A Different Yaoyue

The temperature kept dropping.

Every breath made his windpipe ache faintly.

The icy mist entered through their noses and mouths, spreading cold from the inside out. An ordinary person would likely slip into hypothermia within moments and die.

Chu Yang felt the cold as well, but the Kirin Blood within him began to boil madly.

As a man who had bathed in the blood of an entire Qilin, this bit of cold was nothing to Chu Yang. His blazing body was enough to melt ice and snow.

The Ice Mist Demon clearly had not expected Chu Yang to be so resilient. Surprise flashed through its eyes, only to be replaced by endless fanaticism. To it, the body before it, brimming with terrifying Blood Qi, was an incomparable treasure.

In an instant, the Ice Mist Demon’s sanity was the first to hit zero.

It opened its mouth and let out a strange, shrill howl, like an icy wind whistling through the night. The faint human faces within its body struggled free and flew out.

Once those faces left the Ice Mist Demon’s body, they turned into complete human figures. Glowing blue, they floated amid the mist like blue jellyfish.

One blue figure shot toward Chu Yang at incredible speed. He casually crushed it, and a memory that did not belong to him surfaced in his mind.

A boy of perhaps sixteen or seventeen, hungry and freezing, trudged through a field of wild grass. The scene was brief, ending on the boy’s despairing face.

As more blue figures attacked Chu Yang and were destroyed by him, similar scenes appeared one after another. They were all moments from just before these people died.

A group of homeless refugees had frozen to death alive in the wilderness, becoming nourishment for a demon.

Or perhaps they had been the reason the Ice Mist Demon was born.

In this world where demons ran rampant, human lives were scarcely worth more than grass.

More and more scenes appeared.

Mad whispers also rose beside Chu Yang’s ears, mixed with the crying and wailing of the dead refugees. Under such circumstances, an ordinary person’s SAN would soon bottom out.

The Ice Mist Demon kept drawing closer, quietly waiting for the moment Chu Yang went mad. It had killed many martial arts masters who had spent the night in abandoned villages this way.

Second by second, time passed.

Even after Chu Yang had destroyed every blue figure, he did not descend into madness as the Ice Mist Demon had expected.

The Ice Mist Demon instinctively sensed danger and began to consider retreating.

But it could not bear to give up the vital essence contained in Chu Yang’s body, and greed gradually overwhelmed reason.

Chu Yang watched it with icy eyes. Beneath his calm expression, killing intent surged like raging waves.

The mist around them rapidly gathered, turning into streams of white vapor that flowed into the Ice Mist Demon’s body. Its true form also expanded swiftly, surpassing the surrounding thatched huts in the blink of an eye.

A giant of ice and snow, dozens of zhang tall, appeared before Chu Yang.

With no mist blocking their view, Li Gexiao led Jiang Feng and the others to Chu Yang. Seeing him confronting the ice giant, they all stopped and hid beneath the thatched huts.

"It really is a demon. Should we go out and help Young Master Chu?" Jiang Feng asked gravely.

"Not causing trouble would be the biggest help. You should worry more about your family," Li Gexiao said, shaking his head. Just as he was about to head outside, he suddenly felt something tug at his clothes.

He turned and saw the massive wolfhound looking at him ingratiatingly.

"You beast slept like the dead. How come the demon didn’t eat you?" Li Gexiao snapped. Then he noticed the awkward expressions around him and quickly gave an embarrassed laugh. "I was scolding the dog, not all of you."

That only made everyone even more awkward…

Li Gexiao smacked his lips and hurriedly changed the subject. He patted the wolfhound on the head and ordered, "Protect the people here. If anything goes wrong again, I’ll slaughter you and make hot pot out of you."

The wolfhound lowered its head and wagged its tail.

At the same time, the ice giant attacked Chu Yang. Its enormous body, dozens of zhang tall, stomped down with all its strength, sending a surging blast of air crashing over Chu Yang.

The thatched huts around them were all reduced to broken walls and rubble by that blow.

Chu Yang formed a hand seal. A fierce gale erupted around him, even more violent than the airwave raised by the ice giant. It not only canceled out the force but also blew the ice giant backward again and again until it could barely keep its footing.

After refining the Five Demon Orbs into his body, Chu Yang had gained a preliminary ability to control the Five Spirit Power. Though he had not yet reached the level of moving mountains and filling seas with a gesture, summoning wind and rain was no problem.

Rumble!

The instant the mountain-like ice giant fell, the entire abandoned village shook violently. Jiang Feng and the others, hiding nearby, felt as if they were enduring an earthquake.

Chu Yang formed another seal, and Red Flame appeared out of thin air, illuminating the entire abandoned village. A vast sea of fire poured toward the ice giant, burning it until it released a terrifying roar that echoed for dozens of li.

Li Gexiao and the others grew dizzy and disoriented as they desperately covered their ears.

Jiang Feng and Hua Yuenv only thought to cover the two children’s ears. Blood was already flowing from their own noses and mouths, yet they did not notice.

The wolfhound suddenly let out a long howl. As the air trembled, the effects of the demon’s roar weakened.

Jiang Feng and his wife collapsed to the ground, their complexions gradually improving.

"You mutt have some skills after all!" Li Gexiao vigorously rubbed the dog’s head and burst into laughter.

"Jiang thanks Brother Dog!" Jiang Feng said with a smile, cupping his hands.

The wolfhound barked a few times as if claiming credit, wagging its tail excitedly.

Under the crimson glow filling the sky, the high heat warped the air itself. The ground cracked, stones melted, and countless thatched huts turned to ash. The ice giant’s cries gradually weakened as well.

"What terrifying flames! They’re practically the Samadhi Fire of legend. Young Master Chu is truly incredible!"

Jiang Feng stared at the shocking scene, every hair on his body standing on end.

He was renowned across the land for his generosity, and had naturally donated to many famous temples and Daoist shrines throughout the Ming Dynasty. He had also met so-called Daoist Masters and Buddhist vajras.

Jiang Feng had seen Buddhist and Daoist secret arts before, so he was not unfamiliar with them. But secret arts with such terrifying power were exceedingly rare. Usually, only very senior abbots or sect leaders possessed such cultivation.

"At such a young age… it’s truly inconceivable," Jiang Feng murmured in bewilderment.

Li Gexiao’s expression was complicated. During the years when Chu Yang had still been a useless prince, the two often drank themselves into stupors and lived wildly. He had never seen Chu Yang diligently cultivate any Daoist scriptures.

Even the Surging Wave Palm taught by Lord Guo, Chu Yang had practiced only sporadically.

Was it extraordinary talent, or had he been plotting this all along?

The flames forged the Ice Mist Demon back into its original form, revealing a crystal-clear body like glazed glass. The high heat continuously cracked its body, and before long, it would shatter completely.

Just as everyone thought the demon was about to be executed, the surrounding temperature dropped once more, and a cold wind began to howl.

Under the moonlight, an incomparably beautiful figure descended from the sky and landed amid the sea of fire. The intense chill accompanying her arrival directly froze the flames.

When Jiang Feng and his wife saw the newcomer, their bodies trembled violently, their faces filled with fear.

A voice as cold as thousand-year ice rang out.

"Jiang Feng, Hua Yuenv, come out and receive death!"

Beautiful, ethereal, highly skilled in martial arts, and harboring such deep hatred for Jiang Feng—there were only a few people in the world who met those conditions.

The First Palace Mistress of Yihua Palace.

Yaoyue.

Her voice was lively, ethereal, and impossible to grasp.

Though her tone was cold, ruthless, and chilling, it was also gentle, delicate, and soul-stirring.

That was the original description from the book.

In Chu Yang’s eyes, a few words were enough to describe Yaoyue.

A loli with a mature woman’s voice.

Yaoyue’s petite, exquisite figure stood in stark contrast to her terrifying presence. She was strangely adorable, especially paired with that icy face, creating an oddly charming gap.

Having cultivated Mingyu Gong, the supreme orthodox inner cultivation art, Yaoyue had not only grown younger and retained eternal youth, but her icy pale face also carried a jade-like, translucent, lustrous glow.

She was basically a life-sized figurine.

Chu Yang studied Yaoyue with interest, failing to notice that Jiang Feng and his wife behind him had turned ashen.

"She really caught up to us…"

Jiang Feng clasped Hua Yuenv’s hand and held the child in swaddling clothes tightly against his chest.

"Brother Jiang, I’m afraid we won’t escape death today."

Tears welled in Hua Yuenv’s eyes, and her voice choked.

Seeing the two of them acting as though they faced a great enemy, Li Gexiao asked curiously, "Who is this woman?"

Jiang Feng answered, "The Palace Mistress of Yihua Palace, Yaoyue."

Li Gexiao sucked in a breath. The name of Yihua Palace’s mistress resounded throughout the Jianghu. As a former vice commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, how could he not know it?

What had truly made Yaoyue famous was an attack launched against Yihua Palace by Great Demons five years ago.

It began when a Great Demon coveted Yaoyue’s beauty and wanted her as his Demon Concubine. Yaoyue ruthlessly refused him and even humiliated him with her words.

What Great Demon was not an exceptional existence among tens of thousands? How could one endure Yaoyue’s humiliation?

After returning to the Ten Thousand Demons Kingdom, the Great Demon joined forces with four other Great Demons he was close to and led a group of Spirit Demons in an assault on Yihua Palace.

Yihua Palace suffered countless casualties in that battle…

Yet what was even more astonishing was that Yaoyue’s Mingyu Gong froze four of the five Great Demons to death. The Great Demon who had declared he would make Yaoyue his consort had his Demon Core forcibly carved out by her and was beaten back into his original form.

That battle made Yihua Palace famous throughout the Jianghu and established it as a top-tier sect, while Yaoyue became a top expert known to the world.

Countless masters went to Yihua Palace hoping to glimpse the beauty, only to become ice sculptures before its gates.

From then on, Yihua Palace became forbidden ground for men!

Thinking of how angry Yaoyue was, Li Gexiao looked at Jiang Feng and smiled meaningfully. "You’ve got quite the face, kid. Even Palace Mistress Yaoyue has been driven crazy over you."

Jiang Feng’s expression immediately turned terrified. "Hero Li, please watch your words!"

Yaoyue’s hearing was extraordinary. Not even the slightest movement within a hundred zhang could escape her, so Li Gexiao’s teasing naturally reached her ears.

An ice spear condensed above her head and shot toward Li Gexiao.

The sound of it cutting through the air exploded beside him. Sensing danger, Li Gexiao hurriedly raised his Embroidered Spring Blade and turned to block. The ice spear exploded before him.

Li Gexiao thought he was dead, but warmth suddenly spread before him. A fiery red barrier shielded him, melting the shards of ice and stone produced by the explosion.

Yaoyue stared coldly at Chu Yang. "You dare stop me?"

Chu Yang picked at his ear and said speechlessly, "You’re not my mother. What’s there to dare or not dare?"

Yaoyue’s face darkened, but she did not attack rashly. Chu Yang’s earlier display had already proven his strength to her.

Li Gexiao patted his chest, still shaken. "That woman’s temper is way too fierce. What did I even say wrong to make her so angry?"

Hua Yuenv gave a bitter smile and explained, "The First Palace Mistress has no feelings for Brother Jiang. It is actually the Second Palace Mistress who loves him, but Brother Jiang rejected her. She became depressed day after day. The First and Second Palace Mistresses share a deep sisterly bond. On top of that, Brother Jiang and I eloped, and I betrayed Yihua Palace. That is why she is so furious."

Only then did Li Gexiao understand. "So you’re from Yihua Palace. The dignified Second Palace Mistress had her husband stolen by a little maidservant. No wonder she’s this furious. If word got out, how humiliating would that be?"

Jiang Feng panicked. "Hero Li, I said watch your words!"

Another cold wind howled. Chu Yang once again blocked Yaoyue’s killing strike for Li Gexiao and said irritably, "Can you stop provoking her on purpose? If it happens again, I won’t block it for you! I’ll let you, you drunkard, get frozen into an ice sculpture!"

"Don’t, Young Master. How could I possibly be Palace Mistress Yaoyue’s match?" Li Gexiao grinned shamelessly. "With you here, I just wanted to see what it feels like to throw my weight around under someone else’s protection."

Chu Yang could not be bothered with him. He turned to Yaoyue. The Yaoyue before him was rather different from the one he remembered. For one thing, the fact that she had not fallen for Jiang Feng was worlds apart from what he knew.

That was normal in a fused world. Strange as it was, Chu Yang was not too surprised. Still, from Hua Yuenv’s words, Yaoyue seemed to be a sister-con. That was rather interesting.

"What exactly is your relationship with Jiang Feng? Why are you stopping me from killing him? Did he hire you with money? To hire a Daoist Master like you, he must have spent quite a fortune, no?"

Yaoyue glared with bright, piercing eyes, her voice exceptionally cold.

Facing Yaoyue’s triple question, Chu Yang answered simply, "We met on the road. With my worth, he couldn’t hire me even if he emptied his entire fortune."

"You met on the road?" Yaoyue sneered. "Nonsense. If you had merely met on the road, would you oppose Yihua Palace for a stranger?"

"Are you sick? When did I stop you from killing him?" Chu Yang pointed helplessly at Li Gexiao. "The one you tried to kill just now was clearly my man."

Insolent bastard!

I’ll smash your mouth to pieces!

Yaoyue was so furious that she wanted to fight Chu Yang immediately. But before that, she still wanted to kill Jiang Feng, that heartless man. At the thought of her younger sister Lianxing weeping every day, rage surged within her.

Yaoyue gathered icy power in her palm and struck at Jiang Feng and Hua Yuenv from afar. So long as that annoying man did not interfere, this palm strike was enough to kill them both.

The next second.

Chu Yang flicked a finger, and sharp sword qi shredded the icy palm force.

Yaoyue’s eyes widened!

He grinned. "Now I’m actually interfering with you."

Yaoyue flew into a rage, veins bulging at the corners of her eyes. Her fury toward Chu Yang had clearly surpassed what she had felt for the Great Demon that had wanted to marry her five years ago!

"I’ll kill you, you little thief!"

Yaoyue screamed. Her petite figure slowly floated into the air, and as Mingyu Gong activated, the entire abandoned village was covered by wind and snow. At the same time, an inexplicably powerful suction force locked onto Chu Yang.

Once Mingyu Gong was cultivated to the ninth level, it not only granted eternal youth and made its user increasingly beautiful, but also produced astonishing icy power in their true essence, along with a powerful vortex-like suction. No matter what the target was, Yaoyue could draw it before her.

"When it comes to sucking things in, I’ve never been afraid of anyone."

After swallowing the Divine Tree Fruit, Chu Yang’s Chakra had reached an unimaginable level. Any Ninjutsu in his hands was completely different from before.

The terrifying suction force generated by Banshō Ten’in was far beyond what Mingyu Gong could compare to.

Before long, Yaoyue discovered that her body was completely beyond her control, and the distance between herself and Chu Yang was growing ever shorter. In her panic, she let out a piercing shriek.

"Don’t come any closer!!!"