Marry First, Love Later With The White Cat Princess - Chapter 74

The next morning, Liu Fenyun woke up earlier than Lian Yi, just as she always did.

The kitty in her arms was fast asleep. Her snowy-white, slender eyelashes flickered slightly, it was hard to tell if she was still wandering in her dreams.

Liu Fenyun gave her a soft kiss before quietly slipping out of bed. She took her healing medicine, meditated for a moment, and then began to pack their belongings.

In truth, there wasn’t much to pack, as they hadn’t stayed here for very long.

Mindful of the female clothing the kitty had picked out for her, Liu Fenyun’s first task was to open the wardrobe. She took out the outfits one by one, folded them neatly, and sent them into the storage room of her medicinal garden. The garden now featured a new room containing both her clothes and Lian Yi’s, making it easy for them to access their things at any time.

The antidote for Yu Qingyue’s Love Glow required one final step. Fearing the smell of the medicine might wake the kitty, Liu Fenyun hid inside the empty wardrobe before entering the medicinal garden to finish the concoction.

Leaving Phoenix City wasn’t difficult, the hard part was figuring out how to reach the Demon Realm. They had discussed it the previous night and planned to fly using Yu Qingyue’s demon form for stretches while hiding at intervals. This would avoid drawing too much attention and prevent them from being targeted by demon hunters or beast tamers along the way.

When Liu Fenyun went to deliver the antidote to Yu Qingyue, she entered to find her master using demonic energy to draw a map in mid-air.

“Master, do you wish to take the antidote now?” Handing over the medicine, Liu Fenyun whispered a warning, “The side effects of the Love Glow antidote are quite severe.”

Yu Qingyue knew what she was worried about. She nodded and swallowed the medicine right in front of her.

Although she had fixed her memory to a specific period, that version of herself hadn’t experienced much. Going to the Demon Realm in such a state would only leave her hands and feet tied.

Liu Fenyun was startled by her sudden action and said hurriedly, “Master, let me protect your dharma…!”

“I am here.” Before she could finish, Luo Binglun had already come over to support Yu Qingyue. “Thank you for the medicine. I will look after Qingyue, you just worry about going back to accompany your wife.”

Liu Fenyun looked at her, then back at her master. Seeing Yu Qingyue nod, she took her leave.

The moment the door closed, the affectionate expression on Luo Binglun’s face vanished instantly.

She immediately revealed her demonized human form and grabbed Yu Qingyue by the throat. Meeting Yu Qingyue’s calm gaze, she asked with a smirk, “Since you knew this seat would seize this body, why didn’t you keep that child here as an assistant?”

“The gap in strength is too large, her staying would only benefit you.” Yu Qingyue’s voice was icy, yet her expression remained composed. “Furthermore, even if you have possessed Binglun, you cannot kill me right now.”

Her words enraged the Feather Demon possessing Luo Binglun. However, just as the Feather Demon’s hand was about to exert force, she was stopped by Luo Binglun’s own consciousness.

“Heh… you two certainly are deeply devoted!” The Feather Demon curled her lip. “Then I shall first devour the soul of this body before dealing with you.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the hand gripping Yu Qingyue suddenly released. Her body slumped to the side and was caught by Yu Qingyue.

“Binglun, cough cough… Binglun,” Yu Qingyue called out softly.

Once her mind cleared, Luo Binglun immediately recalled what had just happened. She looked at Yu Qingyue with guilt, rubbing the red marks on her neck. She sighed and asked, “What should we do? This demon’s cultivation is quite deep. I can only suppress her temporarily like I just did, but I cannot defeat her.”

She was already beginning to regret, regretting why she had swallowed Qing Yuan’s inner dan in the first place.

“As long as we can return to the Demon Realm and find my Master, all of this can be resolved,” Yu Qingyue comforted her. “Don’t worry. Until then, I will find a way to suppress Qing Yuan.”

Ever since Luo Binglun consumed Qingyuan’s inner dan, she had begun to be assimilated. First, her body completely transformed into a demon then, her thoughts became increasingly friendly toward demons as she began to accept her identity as one. Eventually, her soul and body would become a vessel for Qingyuan, leading to a total possession.

Yu Qingyue had taken the Love Glow antidote directly just now specifically to lure out Qingyuan’s consciousness, allowing Luo Binglun the chance to suppress her once.

How could Luo Binglun not worry? Once Qingyuan completely possessed her, the next target would be her Qingyue. Neither of them would be able to escape.

She originally wanted to discuss more ways to suppress the demon with Yu Qingyue, but seeing Yu Qingyue’s brow furrow as the side effects of the antidote kicked in, she quickly dropped the subject. She helped Yu Qingyue lie down and funneled demonic energy into her body to ease her suffering.

The antidote was taking effect. Yu Qingyue felt her memories beginning to unseal, slowly returning to her sea of consciousness. Due to the effects of the Xuanmo internal energy, her memories recovered quickly, but the physical pain she had to endure grew proportionally.

However, she didn’t care. As long as she could remember everything sooner, this bit of pain was nothing.

With her memories fully restored, Yu Qingyue slowly opened her eyes. Meeting Luo Binglun’s concerned gaze, she offered a faint smile. “Thank you.”

“There is no need for thanks,” Luo Binglun replied with a smile, before bringing up the topic of dealing with Qingyuan again. “Just now, I was thinking: could I use my family’s secret technique to seal my soul together with that demon’s soul?”

“Why seal them together?” Yu Qingyue asked.

“That way, as long as the seal isn’t broken, she won’t be able to continue devouring me, nor will she be able to harm you,” Luo Binglun explained.

“You have no experience with this secret technique. What if it fails?” Yu Qingyue pressed her unhurriedly. “Actually, I recall someone who might be able to solve this trouble for you.”

Taking advantage of the fact they hadn’t left the city yet, Yu Qingyue led her out of the Wutong Pavilion. Following a familiar scent, she tracked down the post-house where Madame Chong and Meng Nie were staying.

Luo Binglun had never met Madame Chong, but she had seen Meng Nie before. When the two arrived, Meng Nie was keeping watch at the door. Sensing two surges of extremely powerful demonic energy approaching, she was greatly alarmed. She immediately drew her weapon, staring at the newcomers with murderous intent.

“Who are you?” Meng Nie asked in a heavy voice.

Yu Qingyue shifted directly back into her human form. She took a jade pendant from her storage pouch and handed it over, saying calmly, “General Meng, it has been a long time.”

“Physician Yu!?!” Upon seeing her face and the jade pendant proving her identity, Meng Nie jumped back as if she had seen a ghost. “You… aren’t you…”

“I merely faked my death.” With a wave of her hand, Yu Qingyue tucked the pendant back into her pouch. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t recognize me, Madame Chong will.”

The world renowned Heaven-rank physician had returned from the dead and turned into a powerful demon. Meng Nie was a bit dazed. After a two second stupor, she turned to Luo Binglun and asked, “And this one is…?”

“She is the Grand Priestess of the Zhuhuang Kingdom, Luo Binglun.” Yu Qingyue pushed the door open and led Luo Binglun inside. “You should have seen her at the banquet four years ago.”

“But I remember Priestess Luo was human?” Meng Nie followed them in, feeling something wasn’t quite right but sensing no malice. She was utterly perplexed. “What is going on? Have I gone senile?”

Madame Chong was not surprised to see them. Instead, she smiled and greeted the demon formed Yu Qingyue: “How have you been lately, Physician Yu?”

“Not great.” Yu Qingyue gently pushed Luo Binglun toward her. “It’s a long story. I am no longer the Heaven rank physician Yu Qingyue. Senior may simply call me ‘Qi Qing’.”

The word “Senior” shocked Meng Nie, who looked at Madame Chong in disbelief. There were only the four of them in the room, she was certain Yu Qingyue wasn’t addressing someone else.

But where did this “Senior” come from?

Madame Chong laughed. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been called that. What is it? Do you have another trouble you can’t solve?”

She didn’t deny the title, which shocked Meng Nie even further. In Meng Nie’s experience, someone addressed as “Senior” by a powerful demon was either an even more formidable demon or a reclusive immortal cultivator.

Seeing the astonishment in Meng Nie’s eyes, Madame Chong suddenly flicked her wrist. Three layers of isolation barriers instantly appeared in the empty room, completely cutting the area off from the outside world.

Rich spiritual energy filled the room. Meng Nie felt her spirits lift significantly. When she looked at Madame Chong again, she could barely stammer out her words: “You… just who… who on earth are you?!”

Madame Chong said leisurely, “This is my secret. Until now, besides Qi Qing, no one else in the Liuzhi Kingdom knew.”

Her name was Chong Youhuai. She was human, but not a mortal, she was a cultivator from the far eastern lands, the Qingmu Immortal Mountain. She had come to the mortal Warring States for two reasons first, to complete her sect’s worldly trials, and second, out of a selfish desire to seek a karmic bond to sever her emotional attachments, the so-called “Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao.”

The result of that bond was Liu Fenyun. However, before Liu Fenyun was taken in as Yu Qingyue’s head disciple, she had another name: Chong Yun.

Adhering to the principles of a cultivator’s trial, Chong Youhuai naturally wouldn’t let her daughter interfere with state affairs. Therefore, when her daughter was young, she sent her to study under Yu Qingyue, instructing her that she must dress as a man, use the alias Liu Fenyun, and never reveal her true identity.

Who could have predicted that as the old Emperor aged, he would begin chasing immortality and neglect the government, leaving all affairs to the Empress? This Empress had a private grudge against Chong Youhuai and couldn’t stand her carefree lifestyle. Having long wanted to sabotage her, the Empress took advantage of the time when Chong Youhuai was away in closed door meditation to plot the exposure of Liu Fenyun’s royal identity and immediately sent her to the Zhuhuang Kingdom for a political marriage.

By the time Chong Youhuai finally finished her meditation, her daughter had already been a “consort” in the Zhuhuang Kingdom for over half a year.

Learning the truth left Meng Nie between laughter and tears. She felt her long journey and worries had been for nothing. She couldn’t help but say to Chong Youhuai: “You are a cultivator! I’ve heard cultivators can fly on swords or clouds and travel thousands of miles in an instant. Why did you need me to accompany you all this way to find someone?!”

“I didn’t want to expose my identity!” Chong Youhuai replied, sounding aggrieved. “In the eyes of mortals, cultivators and demons are no different, both are ‘others.’ Besides, you have accumulated too much bloodlust and killing intent. You needed to stay away from the battlefield and travel through places rich in spiritual energy to purify yourself, lest you damage your health.”

Hearing that every word was for her sake, Meng Nie couldn’t find a way to argue. She could only sigh and concede, “Fine, fine. You are right, Immortal. This trip with you was worth it.”

After explaining to her and Luo Binglun, Chong Youhuai turned back to Yu Qingyue. “Speak then. What kind of trouble have you gotten into that even you can’t solve?”