Chapter 20: Yao Yao

Unlike the icy aura radiating from Xuan Ningyue, the young woman exuded the majestic, condescending air of an empress looking down upon the world. The aura she projected was only a fraction less imposing than that of Xuan Ningyue herself.

Bai Zhentian watched this sudden arrival coldly, instantly deducing her identity. She was certainly from the imperial family of the Luoxuan Empire, and more shockingly, she was a powerhouse at the Heavenly Origin Realm!

The girl in green was named Qing'er, a handmaiden to Xuan Ningyue.

Xuan Ningyue sneered, mocking, "Well? I have been away for only five days. Are my two elder brothers so incompetent that they cannot manage the court?"

Qing'er remained expressionless, bowing slightly as she replied, "His Highness the Crown Prince says, 'A nation cannot go a single day without its sovereign.' His Highness the Second Prince says, 'His Majesty misses you dearly; a day apart feels like three autumns.'"

As Qing'er finished, the air fell into a sudden silence.

Xuan Ningyue’s delicate brows furrowed. When Qing'er mentioned "His Majesty," a flash of icy coldness crossed her eyes, though it vanished as quickly as it appeared. Bai Zhentian did not notice this momentary shift in her pupils.

Xuan Ningyue turned slowly to look at Bai Ling inside the house, saying softly, "I said one month, and one month it shall be. You may return. Tell His Majesty that I remember the agreement we once made and will not forget it."

"As you command!"

Qing'er kept her hands cupped before her abdomen, stepped back, and once she was outside the Bai residence, she transformed into a blurred shadow and vanished into the horizon.

Bai Zhentian watched the girl traversing the void, his expression filled with envy and frustration. He gently touched his own chest.

Xuan Ningyue turned to Bai Zhentian, noticing his gaze, and said indifferently, "If I am not mistaken, you must have suffered grave injuries in the past that caused your cultivation to plummet. Otherwise, that Heavenly Origin Realm woman from the Saint Origin Immortal Palace today would not have lasted a single round against you."

A smile appeared on Bai Zhentian’s face. He looked at the cold-eyed Xuan Ningyue, his expression turning gentle. He did not answer her question but instead asked something that left her stunned: "Will you and Bai Ling ever marry?"

Seeing Xuan Ningyue tremble involuntarily, Bai Zhentian continued, "Setting aside your current status, you must have witnessed the battle between the Star Chief and me three years ago. Since then, Ji Kun has reached the same realm as I, and I made up my mind to repair Bai Ling’s heart meridians... until my own cultivation gradually faded away. You and Bai Ling grew up together, and the feelings between you two over these past dozen years could never be hidden from me! Yet, you cruelly chose to leave him quietly, only to reach the Earthly Origin Realm within three years. Everything you did was to guard and protect him... Such deep affection is far greater than the bond between Ji Kun and me!"

Xuan Ningyue stood frozen, offering no response.

Ji Kun held a piece of lightning-struck black iron, waved his hand, and walked out of the courtyard, heading straight toward the back mountain.

***

Xuan Ningyue’s mind echoed with Bai Zhentian’s words. She stood by the window, watching the sleeping Bai Ling, a smile touching her lips before fading away.

Bai Ling was lost in a dream. He dreamt that the mysterious little girl in the seven-colored glass coffin had awakened. Discovering that the mysterious drop of blood was inside him, she bit into his main artery and sucked him dry into a mummy!

The next morning, Bai Ling shivered violently and jolted awake!

He realized the sky was bright and all discomfort within his body had vanished. He felt the steady, rhythmic thumping of his heart.

Joy flooded his face; he had recovered completely in just one night. He looked at his skin—the pale, sickly complexion was long gone.

*Could this drop of blood have such terrifying regenerative powers?*

Bai Ling felt a flicker before his eyes, and he found himself back in the pendant’s space. The eerie coffin in the distance was still radiating seven-colored light.

He walked forward slowly and peered into the coffin.

The sight that met him made his hair stand on end!

The coffin was empty!

The girl in purple who had been lying inside had miraculously vanished!

He stood there, stunned, his mind flashing back to his dream. Being drained of all his blood, turning into a dried corpse...

He looked into the distance but saw no sign of her.

Suddenly, a cold sweat broke out.

Bai Ling wore a smile that looked worse than a grimace. At that moment, he felt the sound of breathing right behind him.

He turned slowly and froze. What met his eyes were a pair of purple pupils.

These purple eyes possessed an incredibly eerie beauty, instantly drawing Bai Ling’s consciousness into an abyss. He searched his entire life’s memories and could find no words to describe them. Even looking at them from such close range, he felt a profound sense of unreality—for in his subconscious, such bewitching, beautiful eyes could not possibly exist in this world. The light radiating from them turned even her lashes a shade of violet.

Combined with her long purple hair and purple dress, the girl appeared utterly surreal!

Her hair was like a demon's, her complexion like white jade, and her features were beautiful to the point of extremity. Coupled with those purple eyes, Bai Ling stood with his mouth agape, his gaze blank...

Ji Jiuer and Xuan Ningyue alone were enough to stir the hearts of thousands of men in Liuyue City; he dared not imagine the sensation this girl in purple would cause if she were to walk among the mortals!

***

The girl in the purple dress stood silently before Bai Ling, staring at him blankly.

She did not speak, her face devoid of any expression. She did not even ask about the whereabouts of the drop of blood.

Bai Ling asked softly, "Who are you?"

Upon hearing this, the girl looked confused. She clutched her head with both hands, shaking it gently, her eyes unfocused as she sank into deep, fragmented memories.

A moment later, a single word escaped her lips, drawn out long: "Yao..."

Bai Ling was startled!

*Yao?*

Was that her name, or part of it? Was she calling him a demon? Was her name Yaoyao? Or was she saying that *he* was the demon?

In this world of cultivation, beast-kin did exist. Once they reached a certain level of cultivation, they could take on human form and walk among people. However, such demon tribes were terrifyingly powerful. Bai Ling had only heard people in Liuyue City discuss them occasionally. Could this little girl be from the demon tribe?

Was she lying in the coffin because she had been gravely injured, and the crimson drop of blood was meant to resurrect her?

But the blood had strangely fused with him instead, causing this demon girl to awaken prematurely. Yet, it seemed she hadn't fully recovered and had lost her memory?

Bai Ling probed, "How long have you been in this coffin?"

The girl looked lost in thought, her eyes hazy. After a moment, she replied, "I don't know."

"Do you remember your past?" Bai Ling frowned. The confusion in her eyes felt genuine; he sensed she wasn't lying.

The girl shook her head. Her purple eyes closed slightly, and she said with a tinge of sorrow, "My name is Yaoyao... I come from... wait, where do I come from? Why can't I remember?"