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Chapter 52: Be My Dao Companion

Just one exchange of blows, and Sima Bu'ao, mid Nascent Soul stage, was already trampled underfoot—the whole arena was stunned.

All they saw was that long, slender figure in green robes billowing in the wind, like the quiet shade of forest leaves and bamboo shadows, carrying with it a faint scent of bamboo—in contrast, Sima Bu'ao, pinned beneath his foot, looked utterly wretched, coughing up mouthfuls of blood, trembling as he tried to beg for mercy, only to fail to catch his breath and pass out on the spot.

"Well done!"

The Chu family's younger generation immediately burst into applause, cheering "Chu Shun's" name again and again.

Cang Shun floated beside Chen Moqing, listening to the waves of cheers, and gave his tail a light flick.

"How dare you!"

High in the sky, Sima Buhui let out an furious shout, both fingers coming together—

Cang Shun glanced over carelessly.

Sima Buhui's body suddenly trembled, the hand he had just extended pinned frozen in midair.

Mahayana aura?!

Even just a thread of leaked aura made his knees go weak, nearly buckling him to the ground on the spot. His eyes swept rapidly across the Chu family below, but he could no longer find the source of that aura.

Still, he knew, it was a warning. Leave now, or die!

Cold sweat instantly soaked through his robes, and without so much as looking back, Sima Buhui tore open a rift in the void and fled straight through it.

The Chu family members nearby: "……"

They watched, wide-eyed, as the Sima family's Second Elder had just finished spitting out harsh threats before bolting like he'd seen a ghost, leaving the remaining few Sima family members standing there dumbstruck, mouths full of sand.

The void rift closed in an instant. Cang Shun glanced at it indifferently, then leapt onto Chen Moqing's shoulder, turning about at an unhurried pace, his tail lightly winding around a few strands of smooth black hair.

Chen Moqing swept an indifferent gaze over Sima Bu'ao, then turned and walked down off the stage.

The remaining Sima family members hurried forward, several of them working together to drag Sima Bu'ao off the arena—as arrogant as they had been on arrival, that was how sorry a sight they made fleeing now.

The Chu family's younger generation cheered once more, swarming to surround Chen Moqing and Cang Shun.

Luo Shuijian, facing the direction Sima Buhui had fled, looked thoughtfully toward that young cultivator's demon-race dao companion, and saw that ball of gleaming white fluff pounce into his dao companion's arms, narrowing its eyes slightly at everyone around them as if declaring ownership.

【They're standing too close!】

【And touching you! Not allowed! What's wrong with the younger generation these days!】

The Demon Emperor in his arms grumbled on, while Chen Moqing remained perfectly composed, fingers gently stroking that snow-white fur, and in passing declined the requests of a few young men and women nearby who wanted to pet his little fluffball: "He bites."

Chu Shui said from the side, "That's his dao companion! You're not allowed to touch him!"

"……"

Just as the group of Chu family members were about to head back, the sky suddenly changed.

For a hundred li around the Chu family city, the sky suddenly darkened, sand and stones flew through the air, and a terrifying pressure swept across the entire desert, an furious voice echoing across the land:

"Who dares offend my Chu family!"

The Chu family members looked up in confusion, only to see a figure streak out at high speed, landing to stand upon the vast desert—the Chu family head, Chu Langtao, early Body Integration stage!

"It's the family head! He's broken through!"

Amid the Chu family's joyful, astonished gazes, Chu Langtao bellowed, "Who dares offend my Chu family!"

The voice carried across the whole desert. No one answered.

"No one," Luo Shuijian said with a smile, "They all ran off. Next time, come out sooner."

"……"

Half an incense-stick's time later, at the Chu family estate.

Chen Moqing and Cang Shun were invited there, seated together in the same hall as the Chu family head, Chu Langtao.

"You two young friends are not only my son Du's great benefactors, but have also saved my Chu family from crisis time and again. If you don't mind, from now on, please treat the Chu family as your own home!"

Chu Langtao laughed heartily a few times, personally poured two cups of tea, and brought them over to Chen Moqing.

"Family Head is too courteous," Chen Moqing said, taking the teacup and casually setting the jade porcelain lid on top of the snow-white little beast's head. "I'd like to know the details about the Sima family. Would you be willing to tell me?"

"The Sima family? Heh, twenty years ago, I should have wiped them out while I had the chance!" Chu Langtao sneered coldly.

According to what he said, twenty years ago, the Liu family, who had always been on bad terms with the Chu family, brought several great clans together to besiege the Chu family city. The Chu family stood united, and the Liu family, unable to overcome them, retreated. Afterward, when the Chu family settled the score, the Liu family fell, and the remaining clans were heavily punished by the Chu family and driven to the border of Luowu Prefecture.

The Sima family was one of the clans that had joined the Liu family's uprising back then. Originally, they had cowered in a corner of Luowu Prefecture for over a decade, but in recent years, for some unknown reason, their strength had surged, producing several Void Refinement cultivators seemingly out of nowhere—soon, the Sima family stopped taking the Chu family seriously, and while Chu Langtao was in seclusion these past years, friction between the two families grew frequent.

Chen Moqing noticed the snow-white little beast on his lap stretching out its paw trying to reach the cup lid on its head, and kindly moved the lid over, out of reach of the fuzzy little short paw, saying, "So what Family Head Chu means is, the Sima family's strength used to be unremarkable, but these past years they've advanced by leaps and bounds?"

Chu Langtao drained the tea in his cup in one gulp. "Heaven knows what kind of miracle elixir they got their hands on! A bunch of lazy, good-for-nothing clan descendants who stayed stuck at the same realm for hundreds of years, and yet these past years they've been popping up one after another like radishes being pulled from the ground."

Chen Moqing exchanged a glance with Cang Shun, and Cang Shun extended a paw toward him, swiping it through the air twice.

Chen Moqing understood, and took the white jade cup lid off the snow-white little beast's head.

Then casually set the empty teacup down gently on that little head instead.

Cang Shun: "?"

The snow-white little beast, now with a teacup balanced on its head, lay sulking on the young man's leg, tucking its two little paws in, fuming but enduring it in silence.

The family head emerging from seclusion, the young master's return, and driving back the Sima family—three joyous events all at once. That night, the Chu family city held a lively celebratory banquet.

Everyone sat on the ground together, without regard to rank, gathered around the bonfire drinking and eating meat, all very informal.

The Chu family had fine wine, brewed from a fruit unique to the desert—the liquor was clear, sweet on the tongue, with a light, delicate fragrance.

A thin-bottomed white porcelain bowl was filled seven-tenths full with wine. Chen Moqing took a small sip, set the porcelain bowl down, and a little head darted over quickly, drinking a sip straight from his hand.

Chen Moqing met that pair of blinking crimson demon eyes, and seeing the Demon Emperor's expression as calm as ever, said, "Does Mimi drink too?"

【The wine's no good, I don't like it】Cang Shun watched that slender hand resting against the white porcelain, which in the warm glow of the bonfire showed a beautiful jade-white glaze, 【This one's good to drink】

Then lowered his head and took another sip.

Chen Moqing got a new bowl and poured a small half-bowl of wine for him, only for the Demon Emperor to twist his head away and shift aside.

Then nudge back up beside his hand, drinking from his bowl instead.

Not far off, a few Chu family disciples who had originally wanted to go offer a toast muttered to each other, "It's hopeless, look at that mood between them, there's no way to squeeze in."

"Even getting a little bit close makes you feel like you're basking in holy light..."

On the other side, a few more Chu family disciples were secretly glancing at that famously renowned dao companion pair while excitedly gesturing about something, writing and drawing, occasionally letting out little yelps.

The daytime battle had changed quite a few of the younger generation's opinion of Chu Qingya, and now several people around his age had gathered together to drink with him.

"Chu Qingya, I've been wanting to ask you for ages, why do you always wear green?"

A Chu family disciple teased with a smile.

"Wear it in summer, wear it in winter, the same color all year round, why do you like it so much?"

Chu Qingya had been drinking heavily from several jars earlier, his face flushed red from the wine, already about eighty percent drunk. At the question, he suddenly went still.

The next moment, with no warning at all, he clutched the wine jar and wept loudly.

The young people around him were instantly thrown into a panic, asking again and again what was wrong, and only after several tries did they make out Chu Qingya's choked, broken words through his sobs: "You've all forgotten... no one remembers anymore..."

"My sister... my sister loved wearing green the most..."

Twenty years ago, when the great clans besieged the Chu family, amid the raging flames his sister had shielded him from that heart-piercing sword strike.

The wine fumes were too strong, and they brought tears streaming down that didn't usually fall. The Chu family disciples who had been drinking and enjoying themselves together stood by at a loss. Not far off, Chu Budu rose without a word and walked into the night, into the darkness the firelight couldn't reach.

——The next day, Chu Budu temporarily stepped down from his position as young master and went into secluded cultivation.

That night, the Chu family city was still bathed in the bright glow of bonfires, the scent of wine drifting throughout the city.

Beneath the night, a clear spring, mist swirling, ripples glimmering.

The young cultivator leaned in a relaxed posture against the pool's edge, black hair spreading over the water's surface like drifting clouds and mist, his single thin robe soaked through with vapor, showing through large patches of glistening jade-white skin.

The Chu family's warm spring, nourished by spiritual energy, was truly an excellent place for cultivation.

It's just...

Chen Moqing lowered his lashes, damp with mist, and looked at the little ball of fluff floating beside him.

The snow-white fur was soaked through, clinging to his body in wet strands, his originally fluffy form shrunk down a size, turned into a dripping wet rice ball.

Round and bobbing, drifting back and forth across the water's surface, back and forth, still turned away from him the whole time, not making a sound.

And still refusing to shift into human form.

And still refusing to tell him what had happened.

Chen Moqing thought calmly to himself.

Turned out he was a liar after all.

He spoke: "Your Majesty the Demon Emperor once promised me something."

Amid the murmuring water sounds, that calm voice cut through the faintly cool night air.

The snow-white little beast's ears twitched slightly, drifting a bit further away with the current.

Chen Moqing simply reached out and lifted up that heavy little ball of fluff, turning him around to face his eyes.

The instant their gazes met, his fingers sank in for a moment, then let go.

Countless stars scattered and shattered across the pool's surface, and a handsome black-haired man appeared beneath the night sky, staring unblinkingly at Chen Moqing, his eyes seeming brighter even than the stars.

Chen Moqing looked at those familiar, striking brows and eyes, and noticed that the Demon Emperor's face right now had no expression at all, only quietly gazing at him.

Something felt slightly off.

As if, unlike the usual Mimi.

Chen Moqing was just about to say something when a low voice fell against his ear: "Be my dao companion."

"……"

Chen Moqing gazed into those crimson eyes so close at hand, realizing something, and said without changing expression: "You're drunk."

Cang Shun seemed not to hear, silently lowering his head, gently pressing against his temple, nuzzling against it once.

Slightly curling black hair spilled into the clear pool, tangling and intertwining with soft dark strands, the Demon Emperor's sharp eyes holding brilliant starlight, an entire sea of stars seeming ready to pour down onto the young cultivator.

"Be my dao companion."

He repeated the words insistently, like a child asking for candy.

Drunk indeed.

Chen Moqing caught the faint scent of wine on him, and said calmly: "No."

Cang Shun immediately turned aggrieved, saying in a wronged tone: "Why not?"

Chen Moqing's expression didn't change: "You're hiding something from me."

Cang Shun fell silent.

The corners of his eyes drooped, and a furry head buried itself into the crook of his shoulder, nuzzling against him again and again.

"Be my dao companion, I can give you anything."

The stars filled the sky right overhead, the river of stars faintly echoing his voice.

"I can even give you my heart."

A sharp glint flashed across Chen Moqing's eyes. He grabbed Cang Shun's wrist, his long fingers trailing downward, sweeping over that mature body, pressing it against the Demon Emperor's firm chest, covered in smooth muscle.

Cang Shun: "……"

Those crimson demon eyes suddenly widened—

Splash.

A little ball of fluff toppled back into the pool.

The next moment, the dripping wet little ball of fluff was scooped right back up by the young cultivator, meeting those faintly frozen demon eyes head-on.

Amid the tangle of countless thoughts, Chen Moqing seized on the one single thread: "Something's wrong with your heart?"

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