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Chapter 47: Parting Ways

The kite-bird spread its massive wings wide, cutting through the rolling layers of clouds. High in the boundless sky, only a churning sea of snow-white clouds could be seen, with a single golden sun hanging high above.

Within the private cabin of the kite-bird, the fragrance of pine incense drifted faintly. The young cultivator lowered his eyes, gazing at a jade token held between his fingers.

A piece of flawless cloud-mountain jade, carved with a distinctive family crest—phoenix tail feathers encircling the design. The family token of the Chu clan, from Luowu Prefecture.

A hand, its knuckles distinct and well-defined, reached over and covered the jade token: "You're not allowed to look at it!"

Chen Moqing raised his eyes to find the handsome, bold-featured black-haired man watching him, having snatched the jade token straight out of his hand.

The man even declared, full of righteous indignation: "You've been staring at it for the time it takes to brew a pot of tea!"

Some other family's worn old token, what was there to stare at? He'd been in this cabin for half the day already and hadn't so much as glanced at him.

The Demon Emperor grumbled under his breath, lowering his head to press against the young human's face, nuzzling his cheek without a word.

Look at me more.

Chen Moqing thought to himself: how did he end up being this clingy?

He calmly raised a hand and stroked the Demon Emperor's head: "I was simply lost in thought about something."

Cang Shun let out an "Oh," then pulled Chen Moqing's hand back down, pressing it against his own palm and rubbing against it.

Then look at me more, too.

Chen Moqing gazed at that handsome face now so close before him.

...It really was very good-looking.

Because they were so close, he could clearly see those sharp crimson eyes, focused and flawless, reflecting his own image deep within them.

Chen Moqing held the gaze for a moment.

Then calmly looked away.

Cang Shun: "?"

Why had he stopped looking at him again!

The Demon Emperor began fussing and whining once more, and with a soft "poof," transformed into a small snow-white fluffball, hopping onto the young human's lap.

He turned in a fluffy little circle, then raised his small fluffy head high.

"Meow!"

Called out very loudly.

Chen Moqing's gaze drifted back to this small fluffball with its wagging tail, the corners of his eyes curving slightly as he lowered his palm to cover the soft, snow-white fur.

Not long ago, at the border of Qingyue Prefecture, just as he and Cang Shun were about to leave, a cultivator at the early stage of Void Refinement had suddenly appeared, blocking their path.

Qingyue Prefecture had not produced a single Nascent Soul cultivator in a thousand years, and yet now there was a cultivator at the Void Refinement stage standing before him—the moment Chen Moqing laid eyes on him, he guessed at once that this man had some connection to the Yue family, and must be the very person who had left behind that spiritual mark upon them.

As it turned out, this guess proved correct. The Void Refinement cultivator before him introduced himself immediately upon their meeting, giving his name as Chu Budu.

Among the Nine Thousand Prefectures, those bearing the surname Chu were as numerous as grains of sand, and even those named Chu Budu were not so rare either—yet there was only one Chu Budu at the Void Refinement stage: the young master of the Chu clan, from Luowu Prefecture, one of the thousand upper prefectures.

The Chu clan of Luowu—an ancient family whose lineage stretched back ten thousand years, whose ancestor had once stood at the peak of the Tribulation Crossing stage, having taken half a step toward Ascension. Yet he had not been as fortunate as Ling Wankong, the Grand Elder of Jinwu Sect—both had failed their heavenly tribulation, but where Ling Wankong had managed to preserve half his life, his cultivation falling only to the peak of Mahayana, the Chu ancestor had perished in the heavenly tribulation itself. In his dying moment, he had left behind a fragment of true intent for the Chu clan, one that had protected the family for ten thousand years since.

Luowu Prefecture and Qingyue Prefecture, one an illustrious upper prefecture, the other an obscure lower prefecture. For the young master of the Chu clan, a man of such transcendent status in Luowu Prefecture, to appear here at all was already beyond bizarre—and even more unexpected was his claim that he had come searching for a wife and daughter from whom he had been separated for many years.

"My wife's name is Yue Nianxi. My daughter's name is Yue Zhaoshuang." Chu Budu, tall and imposing in stature, with dignified features, wore an expression of utter despair.

"Years ago, I traveled through the Nine Thousand Prefectures and happened to pass through this place. I fell in love with Madam Yue, and she gave birth to Shuang'er. I had originally intended to bring them both home with me, but then I received an urgent message from my Grand Elder—my family had come under attack, besieged by an alliance of rival clans. In my desperation, I had no choice but to leave my wife and daughter behind in their homeland while I returned alone."

"I never expected that my whereabouts would be leaked. The moment I arrived at the border of Luowu Prefecture, a Body Integration cultivator ambushed me. Though I managed to survive despite being gravely wounded, my cultivation fell, and I even lost my memory..."

"Forgive my interruption," Chen Moqing said calmly, "but why did the young master not bring them home sooner?"

At these words, deep grief welled up in Chu Budu's eyes: "That is the one thing I regret most in my entire life..."

"Madam Yue had no aptitude for cultivation, and had no wish to go live among the cultivating clans of the upper prefectures. At first, I thought, since mortal lifespans are so brief, there would be no harm in my remaining in Qingyue Prefecture to spend her lifetime by her side. It was only later that I truly understood my own heart, that what I wanted was to remain with her for as long as I possibly could... If only I had realized this sooner, my wife and daughter would never have been scattered from me..."

Afterward, wounded and stripped of his memory, he had wandered the borders of a neighboring prefecture for a full nineteen years, until his family finally found him. The very moment his memory returned, he had rushed back here—only to find everything changed beyond recognition.

Chu Budu wiped a heavy hand across his face, revealing a pair of bloodshot eyes: "May I ask, fellow Daoist... Shuang'er, is she..."

Chen Moqing said nothing, not until Chu Budu produced several more items, proving beyond doubt that he was indeed Yue Zhaoshuang's father. Only then did he speak: "The young master already knows the answer."

Chu Budu's body shook violently. He stumbled back one step, then two, and only on the third step did he manage to steady himself, his face ashen, his throat working as though forcing down a mouthful of blood.

Chen Moqing raised a hand, and a thread of gentle breeze rose up to support Chu Budu's trembling body.

"Wu Hao is dead. I came to this place at Miss Yue's own request. Her final wish has been fulfilled, and she has already entered the cycle of rebirth. Young master, please take care of your grief."

"...My thanks."

Only after a long while did Chu Budu speak again, his voice hoarse as though ground down by iron sand, his eyes suddenly turning dark and vicious: "Where did that old wretch Wu Hao meet his end? Are there any remains left of him?"

"Qingluan Prefecture. His divine soul was utterly destroyed, and not a single bone remains."

"What a pity! To let him die so peacefully!"

Chu Budu clenched his jaw tightly and took several deep breaths before finally drawing a jade token from within his robes.

"I must remain in Qingyue Prefecture for now, to help see to what remains of Madam Yue's affairs... and forgive me if this seems presumptuous, but you have the bearing of a rogue cultivator. Take this token as a gift, from this day forward, you shall be an honored guest of the Chu clan. With this token, anyone in the Chu clan who sees you shall treat you as they would treat me, and you shall have access to every cultivation resource we possess."

Chen Moqing had not originally intended to accept the jade token, but then he heard the young master of the Chu clan add one more thing—the upper prefectures had already decided that, five years from now, the Nine Thousand Prefectures Contention Tournament would begin, to be hosted by Tianshu Sect, with the location set at Jiugai Prefecture.

The Nine Thousand Prefectures Contention Tournament, a grand cultivation competition held once every hundred years, where the most brilliant prodigies of every prefecture would gather to contend, ten thousand vessels racing against the current—it had originally been set to begin several years earlier, but had been forced into delay by the sudden outbreak of war with the Demon Abyss.

At that time, whether from an upper or lower prefecture, any young prodigy under three hundred and fifty years of age who met the required standard of strength would be eligible to participate in this great tournament. However, the one thousand upper prefectures held the vast majority of the available spots, while the small number of spots allotted to the two thousand middle prefectures were monopolized by the branch sects that certain upper-prefecture sects had established there. Disciples from outer sects, ordinary rogue cultivators, had no chance to compete at all—let alone anyone from the six thousand lower prefectures.

"This upcoming cultivation tournament is unlike any before it. It's the first chance for the countless prodigies of every sect to truly display their strength, after several years spent recovering from the war against the Demon Abyss. Simply competing for a spot has already become fiercely intense. Without the recommendation of a great clan or sect, even someone as exceptionally talented as yourself, fellow cultivator, would struggle to gain entry."

There was something Chu Budu left unsaid: several years ago, there had been a cultivator universally recognized as the foremost prodigy of the age—someone before whom every young cultivator across the Nine Thousand Prefectures paled like starlight before the bright moon. But now, that foremost prodigy had fallen, and many prodigies who had once been forced to bow their heads before him were now eager to leap forward and shine, desperate to prove themselves at last.

For this reason, this tournament was certain to be the most eagerly anticipated in several hundred years.

To this end, Tianshu Sect had even sealed off the passages connecting the various prefectures to Jiugai Prefecture ahead of time, allowing people to leave but not enter—not until five years from now, when only those holding a tournament spot would be permitted through.

"Fellow Daoist, you are still young, well within the age range for a prodigy. If you wish to participate in the Contention Tournament, my Chu clan holds three spots, and one of them shall be yours."

"If it weren't for you, fellow Daoist, I fear I wouldn't even have been able to see Madam Yue's face today. It's only my poor Shuang'er..."

Chu Budu did not finish the sentence, wiping a heavy hand across his face, his voice already choked with sobs he could no longer hold back.

In the end, the jade token found its way into Chen Moqing's hand regardless.

Within the private cabin of the kite-bird, the small snow-white beast quickly nuzzled at Chen Moqing's palm, its fur puffed up soft and round, and in the process swept the jade token aside with a flick of its tail.

Chen Moqing crooked a finger, and the jade token flew back into his palm. The small snow-white beast immediately raised its head, stretching out its fluffy little paws to try to bat it away.

The corners of Chen Moqing's eyes curved slightly, and he gently set the jade token down atop that fluffy little head. At once, a small dent sank into the soft, puffy fur.

The small snow-white beast froze completely still, curling into a tiny fluffball.

A few seconds later, it shook its head rapidly, then raised its head high and puffed out its chest, strutting circles around the young human, its slender tail sweeping past the hem of his robes now and again.

The faint scent of pine incense lingered in the cabin. Chen Moqing closed his eyes, gathered his focus, and began to cultivate.

Ever since Chu Budu had informed him of Tianshu Sect sealing off Jiugai Prefecture and the upcoming cultivation tournament, he had gone on to confirm the news through Tianshu Sect's Murong Zhou puppet, and found it accurate.

Perhaps someone wished to lure him into a trap.

——Which suited him perfectly.

The Demon Emperor, having finished his little stroll, returned and transformed back into the handsome, long-haired man, sitting himself down beside the young human with easy confidence, arm pressed against arm.

Chen Moqing did not open his eyes: "You're a little too close."

Cang Shun: "Oh."

He shifted slightly to the side.

A moment later, he still wanted to press close to this person, and scooted back over again.

This time, Chen Moqing said nothing.

Cang Shun studied his profile for a moment, the corner of his mouth lifting, and gently toyed with a lock of soft black hair hanging at Chen Moqing's waist.

Suddenly, a faint, sharp pain pricked at his heart, and Cang Shun let out a soft hiss.

Chen Moqing's eyes snapped open at once: "What's wrong?"

The strange, sharp pain vanished as quickly as it had come, and Cang Shun's expression returned to normal: "It's nothing."

Chen Moqing studied him for a moment, then pressed his palm gently against his forehead.

Cang Shun nuzzled gently against those fingers carrying a faint fragrance, and heard his human's clear, low voice: "If something's wrong, don't hide it from me."

Cang Shun raised an eyebrow slightly: "What could possibly be wrong with me."

Seeing that Chen Moqing was still watching him, his eyes curved into a smile: "Alright, I promise you, there's nothing wrong."

Chen Moqing nodded slightly and, instead of closing his eyes to cultivate again, let his divine sense stir, drawing out the "Self-Slaying Technique" scroll.

To remake his spiritual root, he would still need to find a stable, spiritually rich place of seclusion.

Thinking it over carefully, an upper prefecture would indeed be more suitable—not only for its abundant spiritual energy, but also for the deeper sense of the greater Dao it held. The demon realm's own Dao leaned more toward the demon race, and wasn't entirely suited to him either.

...What exactly was going on with this Mimi of his? It seemed like there was something he hadn't quite finished saying just now.

Rare for him, Chen Moqing's thoughts drifted slightly off track.

Cang Shun cradled a lock of smooth black hair in one hand, his expression giving nothing away on the surface, while his divine sense quietly slipped into his own spiritual sea to investigate.

The spiritual sea, glowing with brilliant gold light, was filled with vast, abundant spiritual energy, no different from usual.

That faint prick of pain just now seemed to have only been his imagination.

His eyes flickered, and he withdrew his divine sense, looking back toward the person beside him.

Chen Moqing happened to be looking at him too. Their gazes met for a moment, and a smile rose once more in Cang Shun's eyes. He caught hold of Chen Moqing's finger and gave it a little shake.

Then quickly pressed a kiss to his fingertip.

Chen Moqing: "……"

A moment later, the young human, one hand pressed atop a small fluffball loudly mewling away, calmly resumed his cultivation.

...

Several months later, at Luowu Prefecture.

Traveling to an upper prefecture required strict identity verification and passage permits, but with the token Chu Budu had given them, the two of them traveled the entire way without a single obstacle.

During this time, Cang Shun had also taken Chen Moqing back to the demon realm once, retrieving several treasures of heaven and earth from his cave abode, and asking Vermillion Bird whether he had a spot for the Nine Thousand Prefectures Contention Tournament—only to learn that even combining the resources of several demon kings together, they couldn't scrape together half a spot. Cang Shun laughed at Vermillion Bird mercilessly for it.

Vermillion Bird slammed his hand on the table in fury: "You just killed a dozen or so of their elders, and now you want a tournament spot too?! Go drink the northwest wind for all I care!"

"That won't be necessary, actually," Chen Moqing said calmly, cradling the small snow-white beast now smugly swishing its tail, "He could just eat a Nirvana Fruit instead."

Vermillion Bird: "?"

Vermillion Bird: "From now on, neither of you is allowed to set foot in my cave abode together as a pair ever again! Get out!"

Across the boundless desert, yellow sand stretched to blot out the sky, and deep within it stood a massive gray city, occupying nearly half the desert's expanse.

Chen Moqing raised his eyes to survey it. An air of ancient, magnificent grandeur.

Luowu Prefecture, Chu Clan City—the ancestral territory of an ancient great clan, several dozen times larger than even Kurong City in Qingluan Prefecture, which he had visited before.

Before the man and the demon had even fully approached the territory, several Chu clan guards blocked their path. Upon seeing the jade token, however, the guards immediately became warm and hospitable, escorting them across the desert and into the Chu clan's domain.

Passing through a city gate a hundred zhang tall, a boy and girl of similar appearance already stood waiting just beyond it, bowing to them in unison.

"You must be the young master's honored guests? Please, follow us!"

The towering city walls held back the desert winds, creating a lush, verdant oasis rich with life within. The boy and girl led the way ahead with bouncing steps, occasionally sneaking glances back at the two honored guests behind them.

One in light moon-white robes, one in dark golden-black robes—both with faces that were... utterly plain and unremarkable, so ordinary they practically looked like a married couple through sheer averageness.

"Can't tell their cultivation level, but they've certainly got presence."

The girl and boy whispered to each other: "Do you think there's a chance the one in white is the young master's illegitimate child..."

"The young master went on this long journey saying he was looking for his wife and daughter, and then he just so happens to come back with this guy and his token instead, what are the odds of that in this world!"

Chen Moqing: "……"

He said: "That is not the case."

Before the boy and girl could finish their whispered gossip, a clear, pleasant voice drifted over from behind them, startling them so badly they nearly jumped straight off the ground.

The girl elbowed the boy without hesitation, her voice rising half an octave: "He can hear us! Who told you to go gossiping about people!"

The boy: "...Wasn't it you gossiping too?!"

The girl put her hands on her hips, and the boy had no choice but to obediently lower his head.

"...Hey, but seriously, what do you think their relationship is? They're standing so close together."

Having already been caught red-handed, the young siblings showed no restraint whatsoever, sneaking another glance back at the two honored guests before continuing to whisper amongst themselves.

"They look like a couple."

"No way one of them is the young master's illegitimate child... and the other is the illegitimate child's spouse?"

"Listen to yourself, I'd say it's more like the illegitimate child's husband."

Chen Moqing: "……"

Cang Shun laughed.

A thoroughly delighted laugh.

Chen Moqing shot him an unhurried glance.

His long legs took a step, shifting sideways to put a little distance between them.

No longer standing close together.

Cang Shun: "……"

Cang Shun stopped laughing.

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