Chapter 57: Azure Cloud (35)

Xie Xuanxiao wiped his face. The cheek was red and swollen, accidentally struck during Zhang Duixue’s struggle earlier.

At the time, he had felt a sharp pain but held it in for the sake of his dignity. Now that the person was gone, he finally sought out some cold water to apply to it. However, it was already swollen, looking as if someone had punched him.

His A-Xue’s strength was growing, revealing an indescribable martial vigor that truly left one feeling helpless.

A shadow guard stood in the dark corner, dressed entirely in black. If one didn’t look closely, he was almost invisible.

“Young Palace Master, shall we bind him and bring him back?” A low, cold voice sounded from the side.

Xie Xuanxiao pressed the injury on his face and slowly shook his head. “No need. Let him go.”

Last night, he had made a grave mistake. Drunk and losing his composure, mistaking someone else for him—this situation was caused by his negligence. It was his fault.

If one makes a mistake, one must accept the punishment. He did regret it, but regret was useless now. A crack had appeared between him and A-Xue; forcing the issue would only make the resistance stronger. It was better to be open-minded and let go for now.

Zhang Duixue was too young. He had entered Yuanchen Palace in his youth and hadn’t been out since. At fourteen, he began serving by his side. He hadn’t seen the vastness of the world, hadn’t endured wind and rain, and still held unrealistic fantasies about the Nine Provinces and the world under heaven.

Perhaps this was for the best. He could fly out, fly toward the Nine Provinces and the Four Seas, and weather the storms. Once he had walked through this human world, he would realize that without power or influence, merely surviving as an ordinary person was difficult enough.

His A-Xue was only eighteen; he still had plenty of time to teach him.

A domesticated bird cannot fly far. He would return sooner or later.

“I heard there is a new student this year who is an old acquaintance of He Tingtong?” Applying medicine carefully to his face, Xie Xuanxiao spoke as if nothing had happened.

“That is correct. This subordinate pulled the files. There are four people from Jubei State this year. Two were eliminated in the first round. Two remained for the second round: one rogue cultivator and one from the Yuheng Sect. Yesterday, he ran into He Tingtong and a dispute occurred. He Tingtong once cultivated at the Yuheng Sect and was the third disciple. The Yuheng Sect specializes in the way of the sword. Located in the far north near the Hanshan Border, the land is bitter and cold, and the disciples are very poor. The sect is not large. The sect master, Yun Shi, is one hundred and thirty-one years old, Seventh Realm cultivation…”

The shadow guard spoke slowly, reading out all the investigated information to Xie Xuanxiao.

He was transferred by the Yuanchen Palace Master to protect the Young Master. In reality, Azure Cloud Academy was safer than most places in the Nine Provinces, so there was rarely a need for a shadow guard. With nothing to do, he was sent by Xie Xuanxiao to gather intelligence.

Xie Xuanxiao considered himself gentle and polite. He didn’t have many mortal enemies, but He Tingtong was a prominent one, and the most closely watched. Whatever he did, whoever he annoyed, it was all seen, recorded, and collected, waiting for the day to deliver a fatal blow.

With the power of Yuanchen Palace, they could turn He Tingtong’s background inside out in moments. He had been too lazy to check before, but now that it was delivered to his door, there was no reason not to use it.

“Yuheng Sect…” Xie Xuanxiao tapped the table, lowering his eyes in thought. “You’re saying that Yun Zhi is very dissatisfied with his senior brother?”

“More than just dissatisfied; they are practically fire and water,” the shadow guard whispered. “That Yun Zhi hates He Tingtong to the extreme and has been spreading rumors about him everywhere, trying to ruin his reputation. For example, claiming He Tingtong was expelled from the sect for eloping with Fu Fengyan, or that He Tingtong was born bad and had been stealing since childhood—petty things like that.”

Xie Xuanxiao rubbed his temples. “Trash.”

He didn’t even know how to fabricate decent rumors, just clinging to trivial matters and tossing them back and forth. If the sect’s young master was like this, it showed that the atmosphere of the entire sect was not fit for refined company.

“How is his cultivation?” Xie Xuanxiao asked.

“Average. Mostly boosted by drugs, unstable foundation,” the shadow guard answered honestly.

“Find a few people to escort him. I want him to enter Azure Cloud Academy.” Xie Xuanxiao stood up. He wouldn’t be staying in the academy much longer and probably couldn’t deal with He Tingtong permanently for now, but he was very happy to place a thorn in his side for the long term.

Letting a jumping clown in to make noise all day would surely leave He Tingtong battered and exhausted.

A small stumbling block—a parting gift for He Tingtong.

It was truly hateful that he led his Xiao Xue astray every day.

---

He Tingtong spread open a small notebook. The dim lamplight illuminated the dense writing on it.

Linde Year 10, March. In the previous life, Zhang Duixue and Xie Xuanxiao married this year. Xie Xuanxiao turned twenty, and after the capping ceremony, there was a peerless wedding. Taking a wife at twenty—and a male wife at that—was truly shocking to the world.

However, such matters were always the most talked about. Romance novels about the two of them began to circulate in the market, all praising Xie Xuanxiao’s infatuation.

But now, Zhang Duixue stayed at Azure Cloud Academy to continue his studies. The two had separated. The plot had changed again; step two was a success. Although he knew Xie Xuanxiao would never let go easily, these three years would be enough for Zhang Duixue to grow.

Once he entered the Sword Sect, no one would be able to trap him in a cage to be a bird that only knew how to sing.

The pages turned. He Tingtong looked at the next page.

Next were Xiangli Lingze and Xiangli Xuan. Nothing major happened between them this year; they just opposed each other, turning the Heavenly Sound Pavilion upside down.

Xiangli Lingze was still as flighty as ever, occasionally running over to the Sword Pavilion to circle around. He skipped class often, and since the Heavenly Sound Pavilion was far away, he couldn’t hang around them all day. However, news of his mischief was frequent. Twice, He Tingtong caught him climbing the wall. He got stuck by a formation lock while straddling the wall, unable to go up or down, begging and pleading with a bitter face for He Tingtong to let him off.

However, the impartial “Regent He” marched him back to the Heavenly Sound Pavilion. Xiangli Lingze was exasperated, claiming he would break off their friendship, but after fuming for ten days, he came wandering back as if nothing had happened.

His popularity wasn’t good; he had no friends. Looking around, the only people in Azure Cloud Academy he could exchange a few words with were He Tingtong and his group.

Speaking of which, it had been a while since he’d seen him. According to the development of the past life, Azure Cloud Academy was the only period where the brothers’ relationship improved and they coexisted peacefully. His disappearance during this time might mean something happened, or he was in love.

Tsk.

He Tingtong flipped the page, and there was Yue Qianxun’s name.

Now the young Demon Lord was operating right under their noses. Plus, he was studying arrays. He saw Su Tan less than twice a month, and even if they met by chance, before Su Tan could say two words, Qin Tan would bump him away.

To this day, the two were barely acquaintances, and Yue Qianxun was even in a state of fear.

Let alone becoming master and disciple—if anyone told Yue Qianxun to go learn swordplay from Qin Tan now, he would probably think that person was plotting to murder him.

Flipping back two pages, He Tingtong’s gaze landed on the very first sheet, where Yun Zhi’s name was circled in bright red.

Back at the Yuheng Sect, he had let Yun Zhi off. Firstly, he was on the opponent’s turf with a vast disparity in cultivation; acting rashly would only lead to a loss. Secondly, he had indeed grown up there. Despite a thousand wrongs, his life was indeed given by the Sect Master. Yun Zhi had killed him once; he and the Yuheng Sect were now even, owing nothing to anyone.

Before leaving, he had told Yun Zhi that if they met again, he would kill him. He wondered if this little junior brother remembered… presumably, he had forgotten, or simply didn’t take the threat seriously.

He held his brush, about to initiate a wicked little plan, when suddenly a scratch-scratch sound of fingernails scraping came from the window beside him. It set one’s teeth on edge. A moment later, a bright silver sword tip slid through the gap. With a clack, the window was pried open. Then, pale fingertips gripped the window lattice, prying open a slit. Through the gap, a pair of dark, roving eyes stared at him sneakily. Upon realizing He Tingtong was also looking at him, those eyes curved slightly.

“He Tingtong!” Fu Fengyan’s excited voice came from outside. “I saw something fun! Come out quick, I’ll take you to see!”

He Tingtong: “…”

He didn’t know who Fu Fengyan learned this from, but he liked using the door less and less, preferring the window. Scratching at the window day after day, acting just like a thief.

This was a bad habit; it had to change.

“Close the window, use the door.” He Tingtong closed the window dead tight, leaving no gap, expressionless.

A moment later, the shadow outside the window moved to the door. Knock, knock. After receiving permission, Fu Fengyan tiptoed in, standing by the table and staring at him eagerly.

He Tingtong packed up his things, composed and relaxed. “Speak. what big event? What exactly did you find?”

“I just met a demon outside.” Fu Fengyan used the happiest tone to say the most terrifying words. “I distinguished it carefully; it’s the one from your sect.”

In an instant, pain and cold struck. It was as if he was lying at the bottom of the Falling Snow Cliff again, listening to the howling wind, buried by the falling snow.

He Tingtong’s fingertips tightened. “Where?”

“It’s a new student this year, currently with your bad junior brother.” Fu Fengyan presented his recording stone like a treasure, pulling up the image inside. “Your bad junior brother is always going around speaking ill of you. I intended to keep an eye on him, but I didn’t expect an accidental discovery.”

He raised his hand. Amidst a pile of various scenes of He Tingtong cultivating daily, handling administrative affairs, and practicing swordplay, he struggled to find a small clip. Pointing at a dark-faced man pulling and tugging at Yun Zhi in the image, he reported, “Although the shell has changed, this demon talks a lot and is annoying. I remember very clearly; I wouldn’t be mistaken.”

He Tingtong narrowed his eyes at the blurry clip. The face and cultivation level had all changed; presumably, it was a new shell seized through possession.

He had once thought about how to deal with Shen Xiyuan. Three years later, when the first breach appeared in the Hanshan Border, it was Shen Xiyuan who coordinated from the inside to break the seal. That was the first calamity for the common people. Many people died in that battle, and nearly half of the cultivation world’s top combat power was lost, directly leading to the rise of Wuqilu and the second massacre.

However, back then, before he could think of a way to report it, the opponent simply disappeared. It seemed that Fu Fengyan had taken care of him at that time.

Now appearing beside Yun Zhi again… well, it was expected and logical. After all, the grudges and entangled fate between these two were endless; they were locked together.

He Tingtong looked up at Fu Fengyan, confiscated the recording stone with a faint smile, and softened his voice to praise, “Brother A-Fu is truly amazing.”

Fu Fengyan enjoyed this immensely. He squatted down in front of him, holding He Tingtong’s knees and lifting his face. “Reward.”

He Tingtong looked at the recording stone, playing with it while lowering his head to kiss the side of the other’s cheek. Fu Fengyan covered his face, bubbling with beauty. Just as he was happily savoring it, the other cheek was suddenly kissed too. Then came He Tingtong’s voice, clear and refreshing as a spring breeze. “In the future, no need to use the window for anything; just find me directly. Also, don’t secretly record me. Immortal Lord, do you not see enough of me during the day that you must stare at me at night too?”

“Can I? I’ll just look, I won’t talk.” Fu Fengyan cupped his face with both hands, his whole body stiff, completely controlled by two light kisses. He looked at like he was about to steam, yet didn’t forget to push his luck.

“No, you cannot.” He Tingtong refused decisively. It was truly funny to watch; he didn’t know how Fu Fengyan managed it. His skin was thick one moment and thin the next. He would find ways to flirt every day, but the moment He Tingtong gave a slight response, the man would become dizzy as if he couldn’t handle it. When he got shy, it seemed as if He Tingtong was the one taking liberties with him.

Truly a case of being unskilled yet loving the game.

Leaving him aside to recover for a while, Fu Fengyan gradually returned to normal.

He Tingtong studied the blurry shadow. Shen Xiyuan was a great demon with a high status in the Demon Realm. But even so, the art of soul division wasn’t that simple. The backlash from such forbidden techniques was immense. Splitting the soul twice in just two years—even for someone as powerful as a demon—would not be pleasant.

At such a great cost, if one said Shen Xiyuan came to pursue Yun Zhi… he actually didn’t quite believe it.

But his gaze fell on Fu Fengyan, who was still covering his face and snickering to himself. He Tingtong became unsure again.

Although “love brains” were rare, they weren’t non-existent. After all, there were plenty around him.

Forget it.

Regardless of why the other party came, it wouldn’t be anything good. He needed to be on guard.

He had to keep watching.

Meet changes with constancy.

---

With new students enrolling and the Azure Cloud Test beginning, the other students in the academy also welcomed the once-a-year “Busy Month.”

After all, with guiding, registering names, and assessing tests, the masters didn’t have enough hands, so they grabbed students to fill the gaps. Kind-hearted masters would give them a short break during this time, while ruthless masters would not only deny them rest but also require them to continue their coursework alongside the work.

And Qin Tan belonged to the ruthless category.

He Tingtong hadn’t attended class for a long time. First, he was ruthlessly trained. Only after the assessment found that his swordsmanship hadn’t regressed did Qin Tan relax a bit and send him to record the preliminary test rolls.

It was then that Yun Zhi met He Tingtong.

The Spirit Testing Stone was placed in front, and He Tingtong sat behind it. Everyone pressed their handprints in front of him. The queue shortened bit by bit. Yun Zhi looked at He Tingtong, who was holding a brush and recording names, and felt his scalp tingle.

Who could have known? After only a year apart, the youth who used to follow behind his butt picking up scraps was now doing so well. How could one not be envious? How could one not be jealous? He once thought that leaving the Yuheng Sect, He Tingtong would be dining on wind and sleeping on dew, suffering unspeakably. But not only did he enter Azure Cloud Academy, he was thriving here!

Watching people greet He Tingtong one by one, calling him “Senior Brother He,” when it was his turn, the acid in Yun Zhi’s heart nearly made him vomit. He couldn’t say “Senior Brother” no matter what.

With a gloomy face, he pressed his hand on the Spirit Testing Stone. A brilliant light suddenly appeared. He Tingtong’s breezy voice sounded, “Fourth Realm, pass.”

Name recorded, jade token issued. Yun Zhi looked back three times with every step. The long line slowly shortened. From beginning to end, He Tingtong didn’t give him a single extra glance, as if they were just strangers.

And they should be strangers.

Yun Zhi’s father had inquired about the Azure Cloud Academy tests many times, and he had studied the recordings of Qin Tan many times. Practicing diligently for the past year, every sword move he used was taught by his father day and night.

The first two tests of the Sword Pavilion were no problem for him at all. He even made many friends at Azure Cloud Academy. The people in the Sword Pavilion were mostly taciturn, but those from Langhuan Pavilion were much more interesting.

Youths from Central Province aristocratic families threw grand banquets, surrounding him in the center, praising his natural intelligence, superb swordsmanship, and handsome appearance—tall and jade-like.

When the wine was at its peak, even his blood seemed to boil. He collapsed into someone’s arms, listening to their coaxing, looking at those fair and handsome faces, yet tears couldn’t stop falling.

“Is Brother Yun from Jubei State?”

“Have you heard of He Tingtong? This person is from the same hometown as you. He is currently favored by the Dean, his momentum is unmatched!”

“Your Jubei State is truly a treasured land, producing such talents!”

“I know him…” Yun Zhi lay on the table, emitting vague humming sounds. “He Tingtong is my Little Senior Brother. He grew up in my Yuheng Sect. Since childhood, regarding food, clothing, and expenses, when did my father and I ever treat him poorly! But he just had to betray me…”

The youth looked at the cup before him. The crimson wine rippled in circles, like blood. So red—he had seen it on He Tingtong.

He shouldn’t be here. He should be at the Falling Snow Cliff, in the accumulated snow, among the rocks, weathering into a pile of white bones, not at Azure Cloud Academy, in the Sword Pavilion, showing off his strength and dominating.

The cup of rippling wine was poured into his mouth. Then Yun Zhi felt the world spin. He cried and laughed at the same time, finally trembling his lips to say, “That’s not He Tingtong. That’s not my Little Senior Brother. Little Senior Brother was taciturn, introverted, and shy. He didn’t like to talk, hesitated in doing things, and had no ideas of his own. How could he suddenly become like this?”

“He died, he died a long time ago!”

“The one living in the shell of He Tingtong now is a monster who possessed him!”

The youth’s hoarse, broken voice echoed in the restaurant.

The private room looked lively and dissolute, but looking closely, none of the people drinking and making merry were drunk; their eyes were clear. At these words, everyone was horrified.

Possession. A secret technique of the Demonic Path, destroying human souls, violating the harmony of heaven.

Within the Nine Provinces, anyone who possesses a body has already become a demon and will be hunted down by the Immortal Alliance until the end of time.

The youths responsible for fishing for information looked at each other, finally maintaining silence in unison. Inside the recording stone, Yun Zhi’s trembling, fearful voice repeated constantly. The young men surrounding him dispersed unknowingly. Holding the recorded evidence, they headed to Langhuan Pavilion to report their mission.

As for Yun Zhi, he passed out completely from drunkenness and was dumped in the private room.

He had a good dream. In the dream, he was liked by everyone, loved deeply by the handsome Shen Xiyuan, successfully worshipped into Azure Cloud Academy, then entered the Immortal Alliance. In the Immortal Alliance Grand Competition, he entered the top ten. His name landed on the first page of the Azure Cloud List, famous throughout the world. The Yuheng Sect was no longer obscure, leaping to become one of the top three major sects in Jubei State.

Everything in the dream was so beautiful. Unfortunately, upon opening his eyes, a burly man with a cold face sat by the bed, rubbing his face with a hot towel very impatiently.

Yun Zhi suddenly saw Shen Xiyuan. First confusion, then nausea. He tilted his neck back and, amidst the other’s horrified gaze, vomited all over Shen Xiyuan.

“Fuck!” Shen Xiyuan jumped three feet high, scrambling to strip off his outer robe and moving far away. He looked at his clothes, then at the obvious disgust in the eyes of the person on the bed. Even the Great Demon was a bit emotionally broken now.

He still harbored a few shreds of old affection, which was why he kindly brought the person back from the restaurant to take care of him. But Yun Zhi was truly someone who only looked at faces. How many times had he vomited? Was this body that disgusting?

“Get out! Don’t come near me, ugly freak, get out!”

The youth on the bed was still shouting nonsense. Shen Xiyuan took a deep breath, then carried the dirty clothes and left in exasperation.

Now that he had entered Azure Cloud Academy, the first two levels were actually quite difficult for the aptitude of this body. He could only constantly use his cultivation to adjust the body’s physical quality to barely reach the minimum standards of Azure Cloud Academy.

The Venerable One’s voice often rang in his mind, telling him to find the Young Master as soon as possible. Unfortunately, his cultivation was too low now, and there were too many restrictions in Azure Cloud Academy. He couldn’t get close to many places and could only sneak around where he was allowed. After probing for so long, he still had no leads.

Already upset, seeing Yun Zhi treat him like this made Shen Xiyuan even more annoyed.

He threw the towel onto Yun Zhi, then left without mercy to continue his serious business.

The places accessible to students still in the testing period were limited. Shen Xiyuan cultivated the saber. Qin Tan was in the Sword Pavilion, so he didn’t dare go there. The Heavenly Sound Pavilion exorcised demons, and the rhythms there could easily damage his primordial spirit, so he couldn’t go there to seek abuse. He knew nothing about medicine, let alone intricate mechanics. The only thing he could fudge his way through was the arrays of Langhuan Pavilion.

Unfortunately, this place was full of snobs who trampled on the low to curry favor with the high. Seeing him helpless and without background, he was bullied directly. People threw things in his food and stuffed exploding talismans in his room, making him furious enough to want to twist those brats’ heads off.

One more month at most.

Shen Xiyuan set a deadline for himself. In one month, whether he found him or not, he wasn’t staying here anymore. A bunch of lunatics.

Carrying the filth on his body, Shen Xiyuan went to the lakeside to scrub.

There was a corridor around the lake at Azure Cloud Academy called the Mirror Flower Corridor. The trees here were dense and the scenery excellent—a wonderful place for digesting after meals and for couples to date.

Of course, it was also a wonderful place for brawls and group bullying.

One only needed to ambush in advance, blocking the person from front and back, and the trapped person would find it hard to escape even with wings.

Amidst the dense forest, Shen Xiyuan heard several sharp, high-pitched mocking voices. “Ugly freak, how dare you still come to our Langhuan Pavilion for class?!”

“Not a single decent Array Master is willing to teach you. You and your useless master come to our courtyard every day to snatch materials, contributing no effort, just hanging a name in the Sword Pavilion. How do you have the nerve?”

A sarcastic voice rang out, “Why does the Sword Pavilion accept any trash? They accept them and then don’t want them, dumping them all on us. Truly shameless!”

“Hey! Talking to you. Why aren’t you making a sound?”

A moment later, a hoarse, grim voice slowly sounded, “Move. Good dogs don’t block the path.”

Heaven pays off the dedicated. After suffering so much aggravation, he finally saw the person!!

Abandoning his outer robe, Shen Xiyuan immediately tiptoed toward that side. Pushing aside the grass, he saw four or five people surrounding a tall, thin youth. Spiritual light spilled from the hands of everyone surrounding him; it seemed they had activated array arts.

The person in the center had a pale face, dark circles under his eyes, and half-drooping eyelids, exuding an indescribable listlessness and decadence. A head of long hair was hastily piled on top, with a few strands hanging down the left side of his face, covering his eye.

The night breeze blew, lifting the hair. Underneath, one could see a twisted, red scar on that person’s face, like a burn. The flesh looked ferocious, adding a bit of viciousness.

He stood straight in the center. Wrists and ankles exposed by clothes that were half a section too short looked faintly bruised purple in the cold wind.

Shen Xiyuan almost pressed his face against the scene.

This was… the Venerable One’s child lost to the outside world? That half-demon, half-dragon seed?

He was too skinny. It felt like he had suffered a lot of abuse. His expression was also gloomy and terrifying, staring at the people cursing him as if he wanted to pounce and eat them alive.

However, one against five… Shen Xiyuan estimated the Young Master’s cultivation. At most, upper Third Realm, approaching Fourth Realm. But the cultivation of the group of youths around him was about the same.

If the conflict continued and they attacked together, he was afraid the boy would get beaten up.

Shen Xiyuan hesitated on the side. Should he rush up to stop it? If he intervened now, he might implicate himself. With his current cultivation, he would likely just go over to get beaten up alongside the Young Master.

No, such an entrance would be too embarrassing; it would lose face for the Demon Race. He should go find a master to break up the fight, and also sell a favor to the future Young Master.

Moreover…

Shen Xiyuan looked at the youth’s face hidden in the darkness, half-lit and half-shadowed, holding an unspeakable gloom.

This was a child raised by the Immortal clans. Although he seemed to be living poorly, who knew how exactly he was raised or what he thought of the Demon Race? If he hated evil as he did his enemies and would rather die than submit, then it was over. Taking him back would be useless; instead, he would be a huge trouble.

But if he had been drifting in the world, weathered by storms, discriminated against by the Immortal sects, bullied, humiliated, trampled underfoot, and filled with resentment… then he should only need a little provocation to quickly throw himself into the embrace of the Demon Race.

At that time, he would cultivate demonic arts, unite the Demon Realm, lead thousands of demons to break through the Hanshan Border, and point directly at the Thirty-Three Heavenly Palaces!

Shen Xiyuan got high on his own fantasy. The foot he had moved suddenly stopped again, rooted to the spot. He watched the five people besieging the Young Master alone. Golden spiritual light was like silk threads, whipping back and forth. An array cage rose from the ground, rotating around the youth. The wind howled, making clothes dance wildly. Leaves were also swept up by the gale, slashing toward the person like bone-scraping knives.

If hit solidly, even if not sliced into meat strips, that skin and flesh would definitely be scraped, and he would suffer greatly.

Wait until he was full of resentment, pounding the ground in pain. Then Shen Xiyuan would jump out to lend a hand, reveal his true identity, then leave Azure Cloud Academy, go north to the Hanshan Border, open the seal, and bring the whole race south to turn the Immortal Alliance upside down!

Shen Xiyuan’s blood boiled. Unfortunately, he waited for a long time. The scene he imagined—the youth bloody, fighting bravely, knocked down, eyes full of indignation, uttering ruthless words—did not appear.

His vision flashed bright then dark. It happened in an instant, as if the sun appeared briefly and then sank, leaving only black afterimages floating in his eyes. Before he could see clearly what happened, he first heard vicious curses: “Yue Qianxun, you bastard, you cheated!”

“You’re insidious! You don’t deserve to be an Array Master!”

“Let me down! Go one-on-one if you have the guts!”

“You actually set up an array here in advance! You dog, I’m going to tell Elder Lu that you tampered with the academy’s feng shui!”

After his eyes readapted to the light, the first thing Shen Xiyuan saw was several bamboo trees bent low. The bamboo tips bent into a semi-circle, weighing down heavily with four people hanging from them. Their hands and feet were bound, swinging back and forth in the air. Beside them, dancing bamboo branches whipped their bodies with crackling sounds—a very savage serving of “bamboo lashings.” In mid-air, only their miserable wailing and begging for mercy could be heard.

As for the one cursing the fiercest, he wasn’t hung up. His four limbs were stuck to the ground as if glued by something, lying flat on his stomach. Yue Qianxun crossed his arms, looking at the bully leader who was fierce in appearance but weak inside, and gave a sinister smile. “Go sue me. You can go ahead and tell Old Man Lu about today’s matter. Let’s see who will be the unlucky one then.”

A very cruel and domineering threat. Then Yue Qianxun lifted his foot and walked over the face of the youth on the ground as if nothing had happened.

Squish.

“Wuwuwu!”

In the small bamboo forest, cries were everywhere. And his Young Master waved his sleeves and left, extremely aloof.

Shen Xiyuan looked at his devilishly charming, tyrannical, cool, and domineering back figure, and suddenly felt that their Demon Race was probably saved.

A wise ruler has descended; the Demon Race will flourish!