When the Immortal Venerable Picked-Up the Demon Cub - Chapter 12

Zhu Ning wasn’t much of a writer; she just wished winter would hurry up and end, hoping twilight would chase away the cold.

Lin Xiayan looked up at the blank plaque and agreed that “Mùdōng Courtyard” sounded perfect. With a flick of her sleeve, three large, golden characters appeared on the plaque, shimmering brightly.

Fascinated, Zhu Ning stood on tiptoe to get a better look, forgetting how slippery the snowy ground was. She leaned forward and nearly fell, but Lin Xiayan reacted swiftly. Her red umbrella shot out, transforming into its true form. A slender arm wrapped around Zhu Ning’s waist, pulling her close. As Zhu Ning turned to look, Lin Xiayan instantly shifted back into the form of a little girl.

Tilting her head, she asked, “Lord Immortal Venerable, shouldn’t you be more careful?”

Zhu Ning’s mind went blank. She didn’t even want to look at the plaque anymore. Furious, she turned and stomped back into the house. Lin Xiayan watched her angry retreating figure, her gloomy eyes finally lighting up with a hint of amusement. She followed Zhu Ning inside.

Stepping back into the room, Zhu Ning felt a wave of emotions. The umbrella still hung in the center of the room. With the door open, the cold wind blew in, causing the tassels on the scroll to sway wildly. Yet the bells on the umbrella remained silent.

“What’s this umbrella called? Don’t tell me you haven’t even named your own Dharma Artifact?” Lin Xiayan plopped down on the grand master’s chair like a pampered noble, slouching carelessly with an air of insolence that made her look like she deserved a good scolding.

“Zhōng Yuè,” Zhu Ning replied, reaching up to take the umbrella down. She gently stroked the feathers on its surface, reciting the name like a poem. As if summoned, the feathers fluttered open and closed before settling back into stillness. A golden light flashed, circling Zhu Ning, illuminating the room even more brightly. Lin Xiayan, however, didn’t fare so well.

She raised her hand to shield her eyes from the intensifying golden light. When it grew too intense, she cast a spell to dispel it, finally finding some relief.

After what felt like an eternity, the golden light reluctantly retreated into the umbrella. Zhu Ning cradled it like a newborn infant, her grip tender and possessive.

Lin Xiayan waved away the barrier, her voice impatient. “Why are you always clutching that broken umbrella? Out of magical power and trying to use it against me?”

Still in her child form, her short legs didn’t even reach the ground. She swung them impatiently as she spoke, her tone sharp. Zhu Ning pursed her lips but didn’t argue, keeping her umbrella in hand. She smiled and changed the subject. “And you? Did you come to Yun Cang Mountain for my disciple’s Immortal Bone?”

Lin Xiayan froze, clearly taken aback by Zhu Ning’s bluntness. Faced with the piercing gaze in those peach blossom eyes, she found herself at a loss for words.

“I never said that. Besides, you were the one who offered. You said if I helped you keep it a secret, you’d let me come to the mountain and even take me as your disciple. What? Have you forgotten all that? Lord Immortal Venerable, you truly have the forgetfulness of the powerful.”

As she spoke, Lin Xiayan realized she held the moral high ground, and her voice gained confidence. After all, Zhu Ning had made the offer first. What fault was hers?

That night, Lin Xiayan’s original plan had been to wait for Su Mi to pass by and have him take her back to Yun Cang Mountain. But when Zhu Ning arrived instead, she was forced to reveal her true form and look for a chance to escape.

Before she could even threaten Zhu Ning, Zhu Ning had offered to take her back to Yun Cang Mountain. Overjoyed, Lin Xiayan couldn’t help but wonder what Zhu Ning was really up to.

Zhu Ning resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She still couldn’t use the original owner’s magical power, and provoking the great villain would surely end badly for her. So she adopted a roundabout tactic, strolling over to another grand chair and sitting down. Unlike Lin Xiayan’s relaxed posture, Zhu Ning sat stiffly, her movements restrained.

“Weren’t you about to ascend soon? Isn’t the only way to ascend through trials? It’s much safer to undergo trials within Yun Cang Mountain than outside. I understand your situation, so I brought you here. Isn’t that the reason?” Zhu Ning lied through her teeth, but it was the only explanation she could think of.

The fact that Immortal Bone could replace the need for trials to ascend was a secret known only within the Demon Realm. Zhu Ning seized this loophole and began playing dumb, yet even this flimsy excuse completely convinced Lin Xiayan.

Besides, wasn’t the original owner’s Holy Mother complex common knowledge? Lin Xiayan wouldn’t be able to find any fault with it.

“I’ve always heard that you cultivators hate demons more than anything. In your eyes, demons are practically all evil. I never imagined you’d let me into Yun Cang Mountain just to help me ascend. Aren’t you afraid I’ll collude with outsiders and wipe out your entire sect?” Lin Xiayan curled her lip, poured herself a cup of tea, and drank it down. The jade-green cup clattered loudly against the table, startling Zhu Ning.

Zhu Ning straightened her expression and flipped over the cracked teacup. She placed the Zhōng Yuè in her hand on the table, its golden light flickering faintly. Lin Xiayan instinctively flinched away.

Zhu Ning calmly retrieved a new teacup. Water flowed slowly from the teapot’s spout, filling the small cup quickly. Smiling, she handed it to Lin Xiayan. “Normally, I would never allow you to enter Yun Cang Mountain. But these are unusual times. After all, you hold my weakness in your hand, don’t you? To ensure Yun Cang Mountain’s peace for even a single day, sacrifices must be made. You’re here to undergo your tribulation, not to cause trouble.”

Zhu Ning spoke these words without a hint of embarrassment or hesitation. Lin Xiayan almost believed her. Staring at Zhu Ning’s sudden sharpness, she was speechless for a long moment. In the teacup filled with water, Lin Xiayan’s reflection showed her innocent face, as lovely as an angel.

Lin Xiayan had no choice but to drop the matter. Since she was on Yun Cang Mountain, she couldn’t push things too far. She withdrew her questions and was about to stand up to admire Mùdōng Courtyard when a familiar voice drifted through the wooden door. The clear, melodious voice carried into the room, making her worry that the heavy wind and snow outside might be muffling the sound.

“Honored Master? It’s Mi’er. There’s a captured Demonic Beast at the front of the hall. Everyone’s waiting for your decision.” Su Mi’s arrival brought explosive news.

Lin Xiayan instantly stood up. A Demonic Beast? Whose Demonic Beast?

Zhu Ning was even more frantic. She grabbed Zhōng Yuè from the table and dashed out, her robes billowing like spring snow. The bells on her umbrella remained miraculously silent despite the violent shaking.

Lin Xiayan didn’t hesitate either. She formed a hand seal and teleported to the courtyard gate, opening it for Su Mi with a nervous expression. “Senior Sister… is the Demonic Beast still alive?”

Su Mi had expected Zhu Ning to answer the door. Seeing the petite Lin Xiayan instead, she paused, slightly disoriented. She reached out to pat Lin Xiayan’s head, smiling reassuringly. “Don’t worry. Honored Master has a rule: no Demonic Creature should be killed outright. We must leave them alive and try to persuade them to good. But don’t be afraid. The Demonic Beast’s spiritual meridians have been sealed. It’s not very powerful now…”

Lin Xiayan didn’t quite catch the rest of her words. She slowly turned her head, her expression complex as she gazed at the white-robed Immortal Venerable behind her. Persuade them to good? She really is different from everyone else.

Support