Chapter 25

Although Yan Chaosheng didn’t admit it, Liushuang could almost confirm that Yan Chaosheng deeply admired Bi Xun.

So even when Yan Chaosheng was young, he had someone he looked up to.

Liushuang could almost picture it—a small, frail boy covered in snake scales, his bright eyes gleaming as he listened to stories of Lord Bi Xun’s bravery.

Both shared snake demon bloodlines, but Bi Xun, as a descendant of the ancient Teng Snake, was someone Yan Chaosheng likely envied in every way.

Listening to stories about Bi Xun in his youth, Yan Chaosheng must have dreamed of growing up to be someone like him.

Yet, coming to Taichuan City only to encounter such events was a bitter twist of fate.

Bi Xun met a tragic end, even offering up his heart to the young lady of the Xi family.

Liushuang glanced at Yan Chaosheng.

Back when she was just a little immortal plant, she knew his nature was cold and that he bore the snake demon bloodline, but she never knew which kind of snake he descended from.

In her past life, Yan Chaosheng never mentioned it, so she never asked.

However, considering how Bi Xun had so disdainfully criticized his bloodline earlier, it was likely that Yan Chaosheng’s bloodline was not well-regarded among the demon clans.

As long as Yan Chaosheng didn’t consume Bi Xun’s inner core, that would be enough.

Liushuang clutched her storage bag tightly—if he did, how would she ever manage to kill him?

Liushuang had no intention of using this demon core for herself.

As the core of a Teng Snake descendant with seven thousand years of cultivation, it couldn’t be allowed to fall into the hands of any demon clan.

When the time came, she planned to bring the core back to Kongsang and have Chishui Chong properly handle it.

For now, Liushuang decided to head to the Kunlun Immortal Realm.

With Bi Xun’s matter resolved, the people of Taichuan City recognized Yan Chaosheng, and staying in the city any longer would only invite trouble.

Liushuang plucked some willow leaves and used a simple spell to send them flying off to find the two sons of the Bai family.

If they saw her message, they would make their way to Kunlun, and they could meet up along the way.

Green paper cranes fluttered through the sky.

Yan Chaosheng folded his arms, watching Liushuang thoughtfully.

“Where did the young miss learn this kind of immortal technique? Using flowers and grass as a medium—it doesn’t seem like Kongsang’s immortal arts.”

Liu Shuang waved off the paper cranes and said, “Then where do you think it comes from?”

Yan Chaosheng glanced at her and said nothing.

Liushuang snorted inwardly.

Yan Chaosheng had endured countless hardships in his youth before entering Kongsang to cultivate immortality.

His vision and courage were naturally remarkable, but as a disciple guarding the outer gate, he couldn’t reveal too much of his knowledge.

Even if Yan Chaosheng knew the origins of these techniques, he wouldn’t tell her.

These spells were all from Shaoyou.

At the thought of Shaoyou, Liushuang couldn’t help but feel a pang of melancholy.

She wondered if she would have the chance to meet the old friend she never saw in her past life in this one.

Even if she met Shaoyou again, Shaoyou wouldn’t recognize her, would he?

No point dwelling on it—focus on survival for now.

The most pressing matter was finding a way to deal with Yan Chaosheng.

Leaving a demon Lord in the immortal realm was no different from letting a wolf loose among sheep.

Perhaps their luck had finally turned.

Just as they left Taichuan City, two streaks of light came chasing after them from behind.

Liushuang’s eyes lit up, and she waved excitedly.

“Bai Yuxiao!”

Her exuberant, affectionate greeting left the two Bai brothers stunned.

Bai Yuxiao looked at her as if she were possessed. “I didn’t mishear, did I? Chishui Liushuang called me first, not my brother?”

Watching Liushuang run toward them, Bai Yuxiao instinctively pressed a finger to her forehead to stop her from getting too close and awkwardly said to Bai Zhuixu, “Brother, check her quickly. Chishui Liushuang must be possessed.”

Bai Zhuixu examined her with concern.

“Young miss, there’s been demon trouble in Taichuan City. Are you all right?”

“No problem, I’m fine,” Liushuang said quickly, feeling an unexpected warmth seeing Bai Yuxiao, as if meeting a close relative.

She had never found him this endearing before.

Now that Bai Yuxiao was here, could Yan Chaosheng’s death be far off? Without Yan Chaosheng, that great threat, Kongsang could finally be safe.

However, with Bai Zhuixu present, Liushuang didn’t dare directly discuss plans to eliminate Yan Chaosheng.

She held her thoughts back and asked Bai Zhuixu, “Young Master Bai, where did you two go?” She wasn’t the original Liushuang and couldn’t naturally address Bai Zhuixu as “big brother,” so using this more formal title felt more comfortable.

Bai Zhuixu paused and sighed. “Why is the young miss treating me like a stranger? Is it because I failed to protect you this time? Are you upset?”

Liushuang quickly reassured him, “I’m not upset.”

She hesitated, unable to come up with a reasonable explanation, and finally said, “My father admonished me to uphold Kongsang’s legacy, to act as a young miss should, and to respect worthy talents.”

Bai Zhuixu frowned but reluctantly accepted her explanation.

He then recounted what had happened after they parted ways:

“Yuxiao and I fell into Taichuan City. Our immortal energy was completely dissipated. The city was surrounded by a barrier, preventing us from leaving. The Seven Treasure Copper Coin was swallowed, and we followed the scattered remnants of its power to find this.”

As he spoke, Bai Zhuixu took out a mirror.

The mirror was as clear as crystal, exuding the aura of plants and trees, with faint green glimmers flowing across its surface.

“What is this?”

Bai Zhuixu didn’t hand it to Liushuang.

“Don’t touch it, young miss. This is called the Taichu Mirror, an artifact from the primordial wilderness of ancient times, created by a true god. Yuxiao and I never expected to find it in Taichuan City. The Taichu Mirror contains the forces of heaven, earth, yin, and yang, capable of creating illusions, setting barriers, and absorbing spiritual energy. It’s been in the hands of the demon clans for years and is now heavily tainted with malice. It could corrode your immortal body if you touch it.”

Hearing this, Liushuang immediately withdrew her hand.

“You said you found this in Taichuan City? Can it set barriers to control all living beings inside and burn them to death?”

Bai Zhuixu considered for a moment.

“I haven’t seen it do so, but theoretically, it should be possible.”

Liushuang pressed her lips together.

If the Taichu Mirror could trap living beings and incinerate everything within, then the flames in her memory might not have been calamity fire but caused by this divine artifact.

Who would want to burn Canglan to ashes?

Now that the Taichu Mirror was in Bai Zhuixu’s possession, it shouldn’t be him, right?

According to historical records, the Bai family of Kongsang perished alongside the immortal realm.

It couldn’t have been Bai Zhuixu.

The situation had grown more complicated, and she needed to observe further to see whose hands the Taichu Mirror would eventually fall into.

Steadying herself, Liushuang recounted her own experiences with Yan Chaosheng.

Bai Yuxiao scoffed, “What kind of foolish snake demon would dig out its inner core for a mere mortal? A demon is still a demon, inherently wicked. Dead is dead.”

Liushuang instinctively glanced at Yan Chaosheng, wondering if he had caught the implied insult.

The young man in his dark blue robes let out a cold laugh but said nothing.

Bai Zhuixu, however, focused on a more practical matter.

“No wonder the artifact eventually became unclaimed. Yuxiao and I were able to retrieve it smoothly.”

He carefully stored the malice-tainted Taichu Mirror and said, “Young miss, we’ve already been delayed in Taichuan for several days. The priority now is to head to Kunlun.”

Liu Shuang nodded.

Bai Zhuixu summoned his sword, its blade gleaming with dazzling light.

After imbuing it with immortal energy, it became large enough to carry over a dozen people.

“Young miss, allow me to assist you,” Bai Zhuixu said with a gentle demeanor that felt as refreshing as a spring breeze.

Liushuang couldn’t help but lament her earlier misfortune of being stuck with Yan Chaosheng.

Bai Yuxiao tapped his brother’s sword disdainfully.

“Shame the Seven Treasure Copper Coin was swallowed by the Taichu Mirror.”

The group boarded the immortal sword and flew toward Kunlun.

On the way, Liushuang finally found an opportunity.

She sidled up to Bai Yuxiao, quietly set up a barrier, and began plotting in secret.

“I have something to discuss with you,” she said.

Bai Yuxiao’s hair practically stood on end as her warm breath reached him.

He glared at her, raising his fists as if ready for a fight.

“Hey! Don’t try anything funny. I’m warning you—don’t think I’ll fall for your tricks!”

Liushuang lowered her voice.

“It’s not to harm you. I wanted to ask if you have a way to deal with Yan Chaosheng.”

Bai Yuxiao raised an eyebrow.

“What, did he bully you in the city? Now you want to hunt him down and finish him off?”

Liushuang couldn’t explain her reasons, so she nodded in agreement instead.

She rolled up her sleeve and showed him the bracelet on her wrist.

“Bullied me terribly! That man holds grudges—he won’t let us off easily. We need to come up with a solution.”

Bai Yuxiao scoffed.

“As if I’d be afraid of him! A gatekeeping disciple who’s lost all his cultivation? Please.”

Liushuang thought to herself, You really will die at the hands of a mere gatekeeping disciple in the future. You won’t even have a chance to fight back.

Still, she said, “Better safe than sorry. We should have a plan just in case.”

Bai Yuxiao, with his rebellious and unruly nature, was different from his upright and honorable brother Bai Zhuixu.

From his past actions—like privately capturing disciples and crippling their cultivation—it was clear he didn’t follow the same righteous path.

After a brief moment of thought, Bai Yuxiao pushed her head away.

“Stop crowding me. I’ll figure something out. And back off, Liushuang. You’re utterly useless—don’t drag me down.”

Conspiring to commit mischief only to be scorned, Liushuang’s mouth twitched in frustration.

She reminded him, “Just make sure it’s reliable.”

Bai Yuxiao replied, “Just don’t let my brother find out. If you tell him, don’t blame me if I drag you down with me.”

“I won’t say a word. Absolutely not.”

Just as Liushuang had finalized their mischievous scheme, she suddenly felt a hand grab her collar.

A chill ran down her spine.

Turning around, she saw Yan Chaosheng looking down at her, smiling faintly with no warmth in his eyes.

“Young miss, this disciple just remembered something he forgot to address,” he said.

“W-what is it?”

“The Ten Commandments Ring—I forgot to remove it for you. Now that we’re safe and I no longer need to worry about your protection, it’s only proper for me to take it off.”

Liu Shuang cursed his hypocrisy inwardly. As if you cared about my safety! You were just thinking about draining my spiritual energy earlier!

She quickly hid her left hand, still wearing the Ten Commandments Ring, behind her back and replied solemnly, “I’ve thought it through. You don’t have any spiritual energy right now, so if I keep wearing the bracelet, I can protect you when needed.”

Clouds drifted by in the sky as the young man’s expression twitched slightly.

He stared at her, his face blank.

Liushuang quickly added, “Besides, this thing is quite pretty. I like wearing it.”

Yan Chaosheng’s lips curved into a faint smirk.

“As long as the young miss likes it.”

What a joke, Liu Shuang thought.

There was no way she would return the Ten Commandments Ring to Yan Chaosheng.

If she did, it would give him the chance to escape from Bai Yuxiao’s control.

No matter how strong the Ten Commandments Ring’s binding power was, it could only restrain one person at a time.

This was why Chishui Chong had no concerns about handing the ring over to Yan Chaosheng—he assumed that with the two powerful Bai brothers by his daughter’s side, no one would truly harm her.

The events at Taichuan City had been an unexpected accident.

Chishui Chong probably hadn’t anticipated the group being split up by sheer misfortune.

Now that her plans were set, Liu Shuang eagerly awaited Bai Yu Xiao to make his move.

Yet, Bai Yuxiao remained inactive.

Frustrated, Liushuang tried to hint at him with her eyes, but Bai Yuxiao just grinned mischievously, the kind of grin that begged for a punch.

“What’s the rush? The real show is coming later.”

On the third day of flying on the immortal sword, the group entered the mortal territory under Kunlun’s jurisdiction.

Bai Yuxiao suddenly said, “Brother, let’s stop at Qingwu City. The young miss isn’t feeling well.”

Bai Zhuixu immediately turned to Liushuang with concern.

“Young miss, are you unwell?”

Caught off guard, Liushuang was momentarily dumbfounded.

Seeing Bai Yuxiao winking at her, she quickly played along, clutching her chest.

“Yes, yes. I’m feeling unwell and tired. Let’s rest for a bit.”

Bai Zhuixu, suspecting nothing and always putting Liushuang first, led the group to land outside Qingwu City.

Outside the city was a sprawling bamboo forest.

With a wave of his hand, Bai Zhuixu conjured an elegant and refined courtyard in the middle of the grove.

Watching Bai Zhuixu busy himself with preparations, Liushuang felt a pang of guilt.

Bai Zhuixu genuinely cared for the original Liushuang.

To support Bai Yuxiao’s plan, Liushuang lay down obediently.

When Bai Zhuixu offered to examine her discomfort, she quickly avoided him and blinked innocently.

“Maybe I was just startled in Taichuan City. I’ll be fine after some rest.”

Bai Zhuixu smiled faintly, saying nothing.

As an immortal lord, he could easily tell that Liushuang wasn’t unwell.

However, he indulged her antics, assuming she was stalling to avoid facing the young lord of Kunlun.

If it eased her nerves, delaying for a day didn’t matter.

“Rest well, young miss. Call for me if you need anything,” Bai Zhuixu said.

Liushuang nodded repeatedly.

As the human world’s moon climbed above the branches, the forest rustled softly.

Liushuang opened her window, sensing something amiss.

A mist had risen in the middle of the night, and the arrangement of the five elements and eight trigrams in the area felt unusual.

The yin energy was especially thick.

She tried to discern the issue but couldn’t pinpoint anything.

Until the moon disappeared behind the mist, and someone casually strolled out of the bamboo grove.

Bai Yuxiao climbed into Liushuang’s room through the window, flashing a triumphant grin.

“Don’t worry. It’s all taken care of.”

Liu Shuang was overjoyed.

As expected of Bai Yuxiao! She gave him a big thumbs-up.

This was it—now Kongsang no longer had to fear annihilation.

Curious, she humbly asked, “So, Second Young Master Bai, what method did you use to deal with Yan Chaosheng?”

Bai Yuxiao replied smugly, “I set up a Ten Thousand Souls Tomb and sent him on his way.”

Liu Shuang’s smile froze on her face.

Well done, well done indeed, Second Young Master Bai! Liushuang thought bitterly. You actually used a bunch of little ghosts to try and kill the future Ghost King.

She might as well have handled it herself.