Chapter Fifty-two Inner Turmoil

  I sat in the master seat at the center of the hall, bewildered and unsure what to do. I had sent away the servants with gold and silver gifts, fearing they would cause trouble, always pulling me to play this and that. My elder brother's words still echoed in my ears, "Women are always the last victims." I grasped my hair with both hands, my elbows digging into my thighs, overwhelmed by a sense of guilt.

  After an unknown period of time, a gentle voice sounded, "Your Highness, what's wrong?"

  "Ah!" I looked up and it was Bai Jian. I forced a smile and said: "Didn't you say to call me by my name? How's mother?"

  Bai Jian's face turned slightly red, and he lowered his head and said, "Lei Xiang, Mother is fine now, she has fallen asleep."

  "Oh, that's good, Jian'er. In the future, if there's time, I'll trouble you to keep her company more often. My mother has suffered too many blows in the past, and I don't want her to suffer any more harm."

  Bai Jian nodded and said: "I will, this one, return it to you, it's too precious, I really can't accept it." She held out the purple crystal that I had handed her.

  I frowned and said, "What are you doing? Since Mother has taken you in as her adopted daughter, we're family now. It's just a stone, not particularly precious, so take it. Besides, aren't you hoping to learn magic? It will be of great help to you."

  Bai Jian said: "I, I." Her face suddenly turned bright red. Receiving a gift was just that, why make such a big deal out of it? I gave her an encouraging glance, "Take it."

  Bai Jian seemed to have made a major decision, her eyes flashing with determination as she put the purple crystal into her bosom. "Thanks, then, Lei Xiang," she said, calling my name again in a tone that was no longer as awkward as before.

  "Don't be polite, you're my sister."

  "Did something upset you just now? You look like you're in pain."

  I sighed and said, "Yes, it's too embarrassing to mention."

  "Then tell me about it, speaking out will make you feel much better, and I can also help you come up with a plan. We White Fox tribe are very clever."

  I looked at him and pointed to the chair beside me: "Sit down, standing for too long is tiring."

  Bai Jian nodded and sat down in the chair beside me. He didn't urge me on, but instead quietly looked at me.

  I opened my mouth several times wanting to speak, but I didn't say anything, how could I bring myself to mention such a thing?

  "Is it very difficult?" asked Bai Jian.

  I nodded and said bitterly: "It's very difficult, probably like this, there was a girl who had nothing to do with me, I hurt her, what should I do?"

  Bai Jian smiled and said: "What's difficult about this? It's inevitable that there will be some hurt between men and women. Can't you just explain it clearly? Do you like her?"

  I sighed and said, "The key is that I can't explain this matter at all. I don't even know if I like her or not. I already have someone I like, but the relationship with this girl who got hurt because of me makes me feel uncomfortable. It always makes me feel like I'm wronging the person I like. What should I do?"

  Bai Jian's face suddenly turned somewhat pale, "Did that girl you hurt like you?"

  I shook my head blankly and said, "I don't know. When we first met, we were on opposing sides. At the time, I had hurt her to save a friend of mine. Later, her people killed some of mine, and I killed some of hers in return. Back then, I really hated her and wanted revenge against her. One day she came looking for me, and several times tried to harm me. In a moment of anger, I ended up hurting her again. I didn't think she had ever liked me; it seemed like all she felt towards me was hatred."

  Bai Jian was stunned. "It's so complicated, no wonder you're suffering like this. I suggest you go find her once and clarify everything. Maybe it'll be better that way."

  "Will she really listen to me?" I recalled Mo Yue's gaze when she left, and a chill ran down my spine.

  Bai Jian asked: "Why are you so downhearted? What did you do to hurt her that makes it so difficult for you?"

  I looked at her and saw embarrassment all over her face.

  Bai Jian's eyes suddenly widened, and he covered his mouth, saying: "Could it be, could it be that you...you won't..."

  I looked at her astonished expression, knowing she had already guessed it. Since that's the case, I didn't have anything to hide either. I smiled wryly and said: "It's just as you've guessed, I don't even know why I did that back then. Do you think I'm a bad person?"

  Bai Jian's face was full of shock, "You, you really..."

  I nodded firmly, "That's why I'm so miserable, I really feel sorry for her."

  Bai Jian's face had lost all its color, and she pulled out the purple crystal I had given her from her pocket and placed it on the table. She said faintly, "I'm sorry, I don't want your gift anymore. I'll go down first, if you need anything, just call me."

  Bai Jian's actions suddenly gave me a great shock, I knew that in her eyes, I was probably already a despicable and shameless rascal. If even Bai Jian, a girl I had just met, would think this way, then if Zi Yan and the others found out, their reaction would be even stronger. I had no reason to stop Bai Jian from leaving, so I watched as she quickly walked towards the door. When she reached the entrance, Bai Jian suddenly stopped and said with her back to me: "If you've done something wrong, then you should bravely face it and take responsibility for your own actions, otherwise..." She didn't finish speaking before she left.

  I know what she's going to say, otherwise you're not a man. She's right, if I've done something wrong, I should face it bravely. I'll make things clear with Ziyan and Zixue, and I'll also go find Mo Yue. Although I know she hates me, I will take responsibility for my actions. As for Ziyan and the others, all I can do is hope they can forgive me; otherwise, I have no choice but to accept it. The word "love" is really...

  …………

  Demon Clan Imperial Palace.

  "Daughter pays respects to Father Emperor." Mo Yue knelt down and paid homage to Demon Emperor.

  The Demon Emperor laughed and walked down from his throne, helped Mo Yue up, looked her up and down, and said: "My dear daughter, how come you've lost weight? Did you have too much fun this time?"

  Mo Yue's face turned red as she thought of a scene in the forest and scolded, "Dad——"

  The Demon Emperor smiled and said: "Alright, stop being coy. You go back to the palace first, I still have things to discuss with your Uncle Gu."

  "Moon nodded and said, 'Yes, Father.' She turned around and left. The Demon Emperor looked at her departing figure in a daze, this didn't seem like the usual Moon, usually she would cling to him and not let go, why was she being so obedient?"

  The Demon Emperor turned his head and asked Kotobuki: "What's wrong with Yue'er? She seems like a different person."

  Kogawa smiled wryly and said, "I don't know what's going on with her either. The night before we negotiated with the beastmen, Tsukino sneaked out and came back like this. It's my fault for not protecting the princess well, Your Majesty, please punish me."

  The Demon Emperor shook his head and said, "This girl is too crazy, let alone you, I can't even control her. It's okay, as long as she returns safely, that's all that matters. You don't have to be too hard on yourself, you did a great job this time, I'm very satisfied. Did you see the leaders of the Beastmen's side? Are they really as formidable as Suo Chao said?"

  Kogawa nodded heavily and said, "Your Majesty, it seems that the beastman tribe will no longer be under our control. The beastmen who led the sneak attack on us this time were Bimon King Reo and his three sons, Reishou, as well as a two-headed wolfman and a nine-headed serpent man. Except for Bimon King, the others had considerable strength, especially that young man named Reishou. He has a human appearance, and I couldn't see through him. He once joined forces with the nine-headed snake and the two-headed wolf to resist my attack, although he severely injured the nine-headed snake, but I also suffered some injuries."

  The Demon Emperor nodded and said, "So, they all have strength that is no less than that of a fallen angel."

  "Yes, on the surface, the nine-headed snake is the most frightening, but I feel that the greatest threat is actually Bei Meng Wang's third son, Lei Xiang. He always has an unfathomable feeling, and he indeed possesses intelligence no less than that of humans. According to our scouts' reports, this surprise attack was his idea. After the battle ended and they returned to the Beastman Empire, the Beast Emperor surprisingly handed over the position of commander-in-chief of the Beastman army to this youth who is not yet 20 years old. It's imaginable that he must have some extraordinary abilities, and we must make preparations early on."

  The Demon Emperor murmured: "Is it possible to buy this person?"

  Furukawa shook his head and said, "The Beast Emperor took him in as a foster son and appointed him as a close prince to win him over, but it's probably very difficult to buy him off. Moreover, Your Majesty, I found that the princess's power seems to have increased greatly."

  "Really? Moon's power hasn't progressed for a long time, I'll go take a look at her later. As for the beastman matter, let's leave it for now. By the way, younger brother, do you know how I deal with Su Zha?"

  Kogawa smiled and said: "He suffered a defeat this time, but I think you didn't punish him severely. After all, he still has many followers, and it's not the right time to turn against him yet."

  "What you said is right, I didn't heavily punish him, just let him go home and reflect on his actions. At the same time, I took away his military power, he's probably regretting it himself." The Demon Emperor and Kotokawa exchanged a smile, in fact, if it wasn't for Su Zhen being too careless at the beginning, with the 200,000 troops he led, even if they couldn't break through Stanra City, they wouldn't have suffered such heavy losses. It can only be said that he fell into the Demon Emperor's trap.

  The Demon Emperor ordered Kokawa to rest and returned alone to the rear palace to find Mo Yue. He had a dozen children, but only this daughter was so dear to him, although she was very mischievous, the Demon Emperor could always see his beloved queen's shadow in her.

  "Moon, moon." The Demon Emperor walked into Mo Yue's bedroom.

  Mo Yue was sitting on the bed in a daze, her mind constantly recalling the scenes in the forest. She clearly remembered that there was a moment when the meridians in her body seemed to be about to explode, but that person had given her something to eat, and after waking up, she found that her powers had made great progress. Mo Yue's current mood was no less complicated than Lei Xiang's, and even more so. Lei Xiang mainly felt regret and shame, while Mo Yue not only hated him, but also had some strange feelings inside. Even she herself couldn't explain it clearly, Lei Xiang's strong and handsome face lingering in her mind, unable to be shaken off.

  "Dad, how did you come?"

  The Demon Emperor smiled and said: "I've come to see my dear daughter, why are you being so obedient today and staying in your room? This isn't like you, did you get tired from going out this time?"

  Mo Yue shook her head and said, "I'm not tired."

  The Demon Emperor suddenly raised his left hand and grabbed towards Mo Yue's right shoulder. Mo Yue was startled, and her body unconsciously shook strangely, a force emerging from her shoulder that deflected the Demon Emperor's grab to one side. The counterforce made the Demon Emperor's palm feel slightly numb. The Demon Emperor was shocked in his heart, although he had not yet recovered to his four-winged state, but the Tian Mo Decision had already recovered to the sixth level. What seemed like a simple grab had actually sealed off all of Mo Yue's possible evasive routes, but unexpectedly it ended up like this.

  "Moon Ink frowned and said: 'Dad, what are you doing?'"

  The Demon Emperor asked in surprise: "Moon, what level has your Tianmo Decision reached?"

  Mo Yue shook her head and said, "I don't know either, it seems like I've made a lot of progress."

  "Give me your hand, let me take a look." Mo Yue stretched out her left hand, and the Demon Emperor placed three fingers on her pulse, slowly circulating his power to explore Mo Yue's body with dark magic. He found that the dark magic in Mo Yue's body was exceptionally full, not much different from his current state. Her pulse was steady and powerful, and the meridians in her body were wide and resilient, which was clearly a phenomenon of reaching the sixth level boundary. No one understood the Tianmo Decision better than the Demon Emperor, and this cultivation method could only make progress through gradual accumulation. Moreover, after reaching the fifth level, cultivation became extremely difficult. Yet Mo Yue had made a huge leap in just one short month, leaving him utterly astonished.

  The Demon Emperor furrowed his brow and said, "What's going on, Yue'er? Your Tianmo Technique has already reached the middle of the sixth level. How is this possible? Tell Father quickly, have you had some kind of extraordinary encounter? For example, eating some kind of heavenly treasure?"

  Her heart ached as she clearly knew this was the result of her encounter with Lei Xiang. Although he had taken away something precious from her, he also helped her power to progress greatly. This might be a case of gain and loss. How could she put this into words? If she told her father that she was raped by Lei Xiang, he would probably go find him without thinking twice, but now, she didn't want to hurt Lei Xiang anymore. This subtle feeling made her face flush with heat. At this point, she had no choice but to make up a lie. "I... I don't know what happened either. That day, I ran out to play and suddenly felt very tired in a forest, so I fell asleep. When I woke up, it was like this. I checked the forest and didn't find anything unusual."

  Mo Huang's eyes widened in shock, "Could it be, could it be that the Demon God himself came down to the mortal realm to impart his powers to you? Otherwise, it would have been impossible for you to skip the fifth level and directly enter the sixth."

  At that time, Lei Xiang and Mo Yue's yin-yang **produced a huge energy, half of which entered their bodies respectively. Lei Xiang's foundation was much deeper than Mo Yue's, and he was also more awake at the beginning, so he was able to guide the fusion of dark magic power by himself for a period of time, absorbing more than Mo Yue, which is why he broke through to the seventh layer initial stage from the sixth layer boundary. Mo Yue also benefited greatly, relatively speaking, even luckier than Lei Xiang, not only changing his physical quality but also making the dark magic power surge forward and break through to the middle of the sixth layer boundary.

  "Dad, what's wrong with this?"

  The Demon Emperor shook his head and said, "It's not that it's bad, but rather too good. Originally, I was still worried that your physique would be unable to continue cultivating the profound demonic arts, but after this time, the meridians in your body have completely adapted to the dark demonic energy. I believe that you will definitely become the youngest person to break through the sixth layer and reach the Four Wings. When you break through to the Four Wings, Father Emperor will announce you as my successor. I believe that the Demon Clan will surely flourish even more under your hands."

  Mo Yue was shocked: "How can that be, I still have several older brothers, they won't agree."

  The Demon Emperor snorted, saying: "Who let them be so useless? So far, only your older brother has reached the fifth layer of the Tianmo Decision. The others haven't even broken through two wings. How can I entrust the demon clan to them with peace of mind? Don't worry, child, in the imperial family, power is everything. Originally, this throne shouldn't be mine; Su Chou was the eldest son of the previous Demon Emperor. However, when the previous Demon Emperor's body declined, he held a public competition among all the imperial family members who could become fallen angels. The ultimate winner was me, while Su Chou didn't even make it to the top three. That's why I can sit in this position now. This is also why Su Chou has been causing trouble for me but I haven't taken action against him - after all, this throne should be his. In a few more years, I will hold a similar martial competition like the previous Demon Emperor did. Your Uncle Guhe doesn't have much interest in this position, and he's even older than me. Among the younger generation, those who reached the sixth layer are extremely rare. As long as you surpass everyone, no one can say anything. However, for now, you must keep this secret. Later, you will be Daddy's secret weapon."

  "But, Dad, I'm a girl, and there has never been a female Devil Emperor in the history of the demon clan. Besides, my desire for power is not strong, if I take your position, how can I play in the future?"

  The Demon Emperor laughed and said, "Silly girl, isn't this simple? You just need to find a suitable husband from our royal family, and when the time comes, let him become the new Demon Emperor and you can assist him. Just like your Uncle Guhe assisted me. Let me think... who in our royal family is worthy of my dear daughter?" Due to the unique genetics of the demon race, close relatives could marry without affecting future generations. Especially among royalty, they often practiced endogamy to maintain the purity of their bloodline, with no restrictions as long as it wasn't between siblings.

  Mo Yue's small face turned bright red, her heart constantly churning. She thought to herself that she had already lost her precious chastity, who would still want to marry her? Moreover, in the imperial family, there wasn't anyone she found pleasing to the eye. Unconsciously, she compared the young men in the imperial family who could transform with Lei Xiang, and finally discovered that not one of them could compare to that despicable mixed-blood. But she knew that she and Lei Xiang were from different races, and in the past, marriage between the two beast tribes was possible, but now they mutually harbored hatred towards each other. Mo Yue covered her burning face, thinking to herself: How could I think this way? He had raped me back then, and he still has someone he likes. Thinking of this, Mo Yue's heart felt a deep sorrow.

  The Demon Emperor thought his daughter was shy, and laughed: "Silly girl, getting married and having children is a major event in life, don't worry, Dad will definitely find the best one for you."

  "Daddy, I won't get married, I want to stay with you."

  The Demon Emperor's heart warmed, and he said kindly: "How can that be? Father knows you're filial, but girls are supposed to get married. And after you get married, you can still stay by Father's side. Father will definitely make you the happiest person in the world. Father promises you, unless you've taken a liking to someone, otherwise he won't force you. Isn't that alright?"

  Hearing Mo Huang say that, Mo Yue secretly let out a breath of relief and tilted her head to say: "I'll agree to marry him, but I have two conditions."

  "The Demon Emperor, who was interested, said: 'Oh, tell me about it.'"

  Mo Yue snapped her fingers and said: "First, I require him to be around the same age as me." The Demon Emperor smiled and said: "That's easy. What's the next condition?"

  Mò Yuè Dào: "Secondly, I demand that he must have strength equivalent to or above that of a Four-Winged Fallen Angel."

  "What? How is this possible?"

  "What's impossible? If he didn't have great strength, how could he protect me? And if his kung fu isn't even as good as a girl's, how can I bear to marry him?" After saying this, Mo Yue thought to herself: "I wonder if Lei Xiang's skills have improved or not. Ah! Why do I keep thinking of him, what's wrong with me?"

  Mo Yue thoughtfully pondered other things, trying to sweep away Lei Xiang's shadow, but that human face lingered in her mind, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake it off.

  The Demon Emperor rubbed his head and said, "My dear daughter, aren't you giving your father a headache? Where can I find someone like that for you? Not to mention our demon clan doesn't have one, even the Dragon Gods don't have one. Think about it, those few dragon riders are all over 50 years old. Never heard of any new generation of powerful warriors emerging."

  Mo Yue pouted and said, "I don't care, I'll insist on these two conditions, otherwise, I won't get married for the rest of my life." She thought to herself that she was no longer a virgin, so maybe not getting married would be her best choice. Thinking this, Mo Yue's eyes turned red.

  The Demon Emperor couldn't bear to see his daughter cry, so he hastily coaxed her: "Alright, alright, alright, anyway you're still young now, we won't rush it, we won't rush it."

  Mo Yue pouted and nodded, saying: "Then you can't force me, okay?"

  "Of course, didn't Dad just say so? Unless you're willing, otherwise, Dad will absolutely not force you. Let's go, are you hungry? Dad had them prepare your favorite food for you."

  Mo Yue burst into tears and laughed: "Good!" Hugged Mo Huang's arm and walked out.

  …………

  Three months have passed, and Pan Zong and Jin Yin still haven't left the customs. These days, I haven't been idle either. During the day, I cultivate the Crazy God's Fighting Qi, and at night, I cultivate the Heavenly Demon's Decision. The dark magic power in my body has become very full. In these days, I have successfully grasped the dark magic below level 7, and I can also grasp the four-element magic of water, fire, earth, and wind to around level 6. Although I still can't use high-level magic, it has allowed my strength to take a big step forward. However, until now, I haven't experimented with the power of the Four-Winged Transformation. Because every time I think about undergoing the Four-Winged Transformation, I will remember Mo Yue. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have had this second qualitative leap.

  Since that day, Bai Jian has been avoiding me, and I didn't dare to look for her again. We kept a distance between us, as if there was an invisible barrier that couldn't be broken. Even now, I still don't understand why I told her my secret back then. Although she's very smart, without my previous words, she wouldn't have understood it either. Maybe it's because I needed someone to confide in too much. Fortunately, Bai Jian isn't a gossip, although she kept her distance from me, she never revealed the secret, and this became a secret shared between us two.

  "Lei Xiang, your mother is calling you over." Just as I was thinking of her, she appeared, standing at the door of my room. Her voice was still clear and gentle, but it had a sense of distance to it. I lifted my head, looked at her for a moment, and nodded: "I know, I'll go right away."

  Bai Jian nodded at me and turned to leave. I tidied up my clothes and came to my mother's bedroom, gently knocking on the door, "Mom, it's me."

  "Come in." I pushed open the door and walked in, when my mother suddenly shouted: "Look out!" A small water bullet flew towards me, I was shocked, a thin layer of black mist appeared on the surface of my body. When the small water ball entered the black mist, it quietly disappeared.

  "Mother glared at him and said: 'What kind of skill is this? Is it magic?'"

  I smiled and said, "It's magic, mom. Congratulations, you can already use magic." Last time I promised to let Xīn teach Bái Jiàn learn magic, but Jīn Yín went into seclusion, so I had no choice but to write a beginner's magic book myself and give it to my mother, letting her study with her. I didn't give it to her directly because I was afraid she wouldn't accept it. In her heart, maybe I'm a despicable and dirty person. This time my mother called me over, clearly wanting me to show off my accomplishments.

  Mother proudly said: "Mom's comprehension is still okay, I can now use first-level magic of the water system and wind system."

  I walked up to Mother and kissed her on the cheek, saying: "Mother is the smartest person in the world, isn't learning magic quick? It won't take long for you to surpass me."

  "Alright, stop trying to trick me. You know, Bai Jian's talent is even better than yours. She can already use second-level fire magic and first-level magic in other elements. She studies really hard, every day except when she comes here to chat with me and take care of everyone's daily needs, she's almost always practicing."

  "Oh, so she really hopes she can get power now."

  "Probably," his mother nodded. "The White Fox tribe must be bullied often, this child is probably thinking of relying on their own strength to help the tribe become stronger in the future."

  If she had accepted my amethyst, perhaps progress would have been faster. However, I couldn't give it to her now. I didn't want to be rejected again. I knew she wouldn't want it anyway. At this time, Bai Jian walked in with a plate of fruit in her hand. Seeing her come in, I said to my mother, "Mom, you eat the fruit. I'll go back and cultivate. When cultivating magic, it's best to choose only one system, so it's easier to focus and progress will be much faster."

  "Mother nodded and reminded: 'Don't be too impatient with your practice, got it?'"

  "Don't worry, I'll be careful myself."

  "That's good, you can go now. With the sword here to keep me company, I'm fine. Recognizing this daughter is the most delightful thing for me. Now that I have the sword to talk to regularly, I even feel much younger."

  I nodded at Bai Jian and said, "Mother has gotten rid of you."

  Watching me leave, Bai Jian's eyes were somewhat absent-minded. With a mother's intelligence, she naturally caught the abnormality of this moment and smiled: "Recently, you and Xiao Shuang, what's wrong? It seems like something is not quite right. I've accepted you as my daughter, so you two are naturally siblings. That kind of estrangement isn't good. Xiao Shuang has been a lonely child since he was young, and I haven't been able to give him the warmth of a mother..."

  "Your Highness." I had just stepped out of Mother's room when a guard stopped me. "What is it?" I asked.

  "Someone has arrived from the palace and says His Majesty wants to see you."

  "Oh, I see." The Beast King wants to see me. What could it be about? It shouldn't be anything that requires my presence now, right? Could something have happened to Meng Ke? Ever since the Beast King announced that Meng Ke would take over my task of suppressing bandits, he left with a group of people and there's been no news from him until now.

  I changed into a suit of clothes and brought four lion-like guards into the imperial palace. "Father Emperor, you summoned me."

  The Beast Emperor put down the memorial in his hand and said, "You've come so quickly, sit down." Since being appointed as a prince by the Beast Emperor, he had asked me not to be too formal when meeting him. I sat down on the chair beside him and asked, "Your Majesty, what's happened?"

  "The Beast King smiled and said: 'Can't a father come see his son without something happening? What a foolish little boy.'"

  I respectfully said: "It's all my fault, I should come to the palace more often to pay my respects to you."

  "The reason I called you here is that there's indeed something that requires your personal attention. According to our scouts in the Dragon God Empire, a five-colored aurora has been appearing at night recently, as if some treasure is about to emerge. The empire has already sent people to search for the location of the aurora, and the demon tribe has also made moves. Due to their human-like appearance, they have more access to information than us, and they've already dispatched someone to the Dragon God Empire. This proves that there's indeed something attractive to them. So, I want you to go to the Dragon God Empire and see what's causing both the empire and the demon tribe to pay such close attention. I know it's almost impossible to obtain this thing within the empire's borders, but I just want you to take a look. If it's just a gemstone or something similar that won't affect us, then we can ignore it. But if it has any impact, you must find a way to destroy it and prevent them from using it against our tribe. Initially, I didn't want to send you personally, but after some thought, I realized that only you're suitable for this task. So, go ahead."

  I'm suffocating at home, it's better to go out for a trip. Since I'm going to Longshen this time, I can take the opportunity to clear things up with Ziyuan and Zixue. If they can't forgive me, after I send my mother back to the Duke, I won't see them again. They're still young, without my disturbance, maybe they'll have a better choice. Mo Yue is someone I cannot give up on, after completing this task, I will personally go to the Demon Clan. If Mo Yue doesn't forgive me, I'd rather die in her hands. If she forgives me, I will definitely make her my wife. Ba Jian was right, one must take responsibility for their actions. After thinking through where I belong in the future, my heart feels much lighter.