Chapter 68#

Reaping the Harvest#

“He is thinking, why everyone else could recognize you at a glance, but he didn’t,” a weak voice suddenly sounded in his mind, “It’s not his fault. Actually…”

Yin Yuheng was startled, feeling that this voice sounded very familiar, but he couldn’t quite remember it. Before this voice could finish saying what followed “Actually,” Yin Yuheng suddenly raised his hand to cover his head and staggered.

A headache.

In the next instant, Yin Yuheng was immediately pulled into a warm embrace.

Lu Yan called him in panic.

“The soul is unstable, and the spirits are incomplete,” Beside them, Yin Shaozhuo also grabbed Yin Yuheng’s wrist and grit his teeth, “How did it turn out like this!”

How did it turn out like this?

Lu Yan thought in a daze, all because of himself.

Yin Yuheng’s soul was unstable to begin with, so he had been nourishing it in the Demon tribe for a long time. Just now, Yin Yuheng’s face was pale; perhaps using the Biluo Yin had consumed too much spiritual energy and once again injured his soul.

Yin Yuheng’s vision went black, feeling the person holding him trembling, he subconsciously reached out, struggling to grab Lu Yan’s lapel, and murmured: “Lu Yan… don’t…”

Don’t be sad.

Yin Yuheng closed his eyes, his consciousness falling into a deep void. He tried to move his mouth, but had no strength to say the last two words before he completely lost consciousness.

Lu Yan was slightly stunned.

Don’t what? “Don’t touch me”?

Lu Yan’s eyelashes trembled, his heart aching so much it felt numb. He didn’t know whether to move or not, and finally, stiffly, watched as Yin Shaozhuo bent down and carried Yin Yuheng out of his embrace. He stretched out a hand in a daze, but truly didn’t dare to touch the hem of Yin Yuheng’s robe again.

Lu Yan’s fingernails dug into his flesh, not daring to look at Yin Yuheng’s older brother, nor at Yin Yuheng’s eyes. He said with difficulty: “The Golden Crow Divine Fire can nourish the soul, let me try.”

The warmth of the Golden Crow Divine Fire poured into the sea of consciousness. In his daze, Yin Yuheng wanted to call Lu Yan. But his body was too heavy, and he couldn’t open his mouth or make a sound, only allowing his consciousness to gradually blur.

…

Yin Yuheng realized that he seemed to be dreaming again.

The dreams were blurred fragments. Sometimes he was sitting in a small pavilion, and it seemed to be an autumn evening, the ice-blue sky fading its last bit of light. The autumn wind swept the yellowing grass and trees, and heavy frost and dew condensed on the branches and leaves.

Wrapped in a large cloak, he reached out a pair of pale hands to pour tea. Those hands were so slender, as if they would break at a single touch. The layered hems of his robes trailed on the ground, swaying with the wind like a shivering Udumbara flower. Beneath the hems, a fine golden chain was actually wrapped around his ankle, clinking with his occasional movements.

He was very ill, and to describe him as “skin and bones” would not be an exaggeration. The chain on his ankle was still there, and even his range of movement was restricted. But his expression was serene, as if it were no different from usual.

Some people were secretly watching him, whispering in low voices: “It is said that this one was also once a favored son of heaven, but unfortunately now his immortal bones are shattered and his spiritual veins are severed, like a useless person, imprisoned here, truly pitiful.”

“It is said that he went against the heavens to reach such a state.”

“The Golden Crow divine bird executes heaven’s punishment; this person won’t live for much longer.”

The whispers faded away, and the dream continued to change. For a while, Yin Yuheng actually saw Lu Yan’s face. Lu Yan buried his face in his palm and rubbed it gently, so exhausted, somewhat sobbing: “A-Heng, A-Heng… you can’t be so heartless to me.”

Heartless? What heartless? Before Yin Yuheng could figure it out, the next dream fragment arrived in the blink of an eye. He stood on the heights of the Star-Plucking Platform, surrounded by the sea of stars. He heard his own voice:

“The Emperor has entered seclusion, the Demon Emperor has been replaced, and the Demon Lord has secluded himself from the world. No one has ascended for thousands of years. Everyone seeks the immortal path, but what kind of immortal path are they seeking? The vitality of heaven and earth is exhausted; under the heavenly Dao, everyone is but an ant.”

“As the ruler of the people, I should bear the hardship for the Human race.”

Other familiar people would occasionally appear in the dreams. For example, Yin Yuheng, dressed in bright red, kneeling in a pool of blood, watching Li Guanghan leave with his junior brother. Yin Yuheng’s expression was indifferent, yet also like the shock of extreme sadness, and also like he found it ridiculous.

Many, many people flashed by in the dreams. Some Yin Yuheng knew, some he didn’t. Some were fanatically pursuing him, some discarded him like a worn-out shoe, and some tortured and plotted against him as if against an enemy. All kinds of people, bizarre and motley. Yin Yuheng finally subconsciously reached out, grabbed the familiar shadow that flashed before him, and tried to shout:

“Lu Yan!”

In a daze, Yin Yuheng felt himself being pulled into a warm embrace. A familiar call sounded in his ears: “A-Heng.”

A-Heng…

It seemed someone was really calling him, not a dream.

Yin Yuheng subconsciously leaned towards the warm place. He buried himself in that person’s embrace, feeling at ease.

So in an instant, those strange dreams and people all faded away, leaving only a gentle and quiet peace. He calmly allowed himself to fall into a deep sleep; perhaps deep in his consciousness, he knew someone was watching over him, waiting for him to wake up.

…

In the Three Desolate Mountains, Lihu sat in Yin Yuheng’s old residence.

The light sunlight spilled through the window, giving the rice paper on the desk a golden hue. The shadows of the trees outside were mottled, swaying with the wind.

This was originally a small courtyard where no one lived, temporarily used as Yin Yuheng’s residence. Once Yin Yuheng left, it immediately became empty and spacious. Lihu reached out and brushed the surface of the paper, suddenly feeling that the silence around him was so quiet it made him feel cold.

He slowly exhaled and shook his head, feeling it somewhat ridiculous.

The Three Desolate Mountains were located beside the Sun Valley, and the temperature was always warmer than elsewhere. Besides, in this season, how could it be cold?

Perhaps he was thinking of an old friend.

Yin Yuheng used to like sitting by the desk, holding a brush in his slender hand, and sketching on the paper with great interest. Yin Yuheng’s painting skills were average, but he painted seriously. Sometimes he painted landscapes, sometimes flowers and birds, and more often, figures.

Lihu knew who he was painting.

Lihu walked to a wooden rack on the side, took out a scroll, and spread it out on the table. The person in the painting had handsome features and a pair of eyes like stars.

“Lu Yan…”

Lihu curled his lips into a sarcastic smile.

Yin Yuheng had painted so many portraits, and the person in the paintings was always Lu Yan.

“Unfortunately, loving such a person, Brother Bai Heng is destined to be heartbroken.” Lihu tilted his head, his tone having a somewhat eerily excited quality, “I wonder how Chaoge is doing now?”

Had Yin Yuheng followed his instructions and tampered with the Biluo Yin?

Lu Yan must be going insane by now.

“Brother Bai Heng, you must be careful and not let Lu Yan hurt you,” Lihu sighed, “I would be heartbroken.”

Just at this moment, the voice transmission artifact on Lihu flashed, receiving a message from a scout: “There is an anomaly in Chaoge; the Golden Crow is weeping blood.”

This scout was a person the Fox tribe had gone to great lengths to place by Lu Yan’s side. Lihu’s movement paused, his eyes suddenly lit up, knowing that something had happened to Lu Yan.

Brother Bai Heng, you really haven’t let me down. Lihu pushed the scroll on the table aside, watching the Lu Yan in the painting fall to the ground, showing a smile of good spirits.

“The Golden Crow has held the power of the Demon tribe for so long; it’s time to step aside,” Lihu chuckled hoarsely, “If my Fox tribe ascends the throne, I will be the young lord of the Demon tribe, the future Demon Emperor. Brother Bai Heng, at that time I will surely protect you and pamper you, not letting you suffer Lu Yan’s grievances again…”

At that time, will you paint for me as well?

Lihu’s breathing gradually quickened, as if the future, full of flowers and peak honors, was right before his eyes. He looked up, out the window, and thought to himself: according to the plan, it was time to start!

Boom—

Earth-shattering thunder resounded through the Three Desolate Mountains, and the bright sun in the sky was instantly covered by dark clouds, the sky suddenly darkening. A wicked demonic aura began to spread, sweeping across the grass, which withered and snapped; overflowing across the flower branches, ten thousand beauties fell.

“What’s going on, what’s going on?”

“Enemy attack—”

Many demons on the Three Desolate Mountains ran in panic. The array activated automatically, its glow enveloping the entire mountain. But soon, small gaps were torn in the array’s barrier, and one shadow after another rushed through the gaps towards the divine palace.

The surroundings were in chaos. Lihu curled his lips, knowing that his fellow tribesmen had taken the opportunity to strike.

While Lu Yan could not rush back to the Demon tribe, they would first use an artifact to cover the heavenly secrets of the Three Desolate Mountains and destroy its array. Then the tribesmen would rush into the divine palace under the reception of the internal agent and take control of the array’s core…

By the time Lu Yan returned, the Three Desolate Mountains would have been settled. The Fox tribe also had Nine-Tailed Elders at the Soul Transformation stage. Coupled with several tribal allies and the veterans of the Tiger and Azure Dragon tribes who had long been dissatisfied with Lu Yan, wouldn’t they be able to besiege and kill him?

No matter how bright the sun was, there would be a day when it fell.

Lihu pushed open the door, his eyes full of high-spirited pride. The young master smiled faintly and walked towards the high divine palace. He stopped before the palace, looked back at the crumbling array barrier of the Three Desolate Mountains and the fleeing demons. He looked towards the infinitely high distance, complacent and satisfied.

Yet in the dark, there was still a slight, subtle unease in his heart.

He always felt that something had been overlooked… Perhaps he was too nervous and thinking too much. Lihu took a breath, looked around, and suddenly realized something was wrong.

The fight was too easy.

Where was the army of the divine palace, and the guards? Besides Lu Yan, there were also great demons guarding the Three Desolate Mountains. Why were they all nowhere to be seen now?

Lihu became increasingly uneasy. He pursed his lips and was about to use the voice transmission artifact to contact his tribesmen when cold sweat suddenly broke out on his forehead.

In the distance, the array barrier, which had already been cracked with many fissures, had silently restored to its original state!

The array had been restored? How could it be? The internal agent in the divine palace clearly said…

Lihu frowned deeply and turned, wanting to break into the core of the divine palace’s array. But as soon as he stepped into the gate of the divine palace, his whole body went stiff and he was unable to move.

Lihu’s face changed drastically. What was going on? Why was there an extra restriction in the divine palace? What was going on…

In the next moment, a chill brushed past Lihu’s neck. Lihu grit his teeth and slowly turned his head, only to see a girl wearing a goose-yellow dress holding a sword against his neck.

Lihu’s eyes widened: “You…”

“Young Master Lihu, I am truly sorry,” Huangli smiled, “We were supposed to let you all be happy for a while longer, but unfortunately we just received a voice transmission from His Majesty. He is bringing someone back ahead of schedule and doesn’t want anyone to be noisy and disturbing, so we can only reap the harvest early.”

“Reaping the harvest?” Lihu’s voice trembled, reacting intensely. He had a very bad premonition, but he was unwilling to believe it.

Huangli gave him a half-smile: “Young Master Lihu truly thinks your plotting was particularly secret and foolproof? His Majesty intentionally indulged you, just waiting for the right moment.”

“Impossible!” Lihu’s eyes suddenly turned red, “How could it be? There are also the Azure Dragon and White Tiger tribes, and my tribe has allies. Even if you made preparations in advance, you would have to suffer heavy losses to resist—”

Before Lihu could finish, his whole body suddenly shook.

A rift opened in the black clouds in the sky, and dazzling golden light shone upon heaven and earth. Lihu felt an uncontrollable fear rising from the bottom of his heart; it was the innate submission instinct of the Demon tribe towards a superior.

Under the invisible pressure, Lihu couldn’t help but arch his back. From the corner of his eye, he saw that in the distance, the Demon Emperor, whom he was so jealous and envious of, was coming in a hurry, still holding a person in his arms, his movements so careful as if treating a rare treasure.

The other party didn’t even cast an extra glance toward him, only scanning the farce on the Three Desolate Mountains indifferently.

“Wrap it up.”