After His Demise, the Demon Lord's Doted Canary Finally Sees the Light - Chapter 74

Shengyan  seemed to have been heartbroken by the experience. He locked himself in his room, and two days later, a letter came from the City Lord’s residence. The matter of becoming a disciple was now over.

When he heard the news, Jiufang Cangze  was diligently sweeping the mountain gate.

“Shengyan has quit the competition, so… what about me?” His hands were on the table, and the expectation in his crimson eyes was hard to hide.

Qiu Fuxue  stroked Little Sootball ‘s head. “You? Continue sweeping the mountain gate.”

Jiufang Cangze immediately looked displeased. “A-Xue, you clearly said that we were competing, and whoever won would become your disciple!”

“Did I say that?” Qiu Fuxue denied it. He lowered his head and asked Little Sootball.

The little guy had been with its master for a few days and had learned a thing or two. It immediately shook its head.

“See? Even Little Sootball knows I didn’t say that.”

Jiufang Cangze’s eyes widened in disbelief. “How can you…!”

Just then, Qing Shu (青疏) pushed the door open and came in. He was sighing as he walked, and without a word, he grabbed a teacup and poured himself some tea.

A vein throbbed on Qiu Fuxue’s forehead. “Qing Shu, on my territory, you are a little too casual.”

“Sigh—!” Another long sigh. He closed his eyes and pretended to be profound. “Sect Leader Qiu, we’re old friends. Why bother with the small stuff?”

Jiufang Cangze scoffed and got up to stretch. A dangerous aura radiated from him as he walked towards Qing Shu. “I almost forgot. You’re a traitor too!”

“Tsk!” Qing Shu frowned unhappily. “Your Excellency, if I hadn’t informed Sect Leader Qiu, you’d still be hanging in the black market!”

“Enough!” Qiu Fuxue interrupted them.

Qing Shu had no clear affiliation, and no one could say for sure which side he was on. If he was loyal to Jiufang Cangze, he had saved Qiu Fuxue in the demon realm multiple times. But if he was loyal to Ye Chu , he had come to the Thousand Thoughts Sect to give them a message when Jiufang Cangze was in trouble.

This person usually liked to trick people in Sunset City and rarely came up the mountain without a clear reason.

Qiu Fuxue’s tone was cold. “Qing Shu, did you get some new information?”

“Ah… no, not really.” Qing Shu smiled slightly. “I just wanted to ask Your Excellency if you’ve received any news from the Shadow Master lately?”

Yu Jian  also still called him “Your Excellency,” but Jiufang Cangze felt that Qing Shu was more annoying. He said irritably, “Lunling  isn’t like some people who betray their own. I trust him!”

“So you haven’t heard anything.” Qing Shu wisely stroked his chin and muttered, “That’s not good…”

Jiufang Cangze felt an inexplicable tension. He stepped forward and grabbed Qing Shu’s collar, demanding in a low voice, “What do you know?! What happened to Lunling?!”

After being rescued from the demon realm, Jiufang Cangze had been staying at the Thousand Thoughts Sect. During that time, Qiu Fuxue had told him what had happened a year ago. But the Fiend Shadows were not children. They must be hiding somewhere, quietly waiting for their lord to return.

Qiu Fuxue saw that Qing Shu was being evasive and deliberately vague. He patted Jiufang Cangze, signaling for him to move aside.

The Righteous Heart  sword was unsheathed, and a familiar coldness crept up Qing Shu’s neck again.

Qing Shu nervously licked his lower lip and immediately said, “I saved a half-dead patient down the mountain. He couldn’t pay for his treatment…”

The blade moved an inch. “Stop talking nonsense. Who is it?”

Qing Shu turned to look at Jiufang Cangze, his expression full of mischief. “A Fiend Shadow, Xiao Chang .”

The fist by his side suddenly clenched. “Xiao Chang…”

The Thousand Thoughts Sect did not allow outsiders to enter easily. Qing Shu, relying on his friendship with Qiu Fuxue, would often come up the mountain to visit. But it was impossible for him to bring an unknown demon with him, so he had temporarily arranged for Xiao Chang to stay in a simple wooden house down the mountain.

When Jiufang Cangze and the others came in, Xiao Chang was already awake. He was trying to get up with his body full of scars, but he was too weak and fell back down.

“Xiao Chang!” Jiufang Cangze ran over, taking three steps at a time, and carefully helped him up.

From the moment he heard the voice, Xiao Chang had been stunned. He looked at the person in disbelief, his pale face changing expression. His eyes instantly turned red. “Your Excellency…”

They had not waited in vain. Their lord had returned.

Jiufang Cangze was also a little moved. He quietly sniffled and got back to business. “What happened? Who injured you like this?”

“Your Excellency, this subordinate is useless…” Xiao Chang choked up and didn’t continue. Instead, he trembled as he took out the Fiend Shadow token from his robe.

The black gold token inlaid with silver was covered in dark red blood.

Jiufang Cangze took the token, and his heart sank.

Without an emergency or his order, the Fiend Shadow token could only be in the hands of the Shadow Master.

“For this past year, we have been trying to avoid Ye Chu’s pursuit, but he has many demon soldiers…”

A wave of pain shot through his chest. Xiao Chang took a breath and continued. “Once, he personally crossed the border to attack. Yin Jie  and Xuan Xu  were severely wounded. Then we were ambushed by the immortal sects… Only Lunling and I escaped…”

Jiufang Cangze lowered his eyes, hiding his sadness. He stroked the blood on the Fiend Shadow token. There was an unspeakable bitterness in his heart.

The four Fiend Shadows had followed him for thousands of years. They had been through every hardship.

Anger welled up. Xiao Chang suppressed the metallic taste that rose in his throat and coughed twice. “A few days ago, Ye Chu got some news from somewhere. He seems to have learned of the Nine Fiends’ whereabouts, so he sent a large number of demon soldiers to different places. Lunling was captured and taken to the demon realm while covering for me…”

Jiufang Cangze lowered his eyelashes, hiding the sorrow in his eyes. “The fiend Ying has been defeated. Sect Leader Qiu and I were also ambushed by assassins elsewhere.”

Qiu Fuxue had been standing closest to the door, listening to their conversation.

Demons killing each other was not his business, but some things were just too tangled to cut.

He hesitated for a moment. Then, his spirit communication token suddenly vibrated.

He looked at Jiufang Cangze. The latter was holding the token, lost in thought, and didn’t notice him.

He quietly pushed the door open and left.

“Senior Brother.” Li Yun’s voice came from the token.

“A-Yun, I’m down the mountain.”

The other side was silent for a moment, then said, “Senior Brother, someone from the Imperial City has come to visit with an urgent request.”

The Imperial City was very far from the Thousand Thoughts Sect. The palace also had its own dedicated imperial spiritual masters. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t come to the Thousand Thoughts Sect.

Unless they had encountered a situation that even the immortal sects in the Imperial City couldn’t solve.

Qiu Fuxue quietly looked at the room. “I understand. I’ll be right back.”

He flew back to the Thousand Thoughts Sect. As he entered the hall, he was surprised to see Lanzhi there.

“Sect Leader Qiu.” Lanzhi, who looked frail, got up. A dignified-looking man next to him also stood up.

The two of them looked about five or six parts alike.

Qiu Fuxue nodded and sat down, quietly waiting for Lanzhi to introduce him.

“Sect Leader Qiu, this is my older brother, Lan Shiyi .”