The Frost Beneath Her Veil - Chapter 33

Amidst the swirling flames, the woman who was always so merciful and noble was now bent double. Her bright red wedding robes were scorched and tattered by the fire. Trapped where she stood, the only thing she could do was watch as Yin Jiuruo was burned to ashes.

Fu Qing’s sharp, fierce voice could be heard screaming, forbidding her to die. But Yin Jiuruo closed her eyes with ease, grateful to have reclaimed her dignity. The humiliation of being a puppet was indelible, but she had to recover her inviolable self-respect.

She opened her eyes one last time, lifting her head high to meet Fu Qing’s gaze with total indifference. She saw the piercing agony and despair in the woman’s ink-dark eyes—a precursor to something hysterical. But none of it mattered to Yin Jiuruo anymore. Using death as a blade to sever the past, she was finally free.

The Nether Ghost Fire burned through the world, turning the past to ash.

When she woke again, she was back on the somewhat hard bed in the Reincarnation Hell. Yin Jiuruo stared silently at the crystals on the cave ceiling. The soul-chains Fu Qing had bound her with had been burned to nothingness. The entirety of Linyue Residence and Hexue Peak had vanished into smoke as if they had never existed.

She looked down at the tip of her left pinky finger. The red thread Fu Qing had tied there had also burned away. It was clean. It was over.

The mugwort curtain at the entrance was pulled aside, followed by a thick, aging voice shouting through sobs, “The Little Highness is really back! Everyone, come quickly!”

Seeing the wave-shaped crown on the newcomer’s head, Yin Jiuruo knew it was the Whale King. She called out immediately, “Whale King, I must leave the Reincarnation Hell at once. I cannot let Fu Qing find me again.”

“Yes, yes, the Highness is right. We cannot be caught again. This time, we are prepared,” the Whale King said, instantly growing tense. That Daoist Sovereign was powerful; last time she had already suspected the connection between the Highness and this place. It was no longer safe to stay.

The other two Kings rushed over, fussing over Yin Jiuruo with teary eyes.

“Listen to me,” Yin Jiuruo said weakly, her long lashes half-closed. “I used the Nether Ghost Fire to destroy my mortal shell. Fu Qing cannot summon my soul back, but there is no guarantee she won’t find other ways.”

The Wolf King, the most stable of the three, stroked his beard. “Highness, do not worry. Once you return to the old site of the Demon Realm with the Eagle and Whale Kings to reshape your true body and stabilize your soul, your aura, appearance, and spirit will change significantly. Even if you were to meet the Daoist Sovereign face-to-face in the future, she would never recognize you.”

“Exactly. Our Demon Realm lies north of Mount Sumeru, hidden by the Sea-Wood Forest. Protected by the tombs of ancient Demon Sovereigns and thousands of generals, you will live in peace. That Daoist Sovereign won’t find it easy to chase you there.”

“The old site of the Demon Realm? Why didn’t you tell me last time?” Yin Jiuruo sat cross-legged, letting her power of decay flow through her spirit, finally clearing her meridians.

The three Kings looked at each other hesitantly. The Whale King finally explained, “Last time, we judged you were too weak for the journey. Besides, who knew the Daoist Sovereign would be crazy enough to use forbidden arts to summon you? That’s asking for heavenly retribution.”

“Who knows what she’ll do? She just wants to wipe my memory and make me her obedient dog,” Yin Jiuruo said, her smile turning sharp and wicked.

Fearing she would fall into an obsession, the Kings quickly consoled her. “Don’t think about her anymore. This escape is a new chapter. Think of the ladies of the Asura, Winged, and Nine-Tailed Fox tribes they are all gentle and beautiful. Any of them would be better than that Sovereign.”

The gloom in Yin Jiuruo’s eyes dissipated. She smiled casually. “Don’t worry about me. I was just reflecting. Once I’ve recovered, invite the ladies from the various tribes. It’s time for a new life, isn’t it?”

They prepared to depart. The Whale King brought a garment of azure silk to Yin Jiuruo. “Highness, put this on. We leave for the Demon Realm immediately.”

Yin Jiuruo shook her head gently. She ran her fingers over the azure fabric but didn’t put it on. The material was light, but it wasn’t hers. It was the kind of thing a puppeteer used to dress a puppet.

“Whale King, from now on, make my clothes black. Just… as long as they aren’t azure.”

Understanding her meaning, the Whale King quickly agreed. “I’ll have the little monsters change them. Your clothes will be black from now on.”

Outside the Reincarnation Hell, a long line of spirit horse-drawn carriages stood waiting. The spirit horses had long, silver manes that shimmered in the light.

As the carriage began to move, Yin Jiuruo leaned back to rest. The Whale King tossed a thick black cloak through the window. “Highness, this is the black cloak we found. It fits well enough for now.”

Yin Jiuruo hugged the soft garment. “Thank you, Whale King.”

A sudden fear gripped her heart. She called out to the Whale King as he was leaving, her voice almost a whisper. “Uncle… you, and the entire Demon Realm… it isn’t a lie, is it?”

“Highness, what do you mean?” The Whale King paused. “We are real. You are the Young Master of the Demon Realm. You will understand everything once we arrive.”

Three months passed. On a warm spring day, they reached the entrance to the Demon Realm. It was located underwater at the northern base of Mount Sumeru. The carriage team passed through the mirror-like surface of the water as if falling into a lake.

They emerged into a vast, desolate city. The sky was split half raging fire, half frozen frost. On the red grass, trees of flowers bloomed and withered in a constant, rapid cycle.

“This is the source power of our Demon Realm,” the Eagle King explained. “It governs the power of decay, and decay is synonymous with rebirth. This is why you could return to life, though there are limits to how many times this can happen.”

They headed toward the Wind-Stabilizing Tower, the highest point of the realm. The tower gates were gold, cast with the image of a creature that looked like a cross between a phoenix and a crow. As Yin Jiuruo stepped through the door, the creature’s eyes lit up. A mechanical, parched voice spoke:

“Yin Jiuruo. 101st descendant of the primary branch of the Ancient Demon Sovereign. Wandered for over a hundred years. A ‘hybrid mix’ born of the fallen Demon Sovereign and a Great Figure of the God Realm. Inheritor of the unique Nightmare power.”

Yin Jiuruo looked up at the Golden Crow with interest. “A hybrid mix?”

“Hybrid mix,” the Golden Crow replied matter-of-factly. “Definition: Offspring produced by the mating of different species. In the mortal world, also known as a ‘mutt’ or ‘half-breed’.”

The Kings wanted to gag the bird, but it was an ancient book-spirit birthed from the laws of the Demon Realm; it knew everything and was always eager to answer.

“What is the Nightmare power?” “A bloodline power not belonging to the demon race; the ability to travel through dreams with full consciousness.”

“I wandered the God Realm? Then do you know who my mother is?” Yin Jiuruo asked directly. “Your mother… mother… God Prison… Prison…”

The Golden Crow glitched and stalled. The Kings quickly led Yin Jiuruo further into the palace. In the main hall, Yin Jiuruo sat down, her eyes full of thought. “So, Uncles… I am a hybrid?”

The Eagle King sighed. The secret was out. “Yes. You were the Demon Sovereign’s youngest child. That year, the Sovereign returned to the Demon Realm heavily injured, holding you as an infant. She instructed us to send you to the human world immediately, or the shifting Heavenly Dao would take your life in its rage.”

“The Heavenly Dao values me that much?” Yin Jiuruo lowered her eyes. She thought of how Fu Qing and the others had used her blood to open the ancient array against the demonic energy. Was her blood the key simply because she was a hybrid?

“We do not know the full reason,” the Eagle King continued, “but the movement of the Heavenly Dao is something no race be it human, god, or demon can defy. Divine punishment, whether light or heavy, is not something ordinary beings can withstand.”

“And what else?”

Sensing the faint, majestic aura radiating from Yin Jiuruo, the two Kings dared not hide anything further.

“The Demon Sovereign said that your mother did not wish to see you. She instructed us to tell you not to search for her. She has… no affection for you and does not wish to meet.”

“Why?” Yin Jiuruo’s eyes widened in surprise. Although she felt little for a mother she had never met, the innate longing for maternal love made it hard to accept such a blunt rejection.

“This…” The Whale King sighed. “The Sovereign said your mother did not marry her out of love. Your birth was forced. Thus, it is better that you never meet.”

In truth, her mother’s original words were even more cruel: “I do not love you, and I loathe her even more. Follow the Dao and send her to the mortal world to fend for herself. Let neither of you ever appear before me again.”

The Kings expected Yin Jiuruo to lose her composure or become hysterical upon learning she was unwanted. To their surprise, she remained calm. Dressed in her black robes, she was as peaceful as a pool of still water.

“Highness, are you alright?” the Whale King asked. “There may be hidden circumstances. We know so little…”

“I’m fine,” Yin Jiuruo smiled gently. “I have lived a long time without a mother. It’s really nothing.”

It was simply one more person in the world who didn’t love her. So many people didn’t; what was one more? At least this person was honest enough to tell her not to look for her. Honesty was better than deception. She wasn’t sad. Not at all.

Over the next month, Yin Jiuruo adapted to the Demon Realm with startling speed. She mastered demonic spiritual energy at a pace that seemed divine. Inside a specialized cultivation room in the Wind-Stabilizing Tower, she underwent the slow, agonizing process of reshaping her true body, a transformation like a caterpillar’s metamorphosis into a butterfly.

When she finally emerged, the silver mirror reflected a tall, exquisite young woman. Her skin was cold and pale, and her long black hair was tied high with a red ribbon. She looked radiant yet dangerous. In the depths of her black pupils, a flicker of a withered red leaf appeared and vanished like an illusion.

“Highness,” the Eagle King’s voice came from the door. “The scattered demon tribes have returned. They are waiting outside the tower to see you.”

As she stepped into the warm light of the Demon Realm, Yin Jiuruo sat upon the freezing, jagged throne under a sky of fire and frost. Below her, thousands of demons knelt in reverence, their faces bright with long-awaited joy.

“Welcome back, Young Master!” they roared.

Seeing these faces—people who were genuinely happy for her Yin Jiuruo felt the throne grow a little less cold. Yet, she still gripped the armrest tightly until the pain grounded her. Pain was more trustworthy than warmth.

The Legend of the White-Haired Sovereign

In the mortal world, rumors spread of a fire at the Canglan Sect that was more vivid than the sunset. Storytellers spun tales of Daoist Sovereign Chang Fan, who had gone mad for love and perished with her lover in a divine fire.

But the world only knew half the truth. The fire on Hexue Peak burned for seven days and seven nights, marking the end of an era. The noble woman in white had been powerless. Overnight, her hair turned white, and the sky itself changed. Lightning lashed the peak, and torrential rains turned the mountains into a seascape.

The cultivation world rumored she had fallen. The Canglan Sect insisted she had attained the “Great Way of Heartlessness” and ascended to godhood.

In the infinite void of the Thirty-Sixth Heaven, the air was filled with pure spiritual energy. This was the residence of the three Primal Deities. Of the three, only the Primal Deity Taichu, Fu Qing had returned from her mortal trials to reclaim her godhood.

However, instead of returning with increased power, her divine energy was chaotic. In the deity’s palace, the crane disciple Wangji watched the pale, frail beauty with anxiety. It had been three months since Fu Qing’s return, yet her hair remained as white as snow, and her consciousness was shattered.

“Xiao Jiu… she said we would marry,” the woman murmured in her sleep, her voice weak as if pierced by needles. “She said she believed me. Why?”

Confusion and despair were like tempered swords striking her heart. Being deceived hurt this much, a pain so great she could only ask “why” over and over, even knowing the answer was her own undoing.

“Wangji?”

The woman on the bed finally opened her eyes. Her ink-dark pupils looked like lightless abysses.

“Deity! You’re finally awake!” Wangji nearly cried. “Why have you returned in such a state?”

Fu Qing smiled but did not answer. She struggled to sit up, her silver-white hair flowing like moonlight. “I spent three thousand years in the mortal realm… it feels like another life.” She opened her hand to reveal the Twin Fish Jade Pendant clutched tightly in her palm. “Where is the Old Man under the Moon (Yue Lao)? I must find him.”

“I… I will summon him.”

“I cannot wait.” Fu Qing’s gaze was ethereal. She donned new robes, her divine power manifesting as a cold, majestic light.

Fu Qing appeared at the Garden of Marriage. Yue Lao, the god of marriage, greeted her happily, but his smile faded when he saw her.

“Deity, did you not complete the destiny I wrote for you and Shen Cangli?”

“I did not,” Fu Qing replied, her white robes carrying a faint, ominous scent of blood.

Yue Lao was confused. He had written a perfect destiny for her, yet it was now a blank slate. He discovered that Fu Qing had intentionally avoided the marriage, neither breaking the script nor fulfilling it.

“Connect my fate with Yin Jiuruo,” Fu Qing commanded.

“What?” Yue Lao found the string for Yin Jiuruo. “Deity, you only have the fate of acquaintances. To force a connection will cause a backlash.”

“I want the Life-After-Life Knot.”

Yue Lao gasped. This was a dangerous bond. Once tied, two people would be wed in every reincarnation, for eternity. Even if they grew to loathe and torture each other, they could never be separated. Seeing the red glint in Fu Qing’s eyes and her aura of “demonic” desperation, he dared not refuse.

However, as he tried to tie the red string, the knot instantly unraveled. It was as if the strings themselves repelled one another.

“Deity… this usually means one of two things,” Yue Lao whispered, trembling. “First, this person named Yin Jiuruo has a very shallow fate with you. The string cannot hold. You have no fate in this life, the next, or any life after.”

Fu Qing’s face went even paler. “And the second?”

“The second… is that the person is truly dead. Their soul has scattered into the void. There is nothing left to gather.”

Fu Qing lost all logic. She tried to force herself back to the mortal realm. “I must find her!”

Her white robes were stained with flecks of blood. The red vertical mark between her brows deepened, and her ink-black eyes turned a ghostly, pale azure, like burning cold flames. She looked peerless, yet terrifyingly demonic.

“Who are you looking for?” Yue Lao was terrified.

“I must find her.”

Yue Lao immediately sent a message to the five Medical Immortals: “Emergency! The Primal Deity has developed a Heart-Demon!”

Meanwhile, on a throne of blood-colored thorns, Yin Jiuruo sat with a smile, listening to the Kings.

“Highness, the princesses and daughters of the Asura, Sea, Winged, and Demon tribes have all sent invitations for dates.”

“So many?” Yin Jiuruo was surprised. “They’ve only seen my letters and simple sketches.”

“We sent out clearer portraits,” the Wolf King replied with a grin. “Every princess expressed total satisfaction with your appearance and character.”

“Then, who should I see first?”

The three Kings looked at each other and coughed. “Highness, in our humble opinion since they all have feelings for you, why not work a little harder and marry them all?”

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