Hua Qiyue paid great attention to Tianpi’s words.
After all, Tianpi had said them very seriously and solemnly. He would not lie to her.
He used to be a wicked man, straying into the Devil’s Path and losing his humanity. But now that his devil nature had ebbed away, he was merely an ordinary man who yearned for meat and wine.
But once something happened and he was possessed again by wicked thoughts, he might really harm her.
Yun Shimo and the hare’s fears were not unfounded. But Hua Qiyue did not wish to believe that Tianpi, who had treated her so well, would one day stray into the Devil’s Path again.
“Master, don’t worry. I don’t believe you will stray into the Devil’s Path! Master, you’re the handsomest man in this world in my heart. Only a handsome man with good personality will be remembered forever by the others.”
Hua Qiyue smiled.
Tianpi was stunned. Remembered forever?
That was what he had once believed. But in the end, he became a devil.
Tianpi shut his eyes, trying to recall the distant events of the past. He said no more.
Hua Qiyue did not disturb him. She went to the spiritual pool to cultivate. The anima energy in the pool was 10 times more abundant than that outside. So Hua Qiyue was like a fish in water. She was now at the Great Completeness of Round Sun. She must try her best to break through to the lower level of Holy G.o.d!
Hua Qiyue knew her current situation. There was no way she could reach the lower level of Holy G.o.d so quickly. She would try to unravel the lethal skill Tianpi had taught her, the one which he had created—Sword in Snow.
Sword in Snow. As its name suggested, a person’s anima energy could be condensed into snow. There were thousands of murderous opportunities in the snow.
Hua Qiyue only spent the early afternoon trying to understand the rudiments of the skill. Once she reached the Great Completeness, she would have mastered Sword in Snow.
“Sword in Snow—” Hua Qiyue sat by the pool, saying in a singsong voice softly. Once she enunciated the three words, the anima energy gushing out from her body condensed into snow instantly.
Snow fluttered everything in the sky, dense and manifold. No one could see the s.p.a.ce between the snowflakes. They could not see anything else other than the snow either.
This move could screen the enemy’s sight. Then, Hua Qiyue could act in the dark.
However, there were not yet ten thousand murderous swords in the snow. She could not be said to have succeeded.
Hua Qiyue patiently and slowly groped on, so intoxicated that she forgot about the heavens and the earth.
In Xuanyuan City.
In the mansion of the Murong Family, a man stumbled in. “Trouble, Old Master and Madame!”
The man slumped down on his knees and said, terrified, “Second Miss is back, but she has lost one hand… ”
“What?” Old Master Murong widened his eyes in great shock. He was the head of the family, but the adoption of Hua Mengshi was done in consultation with his wife.
They did not expect Hua Mengshi to get into trouble so soon.
“Bring her in at once!” The Old Madame’s face changed. She bellowed coldly.
Soon, the pale Hua Mengshi walked in, kneeling before her two elders.
“Shi’er!” The Old Madame cried out in great alarm. She staggered out from her seat and helped her up.
“Your… your wrist… ”
Old Madame Murong’s countenance looked ghastly. The rims of her eyes turned red and she had an urge to cry.
Hua Mengshi felt warmth in her heart. She did not expect her adopted mother to treat her so sincerely. She thought about Old Madame Hua. They were really not on the same level!
“Father, Mother… Shi’er has done you wrong. I… I’ve lost face for the Murong Family!”
Hua Mengshi’s beautiful eyes were welling with tears.
“Shi’er, don’t say that. Tell Mother quickly who had been so arrogant and heartless! Our Murong Family will surely make her pay!”
The Old Madame said coldly.
Old Master Murong also nodded. “Yes, Shi’er, you’re now our adopted daughter. In our eyes, you’re all the same. If someone bullies you, our Murong Family will not tolerate that person!”
Hua Mengshi heard her and instantly dissolved into tears.
“Thank you, Mother… If it weren’t for Mother, I would probably be dead… Boohoo!”
Hua Mengshi really managed to squeeze out a few tears. Moreover, her hand had been hacked off by Hua Qiyue and she really felt awful. Her opponent was a woman she had really tried to kill, but no matter how hard she tried to cultivate, to strive to be better, she still could not manage to kill that woman!
She raged. She was hateful and sad—after all, she had lost a hand and was paralyzed. At least in Hua Mengshi’s book, she was always striving after perfection.
However, after her hand had been hacked off, she would no longer be perfect. How could she not feel the pain?
The more she thought, the more of Hua Mengshi’s tears coursed down. Old Madame Murong consoled her and also squeezed out a few old tears. She patted Hua Mengshi’s back and said to her husband, “I say, you’d better take that scroll out from the 11th secret drawer in the library for Mengshi… she ought to be the most suitable candidate!”
Old Master Murong was startled. “The 11th secret drawer. You’re sure, my lady?”
“Of course. Mengshi is our adopted daughter and the most outstanding female in the Murong Family. Why won’t she be suitable? Go quickly!” Old Madame Murong said with heartache.
Old Master Murong hesitated for a moment. As he watched the quietly sobbing Hua Mengshi, he finally walked out to the outside.
Hua Mengshi’s heart was full of curiosity. They were talking about that scroll—what secret art was in there?
She had mastered quite a lot of Murong Family’s secret arts, including one which would shorten her lifespan. That forbidden art made her reach the Great Completeness of Round Sun quickly. She did not expect Hua Qiyue to be at that stage too. What she could not take lying down was the fact that Hua Qiyue had so easily hacked off her hand!
But watching Old Master Murong’s solemn expression, Hua Mengshi could sense that it was a very important scroll. So she still expected much.
Soon, Old Master Murong walked in, his hands really cradling a dark red scroll. “I’ve discussed with the rest. Let’s hand the scroll over to Mengshi. We hope that she can really master this art and glorify our Murong Family.”
Then, Old Master Murong solemnly put the red scroll in Hua Mengshi’s hand.
There were still undried tearstains on Hua Mengshi’s face. She took it with a start. “Dad… what is this… ”
Old Madame gave a light laugh. “Haha, Mengshi, open it and you will see. This is our Murong Family’s treasured secret art. Only one genius had managed to master it over the years. None of the rest has managed it. It’s terribly difficult, but if you succeed, you will have awesome killing prowess… ”
Hua Mengshi immediately unfurled the dark red scroll. On it was written: “The Deity-slaying Dragon Formula.” The rest of its contents totally invigorated Hua Mengshi!
This was an extremely powerful forbidden art from the ancient times. Only one person had managed to master it. None of the others had succeeded. They had even lost half their cultivation prowess in the process.
Hua Mengshi was not afraid to lose half of her cultivation prowess. After all, if she did not kill Hua Qiyue, she would have no purpose in life!
The transformation in Hua Qiyue had directly destroyed her perfection and her future!
She would make Hua Qiyue pay back everything.
“Thank you, Father and Mother! Mengshi… has no way to repay you this debt for life!” Hua Mengshi was so agitated that she slumped down onto her knees. She seemed determined to practice this forbidden art.
“My child, this Deity-slaying Dragon Formula has great inhibitions. You can only use it once every month. Each time you execute it, you will take a month to recover to your former state. Not everyone can master it,” Old Master Murong said in a deep voice.
“Yes, Mengshi, you must consider. We treat you as our own child. At the same time… we don’t want any danger to befall you.” Old Madame Murong grasped Hua Mengshi’s hand tightly, the rims of her eyes turning a little red.
Hua Mengshi sensed their concern and gave a slight smile. She said confidently, “Mother, Father, don’t worry. I’ve learned so many forbidden and secret arts. Has any accident ever befallen me?”
The two elders were startled and recalled Hua Mengshi’s performance over the last year. She indeed had not encountered any accident.
“You’re sure you want to learn it?” Old Master Murong continued to furrow his brows, his heart seemingly not at rest.
“Mengshi, you must know that our Murong Family, although not an ancient clan, is a family of some stature. We always have our supply of geniuses. For the last few hundred years, our disciples were renowned throughout the lands, some even achieving immortality through the ages… But no one was renowned to future generations for mastering this forbidden art… because that genius who had mastered it in the end turned insane. Our Murong Family hid this fact from outsiders.”
On Old Master Murong’s face was immense hopelessness.
The Murong Family thought that the genius would surely win them great honors. After all, the Murong Family was the pre-eminent clan in Yuewu Kingdom. But in Tianyuan Continent, their family was far outshone by many more famous clans.
For some strange reason, that genius ended up insane. His madness caused the entire Murong Family to suffer a big blow.
“Don’t worry, Father and Mother. I will be fine. I shall take my leave first. After I have built up my const.i.tution, I will start practicing the Deity-slaying Dragon Formula.”
On Hua Mengshi’s pale little face was an excited flush. “Father and Mother, this time I will find a good place and seclude myself in cultivation. You don’t need to look for me.”
“Mengshi, why don’t you reside in seclusion at the back mountain of our Murong Family? You will be guarded by our clansmen. No one will disturb you!” Old Master Murong asked curiously.
Hua Mengshi gave a mysterious smile. “I don’t wish to stay in the back mountain. It will give me too much pressure and I shall fail. Father, Mother, don’t you remember that all my previous forbidden art cultivations were done outside?”
“True…” Old Master Murong nodded. “You be careful then. Shall I get a few maidservants to accompany you?”
“No need. I will do well alone. Father, Mother, please take good care of yourselves!”
Hua Mengshi was exceptionally excited. In the dark red scroll in her hand was the hope that she could defeat Hua Qiyue!
Old Master Murong could only allow his men to give Hua Mengshi more cultivation resources, like pills and tools. He gave Hua Mengshi everything that might prove helpful to her.
In the end, Hua Mengshi only took the pills and banknotes. After saying goodbye to the Murong Family, she left Xuanyuan City extremely rapidly.
Old Master Murong stared in the direction where Hua Mengshi had disappeared and gave a light sigh. “Sorry, Shi’er… Although you’re our adopted daughter, we’ve always treated you like our own… ”
Old Madame Murong’s kindly visage was now covered with a frosty iciness. “Don’t be remorseful, Old Master. This girl has evil designs. You think she really wants to do our Murong Family proud? When she has mastered the Deity-slaying Dragon Formula, she will probably not do our bidding.”