Chapter Twenty: The Monster Race"No, just as you said, I'm only considering peace between the humans and the demons." Bai Qiuran retorted, "She's not my mother." Creak. "Then why aren't you going yet?" "County... Miss Xiangxue, are you really unwilling to heed Cuiluo's advice and return to the Demon Realm?" The zither music flowed like a stream. The beauty in white smiled coyly, stirring the heart. Su Xiangxue calmly picked up the teapot and cup on the table, then poured herself some tea. The green-haired woman bowed deeply once more. A whirlwind mixed with leaves enveloped her, and then she vanished. Suddenly, a discordant note slipped into the wind and zither music. Su Xiangxue didn't stop playing; she only sighed. "Next time you come in, could you please use the door?" Su Xiangxue rolled her eyes. She raised a hand and said, "Human sects are indeed involved in this matter, but I hope you can act calmly. We worked hard to achieve two thousand years of peace. If humans and demons go to war again, it won't be good for anyone." A breeze carrying 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 brimming with amusement. The green-haired woman raised her head and looked at Su Xiangxue. "Um, Senior Sister, Sister Zuo Yanfei." "Then Cuiluo will take her leave." "Aren't you going to do anything about your disciple?" Su Xiangxue patted his shoulder. "Keep it up." "Heh, who would've thought you'd be sneaking around to avoid people, Bai Qiuran?" "I'm not a County Princess." "I don't much care for your disciples. They're too coquettish and affected." Bai Qiuran sat down opposite Su Xiangxue, looking somewhat sheepish. "If you'd taken my advice back then and let Cuiluo beat you up, you might've settled this grudge long ago. With your strength, she wouldn't have killed you." ... Bai Qiuran drained the tea in front of him, while Su Xiangxue began playing the zither. "What's the rush? We can go after Ruowei and the others find where those little demons are hiding." Su Xiangxue took out a teacup and poured Bai Qiuran some tea. He continued, "And I'm no Jade-Faced Buddha, who won't fight back or even talk back. If she comes at me, I'll have no choice but to defend myself. For her own safety, it's better if I stay out of her way." Bai Qiuran's lips didn't move, but he sent a message into Tang Ruowei's mind with his Spiritual Sense. "The Demon Emperor's life is nearing its end." "Go on, go on. The Hehuan Sect's intelligence network has found where those little demons are. Just ask someone at the entrance to take you there." Su Xiangxue asked. Zuo Yanfei asked curiously. After leaving the tavern where the incident had taken place, Zuo Yanfei suggested, "The guards who accompanied the Crown Prince must know where he was actually killed. We need to hurry. I'm afraid the culprit will go after those witnesses." Su Xiangxue's fingers paused almost imperceptibly, then she continued, "And what does that have to do with me?" "You're welcome to stay, if you don't mind." "Since you've come too, does that mean those little fellows active in Dingguo really are from the Monster Race?" "Forget it. I don't dislike you like this, anyway." Cuiluo was left speechless. As soon as he finished speaking, Bai Qiuran pushed open the courtyard gate and emerged, rubbing his nose. A beautiful woman in a green gauze dress, with emerald-green hair, appeared in Su Xiangxue's courtyard. She bowed to Su Xiangxue in greeting. The woman who called herself Cuiluo uttered a shocking revelation. After a pause, she replied, "I understand. Junior Brother, you stay here. Sister Yanfei and I can handle this." "Long time no see, County Princess." "Why must Su Xiangxue, who's human and not a demon, return to the Demon Realm?" "Why should I let her beat me without fighting back?" Su Xiangxue said without looking up, "The Demon Emperor's the same. If he's so amorous, why didn't he have two more children? Now he expects me to clean up his mess. Does he have no shame?" Bai Qiuran replied, "Ruowei has a Divine Martial Heavenly Army disciple with her. If the two of them can't even handle a cultivator like that, I'll have to punish her when I get back. The only thing I'm worried about is Cuiluo flying into a rage and doing something on human territory that makes headlines—like wiping out an entire sect." Su Xiangxue sighed as she stopped playing. "That's just what he deserved. If the Crown Prince hadn't ordered the Ten Slayings of Linzhou, the Qingming Sword Ancestor wouldn't have killed him." But she knew where her priorities lay. For one thing, she'd already taken the job, and she couldn't very well abandon Zuo Yanfei to follow Bai Qiuran off to some pleasure house. For another, this trip down the mountain was her own trial. By the rules, even Bai Qiuran shouldn't have come along. Bai Qiuran let out a long sigh. "It's been two thousand years, after all. These young people probably don't even know what that kind of fox demon represents among the Monster Race anymore. But... judging from what just happened, you already know, so I'll just consider this a trip over for tea." "By the way, why aren't you spending time with your Crown Princess Shangxuan disciple, playing at being a loving couple on a trial? What brings you here?" In a small courtyard behind the Joyful Realm, a beauty with white robes and ink-black hair gently stroked the Jade Zither before her. "No. I saw that a fox demon was involved in the Dingguo Crown Prince's assassination, so I came to give you a heads-up." Hearing that the Hehuan Sect was made up entirely of women, Tang Ruowei assumed this friend must be a woman too. And considering the Hehuan Sect's reputation, she couldn't help feeling uncomfortable. "I'm going somewhere else to visit a friend." "Yes. Recently, we were sent out to bring all the demons within the Ten Lands of Jiuzhou back to the Demon Realm." As she played, Su Xiangxue asked, "You're not still traumatized by the Hehuan Sect?" "The one who killed the Crown Prince was at most in the late Foundation Establishment stage, and their methods were terribly crude." Bai Qiuran put on a contrite expression. "To avoid holding you back, I'll stay in the palace." Bai Qiuran was exceptionally powerful. If she wanted to accompany him somewhere dangerous in the future, Tang Ruowei would need to become just as strong. Otherwise, she'd only be dead weight, adding to Bai Qiuran's troubles. "Mm." The zither music flowed among the rustling bamboo leaves, soothing the soul. Each note carried a captivating charm, stirring a longing in the heart. What kind of person could produce such music? Tang Ruowei nodded, but just then Bai Qiuran suddenly raised his hand. "After the Crown Prince died two thousand years ago, the Demon Emperor never named another heir. Now that the Demon Emperor is dying, the Ten Kings of the Demon Realm are all stirring..." "Are you afraid?" Tang Ruowei immediately thought of the "friend" Bai Qiuran had gone to meet for information at the shop run by the Hehuan Sect. "Of course you're welcome." After Cuiluo left, Su Xiangxue sat quietly for a while, then suddenly spoke. "Come out. She's already gone." "We should return to the palace." Tang Ruowei walked over to Bai Qiuran and, with her back to Zuo Yanfei, whispered, "Master, what are you going to do?" Bai Qiuran set down his teacup and asked, "Or does Sect Master Su not welcome old folks like us?" "The case looks suspicious now. I don't think I'll be able to help you much from here on." "Mm? Junior Brother Bai, what is it?"
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