Another Devil

Another Devil

The sky had darkened, and dusk had fallen.

The soldiers who had waited outside the city for a long time finally reached Princess Hongyu's carriage.

More than a dozen carriages stretched out in front and behind, guarded by a thousand imperial guards. The procession and its banners extended for several miles. It was truly an impressive display.

But no one could have imagined that inside Princess Hongyu's carriage sat a man with delicate, feminine features.

If anyone found out, rumors would spread in no time.

Yet the maids inside the carriage acted as if they couldn't see him. They sat quietly off to the side, heads bowed, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

Chen Ye would never have guessed that Jiang Shiyue, the Young Master Jiang he was about to scheme against, was currently sharing a carriage with Princess Hongyu.

Princess Hongyu was just sixteen, with delicate features. Her red robe embroidered with gold thread made her skin look whiter than snow, but her eyes were as still as stagnant water. She seemed hollow, utterly devoid of life.

Jiang Shiyue didn't feel he was being rude. Instead, he wore an expression of displeasure.

"Junior Sister, you go around with that sour face all day. Who are you scowling at?"

Princess Hongyu's eyes shifted slightly, as though a little life had returned to them. Hearing him speak, she replied coolly, "Senior Brother, if you can't stand it, go complain to Master. Besides, you can fly. There's no need to make yourself suffer by riding in a carriage."

Jiang Shiyue gave a cold snort and spoke sarcastically. "Junior Sister, you've had silks and fine food since you were a child. You don't know how hard life is for others. If you can ride in a carriage, why tire yourself out flying? And don't put on airs in front of me. Not long ago, you were nothing but a body prepared for possession.

"We raised you for over a decade and poured so much effort into you, all for the day we'd slaughter you. You're no different from a pig we're raising. You really think Master taking you as a disciple means you can stand on equal footing with me? The Yingling Soul-Washing Array might not work. When the time comes, Master will swallow your soul whole, and you'll be scattered to the winds."

Princess Hongyu's expression didn't change at all as she listened to his threats.

It was true. She was nothing but a body prepared by cultivators for possession. She had known that for as long as she could remember.

In response to Jiang Shiyue's mockery, Princess Hongyu simply replied, "Are you hoping Master will fail to advance, so you can possess me instead?"

Jiang Shiyue's expression changed at once. How could he possibly answer that?

If those words reached Master's ears, he would be skinned alive and have his tendons torn out.

All he could do was grit his teeth and say, "Don't try to drive a wedge between us. Once Master succeeds in advancing, you'll be useless. You made a mess of collecting the boys and girls this time, and in the end, I still have to clean it up.

"Once this is over, I'll ask Master to give you to me. Then I'll show you what it means to wish you were dead."

Princess Hongyu didn't argue. She only watched him in silence.

Jiang Shiyue felt as if Princess Hongyu's eyes belonged to a corpse. Her gaze unsettled him, yet he didn't dare lay a hand on her.

Jiang Shiyue's master needed young boys and girls for a sacrifice to help him break through Tongxuan and ascend to Spirit Transformation. Whether he succeeded was still uncertain. If he failed, he would possess Princess Hongyu's body instead.

In other words, her body couldn't suffer the slightest damage. Jiang Shiyue couldn't bear the consequences if even one of her hairs fell out.

At last, unable to stand it any longer, Jiang Shiyue turned into a cloud of mist and flew out of the carriage.

This was too much. Jiang Shiyue wanted nothing more than to return to Cui County and kill a few people to vent his fury.

Only then did Princess Hongyu look away, sinking once more into the deathly stillness of a withered tree.

The carriage wheels rumbled on as they continued toward Cui County.

They left the bumpy dirt road for a hard-paved stone street. Outside, the procession, quiet until then, sprang to life with gongs and drums, loudly announcing their arrival.

For the first time in over a decade, this prosperous place was welcoming its true master.

The magistrate of Cui County had been waiting at the city gate, but he was turned away without even seeing Princess Hongyu.

Her carriage went straight to the grand, lavish residence. Claiming she was exhausted from the journey, she refused to see any guests.

The powerful families of Cui County had waited in vain all day, yet no one dared complain. After leaving lavish gifts, they even wished the princess good health.

By the time everyone had left, Princess Hongyu had changed into a light robe and was sitting on the soft bed.

The moonlight outside was lovely, but Princess Hongyu had no heart to admire it. Then a shadow darted past and dropped into the room.

The newcomer's steps were light, her landing silent, but as soon as she entered the room, she blurted out, "Your Highness, I'm back!"

As cheerful as ever, Lan Shi bounced over to Princess Hongyu.

At last, the princess, still as a withered tree, showed a faint smile. She reached out and hugged Lan Shi, removed the veil from her face, then carefully picked the dried leaves from her hair.

Lan Shi must have raced across rooftops and tree branches for miles; she was a mess from head to toe. But Princess Hongyu didn't mind her dirtying the fresh clothes she'd just changed into. She tenderly tidied up the girl, who was only a few years younger than her.

Only after Lan Shi had washed her face did Princess Hongyu ask, "How did it go?"

Lan Shi quickly replied, "Your Highness, you saw it coming. The trouble in Cui County got so bad that it finally drew in a cultivator. The little immortal people have been talking about in Cui County really isn't a fraud. He's the real thing. I almost got caught by him!"

Princess Hongyu immediately asked, "Are you hurt?"

"Not at all. I'm quick on my feet!" Lan Shi said proudly. "But that man really is formidable. It didn't take him long to figure out I'd deliberately lured him into a fight with Jiang Shiyue's people..."

Lan Shi told her about meeting Chen Ye. Princess Hongyu listened carefully, her brow easing and furrowing by turns. Only when Lan Shi said she'd returned to the Hengdao Inn and found the message from the "Qinghe Sword Sect" did Princess Hongyu finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"The Qinghe Sword Sect. They've finally come."

Hearing the change in Princess Hongyu's tone, Lan Shi hurriedly asked, "Your Highness, is the Qinghe Sword Sect really that powerful? That young man didn't look very old to me. Even if he's a cultivator, his cultivation can't be very high. Can he really deal with those devils?"

Princess Hongyu shook her head. "I don't know. But we can't just sit here and wait to die."

Though Jiang Shiyue called her his junior sister, Princess Hongyu knew little about cultivation. She had once been nothing but a body meant for possession. She'd heard of the Qinghe Sword Sect only after quietly asking around for a long time. Rumor had it they were an immensely powerful immortal sect.

But Princess Hongyu didn't know just how powerful they were. They were simply her only hope.

From the time she could remember, Princess Hongyu had known she had no control over her own fate. That Old Devil had made the imperial harem his cultivation ground, using the fortune and resources of the court to cultivate.

For years, Princess Hongyu had been cautious at every turn, doing her best to please the Old Devil. That was the only reason she'd managed to cling to life.

Now the Old Devil's life was nearing its end. If he couldn't advance to Spirit Transformation, he would have to possess another body and be reborn. While he was in seclusion, painstakingly cultivating, Princess Hongyu had ordered Cui County to gather boys and girls. On the surface, they were being collected as blood sacrifices for the Old Devil's cultivation. But in secret, she had the magistrate of Cui County put up the banner of the "Qinghe Sword Sect."

She could only hope to lure the so-called righteous cultivators into coming and slaying the demons.

But Princess Hongyu herself had no confidence that the Qinghe Sword Sect could do it.

Bringing up Chen Ye, Lan Shi added, "Your Highness, he left a message at the Hengdao Inn saying he'd duel Jiang Shiyue in seven days. What should we do?"

Princess Hongyu asked, "Can you still find him?"

Lan Shi shook her head. Chen Ye had already left without leaving any way to contact him. How could she find him?

"That doesn't make sense. If he left no way to contact him, why ask you to steal the documents from the county office? How would you get them to him? And why set the duel for seven days from now? Is there something special about that date and place?"

Lan Shi shook her head again. How could she know what Chen Ye was thinking?

Princess Hongyu thought it over for a long while, then asked, "When you returned to the inn, did you see the martial artists he injured? Were their bodies there?"

"No. Not a single one. Jiang Shiyue's men and the inn staff were all gone. There weren't even any bodies. Could he have taken them alive?"

"Even if he wanted hostages, why would he take all of them? No one in sight, no bodies in sight. This cultivator from the Qinghe Sword Sect..." Princess Hongyu clenched her fists, her voice trembling. "I'm afraid he's another devil who kills people and refines their corpses."