That pair of little dragon horns sprouted from her forehead, less than half a foot long, just big enough to fit in one hand.
Li Jingyu didn’t look at Ji Yutang’s expression, just focused on those adorable dragon horns, her fingertips gliding from the forked tip down until the horns vanished completely.
She withdrew her hand, letting out a sigh full of regret.
Now that she’d shed her Immortal Sect identity, she was free to do as she pleased, bold, dazzling, and dangerous.
The dragon horns were extremely sensitive.
A shiver shot up from Ji Yutang’s tailbone, making her whole body tremble uncontrollably.
When she came back to her senses, her face was flushed red, and she suddenly took a step back, glaring fiercely at Li Jingyu with her watery eyes and blurting out, “You’re not Ran Guzhu! You, you’re—Ran Gutong!” Who else could look like this except for Ran Guzhu’s demon-fallen twin sister? No wonder she only used moon phase and water techniques.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to reveal her true Dao, she simply never visualized the Big Dipper! Her Dao was the “Way of the Moon,” and that Jewel of the Rising Tides was her Life-Bound Artifact! So from the start of the True Dragon Ruins, she’d been by her side? She was a Demon Sect cultivator—what was her goal? Why hadn’t Qin Ruoshui recognized her either? As these questions surfaced, Ji Yutang stared at Li Jingyu, wary and confused, unable to figure out her purpose for the disguise.
From Bailu Academy to the North Sea, she’d never shown mercy to demon cultivators, even taking a few lives herself.
Was it just the usual “sect infighting” among demon cultivators, or did she really want to “turn over a new leaf”?
“Yeah, I’m not,” Li Jingyu replied, her tone light and cheerful.
She didn’t like the name “Ran Gutong”—it was too steeped in Ran Family meaning.
She narrowed her eyes and said, “My name is Li Jingyu.
I told you that a long time ago.”
Ji Yutang: “……” But she hadn’t known about the Ran Family stuff before, and later, seeing this person so righteous, bathed in clear light, with traces of Tai Shang Dao, how could she have thought of her as a demon cultivator? Tense all over, she took another step back, full of caution.
“Why did you pretend to be Ran Guzhu? What’s your goal?”
“I’m a demon cultivator.
Would I really tell you?” Li Jingyu smiled faintly, her gaze lingering on Ji Yutang’s forehead, secretly wishing those dragon horns would pop out again.
Before today, she never knew she’d be so taken with those little forked horns, even though she’d seen Ji Yutang’s dragon form before.
Li Jingyu said “demon cultivator” so openly that Ji Yutang was shaken all over again.
The previous shocks had been too much for her.
So the whole “fiancée” thing was a lie! “Ran Guzhu” was never fickle.
The one who almost swept her into a gentle dream, who made her so conflicted, was Li Jingyu! Would her heart demon become Li Jingyu after today? Did she owe these sisters something? Ji Yutang took a deep breath, realizing her words had been too naive.
Her gaze drifted past Li Jingyu to Earth Mother’s strange face—the turbid evil aura was almost gone, the dislocated features wiped away, leaving only a blank, round face.
No need to guess, it was clearly Li Jingyu’s doing.
She was about to speak when she suddenly sensed a surge of magic power.
She looked back and saw Yan Shouxia, Shen Zao, and the others flying over!
“Junior Sister Ji, Junior Sister Ran—” Yan Shouxia’s worried tone cut off abruptly when she saw Li Jingyu’s aura, now shrouded in killing intent.
Her appearance hadn’t changed, but her presence was completely different.
If before Li Jingyu was elegant and calm, like an orchid in a secluded valley, now she wore black and red robes, a bold stroke left by the Creator.
“What’s going on?” Yan Shouxia landed beside Ji Yutang, frowning at Li Jingyu.
They’d each searched a different direction, but found nothing unusual.
Only after seeing Ji Yutang’s message did they realize she might have taken the right—and dangerous—path.
After some discussion, they turned back to look for her, never expecting to see this scene.
Ji Yutang kept her face stiff, lips pressed tight, but before she could answer, Qin Ruoshui’s incredulous voice exploded in her ear: “You’re not Junior Sister Ran?! You, you’re the witch of Huoxin Palace!” Qin Ruoshui was deeply pained, a heavy shadow falling over his heart.
He was about to question Li Jingyu about Ran Guzhu’s whereabouts when he suddenly jolted.
Now wasn’t the time—Earth Mother—Qin Ruoshui’s mind moved, and his sword light flashed like lightning, slashing at the blank face.
Unlike the flesh mass, this face was like a thin sheet of paper; the sword left a deep gash, and from it, bright red blood seeped out, trickling like a tiny stream.
Earth Mother’s aura… disappeared? Qin Ruoshui stared ahead in shock.
“No need to thank me.
This is my repayment for the Three Light Divine Water you gave me.” Li Jingyu smiled, then stepped forward and whispered in his ear, “Maybe you should go back to Tianshui for a bit.” As she spoke, a layer of moonlight-like radiance shimmered over her, and she shot out of the cavern.
After spending so much time together, even knowing she was a Huoxin Palace demon cultivator, they only became more cautious, not hostile or murderous.
Once Li Jingyu’s figure had completely vanished, everyone snapped out of it and crowded around Ji Yutang, all talking at once, asking what had happened.
“When I got here, I saw her bound by a shadow… No, she was refining Earth Mother’s true body’s power.” Ji Yutang spoke with some difficulty, skipping over her private matters with Li Jingyu and jumping straight to the end.
“After that, you saw what happened.
She’s not Ran Guzhu, but someone else.”
Lin Heng frowned.
“What’s her goal? All this time, she hasn’t done anything against us.
She even killed Tianhai Demon Sect cultivators.”
“Three Light Divine Water.” Qin Ruoshui’s face was grim.
Inside Earth Mother’s true body, he sensed a trace of lingering Three Light Divine Water—it had clearly been planted in advance, which was why the newly born Earth Mother was so weak!
“And the Daode Heavenly Book,” Ji Yutang silently added in her heart.
“She pretended to be Junior Sister Ran, so where is the real Junior Sister Ran?” Qin Ruoshui suddenly asked.
Everyone looked at each other, at a loss.
Ji Yutang’s eyelid twitched, remembering what Li Jingyu said before leaving—go back to Tianshui.
Both the Ji Family and Ran Family were in Tianshui City.
Was she hinting for her to bring the news to the Ran Family? Even though she was a Ran Family woman, things could never go back to how they were.
When Li Qingxun fell to the demonic path, the Ran Family tried to kill her.
Now, with Li Jingyu, they probably wouldn’t show mercy either.
“Let’s get out of here first.” Yan Shouxia glanced at the absent-minded Ji Yutang, a sigh flickering in her eyes.
Shen Zao stepped forward, patted Ji Yutang’s shoulder, and gave her a comforting look.
The “fiancée” she’d spent every day with had suddenly become a “sister-in-law,” and a demon cultivator at that.
It was a huge blow.
She’d thought Yun Chixin’s fall to the demonic path was painful, but clearly, there were people worse off than her.
After Earth Mother’s true body was destroyed, the miles of red earth receded like the tide, quickly vanishing, and the oppressive heat hanging over the city disappeared as well.
Dong’e City was hit by another rainstorm—black clouds pressing down, thunder and lightning, looking terrifying, but for the people, it was a relief.
The rain dripped down in strings, like beads falling.
Ji Yutang stood under the eaves, her face pale in the endless flashes of lightning.
A sudden gust of wind hit her from behind.
She flinched, spun around, and caught the wine jug that was thrown at her.
She met Shen Zao’s disheveled gaze, silent for a long time.
“Let’s have a drink,” Shen Zao said with a grin, breaking the silence first.
Ji Yutang thanked her, lifted the jug, and drank deeply.
She really did need to drown her sorrows in wine, to forget, for a while, all those tangled thoughts.
“What will you do if you run into Li Jingyu again?” Shen Zao asked, staring at Ji Yutang, her tone slow and deliberate.
Ji Yutang’s mind flashed back to that conversation with Shen Zao at the academy.
What had she thought then? Bring her to justice? Righteousness over family? No, she wasn’t even Ran Guzhu, just an imposter.
They weren’t family or friends—what right did she have to worry about her? She lowered her eyes, hiding the gloom in them, and said, “We cultivators live to slay demons and monsters.
If she does evil, she can’t be allowed to live.”
Shen Zao laughed.
“So you think Li Jingyu is innocent right now? She’s not a demon?” Shen Zao crossed her arms, her long eyes glinting with amusement.
Ji Yutang didn’t answer.
“So where are you headed next?” Shen Zao changed the subject, shaking her wine gourd.
“Still planning to be a rogue cultivator? How about joining my Spring and Autumn Heaven Palace?” Last time she’d seen her, Junior Sister Ji had just reached the Mortal Shedding stage, and now she’d already built her foundation, ahead of the others.
She really was a genius at cultivation, but without guidance, she might stray from the right path.
Ji Yutang shook her head.
Her path was different from the Eight Great Immortal Sects, and she didn’t want to be branded a Beihai freak.
She met Shen Zao’s gaze and said softly, “I’m planning to go back to Tianshui for a bit.” She’d been away from home for a while now, and didn’t know how her parents were doing.
As for her business with the Ran Family… it had to be settled.
“I see.” Shen Zao didn’t try to persuade her.
The Ji Family was an Immortal Sect clan, with thousands of books at home.
If Junior Sister Ji went back, it wasn’t like she’d be without guidance.
She’d wanted her to become a real junior sister, but she couldn’t stop her from going home.
After thinking for a while, Shen Zao said, “Junior Sister Ji, while things are still shallow, it’s better to cut the ties.” She paused, then smiled.
“Better than finding out after you’re married that she’s not Ran Guzhu.”
Ji Yutang was startled by Shen Zao’s words, never expecting her senior sister to think that far ahead.
“What nonsense are you spouting?” A cool voice cut in—it was Yan Shouxia, striding back, giving Shen Zao a cold look.
Shen Zao didn’t look back, just snorted, stretched, and walked off.
Yan Shouxia watched her until she was out of sight, then turned to Ji Yutang and said helplessly, “Shen Zao loves to talk nonsense.
Don’t mind her.”
Ji Yutang nodded seriously.
“It’s easy to fall into the demonic path, hard to return to the righteous one.” Yan Shouxia looked at Ji Yutang with a complicated expression.
“Instead of clinging to illusions, it’s better to cut them off now.”
Ji Yutang’s eyelid twitched—she understood what Yan Shouxia meant.
Li Jingyu hadn’t just recently turned to the demonic path; she’d grown up in the Demon Sect, her beliefs aligned with the demonic way.
When Ji Yutang thought about Li Jingyu before, she couldn’t help but make excuses for her, even thinking she wanted to turn to the righteous path—but that was just one possibility among thousands.
She couldn’t take it as truth.
The Demon God Stake matter was over, but with Li Jingyu’s identity exposed, the Ran Guzhu issue followed.
After all, she was the “fiancée” in name.
Ji Yutang forced herself to ignore the discomfort and searched for clues with Qin Ruoshui.
Half a month later, they finally got some news: Ran Guzhu hadn’t gone out to train again, and seemed to have become a prisoner of the Demon Sect.
“How could a disciple of my Taiyuan Palace fall into the hands of demon cultivators?!” Qin Ruoshui’s face was grim.
He turned to Ji Yutang.
“Daoist Friend Ji, I’m going to look for Junior Sister Ran.
Will you come with me?” Half a month was already her “kindness.” Ji Yutang shook her head.
“I’m planning to go back to Tianshui.” Seeing the surprise in Qin Ruoshui’s eyes, she explained, “Daoist Qin, this isn’t just a matter between the righteous and demonic paths—it’s also Ran Family business.”
Qin Ruoshui fell silent, then said, “Alright, we’ll split up.”
Tianshui City.
This was a Fan City, but unlike ordinary cities, it was home to many cultivation clans—the Ji Family and Ran Family among them.
That made it a lively, prosperous place.
After all, anyone you grabbed on the street might be an Immortal Sect cultivator.
Demon Sect disciples wouldn’t be so foolish as to cause trouble here.
The white deer carriage stopped at the city gate.
Ji Yutang lifted the curtain and stepped out, her feet landing on familiar ground, a strange feeling rising in her heart.
She took a deep breath and walked into the crowd.
The shops lined the street, the buildings scattered like stars.
The cries of vendors rang in her ears, seeming both near and far away.
A quarter of an hour later.
Ji Yutang stopped in front of a mansion, her gaze sweeping over two imposing stone lions before landing on the redwood doors.
She stepped forward, her fingers brushing the cold beast-shaped knocker.
She’d been away for almost two years, vowing not to return until she’d achieved the Dao.
Now she’d done it, cultivated the dragon body—would her parents approve of her path? Everyone said her Scattered Spirit Body didn’t deserve the Heart of the Great Dao, some even tried to cut out her heart for that “cultivation prodigy”—those people mocked her, scorned her, hated her.
If they knew she’d come back, what would they do? The harsh, noisy voices echoed in her ears.
Ji Yutang pressed her brow, the Dao book in her Mind Palace flipping, a clear light spreading through her body.
She let out a long breath and whispered, “It’s all in the past.”
Just as she was about to push the door open, it creaked and swung inward.
Ji Yutang bumped right into a very familiar face.
The person across from her was overjoyed, momentarily forgetting what they were doing, and shouted into the house, “The young lady is back!”
“Uncle Ji—” Ji Yutang said helplessly, stepping over the threshold.
“I’ll go find Mother myself.”
The Ji Family residence was in the city, looking much like any other mansion.
But inside, it was a world of its own, a small pocket realm created with great magic, with several spirit veins and a grand formation that turned them into pure spiritual energy.
As soon as she entered, the rich spiritual energy surged over her like a tide.
Ji Yutang’s meridians opened, pure spiritual power coursed through her body, then dispersed.
She was used to absorbing and releasing spiritual energy, her expression calm and composed.
Ignoring the looks from others, she followed her memory to her mother’s courtyard.
Huaizhen Courtyard.
Ning Huaizhen was weaving a magical robe, her spiritual power turning into threads that passed through the radiant fabric, forming an embroidered pattern of a white crane spreading its wings.
Suddenly, she felt uneasy, and the spiritual thread slipped, almost ruining the design.
Rubbing her brow, she put down the robe.
Just as she was about to get up, she suddenly heard the maid’s voice ring out from outside the courtyard.
“Madam, the young miss is back!”
Ning Huaizhen’s eyelid twitched, and she hurriedly rushed outside.
Only when Ji Yutang’s figure came into view did she finally breathe a sigh of relief and say, “So you do remember to come home.”
Ji Yutang replied softly, “Mother.”
Ning Huaizhen let out a cold laugh.
She reached out and tapped Ji Yutang between the brows, saying, “You’ve really grown bold.
The moment you left, you threw away the magical device we use to contact you at home.
Are you really that fearless? The Xuanxiang Pearl can make you a cultivator, but that—” Ning Huaizhen looked Ji Yutang up and down, her voice cutting off abruptly.
After a moment, she pulled Ji Yutang into the house and said sternly, “You’ve built your foundation? No, that’s not spiritual power.
What method did you use?”
Ji Yutang lowered her head, pressed her lips together, and said quietly, “Physical strength.”
Ning Huaizhen was shocked when she heard that.
She stared at Ji Yutang in disbelief and asked, “What did you say?”
“I practiced the physical strength cultivation method, the True Dragon Transformation Scripture.” Ji Yutang repeated, kneeling down in front of Ning Huaizhen.
She continued, “If I didn’t cultivate physical strength, I’d never be able to step onto the path of cultivation.
Even with your and father’s help, I’d only be able to extend my life by a hundred years at most.
But with physical strength, it’s different.
Even if I reach the Heaven and Man realm and become one with the world, that’s at least several thousand years away.” She snuck a glance at Ning Huaizhen’s dazed expression and added, “I just want to stay by your and father’s side!”
Ning Huaizhen didn’t speak for a long time.
When Ji Yutang looked up, she saw her mother in tears, and panic rose in her heart.
She said helplessly, “Did I say something wrong?”
“No, you didn’t.
The one at fault is me.” Ning Huaizhen pulled Ji Yutang into her arms. She’d been injured while pregnant, and maybe it was then that Xiao Tang’s spiritual roots were damaged, resulting in the Scattered Spirit Body.
Ji Yutang shook her head.
“No, no one is at fault.” Not wanting her mother to be sad, she quickly changed the subject.
“I came back this time for something important.
It’s about Uncle Ran.”
Ning Huaizhen said, “Hmm?”
Facing her birth mother, Ji Yutang had nothing to hide and recounted everything that had happened during her training.
She looked at Ning Huaizhen seriously and said, “Mother, the one I met was that older sister from the Ran Family, and as for Ran Guzhu—she’s probably been imprisoned.”
“How could that be?” Ning Huaizhen said in surprise.
She knew all about the Ran Family’s mess.
At this point, she couldn’t afford to be sad anymore.
After thinking for a while, she said, “Not long ago, your Aunt Wang even received a letter from Guzhu, asking about the whereabouts of the Three Light Divine Water.”
When Ji Yutang heard “Three Light Divine Water,” she immediately understood.
She said, “That must have been forged by Ran Gutong.
Demon Sect cultivators are very skilled at that sort of thing.
Now the Three Light Divine Water has already fallen into Ran Gutong’s hands.”
Ning Huaizhen said seriously, “We need to let the Ran Family know about this as soon as possible.”
Ji Yutang agreed, then added, “Mother, there’s one more thing.
Since Ran Guzhu looks down on me, I don’t want to be with her either.
Let’s just call off the marriage with the Ran Family.”
Ning Huaizhen was taken aback, a troubled look appearing on her face.
“Call off the marriage?” A clear voice came from inside the house, and Ji Mingcheng strode in with his hands behind his back.
He still looked as young as ever, with a tall crown and wide belt, handsome and elegant.
Seeing both her parents there, Ji Yutang repeated, “I don’t want to marry Ran Guzhu.
I’ve thought it through.
She has her own path to greatness, and I have my own way.”
Ji Mingcheng frowned at her words and said gently, “I’m afraid that’s not possible.”
Ji Yutang was puzzled.
“Why not? Is it because the Ran Family won’t agree? Neither Ran Guzhu nor I want this, can’t we just break it off?”
Ji Mingcheng scratched his head and gave an awkward smile.
“Before you were born, your uncle from the Ran Family and I made a vow before the Supreme Dao Ancestor.
The Supreme Dao Ancestor was the witness.
If we break the oath, we’ll both suffer the consequences.”
Ji Yutang was silent for a long time before she muttered, “Back then, you didn’t even know if the children would be boys or girls, or how many there would be.”
Hearing this, Ning Huaizhen got angry too.
She shot Ji Mingcheng a glare and complained, “Ran Jingri predicted ours would be a boy and the Ran Family’s would be a girl, but look how that turned out.
Not a single prediction was right.”
Ji Mingcheng said, “The fate of heaven changed, and we couldn’t control that.” He had no idea the heavenly secrets had been obscured, that the son he expected turned out to be a daughter, and the Ran Family had twins.
But since they’d sworn before the Supreme Dao Ancestor, they had no choice but to go through with it.
Seeing Ji Yutang’s incredulous expression, he added, “Hey, since you know now, I’ll just tell you straight.
The Ran Family had twins.
The original engagement was with the older one, but for some reason, Junior Sister Li insisted on switching.
Then, when she was five, something happened on Li’s side, and that girl fell into the demonic path, was taken by the demon cultivators of Huoxin Palace, and in the end, only Guzhu was left.
Who could have guessed she’d turn out like this?”
Ji Yutang was speechless.
It was absurd and ridiculous.
The Supreme Dao Ancestor wasn’t even in charge of marriages, so why did they have to swear an oath about this in front of him? Was she really going to be tied to Ran Guzhu for life? How could she accept that? Taking a deep breath, she said coldly, “If Ran Guzhu were to die—”
Ji Mingcheng thought for a moment and said, “That girl’s luck is strong.
Maybe a wedding could even cure your Scattered Spirit Body.”
