They Are Archenemies, But They Have A Child - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: The Death of the Phoenix Chicken

Cold Lici looked at the greasy, red chili oil completely soaking the white rice, his brow furrowed into a deep frown.

“Huang’er! What are you doing! Xiao Ci can’t eat spicy food.”

Before he could make a move, Meng Ping, seated two places away, stood up, poured a fresh bowl of rice for Cold Lici, and took away the original bowl.

Cold Lici stared blankly at the new bowl of rice, momentarily unsure how to react.

Meng Ping didn’t mind. She ladled another bowl of chicken soup for Cold Lici: “Xiao Ci, I know you love chicken soup, so I specially stewed this for you. Drink more.”

Before leaving, Meng Ping didn’t forget to pat Yun Qingwu’s back hard as a warning.

“Are you mute? Can’t you even say thank you?”

Yun Qingwu gritted his teeth, slightly displeased.

Cold Lici didn’t retort this time, picking up his chopsticks and beginning to eat again.

As the banquet drew to a close, Qu Ye exclaimed, “Wow, Fox Brother’s bowl is so clean! I’m going to lose today!”

Upon hearing this, everyone’s attention subconsciously fell on the bowl in front of Cold Lici.

Cold Lici: “…”

A rush of heat surged up. He awkwardly averted his gaze.

Liu Dongxue was the first to react. She laughed, tugged Qu Ye’s hand, and corrected her: “You can’t call him ‘Brother.’ Since he is of the same generation as the Lord of the Nation, he is also your junior.”

Everyone laughed.

Yun Qingwu looked at the impeccably clean bowl, then at the unresponsive demon beside him. As his gaze swept over, it abruptly paused.

He saw that Cold Lici’s originally cool-white neck was stained a faint red.

It was like…

His thoughts flew out half a foot, then suddenly stopped, quickly snapping back.

He turned his head and coughed violently a few times, then couldn’t help but let a trace of a smile show through.

This demon was not entirely indifferent to the goodwill of others.

…

The next day was the sacrificial ceremony. This ceremony was a routine one, and since the timing was impromptu, everything was simplified, only retaining the part where the Lord of the Nation officiated the sacrifice.

The area below the sacrificial platform was now filled with citizens, and a degree of anxiety was evident on everyone’s face.

“I heard the Lord of the Nation has been meeting with the Great God Phoenix Chicken repeatedly recently. Will this sacrificial ceremony be the handover ritual?”

“I don’t believe it. I don’t believe the Lord of the Nation would betray the Great God Bai Ze!”

“But what if the Great God Bai Ze really abandoned us?”

As soon as these words were spoken, even more people voiced their opinions: “Impossible! I don’t believe it!”

Dong! Dong dong! Dong!

The rhythmic drumming spread outwards from the high platform. The previously noisy discussions stopped in mutual understanding. Everyone focused their gaze on the sacrificial platform, filled with solemnity and expectation.

When they saw Yun Qingwu pushing the Phoenix Chicken God, whose hands were bound, expressions of astonishment flashed in the crowd’s eyes. They exchanged glances.

“I believe everyone is anxious about the recent strange occurrences. Today, I will give you an explanation.” Yun Qingwu’s gaze was serious as he pushed the Phoenix Chicken forward.

“You tell them the truth of the matter.”

The eyes of the crowd below converged on the Phoenix Chicken.

The Phoenix Chicken, who had been lowering his head, suddenly lifted it. The fear in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a passionate yet fanatic gaze. A pair of black wings suddenly spread out from his back.

The previously clear sky was swept by a fierce wind, kicking up dust.

“The truth is that I am the new auspicious deity of this country, yet your Lord of the Nation dared to insult a God!” The Phoenix Chicken looked at the startled and uncertain faces below and declared loudly, “This is the punishment for insulting a God!”

Yun Qingwu’s black eyes deepened, as if covered by a layer of ice.

“Bai Ze is nothing but a monster! A freak! He has already abandoned you!”

The Phoenix Chicken raised his head, aggressively shifting the blame onto Bai Ze.

“Nonsense! You are the monster!”

“Exactly! You are an ugly freak! How dare you compare yourself to our Great God Bai Ze! Are you worthy?”

“Wake up! I am your new God—cluck, cluck, cluck!”

The angry voice came to an abrupt halt. The shouting figure suddenly turned into a rooster that could only crow.

“Had enough to say?”

A white sword blade was seen suddenly wrapping around the rooster’s neck.

A figure in red slowly walked onto the platform. Amidst the crowd’s shock and bewilderment, he grabbed the giant rooster on the platform and unhurriedly stepped down.

“Cluck, cluck, cluck!”

“Heh, with your meager demonic power, what ambition can you talk about?”

Cold Lici sneered and threw the rooster into a cage.

Having done all this, he looked up at Yun Qingwu. Yun Qingwu nodded and waved his hand behind him.

Four attendants jointly carried out an ice coffin and set it upright.

There was another round of murmuring below the platform.

“This… isn’t this Liu Gu?”

“But wasn’t Liu Gu just here? Huh? Where is he?”

“The person is here.”

Ah Ge pushed the securely bound, fake Liu Gu onto the platform.

“How can there be two Liu Gus?”

Yun Qingwu: “This Liu Gu was transformed by a chicken demon. The one in the ice coffin is the real Liu Gu.”

Cold Lici waved his palm. A flash of fire headed toward the fake Liu Gu. The moment the fire adhered, the fake Liu Gu transformed into a chicken that could only cluck.

“So it was a chicken demon causing trouble!”

“Lord of the Nation, is the Great God Bai Ze still here? Why could a demon enter the palace?”

“Yes, yes!”

Some people in the crowd realized the danger and hoped the Lord of the Nation on the platform could reassure them.

“Of course, he is here. The Great God Bai Ze has never left us. It is precisely because of this that I was able to promptly bring the rogue demon to justice. Everyone must believe that the Great God Bai Ze will always be with us, protecting the peace of the Nanze clan!”

Yun Qingwu lit the three incense sticks in his hand, looking resolutely at the citizens below the platform.

The crowd below was silent for only a moment. The next second, earth-shaking cheers erupted.

“Great God Bai Ze!” “Great God Bai Ze!” “We believe in the Great God Bai Ze!”

To one side of the platform, Cold Lici leaned against the wall, watching all this, lost in thought.

…

“You’re actually going to lend me to him?”

In the woods, the Bone Sword asked with difficulty in comprehension.

Cold Lici expressionlessly wiped his two fingers across the sword body. A red light flashed on the sword, having been temporarily infused with demonic power.

“When did you become so generous?” The Bone Sword, already accustomed to Cold Lici’s disregard, said to itself.

“I need to verify something.” Cold Lici looked at the tall and straight figure standing not far away. Further ahead, the chicken demons were bound and hanging from the trees.

Even after killing some chicken demons, the remaining number was still considerable, hanging fully on the trees. From a distance, it created a false image of a wishing tree.

Uncontrollable panic was written on every face. They struggled ceaselessly, attempting to find a way out of certain death.

Yun Qingwu looked coldly at these demons. A faint, bloody hue floated in his black eyes. His usual upright demeanor was replaced by fanaticism and hatred.

“They are considered your kind. Are you just going to watch me kill them?” Feeling the approach of the person behind him, Yun Qingwu asked with slight mockery.

“My kind? Them?” Cold Lici scoffed, handing the Bone Sword to Yun Qingwu.

Yun Qingwu lowered his eyes to take the sword and pursed his lips: “When we get out, I will let you go this time.”

Cold Lici turned and walked away, his tone profound: “Let’s talk about it when we can get out.”

The next moment, piercing screams echoed through the air, one after another. Amidst the rustling of leaves blown by the wind, they rose and fell, chilling one to the bone just by listening.

Vibrant demonic blood splattered onto Yun Qingwu’s dark blue lapel, adding a jarring streak of red.

Followed by his face, and his neck.

The Bone Sword flew in Yun Qingwu’s distinctly-jointed hands. With every piece of flesh he cut off, the years of accumulated hatred in his heart felt a little more relieved.

In the past few hundred years, whenever he dreamed of the Nanze Kingdom, it was full of blood. Over time, he could hardly remember the original appearance. He had thought countless times, if only he could have returned earlier…

If only he could have returned earlier…

The agonizing cries weakened, leaving only faint breaths barely maintaining the last of their lives.

Yun Qingwu’s chest violently heaved, full of unexpressed emotion.

Yet, the sense of relief in his heart seemed to have been exhausted. It did not continue to drive away the immense rock that had weighed on his spirit for years as the chicken demons one by one ceased breathing.

The empty spaces where they had been did not bring much joy, only a vast emptiness, making him feel even more hollow and powerless.

He ultimately could not truly change the past.

“Do you think… if you kill me, Bai Ze will… return?” The Phoenix Chicken gasped his last, chuckling intermittently. Finally, he looked up at the sky, unwilling: “We both carry five colors. Why should a chicken be inferior to a phoenix?”

Having said this, his last breath completely dissipated.

Yun Qingwu looked up at the sky. Everything remained unchanged. The Mind Realm had not shattered.

But at this moment, he couldn’t generate any more emotion. His heart felt empty.

Cold Lici was not surprised by this result. He walked forward and took back the Bone Sword, sneering: “Sovereign Lord, your style in killing demons has a touch of my clan’s essence.”

Yun Qingwu’s eyelashes trembled. He took out a cloth to wipe the blood from his face: “Demons who commit evil deserve to die.”

“Is that so? Since the chicken demons’ scheme succeeded back then, how did your citizens treat you, the former and unqualified auspicious deity?”

Cold Lici stared intently into Yun Qingwu’s eyes and asked.

Yun Qingwu clenched his lower lip. His chest felt the sharp pain of being pierced by an arrow again. His voice was icy: “That is none of your business.”

Although Yun Qingwu’s reaction was minimal, Cold Lici clearly registered it. He had a guess, and his tone cooled down: “Now the chicken demons are dead, yet the Mind Realm hasn’t broken. It seems your assumed key point is incorrect. But if you were ever subjected to a backlash because of this, if I were Meng Huang, I would definitely make you die again.”

“But I am Meng Huang now, aren’t I?” Yun Qingwu said stiffly, denying the speculation.

“We need to plan carefully.”

Tossing this statement aside, Yun Qingwu didn’t want to say more and returned to the palace on his own.

Now that the perpetrators were dead, perhaps everything would not repeat itself…

He tried to convince himself of this.

But his heart grew increasingly uneasy.

On the other side, Cold Lici’s mood also darkened. The chicken demons were dead, yet the Mind Realm hadn’t broken, suggesting a bigger manipulator was behind the downfall of the Nanze Kingdom.

After Bai Ze became the Sovereign Lord, the Nanze Kingdom was wiped out overnight. Could such a coincidence exist?

He looked at Yun Qingwu’s retreating figure, his expression complex.

After a moment, he let out a sarcastic laugh.

A discarded piece.

A chess piece.

Interesting.

But what exactly is that critical juncture?

The citizens were unaware of their inner thoughts. After the ceremony, the people’s reverence for Bai Ze reached an unprecedented height, surpassing the past. The disturbing anomalies gradually subsided with the death of the chicken demons. The functioning of the Nanze Kingdom returned to normal, and people went back to their carefree, enjoyable lives.

Until one day, the time when the sun hanging high in the sky set became later and later…