From the Xuanyun Secret Realm in the East Sea to Qin Hai Main City, it spans three realms, four sea areas, and over eighty thousand li. When Qin Donglin, Wu Fei and others went there, they took a high - level spiritual treasure from Liugi Mountain and spent about half a month leisurely on the way. But on their return journey, they directly crossed the void with spiritual power, which greatly increased their speed. Naturally, they also suffered a lot.
The periphery of Qin Hai Main City consists of small cities. These cities are home to all kinds of sea demons. They are closely attached to the main city and also set it off.
There are prohibitions in the main city. The closer one gets to the main city, the greater the restraint one will feel. Ordinary people or those with low cultivation levels won't notice much. At most, they may feel a little short of breath when looking up at the spire of the main city. However, if one's cultivation reaches a certain level, they can clearly sense the overwhelming pressure like a mountain - roaring tsunami.
Lin'an City is the largest city outside the main city and also the last barrier to defend the main city. The streets are bustling with people, and the cries of peddlers are endless. On a long street, a spiritual treasure trading pavilion can be seen every few steps, making it extremely lively.
When Qin Donglin revealed his figure above the clouds, it was evening. It was a rare fine day. The afterglow of the sunset was like a spread - out veil, wispy and layered, with a gentle color like cotton candy.
The more gorgeous the sunset was, the worse his complexion became.
Not long after, Wu Fei stepped out of the spatial rift. The non - stop and rapid journey day and night had exhausted them physically and mentally. Even Wu Fei, who was well - known for his elegance, gentleness, and grace, looked a bit disheveled, with exhaustion hard to hide between his eyebrows.
"Hey," he snapped his jade fan shut and stepped forward to stand side by side with Qin Donglin. "Why are we in such a hurry? With Qiu Shi's personality, if she really wants to annul the engagement, even if you rush over now and question her face - to - face, she'll answer 'yes' without blinking an eye."
When the two stood together, the contrast in their looks was extremely striking.
Wu Fei had a delicate and handsome appearance, being unrestrained and amorous. Every angle of his face was wrapped in a gentle aura, giving people a feeling of non - aggression and tolerance. On the contrary, Qin Donglin had an extremely beautiful appearance. His long eyebrows were like knives, and with just one look, he could easily intimidate others into not daring to act rashly.
The beauty of the Nine - Tailed Silver Fox clan was impeccable.
Qin Donglin turned his head and gave Wu Fei a casual glance. There was a raging anger like a blizzard hidden in his black pupils.
Seeing this, Wu Fei reached out and stroked the bridge of his nose, muttering in a compromising tone, "Whatever you want. You won't listen to anything I say now."
It was really strange. Usually, Qin Donglin disliked Qiu Shi very much. His expression when seeing Qiu Shi was no better than when seeing himself. The last time when Qiu Shi pestered him for the dragon pill, he almost grabbed her and threw her out of the secret room.
Wasn't it a happy thing to annul the engagement with such a troublesome girl?
So why did they rush across eighty thousand li to Qin Hai Main City in just two days instead of half a month?
Once they reached Lin'an City, they couldn't swagger across the sky above the main city like this.
Qin Donglin was dressed in a moon - white robe. The wind blew it, making it flow with a luster like moonlight. The round and shiny merman pearls were made into tassels and hung on his waist. However, the gloom in his eyes completely destroyed this boundless elegance. He was filled with an extremely strong sense of contradiction and fragmentation from the inside out.
"So, what's the plan now?
Go straight to Qiu Shi or pay a visit to your uncle and aunt first?"
Wu Fei looked at the towering spire in the center of the main city and asked.
Qin Donglin frowned impatiently.
In the end, they didn't head straight for the main city.
Just as they were about to enter the main city, two people came out of the largest spiritual treasure exchange in Lin'an City. They walked in a winding way, seemingly aimlessly but actually accurately finding Qin Donglin and Wu Fei behind the teahouse.
Both of them were dressed as spiritual treasure buyers. They had handlebar mustaches and round, pot - bellied figures. Their fat fingers, which were as thick as carrots, were all stuffed with huge jade spiritual rings. When they smiled, their eyes narrowed into slits.
They bent down and made a comical bow to Qin Donglin and Wu Fei, saying, "Greetings to the young demon lord and Young Master Wu Fei."
"Your Highness, they are two stewards under the Lady," Chang Ting, who was Qin Donglin's attendant, carefully identified them, stepped out from behind Qin Donglin, and whispered in his ear.
The Lady Chang Ting mentioned was the demon queen of Liugi Mountain, Qin Donglin's mother.
"Speak," Qin Donglin glanced at them. His voice was a bit hoarse and his tone was pressing.
Everyone in the six realms knew that Qin Donglin had a notoriously bad temper.
Those two stewards had climbed to their current positions, so they were extremely smooth. No matter how intimidated they were in their hearts, they showed no sign of it on their faces and still had a smiling and amiable look. "The Lady anticipated that Your Highness and Young Master Wu Fei would come to Lin'an City, so she specially sent us brothers here with the People - Searching Pearl to wait for you."
Wu Fei subconsciously looked at Qin Donglin, put away his fan, and asked, "What's the matter?"
"Please follow us to Yulin Street. The Lady has been waiting for a long time."
The sun had set, but the after - heat remained. Under such great pressure, fine beads of sweat immediately appeared on the red nose of one of the stewards.
Hearing this, Wu Fei raised his eyebrows, then laughed and shook his head. "Sure enough, you're family. I can guess your reaction."
Moments later, night fell as expected. The bustling city finally had a moment of quietness. It was the end of spring and the beginning of summer, and the chirping of insects in the woods gradually became the main sound. In the lush forest, a square courtyard was faintly visible.
When Qin Donglin and Wu Fei arrived, the woman in the courtyard was bending over to make tea. She was wearing a rouge - colored long dress. The skirt was inlaid with tiny star - shaped highlights, which rippled like gentle water patterns as it fluttered. She had delicately drawn eyebrows and bright red lipstick, giving people a feeling of brightness and grandeur. There was a two - point resemblance between her eyebrows and Qin Donglin's.
"Aunt Ruan," Wu Fei spoke first and asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"
Ruan Yuan hooked her lips, smiled and nodded at him, patiently replying, "Your Uncle Song's birthday is next month. Coincidentally, there are fewer things to do these days. I discussed it with Donglin's father and came here in advance."
Her voice wasn't particularly pleasant, but it was very soothing. No matter what she said, it gave people a gentle and graceful feeling.
This explanation was rather evasive. Liugi Mountain was in charge of most of the demon clan, and there were countless daily affairs. Taking more than a month off deliberately and not entering the main city, she must have just arrived recently and came here specifically to catch Qin Donglin.
Wu Fei had a very intelligent mind. In just a moment, he had sorted out the whole story. And because of this, he finally felt relieved.
He was really afraid that Qin Donglin would rush into the main city regardless of the consequences and cause a scene.
If the relationship between the three families broke down, the situation of the demon clan would also change. As the saying goes, a single move can affect the whole situation, and no one could act impulsively.
Song Qiushi was a troublemaker. For a long time, whenever Wu Fei saw her, he just wanted to turn around and run. However, in the end, he always ended up helping her sort out countless troubles reluctantly.
Qin Donglin, he, and her older brother Song Yunhe had all taken the blame for her countless times.
She was the only girl among the three families, so the adults doted on her extra.
From childhood to adulthood, the three of them had heard the same words the most: "Qiushi is the younger sister. You should all give way to her and protect her."
As her older brother, it was only natural and incumbent on Song Yunhe to do so.
He and Qin Donglin felt rather wronged.
Until one day, the instructions from the adults to Qin Donglin suddenly changed in meaning. In the address, she was no longer just the younger sister but the future Taoist companion, and he mustn't treat her badly. It was almost like they were telling him to enshrine her and burn incense to her.
So over the years, whenever Wu Fei was so irritated by Qin Donglin's bad temper that he couldn't stand it, just thinking of Qiushi, he would find it understandable.
Who could have a good temper when saddled with such a living ancestor?
A gentle breeze blew, and the bamboo forest outside rustled.
Qin Donglin lowered his eyes, and his long and sharp eyebrows pressed down imperceptibly. There was no emotion revealed in his voice as he straightforwardly announced, "Mother, I'm going to the main city."
Ruan Yuan looked at her independent and self - assertive only son, pointed to the stone bench opposite, and said gently, "Don't be in a hurry to go. Sit down first. Mother has something to tell you."
This meant that the adults of the two families were going to intervene.
In the yard, there was a medium - sized stone bench. The three of them took positions in different directions. When they sat down and looked at each other, there was a moment of indescribable silence.
"On your way here from the East Sea, you must have heard all those rumors, right?"
Ruan Yuan could only smile bitterly when talking about this matter.
Not only had they heard them, but along the way, there were countless strange and absurd versions.
The demon race was by nature straightforward and not restricted by many rules. When a piece of news was passed from one person to another, they could even fabricate a new story out of the incomplete information.
Wu Fei gently placed the fan in his hand on the table and nodded, saying, "We've heard all that we should."
"Donglin, has Qiushi contacted you?"
Ruan Yuan looked at Qin Donglin.
The sound - recording jade pendant hanging on Qin Donglin's waist faintly glowed, which was a reminder that there were unread messages.
"They've contacted each other a few times through the sound - recording jade pendant."
Receiving Ruan Yuan's inquiring look, Wu Fei explained, "He ignored them."
Ruan Yuan pondered for a while and then said softly, "Donglin, when you and Qiushi were engaged, you were still young. Your parents and Uncle Song thought that since you had grown up together since childhood, your bond was different, so they made the engagement on their own initiative. Over the years, we've also noticed that you and Qiushi didn't always get along well. But we always thought that when two people were together, there couldn't be everything going smoothly. It's only now that I realize that we've thought a lot but always missed your own thoughts."
"You and Qiushi have grown up and have your own ideas."
Ruan Yuan continued, "This matter was forced on you by your parents from the very beginning."
"You've been wronged, and Qiushi must also feel wronged."
"The three of you grew up together, and your feelings are genuine. Let's just end this matter here."
As she spoke, Ruan Yuan also showed a tired look. "It's very busy in Qin Hai Main City next month for Uncle Song's birthday. If you go in and cause more trouble, it'll be even more chaotic."
"No."
After listening, for the first time, real surprise showed in Wu Fei's eyes, and his voice was a bit louder. "So, does it mean that they're really going to annul the engagement between Qiushi and Qin Donglin because of that black dragon in the main city?"
After saying that, he immediately realized it was inappropriate, clicked his tongue, and swallowed the rest of the words.
Things had gotten so out of hand that the whole demon world knew about it. If they still maintained this relationship, both families would really lose face.
"Let Song Qiushi tell me this in person."
Qin Donglin stood up. The fingers loosely resting on the edge of the stone table were bony, pale, and cold, with the same aloofness as his person. "If she doesn't say it, it doesn't count no matter who else says it."
