Thriving after the Moon Falls (I Can’t Possibly Take Pity On A Demon) - Chapter 37
Chapter 37
When Liushuang obediently walked out of the palace doors, several elders turned their heads in unison to look at Shaoyou.
“This young miss Chishui doesn’t seem as rude as we thought. After all, Chishui Chong only had one daughter in ten thousand years, so it’s natural that he treasures her.”
“Right, she’s quite sensible, and her manners earlier were impeccable.”
“Exactly, this little girl not only didn’t cause any trouble this time, but she also seems to be particularly obedient to our young master, following his every word and action.”
“So—”
“Should the young master reconsider the marriage alliance?”
Shaoyou glanced over: “In your eyes, does this young master change his mind at the drop of a hat, treating such important matters so frivolously, hmm?”
Everyone couldn’t help but laugh, the conversation growing more and more exaggerated.
While they always showed Shaoyou the utmost respect in front of outsiders, honoring him as the young master, the elders present were all trusted advisors of Shaoyou’s father.
Having lost his mother at a young age, Shaoyou had been carefully nurtured by all the elders.
Though they were his subordinates, they were also like family elders to him.
Now that they saw Liu Shuang’s restored beauty, these old men were all urging Shaoyou to reconsider the marriage alliance.
Shaoyou remained composed, listening calmly to their clamor.
When the elders finally tired themselves out, he slightly raised his eyes: “Finished?”
Everyone looked sheepish.
“Alright, elders, please return to your duties. It won’t be long before my father undergoes his tribulation, and Kunlun will still rely heavily on all of you. The issue of the spiritual vein’s depletion requires introspection and seeking the root cause; we cannot place the burden on a single woman.”
The elders bowed and left.
Wojiang reached the door, then turned back with a grin, looking at his composed disciple and teasing, “Shaoyou, is young miss Chishui beautiful? Oh, stop pretending to be so serious. If you’re so upright, why did you blush when she smiled at you earlier?”
Shaoyou sighed, “…Master!”
“Don’t be mad.”
Wojiang laughed heartily as he left.
The Kunlun Sword Immortal was pure and true, and even though he had borne the weight of an entire realm since birth, he still had the heart of a young man.
Liu Shuang walked out of the grand hall, still pondering the matter of her appearance.
It was rare for two people to have such similar looks, and her soul perfectly matched Chishui Liushuang’s body. Could there be some connection between her and the original owner?
She touched her face, feeling the soft, fair skin, delicate and smooth.
It was just as well that it was this face; it felt familiar and comforting, giving her a sense of belonging.
Her purpose for coming to Kunlun was accomplished, and she had even unexpectedly reconnected with her dear friend Shaoyou, turning conflict into harmony.
Liu Shuang felt that this trip was worth it.
When she returned to see Madam Zi and Chishui Chong, she would have a good explanation.
Liu Shuang made her way to the immortal pavilion.
Along the way, every Kunlun disciple she encountered, regardless of gender, was stunned by her, some even boldly asking her name.
Liu Shuang tilted her head to look at the disciple who had stopped her, causing the young man’s heart to race and his words to stumble.
Liu Shuang sighed inwardly.
The last time something like this happened was when she was a daughter in the mortal world.
That time, the streets were packed, nearly breaking down her family’s door, and even the emperor got involved, issuing an edict to make her a concubine.
Unfortunately, things didn’t end well; everyone thought she was a demon, and her parents, heartbroken, had to drive her out of the house.
Later, after marrying Yan Chaosheng, such things never happened again.
No one dared to covet the Demon Lord’s woman, and from then on, no one dared to make advances on her, nor did anyone in the ghost or demon realms dare to bully her.
It had been so long that Liu Shuang had almost forgotten the allure of this face.
Mi Chu had once been hailed as the most beautiful woman in the Eight Wilderness, so it stood to reason that her own appearance wouldn’t be far off.
Someone noticed the unique blooming Chinese flowering crabapple on her robe and finally realized, stammering, “Kong… Kongsang young miss?”
Liu Shuang nodded, confirming they weren’t mistaken.
She hadn’t intended to be so conspicuous and thought about putting her veil back on, but then she reconsidered.
Her past life had been stifling enough; she couldn’t choose her appearance, so why should she torment herself over it?
As the young miss of Kongsang, there was nothing to be ashamed of!
She returned to the immortal pavilion, where Bai Zhuixu and Bai Yuxiao were in the middle of a game of chess.
Bai Yuyao held the black stones, while Bai Zhuixu held the white ones.
Upon seeing Liu Shuang enter, Bai Zhuixu quickly put down his stone and exclaimed joyfully, “Young miss, you’ve retrieved the Huanyan bead?”
Liu shuang replied, “Here it is,” as she took out the golden bead from her robe.
Bai Zhuixu: “The Shennong Cauldron is indeed miraculous, capable of reversing settled matters. This time, it’s thanks to the Kunlun young master’s broad and benevolent heart.”
“I told you before, Shaoyou is a good person.”
Bai Yuxiao lazily sat in his chair: “I say, now that you’ve finally changed back, you shouldn’t keep this cursed bead. Give it to my brother, lest you get any ideas and swallow it again.”
Liu Shuang: “I’ve learned my lesson; I definitely won’t use it again.”
Bai Zhuixu pondered for a moment, then extended his hand: “Young miss, it’s better to entrust it to me for safekeeping.”
Bai Yuxiao smirked with schadenfreude.
Seeing Bai Zhuixu’s insistence, Liu shuang reluctantly handed over the Huanyan bead.
She was currently in dire need of cultivation and treasures.
Even though the Huanyan bead wasn’t considered a precious treasure, in all of heaven and earth, it was the only bead capable of altering an immortal’s appearance without decay.
Even if she didn’t use it, having it in her possession would be comforting.
Bai Zhuixu had a gentle nature and was indulgent towards her, but when it came to matters that could potentially harm her, he was unyielding.
Liushuang knew she couldn’t win against him and had to give up the Huanyan bead.
Oh well, she could always find other treasures in the future.
Liu Shuang asked, “When are we returning to Kunlun?”
“Whenever the young miss decides.”
Liu Shuang thought for a moment: “How about we set off tomorrow? We’ve been imposing on Kunlun for too long, and my father is still worried about the spiritual vein issue. Returning earlier might allow us to help.”
Bai Zhuixu smiled: “Alright. Not long from now will be the Four Seas Banquet, and the young miss should return to prepare properly.”
“Four Seas Banquet?”
“At that time, the Heavenly Lord will host a banquet inviting various clans. In previous years, the young miss was missing a soul and didn’t attend. This time, with the young miss’s soul restored and appearance recovered, it’s a good opportunity to go and meet the other three major clans’ immortals.”
Oh, so it’s a high-society social gathering in the immortal realm.
In the future, she would have to take over Kongsang, and it wouldn’t do to not know any of the other immortal clans.
The Heavenly Lord probably also wanted to see her, the future young lord of Kongsang.
Bai Zhuixu: “In that case, Yuxiao, make the necessary preparations. We’ll set off for Kongsang tomorrow. I’ll go inform Yan Chaosheng.”
“Wait!” Liu Shuang suddenly thought of something, “I’ll go tell Yan Chaosheng.”
After finally bringing Yan Chaosheng, this harbinger of disaster, out of Kongsang, there was no way she was letting him return.
This was the perfect opportunity to persuade him to seek his fortune elsewhere and learn his craft in a different place.
Their Kongsang was too small a temple to house such a great Buddha.
Liu Shuang turned the corner and headed towards the immortal pavilion where Yan Chaosheng resided. Having been in Kunlun for so long, this was the first time she had visited his quarters.
Yan Chaosheng lived in the most secluded corner, much like his personality in his past life.
Apart from being a battle maniac and attending necessary meetings, he often immersed himself in cultivation, preferring not to interact with others.
Arriving outside Yan Chaosheng’s door, she hesitated before knocking, pondering how to politely ask someone to leave without making them resentful.
This was too difficult.
For most people, once they entered the immortal realm, they were lifelong disciples of the immortal realm.
Being expelled from the immortal realm was akin to a death sentence, but if he were to leave voluntarily, it would be seen as abandoning his sect.
Moreover, there was still Mi Chu in the immortal realm who hadn’t been dealt with.
This was a miscalculation; the matter needed further consideration.
Just as Liu Shuang withdrew her hand to leave, a cold and alert voice came from inside: “Who’s there!”
A black and gold whip lashed out, its angle vicious and tricky.
Liu shuang hadn’t expected him to strike suddenly.
Instinctively, she wanted to dodge, but then she thought better of it and only slightly turned her body, allowing the whip to graze her arm.
Just a slight touch, and the door suddenly opened.
A hand gripped Liu shuang’s neck.
The young man’s slightly cold eyes paused for a moment upon seeing her face.
The next moment, Yan Chaosheng’s pupils constricted sharply, his fingers stiffened, and he slowly released her, gritting his teeth as he took a step back.
He retreated hastily, unable to maintain his previous ferocity.
His hand trembled slightly behind his back, as if he had touched something filthy.
“You…” Yan Chaosheng turned his head away, looking somewhat embarrassed, “You retrieved the Huanyan bead?”
Now it was Liu shuang’s turn to be shocked.
She was very curious; how had Yan Chaosheng recognized her with just one glance?
But that wasn’t important.
Remembering her purpose for coming here, she turned away, revealing the arm he had just injured.
“Yan Chaosheng, you hurt me.”
He frowned and looked over, but upon seeing her face, he coldly lowered his gaze: “Young miss, forgive me. In the past, no one has ever come here. When Young Master Bai occasionally visits, he knocks directly and doesn’t stand outside silently. I mistook the young miss for someone with ill intentions, hence I struck. Please forgive me.”
Yan Chaosheng’s explanation was reasonable and justified, leaving Liu shuang speechless.
She had intentionally let herself get hurt to give him a sense of guilt, to make up for the wrongs the original owner and Bai Yuxiao had done to him.
With his explanation, how could she hold him accountable for his mistake to offset the previous wrongs done to him and smoothly send him away?
She let out a soft breath, recalling Mi Chu’s fragile demeanor when she was injured in her past life, and pursed her lips in grievance: “I came to tell you to prepare for our departure back to Kongsang tomorrow. No matter what, you hurt me, and that’s a fact. This injury was caused by an immortal artifact, and ordinary healing techniques won’t work.”
He raised his eyes, his gaze icy: “What do you want? Do you expect me to apply medicine and heal you?”
Liu shuang thought, why not? He needed to see the wound and learn to feel guilty.
So she nodded.
Yan Chaosheng’s brows furrowed tightly, still not looking at her: “Young miss, I’ll give you one chance to reconsider. Leave here, turn right, and go to Young Master Bai’s room. He has the means to heal you.”
But wouldn’t that mean she had taken this whip strike for nothing? Liu shuang shook her head: “Whoever caused the injury should take responsibility. Why push it onto Bai Zhuixu?”
Yan Chaosheng sneered: “Fine, you chose this.”
He stepped aside, indicating for Liu shuang to enter.
The interior of his immortal pavilion was extremely simple, far less luxurious than those of Liu shuang and the Bai brothers.
It seemed that those in charge of arranging accommodations in Kunlun knew he was just an ordinary disciple from Kongsang.
Yan Chaosheng glanced at her, went inside, and brought out a bottle of medicine.
His expression was cold, not looking at her, as if he were preparing her for a funeral rather than applying medicine: “Roll up your sleeve.”
Liu shuang, for some reason, felt a sinking feeling in her heart.
She rolled up her wide sleeve, revealing the injured forearm.
She had deliberately dodged earlier, so the whip had only grazed her, leaving a slight bloodstain.
Yan Chaosheng sat down on a stool beside her, roughly grabbed her arm, and appeared ready to apply the medicine harshly.
“Hey!” Liu shuang’s scalp tingled, wanting to pull her arm back.
Would he press on the wound? It was still an injury and would hurt.
A silver bracelet clamped onto her, immobilizing her instantly.
Liu shuang’s eyes widened, only now remembering that Yan Chaosheng still had the Ten Commandments Ring! It was just that he hadn’t used it on her since that incident, and not only Liu shuang but even the Bai brothers had forgotten about it.
He locked her in place and finally raised his eyes.
The young man’s eyes were pitch black, with a faint red tinge at the corners.
He looked at her, his eyes filled with too many strange emotions that Liu shuang couldn’t understand, and she stared back at him in fear.
Yan Chaosheng let out a cold snort, lowered his eyes, and applied the medicine to her.
Liu shuang had thought she would have to endure the pain, but after holding her breath for a while, she felt nothing.
The young man’s fingers gently spread the medicine.
The light green ointment carried a faint minty fragrance.
She didn’t recognize what kind of medicine it was, but the pain vanished instantly, clearly something of high quality.
However, the bottle was small and delicate, something Yan Chaosheng, given his current status, probably didn’t have much of.
He applied three layers to the wound, and the shallow bloodstains disappeared.
The wind blew through the window, the young man’s ink-black hair cascading like a waterfall, his eyebrows and eyes carrying a cold, stunning beauty.
After finishing the application, his eyes remained lowered, not looking at her, nor releasing her.
The two of them remained at a stalemate, the atmosphere somewhat strange.
Liu shuang quickly said: “I’m fine, release me now.”
After all her calculations, how could she have forgotten about the Ten Commandments Ring?
She was now very anxious.
Yan Chaosheng ignored her.
He stood up, moved to the other side, and poured her a cup of tea.
Liu shuang could only see it but couldn’t drink it, unsure of the meaning behind Yan Chaosheng’s gesture.
Yan Chaosheng sat beside her, poured himself a cup as well, and sipped it slowly.
The wind rustled the papers on the nearby desk, and Liu shuang felt Yan Chaosheng’s gaze occasionally falling on her face.
Unfortunately, no matter how much she strained her eyes, she couldn’t see him.
She had no idea what expression he was wearing.
Liu shuang grew a bit angry: “Yan Chaosheng, I am the young miss. How dare you use the Ten Commandments Ring on me for no reason! You’re utterly audacious!”
The young man’s voice was cold and light: “Oh? Wasn’t it the young miss who insisted that I treat your wound? I was merely afraid that you might move around before the medicine took effect, ruining its efficacy. After all, the young miss might not know, but I, a lowly disciple, only have this one bottle of medicine. If you get hurt again, I won’t have any more to give.”
“I don’t need your treatment anymore. I’ll go find Bai Zhuixu!”
Yan Choasheng sneered: “The mistake was mine. Why should eldest young master Bai bear the responsibility?”
“…”
Liu shuang took a deep breath.
Fine, fine. It wasn’t the first time she’d been locked up anyway.
The important thing was to get to the main point.
“You hurt me this time too. Can we consider it even with the previous misunderstanding when I was ignorant and wronged you?”
He responded softly: “Hmm.”
That’s it? He actually agreed?
Liu shuang never expected it to be so easy.
She was both delighted and suspicious: “You’re not lying to me, are you?”
He looked at her: “Why would I lie to you?”
“Do you really forgive me?”
Yan Chaosheng was silent for a moment: “Do you think I ever blamed you?”
Liu shuang felt he was blatantly lying.
When they passed through Taichuan City, he had wanted to kill her. Wasn’t that holding a grudge?
“Then… do you still blame Bai Yuxiao?”
Yan Chaosheng didn’t respond.
His reaction made it clear to Liu shuang.
Poor Bai Yuxiao.
It seemed Yan Chaosheng was determined to kill him.
Liu shuang noted this in her mind as the first unresolved issue.
Liu shuang thought for a moment: “Has anyone else in Kongsang bullied you?”
“Who is the young miss referring to? The gatekeeping disciples, the teaching masters, the immortal in charge of the spiritual treasure vault, the seamstress servant, or those who stole my spiritual treasures and tried to kill me?”
Liu shuang: “…”
Oh no, oh no.
So Yan Chaosheng and Kongsang had already built up such deep animosity!
No wonder he wanted to destroy Kongsang.
After a long pause, she whispered: “Then can I apologize on their behalf? If there’s any compensation you want, you can tell me, and I’ll try my best to fulfill it.”
The young man beside her remained silent for a while.
Suddenly, he waved his hand, releasing the Ten Commandments Ring from Liu shuang: “The wound is healed. You can leave now. Don’t talk about apologizing for others anymore. What I want, you can’t give, and won’t give. I need to rest.”
Liu shuang turned to look at him.
He had already turned his back, no longer interested in looking at her, and lay down on the inner couch.
“If you don’t say it, how do you know I won’t give it?”
He turned his head to look at her, his gaze focused, devoid of coldness but also without a hint of a smile.
Liu shuang took a step back under his stare.
Liushuang tentatively said: “Suppose, just suppose, our Kongsang offers you spiritual treasures and even a beautiful woman, who happens to be the one you love, what would you do? Can we let bygones be bygones?” (Give you Mi Chu, can you take her far away from Kongsang?)
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Yan Chaosheng suddenly coughed, the facade of ice breaking.
He sat up, his face turning bright red.
See? It’s definitely his white moonlight. Just mentioning Mi Chu made him cough and blush.
Liu shuang: “Are you willing?”
Yan Chaosheng glanced at her, gritted his teeth, his face turning even redder: “Do you even know what you’re saying? Get out! I didn’t say I was willing!”
Anonymous
Thank you so much. I waited for this episode for so long. The story is really interesting and I want to continue this story. Thanks for translating ahead of your tight schedule and I am waiting for the next chapter.