Chapter 19

Not long after, news spread throughout Kong Sang that the young miss had awakened. Before Liu Shuang could leave, someone came and said that the Realm Lord had sent a message.

Fuliu hurriedly said, “Young miss, the Realm Lord will definitely hold you accountable for going to the Kunlun Immortal Realm without permission. What should we do?”

What could she do? She would have to face whatever came her way.

Although Liu Shuang did not intentionally seize the body of Chishui Liushuang, the situation had unfolded unexpectedly, and now that she had a chance to live again, she couldn’t let the Realm Lord see her as a malicious spirit and kill her.

If she died, not only would she fail to avenge the original owner or protect Kong Sang and Canglan, but the world would also lose both Chishui Liushuang and Liu Shuang.

The most urgent matter was to play the role of the original owner well and not let anyone notice any difference.

Liu Shuang tried hard to gather all the information she could. From midnight to dawn, she learned a lot from Fuliu. Combining this with the biographies she had read in the demon realm’s library, Liu Shuang wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with this Chishui clan’s young miss!

In the biography, there were only a few words about Chishui Liushuang. It was said that this Chishui young miss was supposed to have extraordinary talents but was born missing a soul.

Because of this missing soul, she was clumsy from a young age. The Realm Lord’s wife, who adored her daughter, spoiled her greatly. Chishui Liushuang had very low cultivation and a rash, arrogant temperament.

As a cherished descendant of the ancient Chishui clan, she didn’t live past 300 years, and the cause of her death was unknown.

And now, Liu Shuang had become this Chishui clan’s young miss.

No wonder when she woke up claiming to remember nothing, the maid Fuliu quickly accepted it. Chishui Liushuang, who was missing a soul, had a violent temper but no strong opinions, easily believing whatever others told her.

Without someone’s provocation, she would never have dared to swallow the Huanyan bead, nor would she have gone to Kunlun to humiliate that young master Jimo.

Several immortal guards stared intently at Liu Shuang, blocking the entrance to the bedroom and politely saying, “Young miss, please.”

Liu Shuang knew she had no choice but to bear the consequences, so she decided to take it one step at a time.

On the way, afraid of being exposed, Liu Shuang desperately recalled what little she knew from the biographies about “Kong Sang” and the old realm Lord.

Compared to the early demise of “Chishui Liushuang,” the old realm Lord had much more written about him. The realm Lord of Kong Sang was said to be highly powerful, having lived for 20,000 years, with a stern and upright temperament, deeply in love with his wife.

During his reign, Kong Sang was united and prosperous. If he were likened to a human emperor, he would be one who loved his people like his own children.

But precisely because of this, Liu Shuang was troubled. As his only beloved daughter, the original owner had fled Kong Sang, annulled her engagement, and caused friction between the two great immortal realms. The fact that the realm Lord hadn’t visited his comatose daughter for several days nor allowed his wife to visit, showed how angry he was.

This time, she didn’t know how this realm Lord, her father, would punish her.

When Liu Shuang arrived at the palace gate with several guards, the leading immortal lord, aware of her impending doom, sympathetically said, “Young miss, take care of yourself and don’t anger the realm Lord again.”

Liu Shuang nodded.

The immortal lord looked at her miserable face and winced.

He thought to himself: The young miss is truly carefree. Despite being blessed with such beauty, she swallowed the Huanyan bead without hesitation, wasting that lovely face. Then he remembered that she was missing a soul, so naive like a child; nothing she did was surprising, and he could only sigh.

Liu Shuang didn’t have time to dwell on these trivial thoughts. She just wanted to get through this encounter with her father. As she entered the hall, before she even saw the realm Lord, she heard his stern voice: “Kneel!”

Remembering that the original owner feared her father, Liu Shuang immediately knelt in a perfect posture of admitting fault. When she looked up, she saw a stern and handsome middle-aged man.

This was Chishui Chong, the Realm Lord of Kong Sang, who was solemn and upright, now glaring at her with a stern expression.

“Do you realize your mistake?”

Fuliu had mentioned that the original owner was meek, so Liu Shuang quickly said, “I know my mistake.”

Her quick admission of guilt caught Chishui Chong off guard, and he said, “Even if you were unhappy with this marriage, you shouldn’t have resorted to such a despicable method, changing your appearance to scold the Kunlun young master. If it weren’t for his magnanimity, do you think you could have walked out of Kunlun alive?”

The more Chishui Chong thought about it, the more exhausted he felt. Fortunately, his daughter had caused trouble in Kunlun, where the young master was known for his good temperament. Considering the friendship between their elders, he let her leave safely. If she had offended the Feng clan of Buzhou Mountain, she might not have made it out alive.

Liu Shuang had also had a strict father before, and within a few words, she could tell that the realm Lord cared deeply for his daughter. More than the mistakes she made, Chishui Chong was worried about what might have happened to her in Kunlun. The original owner feared Chishui Chong’s authority, but Liu Shuang could see that he was a good father. She breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that Chishui Chong would not harm her.

In this situation, with the original owner’s fear of punishment, she would definitely tell the truth and unintentionally shift the blame. Liu Shuang made up her mind and immediately said, “Immortal Mi Chu suggested that I go to Kunlun.”

Chishui Chong frowned. “Are you saying it was Mi Chu who told you to go?”

Liu Shuang nodded.

“Nonsense!” Chishui Chong said. “You made a mistake and now you’re blaming someone else! I’ll beat this little bastard to death today!”

He raised his hand as if to strike her.

Trying to avoid blame only to face punishment, Liu Shuang couldn’t help but find it ironic. She covered her head, realizing that the original owner had a history of false accusations, which had led to her losing her father’s trust.

Liu Shuang didn’t plan to run away from this beating. If the realm Lord truly wanted to strike her, she couldn’t escape anyway. But how hard would Chishui Chong hit?

Just as Chishui Chong’s hand was about to fall, someone stood in front of Liu Shuang.

A man shielded her, kneeling to plead, “Realm Lord, please calm your anger. The young miss is still young and inexperienced. It was my fault for not watching over her, leading to this disaster. I am willing to take the punishment on her behalf.”

Chishui Chong said, “Zhuixu, this matter has nothing to do with you. Step aside.”

Bai Zhuixu remained silent, not moving an inch. Chishui Chong, frustrated with his stubborn nature, waved his sleeve and said, “Chishui Liushuang, go to the Nine Thoughts Pond to reflect. You are not allowed to come out until you’ve made a breakthrough in your cultivation!”

Bai Zhuixu frowned, about to say something, but Chishui Chong warned, “If you speak for her again, you’ll go in there and kneel with her.”

Bai Zhuixu immediately kowtowed, without hesitation, “I will accompany the young miss to take the punishment.”

Chishui Chong waved them away, gesturing for them to leave quickly so he wouldn’t have to deal with the sight of them.

Liu Shuang was helped up by Bai Zhuixu and led outside the hall. She looked at the man in front of her, whose clothes were embroidered with green bamboo, feeling very guilty. She hadn’t expected to implicate someone else when she was the one being punished.

Bai Zhuixu’s voice sounded familiar; he was the one who had spoken on her behalf, asking the realm Lord to annul the marriage while she was unconscious.

Seeing Liu Shuang’s guilty expression, Bai Zhuixu smiled gently, “Don’t worry, Brother Zhuixu is here with you.”

Before Liu Shuang could respond, a scornful voice rang out, “She’s so foolish. If we wait for her to breakthrough, it’ll take at least a hundred years. Brother, are you really going to stay with her in the Nine Thoughts Pond for a century?”

“Yuxiao, you shouldn’t speak about the young miss like that!”

Liu Shuang turned around and saw a young man flying down from a tree. He wore a mischievous smile and pinched her now ugly face, “Chishui Liushuang, you should take your punishment by yourself and not drag my brother down with you!”

Liu Shuang gave him a look, quickly figuring out who he was.

She slapped the young man’s hand away with full force. Did he think her face was dough to be kneaded? It hurt terribly.

Liu Shuang said, “I won’t drag anyone else down, so keep your hands to yourself.”

Bai Yuxiao’s expression became strange, surprised. Chishui Liushuang had always been as timid as a mouse. The Nine Thoughts Pond was pitch black, with only a lotus seat inside. If no one went in with her, did she really have the courage to be locked up until she made a breakthrough?

Liu Shuang rubbed her face and said to Bai Zhuixu, “Thank you, but there’s no need to accompany me. If it’s convenient, could you just take me there?”

Bai Zhuixu looked at her worriedly. He never refused the young miss and, hearing her request, nodded immediately, “If you’re scared, call for me anytime.”

Bai Yuxiao snorted.

The Nine Thoughts Pond was bottomless, and the entrance was pitch black, like a black hole ready to swallow someone. Fortunately, Liu Shuang had even stayed in the blood sea of the ghost realm, so this quiet place for reflection was nothing too difficult to endure.

The two brothers escorted her to the entrance of the Nine Thoughts Pond, one with a worried look and the other with a gloating expression.

Bai Yuxiao sneered, “What? Afraid to go in? Need me to give you a kick to help you along? After all, you were the one who caused trouble and falsely accused Mi Chu.”

Liu Shuang didn’t argue with him, treating him like air. She was new here, and as a soul that had once dissipated and miraculously reformed, she was already extremely grateful to have a second chance at life.

Liu Shuang turned to Bai Zhuixu, bowing in gratitude for his plea, and then stepped into the Nine Thoughts Pond.

After all, the realm Lord hadn’t severely punished her. What might seem like a world-ending punishment to the original owner was nothing to Liu Shuang. This even gave her time to carefully plan how to adapt to her new identity.

As Liu Shuang’s figure disappeared into the entrance, Bai Yuxiao frowned.

He felt deeply unsettled but couldn’t pinpoint why. The young miss had always been foolish and easily provoked. In the past, when he taunted her, she would almost lunge at him. But this time, she didn’t react, even bowing to Bai Zhuixu.

Her graceful posture and elegant bow had an inexplicable charm.

Bai Yuxiao found it uncomfortable and sneered inwardly, thinking that no matter what, she was still ugly and anything she did would look bad.

Bai Zhuixu stood in a daze for a while, then smiled gently, relieved, “The young miss has grown up.”

Bai Yuxiao retorted, “Don’t look so pleased. Anyone who doesn’t know better might think you’re interested in an ugly monster!”

“Yuxiao, don’t speak nonsense.”

“What part is nonsense? That you’re interested in her, or that she’s ugly?”

Bai Zhuixu silently drew his sword, staring at his younger brother. Bai Yuxiao took a step back, pouting, “You’re so boring, such an old-fashioned.”

While they argued outside, Liu Shuang couldn’t hear them. She had already fully entered the Nine Thoughts Pond.

Inside, it was as dark as Bai Zhuixu had described. Apart from a cold pool of water and a giant lotus seat, there was nothing else.

She gazed around thoughtfully, feeling that this setup was very similar to the blood sea used to imprison people in the ghost realm, though the blood sea was far more terrifying.

Liu Shuang flew onto the lotus seat and sat cross-legged.

She wasn’t discouraged by failing to expose Mi Chu. After all, there was plenty of time. From the reactions of the people in Kong Sang, Liu Shuang could tell that Mi Chu was quite popular there.

The situation was not favorable for the original owner.

Even though many people protected the original owner, they looked at her with a mix of pity because she was born with a missing soul.

As the young miss, she was not loved or respected due to her weakness. The original owner must have felt a sense of helplessness and loss.

Even if Liu Shuang revealed that Mi Chu had harmed the original owner, no one would believe her.

That’s okay, Liu Shuang thought, taking a deep breath. She would take things slowly. The first step was to protect herself and find a way to settle down in this immortal realm.

The mist from the cold pool curled and lingered as Liu Shuang closed her eyes and concentrated her energy. Since she had woken up, she hadn’t had a chance to properly assess the state of her body.

Now, entering the Nine Thoughts Pond, she finally had the opportunity to settle down and reflect.

Liu Shuang carefully examined her meridians and was surprised to discover that the original owner’s bone structure was actually quite good, even better suited for cultivation than her own previous body. However, due to the missing soul, cultivation had been extremely difficult and ineffective for the original owner.

Over time, the original owner became self-conscious and lost interest in cultivation.

Now that this body had a new soul, it felt as though the missing piece had suddenly been restored. After just a short period of meditation, Liu Shuang felt her entire body relax, experiencing a blissful sensation beyond words.

During her hundred years in the demon and ghost realms, Liu Shuang had struggled with countless limitations due to her low cultivation. Now, she was delighted to find that cultivation came to her naturally and effortlessly.

Given a second chance at life, Liu Shuang knew that nothing was more reassuring than having powerful abilities.

She immediately focused all her attention inward, setting aside concerns about Mi Chu and temporarily ignoring the Huanyan bead within her. She fully immersed herself in her inner sea of consciousness.

After an unknown amount of time, a faint ice-blue aura began to surround her, delicate and light as drifting feathers.

Suddenly, a beam of light appeared above her head, accompanied by a smug voice, “Chishui Liushuang, you’re not secretly hiding in there crying, are you?”

Liu Shuang opened her eyes and recognized the voice as Bai Yuxiao’s.

She felt a bit of a headache coming on. Bai Yuxiao had a bad temperament and boundless energy. If he disliked her so much, shouldn’t he keep his distance? Why did he always hover around her? She looked up and, sure enough, saw a young face filled with ill intent.

What did the original owner do when dealing with Bai Yuxiao—fight him?

The young man leaned in and said, “I borrowed the Transcendent Mirror to bring you a big gift. Do you remember being injured and falling into a coma after returning from Kunlun? It was because of a little demon, right?”

Liu Shuang looked confused.

Bai Yuxiao took her expression as understanding and smirked, “I caught him. I’m throwing him in here for you to do as you please. Don’t worry, the realm Lord won’t find out. Have fun, and don’t bother thanking me. Oh, and don’t expect my brother to come in here and keep you company.”

Before Liu Shuang could respond, he raised his hand and tossed someone down.

Liu Shuang quickly retreated to the lotus platform, feeling her temples throb. With a loud crash, the person fell beside her, covered in blood and lying helplessly, his limbs all brutally severed.

Before she could refuse, Bai Yuxiao disappeared, taking the light with him, leaving her in total darkness, alone with the “little demon” beside her, whose life or death was uncertain.

Liu Shuang approached, using the little spiritual energy she had managed to gather to ignite a faint blue flame at her fingertip. She leaned down and gently nudged the fallen person.

“Wake up, are you okay?”

He didn’t move.

Liu Shuang turned him over, and the next moment, when she saw his face, her lips pressed together, and the flame on her fingertip silently extinguished.

…It was him.