After Provoking the Mad Beautiful Deity - Chapter 62

Chu Huanian cast a peculiar glance at the Demon Lord. The duo was acting strangely, especially the Demon Lord, whose behavior was childlike and whose words were nonsensical.

Chu Huanian spoke up, “Demon Lord, there is no need to hesitate. Speak plainly.”

“You have forgotten everything, so how can I speak plainly?” Hongchen replied helplessly. What else could she do? Since she could not wake the woman’s memories, she had to go with the flow and revive Chu Rou first.

Fortunately, she had moved Chu Rou back to the Demon Realm. Had she listened to the Clan Leader back then, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

Chu Huanian pointed to a spot where the soil felt different from the surrounding earth, as if a current of spiritual power were surging from beneath.

Hongchen squatted down to examine it, feeling a sense of comfort wash over her. She asked Yanlai, “If I bury myself in here, will I recover faster too?”

Yanlai was silent.

“The Demon Lord is not of my Flower Clan. Burying yourself in the soil will accomplish nothing,” Chu Huanian reminded her helpfully.

The Clan Leader had forgotten many things, even the child she had raised. Yanlai did not know how to explain, and Hongchen was too lazy to try. Hongchen scooped out two handfuls of earth and carefully placed the celestial herb inside.

Once finished, she sat to one side and sniffed the air. “It smells wonderful here. Clan Leader, you may leave now.”

“This is the territory of my Flower Clan. Where exactly are you telling me to go?” Chu Huanian found it preposterous. What exactly was this Demon Lord trying to do?

Hongchen looked at Chu Huanian expectantly. “Your hot spring looks nice. Lend it to me for a bath.”

Yanlai wished she could cover her ears, while Chu Huanian wore a look that was half-smile and half-scorn. Hongchen gave a cheeky grin. “Clan Leader, please help yourself to the exit.”

“The springs of the Hundred Flower Mountain do not welcome outsiders.” Chu Huanian had never met someone so thick-skinned. A majestic Demon Lord was dragging her dignity through the dirt.

Hongchen retorted, “I am of the Flower Clan. I am the daughter of the Heavenly Emperor and Chu Rou. You have forgotten, but it is the truth.”

“The daughter of the Heavenly Emperor and Chu Rou?” Chu Huanian was hit by another wave of shock. Suddenly, Hongchen leaped up, her feet treading upon red flowers. This was the haste technique unique to the Flower Clan.

Chu Huanian was forced to believe. The Demon Lord was no ordinary beast; she truly came from the Flower Clan. She gazed at the Demon Lord’s feet, her confusion deepening.

Hongchen did not care what she thought. She simply asked, “Will you lend it or not?”

“Do as you wish,” Chu Huanian muttered powerlessly.

Hongchen grabbed Yanlai and headed straight for the water. The heat surged as white mist enveloped their bodies. Hongchen did not forget to shout back to the Clan Leader, “Keep an eye on her! We will be back in a moment.”

Chu Huanian did not believe her. She expected they would not be back for at least half a day.

Watching their figures disappear, Chu Huanian waved her sleeve to conjure a table and chair. She lay back in a lounger, leisurely closing her eyes to enjoy the fresh mountain air.

In the mist, the two submerged themselves deep underwater. Their clothes were shed, and the warm spring water enveloped their skin, bringing a gentle comfort that dispelled their fatigue.

They settled on a stone. Below the surface, it was dim, so Hongchen took out a night-luminescent pearl for light. In an instant, she could see every inch of Yanlai’s skin.

Her skin was like snow, flawless and perfect.

Hongchen stared dazed, while Yanlai lowered her head in bashfulness. Hongchen reached out to circle her waist, her palms pressing against the soft skin. As the spring water embraced Hongchen, she embraced Yanlai.

Strands of hair floated over the back of her hand, drifting through the water. Yanlai reached out to grasp the ends of her hair, and Hongchen impatiently leaned in for a kiss.

It was desperate and eager.

Yanlai closed her eyes, letting the spring water cocoon her and letting Hongchen possess her.

Soft fingertips slid gently across her back. The touch was subtle, yet it sent ripples through her soul.

On the shore, Chu Huanian grew drowsy. The chirping of mountain birds and beasts was noisy, making one restless. She rose several times to check on the celestial herb. The plant was budding, following the laws of nature.

The celestial herb remained a celestial herb. Chu Huanian found it dull, and a silent smile touched her lips. She returned to the lounger and closed her eyes for another nap.

She did not know how long she slept, but there was no sound from the two beneath the water. She grew impatient and was about to call out when a beam of light suddenly burst from the ground.

She frowned, realizing the celestial herb had been revived. She looked down, and sure enough, the plant had transformed into a person.

The woman’s hair was as white as frost, as if she had endured terrible suffering. Chu Huanian looked over hesitantly. The woman’s features were soft and beautiful. She tilted her neck slightly, looking back at her.

Chu Huanian was about to shout when the woman walked over. “It has been ten thousand years. Have you been well?”

“Do you know me?” Chu Huanian met the woman’s pitying gaze and instinctively wanted to avoid her searching eyes.

In the mortal world, beauty fades in the mirror, yet they still looked as they did in their youth.

Chu Rou gazed at Chu Huanian and sighed softly, “I do not know. Have you seen my naughty child?”

Chu Huanian felt inexplicably stiff. She instinctively pointed toward the water. “Playing.”

Chu Rou looked at the surface. Ripples were spreading across the water, indicating activity beneath. Chu Rou smiled warmly, then turned back to Chu Huanian, the smile in her eyes turning into an inexpressible tenderness.

Her gentleness and beauty made Chu Huanian feel entirely uneasy. Her snowy earlobes turned a faint pink. Finally, she could not take it anymore. She swung a palm at the water, sending a wave several feet high into the air.

Soon, the two underwater leaped out, landing steadily in front of Chu Rou.

Hongchen had forgotten Chu Rou, though she had seen her vaguely in dreams. Yanlai did not remember her either. After the two exchanged a glance, it was Chu Rou who stepped forward.

Chu Rou reached out to stroke her daughter’s cheek. The girl was full of youthful vigor and unbridled spirit. She gave a soft laugh. “Demon Lord.”

Overwhelmed by the proximity, Hongchen panicked and instinctively looked at Yanlai. Yanlai smiled and said, “Congratulations on your return, Protector.”

Chu Rou was the Protector of the Demon Realm.

Chu Rou thanked Yanlai, but her hand paused on Hongchen’s face. In an instant, a flash of ferocity touched her eyes. “Where is your soul?”

“What do I need a soul for? You cannot eat it anyway. Come, come, I will take you home.” Hongchen felt a chill from her gaze and instinctively pulled her hand. “Back to the Demon Realm, back to the Demon Realm.”

Chu Rou did not press her. She tilted her head toward Chu Huanian. “Empress.”

“She is not the Empress anymore. She divorced the Heavenly Emperor and is now the Clan Leader of the Flower Clan. You should call her Clan Leader,” Hongchen chirped playfully.

In the next breath, Chu Rou shot her a look. “Shut up.”

Hongchen was silenced. Yanlai smiled, while Hongchen frowned.

Chu Rou walked up to Chu Huanian and said with a smile, “We shall continue this another day. I will catch up with the Clan Leader once I have settled urgent matters.”

Just a moment ago she said she did not know her, yet now she spoke of catching up. Her words were inconsistent. Chu Huanian did not know which to believe, but before she could hesitate further, the three had already departed.

The forest breeze blew softly, leaving Chu Huanian alone. She watched the three leaving in the sky, and her heart sank further and further.

Strange, it was all too strange. Yet she could not pinpoint exactly why. It was as if she had been forgotten by everyone.

Chu Huanian returned to her palace in a daze, her heart feeling empty, as if her soul had left with Chu Rou. In her helplessness, she summoned the Great Elder and asked, “Is there someone in our clan named Chu Rou?”

The Great Elder’s expression changed. He stole a glance at the Clan Leader and lowered his head. “There is. Xuanjing offered her to the Heavenly Emperor. I know nothing of the rest.”

Chu Huanian’s mind was a blank; she could remember nothing. Why would Xuanjing offer Chu Rou to Chongfang?

She asked the Great Elder, “What was special about Chu Rou?”

“Chu Rou was a rare medicinal cauldron,” the Great Elder said through gritted teeth.

Chu Huanian understood completely. So that was it. Hongchen truly was the Heavenly Emperor’s daughter. She nodded. “You may go. I wish to be alone.”

The Great Elder let out a sigh of relief, though his heart was heavy. He cast one last worried look at the Clan Leader before leaving.

Chu Huanian sat alone in silence, undisturbed. That person was clearly a stranger, yet she felt so familiar.

The Demon Palace became much livelier. The Young Lords, who had been practicing, were summoned back. Their Grandmaster had returned, a very gentle woman.

Upon returning, Hongchen was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open. Before Chu Rou could speak, she went back to sleep. Chu Rou looked at Yanlai; Yanlai lowered her eyes, her ears turning a faint pink.

The hall became so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The Young Lords arrived, and seeing the group of youths, Chu Rou smiled. “Following your Master, you must have first learned the art of being naughty.”

With one sentence, she established her status as an elder. The Young Lords were confused, so Yanlai explained, “This is the Demon Lord’s mother.”

The Young Lords all knelt in unison, shouting, “Greetings, Grandmaster!”

Chu Rou sat in Hongchen’s seat and smiled softly at the sound. “Quite cute.”

Yan Guang boldly raised her head, meeting Chu Rou’s searching gaze. She introduced herself first, “Grandmaster, your grand-disciple is Yan Guang, the Fifth Young Lord of the Demon Realm.”

“Fifth Young Lord? How many disciples does your Master have?” Chu Rou was surprised. Could such a small child really manage so many disciples?

Yan Guang felt a pang in her heart. “Four Senior Sisters died at the hands of the Immortals. Now, only the six of us remain.”

“Six is still plenty,” Chu Rou sighed softly. She looked at Yanlai. “How many disciples do you have?”

The question sounded exactly like a mortal woman asking how many children she had. The tone was identical. Yanlai blushed and said, “If the Demon Lord counts, then only her.”

Chu Rou nodded. “One is not bad. Some people have none at all.”

Who was “some people”? Yanlai suspected she meant the Flower Clan Leader.

After the meeting, the Young Lords returned to their posts. Chu Rou summoned some of her old subordinates. The return of the Protector was a grand occasion for the Demon Realm.

The Dark Night King rushed back from the border. Catching sight of his old superior, he froze. Chu Rou called to him softly, “Dark Night King, have you been well?”

The ambitious Dark Night King suddenly teared up. Chu Rou laughed. “What are you crying for?”

“I thought you were dead.” The Dark Night King wiped his tears and quickly regained his composure. “While you were gone, you have no idea how badly the Demon Lord bullied me.”

Chu Rou sighed, “I was indeed dead, but now I live again. It is quite a tale. By the way, the Demon Lord is a girl; in the future, please be more patient with her.”

“What did you say? The Demon Lord is your daughter?” The Dark Night King forced his tears back. “How could she be your daughter?”

“Indeed, it is quite unbelievable. I heard the Immortals and Demons are at war. How is the situation?” Chu Rou asked after the pleasantries.

The Dark Night King felt his superior was as reliable as ever, a hundred times better than the Demon Lord. He reported the state of the war, and Yanlai quietly slipped out of the hall, returning to the bedroom to find Hongchen.

Hongchen was in a deep slumber. Even with Yanlai’s arrival, she did not wake.

Yanlai looked at her with a smile. “Hongchen, I want to take you back to Phoenix Mountain. We will go into seclusion to heal. Let them handle their own affairs.”

Yanlai gave a self-deprecating laugh. “People are always so greedy.”

A moment later, Chu Rou arrived; the Dark Night King had returned to the border. Chu Rou walked in slowly, blending majesty with gentleness. A person’s aura is always tied to their appearance.

Chu Rou checked Hongchen’s pulse. She cared deeply for her daughter; she had been willing to die for Hongchen, and now that she was awake, she was naturally planning for her.

“Where did her soul go?” Chu Rou asked Yanlai.

Yanlai said, “Sacrificed to Liuguang.”

“Liuguang? Sacrificing a soul to Liuguang? How muddled can one’s mind be? They say Demon Lords are wicked, but which of them has ever been as poisonous as Liuguang?” Chu Rou sneered, a trace of coldness appearing on her gentle face. She asked, “Where is Liuguang?”

“Phoenix Mountain.”

“To Phoenix Mountain, then.”

“Senior, I have seen Liuguang. I cannot summon it. I suspect Liuguang has recognized Hongchen as its master; no one else can call forth the artifact spirit,” Yanlai spoke hurriedly.

Chu Rou looked at her sleeping daughter and said slowly, “How could Liuguang recognize this blockhead as its master? It merely gave her some benefits. Whatever the blockhead can give, I can give too.”

Yanlai defended her, “She is not a blockhead.”

Chu Rou was slightly surprised. “If she is not a blockhead, what is she? She does not even know how to fight back when bullied.”

Yanlai replied, “She crashed a wedding and snatched the Crown Prince’s bride.”

“Oh? She has grown bold.” Chu Rou’s gaze shifted slightly. “You must be that Crown Princess, then?”

Yanlai nodded. Chu Rou said, “Bold for the sake of love, I see. Come with me to meet Liuguang.”

“Are we not taking her?” Yanlai hesitated. She liked being with Hongchen; without her, her heart felt empty.

Chu Rou looked at her. “Being apart for a moment will not kill her.”

Yanlai frowned. The tone was exactly like Chu Huanian’s; the temperaments of the three women were remarkably similar.

The two left the Demon Realm on the Qilin. On the way, Yanlai suddenly asked, “Does Senior know the Forgetting Dust technique?”

“I do. Have you been hit by it?” Chu Rou curled her lips slightly. “The moment I saw you, I knew you were under its influence. Not just you, but Chu Huanian as well. There are plenty in the Immortal Race who know Forgetting Dust. In the past, all the clan leaders who relied on the Nine Heavens knew it. Your Phoenix Ancestor knew it too. It is not exactly a secret.”

Yanlai finally heard some truth. For so long, she had relied on guesswork to reconstruct the past. “Can you remove the curse from me?”

“I cannot. I have no spiritual power now; how can I remove it?” Chu Rou sighed softly. “Before I left, I gave all my power to Hongyan. Even though I have been revived, I do not possess that power.”

Yanlai said, “I stripped Prince Qingfeng of his spiritual roots.”

Chu Rou’s expression changed. Fearing she might misunderstand, Yanlai added, “The Clan Leader was there too; she did not prevent me.”

“You stripped Qingfeng’s roots in front of Chu Huanian?” Chu Rou asked again in disbelief.

Yanlai nodded. Chu Rou laughed. “It is just as well she forgot; it spares her the pain.”

Chu Rou was very calm, her face wearing a smile. Her composure and steadiness were strikingly similar to Chu Huanian’s.

When they reached the peak of Phoenix Mountain, Heavenly Soldiers were on guard. Yanlai leaped off the Qilin and dealt with them with a wave of her sleeve. In an instant, the Immortal Lords guarding the mountain rushed over. Yanlai sneered, “I am merely returning to my home, yet I must endure your restrictions?”

These minor immortals had shallow cultivation and were no match for Yanlai. She suppressed them almost instantly, and her opponent collapsed.

Landing in the mountains, more Heavenly Soldiers swarmed. The Qilin transformed into human form and said, “High God, you go handle your business; I will deal with this.”

Yanlai cast a look back, then led Chu Rou deep into the mountains.

Chu Rou mocked, “How is it that you have even lost your home?”

Yanlai said, “Home is wherever the Demon Lord is.”

Chu Rou pursed her lips and remarked, “You seem to have changed. You are different from before.”

The last time they met, Yanlai was a stern, pedantic High Immortal. Seeing her today, whether in aura or behavior, she had undergone a massive transformation.

As they spoke, they reached a palace. Yanlai waved her sleeve to lift the barrier, and Chu Rou followed. The furnishings inside were as they were, spotless. Liuguang was placed in the most prominent position.

Chu Rou stepped forward and said, “Summon it with blood.”

Liuguang was bloodthirsty; it would only appear upon seeing blood.

Yanlai shook her head. “Last time, I tried summoning it with blood, but it did not work.”

Chu Rou looked at her, finding it strange. “How could it not be summoned?”

Yanlai could not explain either; she knew nothing of Liuguang. Otherwise, it would not have sat there for ten thousand years without being activated.

“Hongyan is playing tricks,” Chu Rou said. She stepped forward immediately and used her own blood to summon it.

The motionless artifact suddenly burst into a beam of light. The light was blinding, shining directly into their eyes. Yanlai covered her eyes, and Chu Rou was forced back two steps. Both were in shock.

A figure emerged from the artifact, dressed in black with a black mask hiding her face, her black robes fluttering. Soon, she stood steady.

“It is you. You have come.”

The voice was beautiful, causing Yanlai to tremble. She suddenly lowered her hand from her eyes, while Chu Rou wore a look of terror.

The two looked on as the figure in black pulled back her mask, revealing a face identical to Hongchen’s.

“Hongyan.” “Hongchen.”