At Mộc Phong’s direction, I entered Côn Luân Palace, at the very center. But the moment my hand touched the Côn Luân Mirror, his hypocritical façade fell away.
Right in front of Côn Luân Palace, he clamped a hand around my throat and said viciously, “At first, I planned to let you live a few more years—at least long enough to enjoy a mortal’s full lifespan. That would have honored the bond between senior and junior brothers I shared with Đoàn Phi. But who could have guessed you’d come into possession of the Book of Heavenly Secrets!”
Jealousy flashed in his eyes. “As expected, people from the Đoàn family, with their bloodline of ancient immortals, are always favored by fortune… It makes ordinary fools like us look ridiculous!”
His grip tightened as he threatened me. “Hand over the Book of Heavenly Secrets and the Côn Luân Mirror!”
I blinked and obediently tossed both treasures to him. Mộc Phong threw me to the ground like a rag, then hurried to pick up the Book of Heavenly Secrets and the Côn Luân Mirror, laughing loudly. “Hahaha! The Book of Heavenly Secrets, the Côn Luân Mirror! Today, I, Mộc Phong, possess two ancient magical artifacts. Who would dare question my title as the greatest cultivator in Cửu Châu now?!”
I didn’t know if it was because of the original owner’s soul, but at the sight of Mộc Phong’s madness, two streams of tears suddenly rolled down my cheeks.
“Fool!” Mộc Phong sneered. He put the treasures away and slowly drew his sword. “Eighteen years ago, your father could have dealt with those demonic cultivators easily. But he forgot I existed.”
“My senior brother’s only wish was for you to become a righteous cultivator, to vanquish demons and defend the Way. He lived a blameless life, and even his death was a hero’s death.”
“But I made sure he wouldn’t get his wish. I wanted his only daughter to take the demonic path and be despised by the world.”
“You love keeping cultivation cauldrons so much. Then it’s only fitting for you to be killed in the middle of sex by a cauldron with a criminal record, isn’t it? He recently reached the Nascent Soul stage, too. Only someone whose brain’s been ruined by drugs like yours would make a cauldron a Nascent Soul cultivator.”
Once Giang Úc reached the Divine Transformation stage, he learned how to conceal his cultivation, so even Mộc Phong couldn’t see through him. I suspected Mộc Phong’s Divine Transformation stage was nothing but a sham.
“Don’t worry. After you die, your master will kill your cultivation cauldron to avenge you.” The cold blade pointed straight at my heart.
Mộc Phong: Stab, stab, stab-stab-stab! Huh? Why won’t it go in?
At the same time, a thunderous roar rang out in my head. “Damn it, he’s the one who killed Đoàn Phi?! I’m going to destroy him!”
Mộc Phong had no idea that ever since I entered the secret realm, I’d been able to hear the Côn Luân Mirror’s voice. I casually brushed the sword aside and slowly stood up. “Côn Luân Mirror, don’t just talk. Do something.”
Mộc Phong: “???”
A violent gale sprang up, and the sword in Mộc Phong’s hand shattered into countless pieces. A figure appeared in the wind, tall and broad-shouldered, with blazing red hair that was impossible to miss. Veins stood out on the back of his hand; his five fingers clenched tight, and his knuckles cracked ominously.
“Tell me right now how Đoàn Phi died!”
Mộc Phong was beaten to a pulp, every bone in his body nearly crushed. If the Book of Heavenly Secrets hadn’t intervened in time, afraid the Côn Luân Mirror would rack up more bloodshed, Mộc Phong might well have died on the spot.
“Hey, isn’t that little Tianji?”
“Côn Luân Mirror.” The Book of Heavenly Secrets pushed away the Côn Luân Mirror, who was about to lunge at it, and said coolly, “Long time no see.”
The Côn Luân Mirror wasn’t the least bit angry at being pushed away. It gazed at the Book of Heavenly Secrets with fond nostalgia. “The last time we met was the time before this, wasn’t it? How have you been lately?”
“So-so.”
Unlike the Book of Heavenly Secrets, so cool and detached, the Côn Luân Mirror was full of enthusiasm. “Is this young lady the Chosen One who’s meant to save the world? She’s pretty cute.”
“But why are you in Đoàn Phi’s daughter’s body? Where is Đoàn Phi’s daughter? Oh, there she is—I see her, sleeping in there.”
“Hey! Little Tianji, why are you walking so fast? Wait for me!”
The scene of Mộc Phong pointing his sword at me was shown to the entire sect through the Côn Luân Mirror. The mirror even spliced in a clip of Đoàn Phi carrying his daughter into Côn Luân Palace.
The Phi Tinh Sect was thrown into an uproar. For generations, the sect leader of the Phi Tinh Sect had been chosen by the Côn Luân Mirror. When a candidate was worthy, the mirror would show Bai Ze spreading its wings.
The original owner had been carried into the secret realm by her father as soon as she was born. At first, he only wanted the Côn Luân Mirror to get a look at his daughter. Who could have guessed that the moment the baby was brought before the mirror, Bai Ze would appear with its wings spread wide?
Mộc Phong’s poisoning of the sect leader, his sham support for him, and his tampering with the previous sect leader’s will were all exposed. Cửu Châu was shaken.
With the support of my senior brother Trình Trú and junior sister Vân Hoa, I took the position of sect leader of the Phi Tinh Sect. My cultivation was still weak, and Mộc Phong’s former subordinates tried to assassinate me several times, so Giang Úc became my personal guard. By day, he and I were inseparable; at night, he stood guard right outside my room.
Perched on the dressing table, the Côn Luân Mirror clicked its tongue in admiration. “Demonic seeds are supposed to be heartless, but I’d say he treats you pretty well.”
Amid a pile of books, the Book of Heavenly Secrets remained impassive and said mildly, “He isn’t heartless. He just finds it hard to fall in love.” Then it sighed. “The Chosen One who’s meant to save the world really is remarkable. You actually managed to make a demonic seed fall in love.”
Those two seemed possessed tonight. It was already the third watch, yet they were still chattering away like nightingales. The Côn Luân Mirror seemed to think no one could hear it; its voice rang out like a bronze bell. “As long as he doesn’t become a demon, the spirit veins will remain stable for all eternity.”
“But I’m not the only one who knows the key and the location of the spirit-vein entrance. Sooner or later, they’ll find it.”
“With him there, what are you worried about? They’ll be beaten to a pulp before they can absorb any spiritual energy.”
“What makes you so sure he’ll help us?”
I sat up in irritation and slapped each of them once. You become like those you spend time with; after spending so long near the Côn Luân Mirror, even the Book of Heavenly Secrets had picked up its talkative ways. In the daytime, when I asked when I could go home, it was as silent as a gourd with its mouth sawn off. But at night, it would gossip away. I had to get up early tomorrow!
“The Chosen One sure has a temper today. She nearly slapped my mirror frame to pieces.”
“One of the disciples went home to visit her family, and her emotions ran high. It’s only natural that she hit a little harder.”
“True. She is only a young girl, after all.”
The other two voices grew fainter and fainter. I couldn’t be bothered to listen, so I rolled over and went back to sleep. In the middle of the night, another exchange woke me. I opened my eyes groggily. Giang Úc stood in front of the bed with his back to me, his cold gaze sweeping over the dressing table and bookshelf as he said, “I’ll help you, but I have one condition.”