183 - Douluo: Martial Spirit Blue Silver Grass

Chapter 183 The sun was scorching, making it impossible to open one's eyes. Jiuying squinted, a faint smile appearing on her lips. The sunlight instantly dispelled the chill around her, making her seem much gentler. She raised her hand and waved to the young girl not far away. Although she didn't say anything, all the care and affection were evident in this small gesture. Fuling hesitated for a moment but finally let go of her shyness and jogged over. The two stood side by side, and it was unclear who initiated it first, but by the time they returned to the ship, their hands, hidden in their sleeves, were already intertwined. Without Sidingyun, the return journey went smoothly. Two days later, they finally returned to the surface. The bone ship belonged to the Lingbao Pavilion, and every time they returned, the pavilion would count the number of people to ensure that no one was lost in the process of capturing the Kun beast. There were ten people at the start of the journey, but only seven returned, with Sidingyun and the demon clan's master-servant pair missing. As previously agreed, the five demon clan members had a unified story: Yuping and Qingtong were killed by Sidingyun on the way there, and as for Sidingyun himself, no one knew how he died in the Underworld Sea, and even his body couldn't be found. All that remained was the blood dart. With a consistent story, the Lingbao Pavilion didn't know how to handle it, so they could only send the blood dart to the Si family. What the Si family would do was beyond their control. After all, everyone who went to the Underworld Sea signed a life-and-death agreement before boarding the bone ship. After everyone left, Fuling released a white dove from her sleeve. Looking closely, the dove was holding a small, tender green bud in its beak, which was the celestial grass, Tianya. Qingtong was the first to revert to human form and quickly began to consider Yuping's future. Although the world was vast, there was only one Tianya. To suppress Ping Tian, even if Yuping hid to the ends of the earth, the four elders of the demon clan would find him. Thinking of this, Qingtong sighed heavily. Jiuying knew what he was worried about, thought for a moment, and offered a feasible suggestion. "Tianya is a celestial grass with no gender. If you want to sever ties with the demon clan completely, the best way is for Yuping to reshape himself into a female. As for you, accompany him in your original form. The four elders of the demon clan won't suspect anything." Yuping opened his eyes just in time to hear this, and his expression immediately became awkward as he hurriedly got up from the ground. "Did you hear that, young master?" Qingtong's expression was also very embarrassed. No wonder they both looked so troubled; Jiuying's words were too shocking for them to accept. Yuping had been conscious for nearly five years, and he had long grown accustomed to his male body. To reshape himself into a woman now was no easy task. "Young master—" Seeing his hesitation, Qingtong couldn't help but sound worried. Yuping looked up at the little demon's face and saw the unease in his expression. Although he didn't want to change his gender, looking at the low-cultivation little demon in front of him, he finally made a quiet decision. Returning to the demon clan would eventually lead to him becoming Ping Tian's meal; if he escaped but was captured again, he would face a dead end. The former would mean his death alone, while the latter would mean death for both Qingtong and him. Since Qingtong was willing to give up everything to follow him, he was also willing to change his identity for Qingtong's sake. He pursed his lips, his expression extremely solemn, and after a long moment, he solemnly nodded, agreeing to Jiuying's suggestion. "Okay." Although he was Tianya, he had never started the path of cultivation. The only reason he could take human form was that the four elders of the demon clan fed him spiritual pills every day. Now, with Fuling's help, reshaping himself would be much easier. When Jiuying and Fuling returned to Guixi City, they were followed by a delicate and charming young lady. The three didn't go to Lingbao Pavilion but instead went to the Yun Yue Tavern. Seeing Jiuying and Fuling, Ning Wanqiu immediately came out from behind the counter. As expected, within half an hour, the news of Sidingyun's death had spread throughout Guixi City, shocking not only the human clan but also unsettling the demon and demon clans. "The Si family will naturally investigate Sidingyun's death, but I don't know who the other two were that the four elders of the demon clan went all out for. I just received news that they are going to the Underworld Sea together next month to retrieve the bodies of the master and servant." Yuping, holding a wine cup, was startled by the news before she could even take a sip. Seeing her so nervous, Ning Wanqiu couldn't help but show a little more concern. "Who is this young lady?" Jiuying was about to answer when Yuping awkwardly smiled. "I'm Jiuying and Fuling's friend. I just arrived in Guixi City today. Please continue; don't mind me." She had lived a pampered life in the demon world, with little interaction with others, giving her an air of innocence and purity. At first glance, she seemed like a sheltered and kind-hearted young lady from a wealthy family. Ning Wanqiu didn't doubt her words, only thinking she was frightened by the reputation of the four elders of the demon clan and showed some sympathy. "If those two were killed by Sidingyun, why haven't the four elders sought revenge from the Si family?" Fuling had been listening, feeling something was off. Ning Wanqiu sighed, her brows furrowing slightly. "Sidingyun is dead. What's the use of seeking revenge on the Si family?" "That is true." "I'm afraid the Si family and the demon clan won't have peace for a while." "..." The four of them were talking at the counter when suddenly, a little fox named Xintao jumped in through the window. Worried about being tracked by the four elders of the demon clan, Qingtong, as a dove, had his demon power sealed by Fuling. He was quietly standing on the window listening to his master's conversation when he was suddenly knocked to the ground by a plump paw. With his demon power sealed, he was just an ordinary dove with no power to resist the fox demon, Xintao. The customers in the tavern laughed at the scene, and by the time Yuping realized what had happened, her dove had almost become the fox's lunch. She was distressed about Qingtong's bald back, but she was also relieved. As a fellow demon, if Xintao couldn't see through Qingtong's true identity, it was unlikely anyone else from the demon clan could either. The three stayed at the tavern for half a day and returned to their shabby courtyard when it was getting dark. Women's clothes weren't as convenient as men's, and Yuping hurriedly loosened her clothes as soon as she returned to her room. She was now a woman and couldn't expose her body as casually as before. Qingtong didn't realize it at first, but when she was only wearing a belly band, he quickly flew out of the window in a panic. The scenery he had just seen was so breathtaking that he didn't notice where he was going, and with a bang, he crashed into an old tree in the courtyard, causing Fuling to laugh out loud. There was no need to hide their identities as there were no outsiders here. The little dove turned back into human form, rubbing his forehead and slowly getting up, blushing all the while. His clumsy and naive demeanor was just like his master. Fuling vaguely guessed why he was blushing, and her smile grew brighter. She was leaning against the door watching, and Jiuying happened to walk out of the room. "What happened?" Startled by the woman's voice, she paused before responding, pointing at the little demon under the old tree and then at Yuping's room. "The young master became a young lady. Look how embarrassed Qingtong is." Embarrassed? Hearing this word, Jiuying raised an eyebrow, recalling the deep kiss from earlier in the day. At that time, Fuling was much more embarrassed than Qingtong was now. She smirked but said nothing, her eyes slightly lowered, her gaze unknowingly landing on the young girl's face beside her. The stare was so obvious that Fuling noticed it in no time. Not knowing why her sweetheart was looking at her like this, she frowned slightly. Before she could ask, the other person chuckled and walked away. By the time she realized what her companion was laughing about, her face was bright red. She, too, remembered that kiss. Feeling guilty about nearly seeing his master's body, Qingtong was lost in thought and didn't even notice someone approaching from behind. It wasn't until Jiuying called out that he snapped back to reality. "Qingtong—" "It's Jiuying, is there something you need?" Jiuying nodded and got straight to the point. "I came to ask you something." Qingtong was momentarily taken aback but quickly understood. "What would you like to know?" "I want to know if the four elders of the demon clan have ever acknowledged Siqi's status?" As Tianya's close servant, Qingtong had heard more than most. He knew the matter Jiuying was asking about very well. Without hiding anything, he shook his head slowly. "Siqi's talent isn't outstanding, and he only caught the attention of the elders after he became acquainted with you, Miss. Before that, they never acknowledged him." "That's all I wanted to know." Jiuying turned and walked away. Qingtong was puzzled by her question. Jiuying noticed his expression but didn't want to explain. Perhaps it was better to let Siqi disappear like this. In the demon world, cultivation was everything. If Siqi didn't return to the Si family and changed his face and identity, he might be able to live a few peaceful years with his heartthrob. After dinner, Jiuying went to Ning Wanqiu's tavern. The more she thought about it, the more something felt wrong. The four elders of the demon clan were Ping Tian's confidants. With Siqi dead, Ping Tian should have been the first to know. But if Yuping didn't know Siqi, and Yuping was fine, did that mean Siqi had never seen the demon elder before? Or was there another reason? This matter had to be discussed in detail with Ning Wanqiu. When the girl in white, who had a bitter expression, saw Jiuying, she immediately knew what she wanted to ask. Just as Jiuying was about to sit down, she pulled a book from the drawer and placed it on the counter. "I've always wondered about the Si family, so I asked my brother to look into it." This was quite unexpected for Jiuying, who had never expected Ning Wanqiu to find out about the Si family. However, she was in no rush to open the book. Instead, she poured two cups of wine and handed one to the white-clad girl before looking at the unassuming booklet. "Did you find anything?" Her tone was calm, and Ning Wanqiu could feel her genuine concern. In the face of Jiuying's smile, she suddenly felt that some truths could not be concealed any longer. Taking a sip of the drink, she nodded slightly. "The four elders of the demon clan were indeed Ping Tian's confidants, but I believe Siqi's matter has nothing to do with the demon elders." With a flick of her finger, she opened the booklet. The faint light from the lantern illuminated the title on the first page: **The Truth About the Blood Demon Temple**. "Blood Demon Temple?" "Yes, the person behind the Blood Demon Temple is Ping Tian." Jiuying, who was reading, was momentarily stunned. To think the demon clan elders would ally with the human clan for their schemes!"I came to ask you something." Qing Tong's expression was one of surprise, but he quickly recovered. "What does Miss want to know?" "I want to know if the Four Elders of the Demon Clan have acknowledged Si Qi’s identity." As Tianya's personal servant, Qing Tong had heard much more about these matters than most people. Naturally, he was well-informed about the issue Jiuying was asking. Without much thought, he gave a definite answer. "No." "The Demon Clan has always revered the strong, and the Four Elders consider this a truth. Otherwise, how could they have loyally awaited the Demon Lord for so many years?" "Although Si Qi is the only bloodline left by the Demon Lord, his lineage is not pure. Not only is his physical condition very poor, but he even lacks a spiritual root. With his talent and strength, how could he possibly attract the attention of the Four Elders?" "Had it not been for the concern about Madam Han’s strength, they would have utterly disregarded Si Qi’s fate." Jiuying, listening to this, soon detected the inconsistency in the explanation. She had thought that the Four Elders helped Han Yan extend Si Qi’s life because they were worried about the Demon Lord’s displeasure if they failed to take care of his bloodline. However, it turned out it was because of Han Yan's strength. Was Han Yan that strong? When the Spiritual Mansion appeared in the world, Jiuying had seen clearly that Han Yan and Si Yiguang entered the same layer, which meant their cultivation levels were not far apart. Si Yiguang was only at the high level of the Perfection Realm, so how powerful could Han Yan be? Jiuying furrowed her brows and was silent for a moment before she responded. "Han Yan’s cultivation level is not even at the Immortal Stage. With the strength of the Four Elders, why should they fear her?" Qing Tong shook his head when he heard this, looking somewhat helpless. "You righteous people have been deceived by her. She is not as simple as she appears. By the way, I heard the Four Elders say she seems to possess an extremely powerful divine artifact. Originally, Si Qi was supposed to die in his mother’s womb, but he managed to survive until now thanks to that treasure." A divine artifact? In an instant, Jiuying recalled the scene of lightning striking Si Qi that she had orchestrated. No wonder he managed to survive. It truly was protected by a divine artifact. With just a few words, Qing Tong had cleared up many of her doubts. There was still so much to investigate about Han Yan. Jiuying pressed her lips together and decided not to pursue the matter further. In the silence, the sound of a door opening nearby caught their attention. They both turned to see Yu Ping walking out of the room in a thin garment. The garment was so sheer that it hung loosely on her body, exposing large areas of her white flesh with nothing to cover it. Qing Tong blushed and quickly turned his head away. After thinking for a moment, he realized something was wrong, lowered his head, and hurriedly pushed her back into the room without saying a word. He then shut the door from the outside. Yu Ping, infuriated, pounded on the door and shouted from inside, but he refused to let her out. "Miss, put on your clothes properly, and Qing Tong will let you out." Miss? Upon hearing these words, Yu Ping’s face instantly turned red. It was at this moment that she truly realized the difference between men and women and that she was now a woman. She bit her lip, feeling too embarrassed to continue banging on the door. Soon, the room fell completely silent. Qing Tong continued to guard the door until Jiuying, accompanied by Fuling, left. Only then did he remember an important detail he hadn’t mentioned. "Miss Jiuying, I just remembered, Han Yan is so strong because she has the rare Three Spiritual Roots!"