Ch 144: The Cannon Fodder Won’t Play Along Anymore [QT]

Xue Zhongyu: ?

A bad feeling rose in his chest, but he forced a smile. “Ah Ling, what are you saying?”

Princess Jiangling smiled innocently at him. “I can cut off the chain, but the slave ring on your ankle was refined personally by my father. No one can remove it except him. Don’t worry, it won’t affect your daily life or your cultivation. It’s just… you can’t leave me more than ten zhang away. Otherwise, the slave ring will drain your spiritual power until you’re sucked dry.”

She covered her chest, pretending to be terrified. “So scary!”

Xue Zhongyu: “…”

He almost couldn’t hold his smile. “Ah Ling, why would you put something like that on me? Don’t you trust your Brother Yu?”

Princess Jiangling said, “Of course I trust you. But what if something like last time happens again?”

She frowned, her face twisting with venom. “Those hateful Taixu Sect cultivators barged in and stole my Brother Yu away.”

Then she laughed again. “Now it’s fine. Even if they steal you, either they send you back, or you die.”

She giggled. “My Brother Yu, even if you die, you can’t be taken by anyone else.”

Xue Zhongyu: “…” What kind of twisted freak was this?

Endless black evil intent poured out from the little girl before him. Honestly, if it weren’t directed at his own body, absorbing it would have felt pretty good.

He said to Youhuo, “This demon princess really is a born demon.”

Youhuo nodded. “Indeed, much more reliable than you.”

It sighed. “Why didn’t you reincarnate into the demon race? Then you could openly commit evil without any guilt.”

Xue Zhongyu: Sorry to disappoint you.

To soothe this clearly unstable little princess, Xue Zhongyu obeyed her almost completely.

But even so, even with the slave ring on him, there were always several Golden Core stage guards around to prevent any chance of escape.

Such a huge commotion, and the demons had brazenly snatched someone away. Naturally, the news couldn’t be hidden.

Far away on Medicine Peak, Mu Xing heard that it was the demon princess who had seized him. He paused. “This one really is persistent.”

In the original storyline, there wasn’t much detail about Xue Zhongyu and the demon princess—just one sentence about how they had been childhood sweethearts with deep affection.

Perhaps the little princess really did like Xue Zhongyu.

But this wasn’t in the original story, and this time Taixu Sect clearly wasn’t going to endure it again.

Led by Crescent Moon Peak’s master Xue Wuya, the sect sent out five peak masters, dozens of Nascent Soul elders, and over a hundred Golden Core elders, all charging into the demon realm to demand his return.

For years, the cultivation world had been relatively peaceful.

Though the human and demon races were ancient enemies, both sides had an unspoken agreement not to start wars lightly. For Taixu Sect, a major human immortal sect, to act like this naturally drew widespread attention.

But once the reason was known, most people understood. After all, Crescent Moon Peak’s master only had one son. You kidnapped him once and weren’t satisfied, and now you kidnapped him a second time?

That was stomping on Taixu Sect’s face twice over.

Who could tolerate that?

For something like this, of course, it had nothing to do with a Foundation Establishment disciple like Mu Xing. But Medicine Peak’s senior brother Li Xuanyao also went to the demon realm, so Mu Xing still paid attention to the outcome.

It was said that the little princess refused to release him. After days of stalemate, she suddenly relented.

The unconscious Xue Zhongyu was handed back to Xue Wuya.

The slave ring hid beneath his skin when inactive, so Taixu Sect didn’t notice it. No one paid attention to the strange smile on the princess’s face.

“Brother Yu, that sword hurt Jiang Ling so much. You must not have ever tasted the pain of death, right? You should savor it well.”

Not long after Taixu Sect left the demon realm, Xue Zhongyu suddenly woke up. His face turned pale as he tried to rush back to the demon realm—only to be restrained firmly.

Xue Wuya barked, “Xiao Yu, what are you doing? Do you still want to return to that witch’s side?”

Xue Zhongyu opened his mouth, but no words came. His dantian was empty, and even spiritual voice transmission didn’t work.

A chill ran through him. Jiang Ling wanted him dead.

But why?

He had indeed felt overwhelming evil intent and killing intent from her, but never aimed at him—because in her eyes, all he had seen was love.

His spiritual power had long since been drained. Now, the slave ring on his ankle was steadily sucking away his life itself.

In an instant, the boy’s black hair turned ashen gray.

Xue Wuya’s face changed drastically. “Xiao Yu!”

Xue Zhongyu cursed inwardly. Urged on by Youhuo, he forced himself to give up this body despite his reluctance.

Xue Wuya flew forward and grabbed his hand, about to speak, when suddenly an extremely evil aura burst from his son’s body.

He looked down in shock, only to see the boy’s eyes had turned pure black, without any whites.

“Fool. That demon princess planted a slave ring on me. If I’m more than ten zhang away from her, I won’t survive.”

Xue Wuya’s eyes widened in horror. He shouted sharply, “You’re not Xiao Yu! Who are you?”

Xue Zhongyu tilted his head, showing his usual well-behaved smile: “Of course I’m Xiao Yu. Father, how can you not recognize me? I am Xiao Yu, and I am also a demon seed. I hadn’t planned on exposing my identity this early, but unfortunately, this body has had its life drained by the Spirit Slave Ring and can’t survive anymore.”

“Master, watch out!”

Xue Wuya was pulled back by the disciple behind him.

The delicate, pretty child before them suddenly exploded, his figure shattering as a huge cloud of black mist burst out of his body and scattered in all directions.

Xue Wuya’s eyes nearly split, blood rushing from his chest as he coughed up a mouthful and fell to his knees.

*

On Medicine Peak, Mu Xing was stunned when he heard the news.

“Demon seed?”

Linking it to the plot and everything before, he suddenly realized: no wonder, no wonder the people of Crescent Moon Peak had all seemed under some strange stupor earlier—turns out Xue Zhongyu really wasn’t human.

He was a demon seed, born from endless evil.

No wonder he could bewitch people’s hearts.

And he had disguised himself so perfectly.

This time, if it hadn’t been for Princess Jiang Ling’s cruelty, Xue Zhongyu wouldn’t have been forced into exposing his identity and abandoning this perfectly matched vessel.

Mu Xing thought of the Demon Princess who, in the original plot, had been used by Xue Zhongyu and even died as his scapegoat. Though he didn’t understand why she was so ruthless this time, for Xue Zhongyu, it was retribution—he had taken her life in one lifetime, she took his in this one. Balance.

The one most devastated was undoubtedly Crescent Moon Peak’s master, Xue Wuya.

His only son turned out not only to be a demon seed by nature but was also the very cause of his own Dao companion’s death from exhaustion.

It was said that Xue Wuya’s hair turned half white on the spot, and upon returning to Crescent Moon Peak, he immediately shut himself away in seclusion.

He had fallen into heart demons.

At this time, Mu Xing didn’t understand much about demon seeds, until his senior brother Li Xuanyao explained to him in detail.

Li Xuanyao looked at him with concern: “Little junior brother, I suspect you’re that demon seed’s target.”

Luckily, the little junior had come to Medicine Peak, leaving the demon seed with no opening. If he had stayed at Crescent Moon Peak… Li Xuanyao didn’t even dare imagine the outcome.

Yu Hongyao was more straightforward: she directly handed Mu Xing another storage pouch.

Mu Xing: “?”

Yu Hongyao: “All life-saving things. That demon seed most likely chose you as his vessel. A vessel is hard to come by—he won’t easily give up. If you run into danger, just pull these out and throw them.”

Mu Xing peeked inside—it was full of poison pills, talismans, and one-use defensive artifacts. Easily hundreds of items.

He couldn’t help saying: “This is too precious.”

Yu Hongyao: “That’s why you need to train well. Once you become a strong cultivator like Master, the demon seed won’t be able to touch you. If you’re no longer in danger, I won’t need to waste so much on you.”

Mu Xing: “…?” Was that logic?

Still, he was touched by Yu Hongyao’s kindness.

Remembering something, he carefully pulled two items out of his pouch.

They were the two spirit beast eggs Yu Hongyao had given him that day. But now, the once flawless shells were covered in fine cracks like spiderwebs, as though just a touch would make them shatter.

Undeniable life force spilled out from them.

Mu Xing asked: “These spirit beasts must be about to hatch. Senior sister, do you want one?”

Yu Hongyao, usually the cold domineering type, took two steps back in a flurry, eyes wide: “N-no, better not. I’m afraid if I take it, it won’t even get the chance to be born.”

Mu Xing: “…”

Yet Yu Hongyao couldn’t help stealing another glance, clearly liking it, but she still said: “You raise them. I’ll just come visit when I have time.”

Mu Xing couldn’t help but smile: “Alright then. When they hatch, I’ll tell you right away.”

That day came quickly.

In meditation, Mu Xing suddenly heard the faintest cracking sound.

He immediately pulled out the two eggs and placed them on a warm fur carpet.

Sure enough, one had a piece of shell the size of a fingernail already fallen away.

It was like a signal—both eggs began to stir, rustling and rocking under his gaze as more fragments fell off.

Finally, Mu Xing caught sight of a patch of blue fur.

Blue?

He wondered—was it some bird-type spirit beast?

Until a tiny, tender white hand stretched out of the shell.

A hand?

A person?

Mu Xing froze, eyes widening as that hand, no larger than his own finger, flailed clumsily. Soon, another hand pushed through.

Then came the head.

Mu Xing was completely dumbstruck.

Soft little blue curls, blue eyes, a delicate, fair little face.

This was a person.

He wondered in confusion: can people also be born from eggs?

The tiny figure, pale and tender, opened its eyes immediately after hatching. Upon seeing Mu Xing, it gave a happy smile and even waved at him.

Mu Xing hesitated before carefully reaching out and lifting the little one out of the broken shell.

A glint of silver-blue flashed before his eyes.

Below the child wasn’t two little legs, but a plump, tender silver-blue tail. So familiar.

A merman.

❣╰(⸝⸝⸝꒳⸝⸝⸝)╯❣