After Deceiving Shizun into Dual Cultivating, I Ran Away With His Bun 51

Chapter 51

Night gradually fell, and the stars fell into the snowfield.
The snowball would cry as soon as it left Lin Queli. It was only after Lin Queli held it and coaxed it to sleep that Ganlu carried it into her room. It’s just that maybe… when it opened its eyes, Lin Queli would be gone.
Lin Queli sighed heavily. Forget it, a child will get used to it.
At this moment, Lin Queli was sitting in the snow, looking at the bonfire before him. This vast expanse of white snow, as if isolated from the world, reminded him of his days in the Myriad Sword Sect.
It felt like it had just happened not long ago, yet it also felt like a lifetime ago.
“Your Highness!” A’Yu said with a smile and handed him a skewer of lamb.
Lin Queli came back to his senses. After taking the skewer, he saw more and more people dancing around the bonfire not far away. On the side, there were people playing leather drums, blowing shepherd’s flutes, and playing the sanxian. Just then, a series of cheers arose, and Lin Queli saw a man kneel down on one knee before a woman and offer her a bouquet of flowers.
And so the music changed, becoming more melodious and gentle.
But Lin Queli’s eyes widened.
He anxiously grabbed A’Yu’s arm. “Th-this, what is this tune?”
“Huh? Has Your Highness never heard it before?” A’Yu was a little surprised. He looked at Lin Queli with confusion, as if he found it unbelievable. After all, this tune was so common, how could anyone have not heard it?
Lin Queli became even more anxious. “I…”
A’Yu’s reaction was exactly the same as Helan Xue’s before… This was the tune Helan Xue had played for him in that courtyard!
“It’s ‘Jianjia’! Has Your Highness forgotten?”

(TN: “Jianjia” is a famous poem from the “Classic of Poetry,” one of the oldest existing collections of Chinese poetry. It’s about longing for a loved one.)

Lin Queli looked at the man and woman not far away and confirmed, “Is-is it to express…”
Seeing Lin Queli stammer for a long time, A’Yu took the opportunity to finish his sentence, “That’s right, to express feelings of admiration.”
Lin Queli was stunned.
After a long while, he asked carefully, “If a person plays this tune for another person alone, what does that represent?”
A’Yu said without thinking, with great certainty, “It’s obviously a confession.”
“…??
Lin Queli was dumbfounded.
N-impossible, right?
If it was a confession, then none of Helan Xue’s actions looked like he liked him?
Besides dual cultivation, he didn’t even feel Helan Xue’s emotional fluctuations.
Lin Queli’s ears turned slightly red. Okay, during dual cultivation, both of them were indeed quite passionate, but does that count?! It feels like an emotion caused by a physiological reaction, right?
Helan Xue is a high and mighty immortal. He shouldn’t, and couldn’t possibly, like someone who is still a child in his eyes, and now even a demon cultivator, right?
After all, Helan Xue is immersed in cultivation, and his heart is filled with the common people. How can he fit a single person in it?
Lin Queli scratched his head. I must be overthinking it.
That tune… was either a coincidence, or a random one that Helan Xue chose, with no meaning.
Mmm, it must be so.
Lin Queli tried to reassure himself.
He didn’t dare to delve into that tune. If he delved any further, he was afraid he really wouldn’t be able to leave.
“Why does Your Highness ask this question?” A’Yu asked curiously, “Could it be that…”
“No!” Lin Queli was caught red-handed. “I just heard it by chance before, but I forgot what tune it was for a moment, so I confirmed it with you!”
“Oh…”
Lin Queli continued to eat his meat.
By midnight, there were fewer and fewer people around. Everyone had gone to rest.
Lin Queli did not leave, just sat by the bonfire and looked at the sky.
The sky here was full of golden clouds and colorful rosy clouds, very beautiful. If you looked closely, you could even see the flying swords on the Myriad Sword Sect in the distance.
At the top of the Myriad Sword Mountain, there were dense flying swords forged from Helan Xue’s spiritual energy. The spiritual energy of a cultivator who was half a step away from becoming an immortal was not to be underestimated. Its sword light could penetrate all the clouds, and it could be seen no matter where one was.
It was rumored that these swords would descend and pierce the hearts of demons when there was suffering in the mortal world, but this was just a rumor that everyone enjoyed talking about. Ordinary people always had many fabrications and legends about immortals, especially someone like Helan Xue.
Lin Queli was in a daze when he heard a series of rumbles from the surroundings.
What’s going on?!
The drowsy Lin Queli jumped up and only heard the person on watch ring the bronze bell hanging on the watchtower.
Dong—dong—
With one alarm after another, all the adults in the village rushed out with their weapons.
“Someone is destroying our formation and trying to break in!”
“It’s at the entrance! Everyone, hurry and defend!”
Lin Queli’s eyes widened.
The snowball and the other children were gathered in the innermost room, guarded by several people. After confirming that they were safe, Lin Queli also hurried to the so-called entrance.
The location chosen by the Tiandi tribe was actually excellent. It was easy to defend and difficult to attack. Three sides were surrounded by cliffs and the sea, and the only entrance was a lower cliff on the south side.
When Lin Queli arrived at the edge of the cliff, through the fence and the formation, he saw a vast army on the narrow road at the bottom of the cliff.
Lin Queli knew both of the two people in the lead.
—Lin Luo and Elder Jin.
Lin Queli’s heart sank.
Damn it… they still found them!
But why? Logically, it should be impossible… the System clearly set up countless layers of insurance for him!
Elder Jin looked at Lin Queli and said with a grin, “Your Highness is clearly in the Mount of Demons. Why not return to the Demon Palace? Now many people in the Demon Palace are waiting for your decision, so that they can summon the Demon Sword and crusade against the Righteous Path. Are you hiding here, deceived by these tribes?”
Then Elder Jin waved his hand and had four or five people brought up.
Lin Queli’s eyes widened.
—A’Lin and a few men and women were tied up and pressed to the ground, covered in wounds.
A’Yu and Ganlu’s expressions also could not be maintained.
No wonder their base was found by Elder Jin and the others…
Before, when A’Lin and the others went out to find the Sky Frost Flower, they had suddenly lost their tracks. A’Yu had thought they had gone to a very far place, but he didn’t expect them to be captured by Elder Jin!
A’Lin looked up at them, her face full of tears. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I didn’t-didn’t betray you on purpose… they used… a truth serum and a binding spell… cough… I couldn’t, end my own life…”
A’Yu’s lips trembled, and Ganlu was even more furious. She subconsciously glanced at Lin Queli.
Lin Queli’s face was pale. He looked at Elder Jin with anger and said sternly, “Jin Chan, how dare you! And you still call me Your Highness?!”
Elder Jin shook his head. “The one who works for the future of the Demon Clan in the Demon Palace is the Demon Lord. After you return to the palace, we will naturally acknowledge your identity.”
Lin Queli looked at the demons behind Elder Jin.
It seemed that besides the tribes and his own shadow guards, the Demon Palace was already filled with Elder Jin’s minions.
He said it so nicely, but wasn’t it just to threaten him with the Tiandi tribe to go back, hand over the Demon Sword fragments, and then be willingly imprisoned and suppressed by them? After all, who didn’t know about Jin Chan’s ambitions?
Ganlu turned her head. “Your Highness, you can’t go back!”
A’Yu also nodded. “At worst, we’ll fight them to the death! I have already called for the seventy-two tribes. They will be here soon!”
Lin Queli asked, “How long will it take for them to arrive?”
A’Yu was stunned and gritted his teeth. “…A day!”
“…”
That’s not enough time!
Lin Queli glanced at A’Lin and the others who were kneeling below.
If he didn’t agree now, A’Lin and the others would be killed immediately!
Lin Queli gritted his teeth.
A’Lin and the others had gone out to take risks to find the Sky Frost Flower for him. Even if the Tiandi tribe, as demons, were naturally bloodthirsty and not afraid of death, he couldn’t abandon them!
And he also had to protect the Tiandi tribe, not just because of their kindness and the feelings they had developed over the past year, but also because the snowball was still inside!
But if he handed over the Demon Sword fragments, then Lin Luo would have collected five pieces and could summon the Demon Sword, causing widespread devastation…!

【Host… you’re about to leave anyway. Do you still care about these things? In this world, immortal-demon wars are a common occurrence?】
“But the people living here are also real.” Lin Queli took a deep breath. “Da Zhuang, deduce for me if there’s any way now!”
【Okay!】
A moment later, seeing that Lin Queli did not react, Elder Jin below said with a grin, “Your Highness, you don’t have much time to consider.”
He raised his sword at A’Lin.
At the same time, the System also had an answer.
【Host! On the basis that you are going to leave here anyway, there is a way!】
“Hmm?!”
【Don’t you have two fragments? Give them one, and the remaining one…】
The System roughly told Lin Queli the method.
Elder Jin glanced at the thoughtful Lin Queli with a straight face and raised his sword. “Your Highness, don’t blame me for being ruthless…”
Thump—!
Just as Elder Jin’s sword was about to pierce A’Lin’s chest, Lin Queli struck out with his spiritual energy and knocked Elder Jin’s sword away.
After the longsword left his hand, the force of the spiritual energy was so great that even Elder Jin’s palm was still trembling slightly.
Lin Queli said with a dark face, “This Lord will go back with you, but how can you guarantee that you won’t harm the people of the Tiandi tribe?”
A’Yu and Ganlu’s eyes widened. Lin Queli gently shook his head at them. “I have my own plans. You can rest assured.”
The two opened their mouths, but in the end, they didn’t say anything.
“And how can we guarantee that Your Highness will hand over the Demon Sword fragments?” Lin Luo said with a smile, “Why don’t we sign a blood contract?”
Once a blood contract was made, if it was violated, one would be struck by lightning.
Lin Luo summoned a roll of parchment, and he and Lin Queli each wrote on the contract with their blood.
After the two wrote, the contract would generate rules based on their conditions. If there were no objections, they would seal the contract with blood, and the contract would be made.
Lin Queli took a deep breath and wrote the content while discussing with the System. After finishing, he saw ripples flow on the parchment, and new words gradually appeared. The main content was that the Demon Lord would return to the Demon Palace, obey the Demon Palace’s arrangements, and hand over the Demon Sword fragments to Jin Chan. And Jin Chan and the Demon Palace not only had to return the hostages, but also had to ensure the safety of the seventy-two tribes for a hundred years.
Lin Queli thought to himself, a hundred years is enough for the Tiandi tribe to resettle and grow, and also enough for the snowball to grow.
“The contract is made. Your Highness, please return.” Jin Chan made a “please” gesture.
A’Yu: “Your Highness…”
Lin Queli said to him in a low voice, “Take care of the snowball. Take everyone and leave first. If I need help, I will summon you.”
A’Yu paused, then as if he understood something, he nodded firmly. “Okay! We will gather the people of the tribe and be on standby at any time.”
Lin Queli jumped out of the formation and got on the carriage that Elder Jin had prepared for him.
Elder Jin released A’Lin and the others and quickly had the army return home.
“Quick! There’s not much time left!”
Lin Queli frowned. “What are you in a hurry for?”
Elder Jin looked at Lin Queli and said with a fake smile, “Does Your Highness know… that Helan Xue has led the Righteous Path to besiege the Mount of Demons?”
Ah…
Huh?!!