Early the next day, Qing Qiu's king summoned Tian Yao to the palace. Zhu Li came to convey the message. He also wanted Yan Hui to go.
Yan Hui was surprised: "Me?" She had entered the demon pathway, but her cultivation still wasn't that refined. What meaning was behind the king's summons? Could it be he was so short on men that even she had to be called to duty...
Tian Yao also frowned when he heard that: "Her wound isn't healed."
Zhu Li nodded: "The king knows. That's why a flying fox came." He had just said that when a streak of light arced over. A Five-tailed Fox landed by Yan Hui's bed. It crouched down on to the ground and waited for Yan Hui to sit on its back.
Yan Hui was silent upon seeing this but still sat on its back.
The group went to Qing Qiu's royal palace, but only Yan Hui and Tian Yao entered the enormous tree palace. Even Zhu Li had to obediently wait outside.
Qing Qiu's king was sitting in the hall as before. His hand was lightly supporting his cheek, and his eyes were closed. It was hard to tell if he was contemplating or if he was resting. The situation made Yan Hui unsure if she should say something or not.
In front of a formidable demon in the chilly silence, perhaps very few people would not feel ill at ease, not only Yan Hui.
As for Tian Yao, perhaps he was one of the few: "King." He greeted the king. It was one word, but it was no different than him greeting any other person.
Qing Qiu's king finally opened his eyes and swept his gaze over Tian Yao. Then he looked over at Yan Hui and sized her up. That look was very strange. Clearly before when she came with Tian Yao, the king never sized up the "idle" her.
"Zhu Li gave you 'Demon Bestowal'. What layer has your cultivation reached?"
Yan Hui didn't understand why the king's first question was directed towards her, but she still replied: "I already reached the second level. With harder work and practice, I might reach the third level in a few days."
"You've made fast progress, a rare aptitude."
Yan Hui was a little overwhelmed by receiving the king's praise. However since he brought it up, Yan Hui decided on continuing on the line of conservation: "If I may dare, Zhu Li said 'Demon Bestowal' was found in the palace's library collection. Right now, 'Demon Bestowal' only reaches the ninth layer. Does the king know where the unfinished magic techniques are?"
Qing Qiu's king remained silent for a moment: "The ninth layer of practice in 'Demon Bestowal' is enough. Any more, it won't be any good for you."
Yan Hui was stumped for words. From the meaning of those words, the king clearly knew there were several more layers in "Demon Bestowal". Furthermore, he knew the specifics of the missing contents, but he actually said it like that....
"Have you found all your body parts?" Qing Qiu's king moved his eyes to Tian Yao and at the same time started the conversation.
As for the question asked, to Yan Hui it seemed like a very obvious question. Yan Hui found it strange that the Qing Qiu King couldn't tell whether or not Tian Yao's body was complete. Even more strange was that Tian Yao paused before answering.
"I'm already complete," replied Tian Yao.
When Qing Qiu's king heard this, he actually stood up and slowly walked towards Tian Yao: "News from Central Plains said you committed a massacre at Guang Han Sect?"
Yan Hui was a bit startled by those words. She turned to look at Tian Yao. Yan Hui really didn't know the specifics of what happened back there. However since that day Tian Yao dug her out of the dirt and rubble, Guang Han Sect had been quiet. It can be speculated that the sect's situation wasn't good.
But Yan Hui didn't think that it would be....a massacre?
"Ah." Tian Yao's mouth curved into a faint sneer. "Did that count as a massacre? Central Plains' cultivators really over exaggerate what a massacre is." Tian Yao lightly remarked, "They didn't lose that many people."
The Qing Qiu King's eyes naturally had a cold light. That light in his eyes intensified. Even though he wasn't looking staring at Yan Hui, it was enough for Yan Hui's heart to tremble. Her hands and feet became cold. The king's voice carried a light chill: "A Millennium Dragon Demon only has that much mere strength?"
Yan Hui was shocked. What did Qing Qiu's king mean?
Tian Yao had just got his heart back, and he, all by himself, used his strength to suppress all of the disciples guarding Guang Han Sect. This was already a shocking display to everyone, yet to Qing Qiu's king, it was --mere strength?
However, Tian Yao didn't reply to this round of questioning.
Yan Hui was confused by this round of questions and answers. Yan Hui couldn't help saying to the king: "Tian Yao just found his dragon heart back. The magic in his body hasn't completely....."
"Yan Hui." Tian Yao cut her off. He turned and looked at her, "Go ahead and wait for me outside."
This was actually...the first time Tian Yao had such a request towards her. They had always shared all information between the two of them. What she knew, Tian Yao definitely would know. What he knew, she definitely would know. That was why they understood each other so well. That was the reason why she so trusted Tian Yao.
But now, Yan Hui suddenly understood in a flash that it turns out Tian Yao was hiding something from her.
A secret he couldn't tell her...
Yan Hui just glanced at Tian Yao but didn't stay confused for long. She just said, "alright", and turned and left.
Outside of the enormous tree palace, Zhu Li had left to do something. He wasn't waiting out side. Yan Hui waited for awhile before getting bored and taking a leisurely walk along the winding paths.
The wound on her chest hadn't completely healed yet. She walked for a bit and rested for a bit. She didn't care how far she walked, and she didn't memorize her route. Just like that, she aimlessly roamed around. Sometimes a little fox demon would run past her, and Yan Hui would playfully pet them. But even though she was moving around, her mind still couldn't help going back to what secret Tian Yao was hiding from her.
From that conversation, Qing Qiu's king was just saying that Tian Yao actually didn't find back all of his body. However, aside from the Heart Protection Scale in her heart, what else was he missing?
Could it be that the Heart Protection Scale in heart was absolutely necessary for Tian Yao's body? It was necessary for his body's magic to be fully expressed?
Yan Hui thought about it but came to no conclusion. After all, if Tian Yao wanted to hide something about his dragon body from her, then it would be hard to find any information from elsewhere.
But no matter how much she thought about it and guessed about it, Yan Hui remained sure of one thing. Tian Yao wouldn't harm her.
At the very least, when Qing Qiu's king asked Tian Yao if his body was complete, Tian Yao replied that it was.
He didn't want to take the Heart Protection Scale from her body.
As she thought and walked, Yan Hui stumbled upon a small residence.
Yan Hui looked in surprised at the residence tucked deep within the palace area. She looked around. All of the demons that lived the palace's mountain top lived in the forest. Even Yan Hui hadn't seen the king go anywhere else. Then why was there a residence here? Could it be...this is where Qing Qiu's king lived?
"Don't go over there." Yan Hui was still guessing when white fox demons leapt up to her feet. Some of the ones that couldn't talk yet bit at her clothes. Some blocked the path in front of her and said with a baby voice: "That's Princess Yun Xi's courtyard. The king doesn't like people going near the princess's courtyard."
Yan Hui was stunned. This was the residence of the princess that Su Ying had murdered?
Apparently the king truly really did love that princess. All of the princes had been sent off the mountain to live. Only the daughter remained on the mountain and kept him company, but now...
Yan Hui looked at the courtyard and saw a male figure inside the courtyard walked by the entrance.
When she looked closely, it turned out to be Lu Mu Sheng, whom Zhu Li had lead away yesterday.
"How come you're here?" Yan Hui blurted out.
Lu Mu Sheng, who was using broom to sweep up the dead leaves at the entrance, raised his head. He was slightly surprised upon seeing Yan Hui: "Miss?" He somewhat perplexedly swept his gaze across Yan Hui's chest. "Is your wound healed?"
"It wasn't a bad wound."
Lu Mu Sheng nodded and smiled: "That's good. You demon clansmens' bodies heal fast."
"I'm not a demon clansmen." Yan Hui paused and look unflinchingly at Lu Mu Sheng. "A few months ago, I was a xian cultivator."
Lu Mu Sheng was stunned. He quieted and waited. Yan Hui thought over it: "However, that's not important. Now I am a demon. Like you, I'd rather live in Qing Qiu than in Central Plains." Yan Hui pointed at the residence behind him, "Did Qing Qiu's king allow you to live there?"
"It was me who begged the king to let me stay here." Lu Mu Sheng looked back at the residence. His mouth curved into a light smile, "This is where Yun Xi lived before. Thinking about that this is where she laughed and where she cried, I even more don't want to leave this place. Before, she would tell me that if she ever could return to Qing Qiu, then she wanted to have flowers and bushes planted in her courtyard because before she just wanted to have fun and didn't have time to take care of her courtyard. Now, I finally can help her care for it."
Yan Hui could tell that this scholar really deeply love that Nine-tailed Fox Demon Princess. Because when he mentioned Yun Xi's name, his eyes would light up.
And now his eyes were shining brighter. Yan Hui could just imagine how low Lu Mu Sheng had sunk staying at Guang Han Sect.
Yan Hui suddenly remembered when she and Tian Yao went to Heavenly Fragrance to retrieve his dragon horns. She used the technique Tian Yao taught her to snoop in on Su Ying but was discovered. However right at that moment, a servant came to report that Lu Mu Sheng tried to commit suicide and took Su Ying away.
In a way, Lu Mu Sheng indirectly used his life to save her's and Tian Yao's.
Because if the Tian Yao back then had been discovered by Su Ying, what happened afterwords wouldn't have happened.
And clearly Lu Mu Sheng would rather die than live under Su Ying's control. However, unfortunately his attempt wasn't successful. He also was a pitiful person.
"I really want to thank the king for being so magnanimous." Lu Mu Sheng said, "I had already prepared myself to never see anything related to Yun Xi again." He lightly smiled. "Thank you and that sir too for bringing me from Central Plains to here."
Yan Hui was silent. It was quite awhile before she finally replied, "You're an enormous factor for restricting Su Ying....Qing Qiu won't always ignore that you're here cleaning Princess Yun Xi's courtyard."
"I know." Lu Mu Sheng continued to sweep up the dead leaves in the corner. "As Qing Qiu's chess piece to deal with Su Ying, it's exactly what I've been looking for. Ever since I found out Yun Xi had been cruelly....." He was a scholar who had never held a weapon; his hands were clean. However, he gripped the broom so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "The Lu Mu Sheng of back then died. From then on, I lived an inhuman life. Now that I've entered Qing Qiu, even if it's as a chess piece, I feel like I had snatched back my life."
"Qing Qiu wants to use me. Then, please use me. What harm is there in giving myself up." There was an intense hate in his voice. "I just request that Su Ying....doesn't have an good death."