Chapter 946: Half-moon Princess
After the end of the Godwar, the Dark Crow asked the Xu Ancestor about his future path. The ancestor looked at his little girl ravaged by war and absently sighed: "I only want to be a mortal. The Xu Clan is done for, but I still want to continue its bloodline. I hope that our descendants will be mortals who can finally enjoy peace. That is all I ask for."
Later on, Li Qiye found this Apricot Peak and let them settle down here. The Xu Clan from then on no longer embarked on the path of cultivation. They lived ordinary mortal lives from one generation to the next.
Li Qiye began to think by the window. There were times when mortals envied cultivators who were able to fly without limits. Meanwhile, war-ravaged cultivators sometimes envied the peaceful lives of mortals.
A while later, the shopkeeper brought out some aged wine along with some snacks. Li Qiye stopped gazing out the window and poured himself a cup.
However, at this second, his attention shifted to someone else. In a corner of the second floor was an old man slightly quivering. He appeared to be very anxious, wanting nothing more than to burrow underground.
Li Qiye couldn't help but smile upon seeing this old man. He was all too familiar with the fella.
He wore a gray robe with a very wacky paper hat. It was covered in a layer of grease and dust. Who knew how long he had worn this hat for? He seemed to be a harmless old man with nothing special about him.
However, Li Qiye remembered him and knew his background as well. Back in the Ancient Street, this old man had shown up before and Li Qiye even opened a stone chest for him. 1
The meeting was different this time. The old man was very cautious of Li Qiye and didn't dare to stare at him. He had the urge to run, but he didn't dare to act recklessly when Li Qiye's eyes were on him.
Li Qiye chuckled and dismissively said: "It seems like you have a good nose."
The old man had a helpless expression and was frozen on the spot; he didn't know what to do. Remember that he was someone who could easily give away a Virtuous Paragon True Treasure. It was easy to imagine his might.
But now, this old man understood something very clearly. No matter how powerful he was, he was naught but an ant before Li Qiye, unworthy of being mentioned! Despite his power, his awareness of the great secret left him helpless.
While this old man was at an impasse, gentle steps came from downstairs. Shortly after, a fair lady came to the second floor.
The whole floor turned bright upon her arrival as if she was a jewel. She carried the aura of water while wearing a moon-colored dress. There was a little crescent moon on her forehead. It didn't diminish her beauty and instead made her even more dazzling.
"Half-moon Princess!" The two cultivators who were resting on the first floor were shocked and left right away in fear.
The Half-moon Princess was an illustrious existence in the Barren Earth, a great genius. Her eyes swept through the second floor and noticed Li Qiye. She then sat down in front of him without any hesitation.
The old man heaved a sigh of relief after seeing this. The embarrassing situation was finally alleviated by the princess' arrival.
"Please excuse this little one, Sir. Do take your time." The old man bowed and quickly left the second floor.
After sitting down, the princess spoke: "You must be Li Qiye."
Li Qiye smiled in response: "I'm under the impression that I am the only one who can be called Li Qiye."
"Hmph, cease your glib tongue." The princess coldly spoke: "I'm asking you, are you that Li Qiye who is going around together with Ye Chuyun?!"
Li Qiye glanced at her and answered: "According to your description, I am indeed that Li Qiye."
"Very good, then I have found the right person." The princess slightly nodded while posturing without being too aggressive. It seemed that she was prideful by nature and considered herself superior to others. 2
Li Qiye only smiled and ignored her. He poured himself another cup and continued drinking. This hot wine tasted like nectar, prompting Li Qiye to smack his lips approvingly.
After so many years, the Xu Clan's aged wine still had the same memorable taste. Back then, the Xu Ancestor was not only an invincible existence but also a fine winemaker.
Li Qiye ate the different snacks and continued to act indifferent to the Half-moon Princess sitting in front of him.
The princess' expression turned cold at this show of disdain. She snorted unhappily but still managed to hold back her displeasure.
She stared at him and slowly spoke: "I heard that you and Ye Chuyun are a couple…"
Li Qiye raised his brows and said: "There's no need to walk in circles, just fart it out. I am in a good mood right now and do not wish to be disturbed."
"You!" The princess' expression quickly shifted as she glared at him. In her eyes, Li Qiye was only an unknown junior. She didn't know why Ye Chuyun would think highly of this nobody. Moreover, he even belonged to the ugly type — just a commoner!
"Li Qiye, do you know who I am?" She asked drily.
He kept on munching the snacks and took his time sipping the wine. He didn't bother looking at her while answering: "I don't have to look to know who you are. I can easily smell the foul stench belonging to your Blood-devil Race."
"Ignorant fool!" The princess was angered by this response and shouted: "Li Qiye, you speak such insulting words, are you tired of living?!"
Li Qiye brushed her off and waved his sleeve to say: "Okay, stop blabbering. If you have something to say, then say it or get the hell out of my sight."
The princess was shaking with rage. She was a princess of the Blood-devil Race and praised as one of the five saints in the Barren Earth. But now, a nobody like this acting so contemptuously made her almost grit her teeth to dust. If it wasn't for her wanting to keep Li Qiye alive, she would have ended him already.
She remembered her business and took a deep breath before coldly staring at him: "Li, marry Ye Chuyun and I will give you some nice benefits!"
This offer made Li Qiye, who was enjoying his wine, stop for a bit. He slowly placed his cup on the table and finally looked at the princess while smiling: "A bit interesting."
"Will you do it or not?" The princess glared at him.
Li Qiye met her glare and smiled: "Why do you think Miss Ye will marry me?"
She scowled in response before taking another good look at him. The truth was that she didn't see anything special about him at all. Ye Chuyun being a couple with such a man was simply the result of her being blind.
"A woman in love is simply indecipherable. Use this chance right now while you two are madly in love to propose and win her hand in marriage. If you marry Ye Chuyun, then you will be a carp jumping over the dragon gate. You will be the son-in-law of the Pure Lotus School, then you can call for winds and rain as you please." The princess smiled.
She was a beautiful girl, so her smile resembled the blossoming of many flowers.
Li Qiye played with his cup and leisurely smiled: "Hearing you has made my heart thump. So, what's in it for you if I marry Miss Ye?"
The princess snorted in response: "No need to ask! If you marry Ye Chuyun, I will grant you one treasure and a bottle of pills. Think about it, why would you not partake in this endeavor? It's simply killing two birds with one stone."
"I got it." Li Qiye looked at her and smiled: "The man you like must like Miss Ye instead, so you want nothing more than for her to marry me so that the other man will give up, then you would have a chance to jump in, right?"
"Such a big mouth!" The princess shouted with a changed expression.
Li Qiye glared at her and said: "Keep in mind that it is you asking me, not the other way around!"
"You!" The princess wasn't happy at this moment. However, she still took a deep breath and looked Li Qiye in the eye: "Do you want to marry her or not?!"
"It’s none of your business." Li Qiye shook his head.
The princess was still quite angry, but she endured it: "Li Qiye, this is a godsend for you. If you marry Ye Chuyun, I will even give you a nice bride token. With that, you will be worthy of Ye Chuyun. Just marry her and you will be able to enjoy the rest of your life."
"Alright, I understand your intentions now." Li Qiye smiled: "However, my business needs no meddling from outsiders. Please go back."
The princess' expression turned cold. Someone with a status as prestigious as hers coming to discuss this with Li Qiye was already a humble gesture, yet Li Qiye dared to not give her any face!
The princess drily said: "Li Qiye, I am showing you respect by presenting these conditions directly. Otherwise, you wouldn't be sitting here right now."
946 TeaserAfter the end of the Godwar, the Dark Crow asked the Xu Ancestor about his future path. The ancestor looked at his little girl ravaged by war and absently sighed: "I only want to be a mortal. The Xu Clan is done for, but I still want to continue its bloodline. I hope that our descendants will be mortals who can finally enjoy peace. That is all I ask for."
Later on, Li Qiye found this Apricot Peak and let them settle down here. The Xu Clan from then on no longer embarked on the path of cultivation. They lived ordinary mortal lives from one generation to the next.
Li Qiye began to ponder by the window. There were times when mortals envied cultivators who were able to fly without limits. Meanwhile, war-torn cultivators sometimes envied the peaceful lives of mortals.
A while later, the shopkeeper brought out some aged wine along with some snacks. Li Qiye stopped gazing out the window and poured himself a cup.
However, at this second, his attention shifted to someone else. In a corner of the second floor was an old man slightly quivering. He appeared to be very anxious and wanted nothing more than to burrow himself underground.
[collapse] Chapter 171. ↩ She refers to herself as "princess" here. It is an arrogant tone. ↩Chapter 947: Arcane Guru
Li Qiye's eyes narrowed after hearing the princess' threat. He smiled in response: "Oh? Playing nice didn't work so it's time for force?"
The princess coldly responded: "If you already know the Blood-devil Tribe, then you should know how powerful we are, especially my Half-moon branch!"
The Blood-devil Tribe was one of the strongest branches of the Blood Race. Its influence was great in the Barren Earth. It had thirty-five lineages and fourteen countries. Moreover, it had produced three Immortal Emperors!
The Half-moon Blood Tribe was one of the thirty-five lineages. They had a decent grasp in the southern region as well.
"So what?" Li Qiye wasn't interested and didn't bother to glance back at her.
The princess retorted: "If I wanted to make things difficult for you, there wouldn't be a need for me to personally do so. With just a single word, there would be no peace for you in the Barren Earth — a fate worse than death!"
"Okay, I got your message and heard your nonsense." Li Qiye drank his wine and lazily spoke: ", Now scram before I have the urge to kill."
"You!" The princess immediately stood up with a murderous glint in her eyes. However, Li Qiye still didn't bother looking at her.
He continued to slowly savor his wine as if the princess didn't exist in his eyes.
In the end, the princess didn't make a move. She took another deep breath and stated: "You better think it over then find me once you change your mind. If you want to marry Ye Chuyun, my Half-moon Blood Tribe can help you." With that, she turned around and quickly disappeared.
Li Qiye only smiled after seeing her leave and murmured: "Not too foolish after all." He continued to drink and snack afterward.
A while later when the bottle was half empty, Li Qiye slowly spoke: "Okay, you can come up now. Stop hiding down there."
With thumping steps, someone came up. It was the mysterious old man wearing the paper hat from earlier. He didn't leave and instead continued to stay downstairs since he didn't dare to linger without Li Qiye's permission.
He stood before Li Qiye with a very nervous expression. He didn't know where to position his hands. The old fella was very powerful. Back in his era, his stomp could cause the clouds and winds to disperse, but now, he was very docile before Li Qiye.
Li Qiye stared at him and spoke: "I must say, you really are courageous, following in my footsteps everywhere and even digging up quite a few of my items."
"My Lord, this lowly one only picked up the leftovers you left behind, please do not be angry." The old man quickly prostrated.
Li Qiye gently waved his sleeve in response: "Okay, stand up. If I really wanted to punish you, I wouldn't have spared a little mouse like you back at the All Heaven Grotto, I would have killed you back in the Ancient Sky Street."
"Thank you for showing mercy, My Lord." The old man bowed again: "This old one committed the offense of being unable to recognize My Lord back in the Ancient Street, please punish me."
"Can't fault the unaware." Li Qiye said: "However, you are quite capable, to be able to uncover my identity in such a short amount of time."
The mysterious old man coughed and quickly said: "This lowly one has admired My Lord since childhood, especially when you spared me back at the All Heaven Grotto; your benevolence is unforgettable. I was still skeptical after the Ancient Street, so I tried to go back to find more information. I was thinking that this was the case, but I didn't dare to offend My Lord and verify my findings."
"Okay, I don't blame you. It was a type of fate for you to be able to slip into my All Heaven Grotto." Li Qiye waved his sleeve: "Your continual search for my tales did not go unnoticed. It would have been simple for me to destroy you."
The old man became a bit embarrassed as he smiled wryly: "My Lord is unbeatable across the eons, this lowly one only wanted to look for your old relics, that's all. Back then, My Lord and the Black Dragon King loomed over the nine heavens while I could only gaze from afar."
"Since you know who I am, you should know of my taboo creed." Li Qiye leisurely drank his wine.
The old man quickly replied: "This lowly one understands. I will definitely not tell a third soul about My Lord's matters. I can swear with my true fate!"
The old man's words were not just for show. He actually swore with his true fate.
Li Qiye patted the table, allowing him to sit down. The old man sat down immediately after. Li Qiye looked at him and spoke: "If my memory serves me right, you were called the Arcane Young Emperor back then…"
The mysterious old man coughed in response: "My Lord, I was young and foolish back then. Because I came from a place called the Arcane Mountains, I took the title Arcane Young Emperor. During my youth, I tried to compete for the Immortal Emperor's throne against Gu Zun, but after realizing that Immortal Emperor Yin Tian was the person chosen by you, I knew better than to compete against My Lord and changed my name to Arcane Guru." 1
Immortal Emperor Yin Tian was the emperor before Immortal Emperor Ta Kong. He came from the Mysterious Bamboo Mountain!
"Gu Zun? Eligible to become emperor?" Li Qiye smiled and said: "He should be thanking the heaven and earth that I didn't imprison him in the Blue Abyss, let alone try to obtain the Heaven's Will!"
Arcane Guru laughed dryly. Although he knew a thing or two about this feud, he didn't dare to comment on it since it was also one of the taboo subjects surrounding the Dark Crow!
"It seems that you have been running to many places in these last few years. Are you trying to excavate every location that I have been to?" Li Qiye asked.
The guru nervously touched his clothing and answered: "Ah, this lowly one does not intend on challenging My Lord's prestige. I just have a bad habit and couldn't help but follow in your footsteps."
It turned out that Arcane Guru was a demonic mouse. Before he truly became strong, he was lucky enough to run into Li Qiye's All Heaven Grotto and was captured by the Dark Crow.
That event frightened him completely. However, Li Qiye didn't kill him back then and only threw him out.
Later on, the guru grew extremely interested in the mythical Dark Crow and tried to find all the remnants left behind by him. This greatly benefited the guru since he was able to find items thrown away by Li Qiye.
This only further fueled his desire for the search. Any legends relating to the Dark Crow were quickly verified by him.
"So, is that why you are here?" Li Qiye looked at the guru.
The guru's expression quickly changed as he responded: "My Lord, this lowly one has no malicious intentions. I only came here by following a clue and have no desire to hurt anyone in this place. I can swear with my true fate!"
He was still afraid that Li Qiye might have misunderstood and continued on: "My Lord, although I have been following your footsteps, I never dared to break anything relating to you or the descendants of your followers. My Lord left behind many items; if they had an owner, I wouldn't dare to touch them…"
Li Qiye gazed at him for a while before nodding his head approvingly: "Very good, you know where I draw my bottom line."
The guru heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this and had to wipe the cold sweat off his forehead. Even though he was very powerful with the title of Young Emperor during his youth, he knew full well that this was an existence who could kill even Immortal Emperors. A guy like him was nothing in comparison.
"It seems like your tracking ability is not bad since you were able to chase me all the way to the Xu Clan." Li Qiye looked at him: "How did you come to this result?"
"My Lord, this lowly one found some clues in the Hidden-dragon Mountains. I've read through many ancient books and know a little about the Xu Clan's past, so I immediately came here to see." The guru answered.
"Brilliant, to be able to find some clues from the Hidden-dragon Mountains." Li Qiye continued: "What did you find?" Li Qiye's eyes narrowed after asking.
The guru's heart jolted. He immediately stood up and bowed again: "My Lord, I never had any ideas or thoughts about touching the Xu Clan. If you don't believe me, I am willing to let you search through my sea of memories!"
The sea of memories was a cultivator's biggest secret. Anyone would prefer losing their life over letting someone else see the depths of their mind.
However, Arcane Guru was willing. His achievements today were due to Li Qiye since he obtained many things by tracing Li Qiye's footsteps, including merit laws, treasures, and his knowledge…
In a certain sense, he was given everything by Li Qiye!
Li Qiye gently nodded: "Very well, it is good that you understand. If you came here following my footsteps, you should be aware of the Holy City's significance as well as the Xu Clan's past! For anyone who touches the Xu Clan, I will exterminate their nine clans or even ten clans!"
"This little one understands." Arcane Guru solemnly replied. He knew that these were not empty words! As long as Li Qiye was willing, exterminating the nine clans of someone only required a single command!
Li Qiye gently tapped on the table and spoke: "Okay, sit back down. You must have found something in the mountains to be able to trace me to this place."
Raw translation is Heavenly Mysterious Old Man. Old Man here is a common daoist title, but it sounds funky as Old Man. Elder is taken, Sage is taken, and Guru seems to be an okay option here. ↩Chapter 948: Crimson Night Duke
After the old man took a seat, he continued: "Tell me, what did you find?"
The guru rubbed his palms nervously and smiled: "I chased after this clue for a very long time and finally, at the mountains, I was able to find something that My Lord left behind back then."
Li Qiye looked at him with one eye: "If it was only a clue, then it shouldn't be enough for you to trace it back to this place. You must have found something, I'm listening."
The guru quickly fixed his attitude. He understood that there was no point in hiding anything before Li Qiye. Nothing in this world could elude his gaze. It was a pair of eyes that shone like eternal flames, illuminating the eons.
He took a deep breath and answered: "My Lord, others would find this ridiculous, but I'm sure My Lord knows the reason. I heard the beating of a fetus back in the mountains. If I wasn't in full search mode, I wouldn't have been able to hear it!"
"A natal beat?" Li Qiye's eyes became serious after hearing this.
The Hidden-dragon Mountains hid a great secret. In the past, the Dark Dragon Dynasty established a supreme foundation in this location. There was a good reason for it — this secret was worth salivating over. 1
Looking at Li Qiye’s expression was enough to let the Guru immediately understand that Li Qiye already knew this secret. It was just like the old stories, nothing in this world was unknown to Li Qiye. He quickly spoke: "I found it very strange the first time I heard this beat as well. Later on, I checked many ancient records about your tales…"
"… Eventually, I came across one writing that related to this legend. I suddenly had a bold speculation that this was something My Lord left behind. After more research and guesses, I eventually traced the clue to this location." The guru told Li Qiye everything he knew.
"A natal beat…" Li Qiye murmured to himself and looked out the window.
While Li Qiye was silent, loud noises came from below. A young man adorned in a fancy robe came to the second floor. His entrance illuminated the entire room.
He had a powerful aura with the style of a noble. His blood energy was rich like a surging river. It was easy to see that he had a noble and powerful bloodline.
There were more than ten followers immediately behind him. All of them wore the same uniform and had extraordinary presences, showing that they came from a great lineage.
The young man immediately walked towards Li Qiye and sat down in front of him. Although he showed no signs of contempt, a hint of arrogance was in the air.
"I am the Crimson Night Duke from the Crimson Night Country." He slowly introduced himself.
Anyone else would palpitate after hearing this. Crimson Night was a famous lineage in the Barren Earth with two emperors. Meanwhile, this duke was the ruler of a whole region. His backing was quite prominent, allowing him to be considered highborn.
"And?" Li Qiye reacted nonchalantly to this introduction.
The duke glared at Li Qiye and lowered his tone: "I want to know what the Half-moon Princess came to you for! Tell me everything without leaving out a single detail!"
Li Qiye couldn't help but laugh: "I got it, so you like that lady. Moreover, it is beyond your control now."
The duke's handsome face sank after hearing this. He quickly threatened Li Qiye: "No nonsense or I'll slap your mouth!"
Li Qiye was still unperturbed: "Really? What if I don't tell you? Plus, why should I tell you?"
The duke placed a pearl on the table and spoke: "This is our specialty, a Crimsonheart Pearl. It is able to eliminate contaminations. Tell me your conversation with the princess and this shall be yours."
Li Qiye glanced at the pearl and only smiled without revealing his attitude.
The duke continued to glare at him: "It must have something to do with that guy!" After this speculation, he only became more restless: "Quickly tell me."
He lost his patience after thinking about the princess' feelings for that man from the Pureblood School. He immediately stood up and shouted: "Brat, tell me now!"
Li Qiye raised his brows and lazily replied: "I have zero interest in your romance. Before you disturb my mood, return from whence you came."
"Brat, that isn't up to you to decide!" The duke drily said: "If you don't speak, I will drag you back with me!"
"Your Highness, let me capture him and I'll make him spit out everything!" A follower behind the duke quickly tried to earn this merit.
Li Qiye didn't bat an eye and leisurely spoke: "Scram."
With that, not only his followers, but even the duke was astounded. He was the duke of Crimson Night, a supreme character, yet this nobody brat dared to shame him like this.
"Little animal, I'll let you taste a fate worse than death!" The duke's expression turned fierce. He reached out for Li Qiye with his hand.
"If My Lord tells you to scram, then scram!" Li Qiye didn't need to do anything as the duke's hand approached. Arcane Guru, sitting at the side, swept past with his sleeve.
"Pop!" Before the duke and his followers knew what was going on, they were swept flying by the guru's sleeve and disappeared in the horizon. Who knew where they were sent off to.
Compared to the guru, the duke was not worth mentioning — simply an insect.
Li Qiye acted as if nothing had happened and continued to drink. The guru didn't dare to say anything and sat back down to the side.
After a while, Li Qiye looked up and put his cup down: "If I remember correctly, you excavated my little golden coffin!" 2
"About that…" The guru became very nervous. He smiled awkwardly while his hands fidgeted uneasily: "My Lord, you gave this thing to the Gongsun Clan a long time ago, but the Gongsun Clan was destroyed later on…"
"… This lowly one waited for a very long time in those ruins. Eventually, I didn't see My Lord's return, so I assumed that you had forsaken this item and immediately brought it out into the sunlight again."
This issue left him in a tough spot. In fact, he had obtained many things during his pursuit of Li Qiye. Nevertheless, the most precious item was the little golden coffin.
He quickly spoke: "If My Lord wants it back, this lowly one will return it right away."
Li Qiye lazily responded: "Fine, if I need it, I will take it back. Since you worked hard to get it, you can keep on using it for now."
"Thank you, My Lord." The Guru didn't dare to be disrespectful and immediately prostrated.
Li Qiye nodded gently while the guru remained on the ground without getting up. Li Qiye put down his cup and looked at him: "You have something else to say?"
The kneeling guru quickly responded: "Ever since this lowly one met My Lord back then in the All Heaven Grotto, I longed for the day that I could be like the wise sages under your banner. Today, I was finally able to see My Lord, leaving me with great jubilation. I am willing to serve you, My Lord."
Li Qiye stared at him and slowly answered: "When necessary, I will naturally call for you. I am staying at the Holy City for now, so you may work for me."
"Thank you, My Lord!" The guru bowed his head. For millions of years now, countless invincible wise sages worked for Li Qiye and swept through the world under him. Now, he finally got this chance as well.
"Rise." Li Qiye waved his sleeve: "Let this be the end of that lead, do not bother the Xu Clan. It greatly contributed to the nine worlds and the human race. I trust that I don't need to say more."
"This lowly one understands!" The guru said: "If the need arises in the future, I am willing to protect the Xu Clan in your stead."
"Good, so it is decided for now. Let us go." Li Qiye ended the conversation.
The guru bowed once more and left. He disappeared into the horizon in just the blink of an eye.
Li Qiye continued to drink while looking at the green hills outside the window. He immersed himself in the long silence.
Each person he remembered grew older with the years and slowly drifted away like the wind. No one was truly immortal!
Dark here is Ming. It is an Ancient Ming Dynasty. Long Ming or Dark Dragon is an emperor as well. ↩ I left out one section here about the Xu Clan's threat. It was virtually the same thing repeated from the last chapter. Author might have forgotten about it. ↩