"Mother, I will definitely be able to apprentice at the Lingxiao Palace!"

The fourteen-year-old girl bowed to the moon, kowtowing three times. She recalled what her teacher had said, "The moon shines over the sea, and we share this moment from afar," expressing her longing. Her mother, who lived in Mingyue Town, saw the same moon.

Reflecting on her past, she had been saved by Master Hua Che and later travelled far with her mother to thank him, visiting the Lingxiao Palace for the first time.

She wanted to fulfill her childhood dream, to apprentice at the Lingxiao Palace and become a heroine who would uphold justice and help the weak!

But first, on the path of chivalry and righteousness, one must first fill their stomach.

After enjoying the beautiful scenery of West Lake, Yingying happened to see a prosperous shop on the street with a sign that read "Old Jiang’s Noodle Shop". Without hesitation, she entered and ordered a bowl of plain noodles.

The shop was large, spanning two floors, and from Yingying's keen eyes, she could barely discern both mortals and cultivators. They say that when you go out, you rely on your friends. On this journey to the Lingxiao Palace, perhaps she should make a couple of friends to accompany her, so as not to be lonely all the way.

Just as Yingying was reflecting, a seemingly friendly older sister approached her and initiated a conversation: "Little sister, with your dusty appearance, where are you heading?"

Yingying hurriedly replied, "I want to apprentice at the Lingxiao Palace."

As soon as these words were spoken, the previously noisy hall instantly fell silent.

Everyone's gaze converged on the young girl, filled with surprise, mockery, resignation, and some even spoke directly: "Girl, do you come from a distinguished family?"

Yingying shook her head.

"Do you have a substantial fortune to back you up?"

Yingying blinked in confusion, then shook her head again.

"Then do you have any cultivation skills, extraordinary intelligence, or exceptional talent?"

"I... don't." Yingying felt something was wrong and blushed, lowering her head.

Sure enough, laughter erupted throughout the hall.

"Young lady, are you mistaken? Look at your young age, let me tell you! The Lingxiao Palace today is not the unknown small sect it used to be! They are now mighty and powerful. Someone like you, a rural girl without any skills, might not even get past their gates!"

"Back in the day, no one cared about the Lingxiao Palace, and they couldn't even attract visitors with money. But now, the tide has turned. Cultivators from all over are scrambling to apprentice at the Lingxiao Palace, and they're not even accepting everyone!"

"Just last month, the young master of the Wuji Sword Sect brought ten carts of soft jade, a pair of gathering spirit corals, a box of Yuanling grass, fifty carts of spirit stones, and even the Sect Master of the Wuji Sword Sect spoke on his behalf. And what happened? The gifts were returned as they were, Old Master Zhuang treats money like dirt and doesn't care about these things."

The crowd sighed in sympathy.

"Th-this..." Yingying bit her lip. "No matter if I succeed or not, I just want to do my best."

Determinedly, Yingying stood up despite the crowd's laughter and walked to the counter to pay. The shop owner was an elderly woman, and she smiled kindly, finding her some coins while encouraging her with a smile, "Girl, do your best, you will succeed."

Yingying was greatly encouraged, nearly crying.

Before leaving, she noticed a waiter descending from upstairs. The waiter was tall, handsome, and was carrying ten bowls of steaming hot noodles, managing to hold them steady without spilling a drop.

Behind the waiter was a boy of similar age, looking silly and foolish with dark skin, but moving swiftly, circling around the waiter and pleading, "Guardian, the master absolutely does not want to rebuild the Fen Qing Palace, what should we do?"

The waiter was finally annoyed and glared at him fiercely, "Get lost! I’m busy here!"

The boy, full of grievances, burst into tears, "Waaah, why is this happening, waaah..."

The master was obsessed with the immortal way and refused to change his path, while the right guardian was addicted to running errands.

The Fen Qing Palace, the foundation of the demonic path for thousands of years!

Yingying listened, puzzled, and just as she was about to leave, she coincidentally made eye contact with the boy. Yingying felt it would be impolite not to greet him, so just as she was about to approach, the boy rushed up first, "You’re going to the Lingxiao Palace, right?"

"Yes, yes."

"Then let's go together. It would be good to have someone to look out for each other on the way."

"Sure, sure."

"My name is Er Shao (NT: second fool), what about you?"

"...Liu Ying, just call me Yingying."

Thus, a young girl from the mortal realm and a young boy from the demonic cultivation world set off hand in hand, heading towards the Lingxiao Palace together.

*

The journey was not peaceful. At night, they were often wild wolves on the road. Yingying had already lit a fire in advance, only to find out that she had done useless work because she waited all night and no wolves came. It seemed that not everything written in the books was true.

In the following days, they encountered the notorious mountain bandits.

The mountain bandits were rough and burly, blocking the road like bulls, demanding money without saying a word. Yingying hadn’t brought much money for this trip, but for the sake of her life, she painfully took out all her savings. Before she could hand it to the bandit, the bandit... his eyelids fluttered and he fell to the ground, convulsing and dead.

Yingying was frightened, and Er Shao explained, "He's sick, epileptic."

Yingying wasn't foolish; she knew it was Er Shao's doing.

Er Shao was impatient with Yingying's slow pace, so he took her flying on his sword, which terrified Yingying.

Yingying held onto Er Shao tightly, heart pounding. She cautiously opened one eye and looked down. Below her feet, the clouds constantly trailing behind turned into egg-sized shapes, along with the towering mountains and flowing waters. It seemed she could reach out and grab them.

Excitedly, Yingying waved her hands and feet, "Er Sha... uh, Er Ge, can I call you Er Ge?"

"Sure! I'm an orphan, always dreamed of having a younger sister!"

"I originally thought Er Ge was a martial arts expert, but I didn't expect you to be a cultivator. Er Ge, are you also going to the Lingxiao Palace to apprentice?"

"Ah, no." Er Shao shook his head repeatedly, "I'm looking for someone."

Suddenly, a chilling aura approached from a distance. Er Shao was caught off guard and struck by the sword energy, losing his balance, and falling from high in the sky along with his sword.

Instinctively, Er Shao tried to grab Yingying, but a gust of wind swept in, catching Yingying and safely lowering her to the ground.

The only one who fell from high altitude, landing in a mess, was Er Shao...

"Ush!"

"Evil cultivator!" The man's eyes turned red, raising his sword to eliminate evil and uphold justice.

Yingying reacted swiftly, rushing in front of Er Shao, "Don't, don't kill my Er Ge!"

"Er Ge?" The swordsman was taken aback, looking left and right, finding it difficult to associate these two together, "Young lady, do you know he's an evil cultivator?"

"Huh?" Yingying was stunned, but quickly she gritted her teeth and said firmly, "I don't care what he is. He protected me. He's my Er Ge!"

Er Shao's eyes welled up, "You..."

"Is this girl under some spell?" The swordsman suddenly hesitated, finding it hard to classify this "Er Ge". After pondering for a moment, he exclaimed in surprise, "You were... during the War of Immortals and Demons, were you with Hua Qingkong..."

"Hey, isn't that Duan Tiange from the Shangqing Immortal Sect?"

Suddenly, a hearty voice came from above. Duan Tiange looked up, "Mu Zhaoyao!?"

"What's going on here," Mu Rongsa landed with his sword, looking left and right, shocked and alarmed, "Damn! At broad daylight, a demon cultivator is actually being held hostage by a girl?! Is this the rise of the immortal way or the decline of the demonic path?!"

Duan Tiange: "..."

Yingying: "..."

Er Shao: "..."

Later that evening, Mu Rongsa pulled Duan Tiange aside, slinging an arm around him, "That demon cultivator isn't very bright but has a good heart. Could you do me a favour, fellow Daoist?"

"Duan Tiange's expression hardened. 'What do you mean?' he said coldly. 'You want to shelter and harbour a demon cultivator?'

'Hey, that's quite a thing to say. Whether Er Shao lives or dies, it's up to Hua Che to decide. Who are you from the Shangqing Immortal Sect to dictate here?'

'Upholding justice and eliminating demons is the duty of every man!'

'I'm giving you face, aren't I? It's because we're old acquaintances that I'm willing to discuss this with you.'

In short, Mu Rongsa dismissed Duan Tiange with an air of dominance. Upon seeing Yingying and feeling a sense of familiarity, he inquired in detail and confirmed that she was the little girl rescued by Hua Che in Mingyue Town years ago, now grown up.

'Hua Xiong (NT brother in a respectful way), let's be frank. Without you overseeing it, the Fen Qing Palace is truly pathetic. Even an ordinary girl can bully a demon cultivator there. I feel sorry for him.' Mu Rongsa finished speaking to the spiritual symbol and let it fly.

Yingying never expected to encounter her benefactor from years past and was so moved she could barely articulate her words.

'In all matters, there must be boundaries, inside and out. Just because the Wuji Sword Sect can't enter the Lingxiao Palace doesn't mean you, Liuying, can't.' Mu Rongsa grinned and said, 'It just so happens I'm returning to my sect. Let's go together!'

With Mu Rongsa leading the way, they arrived at the Lingxiao Palace in the blink of an eye.

Yingying was moved to tears, and Er Shao was so excited he could hardly speak.

It was really grand and magnificent here.

Yingying took a deep breath. The air was fragrant with flowers, and from afar she could see the clouds floating in the mountain stream, the green bamboo forest looming, the small bridges and flowing water, the sea of flowers and waterfalls. Birds were chirping, just like a fairyland.

She took a mouthful of clear spring water, cool and refreshing, washing away all her fatigue.

Yingying wanted to take another sip. Just as her fingertips touched the stream, suddenly, a cold light fell into the spring. Yingying was caught off guard, and in an instant, the entire stream froze! The cold air rushed over her, startling her so much that she squatted down on the spot.

Mu Rongsa was also caught off guard. 'Oh my god, you scared the hell out of me.'

Just then, a red figure flew over the pavilions in the distance, landing steadily. His figure was elegant, and his movements were swift, reaching them in an instant from a hundred feet away.

Er Shao shouted excitedly, 'His excellency!'

Ignoring him completely, the man passed by Mu Rongsa with a stern face. 'Sa Sa, tell the guy behind I'm going home.'

'Huh?' Mu Rongsa was bewildered, then saw a white figure floating over from behind, as pure and unparalleled as cascading moonlight.

He grabbed the wrist of the man in red, and his mind went blank, 'Hua Che, where are you going?'

Hua Che shook off his hand without hesitation. 'I'm going back to Yeyou Manor. Don't follow me. Even if you do, it won't help. I'll make my father shut the door on guests. Young Master Chu, stay here!'

Mu Rongsa was at a loss, 'What are these two up to again?'

Yingying and Er Shao looked at each other.

Lin Yan, who caught up from behind, was in a mess. 'Sixth Senior Brother, you're finally back. Seventh and Eighth Senior Brothers are fighting again. Master can't settle them!'

Chu Binghuan not only didn't let go but also held onto his waist, ignoring the clear, cold, and clean cloud towering above the ground: "You said it, not to use the past to torment yourself in this life."

Hua Che was merciless: "So you lied to me for a lifetime?"

"..." Chu Binghuan was speechless.

"Wow, you're quite something. Pretending to be kidnapped by me, pretending to let me seal your Golden Core, and here I was later sending my guardians to deliver gifts to you. Turns out you've been perfectly fine all along, making me feel guilty for so long." Hua Che crossed his arms over his chest, his stunningly beautiful face bearing two bold, enlarged words — Coax Me!

Chu Binghuan, who previously believed in "walking your own path and letting others climb," suddenly understood the art of reading expressions. He earnestly embraced Hua Che, his lips pressed gently against Hua Che's forehead, his voice soft and affectionate: "It's my fault. Don't be angry anymore. It's not good to get upset. How about you punish me in any way you like, okay?"

Hua Che actually thought about it seriously for a moment, then raised his fist. "For the sake of your health and our cultivation progress, starting from today, we'll focus on cultivating diligently, abstain from eating grains, and even abstain from that... desire."

Chu Binghuan was dumbfounded.

Hua Che continued, "That's settled then, happily decided."

"No, no, that won't do. Let's change it, change for another form of punishment." Chu Binghuan seemed like a stray cat abandoned by its owner, pitifully lowering his head, heart wavering in mud that was inexistant on the soles of his shoes. "Che’er, I just made some candied fruit in the Huale Pavilion, and you're leaving like this. Those were meant only for Master's auspicious days."

Unable to contain himself, Hua Che burst out laughing.

Chu Binghuan suddenly realized he had been played, but he couldn't bear to lose face on the spot and could only follow Hua Che around obediently.

Mu Rongsa: "..."

Lin Yan: "..."

Yingying: "..."

Er Shao: "..."

Damn it! These two fools were flaunting their affection day in and day out, how outrageous!

They weren't satisfied with just playing ordinary games; they were constantly improvising according to their script. Past lives, imprisonment, sealing of the Golden Core, this and that... They were acting so passionately, it seemed real.

After teasing and flirting with Chu Binghuan, Hua Che finally remembered that Er Shao and Yingying were still around and had travelled from afar to seek apprenticeship.

After Zhuang Tian heard about it, without further ado, he immediately performed the ceremony to accept Yingying as his disciple.

Yingying was nearly overwhelmed with excitement, while Lin Yan was in tears of joy, holding onto Mu Rongsa and shouting, "Sixth Senior Brother, I finally have a junior sister!"

As for Er Shao...

Hua Che remembered the spiritual symbol he received from Mu Rongsa earlier. After careful consideration, he advised Er Shao, who had been urging himself to return to being the Demon Lord, "Why don't you switch to cultivating the Immortal Dao? Join the Lingxiao Palace, and then we'll all be one big happy family!"

Er Shao: "..."

Zhuang Tian: "..."

No, how did I wake up to find another disciple who came knocking on the door voluntarily, and now they're even trying to squeeze in a demonic cultivator???

One ancient mythical beast, a wealthy young master from Fengming Valley, another from Yeyou Mansion, one from Yuntian Shuijing, and now another demonic cultivator?

Zhuang Tian expressed that he wanted to be quiet.

But Er Shao was single-minded. Seeing the situation develop unexpectedly towards him, he simply lay on the ground and acted stubborn: "I don't want this! I want Lord to return to the Fen Qing Palace and revive the glory of the demonic path! Wuu wuu wuu..."

Why is it so difficult to be a demonic cultivator!

End

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The author has something to say:

Er Shao: What should I do to make Lord return to the Fen Qing Palace? Waiting anxiously online!

And that's it, see you again in the next book!

Translator: DarNan