Chapter 201: The Hundred-Year Contract

An unnamed grave untouched for a hundred years.

Weathered and worn, it seemed some power had protected it.

Before the tablet stood a diverse group of people.

They paused before the tomb, lingering in a long silence.

Inside and outside the stone, there was only quiet.

The soft rustling of wind could be heard passing through the woods.

Emerald leaves rubbed together, creating a crisp, continuous sound.

Meng Yingxing looked at the fox demon’s back, then turned to his Master.

Xiu Qingcheng gazed at Xie Yuguang’s grave, lost in a daze.

Meng Yingxing felt a stir in his heart.

‘Master always says her memories are blurry and she doesn’t remember clearly, but she really did know Xie Yuguang.’

‘The living Xie Yuguang she witnessed back then has now become a pile of yellow earth; she must be moved deep down, right?’

‘Will I… make Master show such an expression in the future?’

Meng Yingxing suddenly wondered.

Xiu Qingcheng might live for a very, very long time, but what about him?

How long could he live?

No, he had to keep living, to stay alive forever to accompany his Master.

Feeling this strange sensation, Meng Yingxing began to reflect on his reckless behavior against the powerful fox demon.

He had ignored his Master’s warnings and stepped forward; without her, he would have been burned to a pile of ash.

How could he accompany her then?

Moreover, his recklessness had hindered her movements, becoming a fatal weakness.

Even with protective artifacts, it wasn’t enough.

‘No, Meng Yingxing, this won’t do.’

‘What you need to do is not cause trouble for Master due to selfishness, but to stand beside her without any reservations.’

‘Keep getting stronger, act less impulsively, and become a mature and reliable man!’

He had heard people at the Tianfeng Sect mention that to conquer a woman, one must be a mature and reliable man.

The current Meng Yingxing had somewhat achieved enlightenment.

When he snapped out of it, Qingqiu Zhaoying had already turned away from the grave.

His ethereal gaze swept over everyone as he gestured slightly.

“I… want to stay here for a while longer.”

“If you have business, please leave first.”

Qingqiu Zhaoying issued an order for them to leave.

But no one present intended to listen to him.

“Once you explain the things I want to know, I will naturally leave.”

Xiu Qingcheng crossed her arms, her attitude clear.

Her subtext was also evident: she could leave whenever she wanted, and if Zhaoying wanted to snatch the Ting Tian Sword, there was absolutely no chance.

Meng Yingxing leaned closer to Xiu Qingcheng.

If Master wasn’t leaving, he wasn’t leaving.

Shen Xu’s eyes widened.

“I’m not leaving either, Xie Zhaoying.”

“I want to know if the stories about Xie Yuguang and you currently circulating in the city are actually true.”

She was curious about what happened back then.

She was also afraid that the truth Zhaoying might tell would destroy all her admiration for Xie Yuguang.

“Also, did you really… kill…”

Zhaoying glanced at Shen Xu.

Her words faltered, but he knew what she wanted to ask.

The demon youth killed the general who had turned into a witch and harmed the city, becoming the new legend of Yelan City.

“True or false? For the people of Yelan City today, it no longer matters, because…”

A haze colored Zhaoying’s eyes, and his voice dropped so low that no one could hear him clearly.

“Because of what?”

Shen Xu pressed.

“Because they are all dead people; there is no need to know.”

Qingqiu Zhaoying turned his back.

Hearing this, Shen Xu looked at the grave, appearing anxious.

“How can you say that? That’s quite disrespectful to General Xie, isn’t it?”

Zhaoying said nothing.

He stood before the grave for a while longer before returning with everyone else.

Though even Zhaoying wasn’t sure why they were following Shen Xu home.

Xiu Qingcheng and Meng Yingxing indicated they were still waiting for him to talk about what he knew of the Ting Tian Sword.

Xiu Qingcheng was quite patient; she wanted to see when Zhaoying would finally be willing to speak.

The next day, Shen Xu saw Xiu Qingcheng pressing her sword against Zhaoying’s neck.

“Mhm… if you don’t speak, I’ll chop your head off first. Did you really think I’ve forgiven you for trying to snatch my disciple?”

Xiu Qingcheng tapped his neck with her sword, her own head tilted as she spoke to him with a beaming smile.

Faced with her threat, Zhaoying’s expression remained unchanged; he didn’t seem afraid at all.

He was a world apart from Lady Nan Feixue, whose neck had also been threatened by Xiu Qingcheng.

‘If I knew mind-reading, would I be this restricted?’

If it weren’t for the fact that Xiu Qingcheng truly cared about the information Zhaoying possessed, she would have already swung the sword instead of standing here bickering with him!

“Hey! No fighting!”

Shen Xu rushed up, carefully moving Xiu Qingcheng’s sword away.

Xiu Qingcheng’s cold gaze swept over her.

“Miss Shen, aren’t you afraid I’ll chop you down too?”

In her irritability, Xiu Qingcheng’s mind was filled with “kill kill kill kill kill.”

Shen Xu shrunk her neck slightly, still a bit afraid of her.

“Miss Xiu, you… probably… wouldn’t, hahahaha…”

“Right, let’s go shopping together! The Red Team gave me a day off!”

Faced with Shen Xu’s invitation, both Xiu Qingcheng and Zhaoying refused immediately.

“Not going.”

“No.”

“Don’t be like that! Let’s go out to relax! Young Hero Meng and Qingqiu Zhaoying won’t recover well just sitting here! You need to walk around more! I beg you!!!”

In the end, Shen Xu failed to move these two stubborn figures.

That night, Xiu Qingcheng was fully focused on helping Meng Yingxing consolidate his newly attained cultivation.

Originally, the thought that this disciple had devoured a bit of her power made her angry.

But as a good Master, it was her responsibility, so she let bygones be bygones.

At this moment in the Shen residence, a slender figure walked out of the main gate.

The swaying lanterns hanging on the gate reflected Qingqiu Zhaoying’s face.

His demonic eyes were cold, and clutching his red blade, he silently made his way toward the ruins of Old Yelan City.

Zhaoying passed by Xie Yuguang’s grave, navigating through the mottled ruins of broken walls from memory, eventually arriving at a dark, secluded cave outside the old capital site.

The place was extremely well-hidden; it was hard to imagine what kind of person would discover this.

Zhaoying walked into the cave without hesitation.

The cave was pitch black, and as Zhaoying stepped deeper, he felt as if he were merging into the darkness.

As he reached the depths, a faint purple light illuminated the cavern.

In the center of the cave, a massive prismatic purple crystal stood tall, surrounded by faint traces of cobalt-blue light.

Zhaoying looked at the crystal and let out a long breath.

The purple crystal suddenly emitted a faint glow.

“Back then, you were just a little demon.”

“Now, you are already a great demon.”

An enigmatic male voice rippled from within the crystal, speaking to Zhaoying.

“Why are you blocking my people from entering Yelan City? Wouldn’t it be better if I helped you destroy it?”

Zhaoying was expressionless.

“It is her city; you have no right to interfere.”

Hearing this, the male voice chuckled.

“Do you have that right?”

“Fine, then… time moves slowly. Have you made up your mind, Xie Zhaoying?”

“This… contract you have considered for a hundred years.”

Zhaoying was momentarily dazed, memories flooding his mind—

“General… please go to your death!”

“Xie Yuguang, are these the people you want to protect?!”

“Xie Zhaoying, I will be the villain, and you will be Yelan City’s new hero. After I die, please protect this city for me—”

Zhaoying’s head throbbed with waves of pain.

His gaze grew colder, and he gritted his teeth, speaking word by word:

“Since I have come here, it means I have considered it clearly.”

“Excellent!”

The male voice inside the crystal laughed.

“I’ve said it before: people will always vividly remember a person’s evil while erasing the countless acts of kindness they possessed. The ones who killed Xie Yuguang were every single person in Yelan City!”

The voice seemed to possess some kind of magic, turning Zhaoying’s eyes into an eerie, bloodshot red.

“But I still want to know one thing. Xie Zhaoying, now that you clearly have enough power to overturn Yelan City, why do you still come to fulfill my contract?”

“Someone has come to the city; I am not her match. But she… is also going to die along with Yelan City.”

Zhaoying’s eyes grew increasingly red and swollen.

“Good! Then… the contract is established.”

“I will take half of your vengeful soul, and I also know your wish!”

“I, Rift Heaven General Duguang, shall grant you power sufficient to destroy all of Yelan City!”

The male voice in the purple crystal let out a long howl, and a blinding purple light subsequently poured into Qingqiu Zhaoying’s body.

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