Marry First, Love Later With The White Cat Princess - Chapter 102

After some conversation, the young cultivator decided to take the two of them back to her sect.

The young cultivator’s name was Chong Xinyuan, and she was a natural social butterfly. As soon as she heard Lianyi agree, she happily tried to pull her aside to chat some more.

Liu Fenyun shifted imperceptibly to stand between the two, taking Lianyi’s hand. She looked down at the small cultivator, who was a head shorter than her, and smiled. “Daoist Xinyuan, is this your first time traveling the mortal world for experience?”

Liu Fenyun had heard stories of ancient immortal cultivators. For disciples like Chong Xinyuan, once their cultivation reached a certain level, they were permitted to leave the sect to experience the mortal realm for a time before returning. Chong Yun’s mother, Chong Youhuai, had come to the Kingdom of Liuzhi for exactly that reason.

Only then did Chong Xinyuan pull her gaze away from Lianyi. She tucked her hands away sheepishly and said, “Not exactly. It’s just that the last time I visited, the area below the mountain was just a small fishing village. It wasn’t nearly this lively… Fellow Daoist Liu, how many times have you traveled the world?”

Because Liu Fenyun had appeared out of thin air beside Lianyi, Chong Xinyuan assumed she was a powerful cultivator. After all, in the current human realm, excluding the demon race only great masters among cultivators could freely use spatial teleportation techniques.

Thinking about how she had transmigrated twice and had spent the time before that as a shut-in in the God Realm, Liu Fenyun replied casually, “I suppose this is my second time. The development of the current world is indeed very rapid.”

The three of them first went to the teahouse to find the resting Feather Demons, if they had a guide now, the demons could head back early.

As they walked through the small city, Liu Fenyun noticed that while there were demons present, they were almost always accompanied by human cultivators, following them whenever called. These demons resembled the “Demon Guards” mentioned in her database, holding a status similar to the “Shikigami” she had heard of before her transmigration.

She made a mental note of this and silently observed Chong Xinyuan along the way. When they finally met the Feather Demons, she saw Chong Xinyuan freeze in shock before excitedly running over. Standing beside one of the Feather Demons, she stammered, “U-um, are you an uncontracted demon? May I… may I touch your wings?”

Demons generally do not allow humans to touch their true forms easily, but this Feather Demon was good tempered and nodded in agreement.

Chong Xinyuan quickly reached out and stroked the feathers twice, suddenly sighing. “The Feather Demons have been coming here so frequently lately. It’s a pity they are all residents of the Demon Realm…”

Liu Fenyun caught her subtext: if the Feather Demon wasn’t a resident of the Demon Realm, Xinyuan would have tried to take them as a Demon Guard.

“Have other Feather Demons been here recently?” Lianyi poured a cup of tea for Liu Fenyun and asked with her chin in her hand, “Did they also bring a human with them?”

“Yes! Wait….how did you know?!”

“That human has a bit of history with us.” Liu Fenyun didn’t know how Chong Yun was faring at Qingmu Immortal Mountain or if she had offended anyone, so she kept her answer vague.

Chong Xinyuan nodded and looked thoughtful for a moment. She cleared her throat and said seriously, “If you are looking for that human, she has already joined the Qingmu Immortal Mountain. Although I can lead you into the mountain, I have no authority to take you to see her.”

Lianyi let out a soft sound of surprise. “Why ‘no authority’?”

Chong Xinyuan smacked her lips and acted hesitantly, eventually shaking her head. “That is a secret of the sect.”

Seeing that she was unable to disclose more, Lianyi didn’t press further. She simply informed the Feather Demons about the guide, gave them some spiritual medicine, and urged them to return early to report.

The Feather Demon whose wings had been petted hurriedly said, “But we promised the City Lord’s wife that we would see you to the foot of the mountain…”

Before he could finish, Chong Xinyuan cut in: “Qingmu Immortal Mountain is, after all, the territory of human cultivators. It is best if you do not approach it if you can help it.”

Her expression was grave, it didn’t sound like simple advice, but a warning.

The atmosphere grew stiff. Liu Fenyun quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “It’s alright, you should head back. The City Lord’s wife and I are on good terms. If she asks, just say it was my request.”

After seeing off the Feather Demons, Liu Fenyun asked Chong Xinyuan, “Is the tolerance for demons here very low?”

She was testing the waters. Chong Xinyuan lowered her head in thought for a moment before replying with some surprise, “Not exactly? It’s just that the status of ‘contracted’ demons here is quite specific. Uncontracted demons have to be careful not to be snatched away by cultivators… Uh, definitely not snatched for alchemy or medicine, but usually forced into a blood-bond to become ‘Demon Guards’.”

“And if they don’t want to be a Demon Guard or sign a blood-bond?” Lianyi pressed. “What are the consequences?”

Chong Xinyuan’s face immediately turned awkward. She said dryly, “The consequences are usually the same few things… Compared to the demon race, humans have inherent physical disadvantages, so it’s inevitable they look for external strength… Anyway, if you run into those kinds of cultivators, just stay out of their way.”

While they were talking, the surrounding cultivators at the tables looked over. One of them laughed directly: “You two, the person in front of you is exactly the ‘kind of cultivator’ she’s talking about. Why haven’t you left yet?”

“Exactly! Don’t go putting others down to make yourself look noble!”

“Hey, does that white cat girl have a master? If not, you’d better sign a temporary master-servant blood-bond with your companion right now, lest you get kidnapped on the road!

Chong Xinyuan suddenly became the target of public mockery, her face flushing between pale and red. She bit her lip hard and walked out of the teahouse without a word, ignoring the cold jeers following behind her.

“Looking at your expression, it seems you already expected her to be one of those people who force demons into blood-bonds?” Lianyi set down her teacup and asked Liu Fenyun with a smile.

“I did have that thought. However, if that is the only way she can survive, then that is her choice,” Liu Fenyun replied unhurriedly. “If she actually dares to try anything, then we’ll just do as she said, take a detour. Besides, how could I ever let someone kidnap you?”

The corners of Lianyi’s lips curved slightly. She tucked her arm into Liu Fenyun’s, and amidst the rowdy atmosphere, they left the teahouse to catch up with Chong Xinyuan.

Surprised that they would actually follow her, Chong Xinyuan was stunned. Before she could ask, Liu Fenyun spoke up: “Didn’t the Daoist say she would lead us into the mountain? This was already agreed upon, how could you leave halfway through?”

Liu Fenyun made no mention of the comments in the teahouse. Chong Xinyuan felt a slight wave of relief and forced a faint smile, cupping her hands. “It was unseemly of me to lose my composure. Please, follow me.”

After that scene, Chong Xinyuan feared she had left a bad impression on Liu Fenyun. Once they had walked out of the small city, she actually summoned her flying sword directly, preparing to fly them into the mountain.

Lianyi watched as the flying sword expanded in the wind into a giant blade. She couldn’t help but feel curious, looking left and right as she boarded. She whispered to Liu Fenyun, “I thought there were no more people capable of sword flight in this era.”

Though Liu Fenyun remained friendly with Chong Xinyuan on the surface, she remembered the warnings from the hecklers. Throughout the journey, she never let go of Lianyi’s hand and ordered her system to stay alert for any sudden movements from Chong Xinyuan while they were mid-air.

The flying sword traveled through the dense mountains. The mountain wind was chilly, so Liu Fenyun quickly wrapped the “cat” in thick clothing and held her tighter.

As they flew deeper into the ridges, the surrounding mountains gradually turned a lush green. While the primary color came from original spiritual plants, Liu Fenyun’s system scans revealed that the spiritual energy in the mountains had been layered with illusions. Attached to the mountain surfaces, these illusions ensured the peaks appeared unaffected by the changing seasons to outsiders.

After fifteen minutes of flight, Chong Xinyuan suddenly asked, “Your relationship… I assume it isn’t ‘Master and Demon Guard’?”

“We are Daoist companions,” Liu Fenyun answered.

Chong Xinyuan was startled at first, then muttered, “No wonder you’re so close…”

After a moment of thought, she explained, “You heard it earlier, some cultivators will directly kidnap uncontracted demons and force them to be Demon Guards. Because of this, most Demon Guards hate their masters to the bone. It’s extremely rare to see any who are actually close.”

Lianyi felt uncomfortable hearing this and couldn’t help but ask, “If the role of a Demon Guard is to assist the master, then why can’t humans and demons simply be partners or friends?”

Chong Xinyuan gave a bitter smile. “That’s easy to say, but the power disparity between humans and demons is vast, and our perspectives are worlds apart. Without the restraint of a master-servant blood-bond, who’s to say a demon won’t devour their master if they get injured during a mission?”

“But if it were a powerful human partner, wouldn’t you also have to fear them killing you for your treasures while you’re injured?” Lianyi was genuinely puzzled. “The humans here are so strange. Do they really have no guard against their own kind? In the human palaces and courts outside where there are no demons, people spend every waking hour plotting against one another.”

Chong Xinyuan instinctively wanted to argue, but she found the logic sound and fell silent.

Liu Fenyun didn’t join the debate. She simply smiled and rubbed the cat’s ears until Lianyi shrunk her neck and burrowed into her embrace to hide from the wind.

Chong Xinyuan asked nothing else and steered the sword in silence. Before long, she brought the two to the foot of the Qingmu Immortal Mountain.

Outer disciples on guard duty were sweeping the area. Seeing her, they hurried forward to bow and smiled. “Fifth Senior Sister, why have you returned so early this time?”

“I’ve brought two honored guests.” Chong Xinyuan returned the smile, retracted her flying sword, and led them to a spot where there appeared to be no path. She pulled out her identity token, held it in mid-air, and “swiped” it like an employee entering a building to open the mountain entrance.

Liu Fenyun led the cat inside and found a stone staircase slowly appearing before them, winding all the way up the mountain. One could feel a sense of spiritual pressure just by looking at it.

“From this moment on, you have entered the Qingmu Immortal Mountain,” Chong Xinyuan said. “Elder… Chong Yun is located at Jingxue Peak. If you wish to seek her out, you must go there yourself to show your sincerity.”

Liu Fenyun was primarily here to gather herbs, seeing Chong Yun and Madame Chong was secondary. She thanked Chong Xinyuan and began climbing the stairs.

Fearing Lianyi would get tired, Liu Fenyun had her revert to her demon form and carried her.

She hadn’t expected that in the few days since Chong Yun “parachuted” into Qingmu Immortal Mountain, she had already become the Elder of a peak. No wonder Chong Xinyuan had been so hesitant earlier, calling it a “sect secret” no one would be happy to admit to such a sudden appointment.

Liu Fenyun suspected this had everything to do with Madame Chong (Chong Youhuai). After all, Chong Yun was her biological daughter. Even if she didn’t love the old emperor of the Liuzhi Kingdom, she had clearly paved many paths for her daughter.

At this time, classes were in session. The square was quiet, with only a few outer disciples sweeping the ground.

Liu Fenyun used the system to scan the area. As she expected, these outer disciples hadn’t even reached the stage of “Qi Refinement,” yet their bone age was much higher than their physical appearance. It seemed their cultivation was successful enough to at least grant them eternal youth.

She couldn’t help but think of Meng Nie, who was still recovering in the medicinal garden. If this world had the right materials for a prosthetic limb, would it be possible for Meng Nie to stay at Qingmu Immortal Mountain as a long-lived outer disciple?