Smoke and Fire [GL] - Chapter 25

It was the height of spring, and Thousand Mountains was lush and green.

Thousand Mountains is the mountain range bordering Anhuai City and Jianchuan City. The mountains are continuous and beautiful, with steep peaks and cliffs, and dense, luxuriant vegetation. It is a semi-primitive mountainous area, usually rarely visited by people.

But today, if any locals were paying attention, they would notice two small dots, one white and one red, moving rapidly along the cliffs. The bushes they passed through did not even tremble slightly.

These two dots were Luo Yao and Shang Mian. As for why a god and a demon appeared here, one must rewind to the Demon Palace three hours ago.

…

“Return to the Celestial Realm? Why?”

Si Yin’s chopsticks froze in mid-air. She turned sharply to look at the Demon Venerable, who had just spoken, her eyebrows practically reaching her hairline.

“Is Supreme Deity Si Yin planning to freeload in the Demon Realm for a lifetime unless I speak up?” Shang Mian took a sip of tea, her tone indifferent. “I kept you for the God-Slaying Festival. Now that the festival is over, it would be inappropriate for you, as a god, not to leave.”

An unidentifiable fire ignited in Si Yin. The feast on the table instantly lost its appeal. She put down her chopsticks with a snap: “But Tan Tan hasn’t woken up yet! You can’t just kick people out like this!”

Shang Mian completely ignored her.

Luo Yao interjected at this moment, saying softly: “Si Yin, it will be difficult for Tan Tan to wake up in the Demon Realm. If you return to the Celestial Realm, let the Venerable examine her. It will be beneficial for her recovery.”

The facts proved that Si Yin was still quite perceptive at crucial moments. She hesitated, suspiciously asking: “Why are you two so consistent in your story? Are you hiding something from me?”

“Oh, you’re paranoid,” Yi An was startled and quickly stepped out to help Luo Yao. “They’re wives—bah, a married couple—it’s normal for them to have the same stance, isn’t it?”

Si Yin continued to look suspicious: “Is that so?”

Luo Yao wasn’t particularly nervous. She still had a trump card argument that would instantly win the day.

“Fine, you don’t have to go back,” she nodded solemnly, then changed her tone: “But you also said that Veda will inevitably report that all of us were taken together. Supreme Deity Si Yin hasn’t returned from the Demon Realm for so many days. Well, the Venerable won’t suspect you.”

Sure enough, she saw Si Yin visibly tense up in the corner of her eye.

“Then what should I do? It is a fact that I defected to the Demon Realm, and I can lie to people, but I’ve never lied to the Buddha,” she anxiously smoothed her ponytail. “Even if I go back now, if the Venerable asks what I experienced in the Demon Realm these past few days, how should I answer?”

Luo Yao tapped the air with her chopsticks: “I’ve thought of this for you. Just say that A’Mian brought you and Tan Tan back because she wanted to hold the son of heaven hostage to command the feudal lords, threatening the Celestial Realm into submission. You fought your way out with your martial prowess but failed to rescue me, who was under strict guard, and had to retreat to the Celestial Realm with Tan Tan.”

“Hmm… That works, but what if the Venerable attacks the Demon Realm in a fit of rage?” Si Yin crossed her arms, asking across the long dining table.

“First, that’s impossible. Your realm is uncertain about our rapid development and won’t easily make a move,” Shang Mian calmly lifted her eyelids and refuted. “Second, if he comes, he comes. Do I fear him? Who do you think the God-Slaying Festival was put on for?”

Yi An appeared suddenly enlightened: “Oh! It’s a localized version of a military parade!”

Shang Mian smiled upon hearing this, her eyes captivatingly beautiful: “So, Supreme Deity Si Yin’s return achieves multiple objectives with one arrow. Why not do it?”

…

Back to the present.

The two swept past another peak. From a perspective invisible to ordinary people, a thick black smoke rose into the sky, stabbing straight into the clouds like a beacon.

Shang Mian descended gracefully, following the black mist. Her sleeves were motionless, and only her hair fluttered gently. She turned and extended her fair, slender right hand to Luo Yao.

Luo Yao gave her her hand and said: “You still shouldn’t have come. Although the Venerable likely knows we were faking it, personally giving Him the evidence is still…”

“Sister, don’t say that. Do I fear that Buddha?” Shang Mian smiled at her. When her gaze turned to the source of the black mist, it was cold and devoid of emotion. “The Phoenix Nine Sons, yet he alone obtained the power of Phoenix Nirvana… If I had known this day would come, I should have crushed his divine core completely back then.”

“I never expected him to be so vicious,” Luo Yao was so angry that even her fingertips were trembling at the thought of that drop of red-and-gold bl00d.

“…A’Mian, you’re right. Only killing his physical body back then was too light a punishment.”

Shang Mian gripped her hand: “Don’t worry. I will make him understand what it means to reap what you sow.”

With that, her huge, snowy-white wings quickly unfolded behind her. She held Luo Yao and leaped into the cave entrance from which the black mist emanated.

Because of Shang Mian’s feathers slowing their descent, the landing was light.

What appeared before them was a huge, empty natural cavern. There was no lighting besides the natural light. It extended endlessly in two directions, both forward and backward.

The two exchanged glances, and bright light simultaneously illuminated their palms.

The demonic energy permeating the dark cave was heavy. There were spiders and crawling insects everywhere, along with a faint wisp of monster energy. However, these were common in mountainous areas and were not as surging as Luo Yao had expected.

But if that person were to come, she knew he harbored a deep hatred for Shang Mian, so he must have a backup plan.

“Crack.”

Just then, a faint sound came from ahead.

The two instantly entered battle readiness. Luo Yao slashed out a horizontal sword light, momentarily lighting up the cave like daylight. However, what blocked their way were only dozens of lonely, low-level ghosts that hadn’t even reached the fierce ghost realm.

Sensing their aura, the ghosts let out a sharp howl and lunged toward them.

“Is His Excellency joking? I’ll handle it. Don’t dirty your hands,” Shang Mian’s first sentence was extremely slow and methodical, but she lowered her voice for the latter part to Luo Yao.

She didn’t even take out her whip. Her extremely beautiful eyes glanced over coldly, and the dozen ghosts in the front row instantly vanished into thin air, leaving no trace. Then, as if finding the speed too slow, she simply snapped her fingers, and the cave became empty once again.

The two waited for a long time, but it remained empty and silent.

“If His Excellency enjoys playing hide-and-seek, he should roll back to kindergarten. My Queen doesn’t have time to waste here with you.”

Black mist slowly dispersed from Shang Mian’s fingertips, her tone nonchalant, “My patience is limited. I’ll give you ten seconds. Come out and pay respect to the Queen yourself. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be impossible for me to flip this mountain over.”

After a few seconds, a sigh-like light laugh echoed in the void: “I dare not come out, but the problem is… Do you dare flip it?”

Upon hearing this voice, Luo Yao subconsciously tightened her grip on her sword hilt.

Shang Mian also laughed: “Do you think I wouldn’t?”

“Of course you would. The Demon Venerable has a beautiful wife and a proud daughter and is in the rising phase of her career. What wouldn’t you dare do?”

The voice sighed and chuckled.

“But has anyone told the Demon Venerable that when you ask for something from others, you should learn humility? Isn’t that right, little sister?”

Shang Mian’s expression suddenly darkened.

—A young man slowly walked into the passage before them. His temperament surprisingly bore a three- or four-tenths resemblance to Shang Mian’s.

He had fair skin, sword-like eyebrows, and star-bright eyes. He wore an intricately beautiful Xuan-colored (dark mysterious) robe, and his black hair was tied up high. To an uninformed person, he looked exactly like a handsome man who had just stepped out of an ancient drama, except for a flame-shaped ornament between his eyebrows.

He caught sight of Shang Mian’s expression, and his smile deepened.

“Your Highness Qingluan, we meet again.”

Luo Yao said coldly: “Not stopping A’Mian from letting His Excellency Fire Phoenix be utterly destroyed back then was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made.”

“Your Highness’s mercy is deeply appreciated by me,” the man showed that highly annoying smile again and bowed to her with his hand clasped. “However, allow me to speak frankly, Your Highness’s biggest mistake was probably choosing the one beside you—oh, don’t rush to contradict me.”

“‘The Phoenix Nine Sons’ are not the Phoenix’s children, but nine deities who each inherited a part of her divine power after her fall. I just happen to be the one who achieved Nirvana Rebirth,” he said with a smile. “When I was reborn, I heard some rather unpleasant gossip… I heard that Your Highness currently has two daughters: one has fallen to a demon, and the other was punished to guard Qingzang, and as for Your Highness yourself, you are bearing a criminal status. Am I right?”

“It has nothing to do with you,” Luo Yao had anticipated him deliberately poking at these painful spots and responded very coldly.

The Fire Phoenix, however, said: “That’s wrong, Your Highness. How can it be irrelevant? If you had married me back then, would I let you live this kind of life? ‘Qingluan and Fire Phoenix’ was a marriage granted by the Venerable Himself. We would be the couple everyone envies, and furthermore—”

“Shut up,” Luo Yao was impatient and directly interrupted him. “The last time you died, I didn’t get a chance to act. I’m telling you, my patience has reached its limit. Don’t push me any further, or if you commit that filthy deed, I guarantee you will die a worse death than last time, do you hear me?!”

Luo Yao did not easily get angry. That was because, in the past, even a slight frown from her would attract a crowd of followers. Later, she didn’t get angry because she had become indifferent to many things after the Celestial Tribulation.

But that absolutely does not mean she is incapable of rage.

On certain matters of principle, she would not make any concessions.

Seeing her reaction, the Fire Phoenix was momentarily silent, then tilted his head: “‘Filthy deed,’ you mean?”

“—That drop of bl00d!! You clearly knew they were my biological daughters, and using them to force me to yield is one thing, but why are you feigning ignorance!” Luo Yao ignored Shang Mian’s attempts to stop her. She quickly stepped forward, raising her sharp sword blade abruptly to the Fire Phoenix’s neck.

Even under these circumstances, the Fire Phoenix showed no panic. He grasped Luo Yao’s sword blade and smiled slightly: “Oh, so Your Highness means that. I hadn’t thought that those two little girls would be so important in your eyes.”

At this moment, Shang Mian suddenly shouted: “Your Highness, step back!!”

Luo Yao was slightly startled. The Fire Phoenix watched her, smiling broadly. At some unknown point, he had grasped a pure black long ji (halberd) in his hand.

The sound of a bone whip tearing through the air followed. The clash of the three weapons sounded like a thunderclap, echoing through the sky!

“Take it easy, little sister,” he twirled the halberd in mid-air, momentarily suppressing Luo Yao’s sword, then said to Shang Mian with a smile.

Shang Mian said coldly: “I am not impatient, but the Underworld is very eager for your head.” With that, she pressed down on her wrist, and the bone whip twisted around his back neck as if alive.

“Just tell us where Lingshuang and Zhi Xing are, and we won’t kill you,” Luo Yao struggled to pull out her sword. “I promise!”

The Fire Phoenix shifted his body, dodging the whip, and appeared behind Luo Yao. He gently hooked her chin and laughed:

“If you marry me, I’ll tell you while kneeling.”

The confrontation with the Fire Phoenix, the orchestrator of Lingshuang’s fall and the one who harmed her daughter (Zhi Xing/the girl with the red and gold bl00d), has begun.