Chapter 14: The Flower Demon Part 5

“Now that the demonic qi has been exorcised by you,” Lady Hua Rui said, “I finally have a moment of clarity, looking back on my long yet short life… I… I…”

Chaosheng sighed and said, “Do you regret it?”

Lady Hua Rui looked at Chaosheng and said, “Young Master, why did you descend to the mortal world?”

Chaosheng didn’t answer, only gazing into Lady Hua Rui’s eyes.

“I don’t regret it.” Lady Hua Rui, not getting an answer, said slowly, “Everyone says I lived only for Meng Chang, but deep down, I know it wasn’t so. The White Jade Palace is good, beautiful. Time there was just idle chatter among divine servants. But once you truly enter the red dust, you realize the joys and sorrows of the mortal world… Otherwise, why would Yao Ji never return?”

Chaosheng’s expression darkened.

Xiao Kun pondered for a moment, then turned to leave. Xiang Xian asked, “Where are you going?”

“To check on the imprisoned men,” Xiao Kun replied. “Coming?”

The monsters had all fled. Xiang Xian quietly told A Huang something and had him guard the platform. Not worried about Chaosheng, he and Xiao Kun circled past the crooked wooden huts on the high cliff to find where the men were held.

“How should we handle this?” Xiao Kun asked.

Xiang Xian said, “Capture her first. The flower demon’s crimes don’t warrant death, but she did evil. Otherwise, how do you explain it to the people down the mountain?”

Xiao Kun: “Who do you think her disciple she mentioned is?”

Xiang Xian frowned slightly, and both he and Xiao Kun thought of the same possibility.

They found the place Lady Hua Rui described and pushed open the wooden door. Light poured in, revealing young men inside who looked at them in disbelief.

Each had a pale face, sunken eyes with dark circles—a picture of excessive indulgence.

Xiang Xian was speechless.

Xiao Kun: “You almost ended up like this.”

“I have an Innate Pure Yang Body,” Xiang Xian said politely. “I have more yang qi than I can use. Come on, brothers, good times are over. Time to go home!”

Yet these male consorts of Lady Hua Rui’s harem seemed a bit wistful upon escaping.

“Chaosheng?” Xiang Xian said.

Chaosheng sat in the center of the platform, holding Lady Hua Rui’s hand, looking toward them.

“End me,” Lady Hua Rui said softly. “Take my leaves back to the White Jade Palace and offer them before Lord Jumang’s roots. I have no more attachments.”

Chaosheng: “Is that okay?”

“No.” When Xiao Kun and Xiang Xian returned, Xiao Kun had changed back into his outer robe, while Xiang Xian had found clothes at the holding area to change into. He said seriously, “Chaosheng, she still has debts to pay.”

Chaosheng let go of Lady Hua Rui’s hand. She looked up at them and the crowd of her collected harem.

Xiao Kun made a “please” gesture. Xiang Xian gripped a corner of the Demon-Suppressing Banner, infused it with spiritual power. Light flowed on the red banner, and the lines of the sealed demon beasts lit up.

Then Xiang Xian released the Demon-Suppressing Banner and shouted, “Capture Demon!”

The Demon-Suppressing Banner turned into rolling red clouds that collected Lady Hua Rui. A golden light burst from the ground with a boom, and afterward, a lotus embroidered in gold thread appeared on the banner.

Chaosheng took the Demon-Suppressing Banner and stroked the pattern on it. Xiang Xian winked at him with a knowing smile.

Chaosheng: “?”

Xiang Xian whispered, “Don’t worry. Trust me.”

Chaosheng had looked dejected, but since Xiang Xian said so, he knew Xiang Xian would try his best to save Lady Hua Rui. He immediately smiled.

“We still need to find Ge Liang’s former residence,” Xiao Kun reminded them. “We must return to the city before sunset. Gentlemen… brothers, go down the mountain while it’s still early.”

At noon, with the flower demon captured and the fog barrier lifted, the mountain path appeared. The crowd thanked them and hurried down the mountain home.

“When can your sword actually be used?” Xiao Kun began settling accounts with Xiang Xian. He knew Xiang Xian harbored revenge—after all, he’d stuffed him in the vat earlier without regard—so during the fight with the flower demon, Xiang Xian hadn’t acted much, just watched the show.

Xiang Xian draped an arm over Chaosheng, reverting to his roguish demeanor. “The Wisdom Sword truly can’t be drawn recklessly. It’s not that I didn’t want to.”

Xiao Kun looked down at the map. Xiang Xian explained, “My master warned me that with my current cultivation base, I can’t yet control this sword. Once the Wisdom Sword is unsheathed, it will drain all my magical power and burn all my physical strength as the price.

“Before meeting you two, I always acted alone. When encountering ordinary monsters, I couldn’t draw the sword directly. If I lost mobility and failed to slay the demon, my situation would be very dangerous.”

Xiao Kun understood and nodded. “It’s different now. You can leave it to me with peace of mind.”

Xiang Xian said casually, “We’ll see.”

Chaosheng asked curiously, “Legend says the Immovable Venerable wielded the Six Utensils: Subduing Demon Pestle, Demon Binding Rope, Great Sun Golden Wheel, Moon Eclipse Bow, Vajra Arrow, and Wisdom Sword. What about the other five?”

Xiang Xian replied, “The Six Utensils were originally my Xiang Family heirlooms. There was only the Wisdom Sword, called ‘Shanhai,’ echoing the Heart Lamp’s alias ‘Mingguang.’ During the prosperous Tang, it scattered into the world as six dharma artifacts, once kept by the Chang’an Exorcism Division, then returned to the Xiang Family. In our ancestors’ hands, it became one sword again.

“Though the Xiang Family guards and wields the sword, it doesn’t always exist. Only during the Heavenly Demon’s millennial cycle does the Wisdom Sword appear in the clan.”