Chapter 27

“When did people of the Immortal Clan start using the charms of my Demon Clan to refine medicine?”

Deep within the Fire Ice Island, under a peach tree, Fan Yue, dressed in red, looked at Bai Shuo with a mocking gaze.

What is this demon doing in the East Sea?!

Bai Shuo roared inwardly but maintained a calm facade. She clutched the medicine pouch and shrank back, showing appropriate fear in her eyes as she hid behind Chong Zhao, trembling.

“Demon… demon…”

“Audacious demon! How dare you trespass into our Immortal Realm!”

Chong Zhao shielded Bai Shuo, his gaze briefly flashing towards the spring before settling on Fan Yue with a grim expression.

“This Lord is a demon? Then what are you?” Fan Yue sneered at Chong Zhao, his expression cold.

“Arrogant!”

Chong Zhao snorted coldly, summoning an immortal sword into his palm. A flash of sword light streaked through the air as Chong Zhao leaped towards Fan Yue.

Fan Yue waved his sleeve, and a wave of icy demonic energy deflected the sword light. Chong Zhao was forced back two steps, his face changing slightly as he exclaimed, “Haoyue Palace Lord?!”

Fan Yue squinted, a bit surprised. “To recognize me with one move, I have underestimated you. Three years apart, your scent has become even more repulsive than when you were a mortal.”

“You!”

Chong Zhao was stunned, and a gloomy look flashed across his eyes, but Bai Shuo didn’t notice it. Pointing his sword at Fan Yue, he declared, “Fan Yue, stop spreading your demonic lies. Today, if you dare enter our Piaomiao, you will not leave alive!”

“Just you?” Fan Yue laughed scornfully.

Suddenly, he moved and appeared behind Bai Shuo in an instant.

Even Chong Zhao didn’t react in time, but Bai Shuo, as if anticipating it, slipped aside and evaded Fan Yue’s grasp.

Bai Shuo darted behind the unconscious white tiger, quickly pulling out the porcelain bottle that had knocked out the tiger, and shouted at Fan Yue, “Demon! Stay back!”

Whether intentional or not, Bai Shuo’s maneuver placed her in a triangular position with Fan Yue and Chong Zhao.

Fan Yue paused, glanced at his empty palm, then looked dangerously at Bai Shuo, remembering her clear shout of “Demon!” from three years ago on Muxiao Mountain.

“Do you remember me?”

“You, what are you talking about! I.. this is the first time we meet!” Bai Shuo shook her head like a rattle.

“Then why are you avoiding me?”

“I… I’m an immortal, and you are… ahhh!” Even Bai Shuo’s intelligence faltered under Fan Yue’s questioning and answered subconsciously. Before she could react, she was being lifted by her collar into the air.

Looking back, she saw Fan Yue seriously asking, “What am I?”

“Handsome, the most handsome demon in the world!”

Survival being Bai Shuo’s life motto, her mouth was more honest than her body.

A low laugh rumbled from Fan Yue’s throat.

He nodded slightly, surprisingly showing a hint of praise in his eyes.

“You are right.”

Bai Shuo had met this demon lord countless times for no apparent reason, but this was the first time she saw such a straightforward smile in his eyes. For some reason, her heart skipped a beat, and she was stunned for a moment.

“Let her go!”

A shout came from not far away, reminding them both of Chong Zhao’s presence.

They turned to see him pointing his sword at Fan Yue, his expression stern.

“Yes, yes! Let me go! Or I’ll make you like that white tiger!” Bai Shuo quickly pointed the porcelain bottle at Fan Yue, pretending to open it.

“Your scent that is refined from demonic flowers is useless to me.”

Fan Yue’s eyes were filled with contempt.

“That’s right.”

Bai Shuo took back the porcelain bottle without changing her expression, saying very sincerely, “Palace lord, I’m sorry.”

Ignoring Bai Shuo, Fan Yue turned to Chong Zhao.

“You seem very concerned for this shabby immortal. Leave your life here, and I will grant you an intact corpse.”

“Demon, you trespass on our Piaomiao Sect and dare to speak arrogantly!”

“Piaomiao Sect? A mere shabby sect…?”

Fan Yue looked at Chong Zhao.

“You, however, are interesting… three years gone, a mortal ascending to an immortal, rare indeed.”

“I say.. Palace Lord, can you let me go first while you reminisce about the past?”

Bai Shuo suddenly spoke from the side, pointing to the ice chain that Fan Yue buckled around her neck, blinking very innocently.

“No.” Fan Yue’s refusal was concise.

Bai Shuo suddenly hugged his waist and shouted to Chong Zhao, “Ah Zhao, run!”

Chong Zhao paused, surprised, but didn’t leave.

“Run! You can’t defeat him. Go back to the island and get the master to save me! If I die, so be it, but you are the hope of our Piaomiao Island!”

Hugging Fan Yue tightly, Bai Shuo’s eyes were full of urgency. Chong Zhao’s expression darkened, but he remained silent, raising his sword to attack Fan Yue.

Fan Yue snorted coldly, casually flicking his hand to send Bai Shuo tumbling to the ground. She looked up to see Fan Yue facing Chong Zhao.

In the peach forest, immortal and demonic energy clashed, dazzling the scene. Although newly ascended to the immortal lord, Chong Zhao managed to hold his own against Fan Yue, albeit barely.

Bai Shuo’s eyes flickered as she watched Chong Zhao, and slowly inching away.

With the immortals fighting, she needed to escape before she didn’t know how she died.

“Ah Zhao! Go! Kill that demon!” Bai Shuo cheered while inching away.

In the air, Fan Yue frowned, wanting to slap to death the noisy, foolish woman below.

With a loud crash, Chong Zhao was knocked down, covered in blood, landing at Bai Shuo’s feet.

“Run!” Before Bai Shuo could scream, Chong Zhao threw his immortal sword towards Fan Yue, blocking him with a surge of sword energy, then used his last strength to drag Bai Shuo into the depths of the peach forest.

As the sword light dissipated, Fan Yue landed, frowning at the broken sword tip on the ground.

The broken sword no longer had immortal energy; it was tainted with a dark aura, clearly an evil weapon.

Recently, he sensed the presence of the third piece of the Bodhi Divine Wood, which is why he left the Demon Realm and came to the extreme eastern edge of the Immortal Realm. But why does this island not only lack the aura of the Divine Wood but also exude strong evil energy? Moreover, why is that fool here as well?

Clearly just a mortal, not only did she cultivate to become an immortal, but she also dared to intrude here? Could it be that, like three years ago, she has gained the favor of Long San as well?

Fan Yue squinted his eyes and disappeared from where he stood.

In the peach forest, Chong Zhao tightly held Bai Shuo’s wrist as they fled. Bai Shuo’s lowered eyes obscured her expression.

Suddenly, Chong Zhao stumbled and fell to his knees, coughing up blood, his face extremely pale.

“Ah Zhao!” Bai Shuo, her expression anxious, quickly supported him.

“Are you okay?”

Chong Zhao shook his head, his breath weak.

“I’ve been struck in the heart by Fan Yue…”

Bai Shuo looked down to see Chong Zhao’s torn clothes and a deep, bone-revealing sword wound on his chest, bleeding profusely.

“How did you get hurt so badly?” Bai Shuo grabbed Chong Zhao’s wrist, her fingers resting on his pulse point.

His immortal pulse was weak, almost as if he were near death?

Before Bai Shuo’s thoughts could settle, her arm was tightly grasped. Startled, she looked up into Chong Zhao’s pleading eyes.

“Save me, Ah Shuo, save me…”

“I…” Bai Shuo hurriedly pulled out numerous medicine bottles from her pouch, clumsily pouring out dozens of pills and offering them to Chong Zhao.

“Ah Zhao, these are the pills I made. Quickly, take them, hurry!”

Chong Zhao shook his head and didn’t take them.

“Fan Yue is a demigod now. These spiritual medicines can’t heal my wounds.”

“Then what do we do?”

Bai Shuo, her face full of panic, tried to pull Chong Zhao up.

“Let’s go back to Piaomiao Island. The master will surely have a way to save you…”

She tried to pull Chong Zhao away, but he stopped her.

“It’s too late… Ah Shuo… do you remember the day we met the master three years ago…”

Bai Shuo’s hands trembled as she held Chong Zhao, her eyes lowered, avoiding his face.

“That day, we drifted at sea for three months, exhausted and starving. I… don’t remember much.”

Bai Shuo’s voice was faint.

“That day, the master was severely injured. You saved him with your blood, do you remember?”

Chong Zhao’s voice was weak, but to Bai Shuo, it sounded eerie and sinister. She suppressed her wildly beating heart, too afraid to speak.

So, that’s it.

This thing, disguised as Chong Zhao, approached her for her blood? Only she and Chong Zhao knew that her blood could save people.

How did this “Chong Zhao” not only know but also know about her saving Master Songhe three years ago? Who is he really?

Does this person want her blood or her life?

Cold sweat broke out on Bai Shuo’s back, her chin chilling as Chong Zhao touched her face.

“Ah Shuo, don’t you want to save me?”

Chong Zhao’s hand gently cupped Bai Shuo’s face, lifting her head. His voice carried a strange tone.

“How could I not?”

The moment Bai Shuo’s face was lifted, she had already regained her look of concern and worry.

“My blood is actually useless. Don’t you remember? That time, I had just eaten a century-old Lingzhi mushroom. It was a coincidence that I met Master Songhe when he was gravely injured. I was just lucky… My blood isn’t really useful… Think about it. If I were so powerful, I wouldn’t still be a loose immortal today… Ah Zhao, we should hurry back to the island. The master’s spiritual energy is profound; he can surely save you!”

(T/N: Bai Shuo is a loose immortal because she didn’t join the Piaomiao sect and was only allowed to stay at the outer sect, taking care of the herb garden.)

Chong Zhao looked deeply at her.

Bai Shuo’s face showed nothing but worry—no sign of anything else.

A gust of wind brought a chill to Bai Shuo’s back. Only then did she realize that the entire forest was eerily silent, with no signs or sounds of life.

Oh my god, if she had known this fake Chong Zhao was so creepy, she would have stuck with that big demon from the start! That demon, no matter how annoying, wasn’t as terrifying as this thing!

At this moment, Bai Shuo found herself oddly missing Fan Yue’s cold face.

“These spiritual medicines must be more useful than the Lingzhi from back then, don’t you think?”

After a moment of silence, Chong Zhao handed the pills Bai Shuo had taken earlier back to her, his gaze intense.

Bai Shuo’s face stiffened, her calm façade breaking. She trembled as she looked at the pills near her mouth, on the verge of tears.

Bai Shuo, oh Bai Shuo, how could you be so stupid to find such a lame excuse!

“I, I…?”

Bai Shuo stammered, unable to think of another reason.

“Ah Shuo, back on the island, you told me that we would live and die together…”

Chong Zhao’s voice was hauntingly soft as his blood-stained face slowly approached Bai Shuo’s neck.

“Have you forgotten?”

A cold breath brushed against Bai Shuo’s neck, and that once gentle face seemed poised to bite into her throat at any second. Bai Shuo’s entire body trembled as she discreetly reached towards her sleeve.

However, Chong Zhao, as if anticipating her move, pressed down on her hand and continued to move closer to her neck.

“Since I’m going to die, how about you accompany me, Ah Shuo… let’s go together!”

Chong Zhao’s face suddenly twisted into a hideous expression, and he lunged at Bai Shuo’s neck.

“Ahhhh! Big demon, help me!”

Bai Shuo’s breath hitched, her body turning icy cold as she finally couldn’t help but scream.

A silver flash streaked by, and Chong Zhao was forcefully knocked to the ground. Bai Shuo was lifted into the air and landed in a cold embrace.

“You’re not stupid. You know that at this moment, only I can save you.”

The icy voice in her ear carried a hint of mockery, but to Bai Shuo, it sounded like heavenly music.

She opened her eyes wide and saw the indifferent yet handsome face before her. She immediately clung to him.

“Wuwuwuwu, my mother, you’re finally here!”

Fan Yue looked at the crying and snot-covered Bai Shuo clinging to him like an octopus, veins throbbing on his forehead.

He must be sick to have rescued this woman!

“Get down.”

“No!”

Bai Shuo reflexively refused, pointing accusatorily at Chong Zhao, who had somehow gotten back up and was staring at her with a sinister look.

“He wants to eat me!”

“If you keep babbling, I won’t hesitate to hand you over to him.”

Fan Yue’s voice was as cold as ice, making Bai Shuo shiver. Realizing that he wasn’t someone to be trifled with either, she quickly scrambled down.

“I’m down! I’m down!” Bai Shuo jumped far away, wishing she could be eight feet away from these two threats.

“With both immortal and evil energy, what exactly are you?” Fan Yue ignored Bai Shuo and coldly stared at Chong Zhao.

“Haoyue Palace Lord, if you don’t interfere, I am willing to share half of her blood with you.”

Chong Zhao licked his lips, looking at Bai Shuo with greedy eyes.

Fan Yue glanced at Bai Shuo, seemingly interested in the proposal. Bai Shuo couldn’t help but shudder, her self-rescue instincts kicking in.

She pointed at Chong Zhao and yelled, “You monster! Don’t deceive people with your lies. Our Palace Lord of Haoyue is so handsome and bright and would never collude with the likes of you.”

After shouting, she turned and smiled ingratiatingly at Fan Yue.

“Palace Lord, I have thick skin and flesh, and I’m not easy to eat.”

Seeing Bai Shuo blinking at him desperately, if it wasn’t the wrong timing, Fan Yue would have laughed at this clown. In this world, he has never seen anyone more afraid of death than the person in front of him.

“Shut up and stay out of the way,” Fan Yue coldly commanded, turning his attention to the evil Chong Zhao.

“If I want her, why would I need to join forces with a creature that’s neither immortal nor demon like you?”

“You!”

The words seemed to hit a nerve with the fake Chong Zhao.

His face turned extremely dark, and the blood-stained white robes he wore instantly turned black.

In his hand, a pitch-black staff appeared, and black mist spread throughout the peach forest. The once idyllic immortal paradise turned eerie and terrifying, filled with an overwhelming evil aura.

Fan Yue’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the staff in Chong Zhao’s hand, speaking with a hint of surprise.

“No wonder I couldn’t sense your presence. You’ve become a creature of evil.”