Chapter 45: The Demonic Venerable’s Invitation and the Immortal Maiden’s New Role

Seeing Shen Zhaoqing look over, Ling Shuangjue spoke. Her voice still carried a hint of casual languor.

Shen Zhaoqing’s throat felt dry. “No.”

Ling Shuangjue stopped three steps away from Shen Zhaoqing. She leisurely glanced towards the training grounds again, a mocking curve playing on her crimson lips.

“Just two little girls who haven’t been weaned yet, playing house.”

Her assessment was understated, yet laced with undeniable contempt.

Shen Zhaoqing’s eyelids twitched.

“What, you don’t believe me?” Ling Shuangjue tilted her head slightly, her frost-white hair cascading over her shoulder. “They could fight for half a day and still not determine a victor. But if this Venerable One wished to kill them now, it would be but a single sword stroke.”

Her voice remained soft, yet it sent a chill directly from Shen Zhaoqing’s tailbone to the crown of her head.

She had no doubt about the truth of her words.

“You… what are you doing here?” Shen Zhaoqing asked.

Hearing this, Ling Shuangjue’s smile deepened. She extended a finger, its tip wreathed in a wisp of blood-red Demonic Energy so dense it seemed almost solid, and gently lifted Shen Zhaoqing’s chin.

Her fingertip was icy cold and carried an irresistible force.

“What am I doing here?” She leaned in closer, her warm breath, mingled with that faint, alluring fragrance, caressing Shen Zhaoqing’s ear. Her voice was low and suggestive. “Naturally… I’ve come to take you home, and perhaps enjoy the show.”

Shen Zhaoqing’s body instantly stiffened like a stone.

‘Home? To your Myriad Flower Blood Palace, where human bones are burned for fuel and human blood waters the flowers?!

“This Venerable One has already opened a secret underground passage through the Blackfang Tribe of the Ten Thousand Beast Valley. The exit is in the black pine forest thirty miles behind this mountain,” Ling Shuangjue stated, her tone as casual as discussing the weather. “I can take you away from this boring place anytime.”

Shen Zhaoqing: “Ah?”

‘She just told me about opening a secret underground passage through the Ten Thousand Beast Valley like that?

‘Moreover, the Blackfang Tribe is notorious as one of the most belligerent and crazy tribes in the Ten Thousand Beast Valley, one of the toughest bones to chew among the demon vanguard! This Demonic Venerable just casually ‘opened’ their passage?

‘This is practically digging up their ancestral graves!’

Ling Shuangjue was quite pleased with Shen Zhaoqing’s habitually dazed expression.

“Cute.” With her icy fingertip, she slowly traced a line from Shen Zhaoqing’s chin down to her neck, finally stopping at her collarbone.

“So…” Her voice dropped even lower, imbued with a seductive, demonic power, whispering softly in Shen Zhaoqing’s ear.

“If you wish.”

“I’ll help you kill them all, how about it?”

‘Kill Gu Chang’an and Yuange?’

Shen Zhaoqing shivered violently, a bone-deep terror instantly seizing her heart.

She had no doubt that if Ling Shuangjue said it, she would absolutely do it.

This Demonic Venerable’s logic was entirely different from that of Gu Chang’an and Yuange.

“No, no need!” Shen Zhaoqing blurted out, her voice cracking. “They’re just playing around! They’re not loud, not loud at all! I actually think it’s quite… quite lively!”

“Is that so?” Ling Shuangjue watched her playfully, a hint of imperceptible disappointment flickering in her blood-red eyes. “What a pity.”

Shen Zhaoqing was on the verge of tears.

‘What exactly are you regretting?!

Ling Shuangjue finally released her chin and straightened up, elegantly smoothing her sleeves as if there were a crease to be found.

“Since you don’t like it, then this Venerable One will let them live a few more days.”

No sooner had she spoken than her form began to blur, like an ink wash painting dissolving into the air, slowly fading away.

“Remember, you will come home with me eventually.”

It wasn’t until the suffocating Demonic Energy and blood scent completely vanished that Shen Zhaoqing felt as if all her strength had been drained.

Cold sweat had drenched her back.

She gasped for air, her heart still pounding wildly, threatening to leap from her throat.

Not far off, the clashing sounds of sword qi and feather blades raged on. The battle between Gu Chang’an and Yuange seemed to have reached its climax.

‘Let them fight, let them fight.’

She slumped onto the ruins of her home, gazing up at the gloomy sky, then at the two women in the distance fighting with earth-shattering intensity, and finally thought of the Demonic Venerable who had appeared and vanished so silently.

“Didn’t Senior Sister Gu say it was much safer here?” Shen Zhaoqing helplessly eyed the marks on her wrist, then silently raised the Gui Niang Hu in her hand, tilted her head back, and drained the remaining half-gourd of wine.

The spicy liquor burned its way down her throat, scorching her internal organs.

She felt that her life might truly be heading for an early grand finale.

****

Gu Chang’an and Yuange’s earth-shaking ‘friendly exchange’ finally concluded with Tuoba Yanxue personally leading troops to surround the training grounds.

It was said that the decisive General Canglang’s face was as black as a pot bottom, and her words were chilling to the bone: “Esteemed Immortals, this is a vital military camp. Should there be a next time, do not blame my Frost Iron Legion’s ‘Immortal-Binding Crossbows’ for showing no quarter.”

This barely concealed threat plunged the entire military camp into a freezing atmosphere.

The final outcome was that Gu Chang’an was invited back to her private tent to ‘calm down,’ while Yuange flickered and vanished into the wind and snow. Before leaving, she even threw a seductive wink at Shen Zhaoqing from afar, mouthing, ‘Wait for me to come back and catch you,’ which nearly provoked Gu Chang’an into a second fight on the spot.

As for Shen Zhaoqing, the very center of this storm, she successfully… was ordered to rebuild her home?

Yes, rebuild.

Otherwise, this ruined place was genuinely uninhabitable.

The official reason given was: “Since Immortal Shen will cause trouble no matter what, she should contribute her remaining energy. After all, the military camp doesn’t support idlers.”

“Hey, new Qingyun Sect junior immortal maiden, what are you spacing out for? Hurry up and chop that firewood over there! If you don’t finish before nightfall, everyone here will go hungry today!” Old Liu San, currently bare-chested and wiping his notched cleaver with his greasy sleeve, yelled at Shen Zhaoqing.

Shen Zhaoqing expressionlessly glanced at the mountain of black ironwood, thicker than her waist, then at her own slender hands, accustomed only to holding a wine gourd and a bamboo broom.

She felt that the dramatic ups and downs of her life were truly too thrilling.

One moment, she was a ‘treasure’ coveted by three top experts; the next, she was a chore-performing disciple chopping firewood. This switch in identity was faster than turning a page.

However, she accepted it.

Compared to being torn to shreds by those three devils, chopping firewood was practically a blessing.

Thus, throughout the next day, the rough men of the logistics camp watched in dumbfounded amazement as the seemingly frail junior immortal maiden, who looked like she could be blown over by a gust of wind, expressionlessly wielded a giant axe taller than herself. With a single swing per log, she chopped the iron-hard black ironwood as easily as cutting tofu, stacking it neatly into a small mountain.

Occasionally, when tired, she would lean against the pile of firewood, unscrew the old gourd at her waist, take a swig, exhale a potent alcoholic breath, and continue working.

Her ferocity was almost unbearable to witness.

Old Liu San’s eyelids twitched as he silently hid his notched cleaver behind his back.

“The immortal is not only good at distinguishing herbs, but also very well-suited for chopping firewood, you know.”