After His Demise, the Demon Lord's Doted Canary Finally Sees the Light - Chapter 36

His dream was a chaotic mix of black, white, and blood, just like his tragic life.

From the moment Qiu Fuxue was born, he had been trapped in a lie.

His consciousness returned. He felt warmth all around him and heard his own breath, yet he was terrified to open his eyes.

He was afraid that when he did, he would still be in that horrific chamber, endlessly reliving the agony of death.

“Senior Brother…?”

Li Yun was watching Qiu Fuxue’s every move. His eyes flickered when he saw the man stir. He called out uncertainly.

Hearing his voice, Qiu Fuxue’s breathing hitched for a moment. He slowly opened his eyes.

They were a pale red color.

“A-Yun…”

“Senior Brother! You’re finally awake!” Li Yun lunged at him, sobbing.

Qiu Fuxue felt a little helpless with the man in his arms. In the end, he could only raise a hand and gently stroke his hair.

It was then that he noticed another person standing by the bed.

This person wore simple, clean robes. His white hair flowed loosely, and his entire demeanor was clearly not that of a mortal.

Taichu (太初) watched them with a smile. He went to the courtyard to get a plate of pastries and a pot of tea. Only after Li Yun had cried enough did he ask him to explain everything to Qiu Fuxue.

Qiu Fuxue held the hot tea Taichu had handed him, his mind in turmoil. All sorts of emotions were choked in his chest, making him unable to speak.

Taichu was a great lover of mortal delicacies but, fearing he couldn’t get them often, had specifically learned how to be a good cook so he could make whatever he wanted.

“This tea wasn’t brewed with flower dew, just plain mortal well water. Give it a try.”

Qiu Fuxue lowered his head, looking at the tea leaves floating in the cup. He took a small sip. He didn’t feel anything strange after drinking it.

He lowered his gaze, his grip on the teacup tightening. “It was all a lie…” he said, his voice filled with disappointment.

“Senior Brother?” Li Yun was confused and placed his hand on Qiu Fuxue’s.

Qiu Fuxue looked up at Li Yun, grateful that he still had one person he could trust.

“A-Yun,” Qiu Fuxue said, setting the teacup down and taking a deep breath. “I was actually… harmed by Yuan Lietian (原栎天).”

“What?!”

Li Yun was shocked, but Taichu had already expected this and calmly waited for Qiu Fuxue to finish.

“Yuan Lietian hid my true identity and forbade me from consuming mortal grains and water. On the surface, it was for the sake of my pure spiritual body, but in reality… I was just a ‘furnace’ he was cultivating for his own use…”

“The day I was captured and taken to the Demon Realm, he had planned to sacrifice me after I reached the Demise Stage and then announce to the world that I had died from my injuries, but his plans were disrupted by Jiufang Cangze’s (九方蒼澤) interference.”

“Over the years, I would do everything he asked of me without fail, and I would present all the benefits I gained from slaying demons to him.”

“My debt of gratitude has been repaid… From now on, I am no longer a disciple of the Thousand Thoughts Sect, and he is no longer my master…”

Upon hearing this, Li Yun’s mind was a mess. He couldn’t believe that their master, who had shown them so much kindness, was the true culprit.

“Child, you are mistaken,” Taichu said, having finished a pastry and wiped the crumbs from his hands. “Yuan Lietian is no longer your master, but the Thousand Thoughts Sect is still yours.”

“Primordial Deity?” Qiu Fuxue looked at Taichu.

Before his life faded, Yuan Lietian had told him that the white lotus he was born from was planted by the Primordial Deity himself, not something that had simply appeared in the Thousand Thoughts Sect. This also meant that his spiritual body was connected to Taichu.

Taichu looked out the window, a smile on his face, and waved his hand. In the lotus pond, Jiufang Cangze had tired of struggling and was now sitting cross-legged in the water in a huff. Qiu Fuxue looked at him as well, but quickly averted his eyes.

“Three thousand years ago, Cangze’s violent nature could not be controlled. I fought him in a battle that you should all have heard about.”

“Yes, the elders mentioned it in our lessons.”

Li Yun looked away, feeling guilty. He had skipped many of those boring lessons, relying on his talent.

Taichu raised his hand and patted Li Yun’s head. “After that battle, I perished, and Cangze fell into a deep sleep. Now, I am but a remnant soul wandering in this world, barely holding this Immortal Realm together.”

“But before I perished, I foresaw that the Nine Fiends would one day be born again and cause trouble. So, I planted a white lotus on Snowy Mountain. When that day came, the lotus would bloom and protect all life.”

Qiu Fuxue asked uncertainly, “The one you are talking about is… me?”

Taichu nodded. “Not just the Thousand Thoughts Sect; the entire Snowy Mountain is my gift to you. Since you no longer see Yuan Lietian as your master, it’s time to drive him out.”

With that, he looked at Li Yun, his eyes still smiling, yet inspiring a sense of awe.

Li Yun immediately said, “I will do whatever Senior Brother does. From now on, I will not leave his side.”

Qiu Fuxue couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. He reached out and pinched Li Yun’s cheek just like when they were kids. “A-Yun has grown up, and he’s gotten taller.”

The atmosphere became livelier. Taichu stood up and stretched. “That settles it. You two should rest here for a while. Wait for Fuxue’s cultivation to fully recover before you leave. There’s a lot waiting to be solved outside.”

Qiu Fuxue couldn’t hide the smile on his face. He nodded. Although he had finally broken free from the chains Yuan Lietian had placed on him, he would still fulfill his responsibilities.

After enduring bone-deep torment, betrayal, and deceit, at least he had someone who would stand by him.

Taichu put the pastries in Qiu Fuxue’s hand. “Eat up. I’m going to check on Cangze.”

At the mention of him, Qiu Fuxue’s happy expression fell again. He looked at his reflection in a bronze mirror in the room and saw that his eyes now had a hint of red.

Li Yun hadn’t explicitly said where the spiritual energy came from to restore his body, but judging by his eyes, he could guess.

“Senior Brother,” Li Yun said, sitting next to Qiu Fuxue and wrapping his arms around him. “A-Yun will protect you.”

Qiu Fuxue hugged his junior brother back, who was now much taller than him. “Thank you.”

Jiufang Cangze was released from the ice prison. The first thing he did was charge at Taichu, but the deity simply blinked, and Jiufang Cangze was forced to his knees.

Qiu Fuxue and Li Yun had just come out of the room and saw Jiufang Cangze kneeling to them from a distance.

Taichu smiled helplessly. “My child, why are you so careless?”

As he spoke, he bent down to help Jiufang Cangze up.

Jiufang Cangze was speechless, his chest tight as if a rock was lodged in it.

Li Yun walked over, looking at him coldly. “Primordial Deity, even if he didn’t kill my Senior Brother, what he did to him is an undeniable fact!”

He was implying that Taichu should punish Jiufang Cangze.

Taichu nodded and then had Qiu Fuxue expose his wrist. A pair of curses circled his wrist—the Golden Silk Birdcage Seal (金絲囚籠印)—which were etched into his bones and could not be removed as long as the bones remained.

“Cangze, remove this.”

“I can’t!” came the swift and firm reply.

Li Yun was so angry he was about to draw his sword, but Taichu stopped him.

“If you can’t remove it, then I will have Fuxue use this to control you.”

Taichu gently held Qiu Fuxue’s wrist. The latter felt a warmth, and then he saw Jiufang Cangze clutch his chest and fall to the ground, looking like he was in great pain.

A moment later, Taichu forced out several drops of heart’s blood from Jiufang Cangze, condensing them into round pearls. He threaded them on a red string and tied it to Qiu Fuxue’s wrist.

“This is a good thing. It will help your cultivation in the future. Wear it and don’t lose it.”