing him under her feet not leaving a single trace behind.

 9 Shattered

    Xu Hui tried to control the burning rage she felt towards the annoying smile on the seemingly nonchalant male disciple. He stirred within her, old memories of her past life that she wanted to lay buried, until the right time came for her to pull them out to look closely at.


    Fu Zian''s eyes twinkled in amusement, he remained where he was his back lazily resting against the wall of the hall entrance. Closely watching what her next action would be, as his hand rested lightly against the strings of the zither, in the event she decide to do the unexpected.


    Force of habit made Xu Hui reach for her side, forgetting that she no long wielded her sword, as she used to when she was still alive in her very own body.


    Frustrated by the discovery, that was when she made a mad dash towards where the junior disciple laid unconscious on the floor, stripping him of his sword, as she charged at the male disciple that was an eyesore to her, turning and twisting the sword in her hand by its hilt.


    The movement of Li Jiao struck Fu Zian as odd, he had never known the sect''s leader''s daughter to hold a sword, let alone handle it at the level she was currently moving it. What he could see was someone who knew their way around a sword, that was when he began to wonder where and how she had learned that type of sword technique.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t have much time to think on it, asXu Hui lunged at him with the sword, aiming straight for his heart with one strike.Fu Zian blocked the attack with the body of his zither, cutting the force of the sword almost by half.


    By now, he knew he had to get serious or else, his might end up losing a body part. With a smile still on his face, Fu Zian released a string from his zither, the force from it pushed back Xu Hui, as she almost landed on the floor.


    Undeterred by his moves, Xu Hui held the sword tightly in her hand, flipping the blade before going again at Fu Zian. Laughing at her tactic, he renewed the force of his attack, this time releasing two strings at once, doubling the effect of his technique.


    Refusing to be fooled the second time, Xu Hui infused a portion of her spiritual energy wrapping it against her blade, as she place it in front of her to block the oncoming attack. The disciples by now, had gotten on their feet, clearing from where they sat, to give them some distance.


    Physician Shen hurriedly got up from where he sat to attend to the unconscious disciple, carefully examining his body. They all watched in awe and surprise, seeing the sect leader''s daughter fight, was something none of them had ever witnessed. They saw how fierce and determined she looked while facing the YuanLi sect''s senior disciple, barely even flinching from his attacks.


    They kept going at it, her sword striking against his luminous string and his wisp of entanglement pushing against her blade of fury.


    Having been a long time since she held a sword in her hand, Xu Hui''s palms was beginning to bleed from the force of her attack. The bright crimson drops slowly drenched the hilt of her silver sword, dripping on the spotless floor of the dining hall.


    Fu Zian noticed what was happening, with the way she was acting he knew that if he didn''t step in and stop their fight, she would keep going on. Moving in a sudden swift motion, he got behindher, and with two fingers he stabbed at a few pressure points at her neck, knocking her unconscious.


    He saw the look of utter confusion, before her eyes closed, but before she could collapse on the ground, Fu Zian caught her against his chest, holding her firmly, with one hand he tossed his zither behind him, before lifting her with both hands, bringing her close to him. Her head lying unconscious against his shoulders.


    "One of these day, you''ll have to let me in in your secret."


    Fu Zian whispered those words close to her ears, watching her chest rise and fall. He didn''t understand why he was sudden curious to know more about the young woman in his arms. Walking towards Physician Shen.

 10 Stirring Within

    The disciples of YuanLi sect kept on talking about what had just taken place, not believing thatYoung Miss Li could behave in such manner. They continued chatting for a very long time in the dinning hall, while occasionally eating from their food.


    A male servant rushed in to announce the arrival of the YuanLi sect leader, who walked in shortly after. Li Guoliang saw the table with so much leftover and wondered if the food that day was so bad that his daughter and Physician Shen weren''t able to eat as much from it. They all stood up to pay their respect to the YuanLi sect leader, curtsying as they did so.


    Each of the disciples looked at their sect leader seeing a thoughtful look appear on his face. Shaking his head from the thought that circled his mind, Li Guoliang turned to face his disciples. In a tone that showed worry, to ask, "Has Jiao''er retired for the night?!"


    At first, none of them was willing to give an answer to what he asked, not knowing if what they said will end up in heavy punishment. They were all dressed in a similar manner, with their sword always by their side wherever they went to. The only except to that was the senior disciple Fu Zian, whose preference for some unknown reason was the purple zither, which he carried about with him everywhere.


    Summoning courage from within, Lei Yuzhu the disciple known to be the top of the class and also a very eloquent speaker, rose up to address the sect leader. He began by mentioning the name of the disciple who asked a question that the Young Miss Li found to be very offensive, he also spoke of the fight that took place and the state at which she was in.


    Zhu Wenxue, the disciple that challenged "Li Jiao," trembled where he sat. Physician Shen immediately took care of his injuries, which was why he was still able to sit with them at the hall after what happened. His eyes remained downcast, as he could not face the sect leader after the scuffle with the Young Miss of YuanLi sect.


    Li Guoliang found it hard to believe that his daughter could have done such a thing, for one she couldn''t cultivate due to her frail heart and had always been known to have a calm and peaceful disposition. It was almost as though he was hearing the story about someone else and not his daughter.


    "What do you have to say for yourself?!"


    On hearing the roar of rage from the sect leader''s voice, they all scrambled out of their seats, to knee on the ground with their head to the floor. They didn''t know if they could plead for mercy.Li Guoliang had always been a man of few words, hardly anything could make him talk at length.


    They had known their sect leader for a long time, only on a handful of occasions did he outwardly show anger, just like he was doing. One of the sect''s rule was that "the sin of a brother was everyone''s sin."In this case one of them stepped out line, then it follows that they all had to go through the same punishment. Shouting out an order, as he looked at the disciples still on the ground, saying,"Take them out! Get someone to cane them twenty strokes each!"


    None of them dared to complain, as the servant from earlier rushed out to get thirty more servants to carry out what their master had asked of them.


    As the disciples were being dragged out, Li Guoliang ran in the direction of his daughter''s chambers in fear, wishing for no harm to have befallen her. A part of him knew that she was in capable hands, but another part could not shake the worry and fear that had taken over his mind. He had seen how sickly she was as a child, despite what Physician Shen told him of her wholesome recovery, he still wanted to see with his two eyes that she was safe.


    ---------------------------------------


    Inside the bed chamber of Li Jiao, was Xu Hui lying on the bed, as Physician Shen carried on with caring for her. By the side stood Fu Zian, who looked on, as he fought the desire to hold on to her hand. His eyes rested on her face, whose eyes still remained closed. Fu Zian felt something shift within him, but none of the people in the room could see beyond the smiling face, the changes that was beginning to take place in the young man.

 11 Affection

    Sect Leader Li knocked at the door of his daughter''s bedchambers, without waiting to be told to come in, he barged in, heading straight to the bed where she laid.


    "How is Jiao''er?


    The face of the YuanLi sect leader was heavily marked by grief, as he faced the physician.


    "Miss Li is only exhausted from the banquet, a little rest in her bedchamber is all she needs to regain her strength."


    Physician Shen spoke solemnly to the sect leader, not wanting to bring up the exact cause of Li Jiao''s "tiredness", but he suspected the YuanLi sect leader would have gotten wind of what transpired between his daughter and the other disciples. The words of the physician did not bring their usual comfort to Li Guoliang as it use to, his face still held worry for the daughter that was asleep.


    "Tell me, is it true that Jiao''er and one of the disciples fought while I was away?!"


    "..."


    Physician Shen did not known how to respond to the direct inquiry by the sect leader, should he say that the young miss of YuanLi sect only reacted due to mere provocation from a junior disciple? If so, there was no way that the sect leader will continue to allow such a disciple to stay at YuanLi sect.


    Telling the sect leader that she acted rashly would make it look like he the physician was picking sides with the junior disciple, it didn''t matter either way he chose to say it, both sides will be unhappy.


    "Physician Shen, tell me what exactly went on, did Jiao''er get into a fight? It is not like her to do such a thing. Zian''er you were there also, didn''t you see what happened?"


    The sect leader looked from one man to the other, hoping to get the answer he needed to solve the riddle in front of him, the physician looked undecided, while Fu Zian wore his customary genial smile back on, the moment the sect leader stormed into his daughter''s chambers.


    "Sect leader Li, Miss Li is really something, if I had known she was a skillful sword user, I''ll have asked for her hand in marriage a long time ago."


    As he said this, both men didn''t know whether he was jesting or plain serious, but either way the sect leader didn''t find it in the least bit funny, he had on a tight expression on his face on hearing how the senior disciple spoke of his daughter as though he were talking about someone else.


    "Please do not take the foolish words of Fu Zian to heart, it was a mere sword play among two youngsters that simply went out of hand. Neither of them meant any ill will towards the other, clearly Miss Li just got lucky with the sword, unlike what Fu Zian was trying to insinuate."


    Li Guoliang looked at the face of Physician Shen, as he tried to find any hidden meaning behind the words of the other man, he felt dissatisfied with the explanation and Fu Zian''s response wasn''t helping in the slightest bit.

 12 Unease

    Sect leader Yueming kept walking with his servants into the forest of Mount Dazhu, his steps kept getting heavier with each foot he placed one after the other. Without any reason whatsoever, the unease within kept intensifying with a chill coursing through his veins all at the same time.


    Try as he may to push aside the nagging feeling of approaching danger, he just couldn''t no matter how hard he tried. The group continued to venture into the thick canopy of greenery, to capture a mystical beast that could be put on display at WuYangChen sect. They kept moving through the thick darkness despite the light coming from the lamp held by the servants.


    A loud roar rang all of a sudden, causing the trees to tremble from the noise, none of them was ready for the terrifying sound that made their ears to bleed from the clash. Without any warning, a massive dark fur of unimaginable strength launched itself at them, killing many as it went.


    "HAHAAAAAAAA!!!!"


    The cry of agony pierced through the dark skies of Mount Dazhu, the creature unleashing great terror on the group from WuYangChen sect.


    "Sect leader Chen! Sect leader Chen! Please save us!...."


    "..."


    The blood curdling scream from both male and female servants was heartbreaking to hear even from a distance. The creature mercilessly tore at their bodies, shredding it to pieces, the sick sound of bones breaking made the already distressed leader of WuYangChen sect, Chen Feng empty his belly from the disturbing sight, on all fours the retching continued with tears streaming from his eyes, both from the pain that came from the sudden vomit and the destruction that took place in front of him.


    From the time the creature sensed that a group of cultivators made it into its territory, it kept watching through beady eyes for them to draw closer to where it remained hidden within the camouflage of greenery, bidding its time until they were close enough to devour.


    It went first for the weakest ones being the servants, whose low spiritual energy was easy to subdue, saving the one with the most impressive spiritual energy for last. Basking in the fear and cries of pain coming from the servants, the creature began by snapping their limbs and necks, cutting off any chance of survival. Drinking the warm flowing blood gushing out from the broken bodies, they each had a similar expression stamped on their faces, one of unspeakable horror.


    When the creature had drank its fill from the bodies that lay scattered on the ground, only then did it raise its head to face the man that stood alone, whose trembling feet gave way on meeting the gaze of the creature. Chen Yueming could not believe he was staring at a creature that was said to have been long gone from the immortal world, a creature none other than the Nian.


    The creature''s face looked like those of a ferocious lion, baring teeth that dripped with blood, its head sprouted an horn on both sides. The icy blue colored monster whose body was dyed red with theblood of the people it had killed, slowly began making its way towards the man that sat shaking on the ground, drooling in stupor from the unnerving sight that began closing the distance between them.

 13 Dismay

    As the creature kept drawing closer to the human that looked for the world as though he would drop dead at any moment. Something unexpected happened, a white sword landed dangerously close to the feet of the creature, almost taking off one of its toes.


    The sword vibrated from the force of the throw, glimmering brightly with dense spirit energy encasing it''s body.


    "Hahahaaa..to think that I will see sect leader Chen here, forgive us for not showing ourselves sooner."


    The Nian took many steps back on coming face to face with a new group of cultivators, the ShenJiangShi sect. Who had on them robes of yellow, the phoenix symbol of their sect clearly displayed at the front of their elegant robes, the only one whose robe stood out was the young cultivator that spoke derisively at Chen Yueming. He wasShi Yunxu the young master to the ShenJiangShi sect, dressed in robes of yellow that hid boots of gold, what made his stand out from the rest of the twelve cultivators with him was the armor of gold that rested on his broad shoulders. Every one had the same tassel of emerald dangling from the waist of their robes with sheathed swords resting calmly by their side. The sword that landed by the creature was that of young master Shi Yunxu.


    Shi Yunxu''s mock show of respect was not lost on Chen Yueming, his fear momentarily set aside, as he turned to face the newcomer whose voice rubbed at his bruised ego.


    "Shi Yunxu!!!!How dare you talk down to me?! Am I someone that you could easily speak to in such a rude way?!"


    The eyes that formerly shook with fear now blazed with a fury that burned intensely from the lack of tact from one of the top ruling sect''s young master, the formidable ShenJiangShi sect. The reason why Chen Yueming could speak without restrain despite his clan not being in the top three but instead was two ranks lower than the ShenJiangShi sect, something he hated so deeply, but had no choice but to come to accept that his sect was weakening in power as the years went by. The first being the GuBaiJin sect, the third was YuanLi sect.


    Powerful cultivators made it second nature to hide their aura when passing by, this way the enemy will be cut off guard and they could gain the upper hand in the process. In this case, Chen Yueming formerly known as Feng Yueming, married into the WuYangChen sect to gain power and reverence as being the sect leader of one of the most powerful sects in the cultivation world, but sadly marriage alone could not increase ability in a cultivator, as the person alone must train with their life on the line each day to achieve the level of greatness known to be seen among cultivators from powerful sects.


    "Forgive my imprudence, Sect Leader Feng."


    The tone never changed, as the words of Shi Yunxu was followed by a slightly muffled sound.


    "Pfft.."


    Sure enough, the ears of Chen Yueming stung on hearing the contemptuous soundfrom the other cultivators that stood by Shi Yunxu, feeling angered for being addressed with the family name he had to give up for the sake of marrying into a powerful sect.

 14 Fear

    The Nian saw the distraction that was going on, pouncing on the chance to peel the skin of the succulent man whose body boasted of a good amount of spiritual energy. As though retreating from the cultivators that outnumbered it in size, the creature suddenly lunge itself at Chen Yueming.


    While mid air on its way to devouring the defenseless prey that laid distracted on the ground, the Nian''s attention was focused only on the nearest prey at hand, Chen Yueming!


    At first the sect leader of WuYangChen sect did not know that the creature was going to come after him, when he saw that it had retreated on seeing the cultivators from ShenJiangShi sect, it was the look of astonishment on the faces of the other cultivators that made Chen Yueming to turn his head to look at what the disciples of ShenJiangShi sect were staring at, only for his heart to sink further on knowing that he was about to be made a feast of by the Nian.


    "NKkkkkkkk...."


    The words could not come out clearly from the mouth of the WuYangchen sect leader''s mouth, taking the chance that the creature was blinded by blood lust and the need to consume flesh that was overflowing with spiritual energy, Shi Yunxu''s sword obeying the intent of its master, soundlessly rose from where it was, moving at a godlike speed, piercing the back of the Nian, the blade of Wingzixin plunged deep into the creature, who fell hard to the ground among the pile of bodies along with the sword on its back.


    "Come Wingzixin!"


    Hearing the command of its master, the luminous sword broke loose from the body of the wounded Nian, whose deep red blood spurted out of the gaping hole left by the sword belonging to Shi Yunxu, moving of its own accord, Wingzixin landed softly on the palm of its master, who in turn wrapped his fingers around the hilt of the sword in readiness to confront the incapacitated Nian.


    "That''s our young master Shi Yunxu for you, see how he brought the Nian to its knees, how befitting for one who will become the future leader of our sect!"


    This was chorused by the disciples from ShenJiangShi sect, thinking that the praise would earn them on the good graces of Shi Yunxu.


    "Is my life a sport to you?! Do you think that your sect would not be harmed if it was found that I was killed during your show of swordplay?!"


    "Sect leader Chen, we meant no disrespect, do pardon our childish use of the sword. What I''m about to do may not be good for your eyes, if you could close them, it will keep your heart from giving way and you dying from the hideous act that I''m about to unleash on this creature."


    The tone was one of tranquil, the warm brown eyes saw that Chen Yueming did as he was asked.


    "WingZixin! Cut the Nian down and bring me the core from within its body."


    Without moving from where he stood among the other disciples, the sword Wingzixin flew out of Shi Yunxu''s hand, dancing through the air before descending for the kill, slashing with abandon, as it cut through the flesh of the creature, draining the demonic energy from its body.

 15 Devourer

    The roar of pain from the Nian was unsettling to hear, causing the cultivators to cringe from its howl of torment, the sword of pure bright aura beautifully hacked at the furry body, shedding blood and skin in its wake.


    Stunned by the display of such savagery, the disciples of ShenJiangShi sect stared with mouth open wide in awe.Limbs flew through the air in a trail of crimson, the howlingsound of pain growing more with every strike of the Nian''s body by Wingzixin. When Shi Yunxu gave the command for the sword to attack a second time, the WuYangChen sect leader made a run for it, choosing to lay low in the vicinity of the other sect''s disciples.


    "Tsk! See Sect leader Chen cowering in fear!"


    "He is so useless! Worthless piece of trash! See him! How can he face the people that died from his sect in the afterlife? What a waste! Ptooey!"


    The last statement came with the sound of the disciple spitting in disgust at such a worthless person that was masquerading as a leader from the seven great sects of Mount DaZhu, home to thousands of cultivators from different sects. The SuDaji forest was one of the various hunting place in Mount DaZhu.


    Twelve pair of eyes landed on the cultivator that was being talked about, Chen Yueming had his ears covered with eyes averted in the opposite direction. The strong stench of blood from the Nian was starting to make him feel queasy.


    "BLARGHHHHHHH!!!!''


    Chen Yueming did not know what was in the blood of the Nian that could make him lose face right in front of the young disciples from ShenJiangShi Sect,he had no control whatsoever, falling to his knees from the overpowering smell that made his head pound. His back was to the slaughtering taking place, but the smell was more than what the stomach of the sect leader could take.


    "Haaahaaahahahaha!!!!"


    "What a disgrace!"


    The disciples could no longer hold it in, bursting in a laughter of ridicule while pointing at Chen Yueming who had his head lowered from emptying his bowels. No matter how weak a sect was, blatantly making fun of a sect leader to their face was unheard of, even if some may do so in secret. The cheeks of the sect leader burned with humiliation at being subjected to their mockery. His sword still hung from the side of his robe, but it was sheathed, taking it out of its scabbard will bring the attention of the disciples from ShenJiangShi sect of what he intended to do to them. His lowered lids hid the hatred he felt deep within towards them, under the sleeves of his robes was a bracelet made from the same string of the zither he once used as the disciple of ShaoXu sect. Slowly taking apart the folded string on his left wrist.


    "Dirnttttttttttttttttt."


    Chen Yueming may be the sect leader of WuYangChen, but there was one thing he used to be before then, a decent zither user as Feng Yueming. He could whip out a string so thin that a cultivator who haven''t gotten to the level of "sense" awareness will miss where the attack with the string would be coming from, a deadly way to silence someone.


    "There is no hope for the WuYa....."


    The cultivator didn''t get to finish what he was saying, the string took a clean cut, severing the head from the body, the head with the look of surprise etched on it, dropped to the ground in a sickening thud shortly followed by the main body. Bright crimson splattered on the faces of the disciples nearby.


    "ARRRRRHHHHH!!!!"


    Cries of horror from the cultivators echoed through the forest of SuDaji, amidst the killing intent of Wingzixin.

 16 Sneaky

    Shi Yunxu was only ten steps awayfrom the disciples of the same sect, his eyes on what the sword was doing to the creature. He had his back to them, but heard all the things that was said about the WuYangChen sect leader, not that some of it weren''t true. Chuckling in amusement by what was spoken about Chen Yueming, the young master of ShenJiangShi sect not knowing of Chen Yueming''s plot against his disciples had his guard relaxed. It was the cries coming from from the ShenJiangShi sect that made Shi Yunxu turn around to see what it was, his lips held a smile of thinly concealed insolence.


    "Young master Shi! A....A-Heng is dead!"


    Shi Jian-heng was the cultivator who had his head taken off, the remaining disciples with terrified look on their faces, eyes darting around to find out where the attack must have come from, but nonecould put it together that the sneak attack was closer than they could have imagined.


    Without any change in his countenance, Shi Yunxu walked to where the deaddisciple was, bending to pick up the severed head that now had dried up blood, to take a closer look at the cold pale lifeless skin. On first glance, nothing could be seen, but eyes that had gained the "sense" ability, seeing beyond the ordinary, can see what may appear invisible to others not at that level. Stuck into the bone that came from a part of the neck was a piece of fine thin string dyed to the color of red.


    "Heya! The malignant spirits must have struck our poor A-Heng down. What do you say Sect leader Chen?"


    "Why are you asking me as though I know what took place?"


    "We do not understand why Young master Shi is wasting time on finding out what Sect leader Chen thinks, how can someone like him who couldn''t look after the people from his sect know what could have killed A-Heng?"


    "Are you all saying that Sect leader Chen did not know how A-Heng died?"


    The eleven disciples terrified looks had become one of confusion, they kept looking at Shi Yunxu not knowing where he was going with the interrogation, by then Wingzixin had finished hacking the creature to death, carving out the shiny blue core within the Nian''s chest to present to it''s master. The sword flew to where Shi Yunxu was with the core surrounded by the aura from the tip of the blade. The young master of ShenJiangShi sect took out a sealing pouch of yellow, pulling its string open to absorb the blue core of the Nian.


    "Wingzixin! Bring me the head of Chen Yueming!"


    "Young master Shi please do not act rashly. Are you sure that it was the doing of Sect leader Chen?"


    "Do not say another word A-Hao!"


    The unmistakable tone of warning made Shi Lang-hao not to pursue the discussion any further. Chen Yueming stood from where he was on the ground to face the sword that was coming at him at an extremely fast speed, pulling out the sword on his side to defend himself from the merciless attack of Shi Yunxu''s sword.


    He didn''t know when the young master of ShenJiangShi sect moved to stand behind him, grabbing the arm that held the sword facing Wingzixin. Chen Yueming fought to break from the iron hold of Shi Yuxue, which made him open to the attack of Wingzixin. The sword suddenly changed direction of its attack as though under an unspoken command, turning to the left arm of Chen Yueming, who strained to keep his hand lowered to fend off the sword from take off his left arm. At the last second, the sword of Shi Yunxu shifted back to its original intent, aiming straight for Chen Yueming''s head.


    Afraid that his head would be cut off, the WuYangChen sect leader released the string under his sleeves, to cut the hand of Shi Yunxu, who sensing the intention ofChen Yueming waited for him to reveal where he hid the weapon he used in killing a disciple of his sect.


    During the scuffle, the sword Wingzixin pierced the shoulder of Chen Yueming which was what Shi Yunxu had planned from the start, while holding up a hand with the string that was used to assassinate Shi Jian-heng, now made visible to the eyes of the other disciples with the aura of Shi Yunxu.

 17 New life

    "Lady Chen, it is a healthy baby boy. Sect leader Chen will be overjoyed by the news!"


    "Bring the baby to me, so that I can see his face."


    The voice of the new mother sounded hoarse from screaming in agony while pushing the baby through her phoenix nest.


    The attending maid in red and white robes of the WuYangChen sect held the red faced bald newborn in a bundle of white linen for Lady Chen Liling to hold in her arms. The cries of a newborn could be heard throughout the courtyard. Lady Chen was in a plain white birthing robe, sweat poured profusely from her brows which made her hair stick to the side of her face. The eyes that looked up at the maid was red from crying in pain during the delivery of the baby that was in her womb. The blood soaked robes stained the bed that she laid on, while blood sipped from her thorn phoenix nest.


    "Nehhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"


    The proud mother of the baby looked with tears simmering in her eyes at the next leader of the sect, many years had passed and no sign of life from countless visits to her husband''s chambers, until almost a year ago did Lady Chen notice changes to her body, which was confirmed by a visiting physician, none other than Physician Shen whom they had to seek out, despite their sect''s Physician Wu who told the sect leader and his wife that Lady Chen was with child.


    "He looks just like his father."


    The voice of Lady Chen held one of awe at how much the newborn to her eyes looked like her husband.


    "Lady Chen, do you have a name for the young master?"


    "Not yet, but when Chen Yueming comes we will both decide on what to name our son."


    "We mean no offense Lady Chen, but I think the baby needs to be seen by his wet nurse."


    The maid had her head lowered while she spoke to the wife of their sect leader, one wrong move and she could pay with her life, regardless of whether or not it was a joyful occasion.


    "See to it that he has the best wet nurse. I''m sore and cannot get up for now."


    "Yes Lady Chen, the young master will have the very best attending to his needs."


    "Get Nanny Ehuang here! Isn''t she back yet from where I sent her?"


    "Nanny Ehuang may be in the kitchen making your food, I will check to see if she is back."


    Nanny Ehuang and maid Huian were both servants under the WuYangChen sect, who took up the last name of "Yang" in accordance to the slave contract that Lady Chen Liling had, this made them the fully property of the sect with absolute loyalty. In short, every servant had the old family name "Yang" and those that did not hold their sect leader and his wife in high regard were not sold off, but beaten to death as punishment, their body left in the wild to be eaten up by animals.


    ****Phoenix nest: Vagina

 18 Shame

    "A-Hao take Wingzixin from Sect leader Chen''s shoulder."


    The young disciple did as told by the young master of ShenJiangShi sect, dragging his feet towards where Shi Yunxu and Chen Yueming stood with their bodies so close.


    Not sparing a look to see if the sect leader of WuYangChensect was ready,Shi Liang-hao grabbed the sword by the hilt and forcefully pulled it out of the shoulder of Chen Yueming.


    "AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"


    The sect leader of WuYangChen sect was unable to keep the roar of pain from escaping his lips, in a sweeping motion the disciple held the sword as though to get rid of a vermin from the precious weapon of Shi Yunxu, leaving trail of blood in its wake, before passing the sword to its rightful owner.


    "Sect leader Chen I will release you now, but before I do, handover the string on you to me. If not, I cannot guarantee that you will walk out of here alive."


    The smile on the young man was a cordial one on the surface, while within he was brimming with anger that one of his own died without being prepared for the attack coming his way.


    "If that is all it takes."


    They all saw the sect leader use the other hand that was unrestrained to loosen the bracelet from the hand held by Shi Yunxu to pass it onto the young master of ShenJiangShi sect. The attack worked using his spiritual energy to make the string become so thin that it was impossible to see with the natural eyes, holding it as though a sword to cut down anything that lies within its part. A silver string that appears ordinary to the eyes, but when infused with a certain amount of spiritual energy can become a deadly weapon.


    "Take it that your life was spared today, there will be no second time if we cross paths again, if you kill a disciple from my sect."


    "You are too kind "Young Master Shi" certainly your underlings still have much to learn from you."


    In a bow of mock respect, Chen Yueming gave a show of thanks to Shi Yunxu, the smile on his face was one of ill will towards the young master of ShenJiangShi sect.


    "You could say that, peradventure the next time they would be better behaved."


    "I expect nothing less from ShenJiangShi sect. Allow me to take care of this for you."


    All of a sudden the sect leader of WuYangChen sect swept the pouch that was in the hand of Shi Yunxu, right under the nose of the cultivators from his sect.


    "Give it back! Are you trying to take the core that our young master worked so hard for? To think that you will thank him for sparing your life by stealing from him?! Ha! What a thick faced thief!"


    Releasing the aura within, wisps of gold surrounded the body of Chen Yueming. Although, they couldn''t see the aura of gold around the sect leader, the force from it made them all tremble where they stood except for Shi Yunxu.


    "Now repeat what you were saying to me."


    "..."


    The disciple that spoke out of turn could not utter a single word out of his mouth, while staring into the cold dead look on the face of Chen Yueming.

 19 Spite 1

    ShenJiangShi disciples stood trembling in mortification, that the cultivator that they saw as useless, was in actuality hiding a power that rivaled those of their young master''s.


    "I''m so angry, how best can I calm my anger? Should I pluck their eyes out and feed them to the hens in my courtyard?"


    "UHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"


    The faces of the cultivators were pale with terror, as the sound of fear escaped from their throat.


    "Sect leader Chen, think carefully. If you spill a drop of their blood, I can promise you that if it means sacrificing my life, you will not be leaving here alive!"


    The voice didn''t plea nor change in their cadence while addressing Chen Yueming.


    "Oh?! Oh?! Why don''t we find out, if you really can kill me as you said."


    Gone was the weapon that would have struck down with ease the cultivator that challenged him, instead he had but his sword Yaguhua, pulling out a silver blade with a crimson hilt from the sheath of silver-red. The sword of Chen Yueming clashed with those of Shi Yunxu, the two went at it, swinging their blade, while the force of it pushed the eleven cultivators to the ground. The bodies that laid on the ground in a bloody heap was flung far off, away from the two dueling cultivators.


    Twisting to the side to evade the Wingzixin from stabbing him a second time, Chen Yueming threw his sword towards Shi Yunxu, who flew up to evade being impaled by Yaguhua. The WuYangChen sect leader was expecting him to dodge the attack, only to slice him through the abdomen, avoiding the vital organ in the process. What pierced through Shi Yunxu was a remnant of the silver string that was thought to have been completely handed over by Chen Yueming, which was cleverly hidden during the sword throw in a blind spot.


    "Young master Shi!"


    The terrified cries came from the disciples as they saw their sect leader''s son wounded by Chen Yueming, this made them struggle to their feet to come to the rescue of Shi Yunxu, who fell to the ground, coughing up blood.


    "Sect leader Chen! You..."


    "I, what? Deceived you? Made you lower your guard? What else?"


    Turning to face the disciples that was almost where the two were, in a look that held great contempt,"Take another step and I will rip your heads from your body!"


    Not even for the son of their sect leader, did the cultivators move from where the stood, their skin drenched in sweat and pale stricken, unable to go against the words of Chen Yueming.


    "You had this planned already? The slaughtering of your servants, you could kill the Nian based on your level of cultivation and yet you played at being weak, why?!"


    As Shi Yunxu spoke, the pouch holding the core of the Nian was tucked underneath the sleeves of his robes. From the other sleeve Chen Yueming pulled out a red pouch taking out a handful of bluish power to scatter on the bodies that did not get thrown off during the fight. Right in front of their eyes, the bodies began to melt, foaming as they did, until there was no trace left.

 20 Spite 2

    "What is that? What did Sect leader Chen sprinkle on those people?"


    "How should I know?"


    Despite being scared, one of them wanted to know the thing that Chen Yueming poured on the dead bodies.


    Walking as though he had all the time in the world, even though he had a wound to the shoulder, Chen Yueming walked past the visible shaken young disciples to finish the task of covering up the death of the servants from his sect.


    Weak and bleeding from being cut open, the young master of the ShenJiangShi sect laid where he was on the ground, not wanting to raise the ire of the already angry Chen Yueming.


    "Tell Sect leader Shi to take care of his health."


    The tone of disdain was clear in the voice of the WuYangChen sect leader, it wasn''t that he wanted to wish the father of Shi Yunxu well, but to rub it in his face that his father didn''t have much time to live.


    "I will be sure to pass your message to him."


    A tone of civility was used in responding to the words of the other cultivator. In a show of mock respect, Chen Yueming bowed to his waist to the young master of ShenJiangShi sect.


    "When we cross paths again, try not to get killed in the process."


    Without further exchange of words, they watched the sect leader of WuYangChen sect walkawayfrom them in the direction leading out of the woods.


    "Phew!"


    Sighing from their near death experience, the cultivators ran to place their young master against their backs, while picking up his sword from the ground. The remaining disciples went to gather the remains of their fellow disciple to take back to their sect.


    ------------


    "Sect leader Chen is back!"


    Announced one of the female servants from the east courtyard.


    "Let Lady Chen know that Sect leader Chen is back."


    Spoke one of the servants to the other maid that was among the servants working at the courtyard of the sect leader''s wife.


    Not willingto cause his wife distress, Chen Yueming asked that the servants keep quiet about the injury to his shoulder. Threatening to punish whoever brought it to the ears of his wife.


    "Sect Leader Chen, you have a healthy baby boy. Lady Chen delivered the baby while you were away on a night hunt."


    "How is Lady Chen Lililng?"


    The sect leader made reference to his wife in a formal way, even before the two got married.


    "Our mistress is resting from the delivery, but she is gaining strength as the hour go by."


    The plain faced servant had her head lowered while speaking to the leader of WuYangChen sect.


    "Where is the baby so that I can see him?"


    "Young master Chen is with a wet nurse, one of the servants have gone to get him for you to see."


    The conversation between Chen Yueming and the servants was held in the hall of WuYangChen sect, which was decorated in the bright red colors of the sect, the bold red Camilla flower emblazoned on the drape of white hanging from various corners of the hall.


    Walking into the hall dressed in the red and white robes of the sect with a crimson bundlein her arms was Lady Chen Liling, the wife of sect leader Chen Yueming.

 21 Fallen mis

    GuBaiJin sect....


    At fallen mist sanctum fifteen male youthful cultivators sat on a flat green hassock behind a raised brown table of wood. Laid out in front of them was a cup made of dark brown wood which held ink brushes facing up, to the side was a small emerald rock to grind the ink to powder and mix with the water from a small slender pitcher of wood. The disciples of GuBaijin sect sat with their back straight in attention to the words of their teacher, none other than Jin Caihe who is said to be a cultivator of exemplary virtue and brilliance.


    Jin Caihe, a tall and proportionate man, his dark hair flowed gracefully down the length of his back, contrary to the sect rule that male cultivators wear a head band of green, having a radiant countenance akin to basking in the warmth of the sun and an appearance that held one of much vigor. Looking at the young disciples through smiling liquid brown eyes, holding in one hand a rolled up scroll, as his gaze fell to one of the disciples that sat on the second row out of a row of five that sat three cultivators on each row.The GuiBaiJin disciples wore robes of green with their hair tied with a green band and a forehead ribbon that displayed the symbol of their sect a winged snake.


    "Jin An, can you explain how many realms exists in the universe?"


    "..."


    The disciple that was asked this question stood and kept looking from side to side, hoping to receive some kind of hint from his classmates that sat along with him in the fallen mist sanctum. As he was about to turn around to see if any could save his hide, that was when Jin Caihe spoke.


    "I''m still waiting to hear your answer."


    "T...he heavens? Human realm...I....."


    Unable to think of a third answer, Jin An hung his head low in shame, the young disciple had the look of a shy and timid person, the fair skin on his face had taken on a pink stain from the somewhat awkward position of not being able to answer to his teacher, whose face remained unchanged.


    "You can sit down Jin An, who else knows the answer?"


    Red faced, Jin An hurriedly took his seat on the hassock, unable to meet the gaze of Jin Caihe. It didn''t take too long for a hand to shoot up in the air, as though he didn''t see the hand that was raised, Jin Caihe kept asking who knew the answer to what he asked, but none in the class raised their hands up except those of Jin Tieguai, the bane of GuBaiJin sect.


    "Head teacher Jin, it looks like Jin Tieguai knows the answer."


    "Hush Jin Xiangu! Can''t you see that he was deliberately ignored by Jin Caihe. That Jin Tieguai, he shouldn''t have raised his hands up in the first place. I tell you this will not end well, just why did he have to be a know it all!"


    The pensive look on the faces of all the disciples made the mouth of Jin Caihe to tighten all the more, as he looked at the face of Jin Tieguai which was overflowing with mischievousness, while awaiting his chance to speak in the room.

 22 Fate 1

    "Sect leader Li! The whole of KuShun sect, GongKua sect, MoXing sect, ZaoQiang sect and BaoXu sect has been wiped off by the demon lord and his armies!"


    "What!"


    The servant that brought the evil tidings to the ears of the YuanLi sect leader trembled from the blow of such great misfortune, Li Guoliang lost all the color on his face, looking as though he was about to fall face down to the floor.


    "Where did you hear it from?!"


    "One of the maids from the kitchen went to the market and heard talks of demons slaughtering cultivators from other sects."


    "Bring the her here! Hurry!"


    The male servant almost fell to the ground, while rushing to do the bidding of the YuanLi sect leader. Running as fast as his feet could carry him, the servant barged into the kitchen in search of the maid that gave him the gossip from the town''s market.It took much effort to find her among the cluster of kitchen servants that worked tirelessly in the space filled with smoke and fire. Vegetables and meat hung from wooden raised rails. Oil, condiments lined the corners of the earthen wares, cooking pots darken from the smoke of burning firewood. Against the kitchen walls was barrels full of water.


    "Come! Sect leader Li wants to see you!"


    Dragging her by the hand, the servants ran from the kitchen to the dinning hall of the YuanLi sect. On getting to where the sect leader sat on a high chairbehind an equally high table carved out of pine wood, in the purple robes of the sect. He had his sword sheathed to the side, as he faced the servants that was approaching where he sat.


    "Kneel!"


    Several feet separated where the sect leader sat and the servants, both knelt on hearing the terrifying voice of Li Guoliang, while keeping their heads lowered.


    "Speak up! What did you say about the other sects? If what I hear from you is different from what I''ve been told, the both of you will be struck down with the sword in my hand!"


    Frightened by what their sect leader said, the servants began to plead for their lives.


    "Have mercy on us Sect leader Li! Those are idle words from the town people about all the other sects being killed by demons! Please spare our lives!"


    "Until I know for certain that what you said is the truth, the both of you will remain on your knees."


    "Please Sect leader Li! Have mercy!"


    "Hold your tongues or you would each be caned fifty times!"


    That seem to silence them, for they knew that receiving that amount of beating meant a slow painful and bloody death. None of the servants had ever gone through that form of punishment and came out alive, the ones that received twenty strokes of cane had bruises that took a long time to heal.


    "I will leave for ShenJiangShi sect and find out whether such a thing took place, you better pray that what I hear matches what you told me, if not just prepare yourself for what is to come!"


    Neither of them saw the look of indignation on the face of Li Guoliang, who stormed out of the hall in a rage.

 23 Fate 2

    "Put your hand down! Jin Tieguai!"


    The countenance that was as that of the radiant sun became one of frost in such a little time, a look of worry overshadowed the faces of the disciples, knowing that the cause of the unyielding stance of their head teacher was the number one trouble maker of the GuBaiJin sect, Jin Tieguai. To make the whole matter worse, the source of the great discomfort usually sat in the first row at the middle seat. Therefore, there was no way for anyone to avoid looking at any of his antics even if they didn''t want to and that also included Jin Caihe.


    "Did you hear that?! Head teacher Jin just asked Jin Tieguai to lower his hand, let''s see if he will listen. Who wants to bet?"


    The other disciples that sat behind Jin Dongbin and the one that was at his left side tapped his back to say tell him that they wanted to bet on Jin Tieguai getting punished.


    "Not me! I don''t have any money left."


    Jin Dongbin was the young master of the GubaiJin sect, who was looked upon with much reverence and whom many of the junior disciples flocked to, his fair jade skin an envy among his peers.


    "Jin Huan!Is it only money that can be used in a bet?! How about the ink brush that mother gave to you for being the most promising junior disciple."


    "No! not that! anything but the ink brush! Lady Jin had that specially made fr..."


    "Enough of your griping! If you are not giving the ink brush what else will you be betting with?!"


    The argument went on under hush breath, but that caught the gaze of Jin Caihe.


    "Young master Jin?"


    Jin Dongbin had a graceful look, unassuming in the way he carried himself with much poise and eloquent in the way he talked.


    "Yes, head teacher Jin."


    The young master of the GuBaiJin sect had a steadfast look and none could fathom what lay beneath the calm exterior.


    "Could you finish what Jin An had to say?"


    That was when Jin Dongbin elegantly stood up from where he sat on the hassock, as all the eyes of his peers was trained on the young master of the GuBaijin sect. While this was going on, Jin Tieguai still had his hands raised in the air.


    "Head teacher Jin, Jin Tieguai hasn''t placed his hands down, what am I to do?"


    "Jin Tieguai, if you don''t put your hand down! You will have to kneel in the morning dew, holding the foot rock above your head!"


    "Please Head teacher Jin, don''t be angry with Jin Tieguai. I''ll answer the question if he is allowed to speak, should either of us get the answer wrong, I''ll receive the due punishment."


    What Jin Dongbin meant was that whether he or Jin Tieguai answered wrongly, he will go through the same punishment as his classmate in the event it was Jin Tieguai and not him that didn''t get it right.


    "For the sake of Sect leader Jin, I will let you have your way this once."


    "You are most kind head teacher Jin. To answer the question, there are three realms in the universe, the realm of cultivation, the human realm and the heavens."


    "That''s young master Jin for you, now Jin Tieguai will know his place and stop causing us any more trouble in class.


    "Really? Young master Jin, that is your answer?!"


    "Yes, head teacher Jin, am I wrong?"


    The eyes that looked at Jin Caihe was one that lacked deceit and mirrored much confidence. Meanwhile those of the head teacher''s was marked by utmost disbelief that such a simple question was not given the proper reply. This forced Jin Caihe of the GubaiJin sect to call on Jin Tieguai, who shot out of his seat as though pricked by a pin.


    "Heavens, human and demon!"


    The presumed troublemaker said everything in one breath, making the whole class and head teacher stare hard at him with heavy dislike, but the one whose hatred surpassed all of them was the cultivator that was held in high esteem, the young master of the GuBaiJin sect, Jin Dongbin!


    "Prepare to receive your punishment, Young master Jin."


    There was a lukewarm tone behind the message of Jin Caihe to his student, which went with the look in his eyes when staring at those of Jin Dongbin.

 24 Fate 3

    The YuanLi sect leader landed in front of the tall gold fortress belonging to the ShenJiangShi sect from the sword that carried him through the air to the neighboring sect. Effortlessly picking the sword that was almost touching the ground to place in its sheath by his side.


    At the formidable fortress, there stood two male cultivators in robes of yellow, a clasp of gold held their hair at the center, each had a sword by the side of their robes. On seeing who came to the entrance of their sect, the two cultivators gave a greeting to the YuanLi sect leader.


    "Greetings! Sect leader Li!"


    The valiant cultivators that guarded the fortress of ShenJiangShi sect bowed in respect to the leader of one of the most prominent sects in the cultivation world. Li Guoliang merely gave a passing nod in acknowledgment of the greeting.


    "What brings Sect leader Li to ShenJiangShi sect?"


    "A matter of grave importance. I seek an audience with Sect leader Shi."


    The cultivators looked from one to the other, as the two senior disciples of ShenJiangShi sect did not know what to make of the unannounced visit from the leader of one of the top three cultivation clan.


    "Is anything the matter?"


    "N..Nothing Sect leader Li, I will need to announce your presence to our sect leader."


    The disciple spoke with much restrain, not wanting to offend a leader from another sect, whose visit made them visibly uncomfortable, but at the same time he didn''t want to cause offense to Sect leader Li.


    "If you could be so kind as to wait by the hall of harmony."


    "Lead the way."


    Li Guoliang looked unimpressed by the reception he received on arriving at the gates of ShenJiangShi sect and he made it known through his voice.


    The said disciple turn to place the shinning yellow tassel against the gate which slid back to allow himand Li Guoliang through. Briskly walking ahead in the direction of the hall of harmony which was in the west courtyard to seat the YuanLi sect leader, before running all the way to the south courtyard. Outside the door chambers stood seven female servants in simple yellow robes, their hair tied with simple yellow ribbon in the butterfly style, a symbol of their lowly status, they wore shoes made from the same material.


    "This is Shi Yixing wanting to let Sect leader Shi know that Sect leader Li has matters of great urgency to bring to his attention."


    The female servants remained by the door leading to the bedchambers of their sect leader.


    "Wh...ere is A-Yun?"


    "Greetings Sect leader Shi!"


    The cultivator that brought the message to the ears of the ailing Shi Yehua, bowed to show respect despite not seeing the face of the person he was greeting.


    A weak voice came from within, belonging to the sect leader of ShenJiangShi sect.


    "He is attending morning lessons, Sect leader Shi."


    "L..et..him...spea..k..to..se..ct lea..d..er..Li..in..my...pl..ace..le..t..h..im..kn..ow..I..a..m..in..di..spo..se..d"


    "Yes, Sect leader Shi, I will let young master Shi know."


    Shi Yixing bowed once again, before going to do the bidding of his sect leader. Little did Shi Yixing know that the young master was not where he was, but instead in his bedchamber, biting against a piece of white clothes as he fought against the pain coming from where he was struck at the abdomen.

 25 Fate 4

    Seige at BaoXu sect...


    "Demon Lord Zhurong, when do you want us to attack."


    "Fire the arrows only my command!"


    Surrounding the path that led into the BaoXu sect was an army of dark cloaked demons. Their faces hidden beneath a dark mask. The one that was being referred to as demon lord was in a similar cloak but his had the crest of the demon royal house,the xiangliu a shinning dark crimson nine headed serpent.


    The dark mask on their faces was forged from the hottest flames from the depth of the river of molten lava that ran within the demon realm.


    Unlike cultivators who had different levels in their sense ability, those from the demon world cannot see behind what lies ahead, therefore they depended on the "eye of Yao" also known as the mirror that sees all to show them where the enemy ahead of time. Literally meant the demon eye!


    A magical tool that was given to the former Demon lord Dilong to stand as a symbol of peace between the heavens and demon realm. On his dying bed, it was passed onto the thenDemon Prince Zhurong.


    Throwing his head back, the demon lord took in a deep breath from the pure air that surrounded the sect he was about to infiltrate, although the air from the world of cultivators is known to be poisonous to demons, but the mask the had on was not for just hiding their faces which some believed was hideous, instead it was to make the air impure for themnot to become weak against its purity.


    Within the courtyard of the BaoXu sect, many of the disciples had gone to bed including the sect leader who was the last to sleep, as he had to attend to matters that related to sect.


    The only ones that were awake was the disciples that stood guard outside the walls of the BaoXu sect, the sound of cicadas rang clear through the pitch black night. Eight heavy built men in purple and white robes stood guard with their sword, half of them held in their hand a paper lantern suspended by a thick stick.


    The demon armies dark aura was made indiscernible by a special magical pills.


    "When is the next moon going to be?"


    "Wasn''t it supposed to be this night?"


    "It''s so cold! There is nothing to look at! No stars! Just nothing!"


    "Hey! Did you hear that the treaty between the demons and cultivators have crumbled to dust?!"


    "Where did you hear that?"


    "Where have you been? Everyone knows that it was bound to end one way or the other."


    "It''s just hearsay, we have to wait until sect lea.."


    "Wait! What is that!"


    They all looked to see the shine object that was in the sky, not knowing that a few meters away was the demon lord giving orders to fire arrows laced with the venom of the xiangliu, a poisonous serpent that was locked deep within the demon kingdom.


    "Run! Let Sect leader Xu know that we are under attack!"


    Five of the cultivators stood their ground as they fought valiantly to against the arrows coming their way, but two got struck by the arrow as it lodged into their chest, one was hit with an arrow to the neck, the last two cultivators that remained standing kept fighting, only to be distracted by when they saw the ones that were struck falling to the ground and coughing up blood. The demon lord was closer to them and caught them off guard by plunging his sword in one smooth motion into their bellies. The three that thought they had escaped had their head chopped off by the blades of the very demons that pursued them unawares.

 26 Misfortune

    "Young Miss Li! Young Miss Li! Are you awake?"


    Several maids that attended to the sect leader''s daughter kept pounding on the door for her to open up for them to come in, the sound pulled Xu Hui from her sleep.


    "What is it?"


    "Young Miss Li! We fear for Sect leader Li''s life! "


    "Come in!"


    The door slowly slid to the side as ten female servants dressed in the purple robes of the YuanLi sect walked into the bedchambers of Li Jiao. They bowed in greeting to their sect leader''s daughter.


    "Greeting Young Miss Li!"


    "You can now raise your head up."


    "Thank you Young Miss Li!"


    Xu Hui was still stretched out under the purple floral bed cover, when the servants saw their young mistress had not sat up in bed yet after their greeting, they offered to lift her up from the bed.


    "Young Miss Li, would you like us to help you up?"


    Xu Hui in her past life did everything by herself with no servant to hold her by the hand. Now that she was Li Jiao, the young mistress of YuanLi sect, she knew in her heart that there was no way they would let her do as she pleased without reporting to the sect leader what they thought of his daughter. With a sweet smile, Xu Hui stretched out her hands to be lifted from the bed.


    Four of the maid went to the head of the bed where Xu Hui laid with her head on a purple quilted throw pillow, two stood at the middle, while the remaining four stood at the foot of the bed.


    Reverently the female servants at the middle pushed off the bed cover to the far end of the bed, almost at the same time, they bent to wrap their arms underneath the back of Xu Hui to raise her up. The four at the foot of the bed slid their hands under her legs, gently placing feet covered in quilted stocking of purple to the floor. They bowed to their young mistress again before leaving her side to return to their previous position.


    "You said you feared for my father''s life, in what way?"


    When they heard the voice that was supposedly Li Jiao''s they all dropped down to their knees with their head lowered.


    "Young Miss Li, Jiyi ask permission to speak freely."


    "I am listening, speak!"


    None of them saw the irritation that had stolen across the face of Xu Hui, she just wanted the servant to spill out what she had to say without taking all the time in the world.


    "Young Miss Li, Sect leader Li flew out in rage from hearing that other sects were under attack by demons. He didn''t take any of the disciples with him when leaving for ShenJiangShi sect, I fear he may not be able to protect himself, should he have the misfortune of encountering them on the way back."


    "When did father leave?"


    "Sect leader Li has been away for two hours."


    "He probably has many things to discuss with the other sect, is that why you woke me up?!"


    "I beg of you Young Miss Li, please do not be offended by the words of your ignorant servants."


    The biting tone from Xu Hui made the female servants to trembled from where they knelt.


    "Which of the sects did you say was under attack by demons?"


    " Young Miss Li, it was ZaoQiang sect, KuShun sect, BaoXu sect, MoXing sect and GongKua sect."


    "BaoXu sect?! Are you sure it was BaoXu sect?! Raise your head, so that I can see if you are telling me the truth!"


    "Y..Young Miss Li..I speak no untruth, BaoXu sect was part of them."


    "BaoXu...."


    The color drained from the face of Xu Hui when she heard the sect which trained her to become a cultivator was no more. Without a single weapon in hand, Xu Hui fled out of YuanLi sect in search of the sect from her previous life, wishing that there would be remnants from the invasion by demons.

 27 Blood pact 1

    Forming a seal with both thumbs facing up and the other fingers intertwined in a fist, this caused Xu Hui to sail through the air in no time, the hand motion lifted her feet from the ground, as she kicked upwards to propel herself high in the air.


    The female servants that were in the bedchambers of Li Jiao, ran after her to see where she was heading to, but when they saw her levitate and take to the sky, this made them stumble as a sense of incredulity overtook their mind from seeing the young mistress they knew flap the sleeves of her robe as though she was a bird.


    They stared with their mouths wide open, not once had they seen the daughter of their sect leader execute an action that was only seen among those that had spent ample time cultivating, even her cultivation base was almost none existent! How could she fly! That was really an head shaker for the maids.


    When they finally overcame their shock from seeing such an unbelievable move, the maids called out to her, but the cries seemingly fell on deaf ears.


    "Young Miss Li!"


    "Where are you going?!"


    "Please come back!"


    The lone figure kept moving through the air until not a speck of her form was seen by the servants.


    Trail of tears followed Xu Hui while soaring through the sunny skies, the sound of chirping birds from nearby trees rang in her ears, while floating in the air. Bypassing the marketplace which led to a nearby sect for the deep woods that led into the treacherous terrains of the BaoXu sect. Heading further from the bright skies into the blanket of thick forestry ahead. Within her, Xu Hui wished for the safe keeping of the sect from her past life.


    "Please! Let them still be alive!"


    Not too long since she awakened in a new body, Xu Hui kept pushing off the time to seek out her former sect, only to leave the protection of the YuanLi sect on hearing that they had fallen into the hands of the demon lord. With nothing to light her way, Xu Hui relied on the "sense" ability from her previous life to guide her out of the canopies of greenery to the path that led to BaoXu sect.


    YuanLi sect and BaoXu sect was divided by a wide expanse of thick forest, known to harbor many creatures that could either prove harmful or otherwise depending on the cultivator''s rank.


    Xu Hui heard strange noises, but chose to ignored them as she jumped from one tree branch to the other while moving within the forest. The aura surrounding her oozed with killing intent, from the moment she changed the nature of her aura, not a single sound was heard after that.


    "RRRRRIP!!!!!!!"


    Xu Hui turned around only to see that it was the right sleeve of her robe that had caught on one of the tree branches, causing a tear.


    A long time after, Xu Hui was starting to see glimpses of daylight ahead, that seemed to renew her strength, until she flew out of the forest into the charred destruction that laid ahead.

 28 Blood pact 2

    The maids looked visibly distraught from seeing the daughter of their sect leader rush off from the courtyard of the YuanLi sect.


    "What are we to do now?! Sect leader is not here and Young Miss Li is also missing!"


    "Isn''t Young Miss Li acting a little different than usual?"


    "Be quiet! Hush! The walls have ears! Someone could be listening!"


    "Let her be! What is it to our sect if another sect is under attack? I don''t understand why Young Miss Li took off the way she did!"


    "Did you hear her ask of that sect...What is the name again?"


    "It is the one so faraway from us, the BaoXu sect."


    "Our YuanLi sect is up there with the GuBaiJin clan, a lower cultivation sect can never match up to our greatness!"


    "They used to be in the same rank as the ShenJiangShi clan, but still...that was many years back. There is no need for our Young Miss to save them some face."


    "We haven''t seen or heard anything from their side in many years, it truly is strange that at the mention of their name she ran off not telling any of us where she was going."


    "Our Young Miss is a maiden! To think YuanLi sect would lose face because of her!"


    How about Senior Fu? He is the only one left to talk to about getting Young Miss Li back before Sect leader Li gets wind of it."


    "Which of us will follow Senior Fu to look for Young Miss Li?"


    "Do you have to ask? We all need to go with Senior Fu to get our Young Miss back!"


    "He should be at morning lesson."


    The female servants ran in the direction of thesouth courtyard where they expected to see Fu Zian.


    A male disciple stood outside the entrance to the courtyard staring straight ahead. The maids curtesied, before one of them spoke of the reason for their presence there.


    "Greetings. We are Young Miss Li''s attendants, will it be possible for us to have a word with Senior Fu?"


    "If you could wait here, I will let Senior disciple Fu Zian know who is waiting for him."


    A moment later the disciple that kept watch on the south courtyard came back with the cultivator that the female servants had requested.


    Greeting was exchanged once again, but this time it was with a different disciple of the YuanLi sect.


    "Senior Fu Zian. Young Miss Li ran away when we told her that a BaoXu sect was part of the sects affected by demon invasion..."


    "..."


    Fu Zian was robbed of speech when he heard that the young mistress of his sect was nowhere to be found. He no longer paid heed to the words of the maid, in a series of fast hand motion he formed a seal with his finger tips, before taking to the air, leaving the female servants and the rest of the YuanLi sect behind in search of the lost child of his sect leader.


    ----------


    Xu Hui made it to the front entrance of BaoXu sect, gone was the iron clad gates as they lay uselessly on the ground caked in dried blood. The young maiden landed forcefully on the soft dirt, walking into what was left of the once impressive structure.

 29 Blood pact 3

    Xu Hui stopped dead on her track, dazed by the devastation that hit her in the face. Ashen bodies with dried up blood sprawled across the soft earth, gone were the magnificent building she once knew, which was now razed to the ground. Xu Hui fell to her knees and wept with abandon, as though a dam that dwelt within her was released, the ground on which she knelt took in the tears that continued to flow from her eyes. Regret, anger, disappointment and an overwhelming feeling of loss resonated in the heart of Xu Hui.


    "HAAHHAAAAAAAHAAAA!!!!!!"


    Xu Hui kept crying and laughing at the same time, such that anyone who passed by would have taken her for a madwoman.


    "Even if I have to become the very thing I detest, I must avenge my sect or die trying!"


    There was absolute resolve in the tone of Xu Hui, reflected in her eyes was an arching pain that came with coming to face with a loss. She eventually dragged herself to a sit in the lotus position with her feet crossed and did the unexpected. It was almost as if the heavens knew what she was about to do, as suddenly the sky that was once radiant with the sun shining through turn to an ominous dark cloud. A soul that was not supposed to exist in the world was about to perform an act that would cause foreseeable unrest in the heavens.


    During her time at BaoXu sect, Xu Hui was severely punished on numerous occasion for stealing into the library''s where the forbidden manuscripts with ancient practices were stored. Not once did she have the chance to put them into action until today.


    Locking her fingers all together with the left thumb placed at the center of her right palm, Xu Hui circulated the spiritual energy within her in preparation for what was to come. Afterwards, she placed both palm on the ground releasing her spiritual energy which flowed out of her palm as tendrils of purple. Absorbing the blood essence of the dead, during this she could see and hear the cries of horror from the members of her sect, some did not get the chance to make a sound as their death was instantaneous.


    The price to pay for practicing the blood flail technique was that the cultivator would exchange their life for using the varying reserve of spiritual energy that came from the cultivators that were sacrificed and the body would vanish away. When the last fragment of spirit essence was taken into the body of Xu Hui, the bodies began to disappear one after the other in a whiff of smoke.


    When Fu Zian descended at what used to be the entrance to the BaoXu sect, he saw what looked to be the daughter of his sect leader who was gazing downcast at the ground.


    "Li Jiao!"


    Fu Zian called out to her, while running to where she stood, the senior disciple came to a stop when he saw the eyes that gazed at him, there was no sparkly midnight in them instead he was looking at eyes that blazed with crimson glare.


    Xu Hui now walked the path of infernal cultivation, bearing the whole sect on her shoulders and the divine punishment that awaited her in the days ahead.

 30 Blood pact 4

    Xu Hui felt the exhaustion beginning to creep into her body from the blood flail technique she had just performed.


    "Ah! To think that I would one day use the blood flail."


    The thought ran through her mind, while staring at the ground, lost in thought, but a voice that called out the name she was now being referred to could be heard from within the roaring sound that echoed in her ears.


    "Li Jiao!"


    The somewhat familiar voice made her snap back to reality, as she stared at the youthful fair jade skin of the good-looking cultivator.


    "What are you doing here?! Hey!"


    Fu Zian called out to her, while trying not to look shocked by the drastic change in her appearance, the purple robe she wore now had dirt on them, the hair that was once held in a bejeweled hair stick now lay disheveled and unrestrained.


    He saw the moment when the bodies disappeared like smoke and carried into the air. His gaze met those of Hu Xui and what he saw in them caused a shiver of fear to run through his spine. Fu Zian did not know when the words fell out of his mouth, as he kept looking whom he presumed to be the daughter of his sect leader.


    "Who are you?"


    "Who do you think I am?"


    Xu Hui answered his question with a question, not replying directly to what Fu Zian.


    "I know that the one standing in front of me is Li Jiao, but the aura that I sense around you is nothing like hers!"


    Fu Zian raised his voice in exasperation not knowing what to make of what he saw, while he spoke a smug smile graced her lips, almost as though she was mocking his deduction.


    "I asked you, who do you think I am?"


    The senior disciple looked at her closely, not wanting to let his fears take away the rational thought in his mind.


    "If you know nothing, then stay out of my mind! Don''t try to put your nose into things that have nothing to do with you."


    Xu Hui spoke gently, while giving Fu Zian a pointed look. On the other hand, Fu Zian looked disoriented, what his eyes saw was different from what his instinct was telling him, which was that the person right in front of him could not be the young mistress of the YuanLi sect.


    "There is only one way to find out just who you are!"


    Not willing to give up on knowing if in truth his instinct was right or not, Fu Zian made the decision to launch an attack on Xu Hui who stood where she was unfazed by what she heard.


    "I still have a bone to pick from the other night at the banquet. Come at me if you are confident in your fighting skill, but don''t think for once that I''m the same as before."


    Fu Zian threw himself at Xu Hui, with the aim of going at her with his fists, but she twisted to the side to avoid his fists from landing on her, bit that was not the only thing that caught Fu Zian off guard, although he knew that Li Jiao was never trained in combat nor cultivation, just a single flick of her finger caused the senior disciple to freeze where he was, before folding her hand into a fist.

 31 Blood pact 5

    Fu Zian noticed that the moment she had her right hand in a fist was when he felt as though something was squeezing his heart, not longer after, he began to cough out blood from the constant pressure that was aimed at his heart.


    "What..what did you do to me?!"


    Xu Hui kept looking at him in a lazy manner, watching as he continued to throw up blood on the soft earth.


    "Senior Fu Zian, don''t be like that, how are you certain that it was I that did that to you?"


    The soft melodious voice form Xu Hui belied the cruelty that she dealt to the other cultivator.


    "If not you! Who else could it be? A Ghost? A Demon? An evil spirit?!"


    "It seems you really have an active imagination, I have never cultivated once in my entire life, how then could I have done that to you? How?"


    "Li Jiao! You two faced green tea! How could you? How could you look me in the eyes and lie?!"


    "Aiya! Senior Fu Zian! You hold me in high esteem! I am but a feeble maiden doomed to spend my last remaining years in isolation, waiting for the god of death to free my wounded soul from the useless body I was born with. I speak no manner of lie to you."


    "Ha! That''s what you say, but have you stopped to look at your face? Especially your eyes?!"


    "What happened to my face?!"


    Xu Hui was so eager to know what could have change in her appearance, that she held her thumb with index finger and ring finger up with the other curled to release a portion of her spiritual energy, while she closed her eyes with the image of a mirror formed in her head.


    A moment later, a sparkling jade clear mirror appeared on the palm of her left hand, as she looked down to see what Fu Zian meant by her face. Staring back at her in the mirror''s reflection was a pale faced woman who looked hauntingly beautiful with the crimson eyes that reflected like red flames.


    After looking for a while at her reflection, Xu Hui raised her head up to look at Fu Zian who had a fearful look in his eyes.


    "Do I scare you?! Is that why you thought I could not be Li Jiao?!"


    Xu Hui did not know why she wanted to know what Fu Zian thought about her current state.


    "Answer me! Are you Li Jiao?"


    "And if I tell you I am not her, what are you going to do?"


    "That can''t be? I have only read of soul transmigration from ancient writings at the sect''s library. There is no way I am looking at one!"


    "What if I tell you that I am not her, but Xu Hui a female disciple of the BaoXu sect."


    Fu Zian dreaded hearing the truth from the mouth of the maiden who had the face of his sect leader''s daughter, in truth he had his suspicions about her when she fought with him at the banquet held in her honor and also when she could make animate objects appear. The Li Jiao he knew did not possess any of these abilities, even if she tried for a million years there was no way she could reach that level of cultivation, the only explanation to the absurdity was that he was speaking to someone other than Li Jiao, a cultivator that called herself Xu Hui.

 32 Blood pact 6

    "Let''s say I believe you, how do you plan on fooling your father, no..that''s wrong of me, how do you plan on fooling sect leader Li?!"


    "I have been able to pass off as his daughter all this time, haven''t I?"


    Fu Zian looked at Xu Hui not knowing what to say about the dubious character that he was faced with, not long after the thought crossed his mind, the sky opened and it rained down upon the two, soaking their robes.


    "When the time comes, it is only right to let him know that you are not his daughter."


    "Only when I have finished what I was brought back to do."


    "What do you mean?"


    "¡­"


    Xu Hui looked at him one last time, without any further words she rose to the air, soon followed behind by Fu Zian as the two flew back to the YuanLi sect, leaving behind the remains of a forgotten sect which was washed away by the rain.


    During her flight in the air, Xu Hui was circulating her spiritual energy to suppress the growing darkness that came with the use of a forbidden technique like those of the blood Flail. Using sheer will power to suppress the lure of darkness that was spreading like a disease within her body. Fu Zian sensed the change that came over the cultivator that flew in front of him, hardly able to pick the aura of evil.


    "Did you do something to yourself just now?"


    "What did you think I did?"


    "Answer me!"


    "Do I have to?"


    "Xu Hui or whatever your name may be! You better tell me before I expose your secret to Sect leader Li!"


    "Why don''t you go ahead if you dare."


    Xu Hui voice challenged Fu Zian to go with what he knew about her to the YuanLi sect leader, not in the least bit intimidated by his threat.


    "It seems that you have no face anymore! Shameless! Absolutely shameless of you to deceive your father...I..I mean, the father of Li Jiao!"


    "It is true that I have no shame okay?! But if you were in my place and faced what I went through then you would understand, not that I care if you do."


    The last word was said in defiance, because in truth Xu Hui in a way cared about what Fu Zian thought about the things she had revealed about herself to him.


    "Just tell me and stop beating around the bush! What is your level? If I could guess you are a little above me?"


    "Oh! You noticed?"


    Xu Hui turned to look at the senior disciple, who saw that her eyes no longer had the glare of crimson in them, instead they were now the midnight gems that he was accustomed to, the thought made Fu Zian feel funny on the inside while looking into her eyes.


    ".."


    When Xu Hui saw that he chose not to reply her, as his disposition was a sour one when suddenly faced with the harsh reality that he was now a level lower than the maiden he once saw as one who would never cultivate even if she were to have a change in her fortune. Xu Hui turned her head back, keeping her gaze centered on the journey ahead of them.

 33 Pair Cultivation 1

    The residence of the GuBaiJin sect was in a remote hill far from the Gu town, lush trees and blooming flowers grew within the lime green walls and dark rooftops, there was also a lotus pond some distance from the courtyard where morning lesson took place.


    Jin Tieguai admired the sword that was held in front of him, the Xicong. Swinging the blade from side to side as the soft wind carried his robes. The dark of his eyes moved with mischief, while racking his brain for what form of devilry he could unleash.


    "Why isn''t there anything to do! I''m so bored!"


    He continued to walk within the outer courtyard, as he saw some of disciples from the same class stare at the pond that grew pink lotus flowers.


    "If only one of us could be so brave as to go in and pick one of them."


    "It doesn''t look too deep, how about we all go in together."


    "I''m too scared of water."


    "You are scared of anything Jing An! Stop being a chicken and follow us into the pond."


    The young master of the GuBaiJin sect chided his fellow classmate, not wanting to lose face with the rest of them. When Jin Tieguai them, he took it as a golden opportunity to cause some mischief.


    "Are you all going to keep staring at the water or not?"


    When they heard the voice of Jin Tieguai, they all turned to look at him, as their eyes widened with dread.


    "Oh no! It is Jin Tieguai! What do we do now!"


    "Good of you to be here at such a great time, why don''t you help us a little and get each of us a lotus flower from the pond."


    The young master of GuBaiJin sect smiled amicably with the number one troublemaker of the sect, waiting on the other to reply to his request.


    "And why should I? Are we supposed to be friends?"


    The good looking youthful disciple had his lips curved in an insolent smile while looking at Jin Dongbin, the young master of the GuBaiJin sect.


    "Leave him alone, he is a good for nothing who knows nothing about helping others!"


    "Young master Jin is way beyond his league, that''s why he wants to rub mud on his face."


    "What do you mean by rub mud on whose face?!"


    Jin Tieguai could no longer stand the insulting remarks of his classmates, while the young master of the GuBaiJin sect stood idly by as they made fun of him. Something within him let loose, as he ran towards his classmates, aiming for the son of their sect leader, pushing Jin Dongbin straight into the green pond. Water splashed on the robes of the disciples that stood by the edge of the pond. Three out of the four disciples reached for the hand of Jin Dongbin to pull him out of the water, who looked like a wet seaweed, after much tugging they were able to get him to dry land.


    Right around that time was when the head teacher of the GuBaiJin sect happened to pass by and saw what was going on, a stern look came over the face that was once like those of calm waters.


    "What is happening here?"


    When the junior disciples heard the voice of Jin Caihe, they ran to where their head teacher was, which was a few feet from them.


    "Head teacher Jin! Jin Tieguai pushed young master Jin into the pond!"


    "Is that true Jin Tieguai?"


    Jin Caihe gave the disciple that was accused a look full of distrust, while waiting on the other to answer him.

 34 Pair cultivation 2

    Hiss of the wind...


    "I didn''t do anything wrong! They were making fun of me for no reason especially young master Jin!"


    "Did you look for me to let me know what they were doing to you?!"


    There was no mistaking the tone of anger in the voice of the head teacher, which showed he was not amused by the antics of his student.


    "Follow me, now!"


    "Is it only me that would be punished? How about the rest of them?"


    Jin Caihe was filled with rage at the way that Jin Tinguai chose to challenge him in front of his classmates.


    "Head teacher Jin, if you want to punish anyone, let it be me, I spoke without thinking to Jin Tieguai


    and I''m very sorry for not treating him with respect."


    The young master of the GuBaiJin sect gave a deep bow to Jin Tieguai, before offering the head teacher a bow to show repentance for the action that was committed.


    "Young master Jin is too kind, see him give way for that Jin Tieguai every time! I just hate him so much! Making everyone feel sorry towards him when he is always the one causing trouble for others!"


    "Young master Jin, there is no need to be punished with Jin Tieguai, clearly he doesn''t see what he did as wrong. I want you to be care of him in the future to prevent such occurrences from happening too often, as for the rest of you watch what you say and avoid speaking to him if possible. Now! Come with me to the hall of destitute."


    None of them uttered another word, as they saw Jin Tieguai walk behind their head teacher in the direction of the inner courtyard.


    Jin Caihe briskly walked in the direction of the hall of destitute with Jin Tieguai following behind, he had only taken many steps away such that his back and those of Jin Tieguai were no longer visible by the junior disciples that was when he felt a strange sensation crawling through his body. That caused him to stop in his stride, to clutch at his belly.


    "Head teacher Jin! What is the matter? Is something wrong?!"


    Concerned by the way the head teacher of the GuBaiJin sect was acting, Jin Tieguai drew closer to where he was bending as though he was in pain, he could see the aura of green that flowed rampantly around Jin Caihe.


    "N..Not..hing, Let''s¡­ke...keep going."


    The weak voice of Jin Caihe didn''t sound convincing to his student, who took it upon himself to place a hand on his arm and back to hold him up.


    "Get away from me!"


    As though possessed, Jin Caihe took off, running as though he was chased by some invisible fiend. Startled by the way his teacher was behaving, Jin Tieguai being who he was, began chasing after him.


    "Head teacher Jin! Wait! Where are you going?!


    The call to the other cultivator fell on deaf ears, as the cultivator known to be one of GuBaiJin sect''s best, continued to run as though he was a little child playing a game of hide and seek, that seem to bring out the naughtiness in Jin Tieguai who kept on with his pursuit of his head teacher.

 35 Pair Cultivation 3

    They were now in the direction of the east courtyard which was around where the quarters of the senior disciples and teachers was located. They leapt through many rooftops, cutting through many paths to where Jin Caihe was presumably heading towards.


    The DianShu was the private quarters of Jin Caihe and off limits to anyone, but the head teacher was so flustered by the unusual sensation growing within him, he could hear hissing as though it were from a snake over and again. Dread like dark murky water took over his mind, because of what he had read from the ancient writing at the library of gaiety.


    According to the ancient scroll, whoever heard the whisper of hissing wind which was likened to the hiss of a snake, the cultivator with the affliction, is said to have a strong Yang in them and would need the essence of the divine falcon beast to tame the overwhelming reserves of spiritual energy from consuming its host and causing instant death by bleeding from various orifice of the body. In the cultivation world, this is known to be a very horrible way to die.


    Jin Caihe flung the door open, turning back only to shut it behind him, but Jin Tieguai was having none of it, his hand held the door back from shutting close.


    "Go away!"


    "You keep telling to leave, but I know there is something wrong with you, please head teacher Jin what is happening to you."


    "It is no concern of yours, leave me alone!"


    "But you don''t sound as if you are okay."


    "How I sound is none of your business, just go, go!"


    The veins of Jin Caihe was standing from the strain of talking to his student, while fighting the terrible pain inside of him. The head teacher screamed at him; his eyes looked as though they were driven mad by what was attacking his body. Meanwhile, Jin Tieguai was really concerned about the way his teacher was acting so out of character.


    "Head teacher Jin, if you are sick just tell me, so that I can get help for you."


    "You don''t understand! It is not something that you can handle. Run away before you get hurt!"


    Jin Tieguai kept looking as though he didn''t understand what the other cultivator said, whose brows was now dripping with sweat and shaking from what could be said to be pain. One of his eyes had become the same shape as those of a green-eyed snake.


    "I said, stay away from me!"


    In a bid to push Jin Tieguai away from him, his hand met with those of his student, which caused a chain of event to take place. The falcon beast that was sealed within Jin Tieguai was let loose taking over the body of his hostand wrapping him in an aura of azure blue.


    The two contrasting eyes of Jin Caihe widened when he saw the form of the beast overshadow those of Jin Tieguai, the shock made him stagger, as he was about to fall flat to the floor, his movement was halted by the searing touch of the one who could either save or destroy him. Eyes consumed by lust stared at those of Jin Caihe, like a predator looking at his prey.


    ****Pair cultivation: Using sex to increase or improve spiritual energy to attain godhood or long life.

 36 Pair cultivation 4

    "Come."


    The voice had a sensual cadence to it, which made the other cultivator tremble in terror.


    "No! Stay away from me!"


    Jin Caihe vehemently shook his head as though wanting to block the voice that was making his body quiver from an unquenchable thirst.


    With a flick of his finger, both sleeves of Jin Caihe was torn to shreds, from the force of the aura that was coming from Jin Tieguai. Fearful of what the other would do to him, the head teacher of the GuBaiJin sect broke free from the grasp of his student, running to the far end of the room, not that it would have mattered in any way, because there wasn''t any corners to hide.


    A boar shaped incense burner was burning by a small wooden table almost to the center of the room, there wasn''t much in terms of personal items in the DianShu.


    Jin Tieguai kept watching as his head teacher was running to increase as much distance between them, in no hurry whatsoever, he gazes continued to trail the other cultivator like a lion that had meat dangling in its front. He allowed Jin Caihe to do as he pleased for quite sometime before lifting his hand in a sweeping fashion to wards him. Suddenly the fully clothed cultivator no longer had a single piece of cloth on him, standing as naked as the day he was born with his buttocks facing the direction of Jin Tieguai, whose eyes feasted on the sumptuous meal that was right in front of him.


    Jin Caihe swung to face the one that caused him so much shame, for a moment he forgot that the front part of his body was in full display to the other cultivator, when he noticed the blunder, he quickly covered the embarrassing part with both hands placing them on top of the other.


    "You Lunatic! Pestilence! Good for nothing¡­You Bastard! H..How dare you do this to me?!"


    "Is that all you have to say?"


    "Y..You!"


    At a loss for what else to say, Jin Caihe angrily pointed at his student, red faced and heaving with indignation.


    The hair that was carefully held together at the top of his head came tumbling down, which fell loosely against his shoulders and back, taking up a portion of his face. Jin Tieguai was reveling in his newfound powers, while he watched his head teacher bristle with anger and shame. The dark of his eyes grew larger from his gaze moving up and down the fair unblemished skin of Jin Caihe.


    Unable to take the lure of the delectable toned physique of Jin Caihe, he rapidly made his way to where the other was, who in a state of panic tried to ward off Jin Tieguai by using his spiritual energy to counter those of his student, but it was to no avail, as Jin Tieguai sensing his intent put forth a wall to deflect those of Jin Caihe.


    In one swift motion he pulled Jin Caihe and threw him on the soft quilted bedding of green, following soon after him.


    "Have you lost your mind? What do you think you are doing Jin Tieguai?!"


    It took but a second for Jin Caihe to regain a portion of his reasoning, before opening his mouth to speak to the other cultivator. The head teacher was lying on his back with his whole frontal in plain view of Jin Tieguai.


    "Jin Caihe¡­"


    "That would be head teacher Jin for you, do well to remember that!"


    "You still think that you can put up airs in the position that we are both in?"


    To make Jin Caihe understand the gravity of the situation they were in, Jin Tieguai grabbed his rod in one hand, bending his head to lick from the base slowly and working his way to the tip.

 37 Pair cultivation 5

    Jin Caihe struggled against the wave of pleasure that came from his "dragon" being taken by the mouth of Jin Tieguai. The result of suppressing what his flesh craved, made him suffer from the backlash of the unstable storm of spiritual energy that was on the verge of shattering him to fragments of spirit energy. He squeezed his eyes shut to minimize the assault to his senses, which Jin Tieguai was deliberately doing to him, whose robes was also torn to shreds by the force of the falcon beast aura.


    Jin Caihe clenched the soft covering of the bed tightly as though holding on to his dear life. By the time his student had worked his way to the tip, he began sucking with much force on the head of his "dragon" so much that Jin Caihe could no longer hold it in anymore, releasing loads upon loads of his seed into the back of Jin Tieguai''sthroat, who fought to maintain control by not giving in to the urge to cough up the warm milky thick sap that tasted somewhat salty.


    Tears slid down the closed lids of Jin Caihe, feeling humiliated that he had to depend on a disciple that was fourteen years younger than him. The thought that all the twenty seven years of keeping his Chasity to attain godhood was now all for nothing, because of his Yang being out of balance. It just had to be the most unreliable disciple in the GuBaiJin sect that had to come to his rescue!''


    "I''m so happy! I finally got to see how you look when crying."


    "Go away you animal!"


    Stubborn to the bone, Jin Caihe refused to surrender to him, despite the demands of his body. Undeterred by this, Jin Tieguai switched tactics, letting his teacher''s rod fall out from his mouth. His eyes glimmered with renewed mischief, using the same hand he lifted one leg of Jin Caihe high up, to expose the pink bud that dwelt between the two rounded butt cheeks, lowering his head once again for his tongue to light touch it. Instantly, Jin Caihe violently fought against his hold, but the "god of mischief was not having any of that, he blew on it and began lick and sucking the pink bud in a circular motion, watching as milky sap from Jin Caihe''s "dragon" shot high like a fountain of water. When he saw that Ji Caihe had released again, before lifting his head up.


    All this while, the body of Jin Tieguai was almost going wild with the fire that was burning inside of him. Trickles of his seed slid down from the head of his "dragon" which was quivering in between his pale legs. Using the other hand, Jin Tieguai pushed the tip of his "dragon" which was smeared with his Yang essence, teasing the pink bud of Jin Caihe. The moment the other cultivator realized what his student was about to do, his eyes shot open, as he struggled to break free from his grasp.


    "No! This is forbidden! We are both men! Stop!"


    "You want me to stop when we are both like this?"


    Jin Caihe pleaded with his student not to join their bodies in an immoral act that would unleash the wrath of the heavens and also spurned by their sect.


    ".."


    Jin Tieguai waited on him to rebuff him, but he kept looking at the face of his student, confused as to whether he should go along. Taking that mean that he agreed, Jin Tieguai slowly pushed through the resistance with sweat covering his body from exercising great restrain when entering the body of Jin Caihe.


    "It hurts, don''t put it in anymore!"


    "I''m sorry Jin Caihe."


    "Don''t be so disrespectful!"


    That was when Jin Tieguai lost control, as he began moving in and out of the unused entrance with much vigor, the force caused Jin Caihe to bleed and firmly press onto the rod of Jin Tieguai.


    "Ahhhh!!!"


    The aura of the falcon beast had taken over, completely suppressing those of the winged serpent beast, the aura of the two danced like plum petals being carried by the wind. They went at it for several rounds until eventide.


    ****Dragon: Penis


    ****Pink bud: Anus


    ****Milky sap: Semen

 38 Bargain 1

    Shi Yixing a senior disciple of the ShenJiangShi sect stood in front of the doorto the bedchamber belonging to the sect leader''s son, waiting to be calling in by his servants. He waited outside for some time before the door slid back and instead of being shown in by a servant, he was met at the door by the sect''s physician, whom he curtsied in greeting to.


    "You have come to see young master Shi?"


    "Greetings Physician Shen Chunqiu. Shi Yixing has a message from Sect leader Shi for young master Shi."


    The young physician stretched his head as his eyes roamed round the courtyard to see if anyone other than the senior disciple was at the courtyard of Shi Yunxu. After a while, he stepped back for the disciple to come in, noiselessly sliding the door close behind them. Before this time, Shi Yunxu had been suffering from agonizing pain from the deep cut to his abdomen, after making the disciples that went on the night hunt with him to swear to secrecy, he had them get Physician Shen Chunqiu to sew his abdomen with golden invisible thread, who then applied medicinal herbs to the sutured skin, but all these came with a lot of pain and tears. On getting in, Shi Yixing gave a formal bow to the young master of the ShenJiang Shi sect.


    "Greetings young master Shi."


    Shi Yixing wasn''t too surprised to see the young master of the ShenJiangShi sect lie in bed, after all he had to waste his energy to go to where he usually had morning lessons only to be told that the disciple he was looking for was in his bedchambers. His first thought was that he was skipping morning lessons, it wasn''t until Shi Yunxu pulled aside the yellow quilt, did he see the bandage of white wrapped around his abdomen. His fair jade skin looked somewhat pale, a slight grimace appeared on his face, as though he was biting back from any outward show of pain.


    "Young master Shi why do you have something around her waist?"


    "Shi Yixing, promise me that this would not reach the ears of my father!"


    "I promise to keep my mouth shut and not let out what I saw in your chambers to Sect leader Shi."


    "Why did he send you to me?"


    "Young master Shi, your father wants you to speak on his behalf to sect leader Li."


    "Did Sect leader Li tell you the reason for being here?"


    "No young master Shi, he refused to talk about the nature of his visit in details, only saying that it is of great importance."


    "If not because his sect is still one of the leading sects, I would have sent you back to him to have myself excused. He is so pompous! Even taking our best Physician to his sect, leaving us with the son instead, as if the two of them could compare! Let just me get this over with!"


    Shi Yunxu stood up from the bed, the physician passed his robes to him, they both watched as he got himself ready to meet with the YuanLi sect leader.

 39 Bargain 2

    "Greetings Sect leader Li"


    The young master of ShenJiangShi sect bowed to greet the sect leader of the YuanLi sect.


    "Young master Shi?"


    Li Guoliang was surprised to see the young master of the ShenJiangShi sect rather than the sect leader himself, allowing the disappointment to show on his face.


    "Sect Leader Li, please don''t let me keep you on your feet. I''m sorry, but my father is unable to see you that is why I am here in his place."


    Shi Yunxu smiled amicably to the annoyed leader of the YuanLi sect. He waited for the older cultivator to sit, before joining him afterwards.


    In order not to draw the suspicion of the YuanLi sect leader, Shen Chunqiu had to remain in the bedchambers of the young master of the ShenJiangShi sect, until the other had concluded his meeting with Li Guoliang.


    "Sect Leader Li, please explain t me the reason for your visit."


    Shi Yunxu continued to smile pleasantly at the other cultivator, while gritting his teeth silently in pain. Li Guoliang took a moment to gather himself before emptying his thought to the young master of the ShenJiangShi sect.


    "There is a hearsay going around in my sect that some of the other sects are under act by demons! Does the ShenJiangShi sect know of this?!"


    Shi Yunxu took a moment to ponder on what Li Guoliang told him, from the way the sect leader was acting, he seems to have taken the word of whoever may have carried the news to him. If he told the YuanLi sect leader that he was not acquainted with that piece of news going around, then this could make his sect to lose face with the YuanLi sect if it was actually true, but if it was the other way around and the rumor was found to be true then YuanLi sect would end up losing face to ShenJiangShi sect. Either way one of them would be embarrassed by the aftermath.


    "Sect leader Li, this may actually be true. The GuBaiJin sect and the ShenJiangShi sect have maintained a cordial relationship together, I will send a messenger bird to them to confirm what the both of us already know."


    Li Guoliang looked at the young master of the ShenJiangShi sect as though what he said was entirely absurd.


    "The ShenJiangShi sect knew?! Then why did you keep quiet and wait for me to show up! Why wasn''t a meeting of sect leaders called?! If the GuBaiJin sect was already in the know, then that is just plain irresponsible!"


    Shi Yunxu kept the smile on his face, as the YuanLi sect leader was boiling with indignation at what he saw to be a dereliction of duty.


    "The ShenJiangShi sect meant no wrongdoings, we didn''t want to act rashly by not taking the situation seriously."


    "At least, I as the YuanLi sect leader should have been told of what was going on, why did I have to hear such a thing from a male servant?!"


    The young master of the ShenJiangShi sect bowed his head in humility to the YuanLi sect leader, going along with the other cultivator until he hears back from the GuBaiJin sect regarding whether the allegation was true or otherwise.

 40 Bargain 3

    Fu Zian kept looking at the female cultivator that flew ahead of him, his mind was in disarray. He didn''t know what to think of the preposterous words that she suggested to him. Looking at her made him want to pull out his hair in frustration, he didn''t know if he could put of the pretense of her being the daughter of his sect leader.


    "Who would believe me, if I told them that she was not Li Jiao?!"


    He could already see the faces of the disciples at his sect laughter at him, there was no way he would ever be able to lift his head again around them and his sect leader. Depending on how the YuanLi sect leader took it, he could have his senior disciple caned to death or even sent of the sect to never return.


    "Which sect would ever take me? Definitely not GuBaiJin or ShenJiangShi! WuYangChen would be my last resort, but would they even think of taking someone that was discarded by a sect like the YuanLi sect? I don''t know anymore!"


    The senior disciple of the YuanLi sect shook his head as the last thought filtered through his mind, to dispel the dismal notion of becoming a reject by the other prominent sects.


    Fu Zian could not think of allying himself with any sect that was below those three, even if he wanted to lower his standards a little, the BaoXu sect that he would have probably joined was no more.


    Meanwhile, Xu Hui could sense the turmoil coming from the cultivator that was behind her, she kept moving through the air unconcerned by what could have been troubling the senior disciple of the YuanLi sect.


    The two were drawing closer to where the sect was, before Xu Hui motioned with her hand for them to cease flying and instead walk the rest of the way back to the sect.


    "Senior Fu Zian don''t you think we should walk rather than fly into the courtyard?! Surely you don''t want my father knowing that I came back with one of his male disciples and alone for that matter with none of my maids with us."


    Fu Zian looked at the innocent eyes that stared back at him, still reeling from the shock of the secret she would have withheld from him had he not stumbled upon it by chance. He blamed himself for being a coward and not mustering the courage to expose her deceit to the sect leader.


    "As you wish lady Li, but isn''t it too late for that, since we already flew by the market place."


    "Is that so?"


    Fu Zian changed to a more formal tone, watching as Xu Hui descended on the soft grass, while following soon after, they both began walking towards the purple gate of the YuanLi sect, which during the day was left open which several cultivators guarding the entrance, but at night the gate was kept locked and heavily protected.


    "Good day!"


    Fu Zian gave a salute to the disciples that stood at the gate, walking past them, but neither turned to return back his greeting. This unnerved the senior disciple, as he turned to face Xu Hui to see if she encountered a similar experience. Xu Hui waited until Fu Zian was already inside, before unveiling her presence to the cultivators at the gate.


    "Greetings Lady Li! We didn''t see you when you walked by, please forgive us!"


    All eight disciples gave a deep bow to the young mistress of the YuanLi sect.


    "It is I that should ask for your forgiveness for sneaking out and not telling any of you, please do not let my father know about this."


    They all nodded solemnly at Xu Hui, watching as she walked into the courtyard of the YuanLi sect.


    "What did you do? Why were they able to see you and not me?!"


    Fu Zian eyes narrowed with deep distrust at the maiden masquerading as the sect leader''s daughter. Rather than responding to his question, Xu Hui shrugged her shoulders, unwilling to let him know that she had shielding his presence on purpose in order to protect his reputation from being destroyed. With an apathetic smile on her face, she walked past him, heading in the direction of her bedchambers.

 41 Bargain 4

    A disciple ran into the Hall of forbearance where the sect leader of the GuBaiJin sect was having tea with his wife, Lady Jin.


    "Greetings Sect leader Jin! Greetings Lady Jin!"


    Jin Ruimin the sect leader of the GuBaiJin sect had an air of severity which bordered on being oppressive, but Jin Huiyan the mistress of the GuBaiJin sect was a stark contrast to her husband. She had a delicate and gentle air of refinement. They both set the tea down on the table before giving the disciple their full attention. After the disciple gave a salute to his sect leader and his wife, did he raise his head to face the both of them.


    "Speak! What brings you to the hall of forbearance?!"


    "A message was just delivered from the ShenJiangShi sect."


    The disciple hurried over to where his sect leader sat, to hand over the piece of paper that came from the messenger bird. Jin Ruimin opened the sealed letter to read what the other sect sent. After a while, he turned to face his wife, "Young master Shi wants to know if we at GuBaiJin sect know of other sects being invaded by demons."


    Lady Jin fairjade skin paled when she heard what her husband said, her lips trembled from the possibility of a war breaking out, if truly the demon realm had broken the peace treaty and began attacking other sects in secret.


    The disciple bowed once again to his sect leader and his wife, awaiting their decision on what to report back to the ShenJiangShi sect. Jin Huiyan''s gaze lingered on those of her husband as she also awaited his decision.


    The sect leader of the GuBaiJin sect did not want to lose his position as the most respected cultivator, he had spies in all the other sects and knew of the demon invasion. His wife, Lady Jin on the other hand was in the dark about what had happened to the other sects. Jin Ruimin knew that if he had told her of his spies, she would never have supported him in his decision, therefore he never told her of what he knew about the other sects being under attack.


    "The best way to find out if it is really true that demons are now attacking other cultivation sects is to do a spirit travel."


    "No! Don''t do it! It is too dangerous!"


    "What other option is there, but this! ShenJiangShi sect and the YuanLi sect need answers, if I don''t provide them any, the GuBaiJin sect would end up losing face!"


    "But Jin Ruimin! What if someone with evil intentions attack your spirit while you are away?! Please! Reconsider!"


    "..."


    Lady Jin pleaded with her husband to look for a different solution to the problem they had on their hand, tears streamed down the face of the mistress of the GuBaiJin sect as she shamelessly begged her husband in the presence of one of their disciples. Sect leader Jin left his seat and sat on the ground, taking a lotus position with his hands held together in preparation for his spirit to leave his body and travel out to the other sects. Not that he was going to actually go through with it, but Jin Ruimin had to make a show of going through with the act in order to continue earning his wife''s trust.

 42 Bargain 5

    Xu Hui felt her sleeve being yanked suddenly from behind, surprise colored the face of the femal cultivator.


    "What do you think you''re doing?!"


    Fu Zian was beyond angry by the way the "daughter" of his sect leader was acting towards him, he couldn''t stand being led by the nose, which was what Xu Hui did when they arrived at the gate of the YuanLi sect.


    "Explain to me! What did you do to me!"


    The senior disciple could not trust himself being around her, his eyes had distrust for Xu Hui. While hers mirrored one of mirth.


    "Is that why you drew the sleeves of my robe?!"


    "Answer me! What was the thing you did, while we came in through the gate?!"


    The smile of indulgence slowly withered away, as it was replaced by one of contempt. It all happened in a blink of an eye, taking the senior disciple by surprise.


    "Alright Fu Zian, since you want to know how I did it, how about I show you!"


    No sooner had the words left the mouth of Xu Hui, her eyes reverted back to the crimson color from when she used the blood flail technique. When Fu Zian saw the change in the color of her eyes, he knew what was coming next.


    "No! Don''t even think of doing it! Are you lost your mind?! What if the other disciples saw what you are about to do?! Even if you don''t care about your reputation! How about those of the YuanLi sect?!"


    On hearing what he said, Xu Hui threw her head back in laughter, for it was clear to her that the other cultivator was muddled headed.


    "Why are you laughing?! What is so funny?!!!"


    Ignoring the words of the senior disciple, Xu Hui stood where she was, as she dug her fingernail into the palm of her hand. She pressed on the soft jade skin of her palm, watching as blood began flowing out of the wound. With her index and middle finger pointed with the other fingers facing down, she brought the palm which the blood was flowing out from closer to the hand that was held up, which she began moving speedily in a circular motion, forming tiny beads of ball from them.


    "This is my first time trying this, I hope it don''t hit your vital organ."


    Xu Hui smiled coldly at Fu Zian, who no longer felt as confidence as he was, moments ago before challenging her.


    Closing her eye while savoring the breath of crisp air, Xu Hui allowed her spiritual energy to circulate within her, while release a portion of it that fed the blood beads floating in front of her. When Fu Zian saw the thing she had formed begin to grow in size, the fear almost made him fall to the ground. Not longer after Xu Hui opened her eyes and that was when she sent the corrosive blood beads towards Fu Zian, whose intent was to dissolve anything they touch and suck up spiritual energy.

 43 Path of Enlightenment 1

    Fourteen years ago when his junior sister disciple died on the grounds of BaoXu sect, Lin Cheng a senior disciple of the sect was filled with so much rage and regret, as he watched her death being swept under the carpet. He pleaded for the sect leader Xu Zijun to investigate the cause of her untimely death, but he adamantly refused to look into the death of his cousin''s daughter''s death, fearing the unwanted scrutiny and loss of face among other cultivator sects, since their sect had lost its rank in the pugilistic world of martial arts.


    To him she was a dear junior disciple that was supposedly loved by everyone, no matter how much he played the scene at which he found her, he couldn''t find traces of what led to her death. She was found lying on the ground cold and lifeless by one of the male disciples who was paroling the grounds. He recalled a time when he once came out one night out of his room to take a stroll and there, he found her walking without a care in the world.


    "Junior sister Xu Hui!"


    Lin Cheng saw the female disciple in purple robes whirl around lightly on her toes, her eyes widened in surprise when she saw who it was that was also walking on the sect''s ground at night.


    "Brother Lin Cheng! What are you doing here at night?!"


    Lin Cheng smiled kindly at his junior sister disciple, whom he knew was sneaking out to play at night, despite being caught by another disciple.


    "I should be asking you too, what is an unmarried maiden walking almost in the dead of the night? Have you considered you could ruin your reputation if it goes out to other sects that one of the female disciples at BaoXu sect goes out at night unaccompanied?"


    The pretty youthful female disciple looked ashamed, as her face took on a pink tinge from being exposed by a fellow disciple from her sect. It was one of this times she really wished she was born a male and not the female she was, although Xu Hui knew the BaoXu sect was very strict about male and female being in the company of each other for a long time, yet she felt at ease in the presence of Lin Cheng, he had an air of benevolence and warmth not just when he was with her, but also with other disciples. His sword kills was second to those of their sect leader, which made him very respected by the disciples of BaoXu Sect.


    "Brother Lin Cheng, please do not let it reach the ears of Sect leader Xu, I promise not to go out at night again."


    Lin Cheng watched as the delicate beauty bowed to her waist, pleading with her fellow disciple not to inform their sect leader of her impropriety, knowing the punishment for break a sect rule was to knee in the ancestral hall for five days straight with no food or water served during those time.


    "You promise not to walk alone from now on?"


    "Yes Brother Lin Cheng, I give you my solemn word that I would not go out at night anymore, as long as you don''t tell sect leader of my indiscretion."


    "Alright! Junior sister Xu Hui you can raise your head up, let me walk you back."


    "Okay Brother Lin Cheng."


    The two cultivators from the BaoXu sect begun heading back in the direction of the lodging reserved for female cultivators, when Lin Cheng saw they had gotten close to the place, he stopped to bid his fellow disciple farewell.


    "This is where I leave you, since I can''t go any further. I''ll watch from here to see that you have safely gone inside."


    "Thank you Brother Lin Cheng, I bid you farewell!"


    "I bid you the same Junior sister disciple."


    Lin Cheng and Xu Hui gave each other a salute, before parting ways, while the senior disciple watched as his junior sister disciple waved for one last time, before heading to the purple wooden lodging. The male cultivators were strictly prohibited from venturing towards where the female cultivators resided, this was to maintain the dignity and morality of the sect.


    The image from the last time he saw her alive sent the cultivator into a sea of sorrow. He had only gone out for several days on a mission at dawn to a neighboring sect the ZaoQiang sect and returned late at night on the day she died. All the senior disciples including him were called as witness to her death, as everyone stood in a circle with their sect leader standing at the center where the body of his junior sister disciple was found.


    "Sect leader! We need to find out how junior sister disciple Xu died! If not her spirit would know no peace!"


    "Yes! We need to find her killer!"


    "What are you saying?! That one of the disciples from BaoXu sect killed my second cousin! If word got out that there disciples from the BaoXu sect are now killing one another! How would I ever raise my head up high among other sect leaders! BaoXu sect has fallen in pugilistic rank! Rather than exposing what happened this night! We need to get back to in rank as number 2 even if we can''t be number 1!"


    The sect leader of the BaoXu sect never alluded to his relationship with junior disciple Xu Hui, everyone knew they were related since they bore the same family name, because no one in the sect shared the "Xu" family name except those two, it was forbidden to speak about it since, the sect leader never had a child of his own.


    "Forgive us Sect leader Xu! We only want retribution for our junior sister disciple, if she died unjustly."


    Sect leader Xu gave a cold look at each of the senior disciples gathered, he specially asked that none of the female senior disciples be called to witness the death of their fellow disciple.


    "Sect leader Xu, I know moving up in ranks is very important in order to remain command the respect of other sects, isn''t it wrong to leave her death unresolved. How can any of us find peace in our heart knowing that we turned a blind eye in uncovering junior sister disciple Xu Hui''s death?! Wouldn''t the heavens rain down punishment for allowing such an evil act to be swept away?"


    Lin Cheng had been quiet all this time, when other disciples spoke in discontent of what the sect leader was doing regarding the death of one of his disciples. Deep within him, Lin Cheng wondered what could have led to her death, he remembered that she promised not to step out at night after he caught her walking very late at night alone.


    "Did she break her word?! Or did someone from the sect lure her out to her death?!" That''s right! Feng Yueming! He must know something about junior sister disciple!"


    The moment Lin Cheng thought about the other disciple, he turned to face him, "Feng Yueming, you and junior sister disciple Xu have a good relationship with each other, do you know of her tendencies to go out at night?"


    Feng Yueming looked at Lin Cheng as he tried not to let his eyes waver from those of the other disciple, it was true he knew of Xu Hui''s nightly walks, but if he said anything regarding that, not only would the others look at him with suspicion, but he would also be punished for breaking the sect rule and possibly ostracized by his fellow disciples until his name was clear of any suspicion.


    "Brother Lin Cheng, I do not know what you speak of, Sister Xu was a maiden that conducted herself in a manner befitting a disciple from the BaoXu sect. Please do not stain her honor by saying she steals out of her room at night!"


    Feng Yueming spoke with so much vigor while standing up to the disciple that he was being questioned about. When the other disciples heard Lin Cheng question him, their eyes suddenly narrowed in wariness, but after they heard the way Feng Yueming spoke about Xu Hui that was when the wariness in their eyes was replaced with one of assurance.


    Lin Cheng for some reason could not bring himself to trust what the other disciple said, probably because his cultivation base and knowledge was higher than those of Feng Yueming, but regardless of the reason, his eyes faltered with deceit. He knew when the other disciples were taken in by his words, but Lin Cheng refused to believe a word that came out of Feng Yueming''s mouth.


    The thought kept going through the mind of the senior disciple as to whether he should pursue with uncovering the matter in secret or not, he felt pity for the way she laid on the ground pale and lifeless face down, her hair pin lay precariously atop her head. When Lin Cheng saw this, he left the circle of cultivators and went to where she was, walking by his sect leader as he bent on his knee to straighten the silver hairpin with purple stones on them on the head of Xu Hui.


    "Brother Lin Cheng!"


    The voices of his fellow disciples called out to him, as they saw how he treated his junior sister disciple with respect even in death. With eyes filled with admiration, they watched him stand on his feet and head back to where they were after he had paid his respect to Xu Hui. This made them fall to their knees too and bow in respect to Xu Hui.


    "Junior sister disciple Xu Hui, may your soul find peace!"


    The only person that didn''t pay respect to Xu Hui was sect leader Xu Zijun who thought that it was best not to make anything of her death.


    "Lin Cheng! After Xu Hui has been buried, I want you to leave for the mortal realm and return only after your inner demons have been put to rest! Use this period to find enlightenment and put to rest your troubled spirit! I fear that you would continue to search for the cause of Xu Hui''s death which would only bring unrest to the BaoXu sect! Leave and only return when your mind and soul is at peace! I will allow you to be present as she is laid to rest, but you must leave immediately after! Your duties will be shared among your brothers until the day you return back to the sect!"


    The white haired man who looked as though he was seventy years of age, with long white beards and mustache had a look of severity as he spoke to Lin Cheng. Xu Zijun robes of purple had a sword by its side and a tassel on the other side. His white hair was regally held in a hair pin of silver that sparkled from the light coming from the paper lamps held by several of the disciples.


    When they heard what their sect leader said, their eyes widened in shock, to them that was as good as being exiled from the sect. It wasn''t an heavenly trial, so why was sect leader Xu telling Lin Cheng not to step foot into the BaoXu sect?


    Some of the disciples looked in confusion at their sect leader not knowing what to make of the decree. They also turned to face the disciple whom their leader gave the order to leave the sect after the burial of Xu Hui.


    "If that is what you wish for sect leader. I, Lin Cheng would leave for the mortal realm and return after gaining new experiences in the mortal realm and overcoming my negative emotions."


    Lin Cheng humbly accepted the punishment that his sect leader had handed him in front of the other disciples. This was his way of keeping everyone in line, while maintaining the semblance of peace that he strove for in his sect.

 44 Path of Enlightenment 2

    Mortal realm...


    A young man in dark cloak sat in Puang establishment known to serve the best dumpling in the town of Yiting, his straw hat hid his face from other people that came into the store to eat and drink. Within the folds of his cloak was his sword, Nacanjin a weapon of unparalleled splendor.


    "Mister! Here is the jar of water that you ordered!"


    Lin Cheng watched as the store attendant in brown robes place a dark brown jar of water on his table, while bowing to the regular of the store.


    "Thank you kind sir!"


    Lin Cheng''s mouth curved up in a smile, as he thanked the attendant, before picking up a cup to pour himself a drink of water.


    On his table was a plate of dumplings, green vegetables, white rice and a pair of chopsticks. After blessing the food that was laid out in front of him, Lin Cheng began eaten while keep an eye on the people that walked through the doors of the establishment. During his time at the mortal realm, he had seen all kinds of things, therefore he guard was always up wherever he went to, never staying in one place for too long. A while later, Lin Cheng was done eating and reached for the embroidery of purple pouch by the waist of his robe to pull out a few coins, placing them on the table, before standing up to leave the establishment.


    "Have a good day Mister!"


    The attendant called out to the man who had just paid for the food, watching as he made his way out of the store, whose building had two layers of room where customers could come in and seat where they want. The first layer was the entrance into the store, it had several chairs and tables of wood arranged, while the last layer had the same layout as the first, customers that sat there could have a clear view of what was going on below.


    "He just left, follow him!"


    The shop owner whispered to the group of men inside the store, whom he fed information to about the regular that just came out of his store. He had been watching the man for some time now and saw that he paid generously, which made the shopkeeper to think that he was from a wealthy household, probably a young master from one of the noble houses in Yiting town.


    The men dressed in black robes ran after the man, following at a safe distance, they saw him heading out of town towards the forest that led to the outskirt of Yiting town. Lin Cheng knew that he was being followed, which was why instead of remaining in town, he took the path that led towards the thick forest out of the town. The men that tailed him did not that he already knew that they onto him from the moment he left the store.


    "HAAAHAAAAAAA!!!!!!"


    The men chose to announce their presence to the lone man walking the thick bamboo forest, despite it being daylight, the place was eerily quiet with no one passing by.


    Lin Cheng stopped on his track when he heard the raucous laughter from the men behind him.


    "Don''t bother to call for help, no one walks these forest!"


    "..."


    Lin Cheng turned around to look at the men from underneath his straw hat, while counting the number of people he would have to fight with, it came down to six of them who had their knives pointed at him.


    "Give us everything you have on you!"


    Their blatant request for his personal possession made Lin Cheng know that they were robbers, even though he already had an inkling about who they were.


    He could see greed reflected in their eyes, while their weapon was facing him, on closer look, he saw that they didn''t look as confident as they sounded. The hands that held the knives shook slightly while speaking to him.


    Lin Cheng was about to reach for the sword inside of his cloak when he felt something silently move towards the men.


    "ARGHHH!!!"


    He saw them scream in pain, as blood splattered on the dead leaves that covered the ground.


    "Wh..Who is there?!"


    "Show yourself!!!!!"


    The robbers screamed in agony while their eyes roamed around searching for the cause of their injuries. A melodious laughter was the response that came back, as whoever that inflicted the wound to them was yet to reveal themselves to the robbers.


    "Brother I''m scared! This place is cursed! Let''s leave!"


    One of the robbers pleaded for them to leave the forest, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.


    "Shut up you coward! Wait till I catch the person behind it!"


    They saw that the man that they pursued into the forest had no left where he was, they thought he was afraid to leave just like one of them was, slowly they kept approaching the man in straw hat. They were only five feet from him when series of silver robe darts came sailing towards them. Lin Cheng saw the weapon making its way towards the defenseless men, this forced him to bring out Nancanjin from its sheath, the light from the purple sword severed the robes to pieces.


    When they saw the sword skill of the man that they were trying to steal from, this struck terror into their heart.


    "Demon! Demon! Run!!!!!!!"


    Lin Cheng found it strange that the men didn''t run when they were first attack, but only thought to do so while he was trying to save their lives. Just as he pulled the sword from its sheath, Lin Cheng returned it back to its former position, while allowing his spiritual sense to pick out where the intruder was hiding.


    "Come out! I know where you are!"


    "Oh! oh?"


    A young girl in red silk robe with her dark hair held at the top by a gold bejeweled hair pin that snaked around her hair with red stones on them. On each ear was an heirloom of gold earrings that had crimson orbs suspended at the center, glimmering with the light that came from within.


    "Who are you?!"


    Lin Cheng asked the strange girl that suddenly appeared in front of him in a whip of red smoke. As though no one was talking, the girl kept hopping from one foot to the other, twirling around with her robes carried by the wind. Lin Cheng did not know what to make of the imprudence of the girl, he sensed a strange aura that was not found among cultivators. Her movement was very fast, during the time that she fought with the robbers, such that he had a hard time following her.


    When he saw she was not answering him, Lin Cheng took matters into his hand and flew towards her with killing intent in his aura. The girl immediately noticed the change in the man and drew out a fresh set of rope darts that appeared out of a red smoke that she conjured.


    At the last moment, Lin Cheng modulated his aura causing his killing intent to disappear, by then her robe dart had already made its wayaround his neck. The pointed ends digging into his flesh.


    Lin Cheng purposely left himself open, so that he could find out the identity of the girl, since she wasn''t revealing who she was to him. The moment the darts penetrated the flesh of Lin Cheng, the source of spiritual energy from the weapon was uncovered, for it those from the fox clan, an entity that existed separately from the realm of cultivators and immortals, one that chose not to side with any of the realms. Although Lin Cheng had read of them, this was his first time seeing on in person. He recalled that they were devious beings that enslaved the heart of many that encountered them. Some chose to live in the human realm among humans taking up their form, others chose to live freely in the heavenly realm deep in the mountains far from other cultivators, surrounded by treacherous paths where many have been said to have died from wanting to enter their fortress of eternal flames, blue flames that burns with end.


    Spiritual energy reveals many things about their owner such as where they originated from, their level of fighting prowess and countless other things. He saw "true" face of the fair young girl that faced, although she looked somewhat human, but her hair was the color of silver, sprouting pointed ears by each side of her head. To him, she looked like a girl at first, but after his spiritual energy connected with that of hers he saw the woman that lay underneath the mask of the human skin she was wearing.


    "You are from the fox clan?!"


    The question threw the girl''s face into that of confusion, this caused her to loosen her grip on him and pulling back to a safe distance.


    "..."


    "I bear no ill will towards you, are you really from the fox clan?"


    After looking at him for a while, the young girl decided to speak to him.


    "I''m Yan Xuequi, granddaughter of Fox king Yan Shuchang."


    The fox princess looked at Lin Cheng with wariness in her eyes, she was passing through the mortal realm to see some of her people that lived in Yiting town when she saw some men follow Lin Cheng. One thing about the fox clan which her grandfather always warned her to be careful of, was being too inquisitive. Which was what she ended of doing, by following them into the forest, rather than going her way, led to her fated meeting with a cultivator from the way he wielded his sword, the fox princess could tell that she was the kind that her grandfather didn''t want her associating with.


    "Stupid! I am so stupid! Why didn''t I turn a blind eye! He could clearly have fended them off, but how was I to know since he never showed his sword?! I don''t want to delay any more! But what if he captures me and takes me back to his people! Oh no! Grandfather would be so angry if he finds out that I met someone from a cultivation sect! Xuequi! Let''s appologize to him and beg him to look the other way! Oh else I would be skinned alive when I return back to Qitou mountain!"


    Mount Qitou was the kingdom of the fox clan, where the Fox king Yan Shuchang ruled with an iron hand.


    "Fox Princess Yan Xuequi, I am Lin Cheng from the BaoXu sect."


    Lin Chang gave a formal bow to the fox princess, whose face showed an array of emotions that ranged from confusion to fear. She didn''t know the intentions of the cultivators whom she had thought was human at first. To her, all humans were weak creatures that needed protection, since their live was very short compared to those from the fox clan. Yan Xuequi had watched people from her clan live as humans and marry a human, but their children only gained half the immortal powers of their fox parent, which meant they had half the life span of those from the fox clan. The sad part was that they had to watch their human parent die before them, an unending cycleof pain and loss that many who walked the path.


    "Lin Cheng of the BaoXu sect, since I saved your life from those bandits. I deserve to walk freely back to my people who are waiting for me return."


    The fox princess wanting to see the face that lay beneath the straw hat, sent a gust of wind, so sharp that they torn the hat to shreds. Yan Xuequi was not expecting to see a fair jade beauty of a man, this made her face burning in a shade of pink, as fleshly thoughts took over her mind.


    Lin Cheng saw the sudden change in the color of the fair skin of the fox princess, not knowing what had caused such a change.


    "Fox Princess Yan Xuequi, are you okay?"


    He saw her take to the air, as though she was fleeing from some unseen army.


    "I bid you farewell! Lin Cheng of the BaoXu sect!"


    It was only when her back became like that was a tiny speck in the distance, that was when Lin Cheng whispered the words, "I hope we meet again someday."

 45 Path of Enlightenment 3

    "Yan Xuequi! Where did you run off to?!"


    The princess of the fox clan ran straight into the arms of her Aunt, a woman dressed in simple yellow robes with a plain hair pin of brown wood on her hair.


    "Aunt Hairong! I missed you so much! The food at the fox clan don''t taste as good after you left."


    When the twins half fox and half human saw their cousin from the fox clan, they tossed the bamboo dragon fly that they were playing with on the floor to latch onto the feet of their cousin.


    "Quiqui!!!!!"


    The twin toddlers called out to the fox princess, while playfully tugging on the hem of her robes. After a while the two women finally broke from the embrace, as Mou Hairong gazed into the eyes of her niece. It was then that the twin took off to continue playing around the room.


    "Did you bring anything from the market on your way back?"


    Yan Xuequi could not meet the eyes of her aunt, for she had been distracted on her way to visit the Mou family.


    "Yan Xuequi, what are you hiding from your aunt?"


    The daughter of the Fox king, Princess Mou Hairong began tickling the stomach of her niece.


    "N..N..othing!..Stop..I''ll...tell you!"


    That was when Mou Hairong let go of the fox princess to here what the other had to say.


    "You won''t believe this! But I actually saw a male cultivator from a BaoXu sect!"


    The look on Mou Hairong mirrored the same wariness her niece had when she first encountered Lin Cheng in the woods.


    "Stay away from their kind! They are trouble! I''ll try to keep it away from father! But please, do not go near any of them! They only know how to use others like us! While going about parading themselves as the paragon of virtue!"


    Yan Xuequi could see the distaste that her aunt had for any one that came from any of the cultivation sects, she had heard her grandfather say on numerous times not to go near anyone that came from there, "What could they have done to warrant such hatred from my clan?!"


    Almost as if she knew what her niece was thinking, Mou Hairong said, "Don''t even think of trying to understand them or making friends with any of them! They are not worth it! They are all pretenders, every single one of them!"


    "I didn''t say anything!"


    "You don''t need to say a thing! I can see it written all over your face! You want to believe that they are not who your grandfather and I say they are, if that''s what you want to do, take off your title as princess of the fox clan! Only then can you do as you please without dragging the fox kingdom with you!"


    While the two were in a heated discussion, the twin boys were floating around the room, each had a green flame surrounding the simple blue robes that they wore.


    "Aunt Hairong! The twins can now use fox fire?! That took me a hundred years to form a tiny flame from the palm of my hand!Look! Their''s is covering their whole body! "


    One thing about half fox children was that they didn''t share the pointed ears as seen in children from the fox clan, their growth was slower than those of a child with full fox blood in them.


    "Mou Yidan! Mou Zimu! Stop fooling around and get down from there!"


    The little boys kept on flying around with their fox fire, angry that they were not listening to her, their mother whipped out her own green fire from the tip of her fingers to drag them from where they were, as the two fell to the floor.


    "Don''t even think about crying! Do you want to follow your cousin to back to the fox fortress?!"


    The twins stifled their cry, recalling the time their mother had taken them to see their grandfather on his birthday, the fox clan was a cold, dark place to the children. In as much as they loved to have their cousin around, they never wanted to visit her home since that day. They saw the eyes of their mother switch for a moment from black to slate blue. They didn''t need anyone to tell them that she was already fed up with the way they were acting.


    "Who is making my baby boys cry."


    When they heard the sound of their father''s voice from outside the door of the room. The twins ran out to meet him. Holding each toddler in his arms, Mou Yaxin gazed with his eyes full of love on the face of sons who were like mirror image of the other.


    "Ma wants us to go to grandpa''s house!"


    Although they looked like they were four years of age, the half fox half human children were very advanced in their manner of speech.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll talk to your mother about going to see your grandfather. No one can take you there unless I say so!"


    The twins so the look of anger on their father''s face in defense of them, thinking he was really going to rebuke their mother harshly for wanting to take them to the fox clan.


    "And Pa! Mom is so scary!"


    "How so?"


    That was when the both of them buried their head into the shoulders of their father, not wanting to reveal what their mother did, because doing so would also uncover what they also did, which was using their fox powers when they were in the mortal realm. Although, Mou Yaxin knew of his wife''s family in the other world unseen to human eyes, he hadn''t been there since his body didn''t possess any of their powers for him to cross through. He couldn''t see the fox powers in action because he lacked spiritual sense, but when someone floats in front of him, he knew without been told that they were definitely not human like him!


    He and Yan hairong met when he was drowning, due his boat that turned upside down from the force of the current was rapidly approaching those of the fishing boat. Although, it is said that foxes have an aversion to water, yet the fox princess drove into the raging water and rescued the local fisherman from being swept away by the current of water.


    "You can fly?"


    Mou Yaxin asked the woman that rescued him out of the water, while carried in her arms.


    "What a strange thing for a human to say. Shouldn''t you be screaming or shouting for someone to save you?"


    Yan Hairong looked at the man she just saved from the depth of the water, he was very calm while speaking to her as though they were acquainted with each other for a long time.


    "Do you want me to shout now?"


    "Are you seriously asking me if you should call for help?"


    "Alright, I''ll shout now."


    "Don''t!"


    Mou Yaxin was about to open his mouth wide and shout at the top of his lungs when he heard Yan Hairong ask him not to, he smiled back at her, while leaning closer as the two finally landed on dry land.


    "Ha!"


    Yan Hairong winced in pain from the backlash that came from stepping into a large body of water. She didn''t have affinity for water like some of the fox immortals from her clan. Not long after, the fox princess fell to the ground by the side of the human she just rescued.


    "I didn''t even get to ask her name."


    Mou Yaxin placed the unconscious Yan Hairong on his back, as the two made their way into his hut not too far from the river.


    Day and night the human kept watch over his savior until finally on the ninth day, she began showing signing up recovering.


    Thirteenth night Princess Yan Hairong was already on her feet, as her spiritual energy was already restored from recuperating in the mortal realm, while unconsciously feeding from the emotion of the human that kept watch on her.


    Mou Yaxin dozed off and suddenly realized the the bed was empty, all this while, he slept on the floor while Yan Hairong took the bed.


    "Where is she?!"


    He frantically searched within the hut for her, it was only when he stepped out did he see her about to take to the air.


    "Were you going to leave without telling me your name?!"


    Yan Hairong turned to face the human that had saved her life while in the mortal realm, the water had drained a portion of her spiritual energy, causing her to succumb to a deep sleep.


    "Fox Princess Yan Hairong."


    "Are you as legend says? Would I bewitched by you after spending many days together?"


    "Why would I take to a miserly human like you?!"


    The fox princess looked down her nose at the human, whom she considered beneath her, she couldn''t believe he dared to think that she would entice him and make him her mate.


    "Even if he is the last man in the entire universe! There is no way that. I, Yan Hairong of the fox clan would take such a man to be my mate!"


    Just as the thought filtered through her mind, she heard the man laugh out.


    "Why did you laugh?!"


    "You look angry that I said you would lure me with your powers. I''m Mou Yaxin, thank you for rescuing me at the river."


    The fox princess looked at the human in front of her, he was neither good looking nor came from a good family, she couldn''t stop from looking at him for one last time, before taking off to the air far from the reach of any human eye.


    "She really is a fox."


    Mou Yaxin smiled sadly as he looked at the midnight sky until he could no longer make out the shape of the white robes of Yan Hairong.


    "You stole my heart! At least come back and see me at least before I die, Princess Yan Hairong!"


    Mou Yaxin shouted the words to the night, not knowing that the sharp ears of the fox princess had picked up on what he said, "Silly human! It is not my fault that you foolishly opened your heart to me!"


    Shrugging her shoulders to dismiss Mou Yaxin''s declaration to her, Yan Hairong used her aura to open the gateway to the fox clan, putting away her experience in the mortal realm. But fate had a something planned for the fox princess, in as much as she didn''t want to see the human anymore.


    Yan Hairong will use her green flames to see what was happening in the mortal realm, "It''s not because I want to see him. I only want to know if anyone is in trouble!"


    That was what she used to justify her action, but when she saw him shiver from not having enough firewood to keep the night cold from entering his hut. The fox princess abandoned rational thought and left her room in the fox kingdom to the mortal realm.


    "You fool! Why didn''t you get more firewood?!"


    Yan Hairong sent the door flying from the fury that dwelt within her.


    "You came back!"


    She went straight for the fire, adding her spiritual energy which made the flame gain strength and burn brighter. Taking off the cloak whose collar had white fur to drape across the body of Mou Yaxin.


    "Come closer."


    Mou Yaxin begged the proud fox princess with his eyes, who after a while succumbed to the pull of his gaze. He made way for her, as the two laid side by side on the narrow bed. It wasn''t long before Yan Hairong yield to the warmth of Mou Yaxin, as she snuggled against his chest in sleep, soon after Mou Yaxin was fast asleep. This marked the beginning of how a fox princess from the fox clan became the wife of a human.

 46 Path of Enlightenment 4

    "Mister! Can you spare us some money?!"


    "..."


    Lin Cheng walked through an abandoned village on the outskirt of Yiting town, he saw it was ravaged by the plague. The huts looked rundown with flies swarming everywhere, perching on the bodies both the living and dead. Dirt caked the faces of the people of Yiting village, who wore robes that looked more like rags. Hands with fingernails resembling that of rabid claws stretched out to the man that was dressed like someone from one of the noble families in the town. Their skin was very much darkened by dirt such that it made it difficult to separate one from the other.


    The lone cultivator kept looking around the village, walking past them to see if there was anything he could salvage from the dilapidated place. There was no water from the few wells that was in the village, plants and trees had withered from lack of water, the whole place was consumed by filth.


    "I have to see if I can bring back some food from Yiting town and get some herbs and a few jars of water."


    As he spoke aloud, Lin Cheng knew in his heart that it may not be enough to go round, but he still resolved to got ahead and buy what he needed to help the villagers of Yiting town.


    He turned around to head out of the village, but the cries of the villagers grew louder even though it was weak at first from starvation and neglect.


    "Mister, please! Do not leave us to all die!"


    "I''m coming back, I just need to get everyone something to eat and medicine for your illnesses."


    Lin Cheng looked back and told them of his plan, he watched as they continued to plead with him not to abandon them, but he knew that if he continued to stand there trying to convince them that he wasn''t going to run away, then it will be nightfall and the market would have closed. Therefore, he decided to ignore their pitiful pleas and head out of the village straight for the market at Yiting town.


    "Come and buy fresh melons!"


    "Dumplings! Fresh dumplings at half the price!"


    Several traders called out their wares to the people that passed through the market stalls.


    "Bedding for newly weds! With talismans to ward off evil spirits!"


    "Get your children the latest toys from Qin town! They just came off the boat!"


    "Mister! Get some hair pins for your little girl at home! Or your wife! Or lover!"


    "Noodles! Freshly made! They are half the price! Come and buy them before it runs out!"


    "Quilted shoes! Just made today! Get yourself a new shoe!"


    "Candy sticks! Come buy some dragon candy sticks! They are freshly made!"


    "Come and read your fortune from the best fortuneteller in Yiting town! Know what the future holds for you and your family!"


    "Herbs! Medicinal Herbs! Buy some for you and your family! They don''t cost much! Get some Herbs today!"


    "Paper Lanterns! Get yourself one for the coming mid-autumn festival!"


    "Earrings! Bracelets! Rings! All in different colors! Came out of Qin town today! Choose your pick!"


    Lin Cheng heard several traders call out from different parts of the market, he kept moving through the town in a hurry, not wanting daylight to disappear before he was done with getting what he came in to buy.


    He suddenly sensed that he was being watched, but whoever it was did not give an aura that was threatening. Moving from different stall, as coins and merchandise exchanged hands. Not long after Lin Cheng had both hands full of the things he had gotten from the market, his pouch felt a lot lighter after spending money to get the things he needed for the villagers of Yiting town.


    He hadn''t eaten since he left the restaurant few hours ago, but since he had practiced inertia, he didn''t get as hungry as someone that hadn''t mastered the act of controlling their hunger.


    Lin Cheng kept walking out of the town of Yiting towards its outskirt bypassing several people from the town on his way to the abandoned village. The presence that was with him at the market kept on following him, as he drew closer to the village.


    "Who is there? Show yourself!"


    All of a sudden, a red smoke appeared and out of it came the girl he had seen when he wasattacked by bandits.


    "Princess Yan Xuequi?!"


    "You remembered my name!"


    The fox princess could not hide the surprise in her voice when she saw that the cultivator from the other time, still knew who she was, they both stared at each other as neither knew what to make of their encounter.


    "I hope you still remember mine?"


    Lin Cheng smiled faintly while looking to see if the fox princess had not forgotten him.


    "Lin Cheng of the BaoXu sect!"


    He saw her pout in disappointment, as though she was hurt that he thought her to be forgetful.


    "What brings you here? I thought you were meeting with some people from the mortal realm?"


    "..."


    Yan Xuequi was flustered by the question, not knowing what to give as her reason for appearing in front of him. Instead she said whatever came to her mind right there.


    "I was only following to see if you were going to come across those bandits again!"


    "Why?!"


    "You are asking me why?!"


    "Yes, why do you have to be on the lookout for bandits for me? You and I have nothing to do with each other."


    "Look here! Lin Cheng of the BaoXu sect! I am not doing it for you! I''m only looking out for those in the mortal realm!"


    "And why is that?!"


    "Because you cultivators are full of deception!"


    "Has any cultivator deceived you?!"


    "They haven''t, but that''s what my grandfather and Aunt said! That I should be weary of everyone of you!"


    "Hahhaaaa!!!!"


    Lin Cheng roared in laughter, he hadn''t laughed in so long and the sound of it felt so good. He couldn''t believe that the fox princess judged him and every other cultivator from what she heard from her grandfather and Aunt. Although he also thought he wasn''t all that different, because he also looked at her with caution when they first met.


    "Stop laughing at me!"


    Lin Cheng tried to stifle his laughter, he saw how adorable she looked while showing her anger towards him.


    "Wait! Did I actually think that Princess Yan Xuequi is adorable?! I''ve been too long in the mortal realm if I start thinking that someone from the fox clan appeals to me!"


    "Do as you wish, I''m only going to that village over there to take care of them and afterwards I would be on my way."


    "Hmm!"


    The fox princess gave a sound, as though she didn''t believe a word of what he said to her, while watching him resume his walk back to the villagers.


    "The mister came back!"


    Those that had strength left in their voice, called out to the rest that were still alive, telling them that the man that they thought would abandon them was actually back to help them.


    Lin Cheng began clearing out the dead bodies and burning them to prevent the spread of the plague. Soon after he began dividing the food he bought, sharing it among the villagers, before opening the folded paper containing herbs to concoct medicine for them.


    The villagers still had a long way to go in getting constant food supply and water which was one of the things that the plague fed on to spread rapidly to the villagers.


    "Would you mind helping me dig a new well for the villagers so that at least they can have a bath?"


    Although the fox princess wasn''t visible to the villagers, Lin Cheng knew that she was close by, which proved to be true, as she saddened appeared in front of the villagers.


    "Demon!!!!!!"


    "There is a demon with him!"


    Although the villagers were still recovering their strength, many of them both young and old grabbed onto whatever they could use as a weapon to attack the girl they thought was a demon.


    "It''s alright! She is not a demon! Put your stick down!"


    "You''re lying! She is a demon! You brought a demon with you to our village! Leave right now!"


    "You would rather die than be saved by a demon?!"


    Lin Cheng looked at the dirty faces of the villagers as they hatred for the girl in front of him shined brightly in their eyes.


    "Leave us alone! We would rather die than be touched by a demon!"


    "Are you serious?! You don''t have water! Or food! Or even medicine! Once it all runs out what are you going to do?!"


    Lin Cheng never meant to force them to receive help from the fox princess, but he felt the villagers were being unreasonable when it was their lives that was at stake.


    "Leave! And take that demon girl with you!"


    "Don''t speak to her that way!"


    "If you don''t go! Don''t blame us for what we do to you!"


    That was when out of nowhere, someone threw a stone towards Yan Xuequi. As a fox immortal her knee senses already showed her who threw it and from which direction.Right in front of the villagers, the stone disintegrated in mid air.


    The hostility in their eyes were like daggers to Lin Cheng, he didn''t know why he felt that way about how the villagers were acting towards Yan Xuequi. The urge to take her away far from them resonated strong within him.


    "Princess Yan Xuequi, let''s go!"


    Usually it was unheard of for a male cultivator to hold onto the hands of a female whether married or otherwise, but Lin Cheng was so angry at villagers and felt sorry towards the fox princess that he forgot propriety and latched onto the hands of Yan Xuequi as the two walked away from the village of Yiting, never once did they turn back to look at them.


    "Let go of my hand!"


    After walking several steps, the fox princess demanded that Lin Cheng stop holding on to her hand.


    "Oh! I''m sorry! I forgot that I still had your hand in mind! Please forgive me, Princess Yan Xuequi!"


    Lin Cheng released her hand and gave a deep bow to apologize for lacking discretion and acting in a manner not betting a disciple of a cultivation sect. He didn''t know what made him act rashly while speaking to the villagers, he could easily have asked that the fox princess stay away until he had concluded his business with the villagers. Instead he chose to walk out of them in their need, which is something that his sect would have frown heavily on and a possible punishment would have resulted from not practicing the teaching of good will as taught by the BaoXu sect. Not just their sect but every cultivator knew that good will was a part of walking the path to immortality and self abnegation.


    The fox princess rubbed at her hand that previously held those of Lin Cheng as though wanting to erase the imprint of his hand.


    "I''m truly sorry for how you were treated by the villagers."


    "Its no concern of yours how they treated me! Humans are fickle creatures! I knew that before coming out to face them!"


    "..."


    Yan Xuequi''s eyes flashed in anger, she wasn''t happy with the villagers of Yiting town and she needed someone to pour the resentment she felt towards them. Lin Cheng eyes were filled with one of admiration, at first he saw the fox princess as bothersome, but the more time she spent with him, the way he saw her began to change little by little.


    "I''m heading for another town, follow me if you want."


    Although he spoke in an offhand manner, Lin Cheng secretly wished that the fox princess continue to accompany him on his journey in the mortal realm.

 47 Path of Enlightenment 5

    Yan Xuequi held the hand of one of her Aunt''s son Mou Zimu, while Mou Yidan was held by his mother Mou Hairong. The four of them walked through the market stall looking at the merchandise on display, as each boy pointed at what they wanted their mother to buy for them.


    "Ma! I want to eat the dragon sugar candy!"


    "I want one too! Ma!"


    The twin boys pointed with eyes full of anticipation at the stall selling candy made from melted sugar of golden brown hanging from a stick, they could barely keep from running there, as many of the town people gathered in front of the stall to buy the sugar candy.


    "What would you like Xuequi?"


    "Hmm...I''ll want one of those tanghulu''s."


    Mou Hairong tightly held onto the hand of her son, because he looked as though he would breakout from the hold she her on him to fly to the candy stall. The other twin with Yan Xuequi was no different either, he too was about ready to jump on those tempting melted glass candies.


    "Yidan! Stop jumping or else no candy for you!"


    The little boy pouted after receiving a reprimand from his mother. All four made their way to the line of people waiting to get the dragon sugar candy. When it finally got to their turn, Mou Hairong pulled out her yellow pouch to give the stall owner some silver coins. As the man handed each her two sticks of candy.


    "Here Yidan, you can have one of the dragon sugar candy."


    "Thank you Ma!"


    "Zimu, here''s yours too."


    "Thank you Ma!"


    The boys squealed in excitement at their new found source of joy, the dragon sugar candy!


    After they left the store, the next stop was to get Yan Xuequi her tanghulu, which was a pinkish-red rounded berry fruit that looked like red cherries on stick. Soon after they stopped at a stall that sold street foodto get themselves something to eat.


    "We''ll like four bowls of noodles with vegetables and chicken, along with some moon cake."


    "I don''t want noodles!"


    "I want rice Ma!"


    "Yes! Me too!"


    The boys looked at their mother with eyes filled with defiance, they didn''t want to eat the bowl of noodles that she had ordered for them.


    "You want rice?"


    "Yes Ma! We want rice!"


    "When you grow up and start making money, then you can decide what you want, but until then! You too better eat what I give you!"


    "We don''t want to Ma! We want rice!"


    This time, the two boys threw themselves on the floor rolling from side to side, they knew that their mother did not like them misbehaving especially when they were outside their home, but they just wanted to have their way.


    "Yidan! Stop inciting your brother to do outrageous things! The two of you need to stop right now!"


    By then, a growing crowd of people had gathered to see the twins behave in a disgraceful way.


    "Isn''t that their mother?! What is she doing watching her children roll on the ground in dirt!"


    "I tell you the standard of training one''s child has truly fallen!"


    "Which of them is the mother?!"


    "Missus! Don''t you think you need to call your children to order?!"


    "Aunt Hairong, people are starting to talk."


    "And so what?! What if they start to talk! Do they know how much they try my patience! At times I wish I never had them!"


    "Aunt Hairong! Please don''t say that! They would be so unhappy to hear that from you!"


    Unfortunately for the mother of the twins, they already heard what their mother said and took to the air in the mist of all the town people gathered at the market.


    "Demons! They are demons!"


    "Did you see them fly?!"


    "We have demons living among us!"


    The town people went into a frenzy, after witnessing the children take to the air. The good thing was that they didn''t see the flames that surrounded their body.


    Within a blink of an eye, the small crowd had become a mob, as they began chanting for them to be stoned.


    "Don''t let them escape! Kill the demons!"


    It was sundown when the unexpected occurrence took place, many had taken up sticks, stones and were ready to beat the women to death.


    "Aunt Hairong, we need to go after Yidan and Zimu. It''s going to be dark soon, what if something happens to them!"


    Mou Hairong looked at her niece, it wasn''t that she didn''t want to go after her sons, but she wanted them to know that they can''t always have their way.


    "Aunt Hairong?"


    The crowds had already closed in on them and were about to beat them with the sticks in their hand, when Mou Hairong finally gave the command to go after her children.


    "Xuequi! Let''s go!"


    "Yes Aunt Hairong!"


    The two took to the air, as the crowd shouted at them in rage, some of them tried to hit them with the weapons in their hands, but they were so far up that none of it could reach the women.


    "Aunt Hairong, I fear something may happen to Uncle Mou. Those mobs may go to the house and wait to attack him when he gets home for marrying a demon. Do you want me to look for them, while you go and search for Uncle?"


    Mou Hairong was torn between looking for her children and safeguarding her husband, after pondering for some time as to whether or not she should leave her niece to look for her children, she finally gave in and asked her to go after them, while she search for her husband.


    "Xuequi, help me find Zimu and Yidan. Please bring them home for me!"


    Yan Xuequi knew that although her Aunt presented herself as being a tough parent, she still cared a lot about her children, it was merely some words spoken in a moment of weakness that led to the situation they were in and not because she hated her children.


    "I promise to bring them home, Aunt Hairong! Be safe!"


    "And you too Xuequi!"


    The two parted ways, as one left tolook for her husband while the other left to look for her cousins. The fox princess kept searching the area that she thought the children could possibly be hiding, but nothing turned up.


    "Yidan! Zimu! Where are you?"


    Yan Xuequi kept shouted the names of the twins and still there was no answer. The reason why she feared for her cousins was because with darkness came evil creatures that were drawn to anything that contained spiritual energy.


    Meanwhile, the twins had flown to the neighboring town of Xuekejiu whose stalls already had the night lamp outside, the two walked hand in hand savoring the candy they bought at one of the stalls from the money stolen from one of the town''s people. Taking things without the other person being aware was nothing to an half fox child, their fox fire did the task while the reap the fruit from using their powers.


    Neither of them was missing home, as they bought the things they wanted. The second stop was at the food stall that sold street food. They sat at the bench by each other to each the white rice, vegetables and chicken that they ordered. The stall owner was puzzled that two little boys that looked so much alike were alone buying food at night.


    "Where are your parents?"


    "Over there!"


    The boys pointed in the general direction of towns people that were buying merchandise from the other stalls.


    "Alright, I''ll wait until they get here. It''s late, don''t go anywhere until they come and get you!"


    The boys looked at the elderly man in dark green robes and long grey beards, while nodding at him innocently. Meanwhile, the stall owner did not know that he had trouble in his stall in the form of two innocent boys.


    "Zimu, after we finish eating, let''s buy some paper dragonflies."


    "Okay Yidan."


    Yidan was the more mischievous one of the two, while Zimu always went along with whatever he devises.


    After a while, the boys were done eating and were about to stand up and leave, when they heard the stall keepers voice.


    "Boys! It''s late at night, don''t walk around on your own! Wait her for your parents!"


    Yidan''s eyes changed color to that of green, he had a petulant look on his face that showed that he didn''t want any adult telling him what to do.


    "Yidan?"


    Zimu''s voice was fearful, as he saw the change in his brother''s eyes that, meant he was very angry. The stall keeper on the other hand saw the change in the boy''s eyes and was about to scream out in terror, but Yidan was not going to allow the man to call the attention of the town''s people. As he was about to raise his hand and blast the man with the flames surrounding his body, that was when someone held him by the arm. It was none other than Lin Cheng!


    "I''m sorry for the disturbance shopkeeper, these are my children. Please forgive them for being so ill-mannered."


    While Lin Cheng spoke he waved a hand over the face of the man to remove the memory of what he had seen of the half fox child.


    "Tell the stall keeper that you are sorry!"


    Mou Yidan felt the tight hold on his arm, it was beginning to hurt and no matter how much he tried to break free, he couldn''t get out from the man''s grip. Lin Cheng left some gold coins on the table of the food stall.


    "I''m..sorry."


    The stall owner nodded morosely at the boys and the strange man that claimed to be the father of the boys. Although he apologized, it wasn''t one of sincerity, while his brothersilently looked on from the side.


    "Let''s go!"


    "Farewell shopkeeper."


    Lin Cheng held each boy in one hand, as the two left the town of Xuekejiu for Yiting town.


    "Can the both of you tell me your names?"


    "Mou Zimu."


    Lin Cheng waited on the other twin to give out his name, he had his grip on the twin especially tight because he could sense that he was a handful.


    "You haven''t told me your name."


    "Mou..Yidan."


    The twin slowly replied with an unhappy look on his face. Looking at them, Lin Cheng saw they were well taken care of from the robes they had on them, it seemed their family wasn''t doing to bad. Which made him wonder why they ran away from home in the first place.


    "Can you tell me where you live? I can tell you are from Yiting town."


    Lin Cheng guessed they were from the town he mentioned, because the aura he felt from them felt strangely familiar to the one he encountered from the fox princess, he recalled her saying that there were people from the fox clan living in Yiting town.


    "We don''t want to go back home!"


    "Why don''t you and your brother want to go back to your parents?"


    Lin Cheng asked Mou Zimu, who was visibly upset at the thought of going to meet his parents.


    "Ma hates us!"


    "There is no mother that would hate her child, I''m sure you must have heard her wrong."


    "No! She hates us!"


    "Did you do something for you to think that she hates you?"


    It was then that Mou Yidan couldn''t answer Lin Cheng, because he knew that he egged his brother on to make their mother say the things she said at the market.


    At the time they had reached the forest that led into Yiting town when they heard a voice that called out to them.


    "Yidan! Zimu!"


    "Aunt Xuequi!"


    The boys broke away from Lin Cheng and ran happily to meet their cousin, whose eyes were filled with tears when she saw them walk into the forest. Lin Cheng didn''t need to be told who the parents of the half fox children were, an indescribable feeling that resembled one of delight, came over him as he saw the fox princess.

 48 Path of Enlightenment 6

    "Aunt Xuequi! We are so sorry!"


    Mou Yidan was the twin that began begging his cousin, before his younger twin Mou Zimu followed suit to ask for forgiveness. Yan Xuequi due to the wide gap age-wise between her Aunt''s children, she made them call her niece Aunt rather than the cousin she was to them.The twins were held in a tight hug by their cousins for quite some time before they were let go to remain by her side.


    "Are you and Ma angry with us?! Does she still want us back?!"


    Yan Xuequi looked at the teary eyes of her cousins and patted each one in the head to say, "Yidan, Zimu. Your mother is very sad because she thinks that she may not find you. When you both get home, I want you to prostrate and tell her that you would never do that again, is that clear?!"


    "Yes Aunt Xuequi! We''ll beg Ma!"


    "Zimu, you haven''t said a word."


    The fox princess looked at the younger twin, whose eyes were downcast and very sad with tears in them.


    "I don''t want Ma to abandon me. I didn''t mean to run away."


    "If that is what you feel in your heart, then why don''t we all go home and beg your mother. Aunt Hairong may give you and Yidan a beating or two, but as you both know how she is, she''s so quick to forgive. Make sure you give her a hug when you get back, okay?!"


    "Yes Aunt Xuequi!"


    They both chorused their agreement with following the advise of their cousin to plead with their mother.


    It was after this that the fox princess turned to the person that found them, Lin Cheng who watched from afar the emotional reunion.


    Holding each twin in one hand, Yan Xuewui walked to where the disciple cultivator stood with a smile on his face.


    "Thank you for finding them for me, Lin Cheng of the BaoXu sect. I will forever be grateful."


    The fox princess gave a deep bow to Lin Cheng, who was taken aback by her show of gratitude which looked to him to be beyond what a being of her standing who likely do to another that was of a lesser standing, since he was only a disciple from a cultivation sect, while she was a princess of a clan, because a mere simple bow would have sufficed.


    "You don''t need to thank me Princess Yan Xuequi. It is within my duty as a disciple to do good and help those in need, I''m happy they were not in any harms way. It''s already getting late, I''ll see you off."


    Lin Cheng gave a salute to the fox princess, as three pair of eyes stared back at him in response.


    Together the three made it out of the forest, heading into the town and straight for the home of the Mou family. Mou Yaxin the husband of Mou Hairong was an orphan, which meant that the only family the twins had was their parents and those from the fox clan, since they hated visiting the fox clan, they were stuck with just their cousin and parents as their closest family.


    "Have you been out long searching for them?"


    Lin Cheng looked at the serene face of the fox princess, as he waited on her reply.


    "I''ve been searching for them for about an hour, I almost thought they had drown by the river nearby."


    The thought that her cousins may have drown, caused a chill to pass through her body, Lin Cheng noticed the way she shook and went ahead to take off his cloak and drape it across her shoulders.


    It was then that they all finally got to see what he wore underneath the cloak he always had on his body. It was the purple robes of the BaoXu sect with an embroidery of the insignia of his sect on them. When he first left his sect on the journey to the mortal realm, Lin Cheng had taken off his forehead ribbon and worn a cloak to hide the identity of his sect from others, not wanting to call attention to himself to whomever he might meet on the way, while on the journey for some soul searching and enlightenment.


    "It''s really true that you are from a sect!"


    "You thought I was lying when I told you that I was?"


    The fox princess hadn''t really believed that Lin Cheng was from any of the cultivation sect that he claimed to be, because of all the past warning of how deceptive cultivators were and could not be trusted at all.


    "What did you think I was?"


    "I don''t know maybe a rogue cultivator because of your sword skill?"


    "Huh?!"


    Lin Cheng felt unsettled by the way the fox princess saw him, he wondered what the cultivation world could have done to the fox clan for them to despise them to that extent.


    "Had some people been going about claiming that they were from a sect to curry favor from the fox clan? Or did the fox clan and the pugilistic world have a fall out?"


    He kept thinking those things in his mind, with no answers on sight. One thing that Lin Cheng gained which he wasn''t aware of, was the deep respect that the older twin suddenly had for him, because it was his first time meeting someone that put him in his place without exercising the raw strength that the child could sense coming from him. Of course, Mou Yidan wasn''t going to let his eyes look with admiration at Lin Cheng, it was a secret he was going to guard with his life.


    By the time they had walked to the heart of the town, the market was already closing for the day, the four of them walked through the several stall and not too long after they finally got to the humble home of the Mou family, but outside stood villagers bearing torches in their hands and sticks, some had hoes and cutlasses and several farming tools.


    "Catch them! Don''t let the demons escape! They also have a man with them!"


    The twins hid behind the robes of their cousin, suddenly terrified of the angry crowd. One thing about them was that they could cause trouble and mischief, but they couldn''t handle the aftermath of their deeds.


    "Aunt Xuequi?"


    It was Mou Yidan calling his Aunt to save them from the furious mobs standing in front of their gate. They probably couldn''t get inside, which was why they stood outside, in a vigil until either someone comes in or goes out of the house.


    "It''s alright, let me handle it."


    Although it was forbidden to use their powers as cultivators in the mortal realm, this was to prevent disarray in the mortal realm and ensure that the universe would always remain in a state of balance. Lin Cheng knew that there was no way he could uphold the teachings of his sect when others were in trouble, which was why he was willing to break the rules to protect the ones with him.


    "How can you them them on?! There are many of them and it''s only one of you!"


    "Princess Yan Xuequi, let me protect you and the children, it is my duty to look at for those that are ill-treated by others."


    "But...Wait!"


    Lin Cheng was already walking towards the mobs, all of a sudden he had to switch to using the flash step technique by concentrating his spiritual energy on his feet and using his arms in a sweeping motion to erase the memories of the towns people.


    The twins saw what he did, they could barely make out his figure from the way his body moved through the mobs, avoiding the weapons and fire from their torches. There was no hiding the look of wonder in the eyes of the twins, they were completely dazzled by Lin Cheng''s show of chivalry.


    Soon after, the towns people began leaving in a daze, forgetting what they came to do at the home of the Mou family.


    "Mister! What is your name?!"


    "Yes! Can we know your name?!"


    Both Mou Yidan and Mou Zimu asked that Lin Cheng tell them his name, they wanted to know who he really was, because of his fighting style.


    "I''m Lin Cheng from the BaoXu sect."


    Lin Cheng smiled warmly at the boys whose eyes was sparkling with admiration for him.


    "Can you teach us what you did over there?"


    "I''m sorry, but it is a secret technique that only those from a particular cultivation sect can practice, that is you have to be a disciple of that sect to be able to perform that technique and it all depends on the level of your spiritual energy."


    "Mister, when you say spiritual energy, what is it?"


    "Yidan, it means the power that you use to fight, just like how you were able to produce the flames that is covering your body. It is only possible due to spirit energy, it is something that you are born with or may get artificially by eating magical pills."


    "Mister Lin Cheng."


    "Yes Mou Zimu?"


    Although the twins looked too identical, making it difficult to tell one from the other, but their facial expression and cadence of voice was a bit different from each other, only those that have been around them for a long time or are very attentive to details would be able to tell them apart, which was how Lin Cheng knew who was Yidan and who was Zimu from the way each spoke and acted.


    "Could you explain what a sect is?"


    "A sect is made up of a group of people, some of them could be family members while the rest can be people that don''t share the same blood, together they learn out to fight and are taught the teachings on how to gain immortality and walk the path of goodness, protecting the defenseless and developing various skills along the way."


    "Can I join?"


    "That would depend on your background Mou Zimu, because your situation is a little unique since you come from a clan that is not involved with the cultivation sect. It depends, some sect would take you in, while others wouldn''t because you may be seen as a threat due to your unique abilities that comes from being born into the fox clan."


    "Okay, thanks Mister Lin Cheng."


    "Are you thinking of joining a sect?! Don''t even think of it! Your mother and grandfather would lock you up at the fox fortress never to see daylight again! Please take that thought away from your mind!"


    The fox princess spoke with passion to the youngest of the twin, she knew that the mere mention of the cultivation world would send both her grandfather and Aunt to hysteria, if any of the twins brings up the idea of entering a sect to either of them, Yan Xuequi could already see the havoc that such a suggestion would cause to both the Mou family and the fox clan. Lin Cheng smiled faintly when he saw the way the fox princess reacted to her cousin''s question, if either of them ended up entering into a sect, then they would be the first in the history of the pugilistic world to be a disciple cultivator with the royal bloodline of fox clan.


    "Alright! Let''s see if your parents are at home."


    Lin Cheng lifted both boys in his arms and took to the air, landing inside the compound of the Mou family house, followed shortly after by Yan Xuequi. They saw the couple holding each other in fear, which soon dissipated to one of open relief on seeing who came into their home.


    "Yidan! Zimu!"


    "Ma! Pa!"


    The twins ran straight into the arms of their parents, who wept with joy on their safe return home. Meanwhile, Lin Cheng and Yan Xuequi silently gazed at each as they entered into a world of their own.

 49 Path of Enlightenment 7

    The mother of the twins gave each of them a slap to the back and held them in her arms as though she didn''t want anyone to steal them from her, the boys swallowed the sting of pain that came from the beating, not shedding a single tear. To them they saw it as their due punishment for running away from home. Their father, Mou Yaxin took turns to hold them in his arms, as he too couldn''t contain the tears of joy that was streaming from his eyes. Soon after the parents separated from their children and turned to face Yan Xuequi and Lin Cheng, who were still looking at each other.


    "Xuequi! Who is the man with you?!"


    "Ma! He was the one that found us!"


    "Be quiet Yidan! I wasn''t talking to you!"


    The boy stiffen on hearing the sharp chastisement of his mother, he had to stay still, since he just got out of trouble not too long ago. The voice of Mou Hairong broke the two from the spell they were under, quickly turning to face the mother of the twins.


    "Greetings, I am Lin Cheng from the BaoXu sect. I''m sorry for intruding into your home unannounced."


    Mou Hairong stared at the cultivator with a guarded look in her eyes, seeing the archenemy of her people in her home.


    "Why did you bring a cultivator with you?! Don''t you know who they are?! Why Xuequi?! Why?!"


    "Aunt Hairong, he was the one that brought them back! Do you even know where he found them?! At Xuekejiu town! They flew to a town thirty minutes from us! What if he wasn''t in that town? It would have taken all night if not days to finally find them and by then who knows what would have happened to them! I know grandfather says that cultivators are bad people, but are they really all bad?! Can''t you look away just this once and be thankful towards him for finding your children for you?!"


    Mou Hairong had a stubborn look on her face while looking at her niece whose face held frustration and anger. Mou Yaxin held the hands of his children while looking at the man that was the cause of the fight between his wife and in-law. He felt at ease while looking at the man, nothing about him struck him as someone that could be dangerous, he had a solid built and carriage that held self-assurance.


    Mou Yaxin left the side of his wife and walked with his children to where Lin Cheng and Yan Xiequi stood, "Yidan and Zimu, I want you both to show your gratitude to Lin Cheng of the BaoXu sect."


    The twins looked at their father and nodded in unison, right there the three gave a deep bow to Lin Cheng who also gave a salute back in respect.


    "Thank you for rescuing my sons and bringing them home. My family and I will always be in your debt."


    After this, the twins and their father raised their head up and walked back to where Mou Hairong stood bristling with anger.


    "Mou Yaxin! How dare you shame me in front of my children!"


    "Hairong, let''s not do this. I don''t know the feud that your family has with him, but you cannot because of that not show his any appreciation for bringing us our children. What if we never saw them again?! I''m not trying to disrespect you, but you need to show gratitude where it is due."


    Mou Yaxin tried not to let his voice show the anger that he felt within, but to him, his wife was being unreasonable. He wanted her to set aside whatever past differences that her family may have had with the man and be thankful what what he did for them despite the ongoing feud.


    "I''m not going to stay and listen to this!"


    Mou Hairong stormed into the house, leaving her husband and children staring after her in aghast.


    "I will be taking my leave."


    Lin Cheng bowed once again to the Mou family before taking to the air, the twins and their father were still dumbfounded by what Mou Hairong did. Although, Yan Xuequi was also shocked by her Aunt''s behavior, she didn''t let it tie her down from running after Lin Cheng.


    Taking to the air, Yan Xuequi pursued Lin Cheng, and soon caught up with him.


    "I''m sorry for the way my Aunt spoke to you."


    "It''s alright, I''m sure she has her reasons."


    The two flew side by side under the starlit skies, which shined brightly through the dark skies.


    "Where would you be lodging for the night?"


    "I''ll return to Xuekejiu town and get a room at an inn."


    "I wish you didn''t have to spend money at an inn when we could easily have given you a room at the house."


    "That wouldn''t be necessary, I would only inconvenience the Mou family."


    "I''m sorry you had to be treated so poorly by my Aunt."


    "You don''t need to apologize, I''m really okay."


    Although she heard him say that he wasn''t offended by the way her Aunt behaved towards him, but Yan Xuequi didn''t feel at peace at all.


    "I''ll be returning to the fox clan the next day. To return to my duties."


    Lin Cheng heard the tranquil voice of the fox princess whose face had returned to their usual serenity. They both flew to the entrance of the town, before landing to walk the rest of the way.


    "You can head back now, I''ll be fine from here."


    "Let me at least see that you are boarded at an inn."


    "Princess Yan Xuequi, you are a maiden, you shouldn''t be walking into an inn with a man. Please return to your family who are waiting for you."


    "I..I only want to know that you have a place to sleep for the night!"


    Lin Cheng gave a stiff bow to the fox princess while remaining where he was, not wanting her to go anyfurther than that.


    Yan Xuequi weaved an hand sign, producing a bracelet made from her fox fire. Placing them on the wrist of Lin Cheng.


    "This would keep you safe."


    Lin Cheng looked at the glowing red bracelet whose presence could not be seen by anyone other than those that had spirit energy.


    "Farewell Princess Yan Xuequi."


    "Farewell Lin Cheng of the BaoXu sect."


    With that said, the fox princess took off while leaving Lin Cheng to stare after her until he could no longer she a trace of her in the morning sky, which was filled with white spotless clouds.


    "If fate permits, we would both see each other again."


    Lin Cheng began his walk to where he would lodge for the night and probably many days or months ahead.


    ---------


    "Goodbye Aunt Xuequi!"


    The twins waved at their cousins, who was about to set out on a journey to the fox clan.


    "Xuequi, make sure to visit us sometime soon!"


    "Princess Xuequi take care of your health, we hope to see you at our home when next you come to Yiting town."


    Mou Yaxin had a somber look on his face, he saw how much his wife was already missing his niece, he knew that were it not because his body could not cross over to their world, he and his family would be living in the fox clan. This was a burden that the man had to bear from his marriage to an immortal being. He didn''t want to think of the time when he would grow old and die, he could already see his face starting to show signs of aging, while those of his wife had not change a bit since the time he first met her. He dread the time when they would have to part because of death, but he refused to let that show on his face.


    "Uncle Mou, I promise to visit often. Aunt Hairong, be good to Uncle Mou and the twins. Yidan, look after your brother well, you know he follows everything you say!"


    "What do you mean by ''be good'' to my husband?! Am I not trying enough already?!"


    "Aunt Hairong, Uncle Mou loves you unconditionally! Don''t let inconsequential things drive a wedge between the two of you."


    "What now? Are you now pointing out that I''m petty and I don''t love him enough?!"


    "Aunt Hairong! Please! Open your eyes! You and uncle don''t have much time with each other, treasure him and your children. I don''t want you to live the rest of your life in regret for not giving the best that you could in your marriage."


    Mou Yaxin didn''t say anything, but his eyes misted over when he heard the words of his in-law, which was as though it came directly from his heart. Although he loved his wife so much and also still did, but there were times that she tried his love so much that he felt bereft, as though he was lacking too much and there was no way he could fill the space between them.


    Yan Xuequi due to her bloodline could take on the shape that he wanted, whether as a little girl or as a grown woman, since she knew that she was in the home of a married couple she maintained the form of a young girl, while outside the home she would take on her true form without her fox attributes. What Mou Yaxin saw was that of a little girl and not her true form, which made him wonder how someone as young as Yan Xueqi could speak and act so wisely. Although, she didn''t mean to shout at her aunt, it was the only way she could think of to get her to appreciate what she has in her life.


    "I''m sorry Aunt Hairong, please just take what I say to mean that I care about you."


    Yan Xuequi bowed to the Mou family, before flying off, unseen to the human eyes. The Mou family walked back inside, but no matter how much Mou Hairong had lived in the mortal realm, she was still at tune with the emotion of her husband, she knew the exact moment when he cried, the image of it sent a pang of pain straight to her heart. Everything her niece said was true, she could no longer hide from what was happening, her husband was aging just like every human and she was wasting her time fighting with him over something that wasn''t really any concern of hers since she was no longer living in the fox clan, but now in the mortal realm with her earthly family.


    "Mou Yaxin, I''m sorry."


    The twins had already ran inside to play with their toys, when Mou Hairong openly apologized to her husband.


    "I know you are, I''m also sorryfor not taking your side and causing you to lose face."


    In a marriage, no matter how wrong an husband or wife was, it was the duty of their spouse to take their side in public no matter what, but privately chastise them if they were in the wrong. Mou Yaxin understood that part of what it means to be married and which was why he willing owned up and begged his wife for forgiveness. The act of humility often makes the party that was in the wrong to own up quickly than passing judgement on them without giving them a chance to realize that they were wrong.


    "I promise to cherish our time together. You know how hard it is for me to accept when I''m wrong, I never meant to put you down in front of my niece and the cultivator. I''m sorry Mou Yaxin."


    They both gazed at each other with love in their eyes, before eventually giving in to a warm embrace, Mou Yaxin stroked the hair of his wife loving, while hers was resting squarely against his chest.


    "I love you Mou Yaxin!"


    "I love you, Hairong!"


    They both declared the love they had for each other, while staring at the distance with contentment on their face.

 50 Path of Enlightenment 8

    Yan Xuequi flew all the way to Xuekejiu town, while holding onto the cloak of Lin Cheng which he had forgotten to return back to him. The bracelet she gave to him wasn''t just a jewelry, but it was also an extension of her power. This way she could keep track of him from wherever she was, without the other knowing.


    She soon arrived in front of the of Zenhaitaoinn, which was a three layer establishment made from brown timber. Forgoing coming in through the entrance, the fox princess went to the last floor, while moving at speed beyond what the human eyes could see, through several rooms down the corridor. Eight doors later, she went through the door not wanting to wake Lin Cheng in the event he was still asleep.


    The sound of water pouring made the fox princess stop at mid air, a quick turn of her head and she was face to face with Lin Cheng taking a tub bath in his room.


    Not expecting to meet him in such a state of undress, the shock caused Yan Xuequi to lose her balance and fall to the ground.


    "Ha!"


    The noise from her fall made Lin Cheng become alert to the intruder that was in his room, were it not for the screen that separated the wooden tub and the rest of the room, the fox princess would have been looking at a naked Lin Cheng!


    "Who is there?!"


    The disciple cultivator had not heard anyone come in through the door, which made him very uneasy when he heard the dull thud that came from someone falling down.


    "It is I....Princess Yan Xuequi!"


    "Princess Yan Xuequi? What are you doing in my room?"


    "I came to return your cloak, before leaving for the fox clan."


    "Oh?!"


    "I''ll lay it down by the bed."


    As she spoke, Lin Cheng pulled the robe that hung from the translucent screen, as he got out of the tub, the fox princess could make out his lines of his body, causing her cheeks to burn a bright pink. No sooner had the image registered into her mind, did she turn around to face the other way, almost forgetting to place the cloak on the bed as she had told Lin Cheng.


    Stepping from behind the screen to make his way to Yan Xuequi, he saw she had her back against him. Not wanting to startle her, he gave a soft cough to let her know that he was now out of the tub.


    "I''m sorry for not using the door, I thought you would be asleep....I only wanted to give your cloak back to you."


    Yan Xuequi still had her back turned to him, while taking a soft breath to steady her racing heart.


    "It must be because I''m getting older! Once I get back to the fox fortress I''ll start looking into a potential groom for my marriage."


    Choosing to believe that the cause of her raging body was due to her body aging and possible need for procreation.


    "How did you get in?"


    "I''m from the fox bloodline, I have the ability to pass through things."

 51 Path of Enlightenment 9

    "That explains why I didn''t know when you came in. You''ve had your back turned to me for some time now, if you don''t mind, but can I see your face?"


    With great difficulty, the fox princess turned to face the disciple cultivator.


    "When you leave for the fox clan, are you returning anytime soon?"


    Yan Xuequi didn''t want to get her hopes up when Lin Cheng asked about her possible return to the mortal realm.


    "I promised my Aunt and her family to return soon, after I have settled the affairs of my clan. As the next in line, since my grandfather had no sons except for my mother and Aunt Hairong. Grandfather''s power is not as they were, this is why I may need to take over from him as the next ruler of the fox clan."


    "What happened to your mother?"


    "Mother''s powers is not strong enough to bear the responsibility as the next ruler should grandfather decide to step down or pass the thorn to one that has the attributes that is needed to rule the clan."


    "Your parents, are they living with you at the fox clan fortress?"


    "Mother and father have a separate lodging away from the Yan royal family, they live at the far end of the fortress where there is less activity and it is more peaceful, away from the fox people. While, I as a member of the royal family stay at the center of the fortress. We all know our place and none that isn''t royal dare venture to the core of the fortress."


    "Do they visit you often?"


    "Father isn''t of royal blood which is why he can''t visit me with mother, but I go to see them, at times mother visits me alone."


    "When you leave here you will be going back to resume your duties as princess of the fox clan."


    It wasn''t posed as a question, but was meant to find out if she had other things planned.


    "Yes and I''ll be there until when grandfather doesn''t have need of me."


    "I bid you farewell, Princess Yan Xuequi."


    "Farewell Lin Cheng."


    Lin Cheng noticed that she didn''t make reference to his sect, unlike when they first met. That made him think that she was now seeing him in a better light.


    Just like that, she went out through the same way she came in, although she already told him that she can pass through things, it still make the disciple cultivator very surprised when he saw her go through his door.


    When he felt within him that she was probably gone for good, did he finally allow himself to relieve the emotion that dwelt within. His hand formed into a tight fist behind his back, as the smile he held while she was there fell flat.


    "She''s only the fox princess and would never be anything more!"


    Lin Cheng tried to convince himself that the feelings he was slowly developing for Yan Xuequi would never be anything but that, he didn''t want to accept that she held a special place in his heart.

 52 Path of Enlightenment 10

    Yan Xuequi''s spiritual energy opened the endless portal into the alternate world of the fox clan. Cold tall mountains stared back at the fox princess from where she stood.


    "I''m finally back!"


    The fox princess shouted into the empty air with her hands spread wide, as she savored the air around the fortress which was filled with dense spirit energy.


    One after another, she began removing the restraint she had kept on herself while in the mortal realm, with her hand in a seal clasped tightly together, she began tapping at several pressure points on her chest, releasing her full power. This sent shock waves round the fortress.


    "The fox princess is back!"


    "Princess Yan Xuequi is finally back!"


    "It''s Princess Yan Xuequi!"


    The people of the fox clan shouted to one another with happiness at seeing the granddaughter of their king walk through the market place which was at the lower region of the fortress that led to various realms. This was where anyone that left the fox clan would usually pass through when they came back.


    Yan Xuequi walked through the mist of her people, bowing slightly while heading for the center of the fortress. Her people wore simple robes, their fox features very much in display,, unlike those in the mortal realm that kept to appearing as human as possible.


    Not bothering to open the door carved from the rocky mountain, the fox princess sent a string of fox fire which pushed the door open. What she saw on the other end of the door took her by surprise, for in there sat her mother and her grandfather. The fox princess bowed in greeting to them.


    "Greetings Fox King! Greetings Princess Mother!"


    In the presence of her grandfather, the fox princess had to refer to him by his title, the same applied to that of her mother. She couldn''t call either of them grandfather or mother whenever her grandfather was around, because he was a stickler for the royal tradition.


    "Princess Xuequi. Come, let me take a closer look at your face."


    The fox princess noticed that he sounded very frail, which wasn''t surprising because he was using half of his powers to keep the fortress the way it was and a quarter of his powers to suppress his fox features to appear almost like that of a human. It was when her mother explained the reason for her grandfather''s behavior, did she finally understand why he chose to appear as though he was human.


    It was when her mother explained the reason for her grandfather''s behavior did she finally understand why he chose to appear as though he was human. The woman he loved was from the mortal realm during his youthful days while moving from one realm to the other, but feared exposing his true nature to her, when he eventually found the courage to do so, she had already gotten married to a fellow human in her town. Heart broken, he married one from the royal bloodline whom he had no affection for, resulting in two princesses Yan Meifang and Yan Hairong.

 53 Path of Enlightenment 11

    The then Queen Mother Yan Luanfei eventually found out the reason for her husband being cold to her and acting out of character with what a person from the fox clan would do. It was after she found out that his heart already belonged to a mortal, Yan Luanfei went to the mortal realm and carved out her beating heart and burned it with her blue fox fire, right in the presence of her husband and newborn child. In anger, the fox king sealed his wife in a cocoon made from fire and lightening buried deep within the fox fortress, the only one whose powers surpassed his from youth could open the prison of fire.


    It has been several hundreds of years since then, the mortal woman''s family had long since been gone from the face of the earth, but the fox king still refused to release his wife, as the bitterness in his heart from years ago never found a way to heal.


    Yan Xuequi stood in front of in front of her grandfather, who slowly rose from where he sat to look at his granddaughter from all sides.


    The princess mother silently watched from where she sat, waiting for her father to bring up the reason for their visit. After a while, as though satisfied with what he saw, the fox king eventually freed his granddaughter from his inspection.


    "It seems your time at the mortal realm was very pleasing."


    "Yes it was."


    "How was your Aunt and her family?"


    "Princess Aunt Hairong, Mou Yaxin, Prince Yidan and Prince Zimu were all in good health. They hope to visit the fox clan some day."


    Yan Xuequi was purposely vague in her reply, if she had told her grandfather that his grandchildren didn''t want to step foot into the fox clan, it would only create more misery for him. Which was why she made it sound that they would be coming by in the nearest future.


    "Have you given consideration about your marriage?"


    The out of the blue question made the fox princess almost show the surprise she felt within, but since she was in the presence of her grandfather, she had to comport herself in a manner befitting a princess.


    "I was about to bring it up at a more suitable time, I''m pleased that you brought it up in my stead."


    The fox princess remained serene while looking at the sharp gaze of her grandfather''s, who was watching her face very closely.


    "Meifang what do you thing of a wedding in a month''s time?"


    Yan Xuequi felt the air leave her body, "A wedding in a month''s time? Why? Is anyone dying? Grandfather may look frail, but it is self-inflicted, I don''t think he is dying anytime soon!"


    "I''ll abide by your decision."


    The fox princess wasn''t too surprised by her mother''s response, she knew that the princess mother didn''t want to risk offending her father in the name of respecting her daughter''s wishes. Yan Xuequi was now left the choice of either following her grandfather''s plan or decide for herself on when she wanted to get married.

 54 Path of Enlightenment 12

    During their intense coupling, Jin Caihe bit his student on the shoulder, so hard that it left a deep reddish-purple mark on the pale skin of Jin Tieguai. Although, Jin Tieguai felt the sharp pain that came with the bite, the pleasure from his member entering those of his teacher made the pain lessen.


    It was already evening, when the junior disciple eventually pulled out from the moist entrance of his teacher, whose face looked very worn out from the prolonged intimate union of their bodies which was drenched in sweat, blood and milky sap.


    "Ha! Don''t move, It''s so painful!"


    Jin Tieguai was so consumed by the need to take over the body of Jin Caihe that it was only after his body began cooling down did he really take a good look at the face of his teacher. He was shocked to see how haggard they looked as though his strength had been sucked out. The junior disciple saw him lift up his hand weakly to halt his movement within his body.


    "I have to come out, so that you wouldn''t start to stink."


    Although he meant well, they seem to rub Jin Caihe the wrong way, who looked at the other with eyes filled with hatred.


    "When I told you to stop, you didn''t listen, but did as you pleased and now you are concerned about if I smell or not!"


    The disciple kept smiling at his teacher who was fuming with anger at been treated with no respect from his student.


    "I''m still young and at times I can hardly hold myself from going to the tea house to see all those beauties in there."


    As Jin Tieguai spoke his eyes brimmed with a smile of mischief, he loved teasing his teacher who he saw as a prude. When he saw that his words weren''t get to his student, Jin Caihe weakened body suddenly regained strength from the lack of remorse on the face of the junior disciple, for putting him in such a pitiful state.


    "You are an animal! You hear me! An animal!"


    "I seem to recall you calling me before you and I became one."


    "Hehn?! What nonsense are you sprouting from your mouth?! I don''t remember anything! This never happened! You hear me?! It never happened!"


    "Keep on fooling yourself, do you think that just by pretending that what happened between us, didn''t take place?!"


    "Shut your mouth! And know your place!"


    "Know my place?! You still have time to bring in position?! Caihe..."


    "Stop right there! You will address me properly as head teacher!"


    "Alright if that is what you want Head teacher Jin, but that isn''t going to erase what took place in this room!"


    While Jin Tieguai was speaking with Jin Caihe, his eyes began roaming the delicate pale body of his teacher, which was covered in kiss marks left by him while their body was passionate intertwined.


    Unable to hold himself from carrying out the thought in his mind, Jin Tieguai lowered his head to place a kiss at the center of Jin Caihe''s belly. The moist feathery touch from the lips of his student made his "dragon" stand erect.


    "St..op..."


    "You don''t want me to continue?"


    "No! Go away!"


    With the last remaining strength in him, Jin Caihe pushed Jin Tieguai away from him, causing the member of the other to come out without any warning and with that came excruciating pain to the body of Jin Caihe. Unable to control himself, Jin Caihe shouted in pain.


    "ARGHHHHH!!!!!!!"


    Although Jin Caihe felt the stickiness from the lower part of his body, nothing prepared him for the sight of blood and male essence that stained the cover of the bed. One second he was looking at thesmiling face of his student and the next it as if everywhere was spinning, it was then that the head teacher of the GuBaiJin sect knew he was about to lose consciousness.

 55 Path of Enlightenment 13

    Jin Tieguai saw the moment when his teacher passed, he began checking to see if the other was breathing, when he saw that Jin Caihe was only worn out and still breathing. He hurriedly threw on his robes and ran out to get him some herbs and a tub bath of warm water.


    To Jin Tieguai everyone saw him as the bane of the GuBaiJin sect, the not so serious one, which was why he used his smile as a mask to hide his thoughtfrom others. His heart broke when he saw the way his teacher was, he began cursing at himself for not being gentle with him.


    Never in a lifetime would he have thought that the highly respected Jin Caihe would fall into his hands, nor had he ever thought that his first experience would be with a man of all people!


    In the past he had envisioned himself as having his first time with the most beautiful flower that the tea house had to offer. The junior disciple was beyond shattered by the knowledge that he had taken his teacher and if permitted he would willing do the act again and again. The thought made the youthful boy''s face redden.


    Inside the DainShu after changing the bed covers, Jin Tieguai carried the naked body of Jin Caihe, while biting his inner cheek to control his raging body, which fought to take the head teacher of the GuBaiJin sect again.


    "I have to be strong! For Head teacher Jin!"


    Carefully laying the other cultivator into the steamy water filled with medicinal herbs, Jin Tieguai used his hands to cleanse the body of Jin Caihe, washing every nook and cranny of his body. Although, it was a very tortuous for Jin Tieguai to be touching the body of his teacher, the junior disciple persevered while gritting his teeth to reign his turbulent thought.


    "I''m sorry, it was never supposed to be this way. Please forgive me."


    There was no response from the other cultivator whose eyes remained closed, as though he was asleep.


    "I promise I wouldn''t come near you, until you have forgiven me. If ever at anytime I break my word to you, I''ll take Xicong and plunge its blade into my heart!"


    That was how determined Jin Tieguai was to protect Jin Caihe from him. He and the head teacher first met when he took part in a competition at the age of nine to join the GuBaiJin sect, which was known to select only the best among the contestants. He never knew they would pick him, since he thought he wasn''t all that different from the rest, but the sect leader saw something during the competition that made him ask for Li Tieguai to be added as the new disciple of the sect. After he joined was his family name then changed to Jin in accordance to the sect''s rules.


    Jin Tieguai bent to place a light kiss on the forehead of Jin Caihe and then whispered the words to him, "This doesn''t count."


    Soon after he carried the head teacher to the bed to begin dressing him in a new robe, not minding the numerous turns to get him clothed. Only when he was done taking care of Jin Caihe did the junior disciple tuck a stray strand of his hair behind his ears, after this he stood up to leave the DianShu, taking one last look at the sleeping face of his lover. Facing forward with a sad smile on his face, Jin Tieguai closed the door behind him, as Jin Caihe cracked an eye open to see the door closing behind those of his student.

 56 Path of Enlightenment 14

    "I want go inside and rest, when father returns let him know of this, I don''t want to my sleep to be disturbed by anyone."


    Xu Hui was met at the front of her bedchambers by the attending maids of Li Jiao, since they didn''t know that it wasn''t their mistress they were serving, but someone else entirely, they took care of the disciple of the BaoXu sect just like they did for the dead young mistress of the YuanLi sect.


    The BaoXu sect disciple''s body was taken over with the urge to empty her insides, but on the outside none of the maids could see the discomfort that was taking place within the person they took to be Li Jiao.


    "Yes Young miss Li, we would let Sect Leader Li know that you are sleeping and wouldn''t like to be woken up for any reason."


    "You may now leave."


    After bowing to Xu Hui, they discretely left the same way they came, one after the other. It was after she saw they had gone, that was when the BaoXu sect disciple opened the door to her room. On getting inside, she had her back against the door to keep her feet from giving way.


    "I can''t die yet, whatever it takes, even if I have become mere bones! I must and I will kill everyone that has caused me pain! My life..."


    Xu Hui''s words were halted by the blood that suddenly poured from her mouth and noise, although she held a hand to her mouth, she wasn''t quick enough to stop it from staining the floor of her room. It wasn''t the only place that the crimson tide flowed from, her eyes dripped blood.


    "It seems I don''t have much time."


    The blood flail technique was not forbidden for a reason, it drew power from consuming the spiritual energy of its host until they were left with none and it didn''t stop there at all. It would destroy the body from the inside out, turning it into mere dust with nothing left to bury. That was how scary the technique was, causing spirit fragmentation.


    Too tired to look for a wash rag and some water, Xu Hui performed the hand seal from the blood flail technique to absorb the blood on her feet and forming tiny balls which began floating around her.


    "What would be the best place to keep this?"


    The BaoXu sect disciple walked to the dressing table and pulled out a purple embroidery pouch from her box of jewelry to empty its contents out and place the hardened blood infused with infernal energy, placing it with the rest of her jewelry. On the outside, they looked like stones, only those with a keen spirit sense would be able to see beyond their appearance.


    "That Fu Zian should be thankful that I have other things that weighs heavily on my mind. If not!"


    The last thought came with her eyes turning to the color of crimson. Only time would tell if the reincarnated BaoXu sect disciple would kill the YuanLi senior disciple.

 57 Path of Enlightenment 15

    Demon Lord Zhurong drank from the shadow goblet in his hand, on the outside it looked like thick dark smoke, but it was more than that, the goblet was an heirloom of the royal house of Hei. None could touch the goblet unless they had the Hei bloodline in them. He wore a dark robe that had silver linings on them, a diadem of dark silver rested on his head from where tendrils of long dark hair shimmered.


    "Demon Lord Zhurong what would you have us do?"


    The one that was referred to as the demon lord, was a man whom without his mask was the most good looking in all the realm. Contrary to what everyone thought about the demon realm, the demon army and the people from the demon realm had an unearthly beauty to them.


    "Is there anyone that I need to be weary of when we get to WuYangChen sect?"


    "The sect leader is Chen Yueming, he was formerly a disciple of the BaoXu sect, after his marriage to the young mistress of WuYangChen sect, his family name was changed to ''Chen'' in accordance to the rules of the WuYangChen sect. Unlike the other sects that we have defeated, Sect Leader Chen is quite different because he knows techniques from two sects, in the past suspicion fell on him for killing a fellow female disciple, but it was soon dispelled after his marriage. Of all the sect leaders, his actions are very difficult to predict. For many years, he has been going about acquiring the core of magical beasts under the guise of night hunting with his servants. But, there is something else..."


    "What is it?"


    Seeing the hesitant look from the general of his army made the demon lord straighten up from where he sat on the throne.


    "One of the spies saw the young mistress from the YuanLi sect at the BaoXu sect after we had annihilated them."


    "How is that relevant to the discussion?!"


    "Cultivators that are highly skilled can suppress their spiritual energy to become undetectable, we from the demon realm cannot do such a thing."


    "Where are you getting with this?! Hurry up and say what is on your mind!"


    "The spy heard Lady Li refer to herself as the dead female disciple that Chen Yueming was suspected in the past to have killed. Xu Hui of the BaoXu sect, those were the words he heard her say."


    That drew the demon lord''s full attention, his lilac blue eyes flashed with interest at what his general was telling him.


    "If it is really true that she reincarnated, which is not uncommon among people from the heavenly realm, then we have to deprive Lady Li the satisfaction of exacting revenge on a sect leader, then after that, YuanLi sect would be next. We leave at nightfall for WuYangChen sect!"


    "As you wish, Demon Lord Zhurong!"


    The general of the Hei royal army, gave a salute to his ruler, who sat in a high chair forged from his demon energy and the molten lava that flowed from underneath of the demon realm.

 58 Path of Enlightenment 16

    "Sect Leader Li, we never know when we''ll hear back from GuBaiJin sect. I''ll ask some of the disciples from the ShenJiangShi sect to see you back, to avoid keeping you here for long."


    Li Guoliang looked at the young master of the ShenJiangShi sect with eyes that spoke volumes of the annoyance he was feeling within him. The proud sect leader saw the young master of the ShenJiangShi sect as a nuisance and not befitting the position of the young master that he was, his eyes could hardly contain the disdain he felt for Shi Yunxu. He thought that he wasn''t properly brought up and could never fill the role of sect leader in his father''s place.


    "Young master Shi, I am not complaining of having to wait to hear back from GuBaiJin sect, it seems that you are the one that feels uneasy with having me at your sect."


    Shi Yunxu looked at the older cultivator with eyes that reflected one of friendliness. Almost from birth children of sect leader are taught to etiquette of that came with the position of being born into such a high status. Unless the young master of the ShenJiangShi sect chose to do otherwise, it was almost second nature to converse with ease and maintain the air of courteousness when talking with other cultivators.


    "I''m sorry it came across that way to you, Sect Leader Li. I merely thought of your health and knowing that danger exist around, I didn''t think you would want to stay outside your sect for too long."


    "Humph!"


    The YuanLi sect leader turned his head the other way, this was to let the young master of the ShenJiangShi sect know that he didn''t take what he said well.


    "I''m sorry Sect Leader Li."


    The other cultivator gave no reply to the apology of Shi Yunxu, while the servants inside the room looked on from the side.


    "Can someone get us some tea?"


    Shi Yunxu could not ask for wine, because of how grave the situation was, on hearing their young master ask to be served tea, some of them ran out to bring what he asked.


    "Sect Leader Li, I forgot to ask you, but would you like to drink the tea that would be served?"


    Shi Yunxu didn''t like Li Guoliang, he was only putting a show of politeness around him. Of course the YuanLi sect leader already saw through the farce of civility.


    "You already asked for tea to be brought in, why are you now asking me if I want to drink out of it?"


    "Sect Leader Li, you may not like what we serve here at ShenJiangShi sect, that is why I am asking."


    "It would be best if you said nothing and pretend to know how to act like a sect leader. The future of ShenJiangShi sect looks very grim indeed! Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!"


    "I will engrave your words into my heart, Sect Leader Li."


    Although, the young master Shi Yunxu smiled, his eyes looked like those of an arctic frost.

 59 Path of Enlightenment 17

    After much reassurance, the mistress of the GuBaiJin sect eventually gave in to her husband. As he was about to travel out of his body, some of the disciples of the sect rushed into the hall.


    "Greetings, Sect Leader Jin!"


    "Greetings Lady Jin."


    The men bowed in greeting to their sect leader and his wife, they had similar anxious looks on their faces.


    "What is the matter?! Why are you all here?!"


    They could hardly contain themselves from the thing that was making them very frightened.


    "Sect Leader Jin, it is the fox king!"


    "What does he have to say, speak up and stop wasting my time!"


    The delay in reply was beginning to raise the ire of the sect leader, whose brows were already twitching in impatience.


    "The message that was sent from the fox clan was transcribed."


    "Go on!"


    Sect leader Jin lost his composure at this point, by barking at the disciple to hasten what he had to tell.


    "Fox King Yan wants GuBaiJin sect to answer back to the marriage edict of the fox princess!"


    "What has her marriage have to do with us at GuBaiJin sect?! Where is the letter?!"


    The sect leader was helped up by his servants back to his chair by the mistress of the sect. One of the disciples bowed as he passed the letter to his sect leader, who almost snatched it out of his hand to look at the details of the writing.


    "We haven''t finished dealing with the possibility that demons would be attacking at any time, now I am receiving a letter from a clan that hates the pugilistic world! What else could go wrong?!"


    Not long after he made the statement, some other disciples rushed in to let their sect leader know that Jin Tieguai was causing trouble again.


    "Sect Leader Jin! Jin Tieguai was seen in the room of head teacher Jin and hasn''t been back since then!"


    "I''m sure the head teacher can handle the good for nothing sluggard! I regret bringing him to the sect! He is the mistake I''ll carry to my grave!"


    "We fear he may have done something to head teacher Jin!"


    "Is Jin Caihe a child?! If he cannot handle someone like Jin Tieguai, he needs to give up the position of head teacher and become a farmer instead!"


    The disciples that reported the occurrence, shriveled up from the harsh words from their sect leader.


    "We are sorry for provoking sect leader."


    "Now to the matter at hand! Who among the disciples of GuBaiJin sect is fit to be the future king of the fox clan?!"


    Jin Ruimin knew that when it came to choosing an husband for the princess of the fox clan, that person had to be someone that was outstanding in everything, the only one that seemed to meet the requirement was the head teacher of the sect, Jin Caihe.


    "How about head teacher Jin?"


    Jin Huiyan wasn''t the type to talk much unless it was absolutely necessary, both she and her husband did not want to offend the fox king, because they could prove to be a worthy ally in the coming future.

 60 Path of Enlightenment 18

    "Xuequi sit down, there is something else I and your mother would like to talk with you about."


    The fox princess looked at her grandfather for a prolonged period, before fashioning a seat for herself from her fox fire.


    "Yes, Fox King."


    When they saw that she gave them her full attention, that was when her grandfather began speaking.


    "GuBaiJin sect is one of the most respectable sect in the heavenly realm."


    When Yan Xuequi heard what her grandfather said, she had to take a closer look at him to be sure that he was the one speaking and not someone else.


    "I grew up hearing that all cultivators are bad, why are you bringing up the GuBaiJin sect?"


    Yan Shuchang fed his children and grandchildren the poisonous fruit of hatred towards those that came from the pugilistic world. To secure the future of his powerful grandchild and the fox clan, he wanted an alliance with the most prominent sect in the heavenly realm.


    "My time to step down as the leader of the fox clan is drawing near and among my children and grandchildren, your power almost rivals mine from my youth. In as much as I abhor all cultivators and what they practice, I want you to have an anchor that you can fall back on. This can only be possible through marrying into a strong sect."


    Yan Xuequi looked at her grandfather through eyes that held confusion and mistrust, "How could she trust his words, when he made her believe that cultivators were bad people?! If they were that evil, was he saying that he was going to marry her off to them, in spite of that?"


    The Queen mother had a demure look, not wishing to have a say in the talk regarding her daughter''s impending marriage.


    "Who do at the GuBaiJin sect do you want me to get married to?"


    Not that she was concerned about the person that her grandfather was going to be tying her with, it was just unsettling for the fox princess to suddenly realize that she would be entering a union with a cultivator. As the thought of marriage came up, her mind strayed to a particular cultivator in the mortal realm, Lin Cheng!


    "I wonder how he is doing, is he still travelling from town to town? Would he eventually return to his sect?"


    The fox clan was a closed realm, that is they rarely kept in touch with what was happening with other realms unless they saw the need to, which hardly ever happened. Therefore, Yan Xuequi did not know that the BaoXu sect was no more, neither did Lin Cheng, his was more understandable since he was in the mortal realm, but the fox clan just never kept close touch with other realms. This made it easy not to know something as horrifying as several sects being wiped off completely.


    "I sent a letter to their sect, we should hear back very soon."


    Deep within her heart, Yan Xuequi didn''t want the GuBaiJin sect to reply her grandfather nor find someone that would meet the standard of the fox clan royals. Although it was merely wishful thinking, the fox princess couldn''t help giving in to her heart desire.

 61 Path of Enlightenment 19

    Past...


    "My nephew, please.... take go...od care of.... our Xu... Hui."


    The uncle of the sect leader of the BaoXu sect coughed while speaking to his nephew. The young man nodded solemnly as he took the basket that held his baby cousin in one hand. The parents of the child were very sickly, according to the priest, their illness was as a result of the strong energy that was inside their daughter and it was only by being among other cultivators and walking the path of cultivation could the dark energy within her subside.


    "Yes Uncle, I promise to look after cousin Xu Hui."


    Both couples dressed in simple robes of blue, the strange illness had taken over their body giving them a somewhat skeletal appearance.


    "Promise us that you would never tell her the truth of her birth."


    The mother of the newborn begged her nephew in-law, her eyes were about to release the tears that were behind them.


    "Yes, I promise not to reveal the secret if her birth to her."


    "If anyone asks you can claim her as your own. Just don''t let her know that she is the reason that we are dying."


    "Uncle! How can I, an unmarried man claim my cousin to be my child, are you trying to ruin my chances of getting a wife?!"


    The sect leader spoke in a voice of mock indignation, he knew that his uncle was only trying to look out for his daughter.


    "I''m sorry for placing such a huge burden on you."


    "It is okay uncle, I will look after my cousin as you and aunt would have wanted."


    "It is getting late, we would leave our child to your hands."


    "My daughter Xu Hui, my baby..."


    The mother of the child started to cry, as her husband held her in his arms. The two began walking out of the sect doors to the nearest town they could find.


    "You have destroyed the lives of your parents, my only wish is that you remain unseen, do nothing, speak nothing and merely go your way without leaving a trace of your presence to be felt by others. Live in darkness and die alone in darkness, do not reach for what isn''t yours, stay hidden."


    The young man words were spoken out of bitterness, because of seeing his beloved uncle waste away from the child he had. The sect leader didn''t know that the words he uttered that afternoon was the catalyst to the destruction of his niece and clan.


    ------------


    Xu Hui grew year after year and began practicing martial arts and several sword skills of the sect. Along the way she met Feng Yueming, he was one of the numerous people that had applied to be taken into the BaoXu sect as a disciple. They both practiced sword skills together with other cultivators from their class and alone in secret. With time the two of them became somewhat close, because of Xu Hui''s bright personality, Feng Yueming was drawn to her. In spite of the stern looks her cousin sent her way, that did not deter the female disciple from mixing with other disciples both male and female and gathering knowledge from them.


    "Has anyone seen Xu Hui?"


    It was Feng Yueming asking his fellow disciples of the whereabouts of the female disciple that had caught his eyes.


    "Someone saw her go to the library."


    "Are you sure she is there?"


    "Feng Yueming, stop asking us! Go and find her yourself! We already told you what we know!"


    The disciple that was called Feng Yueming was a youthful disciple with decent looks, he glared at the person that spoke not happy with the response from the disciple cultivator. It was after morning lessons and they were all gathered at the table to eat.


    "There is no need to give you the evil look, just go to the library and see if she is there!"


    They all nodded in unison at the sage words of the disciple that spoke.


    "I''m leaving, there is no need to shout!"


    "Who is shouting?!"


    Feng Yueming ignored the disciple and left for the library to look for Xu Hui.


    "That Feng Yueming, what is with him and Xu Hui?!"


    "So you also noticed!"


    "One has to be blind not to see the way those two go about almost holding hands!"


    "I tell you! It is best to stay away from females of any kind!"


    "You don''t have to tell me! With the way Feng Yueming is going, nothing good would come out of it."


    "Don''t blame Feng Yueming! It is Xue Hui! She is the one that his misleading him!"


    "We are all back to the same point! Females are to be shunned at all cost unless it is time to get married!"


    "There is a reason why we don''t have lessons together, it is because of things like this!"


    "Let me speak my mind, I think that Feng Yueming is as much to blame as Xu Hui."


    "Whose side are you on?!"


    "I''m not trying to chose sides, it is just that Xu Hui has never come looking for Feng Yueming, it is always the other way round."


    "I see, it is people like you that end up with wives that have no substance!"


    "You are missing the point, I have nothing against Feng Yueming, I just don''t want Xu Hui to be spoken to in such way."


    "In what way?! Tell me!"


    "Everybody calm down! The person that you are all talking about has left already!"


    "Some of you are trying to paint Xu Hui as a temptress and that isn''t who she is, it is Feng Yueming that we need to be weary of!"


    "Tsk! What do you expect from a weak minded person!"


    "If being weak minded means that I have to say what is right, then so be it!"


    "This is not getting us anywhere, it is not any of our concern who among them is being improper."


    "Let''s stop talking about them, it is only creating division among us!"


    The cultivators slowly resumed their meal, after engaging in a passionate discussion about the two disciples from their sect.


    -------


    Feng Yueming kept walking through the courtyard that led to the area of the forbidden library which he guessed that Xu Hui was at. None of the junior disciples were able to unlock the shelve where the ancient writing was kept. Never once did the female disciple question how she was able to open the shelve and look through the ancient scroll in secret. Her ears suddenly picked up the sound of approaching feet, making her to dash across the library to return the scroll that she took back to the shelve.


    The dark energy that dwelt within her, although it had lain dormant, it was still able to resonate with the special spells that were put on the shelves to safeguard the ancient writings, breaking the spell on them, so deceptive was the powers that she had, that not even the people that created the spells knew that it had been tampered with and restored to its original state.


    Each time Xu Hui went in, she always thought it was either the shelve wasn''t properly secured or her classmates were not as intelligent as she was in getting to read the forbidden scrolls.


    "I finally found you junior disciple sister!"


    "Feng Yueming! What are you doing at the library?!"


    The forbidden library was open to all disciple, for viewing the design of the structure, none ever thought to keep strict watch over the place, because they felt confident in their level of spell use. Little did they know that someone from the sect was stealing in to read the writings in the locked compartment.


    "I''m just looking around, isn''t it beautiful?"


    "Yes, very beautiful."


    Meanwhile, Feng Yueming wasn''t referring to the beauty of the library, instead the beauty in question was Xu Hui, who wasn''t aware that she was the object of his interest.


    "Have you finished looking around?"


    "Yes, I''m ready to leave."


    The two of them walked out of the library, greeting the disciples that stood guard at the entrance into the library.


    "Where are we going?"


    "To watch the flowers."


    "I want to see if they would bloom as brightly as they did yesterday."


    Feng Yueming took Xu Hui to see the snow pink flowers which swayed to the passing wind.


    "I could never get tired of looking at them."


    Xu Hui smiled brightly as she looked at the tree that Feng Yueming brought her to see.


    "I also."


    It was a peaceful silence as the two of them stared at the tree each in a world of their own. After some time, Feng Yueming asked, "Junior disciple sister, if one of us propose to you, would you accept?"


    "Brother Feng, what do you mean?"


    Xu Hui looked at the disciple cultivator not knowing what to make of his remark.


    "If you one of us walk up to you and says he likes you, would you accept him?"


    Feng Yueming was scared to ask Xu Hui directly, instead he chose an indirect approach to learn the true state of her heart.


    "I''m not ready to consider anyone as of yet."


    "When will you be ready?"


    Feng Yueming waited with bated breath for the female disciple to give him a positive answer.


    "I don''t know."


    "What do you mean you don''t know junior sister disciple?!"


    "It is as I said, I''m not sure when I will be ready."


    "What if the person decides to wait until when you are ready."


    Xu Hui laughed when she heard what Feng Yueming said, to her it was foolishness to wait on someone when you never know when they would be prepared.


    "Is what I said very funny?"


    For some reason, Feng Yueming felt slightly offended that Xu Hui was not taking his words seriously.


    "I''m sorry Brother Feng, I wasn''t trying to make a mock you."


    "It''s okay, I''m not angry."


    Although Feng Yueming said he wasn''t angry, his face had a rigid look to them.


    "If it were someone like me."


    It was spoken to softly that Xu Hui almost that she misheard him.


    "Brother Feng is my senior whom I respect, you deserve the best among all women! Don''t forget to invite me when you decide to get married."


    "I deserve the best, you say?"


    "Yes, Brother Feng. I don''t see myself getting to meet someone in your rank as possible. I treasure every disciple of the sect both male and female, they are like my flesh and blood. In as much as I cherish them as my brother and sister, I do not want to wreck the bond that we have by placing the strain of marriage into it."


    Feng Yueming saw through the response of Xu Hui, which was that she would never marry anyone from the BaoXu sect and that included him. He didn''t want to cause further embarrassment to himself by coming clean and letting her know he was the one they were speaking about. What good would it do if she knew that he liked her, she wan''t going to see him as anything more than a brother to her. The thought made the disciple cringe inside, he didn''t want to be her brother, instead he wanted to confess his feelings to her. Now that she came clean and told him where he stood in regards to her heart, Feng Yueming made the decision to get rid of Xu Hui. If he couldn''t have her, then no one else would.


    "I understand what you mean junior sister disciple, your words are wise indeed. It is best not to spoil the bond of friendship with the heartache of marriage. I have learned something from you today."


    It wasn''t that Feng Yueming was happy with what Xu Hui said nor did he go along with it on a good mind. Rather, he was putting together everything that she said and using them to fan the embers of his hatred towards her.

 62 Path of Enlightenment 20

    "Call General Hei!"


    The merciless lilac blue eyes followed the movement of the guards stationed inside his palace. A moment later, the general walked into the throne room. Full body armor that looked like they were carved out of dark hard rocks. From the demon lord to his subjects, everyone of them was dressed in black. There was no emotion in the golden eyes of the general, the eye color of everyone was how they were ranked and judged. The pure blood from the royal family were lilac blue that looked as though they were blue flames. They both exchanged greeting, after which the demon lord told his general what he wanted to do.


    "Before we leave for WuYangChen sect, I need to pay a visit to YuanLi sect."


    "If I may ask, why Demon Lord Zhurong?!"


    The general looked baffled by the unusual way the demon lord was acting, they were about to lay siege on a sect and here he was trying to gallivant to another sect.


    "I need to see for myself the person that is parading to be the young mistress of YuanLi sect."


    Hearing the explanation of his leader did not come as a surprise to the general. He knew that the demon lord was only going there to fulfill his curiosity.


    "As long as he makes it back on time and not throw the plan behind, he can do whatever he wants. Even if I say he shouldn''t go, he does look to be in the mood to listen to anything!"


    The general kept a close look at the demon lord, who wasn''t looking any different, but being that the general had been around him for a long time, he could tell that something was amiss.


    One of the guards was fidgeting when the two were conversing with each other, being short tempered, demon lord Zhurong didn''t move an inch of his body nor did he turn his neck to pin point the guard, from where he sat looking at his general, a subtle fast movement of his hand was followed by a cracking sound that came from a bone being snapped into two.


    General Hei didn''t allow his face to reflect any of the things that was going through his mind. He was already used to the demon lord''s brutality. To him it was just another day in the demon realm. When the rest of them saw what had happened to their comrade, they became more alert.


    "Clean up that place."


    When the guard fell to the ground after his death, his body became that of tarry ash which lay scattered on the dark floor. Hearing the command of the demon lord drove the men into action and in no time, the floor was cleaned by them.


    "If she pleases me, I''ll bring her back to the demon realm as my pet."


    "I thought you already have plenty of them."


    "It is never enough, there is always the draw to something new. Moreover, I haven''t had one from a cultivation sect!"


    The two eventually parted ways with the demon lord leaving his kingdom in search of the YuanLi sect.

 63 Path of Enlightenment 21

    Demon Lord Zhurong on his way out of his kingdom changed his robes from their usual dark color to one of red. He was curious to see the the female cultivator that was pretending to be the daughter of a sect leader.After a while, he soon arrived at the forest that led to the YuanLi sect, choosing to walk the rest of the way to the front entrance of the sect.


    From the outside, he looked like a handsome man from one of the cultivation sects. His crown was disguised to those of a gold and ruby, this way none would be able to tell that he was from the demon realm. He had no weapon on him, not even something as simple as a dagger, as he made his way to the gate of the YuanLi sect. Th only thing he brought with him was the mirror of yao, the magical tool that masked the spiritual energy of the one that wields it.


    Demon Lord Zhurong greeted the men at the gate, "Greetings, I am Rong from the fox clan. I wish to have an audience with Lady Li."


    The disciples that stood guard stared at the man claimed to be from the fox clan, never had they seen anyone from there, he had an strange beauty to him that made them look with discomfort at him, how were they supposed to confirm that he was who he said he was?


    Every sect in the heavenly realm knew that the fox clan kept to themselves and chose not to associate with those from the heavenly realm. On the other hand they could neither discredit his words, because looking at him made them think of the things they had read from the books at the library about them. To the disciples, people from the fox clan were beautiful beyond what the eyes had ever seen, their youthful look remained with them for thousands of years, before eventually growing hold and reverting to their true form of a fox. Sadly, the ancient books didn''t tell of the people from the demon realm, because they hid their faces behind a mask, history recorded them as devious and hellish monsters, but in reality they were as beautiful if not more beautiful than the people from the fox clan.


    "We have never heard of you, do you have any relations with the fox king?"


    One of the YuanLi disciples presumably the leader, asked the man that stood in front of his sect''s gate. To him, only those that were related to the royal house of the fox clan could be shown to their mistress, anyone that wasn''t in such a high position would either be told to wait until the sect leader came or be shamefully sent away.


    Demon Lord Zhurong smiled at the men, he knew where they were going with the question, to them, their mistress was too good to see just anyone that showed up their gate.


    "I''m Fox Prince Rong, an illegitimate child of Fox King Yan. I was conceived from the union with one of his chamber maid."


    This time the men looked very uncomfortable, it was no laughing matter, but the man who claimed to be the fox prince smiled as those he was talking about the weather or some little subject. There was no trace of shame in his voice, it was as though he felt proud of himself for being an illegitimate child. Who gets proud for being born outof wedlock?


    Neither of them voiced out their inner thought, but the demon lord could read their expression for what it was, almost breaking into a full blown laughter.


    "What should we do? We can''t possibly leave him standing here, what would people say if they knew that we didn''t let the fox prince in?"


    One of them asked the person that was probably the leader, "His identity hasn''t been confirmed, we can''t just let anyone that claims to be from the fox clan in! What if it is someone from the demon realm?! I heard they have begun killing people from other sects! If sect leader Li knew that we let anyone near his daughter, we would all be beaten to death!"


    Demon Lord Zhurong was no fool, there was no way that a disciple cultivator would believe the words of a stranger without any proof, which was why he pulled out a glowing necklace which the fox king had given his mother during his visit to the demon realm, as a gift to show no ill will to the demon kingdom.


    It was forged from the fox fire of Fox King Yan, the gift could pass for one that a royalty would give to their spouse or lover.


    "Father gave it to mother as a token of the love he had for her and when I was born it was passed onto me."


    Demon Lord Zhurong lied without any shame, he saw the shift in their expression, it was no longer one of suspicion, but one of confusion and guilt, probably from not believing his words at first.


    "That is fox fire! Who else can use fox fire if not someone from the fox clan! The necklace is glowing with blue flames within them. I heard it is eternal, the fire never goes out unless the one that owns it dies!"


    Who knew the necklace would become useful for what he had in mind, within him demon lord zhurong was thankful that the fox king gave his mother the then demon queen such a magnanimous gift.


    "Can I have my necklace back?"


    The leader passed the glowing jewelry back to the demon lord, who placed it back on his neck.


    "Fox Prince Rong, please follow me inside."


    This time around, they all gave demon lord zhurong a deep bow, although he was supposedly illegitimate, he was still considered the prince of the fox clan, who may possibly take over and become the fox king in his "father''s" stead. Therefore, the disciples of YuanLi sect did not want to offend the future fox king.


    The demon lord walked behind the leader of the guards, as he was shown into an hall that was made elaborately made. He took a seat on one of the finely crafted chairs, while the disciple that showed him in bowed to the "fox prince" again, before taking his leave.


    "I can''t wait to see their faces when they discover who they let into their grounds. Ha!"


    The demon lord was feeling delighted at the thought of seeing the YuanLi sect disciples misery when they finally find out that it was demon lord zhurong that walked into their sect.


    --------


    "Please can you let Young Miss Li know that Fox Prince Rong is here to see her?"


    The guard asked the chamber maids that waited by the entrance that led to the door of LI Jiao''s chambers.


    "But our young miss said that she doesn''t want anyone to disturb her sleep!"


    "What do we do?!"


    "For some time now, Young Miss Li, has been in a bad mood. I fear losing my head if we go in and wake her up!"


    "So are we going to leave a fox prince waiting?!"


    The guard was beginning to get frustrated by the situation, he didn''t understand why the young mistress of the YuanLi sect was beginning to get very difficult, even when she was ill, she was still as easy going and open to everyone. He heard of what took place at the banquet held in her honor and how blood was almost shed on that day. The guard kept wondering how one person could change that fast in a single day. Had the water damaged her senses?


    Although the thought sounded ridiculous, the guard just wanted to find a reason for the strange behavior of the daughter of their sect leader.


    "Please, we can''t keep the fox prince waiting, it would cause the sect to lose face. I know that Young Miss Li would not want that!"


    The maids looked from one to the other, they suddenly feared their mistress, whom in the past they never had any reason to, there was just something about her that made them shiver in fear. How could they tell the sect leader of something the could not put a name to, if they went up to him and sprouting such nonsense about his daughter having an air of evil around her. They knew where that would lead, not only would they be beaten to death, their bodies would never be found and given a decent burial!


    Taking a deep breath, the women that served Li Jiao during the time she was alive, tentatively knocked at the door of her bedchambers to announce themselves.


    "Young Miss Li, we are hear to get you dressed to see your visitor, the fox prince!"


    There was no voice that came from inside after one of them spoke.


    "Young Miss Li?!"


    The knock became a little louder, probably they thought that she was deep asleep and didn''t hear them.


    "Young Miss Li!"


    Inside the bedchambers of Li Jiao, Xu Hui was not really sleeping, she hadn''t been able to sleep after she came back from her sect, her eyes were merely closed with her mind wandering from place to place.


    When she heard the knock on her door, Xu Hui was not happy that she had to be disturbed even though she wasn''t even sleeping.


    "They say the fox prince wants to see me, but when did the demon king have a son? Was it after my death? Why does he want to see me? I thought that their clan never came out of their mountains to see anyone from a cultivation sect!"


    Xu Hui pondered on what could be the reason for the visit of a fox prince to the YuanLi sect with a frown that formed on her forehead causing them to crease. After some time, Xu Hui asked for her maids to come inside.


    "Come in!"


    The door was slowly pushed to the side, as several women walked into the room of Li Jiao.


    "Greetings, Young Miss Li. We are sorry to disturb you when you had already ordered for us not to wake you up."


    The bedchamber attendants of the young mistress of the YuanLi sect, bowed again in respect to the person that they took to be Li Jiao.


    "Has he been here for long?"


    "No, Young Miss Li. One of the guards came in as soon as he was shown in."


    "Did he say what the visit was about?"


    "I''m sorry, Young Miss Li, but the guard never told us what the fox prince wanted to see you about."


    "I see, What a rude fellow!"


    The women were already uncomfortable being around Xu Hui, now that she raised her voice which she hardly ever did and called the fox royalty a distasteful name, that made them uneasy.


    "Are you going to keep standing there? Or would you rather I stand up and get myself dressed?!"


    "No, Young Miss Li. Please forgive your ignorant servants!


    The women scrambled to begin setting the robe and other item of clothing for the young mistress of the YuanLi sect, a few of them ran out to get the wooden tub and washcloths for her, her hair pin and earrings were carefully looked at to pick the one that would give her the presence of a respectable young miss.


    While all this was going on, Xu Hui still laid on the bed, rather than getting up, probably waiting to be helped out of the bed by the maids.It didn''t take them long to set everything that she would need for her meeting with the fox prince out.


    "Young Miss Li, it is time for your bath."


    Four of them assisted Xu Hui out of the bed and walked with her to the space within the room where a big wooden tub was waiting to be used. One by one, they took off her clothing, to place her gently into the steamy hot tub.

 64 Path of Enlightenment 22

    After a while, Xu Hui was ready to meet with the fox prince that waited for her at the hall of the YuanLi sect.


    Accompanied by her chambermaids, the young mistress of the YuanLi sect, was announced into the hall where the fox prince sat.


    "Greetings Fox Prince! I am Li Jiao, daughter of Sect Leader Li"


    Xu Hui curtsied to the man that rose up on his feet when she walked into the hall, the demon lord held his composure, while looking at the woman that portrayed herself as the young mistress of the sect. He smiled amicable and returned her greeting likewise.


    "Greetings Young Mistress of the YuanLi sect, I''m Prince Rong from the fox clan."


    After exchanging greetings the two sat across from each other.


    "Bring some wine for the fox prince!"


    Demon lord Zhurong carefully watched the movement of the woman that sat in front of him. He only had the painting of the sect leader''s daughter, but had never met her in person. Looking at her face, he saw the gentle beauty and gracefulness displayed by the woman that was masquerading as Li Jiao. That made me wonder who the "real" Li Jiao was, while waiting on the wine to be served.


    "Forgive my manners fox prince, I hope you like drinking wine or there is always tea. I have never been to the fox clan, therefore I know next to nothing about what the people of your clan eat or drink."


    "Wine is okay, I don''t like to eat when I leave the fox clan. I have a weak constitution for food that are not made from my clan, but I can tolerate any kind of wine."


    "I''m sorry to hear that, Fox Prince Rong. I was about to ask the kitchen to prepare us some food."


    It wasn''t that the demon lord couldn''t eat outside food, but the impurities which were in the form of the spiritual energy that came from being around anyone that had spiritual energy for cultivation was usually highest in foods unlike wine. Wine had some spiritual energy in them from their indirect contact with anyone that possessed that form of energy, but the demon lord knew from experience that he wasn''t going to eat anything that came out of the heavenly realm, due to their spiritual energy which was like a poison to him.


    The mirror of Yao was suppressing his demon energy, which made him less susceptible to the poisonous environment that he was in, the mask that would have prevented him from breathing in the poison was tucked away inside the layers of the robe he was wearing.


    "Fox Prince Rong, could you tell me what brings you to my humble sect?"


    The way Xu Hui spoke anyone would have taken her to be the young mistress of the sect, she sat with such dignity and poise. The epitome of gracefulness!


    "Young Miss Li, why don''t we wait on the wine to be brought in, before I talk about the reason for coming to the YuanLi sect?"


    Xu Hui could see that the fox prince was going to prove difficult to handle, although he looked very calm and easygoing.


    There was one thing the BaoXu sect disciple couldn''t stand, being kept waiting, now that she had been reborn, it was as if her patience was almost nonexistent. She could kill anyone that kept her waiting for too long. Although, it was only a short time since the servants had gone in to get the wine for their mistress, to Xu Hui they weren''t as fast enough for her.


    She was already boiling inside from the mannerless fox prince, and having to sit by him for how long was making her shifting in her seat with discomfort.


    "Is your seat not to your liking? Or is it that you don''t want to sit and would rather take a walk around?"


    The BaoXu sect disciple thought she had hidden it well from the fox prince, her growing irritation, but for him to point it out to her, made Xu Hui realize that he was not an easy man to deal with.


    "Thank you for your concern Fox Prince Rong, but I am quite comfortable from where I''m sitting."


    Xu Hui had to bite her tongue from lashing out at the annoying fox royalty. She saw the knowing smile he sent her way, this made her wish like slapping the smile off his face!


    They soon heard an approaching tinkling sound and knew that the wine was about to be brought inside. One after the other, the maids set the tray bearing the porcelain green kettle and small cup on the table in front of their mistress and the fox prince.


    "Thank you! You may all wait by the door!"


    Demon Lord Zhurong, smiled and gave a nod at the women, before facing the one that he left his kingdom to see.


    Xu Hui poured the pale colored wine from the kettle into her cup, while the demon lord did the same. After lifting the cup to take a sip of the wine, did the demon lord finally open up to discuss the purpose of his visit to the YuanLi sect.


    "Young Miss Li, I heard you paid a visit to the BaoXu sect, should someone as sickly as you be going to such a dangerous place alone?"


    The BaoXu sect disciple looked at the man across from her, his had a cordial smile that brightened his already handsome face. Xu Hui did not know why his presence made her uneasy, he was smiling and yet there was just something that was not quite right while looking at him.


    "News really travel fast to the fox clan! Who would have thought the little walk to another sect would become a fodder of gossip in another realm. You must have a lot of time on your hands to be paying attention to things like that!"


    The demon lord heard the bite in her voice, while silently laughing inside him.


    "Young Miss Li, if my father does not show much interest in what is going on in other realms. I, Prince Rong, have to do so, for the future of the fox clan! Show such interest no matter how insignificant would let me ensure the protection of my people."


    "But there was something that I heard and I silenced others from spreading the news. Is it true that you are Xu Hui?!"


    The demon lord dropped the cadence of his tone to almost that of a whisper. When the words left his mouth, the cup that Xu Hui held fell to the floor with a clatter.


    "Young Miss Li, are you alright?!"


    The servants heard the sound of broken cup and left where they were to see if their mistress was hurt.


    "I''m..okay."


    Xu Hui looked very rattled by what the "fox prince" said, "How did anyone find out that I am not Li Jiao, but Xu Hui of the BaoXu sect?! I never told anyone except Fu Zian. After I saved his life, he chose to betray me?!!!"


    The BaoXu sect disciple thought that the one that betrayed her to the fox clan was Fu Zian, not knowing that the demon lord had spies about. If the demon lord already knew of her duplicity, then the GuBaiJin sect may not be too far behind on the deception, because the sect leader also had spies too in other sects.


    "Leave us alone!"


    "But what about the broken cup, Young Miss Li?!"


    "You can return later and have them cleaned up! Can''t you see that I''m having a discussion with the fox prince?!"


    Xu Hui ordered the servants to return back to their post, although they did as commanded, the look of worry for their young mistress was evident in their eyes.


    "You need to treat your servants better Young Miss Li?"


    The mask of gentility that Xu Hui had worn for some days now, finally shattered under the influence of the "fox prince" who she didn''t know of his existence until today.


    "You''re right! I am Xu Hui of the BaoXu sect that reincarnated into the body of the sect leader''s daughter of YuanLi sect!"


    "How does it feel to know that the one that killed you is walking about and actually married to the young mistress of the WuYangChen sect."


    "Brother Feng is now the sect leader of WuYangChen sect?!"


    "You still give him so much respect, it seems that you can take a pig out of the swine, but you can never get rid of its ugly nature."


    "Who is the pig?!!!"


    Xu Hui hated the man that had discovered who she was, knowing that her murderer was living a good life, while she was dying from walking the path of infernal cultivation. The bitterness taht was in her heart rose up once again, she though he had died from the massacre at her sect, only to be told that he now had a higher position and was living well.


    Overcome by the emotion within her, the eyes of Xu Hui flashed to the color of crimson, which was only possible if she was either about to use the blood flail technique or was enraged.


    "Xu Hui, be careful! You don''t want to be thrown out so soon after waking up in your new body."


    Wanting to get back at the fox prince for putting her in such a tight predicament, the BaoXu sect disciple, discretely held her hand under the table and formed them a fist with it. Instantly, the demon lord felt as if his insides were being squeezed so tight.


    He began coughing blood on the table that was set in front of him, staining the robes he wore and the floor. Holding on to his belly, Demon Lord Zhurong faced Xu Hui with eyes full of pain.


    "Is this something that your sect taught you?!"


    Xu Hui''s face reflected the confusion that was in her heart and guilt coupled with pain, she was practicing a technique that was frowned upon by her sect and hearing the "fox prince" ask made her remember how much she had strayed away from the right path.


    "It is a forbidden technique."


    Just that simple statement made Xu Hui shut her eyes in silent affirmation of what the demon lord said to her.


    "I would do what it takes to exact my revenge on Feng Yueming!"


    "You can keep looking for him all you want, but there is no one that goes by the name Feng Yueming anymore."


    The demon lord wiped at his mouth with the sleeves of his robes, while speaking to the BaoXu sect disciple.


    "What do you mean that there is no one that goes by that name?! Didn''t you just tell me that Brother Feng isn''t dead and is the sect leader?!"


    "There is no longer a cultivator with the name Feng Yueming, but there is one that goes by the name Chen Yueming and he is married to the daughter of the former sect leader."


    Since Xu Hui was so upset, she wasn''t thinking right when the demon lord first told her that Feng Yueming was now the sect leader, even if he had changed names, his position was still the same, so as long as she knew he was the sect leader, it shouldn''t matter if he wasn''t going by the name she knew him as while they were at BaoXu sect.


    "Being reborn as made you quite ignorant. Are you sure you would be able face him?"


    The demon lord smiled at the obvious foolishness that Xu Hui was displaying in the face of hearing about her archenemy.


    "I have already killed him a million times in my head, I just need to see him in person to put my thought into action!"


    "I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but you would never be able to kill Sect Leader Chen the way you are now!"


    Xu Hui looked at her visitor with the look that read, "What is he even talking about?!"

 65 Path of Enlightenment 23

    Demon Lord Zhurong kept watching Xu Hui from the corner of his eyes, the BaoXu sect disciple was still looking at the sect brother that she knew from the past as possessing the same strength or probably grown just a little.


    "Do you know what it takes to take up the position as sect leader?!"


    He saw her look of unconcern on hearing what he was asking.


    "The person must be someone that possesses great strength, wisdom and a good example to his followers."


    "The Feng Yueming from that time, do you think that he would still be the same weakling that he was or now a sect leader that everyone looks up to?"


    The demon lord was only there to hear her thoughts, he didn''t have the mind to let her have the satisfaction of killing Chen Yueming.


    "You must have thought wrong! I know that he isn''t going to be the same person that her knew from our sect days, that is why I already perfected the blood flail technique!"


    Hei Zhurong couldn''t help but laugh at her stupidity, going up against a sect leader that had spent years acquiring the core of magical beast and absorbing their spiritual energy to enhance those of his, he wondered how he could explain to her in such a way that would not end up crushing her spirit.


    "Knowing a forbidden technique or two is good to face the sect leader of a low ranking sect, but going against a sect leader whose rank is falsely determined is not a good choice to make."


    "What do you mean?! Isn''t YuanLi sect higher than WuYangchen sect?!"


    "I repeat, being reborn has made you more foolish, I took a look at the BaoXu sect, weren''t you the highest in your class?"


    Xu Hui didn''t want to recount her days at the BaoXu sect under the circumstances that the "fox prince" was bringing them up.


    "I am not dull if that is what you are implying!"


    "If you aren''t dull then why would you not find out what you know about your enemy before you attack them?!"


    "I already know enough and I have enough power to crush Brother Feng! What more do I need!"


    "You are very foolish!"


    "Don''t call me that! Fox Prince Rong because I would not be able to guarantee you walking out of my sect alive, even if I have to answer to your father the fox king! You will give me the respect that is due!"


    "Who told you that I am really the fox king''s son?!"


    "If you are not his son then how did they let you in?!"


    "That is why I said you are foolish! You believe everything your eyes see!"


    "What is it to you whether I am acting foolish or not!"


    Xu Hui had already lost her patience with the demon lord, to her the man was impossible and there was no way she could make him see reason.


    "Whether I am the fox prince or not, you need to be aware of something else."


    "And what would that be?!"


    "Your brother Feng has been gathering the cores of magical beasts and using them to increase his spiritual energy. At his current level he is higher than that of sect leader Jin, who is supposedly meant to be the chief cultivator of all the sects in the heavenly realm."


    When Xu Hui heard what Hei Zhurong said, the look of absolute disbelief was clear in her eyes.


    "I don''t believe you! Do you know what it takes to subdue a magical beast and steal their core? At BaoXu sect we always night hunted together with many senior disciples with us, and that was to catch a magical beast and not more than one at a time. You are telling me that those dangerous creatures were able to be captured by a sect that was lower than even the ShenJiangShi sect?! Hmpf!"


    "You will have to die a second time to understand the meaning behind my words."


    Xu Hui thought the man in front of her was a very prideful person, everything he said did not make any sense to her, to think he came all the way from the fox clan to talk nonsensical things. It was not a good time for the BaoXu sect disciple.


    Although, the mirror of Yao was suppressing his aura,the demon lord wanted to see the level that Xu Hui was boasting of and to do that, he had to take them to a separate place. The magical tool wasn''t only to subdue a person''s spiritual energy, in which case it was his demon energy it was keeping under wraps. The other purpose was to create an alternate world of a kind within itself.


    Demon Lord Zhurong got up from where he was and walked over to where Xu Hui sat, on the way to her, he wondered why he cared about whether she could defeat the sect leader from the WuYangChen sect or not.


    "Stand up and follow me!"


    When Hei Zhurong spoke to her, to was as Demon Lord Zhurong and not Fox Prince Rong.


    "Why should I?"


    "Do you want me to drag you or would you like to stand up by yourself?!"


    Xu Hui looked atthe "fox prince" as if he had gone raving mad, "How dare you tell me to go with him to a place that I don''t know! He must be crazy to think I will do as he says!"


    The young miss of the YuanLi sect sat where she was, not moving an inch from where she sat, but the demon lord wasn''t in the mood to deal with her obstinacy. Grabbing onto her arms, he pulled her from her seat, almost causing her to fall on the broken pieces of the cup from earlier.


    The next thing she knew, before she could utter a word to alert her servants was that they were both sucked into a swirling portal of nothingness.


    "Where are we?! Where is this place?!"


    Demon Lord Zhurong tucked back the mirror of yao back to where it was underneath the sleeves of his robes. The place where they were was like a wall of green water all around them, they looked like water, but they were only an illusion of it.


    "This is a spatial space, you can not get out, unless I release you out of it."


    "Why did you bring me here!"


    "If you beat me, I will release you, but if I win, you will stay here until I am done with my plans."


    "What plans?!"


    "You will know in due time, for now why don''t you try and see if you can defeat me?!"


    "You think I cannot defeat you?! Ha!"


    The alternate world since it was the one created by the mirror of yao, was able to let the demon lord use his powers as he pleased.


    Xu Hui formed the blood beads using her blood and sent them straight at the demon lord. Hei Zhurong was prepared for the attack and side stepped it.


    "Is that your best?"


    He hadn''t even released a tiny fraction of his power and yet she was not even close to getting him to use it.


    Without any warning, the demon lord aimed for her ankle using the illusion of the mirror to mask the dark aura of his demon energy. The force sliced her skin making a deep cut close her bones, almost taking that part of the limb off. Xu Hui fell down, screaming in agony.


    "Now you have enough blood to give me a real fight."


    Dragging her self up, the BaoXu sect disciple ran towards the demon lord, but she barely made it mid way, before he sent her flying back.


    Right there, she began to cough out blood from her mouth with some trickling from her nose.


    "You can''t even fight me, how do you think you will be able to come within touching distance of your brother Feng?!"


    "It..not..over!"


    With the new burst of energy within her and eyes flashing with determination, Xu Hui ran towards the demon lord again, but he wasn''t going to let her make it as far as she did the last time. Instead he aimed for one of her hand lashing at it. Blood dripped on the floor of the spatial space dying it to the color of red.


    Abandoning the plan to get closer to him, Xu Hui fashioned a weapon out of her blood, shaped in the form of tiny needles and hardening them by infusing her spirit energy into it. Sending them flying towards the demon lord, who dispelled them with a single flick of his wrist.


    Undeterred, she tried to manipulated the blood inside of whom she thought to be from the fox clan, but unknown to her, she was going by the little she knew of the fox clan. Not knowing that he was a demon and not of the fox bloodline.


    Try as she may she couldn''t crush his heart that she was aiming for, the BaoXu sect disciple wasn''t able to reach inside the body of the demon lord. Unlike the time at the hall of the YuanLi sect, his powers were suppressed almost close to those from the mortal realm. Therefore she found it easy to get through his body defenses and injury him. Unlike the body of a cultivator that was relatively easy to manipulate because of their body wasn''t formed like those of demons, who were born from the lava that flowed from the underworld. Although their skin may look on the outside like any immortal or human, they were not the same as those two. What could penetrate the tough exterior was a magical tool that was refined from the fires of the underworld.


    The demon kingdom sat on the underworld, drawing from their strength and battle prowess from its dark energy.


    "Xu Hui give up, you can never reach Chen Yueming!"


    "I would rather die a thousand times than let go of the hatred that I have for him!"


    "Since you want to die so badly I will fulfill your request!"


    The demon lord raised his hand which formed a small dark smoke that sizzled with the energy that it was infused with, sending it to Xu Hui, who looked on as though she had given up on her life.


    Not expecting the demon lord to appear right in front of her to take the hit. In terms of speed she wasn''t fast, but her eyes were, which was what she used in compensating for not being able to move as fast as Fu Zian. The demon lord from what she her eyes saw, appeared to be of a different level entirely, her eyes could hardly keep up with him. She almost didn''t know when he was in front of her.


    When Xu Hui saw that another chance to strike the demon lord at appeared, she latched onto his feet from where she was on the floor, sending a wave of her spirit energy into his skin. The result of it left only a scratch on the skin of the demon lord. Although, the force of it took off that part of his robes, he only came out with hardly a tear to his skin.


    "Just when I had my back to you."


    Sprawled on the floorin the spatial space in a pool of her blood was Xu Hui, the fight had left her drained of her spiritual energy. The demon lord looked at the BaoXu sect disciple, a funny sensation went down his body when looking at the defenseless cultivator in front of him. Turning around and getting on his knees, Hei Zhurong picked Xu Hui from the floor and sent her back to the demon realm.The servants back at YuanLi sect didn''t know that the ones that sat at the hall were only a replica of the demon lord and their mistress, their real body was in a different place.

 66 Path of Enlightenment 24

    "Where am I?"


    Xu Hui woke of later in a strange bed that she had never slept on, the man that said he was the fox prince sat in a chair from her bed.


    "I was beginning to think that you were going to sleep forever!"


    Xu Hui stared at the man with dislike in her eye, she could hardly remember what had transpired between them when she was at YuanLi sect. She saw that the robes she wore were no longer the purple of the the YuanLi sect, but white, this made her frown not knowing who could have changed her robes while she was asleep.


    "How long was I asleep?"


    "You were asleep for eleven days."


    "Eleven days?! What?!!!"


    "I had to take your robes off and wash you at the stream outside my chambers."


    The look of horrified surprise changed to one of mortification. Xu Hui couldn''t believe that a man took off her clothes while she was unconscious. This made her sit up in bed.


    "He should just have left me in my dirty robes! He has to be a pervert or is this the way of life of the fox clan?!"


    From thinking that he was a pervert to suddenly jumping to the conclusion that the fox clan may be an unusual type of people.


    "You have a very beautiful, hmmm..."


    "What?!!"


    All this while Hei Zhurong was trying to hold himself from laughing at Xu Hui''s show of modesty. He knew that the cultivation world was strict about a man being in the same room as an unmarried woman, but if neither of them said a thing, who would tell?


    The demon lord coughed in a suggestive way to let Xu Hui think that he had seen her nakedness.


    "You!!! You have to take responsibility!"


    "I''m willing to, but are you also open to sharing me with other women?"


    "Ha!"


    The sound of surprise from Xu Hui made the demon lord laugh uncontrollably.


    "Do you think that I will remain with just one woman?!"


    "You people from the fox clan, so shameless!"


    "Shameless? But at least I told you what to expect before preparing to offer gifts to the sect leader. Since I can''t call him your father enough, at least sect leader would suffice."


    The look of daggers that Xu Hui sent the way of the demon lord was enough to roast a lesser man, but Hei Zhurong was no ordinary man, he was the ruler of the demon realm!


    "Looking at me that way, is not going to change what has happened."


    "This was your plan?! To take me away from the protection of the YuanLi sect!"


    "Not at first."


    "Then what changed?!"


    "I can''t tell you yet, until I''m sure of what led to it."


    "I don''t care anymore, whether you choose to tell me or not. I know that the YuanLi sect leader would do everything to get his daughter back!"


    "But you are not is daughter."


    The words of the demon lord stung Xu Hui, which made her almost fly out of the bed to hit him.

 67 Path of Enlightenment 25

    "Did you really take off my robes or was it someone else?!"


    "I wanted to protect your chastity, but..."


    The demon lord shrugged his shoulders as his words trailed off, that seemed to incite Xu Hui into another fit of anger.


    "Are you trying to damage my reputation! I thought you were only teasing at first, but if that is really what you did, I''ll.."


    "You will do what?!"


    The demon lord was spoiling for a fight with the BaoXu disciple, who was red in the face from a combination of anger and humiliation.


    "I''ll kill you! No matter what it takes!"


    "Are you ready to face the harem I''ll be leaving behind?! If you manage to kill me, that is if! If you actually do, just be prepared for some angry women to come after you."


    "Let them come! Who says I''m scared!"


    The demon lord went into another round of laughter, within a single day Xu Hui had made him laughed more than the many years he had lived in the demon realm. She was very headstrong, even though she knew that nothing would come out of what she was doing, yet she would keep at it.


    "You didn''t ask how I brought you here?"


    Once consumed by anger, Hei Zhurong noticed that the BaoXu sect disciple was hardly able to maintain rational thought, she would remain fixed on that one thing for a while.


    "You must have poisoned everyone or killed everyone there, is that what you were going to tell me!"


    "Xu Hui why do you think so poorly of me?"


    "How am I supposed to see you beyond anything, but pure evil!"


    "Alright! I will not tell you."


    That was when Xu Hui''s eyes narrowed in distrust at the man that said he was the fox prince.


    "I need to speak to your father! I''m sure he doesn''t know the evil that is son is doing right under his nose!"


    "I''m afraid you will not be able to speak to my father, he has been sleeping for a very long time."


    What Demon Lord Zhurong was trying to say by stretching the truth was that, his father was dead, but he said it as though he was in a long slumber.


    "Who can I speak to?! How about your mother?!"


    "There is nothing that my mother can do."


    The demon queen had passed away many years before her husband, the males from the demon realm lived longer than their females.


    "Why?!"


    "My mother no longer exists in this world."


    Hearing the solemn way that the demon lord mentioned his mother, made the anger that surged within Xu Hui to fade away.


    "I''m sorry for bringing up your mother, Fox Prince Rong."


    Xu Hui felt ashamed for making the "fox prince" talk about a sensitive and probably painful part of his life. There was a look of sadness reflected in her midnight dark eyes, while looking at the luminiscent ones of the demon lord.


    "How did the fox king and your mother meet?"


    This was where Hei Zhurong had to stick to the story that he told the guards at the gate of the YuanLi sect.


    "She was his chamber maid. You haven''t eaten since I brought you here, let me get someone to bring us some food."


    The demon lord change subject so quickly, it was almost as if he felt a sense of guilt for leading Xu Hui on.


    "For the first time, I will know what the food at the fox clan tastes like."


    Although, she sensed when he shifted the direction of the conversation, Xu Hui went on with it, thinking that he had not yet overcome the pain from his past.


    "While we are waiting for the food to come in, I''m going to tell you how we got here."


    The BaoXu sect disciple looked at the demon lord with rapt attention.


    "I had to create a replica of ourselves and leave them at the hall we were."


    Hearing the "fox prince" speak of such a high level of magic, made Xu Hui wonder what type of person she had in the room. Meanwhile, they were in a separate world within the demon realm, which was heavily guarded by men specially chosen by the demon lord to keep watch over the woman that he brought from the YuanLi sect.


    "That is a very high level of magic, to do such a thing is beyond the imagination of an ordinary disciple cultivator. A sect leader could perform such level of magic and that is if he was from one of the top ranking sects."


    "You can now see why I said you cannot beat Chen Yueming."


    "Stop! I don''t want to hear this again!"


    Xu Hui placed her hand to her ears, wanting to block the words of "fox prince" despite something from within that wastelling her that the words he spoke rang true.

 68 Path of Enlightenment 26

    The next thing Mou Hairong knew was that she was already back at the fox clan with her children.


    "Ma!"


    The twin boys chorused the cry of distressed to their mother, who was visible shaken by being brought without any warning to the fox clan, it had never happened to her before, usually she was the one that led her children back to her home in a different realm.


    There was only one person that was capable of such blatant display of power, the Fox King Yan ShuChang!


    The children held onto the folds of their mother''s robes in fear, they never liked to visit the fox clan and it was even more scary for them to be led away from the usual comfort of the mortal realm.


    They were back at the centerpiece of the fox clan, where only the royals could venture into. Mou Hairong saw her older sister sit by the side of their father. The fox king''s hair had grown whiter and looked like a sixty year old mortal.


    "Yidan! Zimu! Go and pay your greetings to grandfather!"


    "Ma! I don''t want to, I''m scared!"


    "Yidan!"


    The older twin dragged his brother to where their grandfather sat with their cousin Xuequi and Aunt Meifang. The older princess gave her sister a slight nod, while glancing in the general direction of her nephews. Meanwhile,Princess Xuequi sat tight lipped facing her grandfather and mother. She saw her cousins walk towards their grandfather, but she couldn''t call out a greeting to them as this would unleash the anger of her grandfather on the both of them.


    "Greetings Fox King!"


    They both spoke timidly while looking at the stern man that sat in front of them, to the little boys he was very intimidating.


    "Come here, let me see how much you''ve grown."


    The fox king didn''t need to raise his voice to send the twins closer to him, he patted both in the head, before letting them go back to their mother.


    "Greetings Fox King. Why did you send for us?"


    Mou Hairong didn''t want to show the resentment that was buried deep in her heart towards her father, to her the fox king was more like a ruler than a father. The only thing he gave them free reign on was their marriage, which in a sense was more like a lack of concern than anything else.


    "I brought you hear so that you could talk some sense to her niece and also see my grandchild."


    "What is it, that is troubling father?"


    Mou Hairong had to play the part of a doting daughter to her father from a very young age.


    "I sent a letter to GuBaiJin sect asking for to send us the best of their disciple to form an alliance with the fox clan through Xuequi''s marriage."


    Mou Hairong almost snorted in disbelief, "How could her father lower himself to be seeking a marriage prospect for a princess from a strong clan like theirs?!"


    Looking at the way her niece sat on the chair,Mou Hairong knew that it will take a lot to convince her of marrying into a sect, when her grandfather, mother and aunt had already warned her against keeping close acquaintance with anyone that came from the heavenly realm. The Princess Aunt had to muster up courage to speak to her niece about her impending marriage to a powerful sect. Meanwhile, the twins kept looking at the faces of the people that were in the room, they wanted to run over to greet Yan Xuequi, but the presence of their grandfather made them decide against it.

 69 Rebellion 1

    "Someone, go fetch head teacher Jin!"


    Jin Rumin roared at the disciples, watching as they scurried out of the hall to do what he had commanded them. The disciples began to converse among themselves.


    "Sect leader Jin is in such a bad mood!"


    "Hush! Lower your voice! You don''t want anyone hearing that you are speaking ill of Sect Leader Jin."


    "Is it really true that the pugilistic world is being invaded by those from the demon realm?!"


    "That''s what the letter says, but it isn''t certain that we are under attack from demons."


    "Sect leader Jin didn''t even bat an eye when we mentioned Jin Tieguai. In the past, he would have thrown a fit when anyone mentioned the name of that good-for-nothing!"


    "It is obvious that the news about demon invasion and marriage proposal from the fox clan must have shaken Sect Leader Jin."


    "That makes a lot of sense."


    The disciple that spoke last nodded his head in agreement to what the other disciple said regarding their sect leader being in a state of shock regarding the news from the ShenJiangShi sect and the fox clan.


    "By the way, what is Jin Tieguai doing in head teacher Jin''s room?!"


    "He is possibly there to cause trouble, what else?!"


    "I pity head teacher Jin, having to put up with Jin Tieguai! Why doesn''t sect leader send him away?"


    "Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Why are you talking as if you cannot see what is happening around you?!"


    "What is it?! Tell me!"


    The disciple shook his head when he saw how much of a dimwit his sect brother was, in the matters of the GuBaiJin sect.


    "It doesn''t matter what Jin Tieguai does, he could never do any wrong in the eyes of sect leader."


    "Hmm...how so?!"


    "Have you no eyes?! If anyone had done half! No...not half, but a quarter of what he has done. Do you think that the disciple would still remain here?!"


    "You''re exaggerating. Sect leader is only kind towards everyone regardless of if they are good or bad."


    "I tell you! They almost resemble each other!"


    "You have started with your crazy talk again! There is no way Jin Tieguai is sect leader''s son, just because he looks a bit like him does not make him the young master of the GuBaiJin sect! We already have one, are you trying to accuse sect leader Jin of infidelity?!"


    "What are the two of you saying?! Stop your nonsense!"


    "If young master Jin heard the both of you, just be prepared to have your tongues torn off from your mouths!"


    "Utter nonsense! Humph!"


    "Haven''t you seen the way he holds his sword?! It is just like the way sect leader holds his too!"


    "So what! You are trying to imply that anyone that holds their sword like sect leader is his child?!"


    "That was not what I was trying to say."


    "Then what are you getting at?!"


    "It isn''t just the way he holds his sword, but also the air around the two of them, don''t you think it feels almost the same?!"


    "I feel sorry for head teacher Jin."


    "Why are feeling sorry for him?! Isn''t it the duty of everyone from the GuBaiJin sect to do everything to bring glory to the sect?!"


    "That may be true, but are they not asking for too much?! Head teacher Jin is a distinguished cultivator! He shouldn''t be handed over to the likes of the fox clan!"


    "At least someone is saying something sensible! Weren''t they the ones that turned their nose towards cultivators and now they are asking sect leader to give them the best disciple! It is like going to the market and asking the shop keeper for the hen that lays the golden egg!"


    "Head teacher Jin is so pitiful!"


    "What are you saying?! He should count himself lucky to be married into such a well-known clan. Forming ties with the fox clan would strengthen the GuBaiJin sect and make us untouchable by any of the other sects!"


    "See this one! You are only thinking about gaining more power! Don''t you know that once he marries into the fox clan, he would never step foot into the GuBaiJin sect?! Do you even know what that means?! It is like being buried alive!"


    "You are taking things to the extreme, there is no way that head teacher Jin will not be allowed through the doors of the sect."


    "At least he would be free from that Jin Tieguai, who is always distrupting the class and causing trouble."


    "I can''t seem to get rid of the feeling that they look to much alike, I mean sect leader and Jin Tieguai."


    "It is not our place....."


    The word of the disciple was cut short when he saw that the young master of the GuBaiJin sect was almost upon them. They were so engrossed by the discussion regarding whether Jin Tieguai was related to the sect leader, that neither noticed Jin Dongbin until it was almost too late.


    "Y..Young...master..Jin!"


    The disciples stammered as they greeted the young master of the GuBaiJin sect who was closely followed by some of his classmates. They were all startled by his presence not knowing if he had heard their discussion regarding his father and the troublemaker of the sect. There was no trace of emotion on the face of Jin Dongbin, whose classmates that stood behind him, began casting nervous looks in his direction.


    "Don''t let me keep you from getting to where you need to be, father must be waiting impatiently for head teacher to be brought to him."


    "Yes, young master Jin. We will be on our way!"


    It was awkward situation, as the disciples hurriedly left in shame, after being discovered by their young master.


    The face of Jin Dongbin darkened after the disciples left his presence. He heard snippets of their conversation along with the people that were with him.


    "Young master Jin, you must not take what you heard to heart."


    "Jin An!"


    When Jin An saw the look on the face of Jin Dongbin, he didn''t need anyone to tell him that talking further would enrage the young master of the sect. There was intense hatred in the eyes that gazed at those of the timid disciple, who cringed in fear at what he saw.


    ------------------


    Outside the DianShu stood several disciples, as some of them began knocking on its door.


    "Head teacher Jin! Are you in there?!"


    Inside the room, Jin Caihe had not gotten up from the bed ever since yesterday evening when Jin Tieguai had placed him there. He hadn''t recovered from their shocking ecounter, as his mind kept replaying what had taken place inside the room that had being a place of solace for him.


    "Head teacher Jin?!"


    "Are you sure he is in his room? What if he is in the library?!"


    "Library in the morning?! Everyone knows that head teacher Jin goes to the library in the evening!"


    "But he isn''t answering. Maybe he is sleeping."


    "He can''t be sleeping at this time of the day!"


    "Let''s try one more time and if not, we will have to check the library and if we still don''t see him there. We have no other choice, but to let sect leader know that we can''t find head teacher Jin."


    "Head teacher Jin!!!!!!"


    They all began calling out to Jin Caihe in a very loud voice, causing the other teachers to come out of their rooms to glare at the unruly disciples.


    "What are you all doing! Keep your voice down!"


    The disciples saw the lips of the teachers curl in contempt for having their peaceful time disrupted by their act of inconsideration.


    "Wait! I''m coming!"


    The head teacher called out in a weak voice, as he slowly got up and sat by the side of the bed, pulling his boots on one at a time.


    "I think I just heard head teacher Jin''s voice."


    One of them said, while they all looked expectantly at the door leading to the room of the GuiBaiJin sect head teacher.


    "Ha!"


    Jin Caihe winced in pain which shot straight to his spine, he could still feel the throbbing sensation from the entrance between his butt cheeks.


    "That animal! I told him to stop, but he still carried on!"


    The memory from his time with Jin Tieguai suddenly propped into his mind, try as he may, the head teacher could not stop his face from taking on the bright pink stain of embarrassment. This created a sharp contrast with his already pale skin. Patting his hair in a well ordered manner, Jin Caihe adjusted the sleeves of his robes, before rising to his feet to meet the people that were waiting outside his door.


    "Greetings Head teacher Jin."


    They all gave a salute to the man that stood outside the door of the DianShu, who looked as though he could barely remain on his feet.


    "Head teacher Jin, is anything the matter? You look worn out."


    "Head teacher Jin are you sick?!"


    Neither of the disciples could hide their look of curiosity, while waiting on the response of Jin Caihe, because he indeed looked very tired.


    Not wanting to delay them any longer, Jin Caihe waved his hand to dismiss the things they said to him.


    "It''s nothing."


    There was hardly any change in his expression, while looking at each of the faces of the disciples, as he waited on them to tell him the reason for coming to the DianShu.


    "Head teacher Jin. Sect Leader Jin asked us to bring you to the main hall. He and Lady Jin have matters to discuss with you."


    The disciples had to restrain themselves from telling Jin Caihe of what the meeting was going to be about. They watched as he walked ahead of them, while the other teachers looked on as the group left the courtyard.


    -------------


    "Sect Leader Jin. Head teacher Jin is here!"


    Jin Ruimin beckoned with his hand for Jin Caihe to be let into the hall. By now, Jin Huiyan was no longer in the mood to drink tea. She knew that the fate of the GuBaiJin sect rested on the head teacher''s decision.


    Jin Caihe walked into the hall along with the disciples that were sent to bring him.


    "Everyone, leave!"


    All servants and disciples hurried out of the hall, when they heard the roar of their sect leader. Jin Caihe stopped a few feet from where the sect leader and his wife sat.


    "Greetings Sect Leader Jin, Greetings Lady Jin."


    The head teacher bowed to the sect leader and his wife, not seeing the look of unease and surprise that passed between the two. They saw that the graceful Jin Caihe was looking off balance. It was a struggle for them to remain composed and not ask the head teacher to reveal what was troubling him.


    "Please have a seat. Head teacher Jin."


    Jin Huiyan asked for Jin Caihe to take the seat across from where she sat with her husband. Jin Ruimin waited for the head teacher to be seated before glancing at his wife for the last time, to begin a serious talk that would determine the future of the sect.


    "The Fox King sent a letter asking for the GuBaiJin sect to allow his granddaughter to marry one of the disciples from the sect. Who would you choose to be the husband of the fox princess?"


    Jin Ruimin was not asking because he was looking for whom to hand over to the fox clan, he only wanted to find out if Jin Caihe considered himself worthy enough to be married into the fox clan. In his usual impassive manner, the head teacher looked at the sect leader to give the other his reply.


    "Young master Jin is courageous and well taught. His marriage to the fox princess would be beneficial to the GuBaiJin sect, people from the fox clan are known to be very loyal and possess great strength."


    "..."


    Jin Ruimin and Jin Huiyan looked at one another in consternation, as neither was expecting Jin Caihe to recommend their son as the groom of the fox princess.

 70 Rebellion 2

    "Dongbin is still a child, compared to Fox Princess Yan."


    The wife of the GuBaiJin sect leader spoke in a low voice that held platitude towards the head teacher of the sect.


    It was no secret that the people from the fox clan outlived many immortals and other cultivators. Unless they chose to share their immortality with their significant other, which in itself was a rarity. Jin Caihe did not know what to make of the words spoken by the mistress of the GuBaiJin sect.


    "Wasn''t he also a child compared to her?! Or was it because Young master Jin was their child, that was why they were being so hesistant to allow him to marry her?! Would it have been any different if he was born in the same position as head teacher?!"


    The thought ran through the mind of Jin Caihe, not that he was trying to be disloyal, but he thought that Jin Dongbin was the best fit to become the husband to the granddaughter of the Fox King.


    "Apart from Dongbin, is there anyone that would be a good match for Fox Princess Yan?"


    Jin Ruimin was still keeping up the appearance of not having a selection in mind. His wife was beginning to fidget by his side, not able to keep the deception well hidden.


    "Any of the highly skilled disciples could also be considered."


    "What do you mean by this?"


    Sect Leader Jin looked with interest, as though just discovering that the words of the head teacher was starting to make sense.


    "Sect Leader Jin, Why don''t we hold a competition to determine the disciple that would be sent to the fox clan?!"


    A look of disappointment came over the face of Jin Ruimin, to him holding a competition felt too far away and required much planning to achieve. He''d rather that the head teacher offer himself as the sacrificial lamb to the royal family of the fox clan. At this point, the sect leader knew that they were not getting anywhere.


    "Head teacher Jin, what about you?!"


    Jin Ruimin threw caution to the wind and decided to pose the question to the head teacher of the sect.


    "I''m sorry, but I do not think that I am worthy to be considered as the husband to Princess Yan."


    Jin Caihe lowered his head, as he refused the suggestion of the sect leader to be considered as the potential groom to the possible future ruler of the fox clan.


    "Head teacher Jin, I and Lady Jin are not trying to force you into a union with the Fox king''s daughter, but this could make them our allies. Familial bond are not easily broken!"


    The sect leader was almost about to become agitated by the lack of ambition in the head teacher. If their position were to be reversed, Jin Ruimin would not hesistate to marry into the fox clan, especially one that was of the Royal house of Yan!


    The Yan family was known to possess tremendous amount of spirit energy and outlived even the immortals that spent years trying to achieve godhood. It was said that, anyone that was their other half would share the enormous powers and gifts that they possessed. Not everyone from the fox clan married that better half, some chose to marry someone that their soul didn''t resonate with, other may marry their destined one but not share their immortality with them. Each had their reasons for doing what they did, in the end it was the need for companionship and love that drew two unlikely souls together.


    "I speak not to look down on the Fox King and his granddaughter, but because I am lacking in so many ways and would only stain their name with my shortcomings."


    Jin Ruimin could not hold back anymore, as he lashed out at the other cultivator in anger, "If you say you are unworthy! Then the whole disciples of the GuBaiJin sect had better look for a place and end their miserable existence! Since they are less worthy in comparison to you!


    "Ruimin! Please do not speak in that manner! Words have power!"


    For a moment, the sect leader had to calm himself when he heard the distress in the voice of his wife. To him, he thought Jin Caihe was being hypocritical.


    "Didn''t he know of how everyone at the sect sang his praise of being the most prominent cultivator next to him! Why is he acting so difficulty?!"


    Jin Ruimin had to bite his tongue from saying the words that were buried in his heart. It was then that Jin Huiyan had to plead with the head teacher to reconsider the marriage prospect to the fox princess.


    "Head teacher Jin, please rethink and give us your reply when you are ready. It is so sad that you ma not have much time."


    That was when Jin Caihe raised his head to face the mistress of the GuBaiJin sect.


    "Lady Jin, what do you mean that I may not have much time?!"


    "Huiyan, it''s okay. You do not need to persuade him any more than this."


    It was at this moment that Jin Ruimin was now playing the part of a loving husband to his wife.


    "The young master of the ShenJiangShi sect, sent a letter detailing the possibility of a demon invasion. I was about to do a spirit travel when news came in from the fox clan that Princess Yan was seeking marriage to a disciple of the GuBaiJin sect."


    "We are under attack by demons?!"


    The sect leader had to temporarily put aside his anger to reveal to the head teacher the plight of the cultivation world.


    "It hasn''t been confirmed yet, but it seems demons may be invading various sects."


    Typical of the GuBaiJin sect leader to stretch the truth for his own benefit, since he already knew that the other sects had been wiped out by the Demon Lord and his armies.


    "Sect leader Jin, spirit travelling is very dangerous!"


    Jin Caihe forgot himself and spoke in a raised voice, so shaken by the thought of the merciless people from the demon realm killing cultivators from other sects.


    "That is why I brought you here, both to safeguard my body and to become the husband of the fox princess."


    Not wasting any time, the sect leader then revealed his thought to the head teacher, whose face was a kaleidoscope of emotions.


    "It seems that I have no choice in the matter."


    The mistakable tone of defeat came through the voice of Jin Caihe. His future was already coldly planned by the sect leader in pretense of knowing his thought regarding a marriage alliance with the fox clan.


    "Head teacher Jin, don''t take it that way. Your sacrifice would not be forgotten by everyone at the GuBaiJin sect."


    The mistress of the GuBaiJin sect had to look away with guilt, knowing that she also played a role in tying Jin Caihe to the fox princess. Her silence spoke volumes of where she stood regarding her husband''s decision.


    The sect leader rose from where he sat, to take a seat on the floor in preparation for the "spirit travelling" in order to find out if the cultivation world was raided by those from the demon realm.


    "Sect leader Jin, please allow me to use try another method."


    The grave voice of Jin Caihe made the sect leader stop from doing what he had in mind.


    "What is it that you want to try?!"


    Jin Huiyan leaned forward, as though wanting to see firsthand what the head teacher had under his sleeves.


    "It is a well guarded secret that I possess a rare beast."


    There was hardly any inflection in the voice of Jin Caihe as he spoke to the sect leader and his wife. He knew that they were both using him for their gain, to bring the GuBaiJin sect greater prestige and dominating the cultivation world to the fullest. An alliance with the fox clan would made them unstoppable and other sects would not have mouth to contradict anything they did.


    The look on both Jin Ruimin and Jin Huiyan was as though someone had slapped them in the face, what color they had left fled at the news that Jin Caihe dropped on their laps. It wasn''t that they didn''t know of the beast that was sealed inside his body, which was in actuality the symbol of their clan. The vengeful beast soul lived within the body of the head teacher, as a result of the curse placed on the GuBaiJin sect when their sect leader killed it during a nighthunt before he became the leader of the sect. The creature plagued the dreams of Jin Ruimin as a youth, warning that it would return one day into the body of a disciple of the sect and be reborn again and again. In arrogance, Jin Ruimin made the creature a symbol of the GuBaijin sect, which was to serve as a remainder of his valiant act.


    Only a few knew the history behind the GuBaiJin sect''s winged creature and that it dwelt inside the one that was heavily worshipped by all the disciples.


    While the creature lived inside the body of Jin Caihe, it was able to reveal some of its abilities to the head teacher.


    It took a while for the sect leader and his wife to regain their composure, with trembling hands Jin Huiyan patted the sleeves of her robes, while Jin Ruimin had to clear his throat in nervousness.


    "Why did you have to bring up such a distasteful thing!"


    Rather than owning up, the sect leader chose to use anger and accusation to hide the guilt inside his heart.


    "How was I to know that the beast would come back and haunt us?! There is no sect that hasn''t gotten any blood on their hands!"


    Although he thought himself not to be at fault by making all sort of excuses, the sect leader could not quench the fire of wrongdoing that kept burning inside of him.


    "How does the beast help us know what could be happening at other sects?! Moreover, you have never shown any interest in knowing about the creature whenever I and Lady Jin brought the matter up?!"


    It was indeed true that Jin Caihe had chosen to shun anything that reminded him of the beast that lived inside of him, "Why wouldn''t he?! When the creature was slowly eaten away at his spirit energy and taking over his body!"


    The head teacher went back to the time when he first discovered that he had a magicial beast sharing his body, he felt so betrayed and angry that he could not live as other disciples of the GuBaiJin sect. Everyday was spent in the library searching for how to get rid of the creature, everything he did, the beast would see through his eyes and laugh at him for going on such a time wasting effort.


    Everyday was a fight to remain sane while going about his duties as a disciple of the GuBaiJin sect. Not wanting to depend on the good graces of the sect leader, Jin Caihe strove to get the beast out of him or die trying.


    It didn''t take long for the head teacher to realize that his efforts were all for nothing, the beast was not going anywhere, instead its powers had began to affect him on a deeper level.


    "You will die and I will be reborn into a new body!"


    The harsh laughter of the beast tormented after he told Jin Caihe of the truth he didn''t want to face, sent chill down his spine.


    "I''ll sent it to find out what we need."


    Not the type to talk at length, the sect leader and his wife watched in astonishment as what appeared to be the embodiment of the slain beast slid from underneath the robes of the head teacher. Right in front of their eyes, the serpent shrouded by a mass of green spirit energy passed through the floor and disappeared to fulfill it''s master''s order.

 71 Rebellion 3

    The Fuxi a magical beast known by many names, was a beautiful green snake with glittering scales and elegant transparent wings that resembled those of a dragon, dispelled its spirit energy which resembled that of tiny green crystals to the surrounding air upon leaving the threshold of the GuBaiJin sect. Since only a portion of it''s original body left those of Jin Caihe, the creature was chose to move through scattering its mass of aura in various directions in order to cover as much distance within the shortest time possible.


    Whatever the creature saw, the head teacher of the GuBaiJin sect also had knowledge of it too, since the both of them were connected to one another.


    From one sect to the other, Jin Caihe saw the devastation and the lands that were laid waste and rotting bodies of cultivators. It was so vivid, that it made him almost throw up in the presence of the GuBaiJin sect leader and Lady Jin.


    "Head teacher Jin, you look so pale, is anything the matter?"


    "It is nothing Lady Jin."


    The mistress of the GuBaiJin sect could not hold herself back from asking Jin Caihe if there was anything that could be causing him such distress. There was no pretense in the concern that JIn Huiyan had for the head teacher, who looked as though he would fall down at anytime. In a tone that Jin Caihe used in answering the mistress of the sect held irritation that was barely suppressed.


    The main body of the Fuxi although now under the control of Jin Caihe, it could still cause its master some discomfort.


    "Why don''t you tell them what you saw?"


    It was said in a tone of mockery at Jin Caihe, who knew not to be easily provoked by the sly beast. The good thing was that the Fuxi could not read the thought of its host.


    "Are you not going to reveal to them the things I showed you?!"


    "..."


    "Do you want me to speak in your place, if you fear telling them the truth?!"


    "..."


    The creature was testing the patience of the head teacher, as the other struggled not to fall into its trap, by choosing to ignore its taunts.


    "If you continue to keep quite, I will have to tell them of the things you did behind closed doors."


    "Silence!"


    Jin Caihe outburst did not go unnoticed, as the sect leader and his wife eye brows raised in surprise by his disorderly manners.


    "Head teacher Jin! Are you by any chance referring to me and Lady Jin?!"


    Jin Ruimin''s voice was deceptively calm as he spoke to the head teacher of the sect, his wife had to place a hand on top of his to pacify his anger.


    "I didn''t mean to raise my voice, I''m sorry for causing Sect Leader Jin and Lady Jin to fret."


    "Are we to think that you were speaking to the Fuxin?!"


    Sect Leader Jin was not a foolish man, he knew that apart from him and his wife, Jin Caihe was either mumbling to himself or talking to someone other than them. The head teacher did not strike him as the type to talked to himself, which led him to believe that it could be the magical beast that Jin Caihe was referring to and not him or his wife.


    "Yes, Sect Leader Jin. It was only to bring it under control, please forgive my lack of perception."


    If it meant swallowing his pride and addressing Jin Ruimin and Jin Huiyan, the head teacher was willing to do so, if that would allow him to preserve his reputation and retain his dignity.


    "What does it say?"


    Under the influence of the Fuxin, Jin Caihe''s eyes would glow to the color of green with the pupils resembling those of a snake. Jin Ruimin and his wife made no mention of the transformation, as they were more concerned about if the magical beast had discovered what one of them already knew.


    Gathering what was left of his courage, Jin Caihe looked straight at the both of them, "Sect Leader Jin, Lady Jin. It is true that BaoXu, GongKua, KuShun, MoXing and ZaoQiang sect have all been anihilated by the Demon Lord Hei Zhurong and his army from the demon realm. I only know of this because, the Fuxin is able to recreate what took place at each sect ground."


    Jin Huiyan raised a hand to cover her mouth in shock, even though she heard the content of the letter received from the ShenJiangShi sect, hearing it with her two ears the truth of what had taken place in the other five sects made tears to trickle down the flawless snow jade skin.


    Even though he trembled inside of him from the massacre that he witnessed through the special connection he had with a magical creature, Jin Caihe remained composed where he sat, not revealing his inner thought to the two taht sat across from him.


    "We need to let ShenJiangShi sect, YuanLi sect and WuYangChen sect know that either of them could be the next target of the demon lord!"


    Jin Caihe nodded solemnly at the words of his sect leader, he was only a tool that the other cultivator will use to his favor.


    "Everyone must remain alert and ready! We can never tell who those devilish monsters could be after!"


    Sect Leader Jin did not even wait for head teacher to speak, while the other looked on, as though leaving everything in the hands of fate.


    "There is much to do with so little a time! There is no time to waste! An assembly of all sect leaders have to be called immediately! Any delay and we could all end up dead!"


    ".."


    "Is there any other thing that you have to share with us or is that all?!"


    Jin Ruimin was asking, in order to find out if the magical beast had seen any of his spies around the vicinity of each massacre.


    "Sect Leader Jin, there is nothing else left to say. The people of the demon realm no longer hold the treaty that was made between us and them in high regard. I do not know how the informant of Sect Leader Li was able to know of such a thing, but it is good that he made haste and informed the ShenJiangShi sect of his worries, had he not done so, many more lives would have been lost. Throwing the whole heavens into disarray."


    "Those malicious people of the demon realm! After the lives that were lost from having a treaty made, yet they were the first to break their promise!"


    "Ruimin, please do not harm your health because of them."


    Jin Huiyan tightly held on to the hand of her husband, who looked livid from the outrageous act committed by the demon lord and his armies.


    Sect leader Jin was about to voice his discontent again, when he turned and noticed the tears that stained the dark lashes of his wife. Despite being an evil person, Jin Ruimin was besotted to his wife, her tears and vulnerability was his weakness.


    "Huiyan, don''t cry. I will find a way to get the other sects to join hands together for us to defeat the Demon Lord and his armies and wipe everyone at the demon realm off the face of the world!"


    Jin Ruimin reached a hand to catch the trails of tears that fell from the eyes of his wife, in the presence of others, the sect leader could not show much of his gentle side. He wanted to hold his wife and comfort her, but since Jin Caihe was in the hall with them, he could do no more than wipe the tears off her face.


    "See those two, I''m sure you can''t do the same. If Sect Leader Jin knows that you were sharing the same bed as his son, he would kill you for sure!"


    Although the beast was an animal, it was able to converse with his host and show emotions that could be felt by the other. Smiling in amusement, the creature poked fun at Jin Caihe, who swallowed in dread at knowing what was to come should Sect Leader JIn know of his indiscretion with a son that not even he knew until after the act had being committed.Their consumation revealed the birth of Jin Tieguai and everything about him to the Fuxi, who in turn showed the head teacher. Knowing that Fuxi spoke the truth was a hard pill for the head teacher to swallow. How could he tell Jin Ruimin that because he wanted to save his life, he decided to give in to his son.


    If such an unholy union was revealed, it would shake the foundation of the cultivation world, causing chaos and much pain to every cultivator. The GuBaiJin sect would never be able to lift their head up ever again. Many would spit on them and the sect would have to spilt and each disciple would be forced to go their separate ways.


    Forget the thought of marriage to the fox princess, which would die under the pressure of having an immoral cultivator for a son-in-law. Jin Caihe''s heart twisted painfully about all the possible things that could go wrong, should everyone find out about what he and Jin Tieguai did in secret. By then, it would no longer be a secret, as the two would be a laughing stock to every cultivator.


    "Don''t say a thing!"


    This time, Jin Caihe mumbled under his breath. That didn''t stop the Fuxi from laughing again, it seemed the creature enjoyed tormenting and causing misery to its host. The creature used its aura to slow that the movement the head teacher''s lips, in such a way that he could hear and feel the other''s lips moving, but the sect leader and his wife would not know that they were conversing openly. Since it''s aura was already felt by the other two, an extra tiny portion of it would go unnoticed by them.


    "Aya! Lady Jin would faint when she finds out that she has a half son."


    "Shut it!"


    "Tsk! Poor you! You have shared your body with another that isn''t your wife. Sect Leader Jin would just have to lose face because you couldn''t keep your desires under check!"


    "It wasn''t my fault! And you know it!"


    "You had the choice to die or become the pillow mate of the bastard son of Sect Leader Jin."


    Each time the beast spoke, it would laugh in a sly way, its eyes narrowing in jest.


    "How was I to know that Jin Tieguai was the son of sect leader?!"


    "If you had known, I doubt if you would have taken a different path."


    "Don''t say that! You don''t know me! You don''t know my thought! How dare you!"


    "Now, Now, don''t let your emotions get the better of you."


    "You and sect leader, made me do what I did! If I had to go back in time! I would stick to saving my life by using Jin Tieguai!"


    "Anyone that knows you would never think that you could say something so cruel. Princess Yan is in for an unpleasant surprise."


    Jin Caihe was shaken by what the Fuxin said, the magical beast''s conversation with the head teacher revealed things he wasn''t aware or chose to ignore about himself.


    "I didn''t choose this life! You have no right to belittle the choices that I made!"


    "You have to live with what you have done, one day it may come out. What will you do by then?!"


    "No matter what! I will take it to my grave! It is I who has wronged sect leader and his son. No one needs to suffer because of me!"


    "Very well, but remember I warned you. Nothing in this world will remain hidden."


    Jin Caihe did not know why the warning from the Fuxi sent a coldness to his heart.

 72 Rebellion 4

    ShenJiangShi sect...


    "How long do we have to wait to hear back from GuBaiJin sect?!"


    Li Guoliang grumbled under his breath, the young master of the ShenJiangShi sect looked at the sect leader while wearing an amicable smile on his face.


    "Sect Leader Li, this things do require much time. I''m sure my men would return as soon as they receive word from the GuBaiJin sect."


    The YuanLi sect leader swept the side of his robe in anger, he could no longer stand being kept waiting by the GuBaiJin sect. To make it worse, the young master of the ShenJiangShi sect was more composed than him, who was a sect leader.


    "Bring us some tea!"


    Even though Shi Yunxu did not want to show it, but he felt uncomfortable around Li Guoliang. He knew that the YuanLi sect leader disliked him and the feeling was mutual. To hide the discomfort, the young master of the ShenJiangShi sect called for tea to be served.


    "That would not be necessary! I do not want anything to drink!"


    "It will put my mind at ease if you could have something to wet your throat. We have been waiting for a while now. I don''t want people to think that we at ShenJiangShi sect are treating the YuanLi sect poorly."


    "Look here! Young master Shi! I don''t care for your tea! Humph!"


    Li Guoliang turned his nose in the air, not giving the young master of the ShenJiangShi sect any face, while the others smile had become very tight with his bearing somewhat rigid.


    "Sect Leader Li, it would be distasteful to force you to accept our kind gesture, but you are always welcomed here at ShenJiangShi sect."


    Shi Yunxu had to bite his tongue to speak nicely to the arrogant sect leader who saw him as nothing but a useless young master.


    "What is his problem?! Does he have anything against me?! Even his daughter, Lady Li cannot cultivate, while I on the other hand can do what she can''t. What gives him the right to look down on me?! If not because of father and because I have to maintain the reputation of ShenJiangShi sect! I will be told them send him away! One day Li Guoliang, I will get you for this and bring you to your knees!"


    The YuanLi sect leader did not know the nefarious thought that ran through the mind of Shi Yunxu, had he known, there was no way he would be inside the same hall as him.


    "Yes, Young master Shi!"


    A few of the servants that stood outside the door to the hall, ran inside to see their young master.


    "There is no need to bring us tea, our food at ShenJiangShi sect is not as good as those at the YuanLi sect."


    Shi Yunxu spoke in a down to earth manner, while addressing the way the sect leader was acting towards him and his sect.


    Annoyed by young master Shi''s assertiveness, the YuanLi sect leader gave a slight cough rather than countering Shi Yunxu.


    -----------


    GuBaiJin sect...


    "Head teacher Jin?"


    Jin Ruimin called out to Jin Caihe who looked as though he was staring into space, this made the sect leader wonder if he something could be wrong with the head teacher of the GuBaiJin sect.


    "Sect Leader Jin is calling you, I will end it here, but remember that every decision comes with its own consequences. Nothing remains hidden for long!"


    The eyes that shined with rougery became one of ice coldness, the warning was clear to Jin Caihe. He could hide for all he wanted, but eventually his secret would be out in the open and many would be hurt when they get to know of it.


    The Fuxi was a creature of magic, that had no need of sleep, but that didn''t prevent it from curling up and closing its eyes as though about to sleep.


    "What have you done, that you are taking a rest?!"


    Although they''ve been together for a many years, Jin Caihe saw the snake as a lazy deadbeat, whose usefulness was a one day thing.


    "Let me be, I need my sleep."


    "But you don''t sleep, you never do!"


    The last time Jin Caihe had a normal sleep was before the Fuxi sealed itself inside of him at a young age which coincided with the age at which young master Jin Ruimin and the other disciples rallied around during their nighthunting to kill it. From then on, a few hours of rest was all the head teacher would have, it was only after Jin Tieguai suppressed its powers and used his yang essence to restore the damages that the Fuxi had inflicted to Jin Caihe''s body did the head teacher regain the ability to have a good night sleep until the next day. He was only fortunate that it happened to be on the days that the disciples of the GuBaiJin had the days away from morning lessons.


    Only time would tell if fate had a hand in helping the head teacher or muddling his life.


    "Head teacher Jin!"


    "Yes...Sect Leader Jin?"


    The voice sounded as though he wasn''t all that there, the two looked at Jin Caihe with worried looks.


    "You seem distracted, is anything the matter?!"


    "No, Sect Leader Jin. I''m only a little tired from using the power of the magical beast."


    Neither of them could tell that Jin Caihe was lying through his teeth, he couldn''t reveal to them that it was because of the things he did behind their back that was causing him much pain and anguish.


    "Please, go and rest after you leave here. You have done a great deed for the GuBaiJin sect, I will send someone to tell the junior disciples that morning lesson for the next day would is cancelled. That would give you enough time to regain your strength."


    Jin Ruimin had to say that for the sake of his wife who was a tender hearted person compared to him.


    Jin Caihe bowed in gratitude at his sect leader and the mistress of the GuBaiJin sect.


    "Sect Leader Jin, Lady Jin. I am thankful that you are both looking out for me."


    "Should you need more time, let us know."


    The GuBaiJin sect leader wanted the head teacher to feel beholden towards him and his wife.


    "That would not be necessary, but I will keep that in mind."


    "Anyone there?!"


    The sect leader called out to the people that waited outside the hall, no long after a couple of people ran into the hall on hearing the voice of Jin Ruimin. They each gave a salute to the imposing man that sat by the mistress of the sect.


    "Yes, Sect Leader Jin!"


    "Send a message to young master Shi, telling him that the rumors are in fact true. BaoXu, GongKua, KuShun, MoXing and ZaoQiang sect have all fallen under the hands of the Demon Lord and his army. I, Jin Ruimin the sect leader of GuBaiJin sect and Chief Cultivator, calls for an assembly of all sect leaders at sunset. Delay is unacceptable, any sect leader who fails to show up would be seen as siding with the enemy and considered a traitor to the pugilistic world!"


    "We would do as Sect Leader Jin commands!"


    "What are you still waiting for?! Go!"


    The male disciples tried not to act timidly in the presence of their sect leader. The air around him made many feel unworthy and scared. Only a few could comfortably be by him and not get intimidated by him.


    "Yes! Sect Leader Jin!"


    The men gave a salute to the GuBaiJin sect leader, before hurrying out to do his bidding.


    Jin Caihe knew that it was about time to take his own leave from the presence of Jin Ruimin and Jin Huiyan.


    "Sect Leader Jin, if you don''t have anything else to discuss with me. I would like to take my leave."


    "Head teacher Jin, you may now go. Lady Jin and I both appreciate the services you rendered to the GuBaiJin sect. We would like for you to think about the things we spoke to you regarding marriage to the granddaughter of the Fox King. Do not take too long to reach a decision, it would make us happy if you were to agree to it right now, since we need as much help as we can get to defeating the demon realm. We do understand that, marriage is not something to consider lightly, but the situation the GuBaijin sect and other sects are in, doesn''t allow you to ignore the fox princess."


    Anyone that heard Jin Ruimin speakat first would think he had the best interest of Jin Caihe at heart, but the later part of his words was almost as if he was trying to force the head teacher to agree to become the son-in-law of Princess Yan Xuequi. The likelihood of her becoming the next leader of the fox clan was high, which was what the GuBaiJin sect leader wanted to tap into. Making Jin Caihe feel guilty towards rejecting the granddaughter of the fox king was the aim of Jin Ruimin, who used both subtle and not so subtle means to get the other to give in to the demands of the fox clan royalty.


    "Sect Leader Jin, you have spoken well. I will not treat the marriage proposal of the fox princess lightly. I know the fate of many rests on my decision, when I eventually make up my mind, if it is to marry her I''ll ask for a date to be set for the engagement and marriage."


    Hearing the head teacher made Jin Ruimin think that he was beginning to cave in under the pressure from him. A broad smile appeared on his face to indicate his supposed victory over the head teacher.


    "Head teacher Jin, whatever you decide, we will abide by your wishes."


    The soft voice of Jin Huiyan deflated the bubbly feeling inside of Jin Ruimin, to him it was as if she had concluded that Jin Caihe would not accept the marriage proposal.


    "Thank you Lady Jin, I must take my leave now."


    Not wanting to cause a disagreement between the couple, the head teacher chose not to voice his thought on what she said while giving both a bow, it was clear that the sect leader was all for him taking up the fast lane to wealth and power, while his wife although not openly opposing her husband, she still wanted him to not to feel pressured by agreeing to marry the granddaughter of the Fox King.


    "Go in peace."


    Both Jin Ruimin and Jin Huiyan bade Jin Caihe a farewell, watching as he rose and gave them a salute, before venturing out to return to the DianShu.


    "Do you think he will agree?"


    "Ruimin, it is no longer in our hands, it is not something we can force. What if he rebels? The GuBaiJin sect would not go unharmed."


    "There, There. Let me get you a fresh pot of tea."


    Anytime that the sect leader saw that he and his wife saw differently on a matter, he would do things to divert her attention, in this case it was a fresh cup of tea!


    "Can someone get Lady Jin and I another pot of tea?!"


    This time, a servant ran in to meet the sect leader and his wife.


    "Sect Leader Jin! Lady Jin!"


    The male servant bowed to them, while his eyes remain lowered.


    "Clear the table and bring us a fresh pot of tea!"


    "As you wish Sect Leader Jin."


    The servant hurriedly went to take the tray from the table of Jin Ruimin and Jin Huiyan. He carefully balanced both on the palm of his hands, before curtising to them. They both watched as the servant went to do as asked.


    "Did you notice that headteacher Jin was not his usual self?!"


    "I saw that too. He was acting more oddly when using the magical beast."


    "Rumin, what should we do?"


    "I''ll have someone keep a closer eye on him. Of late I haven''t been doing so, because he had never given me any reason to doubt his loyalty to the sect."


    The two conversed for a while, before their tea was eventually brought in to them.

 73 Rebellion 5

    A lone cultivator walked the grounds in the direction of the DianShu, so lost in thought on various matters. At the age of fifteen he began taking magical pills to suppress the serpent that dwelt within him, but over the course of years its effect began to wane and through sheer willpower and perseverance was he able to evade the scrutiny of other disciples.


    With a forlorn look in his eyes, that held regret for the things he could no longer go back to change. The Fuxi which was supposedly meant to be resting, picked up on the air of gloom surrounding Jin Caihe.


    "Why are you disturbing me?!"


    Just like every reptilian creature, when they didn''t want to be bothered, they would throw a fit and in this case the Fuxi, although a creature of magic was no different in that aspect.


    "I''m not doing anything, go back to what you were doing!"


    The head teacher muttered under his breath, anyone that passed by would have been unable to tell that he was conversing with the magical beast, since the creature''s aura served as a shield to block anyone from hearing them. The two''s aura had become almost one, making it difficult to tell one from the other.


    "You''ve piqued my interest, does the thing that bothers you have to do with the little rascal?"


    The creature was deliberately trying to annoy Jin Caihe by referring to Jin Tieguai that way, he could tell without reading his mind, since it couldn''t in the first place, that the head teacher was seriously considering what he had done towards the bane of the GuBaiJin sect.


    "Don''t refer to him that way!"


    "Aya! Why can''t I?"


    The Fuxi uncoil itself and stretched out lazily inside the body of Jin Caihe, resembling that of disinterest at the head teacher''s flare up.


    "Is he really Sect Leader Jin''s son, I didn''t feel at ease speaking about it while they were there, even though they may not have heard what we were saying."


    "Young master Tieguai, is sect leader Jin''s son which he had with a mortal during his heavenly trial in the mortal realm."


    "How so? I would have known if that were true!"


    "Sect Leader Jin Ruimin made sure to keep anyone from finding out his indiscretion, do you think he would have been held in such a high regard by other sect leaders?!


    "Is that why, he allowed Jin Tieguai despite the disapproval of others at the selection ground?!"


    "Sect Leader Jin must have had his reasons."


    The more Jin Caihe thought about it, that was when it began making sense to him, that the troublemaker of the GuBaiJin sect may actually have the sect leader as his father.


    At that time, he was part of the selection committee, to him the youth Li Tieguai had decent amount of spirit energy and was able to take on the hurdles that came his way. Although, he thought he almost looked a bit like the GuBaiJin sect leader, it never made him think they were father and son. The two brothers had a three year gap in age.


    "That makes Jin Tieguai the first young master and Jin Dongbin the second young master of the GuBaiJin sect!"


    The head teacher could already see a fierce fight and bloodbath among the two brothers, regarding the position as the next leader of the GuBaiJin sect.

 74 Rebellion 6

    Although Jin Dongbin did not treat JinTieguai badly, something within Jin Caihe made him believe that he would cause great harm to Jin Tieguai in the near future. It made the headteacher feel divided towards the two young masters.


    --------


    "Young master Shi! Young master Shi!"


    A senior disciple ran into the hall where the YuanLi sect leader and the young master of the ShenJiangShi sect sat in silence. He prostrated in front of the two, before raising his head up.


    "Has words come from the GuBaiJin sect?!"


    "It is as you said Young master Shi, a letter just came in from Sect Leader Jin!"


    "Hurry! Let me have a look!"


    The disciple ran to where Shi Yunxu was, handing him the letter that came the trusted scribe of the GuBaiJin leader. The good looking youthful lad opened up the sealed parchment that came from the GuBaiJin sect to read its contents.


    It was as the Li Guoliang had said, the other sects had been slaughter by the demon lord''s armies, leaving no remnant behind. Leaders from the remaining sect were to gather at the GuBaiJin sect hall of temperance before nightfall. Li Guoliang could not hide his curiosity, he was already stretching his neck to see what was in the letter that Shi Yunxu was holding in his hands.


    "Sect Leader Li, you may have it."


    Li Guoliang looked at the cheeky young master Shi, he knew that the other saw his unbridledinterest at the message from Jin Ruimin, to hide the edginess, the YuanLi sect leader arched his eyebrows in disdain.


    "Let''s see what Sect Leader Jin has to say."


    Making sure that his fingers never made contact with those of the younger cultivator, Li Guoliang read the missive that came from the GuBaiJin sect.


    "Is the ShenJiangShi sect going to be able to join the war against the demon realm?"


    The young master heard the barb behind the words of Li Guoliang, but chose not to reply in kind.


    "Sect Leader Li, your concern is deeply moving, but I assure you that we at ShenJiangShi sect would not run away from the enemy."


    "Tsk! What would a child like you know! Humph!"


    Shi Yunxu maintained his cordial smile with the overbearing Li Guoliang, underneath the folds of his left arm was fingers that were held in a tight fist. The young master could hardly stand the conceited YuanLi leader, even if he had to eat sand, the young master of the ShenJiangShi sect would not allow the other cultivator to see how much he loathed him.


    "I do have much to learn, but I''m willing to receive advice from Sect Leader Li."


    "The standard of the Pugilistic world has truly fallen!"


    Li Guoliang began to lament, when he heard the young master of ShenJiangShi sect seeking counsel from him. To the proud sect leader, it was unheard of, most especially when the one asing was of a higher rank than him. Shi Yunxu''s father had taken ill some months back, now that the time to reassign a new rank to the other sects was drawing near. It was obvious who would be at the top between the two. One had experience, the other not so much.

 75 Rebellion 7

    "Sect Leader Li, I look forward to seeing you at the assembly of sect leaders."


    "Humph!"


    That was Shi Yunxu''s way of saying that it was time that the YuanLi sect leader take his leave. Angry atbeing dismissed before he said so himself, Li Guoliang tossed the letter to the floor and stormed out of the hall of ShenJiangShi sect.


    The disciple that came in with the letter witnessed all that took place, could not meet the eye of his young master''s because of how he was badly treated by Li Guoliang.


    "One of these days, his angry would be his ruin!"


    Who knew what the words that Shi Yunxu spoke would one day come to pass, because the YuanLi sect leader would come face to face with something that would try him.


    ---------------


    Li Guoliang landed in front of the gate that led into the YuanLi sect, the disciples that kept watch bowed in reverence when they sighted their sect leader.


    "Sect Leader Li!"


    They remained that way, until he had successfully gone through the gate of the sect.


    "Greetings Sect Leader Li!"


    Several maids that were around the vicinity bowed in respect to Li Guoliang.


    "Where is Jiao''er?!"


    "Sect Leader Li. Young miss Li asked that no one disturb her sleep."


    "She is sleeping?! But it''s noon?!"


    "Young miss Li went out...Ha!"


    The maid that spoke to Li Guoliang had her foot stepped on by another maid. It was then that the sect leader''s eyes narrowed.


    "What is it?"


    "It is nothing, Sect leader Li!"


    "What do you mean by nothing?!"


    "Young miss Li only went out to take some fresh air."


    The maid that was stopped, resumed speaking by altering the words she initially wanted to tell Li Guoliang.


    "Speak up! What happened while I was gone?!"


    "One of the disciples came to ask Young Miss Li.....to meet with....the Fox Prince."


    "Fox Prince?! Did the Fox King ever have a son?!"


    Hearing their sect leader question the identity of the visitor that came to see their young mistress made the maids quiver in fear. "Who was the person that came to see young miss Li?!"


    They didn''t need to voice the thought in their head, but it was written all over their faces.


    "Tell me, what did they do? Who received him?!"


    Li Guoliang was furious that someone had come to see his daughter without him being around to know who it was, "What if it was a demon?!"


    The thought came out of nowhere in the mind of the YuanLi sect leader.


    "No! It can''t be true! Every disciple is trained well not to allow just anyone into the grounds of the sect. I''m just being sensitive because of the news about demons going from sect to sect murdering people!"


    The YuanLi sect leader tried to convince himself that he was only overthinking when it came to his daughter, little did he know that he was right on the spot in his perception.

 76 Rebellion 8

    "You are sure that she is still sleeping?!"


    "Sect leader Li we speak the truth. We all saw young miss Li back to her room after the Fox Prince left."


    "Bring me the disciple that saw this fox prince that you all say came to see Jiao''er!"


    A maid fled to do as Li Guoliang commanded, as the rest of them stood terrified in the presence of an angry sect leader. Not too long after, the maid that left came back with the senior disciple that had shone the "fox prince" into the courtyard of the YuanLi sect.


    "Greetings Sect Leader Li!"


    The young man bowed before the waspish sect leader, who looked about ready to knock him down.


    "Sect Leader! You asked for me."


    "What is this I hear about a Fox Prince paying a visit to Jiao''er?!"


    "Sect Leader Li, it is true that a man claiming to be the son of the Fox King came to see Young Miss Li, he showed us prove that he was from the fox clan. His bearing was like those of noble birth."


    "How can that be?! Fox King had daughters! How come there is an heir out of thin air?!"


    The senior disciple shifted on his foot in discomfort not knowing how to allay the anger of his sect leader.


    "According to him, he is the son the union of the Fox King and a maid. His name is Prince Rong."


    "The Fox King and a maid?!"


    Li Guoliang curled his lips as though he had swallowed something very disgusting. "How long can he get, a maid?!"


    He shook his head as though to dispel the thought from his mind.


    "Did he say what he came here for?!"


    "Fox Prince Rong only asked to speak to Young miss Li, he didn''t reveal what he wanted to discuss with her."


    "Jiao''er is asleep, therefore she is the only one that can tell me what he came here to do!"


    "I''m sorry Sect Leader Li, I''ll be more careful next time."


    "Next time?! There would not be a next time! If I am not around and neither have the person paid a visit YuanLi sect, in no way must they be allowed in!"


    "Yes, sect leader Li!"


    "You can leave!"


    The disciple almost lost his footing in a bid to escape from the presence of Li Guoliang, it was obvious that his trip outside made him more irritable.


    "You can all leave!"


    The maids scurried away in fear, not wanting to further annoy their sect leader. Unknown to Li Guoliang, the person that the maids had said was sleeping was actually a clone of his "daughter" whose real body was with Demon Lord Zhurong in a room within the palace of the demon realm.


    The YuanLi sect leader matched towards the courtyard that led to his bedchambers, on the way he met some servants and disciples of the sect.


    "Sect Leader Li!"


    They each gave a respectful bow as Li Guoliang walked past them in fury, which hid the fear in his heart for his daughter.

 77 Rebellion 9

    WuYangChen Sect....


    "Sect Leader Chen! Sect Leader Chen!"


    A very anxious lad ran into the hall where Chen Yueming had a book in his hand, as read from it. Without a care in the world, the sect leader dressed elegantly in a white and red robes set the blue colored back of book face down.


    The disciple that ran in almost fell to the ground at the feet of his sect leader, whom remained unperturbed by the clumsy disposition of the lad, watching as he gave a salute to him.


    "Sect Leader Chen! An urgent message was just received from the GuBaiJin sect!"


    Chen Yueming looked lazily at the youth, "What could be the news contain as to make him so distressed?!"


    The thought swept through the mind of the WuYangChen sect leader, not the type to be easily agitated by what he saw or heard.


    "What could Sect Leader Jin have to say, surely it is not to have a banquet?"


    The frightened disciple did not have the mouth to laugh out at what Chen Yueming said, "How could he find the heart to joke when we are about to be killed?!"


    The thought seemed to reignite the flames of fear in the mind of the young lad, causing his eyes to almost fall off from their sockets.


    "Sect Leader Chen."


    Pulling himself together with the last bit of nerve he had left, the disciple lowered his head while handing the letter from the GuBaiJin sect to his sect leader. The hall the two were in was plain compared to the other halls in the WuYangChen sect, but this was the one that Chen Yueming preferred the most among the rest of them.


    The letter in his hand had been transcribed by one of the disciples of the sect, therefore the lad that delivered it, already knew the contents of the note. Which explained the way he was acting in the presence of Chen Yueming. The "shadow disciples" were the only those that were in charge of interpreting and deciphering the hidden words in the writings sent from other sects were permitted to directly deliver them to their sect leader. This was a way to protect against anyone of gaining insight into sensitive details that involved the sect, if by any chance what was supposed to known by the shadow disciples was heard by everyone, the sect leader would know where to look and who to punish.


    "Oh? We are under attack. Jin Ruimin wants us to gather before him, hmm...that lasted more than I would have thought."


    Chen Yueming made reference to the treaty that was signed between the then Demon Lord Dilong, many lives were lost before then and that happened before Chen Yueming was born. As a young disciple, Feng Yueming of the BaoXu sect especially loved to read history and various events of the past, his belief was that what took place long ago played a role in shaping what was to coming in the distant future.

 78 Rebellion 10

    While, the focus of his infatuation Xu Hui spent time reading on forbidden technique, which she could ended up not being able to use due to her cultivation base at that time. Meanwhile, Feng Yueming did not know of this, he would catch her in the refined section of reading up on what what taught during lessons when he was at her level.


    The treaty came at a heavy price, which the pugilistic world had to agree to giving up the "Mirror of Yao" and the incipient valley where several gemstones out of it was some that was used as currency by various sects. This was a major setback for the cultivation world, as they bitterly had to surrender it to the demon realm, in order to achieve a sense of harmony between both realms. The magical tool was referred to in various ways as either "Eye of Yao" or "Mirror of Yao" by the two realms.


    "I knew there is no such thing as lasting peace, after tearing off our wings and crushing our pride as cultivators. Yet that was still not enough, the arrogant halfwit had the audacity to use what we foolishly handed over to use against us."


    It was then that the disciple knew that his sect leader was very angry, the tone of his voice did not change, but the words alone made the lad conclude that Chen Yueming was not as unaffected as he initially thought him to be when presenting the letter to the sect leader. That sent a wave of reassure into the heart of the other cultivator.


    "Sect Leader Chen, if I may ask, what is your next course of action?"


    The shadow disciple steadfastly looked at the face of Chen Yueming, awaiting the directives of the WuYangChen sect leader.


    "In three hours time, I will be leaving with ten of the most skillful disciples that you can find. Bring them to me, so that I can determine how suitable they are for the journey ahead."


    "As you wish Sect Leader Chen!"


    "You can go ahead and beginning selecting the disciples. Remember that they have to be brought to me, not when I am about to set out."


    Chen Yueming waved his hand dismissively at the disciple, who gavea bow before leaving to fulfil the task that his sect leader had assigned to him.


    "One of these days, I will get my hand on the magical tool and the pride of the pugilistic world!"


    The WuYangChen sect leader made mention of the Mirror of Yao and incipient valley, which he coveted after in his heart. Although, some of the sect leaders shared such thought, not of them were as excessively preoccupied with having them as Chen Yueming and the sect leader of the GuBaiJin sect, Jin Ruimin.


    The magical tool and the mine of precious stones were only part of what Chen Yueming wanted, the other was to become the chief cultivator and dominate the cultivation world!


    It was on this rare occasion that Chen Yueming allowed the greed to show in his eyes, where none was close by to see him in his truest form.

 79 Rebellion 11

    Demon realm...


    "Prince Rong! It is I, Yin Ta!"


    A sharp tap sounded at the door to a room created by Demon Lord Zhurong to chain Xu Hui to his side, none knew of its existence except the some of the men that made a blood oath with him. They had been warned not to reveal his identity to the last descendant of the BaoXu sect. At least that was what the demon lord thought, the other which had been in the mortal world escaped the watchful eyes of the demon realm as a travelling cultivator. It was safe to say that Lin Cheng was beyond the reaches of Demon Lord Zhurong.


    "Enter Yin Ta!"


    The demon soldier carefully turned his eyes from facing the direction of Xu Hui, who appeared to be sleeping. Since her rebirth as the young mistress of the YuanLi sect, Xu Hui slept more and was easily worn out, almost like a newly pregnant woman.


    The handsome soldier prostate before his king, while addressing him in his assumed name.


    "Prince Rong, your humble servant brings you news from the pugilistic world."


    There soft cadence in the voice of the soldier sent ripples through the room, only a handful from the demon realm possessed unique abilities, Yin Ta on the other hand was the one that oversaw the well-being of those from the Royal house of Hei.


    "I''m listening, speak!"


    Just like those from the demon realm, Yin Ta had an unearthly beauty about him, he was dressed in a lime green robe with shining silver hair held rolled in a bun on top of his head and held in place by a sterling silver petaled jade hair stick.


    "Prince Rong...an assembly of sect leaders have been called. They are to meet before eventide, the one that would be heading the gathering is Sect Leader Jin."


    There was a look of serenity on the face of the soldier, as he awaited how the Demon King would take the news he just delivered.


    Meanwhile, Demon Lord Zhurong had his eyes on the sleeping form of his new interest, while paying an ear to the message that Yin Ta had for him. Nothing change in the expression of Hei Zhurong, which had hardly an emotion on them.


    He saw the tray that held some left over delicacies from the realm away from theirs, "How long would this one last?"


    Yin Ta felt sure that the demon lord was back to his old ways, by bringing a new plaything to the demon realm. None of his thoughts reflected in the cool golden eyes that looked at the demon lord, to him the cultivator that laid on the bed of Demon Lord Zhurong was merely there to serve as a passing distraction to his King.


    "Gather the men to meet at the throne room, we would discuss this further when I get there."


    The demon lord did not want to assume that Xu Hui was deep asleep, although she looked that way.

 80 Rebellion 12

    If he had spoken while she was with them on his intention to invade and bring down the other sects, that would have given away his identity as Demon Lord Zhurong and not the Prince Rong that he presented himself as, this would have destroyed his chance of finding out the thing that strongly drew him to Xu Hui. Hei Zhurong wanted to be the one to let her go and not the other way around, should he grow tired of her.


    "Yes, Prince Rong. We will be awaiting your orders at the throne room!"


    Yin Ta postrated once more, before heading out of the room to tell the others of the demon lord''s orders.


    "Xu Hui, I have to leave, but when I return I will bring you to my favorite spot in all the realm."


    Demon Lord Zhurong held the "Eye of Yao" closely under the sleeves of his robes, this was to suppress his demon spirit energy for the thing he was about to do to the female cultivator whose eyes were shut close in a slumber.


    Getting up from where he sat across from her bed, Hei Zhurongwalked to where Xu Hui was, tenderly brushing her hair to the side to place a kiss on her forehead.


    "Sleep well, I will be back shortly."


    The demon lord whispered softly against her skin, gazing at her for awhile before straightening up. Taking one last look at the sleeping figure of Xu Hui, Hei Zhurong strode out of the room, locking the door firmly behind him.


    Xu Hui continued to sleep, unaware that she was surrounded by those from the demon realm, who were plotting a few feet from her to throw the cultivation world into more chao, creating a greater bloodshed than the time of Demon Lord Dilong. The disciple of the BaoXu sect was the demon lord''s captive and not under a Fox Prince as she thought.


    ------------


    Fox Clan...


    "Xuequi."


    "Yes, Aunt Hairong."


    Mou Hairong softly called out to her niece whom she was tasked with to convince her to marry an half immortal. The fox princess looked at her Aunt Princess and felt pity instead of resentment towards her, the possibility of her children returning back to the mortal world was at stake, should she fail to make her niece see the "errors of her ways" by refusing to agree to the marriage to a disciple of the GuBaiJin sect.


    "This is difficult for me."


    There was hesitation and guilt in the eyes of Mou Hairong, knowing that she had married out of love, while her niece had to marry for the sake of power, since neither of his daughters had the raw power that Yan Xuequi possessed.


    "Why does Xuequi have to go through this?! Why?!"


    The Aunt Princess bitterly cried inside of her, at the harsh burden that was as a result of birth and the greed of her father.


    "Xuequi, I know that you didn''t ask to inherit father''s powers, but I can''t leave Yidan and Zimu here."


    Mou Hairong''s eyes pleaded with those of Yan Xuequi, as much as she wanted her niece to find love and a good husband, not the one gotten through an arranged marriage, to the Aunt Princess her children would always come first and that meant betraying the niece she loved dearly.

 81 Rebellion 13

    Demon Realm....


    "Demon Lord Zhurong!"


    The heavy steel dark doors that led to the throne room of the demon lord was swung open by two of the soldiers that stood outside the door. Hearing the announcement made by the armored demon soldiers made the rest that waited inside to bow in greeting to their King.


    There was not a single soldier whose head wasn''t lowered in greeting. As he walked through their mist, the red robes the demon lord wore changed to the dark color of the demon people. Gone was the red and gold crown which was replaced to that of the royal house of Hei.


    Demon Lord Zhurong went straight to where his royal chair was and sat on it,facing his men who were still bowing to him.


    "You may all raise your head."


    They all lifted their head to look at the demon lord, whose face remained aan impassive mask. Among the soldiers that stood in line on opposite sides of the palace room, there was one whose presence commanded fear almost as much as the demon lord. He stood at the head the line facing the left side of the demon lord''s seat


    "Yes, General Hei?!"


    The demon soldier that was referred to as General hei stepped forward and gave a bow to Demon Lord Zhurong.


    "Demon Lord Zhurong, preparation to attack WuYangChen is almost complete, but we have now lost the advantage of a surprise attack, now that the other sects including the WuYangChen sect is already aware of our plan to invade them. They are now more on their guard and could also be getting ready to declare war on us."


    Hei Zhurong looked at his general, whose face revealed nothing of what was going on in his mind, in truth he also thought that going after the other sects would be unwise, since they now knew that he had taken down many cultivation sects.


    Knowing that it was foolhardy to progress with his plan was a thing that he as the demon lord must decide on, because that would determine how fit he was as a ruler to his people. Backing down may be seen as a sign of weakness, although from the looks of things, his general did not want to engage in an meaningless battle if it meant that the enemy already knew of their plans.


    "I''ve heard you General Hei, you may return to your place."


    The demon soldier bowed once again and went back to stand with the rest of the soldiers.


    "Where is Ying Ta?!"


    The demon that was referred to as Ying Ta, was one of the spies under the demon lord, that scouted other cultivation sects, providing the demon lord with all the things he knew from being around them.


    The demon soldier stepped forward from where he stood at the end of the line facing those of General Hei. He was one of those with chameleon-like abilities to blend in wherever he was sent to, unlike those from the demon realm that couldn''t be around those from the pugilistic world, his bloodline made him unaffected by what was considered poison from being around spirit energy of a cultivator. Making it possible for him to live in both realms with ease.

 82 Rebellion 14

    "Demon Lord Zhurong, may you reign forever!"


    Yin Ta bowed in his robes of black to the demon lord, after a while he raised his head to face the one that had summoned him.


    "Tell me all you saw while at the GuBaiJin sect."


    Golden eyes with steady gaze faced those of lilac blue held a trace of glint in them. Yin Ta filed what he saw to the back of his mind for a closer look at a later time. His face turned to one of seriousness as he gave his report to the demon lord.


    "Sect leader Jin has a magical beast at his disposal...."


    "How did he have one, wasn''t Chen Yueming of the WuYangChen sect the only person collecting unimpressive magical beasts?!"


    Demon Lord Zhurong was taken aback by what he heard about the GuBaiJin sect now possessing a magical beast when in the past they didn''t have any, unlike the WuYangChen sect whose sect leader was going after magical beasts with unremarkable powers.


    "A Jin Caihe known to be the headteacher cleverly hid the beast from everyone."


    The spy of the demon lord did not know that there was in fact two magical beasts and not one, on that fateful day when Jin Caihe and his student were engaged in suppressing the out of control spirit energy of the Fuxi, the force sent a shock wave throughout the GuBaiJin sect knocking all of them unconscious, not even Yin Ta of the demon realm could escape the effect of two strong magical beasts.


    "What does it look like?"


    "It resembles a green eyed snake with wings almost like that of a dragon, it''s scales are shiny and almost invisible. I snuck into their library and found out that the magical beast is known by the name Fuxi."


    Yin Ta was able to describe the appearance of the creature to the demon lord, during that rare moment when the Fuxi left the threshold of the GuBaiJin sect and took to the air in various directions.


    "Fuxi?! How can a sect like the GuBaiJin possess that level of magical beast?!"


    The demon lord was right to question how such a powerful creature happen to fall into the hand of a youth whose cultivation base was not that high to take down such a powerful beast.


    It was either the creature was hibernating and at his lowest energy when Jin Ruimin struck or it could be that he was just lucky to have gained a shockingly boost in his spirit energy at the time when the magical beast was taken down.


    Hei Zhurong was now presented with a new obstacle, because he like many rulers loved to read and through that apart from what his spy told him, the Fuxi during hibernation was red and when pregnant would turn blue, at birth and in death the creature was take on the color of green. This was symbolic to show that its boundless amount of spirit energy. It was the type that rarely showed itself to others unless it was in an hibernation state, which was why the demon lord suspected that Jin Ruimin must have taken advantage of the Fuxi and killed it at its weakest state.

 83 Rebellion 15

    WuYangChen Sect...


    Chen Yueming spent years refining the core from the magical beasts he hunted, making medicinal pills and using part of them to increase his cultivation base. Although they were somewhat inferior, he chose to make use of them to avoid drawing untold attention to his sect.


    For some time now, the sect leader had begun suspecting that there were spies within the WuYangChen sect. To protect his wife and new born son, Chen Yueming made it look like he was attending the assembly of sect leaders.


    What the WuYangChen leader did was to use his power to create a clone of him and his family, with the help of his improved cultivation skills and the spirit energy that he had absorbed from several magical beast. It was almost impossible to tell which one was the real one or fake when both are placed side by side.


    Inside the chamber of Chen Liling was a newborn curdled in the arm of his wet nurse, while his mother was quilting. Lady Chen was not much into needlework, but since the young master of the WuYangChen sect was her first child, she wanted to be the one to make his first clothings.


    "Sect Leader Chen must be over himself with joy after young master''s birth!"


    Many of the chambermaids and wet nurse smiled at what the other maid said, even though they wanted to laugh they couldn''t because the baby was asleep and most importantly was because they feared disrespecting their mistress. Chen Jue slept soundly in the arms of his wet nurse.


    "A-Jue is going to be just like Sect Leader Chen, WuYangChen sect will continue to flourish!"


    The others did not miss the brown nosing of the maid, who was trying her hardest to be noticed by her mistress.


    Chen Liling kept on with her needlework, making several stitches into the red garment of her son. A short while later, there was a knock at the door.


    "Who is there?!"


    Several voices spoke at once to question who was knocking at the door of their mistress.


    "Chen Yueming."


    Those two sentences made the people inside inhale sharply, they turned to face the mistress of the WuYangChen sect.


    "Lady Chen, Sect Leader Chen is waiting outside your door, what would you like for us to do?!"


    Several pair of eyes looked at the delicate beauty that sat quilting on the bed, her rosy lips lifted in the sign of a smile.


    "Open the door for Yueming."


    It was no secret that Chen Liling loved her husband, but the same could not be said for Chen Yueming, the thing about obsession and infatuation was that once left unresolved, it would continue to fester like a disease without cure. Even though the disciple whom Chen Yueming was fixated to was thought to have died, the sect leader still kept her close to his heart. To his wife, the sect leader remained cordial and treated her well, but there was always that distance between the two that many from the sect could pick up on.

 84 Rebellion 16

    One of the servants ran to open the door to allow their sect leader into the bedchambers of his wife. The room was done in the red color of the WuYangChen sect. They all bowed in greeting when Chen Yueming entered the room, while his wife, Chen Liling placed the red and white garment to the side as she rose on her feet to greet her husband. The sect leader went to where the wet nurse was and gestured for her to pass the baby to him.


    "You can all leave."


    Chen Yueming ordered the people that tended to his wife and son to vacate the room, so that he could speak to his wife in private. None of them waited to be told a second time, as each hurried out of the room.


    It was only when he saw that they were the only ones left, did he turn to face his wife with a look of reassurance in his eyes.


    "Lady Chen, take A-Jue with you. Very soon, WuYangChen sect would be under the control of the demon lord. When it is safe, I will bring both of you back."


    The eyes of Chen Liling widened to one of shock at being told that demons were coming after WuYangChen sect.


    "Are you also coming with us?!"


    Chen Yueming slowly shook his head, letting his wife know that he would be staying behind to safeguard the sect. He reached into the sleeves of his robe and pulled out an spatial ring. It was a magical tool that was gifted to Chen Yueming during hisbetrothal to Chen Liling.


    "Where did you get that?!"


    The mistress of the WuYangChen sect eye widened after seeing the shining silver ring on the palm of her husband.


    "It was a betrothal gift, I''ll tell you about it someday."


    Chen Yueming drew closer to his wife and handed their son to her, "Look after A-jue, I promise that when all this is over. I will come back and get the both of you."


    The WuYangChen sect leader spoke solemnly as he gaze into the eyes of his wife, before looking at the sleeping face of his son. Taking one of her hand, Chen Yueming, placed the ring on her palm and folded them.


    "Close your eyes and it would do the rest."


    Tears began running down the eyes of Chen Liling, the mistress of the WuYangChen sect was terrified of leaving a place that she had known all her life for the unknown.


    "Lady Chen!"


    The voice of her husband snapped Chen Liling from her despair, with much trembling, she closed her eyes and both she and the son in her arms was enveloped in a swirling mass that led to an alternate illusionary world.


    Lady Chen and young master Chen disappeared into the alternate dimension created by the spatial ring. It was after the opening was sealed shut, that was when the WuYangChen sect leader without any show of emotion strode out of the room to set his plans into motion.

 85 Rebellion 17

    One after the other sect leaders were welcomed into the GuBaiJin''s hall of purity where discussion was to take place regarding war against the demon lord and his armies. Greetings was exchanged among the sect leaders as they came through the gates of the GuBaiJin sect, each sat in a seat by the other inside the large, but spacious hall known to be one of the most magnificent halls in the sect.


    Young master Shi Yunxu attended in place of his ailing father, he sat beside Chen Yueming of the WuYangChen sect, Li Guoliang was on the last seat with a table in front. The arrangement was done in a way that it will not call attention to the missing leaders of other sects who had died tragically under the hands of Demon Lord Zhurong. Jin Ruimin of the GuBaiJin sect sat at the head of the table, he had a look of severity on his face while looking across the room at the other sect leaders that sat below from him talking idly with one another. The symbol of the GuBaiJin sect was flown in several directions of the hall. Li Guoliang was speaking to Chen Yueming, leaving out Young master Shi from their conversation.


    "Aya! Sect Leader Li, is Lady Li doing well?"


    "Sect Leader Chen, my daughter no longer has the heart condition that her mother had, since the time she was pulled out of the water."


    "You said she was playing with the other servants and she fell?!"


    "Yes, Physician Shen checked her after she was brought into her room by the servants, he later called me to the side and said that Jiao''er can now cultivate!"


    Sect Leader Li spoke excitedly to Chen Yueming who looked in wonder when he heard that the useless young mistress of the YuanLi sect could now be of use to her father who single handedly held the sect together for years and raised it from its eighth rank to a third rank within the space of three years, some of it came through clean means and the others not so decent.


    "I should pay a visit to the YuanLi sect and see for myself that Lady Li has truly improved as you said, Lady Chen may also come along after regaining her strength from almost passing to the great beyond."


    Chen Yueming smiled cordially at the other sect leader that he was conversing with, subtly letting the other know that his wife had just given birth and would need to remain within the WuYangChen sect for a month.Li Guoliang smiled with understanding, as he listening attentively to Chen Yueming.


    Unknown to the YuanLi sect leader, it was not the actual body of Chen Yueming he was conversing with, but a clone of himself, the real body was keeping an eye on the meeting some distance away in an underground secret room within the WuYangChen sect.


    Shi Yunxu pasted a smile on his face while looking around the hall where he was seated, being the youngest of the sect leaders put the young master of the ShenJiangShi sect at a disadvantage, because to them, he was considered a chick in the midst ofravenous eagles.

 86 Rebellion 18

    The only thing that outwardly showed the impatience of young master Shi was the way he was holding the hand fan by tapping it against his thigh. Eventually, Jin Ruimin gave a cough which signaled the others that the meeting was about to commence.


    "Greetings Sect Leader Jin!"


    The three leaders from other sects rose from their seats and gave a respectful bow to the chief cultivator of the pugilistic world, the sect leader of the GuBaiJin sect gestured with his hand for them to return to their seats.


    "News of untold sadness has reached my ears about how the other sects were massacred by those from the demon realm. According to customs, a date and time must be set to mourn the great loss that has befallen our world! Sadly, there is no time to go to each sect to pay our respect, but after this war is over! We shall all meet and give each of them and properly send them off!"


    Jin Ruimin had mixed emotions regarding the complete annihilation of five sects, for one it brought the morales of the other cultivators and reduced the powers of the cultivation world if they chose to battle the demon realm. The GuBaiJin sect leader had two powerful magical beasts under his control, his son, Jin Tieguai was one and the other was Jin Caihe.


    Behind the mask of righteous fury was a cold calculating leader and father, who would use his family and his people to further his ambition. He had known of the power of the magical beast that dwelt in his son to suppress those of Jin Caihe, since it was artificially created and embedded into his son at birth. The ominous warning from the slain magical beast made him read more about the Fuxi and it was during the endless time searching through various manuscripts and scrolls that he found out that a falcon type magical beast could bite off the tail of the serpent beast. As a cautious man, Jin Ruimin decided to make use of his son as a weapon to guard against the vengeful creature in the event it made good of his promise and struck hard at the GuBaiJin sect.


    Nothing is ever a coincidence, at least when it came to the sect leader of the GuBaiJin sect, for years now the crafty man although he did not fully know how the serpent would pull back, but he was counting on the magical beast inside of his son to put the Fuxi in its place. Had he known that controlling the powers of the creature meant that Jin Tieguai and Jin Caihe enter an illicit relationship, would the sect leader still have chosen to keep those two together at the GuBaiJin sect? This was a question that only Jin Ruimin could answer whether truthfully or with deceit. On the other hand, Chen Yueming did not know that the powers that he had been accumulating for years may not be able to stand in the face of those of Jin Ruimin.

 87 Rebellion 19

    "A message has been sent to declare war on the demon realm. We all need to stand as one and meet at the incipient valley with your disciples to bring the reign of the demon lord to an end!"


    The Incipient valley was a place of significance to those of the cultivation world, Sect Leader Jin made it their standoff point because he wanted to reclaim the lost treasure for himself. During the finally battle that occured over a hundred years ago, according to ancient writings, the demon kingdom could not be entered easily by any cultivator, because of its poisonous air and the amount of power that would be required to break down the barrier that led into it.


    To Jin Ruimin, the valley was the ideal location to fight it out and rebuild everything that was stolen by those of the demon realm.


    "Sect Leader Jin, who would be leading the battle?"


    Li Guoliang asked, even though he knew that the most powerful sect should be the oneat the back while the lesser sects should be at the forefront, he still wanted to hear it from the mouth of Jin Ruimin if he would be taking the front seat as he led his men into war.


    "I and the GuBaiJin disciples that would follow me will remain on standby while the WuYangChen sect would lead the battle with YuanLi sect and ShengJiangShi sect lending a hand."


    Li Guoliang looked stunned, he wasn''t expecting Jin Ruimin to place Chen Yueming at the front of the battle. Compared to the other sects the WuYangChen sect was supposed to be the least in battle prowess.


    Shi Yunxu''s eyes narrowed when he heard what Sect Leader Jin said, "Isn''t the GuBaiJin sect meant to stay at the forefront? Why is he asking that weakling to take his place?!"


    "Young master Shi, is there something you would like to add?"


    Jin Ruimin face became one of mild inquiry, such that anyone that saw it would have thought him to be a great leader that respected the opinions of others.


    Rather than giving in to the impulse of saying what was on his mind, since one of the sect leader could not stand him, while the other barely tolerated his presence, by hardly giving him a look while chatting with Sect Leader Li. Speaking his mind would not lead anywhere, from the looks of it, if the YuanLi sect leader wasn''t protesting the decision, even though in ranks the ShengJiangShi sect was higher, young master Shi could not afford to offend any of them with what he had to say.


    "Sect Leader Jin, your strategy is flawless, we at ShenJiangShi sect would go along and lend our support to ending the rule of the demon lord."


    "Well said of a true leader!"


    The way he spoke caught Li Guoliang off guard, it was as if the young lad had suddenly become a sage in his thinking. The look on the YuanLi sect leader made Chen Yueming to change sides by speaking up for the young leader of the ShenJiangShi sect.


    "Young master Shi, you would make a fine sect leader. Your words are thoughtful and sincere, I''m sure your father, Sect Leader Shi would be proud of your growth."


    Hearing the WuYangCheng sect leader praise him, made Shi Yunxu choked up inside that he had to nod in response to Chen Yueming, who patted him gently on the back. Li Guoliang looked from one to the other not ready to admit that young master Shi was garnering the respect of both the chief cultivator and the sect leader Chen.

 88 Rebellion 20

    "Greetings, Sect Leader Jin!"


    A disciple of the GuBaiJin sect walked in, giving the other leaders in the room a greeting while bowing to each one in the robes of their sects.


    "Sect Leader Li! Young master Shi! Sect Leader Chen!"


    On the face of the disciple was agitation, not knowing what the contents of the letter that was in his hand contained. Not only did he bow but prostrated after the general greeting. One look at the note in the hand of his disciple was all Jin Ruimin needed to know where it came from, the ash gray colored letter was the one used by those from the demon realm. The gates leading to the GuBaiJin sect was heavily guarded to protect those that came to the assembly of sect leaders.


    "Sect Leader Jin, a letter just came in from the Demon Lord! His emissary is standing outside our gates!"


    A glowing dark opal stone formed the seal on the folded thick paper, if by any means the glow disappeared, the letter was set to turn to dust. The emissary from the demon realm, was none other than Yin Ta in his mask. None had seen what the face of those from the demon realm looked like, therefore it was a general assumption that they were ugly and utterly wicked!


    "Let me have a look at it!"


    The male disciple, made haste and handed the letter from Demon Lord Zhurong to his sect leader. Jin Ruimin had to clench his teeth from the searing pain that went through his body from taking off the seal on the letter, which served to not only hide the message within, but subdue the demon energy that came with it. Demons and cultivators could hurt each other through coming in close contact with each''s energy, unlike those from the demon realm whose skin was almost impenetrable, those from the cultivation world were more likely to be harmed by demon energy through their skin. While, demons are affected by inhaling air filled with pure spirit energy which usually came from a cultivator.


    The chief cultivator read through the demon lord''s writing, which were as though they were writing in wisps of charcoal sand. At the end of the letter was a warning to the sect leader of the note disappearing by itself. After he was done reading, Jin Ruimin set the letter on the table by the side of his chair.


    "Sect Leader Jin, what does the letter say?!"


    A look of worry was on the face of the GuBaiJin sect leader.


    "Tell Demon Lord Zhurong that I agree with him in calling off the war!"


    "Explain to us the reason for asking us to withdraw from battling the demon lord!"


    Li Guoliang blatantly questioned the chief cultivator in the presence of the others, he wanted to know why Jin Ruimin was giving up so easily. If he could see the other''s mind then he wouldn''t be showing his displeasure.


    "Yes Sect Leader Jin, I will let the emissary know that you do not want to continue with the war!"


    The disciple bowed to his sect leader and the other sect leaders, before taking off to deliver the message of Jin Ruimin to the soldier from the demon realm.

 89 Rebellion 21

    "Sect Leader Li, Demon Lord Zhurong has agreed not to go to war and is willing to negotiate should we not willingly give in to his request."


    Li Guoliang looked extremely angry at what the GuBaiJin sect leader said, "When does the offender become someone that should be easily forgiven?!"


    To show his rage the YuanLi sect leader got up and shouted at Jin Ruimin.


    "I will not sit idly by as you allow the demon lord to do as he wants, many people have died and all you can say is for us to peaceful agree to what he says?! You make their death seem like it was in vain!"


    He turned to the other sect leaders to see if any of them were in support of what he said,Sect Leader Chen narrowly avoided his eyes, while Shi Yunxu looked him in the eyes and shrugged his shoulders.


    This made Li Guoliang livid, seeing that neither of them took his side in standing up to a misguided chief cultivator.


    "You can all keep quiet and choose to save yourselves today, but who knows if any of you wouldsoon be next!"


    Jin Ruimin sat in silence as the YuanLi sect leader was giving off steam fromhis supposed laxity. He waited for the other to quieten down, before address all of them.


    "Sect Leader Li, you''ve spoken well, but did you consider the lives that could be lost today? What if the heavens was giving us a better chance to become well prepared? I believe it is time I bring up the marriage proposal from the Fox King."


    Sect Leader Jin kept his anger under wraps as he spoke, he wasn''t in the least bit happy to lose face while the leaders of the other sects where there to witness it, but knowing that if the marriage to the Fox clan was to succeed, they would become a reliable ally in bringing down Demon Lord Zhurong.


    "The Fox King proposed marriage to the GuBaiJin sect? Why? Didn''t the people from the Fox clan shun those from the cultivation sect?!"


    This time it was Chen Yueming who voiced out his opinion regarding the matter.


    "...."


    Li Guoliang had a confused look on his face, as he thought of the strange visitor that came to his sect when he was away at the ShenJiangShi sect.


    "Does...the Fox King have a son?"


    The YuanLi sect leader did not know why he felt uneasy at the other sect''s invitation from the fox clan.


    "What do you mean Sect Leader Li, of course not! The Fox King does not have an heir, all of his two children are daughters!"


    Li Guoliang suddenly felt as though the world was crashing on him, his hands and feet shook as he blindly searched for his seat.


    "Sect Leader Li?!"


    Chen Yueming of the WuYangChen sect called out to the dazed Li Guoliang, whose face hadbecome very pale.


    "If the Fox King did not have a son, then who was the one that came to see his daughter?!"


    As the thought entered his mind, the sect leader jumped out of his seat.


    "Please pardon my imprudence, but I have to leave! My daughter''s life is at stake!"


    Not waiting to be told he had to leave, Li Guoliang dashed out of the hall of purity to make his way back to the YuanLi sect, where he could confirm with his eyes if his daughter was still alive. This time, Jin Ruimin could not hide the surprise from his face at the strangeness of the YuanLi sect leader.

 90 Rebellion 22

    The assembly had to come to an end with sect leader Jin promising to give further details about the marriage proposal when next he calls for the assembly of sect leaders. In a way, Jin Ruimin was relieved as this would reduce any undue pressure that came with expectation from the other leaders regarding the head teacher of his sect agreeing to marry the fox princess. At the time when the assembly was held, Jin Caihe had not given his decision, therefore if the GuBaiJin sect leader had blurted it out without the other coming to agreement with it, that could have caused Jin Ruimin to further lose face among the other sect leaders.


    Neither of the sect leaders stayed back for food and drink, each returned to their sect thinking of what took place at the assembly.


    Jin Ruimin had to secretly seek out the spies that he kept on the YuanLi sect, by sending a bird to give out a message to gather at their secret location that night.


    Moving with great stealth and agility, the sect leader passed through the barrier out and scalded through the wall of the GuBaiJin sect in a cloak of black.


    It was at an inn in a town not too far from the sect, the innkeeper being a spy for Jin Ruimin, did not ask any question as he led him up the stairs to a room that wasreserved for him.


    The man looked much older than Jin Ruimin, one would say he was at the most sixty years of age which was an almost twenty year difference between him and the sect leader, he wore a plain blue robe with dark boots and his hair was wrapped in a blue cap. Beards and mustache had become almost completely white and a his face that looked withered with age. Although he was showing signing of having a crooked back, he was still considered one of the fasted spies under the control of the GuBaiJin sect leader. None of the spies were allowed to have a name and each responded to distinct whistle by their leader.


    The man pulled the door open on the seventh room to the left facing the stairs, while balancing the paper lamp on the other hand. This was specifically chosen should Jin Ruimin ever had the need to leave quickly without raising too much suspicion.


    "This is your room Sir. Enjoy your night with us at Taishang inn."


    "..."


    The inn keeper could not refer to Jin Ruimin by his title, thereby choosing to improvise with the way he addressed him. Also, the sect leader could not say much, instead he nodded in gratitude and walked into the brightly lit room. The innkeeper quietly closed the door closed firmly behind the leader of the GuBaiJin sect.


    That was when Jin Ruimin took off the hood to reveal his face to the man that had been waiting for him in the room.


    "Greetings Sect Leader Jin, I''ve been able to uncover the occurrence at YuanLi sect."


    The man took off his hood and the face that looked back at Jin Ruimin was those of General Hei. No one would have believed that the GuBaiJin sect leader on the outside looked as though he was for righteousness, but instead he was dining with those from the demon realm. None knew that it was staged, the two took a seat from each other in the inn''s room with a table of wine set in front of them.


    "What is Demon Lord Zhurong up to?"


    "How sharp of you to be able to tell that it was Demon Lord Zhurong pulling the strings at YuanLi sect!"


    There was mild inquiry in the voice of Jin Ruimin, while those of General Hei answered with one of chilly amusement.

 91 Misgiving 1

    Li Guoliang rushed into into the courtyard of his "daughter" with the servants following closely behind him.


    "Is Jiao''er asleep?!"


    It was almost eight in the evening when he arrived at the YuanLi sect, around this time was when the disciples of the sect were in bed with some already fast asleep.


    "We will try to wake young miss Li up."


    None of them dare to go against their sect leader who looked about ready to break down the door to her room, to see if she was alive.


    Without wasting any time, they began pounding at the door of Li Jiao''s bedchambers, while Li Guoliang impatiently waited outside the door with them.


    "Can someone get me something to tear down this door!"


    The YuanLi sect leader roared at the servants, who were about to do as he asked only to hear movements within the bedchambers of Li Jiao.


    "Sect Leader Li, young miss Li must be awake."


    They all sighed in relief, as they waited for the door to be opened by their sect leader''s daughter. It wasn''t long when the door was thrown open by Xu Hui who by this time was in a fresh robe of purple. When Li Guoliang''s eyes landed on those of "his daughter" that made the bulk of his worry vanish into thin air.


    "Jiao''er, why do you sleep so much?"


    Li Guoliang''s brown wrinkled in worry as he looked at those of his daughter who seem to be somewhat pale.


    "I''m sorry to bring you so much distress, Father! I''m only a little tired and didn''t know that time had gone while I was asleep."


    The YuanLi sect leader reached for her hand and held them in one of comfort, the thought that came to him was why she was looking too pale.


    "Sect Leader Chen is going to pay us a visit sometime in the future."


    Li Guoliang changed the direction of the conversation to a less somber one.


    "Father, did he say when he was going to coming?"


    Xu Hui forced her voice to remain steady as she asked him when her nemesis was going to be showing his face.


    "Don''t let it concern you, it is too far for now. Why don''t you tell me what happened with the visitor from the fox clan?"


    Li Guoliang looked at Xu Hui as he waited to hear what she had to say about the person that claimed to be the Fox King''s son. He couldn''t bring himself to refer to the visitor as the fox prince.


    "You mean Prince Rong?"


    The clone acted just like the way the real daughter would have behaved, smiling pleasantly as she spoke to Li Guoliang.


    "Let us continue our talk outside, you''ve been on your feet for too long."


    "Yes, Father."


    The servants that stood behind the sect leader, had to step back to pave way for him and "his daughter"as the two walked side by side towards the main hall of the YuanLi sect. None saw the glint that subtly passed through the eyes of the clone who had a prearrangement with the demon lord to act in the place of Xu Hui.

 92 Misgiving 2

    Fox Clan...


    "Aunt Hairong, I''ve heard your side. I know that what you said is not out of selfishness. I''ll plead with the Fox King to give me time to ready myselffor the life he has planned for me."


    Mou Hairong nodded solemnly, there was pity reflected in her eyes.


    "Xuequi, let''s both inform him of your decision."


    The two made their way back to where the Fox King sat with his grandchildren sitting by him.


    "Fox King, Princess Xuequi is now of age and would like to share her decision with you."


    Fox King Yan beckoned for them to draw closer so that he could hear what his daughter and first grandchild had to say.


    Yan Xuequi drew closer with her aunt and prostrated before her grandfather, although it was not necessary to go that far in giving him a greeting, the fox princess chose to do so because of what she had to ask of him.


    Nothing reflected in the eyes of the proud king, who waited for her to rise on her feet and speak the words that she had for him from her mouth.


    "Fox King, I will marry the man you choose for me, but allow me to get rid of my lingering attachments and I would do whatever you ask of me."


    The grandfather of Princess Xuequi looked as though he was giving thought to what she said,there was a thoughtful look reflected in his eyes. Inside of her, Mou Hairong wished that her father would allow her niece the short lived freedom that she sought, without hindering her.


    "Lingering attachments...."


    The Fox King trailed the words almost as if he wanted to find out what it was that his granddaughter was keeping from him.


    "If I allow you to do as you wish, how will I know that you will return to carry out your duties when the time comes?"


    Yan Xuequi''s eyes shrunk with disappointment, it was clear her grandfather was questioning her loyalty as a member of the royal family of the fox clan. Not that she could blame him, since he trusted no one but himself.


    "What could be more twisted than locking one''s wife up for years without any thought of releasing her from the prison he placed her in?"


    This was the thing that ran through the mind of the fox princess while facing the Fox King with a determined look on her face.


    "Who among you would stand in place if she defaults on her word?!"


    The timid one among his daughters remained silent, Mou Hairong stared at her sister hoping that she would at least make a move to tell their father that she was going to serve as a surety for her daughter, instead Princess Meifeng was looking down and kept fidgeting with her fingers.


    "I''ll stand in for her! On the condition that my children remain in the mortal world with their father!"


    "Agreed!"


    The answer came swiftly from the Fox King, as he closely watched the two who looked more like they were mother and child.


    Mou Hairong held the hand of her niece as she looked at her father straight in the eye to let him know that, despite making her to pick sides, she was going to protect both her niece and children. Having betrayed her once, the Aunt Princess wasn''t going to let her niece down the second time. The look that Yan Xuequi gave to her Aunt was one of gratitude, knowing that it must have taken a lot for her to give up being with her children and husband in the mortal realm.


    "Take care of Yidan and Zimu for me. Tell Yaxin that he shouldn''t worry because I will return soon."


    The eyes of both women shook as each fiercely fought back tears from falling from their eyes.

 93 Misgiving 3

    Mortal Realm...


    Things went on as usual for the Mou family, after the twins and their cousin returned from the fox clan to their home in Yiting town. Yan Xuequi was busy in the outdoor kitchen preparing for their afternoon meal when she noticed something amiss on seeing just one of her cousins.


    "Zimu, where is Yidan?"


    Yan Xuequi noticed that the older twin was not playing with his brother as he usually did, that made her to ask his younger brother where he could be, since the two were almost inseparable.


    "I...don''t know..."


    The look of uncertainty in the eyes of the little boy made the fox princess almost panic at the thought that something must have happened to his brother.


    Yan Xuequi reached out to pat the head of her cousin, as though to tell him that it was no fault of his that his brother was missing.


    It was mid morning and Mou Yaxin their father had already gone out to fish for the day. Leaving the three of them in the house by themselves.


    Closing her eyes, Yan Xuequi released a portion of her spirit energy to see if it will resonate with those of her kind, that way she could tell if her cousin was somewhere in the house. Mou Zimu stood quietly by his cousin as he watched the tendril of red spirit energy spring forth from the body of Yan Xuequi.


    It was faint, but the fox princess could pick up traces of Mou Yidan''s spirit energy in his human form, "It''s okay Zimu, I''ve found your brother. Come, let''s go see him."


    The fox princess had been warned not to use her powers in the mortal realm, but now that her cousin was nowhere to be found, she had no other choice but to break the rule if it meant finding her little cousin.


    Mou Zimu responded to the soft voice of his cousin who held onto his hand, while tagging behind her towards the courtyard that was the room of the twins, they both passed to a tree that had colorful flowers on them on approaching the entrance to led into the bedchamber.


    The fox princess released the hand that held Mou Zimu and reached for the door of the twins room. On getting inside the clean, but simple room there was no one inside.


    The younger twin eyes went straight to the bed, Yan Xuequi followed the direction of her cousin and saw where they landed.


    "I sense Yidan is in the room, but why is Zimu looking at the bed when there is no one on it?!"


    Puzzled by the way her cousin was acting, Yan Xuequi drew close to the bed by the wall and after turning over the covers and reaching down to look under the bed, did she eventually see a Mou Yidan lying there in a fetal position,having cried himself to sleep. This was why the aura of the half fox half human felt faint to the fox princess, because it was during sleep their aura was almost undetectable.


    Yan Xuequi gently tucked him into the bed that she had pulled him from underneath, she turned to Zimu who was silently waiting by her side as he looked at the face of his brother.


    "Zimu, thanks for helping me find Yidan."


    "Aunt Xuequi...."


    "Yes, Zimu?"


    The fox princess waited to hear what her cousin had to tell her, he looked about ready to cry.


    "Please don''t tell father."


    "I won''t tell him, as long as you promise to look out for your brother."


    Mou Zimu nodded at what his cousin said, while looking at the bed where his brother was sleeping, it wasn''t long until the little child bursted into tears. It was then that, the fox princess knew that the little child had been trying to put a brave face while worrying about his older brother.


    Yan Xuequi lifted Mou Zimu from the ground and held him in a soothing embrace.


    "Would you like to keep Yidan company?"


    When she saw him nod at what she said, the fox princess placed the younger brother by the side of his twin, who cuddled his older brother. The younger twin eventually fell asleep, Yan Xuequi watched both of them with a gentle smile on her face, before turning around to leave their room.

 94 Misgiving 4

    Days after the assembly came to an end, life continued at the other sects. At the GuBaiJin sect, morning lesson was one of tension rather than the usual hilarity that came from the mischief maker of the sect. Although, most of the classmates of Jin Tieguai did not get along well with him, but they secretly looked forward to what he would do each time they were in class. Rather than his usual highly spirited self, he was more mellow and wasn''t talking as much or getting their head teacher worked up with his antics.


    "What is wrong with Jin Tieguai? I she sick?!"


    The disciple named Jin An asked no one in particular while he spoke in his usual timid way.


    "Isn''t it a good thing?!"


    "I didn''t say it wasn''t, but I think something must have happened to him. You know the saying that where there is smoke there''s bound to be fire!"


    Jin An looked expectantly at the faces of his fellow junior disciples, who sat close to him and the young master of the GuBaijin sect.


    "I don''t care for Jin Tieguai, the quieter he is the better!"


    "Yes! That''s true! I agree with Jin Xiangu! Him not speaking in class is a good thing! By now, head teacher Jin would have stopped his teachings to punish him, thereby delaying us for another hour or two. I don''t miss those days I tell you!"


    Jin Xinze spoke with passion as the others listened with keen interest to what he was saying.


    "That was harsh! He looks like a puppy that has been kicked around too many times, Haahaaa!!!!"


    The young master of the GuBaiJin sect stepped in to take sides with Jin Tieguai, he was the type that looked very nice and chose his words carefully so as not reveal the resentment he held for the bane of the sect.


    "You are too kind Young master Jin, I wish everyone was like you. That Jin Tieguai should be left to himself, I don''t know of anyone that likes him. If only he could be more considerate of others!"


    Jin Xinze shook his sad to show how pathetic he thought Jin Tieguai was to the rest of them. The Head teacher had stepped out to speak to their sect leader, leaving them with a compulsory study time, which they turned into one of gossip.


    "I''m just waiting for the day when he would be kicked out!"


    "Don''t say that, we are not to bear ill will towards the less fortunate."


    There was a veiled jab in the words of Jin Dongbin towards Jin Tieguai while reprimanding Xiangu for bad mouthing another disciple.


    "I''m sorry young master Jin, but you always speak well of him! He doesn''t deserve to be treated well!"


    The disciple looked as though he was pouting, while the others that listened to their conversation looked somewhat uncomfortable at the way Jin Dongbin was not showing any animosity towards the troublemaker of their class.


    As they spoke, Jin Tieguai kept quiet and pretended not to have heard all the things they were saying behind his back, because he was in fact sitting directly in front of them, hearing all they were saying about him!

 95 Misgiving 5

    Demon Realm...


    Prince Zhurong entered into the room where he held Xu Hui hostage in the demon realm, after the meeting with his soldiers and Genreral Hei came to an end. On entering in, he saw that she was now awake and was looking around the room, he wouldn''t have put it past her to have tried the door to escape out of the room.


    "Prince Rong!"


    There was hardly any sound when the demon lord came through the door, it must have been that she caught a glimpse of him through the corner of her eyes, before going inside, Demon Lord Zhurong changed his robes and crown to what it was when he came to see Xu Hui at the YuanLi sect. This way his clothing would not give him away as one from the demon realm, since he had been able to convince her that he was from the fox clan, at least that was how it looked to the demon lord.


    "You''re awake, would you like me to show you to the most beautiful spot in the fox clan?"


    Demon Lord Zhurong, took a detour after his meeting with soldiers from his army to use his demon energy to create a garden of purple plum flowers out of the desert-like grounds of the demon realm. After he was done, did he return to see Xu Hui in her room.


    "What is it like?"


    Xu Hui had a look of curiosity which caused her midnight eyes to light up, to her this was a chance to break free from where she was and see something that didn''t resemble the four corners of her room.Although, it was done in a way that wasn''t too lavish, she could see that the colors and fabric used in furnishing was not made cheaply.


    "I''ll show you when we get there, but first, I have to cover your eyes, because I want it to be a surprise to you."


    Hei Zhurong smiled lazily at the look of sudden distrust in the eyes of Xu Hui, "How great could it be for him to ask that my eyes be covered?! I guess I''ll have to wait until he brings me there to find out. What is he smiling at?!"


    The BaoXu disciple''s eyes narrowed further when the smile of the demon lord was starting to cause her a bit of an irritation.


    "Xu Hui, do you want to remain in your room, or come with me to see my secret hideout in the fox clan?"


    Demon Lord Zhurong drew closer to her with only a little distance left between them.


    "I''ll go, but I wouldn''t stand for any tricks! Don''t touch more than what is deemedacceptable!"


    The demon lord roared in laughter, he thought it funny that his captive was laying down rules for him to follow.


    "If I decide to go against all you said, what would you do?!"


    Hei Zhurong threw the BaoXu disciple a challenge, who looked quite shock at the shameless way that he was acting towards her, unable to hold it in, Xu Hui pointed at him in anger and stammered, "Y..You!"


    Looking at her made the demon lord question if he was digging his grave with all the lies that he had told her. This made him wonder if the day would come when he could no longer separate truth from deception.

 96 Misgiving 6

    Demon Lord Zhurong stretched out a hand to pull Xu Hui to her feet, the two stood side by side in the small room. He was taller than her by a couple of inches, but not so much that she had to strain to look a him.


    "Close your eyes."


    The demon lord gave the command in a deep soft voice, hearing it made Xu Hui to feel somewhat self conscious of his presence which was almost too close for her liking. Reluctantly, the BaoXu disciple did as commanded, while Hei Zhurong changed positions to stay behind her, taking out a black sash out from the front part of his inner robe.


    Xu Hui knew the exact moment that her eyes were covered by her captor, she could feel the smoothness of the fabric that served as a blindfold over her eyes. This greater another layer of darkness after her eyes was shut in obedience to "Prince Rong," who tied the ends of the blindfold.


    Demon Lord Zhurong reached out a hand and held those of Xu Hui.


    "It''s time."


    "Will you take it off or do I have to keep on wearing it?"


    "Of course I''ll have it taken off once we get to the place I wish to show you!"


    The demon lord looked at the face of the woman that he brought into his kingdom under the guise of being a fox prince, the power of the magical tool under his possession made it possible for her not to suspect that he was not who he presented himself to be, the mirror suppressed the presence of demon aura and energyfrom being sensed by those that were not of demon origin. He could use a portion of his powers without being detected, at times the demon lord marvelled at how strong the influence of the magic tool was in keeping demon energy from being detected for miles.


    The two walked out of the room hand in hand, as the demon lord locked the door using his demon energy.As they kept walking, many of the soldiers would stop what they were doing to give a silent greeting to their ruler, they were all aware that the demon lord had brought a woman from the cultivation world, but only a few had ever caught glimpse of her until now.


    They were all given strict orders not to refer to him as the demon lord while she was around. They continued to walk through the narrow passage that led out of the palace into a deserted part of the demon kingdom where a beautiful sight lay ahead.


    "Are we almost there?!"


    Xu Hui could feel her feet starting to hurt from the endless walk from where the "fox prince" had taken her from, "Where is he taking me too?!"


    Demon Lord Zhurong chuckled when he heard her begin to question their arrival.


    "Just a little more and we will be there shortly."


    Xu Hui bit her tongue from giving a salty response to him, "I''m tired! When is this tortue going to end!"


    After her rebirth, the BaoXu disciple became easily worn out and would sleep for quite some time. There was no grass, only dirt as they kept on walking to where Hei Zhurong was taking them.


    The demon lord came to a sudden stop and that was when the BaoXu disciple guessed that they had gotten to the place.


    "Here we are!"


    Xu Hui could almost leap for joy, the urge to fling the boot on her feet and walk barefoot was great, but she also wanted to be mindful of maintaining good manners regardless of whom she was with and the place she was at.

 97 Misgiving 7

    Demon Lord Zhurong pulled at the sash that blindfolded Xu Hui, whose vision became blurry from being confined to a blanket of darkness. It took a moment for her sight to adjust to a new sensation of not seeing a thing.


    Slowly Xu Hui''s vision became clear and she could see what appeared in front of her, it was so breathtaking, causing her breath to catch in her throat.


    It was rows of purple plum trees whose petals sparkled in a magic of their own. Swaying in accordance to the soft wind that blew by, which carried several of its petals scattering them on the soft earth.


    Xu Hui could smell the rich scent that came from the flower, which seem to ensnare her with it''s fragrance and beauty. A stupefied look stole across her face, while marvelling at the pretty blossoms.


    The BaoXu disciple looked around, seeing there was not a single building in sight, it was just just endless soft earth and an enchanting plum tree. Little did she know that the magical tool with the demon lord masked the presence of the demon towers where the palace of the demon lord and the people of the demon kingdom resided.


    "How did you get it to grow in such a place like this?"


    Xu Hui had never been to the fox clan, therefore the things she saw looked normal to her, but she wondered how a beautiful tree like the purple plum could blossom well without any other forestation surrounding it.


    "I''m fox prince, what do you take those of us from the fox clan for?! This is just a little fox magic. Making a tree grow out of nowhere is nothing to us!"


    Hei Zhurong pulled out the rope of deception to tie Xu Hui with, who nodded at what he said while keeping her gaze fixed on the sight that captivated her. There was awe in the voice of Xu Hui as she spoke to the demon lord.


    "This is a very special place, now I see why you didn''t want me to know ahead of time."


    "That would have spoiled the surprise."


    Even as he gave a reply, the demon lord began to feel a sense of guilt towards the female cultivator that stood beside him.


    The two stood there for a long time, as one kept looking at the other with eyes that held a vulnerability of their own. The other that was being watched, remained completely taken in by the magic of the plum tree.


    "Xu Hui it''s time to go."


    Demon Lord Zhurong was a being that usually spoke with authority, but when faced with the BaoXu disciple, he began acting contrary to his nature, by softly calling out to her for them to return to her room.


    "Do we really have to leave?"


    Xu Hui looked with regret at the tree, not knowing when next she would be allowed to come back to see it.


    "You haven''t eaten since you woke up, when we get back, I''ll ask for food to be brought to your room."


    The demon lord did as before and placed the blindfold on the eyes of Xu Hui. Doing so reminded him of when he first took them off, in as much as he didn''t want to admit it, there wasn''t much time left before the clone that was at the YuanLi sect in place of the body of Li Jiao would cease to exist by breaking into fragments of spirit energy and dissipating into thin air. At the back of her mind, Xu Hui swore to break free from the shackles of the "fox prince" and return back to the YuanLi sect to take her place as the young mistress of the sect. To her, there was no place in her heart for anyone and that includes the demon lord that was with her at the garden of purple plums.

 98 Misgiving 8

    GuBaiJin sect....


    Jin Ruimin was read a book that he had earlier picked up from the library when the person that he had sent for came strolling in, it was Jin Caihe the head teacher of the sect. On entering in, he gave a deep bow to his sect leader, who placed the book he was reading face down by the table beside where he sat on one of the seats in the hall.


    "Head teacher Jin, do take a seat over there."


    The GuBaijin sect leader gestured towards a seat from him, watching as the other cultivator did as heordered.


    This time, Jin Caihe was spotlessly dressed in the green robes of the GuBaiJin sect, a jade green hair stick sat atop his head with a green ribbon tied to his hair. Looking at him was a disciple of divine grace and impeccable elegance, from his flawless fair jade skin to his liquid brown eyes and dark rose lips,he was the yardstick that many of the disciples of the GuBaiJin sect strove to someday become, many secretly wished that the most handsome man in the whole sect would continue to be the beacon of light to all those that studied at the sect. Who would have known that such a person that was held in reverence would do the abominable.


    After the head teacher sat on the seat that Jin Ruimin pointed at, the two silently looked at each other. The sect leader was uncertain about where to begin the discussion, he had called for the head teacher because a few days had gone by and he hadn''t said a word.


    "Does he need a whole month or year to come to a decision?!"


    The GuBaijin sect leader was puzzled that Jin Caihe was not making haste in letting him know of what he thought of the proposal that came to the sect saome days ago. The sect leader cleared his throat loudly, before choosing to speak with the cultivator that was in the hall with him.


    "Head teacher Jin, I''m sure you can guess why I called you out of your morning lessons?"


    Jin Ruimin paused to see how Jin Caihe would take the words that he said, compared to the head teacher, the sect leader was an imposing air, quite tall and also dressed more elegantly in the robes of the GuBaiJin sect, his hair pin was one of sterling silver with white jade stones that hung from its end and secured by a green ribbon. Jin Ruimin chiselled face looked as though they were carved out of ice jade, good looking, but with a lot of frost underneath.


    "Sect Leader Jin, I don''t want to sound presumptuous, but is it about the letter that came from the Fox King?"


    The head teacher could tell that the reason why he had been called, may have to do with if he had made up his mind regarding marrying the granddaughter of the Fox King. Jin Caihe could not see the need to hurry and make a rash decision, but it was clear that the sect leader was not ready to wait any longer.

 99 Misgiving 9

    "Jin Caihe, why don''t you answer to Sect Leader Jin?"


    The serpent within the head teacher called out lazily to him, none could hear what it said except the one he was speaking to, unhappy that the sect leader was forcing his hand, there was little that he could do to stall anymore.


    "I''m supposed to get married to someone that I don''t know, who is hundred of years older than me! How am I to make a decision under so much pressure?!"


    Jin Caihe muttered angrily under his breath while looking at his fingers that were clasped tightly on his lap.


    "I''m over a thousand years and we both share the same body, how has that been a problem?"


    The Fuxi drawled out the words to anger the already upset head teacher.


    "I don''t know their ways or what is expected of me! Moreover, I wanted to cultivate until I reach the level of godhood and probably go into seclusion there after!"


    "That''s a dull way to live, what about the boy?"


    Jin Caihe pretended not to understand the meaning behind the creature''s words.


    "What boy?!"


    "Your cultivation partner, or have you forgotten you had one?"


    The question flustered the head teacher, as he fought to say anything to diffuse the uncomfortable topic of discussion that the creature was bringing up.


    "I don''t have a cultivation partner!"


    The serpent uncoiled from the position it was in and stretched out lazily with a sly look in it''s reptilian eyes.


    "Don''t think that because we do not share the same thought that I can''t make you relive that time, I''ve asked what is to become of him, but you continue to evade it each time I ask. You may not want to accept it, but he is your first cultivation partner."


    The Fuxi was had an hidden motive for saying those things, it wanted the falcon beast to be in continual contact so that it would suck away its spirit energy to the point where it would no longer exist in the body of Jin Caihe, so that he can be reborn in a new body where it could cause as much mischief as he wanted. It found it extremely boring residing inside the body of the head teacher, who too uptight for its liking, "He can''t make up his mind when it comes to marriage, yet he willingly gives his body to a man!"


    Keeping the thought to itself, the serpent sid not voice the thought that formed in its head. Jin Caihe wanted to snap at the beast that was beginning to annoy him to the core, but he could not act on impulse while facing his sect leader.


    "What I did was to protect my life! I did it for no other reason! That does not mean that he is my cultivation partner!


    "Say what you want, it isn''t going to change the tide of fate."


    Hearing the words of the magical beast, sent a chill down the spine of Jin Caihe, bringing with it a feeling of foreboding.


    "It cannot be! I will do whatever it takes to go avoid the cruel hand of fate!"


    The head teacher sent a silent promise to himself not to tangle with Jin Tieguai whether now or in the coming future.

 100 Misgiving 10

    Jin Ruimin looked expectantly at Jin Caihe, the head teacher had not spoken since the time he asked for the other''s response to the declaration of marriage.


    Jin Caihe took a deep breath and faced his sect leader, knowing that he could no longer hide from him.


    "Sect leader Jin, I agree to marry the Fox King''s granddaughter and would do nothing to bring shame to the name of the GuBaiJin sect."


    The head teacher spoke softly in a tone that held weariness, as he spoke through stiff lips to the sect leader. Jin Caihe could not shake the feeling of doom that descended on him, the moment he chose to give a reply to the GuBaiJin sect leader.


    It was as though a cold gust of wind suddenly invaded his body, causing an instant reaction which came in the form of his fist tightening into a ball of their own. Feeling of powerlessness stole into the mind of the head teacher, his throat felt dry all of a sudden. Forcing him to swallow deeply to moisten it.


    "Well spoken Headteacher Jin! I can''t wait to share the good news with Lady Jin when she comes out of her chambers! The Fox King would be so pleased to know that we at the GuBaiJin sect consider them as worthy in-laws! Get ready! For a feast to celebrate your marriage to the Fox Princess!"


    Jin Caihe was stunned that his sect leader had not even given much thought to the union, "Was it because they were a powerful clan? Or was the threat of the demon lord so scary that he was willing to sacrifice one of his disciples to attain a greater level of power?!"


    The head teacher pondered on the reason for his sect leader''s behavior, it was as though he was the one getting married and not him, he could feel his empty heart being crushed by the callousness of Jin Ruimin.


    "See how happy sect leader Jin is! I can tell you that there is no one happier than him right now!"


    The Fuxi gave a scathing remark at what it saw through the body of Jin Caihe, it was clear that the creature was did not see the occasion as a cause for celebration. Without seeing the look on the face of the body it was residing in, the beast could tell that the head teacher was not in the least bit happy about being tied to someone that was not of the cultivation world.


    It was in fact true, Jin Caihe had a sour look on his face, he felt that he was already defeated before getting the chance to properly fight.


    "Shut it! I don''t want to hear a word about how happy Sect Leader Jin is!"


    Speaking through gritted teeth, the head teacher could not swallow the bitter pill that was forced upon him.


    "Look on the bright side, you would have adorable little fox children running around the fox clan. That would keep you occupied for a long time to come!"


    The Fuxi gave a laugh that held one of mockery, it knew that Jin Caihe hated the thought of exposing an intimate part of him to another that he was wasn''t close with, but fate was cruel to the head teacher, forcing him to do the unthinkable and now making him to choose a bride that was thousand of years older than him! What could be more unfortunate than that!


    "I told you not to utter a repulsive thing!"


    "Isn''t that what would happen when you become one with the fox princess, it is such a pity that you can''t have a child with your cultivation partner!"


    Jin Caihe''s blood began to boil when the creature thatwas within him, made reference to Jin Tieguai. What they did still haunted his thought and dreams every night, yet the magical beast carelessly spoke of the disgraceful act that he committed, more like rubbing it in his face. He didn''t know how to make it stop from provoking him. It was as though the creature took great joy in making the head teacher feel miserable each time it spoke about the other''s student.


    "He is not my cultivation partner! Refrain from uttering such distasteful words!"


    That did not seem to quieten the beast, it only made it laugh even harder, when it knew that its provocation was working on Jin Caihe.


    Meanwhile, Jin Ruimin was over the moon, he could see himself commanding more respect than before, the thought of having free entry into another realm made the smile on his face all the more broader. It took awhile for the bubbly feeling inside him to settle down and face the source of his joy.


    "Head teacher Jin, don''t let me hold you here any longer!"


    None needed to tell Jin Caihe what that meant.

 101 Misgiving 11

    @@


    Jin Caihe walked towards his class and heard the boisterous voices of his students coming from within, his foot was light which made it near impossible for any of them to have heard him. His mind was filled with the thought of how to carry on with his life should the marriage to the fox princess be made known to everyone in the sect. Shortly before he left the presence of his sect leader, Jin Ruimin had called for several disciples to spread the word that the headteacher was about to wed the granddaughter of the Fox King. The head teacher could hear bit and pieces of the conversation from within, although it was not in his nature to eavesdrop, he could help but pause a little to hear what his disciple students thought about his intended marriage.


    "Head teacher Jin is getting married?!"


    "Jin An please close your mouth, you don''t want flies entering into them!"


    After Jin An, the timid one in the group of disciples that followed the young master of the GuBaiJin sect had voiced hi@@

 102 Misgiving 12

    Jin Tieguai turned around and gave each of them a dirty look. The troublemaker could no longer stand to have his ears sullied by their unprincipled discussion.


    "Oh! Oh! It''s about to begin!"


    Jin An shrunk further on the hassock he sat on, he knew from the look on Jin Tieguai''s eyes that the class was about to be thrown into a disastrous wreck. The youth began fanning himself as though the place had become hot all of a sudden.


    "What?!"


    Jin Xinze heard the other disciple mutter under his breath, it was when he followed the direction at which Jin An was looking, that was when he noticed that Jin Tieguai staring at all of them with eyes full of hostility.


    "Why are you looking at us that way?! What did we ever do to you?!"


    Jin Xiangu rose up to point at Jin Tieguai with anger coloring his voice.


    "Look! A fight is about to breakout!"


    The rest of the class stretched their neck to see where the confrontation between the two would be heading.


    "I thought that we were going to have a peace time throughout today! That Jin Tieguai just had to say something!"


    "It is hard for a scorpion like him not to sting whenever the chance presents itself!"


    "But why is he getting angry?!"


    "I don''t know, let''s see what would happen!"


    The whole class watched in interest to see who would start the fight between Jin Xiangu and Jin Tieguai.


    "It is a pity that young master Jin would be dragged down again, if headteacher Jin walks in and see them fighting!"


    "It''s not the fault of young master Jin, that Jin Xiangu is too much of a muddle head and very tempermental!"


    "True! True! He just have to fight with the good for nothing!"


    "I wish that that Jin Xiangu beat that hooligan! He makes the GuBaiJin sect to be a laughingstock!"


    "That Jin Tieguai has nothing to lose, I heard he was an orphan before sect leader accepted him as a disciple of the GuBaiJin sect!"


    "You can take a pig out of the mire, but you that does not mean that an ugly pig will become a swan!"


    "Well said! Well said! Someone needs to show him that he can''t be making trouble for the rest of us!"


    "That young master Jin, isn''t he supposed to be the son of the sect leader?! Why is he acting so fearful?! Always standing up for that rascal!"


    "Now! Now! You shouldn''t refer to young master Jin as a coward, anyone that hears you would think that the sect leader was unfortunate to have such a useless son!"


    "What do you mean?! Are you trying to say that everytime that Jin Tieguai causes trouble that it is the fault of young master Jin?!"


    "I didn''t say it was his fault, it''s just that he needs to show the mark of a great leader, by discipling Jin Tieguai so that he never gets to act as wildly as before!"


    "So now it is the job of young master Jin to discipline a student disciple?!"


    "For goodness sake! Why do you keep saying things that don''t make sense?! Discipling a student disciple is under the hand of head teacher Jin!"


    "Where is headteacher Jin?!"


    "Didn''t you see a group of senior disciple come to fetch him?!"


    "How long is he going to be there?! This isn''t looking good! Jin Xiangu is about to knock heads with Jin Tieguai!"


    In as much as they all wanted to watch the fight between the two junior disciples, they knew that the end result was not going to do them any good.


    By then, Jin Tieguai had gotten up from where he sat and faced the other disciple that was speaking rudely to him.


    "If any of you had any bit of sense left! You would not be speaking to head teacher Jin that way!"


    "Look at him! Acting like he has never disrespected headteacher Jin!"


    Jin Xiangu was so angry that he visible shook with it, he couldn''t stand his classmate and he wanted the other to know it.


    "Aya! Just let him be, Don''t stoop to his level!"


    Jin Xinze called out to his friend to let go of fighting with Jin Tieguai.


    "Jin Tieguai has something to say, let''s all here him out."


    Jin Dongbin, the young master of the GuBaiJin sect turned around and looked at each of his classmates while smilingamicably. He knew how to play innocent and act like he knew nothing of the animosity that the two had towards each other.


    "You heard young master Jin! Now, let''s hear what you have to say!"


    The two remained on their feet, while the whole class waited on Jin Tieguai. Outside, Jin Caihe continued to watch what was going on, to see how young master Jin was going to handle the riotous class and if Jin Tieguai was going to act with indifference.


    "Young master Jin, I didn''t like the way Jin Xiangu was talking down to headteacher Jin, if what he said reached the ears of sect leader, I''m sure he would have been flocked to death! No one, not even I would dare to speak to headteacher Jin in that manner, but yet you allowed him to disrespect our teacher and watched idly as he spewed words that are not fit to be heard!"


    "Did you hear that?!"


    "So young master Jin, permitted Jin Xiangu to talk bad about headteacher Jin!"


    "Talk about shameless! He isn''t fit to become our future sect leader!"


    "To think that a troublemaker like Jin Tieguai had to remind him that Jin Xiangu was being disrespectful is very disgraceful!"


    "He just dug his grave! If he knew that this was what Jin Tieguai would say, I bet he wouldn''t have allowed him to speak!"


    "What a shame! I wanted to believe that he was a good young master!"


    "So what! Jin Tieguai is right this time! What makes you all think that he would be right next time!"


    In every gathering, there was always that person that sowed the seed of discord, whenever the situation was turning from bad to good.


    "That true! Jin Tieguai may be saying the right things now, but who is to say that he isn''t still the same at heart!"


    The young master of the GuBaiJin sect,thanked Jin Tieguai before asking to here the side of the other disciple.


    "Young master Jin, I wasn''t disrespecting headteacher Jin! We were only..."


    Seeing Jin Dongbin shake his head, was meant to warn him not to implicate the rest of them, while coming out to the class. The junior disciple swallowed hard and carefully chose the words that came out of his mouth.


    "What I was saying was that, headteacher Jin''s marriage to a fox clan came as a surprise and if he chose to have children with the fox princess then they may not look like us!"


    "Oh! So, that is what caused their fight!"


    "Those from the fox clan, don''t they look like real life foxes?!"


    "If they do and so what?!"


    "It''s scary being around an half beast!"


    "What are you saying?! That sect leader would allow headteacher Jin to marry a beast?!"


    "Isn''t that how they look, why do you think they are called foxes?!"


    "I saw the painting of those from the fox clan and they look nothing like foxes! In fact, they could easily pass as those from the mortal realm!"


    "So, that means that headteacher will not have strange looking children?"


    "Even if he does, how is that our concern? Why are you talking as if you are the one getting married to the fox clan?!"


    "But, this is headteacher Jin that we are talking about and not someone from another sect!"


    "I can tell you this, there is no way that sect leader would allow any disciple from the GuBaiJin sect to take up an unsuitable marriage! Not when that person is the most respected in the whole sect!"


    "Yes! I agree! Headteacher Jin is not the type to be handed anything that is not the best!"


    "True, he deserves the very best!"


    "Aren''t the fox clan said to be the most beautiful in the whole realm?!"


    "I can''t wait to see how headteacher Jin''s children would look like!"


    When the rest heard what one of them said, they all became imagining adorable looking miniature Jin Caihes running about on the sect ground.


    "Jin Tieguai, I apologize on behalf of Jin Xiangu, he spoke out of turn and disrespected headteacher Jin, by having his honor sullied. I will have a word in private to set him straight."


    Jin Dongbin rose from where he sat with so much grace, giving the aggrieved disciple a bow.


    "Eh! Did you see that?! Young master Jin is apologizing in place of Jin Xiangu!"


    "When is he going to stop being in the weak young master?!"


    "Taking on a wrong for another, is not a sign of weakness!"


    "It is because young master Jin has people like you around him, that is why he is so weak!"


    "You are entitled to your opinion! But, let me tell you, young master Jin would make a great sect leader!"


    "No one said he wouldn''t, but it may take a long time for him to make it there!"


    "See who is talking?! Do you know what it takes to be a great leader! Just be running your mouth as you want! Humph!"


    "To me, young master Jin would keep getting pushed around if he keeps those two with him!"


    "You don''t say!"


    "I wish that Jin Tieguai truly has turned a new leaf!"


    "Are we still back at the mischief maker?!"


    "He isn''t going to change, if he does I''ve have to prostrate to him everyday for the rest of my life!"


    "That bad?! You must really not want him to be a good person!"


    "I''m not saying that, he just doesn''t look like he would leave his trouble making ways!"


    "Young master Jin sure has his hands full if he has to deal with people like Jin Tieguai when he takes over as sect leader!"


    "That''s still a long way to go, he is still a junior disciple, just like the rest of us!"


    "The day will surely come, by then, I hope that he would be more courageous than he is now."


    "I wonder when sect leader will finish his talk with headteacher Jin?!"


    "True, it seems they may be having a long discussion!"


    Neither knew that the person they spoke of, was actually listening to their voices from outside.


    "You really are taking your time to rescue your lover, hmm... I meant to say your student."


    The Fuxi was a sly creature that said things meant to provoke Jin Caihe. It couldn''t see the face of the headteacher, which had become red from hearing it refer to Jin Tieguai as something other than his student.


    "Watch...what you say!"


    The headteacher had to force a tone of indignation when speaking to the magical beast inside of him.


    "What did I say that was wrong? Isn''t he someone that is close to you?!"


    "We are not close, stop with your nonsense!"


    "I may not know much of the ways of the pugilistic world, but isn''t there a saying that the more firmly a person denies a thing the more the truthful it is?!"


    "That has nothing to do with what I''m saying!"


    "Keep on believing what you want, but I fear that that little child over there will continue to follow you wherever you go."


    Jin Caihe clenched his hands in frustration, he wanted to deny what the serpent told him. When he heard Jin Tieguaidefend him when Jin Xiangu spoke ill of him, he felt his heart melt, but with it came brief sting. He refuse to admit what it meant, suddenly a feeling of emptiness replaced the bitter sweet pain in his heart.

 103 Misgiving 13

    The headteacher of the GuBaiJin sect thought it was time that he showed his face, after staying outside the classroom for quite some time.


    "Look! Headteacher Jin is here!"


    Each disciple turned to see Jin Caihe stand by the door, they saw him look straight at the other two disciples that stood at facing each other.


    "Headteacher Jin, a fight was about to breakout when you were not here!"


    "Yes, headteacher Jin! It was those two!"


    "That is true! It was Jin Tieguai and Jin Xiangu! Young master Jin had to step in or they would have been at it by now!"


    The headteacher turned to send a cool look at the rest of the class, without so much as telling them a thing, they could tell that he didn''t want to hear a word from any of them.


    "Jin Dongbin, Jin Xiangu and Jin Tieguai I want you all to kneelright there!"


    Jin Caihe pointed at a spot that was a couple of feet from where the raised platform upon which his desk stood. He then turned to the rest of the class.


    "I want you all to be seated! Anyone that is still remaining on their feet after, will be punished along with this three!"


    They did as told and went to kneel where the headteacher instructed them to, while the whole class looked on at the three being punished by their headteacher. The other twelve disciples hurried to their seats, for fear that Jin Caihe would ask them to kneel on the hard floor.


    Moving from where he stood, Jin Caihe walked to his desk and took a seat on the hassock, facing the three that knelt in front of him.


    "I''ll start by asking Jin Dongbin to tell me what happened."


    Jin Tieguai did not have the gut to look at his teacher, the junior disciple feeling ashamed for being caught in a wrongful act.


    The young master of the GuBaiJin sect, kept his head lowered in a show of humility.


    "Headteacher Jin, it was I who started it, Jin Xiangu spoke of your intended marriage, but said certain thingswhich I can''t say because it will be taint your ears. I''m the one at fault for allowing him to speak careless without making any effort to stop him. Please, allow me to be punished in his place!"


    Where he knelt, the young master managed to prostrate to his headteacher, who looked not in the least moved at what he saw. The act that Jin Dongbin was putting was clearly not going to work, since Jin Caihe already knew the type of person he was, a pretender to the core!


    "Thank you, young master Jin."


    Jin Dongbin still had his head lowered, therefore he could not see that his performance held no effect to his teacher.


    "Jin Xiangu, it is now your turn to tell me what took place."


    The disciple that was called, began looking nervously at young master Jin, but saw the other had his eyes lowered. Jin Caihe did not say a word, as he waited for the other disciple to say his version of the story.


    "It is according to what young master Jin said, I spoke carelessly about your marriage to the fox princess. Jin Tieguai corrected me, but I took offense at his words. I was prideful and I ask that headteacher Jin forgive my foolishness!"


    To make it more dramatic, Jin Xiangu squeezed out a few drops of tears from his eyes, wringing his fingers as though he was in despair and needed the headteacher to be more merciful.


    Jin Tieguai almost rolled his eyes from what he saw, "What a thick faced bootlicker!"


    The thought stayed right there in the mind of Jin Tieguai, as he waited to be called by the headteacher.


    "I''ve heard what you said, I''ll now ask that Jin Tieguai explain to us what happened."


    Before then, the troublemaker of the sect had his face turned the other way to avoid looking at those of Jin Caihe, but when he heard the headteacher call him to describe what led to the fallout, that was when he had no other choice but to look at him.


    "Ah!"


    The sound unconsciously escaped out of Jin Caihe, as a sizzling sensation went straight to his belly and heart almost at the same time. Jin Tieguai was not unaffected, he looked dazed, as though he was in a trance.


    "I think there is something wrong with headteacher Jin!"


    Jin Xiangu had to nudge Jin Dongbin to look at the two that were staring at each other.


    "What did Jin Tieguai do to make headteacher Jin look so alarmed?!"


    Young master Jin kept looking at the his headteacher and Jin Tieguai not knowing of what to make of their eerie silence.


    Underneath his desk, Jin Caihe tightened his hand, to bring his erratic emotion under control. Their eyes widened as they kept looking at each other, for quite a while until a voice called out.


    "Headteacher Jin?!"


    It was the young master that broke the spell that trapped Jin Caihe and Jin Tieguai, causing the two to sharply look away from the other. The junior disciple could feel his nose starting to flare from the forbidden emotion that was slowing rearing its head when faced with the source of his crippling devotion.


    "Sorry...but where are we?"


    Jin Caihe asked not because he was confused about where he was, but wanted to know what they were doing before he was pulled into the world only share by him and Jin Tieguai.


    "Headteacher Jin, you were asking Jin Tieguai to tell his version of what led to him fighting in class."


    Jin Dongbin subtly indicated that the other disciple was the one that disrupted the class when their headteacher was away.


    "Yes..Jin Tieguai."


    The disciple that was called, swallowed deeply with both hand clenched by his side.


    "Head...teacher Jin. I don''t know what came over me, butI couldn''t stand the way Jin Xiangu, Jin Xinze was talking bad about you. Young master Jin allowed them to continue saying terrible things and did nothing to stop them! Jin Xinze is over there! He should be kneeling with the rest of us! Why is it just young master Jin, Jin Xiangu and I that have to be the only ones punished!"


    Jin Tieguai fought back tears as he felt the injustice of seeing an evildoer not caught and punished for his wrongdoings.


    "Is it true that Jin Xinze was involved?"


    Jin Caihe asked, not because he didn''t hear the other disciple when he was speaking terrible things about him, but because he wanted to know if the other two would give their friend up to be punished along with them.


    Jin Xiangu bit his lips, he didn''t want to out Jin Xinze since the young master made no reference about him. Therefore, he chose to keep quiet and let Jin Dongbin answer to their headteacher.


    Jin Dingbin tightly held his hands together, "I can''t let Jin Tieguai implicate the rest. I''ll have to tell headteacher Jin that it was just Jin Xiangu and I that was involved! Who would he believe between I and Jin Tieguai?!"


    Confident that the headteacher would take his word for it, the young master of the GuBaijin sect began speaking.


    "Headteacher Jin, there is no one else apart from us three."


    Choosing to keep it simple so that his words would sound convincing, the young master watched from underneath his eyelids to see if Jin Caihe would fall for his lies. Unknown to him, Jin Caihe already knew everything, since he was standing outside the classroom listening to the conversation between the group of youths that followed Jin Dongbin around.


    The headteacher calmly looked at him, choosing not to expose his lies in front of everyone.


    "One of this days, you will fall for your own lies and be exposed by them!"


    It sounded almost like a curse, the words that ran through the mind of the headteacher as he looked at young master Jin.


    "Today is a day of celebration for Sect Leader Jin. I will not spoil it by asking the three of you to do frog jumps covering the whole ground a hundred times!"


    "A hundred times?!"


    Jin Xiangu looked about read to faint when he heard the number of times that they would have to cover the sect grounds doing the backbreaking and very humiliating hopping from their feet, almost likened to asking a person to move fast with just one leg.


    "If a hundred times is too small how about two hundred times?!"


    Jin Caihe''s expression did not change when he suggested increasing the number of times the youths would be jumping round the sect grounds in their not so light robes.


    "NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!"


    Neither of them could hold back from rejecting their headteacher''s words to have their frog hopping increased.


    "All of you, stand up, turn around and tell your classmates that you are sorry for disrupting the class! You have all acted in a way that shames the name of the GuBaiJin sect!"


    One by one, they each stood and faced all twelve disciples, bowing as they said, "We are sorry for fighting in class!"


    They remained that way with their heads bowed, until the headteacher spoke, "Now turn around and apologize to me."


    This time, the voice that spoke was softer and held a trace of warmth in them.


    "Headteacher Jin, Please forgive us! We are so sorry!"


    Jin Caihe looked at the junior disciples that had their head facing downward from repenting of their wrongfulness.


    "Aya! Don''t you think that it is too much?!"


    Whenever the Fuxi had something to say, it would use part of its aura to shield Jin Caihe from being overheard by others.


    "I''m going easy on them!"


    "You mean to say that you are going easy on Jin Tieguai."


    The creature was in its "sleeping" position where it was coiled in the form of a ball. It''s brilliant green eyes were closed, as though to say "don''t bother me" which was in contrast to the tone that it was using to speak to Jin Caihe.


    "It''s not because of him!"


    "Keep on fooling yourself, but that young master Jin is a cunning one. The people he has around him are not any better."


    The magical beast spoke as though making reference to a mundane thing, rather than a serious matter.


    "I''ll take care of it, I already know the type of person that he is, I''ll keep closer eye on him."


    "How would you be able to do that? Is it from the fox clan?"


    Jin Caihe had briefly forgotten about moving away from the GuBaijin sect to live with the granddaughter of the Fox King.


    "For now, until when I leave, I''ll do the best that I can!"


    "Good for you, such confidence, but how long would that last?"


    As the two kept conversing, Jin Tieguai felt a tingling sensation, it felt similar to the one he experienced a few days ago when he was at the DianShu, the lodging of Jin Caihe. All of a sudden he could hear a hissing voice that resembled that of a snake and those of his headteacher. The junior disciple found it strange that he could hear Jin Caihe and turned to see if the others noticed the same thing, but their heads remained bowed. This made Jin Tieguai realize that he was the only one that heard the strange voice talking to his teacher.


    What he didn''t know was that the Falcon beast had slowly eroded the barrier that the Fuxi erected to keep others away from the private conversation he was having with Jin Caihe. The sly beast had not counted on the magical beast inside of Jin Tieguai to easily infiltrate its barrier without the other knowing.


    "The future may not be in my hands, but I will continue to fulfil my duty for as long as I can, while at the GuBaiJin sect."


    "Do as you please."


    That was the magical beast''s letting Jin Caihe know that it was not going to interfere with life choices.

 104 Misgiving 14

    Yiting town...


    The next day, Yan Xuequi and the twins set out for the next town, four people left the Mou family house that morning.


    "Zimu, let Pa give you a hug before you go!"


    Mou Yaxin picked the youngest of his twin sons and held him in his arms for quite a while. The older twin shifted from one leg to the other, as though questioning why his father had not called him first rather than his younger brother.


    "Now Yidan, it''s your turn to receive a hug!"


    The Yiting town fisherman, gently let go of his son and placed him down, before reaching down for the older twin.


    A little girl watched from the side as her cousins were each embraced warmly by their father, this made her oddly sad, reminding her the family that she left at the fox clan.


    When the husband of Mou Hairong heard that his wife would be staying in the fox clan until her niece returned, he thought it strange that she would be there while his children was being looked after by their cousins. Sadly, shortly before the two parted ways at the fox clan, Mou Hairong had pleaded with her niece not to let her husband know the real reason behind her stay, fearing that he would come to hate the Fox King and become bitter towards Yan Xuequi. Staying true to her words, the fox princess told Mou Yaxin that the twins didn''t want to stay back with their grandfather, who had important matters to discuss with the fox princess. Not thinking anything was amiss, he took his in-law''s word for it, already knowing of his children''s aversion to their mother''s birthplace.


    The pretty girl with long black hair that reached all the way to whole length of her back, whose side braids was heldby flower shaped comb atop her head.She wore an stylish silk blue robe, which made her eyes sparkle like tiny gems, underneath the robes was a boot of fine embroidery of blue.


    Mou Yaxin had his hair held in a simple brown hair pin, wearing a plain dark robe with his tools set by his feet which was covered in dark boots. His calloused palms tenderly patted the head of his boys, who looked teary eyed at their father, as though begging him not to leave.


    "Be good and don''t give your cousin any trouble! You''re older than, crying is only for babies!"


    The father of the twins sent them a warm smile to soften the rebuke in his voice.


    "But, Pa!"


    Each twin ran to latch onto the legs of their father, their robes of yellow added a brightness to their gloomy faces.On their heads was a silver hair pin crafted by the best craftsmith from the fox clan, given by their grandfather on the day they were born. It had tiny stones of green that held foxfire in them, giving it a glow even in the morning light. Sadly, their father could not see things that were not of the mundane world. To him, they were just nice looking silver hairpins with tiny green stones.


    Yan Xuequi told Mou Yaxin when he got back the evening before that she was taking his sons to Xuekejiu town, which was the neighboring town of Yiting to see an old friend.


    "Is it the man that saved my sons?!"


    "Yes Uncle Mou, I haven''t returned the gratitude that he showed us. Which is why, I want to take the twins with me to thank him properly."


    "Please, tell him that I''m sorry I couldn''t come along, but I''ll definitely pay him a visit as a family when your Aunt returns."


    "Thank you, Uncle Mou. I will let him know."


    "Look after them well, Xuequi."


    "I promise not to let them leave my side, Uncle Mou."


    Mou Yaxin sent a look of warmth to the girl that sat by the table with his sons, he saw her helping them to cut their fish into tiny pieces and separating the bones out of them, looking at the scene, it was as if she was their older sister instead of a cousin. Watching his wife refer to her niece as Xuequi was the reason for addressing her that way, it would have been awkward to use a formal approach.

 105 Misgiving 15

    Yan Xuequi recalled last evening, while eating their food at the table, the fox princess told her uncle of her intention to see Lin Cheng. She felt grateful that he agreed to letting them go with her to see the disciple of the BaoXu sect.


    She saw as Mou Yaxin got on his knees to wipe the tears from his sons eyes with the sleeves of his robes.


    "Don''t cry or else I would come back very late if you do!"


    "No Pa! I won''t cry anymore!"


    The twins stopped their tears from falling any further, after hearing their father threaten not to come back on time if they didn''t obey him.


    After a while, Mou Yaxin picked up his fishing tools and walked out of the front gate, bidding them farewell.


    "Bye, Pa!"


    They each chorused a goodbye to their father, waving at him as he left, Yan Xuequi sent a wave to her Aunt''s husband, she saw the twins take to the gate, using their eyes to follow those of their father as he walked on the street, not long after they could not see a trace of him among the crowd of people walking the street.


    Yan Xuequi went to meet the twins by the gate, "Yidan, Zimu it''s about time we head for the next town. Would you like to see that mister that showed you those magic tricks that night you both got lost?"


    The fox princess said this, in order to garner interest from her cousins who despite their father''s promise to return early, they looked very sad. Not that it was any surprise, they thought that because of them that their mother was held in the hands of their grandfather. Also, fearing that their father would leave and never return if they acted badly.


    "Aunt Xuequi, do we have to go? What if Pa does not come back?"


    The fear inside the twins made them think that waiting at the Mou family house would make their father not to come back for them.


    "Mou Yidan!"


    "Yes, Aunt Xuequi!"


    "Mou Zimu!"


    "Yes, Aunt Xuequi!"


    The twins were both startled by the way their cousin called them one at a time in their full name.


    "What is wrong with you?! When did you become a spineless human?! Did Aunt Hairong raise you to have no backbone?! Straighten up!"


    This time, the fox magic that held the true form of the fox princess cleared off in a cloud of red to reveal a beautiful young maiden still in the robes of blue, but much longer and graceful to fit her new form.


    They both knew they were in deep trouble when their cousin showed her hidden side to them.


    "We''re sorry Aunt Xuequi! We''ll never talk back to you again!


    In her much younger form, the fox princess was well loved by her cousins. They would run to her each time they saw her and would bother their mother should she not visit them for a long while.


    Only on a few occasion had they seen her reveal her full form to them, which was usually when their mother was around. Half fox half humans do not have the ability to see those that had were full blooded especially the ones that possessed the royal pure bloodline of the Yan family. Their fox magic was at another level entirely. In Lin Cheng''s case, he could see the fox princess because the two of them were somewhat connected, because of their shared spirit energy.


    "Come here."


    Yan Xuequi beckoned for the twins to draw close to her, watching as they slowly approached her with eyes that showed remorse, they each held her by the garment, burying their faces in the silky richness to cry their hearts out.


    The fox princess heard them cry and knew it wasn''t because she chastised them, but it was due to the sadness that they harbored in their heart for not seeing their mother for days. The only thing she could do at the moment, was to pat his of them in the back, giving them the time they needed to cry.

 106 Misgiving 16

    Half an hour had passed, before they both began to let go of the robe that was bunched in their small fair fingers.


    "I''m sorry, Aunt Xuequi."


    Mou Yidan and Mou Zimu apologized to their cousin once again, looking at the dark stains on her garment that was as a result of their shared tears.


    "It''s okay, I just want you to know that despite living among humans, that does not make you one. You were born from a fox and a human, therefore that makes you neither fully human nor fully fox blooded. Which is why I don''t want you to succumb to the weak nature of humans, you may end up returning to the fox clan, do you think you can survive if you are this weak?!"


    The twins hung their head in shame, what their cousin said was no different from the teaching of their mother. Mou Hairong was a strong clans woman and she brought up her children to show the strength of their fox royal blood, regardless of whether it was diluted or not.


    "Please do not tell mother."


    Mou Zimu spoke up, pleading with his cousin to hide what they did from their mother, who would have set them straight if she knew of it.


    The older twin sent a look of surprised at his brother, because he rarely spoke first. It was always Mou Yidan that took the lead when it came to talking.


    "Alright, enough of all this, let''s go!"


    Yan Xuequi gave one last pat on the head of her cousins, holding each in one hand as the three left the Mou family house, locking the gate behind them.


    ------------


    Xuekejiu town...


    "Mister, what would you like to order from the menu?!"


    Inside Zenhaitao inn was a distinguished looking man dressed in a dark cloak that hide purple and white robes, his hair was held together at the top of his head in a jade blue hair pin, a sword hung from the side of his robes. The robes he wore covered the dark boot was on each foot.


    "Let me have some dumplings, green vegetables and some rice with a cup of water."


    Lin Cheng smiled pleasantly at the rough looking man that walked up to his table. The man bowed to him, before going towards the kitchen at the back to give them his order.


    Shortly after, a cheap blue porcelain bottle and a cup came in a tray and was placed at his table. Lin Cheng began pouring some of the water into the saucer shaped cup, placing it against his lips to sip from it.


    Around him, other people were chatting in a loud voice, from where he sat towards the end of the room, he could see people strolling in and going out.


    "Shopkeeper Tao! Where is my wine! How long do I have to wait!"


    Looking at the man that was shouting on top of his voice, made the travelling cultivator cringe inside of him, such a disorderly behavior would have received some beatings, but this was the mortal realm and he had to get use to their way of doing things.


    Not long after, the food arrived at his table, Lin Cheng looked at the miserly food and was about to start eating, when he heard a voice calling his name.


    "Lin Cheng!"


    There was no way he would forget the owner of the voice, which was unlike any that he had ever heard, making him want to listen to them again and again. The lure of the voice had taken hold of that part of Lin Cheng''s mind.


    "Princess Xuequi...."

 107 Misgiving 17

    Lin Cheng stared at the woman who held two identity little boys in both hands. He thought that her surprise visit to his room at the inn was going to be the last, who knew that he was going to run into her in the same town.


    The BaoXu sect disciple left the chopsticks by the side of his plate and rose up to meet the fox princess and the half human half fox boys.


    "Greetings, Princess Xuequi. I wasn''t expecting to see you in Xuekejiu town."


    The fox princess gave a sunny smile to the good looking man that appeared in front of her, soon she turned to the twins, "These are my cousins, Mou Yidan and Mou Zimu."


    She reintroduced them to Lin Cheng in case he may have forgotten their names, pointing to each one as she called their names.


    "Yidan, Zimu. This is Lin Cheng, he is a travelling cultivator and a disciple of the BaoXu sect."


    The boys nodded solemnly as they looked at the man that their cousin made reference to, one looked timidly while the other twin stared openly at him.


    Lin Cheng gave a bow of deep respect to Yan Xuequi, before turning to greet the children she had with her, "Mou Yidan! Mou Zimu! How are you faring?"


    "Mister Lin, my brother and I are doing well."


    The older of the twin looked back at Lin Cheng and greeted him in a casual manner, which wasn''t lost on his cousin.


    "Yidan! Where are your manner?!"


    Hearing the disapproval in the voice of Yan Xuequi made the twins straighten up by her side, they each gave a stiff bow to the disciple of the BaoXu sect. Lin Cheng watched silently, his eyes lit up with mirth when he saw how the fox princess was firm in her approach to the twins.


    "Princess Xuequi, what brings you to Xuekejiu town?"


    As he asked her, Lin Cheng motioned for them to follow him to his table.


    "I brought my cousins with me to show our gratitude in saving their lives when my Aunt and I could not find them."


    Yan Xuequi said part of the reason why she had come to see him, the other part she left unsaid had to do with her interest towards him which had nothing to do with rescuing her cousins.


    "You and the Mou family already thanked me before, there is no reason to seek me out again for that purpose."


    When the fox princess heard what Lin Cheng said, her face darkened with disappointment, because of how much she looked forward to seeing him, she barely rested on the soft bed in her room.


    "Lin Cheng, showing appreciation for a good deed that was done in the face great difficulty, can never be too much."


    Yan Xuequi replied dryly, not in the least happy that she was the only one that was excited to see their reunion.


    "How is their mother?"


    Since Lin Cheng was walking behind them, he could clearly see the back of the fox princess head, there was no doubt she was of noble birth, from the way she carried herself while walking ahead of him. Yan Xuequi turned back to look at him, "Aunt Hairong is back at the fox clan."


    The fox princess saw the puzzled look in the eyes of the BaoXu sect disciple, but she refused to elaborate on it, letting the words hang in the air.


    "Will she be there for long?"


    "Not really."


    Hearing the short response of the fox princess sent warning bells in the mind of Lin Cheng. The cultivator disciple suddenly felt pity for the little boys hanging by Yan Xuequi.


    "I wonder why she had to return to the fox clan without her children? Why is Princess Xuequi in the mortal realm and not their mother?!"


    Lin Cheng could not bring himself to question the fox princess, sensing that she may not be that forthcoming in her reply.


    "Is Mister Mou at home?"


    "He has gone to fish for the day and wouldn''t be back until evening."


    "I see."


    Lin Cheng suddenly felt that the conversation was a bit forced between them and decided it was best until they had some food in them, before resuming discussion about the things that had taken place since they last saw each other.


    Finally, the four of them took a seat at the table, after Lin Cheng had to arrange the seats in such a way that all four could be seated comfortably. Yan Xuequi and Lin Cheng sat on each end, while the twin brothers sat at the middle of both adults.


    Soon after, an attendant at the inn noticed that a new set of people had arrived at the table of Lin Cheng.


    "Miss, young masters is there anything you would like to order?"


    Yan Xuequi turned to her cousins to ask what they wanted from the menu.


    "Dumplings!"


    Mou Yidan spoke, in an animated voice, while his younger brother, Zimu said, "I''ll like some noodles."


    "Miss?"


    The chubby tall attendant called out again to know what the fox princess would like to be served.


    "I want three bottles of your finest wine, some rice cakes, four bowl of noodle soup and rice with some vegetables and a lot of diced meat!"


    When the attendant heard what Yan Xuequi said, his eyes widened, the expression on his face read "you can''t be serious", it was a little while later and his face cleared to show a tight smile.


    "Let''s see if she can afford it!"


    It was a good thing that the fox princess could not read minds, because the whole inn would have been turned upside down.


    Lin Cheng''s food remained where it was, untouched as he waited for those of the fox princess and that of the children to be brought to the table.


    "Lin Cheng! You don''t have to wait for our food to be brought to us!"


    "It''s already cold, I''ll wait and we can all eat together."


    The fox princess looked at the food that was laid in front of Lin Cheng and she could tell from the looks of it that it was cold just as he said, there was no sign of steam coming out of them.


    "Let me ask one of the inn attendants to change your plate, you can''t be eating cold food. It''s not good for your body!"


    The BaoXu sect disciple raised a hand to halt her movement, "It is sinful to be wasteful! Many are out there in the cold and heat begging for scraps of food. I will not be that person that will willingly throw away food just because it is cold! That is almost like spit on the faces of the needy!"


    When Lin Cheng spoke, the twins whose eyes was dull from boredom suddenly lit up, it was as if they were looking at their hero. Meanwhile, their cousin did not see the same thing as them, instead she was upset that he chose to uphold the teachings of his sect when it may not be convenient for him.


    "If that is what pleases you, do as you want!"


    He saw the anger that was reflected in her eyes and could not help smiling back. At the back of his mind, Lin Cheng thought that the eyes of the fox princess was beautiful and enticing in the way it drew him into your glowing orbs.


    Later, two attendants came to their table, placing several trays in front of them. Even though the fox princess had asked to be served wine, there was also a bottle of water and cups on the tray that came with the food.


    Lin Cheng waited on the three to begin eating, before picking up his chopsticks to eat.


    "Mister Lin, would it be possible for you to teach my brother and I to fight?!"


    The BaoXu sect disciple vaguely remembered that the older twin had asked to be taught the sword skills of his sect, but he gently turned him down, because it was against the rules of the sect to teach someone was not yet a disciple of the BaoXu sect their secret sword technique.


    "It seems that he isn''t going to give up."


    Mou Yidan spoke with his mouth full of dumplings, which made his cousin give him the "eye"that could be interpreted as a dirty look for acting inappropriately at mealtime.


    "Yidan, you know better than to talk with food in your mouth!"


    The older twin sent a look of discomfort to his younger brother, the two turned to look at their cousin almost at the same time, the look in their eyes read, "What is the matter with you!"


    "Stop staring! It is considered rude! Or else the eagles will come and pluck your eyes!"


    Although, they were half foxes by nature, their human side feared what the fox princess said and each twin hurried to cover their face, as though fearing an actual eagle would swoop in and pick their eyes out one by one.


    Lin Cheng didn''t know when the laughter within him escaped, there was rice and dumpling everywhere. Seeing how humorous it was, the twins also joined in the laughter. The sound off their voice could be heard by those upstair and nearby tables downstairs.


    "That is such a fine looking man!"


    "Yes, see how beautiful his wife is!"


    "Are those their children?!"


    "They are brothers right? They have to be, they look so much alike!"


    "The heavens have really chosen to bless some people!"


    "What a great couple!"


    "I heard that if you come across twins, one would be blessed with good fortune!"


    "Is that true?!"


    "That''s what the buddhist monk at the temple said!"


    "If it is from a buddhist monk, it sure is true!"


    "Just look at them, so well dressed and full of happiness!"


    "Don''t stare too hard!"


    "What about you? Aren''t you also about to fall from your seat?!"


    "I need to offer some prayer, this year has not been so good. Who knows, my fate could be changed by those twins!"


    "True! I also will plead to the gods to bless my family with good harvest!"


    "He is so handsome!"


    The young maidens among them could hardly help themselves from looking at Lin Cheng.


    "If he weren''t married, I would have gone to meet him!"


    "I don''t mind if I''m his concubine, as long as he can be my husband!"


    "Nothing good comes from being a concubine!"


    "Tsk! Tsk! You will forever be under the main mistress!"


    "You see how beautiful his wife is, do you think that he would want to take in a concubine?!"


    "Men are all the same everywhere, a beautiful wife can never be enough for them!"


    "True! I heard, even those from the top noble houses are always fighting. There is never a moment of peace!"


    Lin Cheng was unaware that he and the fox princess were the center of gossip, the ones who knew were the twins whose keen hearing could pick some of the things that was whispered and the fox princess.


    "I don''t know what came over me, I''m so sorry for spilling my food all over the place."


    Dots of red colored the pale jade skin of Lin Cheng, he was ashamed to have been caught acting without proper manners.


    "As your wife, let me take care of you."


    Yan Xuequi smiled sweetly at Lin Cheng, who made a greater mess of their table, the twins gazed at the two with curiosity in their eyes. They didn''t know what to make of their cousin addressing herself as the wife of their new hero.


    "What is wrong with Aunt Xuequi?"


    Mou Yidan whispered to his young brother, who gave a shrug that meant he too had no idea of why his cousin was acting strangely.


    Meanwhile, Lin Cheng avoided looking at the fox princess, fearing that he would lose what was left of his sanity!

 108 Misgiving 18

    The morning lesson at the GuBaiJin sect ended rather quickly, because the head teacher that should have been there to teach spent so much time away from the class. One of the things about living the life of a cultivator was the need to keep to time, which was why the lesson had to end so quickly.


    The three that were punished by Jin Caihe, returned to their seats after standing for some time in front of their teacher to show remorse for their action. On the way back to his seat, Jin Tieguai pondered on what he heard, the junior disciple became conflicted as to whether he should confront his teacher and find out what the conversation was about, but another part of him felt reluctant to ask Jin Caihe.


    "Farewell, headteacher Jin!"


    The class bade Jin Caihe goodbye and one after the other they started packing their books into their bags and the rest of what they brought with them to the morning lesson.


    "Farewell, Young master Jin."


    Jin Dongbin was greeted by the rest of his classmates who were starting to file out of the classroom to return to their place of lodging. Jin Dongbin gave a slight nod in their direction and returned back to arranging his books and study materials into the bag made of sturdy dark brown wood by his side.


    "Young master Jin, are you coming with us to the Liechi town?"


    Jin Dongbin turned to look at Jin Xiangu, his expression not changing the slightest.


    "To do what."


    When they heard what the young master said, they each looked at one another, as none dared to ask him what he meant.


    Jin An gave a cough, as though to tell Jin Dongbin that they were all waiting for his answer.


    "Jin Xinze, bring me my bag, I''ll be going to the library to do some studying."


    "The library?! Now?!"


    They didn''t need to say that, but that was what mainly ran through their minds when Jin Dongbin asked his classmate to carry is bag for him, as though to tell them that they could go if they wanted to, but Jin Xinze would not be following them.


    "Young master Jin, if you don''t mind, I''ll follow you to the library, but there are things that I want to get at Liechi town. Today is when I can get things for cheap at the market. Please let me know if there is anything you would like to get while I''m there...."


    "Yes, young master Jin, let us know if you want to get something from Liechi market!"


    Jin Xiangu cut into what Jin Xinze was saying, the other youth was in high spirit after being held in class for hours which was spent mostly in idle gossip.


    "I haven''t finished for I was saying!"


    Jin Xinze looked with mock indignation at his friend, while the other shrugged his shoulder, as though to tell him that he didn''t care if he wasn''t happy with what he did to him.


    It was there that Jin An bursted into laughter, he looked at the two who were quite similar in the way they spoke to others.


    "If I waited for you to say everything you wanted to tell young master Jin, we will be here until nightfall, by then the market would have closed and none of us will get what we wanted to buy from there."


    The young master of the GuBaiJin sect turned to look at them, before rising up from where he sat on the hassock.


    "I''ll be in the room after you all get back from Liechi town, I don''t need any of you to get me anything."


    "But, young master Jin. We just finished from class, don''t you want to leave the sect and look around the town?"


    Jin An had his times when he was timid, right now he wanted the young master of the sect to enjoy some sightseeing at the nearby town of Liechi which was under the control of the GuBaiJin sect.


    "I''ll go there another time, now I''ll be on my way."


    Jin Dongbin got up graceful from his hassock and gathered the sides of his robes, pushing them lightly to one side, in a manner that depicted one that had the bearing of a respectable family.


    They all watched him get up with Jin Xinze hurriedly shoving his books and writing materials into his own bag, before jumping up after the young master, carrying their bag on separate shoulders.


    Jin Tieguai was still lost in thought at what he heard while facing Jin Caihe during the time he was serving his punishment. He didn''t know what to make of the words he overheard.


    "Maybe I''m hearing things, surely there is no way that headteacher Jin would be talking to someone, no! What am I even saying, that sounded like a snake! That can''t be! Snakes don''t talk! There is no way that what I heard was a snake! I haven''t been getting enough sleep, that''s why I''m thinking that what I heard was the voice of a snake! As if!"


    Jin Tieguai''s face became very pale as he continued to rationalize what he encountered, while staring into space lost in his own thoughts.


    "Alright, let''s go! Young master Jin isn''t going with us to Liechi town!"


    Jin An and Jin Xiangu rose from their seat and began packing their study materials into their respective bags. By this time, the class was almost empty, none paid attention to Jin Tieguai who sat where he was like a frozen statue.


    "Isn''t Jin Tieguai leaving?"


    Jin An whispered to Jin Xiangu, while pointed at the classmate that remained seated with his back to them.


    "Leave him be! If he doesn''t want to go, how is that any of our concern?! Just ignore him!"


    One cast eyes full of pity towards the bane of the GuBaiJin sect, while the other sent a look full of scorn at him. The two walked out of the classroom after giving their headteacher a silent goodbye.


    The only ones that were now left in the classroom was Jin Caihe and Jin Tieguai, one was looking at the books in front of him, as though studying them. While, the other kept a fixed stare on his face at a particular direction.

 109 Misgiving 19

    Jin Tieguai was in a state of confusion, that he didn''t knowing that he was staring so hard at his headteacher, until the other looked up from what he was reading at his desk.


    "What is it?!"


    Despite saying that, the student disciple was in a world of his own and could not hear the voice of Jin Caihe.


    "Jin Tieguai!"


    The headteacher of the GuBaiJin sect shouted in a louder voice at his student, who eventually began showing signs of hearing him.


    "Y..Yes! Headteacher Jin!"


    Jin Caihe watched him with narrowed eyes not knowing what to make of the strange nature of Jin Tieguai, he was looking as though he was caught doing something he shouldn''t have been doing.


    "Why are you still here? Everyone has left already."


    Jin Caihe took a deep breath to steady his mind, before speaking to his student disciple in a gentle voice.


    Turning to see what his teacher meant, Jin Tieguai looked around and saw that it was as he said, he truly was the only one left in the classroom with his headteacher!


    With the realization came a sense of discomfort, his mind began taking a turn to a somewhat indecent thought, causing his cheeks to stain a bright pink.


    On seeing the fair jade skin of Jin Tieguai look take up a different color, this made Jin Caihe''s eyes to further narrow in distrust.


    "What is he thinking of! I hope it is not what I think?!"


    The headteacher of the GuBaiJin sect continued to look closely at the face of his student disciple, as though waiting for the other to own up to his misdeed.


    "Headteacher Jin..."


    When Jin Tieguai finally spoke, he began with a bit of hesitation, which made the other cultivation suddenly weary to hear what he had to say to him. Rather than saying a thing, Jin Caihe waited on his student to continue.


    "I..I don''t know if it is really what I heard..."


    The teacher motioned for the other to keep on speaking, which from the looks of it, the student disciple looked as though his courage was wearing thin.


    "I thought I heard the voice of a snake talking to you....but, I could have been wrong."


    Jin Tieguai looked at his teacher with wavering eyes, unsure of whether what he heard was as a result of insanity or if it was actually true. Jin Caihe bunched his robes tightly, to steady his nerves that were acting on their own. He could not believe that Jin Tieguai could hear when he and the Fuxi were speaking.


    "How much of what we said does he know?!"


    Jin Caihe became deathly pale when it finally sank in that Jin Tieguai could see something that was kept hidden from many and could hear an intimate conversation which was supposedly meant to be secret.


    From within the magical beast heard what the two were saying, but pretended to be asleep, it wanted to see how the headteacher would handle it without interfering with their problem.


    "What did you hear?"


    Choosing to ask the obvious, rather than assuming that Jin Tieguai may have known everything, he waited for the other to reply. Listening as his student disciple eventually described what his headteacher and another was saying in secret.


    "Headteacher Jin does it have anything to do with why you and I did those things together?!"


    Jin Caihe looked away when Jin Tieguai asked if the night in which they shared a bed, had anything to do with whom he was speaking with. The other had vague memories of how it all started, but remembered the strange sensation that appeared right before he lost control and took Jin Caihe, the eyes that looked back at the student disciple pleaded for understanding.


    The headteacher wanted to sweep everything under the carpet and pretend they never happened, but one thing after the other kept happening to make it almost impossible to do, his aim was to make it look like it was Jin Tieguai that pushed him into committing those acts behind the door of the DianShu. If he opened up and told the other that he knew that the falcon beast had the power to suppress his own magical beast, he feared that no amount of explanation was going to make his student disciple understand that he wasn''t using him for his own gain, at least that was what he thought.


    "What do you want me to say?"


    Jin Caihe looked in defeat at Jin Tieguai, it was his duty as a cultivator who was held in the highest regard to tell his student disciple the truth. He wanted the other to choose what he wants to hear.


    "Headteacher Jin, was it all planned? Did you set it up, so that I would follow you to your room?!"


    A look of anguish stole into the eyes of Jin Caihe, how could he explain that he found his cure by luck, who would believe such a ridiculous story. If it ever got out that he supposedly "seduced" his student disciple, his marriage to the fox princess would be voided, the high reputation that he had would be torn to shreds and he would be sent out of the GuBaiJin sect in disgrace!


    Jin Caihe pressed hard on his lips, the anguish he felt inside his heart was so great that he hardly felt the pain that came along with the blood that trickled from his mouth. Hearing Jin Tieguai accuse him of orchestrating their meeting, suddenly made him feel dizzy as though the blood in his head that gone elsewhere.


    "Think what you want, it''s not going to change what has happened! Or would it?!"


    Jin Tieguai''s eyes widened in shock at what the person that he was beginning to like said such cruel words to him. "Is he the same person I held in my arms?!"


    In a daze, Jin Tieguai slowly got up and walked out of the class, leaving the things he brought with him to the class behind. His face was as though it was carved out of ice, leaving a visibly shaken Jin Caihe to stare after him.

 110 Misgiving 20

    Day after day, Demon Lord Zhurong and Xu Hui would go on their outing to their secret hideout some distance from the palace of the demon kingdom. Spending time together talking with one another.


    "What will you do when you return to YuanLi sect?"


    Demon Lord Zhurong with glowing lilac blue eyes looked at the sparkling dark midnight ones of Xu Hui, the other looked as though she was deep in thought, before raising her head to look straight at him.


    "I''ll continue as the young mistress of the sect, for as long as I can or until I''m found out."


    The BaoXu sect disciple, spoke in a calm tone of voice as though she had come to accept her fate. Hei Zhurong continued to look at her, he almost couldn''t take his eyes from that of Xu Hui. Today was actually their last time together in the demon realm, but he found it difficult to tell her, in a way he didn''t want to spoil the remainder of the time he had to spend with her.


    Xu Hui saw the way the demon lord was staring at her and thought she may have gotten a part of the food she ate on her face.


    "Is there anything on my face?!"


    When she saw that the person with her wasn''t answering back, Xu Hui reached towards her face and began wiping it with her hand, as though to remove what was there.


    Seeing this, the demon lord pointed at her, throwing his head back to laugh at what she was doing.


    "Look at you, cleaning your face so diligently!"


    Hearing the demon lord mocking her, made Xu Hui''s face take on a sour look, thereby causing her to stop brushing off what she thought to be on her face.


    "I asked you if there was anything on my face! You didn''t say a word and that made me think that you were looking at food stains on my face, now you think you can be laughing at me?!"


    Hei Zhurong could not put a name to the feeling he had at that moment, he wanted to capture it for as long as he could, but the demon lord knew that his time was about to run out which made every single thing they did together very precious.


    Using his index fingers, he tapped lighting against the smooth forehead of Xu Hui, watching as her eyes widened when his skin met those of hers, the atmosphere around them suddenly changed from aplayful one to that of heavy tension.


    The demon lord''s laughter died, as hiseyes remained unwavering while taking in those of Xu Hui, who sat beside him on a folded fabric with their back against the plum tree that they had come to watch together. The BaoXu sect disciple''s eyes remained fixed on those of the demon lord, she kept wondering why he was looking at her even more strangely than before, "Is there really something on my face other than food?!"


    Not unusual for someone like her to think that way, because the young maiden had no experience when it came to the matters of the heart. Hei Zhurong reached a hand to tuck a tendril that had fallen loose from the silver and purple bejeweled comb that held her hair together.


    Xu Hui wasn''t expecting him to touch her hair, this made her shrink further back against the tree, in a bid to evade his hand.


    "Stay still!"


    Hearing the hoarseness of his voice, made theBaoXu sect disciple''s cheek to stain a light shade of pink, she remained where she was after hearing what sounded like an order from the demon lord.


    Hei Zhurong felt a roaring in his ears, the urge to kiss the woman in front of him became stronger than before, he leaned closer to Xu Hui watching as her chest rose and fell almost steadily. Her rose pink lips called out to the sleeping beast that was inside of him.


    "Why is he coming close, he''s not going to do what I think it is?!"


    Xu Hui''s eyes further widened when the thought crossed her mind that the demon lord was going to swoop down and kiss her under the plum tree.


    Demon Lord Zhurong had brought his head close enough to feel her breath on his face, as his lips were about to descend on those of Xu Hui, the other had her eyes closed and turned her head to the side, to avoid kissing him. Looking at the way she closed her eyes so tightly made, Hei Zhurong think that Xu Hui found kissing him very distasteful.


    Pain flashed in the eyes of the demon lord, for the very first time, the ruler of the demon realm felt what it meant to be rejected. With that thought came the realization of something greater, he had gotten himself tangled in an emotion that had brought many to their knees in despair. The demon lord could not deny that he had come to love a woman that he planned to just have fun with and part ways at the end.


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    Xu Hui slowly opened her eyes when she didn''t feel anything on her lips, she saw the eyes that looked at her as though he was in agony.


    "Is there something that troubles you, Prince Rong?"


    Rather than replying her, the demon lord smiled sadly at his unattainable love, although he wanted to find out what his feeling were towards the BaoXu sect disciple, he never thought they would lead down the path of love, probably affection, but surely not love.


    "Let''s go, it''s time I take you back to where you rightful belong!"


    Shaking his melancholy, the demon lord stood and reached to pull up Xu Hui to her feet. Not knowing what to make of the drastic change in the mood of the demon lord, Xu Hui watched as he took the things he brought with them, folding the dusty fabric and picking up basket that has leftover food in them. Together, the two walked back, one was blind folded, whose hand was held in those of the demon lord.

 111 Misgiving 21

    Yan Xuequi, Lin Cheng and the twins left the inn after their meal had to be cut short because of the mess that the travelling cultivator made on the shared table.


    They moved from stall to stall, picking up things and admiring them as they went. To the little boys, it was a time to move freely and run about as much as they wanted.


    "What would you like to get?"


    Lin Cheng looked at the fox princess whose eyes were on the dazzling hair pins and combs that was on display by the shopkeeper on a wine colored plain cloth. Looking from one to the other, unsure of which one to choose out of them, before then the shopkeeper had introduced himself as "Chan", which was his family name.


    The twin boys held in their hands, a dragon sugar candy, while chatting happily with themselves. Their eyes sparkled at the things they saw, moving from one stall to the next in the crowded marketplace.


    "Shopkeeper Chan, I''ll like to have the silver and blue one over to the far right!"


    The man that sold the hair pins and combs, reached for the hair pin that the fox princess asked for, picking it up and wrapping the hair pin in a plain blue cloth, before handing them to her.


    "Miss, thank you for buying from my shop, is there anything else that meets your eyes?"


    Yan Xuequi looked again, but she didn''t seem to want any from the shopkeepers merchandise.


    "Thank you, Shopkeeper Chan. But, I do not need to get anything from your shop. I''ll like to be on my way."


    The shopkeeper, a middle aged man, nodded in understanding, as he watched the beautiful woman that stood in front of his shop leave with two children that looked very much alike. It was there, that the shopkeeper realized that he may have mistakenly referred to the woman as a maiden rather than a married one.


    "The gods have blessed her with beauty and twins! Fortune will never cease from her house!"


    Lin Cheng looked at the shopkeeper, who was carried away by what he saw, thinking that they little boys belonged to the fox princess, not knowing that they were cousins.


    "Excuse me, Shopkeeper Chan."


    The man came back to his senses, after staring at the three that walked hand in hand from his stall.


    "Yes, Mister?"


    "I''ll very much like to get the hair pin with the crimson stones on them."


    Lin Cheng pointed to the silver pin that had a red stone at the top, which was lying at the center of the tablecloth.


    "Mister, is this for your wife or betrothed?"


    The BaoXu disciple had a look that bordered on embarrassment, the person that he wanted to get it for was neither of those. It was then, that Lin Cheng thought that it was no use in getting the hair pin when he wasn''t anything to the person he was planning of giving it to, sensing the hesitation from the man that stood in front of his stall. The shopkeeper was quick to conclude that Lin Cheng had a someone he secretly admired.


    "This is elegant enough for a maiden or a married woman!"


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    The shopkeeper was quick to praise the choice of Lin Cheng, who visibly relaxed when he heard that the hair pin he chose was the right choice. His intention was to ensure that he didn''t lose sale for the day and not because he though that Lin Cheng picked what was the best. Wrapping the hair pin in a cloth of olive green, the shopkeeper handed it to the good looking man that stood in front of him.


    Dressed in dark cloak, outwardly Lin Cheng looked like a traveler than the cultivator that he was, he thanked the shopkeeper and began running to the three that had gone far ahead of him, easily picking up the aura of the fox princess. Just as she could find him at Xuekejiu town, Lin Cheng could easily pick out the fox princess from the crowded streets of the market.


    The BaoXu sect disciple never thought that the reason that he was able to single out Yan Xuequi from the thick crowd, despite not being able to tell where the twins were, it was only possible because of the connection they formed within the forest on the day he was about to be attacked by thieves.


    Yan Xuequi kept chatting with her cousins and looking around for what next to get from the market, the fox princess was enjoying herself with the twins, thinking that Lin Cheng was behind them, only to turn around and he was nowhere to be found.


    "Lin Cheng!"


    Calling out from the crowded street, as several of the towns people began bumping into them when the suddenly stopped on the street.


    "Hey! Stop blocking our way!"


    Angry voices of men and women shouted at the fox princess and the little boys.


    "Yidan! Zimu! We have to turn back and search for Lin Cheng! How did this happen?!"


    Scared that he had lost his way, the fox princess momentarily forgot that she could tell where he was because of their invisible bond.


    "Aunt Xuequi, stop crying!"


    The candy they were happily licked was tossed to the ground, as each twin held onto their cousin, to console her. The fox princess was bumped into and pushed by those that walked the street, while holding the twins in a protective way.


    "Princess Xuequi?"


    Yan Xuewui turned around when she heard the voice that resembled those of Lin Cheng, gazing at him with tear stained eyes.


    "How did you find us?!"


    The fox princess could not believe her eyes when she saw the person that she was looking for, looked very composed, while she was scared out of her mind.


    "I don''t know how, but I could somehow tell where you were from the crowd."


    It took a while for what Lin Cheng said to sink in and when it finally did, Yan Xuequi knew right there that he was her fated one.

 112 Misgiving 22

    WuYangChen sect...


    The day after the battle against the demon lord and his armies was call off, Chen Yueming returned to his sect, or to be exact the clone returned from the meeting going through the front gates, while the original body snuck past the barriers erected around the WuYangChen sect.


    "Sect Leader Chen, welcome back!"


    Chen Yueming was greeted with much respect by the disciples of the sect, who knew nothing of his diabolical plan. He returned their greeting with much enthusiasm, as he strode towards his bedchambers.


    Meanwhile, Lady Chen that was supposedly in her room with her newborn, was in fact in an alternate world under the influence of the spatial ring. Although, she held the ring in her hand and could return at will, the mistress of the WuYang Chen sect dared not disobey the stern warning of her husband, who told her not to return, but wait until he sought her out.


    "Lady Chen, it is time for nanny Zu to take young master Chen out."


    The maids of Chen Liling thought that the person they were speaking to in the room was their mistress, not knowing that it was a clone, since their spiritual power was not strong enough to overcome the illusion of Chen Yueming. They needed their mistress''s permission to take her son to one of his wet nurse to be breastfed.


    Right before then, they walked in to Chen Liling looking at the face of her son, but in a somewhat absent minded manner, thinking she may have gotten tired from holding on to their young master, the maids gave the excuse of having him see his wet nurse.


    They saw her nod and quickly one of them reached to take the sleeping newborn from the hand of his mother.


    "Lady Chen, would you like us to bring you something to snack on?!"


    The clone of Chen Liling nodded morosely at them, causing each servant to look at each other with a look of perplexity in their eyes. They saw she continued to nod even when nothing was asked of her, which made the servants to nervously stare at their mistress.


    "Quick! Get Sect Leader Chen! I think there is something wrong with Lady Chen!"


    The maid that took the child from his mother, was the one of those that had served under Chen Liling since when she was a little child, she had never seen that type of look in her mistress''s eyes, this made her search the baby in her arms more closely to see if it was some sort of strange affliction that had come over her mistress and the young master.


    Several rushed out of the room to fetch the sect leader, while the rest of them remained behind to keep a watchful eye on their mistress.


    "Sect Leader Chen!"


    The maids frantically called to Chen Yueming from the threshold of the entrance to his courtyard. Chen Yueming had his own servants that served him and those were the only ones that were allowed to step past the entrance of his courtyard to where his bedchambers was, the reason for this was to prevent the servants under his wife from reporting back anything he didn''t wish for her to know of, the two had maintained such a relationship for over eleven years.


    The maids that served under Chen Yueming rushed out to see what the commotion was about, on getting to the entrance of the courtyard they were met by the maids that served Lady Chen.


    "Sect Leader Chen just got back, is there anything you would like us to pass to him?"


    Those that served under sect leader Chen, had an eerie similarity to that of his junior sister disciple, Xu Hui. Since Chen Liling had never met her before, she didn''t know of her husband''s peculiar nature. Also, the BaoXu sect kept the circumstances of Xu Hui''s death a closely guarded secret. Therefore, none knew about her except those from the sect, after taking an oath of silence, neither could speak of the junior disciple of the then Feng Yueming to anyone at all.


    "We think something has happened to Lady Chen! She isn''t her usual self!"


    "We''ll pass what you said to Sect Leader Chen and let you know of he says."


    They gave a slight bow to each other, before the maids that served the WuYangChen sect leader, hurried back to pass the news that came from maids that served their master''s wife.


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    Knocking softly on the door of his bedchamber, a voice from within called out for them to come inside. After greeting their master, the maids went on to pass the message to Chen Yueming, who had dispelled the clone when it came back to the room earlier on, while he snuck back using a spatial ring without anyone being aware of his duplicity.


    "Sect Leader Chen, maids from Lady Chen''s courtyard said the mistress may be unwell."


    Chen Yueming put the book he was reading by his desk to the side, without any change in his expression, he looked at each one and said, "Tell them, that I''ll be there to see Lady Chen."


    It was a look that neither had warmth nor showed coldness, but the voice that spoke lacked any form of affection in them.


    They bowed once again, before opening the door to deliver their master''s message to the maids that were waiting at the entrance of Chen Yueming''s courtyard. There was no denying that the sect leader took good care of his courtyard, flowers bloomed from various corners and there was even a pond with tiny goldfishes swimming in clear waters. The leader of the WuYangChen sect would spend his pastime gazing at the flowers or his goldfish.


    The maids told the ones from Chen Liling''s chambers what their master said, before returning back to their post outside his bedchambers.


    Inside, Chen Yueming stood up from his desk, as he prepared to do what was in his mind.


    "Chen Liling, I guess it''s time to bring you back."


    To show how much he had no concern for his wife, Chen Yueming referred to her by her title and would only call her by her name when he was up to no good. The WuYangChen sect leader, left his room to dispel the clones of his wife and son, bringing them back from where he sent them.

 113 Misgiving 23

    It was time to bid the woman that he brought back to his kingdom goodbye, Demon Lord Zhurong held onto the hand of Xu Hui whose eyes were covered, this was to keep his identity as the demon lord hidden and the location of his realm from being exposed to those from the pugilistic world.


    "As promised, I''m taking you back to continue your life as the young mistress of the YuanLi sect."


    Demon Lord Zhurong spoke in a neutral tone, not wanting the other to feel burdened by the feelings he for her.


    "Did I do anything to offend you?!"


    Xu Hui could not help but ask when she sensed that the way the demon lord was acting was different from before, she could feel that distance between them that became more evident after they came back from their walk when he almost kissed her under the radiant plum tree.


    "You haven''t annoyed me, I only want to uphold my bargain."


    The reason that Hei Zhurong gave may have sounded reasonable to others who did not know the event that transpired between the two, but Xu Hui could almost touch the wall that he placed between them.


    "Why should I be concerned about whether he is angry or not! I have been held at the fox clan for several days and knowing that he would keep to his words is more than enough for me!"


    The BaoXu sect disciple tried to convince herself not to be too sensitive to the mood of the demon lord, she still believed that she was in the fox clan and not at the demon realm with the ruler himself.


    "Are you ready, so that we can set out."


    "I''m ready."


    Hearing the simple words of Xu Hui, prompted Demon Lord Zhurong to hold her hand firmly, the two walked out of the room and went through the passage that led out out of the demon palace to meet endless land ahead. The demon lord, stopped and used his demon energy to force a portal open, which looked almost like swirling dark void, leading her by the hand, the two stepped inside as it sealed itself shut behind them, leading Xu Hui and Hei Zhurong out of the demon realm to the forest of the YuanLi sect.


    Eventually, the portal opened to a place filled with chirping birds and thick forestry. Demon Lord Zhurong took off the blindfold from Xu Hui''s eyes, causing her to blink rapidly from having to adjust to the sudden glare of afternoon brightness. Hand in hand they walked the entire distance from the forest to the path that led to the YuanLi sect. Several people passed by on their way, each casting curious looks in their direction. Li Jiao was the young mistress of the sect who lived a somewhat sheltered life, therefore many never saw her, since she stayed behind the walls of the YuanLi sect, for fear that see could fall sick from being around the people of Yuan town known for their famous night market, which was where the disciples of the YuanLi sect went to get late night snack, for those that were brave enough to do such a thing.


    "What a good looking man! I bet he is from a good family!"


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    The maidens among them giggled when they heard what one of the older women said about the demon lord.


    "Is that is wife?!"


    "I think they are newly wed!"


    "What a fine couple indeed!"


    "What are you saying! How are you sure that they are married?!"


    "Hold your tongue! Don''t speak to me that way!"


    "Alright! I''ll ask them!"


    The nosy one from among the group that walked the grassy path, walked up to Xu Hui and the demon lord.


    "Greetings, Young master!"


    Demon Lord Zhurong turned to see a round looking woman in plain blue and brown robes, her hair was tied in place in a what looked like rags to him. Just by looking at her, he could tell that she didn''t come with any good intentions.


    The two nodded at the woman in silent greeting, while waiting to hear what she wanted to tell the demon lord. Inside of him, the demon lord cursed at failure to hide Xu Hui from the preying eyes of others, not knowing that the other had the ability to keep herself from being noticed.


    "Young master, my friends and I wish to know if the young mistress here is your wife!"


    Xu Hui looked at man beside her, as eyes that reflected one of uncertainty shone from them, inside of him, the demon lord wanted to say that she was someone he had great interest in, but wasn''t his wife. Confessing to the busybody in front of him, would only damage the reputation of Xu Hui, which was why he said instead, "I''m blessed to have such a beautiful wife, don''t you think?"


    The woman and the rest of the people that were watching from the side, laughed lightheartedly at what the demon lord said, "Well said, young master. I do not wish to delay you any further. Thank you for listening to the words of such a foolish old woman like myself!"


    Wanting to downplay what she did, the woman bowed to both the demon lord and Xu Hui as they watched the rest of them tag along with her towards the direction of Yuan town.


    Xu Hui did not know she had been holding her breath until a sigh escaped out of her.


    "Were scared that she would find out that we were doing things that should have been between a married man and woman?"


    Hei Zhurong smiled lovingly at Xu Hui, who wore a look of annoyance.


    "That''s not true! I wasn''t in the least bit scared of being seen by those people!"


    "Keep telling yourself that!"


    "It''s the truth!"


    The demon lord brushed off the words of Xu Hui, to smile brightly at her look of impatience.


    "Alright! I won''t say anything! Now let''s continue our walk."


    The two walked side by side towards the YuanLi sect, which would become the home of Xu Hui for many years to come.

 114 Misgiving 24

    ShenJiangShi sect...


    When Shi Yunxu got back from his meeting with Li Guoliang, the young master of the ShenJiangShi sect began to violently throw up blood. As a result of holding the bad blood that had built up during the time he sat at the hall waiting to hear back from the GuBaiJin sect.


    Alarmed by what was going on, Shen Chunqiu rushed to the side of the young master, whose face was contorted in pain.


    "Young master Shi! Please breathe slowly!"


    The sect Physician began patting the back of Shi Yunxu as though encourage him to send out any remnant of pent up blood inside his body. Shen Chunqiu used that opportunity to examine the body of his young master, feeling the pulse of the other for any anomalies.


    Beads of sweat formed on the brow of the young master whose mouth was coated in blood.


    Slowly, but gently Shi Yunxu was placed on his bed, while his shoes were taken off by the Physician. Ignoring the blood stained floor, Shen Chunqiu quickly opened his bag which contained the tools of his trade and took out a folded brown cloth, placing them on the bed of his young master.


    Shi Yunxu cracked open an eye and what he saw caused him to stiffen in bed, for it was the dread sharp needles that Shen Chunqiuusually carried along with him on his house visits.


    "Physician Shen, promise me it will not hurt!"


    Shen Chunqiu had a grim look on his face, already upset that the young master never once stood up to clear the blood that was storing up within him. How else could such a large amount of blood have come out of his body?


    He looked at the pale faced young master, whose fear of needles was both funny to him, but at the same time quite annoying.


    "How can someone who fears being pricked by a needle, hope to take up the mantle of becoming the leader of ShenJiangShi sect?!"


    Keeping his thought to himself, Shen Chunqiu said instead, "Young master Shi, you only have to look the other way and I''ll be done in no time. I promise."


    Speaking in a tone that conveyed sincerity and sympathy for the plight of his young master, Physician Shen watched as Shi Yunxu did as told, turning his head away from the other.


    Within him, Shen Chunqiu sighed, he''d witnessed few occasions that required young master Shi to be in need of an acupuncture needle. The other avoided it like a plaque and would squirm when it came to the pointed object invading the skin of his body.


    "Young master Shi, if you stiffen too much, the needle could break, digging into your skin and inflict more pain to your body!"


    In truth, Shi Yunxu was as stiff as an ironing board, hearing what the Physician said made him relax a bit on the bed.


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    Taking out the thinnest needle from the row of needles which varied in length and size. The Physician paused for a mere second before inserting it into the exposed arm of Shi Yunxu.

 115 Banquet 1

    Almost a month passed after the demon war scare, the sect leader of the GuBaiJin sect sent letters of invitation to various sects, inviting them to attend a banquet at the hall of glaze.


    At YuanLi sect, a disciple of the GuBaiJin sect appeared at the front gate which was guarded by a group of young distinguished disciples of the sect. The said disciple gave a slight bow to the YuanLi sect disciples and handed them what appeared to be a folded sealed paper.


    "Sect Leader Jin asked me to give this to Sect Leader Li."


    The disciple appeared to be older looking than the six disciples that stood at the front gate.


    "We would make sure to pass it to Sect Leader Li. YuanLi sect would like to wish Sect Leader Jin good health and years of greatness as chief cultivator !"


    The leader of the group gave a customary salutation to the disciple from the other sect. This was a way of maintaining good relationship with the most powerful sect in the puligistic world.


    "I bid you all farewell! I''ll inform Sect Leader Jin of the YuanLi sect''s commendations."


    They each gave a bow to the other, as the said disciple from the GuBaiJin sect turned to make his way back to his sect and give report to Jin Rumin, the leader of the GuBaiJin sect.


    "Hurry! Let Sect Leader Li know of the message from the chief cultivator!"


    The leader of the group passed it to the youngest of them, a bright eyed looking male disciple, who gave a bow of acceptance as the letter was handed to him.


    "Yes, Fan Jue! I''ll give this to Sect Leader Li!"


    Chao Yikuan had the exhuberance akin to one his age, grinning happily as he tucked the letter under the sleeves of his robes.


    The rest watched as he walked leisurely without any hurry in his steps.


    "Why did you have to ask Chao Yikuan?! The letter wouldn''t get to sect leader on time!"Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting.


    A dissatisfied look settled on the face of the disciple that questioned Fan Jue.


    "He is so slow, why did sect leader even make him take up watch duty with us?! Isn''t he better suited for something else?!"


    Another disciple joined in agreement, to them the youngest member didn''t desserve the position he was assigned to by Li Guoliang the leader of YuanLi sect.


    "Leave him be, we all started from somewhere. Moreover are you saying that sect leader doesn''t knowing what he was doing by selecting Chao Yikuan?!"


    Fan Jue angrily reprimanded the cultivators under him, seeing the look of shame in their eyes as they heard what he said to them.


    "But Fan Jue! It''s not that we are looking down on sect leader''s choice, but Chao Yikuan looks too unserious!"


    "Just look at the way he is walking!"


    True enough, the disciple that was the center of the conversation didn''t seem like he was tasked with an important mission. It was as if he was going on an outing rather than seeing their sect leader.

 116 Banquet 2

    "Greetings, Sect Leader Li! Chao Yikun is here to present a letter from the sect leader of GuBaiJin sect!"


    A young disciple gave a bow as he stood outside the closed door of the hall of foresight, this was where Li Guoliang sat to read and cultivate.


    Inside, the sect leader of the YuanLi sect sat in front of desk with a tray laid out in front of him, bearing a clear blue delicate porcelain kettle and saucer shaped cup. His brows furrowed in concentration as though something within the book bothered him.


    "You may enter!"Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting.


    Setting down the book on his desk, Li Guoliang lightly lifted the sleeves of his robes as though he was shaking off an invisible dust from it.


    The door was pulled open to reveal a fair skinned youth who gave a deep bow when he entered into the room where his sect leader sat. There was a fragrant smell that permeated the place which seemed to be coming from the incense burner by the desk of Li Guoliang.


    The sect leader looked questionly as he waited for the disciple to hand over the message from the GuBaiJin sect.


    As though all the courage had left him, Chao Yikun remained in one spot, when his eyes met those of his sect leader, whose gaze looked unwelcoming. The young disciple broke into a sweat as he feared being in the presence of his sect leader which was contrary to the way he acted when he was with the other disciples that guarded YuanLi sect.


    "You said that you''re here to deliver a message from GuBaiJin sect! Then, why are you still standing there?! Where is it?!"


    Not knowing what to make of the absurd nature of one of his disiples, Li Guoliang raised his voice in irritation, but that only made Chao Yikun fear him more.


    "I..I''m sorry Sect Leader Li...here is the letter!"


    With hands that trembled in fear, Chao Yikun pulled out the folded letter from the GuBaijin sect leader, slowly dragging his feet to where Li Guoliang was, as the other had a look that reflected his displeasure from being kept waiting.


    Unable to hide his annoyance, the YuanLi sect leader snatched the folded note from him. Prying open the paper, Li Guoliang turned it over to see what it contained.


    Moments later, he raised his head to speak to the disciple in the hall with him.


    "Where is Fu Zian?!"


    Li Guoliang looked at the disciple whose head was lowered with his hands placed ontop of the other in front of him.


    "I..I think...Senior Fu is in the training field!"


    Chao Yikun said what came to his mind, the disciple had no idea where the senior disciple was and didn''t want his sect leader to have cause to grill him further.


    "Get him for me and tell him to come along with Jiao''er!"


    "As you wish...Sect Leader Li. I''ll bring Senior Fu and Lady Li to the hall of foresight!"


    Li Guoliang raised his hand to dismiss the disciple, who looked as though he would wet his robes at any given time.


    Chao Yikun gave a hasty bow before leaving hurrying out of the hall of foresight.

 117 Banquet 3

    "Young Miss Li! Sect Leader Li is asking of you! A disciple came from the hall of foresight to tell us!"


    About eight maids stood outside the door of Li Jiao''s bedchambers as they waited for the young mistress of the YuanLi sect to summon them into her private chambers.


    "Young Miss Li?!"


    It hadn''t been long since Xu Hui returned from the demon realm, under the influence of the "eye of yao" the BaoXu sect disciple thought she was in the fox realm with "fox prince Rong" whose magical tool made it next to impossible to detect the presence of demon energy.


    The clone and the "real" body of Li Jiao was swapped out without anyone at the YuanLi sect being the wiser. To Li Guoliang his daughter had been at the sect ground for the past month and hadn''t stepped a foot out or so he thought.


    "Is she sleeping?!"


    "Or could she be in the library?"


    Outside the door of Li Jiao''s bedchambers, her chamber maids whispered softly to one another. Since her return, they noticed the person they thought was their mistress to be paying frequent visits to the library, not that the "real" Li Jiao never went to the YuanLi sect''s library but not like what they''ve began witnessing with their mistress since the "near drowning" incident that took place a while back.


    "But wasn''t she there this morning?!"Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting.


    It was mid afternoon when the messenger from the GuBaiJin sect came to deliver his sect leader''s mesage to Li Guoliang.


    "Our young mistress is studying to take over from Sect Leader Li!"


    "How is that possible? There has never been a female as sect leader! Look at GuBaiJin sect! Wouldn''t we at YuanLi sect be a laughing stock among other sects?!"


    "Isn''t that why Young Miss Li may be working this hard to make them accept a female sect leader?!"


    "Tsk! You are too muddle headed! How can there be such a precedence! If that happens, I will give you all my life savings!"


    "Aya! Just don''t lose your life over something like this, because you would have to work till you die to make them back once you give it away!"


    Xu Hui listened with interest at what the maids said outside her door, although they thought she wasn''t there or didn''t hear what they said, as one who wasn''t supposed to exist in their world. The BaoXu sect disciple had gained certain abilities that made her a kind of "anomaly" even among other cultivators.


    "That''s enough, are you not afraid someone may hear what we are saying?!"


    It soon became quiet once more, as they all thought the young mistress of the YuanLi sect was probably somewhere else other than her bedchambers.


    Xu Hui walked noiselessly toward the door of her room and suddenly yanked it open. Neither expected to see their sect leader''s daughter standing in front of them, the expression that clearly marked their faces read, "It''s over, she''s going to kill us!"


    Not a single color remained on the faces that met those of Xu Hui.

 118 Banquet 4

    "Senior Fu!"


    Chao Yikun ran as much as his legs could carry him, across the wide expanse of land filled with soft earth, where some of the disciple came to practise their sword skills.


    Not the sword type, Fu Zian held a stick in his hand and began making a swipe at empty air as though attacking some invisible number of people.


    Sweat dripped from his forehead and all over the body of the senior YuanLi disciple, as his robes moved in accordance to the flow of his limbs.


    Turning around to see who could be calling him, Fu Zian saw a familiar face running towards him and waving a hand.


    "What is Chao Yikun doing here?! Wasn''t he on watch duty?!"


    Fu Zian allowed his hands to drop to his side as he watched a fellow cultivator from his sect draw closer to him.


    "Senior Fu! You don''t know how happy I am to see you!"


    Chao Yikun''s cheeks became red from exhaustion, since he first made a trip to the courtyard of his sect leader''s daughter, before running to the training ground to look for Fu Zian who luckily enough was where he told his sect leader.


    Fu Zian looked at the younger disciple and didn''t know of what to make of his flowery words.


    "Chao Yikun, are you not at guard duty? What brings you to the training ground at this time of the day?!"Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting.


    The senior disciple knew that kept watch over whole sect didn''t have much time to spare to be at the training ground.


    "I''m not here for myself, I came to see you! Sect Leader Li is asking that you come to the hall of foresight with Lady Li!"


    A strange look came over the face of Fu Zian when the disciple mentioned the sect leader''s daughter, who he knew was long dead as another resided in her body.


    "What is it, Senior Fu?! Did I say anything that could have offended you?!"


    The senior disciple quickly masked the look in his eyes with a smile.


    "No, Chao Yikun! I was just thinking of what sect leader could be calling me for, where is Lady Li?"


    Hearing Fu Zian say that he was annoyed, that made the disciple on watch duty to visibly relax.


    "Lady Li''s maids have relayed the message to her, that was why I left there to see you so that we can both meet in front of Lady Li''s courtyard to see sect leader together."


    According to the order of things, the disciple on watch duty had to see Xu Hui first since she was their sect leader''s daughter, before going to find Fu Zian who was a disciple that Li Guoliang treated almost like a son.


    "Let me run over to change my robes, I don''t want sect leader to chase me out because I''m smelling of sweat!"


    Chao Yikun''s eyes widened before they disappeared as he bursted into laughter at what the senior disciple said, because in truth Li Guoliang was particular about appearance and scent. Their sect leader had little tolerance for any form of untidiness and disorderly look.

 119 Banquet 5

    "Young Miss Li! We all deserve to die!"


    Each of the maids fell to their knees before Xu Hui, as they pleaded with her to spare their lives.


    Looking at the faces filled with fright, the BaoXu sect disciple''s face lifted in a smile of cruelty.


    "Now, why do you think that you deserve to die? Did I say that I would kill you?"


    "No! You didn''t! Your servants must have heard wrong!"


    Looking at the maids of Li Jiao grovel at her feet made Xu Hui recall a shard of the memory from the body she inhabited.


    Rarely had the young mistress of the YuanLi sect been anything but flawless grace, who treated those under he with a kind smile. Hatred burned in the heart of Xu Hui and consumed her mind every day, from the moment she slept and woke it was what she thought of every time.


    That affected her dealings with those from the YuanLi sect, neither of the manservants and maids could voice the changes that had been taking place with their mistress.


    In the presence of Li Guoliang, Xu Hui was Li Jiao all through, but the moment she was not with the YuanLi sect leader, she returned to her usual self. This was more noticeable by those that were tied to her courtyard than by the other disciples of the sect.


    "Father would think I''m wicked or mistreating you if he walks in on this. Why don''t you all rise on your feet. I''m not going to kill any of you."


    To make her words sound convincing, Xu Hui smiled warmly at them. Slowly they rose to their feet when they heard the voice of what they thought to be their loving mistress, for Xu Hui reverted to the way Li Jiao spoke to her maids.


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    Each of them gave a deep bow of gratitude when they saw that she wasn''t going to punish them, but rather spoke to them like the old times.


    "I think it''s been a while since I tried it out."


    Xu Hui spoke so softly that if one didn''t have a sharp ear they would have missed what she said, but some of them caught a portion of what she said and answered, "Young Miss Li, what is it you want to...."


    No sooner had the words left the maid''s mouth, that was when she saw the ring leader that headed the gossip begin to cough up blood.


    Yun Wanyi held her belly as blood spewed from her mouth, landing right in front of Xu Hui''s feet with some splashing on those that were closest to her and on the robes of Xu Hui.


    "A-Yi!!!!"


    They saw her knees crumble as she fell on the floor. Panic gripped the hearts of the other maids, not knowing what to make of one of their own who was bringing up blood for some unknown reason. They rushed to help her up, while Xu Hui looked with face of serenity.

 120 Banquet 6

    Xu Hui moved her hand without any of them knowing as the force of her spiritual energy latched onto those of Yun Wanyi piercing through her defenseless body to seek the source of life that was within.


    Since the BaoXu sect disciple possessed a higher cultivation than that the maid, she easily evaded the eyes of the others and was able to infuse her spiritual energy into the body of Yun Wanyi reaching for the less vital organs within and manipulating her blood in the process.


    "A-Yin! What is happening to you?!"


    The one being spoken to, looked in a daze at the blood on her clothes and the floor on which she was dragged from, as her mind struggled to accept what had just taken place.


    One moment she and the others were begging the young mistress of the YuanLi sect and the next thing, she was seized with the inexplainable urge to empty her insides.


    "Say something! Are you sick?!"


    "Young Miss Li! I think A-Yin may need to see a physician!"


    Yun Wanyi was shaken by other maids as though to make her conscious of where she was, but that wasn''t enough to remove her from the stupor that had taken hold of her mind.


    "Take her away and one of you should bring me another set of maids to wait on me."


    A look of discomfort mixed with resentment passed through their eyes when they heard the way Xu Hui coldly dismissed them.


    "Yes, Young Miss Li! We will have them come to your chambers!"


    Bowing before their mistress with hearts made heavy with unhappiness, they soon filed out of the courtyard to get Yun Wanyi to the large compound where several servants shared a room.


    Soon enough, the maid that took up the task to have a new set of maids attend to Xu Hui walked into the courtyard of Li Jiao along with the women that would be getting the young mistress of the YuanLi sect prepared to see her father.


    Knocking softly at the door of Li Jiao''s bedchambers, a maid announce her presence to Xu Hui.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting.


    "Young Miss Li, your humble servant has brought the maids that would be attending to you."


    "Come in!"


    Keeping her head lowered, the maid that spoke reached to pull the door open, as she stepped to the side to allow the others to enter in before following them and closing the door behind her.


    "A-Xia, Greets Young Miss Li. A-Xia is honored to be in your presence."


    The headmaid bowed in greeting as the rest followed suit, they all wore the customary plain robes purple robes of the YuanLi sect with hair held in a butterfly style on their heads.


    Ju Ruoxia''s head removed lowered with the rest of the nine maids that came along with her to see Xu Hui.


    "You can raise your heads up!"


    As they did as Xu Hui asked, the BaoXu sect disciple looked at their faces to see if any of them had served under Li Jiao.

 121 Banquet 7

    Inside his room, Fu Zian hurriedly passed the damp washclothes across the upper part of his body, cleansing the sweat and dust that formed from his stay at the training ground, an open space in direct touch with nature and soft earth. The day wasn''t as sunny which would have made the YuanLi senior disciple to take a bath in the stream rather than cleaning his skin using a basin filled with ordinary water and washcloth.


    "Senior Fu! Are you about done?!"


    Chao Yikun called out to Fu Zian outside the door of bedchambers.


    Not one to allow anyone in his room while he was changing his robes, he let the other disciple wait outside rather than inviting him into the room.


    Inside was neatly laid out, there was drappery of soft silk on the overhead of the bed, a desk with an incense burner and his purple zither was placed not far off from where he laid his head at night. A screen was in one corner of the room, meant to serve as an area where he could take his bath without joining the other disciples in the stream that flowed behind the sect quarters.


    "I''m putting on my robes!"


    Chao Yikun had to stiffle the laugh that he felt would come tumbling out when he heard the voice of Fu Zian which sounded as those he was under pressure.


    Not too long after, dressed in a robe of silver and black with his hair held in a ribbon whose ends ran down his back was Fu Zian who stepped out of his room in readiness to see his sect leader.


    As a senior disciple of the YuanLi sect, they were allowed to wear robes that was not the color of the sect. This was a way to reward the effort put into a higher level of spiritual energy and giving the semblance of them not under heavy restriction.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting.


    "Senior Fu, are you not just going to see sect leader? Why are you dressed as though you are about to impress your father-in-law?!"


    Chao Yikun could not hide his surprise, when he saw the robes of Fu Zian they shimmered and looked very elegant and rested well on him.


    "It is good to dress well, you never know what good fortune it would bring!"


    Meanwhile, Fu Zian delibrately chose the robes he had on, not because he was trying to impress the sect leader, but to garner the interest of Xu Hui. As much as the senior disciple hated to admit it, a part of him was drawn to the woman that was acting as his sect leader''s daughter.


    "Senior Fu, isn''t this too much to go meet sect leader? I haven''t seen you in anything that stands out!"


    Chao Yikun youthful eyes curiously searched the face of Fu Zian to see if he had other reasons apart from the one that he gave.


    "Chao Yikun! Stop being frivolous and let''s be on our way!"


    Knowing that the disciple was starting to see through him, Fu Zian jumped into action to steer him off course.

 122 Banquet 8

    The YuanLi cultivators soon made their way to the courtyard of Li Jiao, where they waited outside its oval entrance to be called in by the chamber maids. Purple and pink flowers sprung from the tree that grew within the courtyard, it''s petals scattered on the ground and giving a wispy beauty.


    "I don''t see anyone, do you think they are still attending to Lady Li?"


    A worried look settled on the face of Chao Yikun as he closely looked at those of Fu Zian to see if he thought the same.


    "We are in no place to complain, if sect leader''s daughter is not yet ready, then we wait!"


    "But what if he scolds us for not showing up on time?!"


    Chao Yikun''s height was almost three inches shorter than Fu Zian, as the two stood side by side with one looking well composed while the other felt the need to bite on his nails in agitation.


    "Senior Fu! I fear Sect Leader Li! Isn''t there a way for us to announce our presence?!"


    Nervously wringling the end of his sleeves, the watch duty disciple eyes kept darting back and forth at the other disciple by his side.


    "It doesn''t make much difference, if we shout at the top of our voice to be shown in, moreover isn''t it clear enough that she is not ready?"


    "But, Senior Fu!"


    Just as he was about to say more, the sound of a door opening was heard from where the two disciples stood.


    "I think that''s Lady Li!"


    Instantly the voice that was troubled became one of nervous excitement, rising on the toes of his feet, Chao Yikun stretched his neck to see if he could catch the first glimpse of his sect leader''s daughter as she was accompanied by her servants.


    Xu Hui wore a robe of white with her hair held in an hair pin of jade and blue stones, under her robes were boots of white which were designed with delicate snow white embroidery.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting.


    She began her descent, three steps down the stairs made from wood of fine craftmanship.


    "Senior Fu Zian! Disciple Chao Yikun!"


    The maids that silently followed Xu Hui with some by her side and other behind, bowed in greeting to the men that stood on the threshold of their mistress''s courtyard.


    The two returned their greeting together with those for the daughter of their sect leader.


    "You! Come with me, the rest of you stay behind to keep an eye on things!"


    Ju Ruoxia and the other maids bowed to accept the order given by Xu Hui, in which the headmaid was to follow her mistress.


    "Fu Zian, I heard father wants to see us. Do you know what that could be?"


    As Xu Hui spoke her demeanor remained that of Li Jiao, despite the other knowing what was buried within.


    Fu Zian gave a smile and said, "Sect Leader Li is at the hall of foresight, once we get there, he''ll reveal his thoughts to us."


    Without mincing words, the senior disciple made Xu Hui know that he too was in the dark as to the reason why Li Guoliang had summoned them.


    "Such fine robes! Fu Zian. Are you going somewhere else after you see father?!"

 123 Banquet 9

    Chao Yikun could not hold back from roaring in laughter, the young disciple held onto his sides with his head down which quivered from the sidesplitting words that came out of Xu Hui''s mouth.


    "I..I..I''m sor..ry Lady Li...I..wasn''t...maki..ng fun..of you!"


    Xu Hui''s eyes danced in mirth when she saw the way Chao Yikun fought to keep his laughter under control, the face of Fu Zian became dark when from what he heard from Xu Hui.


    "I''m not going to any other place after the meeting with Sect Leader Li!"


    There was a sour note in the voice of the senior disciple, to him it was like they presumed that on a normal day he didn''t dress up as good as today.


    "You don''t need to get riled up, I was only saying that you look fascinating."


    "I look fascinating?!"


    It was as if Xu Hui had poured salt on his wound, the senior disciple didn''t take too well with what could have turned out to be a compliment.


    "Senior Fu! Lady Li was only commending you for taking extra care of your appearance!"


    Instead of making it better, Chao Yikun''s words made the situation much worse.


    "That''s enough, I don''t need to hear anymore from you!"Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting.


    Seething with anger, Fu Zian turned around and began walking ahead of the others. Xu Hui, Chao Yikun and Ju Ruoxia steadily followed behind him.


    ------------


    At the front of the hall of foresight, the four of them stood outside as Fu Zian announced their presence to the sect leader of YuanLi sect. It was a proud structure of white and silver purple with intricate lamp stands, fine hardwood floors with tassels of delicate needlework and draperies that hung high up.


    The courtyard that led into the hall of foresight held rows of manificient tall trees whose flowers bore sweet smelling scent carried by the air that blew around the place.


    "Sect Leader Li! Fu Zian is here to see you. I have Lady Li and her maid, Chao Yikun with me!"


    "You may enter!"


    All four walked into the grand hall where Li Guoliang sat with the letter resting on his desk.


    "Father!"


    "Jiao''er!"


    Xu Hui''s smiled very warmly at Li Jiao''s father, who got up from where he sat to hold his daughter by the hand. The lines on the brows of Li Guoliang disappeared on seeing his child before him. Leading her by the hand, the sect leader guided his daughter to take a seat by his desk, before returning to his seat.


    Fu Zian''s eyes followed the father and daughter, his heart clenched painfully knowing that one day his sect leader may have to face the truth about his daughter.


    "You can all sit! You may wait outside!"


    What Li Guoliang meant was that, Fu Zian, Chao Yikun could sit at his desk, while Ju Ruoxia the maid of his daughter was to remain outside the hall.


    Without saying a word, the headmaid bowed and left the room. At this point, Li Guoliang then revealed the purpose why he summoned the three of them to the hall of foresight.


    "Now, to why I brought you all here. I received a letter from Sect Leader Jin to attend a banquet at the hall of glaze, since I don''t want to go, Fu Zian I want both you and Jiao''er to go in my place."


    "So, this is the reason why sect leader called for us!Hmm.."


    Fu Zian''s gaze remained steady as the thought ran through his mind while looking at his sect leader.

 124 Banquet 10

    "Sect Leader Chen, here is the message from Sect Leader Jin of the GuBaiJin sect."


    A WuYangChen disciple handed the note that came from Jin Ruimin. Chen Yueming sat in his study when the disciple walked in to inform him of the new development.


    "You may leave."


    After taking the note, the sect leader of WuYangChen sect dismissed the messenger. He tore open the folded paper to read what was inside.


    "About time that Sect Leader Jin launch a banquet at his sect. Hall of glaze? Did he just have it built or was there ever a hall by that name?"


    Chen Yueming prided himself on knowing what took place in other sects, but seeing where the banquet was to be held didn''t strike him as something he knew.


    "I was planning on holding one myself after the one hundred days was over to celebrate the birth of my son, and to think that Jin Ruimin would beat me to it!"


    A faint smile appeared on the face of the WuYangChen sect leader, whose jade fair skin was admired by many for its personable looks.


    Although he was angry, it was hard to tell by the look on his face, a bird flew by and landed on a tree by the pouch which plum tree with tiny fruits that was beginning to take shape. The grey colored yunnan bird began pecking at the wine colored rounded fruit, the bird never saw it coming, no time to even make a sound as its body was diced into several pieces. Blood splattering on the wall, tree on which it once was and the surrounding ground.


    Chen Yueming''s aura passed through the walls of the room where he sat to inflict a gruesome death on the defenseless bird.


    "Ah, I need to send a reply to Sect Leader Jin of my intent to attend his banquet."


    Dipping his writing brush into the ink by his desk, Chen Yueming began composing the letter that he would be delivering to GuBaiJin sect.


    Minutes passed before he was done with his task, neatly folded by the desk. He soon called for one of the disciples to hand deliver it to sect that it was assigned.


    "Have this taken to GuBaiJin sect, this is to let Sect Leader Jin that I will be attending the banquet."


    "Yes, Sect Leader Chen!"


    The disciple that came in to carry out the order, gave a bow as he took the letter that was handed to him by Chen Yueming.


    "Let me know when you get back."


    With that, the disciple left to do the bidding of his sect leader.


    "Is it really too soon to be celebrating?"Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting.


    The thought crossed the mind of the WuYangChen sect leader about having a festivity when the enemy was not defeated.


    "Junior disciple sister Xu would have been a day older tomorrow. I haven''t been to the sect after I got married and with no one left, I still haven''t laid their ashes to rest."


    His musing was suddenly interrupted by a knock at his door.


    "Sect Leader Chen! Lady Chen is here to see you!"

 125 Banquet 11

    "Send her in!"


    Chen Yueming watched as the door opened to reveal his wife in the robes of red and white of the WuYangChen sect, her hair was held in a finely crafted gold hair pin which glimmered where it rested from ontop her head.


    Chen Liling was the epitome of grace, born from a noble sect, the way she walked was an attestation to the strong family background from which she came. The couple greeted each other with a bow.


    "Chen Yueming."


    "Lady Chen."


    Rising on his feet, Chen Yueming walked over to where he wife was, in a hand sweeping motion he showed her to a seat by his desk, not leaving her side until she had taken a seat. Only then did he walk over to sit on the other side of the desk.


    In terms of beauty, Lady Chen of the WuYangChen sect was not lacking, but nothing could make her husband pay her a visit to her bedchambers after the birth of their child. He had done is part in providing an successor to the WuYangChen sect, therefore he didn''t see any need to do more than was required.


    "I heard you are going to the banquet."Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting.


    Nothing escaped the ears of Chen Liling which was why Chen Yueming exercised more caution around her. Everything that took place within the sect was reported to her on a daily basis which would have made life unbearable for him, except that he was more crafty and took great lengths to avoid exposing the things he wanted hidden from the eyes of his wife.


    Within a short time, she had been able to discover that her husband would be going to the GuBaiJin sect tomorrow.


    "It would have pleased me to bring you along with me, but...."


    "The hundred days is not yet over, I know."


    The mistress of the WuYangChen sect completed the words that her husband was going to say.


    "I told Sect Leader Li that we would both come to see him after."


    "Is it true that his daughter is now cured?!"


    Li Jiao''s illness was known by other sects, even her mysterious recovery was now known by Chen Liling. Although, Chen Yueming caught wind of the near death experience of Li Guoliang''s daughter, what he didn''t know was that it was no near death experience but that she actually died.


    "Sect Leader Li has not made an open remark about his daughter, unless he says something, we can''t speak openly about his daughter."


    The leader of the WuYangChen sect sent a thinly veiled warning to his wife not to speak carelessly outside their sect in the ears of others.


    Chen Liling could hardly hide the disappointment on her face, after providing her husband with what would have been served as a matter of common interest that they could both speaking about.


    "Is there something that displeases you?"


    The fair skin on the face of the Lady Chen remained calm, as her eyes sought to delve into what appeared to be the troubled depths of her husband''s eyes.


    When it came to Chen Yueming, Chen Liling was very sensitive to his moods.

 126 Banquet 12

    "It isn''t anything that you should be concerned about."


    Not knowing how his words affected his wife, to Chen Liling it was as if he had slammed the door to his heart.


    Holding within her pride which had times without end been tried by him. It took biting her inner cheek to settle the turbulence that was gathering inside of her.


    "Chen Yueming...."Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting.


    The sound of tray came from outside the room to signal the arrival of one of the kitchen servants. Holding off what she was about to say, Chen Liling waited for their tray to be served and the servant gone, before continuing from where she left off.


    "Chen Yueming, I know you think you can shoulder everything by yourself, but I want you to be able to depend on me, it doesn''t have to be every time, it could be once in a while."


    The sect leader of the WuYangChen sect closed his eyes, as though to block out the things said by his wife. The one person that he would have wanted to do that with was no longer alive, try as he may, he could not move from the past. It has been a little over eleven years since then and it still felt like it all happened yesterday.


    Regret, sadness and pain marked the elegant looks of Chen Yueming. Seeing the way her husband was reacting to the words that she said made the mistress of the WuYangChen sect to start believing that her husband could indeed have loved someone or at least liked the person more than her.


    "Lady Chen I am grateful that you could consider sharing the responsibilities that I have to bear, but I''m quite able to handle them by myself."


    Chen Liling''s hands shook by her lap, while she wore a bright smile on her face.


    "What did Sect Leader Li have to say about us paying him a visit at the YuanLi sect?"


    To clear the air that laden with tension, Lady Chen brought up going to see the sect leader and his daughter. That seemed to work because a smile now appeared on the face of Chen Yueming while he reached to pour a cup of tea for himself and his wife.


    "I''m also looking forward to that time, I heard he has some impressive magical tools."


    Happy that her husband was now lively, the trembling subsided as she raised the cup of steamy tea to her nicely shaped rosy lips.


    "Do you think he would give us out of them? I could ask that he send one as a gift to our son."


    The child she spoke about was being taken care of by his wet nurse.


    "I wouldn''t mind asking him, but Sect Leader Li is a proud man, even though he may not appear that way to some."


    "Isn''t he more approachable than Sect Leader Shi? I heard he hasn''t recovered from his sick bed."


    Chen Yueming laughed, shortly followed by his wife, as the two leisurely enjoyed their tea together in his study.

 127 Banquet 13

    "What is wrong with that old crook?! A banquet?! What if demons stormed in and end us slaughtering us all while we are wining and dining?!"


    At least someone wasn''t too into the idea of attending a banquet by the GuBaiJin sect.


    "Young master Shi, I know you don''t think this is a good idea, but if you don''t show up, what would others think?!"


    Shi Yunxu paced up and down his room, angry and worried that things could become ugly as they gathered at the GuBaiJin sect.


    "I seriously want to turn down the invitation, but with father laying in bed with an incurable illness, what am I to do?!"


    "Young master! I beg of you, don''t let your emotions rule you. ShenJiangShi sect is not number two for nothing, your father and many others have worked hard to solidify our standing among other sects! Don''t let all their blood and labor be in vain!"


    Shi Haikuan was one of Shi Yunxu''s confidants as the other was trying to appease the righteous anger of the younger master of the ShenJiangShi sect.


    They were both similar in height and built, but one looked visible upset while the other was more of a peacemaker.


    "I don''t want to see that annoying man!"


    Without being told who it was that he was making reference to, Shi Haikuan could tell that the one being spoken about was the sect leader of the YuanLi sect, Li Guoliang.


    "Young master Shi, how are you so sure that he would show up?!"


    Turning around all of a sudden, Shi Yunxu almost ran into his friend.


    "I think he would! I really think he would show up just to make me suffer through the whole feast!"Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting.


    Shi Haikuan let out a sigh, as he didn''t know what to make of his young master''s wild thoughts.


    "You could ask to be seated away from him if that is the case! There would be others in there that would want to speak to him, I doubt if he would single you out to talk to throughout the entire festivity!"


    "You don''t know him! He could do something like that!"


    Shi Haikuan watched as his young master let out an exaggerated quaver of fear from his body.


    "Please, Young master Shi! Think of the future of ShenJiangShi sect!"


    In the puligistic world it was not only skills that mattered but also how well a sect or clan was able to form ties with others. In other words, ranking was based on cultivation and political skills, the higher the sect did on both the more likely they were to remain at the top.


    "I''m not any good at conversing with other sect leaders, everyone of them look down on me for being so young! Father hasn''t passed on the title to me yet, so why should I have to go there?! I already did enough at the last assembly!"


    Within, Shi Yunxu felt frustrated by his powerlessness, he knew what others taught of him, as one who wasn''t strong enough to lead the ShenJiangShi sect.


    "Young master Shi, isn''t it better to have an enemy that you know than the one that hides in the dark only to spring up out of nowhere at you?!"

 128 Banquet 14

    Shi Yunxu stared wide eyed at person that was almost as close as a brother to him, it was as though a veil that covered his sight was suddenly taken off and he could now see clearly.


    "It''s true, Sect Leader Li usually comes at me with harsh words, but other sect leaders praise me and even speak kindly to me."


    The young master of the ShenJiangShi sect slowly voiced out the thought in his head, as he suddenly realized that the YuanLi sect leader may not be all that terrible as he initially thought.


    "Now you see what I have been trying to point out to you!"


    Shi Haikuan patted the shoulder of his friend, lauding him for finally gaining insight into what he had been drumming into his ears for some time.


    "During the banquet, if he says blistering words to you, accept them and later when you come back I want you to examine them and find out the meaning behind his words to you."


    Shi Yunxu nodded solemnly as he listened to the advise of his friend.


    "Sect Leader Li means well."


    "Yes, he does. That''s why you can you this gain some wealth of knowledge from him while others talk about mundane things."


    "Alright, I''ll keep what you said to heart and listen to Sect Leader Li. Are you going to be coming along with me?"


    "You''re the acting sect leader, do you want me to join you at the hall of glaze?!"


    The two youths smiled back at each other in comradery.


    "What would you be wearing for the banquet of tomorrow?"


    Shi Haikuan drew his friend back to an important part of the next day''s festivity.


    "I''ll have the maids that serve under my attend to that!"


    "What if you were given a dull color to put on?"


    Shi Haikuan could speak casually to his younger master within the closed doors of the other''s chambers, but outside the two had to maintain a formal way of addressing each other to avoid drawing criticism from the elders in the sect.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting.


    "I''ll have to put them on, isn''t the position of a sect leader meant to be uninteresting and full of soul draining duties!"


    "Speaking of soul draining duties, how far have you gone in your training?!"


    It was then that the young master of the ShenJiangShi sect went to sit by an hassock by his desk.


    "I''m having difficulty moving past the level that I''m in, Physician Shen said that it is because I am obsessing over something."


    Shi Haikuan could see the dispirited look on the face of his friend, this made him hurry to give him a word of encouragement.


    "Knowing what the problem is means that it is half solved, since Physician Shen said you are extensively pondering over an issue, do you know what it could be?!"


    "I think it has to do with what not liking the way others see me, most especially Sect Leader Li. Also, I fear that I may not be as good as father was!"


    "Give it a try again, after you return from the banquet. This time, you would see an improvement should you accept to move forward and ignore any self-doubt in your heart. I''ll be going to my room to rest."


    "Alright A-Kuan! We will talk later!"


    The two bade each other farewell as Shi Haikuan firmly closed the door behind him.

 129 Banquet 15

    "Demon Lord Zhurong, the GuBaiJin sect would be holding a banquet tomorrow."


    General Hei gave his report to the ruler of the demon realm, who had a bored look on his face when he was told about it.


    "And why should that be of any interest to me?!"


    Little did Hei Zhurong know that by him going to the banquet would he be able to catch a glimpse of Xu Hui, the woman whom his eyes had become taken with.


    "It has come to my notice that Sect Leader Li would not be attending the banquet but instead his daughter, Lady Li and Fu Zian, a disciple that he holds in high regard would be going in his place to GuBaiJin sect.


    That was when the detached look in the eyes of the demon lord disappeared completely to be replaced with one of interest.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting.


    "Lady Li is going to the banquet?!"


    Not that his ears were failing him, but the demon lord wanted to hear it again from the mouth of his general if truly the daughter of Li Guoliang was coming to the feast that was going to be taking place the next day.


    "The spy on the inside made mention that he would not be going. Lady Li and a senior disciple would be attending in his place."


    General Hei could perceive that the demon lord had taken a liking to the young mistress of the YuanLi sect. As the one who headed the army of the demon lord, it was not his place to tell him not to pursue a fruitless endeavor with someone from the puligistic world. Demon realm and the heavenly realm were two separate worlds that should never mix together, looking at him the general thought to himself that it could be a passing affection which would fade with time.


    "Demon Lord Zhurong, would you be attending the banquet?"


    "Do you need to ask?! It''s quite obvious that I would be going and make sure to keep an eye while I''m away! When should I be there?!"


    The eyes that was once dull became alight with anticipation, the demon lord spoke as though he had been handed an invitation letter by Jin Ruimin, the leader of the GuBaiJin sect.


    "It''s begins in the evening and should end the next morning. This is to pacify the fear that could arise from having to be sent back late into the night."


    The demon lord''s face became animated as his mind raced at the possibility of spending that amount of time with Xu Hui.


    "Demon Lord Zhurong, would you be attending as Fox Prince Rong?"


    Although, General Hei already knew the answered he still asked regardless.


    "It''s impossible to attend under the guise of a fox prince, what if he decides to attend and expose who I am to everyone in there?"


    "If not as Fox Prince Rong, how would you present yourself at the hall of glaze?!"


    General Hei looked at the demon lord, who sat on a high throne surrounded by dense demon energy so strong that it would have killed a lesser cultivator on sight, who spoke with a note of finality in his voice.


    "I''ll think of something before then."

 130 Banquet 16

    Hall of Glaze, GuBaiJin sect...


    One after the other, several cultivators from different sects began filing into a grand structure of pristine white and silver.


    A long stair led to the front entrance of the hall, below it stood men in bright green robes bearing the emblem of their sect, a winged green serpent. Their task was to guard the place and announce the arrival of those attending the banquet at the hall above.


    "Young master Shi of ShenJiangShi sect!"


    A youth in bright yellow robes with a sword by the side, walked forward as he heard his name being called by one of the disciples stationed at the foot of the stairs leading to the hall of glaze.


    Almost in the same breath another name was called, "Shi Haikuan of ShenJiangShi sect!"


    The one being called followed closely behind Shi Yunxu, being the acting sect leader, the young master of the ShenJiangShi sect was referred to by his title and not his name, unlike the other disciple from his sect. Since he hadn''t been formally handed the position of sect leader, the man who announced his presence could not refer to him as Sect Leader Shi.


    Shi Yunxu slowed his steps as he waited on his friend to catch up to him, the two began walking up the stairs which glittered like the stars in the sky.


    "Spirit Master Ka Rong!"


    A striking good looking man in long white robes with hair held in a white jade hair pin stepped forward as his name was announced.


    "Spirit Master Du Ta!"


    A young handsome man dressed in robes of flowing blue marched after the man in white that was called before him.


    Together the demon lord and his subject went up the stairs as the people below them had no incling of that the men above were the enemies of the heavenly realm.


    "Demon Lord Zhurong, we were able to avoid being spotted by those cultivators."


    The spy under the demon lord looked at the face of his master as he spoke.


    "It''s because I have it with me."


    There wasn''t much inflection in the tone that replied Du Ta, what the demon lord was implying by this was that he had under the sleeves of his robes the magical tool that would mask his demon aura from those of the heavenly realm. This was not the case for the soldier under him, who was part demon and part celestial with one side stronger than the other, thereby allowing him to easily evade been spotted on the surface as one from the demon realm.


    "Demon Lord Zhurong, General Hei has made preparations regarding your seating arrangement."


    Not only had the right hand of the demon lord seen to that, even their disguise was of his doing. Hei Zhurong transformed his eyes and hair to hide his demon blood, what was once lilac blue became a dark color. The same could be said for the soldier by his side.


    "I expect no less from General Hei."


    Du Ta gave a respectful nod at what the demon lord said, as the two continued their walk up the stairs.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting.

 131 Banquet 17

    "Sect Leader Chen of WuYangChen Sect!"


    Chen Yueming walked forward followed behind by three disciples that were carefully chosen from among the disciples under his sect.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting.


    Wearing the robes of their sect, the leader of the WuYangChen sect stood out among the men with him. Shortly before he left, his wife Chen Liling paid a visit to his chambers to give a hand in ensuring that her husband would be noticed by all who attended the banquet at the GuBaiJin sect.


    As fate would have it, the people that would be representing the YuanLi sect began making their way to the man that stood by the foot of the stairs.


    "Lady Li of YuanLi sect!"


    In one smooth motion a name was called after, "Master Fu Zian of YuanLi sect!"


    Xu Hui wore an elegant robe of red, her hair was held in a hair pin of silver and red stones. While, Fu Zian was dressed in purple robes of the YuanLi sect, his hair was bound in a purple ribbon at the top his head.


    They both began walking behind the sect leader of the WuYangChen sect, until the senior disciple of the YuanLi sect called out a greeting to Chen Yueming.


    "Sect Leader Chen, Fu Zian from YuanLi sect greets you."


    Chen Yueming stopped to turn around and take a look at the person that called out a greeting to him.


    Not knowing the circumstances of her death, the senior disciple unknowingly offended the woman that was the daughter of his sect leader.


    "Ah, Lady Li! Young Master Fu! It is a pleasure to meet you right before the banquet begins!"


    A genial smile appeared on the face of Chen Yueming as he gave a salute to whom he thought was Li Jiao and Fu Zian. The other men from the WuYangChen sect bowed to greet the daughter of Sect Leader Li and the senior disciple of the YuanLi sect.


    Xu Hui returned the greeting of Chen Yueming with a slight bow, while Fu Zian followed suit then gave a side glance when he saw the somewhat lukewarm way she greeted the leader of the WuYangChen sect. After waiting to see if the young mistress of the YuanLi sect would engage in a talk with him, he soon realized that she was unwilling to do so.


    "Lady Li, please don''t let me keep you. I''m sure we would have enough opportunity to speak to each other while here."


    Xu Hui merely gave a nod, watching as he and his men resumed their walk up the stairs.


    "Sect Leader Chen! Wasn''t Lady Li looking down on you?! Is it because her father is Sect Leader Li?!"


    "The rumors really are true! I heard she was very ill and couldn''t be let out of the gates of YuanLi sect! Now that she is in good health, she now thinks that you are not good enough to speak to! How ill-mannered for someone who comes from a noble sect!"


    "It''s alright. I''m sure Lady Li is just tired from embarking on such a long journey."


    Seeing their sect leader not taking offense made the disciples not to discuss the matter further.

 132 Banquet 18

    "Fox King Yan of the Fox Clan!"


    "Fox Princess Mou Hairong of the Fox Clan!"


    The fox royalty stepped forward in a robe of gold and fur of white draped across their shoulder. The pair walked regally past the men that announced their entrance to the hall of glaze.


    Chilly blue eyes looked down a nose from a face that radiated an otherworldly beauty. This was the Fox King a being that was able to take on a younger form that hid his true self. His daughter, Mou Hairong came along with her father to represent her niece who was in the mortal realm. Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting.


    The fox princess in her non-human form was the splitting image of her father, the Fox King. They both had long white hair which glimmered in the last ray of the sun whose brigtness was now almost completely hidden in the clouds.


    Without any hurry in their step, they walked all the way up the long flight of stairs that led to the hall ahead.


    Not long after, the young master of the GuBaiJin sect made his way forward.


    "Young Master Jin of GuBaiJin sect!"


    Without breaking from the official procedure, Jin Dongbin was announced by disciples from his sect.


    Soon after, another set of people came forward.


    "Master Jin Caihe of GuBaiJin sect!"


    To those from the GuBaiJin sect, Jin Caihe was referred to as headteacher, but since it was a formal gathering with other distinguished figures from various parts of the heavenly realm, he had to be called by a title that went with the setting he was asked to attend.


    The headteacher was dressed elegantly in the green robes of the sect, his hair was tied in a green ribbon that bore the emblem of his sect.


    When Jin Dongbin heard his headteacher''s name, he turned and gave a salute to Jin Caihe.


    "Headteacher Jin!"


    "Young master Jin."


    Returning the greeting of the other, the two slowly made their way up the stairs to partake of the festivity above.


    A woman in straw hat and a veil of black soon made her way up to where the disciples of the GuBaiJin sect stood to announce the names of those that were attending the banquet.


    Since her face was hidden behind the veil, neither of them knew who the person that walked up to them was, they each looked at one another with eyes that held confusion in them. Dressed in dark robes, the men''s eyes narrowed with suspicion at the woman.


    "Excuse me, but who might you be?!"


    Without saying a word, the woman slowly lifted up the hat from her head, taking the veil along with it.


    The eyes of the men widened as they saw who was behind the veil.


    "L..Lady..."


    Before they could announce who she was, the men were robbed of speech when they saw the look in the eyes of the woman. In the same way she exposed her face, the woman slid the hat and veil back on, walking past them to seek what had eluded her for many years.

 133 Banquet 19

    "Sect Leader Jin of GuBaiJin Sect!"


    "Lady Jin of GuBaiJin Sect!"Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting.


    Hand in hand the couple walked past the disciples from their sect who bowed in greeting at their sect leader and his wife.


    Dressed in elegant green robes and a jade hair pin, the pair glided up the stairs to the hall above them.


    Inside the hall, one one side sat Xu Hui behind her was Fu Zian, next to the young mistress of the YuanLi sect was the demon lord, at his back sat the soldier that came with him. The Fox King sat a seat from the young mistress of the YuanLi sect, behind him was his daughter, Mou Hairong.


    On the opposite side sat Jin Dongbin and Jin Caihe side by side, behind them was the mysterious woman in straw hat and a veil.


    Next to Jin Caihe was the sect leader of the WuYangChen sect, Chen Yueming, the men that came with him sat behind their sect leader. Shi Yunxu sat beside the WuYangChen sect leader and behind him was the disciple that accompanied him from the ShenJiangShi sect.


    The hall was filled with voices as some chatted while others remained in silence, looking at those that were conversing with each other.


    The high ceiling and its surrounding were as though they were in a chamber made from clear ice crystals, the lamps were made from what looked to be ice lattices, its soft glow spread through the entire room full of people.


    From the floor to the wall was of translucent pure white. Surprisingly, no coldness emitted from the room. Those with high cultivation could sense the prescence of a magical tool, which was the source of the crystalline beauty that kept the chill away from the magnificent structure of ice.


    The table that was laid out in front of each of them was as though it was carved out of the same ice, an hassock of fine gold embroidery served as a seat for the people that were in the hall of glaze.


    "Isn''t that Fox Prince Rong? Or is it someone that looks like him?!"


    Out of the people in there, only Xu Hui thought Hei Zhurong to be the fox prince. Not sure if he was who she thought him to be, she began by offering a greeting.


    "Greetings, young master. I''m Li Jiao from YuanLi sect, daugher of Sect Leader Li. May I know who you are?"


    When the demon lord took his seat by the side of Xu Hui, he didn''t know if she would recognize him on sight.


    "Greetings, Lady Li. I''m Ka Rong, a travelling cultivator."


    "You said Ka Rong?!"


    The name Rong seemed to ring a bell in the head of Xu Hui, even the way he was smiling made the BaoXu sect disciple think of the fox prince she met a while back.


    "You remind me of someone I know."


    "I don''t think we have met."


    A feeling of disappointment settled down in the heart of Xu Hui when she heard what the demon lord said, Hei Zhurong saw the shift change in her eyes, when he denied knowing the woman that sat beside him.


    When the soldier heard what his master said, he let out a cough, which made both the demon lord and Xu Hui to turn around to stare hard stare at him.

 134 Banquet 20

    The hall suddenly became quiet as the people inside saw who walked in, they all rose to their feet and gave a salute. A delicate beauty walked hand in hand with a man of great presence.


    "Sect Leader Jin! Lady Jin!"


    The couple walked to the head of the room to take a seat on a high chair that looked as though it was carved out of ice crystals. Several totem that bore the emblem of the GuBaiJin sect was placed around the large hall.


    The leader of the GuBaiJin sect gestured with his hand for them to settle down on their seats. Jin Ruimin rose from his seat, opening the banquet with a speech.


    "As many of you know, our brothers and sisters were slain by the demon lord and his army. We have to show our respect to the lives that was lost in the hands of those evil beasts!"


    Streaming into the hall carrying trays of wine, female servants from the GuBaiJin sect in plain green robes and hair looped in a butterfly style, went from table to table to serve the tray of wine to the people seated.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please clickfor visiting.


    "Join me in paying respect to the departed souls whose lives were cut short! How long are we going to stand and continue to allow this depravity to needlessly take lives! Are our lives more precious than their''s?! Let us not act as cowards, but rise up and bring the reign of terror to an end!"


    The people gathered at the banquet were not expecting the impassioned words of the GuBaiJin sect leader. One by one, they rose to their feet including Jin Huiyan, the mistress of the GuBaiJin sect. It was then that Jin Ruimin began to pour wine from the kettle in front of him into a cup and lifted it above his head as though in a toast.


    What followed next was the emptying of the cup on the ground in front of his table. The others did likewise and poured the wine that was in their cups on the ground.


    After this, the sect leader of the GuBaiJin sect took his seat and was soon joined by the rest of them.


    The demon lord''s mouth lifted in a secret smile, he knew that the most dangerous person in the room was the one who pretended to be the friend of the people, but in reality was a poisonous wasp whose venom may never come to light until the person had breathed their last.


    The Fox King''s face held little emotion in them as he coolly looked at Jin Ruimin and his wife by the head of the hall.


    Chen Yueming looked gravely at the faces in the room, but his heart was far away from what was taking place.


    Xu Hui held onto the cup in her hand after the others had placed their on the table, tightly holding on to it until it shattered in her hands, causing a sliver of it to tear at the skin of her palms. Hearing the sharp sound that came from the broken cup caused everyone in the room to stare openly at the young mistress of the YuanLi sect.


    "Lady Li?"

 135 Banquet 21

    Fu Zian called to the woman that stood in front of him, the senior disciple of the YuanLi sect sounded somewhat flustered.


    Xu Hui looked at her hand as crimson liquid trickled down the open cut on her skin, there was no pain nor surprise in them, instead a detached look settled in the eyes of the BaoXu sect disciple.


    "Lady Li, is everything alright? Would you like me to send someone to tend to you?"


    Jin Huiyan eyes were filled with worry as she asked about the mistress of the YuanLi sect.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    "It''s nothing, Lady Jin. I''m sorry if I ruined your banquet."


    At the back of her mind, Xu Hui had not forgotten those from her sect, she wanted to carry out her revenge on person that killed her and ones that slaughtered all the members of her sect, in that order.


    "Lady Li is only tired with some rest, I''m sure she would be of suitable company."


    The leader of the WuYangChen sect smoothly interjected, not wanting to spoil the atmosphere of the festivity, which already began on a solemn note.


    "Sect Leader Chen, you speak such gracious words when needed in times like this."


    Jin Huiyan thanked Chen Yueming for stepping in and bringing the tense air in the hall down. Jin Ruimin then motioned for everyone to sit and soon after several maids came into the hall. Trays upon trays of food and wine was brought into the hall, as the people were served with food that was only found within the region of the GuBaiJin sect.


    The demon lord signaled with his eyes for his subject to tend to the wound of Xu Hui. The mirror of yao masked the demon aura and suppressed the power of the demon lord, making it impossible to lend a hand to Xu Hui, the half demon could use his powers to heal her wound without being exposed. The two swapped seats, as the half demon used his spirit energy to close the wound on the hand of the woman that the demon lord had taken a liking to, fearing that the other would slay him after they return to the demon realm, he was careful not to hold her while passing his spirit energy into the body of Xu Hui.


    The skin looked as those it was never injured, but the BaoXu sect disciple knew better. She turned to look at the man that sat beside her, for some reason both he and the one that was there before felt familiar to her.


    "Where have I seen them?!"


    The answer didn''t come to her, despite staring at him for quite some time.


    Fu Zian saw what took place, when the two exchanged seats with one seemingly healing the cut on Xu Hui''s hand. The other man that sat beside her, looked to him as if they had known each other for long.


    "I haven''t seen them before, but why are they helping her?!"


    The senior disciple had a puzzled look on his face as he glanced from one to the other, as though wanting to find out the relationship between the three of them.

 136 Banquet 22

    A maid came over to clear the debris from the table of Xu Hui, stooping to clean some of the piece of porcelain green that was on the ground. Not a word was exchanged between the two as the maid went on with the task.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    "Lady Li, refrain from drawing any unnecessary attention. We are both here to represent Sect Leader Li, please keep that in mind while we are here."


    Fu Zian eyes sparked with the exasperation he felt towards the woman that acted as the daughter of his sect leader, the Li Jiao that he knew would not have done what the BaoXu sect disciple did while in the gathering of so many people.


    The demon lord turned to look at the man that was critizing Xu Hui, he didn''t like the way the other was speaking to her and this showed in the way his fists tightened on his lap.


    Left to him, he would have permanently silence the mouth of the man that sat next to him, but that would make the people in the room to realize who he was, wrecking havoc on the peaceful gathering.


    Xu Hui chose not to say a word after she heard what the senior disciple from the YuanLi sect said, if it were any other person, they would have felt ashamed that he was talking down to her out in the open, rather than shame the BaoXu sect disciple felt a numbness inside of her, even after going to what used to be her sect, she hadn''t fully accepted what occured.


    "Sect Leader Chen, is Lady Chen in her right mind? How could she turn down Lady Jin?! Right under the nose of Sect Leader Jin!"


    "Maybe she hasn''t recovered from her illness as the rumor says!"


    "Why did she have to come, if it is to make the YuanLi sect lose face!"


    "I''m sure Lady Li has her reasons for showing up, it is her duty after all to go where her father can''t."


    Chen Yueming smiled as he turned slightly to converse with the men behind him. The woman behind the veil watched from the corner of her eyes at the men in red and white robes of the WuYangChen sect and the woman that was in a robe of similar color on the other side of the hall.


    After she came back to life, Xu Hui gained exceptional hearing and could pick out what was said from across the table from her, a pouch of red and gold embroidery hung from the side of her robes. Reaching into them, the BaoXu sect disciple took out what looked to be round crimson stones.


    "Sect Leader Chen, I know you no longer belong to the BaoXu sect, but their death must be quiet a blow to you."


    Jin Ruimin had a sympathetic look in his eyes, as he waited to hear what the other had to say.


    "As the sect leader of the WuYangChen sect, it is unfitting to speak of another sect even though I came out of there."

 137 Banquet 23

    Enraged by what Chen Yueming said, the fist that held the blood stone began to take a different shape in the hand of Xu Hui, turning liquid.


    Letting her spirit energy into the crimson liquid in her hand, the BaoXu sect disciple manipulated them into tiny specks, releasing them in the direction of the WuYangChen sect leader.


    Chen Yueming had let down his guard not thinking that anyone in the room would dare to attack him under the watchful eyes of the chief cultivator. Without warning, the infernal energy forcefully penetrated the body of Chen Yueming, causing him to spit out blood in front of everyone present.


    "Sect Leader Chen!!!!"


    Frightened by what took place, the disciples of the WuYangChen sect ran to the table of their sect leader.


    "Who did that?!"


    Roared the chief cultivator to no one in particular, as his eyes scanned the room full of people, as though to single out the perpetrator. The killing intent was what drew the attention of Jin Ruimin that something was not right with the situation in the hall.


    The woman under the veil pressed hard on her tighs to prevent herself from running over to the table of Chen Yueming.


    Fu Zian''s face became pale when he saw what happened, "Was it you?!"


    Tapping the back of the woman who sat in front of him, he bent to whisper in her ears in a voice that sounded accusatorily.


    The Fox King knew the moment that the tiny blood pellets went through the body of Chen Yueming, his eyes closely observed the two to see how the event would play out.


    Jin Caihe remained where he was, an epitome of poise as he looked at his sect leader to see what the other would do to keep the situation from spiraling out of control. Jin Huiyan, the mistress of the GuBaiJin sect had a look of apprehension on her jade white skin.


    The demon lord wore an impassive look on his face, his thoughts buried deep within him. Jin Dongbin looked at his father and mother, as confusion lay bare in the eyes of the youth. The banquet had hardly begun and there was already unexplainable happening taking place. He could tell that his mother was sadden by the way things was turning out.


    A hardened look formed in the eyes of Xu Hui, as the last thread of self-restraint went out the door.


    "Why is Lady Li glaring at Sect Leader Chen?!"


    Jin Dongbin turned to ask his headteacher, when he saw the look in the eyes of Xu Hui.


    "I''m not sure if it is directed at Sect Leader Chen or at his men."


    Jin Caihe gave an evasive response to what the young master of his sect asked, while looking at his sect leader for guidance.


    Mou Hairong watched the people in the room, her face a mask of serenity. She could tell from the aura that the woman across from her was emitting was that of rage and betrayal, but that made the fox princess wonder what could have caused such a deep resentment to take root in the young mistress of the YuanLi sect.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.

 138 Banquet 24

    "Sect Leader Chen! Help him up!"


    One of the disciples from the WuYangChen sect shouted to the others from the other disciples from the same sect as him, when they saw Chen Yueming bending low from where he sat among the other cultivators.


    "Is there something wrong, Sect Leader Chen?"


    The face of Jin Ruimin darkened when he saw the room full of people about to be thrown into a state of confusion.


    "Sect Leader Chen, would you mind if someone walk you to your room to have our Physician take a look at you?"


    The graceful cultivator in green robes, the one who was the most respected disciple of the GuBaiJin sect, graciously extended the hospitality of his sect to the leader of the WuYangChen sect.


    The face that looked at Chen Yueming held one of civility with no trace of smile was on them, who gave a weak smile at both the sect leader of the GuBaiJin sect and it''s headteacher.


    "Sect Leader Jin, Master Jin. I''m alright. It could be that I''m not used to the rich food served by GuBaiJin sect, when I first entered the WuYangChen sect the same thing happened to me. Please do not let it concern you too much, given time and a good sleep. My body would return to the way it is and I''m not saying it to look down on any other sect that isn''t BaoXu sect."


    Now that the former disciple of the BaoXu sect had spoken openly of his body''s weakness to food served by other sects.


    "But Sect Leader Chen! Haven''t you eaten and drank before when you were last invited to GuBaiJin sect?!"


    Jin Ruimin''s eyes narrowed when they looked at those of Chen Yueming, he thought the other was lying or probably exaggerating. The face of Chen Yueming took on a hurt look as though he felt sad that his words sounded unbelievable to Jin Ruimin.


    "Sect Leader Jin, I don''t want to mention it in front of everyone, but you leave me no other choice than to openly reveal what I consider to be a debilitating condition!"


    Pausing for what could almost be a lifetime, before opening his mouth once again to address the people present with him.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    "Each time I have to go out to other sects, I''m fed with a medicinal pill which is meant to counteract the effect of what my body sees as poisonous or toxic."


    As he spoke, the young master of the GuBaiJin sect had a strange look in his eyes, that of Lady Jin became one of pity. Fu Zian stared openly at the WuYangChen sect leader, those from the fox clan and demon realm remained impassive. The woman''s with the veil was the only one that none could see the look in her eyes. Xu Hui''s eyes hardened more when she heard the words of her former sect brother, to her they were nothing more than lies. His disciples rallied around to help their sect leader up, fearing that he would fall face flat to the ground.

 139 Banquet 25

    "Sect Leader Chen, are you really sure you don''t need to be seen by a Physician?!"


    The sect leader of the GuBaiJin sect went on to press on the matter not wanting his sect to face any untold consequences from leaving a leader from another sect unattended with so many witnesses in the hall.


    "Sect Leader Jin, please let''s not talk about this anymore. I will be alright with enough rest."


    Sect Leader Jin and Lady Jin looked at each other, as the mistress of the GuBaiJin sect made a move with her head to let her husband know not to pursue the matter with the leader of the WuYangChen sect.


    "Alright! Everyone, let''s enough the feast that has been prepared to commemorate the beginning of great things!"


    The GuBaiJin sect leader called out to the rest of the people with his wine cup raised in the air, the others on seeing this followed his lead and raised theirs also and with that they all drank from their cup after Jin Ruimin and his wife finished theirs.


    "Brother Feng! You think you can eat well and lead a good life?! While I live each day like a parasite in a body that isn''t mine! I will make you pay! Before this comes to an end! Your blood must spill! Just as you did mine!"


    Clenching her hands tightly on her laps, Xu Hui fought to go over to the table of Chen Yueming to wringle his neck. Her eyes flashed with the rage and betrayal that laid within her heart.


    The woman in dark veil soon noticed the look in the eyes of the young mistress of the YuanLi sect, the hand that held her cup stilled in mid air as she looked from Chen Yueming to Xu Hui, wondering what the relationship of the two was, neither knew that they had drawn the interest of the unknown woman sitting in the hall with them.


    As the young master of the GuBaiJin sect, Jin Dongbin had to refrain from speaking much while sitting with the headteacher of his sect, who began eating gracefully from the plate of food laid out in front of him.


    "Is the food to your liking?!"Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    Jin Huiyan spoke softly to the leader of the WuYangChen sect, as she saw him dig into his food again.


    "Thanks for asking, Lady Jin. I find this one very much to my taste."


    Chen Yueming smiled cordially to the mistress of the GuBaiJin sect, who returned his smile with that of her own.


    "Sect Leader Chen, I hope you don''t take it against us for being such a bad host. I will make sure to take note of what food you find tolerable."


    "Lady Jin, it is my fault. I should have been more forthcoming."


    Giving a salute to Jin Huiyan, Chen Yueming then went on to continue eating his food.


    "Fox King Yan! Princess Yan! I''m sorry we didn''t introduce you to everyone present."


    Jin Ruimin and his wife rose up in unison to offer an apology to the fox royalty. The other looked unimpressed by the words of the sect leader.

 140 Banquet 26

    As the sect leader of the GuBaiJin sect announced the Fox King''s presence almost around the same time the young mistress of the YuanLi sect was pouring wine into her cup.


    "Ha!"


    Xu Hui cried out when the wine hit the back of her throat.


    "What is it?! Lady Li?!"


    The sect leader of the GuBaiJin sect asked while turning to face the daughter of Li Guoliang who seem to be in some sort of distress.


    "Sect Leader Jin, I forgot that the Kaojiu wine is a little strong for me. I have to mix half water and half of the wine before I can drink it. Unless I''ll end up walking about with no clothes on!"


    To emphaize what she said, Xu Hui reached to pour water and wine from each of kettles on her table.Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.comfor visiting.


    After emptying the cup, she raised it over her head with it turned upside down.


    "A pineapple osmanthus cake would have gone well with it. They are my favorite!"


    Jin Ruimin looked at his wife not knowing what to make of words of the YuanLi sect''s young mistress.


    Hearing what Xu Hui said made Chen Yueming turn pale as it reminded him of his junior disciple sister. This made the WuYangChen sect leader to recall a memory from his past.


    "Brother Feng! Did you bring the osmanthus cake with you?!"


    The two BaoXu sect disciples sat under the tree to drink wine, as Feng Yueming pulled out a wrapped cloth from under the sleeves of his robes, handing them over to the female disciple beside him. Although it was not appropriate for them to be in close contact in private, the two snuck out to eat together.


    Unwrapping the white cloth which revealed ten golden brown diagonal cake stacked together.


    "Half wine half water and a slice of pineapple osmanthus cake are my favorite! Brother Feng you do know me well!"


    Smiling broadly at the disciple that sat by her, Xu Hui then took a piece of it and began chewing slowly at the cake. After finishing the cup of wine, she turned the cup downwards with it over her head.


    "I know that the kitchen doesn''t make it, that''s why I went to get some for you from market stall. Is it to your liking?"


    With her mouth full of cake, Xu Hui merely nodded in answer to what Feng Yueming said, who laughed back at her.


    "Slow down! Slow down! We still have a little more time before curfew!"


    The two laughed together, as one drank an undiluted wine while the other drank a watered down wine with a piece of osmanthus cake.


    Chen Yueming was forcefully pulled back from the memory when he heard the voice of the GuBaiJin sect leader.


    "Lady Li, do forgive our lack of attention to what could have caused you shame. I and Lady Jin feel honored to have revealed to us your low tolerance to Kaojiu wine. If you want we can have one of the servants bring you a lighter wine. Since we don''t have the osmanthus cake that you like, would you like something else instead?"


    Throughout the time Xu Hui spoke she carefully avoided making eye contact with Chen Yueming.


    "Thank you, Sect Leader Jin, but this will do."

 141 Banquet 27

    "Sect Leader Chen, is everything alright?!"


    Jin Ruimin turned just in time to notice how pale the face of Chen Yueming had become.


    "It..It''s not..nothing, Sect Leader Jin."


    The GuBaiJin sect leader brows lifted with a questioning look in his eyes, as he watched the hands of Chen Yueming shook when holding his chopsticks.


    The Fox King looked at the food one of the servants laid on his table, without warning a maid spilled the tray that contained the kettle of wine she was about to place on his table.


    "A...apolo..gies...F..Fox...King!"


    The voice shook terribly with fright as the maid fell to her feet to beg the fox king whose eye became even more layered with frost.


    "Father is not going to take too kindly to the servant, why did she have to be so unfortunate to be the one serving him!"


    Mou Hairong looked at the young maid who was on her knees pleading with her father to forgive her for dirtying his robes, the thought went through the mind of the fox princess as she looked on from her seat.


    Every eyes in the room turned to the maid that was now crying, as she feared she might meet a horrible fate in the hands of the fox king whose demeanor remained unchanged.


    "Fox King Yan, please overlook her act of carelessness! I and Lady Jin will take it upon ourselves not to let her go without punishing her severely!"


    "Fox King, as Sect Leader Jin said, the maid in question will not face a light punishment. Please accept our sincere apology!"


    Jin Ruimin and Jin Huiyan pleaded with the fox king to absolve the servant from their sect of her clumsy act.


    The young master of the GuBaiJin sect eyes were fixed on the fox king, he saw a young looking man whose presence gave out ice there was nothing warm in his bearing. Cold blue eyes stared at the girl that pleaded with her head lowered.


    Xu Hui''s eyes became one of interest as they moved from the servant girl to the fox king who was a seat from her.


    "This looks bad, would he demand her head, because that''s what it looks like to me. Maybe he would hang it on the wall of his palace to display it for all to see."


    When the thought formed in the mind of Xu Hui, a laugh escaped out of her as a conceited look covered her face.


    "Lady Li, do you find the situation humorous?!"


    Unable to contain himself, Jin Dongbin challenged the woman who was the daughter of the YuanLi sect leader.


    "A-Bin!"


    Jin Huiyan''s voice held warning in them for her son not to speak without thinking. A blush formed on the face of the young master of the GuBaiJin sect after hearing his mother''s voice that served to caution him.


    "Young Master Jin, it is not that I find it amusing, but I find it difficult to keep a straight face when looking at what I see as a wolf about to eat a lamb, don''t you think so too?!"


    The cultivators on the other end of the hall and the sect leader with his wife stared at Xu Hui as though she sprouted two heads rather than one. A soft voice spoken from beneath the veil.


    "I was right to have come."

 142 Banquet 28

    Chen Yueming saw the young mistress of the YuanLi sect chew slowly on the oval shaped translucent yellow cake with a flowed petal at the top, the sight made him tremble even more when he saw the way her mouth moved just like those of his junior disciple sister.


    On the other end was the maid still on her knees while the other servants busied themselves with the rest of the cultivators seated in the hall.


    "Fox King! Please have mercy!"


    Scared witless the servant girl in an effort to remedy the situation she was in took a folded green cloth of simple embroidery from the side of her robes, she then rose up, leaning forward to wipe at the shoulder of the fox king''s robes.


    "Hey! Stop! What do you think you are doing?! Are you out of your mind?! That''s the Fox King you are touching with those filthy hands of yours!"


    Angered by the boldness of the servant girl, the ones who had trays in their hand ended up dropping theirs to the ground, causing the porcelain wares to shatter completely on the ground. The shock made the servants lose hold of what they carried in their hand.


    Not expecting to be touched by a servant from the GuBaiJin sect, the proud Fox King''s eyes grew even colder, the anger in him had now reached another height.


    This made him lift his hand to brush those of the servant girl, but the moment their hands made contact, a sizzling sensation went through the body of the Fox King.


    The cold blue eyes now widened in shock as he stared in bewilderment at her, still in a daze his pale fingers became caught with that of the servant girl who unknowingly set into motion her fate and those of the fox king, making the two to interwine in what would cause a change so great that it would rewrite the history of those of the heavenly realm and the fox clan.


    When she saw her hand was trapped in those of the fox king, the servant girl then made a move to free herself, but it only made it worse.


    Mou Hairong looked closely at what was happening in front of her, to the fox princess her father ruled fearlessly, his heart void of love to anyone except himself.


    "Why does he look so lost? Doesn''t he know he still holding on to a servant''s hand?!"


    Puzzled by the way her father was acting unlike his usual self, the fox princess took it upon herself to call for his attention.


    "Fox King Yan?!"


    The voice of his daughter snapped the fox king from the daze he was in, the servant in question saw her hand finally released from his grip.


    "What are you all standing there for?! Take her out! She is to be caned 50 times!"


    The young master of the GuBaiJin sect looked at his father, when he heard what he said as his eyes grew bigger from the punishment the servant was to receive. At the end of the hall was several men in the green robes of the sect who stood watch over the event taking place in the hall of glaze.


    "50 strikes! Father! Isn''t that seeking her death?!"

 143 Banquet 29

    Jun Dongbin cried out when his father passed the judgement on a servant from his sect.


    "What are you still waiting for?! Drag her out of here!"


    Jin Ruimin roared in anger at the disciples who hasted to carry out his order.


    Six of them rounded up the servant as she broke down in tears, begging to be shown some bit of compassion.


    "Sect Leader Jin! Fox King! Please spare my life! I beg of you! Please!"


    Mou Hairong continued to watch her father and the servant who was handled roughly by the men from the GuBaiJin sect.


    They were about to reach the threshold of the hall''s entrance when the fox king called out to them.


    "Stop!"


    The men came to a standstill and turned to face the fox royalty, before sending a questioning look at their sect leader.


    "Fox King Yan! What is the meaning of this?! I sent the ill mannered servant to be punishment and you are preventing my disciples from doing as I asked!"


    Yan ShuChang could not explain why he was acting the way he did in front of the people at the hall of glaze. He just knew instinctively that if he let the servant go he could end up not finding the cause of the change in his body.


    Within him, he could feel his power stir and grow, which shouldn''t be especially at the age he was in, as his body grew hot from the short time their hands touched.


    "Sect Leader Jin, she caused me no harm. Why then should she suffer from such a slow and painful death?!"


    When the fox princess heard the words of her father, she stared hard at him in confusion.


    "Is this father?! When did he start to care about others?!"


    Brought up to keep her emotions under rein, Mou Hairong fought to remain tight lipped. The situation was truly a head shaker for the fox princess.


    "What do you propose that we do to her?"


    Not wanting to offend the who would become their kin by marriage, Jin Ruimin had to bring his voice down and became more agreeable.


    "How about I bring her with me to the fox clan as my servant, that way she would repay me for the rest of her life."


    Without much inflection in his voice, Yan ShuChang the Fox King gave his thought on the matter at hand.


    "Father wants to bring a servant from the GuBaiJin secf sect? Didn''t he used to hate anyone from the cultivation world? Before it was marriage proposal which hasn''t been brought up yet! And now he wants to send this servant girl over?! What is he thinking?!"


    It wasn''t just the fox princess that was thrown into confusion, everyone in the room was shocked by the Fox King''s decision.


    "Is this what you truly want, Fox King Yan?!"


    Jin Riumin face had lost some of it''s color, the mistress of the GuBaiJin sect openly stared at the fox king as though he had lost his mind. The Fox King''s ice blue eyes fixed on those of Jin Ruimin as he began speaking to the other from where he sat at the hall.


    "Sect Leader Jin, I have no complaints, let the girl come with me when I leave for the Fox Clan. You may have all the time in the world, but when are you going to bring up the marriage proposal I sent over to the GuBaiJin sect?!"

 144 Banquet 30

    Infuriated that he was reminded by the Fox King of an important announcement he was meant to share with the people gathered at the hall, Jin Ruimin''s eyes revealed the resentment he had towards being reminded of his duty.


    "Fox King Yan, I had no intention of hiding what would be a joyous occassion to the heavenly realm and fox clan. Events that have taken place within the halll of glaze, caused such a delay to occur, thereby preventing everyone present from hearing about it. As the sect leader of the GuBaiJin sect, allow me to correct such inattentiveness and address it appropriately."


    Yan ShuChang lifted his head to the right at an angle that gave off the sense of haughtiness, as the fox king gestured for the servant girl to be brought to his table.


    The disciples of the GuBaiJin sect turned to their sect leader for direction.


    "Sect Leader Jin?!"


    "It''s Alright!"


    When the heard the vouce of Jin Ruimin telling them to let the servant girl go, it was then they reluctantly released her, watching as she walked slowly to where the fox king was, on getting close the maid got to her knees and postrated before him.


    "What is your name?"


    The Fox King looked down his nose from icy blue eyes at the servant that was in a position of submission before him.


    "Tell me your name?"


    Face pointing to the ground of translucent ice crystal, the servant revealed her name to the powerful being in front of her.


    "A-Jie!"


    As the servant to the GuBaiJin sect, Enjie was not allowed a family name, sold to the sect at a young age, her fate just like those like her were to work until their bones turned to dust.


    "Raise your head!"


    Slowly the GuBaiJin sect servant lifted her head as eye that resembled blue sapphires in snow met those of ink black.


    "Stand up!"


    Following the order given by the Fox King, Enjie rose from the ground, walking to where he sat on the hassock, as the other beckoned for her to stand by his side.


    Every eyes in the hall took in what was happening, there was bewilderment, envy and amusement in the eyes of those seated.


    "When I leave here, you are to come along. If you do otherwise, I''ll turn you to dust right in front of Sect Leader Jin!"


    Jin Ruimin and Jin Huiyan looked at each other as neither could tell what made Yan ShuCheng to want to have a servant from their sect at the fox clan.


    "Sect Leader Jin must be livid! He is only choosing not to let Fox King know of how displeased he is at having a possession of his sect taken right under him!"


    The demon lord spoke to no one in particular while looking at Xu Hui to see the look on her face. The BaoXu sect disciple had a look of silent amusement, her eyes went from the servant by the fox king to the sect leader and the mistress of the GuBaiJin sect. Sparing not a single glance at Jin Dongbin whose eyes were about to pop out from witnessing such an unbelievable thing.


    "Who is the person that would be wedding my granddaughter?"

 145 Banquet 31

    It was at this point the young mistress of YuanLi sect interrupted the Fox King.


    "Congratulations! Fox King Yan, you''ve just secured yourself a potential wife!"


    The room that was dead quiet errupted into a torrent of words as everyone seemed to be talking all at once.


    "Lady Li! What do you mean by that?!"


    "How disgraceful! To think Sect Leader Li''s daughter could say such a word!"


    "Lady Li! Please explain what you mean by that!"


    "Sect Leader Li is an upright man, to think he raised such a child! It is a pity! A pity! He must think he lived his life for nothing when he hears what you just said! You didn''t even consider that Sect Leader Jin and Lady Jin could witness such a shameful thing!"


    "Who does she think she is?! I heard she can''t cultivate! Yet she thinks she''s superior to all of here, even going as far as to insult the Fox King! What has the cultivation world come to!"


    At first, the GuBaiJin sect leader waa thrown off guard when he heard what Xu Hui said, even his even had a dazed look in her eyes when looking at whom she thought was the daughter of Li Guoliang.


    A while later, Jin Ruimin raised his hand to end the uproar that had ceased the room.


    "Lady Li, can you tell everyone here what you meant by what you said about the Fox King?"


    Speaking in a deceptively quiet tone, Jin Ruimin waited to hear what Xu Hui had to say, while wife held onto his hand tightly.


    Yan ShuChang had been aware of how different the daughter of the YuanLin sect leader was, he could sense what the others couldn''t about the nature of her spirit energy. The fox energy made him see and sense what the rest couldn''t, despite knowing that she wasn''t who she projected herself to be, the fox royalty kept it to himself not wanting to tangle with whatever may result from meddling in the affairs of the heavenly realm.


    Xu Hui rose up from where she sat, while Fu Zian was seething in rage when he saw how she caused the YuanLi sect to lose face in front of everyone.


    "I know she isn''t a disciple of YuanLi sect neither is she the daughter of sect leader, but would it kill her to not shame the name of everyone at YuanLi sect!"


    Fu Zian thought those inside of him as he glared at the woman who graceful rose from the seat in his front.


    "Fox King Yan, forgive my imprudence."


    After saying this, Xu Hui bowed to the Fox King whose impassive face revealed none of what he thought of her.


    She then turned to face the GuBaiJin sect leader and his wife, before addressing the cultivators in the hall of glaze.


    "Sect Leader Jin, haven''t you noticed anything amiss?!"


    "What?! What is it that I overlooked?!"


    Jin Ruimin''s eyes took on a much darker look as it bore into those of Xu Hui.


    "Enjie is a servant from your sect and you just handed her over without putting much fight to the Fox King! What if he uses her to bring down the remaining cultivation sects left! Are you going to bear the responsibility for taking such a decision?!"


    Xu Hui could sense that there was more to the Fox King''s action that met the eye which was why she said those outrageous words, not knowing how true they would become later on.


    "Lady Li must be tired, can one of you send her to her room! It is because I hold your father, Sect Leader Li in such high esteem that is why I would not pursue the matter by disciplining you!"


    As he spoke, the disciples stationed at the door of the hall rushed over to where Xu Hui stood to do as their sect leader had spoken.

 146 Banquet 32

    Plains of the High Heavens¡­


    "Heavenly Emperor, greetings to his royal highness. Chang Zhen seeks an audience with the Heavenly Emperor!"


    Chang Chen the God of Fate strode into the Qilin Divine Palace where the reigning Heavenly Emperor, Guangzi Jiu sat on a golden throne with dragons emblazoned round about in gold. In robes of white lined with gold, Guangzi Jiu wore a headdress of pure gold and white pearls. His royal adviser and several palace guards stood within the stately walls of the imperial hall which was made out of pure gold.


    Sitting regally on the throne was a man who would have passed off as someone in their forties, his razor-sharp eyes moved round the hall missing nothing of what went by, his looks could be deemed proud by some or dignified by others. Long dark beard extended all the way to his mid chest which gave him a "sage" appearance.


    Seeing the man running towards him as though he was alarmed by something, the heavenly emperor waited until he stopped almost fifteen feet from him before beckoned for him to draw closer. Chang Chen wore a yellow and green robe with his hair was tied in a green ribbon at the center of his head.


    "Chang Chen, what brings you to Qilin Divine Palace?!"


    The man who seemed to be a bit past the age of twenty huffed with exertion, as he dropped to his knees to prostrate before his king.


    "Heavenly Emperor, I have been placed in charge of reading and seeing into the fate of divine beings and humans. For a while now, I begun noticing changes in the mirror of clarity which reveals the fate of those from the three realms. There is a soul that reincarnated into the body of Yuan Su''s granddaughter, the soul happens to from a once prominent sect by the name, BaoXu. This female cultivator was killed by a disciple from the same sect, his name is Feng Yueming, but he now goes by the name Chen Yueming because he married into the WuYangChen sect and became their sect leader. The thing that I find unsettling is that this female cultivator now uses a type of cultivation that is frowned upon under the laws of the high heaven, she practices infernal cultivation!"


    Chang Chen spoke with much passion in his voice when facing the heavenly emperor who had a thoughtful look on his face, while listening to his subject.


    "You said that Yuan Su''s granddaughter is no longer alive? That there is another living inside of her? Does the maiden''s father know of this?!"


    Flustered by what the heavenly emperor asked, the God of Fate rushed to tell the other end of his story.


    "Your highness, as of this moment. Sect Leader Li does not know that his daughter is dead, his wife died during child birth¡­"


    When Chang Chen mentioned the cause of Li Guoliang wife''s death, the heavenly emperor waved his hand in a dismissive way as though to tell the God of Fate that he already knew and he should move on with what he had to say.


    "Forgive me for digressing, your highness!"


    The voice sounded apologetic as the God of Fate continued with what he had to tell Guangzi Jiu.


    "Where is Yuan Su?"


    The one being called upon was the grandmother of Li Jiao, the mother of Yuan Huiling, known to be the saint of the high heavens.


    During her heavenly tribulation, she succumbed to her fleshly desires which led her to create a sect of her own out of pride and the need to maintain what was left of her dignity, choosing to leave the plains of the high heavens to descend to a remote mountain in the heavenly realm.


    Although, some still considered her as one of the heavenly saints, she was sect leader whose sect continued to flourish and gain prominence despite its location in a remote part of the heavenly realm. All this came to an end when Yuan Su''s daughter came of age and married Li Guoliang. Not even her mother''s strong cultivation could save Yuan Huiling from the disease she inherited from her mortal father. The Yuan sect was disbanded after Yuan Huiling''s marriage with her mother choosing to travel the world, living a life without a care in the world.


    None knew of the whereabouts of Yuan Su, for years it had remained that way, until today when the heavenly emperor suddenly became interested in knowing her movements.


    "Your highness, nothing has been heard about Saint Yuan Su. She disappeared around the time her daughter wedded to Sect Leader Li!"


    The eyes that looked at Chang Chen increased in intensity until the other had little choice but to look face down.


    "Where is this maiden that you speak of?!"


    "Your highness! She''s attending a banquet held at GuBaiJin sect!"


    "GuBaiJin sect you say?!"


    "Yes, Your highness! In the past you issued an order not to interfere with what goes on at the lower heavens which was why I didn''t want to say anything until now!"


    "What is it you wish to tell me, Chang Chen?"


    The heavenly emperor motioned for the God of Fate to rise to his feet, watching as he did as commanded.


    "The demon lord chose to attack some sects and annihilated about five of them. It is not my place to report this to you since they are not of the high heavens and also the demon lord was under the directive of one of the sect leaders. Since he wasn''t pointing his sword at us, there was no reason to bring this to your notice."


    "The demon lord is going about killing people. You said he has someone behind me that is dictating his actions. Who was the one that gave him the order?"


    Chang Chen shifted from one foot to the other, as he nervously cast glances at the heavenly emperor as though telling him that there was a deeper conspiracy at work.


    "Your highness, didn''t you specifically say we are not to involve ourselves with the matter of those from the lower realm?!"

 147 Banquet 33

    The expression on the face of the heavenly emperor was one that showed great discontent at his subject bringing up what he had spoken about in the past which he wanted to revisit but the other was adamant about going back to the degree he passed thousands of years ago.


    "Chang Chen, you are becoming difficult, why must you hold onto what I said from two hundred and fifty thousand years ago? I want you to thoroughly investigate on what happened to Saintess Yuan Su, find out if she is still alive and bring her back to Qilin palace!"


    The tone of the heavenly emperor held steel in them, it gave off the sense of "no argument was to be tolerated" when speaking to the God of Fate whose mouth became thin from being outmatched in speech.


    "Your highness, it''s been years since she was last seen, it could take much time to uncover her whereabouts!"


    Holding firm to what was left of his courage, Chang Chen faced the heavenly emperor in a last bid to avoid such a tedious task the other was about placing on his shoulders.


    "You are quite certain that maiden Li uses infernal cultivation?!"


    Rather than answering the God of Fate, the heavenly emperor questioned him more on what had brought Chang Chen to his palace.


    "My eyes do not deceive me, your Highness! I saw it at the mirror of clarity! Her presence was meant to bring turmoil to the heavens! Dyings under the hands of a disciple she was close to would have prevented this from happening, but she went through the process of rebirth and came to possess the body of Saintess Yuan Su''s granddaughter, who drowned in a stream at the sect ground! I thought the tribulation as ruler of the high heavens was averted! Who knew that she would return again and this time she would cause great mayhem and terrorize everyone! No one would be spared! Not even you, your Highness!"


    Finally, the God of Fate went into the root of the matter that caused him to gain audience with the heavenly emperor.


    "Are you saying that the person that is inhabiting the body of the saintess grandaughter would cause the high heavens to be thrown into a state of great confusion and threaten my reign as ruler of the heavens! How many years of cultivation does she have for you to say such a malicious word!"


    When Chang Chen heard the last words that came out of the heavenly emperor''s mouth, he hurriedly took to his knees and prostrated before the ruler of the nine heavens, Guangzi Jiu, a supreme being who was worshipped by other high Gods, saints and lower Gods of the high heavens.


    "Forgive my careless words, your Highness! I must have been muddled headed and lost my reasoning! Please let your anger be slow towards your faithful servant!"


    The heavenly emperor''s face became stone cold when the God of Fate went out of his boundaries and began talking with little to no restraint because of how dire the situation had become with the rebirth of Xu Hui.


    "Is there no way to handle this without spilling blood?!"


    Usually the heavenly emperor didn''t give much thought when it came to ending the lives of those that threatened the peace of the high heavens, but the situation was rather different since it involved a saint that was highly favored. Yuan Su was treasured by Guangzi Jiu, he saw her to be a woman of high morality and unspeakable beauty, several attempts to win her heart ended in futility as the saintess wanted to reach the peak of immortality by shunning anything that would distract her from becoming one of the most powerful being in the nine heavens. Sadly, she was not able to overcome the desires of the flesh while at the mortal realm and became love sick for years, until the mortal''s life came to an end. Unable to triumph over her heavenly trial, Yuan Su was to be sentenced to spend her life as a mortal and be buried among mortals alike, but the heavenly emperor made an exception and restored her back to the high heavens where she gave birth to her daughter and left to build a sect of her own.


    Time passed for both of them, but the heavenly emperor kept an eye on her from a distance, as his royal guards would report on what went on at the mountain sect in the lower heavens.


    Unfortunately, she escaped from the watchful eyes of Guangzi Jiu who knew but didn''t want to let the God of Fate know of what he had done, that would make him lose face with Chang Chen and eventually the whole heavens would know of his secret.


    "Your Highness! We must find her and put her to death! There is but only one way! If she continues to live, then what about the lives of the other Gods! Are they not worth protecting?! She was not meant to live in the first place, an abominable existence must be shunned and destroyed by all means neccessary!"


    The God of Fate pleaded passionately with the heavenly emperor who had a look of indecisiveness in his eyes. He didn''t want to harm Yuan Su''s granddaughter despite knowing that she was long dead and another resided within her body.


    "If this is a test, I don''t know if I want to take it! Why did it have to be Su''s granddaughter?!"


    Guangzi Jiu lamented within him, he saw a future that could never be his shatter right before him, thinking that he had overcome the death of Yuan Su''s daughter whom he ptotected because of her mother whom he adored, her death was both grievous and reliving to him. Half immortal half mortal she was cursed with the illness that plaqued her mortal father. Yuan Huiling was seen as a stumbling block to his love for her mother, thinking her death would draw them close, but that only made the distance between the heavenly emperor and former saintess grow even more.

 Chapter 148 - Banquet(34)

    "Is that everything?!"


    Guangzi Jiu face remained stone cold as he looked at the anxious face of the God of Fate.


    "Your Highness, I''m not certain if what I told you is everything, but I will keep looking into the life of maiden Li and the sect disciple that is within her!"


    Chang Chen wringled his hand as his face became almost chalky white with the fear that had consumed his mind.


    "Go now! Find out everything you can about the granddaughter of saintess Su!"


    Hearing the commandment of the heavenly emperor, Chang Chen lowered his head once more while on the ground prostrating before the highest power in the nine heavens. As he got to his feet to leave, he was soon stopped by the voice of the heavenly emperor.


    "Wait!"


    The God of Fate stopped and turned to hear what other instructions the ruler of the nine heavens had for him.


    "Before you leave, call Hai Zhixi, I want to speak with him while you are present!"


    "Your highness! You want me to bring Hai Zhixi to Qilin Palace?!!!"


    "What is it? Isn''t he qualified to be present when discussing such a distressful matter?!"


    "But...that could create misunderstanding?! What if he is considered a threat?!"


    Hai Zhixi was the God of War, known to be the official emmissary of the high heavens on special occassions. Stumping into the lower heavens even if he was a high God could result in political tension between both realms. The high heavens and lower heavens could be considered one and the same by some, but in reality they had different goverance. Therefore, either realm were circumspect in their dealings towards each other. In as much as there was three main realms in the universe, but the high heavens was seen as a separate entity from the other three, thereby making it the fourth realm. This meant Jin Tieguai''s answer was wrong because politically there were four and not three realms!


    One would think that the heavenly emperor should not be asking for the God of War, since this could create mix feelings in those from the both realms.


    "Your Highness, I will go and fetch the God of War!"


    Chang Chen picked up his steps as he began walking out of the Qilin palace in haste.


    "Hou Yao!"


    The royal adviser kept quiet all through the conversation that the heavenly emperor had with the God of Fate. The High God stepped from the side of the ruler of the nine heavens and went to stand in front of him. After clasping his hand and bowing with respect before him, Hou Yao then raised his head to face is long time friend.


    "What do you think of the things that Chang Chen said? Were my actions uncalled for?!"


    Hou Yao stroked his long dark beards which reached all the way to his rounded belly which was covered in his long white robes, his hair held in a jade white hair stick. The somewhat robust high God''s rudy cheeks lifted with the mirth that reflected in his eyes. The two had known each other for years and were able to maintain appropriate distance in the prescence of others and in secret.


    "The matter of Saintess Su''s granddaughter weighs heavily on your mind, your highness! Asking the God of War to intervene is both good but if things go awry, his prescence could call for much bloodshed. As the God of War he wouldn''t stand back when he sees anything that goes against his conviction, as such I would ask that you send someone else, rather than Hai Zhixi!"

 Chapter 149 - Banquet(35)

    "What do you think of asking the God of Fate to look into Yuan Su''s whereabouts?!"


    A tense air wrapped around Guangzi Jiu as he waited on the words from his long time confidant.


    "Your highness! That is unheard of! Please reconsider!"


    Hou Yao clasped the fingers of his in supplication with his head lowered towards the heavenly emperor.


    "All this time, I held back from asking High God Chang Chen to look into her disappearance! Isn''t it an injustice to watch and do nothing! It''s being years, Hou Yao!"


    The heavenly advisor could not lift his head for lack of words to say to the ruler of the nine heavens, whose felt pained by the loss of young love. It took the smashing of Guangzi Jiu''s fist on the arm of his high throne to rattle Hou Yao out of his temporary cowardice.


    "Your Highness, everyone looks up to you to maintain order in the nine heavens! By asking the God of Fate to look into the past, present and future of Yuan Su, you are not only breaking the law of life and death, but also making a mockery of the position of High God Chang Chen! There is likely a high price you have to pay for going against the order of nature. Please reconsider!"


    Hou Yao''s voice held a pleading in them, as he petitoned the heavenly emperor not to stray from the path of righteousness.


    "Isn''t there a way to look for her?!"


    Not wanting to be derailed from his desires, Guangzi Jiu pressed his long time friend to look for means to resolve the mysterious disappearance of Yuan Su.


    "Her Highness is not going to sit back while you look for Saintess Yuan Su!"


    In a last bid to stir the heavenly emperor from wrongdoing, Hou Yao cried out in hope that the ruler of the nine heavens would see sense and not speak of looking for his forbidden love.


    "What about it?! Where you not the one that said that I regain my bearing, but nothing has changed after all these years! Yuan Su..."


    "Your Highness! Please!"


    This time, the voice rang louder. The heavenly advisor could not stand the proud ruler of the nine heavens acting like a mortal, should anyone had walked in and heard what he said, the whole heavens would be thrown into a state of confusion because of it.


    "Tell me, Hou Yao. Would I one day come to forget her?"

 Chapter 150 - Banquet(36)

    Xu Hui gave a salute to the chief cultivator and his wife, as the guards walked her from the hall of glaze. A look of serenity was on the face of the BaoXu sect disciple which hid the seething rage within.


    Jin Ruimin''s eyes narrowed as he watched them leave, while those of his wife were filled with pity towards Li Guoliang''s daughter.


    Clearing his throat, the GuBaiJin sect leader faced the people seated to address the matters of the fox clan and his sect.


    "Fox King Yan. Lady Jin and I would like to apologize for not bringing up the marriage prospect between a distinguished disciple from the GuBaiJin sect and Princess Yan Xuequi. Please accept our humble apologies!"


    Jin Ruimin and Jin Huiyan rose from their seat almost in unison to give a deep bow of respect towards the fox royalty. Afterwards, the couple returned back to their seat at the head of the table.


    Yan ShuChang merely gave a slight nod of his head to them, at the same time he motioned for the maid that had caught his interest to sit by his side on the empty seat that previously separated him from Xu Hui.


    Not a single person missed what took place, as they all gape at the outrageous behavior of the Fox King. A maid sitting on the table reserved for the elite, was unheard of in the puligistic world. If word got out that it was one from the most prominent sect, the shame alone could be unbearable.


    "Fox King Yan?!...W..Why is a...maid...sitting..at your...table?!"


    Jin Huiyan could not hold herself from speaking out at what her eyes were looking at, a lowly maid was at the same table with a supreme being!


    "Lady Jin, I do recall saying that she is now under my wings! I can do whatsoever I please to her! Make not mention of this any further!"


    Jin Ruimin''s face became very stiff when he heard the icy words of the Fox King to his wife, which was meant to rebuke her in front of their guests. The chief cultivator could not speak in defense of her, for fear he could end up incurring the displeasure of the fox royalty.


    "Fox King Yan, do not mind the words of Lady Jin. She truly bears you no ill-intent. Now to the matter at hand, a well respected disciple would be honored to wed your granddaughter. Jin Caihe!"


    As though on cue, the head teacher of the sect, rose to his feet and saluted the people in the hall, beginning with the chief cultivator and wife, Fox King and his daughter, with the rest in accordance to their status in the cultivation world.

 Chapter 151 - The End Of The Wicked (1)

    That night of the banquet, Cheng Yueming received a letter that was signed with a rabbit. His heart began to beat when he saw the diagram of a rabbit. This was the way his junior sect sister used to communicate with him when they were apart from each other.


    "It can''t be! Sister Xu is no longer in this world! I saw her buried with my own eyes!"


    The leader of the WuYangChen sect shook his head in disbelief, not wanting to accept that the sister he buried was indeed alive.


    "Where is this person?! WH-WHO SENT THIS!"


    Cheng Yueming''s voice shook as he initially spoke weakly before he roared in rage at one of his men that accompanied him secretly to the banquet hosted by GuBaiJin sect.


    "Forgive this ignorant servant! Sect Leader Chen! I did not see her face; it was covered by a cloak!"


    The man threw himself on the floor as he begged his sect leader to show him mercy for an oversight, his body trembled with dread knowing that he had committed an unpardonable sin against the most powerful man from his sect.


    Chen Yueming''s swallowed rapidly, his hand squeezed the paper in a tight fist while trying to suppress the fear and rage within him. Pale faced his jade skin lost their vibrant color amid the dilemma that crept upon him.


    "Did anyone see you when she handed you the letter?!"


    "No one¡­.sect leader¡­.no one¡­"


    "You are dismissed!"


    Not waiting to be told another time, the frightened cultivator ran out without a second look at his sect leader.


    "Sister Xu, so you are back and alive at that. Why couldn''t you stay dead?! You keep tormenting me even up to this very moment! I did you a favor by sending you off early and yet you cannot see that I have your good at heart! You really think I will let you be?!"


    Chen Yueming''s eyes darkened, wheels began to turn in the head as he thought of how to tackle the woman that he both hate and loved, an obsession that he could not rid himself from.


    "Very well, SISTER XU! Let''s end it!"


    Staring into the flames from the burning candle, Chen Yueming prepared himself mentally for the confrontation that laid ahead.


    Xu Hui snuck out of her room which was guarded by men from the GuBaiJin sect to the place of the arranged meeting with her former senior sect brother, Feng Yueming. Hiding her face under a black cloak, the maiden Li Jiao hastily walked the grounds of the GuBaiJin sect that led into the cold garden, a place abandoned by cultivators from the GuBaiJin sect.


    Li Jiao as Xu Hui had once paid a visit with her sect brother before BaoXu sect was mysteriously annihilated. Knowing that there would be no one at that time of the day walking in such a eerie place, Xu Hui made the decision to set the meeting with Chen Yueming, unknown to the loyal senior cultivator, Fu Zian who had followed her to attend the banquet hosted by GuBaiJin sect. Waiting in the dark, Xu Hui readied herself to put an end to their ill-fated relationship.


    The sound of feet hitting dirt could be heard as the sect leader of WuYangChen walked leisurely into the garden to meet Xu Hui.


    "Sister Xui?"


    Chen Yueming tentatively called out to the person he took to be his junior sect sister.


    "Brother Feng? Is that really you?"


    Xu Hui''s voice became that of a shy maiden as she pulled back the cloak hiding her face to reveal herself to her sect brother.


    "Y-You look different¡­How¡­can this be? Maiden Li is my junior sister?"


    Chen Yueming''s voice trailed off when he saw that the face was not that of his beloved junior sect sister, it was another. Although they met briefly and she was introduced as Sect Leader Li Guoliang''s daughter, Chen Yueming faintly doubted that Li Jiao was Xu Hui even when there were things that she did which reminded him of the times he spent with his junior sect sister.


    "Brother Feng¡­I don''t want you to feel guilt anymore. I called you to say just that."


    "What do you mean? I killed you! Why are you letting me off easily?"


    Chen Yueming had a look of incredulity, he saw that the maiden that stood in front of him bore no guile, instead she smiled sweetly at him as though putting the past behind and extending a hand to embrace the future together.


    "You must have suffered a lot; I do not want to bring you anymore suffering."


    "I heard you! That night! I heard you with my two ears when you promised revenge! How can I take your word when you looked at me coldly as you died!"


    Chen Yueming''s eyes wavered as he looked at Xu Hui, the woman who stood in front of him no longer appealed to him anymore since she did not resemble his junior sect sister whom he was once close to.


    "Brother Feng, how can I make you believe me? I chose this place because there are so many eyes around and I didn''t want any bad rumor to spread about you and me. Please, believe me when I say that I have forgiven you wholeheartedly."


    "You have?"


    Chen Yueming relaxed his guard as he heard the conviction in the tone of Li Jiao, his heart that was burdened began to feel light like air and a smile of great relief settled on his lips.


    "Brother Feng, is it okay for us to hold hands like we used to?"


    During her lifetime as Xu Hui, she and Feng Yueming would hold hands when no one was around as they played together like little children. With him, Xu Hui felt relaxed when around the company of Feng Yueming enough for them to break the social rules in place.


    For a second, Chen Yueming wavered at the suggestion from maiden Li Jiao but gave in, he saw her cover the distance between them to hold his hand. Before he knew it, she was crying as she threw herself in his arms.


    "Brother Feng, I''m sorry for being oblivious to how you felt about me!"


    The action shook Chen Yueming who froze like a statue when he saw that Xu Hui had become an emotional wreck in his arms, meanwhile Xu Hui clamped so hard on her inner cheek such that it tore off a chunk of flesh. With her mouth containing blood, Xu Hui pulled back from Chen Yueming and spat in his face.


    "WHAT ARE YOU DOING??!!!"


    Disgusted and anger at how undignified Xu Hui was acting, Chen Yueming drew out a sword his sword to face off with his junior sect sister, as he wiped clean the stain of blood on his jade skin with the sleeves of his robe.


    Unknown to Chen Yueming, he was playing right into the trap she had set for him, her blood which was poisonous from the blood flail technique made more potent by choosing to use her life-source. An invisible circle formed when Chen Yueming stood with his aura shielding his body from any hidden attacks.


    "Brother Feng, why don''t you give up? You know that you will not be walking out of here alive."


    In a deceptively calm voice, Xu Hui spoke to Chen Yueming who was bristling in rage, the hand that held the sword shook from the dark fury that had overtaken him.


    "You are no match for me!"


    "I never said I was, or did I?"


    A merciless laugh escaped out of Xu Hui, her eyes, which were once innocent, became cold and hard. There was a somewhat predatoriness to them.


    Chen Yueming now had blood on robe or so he thought, the miniscule of blood had found their way through his skin and were feeding off his spiritual energy, causing it to leak outside at an accelerated rate. The huge force of spiritual energy spilling out created a disturbance in the air, causing the grounds. This didn''t go unnoticed and no longer after voices could be heard as people rushed out from various courtyards to see the source of the unsettling feeling in the air.


    "YOU!"


    Chen Yueming''s knee gave way, and he began to cough dark red blood on the ground, gasping for air as he did. Blood leaked from his nose and eyes as he stared at the woman who looked down at him with dead eyes.


    "With this, we are even."


    Inside of Chen Yueming was beginning to liquify, the poison was eating at him, draining his life-source. He could feel his eyes starting to blur and had to shake his head to clear of the dizziness.


    "Yo-You''ve¡­.had your¡­revenge¡­.are¡­you¡­.satisfied?"


    As Chen Yueming spoke, he was buying time to do what he had planned for Xu Hui, who turned her back to him as she said, "It does not matter whether I am happy or not. So long I rid the world of you, that is more than enough for me."


    Xu Hui tried to control the trembling in her body, she knew that her time was fast approaching, with the combination of the forbidden technique and life-source, there was no way that she could leave in one piece. Taking one step, two and a third, Xu Hui collapsed on the ground and began coughing blood in rapid succession.


    --------------------------------------------


    "Did you hear that Fan Qingshan is getting married!"


    Less than three days since the Spirit Master announced that he was going to wed, the news had spread to the cultivation world, like the wind it was uncontrollable, moving of its own accord.


    Big names and nameless cultivators from various sects gathered to talk about the impending marriage, as though they were discussing a matter of great importance, not that a union of two strangers wasn''t that important, but putting aside their duties to gossip was something else all together.


    "Fan Qingshan is getting married?! Didn''t he say that he wanted to fully devote his life to ascending godhood! What could have made him change his mind?!"


    "Who knows, I heard his young disciple went into seclusion after the news broke out. Wouldn''t one think that he should be out there giving out congratulatory greeting, instead of locking himself away in the name of cultivating?"


    "So you also think it strange too, that he chose such a time to go into seclusion?"


    "You can never count on master-disciple relationship going smoothly anymore. See! What do you call that if not jealousy?"


    "I heard those two were inseparable, whenever you find one, you will surely find the other. So sad to see such a relationship breakdown so easily."


    "Fan Qingshan solely asked for him and no other to be his disciple, when many fought to be taught by him. What a shame!"


    "What else can we say, when one has a bad heart, it is bound to show, sooner or later!"


    "Let''s hope that he comes out more sensible and uphold the path of righteousness."


    "Hmm..we have to wait till that time. What a pity! I bet Fan Qingshan will be so disappointed not to see him there."


    "Well, what else can he do? Drag Han Hulin from seclusion?! That will only make him a laughing stock. Tongues would wag at such a disgraceful display!"


    By this time the discussion was beginning to die down, but the incident still remained in the minds of many. As some speculated that what led to it was merely a fall out between master and disciple, others thought it was probably because Han Hulin was unaware of Fan Qingshan''s wedding and chose that time to cultivate in seclusion. It was a question that could not be answered, they all thought that the relationship between the two was rock solid and nothing was ever going to shake the bond between them. It was unheard of, for a disciple of that nature not to show up at such an important ceremony of his master.


    Cultivating in secret was not the problem, but being inflexible was what the ignorant ones among the cultivation clans spoke of, even after the ceremony was done and over.


    Many years passed after this, there was barely any mention of the unseemly way of Han Hulin, the incident was almost totally forgotten, except for the occasion mention here and there and the record of it in the sect''s library.


    --------------------------


    Seven Years later...


    Han Hulin could hear a voice in the background, it sounded like those of a little child and, as he struggled to get up from where he laid on the bed of moist grass.


    "Father! Who is that man over there?"


    After he came out from his self-imposed seclusion, Han Hulin hadn''t seen anyone since he got out. He still maintained residence in Fan Qingshan''s courtyard which was far off from the rest of the other sects courtyard. His head was spinning from the oncoming voice that belonged to those of a child, as ears raised in attention.


    "Rou''er! Don''t disturb the man, he is fast asleep. Come with me."


    The little girl dressing in a pink robe, looked at her father with an innocent look in her eyes, as she did what was asked of her, raising her hand to hold onto her father''s firm hand.


    "Yes Father!"


    The two walked hand in hand, leaving Han Hulin where he was on the soft green grass, looking for the world as one that was in a peaceful sleep. His dark lashes cast a gentle shadow over his jade fair skin.


    The cloud was exceptionally bight with sound of chirping birds, that perched from one tree to the other, their bright colored feathers of yellow and pink short peaks from a tiny rounded body that held glittering dark orbs in their socket. Tiny dark pink talons gripped onto the branches of the trees where they perched on.


    The wind blew gently around, creating a peaceful ambience. From where he laid with his eyes closed, Han Hulin could tell who the voice belonged to, it was none other than his master Fan Qingshan!


    Stretched out with eyes closed, as his hand lay on both side of his body in the "usual" sleeping position that had been molded into him, right from the time he had been under the wings of his master. As though he was still asleep, Han Hulin strove to control his breathing so as not to give himself away that he was awake.


    "I can''t believe it is Fan Qingshan himself!"


    "Who was that little girl?"


    "Is she his child?"


    "Come to think of it, we haven''t crossed path in seven years!"


    "To think we would meet like this, is really the work of fate."


    "Did he come to see me after such a long time?"


    All of this kept going through the mind of Han Hulin, when he saw he no longer heard the sound of their feet anymore, he rolled to his side, still pondering on the reason for his master''s visit. His mind took a quick shift, as he thought on if he had kept the place tidy enough for Fan Qingshan, when it came to cleaning and keeping everywhere tidy, he left it to his junior disciple to take of it. No matter how much Han Hulin begged to have a servant or two do the clean up like what other masters provided their junior disciples, Fan Qingshan adamantly refused to allowed such practice, believing that it will make the body lazy and the mind dull. Therefore, Han Hulin had no other choice but to be the only junior disciple that cleaned the Hall of Solitude.


    He couldn''t bear to look at himself in the mirror, as his appearance would be considered unsightly to his master, who prided himself on the teachings of austerity, clarity and all forms of virtue. Han Hulin could not remember the last time he had taken a dip to cleanse his body, or washed his hair. Inwardly cringing at what Fan Qingshan would say on knowing the state he was living in, he wanted to continue pretending to be asleep, until a familiar voice came through, loud and clear.


    "Han Hulin! Get up right now! I know you weren''t sleep! I''m ashamed to let Ruo''er know that you were once my disciple!"


    If the ground could open, Han Hulin wanted to jump right into it and never come out, he didn''t hear the oncoming footsteps of his master. Things couldn''t get any worse than this, as Han Hulin squared his shoulders in anticipation of the harsh rebuke he knew was coming his way.


    Han Hulin wanted to run and hide from Fan Qingshan, even though he could not see what his face looked like, he guessed splashes of bright pink would be competing with his usual jade skin.

 Chapter 152 - The End Of The Wicked (2)

    Behind her, Chen Yueming was dissipating, at around that time, the group of people from the other sects walked into the tragic event.


    "Isn''t that Lady Li and Sect Leader Chen?!!"


    The cultivators that gathered around began to whisper harshly amongst themselves, it was clear that the sight was a scandalous one, a highly esteemed maiden meeting with a sect leader in secret especially one that was married!


    "Sect Leader Chen!"


    The cultivators that secretly came to protect Chen Yueming ran to where he was and held on to him as they hopelessly watched him fade away into nothingness.


    On hearing the name of his sect leader''s daughter, Fu Zian who was at the back pushed his way through and rushed over to where Xu Hui was, but couldn''t make it in time as she too began to disintegrate right in front of him.


    "LADY LI!"


    Fu Zian took what was left of Li Jiao and cried bitterly while holding on to the clothing and shoes of Li Jiao which was the only thing that was left of her. Within the crowd that gathered, the mistress of the WuYangChen sect silently left when she saw how disgraceful her husband had died. Another figure within the crowd held onto his chest as though his heart had been ripped apart.


    Outside a burning room, a woman laughed maniacally as a baby wailed inside a smoke-filled room. With blood in her hands, Chen Liling held a sword which held blood stains from the servants that she had killed, the deranged wife of the late Chen Yueming continued to laugh as her baby burned to death. The barrier she had erected around the courtyard kept other cultivators from her sect from breaking in, the secret technique which was passed from one generation to the next generation''s successor was used to brutally end the Chen lineage.


    "Chen Yueming! In the end I meant nothing to you!"


    "Lady Chen! Lower the barrier! Please!"


    Deaf to the pleas from the men that faithfully served under her, Chen Liling continued to laughed until she took final breath in the smoke laden air and when she did the barrier came down but it was already too late, both baby and mother died tragically in the early hours of the morning.


    ---------------------


    Back at YuanLi sect, Fu Zian broke the news of Li Jiao''s passing to Li Guoliang, who thought that the sect leader had murdered his daughter in cold blood and was threatening retribution.


    "Ready the men! We are going to destroy WuYangChen sect!"


    "Sect Leader Li! Please, reconsider! The young mistress would never have wanted this!"


    Physician Shen pleaded with Li Guoliang whom he knew was a peaceful man, but the death of his daughter had thrown his mind into a turmoil.


    "Sect Leader Li stole my daughter from me! How can I keep quiet!"


    Alone in the room together, Physician Shen deliberated whether to tell Li Guoliang what he knew of his ''daughter'' whom he closely observed in the past.


    "Sect Leader Li¡­there is something you need to know about the young mistress."


    Wearing a look of solemnity, the sect''s physician decided to come clean with the YuanLi sect leader.


    "Yes?"


    "Lady Li was not who you think she is, the day I attended to her. I felt a pulse that was not hers, in all my years as physician I know everyone by their pulse. The Lady Li''s resembled that of a young girl I treated long ago from BaoXu sect, her name is Xu Hui. If my guess is right, Lady Li died when she fell into the water that day and the girl, Xu Hui was the one living inside her body. I know you may find this unbelievable, but I could not bring myself to tell you the truth when you were so happy that Lady Li didn''t succumb to death during her fall. Born with a weak heart, Lady Li was moving nimbly during the sword fight and challenged the boys in a fight. I''m sorry to tell you this, but Lady Li died that day, the one you were with was Xu Hui."


    "No!!!!"


    Right there, Li Guoliang collapsed while the two sat to talk. From that day onward, the YuanLi sect leader became apathic and didn''t eat until one day he died peacefully in his sleep.


    ----------------------------


    He pushed up from where he laid and began walking towards his master, with head hanging low to slowly approach a man of impressive bearing, he no longer wore the usual white robe that Han Hulin remembered from those years under him, instead he wore a green robe.


    He didn''t know why, but all of a sudden he felt as though his heart had closed up, as tears burned at the back of his lids, threatening to fall at the slightest push. Han Hulin knew he had to face his fears and get used to the fact that his master was already a married man. Raising his head to see how he really looked, although time had passed, little if any had changed in Fan Qingshan, he still had the same air that he carried about with him, his countenance and the outward look was exactly the same.


    "He still as handsome as ever!"


    The thought went straight through the head of Han Hulin, looking in disbelief that the looks of his master had not waned with time. As he kept walking his mind kept spacing out, feeling as though it was only filled with air and nothing else.


    "Why is he here? I feel so happy I could run and scream in joy! May be something important must have forced him to come see me, is that the reason why he is here?"


    Putting one foot in front of the other, until he got to a respectfully close distance from where Fan Qingshan stood. "Lin''er, why does it feel as though you are unhappy I came to see you?"


    Hearing the voice of Fan Qingshan threw Han Hulin back to the past again, where they both ate together, trained together, went to the mortal realm together, did almost everything together, which was what other masters and junior disciples did, but he didn''t know why those moments felt more to him than just the routine life of a cultivator. The exception being taking baths and going to sect meetings where other sect leaders gathered to discuss matters of great importance.


    Nothing in Fan Qingshan''s expression made him, think that his disciple harbored anything, but admiration as Han Hulin kept it all in his heart, to say a word about it would only lead to an early exit out of the hall of Solitude and permanently shunned by the cultivation world. Han Hulin knew that his master was waiting on his reply, when he hadn''t spoken.


    "I''m not displeased to see you, the hall of solitude is yours and I''m only here for the time being until a new spirit master is elected."


    As Han Hulin spoke, his fingers played with the silver pendant that hung from his robes, this wasn''t unnoticed by Fan Qingshan whose lips curved up in a small smile, as it also reminded him of a peculiar nature of his disciple.


    "A-Lin, come here!"


    Han Hulin thought that he was close enough to his master, but hearing the command to draw closer, made his heart skip many beats, even though he wasn''t sure how he will all turn out, Han Hulin did as asked and closed the gap between him and his master.


    Han Hulin felt his stomach somersault, but he knew that it wasn''t from hunger, he could see the clear iris of Fan Qingshan, the light colored eyes served as a trap, luring the soul of his disciple. Not that he knew the impact of what their close proximity was doing to Han Hulin, he took it a notch further by patting the other on the head, while that went on Han Hulin tried his hardest not to squirm at what his master was doing to him.


    "It looks like you have grown an inch taller, but you need to do something about your body, you look too skinny!"


    "..."


    His senses was on high alert, as a faint blush spread across his face, puzzled by what he saw, Fan Qingshan said, "Why? What is the matter? Are you still reading those books again?"


    Clearly misinterpreting the cause of his disciple''s discomfort, it wasn''t that he was thinking of the illustrated erotic book his master caught him reading, one time during an unannounced visit to his room at the hall of Solitude, but because his mind and heart was ensnared by Fan Qingshan!


    "No...I don''t read them anymore....ever since you warned me against it."


    The look on Fan Qingshan''s face showed that he doubted what his disciple said, but decided not to pursue it further, instead he switched the conversation to a different direction.


    "Truth be told, I didn''t just come to see how you are doing. I need a favor of you, can you look after Ruo''er? It''s only for a few days while I go along with other sect leaders down the mountain to tackle the rising tension between immortals and mortals. I know it is asking too much of you, but you are the only one that I trust to look after Ruo''er, her mother is on a night hunt with other female cultivators, you were the first person that came to mind."


    From the time Fan Qingshan lightly touched the head of his disciple, Han Hulin struggled to steady his heart from beating too fast, nothing worked faster in bringing him back to his senses, at the mention of the child belonging to his master, Fan Ruo. Han Hulin didn''t know what to feel at that moment, he wanted to throw his head back and laugh bitterly, the words that echoed in his mind over and again was, "He only sought me out to keep an eye on his daughter, that''s all I am to him? Where hr mother''s family?"


    Unlike Fan Qingshan, his wife was a woman he met during one of those times they visited the mortal realm together, although the cultivation world didn''t look favorably on a union between a mortal and immortal, yet he still went ahead and brought her with the permission of her parents to world of cultivation, after performing a simple wedding in the presence of her parents in the mortal realm. Although none of the cultivators showed up at the earthly wedding, but many came to the one held at Zhai mountain.. Han Hulin kept looking at his master, unsure of how to respond to such a request.