Record of a Demon's Cultivation Chapter 1447: Xuan Chengzi’s Astonishment
Previously on Record of a Demon's Cultivation...
Translator: CinderTL
"I saw it with my own eyes, without a doubt. The Yaoguang Lotus has fully bloomed. Its seven petals have unfurled completely, transparent as ice crystals, and its stamen glows with a crimson-gold light."
Qing Lian’s tone was firm as she continued her explanation.
"For the past few days, you’ve gone to the Human Pavilion every afternoon. During that time, I used the excuse that ’Big Brother asked me to monitor the Spirit Fields’ to investigate each one individually."
"But after investigating most of the fields, I found no Yaoguang Lotus. I had nearly lost hope, thinking either the Willow Serpent Clan doesn’t possess such lotuses, or they are planted in forbidden territory, which I cannot enter."
"I didn’t come to see you this morning because only three fields remained uninvestigated, including the Rainbow Water Spirit Field. I planned to finish the investigation and report the results before meeting you. But to my surprise, I truly found a Yaoguang Lotus in the Rainbow Water Spirit Field."
"However, the Yaoguang Lotus appears to be a treasured item of the clan. Guards are stationed to watch over it, so I couldn’t take it myself. I only managed a fleeting glance before quickly leaving."
Hearing this, a sense of unease surged through Song Wen, and his gaze involuntarily drifted toward the entrance of the cultivation cave.
Fortunately, no Willow Serpents were present outside.
Qing Lian’s brazen investigation, Song Wen worried, might have already attracted the attention of King Jianglin or other members of the Willow Serpent Clan.
"Miss Qinglian, did your individual searches of the Spirit Fields go unnoticed?" Song Wen asked.
"Absolutely not. I often help my big brother with clan affairs when I have free time, so the clansmen are accustomed to seeing me around. No one would suspect anything," Qing Lian replied nonchalantly.
Song Wen rubbed his throbbing temples, suppressing his unease.
Whether Qing Lian’s actions had aroused suspicion or not, they had already happened. Worrying now wouldn’t change anything.
Still, Qing Lian had indeed solved a major problem for him.
"Thank you, Miss Qinglian. Since the Yaoguang Lotus is a treasured item of the Willow Serpent Clan, it’s not something I can covet. Let’s leave it at that," Song Wen said.
"I can ask my big brother. If she asks, she might grant you this Yaoguang Lotus," Qing Lian offered.
Song Wen sighed inwardly: Qing Lian must not understand the Yaoguang Lotus’s true purpose, or she wouldn’t have said that. The Yaoguang Lotus is crucial for King Jianglin’s advancement to the ninth-tier. She would never casually give it away to an outsider.
"I appreciate your kind offer, Miss Qinglian. However, please never mention asking King Jianglin for the lotus again."
"But..." Qing Lian’s serpentine tail coiled, its scales rustling against the ground. "Are you worried she won’t agree?"
Song Wen shook his head.
"Miss Qinglian, there’s no need to say more. The Yaoguang Lotus is a treasured possession of the Willow Serpent Clan. As an outsider, how could I presume to covet it? To force the issue would only invite trouble."
"I... I understand," Qing Lian said.
Then, as if remembering something, she continued, "I’ve also been investigating the Mirror Sea Mirage Abyss. However, it was swallowed by the Primordial Qi Death Zone tens of thousands of years ago. No one has seen it with their own eyes since. All our clues must come from Ancient Texts. But our clan’s texts are chaotic and numerous, and I haven’t found any concrete leads yet."
"Thank you for your efforts, Miss Qinglian. I will never forget your kindness," Song Wen said, his tone earnest.
Qing Lian tilted her head, the corners of her lips, as delicate as flower petals, curving into a sweet smile.
"You don’t need to thank me. I’m happy to help you with anything."
Song Wen gazed at the smiling girl before him, a strange unease stirring in his heart.
How will the three days of turmoil that will soon engulf the Willow Serpent Clan cast a shadow over this pure smile? Will it even threaten her life?
"Let’s go rowing on the lake," Song Wen said, changing the subject.
"Yes!" Qing Lian replied eagerly.
The next three days were divided into two very different halves.
During the day, Song Wen happily played with Qing Lian, or offered her various human delicacies to taste, enjoying a carefree and pleasant time.
But the nights were far more "agonizing," as he was subjected to King Jianglin’s nightly "torment."
Each morning when the king departed, Song Wen would inevitably be covered in bruises, his internal organs even displaced.
Moreover, Song Wen noticed a steady influx of foreign demons into the Willow Serpent Clan, numbering over a hundred. They included flood dragons hundreds of meters long, giant eagles that blotted out the sun, and black tigers with wings...
Each of these demon beasts was ferociously powerful, all above the sixth-tier.
Song Wen knew these creatures originated from the Five Great Demon Clans under the Willow Serpent Clan’s command.
Their arrival meant Yuanrong’s plan had begun to unfold!
Three days later, as the Shen Hour drew to a close.
The setting sun painted the western clouds in fiery red.
Song Wen and Qing Lian sat opposite each other in a cooling pavilion over the water. White mist rose from the tea on the stone table.
Suddenly, Xuan Chengzi descended from the sky and landed in the pavilion.
"Ji Yin, you seem quite at ease and carefree."
Though it was merely a casual greeting, a fleeting, complex expression flickered in Xuan Chengzi’s eyes.
He had been a captive of the Willow Serpent Clan for nearly four hundred years. In all that time, had he ever known a moment of such tranquility?
Most of his days were spent either serving King Yinliu or enduring the torment of other Willow Serpents. The only respite he could find was by hiding in his cultivation cave or visiting the Human Pavilion.
Even cultivation had to be squeezed into fragmented moments, practiced only with great effort.
Had he dared to publicly drink tea and relax in broad daylight, a swarm of Willow Serpents would have descended upon him, harassing him with words or physical abuse.
"Fellow Daoist Xuan Chengzi is too kind," Song Wen said with a smile. "I was merely idle, passing the time. Please, have a seat and try my Spirit Tea."
"Then I shall accept your kind offer." Xuan Chengzi approached the stone table and turned to Qing Lian. "May I ask the name of this esteemed member of the Willow Serpent Clan?"
"Qing Lian."
The two words fell like ice, carrying a detached indifference.
She didn’t rise from her stone seat, nor did she even glance at Xuan Chengzi twice.
"So it’s Master Qing Lian herself. This humble one, Xuan Chengzi, pays his respects," Xuan Chengzi said, bowing deeply.
Qing Lian nodded in acknowledgment.
Then, she looked up at Song Wen, who had risen to his feet upon Xuan Chengzi’s arrival.
"Ji Yin, do you and your clansman need to discuss something? Should I withdraw?"
"No need! This is your and your brother’s residence. Do whatever you wish, Miss Qing Lian. I wouldn’t presume to intrude. Moreover, Fellow Daoist Xuan Chengzi and I are merely catching up. There’s nothing we need to hide."
"I’ll leave then," Qing Lian said, rising. "My presence would only disrupt your conversation."
With that, she leaped into the water, her serpentine tail propelling her swiftly across the surface.
Watching the ripples Qing Lian left behind, Xuan Chengzi looked somewhat incredulous.
When did the beasts of the Willow Serpent Clan become so well-mannered?
And that Willow Serpent only glanced at me once, her eyes clear and devoid of any impure thoughts. In the past, Willow Serpents would stare at me with such heat, as if they wanted to strip me bare.
(End of the Chapter)
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