Chapter 261: The Couple, One Carrying a Pole, the Other a Pot
The woman's clothes had long since fallen into the lake during the battle, leaving her completely naked. Her skin, smooth as silk, was covered in droplets of water. As the cool lake breeze blew, fine goosebumps rose beneath those droplets, accentuating her soft and alluring curves—a scene extremely enticing. A woman lying completely naked on the riverbank, before two young men—this was a very shameful, very awkward situation. Yet her face showed no expression, no trace of such thoughts. Not because of her broken bones, nor the claw tips lodged in her throat, but for another reason.
This assassination had begun too quickly, and ended even faster. The twists and turns in between were so rapid they seemed like no twists at all, as if Chen Changsheng and Zheshou had known everything from the very start. Thus, what followed appeared entirely natural and reasonable... but why? Why could these two human youths see through her scheme? Why couldn't the Peacock Feather pierce Chen Changsheng's skin? Why were these two youths so ruthless and cold, even more so than herself?
The wolf claw was still deep in her throat. She couldn't turn her head, only shift her gaze from Zheshou's face, so close by, to Chen Changsheng's face. The confusion in her eyes grew heavier. Clearly, they were just youths whose childish features hadn't yet faded—how could they possess maturity beyond their years, even cunning?
She couldn't speak, so naturally she couldn't voice these questions, only express them through her eyes. As the victor, seeing such a look, one would usually use a calm tone to sort things out and explain afterward—this was the victor's right and glory. But Chen Changsheng and Zheshou said nothing. They watched the lake's shores, still on alert. Neither was good at explaining, and explanations were meaningless anyway—just a waste of time. Wasting time was murdering life. Moreover, this matter wasn't over.
"Your image of sitting in the lake's center combing your hair was indeed beautiful, but anyone could tell something was wrong. Most crucially, we didn't grasp that Dean Chen, for unknown reasons, had a body stronger than perfect marrow cleansing. The Peacock Feather could pierce the skin of an ordinary Star Gathering cultivator, but not his neck. From that moment, your failure was sealed."
A voice came from the forest by the lake. It was steady, giving a very warm feeling, like an older sister next door explaining to the neighbors how to cook a pot of red-braised meat. Yet Zheshou's expression changed drastically. Staring at the forest's edge, the fingers of his right hand, still embedded in the woman's throat, turned slightly white, ready to strike and kill her at any moment. He seemed tense.
His tension came from the owner of that voice, and even more from the mention of "Peacock Feather," which made him think of someone.
Chen Changsheng knew Zheshou had a natural sensitivity to danger and an unparalleled understanding of the demon race. Naturally, he grew tense as well.
"After they emerged from the lake, Dean Chen used some method to convince that wolf cub to let you make a move, then counterattacked while you were off guard, seizing the initiative and unleashing his speed and power to the fullest. Zheshou lurked behind, waiting for an opportunity to strike... You see, wolves are best at patience, then a fatal blow. You wanted to ambush them, but in truth, they ambushed you."
"Why was that sword so fast, able to cut off your hand directly? Because the true essence attached to it was too abundant. Your demonic charm technique failed; he couldn't be seduced because he had thousands of Daoist scriptures guarding his heart. As for that wolf cub, his eyes have always seen only enemies, with no distinction between men and women."
The voice continued, filled with sincere praise: "Your realm and strength surpass theirs, yet they suppressed you at every turn... Truly remarkable children. Even I feel a hint of fear. No wonder the military advisor deemed them humans who must be killed. If they keep growing, in a few decades, who in Snow Old City will be their match?"
Rustling grass and falling leaves—the woman speaking stepped out from the forest. But she wasn't alone; beside her was a middle-aged man.
The woman had a dignified face, a gentle demeanor, wore plain clothes, and carried a huge iron pot. She walked slowly, speaking without pause, truly like an older sister next door. Even the most cautious person would find it hard to dislike or be overly wary of someone like her.
The middle-aged man had an extremely ordinary face, looked very honest, and remained silent the whole time. On his shoulder, he carried a pole. The pole, made of unknown material, bent to an absurd degree without breaking, proving how heavy the load in his baskets was.
Seeing this pair, Zheshou's pupils contracted sharply. He stomped his feet, stood up extremely quickly, and hid behind Chen Changsheng. Throughout this process, his claws remained deeply embedded in the naked woman's throat. He wasn't using Chen Changsheng as a shield, but to prevent the other party from suddenly snatching her away.
This showed that even though he could kill the woman with a single move, facing this pair, he still lacked confidence that he could keep her from being taken.
Who exactly were this man and woman?
Chen Changsheng looked at the two horns on the middle-aged man's head, and the hand gripping his sword hilt grew slightly damp. Except for the royal family, all adult demons grew a pair of demon horns, which lengthened with age and strength. This middle-aged man's demon horns were so long—just how strong was he?
"Let me introduce ourselves. We are a married couple."
The woman looked at Chen Changsheng with a gentle smile and said softly, "My name is Liu Wan'er, of the Aquarius constellation. I am good at patience, have endurance, and act kindly and carefully. He is my beloved, Teng Xiaoming, of the Taurus constellation. His temperament is a bit slow—to put it nicely, steady. He likes to stay at home all day, really quite unambitious."
Saying "unambitious" as if complaining, but her gaze at the middle-aged man was full of love and admiration.
The middle-aged man smiled honestly and said nothing.
Chen Changsheng watched this couple warily, moving his lips to ask Zheshou behind him in an extremely faint voice, "What Aquarius and Taurus?"
Though his voice was soft, it all reached the ears of the demon woman named Liu Wan'er.
Zheshou's face was somewhat pale as he said, "Connections between star domains form constellations. Demons believe everyone belongs to different star domains, and their fate and character are constrained by them."
Chen Changsheng had never heard this theory before.
Liu Wan'er smiled and said, "Rarity increases value. We see very few stars, so in secular culture, star domains are given more mysterious meanings. In this regard, I've always felt you humans act somewhat improperly—you almost wish this world had no sacred moon."
Chen Changsheng thought that if he hadn't thoroughly read the Daoist scriptures, he too, like most humans on the continent, wouldn't know that at the end of the snowy plains where demons lived, there existed something called the moon.
Liu Wan'er's gaze passed over his shoulder and landed on Zheshou's face. Her smile gradually faded, and she said seriously, "So you're that wolf cub?"
From the corner of his eye, Chen Changsheng noticed Zheshou's face was somewhat pale. He was surprised, wondering who this couple was to elicit such a reaction.
"Twenty-third Demon General, Twenty-fourth Demon General..." Zheshou's voice was hoarse. "How can you enter the Garden of Zhou?"
Among the demons, there was a famous couple. Both husband and wife were Demon Generals, with tyrannical strength and a reputation for extreme cruelty.
They were precisely the pair before them now.
Zheshou had killed many demons over the years, but most of the time, he roamed the snowy plains, hiding for days before ambushing lone demon soldiers.
Demon Generals were not opponents he could defeat.
Even after his sudden surge in strength and breaking through to the Soaring Insight realm, he still didn't hope to defeat this couple.
He didn't understand how such a powerful pair of Demon Generals could enter the Garden of Zhou, which only allowed cultivators of the Soaring Insight realm.
Chen Changsheng hadn't expected this couple to both be Demon Generals.
They wore plain clothes and straw sandals, one carrying a pole, the other a pot. They looked like a young couple selling food, with none of the bearing of demon generals.
Then he noticed that in the baskets the middle-aged man carried was a person—a young woman. Her outer clothes had been removed, leaving her in a white undergarment, but it was quite thick, revealing nothing improper. The woman was beautiful, her eyes tightly shut, her lashes still. She should be unconscious.
Chen Changsheng recalled something. The woman he and Zheshou had gravely wounded, when combing her hair on the lake-center stone, had been wearing the robes of a reclusive Eastern sect... This beautiful woman, unconscious in the pole baskets, should be a female disciple of that Eastern reclusive sect.
The lake and mountains were originally clear and beautiful. The couple seemed very gentle, even honest. Yet with their appearance, the whole world seemed to turn gloomy. Especially the unconscious woman curled in the baskets and the naked woman with Zheshou's claw through her throat—they added a bizarre hue to the scene.
The demon race was favored by heaven. Their bodies were nearly perfect, rarely falling ill. Their meridians were also perfect, allowing them to cultivate various methods. Unlike humans, they absorbed not starlight but a purer form of energy when cultivating. At the same realm, demons were inherently stronger than humans. Moreover, the Demon General couple they faced should be able to crush them in terms of realm.
"Call for help," Zheshou whispered behind him.
Chen Changsheng understood his meaning. They had jumped from the waterfall to find the Sword Pool, and also because they knew Liang Xiaoxiao, Qijian, and Zhuang Huanyu might be inside.
Two against two, they would surely lose. If Liang Xiaoxiao and the other two appeared in time, they might have a chance.
But how to call? Shout loudly at the silent lake and forest for someone to come?
As he seriously pondered this, Zheshou's hand reached over his shoulder and handed him something.
It was the most common signal arrow used by the Great Zhou military, requiring both hands to fire.
Chen Changsheng took the signal arrow and applied slight force.
With a whoosh, a firework scattered across the blue sky, and a very loud sound spread in all directions.
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(Next chapter, I'll try to write it before 8:30.)