Ming Yuan sensed the anomaly at the Eastern Emperor Palace and received a telepathic message transmitted through the air from the Heavenly Star Monument. Although slightly blurry, it did not affect her ability to interpret its meaning.
Roughly, it meant that the task had already been handled properly.
Ming Yuan blinked. It seemed there was even a concluding remark following that: “Boss, you can rest assured when I handle things!”
The soul spirit could not help but laugh and cry. In this day and age, even a monument was this street-smart?
Ming Yuan smiled and ignored the Heavenly Star Monument.
Then she paused for a moment, realizing that the emotions she had experienced since meeting Jiang Xu outnumbered all the emotions she had felt while wandering alone through the three thousand worlds combined.
There was joy, helplessness, amusement, and oh, heartache. Did she actually know how to feel heartache for someone now?
As for her previous murderous intent toward Song Qingling and her disdain for the petty Heavenly Dao, they were directly glossed over. Those two types of emotions had once almost consumed the entirety of her existence.
Seeing that the medicinal liquid was almost completely evaporated, Ming Yuan’s eyes flickered. Casually reaching into the storage ring Jiang Xu had left on the table, she grabbed a clean red robe, unfolded it to cover Jiang Xu entirely, and then quietly waited for her to wake up.
Jiang Xu had originally been curiously examining the butterfly on her fingertips. The tiny little butterfly rested on her fingertip, fluttering its wings, yet it made her feel an exceptional sense of intimacy.
Then, seemingly in an instant, the small butterfly flew away. Jiang Xu felt a slight sense of loss, and only then did she notice the warm-to-the-core energy circulating within her body, raising her cultivation by several tiers.
Next, she felt the medicinal liquid enveloping her body gradually dissipating, her own form slowly reappearing in the open air. Under Ming Yuan’s gaze, a burning crimson blush spread across her face, leaving her flustered and at a loss.
Fortunately, Ming Yuan had covered her with the robe. Although the awkwardness and helplessness still lingered, it was vastly better than before.
From childhood until now, aside from her mother, not a single person had ever seen her body. Ming Yuan was the very first person besides her mother, and Ming Yuan evoked an entirely different feeling within Jiang Xu.
Gong Hantian had married her, but on their wedding night, he claimed he had important business to attend to and walked right out.
Back then, she felt lost, yet also secretly relieved since she hadn’t figured out how to get along with him anyway.
The fact that even their wedding night had been glossed over meant it was never brought up again in the future.
At first, she thought he wasn’t prepared either, but later she learned it was all because of Song Qingling.
Of course, the present Jiang Xu was exceedingly glad that Gong Hantian was a deeply affectionate and good man, willing to preserve his purity for the woman he loved, even if the object of that deep affection wasn’t her.
“Sigh.” Jiang Xu let out a long sigh deep in her heart, guided the spiritual energy within her body into smooth circulation, and slowly opened her eyes with complex emotions, looking toward Ming Yuan.
Thus, she saw that Ming Yuan’s soul spirit had dimmed, growing so blurry that her figure and silhouette were almost indistinguishable. Her complexion was frighteningly pale, and as she floated in the air, she looked precariously unstable.
In an instant, a dense wave of aching surged through the depths of Jiang Xu’s heart. This pain was different from the agony of having her heart dug out; it didn’t target her physical body, yet it made her feel utterly tormented.
Ming Yuan, what happened to you? Why did you suddenly become like this? You were completely fine just a moment ago! Is it because of me?
Jiang Xu opened her mouth slightly, wanting to ask thousands of things, only to find she couldn’t utter a single word. Her throat felt as though it were blocked by something, leaving her speechless for a long time.
Clenching her fists, Jiang Xu decided to ask what mattered most: first, to inquire about her condition and see what she could do for her.
“Ming Yuan, you…” Jiang Xu parted her lips slightly, only to be interrupted by Ming Yuan.
“Jiang Xu, do you know how long you spent soaking in that medicinal bath?”
Wasn’t it just a short while? Didn’t she just finish healing her injuries, scare Ming Yuan a little, and then get subjected to a retaliatory medicinal bath?
Although it was painful, it hadn’t taken long at all!
Puzzlement filled Jiang Xu’s eyes.
Ming Yuan easily saw right through the thoughts in her mind and answered with a smile, “One month. You soaked for a whole month.”
Huh? Jiang Xu clicked her tongue, absolute disbelief washing over her.
Has it been that long? But what I care about right now isn’t that; it’s you!
With her clothes in disarray and draped in the robe, the woman leaned against the edge of the wooden tub and opened her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by Ming Yuan once again.
“Jiang Xu, do not speak. Just listen to me. Normally, a single medicinal bath only takes seven days, but some unexpected circumstances arose with you.”
Ming Yuan gave a brief opening statement without revealing what the accident was.
Curious though she was, satisfying her own curiosity took a back seat to Ming Yuan’s condition. Remembering Ming Yuan’s earlier instruction, Jiang Xu merely nodded to indicate she understood and kept her mouth shut.
Watching Jiang Xu’s well-behaved appearance, a smile bloomed in Ming Yuan’s eyes, making her even more certain she had no regrets about anything she had done.
“Well, the cultivation within your body has already jumped several tiers. I believe you can sense it yourself; do not worry, there will be no lingering side effects, and you only need to spend time adapting to it.”
“Aside from that, all the chronic injuries inside your body have been completely nursed back to health. Furthermore, your physique is now an unprecedented, peerless genius even when ranked across the six realms. I am not exaggerating; you will understand in the future.”
Ming Yuan left a suspenseful hook before continuing.
“Therefore, you will no longer need to undergo body tempering or medicinal baths; you will not have to experience that kind of pain again.”
“Oh, and most importantly, ten years from now, the demon clan will hold a grand assembly to select a young supreme lord. Regardless of background, even a half-demon is eligible to participate in the selection.”
“Jiang Xu, I hope you go participate, and claim first place with an overwhelming posture, ascending to the position of young supreme lord crowned in boundless glory.”
“Once you become the young supreme lord of the demon clan, what are Gong Hantian and Song Qingling? None of them will be worthy of sharing a stage with you. You can sweep across the world, proud and unrestrained.”
Ming Yuan spoke with utmost earnestness. She could stay by Jiang Xu’s side forever, growing alongside her and helping her slowly become stronger.
Yet one day, she would leave. What would Jiang Xu do when that time came?
She did not want Jiang Xu to lose a strong person’s independence by overly relying on her, as that would spell destruction for Jiang Xu.
Jiang Xu had endured countless harassments to grow up laboriously within a human noble family, possessing a cultivation level not far behind other aristocratic youths, and striving step by step to climb toward the peak with the body of a half-demon. She ought not to lose her originally peerless brilliance just because of her arrival.
What is more, she was also the Wood Spirit Physique, the designated master of the Desolate Butterfly!
“However, if you do not wish to be the young supreme lord of the demon clan, that is fine as well. I will accompany you as you grow strong until you finish your revenge.”
Ming Yuan softened her tone, maintaining her gentleness.
“Young supreme lord of the demon clan?” Jiang Xu murmured thoughtfully, her expression turning resolute in a fraction of a second.
“Ming Yuan, I will definitely become the young supreme lord of the demon clan.” Her words carried weight and left no room for doubt.
Of course, she had to participate. She had come to the demon realm because the human world could no longer accommodate her.
A trace of sorrow flashed in Jiang Xu’s eyes, but it vanished instantly, replaced once more by steadfast determination.
She might look unfettered and high-spirited on the surface, but not for a single day, not for a single moment, had she ever forgotten her blood-deep hatred. Her resentment soared to the heavens with so much lingering grievance that even her very own heart had been ruthlessly dug out. How could she possibly forget it so easily?
Gong Hantian and Song Qingling had driven her to the point where she could no longer survive in the human world, and oh, there was also the Jiang clan.
Half-demons were subjected to cold glares and discrimination everywhere in the human realm; would coming to the demon realm be much better?
Not really. It was simply because she had no other choice left.
Now Ming Yuan was telling her that the demon clan was holding a selection for the young supreme lord without restricting backgrounds, meaning half-demons could enter too!
The young supreme lord of the demon clan, a ruler of an entire realm! What an extraordinarily noble status, backed by such immense power!
A smooth, unhindered highway toward revenge was laid right before her eyes. Would she choose to surrender to comfort and give it up? Never!
If she, Jiang Xu, were the type of person to easily give up and resign herself to fate, she would have long ago perished on the cold jade bed when Yue Sheng dug out her heart, or died in the miasma-choked mass grave. She would never have lived long enough for Ming Yuan to appear.
Furthermore, she had her own selfish motivations as well.
Ming Yuan was so powerful, likely surpassing her by a hundredfold or more.
With Ming Yuan around, she didn’t need to worry about any dangers; she could safely hide behind her while she cleared away all obstacles and paved a highway of strength for her.
Yet she refused! She didn’t want that!
She didn’t want to be unable to defeat whichever enemy she encountered, nor did she want Ming Yuan to step in for every single issue. She wanted to be as powerful as Ming Yuan, stand shoulder to shoulder with her, uncover her past, know everything about her, and search every corner for heavenly treasures to reshape a physical body for her!
A thousand thoughts churned in her mind, eventually condensing into unwavering determination filling her gaze. Jiang Xu heard her own firm voice echoing in the air.
I will definitely become the young supreme lord of the demon clan!
Ming Yuan wore a smile at the corners of her lips, gazing at her gently without speaking.
Jiang Xu looked at her and noticed she had dimmed a bit more, causing an ache in her heart.
“Ming Yuan, what on earth is wrong with you?”
“I am fine. My soul power was just depleted, so manifesting again is a bit strenuous.”
Ming Yuan’s tone remained as gentle as always.
Yet Jiang Xu was on the verge of shedding tears. “What can we do? I will go find another Glaze Fruit.”
“Do you think Glaze Fruit grows like cabbages, to be picked whenever you want? There is no need; Glaze Fruit is useless to me.”
Watching Jiang Xu’s tear-filled eyes, Ming Yuan felt a ripple in her heart.
The woman who had her heart dug out and thrown into the mass grave did not shed a tear under the corrosion of malevolent energy; she didn’t cry when pushed into a desperate corner by Mu Qing where she couldn’t even block a single move and nearly had to sever an arm to survive; she even begrudged shedding a single tear when trembling in pain and coughing up blood from her clenched teeth while soaking in the medicinal bath. Yet right now, she stood with red-rimmed eyes and tear-filled pupils purely for her sake.
Abruptly, something took root in a split second, quietly waiting for the right moment to burst through the soil.
“Then tell me what herbs you need, and where they are. Even a mountain of blades or a sea of flames, I will go,” Jiang Xu vowed solemnly.
“How foolish. Even if my soul power were completely exhausted, fetching a medicinal herb would still just be a flick of the wrist for me. Look!”
Ming Yuan casually retrieved a mysterious jade fruit from the demon clan’s treasury and handed it to her. “If I told you I got this from the demon clan’s treasury, would you believe it?”
Seeing that she had dimmed a little more beyond the naked eye’s ability to discern, Jiang Xu grew somewhat angry. “Ming Yuan.”
The woman’s voice rasped in a low growl.
“Alright, alright, I am just teasing you. Weren’t you looking rather upset? I just wanted to cheer you up.”
“Do you not know why I was upset?” Jiang Xu gritted her teeth.
Ming Yuan looked at her with amusement. Realizing she was in the wrong under that gaze brimming with anger, she straightened her expression.
“Alright, Jiang Xu, I am truly not teasing you this time. Actually, my condition is not as severe as you imagine. Once my soul power is depleted, I just need to sleep and it will recover. However, this sleep will last a bit longer.”
“Hmm, probably shortly after you become the young supreme lord, I should be able to wake up. At that time, will I need to call you Jiang Xu, Lord Young Supreme?”
Ming Yuan chuckled softly.
“Of course.” Jiang Xu proudly straightened her back.
“Alright, then I can sleep in peace. Remember to be cautious in all things, your life matters most. I certainly do not want to wake up and find that your corpse has already turned to white bones.”
“Otherwise, I will have to go down to the underworld to fish you out.”
“I would never. You just sleep well, and properly recover.”
Jiang Xu looked over, her gaze brimming with an uncontainable tenderness of heartache.
“Mm,” Ming Yuan softly acknowledged. Her soul spirit, long past the point of endurance, transformed into a streak of light that rapidly dove straight into Jiang Xu’s chest.
Motionless, Jiang Xu watched as she gently placed a hand over her heart. Right here, there was Ming Yuan!
Sitting within the wooden tub with her clothes in disarray, the woman caressed her chest with a tender expression. Then, recalling the words the soul spirit had just uttered, her eyes flickered.
The underworld? Jiang Xu quietly repeated, locking the term away in her memory.