Phantom Shadow Demon Trace

Volume 2: Phantom Shadow Demon Trace, Chapter 20: Monster Race

"No, just as you said, I am only considering the peace between the human and monster races." Bai Qiuran asked in return, "Besides, she isn't my mother."

Creak.

"Then why aren't you going yet?"

"County... Miss Xiangxue, are you really unwilling to listen to a word of advice from Cuiluo and return to the Demon Realm for a trip?"

The zither music drifted leisurely, and the beauty in white smiled charmingly, stirring the hearts of those who heard it. Su Xiangxue took her time picking up the teapot and cup on the table to pour herself a cup of tea.

The green-haired woman bowed deeply once more, and a whirlwind mixed with leaves enveloped her entire body before she vanished from sight.

Suddenly, a discordant noise mixed into the sound of the wind and the zither. Su Xiangxue did not stop playing, but merely sighed, "Next time you come in, could you please use the door?"

Su Xiangxue rolled her eyes.

Su Xiangxue raised a hand and said, "There are indeed human sects involved in this matter, but I hope you can act calmly. We have finally achieved two thousand years of peace; if the humans and monsters go to war again, it will be good for no one."

A breeze mixed with leaves took shape out of thin air in the courtyard, revealing a figure within the wind.

Su Xiangxue tilted her head to look at him, her eyes filled with amusement.

The green-haired woman raised her head and looked at Su Xiangxue.

"Um, Senior Sister, Older Sister Zuo Yanfei."

"Then, Cuiluo will take her leave."

"Aren't you going to worry about your disciple?"

Su Xiangxue patted his shoulder and said, "Keep it up."

"Heh, it's truly unexpected that you, Bai Qiuran, would have a day where you hide from others."

"I am not any County Princess."

"I don't really like those disciples of yours; they are too gaudy and pretentious."

Bai Qiuran sat down opposite Su Xiangxue, looking somewhat dejected.

"If you had listened to my suggestion back then and let Cuiluo beat you up, perhaps this grudge would have been resolved long ago. With your strength, you wouldn't have been beaten to death by her anyway."

Bai Qiuran downed the tea in front of him in one gulp, while Su Xiangxue began to play the zither.

"What's the rush? It won't be too late to go after Ruowei and the others find where that group of little monsters is hiding."

Su Xiangxue took out a teacup and poured tea for Bai Qiuran, while Bai Qiuran continued, "And I am not someone like the Jade-Faced Buddha who doesn't fight back when hit or cursed. If she were to attack me, I would have to defend myself passively. For the sake of her safety, it's better if I appear in front of her less often."

Bai Qiuran's mouth did not move, but his Spiritual Sense transmitted this message into the mind of Tang Ruowei.

"The Demon Emperor's lifespan is coming to an end."

"Go on, go on. The intelligence network of the Hehuan Sect has already found the location of that group of little monsters. As for the specifics, just go to the entrance and find someone to lead you there."

Su Xiangxue asked.

Zuo Yanfei asked curiously.

Having left the restaurant that served as the crime scene, Zuo Yanfei suggested, "The guards who were following the Crown Prince at the time must know where the scene of the Crown Prince's true death is. We must speed up our actions; I am afraid the murderer will target these witnesses."

Su Xiangxue's hand paused imperceptibly, then she added, "And what does that have to do with me?"

"If you don't mind, you are welcome to stay here."

"Since you have come as well, it means those little ones active within Dingguo are indeed from the Monster Race, right?"

"Forget it, I don't dislike you in this state either."

Cuiluo was rendered speechless.

As soon as the words fell, Bai Qiuran pushed open the courtyard gate and walked out, rubbing his nose.

A beautiful woman wearing a green gauze dress with emerald green hair appeared in Su Xiangxue's courtyard. She bowed to Su Xiangxue and offered a salute.

The woman who called herself Cuiluo uttered a shocking statement.

So she paused and replied, "I understand. Junior Brother, you may stay. Leave this matter to me and Sister Yanfei to handle."

"Long time no see, County Princess."

"Su Xiangxue is human, not a monster; why should she return to the Demon Realm?"

"Why should I have to take a beating from her without fighting back?"

Su Xiangxue said without lifting her head, "The Demon Emperor is the same. Since he is so romantic and sentimental, why not produce two more heirs? Now you want me to clean up your mess? Have you no shame?"

Bai Qiuran replied, "Ruowei has a disciple of the Divine Martial Heavenly Army with her. If the two of them can't even handle these kinds of cultivators, I will have to punish her when I get back. The only problem now is that I'm afraid this Cuiluo character will get hot-headed and commit some massive slaughter of a sect on human territory."

Su Xiangxue sighed while stopping her zither playing.

"Isn't that just self-inflicted? If the Crown Prince back then hadn't ordered the Ten Slayings of Linzhou, the Qingming Sword Ancestor wouldn't have killed him directly."

But she still knew her priorities. Firstly, she had already accepted the job, so she couldn't just abandon Zuo Yanfei to follow Bai Qiuran to the pleasure districts. Secondly, coming down the mountain this time was her own trial; according to the rules, even Bai Qiuran shouldn't have followed her.

Bai Qiuran let out a long sigh.

"After all, it has been two thousand years. These young people nowadays probably don't know what that breed of fox demon represents in the Monster Race. However... judging by the situation just now, you already know about this, so I'll just consider my trip over here as coming for a cup of tea."

"Speaking of which, why aren't you playing your lovey-dovey trial game with your Princess Shangxuan disciple, and instead running over to me?"

In the small courtyard behind the Joyful Realm, the beauty with white clothes and ink-black hair was gently stroking the Jade Zither before her.

"No, I just saw that a fox demon was involved in this assassination of the Dingguo Crown Prince, so I came to notify you."

Hearing that the entire Hehuan Sect consisted of women, and assuming this friend was also a woman, combined with the typical nature of the Hehuan Sect, Tang Ruowei felt a bit uncomfortable.

"I'm going to another place to visit a friend."

"Yes, we were recently sent out to bring all the monsters within the Ten Lands of Jiuzhou back to the Demon Realm."

While playing, Su Xiangxue asked, "Do you no longer have psychological trauma regarding the Hehuan Sect?"

"The guy who killed the Crown Prince has at most a Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivation, and the technique was extremely crude."

Bai Qiuran put on a look of shame and said, "To avoid holding you back, I'd better stay in the imperial palace."

Bai Qiuran's strength was extraordinary. If she were to go to dangerous places in the future, she, Tang Ruowei, would need to possess matching strength if she wanted to follow him. Otherwise, she would just be a burden, adding to Bai Qiuran's worries.

"Hmm."

The zither music drifted, mixed with the rustling of the wind through the bamboo leaves, making one feel refreshed and relaxed. The music carried a captivating charm that made one yearn for more; what kind of person could play such a zither?

Tang Ruowei nodded, but at this moment, Bai Qiuran suddenly raised his hand.

"After the Crown Prince died two thousand years ago, the Demon Emperor did not appoint another heir. Now that the Demon Emperor is dying, the Ten Kings of the Demon Realm are all restless..."

"Could it be that you are afraid?"

Tang Ruowei immediately recalled the "friend" Bai Qiuran had gone to see to obtain information at the shop they had operated in the Hehuan Sect.

"Of course you are welcome."

After Cuiluo left, Su Xiangxue sat quietly for a moment, then suddenly said, "Come out, they have already left."

"We should go back to the imperial palace."

Tang Ruowei walked up to Bai Qiuran, and with her back to Zuo Yanfei, whispered, "Master, what are you going to do?"

Bai Qiuran put down his teacup and asked, "Or is it that Sect Master Su does not welcome old people like us?"

"Actually, two thousand years is enough to wash away hatred."

"After all, back then I not only killed the Monster Crown Prince, but also killed her mother... and this monster Cuiluo is definitely not the type to think calmly."

"The case seems a bit suspicious now. Any further, and I don't think I can help you guys with anything."

"Hmm? Junior Brother Bai, what's wrong?"