Chà Chà Novel

With Xue Yan’s cultivation, he could hardly have been pulled down so easily. But he had not anticipated the Spirit-Locking Ring tightening around his neck again. A choking pressure seized him, and the next instant, the arm around his neck drew him down.

The young man in his arms lifted his face to kiss him. Xue Yan went rigid, yet did not move away. But the kiss never actually touched his lips. Song Liang stopped just beside them, so close that Xue Yan could draw his warm breath into his own mouth. To anyone watching, they were already kissing.

Only belatedly did he lift his eyes, meeting the calm gaze of the person in his arms. He faltered.

They looked at one another for a long moment. Only when Jing Feishuang’s concerned voice sounded behind them did Song Liang release Xue Yan’s neck and hop out of his arms, answering with an untroubled smile:

“I’m fine. I lost my footing, that’s all. Fortunately, Fellow Daoist Song caught me.”

“As long as you’re all right.”

Jing Feishuang did not understand what had happened either. Her attention had been on the other two at the time, and she truly had not noticed how he fell.

What surprised her, however, was Fellow Daoist Song. Despite being so far away, he had reacted even faster than she had, catching the young lord almost instantaneously—as though he had been watching him all along.

“Feishuang, it’s been a long time.”

A melodious female voice sounded nearby. Holy Maiden Yun Yao approached, smiling in greeting.

Jing Feishuang inclined her head.

“It has, Senior Yun.”

“Late Golden Core. Very good.” Yun Yao nodded with a smile. “No wonder your master was willing to accept you despite his solitary nature. You truly are exceptionally gifted.”

“You flatter me, Senior Yun.”

“And this is Xiushui City’s young lord?” Yun Yao asked.

“Zhong Yue,” Song Liang replied.

“Zhong Yue…” Yun Yao smiled wistfully. “Years pass unnoticed in the mountains, and cultivators seldom enter the mortal world. The last time I visited Xiushui City, its young lord was still called Zhong Ying. Your grandfather, I presume?”

Song Liang smiled too.

“So Grandmother has come to visit.”

Yun Yao’s smile stiffened.

“…What?”

Song Liang raised an eyebrow.

“I thought you brought up my grandfather because you were my elusive grandmother. What, you aren’t?”

“Your grandfather and I met only once. I am not your grandmother.” Yun Yao’s smile faded slightly. “I was merely reflecting on the passage of time.”

“Oh, good. Otherwise, I might have thought you were flaunting your superiority as a cultivator.”

“…”

The smile vanished from Yun Yao’s face.

“You are certainly young and presumptuous, Young Lord. Do you know that even your grandfather wouldn’t dare speak to me this way?”

“My grandfather wouldn’t dare charge you an entrance fee either. I still did, didn’t I?”

“…”

Unable to understand why these two were already at daggers drawn upon their first meeting, Jing Feishuang could only change the subject.

“Have you also come to Xiushui City because of the Demon King, Senior Yun?”

A shadow passed over Yun Yao’s face.

“I’m searching for a disciple of my sect. He has been missing for more than seven days. I followed his aura here.”

Jing Feishuang immediately understood, her breath catching slightly.

“You suspect the Demon King is involved?”

“That would be the worst possibility,” Yun Yao replied gravely.

Jing Feishuang fell silent for a moment, then suddenly remembered something.

“You know Fellow Daoist Song as well, Senior?”

“Fellow Daoist Song…” Yun Yao paused, then smiled. “Indeed I do. Our friendship is much like the one I share with your master.”

Jing Feishuang was astonished. As the Tianluo Dharma Sect’s Holy Maiden, Yun Yao associated with renowned figures on the Nine Provinces’ Heavenly Rankings. Clearly, this Fellow Daoist Song was no ordinary person. Yet Jing Feishuang had never even heard of him.

Song Liang glanced at Xue Yan and remarked pointedly:

“You certainly know a lot of people, Fellow Daoist Song.”

Xue Yan gave him an impassive look. When the Spirit-Locking Ring had suddenly tightened around his neck on the rooftop, he had known this person must be nearby. He simply had not expected him to be with his disciple.

“What are you doing here?”

The city lord’s residence had a barrier that kept demons out. Instead of staying safely inside, this person had wandered into the streets—and had even dared to jump from a second-floor balcony. He seemed utterly oblivious to danger.

“Hunting the demon.” Song Liang paused, nudging his shoulder. “And looking for you while I’m at it.”

Xue Yan: “…”

Yun Yao took in their interaction with mixed feelings. She did not believe an immortal venerable would genuinely fall for a mortal without spiritual roots, yet Xue Yan’s response left her vaguely uneasy.

At present, however, she had no attention to spare for that. She wanted only to find her sect’s missing disciple as quickly as possible.

A thread of spiritual energy spilled from her fingertips, becoming a golden butterfly that fluttered through the air.

“This is a spiritual imprint left by my disciple. Three days ago, I followed it to the forest outside Xiushui City. Then I heard about the Demon King and entered the city to search for him.”

“But once inside, the spirit butterfly lost its bearings and began circling through the city. I wonder…” She paused. “Might you know why, Fellow Daoist Song?”

Xue Yan answered without softening his words.

“Your disciple has likely met with misfortune.”

Yun Yao’s expression stiffened. She had suspected as much, but hearing it stated so bluntly was still difficult to accept.

Beside them, Song Liang suddenly asked:

“When you say it circles around, do you mean it stays in one spot, or heads toward one place, then another?”

“The latter,” Yun Yao replied.

Song Liang snapped his fan shut.

“Then it’s simple. The demon probably divided your disciple’s corpse into several pieces and hid them in different places.”

The words were cruel, but Yun Yao still asked:

“What makes you think so? I’ve never heard of demons having such a vicious habit.”

“You find it cruel because you’re human. A demon isn’t. To it, that’s merely food—a hard-won catch. As for why it didn’t do this before, its last meal was dragged away by us when it had only eaten half,” Song Liang said.

They exchanged glances. Xue Yan spoke first.

“We’ll each investigate a separate location. Reconnaissance only—do not alert it. If anything unexpected happens, send word through spiritual energy.”

Yun Yao nodded.

“Then I must trouble you all.”

Jing Feishuang nodded as well, then instinctively turned to Song Liang.

“Come, Young Lord. We’ll head east.”

Song Liang cleared his throat.

“You go ahead. I’ll accompany Fellow Daoist Song.”

Jing Feishuang regarded him silently for a moment.

“Didn’t you ask me to protect you? You even called me your elder sister.”

Xue Yan turned his head to look at the person beside him.

Song Liang acted as though he had noticed nothing.

“I’ve reconsidered. A retainer is still a retainer. I’ve already spent the spirit stones. I can’t let him sulk and refuse to work for no reason. That would be a terrible bargain.”

Jing Feishuang did not expose him. She nodded farewell to the others and left.

Yun Yao glanced at the pair, gave Xue Yan another lingering look, and departed as well.

Only the two of them remained. Xue Yan regarded Song Liang impassively.

“I misunderstood. You’re hardly unafraid of death. On the contrary, you’re very attached to your life.”