Chapter 83: The Story of Minghan
The mountain gate slowly opened, revealing a cave glowing with a blue-green light. Shentu Zhajia took a deep breath before stepping inside. The vast cave housed a bright bed and a stone table with a dark blue Canghai Zhu Lianqin.
Li Minghan lay peacefully on the dragon crystal bed in the center of the cave. His pale skin still showed a faint blush, and his trembling eyelashes silently testified to his life. His hands, clasped on his chest, held a black Xuan pearl. His thin frame appeared fragile, dressed in the same clothes from his first meeting with Shentu Zhajia, now adorned with a red coral at the waist.
Li Luoning gazed at the sleeping Li Minghan, his emotions conflicted. He wondered if his decision back then was correct, as he had severed his only blood relative in this world.
Looking at Li Minghan's face, Li Luoning felt a moment of confusion. The Moon Shadow Pill in his chest also reacted.
"Rumor has it that the Demon Lord permanently confined him in the back mountain of Wuming, never to take a single step out," Li Luoning said, feeling a bit relieved seeing Li Minghan sleeping peacefully, contrary to the rumors.
"The Dark Phoenix Sutra is indeed a royal demon clan secret technique, but it is not without a solution. I used it publicly to make people forget about Minghan's existence. Minghan and I have known each other since we were young. He saw me as a brother, and I saw him as a confidant. Even if he was at fault, as his older brother, I couldn't be so ruthless," Shentu Zhajia said softly, standing by Li Minghan's side as if afraid to wake him.
"I always knew Uncle was strict with Minghan but never understood why until I saw you at the Dragon Palace," Shentu Zhajia continued.
"Turns out, Uncle always knew but never let us meet," Li Luoning sighed.
"Uncle never allowed Minghan to show his true face but never explained why. Until one day, Minghan accidentally saw you and thought Uncle favored you. In anger, he returned his bones to his father and left the Dragon Palace," Shentu Zhajia said, eyes closed, feeling the pain Minghan must have felt.
"So, the short sword that day?" Li Luoning now understood why Li Minghan could easily absorb the short sword into his body during the battle at Wuming Mountain and why the Yanding Dragon King left it for him.
Shentu Zhajia nodded, his eyes full of sorrow as he looked at Li Minghan. "I tried to advise him to think positively and sent him to the mortal world, but he met someone he shouldn't have. His Moon Shadow Pill's secret was discovered and reported to my father."
"O Shinan?" Li Luoning frowned.
Shentu Zhajia nodded, "It seems O Shinan knew about you two long ago, approached him intentionally, and spread the secret of the Moon Shadow Pill to my father. He is indeed a master schemer, deep and deceitful."
"So, all this seemingly logical sequence was part of O Shinan's plan. To unify the three realms, he has been scheming for years," Li Luoning realized O Shinan's ambition was not a mere coincidence.
Shentu Zhajia sighed, "I thought if the demon clan kept to themselves and the people of Fanli Valley lived peacefully, it wouldn't matter to me. But now, it seems no one in the three realms can remain unaffected."
"O Shinan, with his deceitful heart, manipulated people. If the three realms fall into his hands, there will be no peace," Li Luoning said indignantly.
"He must have incited Minghan and spread the Moon Shadow Pill's secret. Minghan was captured on his way back to the Dragon Palace, imprisoned in Kunlun Hill, and tortured for the Pill's power. But such a high-grade pill can only be taken willingly or by blood relatives. My father used the Thousand Claw Prison to lock him up and tortured him, and I knew nothing," Shentu Zhajia said, guilt and pain etched on his face, eyes fixed on the barely visible scar on Li Minghan's upper lip.
"Minghan said he escaped after being tortured at Kunlun Hill. It must have been O Shinan who saved him," Shentu Zhajia said, believing that even he hadn't realized how powerful a mere flower demon could be.
"I received an urgent report and rushed to find Minghan had absorbed all my father's demonic cultivation. Since then, I was imprisoned, and he took my place as the Demon Lord," Shentu Zhajia said, his voice filled with restrained pain.
"That's why the Demon Lord has worn a mask since coming out of seclusion, to hide his deception," Li Luoning said calmly.
Shentu Zhajia nodded slightly, "I thought he wanted to use the demon clan's power to fight you, to fill the void in his heart, but he became increasingly murderous."
"If not for the pills, we might have been ordinary children, living happily," Li Luoning said, unsure whom to blame for the tragedies.
"Minghan appears strong but fears the dark. He's been that way since childhood," Shentu Zhajia said with a soft smile. "I used the Xuan pearl Uncle gave me to find this glowing dragon bed for him, so he wouldn't be afraid when alone."
"He has a blood feud with you. Why don't you hate him?" Li Luoning was surprised that Shentu Zhajia, a Demon Lord, could be so forgiving.
"His current state is worse than death," Shentu Zhajia said with a bitter smile, adding, "He placed a life-binding curse on me. If he dies, I will also disappear. I'm not afraid of death, but the demon clan cannot be leaderless. If someone succeeds the throne, I will follow him to the afterlife and play chess once more."
"If I had discovered his changes earlier and protected him more, maybe none of this would have happened," Shentu Zhajia said, feeling deeply regretful.
"You mentioned Kunlun Hill. How well does the demon clan know its terrain?" Li Luoning asked, changing the topic.
"My father built a dungeon there to imprison the worst criminals and train beasts. I don't know much about the terrain, but there should be records in my father's documents," Shentu Zhajia replied.
"O Shinan is determined to unify the three realms. He won't let Nian'er and me go. Instead of letting him march through the realms, we should lure him to Kunlun Hill. This will protect the people and give us an advantage," Li Luoning analyzed seriously.
**Wuming Demon Mountain, near Fanli Valley**
"The place you're looking for is in that direction," a demon soldier pointed out to Mi Xingzhe.
"Thank you," Mi Xingzhe said, walking in the indicated direction.
The courtyard reminded him of the first time his master came to Wuming Demon Mountain to find him. Miss Ruoying had escaped with them to the Peach Blossom Forest. Now, he couldn't return to the forest, but Hua Ruoying's room was still the same.
Taking a deep breath, Mi Xingzhe mustered the courage to open Hua Ruoying's door. The old wood creaked, and moonlight revealed floating dust.
Hua Ruoying's room was simple. The screen in the middle had white and pale purple flowers painted on it. On the left was a room filled with various herbs and poisons, and on the right, a bed draped in light blue curtains.
"The flowers on the screen are Empty Valley Immortals!" Mi Xingzhe recognized the flowers, recalling Hua Ruoying's joy when she first saw the Empty Valley Immortals in the Liao Yin Immortal Realm.
"So, this was her favorite flower," Mi Xingzhe realized why Hua Ruoying had been so happy over what he had thought was just an ordinary plant.
"She gave me her favorite flower." At this moment, Mi Xingzhe understood that his feelings for Hua Ruoying were never one-sided.
Tears welled up in Mi Xingzhe's eyes. "Did I realize it too late?"
Memories of his time with Hua Ruoying in the Peach Blossom Forest flooded his mind. As tears streamed down his face, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Though you are unseen in the shadows, you are the light I long for," were the words quietly lying on a piece of paper on Hua Ruoying's desk.
Unseen by Mi Xingzhe, he turned and walked to the other side of the room.
Lifting the curtain, he recalled the scene from when he first woke up here. He noticed half of a mask on Hua Ruoying's dressing table.
Gently touching the items Hua Ruoying once used, each inch felt like a dull knife scraping at Mi Xingzhe's heart.
The mask he once wore now felt like a searing brand, igniting memories of their past together.
"Miss Ruoying, I'm sorry," Mi Xingzhe whispered, choking on his words, as he closed his eyes tightly to hold back the pain.
"Nian'er."
Li Luoning's voice came from the main hall. Mi Xingzhe instinctively withdrew his hand from the mask, quickly composed himself, wiped away his tears, and turned to leave the room.
"Master, how did you know I was here?"
"How could I not know your feelings?"
"Master, did you need something?" Mi Xingzhe changed the topic, following Li Luoning out of the room and gently closing the door.
A gust of wind blew the paper off the desk, but it still went unnoticed by Mi Xingzhe, landing quietly near the door.
"I have two things to give you," Li Luoning said as they walked side by side. He opened three fingers, revealing a pale green spell that slowly spread out, forming a beautiful butterfly flapping its wings. Li Luoning opened his other hand, and the butterfly gently landed in his palm.
"A Liuguang Butterfly?" Mi Xingzhe asked, puzzled. The Liuguang Butterfly was their sect's communication spell, so why was his master giving him one?
"This one is unique to your brother," Li Luoning explained. Although Liuguang Butterflies were their sect's communication tool, Yun Qingyi's was the most refined.
"Qingyi's Liuguang Butterfly?" Mi Xingzhe looked at the butterfly with tenderness.
"Qingyi loved poetry and art. His Liuguang Butterfly was always different. This butterfly contains all the events from when he joined the sect. I thought you might want to know his past," Li Luoning said, gently pushing the butterfly. It fluttered its wings, emitting a beautiful glow as it landed on Mi Xingzhe's shoulder.
Mi Xingzhe quickly extended his hand, letting the butterfly rest in his palm, holding it carefully. "All of Qingyi's memories? For me?" He asked, not daring to believe it, his eyes fixed on the glowing butterfly.
"You and Qingyi are blood brothers. His things should be kept by you," Li Luoning said, raising his other hand in front of Mi Xingzhe.
The Liuguang Butterfly flew around Mi Xingzhe once before disappearing into his shoulder.
"Qingyi's sword! Master, didn't you bury this sword?" Mi Xingzhe remembered his master burying the sword in the Peach Blossom Forest.
"I did leave the sword to honor Qingyi, but perhaps your brotherly bond gave it a spirit. It appeared in my room yesterday. Qingyi must have wanted you to have it as a keepsake," Li Luoning explained softly.
"Qingyi, my brother..." Mi Xingzhe said, his eyes reddening as he caressed the sword's hilt.
The word "brother" never left his lips. Qingyi was his senior, his teacher, and his loving brother.
"Yue?" Mi Xingzhe noticed the word engraved on the sword, puzzled.
"The moon we see today is the same ancient moon that once shone on our ancestors," Li Luoning sighed.
In the dungeon of the Liao Yin Immortal Realm, the sounds of whipping and cries echoed continuously.
O Shinan gently placed down his teacup and picked up a folding fan, resting it against his forehead. His seductive gaze made him seem like a female spirit in a man's body. He fanned himself lightly, "You've been confined for a long time, naturally, you have a temper. But it's about time you calmed down."
With those words, he struck the head of Tuluo with a fan filled with dark purple energy. Tuluo, dizzy and disoriented, shook his head. Taking advantage of the moment, O Shinan summoned a black shadow from his sleeve, which entered Tuluo's mind.
As Tuluo's struggles weakened, the shadow took full control of his consciousness.
The once pure white feathers on Tuluo's back turned into deep purple wings, and his eyes glowed dark green. His body was now enveloped in a dark aura.
"Let's go. Time for some fun," O Shinan said, leading the transformed Tuluo out of the dungeon.
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