Thriving after the Moon Falls (I Can’t Possibly Take Pity On A Demon) - Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Liu Shuang didn’t trust Yan Chaosheng.
This man was cold-hearted and ruthless.
He showed no emotion even toward his own consort, so it was impossible that he would protect her in a dangerous situation.
Yet after a brief moment of consideration, she still followed Yan Chaosheng.
Even if Liu Shuang could harbor endless doubts, she believed in Yan Chaosheng’s ability to survive.
The logic was clear: seven hundred years later, he was still alive and well, whereas there was no trace of someone named Chishui Liushuang in the world.
Staying behind meant death once her immortal energy dispersed, but following Yan Chaosheng might offer a slim chance of survival.
Silently wary of him, Liu Shuang touched the array of life-saving trinkets at her waist and formulated a plan.
Although Yan Chaosheng had no cultivation, she had a trove of magical artifacts at her disposal.
She was no longer the fragile Immortal Grass.
Now, she was Chishui Liushuang.
If they were walking this road together, then whoever died first would be the loser!
The two made their way toward the city.
Every residence they passed was illuminated by lanterns.
The city was eerily quiet.
The sound of a single falling leaf could be heard.
Suddenly, the sharp blare of suona horns pierced the silence.
The wedding music, normally joyous, carried an inexplicable tone of anguish.
“Come here,” Yan Chaosheng said.
He and Liu Shuang hid to observe, watching as the festive music led toward the city lord’s manor.
Outside the manor, a dense crowd had gathered.
The people wore stiff smiles, holding lanterns and staring unblinkingly at a flower sedan chair.
The suona music ceased as the sedan chair came to a halt.
An old matchmaker emerged from the manor, carrying a young woman on her back.
The woman ripped off her bridal veil and began to struggle violently, screaming in despair, “Let me go! I will not marry him! I will never marry a beast!”
She struck the matchmaker with all her strength, but the latter seemed immune to pain, grinning cheerfully as she spoke in a hollow voice, “The groom welcomes the bride—”
The gates of the manor suddenly opened, releasing a chilling gust of wind.
Liu Shuang’s heart inexplicably tensed as she stared at the doors.
Moments later, a man was helped out.
No matter how she looked at him, there was something indescribably unnatural about the way he walked.
The man’s complexion was deathly pale, his lips a deep black.
Despite this, he was strikingly handsome.
He seemed oblivious to the bride’s struggles, smiling as he approached her.
“Yun’er, let’s proceed with the ceremony.”
Upon seeing him, the woman trembled uncontrollably, clinging tightly to the matchmaker’s neck, unable to look at him.
The man spoke gently, “You’re frail. Before the ceremony, let’s have you eat something to regain your strength.”
As soon as he finished speaking, countless red threads sprouted from Yun’er’s body, writhing like vines covered in thorns.
The threads pierced the onlookers, and in an instant, several villagers wrapped in the red threads shriveled into corpses and fell to the ground.
Yun’er’s face grew rosier.
Liu Shuang pressed her lips tightly together.
This was bad.
Though she lacked extensive experience, she could still analyze the situation.
The man was clearly a demon, though what kind was uncertain.
With her low cultivation, if Bai Zhuixu were here, he would likely identify it at a glance.
Yun’er also exuded heavy demonic energy.
After feeding on mortals, her expression grew more pained, as if she were unwilling to do such things.
Yan Chaosheng’s gaze lingered on the man’s legs beneath his wedding robes, his expression unreadable.
As the crowd flooded into the city lord’s manor to witness the wedding ceremony, Yan Chaosheng broke the silence.
“Young Miss, do you know what kind of place Taichuan City is?”
“What kind of place?”
Yan Chaosheng turned back to face the puzzled look on the little pink dumpling.
His malicious smirk faded, replaced by a soft smile.
“Taichuan has been part of the Southern Territory’s Kong Sang for thousands of years. That means this is your domain, Young Miss.”
Liu Shuang’s face turned green at his words.
In the ancient immortal realms, each region had its mortal domain.
The immortals of these realms were obligated to protect mortals, who in turn offered faith and devotion to the immortals, generating spiritual energy and belief that gave rise to spirit veins.
Now, with Kong Sang’s spirit veins dwindling, it was clear that the influence of the ancient immortal realms on mortals had waned, and their faith had diminished.
As part of Chishui’s lineage in Kong Sang, Liu Shuang bore the responsibility of slaying demons and banishing evils.
Ignoring such matters wasn’t an option.
Judging by the situation, the city’s populace had been enslaved as a reserve food source for the demons.
She was Chishui Liushuang.
She couldn’t turn a blind eye.
Yan Chaosheng said, “Young Miss, please proceed without worry. This disciple has assessed the situation. There are only two combat-capable opponents. With your prowess, I’m sure it’ll be no challenge.”
Liu Shuang choked on her words.
She hadn’t even had a chance to enjoy the perks of being Kong Sang’s Young Miss before being saddled with its burdens.
Sighing internally, Liu Shuang reluctantly accepted her role.
Canglan had been her past responsibility, and now, as Chishui Liushuang, she had to honor the original owner’s duties.
She was obliged to protect Kong Sang’s immortal realm just as she had guarded Canglan.
Liu Shuang wasn’t sure what the original owner would have done in this situation, but she knew she would go.
The heart that had lost its ability to feel joy and sorrow still held the same determination. She had been willing to sacrifice everything for Canglan before, and she would bear the responsibility for Kong Sang now.
But—
Liu Shuang raised her hand and showed Yan Chaosheng.
She conjured a light blue immortal technique that quickly dissipated.
“In my current state, I can’t fight them.”
“That’s a shame. They’ll just have to die one by one,” Yan Chaosheng replied coldly, clearly mocking her.
He hadn’t expected her to actually have the courage to go.
It was no wonder the spirit veins of the Four Great Immortal Realms had withered over the years.
Immortals had grown increasingly selfish, and as millennia passed, mortals either prospered without divine aid or found themselves abandoned.
Gradually, they lost their reverence for the immortal sects.
Without sufficient faith, the decline of spirit veins was inevitable.
Yan Chaosheng sneered inwardly and was about to dismiss Liu Shuang, suggesting she stay put while he went to investigate.
But before he could move, a soft white hand tugged at the hem of his robe.
The pink dumpling opened her palm, ignoring his cold demeanor.
“We can’t let the demons run rampant. You carry demon bloods—help me check if these items can be used. Let’s give it a try.”
In her palm lay a storage pouch.
Yan Chaosheng stared at it for a long moment before speaking.
“How did you know I have demon bloods?”
Liu Shuang couldn’t explain how she recognized him, so she replied honestly, “I saw it that day.”
In Nine Thought Pool, his body had been covered in hideous, dark scales.
Hearing this, Yan Chaosheng lowered his gaze, falling into silence.
After a moment, he took the storage pouch from her.
Without saying another word, his face darkened, as though she had touched a sore spot, and he refused to continue the conversation.
After inspecting its contents, Yan Chaosheng indeed found some useful items.
He selected a stick of red incense and a flute.
He asked, “Young Miss, can you play the Yueluo flute?”
Liu Shuang looked at the emerald-green flute in his hand and shook her head.
Back when she was a little immortal grass, her mortal mother hadn’t taught her to play the flute.
The young ladies of her household had all learned the zither instead.
Yan Chaosheng said, “I’ll use the Yueluo flute to deal with the demon. Can you light this incense?”
From his flat tone, Liu Shuang detected an unspoken threat: If you can’t do even that, you might as well die.
She took the incense and nodded.
“I can.”
Yan Chaosheng gave her a long look.
Seeing him look at her, the little pink dumpling held the incense in her hand and earnestly added, “Don’t worry, I’ll do it well.”
At least better than you….
The veil concealed her unsightly face, but her bright eyes shone like water, as if to say she wouldn’t hold him back.
Yan Chaosheng withdrew his gaze.
How amusing—this was the first time… someone of noble status was asked to save people, and she actually went.
In her previous life, during the time Liu Shuang lived, demons weren’t nearly as ferocious as they are now.
That was because something far more ruthless than demons existed: the Demon Lord Yan Chaosheng, who enforced a strict code of laws.
Under Yan Chaosheng’s iron-fisted rule, no demon dared to cause trouble.
Those who did often ended up with three meters of grass growing over their graves.
Liu Shuang knocked out a mortal and infiltrated the bride’s escort team.
The people of Taichuan were under her protection.
Strictly speaking, this time, Yan Chaosheng was helping her.
She hadn’t turned against him and killed him yet.
Unexpectedly, they were now working together on the same task.
She wondered what Yan Chaosheng’s real motive was for saving Taichuan City.
They split up.
Liu Shuang’s task was to use the “One Thought Incense” to intoxicate the bride.
Liu Shuang hid her veil, lowered her head, and imitated the dazed expressions of the puppet-like people around her, making herself appear blank and silent.
Surrounded by controlled mortals, no one noticed that she had just blended in.
Following the group, Liu Shuang entered the city lord’s residence.
The jagged rock formations of the artificial hills loomed, and deeper inside lay the goldfish pond.
She stole a glance—every goldfish was frozen in place as if time had stopped.
Not a single bird flew in the sky.
It seemed all living creatures in Taichuan City had been subdued.
Liu Shuang thought to herself: someone who could control an entire city and drain the immortality aura within it must be no small threat.
The bridal escort team stopped outside the bridal chamber.
Liu Shuang and the other puppet-like people stood stiffly in line.
Soon, the bride was brought back, still carried on the back of the matchmaker, indicating that the wedding ceremony had already taken place.
Lowering her head, Liu Shuang smelled a heavy demonic energy as the bride passed.
As she worried about how to light the incense without being detected by the female demon inside, someone shoved a basin into Liu Shuang’s hands and said in a monotonous voice, “Go serve the young lady as she washes.”
Liu Shuang was eager for the opportunity and carried the basin inside.
The bridal chamber was lit with red candles.
The demoness, Yun’er, sat at the edge of the bed.
The matchmaker and a few maids coldly watched her, not allowing her to leave the bridal seat.
Liu Shuang approached cautiously, knowing these matchmakers and maids were likely subordinates of the male demon.
Unlike the puppet-like people outside, they weren’t fools.
Liu Shuang dared not alarm them and lowered her gaze, obediently crouching to wipe the bride’s hands.
Yun’er’s face was ashen, her once-beautiful visage now filled with weariness.
After a while, Yun’er suddenly stared at Liu Shuang’s clothes with piercing eyes.
“Who are you? Where’s my maid, Qiao Qiao?”
Liu Shuang was shocked—she hadn’t expected Yun’er to recognize the maid she had knocked out and replaced.
With Yun’er’s words, the previously expressionless matchmakers raised their heads sharply, staring at Liu Shuang.
Liu Shuang’s heart pounded as she discreetly touched the incense.
But then Yun’er spoke softly, “It’s Ah Lian.”
The matchmakers resumed their cheerful, festive smiles.
Liu Shuang looked up at Yun’er, who subtly pinched her hand.
Using her handkerchief as cover, Yun’er wrote in Liu Shuang’s palm: “Help me.”
Liu Shuang clenched her hand, pretending nothing had happened.
She carried the basin out.
Before leaving, she smeared the “One Thought Incense” and placed it inconspicuously in a corner where no one would notice.
She waited silently outside.
The “One Thought Incense” was originally a calming incense given to the original owner by the Realm Lord’s wife.
Yan Chaosheng had told Liu Shuang that for demons, it was a potent sedative.
Even highly skilled demons would fall into a deep slumber if exposed to it for long enough.
The original owner never had the chance to use it, but now it unexpectedly came in handy.
Liu Shuang silently counted in her heart.
After a while, she entered the inner room again and saw that the standing maids and matchmakers had vanished.
On the floor were several vibrantly colored small snakes, motionless.
So, they were snake demons!
Yun’er, however, hadn’t fallen unconscious.
She looked at Liu Shuang with hope, trembling with excitement.
“I knew it—you’re an immortal! Have you come to save Taichuan City, Immortal?”
Liu Shuang asked in surprise, “You’re human?” Yun’er didn’t seem like a demon, as she was completely unaffected by the “One Thought Incense.”
But how could a human have such a strong demonic energy?
Yun’er smiled bitterly.
“I am indeed human. But after swallowing the demon core, I became like this.”
Carefully avoiding the snakes on the ground, Yun’er walked over and knelt before Liu Shuang.
“My name is Xi Yun’er, daughter of the Taichuan City lord. I beg the Immortal to have mercy, save me, my family, and the people of Taichuan.”
Liu Shuang helped her up.
“Please rise, Miss Xi. I will help you. Tell me about the current situation.”
Xi Yun’er’s expression turned anguished.
“It’s all my fault—I provoked that demon and brought disaster to Taichuan City. The demon used an artifact to control the entire city. Now the city is covered by a barrier. No one can enter or leave. All living beings within slowly lose their vitality and eventually die.”
“An artifact?”
Liu Shuang was astonished.
A demon possessing an artifact?
No wonder the Seven Treasure Coin dissipated and fell when it passed over Taichuan, and Bai Zhuixu didn’t notice anything unusual at first!
No entry, no exit… For some reason, Liu Shuang recalled the barrier that had trapped Canglan in her past life.
Grandpa Tree had once sent her a message, saying an artifact had trapped the Canglan Immortal Realm, leaving no one able to escape.
He warned Liu Shuang not to return.
The situation Xi Yun’er described was eerily similar!
Could it be the same artifact?
That artifact had caused Canglan’s destruction, leaving it barren and lifeless.
Liu Shuang felt a heavy weight in her heart.
In the past, she had neither the time nor the power to find the culprit behind Canglan’s downfall.
Perhaps this time, she had a chance!
“I haven’t seen the artifact,” Xi Yun’er continued.
“Three days ago, Taichuan City suddenly became like this. Everyone seemed to lose their souls, falling under the demon’s control. When I forced him to explain, he finally told me the reason but refused to reveal where the artifact was hidden.”
Liu Shuang asked, “Is the demon you mentioned the man who wants to marry you?”
Xi Yun’er nodded.
“Yes, his name is Bi Xun. He told me he has the bloodline of an ancient Teng Snake. Immortal, even if he’s powerful, without his core, he must be extremely weak now. If you want to eliminate him, this is the best chance.”
Liu Shuang glanced at her abdomen.
“But he gave his core to you. Do you really want me to kill him?”
Xi Yun’er stiffened and then turned her head away.
“I only find him repulsive. Immortal, he’s an evil demon—such beings must die! I will never marry a snake.”
Liu Shuang considered this.
The bloodline of an ancient Teng Snake—such a great demon must have cultivated for hundreds or even thousands of years to form his core!
Her group was indeed unlucky to encounter such a powerful demon, especially one wielding an artifact.
Not even the two sons of the Bai family could handle this.
Even Chishui Chong might find it challenging.
This demon, having given up his core, using an artifact to wreak havoc, and disregarding divine punishment, had done all this to marry a mortal girl.
To trap an entire city for one person.
Truly mad.
And yet, the girl he liked wanted him dead.
From the look of disgust on Xi Yun’er’s face, Liu Shuang deeply understood why, 700 years ago, the existence of demons was loathed across the Eight Wilderness.
Liu Shuang had initially feared that Xi Yun’er might hesitate to let Bi Xun die because of the core within her.
But now, it seemed Xi Yun’er felt nothing but disgust and hatred for him.
That made things easier—at least there wouldn’t be another enemy.
“Demons deserve to die,” Xi Yun’er murmured softly.
Liu Shuang neither agreed nor disagreed.
Bi Xun’s brutal slaughter in the city truly warranted his death.
Liu Shuang did not try to argue with Miss Xi that there were also good demons in the world, like Lord Su Lun whom she had once known.
In this era, everyone despised the demon clan.
It wasn’t something that could be explained in just a few words.
More urgent matters needed attention.
The sound of the flute echoed faintly, and Liu Shuang knew that Yan Chaosheng was facing off against Bi Xun.
Liu Shuang’s expression turned serious—this was bad! She hadn’t known earlier, and had recklessly tried to eliminate the demon.
Now that she realized the opponent was a descendant of the Teng Snake, her heart sank.
A single Yueluo flute could never defeat Bi Xun.
Even though he no longer had his inner core and appeared sickly, his thousands of years of cultivation were not something to be taken lightly.
They couldn’t possibly defeat Bi Xun!
“Miss Xi, something’s wrong! Do you know where Bi Xun is now? Can you take me to him?”
Xi Yun’er replied, “Follow me.”
Since the city lord’s manor was Xi Yun’er’s home, they quickly arrived at the front of the hall.
There, they saw a man in wedding attire, his lower body transformed into a snake tail, tightly coiled around someone’s neck.
It was Yan Chaosheng.
“You overestimate yourself.”
Bi Xun’s snake tail was a deep red, and his eyes had turned blood-red as well.
The refined young man who had greeted the bride earlier now appeared bloodthirsty and brutal.
Yan Chaosheng was being strangled, his expression cold.
With a fierce glint in his eyes, regardless of whether he would be strangled to death, he reversed his hand and drove the jade flute into Bi Xun’s snake tail.
Even if he died, he would drag someone down with him.
Bi Xun, in pain, roared and transformed into a red snake, slithering out from his robes.
Beneath the falling clothes, a massive red python reared up.
It was a full eight feet thick and ten zhang (1zhang=3.58m) long, flicking its tongue and almost blocking all the light from above.
The red snake flicked its tail and instantly shattered the jade flute embedded in its body.
With a single lash of its tail, the red snake struck Yan Chaosheng.
Having lost his cultivation, he spat a mouthful of fresh blood.
As the red snake prepared to swallow him whole, it suddenly stopped as it got close.
The red snake spoke in human language, mocking and taunting: “Since you carry the bloodline of a demon snake, shouldn’t you kneel and show respect to me?”
The red snake shot out a beam of red light, striking Yan Chaosheng’s shoulder.
Yan Chaosheng was forced to kneel, his clothes torn, revealing his body covered in pitch-black scales.
The red python sneered: “You can’t even transform to hide your shame. It turns out you’re just the lowest of black snakes.”
Liu Shuang had just settled Xi Yun’er and ensured her safety.
When she turned around, she saw Yan Chaosheng kneeling, his fists tightly clenched, his eyes cold.
So, even Yan Chaosheng had his pain when he was young… it turned out he was ashamed of his bloodline.
