Chapter 10: Birth (Part 5)

“Not going?!” the system questioned in surprise. “Why not?”

It seemed it hadn’t done enough, summarizing once again the story of the little junior sister who pursued a man, was betrayed by him, and was then killed. Without needing a reminder, Xu Qianyu had experienced this pain vividly in her dreams—the raw, cutting anguish that pierced her heart. It couldn’t believe that anyone wouldn’t feel anger or want to seek retribution.

“What does the little junior sister think?”

Xu Qianyu didn’t even bat an eyelid. “The little junior sister is not me.”

She couldn’t possibly want to live or die for a man who was merely decent in appearance. Moreover, she had just encountered ten such youths in her room.

However, her interest in them barely compared to the idea of taking on the role of a temple maiden in a suburban wild temple just once.

So, this person was not her; it was just a dream.

The system was bewildered. “It is you.”

“It cannot be me,” Xu Qianyu firmly repeated.

The system: “…” Completely off-base.

Damn it, it really is you.

“I am the creator; I made you!” the system declared. “How could I not know?”

If the “system” had a physical form, it would have broken out in a cold sweat.

For some unknown reason, the second round of the world had unexpectedly been delayed; it wasn’t a true “fresh start”—not to mention the various minor shifts, the biggest difference was that Xu Qianyu opened her eyes at fourteen, yet inexplicably had not entered the Penglai sect five years ago.

Five years was just a fleeting moment for cultivators, a blink of an eye for the creator’s deviation.

For the ordinary Xu Qianyu standing before them, however, it marked a significant period of growth, as a child transformed into a young girl.

In the original story, she had joined the sect at nine, spoiled and pampered, still immature and unaware of the world. In a strange environment, she instinctively relied on those around her, striving to please her master and elders, while setting the sect’s rules as her goals.

This was also why the four major sects only selected children each year.

Children were blank slates, easy to teach and mold.

Now, Xu Qianyu, for some unknown reason, lingered in the mortal realm. Compared to the first round, her situation was even worse. The indulgence from Shui’s family, the limited guidance from the observant matriarch, and the extravagant spending of the Shui family instilled a sense of confidence that allowed her to act as she pleased.

Once her temperament was established, however, she became rebellious and hard to tame.

The system stubbornly advised, “Those with spiritual roots in the world all yearn for the sects. You know you’re different from others—are you really willing to waste your life in the mortal realm? Don’t you want to explore a broader world?”

“Oh?” Xu Qianyu echoed its earlier tone, but her effect was more mocking. “If you were me, would you want to waste time here, or would you want to see a broader world?”

“…”

Indeed. From Xu Qianyu’s perspective, a life of luxury and freedom was enviable for many, and only a fool would abandon everything for a dream, venturing into the unknown in pursuit of some elusive path to immortality.

She chose to waste time.

The system suddenly fell into self-doubt.

“Why are you silent? I haven’t finished asking yet.” Xu Qianyu wouldn’t let it off the hook. “You still haven’t told me the outcome of my senior brother, Shen Suwei.”

Xu Qianyu had no senior brother here, but the moment she uttered these two words, she felt no awkwardness—instead, it felt as if she had called out his name a thousand times, flowing naturally from her lips.

The system said, “Well, he did become a sword immortal in the end. He was the only other Tao Monarch in the Kyushu continent besides White-Clothed fairy Lu You, with the title ‘Lingsu.’”

Tao Monarch.

Xu Qianyu vaguely remembered that this was the highest level of cultivation in this realm.

No one had ever ascended to immortality. If one became a Tao Monarch, they would be immortal and unyielding, able to stir the winds and clouds with a wave of their hand, and shake the world with a flick of their sleeve.

At this moment, at Lingyue Immortal Sect, at the foot of the back mountain, there were several acres of spirit fields.

The spirit fields were subdivided into multiple small plots, separated by wooden beams, planted with various seedlings specifically for cultivating superior seeds.

A girl in a purple robe commanded, “Lu You, go collect the grass from plots A2 and B2 and plant new seeds. I won’t be watching you; I’ll come check in the evening, understood?”

The girl, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, clasped her hands and nodded in agreement.

After her senior sister left, she slightly lifted her hat, revealing a sunburned, sweat-drenched, fair face, frowning.

This sullen expression was one she wore often, whenever she was bullied, tested, or faced difficulties. She had a pair of round, glistening almond-shaped eyes, small and slightly rounded lips that were soft and rosy, slightly parted, giving her an innocent and adorable look. When her face fell, that sense of confusion and helplessness intensified, making people unable to resist wanting to pinch her cheeks or bully her mercilessly.

Lu You is currently an ordinary disciple responsible for collecting spirit herbs at the outer sect of the Lingyue Immortal Sect.

The sun was too bright, so she pinched the tips of the grass and cut the two closest rows to her, placing them in her basket.

She then set down her sickle and basket, lying on a large rock near the water.

If she didn’t rest well, how could she have the energy to be a little fairy?

At that moment, the wind stirred, the clouds moved, and the sunlight shifted, gradually casting a shadow over the rock she was on. A cool breeze brushed her face.

Her gaze fell in the distance: a number of chestnut-colored field mice appeared in the fields, queuing up like spring blossoms, nibbling on the roots of the spirit herbs. In no time, they had devoured both the A2 and B2 herbs, making it unnecessary to use the sickle for harvesting.

Among the various book worlds, Lu You liked this world of the koi female protagonist the most. This world was very relaxed; there was no need for sacrifices or chasing after others, just lying down was enough. Good things would come to her, and even the weather behaved obediently.

So when the system told her the world was failing and resetting, she wasn’t very unhappy about it.

However, after getting used to being pampered as the Demon Empress, returning to the nameless novice village was somewhat difficult to adapt to.

In the last volume of “Demon Punishment,” Lu You had already reached the pinnacle of cultivation, holding the title “White Robe Fairy.” Those who liked her had confessed their feelings, vowing to follow her to the death.

The Demon King, Xie Yuzhen, genuinely loved her, helping her in secret, yet he never showed any affection towards her until his death, allowing her to be worshipped by mortals and embraced by the immortal sect.

At the last moment when everyone joined forces to exorcise the demons, she finally recognized her feelings and turned back to embrace the Demon King, flying together with the most popular target, Xie Yuzhen.

The story had reached its grand conclusion, but it was not over yet.

Because Xie Yuzhen’s affection level remained stuck at 99%.

In fact, this affection had reached its peak many years ago, and even when she abandoned her identity as a righteous fairy and made a shocking “mutual journey,” it still hadn’t increased a single bit.

This surprised Lu You.

Afterward, Xie Yuzhen single-handedly quelled the demon realm, recruiting various demons under his command, standing against the four great immortal sects. When the world could not defeat him, they sought peace, conceding a small area of the abundant spiritual energy in the northwest of the Kyushu, along with the original demon territory, allowing him to settle down with a mighty demon army. Thus, the Demon Realm was established, freeing the human world from demon invasions.

Xie Yuzhen declared himself the Demon King and intended to marry Lu You.

Lu You felt that the wedding must be the endpoint of her strategies. During this time, she tried her best to please him, making mooncakes, feeding koi fish, raising cats, and flying kites. Xie Yuzhen seemed to be moved, treating her with the best hospitality in the demon realm, even before their marriage, treating her gently and respectfully, never laying a finger on her. Yet that last 1% remained unfulfilled.

In fact, Xie Yuzhen had always treated her very well.

The ruthless Demon King had never lost his composure in front of her and had never spoken harshly to her.

She often felt that their relationship appeared to be perfect, yet it seemed like there was some barrier in between. If she had to describe it, it was that it was too calm and beautiful, so beautiful that it made her feel like Xie Yuzhen was distracted.

Thus, Lu You grew increasingly eager for the wedding of the emperor and empress.

Her anxiety proved to be justified; just the night before the wedding, her maid from the demon realm rushed in to report, “Not good, Your Highness! Lingsu Taoist Monarch has come! The King is currently battling him.”

Lu You was startled and immediately stood up from the dressing table, the suspended pearl on her hairpin shaking.

In this world, she had a hidden target, her third senior brother, Shen Suwei, from the Penglai Immortal Sect.

The reason it was called “hidden” was that “Demon Punishment” was a “buy stock” novel. The term “buying stock” means that the author did not determine who the male lead was at the start and completely relied on reader reactions to dictate the direction of the romance. Shen Suwei was not clearly marked on the raiders list at the beginning.

This was because he was solely focused on the Tao, exhibiting an intimidating self-control. Although he had saved the female protagonist Lu You several times at critical moments, Lu You had tried to pursue him multiple times, yet he had never once acted inappropriately or crossed any boundaries.

This romantic subplot was written vaguely, as if it existed yet did not, leaving readers itching with curiosity. The “senior brother” stock suddenly surged in popularity at the end. Everyone wanted to see the stoic character lose control, but the author steadfastly maintained Shen Suwei’s character integrity, allowing him to focus on the Tao and reach the pinnacle of sword immortals.

However, in the extras, the author employed a bit of subtlety.

That was probably happening at this moment.

Shen Suwei, having achieved the Tao, was now a Taoist Monarch above countless others. It was said that the division of the demon realm was his idea, and the rule of the two realms not interacting was also set by him. Yet, before the marriage of the male and female leads, he inexplicably rushed into the demon realm with his sword…

Lu You could hardly believe that she had delayed and managed to pursue Shen Suwei. Until he realized she was going to marry Xie Yuzhen, he regretted it and, disregarding public opinion, rushed in to claim her!

“I’ll go take a look,” she said, her heart racing. But after taking a couple of steps, she hurriedly returned to the dressing table, calling for her maid to help her change, apply makeup, and get ready.

Shen Suwei had secluded himself for almost a hundred years, and she hadn’t seen her senior brother in that long. Meeting an old acquaintance in such an important battleground, based on her experience, she couldn’t recklessly go forth; she needed to make a stunning, beautiful appearance to create an explosive effect.

By the time Lu You donned her heavy wedding gown, with the rings tinkling, the two had already been fighting for a while.

She hadn’t anticipated the battle to be so fierce. Stepping out the door, the cold air was piercing, freezing everything. The biting wind swept through with a murderous aura, crushing her bones and bending her waist.

Fortunately, she was also a fairy with cultivation; she could force herself outside, arching her back and lifting her skirt, taking cautious, slippery steps on the icy surface. Midway through, thick snowflakes began to fall from the sky, covering her eyebrows and hair in white.

Shen Suwei not only entered but had pushed Xie Yuzhen back several feet, still advancing. The demon palaces along the path crumbled like freshly baked pastry, almost entirely damaged. The demons fled chaotically, black mist swirling with debris in the frenzied wind.

Meanwhile, the sky was stained in magnificent colors, quiet as a cauldron filled with ominous bloodlight.

She saw a figure from a distance.

The person wore a wide-sleeved robe of smoke-colored gauze, which billowed like a thin layer of night mist, swirling with the wind. The sleeves were adorned with golden runes, which shimmered in and out of visibility when the wind lifted the fabric.

In his youth, the Sword Lord only wore black and white, with a simple collar and edges that seemed frozen, reflecting a restrained demeanor. Now, as the Taoist Monarch he was no longer restrained by anyone; his simple attire was slightly embellished, flowing gently in the wind, exuding an even more intimidating presence.

As she approached, Lu You couldn’t help but exclaim softly.

Shen Suwei had not drawn his sword at all; he merely strolled forward.

Yet behind him were several enormous, sharp sword shadows, crashing down like mountains, striking the two nearby palaces and causing hills to crumble and the earth to tremble. It was like a storm of gold and jade, flickering in time with his footsteps, sending bright rays of light through his hair.

He remained unfazed, simply wandering into the demon realm, a pressure like a silver tide sweeping over, approaching from afar and overwhelming everything in its path.

Having cultivated to this extent, he could already manifest his thoughts as swords, turning all things into weapons, blending the real and the unreal, shaping the void into reality.

Xie Yuzhen had already transformed into a demonic state, like a tightly strung bowstring, with dark energy shrouding the heavens and blocking the sun, charging toward him.

Light and darkness instantly coiled together.

In a moment, the world trembled, and everything fell silent.

Even with Lu You’s profound cultivation, she was blown back like a kite with its string cut, landing a hundred feet away. Her wedding dress was torn, and her mind felt like it was being struck like a ringing bell, finally regaining clarity. Terrified, she wanted to shout for them to stop; the demon realm was destroyed like this—how could she have her grand wedding tomorrow?

However, she realized that in this soundless silence, she couldn’t utter a word.

Lu You’s full lips moved, opening and closing.

Moments later, the blood-red sunset in the sky twisted like flowing sand toward the center, and all sounds suddenly fell from the heavens, swirling rapidly back into the mouths of all beings. Her weak voice escaped: “Xie Yuzhen, save me…”

Then, the golden light slowly withdrew, the light and dark of the demon realm separating, and that ash-gray figure vanished in a flicker. Shen Suwei had actually withdrawn.

—Why hadn’t she seen him, hadn’t said a word, before he hurriedly left?

Before her was only the cloud of lingering sunlight, slowly moving and casting a dim, bloody hue over the shattered remains of the demon realm.

Xie Yuzhen stood far off, facing the direction in which Shen Suwei had departed, remaining completely still.

The demonic energy around him had yet to dissipate, dark clouds rolling up toward the sky.

The demon lord’s anger was still unresolved.

Lu You hurriedly limped over to Xie Yuzhen. Before she could reach his shoulder, she was already shocked by the overwhelming pressure of the uncontrolled demonic energy.

In nearly a hundred years, Lu You had never seen him this angry. She quickly said, “Yuzhen, I’m here…”

“To dare take my things.” Xie Yuzhen’s eyes had turned red, his gaze devoid of life, making it hard to say whether it was malice or despair. After a moment, his jaw trembled, and he gritted his teeth with a chilling smile, “He won’t live.”