Thriving after the Moon Falls (I Can’t Possibly Take Pity On A Demon) - Chapter 36
Chapter 36
Yan Chaosheng lifted his gaze, and not far away, the Qingwen stared at him with piercing eyes.
Chishui Liushuang did not know what had just happened, but this beast had seen everything.
The Qingwen’s pupils gleamed with a golden hue, shining like two dim lanterns of colored glass even amidst the cliffs of the valley.
Yan Chaosheng pressed his lips together tightly, coldly locking eyes with it.
Sensing his embarrassment and anger, the Qingwen sensibly dragged its massive body away and tucked its head beneath its wings.
Behind him, Liu shuang’s voice rang out, puzzled.
“What’s wrong with the Qingwen?”
Yan Chaosheng replied calmly, “Perhaps it’s tired.”
The two of them waited on the other side of the broken bridge for Jimo Shaoyou.
Yan Chaosheng closed his eyes.
At this moment, he did not wish to see Liu shuang, nor did he want to see the Qingwen.
Yan Chaosheng was not a fool.
If he had been deceiving himself before, it was only because he was reluctant to part with the powerful bloodline within her.
Just now, Liu Shuang had almost offered up that bloodline power willingly.
But what fell into his eyes was no longer the ancient divine power coursing through the girl’s veins—it was…
His fingers curled tightly.
He found himself unable to accept the realization that had suddenly dawned upon him.
It pained him even more than the day Bai Yuxiao took away the spiritual energy he had painstakingly cultivated.
Among the ancient clans that had survived to the present, intermarriage was common to preserve the bloodline, ensuring that descendants were born with immortal energy.
Even if they lacked such power, they would still seek out the most promising immortal descendants within the immortal realm.
Right now, she still had patience and interest in him.
But what about in the future? Would she treat him as nothing more than an amusing plaything?
The more Yan Chaosheng thought, the colder his heart became.
He loathed his own moment of weakness just now.
He had come to Kongsang to learn the ways of immortality, to ascend the immortal path—so that he would never again be humiliated, never again be captured and caged, appraised like an object, with people remarking that only his eyes were worth digging out and embedding into a spiritual artifact.
He could not afford to ruin himself.
He would not let Chishui Liushuang ruin him either.
She had thrown his plans into disarray before they had even begun, nearly causing his complete downfall.
Thus, he had to cut ties early—completely, without hesitation.
Even if he had to interact with her, it must be by stepping over her, extracting everything he could from her.
Yan Chaosheng opened his eyes, his gaze icy.
Once he made a decision, he would not allow the worst outcome to unfold.
There was still time—he had not sunk too deep.
He had regained clarity.
As for the egg in his arms, he would find an opportunity to discard it.
He could not share his life vein with an unknown demon bird.
Just as he resolved his path forward, the broken bridge before them collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Thick white mist rose from the mountain stream below, and Liu Shuang looked over.
“Shaoyou is still on the other side!”
The already dilapidated bridge vanished completely in an instant.
The Qingwen grasped Liu Shuang’s robes with its beak, preventing her from flying across to investigate.
Before long, countless stones rose from within the mist.
Someone was stepping across the floating stones, paving a path as they returned.
Yan Chaosheng narrowed his eyes and looked through the mist.
Jimo Shaoyou emerged, walking back toward them.
“Shaoyou, what happened?” Liu Shuang asked.
Since returning from the other side, Shaoyou had seemed distracted, lost in thought.
“Did you see your mother?”
Shaoyou nodded, his eyes carrying a faint sorrow, unwilling to speak further.
A thousand years of obsession had finally been fulfilled, yet he did not look relieved or joyous.
Instead, he bore a heavy burden.
Liu Shuang did not press further.
She understood that everyone had things they did not wish to talk about.
Before opening the Transcendent Mirror, she hesitated, glancing at the massive Qingwen beside them.
“If we return, what about it?”
Shaoyou said, “The Qingwen is an ancient demon bird. The immortal realm will not tolerate it.”
If they brought the Qingwen back, its mere presence would stir up chaos, inciting widespread fear.
Liu Shuang frowned.
“But we haven’t saved its egg yet.”
Taking only the egg—would the Qingwen, as a mother, accept that?
Yan Chaosheng threw the egg back into the Qingwen’s embrace and said coldly, “Returning it to its owner. We no longer need to concern ourselves with it.”
Liu Shuang glared at him.
Was he serious?
This was supposed to be his future right-hand companion in battle as the Demon Lord.
With a flap of its wings, Qingluan could freeze a thousand miles in ice.
Was there no bond between master and servant?
Clearly not.
Yan Chaosheng, ruthless and unfeeling, had discarded Qingluan without hesitation.
The Qingwen protected the egg, bloodied tears welling in its eyes once more.
Liu Shuang had read in ancient texts that ancient demon clans never shed tears easily.
They were born without them.
Yet when they did cry, each tear was their very life vein.
Seeing Yan Chaoshen’s firm refusal to act, Liu Shuang could only turn to Shaoyou.
“Can you save its child?”
Shaoyou shook his head.
“Forgive me, but I am powerless. Its life vein has already disappeared. If it were merely gravely injured, I might be able to help—but it has no life left. I cannot resurrect it.”
The Qingwen understood their words and let out a mournful, piercing cry.
Yan Chaosheng frowned and said to Liu Shuang, “Why are you hesitating? Open the Transcendent Mirror. We’re leaving.”
But they couldn’t leave—if they did, Qingluan would die.
Just as Liu Shuang was searching for a solution, a massive bird’s head suddenly bowed before Yan Chaosheng.
The Qingwen collapsed at his feet, its wings spread flat against the ground.
It cried out in sorrow, its bloodied tears soaking into the earth.
Then, plucking a feather from its body, it gently pushed both the feather and the lifeless Qingluan toward Yan Chaosheng.
Yan Chaosheng frowned.
“Take it back. Don’t make me repeat myself. I cannot save it, and giving it to me changes nothing.”
The Qingwen let out a long, final cry and dove into the valley below.
Flames erupted skyward.
Before their eyes, the ancient demon bird Qingwen burned away, bit by bit, until only ashes remained.
In the end, it condensed into a black-gold whip, which shot into Yan Chaosheng’s hands.
The Qingwen had sacrificed itself, transforming into an immortal weapon, all to plead for Yan Chaosheng to save Qingluan.
The whip was suffused with malevolent energy, brimming with demonic energy.
Yet as it landed in Yan Chaosheng’s grasp, it resonated with him—its turbid aura dissipated, its demonic energy vanishing, leaving only pure, concentrated immortal energy.
Yan Chaosheng stood silent for a long time before bending down to pick up the egg and the blue feather, tucking them into his robes.
Liu Shuang watched, her emotions complicated.
“Will you save its child?”
Yan Chaosheng sneered.
“Depends. Are you looking at me like that because you think I’m selfish and ruthless, only caring for my own gain?”
Liu Shuang shook her head, her voice low and melancholic.
“No… I just feel sad.”
She thought of that mortal mother who had remembered her until her last breath, and of Madam Zi, who had recovered her memories upon inheriting this body.
Perhaps all mothers in this world were the same—willing to sacrifice everything for their children.
Even a demon bird, at the end of its life, had left its child in his care.
Yan Chaosheng remained silent.
Liu Shuang said no more and activated the Transcendent Mirror.
Shaoyou stopped her, saying, “You’ve already overexerted yourself earlier. Let me do it.”
Liu Shuang did not insist.
After all the turmoil, she was already at her limit and had no confidence in bringing them straight back to Kunlun.
Shaoyou took the Transcendent Mirror, and soon, ripples of light appeared.
Liu Shuang heard the young man beside her say coldly, “I will try my best to save it.”
She looked over in surprise, only to see Yan Chaosheng’s indifferent expression.
“But I truly act out of self-interest. If not for this immortal artifact, I wouldn’t have spared it a second glance.”
She was about to say something, but in a flash of radiance, the Transcendent Mirror had already been activated.
Liu Shuang breathed a sigh of relief.
They had finally returned safely.
Shaoyou had reunited with his mother and even brought back Qingluan.
Unlike before, this time, Shaoyou had not lost his Seven Souls.
Everyone was safe.
When Liu Shuang returned, it was already late at night in Kunlun.
Without paying attention to anything else, she collapsed into bed and fell into a deep sleep.
The journey to the Ghost Realm had been utterly exhausting—her soul had left her body and then returned, and she had been relentlessly pursued by Henggong Fish.
She slept like the dead.
When she finally woke up, the first thing she saw was Bai Zhuixu.
He sighed.
“Young Miss, you’ve been gone for half a month. You had me worried sick. Where did you and Young Master Jimo go? Why didn’t you inform anyone?”
Liu Shuang sat up.
“We’ve been gone for half a month?”
A lazy voice beside them said, “Brother, you’ve been lecturing me for half a month. Now that she’s back safe and sound, you can finally stop blaming me, right?”
Bai Zhuixu snapped, “You still have the nerve to talk? How dare you give the Transcendent Mirror to the Young Miss! If not for your reckless actions, how would she have ended up in danger?”
“Tch, she asked for it herself. Her guts are big enough to run wild—why don’t you teach her better?”
At his words, Bai Zhuixu turned to look at Liu Shuang.
With the memories of the original Liu Shuang, she now found them both incredibly familiar and dear.
She said, “Bai Yuxiao isn’t lying. I begged him to lend it to me.”
Bai Yuxiao snorted. Bai Zhuixu let out a deep sigh and said gently, “Young Miss, with your cultivation, activating the Transcendent Mirror is very dangerous. You must never do this again.”
Had he scolded her as he had scolded Bai Yuxiao, she would have been fine.
But his tenderness made Liu Shuang feel a little guilty.
Thinking of how she had worried him for half a month—he had surely searched the heavens and earth for her—she noticed the weariness on his face and quickly nodded obediently.
She had no regrets about not telling Bai Zhuixu beforehand.
With his personality, he would have either forbidden her from going or insisted on accompanying her.
Given how close they had come to death, relying on sheer luck rather than strength, if Bai Zhuixu had been there and luck had turned against them, he might not have made it out alive.
“Right, here’s your Transcendent Mirror back.”
Liu Shuang handed the mirror back to Bai Yuxiao.
The Bai brothers both fixed their gazes on it, their eyes meeting.
Bai Zhuixu frowned slightly.
“Yuxiao, this mirror is clearly… you…”
Bai Yuxiao nearly jumped.
“I… I didn’t mean it that way! Brother, don’t overthink it!”
Shooting Liu Shuang a fierce glare, he snatched the Transcendent Mirror and bolted out the door, as if something were chasing him.
He didn’t even argue that she had borrowed it for more than a day.
Liu Shuang asked curiously, “What’s with him?”
Bai Zhuixu coughed lightly.
“It’s nothing. Since you’re awake, let’s head to the Kunlun Main Hall. Young Master Jimo is waiting for you there.”
Pausing for a moment, his eyes finally softened into a smile.
“Though I don’t know what you’ve been up to these past few days, if Young Master Jimo is willing to lend out the Shennong Cauldron, then you surely played a crucial role. I was too biased before. You’ve grown up and can now stand on your own.”
Liu Shuang smiled back and said softly, “Brother Zhuixu, thank you.”
Bai Zhuixu was momentarily stunned.
“Why are you saying this all of a sudden?”
Hadn’t she said that once she grew up, she wouldn’t call him “Brother Zhuixu” anymore?
Liu Shuang replied earnestly, “In my heart, you have always been like a true elder brother. For the past three hundred years, thank you for your patience and kindness.”
These were the words the original Liu Shuang had always wanted to say to Bai Zhuixu but had never been able to.
The original Liu Shuang, missing parts of her soul, had only two people who truly cared for her: Madam Zi and Bai Zhuixu. In Kongsang, Bai Zhuixu was the only one who had ever treated her as the rightful Young Miss with genuine respect.
Bai Zhuixu’s eyes softened.
“Young Miss deserves the best the world has to offer.”
Inside the grand hall where the Shennong Cauldron was placed, many people had already gathered.
At a glance, Liu Shuang spotted Shaoyou sitting cross-legged at the center of the Eight Trigrams.
He had bathed and burned incense, now dressed in a white robe.
Around him, seven immortal elders sat at the other positions.
All of them looked at Liu Shuang with disapproving expressions.
Wojiang was among them.
Shaoyou said to Liu Shuang, “Sit in the Qian position. We will activate the Shennong Cauldron to extract the Huanyan bead from your body.”
Liu Shuang respectfully saluted the elders.
“I trouble you, honored immortals.”
Then, she took her designated seat.
One of the elders beside Shaoyou, an old man with a bristling beard, glared at her.
“Hmph! Only because the Young Master is magnanimous enough to let bygones be bygones would he still be willing to lend the divine artifact.”
Shaoyou chuckled.
“We must trouble Elder Ciyi.”
Liu Shuang obediently followed, “I must trouble Elder Ciyi, and all the honored elders.”
Seeing her so polite and well-behaved, Ciyi had no further complaints and simply huffed before closing his eyes.
Shaoyou glanced at Liu Shuang with a smile.
“Don’t be afraid. Guard your meridians and heart, and follow my lead.”
Liu Shuang nodded.
Underneath the Eight Trigrams Formation, the ground trembled as the golden Shennong Cauldron spun into existence.
Shaoyou and the elders activated the formation, sending waves of white light outward.
The Five Elements circulated as Shaoyou guided the Shennong Cauldron’s power toward Liu Shuang.
She felt as if she were trapped inside a burning furnace—uncomfortable.
Shaoyou said, “Endure it.”
Liu Shuang remained silent.
She could handle this level of discomfort.
Something inside her began to stir as the Shennong Cauldron’s power washed over her body and meridians, purifying them over and over.
Before long, golden mist seeped from her body, condensing into a radiant bead that hovered in the air.
The group simultaneously withdrew their hands.
Shaoyou opened his eyes, caught the Huanyan bead, and handed it to Liu Shuang.
“Chishui young miss, it has been extracted.”
Liu Shuang was also very pleased—after all this trouble, they could finally return and report back.
Though she hadn’t particularly minded her appearance before, women always love beauty, and she was quite curious about what the original host of her body truly looked like.
She put away the Huanyan bead, removed her veil, and conjured a water mirror in her hands.
In the mirror, she saw an incredibly familiar face.
Eyes like spring water, peach-blossom cheeks, and apricot-shaped eyes—her beauty was unparalleled.
Liu Shuang was stunned.
The original host looked exactly like her!
Shocked, she put down the water mirror, only to see eight pairs of eyes in the hall staring at her in even greater astonishment.
The elder Ciyi, who had just moments ago been seething with the urge to curse her, was now utterly dumbfounded.
“You… you…”
Wojiang murmured, “So the old man of Chishui wasn’t lying after all…”
The other elders glanced at Liu Shuang, then at Shaoyou, their expressions becoming increasingly complex.
For the past three hundred years, the young miss of Chishui had been trapped in Kongsang, unable to leave, and thus, no one had seen her true appearance.
Previously, when Chishui Chong had come to arrange a marriage alliance, he had claimed that his daughter was of extraordinary beauty.
But the Liu Shuang they had seen at Kunlun was ugly and ill-mannered.
At the time, everyone thought Chishui Chong was shamelessly lying to trick them into an engagement.
But now that she had restored her true appearance, they finally realized—he hadn’t been exaggerating at all. If anything, he had been far too modest!
This beauty was beyond mere “delicate and charming”—it was the kind of beauty that could set an old house on fire just by glancing at it too many times!
Shaoyou met Liu Shuang’s gaze and smiled faintly.
“Congratulations.”
Liu Shuang returned a sweet smile.
“Thank you, Shaoyou.”
If it weren’t for him withstanding all the pressure and opening the Shennong Cauldron for her, she would never have regained her true appearance.
Shaoyou’s expression remained as calm as water, in stark contrast to the group of elders, who were still frozen in shock, as if nothing in the world could stir his emotions.
But Liu Shuang had sharp eyes—she noticed that the tips of his ears were turning slightly red.
Before the blush could creep all the way to his cheeks, Shaoyou let out a long sigh and said helplessly, “Young miss, you should return to rest first. We still have to reseal the Shennong Cauldron.”
