Vermilion Bird Zhenjun stayed in Zhongnan Mountain for a day or so. After determining that Wen Renye had no intention to harm his good friend, Lie Zhen headed back to the Demon Realm.

    High into the sky, the tree roots twisted and tangled intricately together. There was a violent trembour that came from within Wan Ling Palace.

    Qing Lin sat, drinking tea whilst looking at the irritated Vermilion Bird. Watched him as his Lie Yan Sword violently struck down on the floor. His whole body was emanating a dense thick energy.

    “What’s the point in destroying Wan Ling Palace, will it do you any good?” Qing Lin said whilst supporting her chin with the palm of her hand. “If it wasn’t for Zheliu, all your bones would have been pulverised and thrown to the dogs. Don’t even think about trying to team up with me, I’m not willing to make an enemy of the Devil Realm for this.”

    She watched as Lie Zhen’s long red hair began to lose it’s sparks and the phoenix feathers on his body followed swiftly drooping down. The sword in the ground had made a crack but the cold light of the sword was no more. His whole person was a perfect illustration of “A phoenix that has lost its feathers is no better than a chicken”.

    Qing Lin glanced over at him and said: “You want to team up with me? Go and kill a half-step Golden Immortal? You’ve really lost it. Back then with Zheliu, on the surface we could say that the two of us together were stronger than him by half. But we were merely messing around. In the end, if we were really engaged in a life and death battle and offend that devil maybe……”

    “He can’t be that strong……”

    “He is.” Qing Lin firmly cut him off, looking at the back of him, she said: “Wen Renjian has also achieved the half-step Golden Immortal stage, so why would he so easily give up his power and authority to his son. Let me tell you now, Wen Renye is the strongest person in the Devil Realm.”

    The anger within Lie Zhen started to ignite again, flames erupted from his body, the temperature began to spike：“Is he stronger than Zheliu？ In this world, Zheliu is——”

    This time without Qin Ling cutting him off, Lie Zhen had already stopped speaking. Staring blankly without uttering a word whilst staring at the ancient trees and vines not far away.

    Jiang Zheliu no longer had any spiritual energy……

    The rays of light from the sunset painted over the clouds, leaking in through the branches and leaves of ancient trees leaving shadows like the remnants of undried blood.

    After a long silence in the Wan Ling Palace, Qing Lin stood up and looked at the heat, the white smoke from the tears that were close to burning up on the ground.

    “You and I should have expected this day when we chose to stand idly by.” Qing Lin walked up to him, watching his phoenix feathers behind his ears tremble slightly. She knew that his heart must be complicated beyond words, “But our good friend who has devoted infinite energy to the Cultivation World, but only received a never-ending reliance from those who followed the Dao. Having done this, not only paves the way but removes obstacles for the Demon Realm. Aside from eliminating an obstruction, we have also freed Zheliu from his responsibilities.”

    Qing Lin paused for a moment before adding, “I just didn’t expect that he would be so badly injured. Did the Ling Xiao Sect really not know how to provide him assistance?”

    These were all just excuses, but amongst these excuses, there was one important one.

    Lie Zhen’s feelings for his good friend were very complex. Aside from these excuses, within it, there was also another reason …… Zheliu was like a cliffside flower which could be seen only at a distance but could never be touched1 but there had to be an opportunity for someone to pick this flower.

    Jin Yujie nodded slightly and glanced at him, and said：“Fine, wait here and prepare the carriage, a furnace and some medicinal pill. As soon as I find him, I’ll swiftly take Qianbei away with me, and not give those other lechers a chance.”

    This cultivator was dumbfounded for a moment and muttered; “Aren’t you the lech……”

    He didn’t finish his sentence because he got slapped on his head by Jin Yujie: “What nonsense are you spouting, Zhu Wuxin lost sight of him, do you know how many people are lusting after him. If I don’t protect Qianbei, and Qianbei gets taken advantage of, what should we do then? Get on with your work!”

    After saying this, Jin Yujie couldn’t help rubbing his hands together again. He was dressed in cultivation robes, white on the inside and gold on the outside with a black belt. His clothing was magnificent and exquisite, even his hair ornament was made of top quality spiritual jade. His eyes showed bright and sharp anticipation.

    Unlike the day he had confronted Zhu Wuxin at Ling Xiao Sect, at this moment, Jin Yujie was like a youth who’d come back from blind date. Young and inexperienced, full of feelings of first love, all these feelings bursting out of him.

    Carrying his Qi Xing Sword, he walked up the snowy path of Zhongnan Mountain, passing an empty bamboo garden, he saw the small pine house adjacent to it.

    Inside the small house, there seemed to be signs of life. At the doorway sat a little deer demon with horns so tender that if you pinched them water would come out2. Without a choice and overcome with boredom and seemingly cooking some medicine.

    Jin Yujie knew that his qianbei had often taken in young demons and thought that he must be doing the same now. He was not surprised, so he went over and asked nicely, “Little Deer, does Jiang Xianzun live here?”

    Ah-Chu rolled his eyes around to look at him as if he understood something, “Yeah, you’re here to take advantage, aren’t you?”

    Jin Yujie’s smile faltered: “Take advantage……”

    “Or is it to hit someone when they are down?” Ah-Chu disdainfully said, “When the protagonist is not down and out, each and every one of you are respectful juniors. A good friend, a caring shidi, but once the protagonist is injured, each and every one of you think you’re the new male protagonist in some third-rate novel who saves people from the chaos, warming the female protagonist’s heart like a heavenly God descending to Earth. Without even considering my Shenxian gege, does he deserve that?”

    Jin Yujie was completely stunned by this little deer. Before he could even begin to understand what the other was talking about, Ah-Chu snorted at him, and scolded, “Hatred can be born from love, my god, can’t you people just leave him alone!”

    This was the first time that Ah-Chu had seen in real-life the people described in those fiction novels. When he had first arrived, he was trying to dupe Chang Qian, putting in strenuous effort to finally get close to Jiang Zheliu. Now he was close to the protagonist, all of the discourse in his heart that he had locked up was blurted out. After he finished speaking, he turned to enter the house and slammed the door behind him.

    After Ah-Chu closed the door and entered the house, he immediately turned back into a clueless sweet little deer and placed the medicine he’d just cooked up next to Jiang Zheliu.

    Jiang Zheliu nodded as if he was responding to this appellation, he casually said：“Yujie, can you pass a word onto the Pavilion Lord, tell him that I am ill and that I won’t be going there.”

    Jin Yujie felt his throat was dry, he forcefully nodded: “How about I stay here and take care of you……”

    He’d hardly finished speaking when he saw Jiang Zheliu slightly furrow his brow.

    His heart instantly skipped a bit, he was afraid that he had annoyed Qianbei with what he had just said. In fact he was so tense that his heart nearly leapt up to his throat, until he heard the other party say softly.

    “Has the matter with Chang Qian been dealt with?”

    Jin Yujie paused for a moment, he felt dizzy from the enormous wave of devil energy that was rushing towards him from behind. In an instant, a semi-revealed devil hand suddenly wrapped around his neck, the bony growth almost impaling his throat, lifting him like a hanging object and moving him out of the way.

    “En, no one will come after him again.”

    Wen Renye first responded to his beloved, then his purple eyes glanced over at Jin Yujie. His pupils were bright, serene and hidden in depth, with a smile that was mysterious and dangerous concealing his killing intent.

    “You’re in my way.”