Black Bellied Belle: Demon Lord, Bite the Bait Please

Ch. 231-240

Chapter 231: Mysterious Intruder

How did she catch up with them so quickly.....

She had used a dimensional portal to come here, so how did this woman manage to find them so fast?!

Upon seeing the young lady standing stiffly there, not turning around to face her nor saying a single word, Lu Ji then opened her mouth again to ask: "Where is Miss Qing intending to go? Why did you leave without informing your subordinate?"

Qing Yu was somehow feeling a little embarrassed as she slowly turned around and met the woman's nonchalant expression on her face. She coughed a awkwardly a couple of times and then said: "I..... er..... am just taking an aimless stroll."

"If Lu Ji is not recognizing this place wrongly, this place is the Faint Mist Sect's forbidden grounds. If any disciple comes here secretly on their own, they will be punished." Lu Ji mercilessly exposed her flimsy excuse.

A corner of Qing Yu's mouth twitched, and she helplessly admitted: "Alright, I was about to go in there."

Lu Ji's brows creased together. "The Overlord gave me orders that Miss Qing must not go in there alone on your own, but to wait for the Overlord to come back first."

"I am not going in there alone!" Qing Yu smiled as she blinked her eyes innocently. "Don't I have you to accompany me now?"

Lu Ji was taken aback. "Me?"

When did she say that she was going to accompany her in there??

"Alright, let's not waste any more time. The effects of the sleep-inducing incense I used on them will only last for an hour. If we continue to delay any further, we'll not be able to get in when they wake up."

Taking advantage of the moment that Lu Ji was still somewhat stunned by her reply, Qing Yu quickly went over and grabbed the woman's hand to pull her towards the forbidden grounds' entrance.

The young lady's soft hand that was slightly cold held her fingers tightly. Lu Ji lost her ability to think for an instant and was led right inside mindlessly. By the time she was able to react, they had already walked into the place.

Lu Ji could not help but be a little disgusted at herself at that moment. Damn it. Why was it that everytime she was faced with this young lady, she would turn to become someone completely unlike her usual self, like she was not able to control how her body reacts at all.

Zang Mai was beside Qing Yu but others would not be able to see him under normal circumstances. He raised an eyebrow to look at Lu Ji and then said: "Mistress, I seem to feel that this woman has feelings for you."

"Hm?"

"I saw that when you were pulling her by her hand, she looked like her soul had left her body, and her eyes looked rather strange." Although Zang Mai was not human, his instinct was however rather sharp.

Is it really that obvious?

Qing Yu glanced at the green clothed woman with exquisite facial features beside her. Lou Jun Yao had told her to not get too close to Lu Ji carelessly, as Lu Ji likes women.

Chapter 231.2: Mysterious Intruder

[Tsk, just can't figure her out. She's so beautiful looking, why must she like women? With her looks and level of cultivation, one really wouldn't know what kind of a woman would be able to catch her eye.]

The forbidden grounds looked no different from the last time she came into this place. It was said that many people had come the last time seeking to get their hands on the Sacred Buddha Palm Lotus but most of them had died in here.

"Little Burrow, help me sense if there is any aura fluctuations nearby." Qing Yu said.

Zang Mai acknowledged and his beautiful gold and silver eyes immediately clouded over with a white glow before recovering back to it original state a little while later.

"How?"

The youth shook his head with a frown. "I did not sense anything. And..... not to mention aura fluctuations, I did not find any signs of life at all."

"How did it become like this?" Qing Yu asked in surprise.

She clearly remembered that when she came here the last time, she was attacked by a whole bunch of maniacal spirit beasts.

[No signs of life?]

She would naturally trust Little Burrow's words completely as this fella's senses had always been much sharper than hers, so he could not have been mistaken about this.

Zang Mai was also looking rather doubtful as he shook his head to say: "Mistress, we have better be a little more wary. Devilry's definitely afoot when things turn strange."

Qing Yu's face was grave as she nodded.

On another side of the forbidden grounds at that moment, the air rippled strangely and two people suddenly set foot into the place.

One of the two people was a young man who looked to be in his twenties, but his face was ominously expressionless and the aura emitting from his body felt highly sinister and oppressive, heavy and suffocating.

"You're sure this is the place?"

"The Lord's divining skills have never been wrong and if we are able to complete the mission this time, our Lord would definitely win high merit for it."

"Let's split up and move separately."

"Alright."

After wandering around for a good while behind Qing Yu, Lu Ji could not help but open her mouth to ask: "Miss Qing, what do you really want to do coming into this place?"

Qing Yu remained silent for a moment before she replied: "My mother's soul fragments are in here and I need to bring her out."

The young lady's aura suddenly turned gloomy, causing Lu Ji to be taken aback. After a while, Lu Ji raised her head and looked at the young lady. "I will help you."

Hearing that, Qing Yu smiled slightly at the woman and replied in a soft voice: "Thank you."

For an instant, Lu Ji felt as if her heart had been struck by that smile.

Her charming eyes subconsciously lowered, seemingly trying to hide how flustered she had felt for a moment.

The silence did not last for long. Just as they had taken several steps forward, a heavy tremor suddenly rocked the ground, and a very large crack appeared.

Chapter 231.3: Mysterious Intruder

The silence did not last for very long. Just as they have taken a few steps forward, a violent tremor rocked the ground they were on, and a huge crack appeared on its surface.

Qing Yu was in mid step and still had one foot lifted up in the air when the ground suddenly split wide open, very nearly making her step into empty nothingness to fall in. She had just managed to steady herself when another violent tremor shook, and the two people fell straight down the chasm.

They spun dizzyingly, but both of them were fortunately able to react fast enough, quickly righting themselves. Descending at a very fast speed, they came to land firmly on their feet.

Lu Ji was still able to remain calm and composed because she was confident of her own powers. However, when she looked at the young lady beside her, she did not see the slightest hint of panic or fear either, her moves nimble and agile when they landed. Against her frail and harmless outward appearance, her skills were in a completely different world.

Her gaze could not help but deepen as she suddenly recalled Lian Ji's words.

[This young lady was something whom even the Overlord treats differently and hence there must be something exceptional about her. She isn't a person that any of them can afford to anger and she must remember to keep a respectful distance.]

"What is going on here?" Qing Yu raised an eyebrow and stomped her foot on the ground. It was hard sandstone beneath her feet.

Raising her head to look up, she could not see the slightest sliver of light. A corner of her mouth twitched involuntarily. How far down have they fallen below the surface?

It was clearly still bright and sunny outside but it looked like they have fallen down a bottomless pit, so dark that a person would not be able to see their hands before their face. If she did not possess night vision, she would have been completely blind at that moment.

[So what caused that violent tremor just now?]

She was deep in thought when the ground beneath her feet shook again, this time the shaking accompanied by an earth shattering rage filled roar, so loud that their ears hurt.

Qing Yu was a little taken aback before she turned towards the golden haired youth, her face highly suspicious. "Didn't you say that there was absolutely no sign of life in here? That roar sounded very much like it had come from a spirit beast."

Zang Mai expressed innocence and shrugged his shoulders to say: "I really did not sense any sign of life earlier. That roar from a spirit beast tells us of two possibilities. One, we are far too deep underground and this place has a shrouding effect around it, that stopped me from detecting this place. Two, that roar had not come out from a spirit beast itself but was just a kind of powerful spirit aura left behind from a spirit beast before it died, to intimidate intruders into retreating."

After hearing him out, without knowing why, Qing Yu seemed to feel..... that the second option was more plausible.

[But, intruders?]

[Could it be..... Someone had come into this place before her?]

When that thought came into her mind, she immediately said to Zang Mai: "Little Burrow, lead the way. See where that sound came from."

"Yes Mistress." The youth said, and his body went walking off in a certain direction. "Mistress, follow closely behind me."

Chapter 231.4: Mysterious Intruder

In the darkness, it was hard to see the expression on her face, but Qing Yu suddenly went to pull at Lu Ji's hand at that moment and said in a soft voice: "Hold on to me. Don't get separated."

Lu Ji paused for a moment and her hand unconsciously tensed up, as she reached her hand out to hold Qing Yu.

——

At the spot which had been the source of that angry roar, two white human figures flew back out and did a backflip in the air, before landing steadily on the ground.

They had come close to what seemed like a mountain cave.

"Heh, wonder what kind of a spirit beast's aura is guarding this place. It's quite a troublesome one." One of the two figures said in a cold voice.

"With just the spirit beast's broken remnant consciousness, it's already so powerful. It must have been really powerful when it was alive, at least the twelfth level and above. But..... the limits of this low leveled realm seemed to allow only spirit beasts up to the tenth level to exist, so this was rather bizarre." The other person reasoned.

"It looks like we'll have to deal with this remnant spirit aura first before we'll be able to retrieve the item inside."

"Fortunately, with the Lord's farsightedness, it is already immediately helping us."

Hearing that, the two people starting chanting and a large skull head exuding pure evil came out from their bodies, shrill and ear piercingly strange laughter coming out from its mouth as it slipped into the narrow little mountain cafe.

The next moment, the powerful roar of the spirit beast that previously sounded was heard again, now become one of horror and fear. Powerful forces clashed repeatedly inside the mountain cave and the spirit beast's remnant consciousness started to become weaker but stubbornly refused to dissipate, like it was fighting with all it had to guard something.

"Haha, death is almost upon it but it's still putting up such a useless struggle. We'll just wait. For ten breaths at most, and it will have disappeared without a single trace left."

The white clothed man laughed arrogantly, but his boisterous laughter had not boomed out fully when the expression on his face was overtaken by a malevolent look. "Who is it?"

The man beside him seemed to have sensed something as well as his expression became wary as well.

From within the depths of darkness, two people came walking out, and there were Qing Yu and Lu Ji coming this way.

Qing Yu threw a measuring gaze over the two strangely dressed men, their clothes the likes of something she had never seen before in front of her. Her expression was indifferent as she countered: "And who are your people?"

They did not look like people from any of the Three Great Sects.

Hearing that, the white-clothed man did not answer her question but merely stiffened his lips malevolently and said: "We are the people who will send you down into Hell."

Their spirit auras flared out in an instant which caused Lu Ji's eyes to darken. "You are people who came down from Cloud Heaven! Who sent you? And for what purpose!?"

To think that people from Cloud Heaven had actually come all the way down to such a low leveled realm, and had so coincidentally appeared here in this place. There must be some nefarious reason behind it.

Upon hearing that Lu Ji was able to see through them, the two people could not help but be slightly taken aback for a moment. But they recovered very quickly and retorted: "You're also from Cloud Heaven? In that case, do not interfere with our business."

Chapter 232: Treasure The Spirit Beast Was Closely Guarding

Those rude words that sounded almost like a command immediately caused Lu Ji's face to darken further. Ha, as someone from the Dark Lands, the Overlord had been highly indulgent and protective over them, never allowing anyone to bully his people from the Dark Lands, or he would pay them back a hundred fold.

Hence, people from the Dark Lands were innately haughty and proud, and Lu Ji was no different as well. She was already carrying an instinctive sense of enmity towards those two people and it was becoming harder to contain the hatred in her heart.

"Don't be rash." Qing Yu held Lu Ji's arm, and shook her head slightly.

"Mistress, there are extremely powerful spirit energy fluctuations in this cave." The golden haired youth said softly, but the expression on his face was a little puzzled. "But..... the spirit aura does not seem to be from a human, but a divine beast."

"What?" Qing Yu's eyes widened in surprise. "A divine beast?"

A creature that was so rare that they existed only in legends, super spirit beasts that were more powerful than peak level spirit beasts that have reached several tens in their levels. Only then, could they be called divine beasts.

But..... in a low leveled realm like the Constellation Lands, how could the aura of a divine beast possibly exist? One might not even be able to find such a thing in the White Fens Lands.

This was really too astounding.

"Little Burrow, are you absolutely certain of that?" Qing Yu knitted up her brows to ask.

The youth did not immediately reply and then went on to simply say: "Just listen to the sounds in there."

The two white clothed men continued to relentlessly attack the thing inside the cave, and she seemed to be able to sense that the angry roar she heard earlier sounded like it was crying out in sadness and despair, a lot softer now, which caused a feeling of sadness to surge up inside her heart.

It seemed to have sensed it impending death, its roars no longer resisting that strongly as it fought, but seemingly still filled with a sliver of hope in a desperate cry for help.

[Save me, I beg you to save me. I must not die.]

That's right, it was crying for help.

That was the message that came into her mind in that instant as she heard the sound coming out from inside the cave.

Qing Yu could not help but be surprised when she discovered that she could actually understand what the roars were trying to convey. But before she could give it any further thought, she found that the roars were growing softer and softer.

Zang Mai and his Mistress had always been linked in their minds and he immediately knew what her intentions were. He then asked Qing Yu: "Mistress, you want to save it?"

Qing Yu's eyes grew deep before she came to say in a calm voice: "Yes, of course we must."

"Those two people's cultivation powers are not to be underestimated, their entire persons emitting a highly evil aura. It is not advisable for Mistress to move against them so you can just leave it to me."

After the youth finished saying that, he immediately moved stealthily away from Qing Yu's side. He usually moved about in an invisible state and other people were not able to see him at all. It was only when he engaged in battle that he would automatically come to reveal himself.

Chapter 232.2: Treasure The Spirit Beast Was Closely Guarding

Hence, after one of the white clothed men was sent flying from a powerful blow, the good looking youth all aglitter in gold suddenly came to appear before everyone there, catching everyone off guard.

"Who are you? How dare you sneak up and attack us!?" When the other person saw his companion was sent flying tens of meters away from a powerful blow and was endlessly vomiting out blood, a fiery rage rose inside him. His face was malevolent like he wanted to eat someone up. "We had not wanted to stir up any trouble in this low level lands but since you've come seeking your own deaths, then you cannot blame me!"

"Tsk, what a braggart."

Zang Mai's lips curled up into a contemptuous smile, the shape of his narrowed gold and silver irises transforming into inverted triangles, as he assumed his original form.

A golden rhinoceros python that was over ten meters tall, his girth as thick as three or four men's waist put together as it flicked its red forked tongue. Its long snake tail curled around the two white clothed men and then tossed them up into the air before catching them back in its grip, seeming to be toying with them.

The sudden appearance of such an unbelievably massive python had not only stunned the two white clothed men into a mindless daze, even the ever calm and composed Lu Ji was unable to react for a good while.

That small exquisite looking face turned slightly pale and it seemed like she had been shocked by the scene before her eyes as well.

Qing Yu's eyes merely showed a faint hint of helplessness. [Did he really have to immediately cause such a big stir.....]

[Is it really necessary for him to reveal his true form?]

[But, she has not seen Zang Mai assume his original form for so many years and it looks like he had grown quite a lot bigger.]

The two white clothed men were haplessly being tossed and caught by the massive python. Intense dizziness and fear caused their stomachs to turn as nausea wrecked at them, but they were unable to vomit anything out, which just worsened the agony.

As highly skilled pugilists who were respected in Cloud Heaven, it was unthinkable that they were made to suffer such humiliation here in this low level realm, and were helpless to do anything about it.

Only the Heavens would know where this damned giant python had popped out from all of a sudden!

Seeming like it had grown bored with the game, the massive python let out a cold scornful snort and with a light squeeze of its tail, two clear crisp cracks were heard. The necks of the two white clothed people had been snapped in two, their bodies mangled and deformed by crushing force, turned into two grisly unidentifiable masses of blood and gore. Their corpses were then dumped like garbage among the pile of rocks at the side.

Lu Ji's face turned a little paler subconsciously. [What a powerful spirit beast!]

She had not been fully confident that she would be able to walk out of that place alive today, but she had promised the Overlord that she would definitely keep Qing Yu safe and sound.

Lu Ji's seductive eyes flashed with a sharp glint of steely resolve as she moved herself innocuously before Qing Yu, readying herself to withstand the massive python's attack that would soon come.

Chapter 232.3: Treasure The Spirit Beast Was Closely Guarding

Instead, the young lady behind her laughed softly and said: "Alright Little Burrow, hurry up and change back already. Why did you have to make it so bloody? Can't you see how much you terrified this beautiful big sister here?"

Lu Ji was still unable to react to those words when they reached her ears, but saw the terrifyingly massive python suddenly shrink in size right before her eyes as the young lady's voice fell.

A brilliant golden light then flashed for an instant right in front of her, and there was no longer any signs of that frightening python anymore. A tall beautiful looking golden haired youth stood in its place, an easy smile on his lips, looking every inch an obedient and handsome looking youth.

Especially when Qing Yu had called for him to come over, he had even lowered himself to allow the young lady to violate the hair on his head, his uniquely gold and silver pair of eyes shining with a warm gentle light, looking exceptionally moving.

It was such an adorable sight it could make anyone blush.

Who could possibly believe that this obedient and harmless looking youth here was actually that massive python who had just killed two men in an instant just moments ago?

Lu Ji's face underwent a series of changes before she said with a look of utter disbelief: "He is....."

Qing Yu smiled and went on to explain: "He is my weapon spirit, and his original form is actually a Giant Golden Rhinoceros Python. Wasn't he just so majestic?"

Zang Mai would usually not reveal his true form before people so easily. Of course, people who saw his true form before were basically already dead. But since Lu Ji was one of Lou Jun Yao's subordinates, she could be considered to be an ally, so there was no harm in letting her see him in that form.

Upon hearing that, Lu Ji was even more astounded. "A weapon spirit that possesses its own spirit beast form?!"

[She had never heard anything so bizarre before!]

"Although it sounded absolutely unbelievable, that is the absolute truth. He....." Qing Yu went on to ruffle the youth's head once again. "Is indeed a weapon spirit that possesses a spirit beast form."

Lu Ji took a good part of the day to fully digest the news she had just heard, before she finally came to a conclusion.

[The woman the Overlord has set his eyes on was no ordinary person indeed.]

With the deaths of the two white-clothed men, the cries that came from inside the cave slowly quietened down.

Qing Yu walked inside slowly as she scanned the surroundings, but she did not find any traces of any spirit beasts.

She could not help but be a little surprised. [Where had those cries came from?]

Just as she was feeling a little puzzled, something came to float down gently as it descended right before her eyes, which caused her eyes to widen for an instant.

It was a great phoenix whose body was red as blood, measuring several tens of meters in length, its immense body filling up the entire mountain cave. It looked ephemeral and seemed to be in its spirit state, almost like the slightest gust of wind would cause it to disperse and fade.

Chapter 232.4: Treasure The Spirit Beast Was Closely Guarding

It looked highly weary and tired, its eyes unable to even open. But as Qing Yu approached it, those eyes opened very slowly, revealing a pair of beautiful golden irises.

Spirit beasts were supposed to be naturally wary of humans, filled with hatred and disgust towards them. But for some unknown reason, the phoenix seemed to trust Qing Yu very much, its body not even flinching as she came very close to its body, its golden eyes gazing warmly and gently at her.

"Are you alright?" Qing Yu could not help but to ask in concern when she saw how weak and frail the phoenix looked.

"Thank you." It was a very gentle female voice that came out of the phoenix's mouth right before her eyes.

Spirit beasts would gain the ability of using human speech once they have attained the eighth level and above and Qing Yu was not surprised by it.

Moreover, Little Burrow had said that this was no ordinary spirit beast before them, but a type of super spirit beast that belonged to the divine beast category, that could be said to possess Heaven defying powers.

"Why have you become so frail? Where is your original body? You are very weak now and if you do not return to your original body, you will disappear very soon." Qing Yu said with a rather grave expression on her face.

The phoenix shook its head slightly and replied: "My time was already running out but I continued to remain here in order to fulfill my mission. Now that you've come, my mission has also come to an end."

"Mission?" Qing Yu asked, her face uncomprehending.

The phoenix did not respond, like its strength had been stretched to its limits. The immense figure gradually turned more ephemeral and translucent, before it completely disappeared with a mournful cry.

It was empty inside the mountain cave, except for a human-shaped object in the corner that was emitting a faint glowing light.

Qing Yu's eyes narrowed as she took few steps to approach it. The soul fragment was so frail it could also no longer be seen, but the sense of familiarity she felt made Qing Yu certain that it was a fragment of her mother's soul.

She kept the soul fragment into the Soul Nourishing Orb very carefully, and then heaved a huge sigh of relief.

But before she could fully relax and let down her guard for a single moment, her body suddenly tensed up. A bone-chilling feeling suddenly assaulted her senses, and Qing Yu subconsciously leaned her body backwards, to dodge that deadly strike.

She spun herself around and spotted a person completely wrapped in black robes hidden within the shadows, not making a single sound as the dark figure blended fully into the surrounding darkness. The figure had intentionally suppressed his own aura and that was why Qing Yu had not noticed his presence all this while.

Without knowing why, looking at the black robed person, Qing Yu suddenly felt as if she had seen someone like that before, finding the person's dressing highly familiar.....

All thoughts in her mind suddenly stopped for an instant. She suddenly remembered!

This man was dressed very similarly to the black robed woman with that frighteningly hideous face she encountered back in the Green Wave Kingdom's Barricaded Spirit Tower.

They were both wrapped up fully in jet black clothes from head to toe, and they both gave out a highly sinister aura.

So it seemed like the two white clothed men who were dead had another companion, waiting quietly in here for the opportune moment to strike, carefully watching their every move.

The objective that these people came here with..... could very well turn out to be the same as hers!

Chapter 233: Abducted by a Mysterious Person

The black robed man walked out from the shadows slowly, his face hidden among his bundle of clothes. Only his ghastly white chin could be seen, which made him look highly compelling.

"Hand over the soul fragment you just took." The man's voice was chilly and cold, speaking without the slightest emotion.

Qing Yu innocuously shifted her feet a step towards the cave's entrance as her hands weaved a strange and unique sign behind her back. She arched up an eyebrow as she looked at the man and said to him: "What if I refuse to hand it over?"

The man then replied curtly: "Then only death awaits."

"I wonder who will die first between us?"

Qing Yu curled up the ends of her lips, and without waiting for the man's response, her body was already moving. The five golden needles at her fingertips glinted under the darkness, and with a flick of her hand, they shot right through the air towards five different spots of the dark robed man's body.

One of the golden needles was actually flying straight towards the lower half of the man, aimed at a spot that could not be explicitly described here.

"Shameless and despicable woman!"

Even though the man's expression could not be seen, just hearing his words spat out through tightly gritted teeth was enough to tell Qing Yu how enraged he was.

Qing Yu blinked her eyes in innocence. [How was she shameless and despicable?]

The figure of the man strangely disappeared from the spot he was standing in, easily dodging the five golden needles flying towards him. In the next instant, he appeared right before Qing Yu and his pale bony hand swiped across right in front of her face. She immediately felt an intense dizziness coming over her, which made her eyelids feel extremely heavy and they were drooping down over her eyes.

In that instant just before she lost consciousness, there was only one thought that crossed Qing Yu's mind. [She has miscalculated, and fallen prey to the opponent's sneak attack.]

Outside the cave, Zang Mai had detected another unfamiliar aura and was about to go inside when he unexpectedly received his Mistress' instruction to not make any rash moves.

In the end, after waiting it out for just a short while, he found that his Mistress' aura had also disappeared as well.

His eyes narrowed with a sharp glint and his body shot speedily inside. The cave was empty without a single person in there. He tried to call out to Qing Yu through their linked consciousness but he did not get the slightest response.

She must be in an unconscious state at that moment, and that was why she was unable to receive his thoughts.

The youth's handsome looking face could not help but came to be tinged with a sliver of deep silent rage.

[Damn it!]

[To think that a person was actually able to take his Mistress away from right under his nose, that was absolutely unpardonable!]

When the youth had charged right into the mountain cave in a fluster, Lu Ji came to sense that something was wrong. Self reproach showed on her face and she then said to herself: "I should have gone in together with her."

Chapter 233.2: Abducted by a Mysterious Person

Qing Yu had gotten them to wait outside for her as she was afraid that too many people might startle the divine beast's remnant consciousness. Afterall, the divine beast showed it was not defensive towards Qing Yu.

How could Lu Ji have expected that in just a short while, she would suddenly disappear completely.

Hearing her utter those words, Zang Mai's tone was stony as he said: "You wouldn't be of any help to her even if you had come in. The aura that was in here was more powerful than the combined strength of the other two men who died. You are not his match."

"I am my Mistress' weapon spirit and I will be able to sense her aura when she regains consciousness, which will lead me to where she is. As for you....."

"I am returning back to Cloud Heaven." Lu Ji interrupted the youth. "Those people are from Cloud Heaven. Miss Qing..... must have been taken there. I will go back and report this to the Overlord. He will know what to do."

[But, when the Overlord comes to know that she had actually allowed Miss Qing to be abducted right before her eyes, she would not be able to escape punishment.]

Lu Ji's fingers clenched up tightly and her eyes narrowed slightly as she tried to hide any expression from showing on her face.

[She had not been able to protect the young lady who moved her heart. If anything was to happen to her.....]

The aura surrounding her body grew depressing and Lu Ji did not say anything more. She raised a slim arm and drew a line through the air before walking into the dimensional portal that had opened up. That was the fastest way for her to reach Cloud Heaven.

Zang Mai's lips curled up and e glanced at the spot that Lu Ji had just disappeared from. "She's rather concerned about the Mistress though."

Tearing a portal through time and space like that, if it was not done by people with unfathomable and profound cultivation, they would be severely injured by the turbulent surge within the dimensional tunnel. Although the woman's cultivation wasn't weak, but that would still affect her in some way.

The youth lifted his elegant chin and sighed softly. "Oh my Mistress, even after being reborn into another world, your ability to attract people to you has not diminished in the slightest, and you're even not sparing the women now."

——

At that same moment, after falling into an unconscious coma, Qing Yu was finally slowly coming awake.

Her devilishly alluring phoenix like eyes blinked in a confused daze. [What is this place?]

She moved her body seeking to sit upright. But she had just turned herself over when she suddenly found herself falling. The shock caused her to quickly snap back to her senses as she immediately righted herself.

The feeling of finally feeling firm ground under her feet was great. Ever since she came to this world, she was always constantly falling at every turn, which made her life here anything but boring.

It was only when Qing Yu felt the ground under her feet that she discovered that the place she had been lying on was actually a cloud. Her eyes involuntarily widened as she stared. [What kind of a place is this? Did she die and come to Heaven!?]

Chapter 233.3: Abducted by a Mysterious Person

To think that one could possibly sleep on a cloud. That was just incredible.

"You're awake."

Just as she was taking in her foreign surroundings with a measuring gaze, the icy cold voice of a man suddenly sounded behind her.

And it was a strangely familiar-sounding voice.

Qing Yu turned around and saw a man in black robes approaching. "Since you're awake, come with me to go see the Temple Lord."

When the man opened his mouth to speak again, Qing Yu was certain. [Isn't this the voice of the person who made her lose consciousness with a sneaky attack?]

But it was different now from the person who had been bundled head to toe in black robes till his countenance could not be seen at all. Although the man's voice was cold and indifferent, his countenance was however rather good looking, pretty eyes and brows with cold hard features, making him look rather cool. Besides the fact that his complexion was a little too pale, he still looked rather pleasing overall.

Qing Yu raised an eyebrow and strolled casually over to the man, seemingly unafraid that the man would attack her again. Her lips parted slightly as she said: "Wouldn't you say how you just forcibly bring a person to this place without even a single word of warning seems to be rather rude?"

Seeming like she was intentionally trying to tease him, the young lady widened her eyes and leaned her beautiful face closer. "Don't you know that skin contact between men and women is greatly frowned upon? So in what manner did you bring me here?"

The man was startled by the sudden proximity as she leaned in close to him and he innocuously took a step back as he snorted derisively. "I have never seen any woman who is as frivolous and flippant as you."

Those words caused Qing Yu to want to scratch her head in puzzlement. [How..... has she been frivolous?]

Tossing that statement, the man just turned around with a curt "follow me" and went walking off without even turning his head around.

Qing Yu was speechless. "....."

The villains nowadays really act so self-righteously indignant.

But Qing Yu did not say anything but just followed behind the man, her eyes measuring her surroundings. He had probably noticed her wandering eyes as the man went on to say in an indifferent voice: "No need to waste your time. You won't be able to get out of here. Even if you're lucky enough to escape, you will not be able to go back down to the lower realms."

Qing Yu muttered a soft "Oh" and then continued to ask: "Then why have you brought me here? Is it because I am pretty looking and you started to have nefarious designs on me?"

A corner of the man's mouth twitched and he struggled to hold himself back for a good while before he managed to mutter in indignance: "Shameless."

He was probably feeling too angry inside to speak as his strides quickened quite a bit. Qing Yu could not help but laugh out loud behind, thinking that this guy was quite an interesting fella.

"Hey, I'll say. What is this place? Do all of you always sleep on clouds? Aren't you afraid of falling off?"

Chapter 233.4: Abducted by a Mysterious Person

The man went walking ahead on his own, choosing not to hear another word the young lady was saying.

Qing Yu saw that she was being purposely ignored and thought she might as well give up. But with things quietened down, she suddenly discovered something different about the place.

The spirit energy in this place..... was thick and robust, at least ten times that of the Constellation Continent.

She blinked her eyes in surprise. She had gone to the White Fen Lands a few years ago and although the spirit energy had been more than adequate, it was not as abundant as it was here in this place.

In the short while since she came awake, she could feel that her powers had increased by quite a bit. Her powers that had been stuck at the Sacred Burial Arts' seventh level for quite a long time had started to change, shooting up quickly through the stages in an instant. In just a short while, she had shot from the seventh level's initial stages to the mid stages' peak, almost breaking through into the final stages.

The speed her cultivation was growing at was terrifying.

Qing Yu suddenly seemed to realize something and the expression on her face was a little stunned for a moment.

[Was this place..... the highest realm, the place they called Cloud Heaven?]

[Could she really be that lucky!?]

Qing Yu suppressed her shock at that realization as she followed the man in front, unknowingly walking onto a bed of clouds, where grand and majestic palatial temple sat.

When she first stepped into the main hall, it made her jump back it shock.

For no other reason than the fact that the people in the great hall were dressed uniformly in black robes and white robes, standing respectfully with the bodies ramrod straight on both sides, their faces and bodies hidden within their robes, every single one looking like a dignified statue. They were all standing packed in neat rows, where there was at least three hundred of them.

That was quite a majestic and awe inspiring sight.

Just as Qing Yu was stunned by the sight of so many people in front of her, she heard the cold unfeeling voice of the man who had led her here. "Aren't you going to pay your respects to the Temple Lord?"

[Temple Lord?]

Following the man's gaze, Qing Yu could not help but look up to see the person seated high up on the elevated pedestal hidden behind layers of soft translucent silk curtains. The svelte figure of a woman could faintly be seen leaning back languidly, a sight beautiful as a painting.

After the man said that to Qing Yu, he bowed respectfully to the woman up on the pedestal and reported: "Temple Lord, this is the woman who has not only killed our people, but also snatched the thing that my Lord seeks to possess."

The woman behind the veil let out a soft laugh, her voice gentle and melodious, exhilarating to hear. "A person from the lower realms? Haha. It looks like there are more and more capable people in the lower realms in the past few years. Raise your head so that I can have a good look at you."

Qing Yu was already standing at a lower level and it was making it hard for the woman up there to see her. Hearing the woman's words, Qing Yu lifted her head up.

But she had just raised her head and her flawlessly beautiful face had just been imprinted into the eyes of the woman behind the veil when it immediately caused the woman's eyes to narrow sharply with a glint.

[Why does this face..... look so familiar? It looks so much like that person she has seen a countless number of times.]

[But, that person had clearly died.]

[Just who is this woman!?]

Chapter 234: Attacked at Night

After a long moment of silence, the woman's voice sounded behind the curtains, tinged with an indiscernible emotion: "What is your name?"

[How could there be two people who look so much alike?]

Although Qing Yu was rather puzzled by the woman's question, she kept a smile on her face as she replied: "Yu Qing."

She had always used that name when she had crossdressed as a man. [This woman's got to be kidding. She still did not know whether this woman meant her any harm but has had her captured for some unknown purpose. She was naturally not going to reveal her real name to her so easily.]

After she responded with those two characters, Qing Yu heard the woman ask: "Which character is the "Qing" in your name?"

Qing Yu hesitated for a moment and then smiled before she opened her mouth to reply: "The Qing that means endearment between spouses."

The woman just sighed as if she did not hear Qing Yu's reply. "Is it really all fated to be like this?"

"What about the thing that you took? Hand it over!"

Qing Yu's eyes lowered slightly, as she hid the dark glint flashing within. The expression on her face looked a little confused as she raised her eyes. "What did I take?"

Seeing the befuddled look on her face, the man who brought her here to this place stepped in to say in a grave voice: "You're still trying to deny it? That thing that the Crimson Gold Fiery Phoenix was guarding. Once the item is taken away, it's remnant consciousness would fade away. You were the only other person besides me to go into that mountain cave."

"Oh."

Hearing that, Qing Yu said without missing a beat. "Couldn't you be the one who was coveting that treasure and have taken it away for yourself? You were reluctant to hand it over and as I was coincidentally passing by the place, you came up with this plan to find a scapegoat by pushing the blame entirely onto my head!"

Suddenly stunned into a daze by Qing Yu's unbelievable ability to twist up facts and to turn the accusation right back onto him, the man was unable to react for a good long while. When he came back to his senses, his entire body trembled visibly as he spat out hatefully: "That's pure and utter nonsense! Absolutely vile and malicious slander! When did I ever take it!? You had clearly....."

"Yue Fen, why did you start to become so hot headed? Hmm?"

The woman commented in a soft voice, interrupting the man's raging fit.

The man immediately hung his head. "I beg for the Temple Lord to forgive my impudence. Yue Fen has overreacted."

"I will naturally believe that you will not do something like that. You are the most loyal disciple of the divine temple and you will never betray your Lord."

Yue Fen's face looked genuinely moved for a moment and he said: "Your loyal servant is grateful for my Lord's trust in me."

Qing Yu stood there listening in to their conversation, and she came to capture an important piece of information.

Chapter 234.2: Attacked at Night

[Divine Temle?]

[Could it be one of Cloud Heaven's five great powers, the Bright Moon Temple?]

Lou Jun Yao had once told her that the voodoo grub and Emotion Devouring Curse he had been afflicted with definitely had something to do with someone from the Divine Temple, which was filled with a bunch of people skilled in evil and unorthodox methods, devious snakes who liked to employ sly and crafty schemes, all of them hated and repulsive.

Although he was not all that good a person himself, he was still a lot more above board than that entire bunch.

Although the Bright Moon Temple was seen to not interfere with any of the other powers on the surface, they were always secretly scheming and plotting against the various powers, not giving in a single inch to any of them. They went against the Dark Lands the most, seemingly unhappy to see the might of the Dark Lands being the strongest power, and was always trying to make them crumble.

[So..... has she fallen right into the tiger's den?]

"Take her away!" The woman opened her mouth to say, not mentioning anything about wanting her to hand over the item the Crimson Gold Fiery Phoenix was guarding anymore.

Although Yue Fen did not really understand it, he was used to obeying orders given to him, so he brought Qing Yu back to the place they were at originally.

"How do you people intend to deal with me?"

"Are you just going to imprison me here forever for me to await death?"

"I heard you people mention the divine temple earlier. Is this place the Bright Moon Temple in Cloud Heaven?"

Along the way, Qing Yu tried to speak to the man, but Yue Fen did not respond, not even a single word.

But the fact that the young lady was able to guess that they were in the Bright Moon Temple had surprised Yue Fen. He paused in his steps and then said to her: "Since you know what this place is, then you know that you can forget about ever escaping from here."

Qing Yu laughed. "I have not thought of escaping as you people would not kill me afterall."

"Hmph. You're so certain that you will not die here?" Yue Fen laughed scornfully.

"Did you not notice just now, when that Temple Lord of yours saw me earlier, she lost her composure a little? From that, you can tell that there must be more to the story, and that I look very much like a person she knew." Qing Yu had analyzed it properly.

But it must be said, that Qing Yu's intuition could be terrifyingly accurate at times.

Hearing Qing Yu's words, Yue Fen merely took it as a bunch of senseless ramblings and did not take it to heart. He brought her to the place they had been at earlier and immediately left with moody face.

Qing Yu watched him leave in speechlessness. "....."

She had merely unintentionally struck the nail right on its head didn't she? But did he have to hold it against her and show her a face like she owed him several million taels of gold.....?

She shrugged her shoulders helplessly. Qing Yu then probingly touched the cloud she had laid on before. It was soft and fluffy, rather nice to touch. She then tried pushing her hand down on it a few times.

Chapter 234.3: Attacked at Night

[Hmm? A firm and solid cloud? No wonder one would not fall through it.]

She sat cross legged upon the cloud as she toyed with a soft corner with one hand. She was here in Cloud Heaven and she wondered if she was a far distance away from that fella Lou Jun Yao.

As that thought ran through her mind, her hand subconsciously took out the purple crystal orb the man had given to her. She tried imbuing the orb with her spirit powers to sense him, but unexpectedly, she did not get any response at all, like her powers had been a pebble thrown into the ocean, unable to stir up even a ripple.

A corner of Qing Yu's lips twitched. [What is happening?]

[Would being in a different location need her to probe with her powers in a different way? Or has it been blocked.....]

[Just the thought of that is so depressing!]

——

"Temple Lord, are we going to leave that young lady from the lower realms like this?" A white robed old man asked respectfully.

"Mm." The woman behind the curtains affirmed.

"Of what use would keeping that young lady be to us? To turn her into a puppet?" A black robed old man on the other side asked in puzzlement. "I cannot really see anything all that special in that young lady."

The woman sighed slightly and it was quite a long while before she asked in a soft voice: "Doesn't anyone of you feel that she..... looks very much like a certain person?"

Once those words came out, without knowing why, everyone subconsciously thought of a particular person.

But that person.....

That person was the goddess in the divine temple most favored by god back then, and the most highly gifted one, endlessly envied by everyone.

It was clear that she should have inherited the divine temple's highest position but just as the grand succession ceremony was about to begin, that person had mysteriously gone missing.

Over a few hundred years since then, no one has heard anything about that goddess.

But whenever that goddess was mentioned, not to mention just the Bright Moon Temple, the entire Cloud Heaven would have heard of her. She wasn't only the most highly gifted goddess in the history of the divine temple who was highly revered, she also had a mysterious and powerful might backing her up from behind.....

So, what really happened back then?

——

On the other side, Lu Ji had also reached the Dark Lands. She had fortunately progressed quite a ways in cultivation the past few years so besides a slightly pale face, she had not suffered much in the way of injuries, merely carrying a forbidding and chilly air throughout the journey. She was originally already a frostily aloof beauty all this time and seeing her carry a dark and gloomy face now only made her even more unapproachable.

People from the Dark Lands she met along the way had greeted her but were all met with complete disregard, her steps moving extremely fast, carrying her past them like the wind.

The people of the Dark Lands were left scratching their heads. [What could have happened? Why is she in such a frantic rush?]

Although Lu Ji's attitude towards them had never been all that friendly all this time, but she would usually at least nod in acknowledgment to them or respond with a few short words. Seeing her in such a mad rush today was a first for them and they thought that it was rather strange.

Chapter 234.4: Attacked at Night

"My Lord, Lu Ji has failed in my duty, and allowed something to happen to Miss Qing. I ask for my Lord to mete out punishment."

In the dim and dark colored main hall, besides the man seated upon the throne, Bai Zhi Yan, Xun Luo, Mei Ji, Little Monster and the bookish and scholarly looking man were seated on the sides.

Lu Ji was kneeling in the middle of the hall, her head hung very low.

Lou Jun Yao had always been very lenient with his subordinates and was not someone who bothered much with empty formalities, not to mention making his subordinates kneel here and there every time they came to make a report, which was just tiring to see. So he had waived all of them of a need for such piddling details.

For so many years, this was the first time that the proud and haughty Lu Ji was seen to look so servile.

The man on the throne did not say anything and it was Bai Zhi Yan who spoke up in a bluster. "What has happened to that lass again? Has she gotten herself hurt again?? How long has it only been and she has....."

"She was abducted." Lu Ji's voice was tinged with a faint hoarseness. "The person..... seems to be from Cloud Heaven but I do not know which one of the five powers he is from."

"From Cloud Heaven?" Bai Zhi Yan raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Where did she get taken away?"

"In the Faint Mist Sect's forbidden grounds." Lu Ji replied with a sharp glint in her eyes.

"That is rather interesting. To think that someone from Cloud Heaven would go all the way down to the lower realms. What could they have gone there for?" Bai Zhi Yan asked as he looked up at the man seated high up on the pedestal who had not said a single word. "And you do not seem to be anxious at all."

Lou Jun Yao had his chin propped up in one hand and his other hand was resting upon the eyeless snake on the chair's arm, his fingers tapping lightly. Hearing Bai Zhi Yan's words, his violet eyes looked up slightly. "If she's in Cloud Heaven, then there is nothing to get anxious about."

His tone of voice was not only calm and unworried, but he looked like he had known about this all along.

"You know where the lass is?" Bai Zhi Yan asked in surprise.

Lou Jun Yao replied indifferently. "Mm. I will go find her tonight."

His gaze swept indifferently over the woman kneeling in the center of the hall. "Stand up. Considering the fact that she has not been hurt this time, this Lord here will not place any blame onto you. But, though I am sparing you from death, you will still have to suffer some form of punishment."

Lu Ji lowered her head. "I await my Lord's instructions."

"Go to the Black Cliff to receive twelve lashes, and reflect for a month against the wall in solitary confinement before you can come out." Lou Jun Yao said.

"I am grateful for my Lord's benevolence." Lu Ji said as she retreated back out from the hall.

Everyone knew in their hearts that the punishment meted out was light and nobody was against that.

Except for Mei Ji who piped in to ask: "My Lord really knows where the lass is now?"

"What do you think?" Lou Jun Yao curved his lips up in a smile, an indiscernible glint in his eyes, which actually looked quite terrifying.

Hence when night fell, Bai Zhi Yan suddenly remembered something that he had to tell Lou Jun Yao and he went over to his room to look for him. But he found it to be empty with no one inside, and he recalled what the man had said earlier that day.

[He has really gone to look for the lass?]

— Bright Moon Temple —

Lanterns and candle light illuminated the place, and it was silent at this time of the night.

Yue Fen had come here once that night to deliver food. Although he had looked like he still wasn't happy to see her, Qing Yu was not too bothered about it.

She had naturally not touched a single bite of the food as she would not want to be suddenly afflicted by some strange voodoo.

Seated upon a soft fluffy cloud with her eyes closed, she was just about to take full advantage of the thick and robust spirit energy in the air of this place when she suddenly detected the aura of another person. It had sprouted out of nowhere all of a sudden and huddled under a cape, it was lunging straight towards her.....

Chapter 235: Little Demoness, Really Want To Eat You Up

The figure that was lunging straight towards her at great speed caused Qing Yu's eyes to narrow, and the hand supporting her body's weight against the cloud beneath her quickly pushed her up, as she swept a long slender leg out in a powerful whirlwind kick, aimed right at the fast approaching figure.

[Sneaking his way in here in the middle of the night and was trying to spring a surprise attack on her?]

[Ha! A lecher! Mask your face won't you? Then I pummel your face so hard you will be ashamed of ever showing your face to anyone!]

The opponent was however calm and composed, not showing the slightest sign of panic.

Upon seeing the young lady's foot was aimed right at his head in a vicious sweeping kick, his eyes that were hidden under the darkness seemed to flash with an almost imperceptible mirthful glint, before he caught the young lady's ankle in his hand. With a slightly forceful tug, he pulled her forward straight towards himself.

If she allowed him to pull her over like that, she knew that she would end up in a highly awkward position, falling right onto the man's body.

Qing Yu scoffed coldly and her entire body flipped in the air, as she swung her other leg in another sweeping kick. Catching that one moment that the man would have no choice but to release his grip on her ankle, she raised her free hand up slightly, and several gold needles shot out towards the man.

Her needles were made from a special material, exceptionally tough and strong. Thrown out with internal strength, they were able to pierce through armor, and a person could easily be turned into a sieve with her needles.

But before Qing Yu could finish that gleeful thought in her mind, the next thing that happened right in front of her eyes in the very next instant caused her to stare incredulously in open-mouthed shock.

Her golden needles were finer than cow hair and they were flying at incredible speed through the air. Not to mention when it was under the darkness of night, one would not be able to see them clearly even in the light of day. That person was not only able to perfectly dodge every single one of those golden needles shooting at him from all kinds of impossible angles, he managed to render them all harmless and kept them properly into his sleeve.

Qing Yu remained silent as a vein throbbed on one side of her temple. "....."

[Absolutely maniacal.]

It was while she was still in that stunned daze that the person had come to hold her by her waist, and pressed her back down onto the comfortably soft cloud. And before she could even start to throw a fit, the man suddenly pulled the voluminous cape that covered him completely from head to toe right off his body, and tossed it aside.

What met her eyes was a figure clad in devilishly flamboyant purple, and a pair of violet eyes that looked like they were filled with stars that studded the night skies, that were gazing smilingly at her.

Qing Yu blinked her eyes, and the expression on her face looked highly befuddled in that one instant.

It took her a long while before she was able to react, where she then pulled the man's head down and bit him right on his fair skinned neck. She bit quite hard, so viciously like she almost wanted to bite off a piece of his flesh.

Chapter 235.2: Little Demoness, Really Want To Eat You Up

Lou Jun Yao let out a soft cry, but did not push her away. His voice sounded a little helpless as he said: "To think that I had been so excited to come look for you, but here you are attempting to murder your beloved the moment we meet. What a heartless little thing you are."

Qing Yu scoffed coldly and released the man's delicate neck. Upon seeing the reddened bruise with traces of blood still oozing out, she was finally satisfied.

Hearing the man's words, Qing Yu did not feel the slightest bit guilty but arched up an eyebrow to look at him. "Who asked you to come sneaking around in the middle of the night to come frighten me!? I'm already being merciful by not biting you to death!"

"Oh! In that case, I'll take it that this is your way of showing how much you missed me then!" Lou Jun Yao nodded his head knowingly. His eyes then flashed with a dark glint before he said: "Then it is now my turn to show you how much I missed you next."

[Show how much you missed me?]

Qing Yu had still not fathomed what his words meant when his handsome face leaned in close to her, and the pressure upon her lips shocked her so much she suddenly forgot to think.

While she was still spacing out, the man who was violating her on her lips suddenly opened his mouth slightly, and bit her hard on her soft tender lips.

Sensing pain caused her to subconsciously open her mouth. That sly slippery fella immediately took the chance to slip inside, teasing and taunting, causing the young lady who was frowning in mild anger to blush a peach blossom pink, as she gasped for air.

After the tangled bout of sentimental kisses, the young lady who had been a little indignant was rather overcome with passion at that moment.

"How is it? Are you still angry?" Lou Jun Yao asked as he gazed at the flushed face in his arms, her lips a little swollen and red, her eyes deep and immersive.

The young lady's impassioned look was just too alluring, and he could not help but started thinking to.....

Qing Yu saw the man's devilishly attractive eyes start to grow darkly deep once again and she quickly stretched her hand out to push away his lips that were bullishly coming in close once again as she turned her head slightly to the side. Her voice sounded exceptionally alluring because of the raging emotions inside, so seductive it was killing Lou Jun Yao.

"Don't come any closer. You're just like a ravenous wolf."

Her words that sounded like she was complaining caused the man to laugh out loud, but because the young lady's soft hand was clasped over his mouth, the sound came out a little muffled.

His warm breath spread over her palm, and it felt a little ticklish. Qing Yu pulled her fingers back a little, thinking of putting her arm down, but the man unexpectedly stuck his tongue out mischievously to lick her hand just as she was moving her hand away.

Qing Yu's face flushed red in an instant. "....."

[How devilishly seductive!]

With his beloved clasped softly in his arms, Lou Jun Yao was feeling satisfied and happy as a lark. His heart was more at ease having the little one at his side afterall. However, he had not forgotten to ask about the serious business at hand. He lowered his head and looked at the young lady to ask: "How did you come to attract the eye of the Divine Temple's people? And they actually brought you all the way here."

Chapter 235.3: Little Demoness, Really Want To Eat You Up

"I went into the Faint Mist Sect's forbidden grounds and I heard the roar of a powerful divine beast."

"The ground suddenly split open after that, and both Lu Ji and I fell underground. It was another world down below and there was a cave down there, where the remnant consciousness of a divine beast, the Crimson Gold Fiery Phoenix resided. I thought that it was trapped in there and had wanted to rescue it, never expecting that it was guarding my mother's soul fragment that was inside the cave."

Speaking about that, Qing Yu's eyes were slightly moist. In the Soul Nourishing Orb held within the palm of her hand, a frail soul fragment lay quietly.

"I did not know why that divine beast trusted me so much. Its consciousness dissipated away when it saw me. After I kept my mother's soul fragment safely away, I was careless and was surprised by a sneak attack from a man wrapped in black robes. The next thing I knew, I found myself here in this place when I woke up."

Lou Jun Yao listened in silence, and he came to understand how it all happened.

The divine temple had probably detected the Crimson Gold Fiery Phoenix's aura and had gone there seeking to capture it. But they had probably not expected the thing that the divine beast had been guarding was not any Heavenly treasure but just a fragment of Aunt Lan's soul.

Lou Jun Yao laughed softly as he caressed the young lady's face gently. He then opened his mouth to say: "Do you know why it was guarding Aunt Lan's soul and why it chose to hand it over to you?"

Qing Yu's brows furrowed together and she shook her head. "I don't know."

"The Crimson Gold Fiery Phoenix was a divine beast Aunt Lan contracted back then and it shared a very deep and close relationship with Aunt Lan. You carry her blood in you and your body carries a tinge of her aura. That is why the Crimson Gold Fiery Phoenix would naturally trust you." Lou Jun Yao explained slowly.

Qing Yu's eyes widened up in surprise. "It was..... mother's contracted divine beast?"

[Such Heaven defying power?]

[Her mother, actually had a divine beast!?]

[A divine beast!]

And it had looked like the divine creature had come from an extremely pure and noble bloodline of phoenixes, of a highly kingly type.

[Her mother really possessed some great power!]

Undisguised astoundment and worship was showing on the young lady's face. Lou Jun Yao could not help but laugh. "That is nothing. Aunt Lan was someone that rocked the entire Cloud Heaven back then. Merely possessing one divine beast would not be surprising for a person like her."

The man's violet eyes surged turbulently for an instant.

When the day where the one destined by Heaven comes back to life arrives, it will be the day the Divine Temple's lord and master will change!

"Let me take you away from here first." Lou Jun Yao pushed back the emotions rising up inside. He carried the young lady up horizontally in his arms, and was about to leave through a dimensional tunnel.

"Wait." Qing Yu placed her hands on the man's shoulders and looked at him to say: "I am not ready to leave this place just yet"

Chapter 235.4: Little Demoness, Really Want To Eat You Up

Lou Jun Yao raised his eyebrow up questioningly. "Why? This is not a fun place to be in and you want to remain here?"

Qing Yu curled her lips up in a smile and squirmed out from his embrace. "Do you know something? I met the Temple Lord of the Bright Moon Temple today."

"Hmm?"

"She had initially wanted to get rid of me who has been disrespectful to her. But when she saw my face, she actually changed her mind and got her people to take good care of me, decided not to kill me, but also not paying any attention to me."

Lou Jun Yao's eyes narrowed. "What are you trying to say?"

Qing Yu's eyes curved up into crescents, shining clear and bright. "I must really look very much like my mother right?"

The expression on Lou Jun Yao's face creased up a little. "What?"

"You do not need to hide it from me. When I came to this place, I was already able to sense something."

Qing Yu's lips curved up in a smile and said: "I think this Temple Lord must be old friends with mother!"

Lou Jun Yao sighed in helplessness as his large was placed on her head and ruffled the young lady's hair. "Why are you so smart? I had originally not wanted you to know that so soon."

"It's alright. You do not have to tell me. I will find it out for myself." Qing Yu replied.

"Anyway..... that woman isn't as harmless as she looks on the surface. If you continue to remain here, I cannot help but be worried." Lou Jun Yao said with furrowed brows, not agreeing with her decision.

The expression on that handsome face was stiff and tight, looking highly displeased.

Qing Yu smiled and raised herself up on her toes to kiss the man's perfect jawline before blinking her eyes to say mischievously: "If you're really so worried, I wouldn't mind having you come sneaking in here every night."

It was clearly just a normal suggestion but it was clear it had changed in meaning in Lou Jun Yao's ears. The look on his face became a little strange as he suddenly lowered his head to bite the young lady on the tip on her pointed perky nose in frustration. "You're really such a naughty little one."

Qing Yu widened her eyes in surprise, and her face looked stunned as she held her reddened nose that had just been bitten.

[What did she say? In what way has she been naughty??]

But very soon, the man understood her puzzlement.

"If you are going to make me come here every night for a little while like this, I will surely be driven mad by you sooner or later." Lou Jun Yao said as he pulled the slender young lady into a tight embrace, and his voice then sounded through tightly clenched jaws: "Do you know, I've lived for over two hundred years....."

"I know that!" Qing Yu nodded her head.

She had known that a long time ago and she had never despised him for that. So what was this fella trying to tell her?

"You are the first woman I have ever loved so much. I care a lot about you, and I like having you close to me."

"Even just embracing you like this, I am finding it hard to hold myself back."

"Everytime I kiss you, I am always thinking. Might as well just eat up this tormenting little vixen as you'll be mine sooner or later anyway....."

"....." Qing Yu felt her face burn, and her heart raced, a feeling she rarely ever felt.

[This guy, just who is the seductive vixen here?]

[He's always the one whispering sweet nothings endlessly. If not for her strong willpower, most other girls would not be able to withstand it. Moreover, this demon here has such an exceptionally mesmerizing flesh shell, where even she has been inextricably hooked.]

Qing Yu bit her lip, suddenly wanting to win back a round. "Then you'd better not come look for me....."

Chapter 236: Sisters Who Try To Kill Each Other

[This guy's mind is just filled with dirty thoughts and he's blaming her for it.]

Hearing the young lady's playfully mocking words, Lou Jun Yao just could not help but took a nibble of her cheek. "That will not do. You're already here on the same continent with me, how could I possibly bear to leave you all alone in this snakes' nest? But since you are so determined to remain here, I must at least come see that you are safe and sound every night to set my heart at ease."

"But there is one thing you have got to promise me. You must not make any rash moves as that woman is a lunatic." Lou Jun Yao reminded a little worriedly when that thought suddenly came to mind.

Qing Yu's lips pouted, and grumbled in a soft voice. "I know what to do. Why does it seem like whenever you're around, I am thought to be a person that is completely helpless and does not know anything at all....."

"Ha, you little fox. You're complaining that I am being concerned about you?" Lou Jun Yao shook his head. His gaze then turned deep before he continued: "About the communication crystal orb, are you unable to use it now?"

"I was just about to ask you. Is there some array or something that isolates any signal or spirit powers from the world outside? I wanted to tell you that I have come to Cloud Heaven earlier but there wasn't any reaction at all when I infused the crystal orb with spirit power." Qing Yu asked him, a look of puzzlement on her face.

"You have always been very smart, so it would not be surprising if you are able to guess it." Lou Jun Yao reached a hand out to caress the young lady's hair and continued to say slowly: "Within the divine temple grounds, not only is there an array that isolates them from the rest of the world, nobody is able to sense the people's aura in here from outside as well, and most people are not able to set foot in here as well."

Without waiting for the young lady to open her mouth to ask further, he continued to explain: "The Bright Moon Temple flourished for a period of time thousands of years ago, and legend has it that it was where the gods lived, hence the air of divinity is extraordinarily thick and robust in here. I will assume you have already realized, just how intense and abundant, the spirit energy in here really is. But you could not possibly have known that many years ago, any mortal who stayed in the divine temple for a period would be able to extend their lifespans by several decades, as that was when the spirit energy in here was at its purest."

"Under the brilliant leadership of a wise god back then, the Divine Temple was the most unshakable power that stood in Cloud Heaven. It was only when the god departed from the world in an accident that the Divine Temple started to fall into decline, never to return to its old glory."

Listening up till that point, Qing Yu could not help asking: "This god..... How long did he live for?"

"People in Cloud Heaven all lived past a hundred years and when one manages to make it through to a thousand years old, their cultivation would advance to a whole different level, their lifespan extended by another thousand years at least. But the god, on the very same year that he was to turn a thousand years old, was found..... dead in his room."

Qing Yu's eyes widened. For some unknown reason, a terrifying thought rose up in her mind, and she said reflexively: "Is it possible that..... the god did not die in an accident, but was actually murdered?"

Chapter 236.2: Sisters Who Try To Kill Each Other

"You're right."

Lou Jun Yao's face was a little grave as he nodded, his eyes gazing upon the young lady's face in his arms. "That god had eleven daughters back then, and every one of those eleven goddesses possessed gift and beauty that moved the entire Cloud Heaven. Among them all, the eleventh and ninth princess were most outstanding, and they were the daughters that the god doted upon the most. It was then rumored that the leadership of the divine temple would definitely be inherited by one of those two princesses."

"But one day, strange misfortune struck the divine temple. The eleven goddesses came down with a strange illness one after another. Even the Sect Leader of the Divine Healers did not know what to do, and they ended up departing from the world one by one, until only the two candidates, the ninth princess and the eleventh princess, who were the most probable candidates of inheriting the Divine Temple were left."

"From then on, the god naturally came to pamper and dote on the two of them even more, not letting anyone have any chance of hurting those two last daughters of his."

"Sometime later, the god came to discover the real cause of his daughters' death. It wasn't merely due to accidental misfortune, but it was because someone had secretly learnt the forbidden arts."

"The divine temple was a place that was the closest to the gods and anyone who practised evil forbidden arts that harmed people would see punishment meted onto that person's closest kin. The deeper the person cultivated the forbidden arts, the greater the number of people who will be killed."

"Investigations finally revealed that the person who practised the forbidden arts was the eleventh princess, the daughter that god doted on the most. In a fit of rage, the god almost beat the eleventh princess to her death, and severed their father and daughter ties before kicking her out of the Divine Temple."

"Naturally, the Divine Temple could only be passed down to the ninth princess, the one and only child who was left."

"The person who practised the forbidden arts..... Was actually not the eleventh princess but the ninth princess right?" Qing Yu was already able to guess the answer after hearing everything that Lou Jun Yao said.

"That's right." Lou Jun Yao lowered his head to gaze at the young lady's face before he continued: "And the current Temple Lord of the Divine Temple now is the very same ninth princess from back then."

"And if I am not wrong....." Qing Yu narrowed her eyes, wiping away all emotion in her eyes before she said: "The eleventh princess is my mother."

Lou Jun Yao sighed softly. "Yes. Aunt Lan was the eleventh princess who was thrown out of the Divine Temple."

Qing Yu's fingers clenched tightly into fists, her words coming out haltingly with a pause between each word: "Aren't the two of them sisters? Why would siblings be seeking to kill each other!?"

"Among the eleven goddesses, the ninth princess and the eleventh princess were actually the closest to each other as the two of them grew up together with each other and they shared everything they had with the other, never having quarreled. But in the end, their relationship slowly changed, as suspicion and animosity festered and grew."

Chapter 236.3: Sisters Who Try To Kill Each Other

"Because they came to fall in love with the same man. You would probably have guessed that that man is your father, the Chieftain of the Barbarian Tribe, Mo Jing Yu."

Lou Jun Yao curled his lips in disdain as he said scornfully: "That man has always been suave and flirtatious, capturing the hearts of countless ladies, but never remaining fixed to any single one person, until he met Aunt Lan, where he fell completely head over heels. From then on, he fell inextricably in love with her, but Aunt Lan was unmoved by him, not falling for his ways at all."

"It is always said that nothing can be more precious than having a drifter turn back on his ways, and this must be an example of that. His heart had really been taken with her and how could Aunt Lan possibly resist his relentless pursuit? In the end, she came to accept him."

"But at the same time, the ninth princess had also fallen deeply in love with him as well. When she came to find out that the man she loved the most was with the younger sister she was closest with, she was heartbroken."

"One was the man she loved very much, and the other was her younger sister, so she could not hate or begrudge them. In the end, at the expense of her own dignity and self respect, she went to beg Mo Jing Yu to accept both of the sisters, as she did not minding sharing the same husband with her younger sister."

"And my father..... Rejected her?" Qing Yu asked hesitatingly.

Lou Jun Yao laughed aloud. "Not only did he reject her, he said some rather nasty words, completely severing any kind of affection she could have hoped for."

"Ever since then, the ninth princess changed. She felt that the entire world had turned their back on her, her heart becoming dark and twisted. She began to cultivate maniacally to make herself become powerful, and used forbidden techniques to make her countenance become younger and more beautiful. She felt that she had to be more outstanding than her younger sister, and be more beautiful than her, to make Mo Jing Yu look at her in another light."

"She did become powerful and more beautiful looking. But she lost the kind of pure and untainted innocence she once had and people around her no longer looked upon her with pure and simple envy, but with fear and terror."

"The death of their godly father was brought on not only by the punishment dealt out because she practised forbidden arts, it was mainly because the god came to discover that secret she was hiding, and had ordered for her to be dealt with."

"By that time, her cultivation had become so powerful that even the god was unable to stand against her, and practising the forbidden arts had devoured her sensibilities and humanity. In order to not let her godly father expose her secret, she used her forbidden techniques to absorb all her godly father's lifetime of cultivation. In Cloud Heaven, a person's level of cultivation is linked to the length of one's lifespan, so without his cultivation powers, he was as good as dead. That was the real reason for the god's accidental death in the year that he was to turn a thousand years old."

Qing Yu remained silent as she listened to the entire story. She was quiet for another moment after that and then suddenly raised her eyes up to ask: "Between you and her..... Who would come out superior?"

Chapter 236.4: Sisters Who Try To Kill Each Other

"We have not had the chance to compare before, so I do not know." Lou Jun Yao said with an eyebrow raised, his eyes shining with a strange glint. "But this woman has sent proposal letters to the Dark Lands several times before, and I rejected all of them."

"Proposal letters?"

"Mm. In front of many people, this woman once proclaimed....." The man's voice halted in hesitation, suddenly sounding a little coy.

"Hmm?" Qing Yu hummed questioningly, waiting for the man to continue.

Lou Jun Yao coughed softly a couple of times. "She said..... That I was the type of men she likes....."

Qing Yu almost choked on her own saliva when she heard that. Her shoulders then shook as she tried her hardest to control her mirth and said: "And what was your reply to that?"

The gloating expression on her face could not be any more obvious.

Lou Jun Yao glanced scathingly out of the corner of his eyes at the young lady. "What did you expect me to say? Of course I rejected her! That woman is at least five hundred years old or more, and she could very well be my mother! Moreover, a woman with such a vicious heart, I will have to say I might not be fortunate enough to live through such a kind of blessing."

"Oh." Qing Yu nodded her head with a serious face. She then blinked her eyes innocently at him and asked: "But I heard that this Temple Lord is known to be the greatest beauty in Cloud Heaven, aren't you moved in the slightest at all?"

"Tsk! What greatest beauty!? She's a far cry compared to Aunt Lan. Who knows how hideously ugly she might turn out to be when she sheds off that beautiful mask on her face that is maintained by evil and dastardly techniques?" Lou Jun Yao scoffed in disgusted contempt.

Qing Yu merely smiled but did not say anything.

Time trickled slowly past, and the dark night was slowly about to welcome the arrival of dawn. Qing Yu felt a slight bit sleepy and the man could not bear to leave so quickly, so he just sat there upon the bed of clouds for a little rest, with the young lady in his arms.

But that heartwarming scene did not last for long.

"Yu Qing, Temple Lord..... Who are you?!"

Qing Yu had just fallen asleep for a little while and her mind was still groggy with sleep when she suddenly heard that angry shout.

She was shocked wide awake and she immediately saw Yue Fen's angry eyes staring ferociously, his clean and good looking countenance looking malevolent and terrifying. A black sword materialized in his hand in an instant, and he swung it maliciously towards the purple robed man beside her.

Lou Jun Yao had his eyes closed all this while, and he had only slightly lifted his eyelids indifferently when he heard the commotion, thinking nothing of the strike that was quickly flying towards him. Carrying the young lady in his arms, he suddenly disappeared from sight in that instant.

By the time that Yue Fen could react, he suddenly felt the back of his head crawl, sensing impending danger. Before he could do anything, he suddenly saw everything before him go black, losing consciousness.

Chapter 237: You Suddenly Fainted

The tall and well built purple robed figure with a devilishly handsome countenance was carrying the young lady who was still groggy from being awoken from sleep. He looked on with an indifferent gaze at the man lying on the ground in an unmoving heap, the murder in his eyes undisguised.

His long slender fingers raised up slightly, but were suddenly held down by a smooth and fair skinned hand.

One of Lou Jun Yao's eyebrows raised up, casting an enquiring look her way.

Qing Yu then opened her mouth to say: "This person can still be of some use to me alive, and his personality isn't as inflexible as all the other people here. I might be able to gather some useful information out of him as well."

"Is that really the case?" Lou Jun Yao's eyes narrowed. "Isn't it because this fella..... Is rather good looking and you can't bear to have him killed by me?"

When Qing Yu heard that, she almost could not hold herself back and would have burst out laughing.

Seeing the huffed up expression on the man's face, Qing Yu reached her hand out with a smile to pinch that handsome face and said teasingly: "Are you jealous? Hmm?"

"No." Lou Jun Yao said defensively.

"Give me a smile then." Qing Yu said as she blinked her eyes, which just earned her a scathingly cold glare as expected.

Qing Yu lowered her head to laugh quietly as she reached a hand up to poke the man's face with a finger. "Do you think that you're not as good looking as that fella lying there on the ground?"

"Tsk! Me losing out to him!?" Lou Jun Yao scoffed disdainfully, his tone of voice filled with incomparable confidence. As he spoke, his foot even seemed to unconsciously kick Yue Fen once in his back.

From that unconscious man who was in a coma, a faint groan came to escape through his lips.

Qing Yu could not help feeling a twitch tug at a corner of her mouth. "....."

[How hard could he have kicked the guy to cause a person who had lost consciousness to actually feel pain while in a comatose state.....]

[How petty can he be?]

"Alright already. You'd better go as dawn is almost breaking. If anyone were to come here, it will be troublesome for you." Qing Yu coaxed in a gentle voice, before she planted a light reassuring peck on the corner of the man's stiffened lips.

It must be said that that trick works rather well on Lou Jun Yao. He tightened the grip of his arms around her to hug the young lady in his arms and said: "I'll come over again tonight. You must remember to be careful in everything you do as there isn't a single kindly soul in the entire divine temple. Especially with that woman, you must remember that you must not offend her rashly."

"Mm. I know." Qing Yu nodded her head meekly.

"As for this man....." Lou Jun Yao's violet eyes narrowed as he glanced over at the person on the ground and he said in a low deep voice: "Keep your distance from him and do not interact with him too much. Otherwise, I will not show him any mercy."

Chapter 237.2: You Suddenly Fainted

"Are you even worried that I will fall for him?" Qing Yu said in exasperated resignation. [Isn't this guy too quick to see everyone as competition? Does he lack confidence so much even with the countenance he possess?]

Against anything she could have expected, the man went on to say: "You are so fond of going about on your philandering ways everywhere you go, sparing neither men nor women alike. Moreover, this one is a man here, so my heart cannot be at ease."

Qing Yu did not know what to say. "....."

[Hearing those words said..... Made her feel somewhat awkward. Was she really such a philanderer?]

After reminding Qing Yu to be more careful, the man on the ground was seen to be starting to stir. Lou Jun Yao did not remain there any longer and disappeared from sight in an instant, leaving soundlessly like how he had come.

Qing Yu clicked her tongue, wondering what kind of levels that fella's cultivation could have reached. But to be able to become the reigning lord over one of Cloud Heaven's major powers, and also to be able to freely enter and leave from the divine temple which was supposedly highly difficult to go into, his cultivation must have reached a level that was almost impossible to attain.

She was contemplating deeply when the man on the ground came to stir awake, his eyes befuddled for a moment.

Qing Yu was worried for a moment that the man would suddenly jump up in rage towards her but just saw the man climb slowly to his feet, and then crease up his brows as he asked her: "Why am I here?"

Qing Yu's eyes blinked in confusion. "Don't you remember?"

[What is happening here? He is actually asking why he is here??]

"Remember what?" Yue Fen's eyes filled up with suspicion.

"Nothing much, but you came to look for me and I don't know what happened when you fainted all of a sudden. You would not wake up no matter how hard I called out to you and I was just about to go ask for help!" Qing Yu managed to react quickly, coming up with an adequate response on the spot.

But Yue Fen was not that easily fooled as his face filled up with suspicion. "I fainted all of a sudden?"

"That's right, that's right." Qing Yu's face was earnest as she nodded.

"Why did I suddenly faint?"

"How would I know!?"

"Did you surprise me with an attack?" Yue Fen's gaze grew sharp.

"Ha! We're in your territory here. How would I dare to try such a trick? I am not seeking my own death here you know?" Qing Yu said with a roll of her eyes.

Yue Fen saw nothing suspicious in her reaction and she was not showing any signs of guilt. Moreover, with his own level of cultivation, it would not be easy for her to spring a surprise attack on him, so he was no longer suspicious.

With that outburst from her, Yue Fen remembered his purpose in coming here. He immediately said in a cold voice: "The Temple Lord wanted me to bring you to go see her."

Chapter 237.3: You Suddenly Fainted

Chapter 237.3: You Suddenly Fainted

"What for?" Qing Yu raised an eyebrow as she looked up at the sky that was still rather dark. "It is barely just past the Mao hour, isn't it a bit too early!?"

"I don't need to hear your nonsense. Just go when you're told." Yue Fen scoffed coldly, and went ahead to turn himself around as he walked off without waiting for her.

"......"

[If she had known, she would not have stopped Lou Jun Yao from beating this guy here into an idiot.]

But Yue Fen who was walking in front could not help feeling that there was something wrong with his body. It was only a little while later that he came to think why was his back hurting so badly?

[He did not remember being injured on his back at all, but why does it feel like someone had punched him very hard.....]

Yue Fen brought Qing Yu to the main hall they had gone to before and he immediately departed.

It was different from yesterday when she had come. The vast hall did not have a whole bunch of oppressive men in black in there but just two attendants standing outside by the door.

She was standing there in the middle of the hall and had not even said anything when the woman behind the curtain veil called out in a soft gentle voice: "Have a seat!"

Qing Yu was dazed for a moment before she went to sit down on a chair at the side.

And there wasn't a single sound in the hall for a while.

Qing Yu sat there in awkward silence for a while till she could no longer remain quiet and wanted to open her mouth to say something when the curtain veil suddenly moved. A pale white hand then stretched out, beautiful and exquisite like fine jade.

Qing Yu was surprised for a moment. [Is she going to.....]

It was said that the Bright Moon Temple's Temple Lord was highly mysterious and never revealed her face even when she met with guests, always veiled behind sheer silk curtains, where only her svelte and slender figure could be seen.

Although her countenance had not been seen by people, but since she was hailed as Cloud Heaven's greatest beauty, that she must extremely beautiful looks. So why had she never shown her face to people was an unsolved mystery.

Seeing the woman's actions at that moment, Qing Yu could not help but think in her heart. [Is she coming out from behind those curtains?]

As she had thought, the woman's hand gently parted the curtains, to reveal a corner of her scarlet clothes.

Qing Yu's heart thumped involuntarily inside.

[What is this woman thinking of doing? Why is she suddenly coming out from there? Would she then want to kill anyone who comes to see her countenance!?]

Qing Yu lowered her eyes as she tried to think up a countermeasure. She could hear the sound of light footsteps coming down one step at a time from the raised pedestal. In a blink, the woman was already standing just a few steps away from her.

Qing Yu looked up reflexively. When she saw the person in front of her, she could not help but be stunned.

Chapter 237.4: You Suddenly Fainted

The woman in front of her looked to be very young, seeming to be in her early twenties. Her pair of seductive and enchanting narrow eyes seemed to be permanently filled with a hazy and indiscernible smile, the type to mesmerize a person with just one look, an alluring beauty that could make a person lose their soul with a second glance.

Even for Qing Yu who had been so used to seeing good looking people, her eyes could not help but light up upon seeing the person standing before her.

But after the initial shock wore off, she thought that something was a little puzzling.

The Temple Lord looked so young beautiful, so why was she always hiding behind a veil, refusing to let people see her?

Compared to the faint and hazy figure she saw far behind the curtains yesterday, Qing Luo Fei now stood just a close distance away, and Qing Yu was able to see her clearly.

[The same. Looks exactly alike!]

The woman walked over to her and came to sit down beside Qing Yu slowly. Her beautiful hands lifted the superior quality purple sand teapot from the table and poured out a cup of deliciously fragrant tea. Her voice was gentle as she said: "This is tea that you can only find in the divine temple. Have a taste."

Qing Yu was flustered as she saw the woman pushing the cup of tea with steam billowing over it towards her, and she was unable to react for a moment.

[She is..... offering her tea? Should she drink it or not?]

Seeing Qing Yu caught in a helpless daze, Qing Luo Fei could not help laughing as she purred: "What, you're afraid there's poison?"

Qing Yu snapped back to her senses when she heard the woman's voice and she curved her lips up in a smile to say: "Why would I? The Temple Lord would naturally not do something like that."

Upon saying that, Qing Yu was already picking up the cup of tea.

Truth to be told, she really wasn't afraid that the woman would spike the tea. Not to mention that she was an Elixir Cultivator herself, most drugs and poisons would have absolutely no effect on her. And just the fact that she looked so much like her mother would mean that the woman would not be so hasty in doing anything to harm her.

Seeing the young lady tasting the tea earnestly, Qing Luo Fei then showed a sincere smile on her face and asked: "How is it?"

"It's great tea. It does not have the bitter taste like most teas, and it carries a uniquely refreshing sweetness as well, which relaxes one's mind." Qing Yu said, giving the tea a serious evaluation.

"Looks like the young miss here is someone who likes tea as well." Qing Luo Fei said in satisfaction as she nodded her head.

"I merely know a little bit about things here and there, all superficial knowledge. It cannot compare to the Temple Lord at all." Qing Yu said modestly.

Qing Luo Fei's eyes flashed with a glint, like a certain emotion had risen up inside her out of the blue and had quickly passed. She then opened her mouth to say: "I heard from Yue Fen that he brought you back from the lower realms. The Crimson Gold Fiery Phoenix is the Divine Temple's symbolic divine beast that disappeared all of a sudden many years ago. The Grand Priest suddenly detected the divine beast's aura several days ago and we sent out people down to bring the divine beast back. I wonder if the young miss has seen the divine beast?"

[Bring it back?]

[Ha! It didn't look that simple at that time!]

[When she first reached the cave, she had seen two of the divine temple's disciples attacking the Crimson Gold Fiery Phoenix. It was clear that they had been trying to kill the divine beast and to seize the item that it was guarding.]

[So why is she suddenly changing her tune now?]

[Did this woman think that she is just some ignorant and naive little girl from the lower realms and was trying to pull a fast one over her head?]

Chapter 238: Daggers Hidden Behind A Smile

Qing Yu scoffed disdainfully in her heart but her face did not show anything but just a slightly puzzled look. "What kind of a creature is it?"

The smile on the ends of Qing Luo Fei's lips stiffened for a moment. "You have not seen it before?"

[This lass can really pretend to be a pig and eat a tiger.] She was naturally not about to believe that the always loyal Yue Fen would feed her lies.

[The Crimson Gold Fiery Phoenix's final remnant consciousness had dissipated. For the past several hundred years, it had hidden itself in the lower realms. What could it have been guarding for such a long time?]

[That person is clearly no longer around anymore......]

The expression on the young lady's face was still steady and calm, not showing the faintest sign of uneasiness. Qing Luo Fei's eyes darkened as she then started to ask: "Does the young miss know what is this place you're in?"

"Bright Moon Divine Temple." Qing Yu replied with an arched eyebrow.

"Since you know what this place is, do you know that when you tell a lie in a place that is so close to the gods, you will be punished by them?" Qing Luo Fei's enchanting eyes narrowed, as she glanced at Qing Yu with an indiscernible smile.

Qing Yu almost wanted to burst out laughing. [This woman is rather interesting isn't she? Has she become so fond of trying to scare her?]

[She has had her fair share of scares growing up.]

"What the Temple Lord is saying is really frightening. For a nobody like me to come to a place I've heard only in legends for the first time, I am already jittery with fear, afraid that any word or action from me might be inappropriate or wrong. How could I possibly dare to tell a lie?"

The young lady took a deep breath, her tone of voice filled with puzzlement.

"Do you really not know?" The smile on the ends of Qing Luo Fei's lips had come to be tinged with a slight iciness, and her attractive and immersive eyes were filled with a chilling cold.

It was probably because the young lady before her really looked too much like that person, and also because she was not responding to either patient coaxing or insinuated threats, Qing Luo Fei suddenly just could not contain the murderous rage that rose inside her in that instant. Her hand raised up, and swung right towards the young lady's forehead.

Qing Yu's expression did not change as she stared straight into the rush of wind blowing towards her. With the palm coming in close, not the slightest ripple showed on her face, but her body secretly tensed up, and her hands under her sleeves held golden needles in their grip, ready to deal with this sudden unexpected turn of events.

Just as a blood filled scene was almost going to happen before her eyes, the woman's palm suddenly halted just an inch before the young lady's face. Just short of that tiny minute distance away, or the young lady's blood would have splattered all over.

It was not known why she had suddenly stopped.

The two pairs of eyes looked into each other quietly for a long while, when Qing Luo Fei suddenly laughed softly and moved her hand away from the young lady's head. She then said slowly: "You're quite a bold one, but was born in the lower realms. What a waste."

"Is that so?" Qing Yu returned the woman's smile. "It must be affinity then, as I have encountered one of the Temple Lord's subordinates before."

Chapter 238.2: Daggers Hidden Behind A Smile

"Oh?" Qing Luo Fei raised an eyebrow with interest. "So how did that come about?"

"I am an Elixir Cultivator and I happened to save a very troublesome man by accident. That man was afflicted with voodoo poison and a rather special kind of curse. Although it took me quite a lot of effort, I was fortunately able to cure him." Qing Yu told her story slowly, an unreadable smile on her face as she looked at the woman before her.

As expected, the expression on Qing Luo Fei's face changed when she heard that, slight shock and disbelief coming to show on it.

Qing Yu's lips curved up almost unnoticeably as she continued to say: "Then came the time where I was attacked by a mysterious person. It was a woman, but she looked heinously ugly, and her body exuded an evil aura. She said she wanted to kill me as I was the one who caused her to turn into that horrifying state that looked neither human nor ghost. She even claimed to be a grand priestess in Cloud Heaven and I did not know at that time, but I understand where she is from now."

"That woman's manner of dress was exactly like what everyone here in the divine temple wears. But..... isn't the divine temple a sacred place blessed by the gods? How could such an evil being appear in a place like this? This is what I really find very puzzling."

Upon saying that, the young lady knitted up her brows, her face looking highly confused.

At that moment, Qing Luo Fei's heart surged up in tumult.

[If what the young lady said is true, then the man she saved..... would definitely be the Overlord of the Dark Lands, Lou Jun Yao.]

She had initially wondered how the lower realms was able to produce a person of such great skill, who was able to unravel the curse they had spent so many years to plant into the body of that man.

Even the Emotion Devouring Curse had been dispelled, which was something she had not thought to be possible.

But despite what she thought, someone had really done that.

For someone to possess such unparalleled skill in healing, they would usually be some reclusive sage or monstrously old freaks who had lived for a very long time. But right before her eyes at that moment was instead a flawlessly beautiful young lady who looked to be only in her teens, and was telling her with a big smile on her face that she was the one who did it.

It all sounded just too incredulous.

"What is the Temple Lord thinking about? Are you trying to recall if such a person really existed in the Divine Temple?"

The young lady spoke up with a smile, pulling the woman back from her thoughts.

Qing Luo Fei was pulled back to the present. Long used to never ever revealing her emotions for so many years, she was able to regain her composure very quickly. She then gave a soft laugh and said: "There was indeed such a person here before. But she secretly practised evil arts and fell into the ways of devilry. I have thrown her out from here, seen as a traitor of the Divine Temple. What she got her herself into was not made known to me and I had not thought that she would actually go down to the lower realms to commit such atrocities."

"So I see." Qing Yu nodded her head with a look of realization on her face. "That's what I was thinking as well. The Temple Lord does not look like a person who would shield such a sly and treacherous snake, but is a righteous person who is upright and aboveboard.

Chapter 238.3: Daggers Hidden Behind A Smile

The smile on the edge of Qing Luo Fei's lips stiffened for a second before quickly recovering back to normal. "That is only natural."

"Oh right. We've been speaking for so long and I still don't know what is it that made the Temple Lord ask for me?" Qing Yu pretended that she had not noticed the ugly expression that passed over the woman's face and went on to ask innocently.

Qing Luo Fei was also thinking of bringing that up but after getting so riled up by Qing Yu's words earlier, which caused her emotions to fluctuate greatly, she didn't have the chance to bring it up yet.

She silently pushed down the displeasure in her heart and went on to say: "Oh, I was thinking that since you and I share such a great affinity and the Divine Temple happens to be short of a female attendant, I wanted to tell you that you can choose to stay here if you are willing to. The spirit energy in here is a lot stronger than the lower realms and it will help you greatly in your cultivation journey."

In this world where might made right, no one could possibly not want to get stronger, to allow themselves to hold their own upon this continent.

Just as Qing Luo Fei had expected, after she said those words, the young lady immediately opened her mouth to say with a look of undisguised delight on her face: "Thank you Temple Lord, I will be most willing of course."

The look she put out was exactly like one greedy for self vainglory, coveting to reach the peaks of power.

She could not help but feel scornful contempt rise up inside. She had thought that the young lady would be the same as that person, but the young lady turned out to be nothing special, and was just like any other mortal. What a waste of that face that looked so much like that person.

After a further round of sham polite banter, Qing Yu finally received her orders from Qing Luo Fei, saying that she could be dismissed.

Upon coming out from that place, the expression on Qing Yu's face immediately changed.

Her acting skills was really getting better and better. She was almost deceived by what she said herself.

But she had succeeded in getting herself to remain in here at least.

The long phoenix like eyes turned solemn. No matter what, she must find out the truth of what happened back then, as the person who should suffer such scorn and contempt from the world should not be her mother.

——

Back in the Dark Lands, when Bai Zhi Yan brought back a pretty good looking youth who looked like he had yet to grow wise to the ways of the world, everyone was befuddled for a good while. From which realm had this lost sheep been picked up from this time?

Someone went up to make fun of the guy and he was chased off by a rather annoyed Bai Zhi Yan.

The youth looked to be about only fourteen or fifteen with a pair of clear limpid eyes like those of a phoenix, handsome facial features and a pure and untainted air around him that made people hesitant to defile.

That youth was none other than Qing Bei.

He was still unable to come around in his own head how he had suddenly come to a strange and foreign place out of the blue.

Chapter 238.4: Daggers Hidden Behind A Smile

But he recognized who Bai Zhi Yan was and he was not worried that the man would do anything to harm him, though the world that was completely foreign to him and being surrounded by so many curious and appraising eyes all around made Qing Bei unable to help but open his mouth to ask: "Where is this place?"

'Cloud Heaven." Bai Zhi Yan glanced at him and replied.

Hearing that, Qing Bei was startled a moment and it took him a while to recover. "Is Qing Yu here as well?"

He recalled that Qing Yu had told him several days back that she was making a trip into the Faint Mist Sect's forbidden grounds to investigate a few clues she had gathered about their mother, and she had not yet returned from there ever since.

He was starting to become worried that she might have met with some mishap and was thinking to go look for her in there. Bai Zhi Yan who had disappeared for quite a long while then appeared suddenly, and brought him to this place.

All this time, the man was no longer a stranger to him because of Qing Yu but he had not interacted with the man all that much either.

Hence, he guessed that the reason the man had brought him here must have something to do with Qing Yu's disappearance.

Although he had always said that he would make his own way here to this place one day, he had not thought that he would come here so suddenly like this, into this place of legend, where super powerful pugilists exist.

It was all rather unbelievable.

Bai Zhi Yan was a little surprised by his reaction but he still nodded smilingly to the youth as he said: "The young lass has indeed been brought here into Cloud Heaven but she isn't here in the Dark Lands with us."

"Where is she then?" When Qing Bei heard that Qing Yu was brought here by someone else, she would naturally be in a bad situation, so he immediately became worried for her safety.

Bai Zhi Yan shook his head with a laugh. "Rest assured! With Lou Jun Yao here, nothing will happen to her. We are here in our own territory and anyone who seeks to make a single move against our people will first have to seek the Dark Lands' permission first."

Qing Bei nimbly captured the most important point within Bai Zhi Yan's words.

"When did Qing Yu become one of your people?" Qing Bei's brows had creased up, instinctively disliking those words.

Maybe it was because he had been so used to having Qing Yu assume a highly important position in his heart, and it felt as if someone was going to take her away from his world at that moment.

Bai Zhi Yan was a man who had already lived more than two hundred years, so how could he possibly not have detected the change in the kid's demeanor. Bai Zhi Yan could not help but laugh and look at Qing Bei and say: "The little lass is now inseparable like glue with Lou Jun Yao! Are you afraid that she will neglect you? Isn't it better now that you have one more person that cares for you as well?"

"I do not need it." Qing Bei's voice was gloomy, his eyes turned away to the side as his heart felt rather uncomfortable.

The man beside him then went on to say: "I've brought him back here, so I'll make a move now."

"Thanks." This was another person's voice, low and magnetic, filled with an allure that was impossible to disregard.

Chapter 239: Towards Me..... She Has Always Been Very Passionate

Qing Bei subconsciously raised his head, and saw a tall well built figure in a purple robe walking slowly as he approached, with that familiarly devilishly striking countenance, his facial features deep and handsome, and an imperceptible smile hanging from his lips.

A beautiful and seductive woman followed right behind him, the expression on her face looking slightly amused.

"My Lord, this is the little lass' younger brother?" Mei Ji opened her mouth to ask with a smile. "Looks rather lovable."

Lou Jun Yao cast a cold glance her way. "You'd better not let Little Monster hear that, or he'll deal with you good and proper."

The smile on the edges of Mei Ji lips stiffened for an instant before she said a little sheepishly: "I wouldn't dare say this in front of him. It's not as if I am courting death....."

[You've got to be joking. With that petty and small minded personality of her Little Monster back home, not to mention her praising any male creature, she couldn't even give them a second look if she wanted. Moreover, with the kind of seductive looks she was born with, she really had to behave herself all the time.]

Lou Jun Yao snorted disdainfully. "Go do what you have to do. What are you sticking around here for?"

Mei Ji rubbed her nose, feeling a little embarrassed. [Really can't escape the Lord's eyes. He sees right through me.]

"Why are you standing there in a daze? Come on in." Lou Jun Yao said when he saw the youth standing hesitantly in his spot, and he curved up the ends of his lips to say softly.

Qing Bei then turned his appraising gaze away, and a look of uneasiness came to show on his handsome looking face.

For some unknown reason, the man Qing Yu was so familiar with back when he was always appearing before his eyes before, when seen in another place now, suddenly felt so vastly different, but he just could not put into words what that reason was.

Qing Bei followed behind the man without a word, and saw quite a number of people in similar dress who looked like the man's subordinates along the way. Every single one of them bowed and greeted him respectfully, showing complete deference and worship towards the man before them.

Qing Bei witnessed all this with his own eyes, and he started to think just what kind of an identity did this man possess.

Unknowingly, Qing Bei had been brought to a place that was completely different from the vast and majestic architecture that had been filled with darkness they had been surrounded by before.

It was like an independant world that stood isolated from everything else around, with a beautiful rocks and a pristine waters, an elegant pavilion sitting right in the middle of the water.

Walking across a long stone arcing bridge, there was a good adequately sized courtyard. Many unknown flowers and foliage were planted outside in the courtyard and a stone tables with stone chairs sat in a corner to provide people with a resting corner, the entire place warm and comfortable looking.

The thing that surprised Qing Bei was not the fact that he was able to see a place like this in Cloud Heaven, but it was because he found everything before his eyes was extremely familiar to him.

Chapter 239.2: Towards Me..... She Has Always Been Very Passionate

The quaint little courtyard was actually an exact replica of the Tranquil Abode he had lived in back at the Eternal Peace Dukes' Manor. Even the foliage around the courtyard were very much like the plants Qing Yu had planted in leisure back in the past.

It had almost been a year since they had left to go to the Faint Mist Sect and they had not gone back since. Upon seeing the place now, Qing Bei realized that he actually missed the place quite a bit.

"This is....." Qing Bei looked at the man beside him in surprise.

[Why would he build a place that was exactly the same as the Tranquil Abode here?]

Lou Jun Yao laughed and said: "You will be staying here from now on."

"Why?" Qing Bei did not feel any delight in his heart but went on to knit his brows together to say. "You got your people to bring me all the way here to Cloud Heaven just to tell me this? I just want to know where Qing Yu is."

"Of course I did not bring you here just to tell you this." Lou Jun Yao lowered his gaze to look at the youth. "You do not have to worry about Qing Yu. I will naturally protect my people and you will just have to ensure your own wellbeing."

He had just heard what he did not like to hear again.

Qing Bei's face darkened for a moment before he said slowly: "When did Qing Yu become one of your people..... Aren't you just helping us to find our mother? Aren't you just one of mother's friends?"

"Does that really matter?" Lou Jun Yao raised an eyebrow, feeling rather amused.

[This kid seems to have some veiled meaning behind his words!]

"Since you're a friend of our mother's, that means that you should be quite advanced in age already, and basing on the lifespans of people in Cloud Heaven, you would be a few hundred years old at least."

Qing Bei said all that without any expression on his face, except for a slight gritting of his teeth right at the very end. "You're making a move on your friend's daughter..... And being so much older than her..... Don't you feel guilty about it at all?"

Hearing those words, Lou Jun Yao was highly tickled.

It was a while before he laughed softly and spoke. "Who said that one cannot fall for a friend's daughter? Moreover, you know that the lifespans of people in Cloud Heaven are very long, where some even live thousands of years. People my age here are no different from men in their twenties where you are from, so there is no problem with our ages here."

Qing Bei was not prepared to accept that. To think that the future brother-in-law he had imagined many times before might turn out to be this man.

"Even if that is the case, that does not mean that Qing Yu would like you in return!" Qing Bei said angrily. "She is strong headed and stubborn, and if you try to force her to be with you, she will never ever submit."

That was how he comforted himself in his heart, thinking that it was all just the man's one-sided wishful thinking. But the action the man took in the next moment made him feel as if he had been struck by lightning.

Upon hearing his words, Lou Jun Yao first smiled through stiff lips pressed tightly together, before he innocuously tugged at the collar of his clothes to reveal his neck a little bit more.

Chapter 239.3: Towards Me..... She Has Always Been Very Passionate

Qing Bei had initially been puzzled by what the man was doing but after the man pulled his collar and it came loose, a faint red mark could be seen on that fair white neck. Upon a closer look, Qing Bei then saw that it looked like teeth marks.

Before Qing Bei could even react, Lou Jun Yao's deep voice sounded a little hoarsely: "You do not have to worry about that. Towards me..... She has always been very passionate."

Those teeth marks were from last night's escapade when he was bitten by the young lady in punishment. Although she had not bitten him all that hard, but it had been enough to leave a mark, and it had turned into a sensual looking blot on his neck.

Qing Bei felt his eyes sting as he stared, his face turning white with anger, and it was a long while before he was able to calm himself.

He had not thought that Qing Yu had grown to become so intimate with this man.

But his anger had not overtaken his concern for Qing Yu's personal safety. He had not forgotten what Bai Zhi Yan had said earlier, that Qing Yu was not here with them.

He could not help but open his mouth to ask: "Where is Qing Yu right now? I want to go see her."

"You can't do that right now." Lou Jun Yao said as he readjusted his collar slowly.

"Why?"

"She is in the Bright Moon Temple, and that isn't a place that anyone can gain entry into." Lou Jun Yao had paused for a moment before deciding to tell him.

[Bright Moon Temple.....

Qing Bei fell silent and did not say anything else.

[He knew that Lou Jun Yao was not lying to him about that place. He would not be able to go into that place.]

[Unless someone from the Bright Moon Temple were to bring him in.]

Seeming to have sensed the youth's disappointment, Lou Jun Yao patted the youth reassuringly on his shoulder. "There is no need to look so discouraged. I will tell her that you've come to Cloud Heaven so that she can set her mind at ease. You should not be worrying about anything else right now. The most important thing now is to focus on raising your cultivation level."

"Mm, I know."

Qing Bei had naturally been able to sense that the spirit energy here was more abundant here than in the Constellation Continent and that practising his cultivation here will increase his progress by several folds, speeding his advancement.

Lou Jun Yao nodded his head. "Be at ease and stay here for a period. When the time comes, I will then send you to where your father is."

These were rather troubled times and it wasn't safe for the kid here. Only in the Barbarian Tribe's territories who had secluded themselves from the world for many years would he be safest.

The moment those words came out of his mouth, Qing Bei was completely stunned.

His good looking phoenix like eyes stared and it took him a while before he regained his senses. "What did you just say?"

[If he had not been mistaken, did the man just say that he will..... Send him to where his father is??]

Lou Jun Yao raised an eyebrow when he saw how shocked the youth was. It then dawned upon him after awhile that he seemed to have only told the little fox about that and had not informed the kid at all. No wonder he reacted like this.

Chapter 239.4: Towards Me..... She Has Always Been Very Passionate

He paused for a moment before saying with a nod. "Mm, that's right. Your father. He is Chieftain of the Barbarian Tribe and you will meet him in time to come. You do not have to be nervous about it."

[Not get nervous?]

[How could he possibly not get nervous!?]

[Without knowing anything in advance, such a crushingly heavily piece of news was thrown right onto him so suddenly.]

[He had not even had time to digest the news that his mother was still alive yet when he was suddenly told where his father is. It was a little too much for his little heart to take.]

Seeming to have sensed the menacing anger rising up in the youth Lou Jun Yao shrugged his shoulders in helplessness as he said: "I had thought that the little lass would have told you, but it seems like she did not want you to be too worried and did not want to make you feel so much pressure."

Qing Bei's stiff lips were pressed tightly together and he did not respond.

[And he knew that all too well.]

Qing Yu had never shown her weak and frail side to people before. Even when they came to know that their parents were not dead, she had not shown the slightest helplessness or a single moment of being lost, but had just said reassuringly to him: "Little Bei, I will definitely find you your family and bring you to them."

[That's right. His family.]

[She had always been very clear about it. She isn't the real Qing Yu and she isn't from this world. The day will come where she will leave.]

[But she had probably never noticed it herself that she had become more and more immersed into her character, to really become Qing Yu in this world, his elder sister.]

He was also incredibly grateful for that fire back then, that allowed Qing Yu to be resurrected with a completely different soul, that was so powerful and shone with new brilliance.

— The Barbarian Tribe —

"You're really not going to stay?" Yan Shu's face that had been highly weathered by time was looking stern and forbidding as usual.

Mo Jing Yu seemed like he wasn't very used to seeing him look so serious and he punched the man lightly on the shoulder as he said with a laugh: "Why the long face? It's not as if we're parting in death."

"What are you going to do?" Yan Shu asked with his eyes narrowed, not allowing the man to change the subject by trying to laugh it off.

Mo Jing Yu sighed in helplessness. "I knew that I would not be able to hide it from you. I really have something that I must do this time."

"Is it that thing from before?" Yan Shu creased his brows and asked.

Mo Jing Yu laughed coldly and a malevolent glint came over his black jade eyes. "Never had anyone been able to plot against me and still remained safe and sound. Even when it's a woman, I will not show any mercy."

"If your mind is set on it, then go do what you have to!" Yan Shu said as he turned around, his foot raised as he walked away slowly. " I only hope that you do not come back wounded and injured."

"When did I become so useless in your eyes?" Mo Jing Yu queried as he gazed upon the man's back, looking at the hair on his head that had turned half grey though they were of the same age. A glint flashed fleetingly in his eyes for an instant, but disappeared immediately.

"Yan Shu, my life does not belong to me alone anymore. And I will not let myself fall back into the same state I was in before."

"Mm, that will be the best."

Chapter 240: A Familiar Scent

When Mo Jing Yu went to look for his wife, he was surprised to see that there was a little girl in her room as well.

Feeling a little puzzled, he remained standing outside the door and did not go in.

"Big Sister Fei, can you not go? Little Yue can't bear to see you leave." The soft puerile voice of the little girl gushed with great reluctance.

Mo Jing Yu arched up an eyebrow. [When did Fei Er become acquainted with such a young little girl in the Barbarian Tribe?]

Inside the room, Qing Lan Fei looked at the little girl leaning on her arm, and her beautiful face smiled a little helplessly. "Ah Yue, I can't bear to leave you too, but I have something very important that I need to go deal with. I promise that I'll come back to visit alright?"

"Can't you bring Ah Yue with you?" The little girl asked in a pleading voice.

The moment those words came out, Qing Lan Fei then realized something and she raised an eyebrow up slightly. "Ah Yue, tell me honestly..... Are you thinking of sneaking out to play behind your grandfather's back?"

The young girl's pretty face looked a little embarrassed for a moment before her lips pouted sadly to say in a soft voice: "That isn't true at all....."

Qing Lan Fei had seen through what the little girl was thinking immediately and although she liked the little girl very much, she was not going to be fooled by her so easily. She then said in a tender voice filled with concern: "You are still very young and the world outside is filled with dangers that you cannot even begin to imagine. You will have to wait till you have become very strong and possess the ability to protect yourself before you can step out into the world."

Ah Yue did not fully understand it but she still nodded her head obediently. "I'll listen to Big Sister Fei. Then..... Will you really come back here in future?"

"Of course I will." Qing Lan Fei nodded her head and smiled.

Ah Yue's large limpid eyes then lit up with delight as she hugged Qing Lan Fei's waist, looking like a adorable little kitten.

Seeing that, Mo Jing Yu coughed lightly and then came in through the door.

When Ah Yue saw the man she had never seen before come in, she jumped up in shock. But when she took a closer look at him, she seemed to feel that..... she had seen that man before somewhere?

She blinked her eyes a few times. A good while passed before she finally came to recall and she started to stutter in disbelief: "Aren't..... Aren't you from the forbidden chambers..... That pretty boy that the Chieftain has been secretly keeping as a mistress?"

[Secretly keeping as a mistress?]

[Pretty boy??]

Upon hearing that, Mo Jing Yu's face immediately turned dark while Qing Lan Fei could not help but burst out into peals of uncontrollable laughter.

[This little girl really says the darndest things. Can you really use the term mistress on a man like this?]

But as Yan Shu was already looking like a wizened middle aged uncle while Mo Jing Yu was young and handsome compared to him, it could really look like that if one let his thoughts run wild.....

Chapter 240.2: A Familiar Scent

And Qing Lan Fei was mischievously amused by that thought.

Seeing the man's dark gloomy face, Ah Yue was not intimidated but was instead looking uncomprehendingly at him with her head tilted to one side. "Eh? Am I mistaken? You are clearly the man lying inside the forbidden chambers. When I tailed the Chieftain in the past, I saw that he often went to see you secretly, and said many things to you. He even said that he missed you....."

"......"

Mo Jing Yu's face could not be described with the word dark and gloomy anymore as it had turned so dark that it looked like ink was going drip down.

Qing Lan Fei kept her head lowered at the side, fighting very hard to contain the laughter that was threatening to burst out. However, her shoulders that were shaking uncontrollably betrayed the gloating glee she was feeling inside right at that moment.

You cannot really blame her as picturing Yan Shu and Mo Jing Yu together in such a warm and harmonious scene was such a sight that she could not help being tickled by it.

Mo Jing Yu glared indignantly at the little girl's innocent face before he reached out and pulled Qing Lan Fei to him. He then complained in a grumbling tone: "Even you are making fun of me as well."

Qing Lan Fei immediately restrained the wide smile on her face and shook her head as she said: "I wasn't making fun of you. I just think that Yan Shu really treats you rather well."

"He is like a brother, of course he treats me well."

How could Mo Jing Yu possibly not know what she was really thinking, but he just did not want to expose her. He glanced at the little girl at the side and said: "Let's go then. I've already bid goodbye to Yan Shu."

"Alright."

— Bright Moon Temple —

After the confrontation that day, Qing Luo Fei did not get anyone to come summon Qing Yu again.

It wasn't just because of that cool countenance that looked so much like a certain someone, but it was also due to the fact that Qing Yu wasn't like any other normal little lass. She looked like someone that would be easy to bully but was actually a person capable of pretending to be a pig to eat up a tiger.

Since there was still some remaining doubt, Qing Luo Fei decided to keep her around while she unravels the mystery in her heart.

"Yu Qing, as an attendant, you're not doing your duty but just hides here in idleness. Do you think it appropriate?"

A familiar cold voice called out angrily, waking the groggy Qing Yu up from slumber.

She yawned lazily and her eyes were still a little dazed as she said in a slightly raspy voice still heavy with sleep: "What happened?"

That fella Lou Jun Yao had come and kept her awake for a greater part of the night. He never failed to take liberties with her every time he came over, using the convenient excuse that he wanted to make sure that she had not been bullied or hurt anywhere, which was highly taxing on her both in mind and body.

She was just barely able to get some rest after he left but before light had even broken over the horizon, this man had come to disturb her sleep. How infuriating!

Chapter 240.3: A Familiar Scent

The young lady with exquisite facial features lay on the bed of soft clouds with her long hair spread a little messily over it. Her phoenix like eyes were half open, still a little misty from being awakened from her slumber, looking exceptionally beautiful and lovable, and that heart stirring raspy voice having just been roused up from sleep would really be irresistible to any man.

What's more for these young hot blooded men in the Divine Temple who had practised abstinence for hundreds of years.

The moment Yue Fen heard the young lady's voice, he immediately froze in place and when he saw that languid and alluring figure, his entire body immediately felt as if there was something wrong, unable to take his eyes off her.

He stood there in a daze as he stared at that groggy looking young lady, unable to recover his senses for a good long while.

When Qing Yu finally came awake from her groggy daze and saw the man standing dumbly in front of her. She arched up an eyebrow and asked: "What is it? What did you just say?"

When she asked that, Yue Fen seemed like he was shocked awake where he immediately did an about turn to leave, without saying a single word.

Qing Yu was left there dumbfounded in befuddlement. "....."

[What was that all about?]

A corner of Qing Yu's lips twitched in speechlessness, making her feel that everyone in that place were all strange and eccentric.

She had initially been feeling rather sleepy and after being awoken in shock like that, she decided she was not going back to sleep anymore. She then got up and slowly walked out from the place.

There were still a few flickering stars hanging under the still dark sky.

Qing Yu was entranced for a moment staring into that starry sky. For some unknown reason, she had actually felt..... as if she was able to understand something among them.

Before she knew it, she raised her foot and started walking in a particular direction. By the time she realized it, she found that she was already in a place she did not know at all.

The Bright Moon Divine Temple's grounds were filled with many strangely shaped palaces and fortresses of all sorts, some big some small all over the place, making the place feel like a gigantic maze. Unless one was familiar with the topography of the area, one would surely become lost in there.

And that was exactly the case for Qing Yu right at that moment.

She came to discover in sorrow, that she seemed to be lost. So how was she going to find her way back.....

If she was discovered by anyone, they might think that she was trying to escape!

Just as she was feeling depressed about the situation, the sounds of a slight commotion reached her from a short distance away.

Qing Yu raised her eyes up in surprise, and saw a place that was stood out like a sore thumb against every other place in the Bright Moon Temple grounds.

Like it had been scorched by a huge fire, it was falling apart in many places. The jade pillars and beams lay in a pile, crisscrossing over each other, like it had been abandoned and left in ruins for many years, till it was impossible to tell what it looked like originally.

Chapter 240.4: A Familiar Scent

[What..... is this place?]

She was still feeling puzzled when she heard the same sound again. Driven by curiosity, she began walking slowly towards that worn and dilapidated palatial looking building.

But before she had even gotten close to it, a shadow suddenly appeared before her eyes, standing with her back facing her. His voice was a little dark and sinister as he said: "Entry to the place is prohibited."

Qing Yu was surprised for a moment before she came to say with a laugh. "My apologies. It was unintentional. I stumbled my way here by accident and I do not know my way back. May I ask if you can point me in the right direction?"

The shadow did not give her any response but seeing that Qing Yu did not seem to harbor any bad intentions, he then relaxed his guard.

Although Qing Yu thought that this was rather strange, she was however not too familiar with this place. So she did not give it much further thought and just turned herself around, deciding to leave. But without knowing how, her hand was suddenly pricked by a sharp object beside her and blood immediately began to drip down.

At that same moment, a golden red star suddenly flashed brightly across the dusky dim sky, disappearing in the very next instant. It happened so quickly that one would think that they had just imagined it.

Although the flash of light had passed really quickly, a couple of people still managed to catch that strange phenomenon.

One of those people was the leader of the Bright Moon Temple's Grand Priests, Cang Jian, and the other one.....

Qing Yu's brows were creased up as she looked at the wound on the back of her hand. A gust of wind suddenly blew the doors of the palace in front wide open, and a woman in an orange dress came walking out slowly from within.

Long jet black hair draped the back of her shoulders, over a very skinny frame, making her look like a floating wraith as she glided her way over right before Qing Yu.

Qing Yu blinked her eyes in surprise as she stared at the person in front of her.

The two large limpid black eyes upon the sharp pointed oval face made her look even more pitifully frail, seemingly younger than Qing Yu in age.

But when she opened her mouth, it was a woman's voice that sounded highly familiar, sounding a little ill at ease.

"Can I..... take a look at your wound?"

Qing Yu was taken aback a moment, unable to react to her words. But in the very next second, she found that her hand was held within the woman's grasp.

There was no temperature from the woman's touch, the icy chill almost seeping right into her bones. But that was not the thing that surprised her the most.

The woman held her hand and slowly leaned in closer, before she placed her lips over where she had been hurt, murmuring softly: "This is..... the Princess' scent."

The place where her lips touched then began to give out a faint gentle glow, and the wound healed in an instant to its originally unblemished state, leaving not a single trace of a scar or faintest mark.

Qing Yu's eyes widened in surprise and she instinctively pulled her hand back to inspect it carefully. She discovered that her hand had healed completely without the slightest blemish and she was just about to open her mouth to offer her thanks when she saw that the woman had broken into a warm smile.

That pair of large black eyes were misty as she said: "You've finally..... come back."