Chapter Six: A Bizarre Origin (Part II)

Fuyao sighed softly, her thoughts drifting: those clanspeople who had watched her grow, those sworn sisters she had bonded with, the young men who once courted her—all now held weapons, their eyes fierce and watchful. Their gazes were filled with hatred, fear, loathing, and greed, but not a trace of concern. They all believed she knew the whereabouts of the Nisu treasure, branded her a traitor who had sold it out, and wished to see her dead without mercy.

Why was I born of a Nether Demon? Fuyao’s heart ached deeply, her eyes involuntarily reddening. She shook her head, trying to cast away the unpleasant memories, but the heaviness of despair and helplessness lingered within.

* * * * * * * *

“Miss, you must rest a bit. The battle is imminent; conserving your strength is vital,” Ali’s small eyes watched Fuyao attentively, concern etched in every glance. Seeing her sorrowful expression, he quickly urged her.

Fuyao ignored him, staring blankly into the distance. After a long moment, she asked absentmindedly, “Ali, do you think we can survive and leave this place?”

Ali gazed steadily at her, his voice more resolute than ever before: “Miss, rest assured, I will never let anything happen to you.”

Fuyao smiled bitterly, shaking her head as she rose and walked to Chiyang’s side, looking at Shijun. “By the way, I haven’t thanked you yet. What’s your name?”

“Shijun,” he responded coldly without looking up.

Seeing Fuyao, Shijun couldn’t help but recall her earlier confession about poisoning Chiyang with the ‘Lisan’ toxin. It made him uneasy, but seeing Chiyang unbothered and united in their shared resolve, he suppressed his displeasure for the moment.

Fuyao didn’t notice Shijun’s indifference. She sighed softly, “Chiyang… Sister Chiyang, Brother Shi, thank you both!”

“Don’t you hate me anymore?” Chiyang asked, surprised to hear Fuyao speak kindly to her for the first time.

“We were strangers before, but you risked your life to save me when I was in danger. How could I still hate you now?” Fuyao said softly, sitting beside Chiyang, her expression heavy.

Though stern and aloof, Chiyang’s heart was tender. Hearing this, she sighed, “Forget it. I understand how you feel. The past is past—don’t dwell on it.”

Fuyao frowned. “But I still don’t understand what’s really going on. Can you explain? How did you happen to arrive just as we were selecting a new clan leader?”

Ali remained silent, tidying the leftover supplies while watching Fuyao and Chiyang. A faint look of relief appeared in his eyes.

Chiyang and Shijun had just begun to speak when Fuyao approached, making it difficult to continue. Nearby, the dense crowd of monsters grew thicker, and it was clear that if things escalated, more powerful spirits might be roused, possibly even drawing the attention of Julan. Moreover, Chiyang was severely poisoned and was barely sustaining her energy through the Nether Realm’s draining “Blood Exchange and Soul Transition” technique. Shijun’s cultivation was shallow, with no battle experience, and Fuyao and Ali were even less prepared. If a fight broke out, escaping unscathed was unlikely.

With this in mind, Chiyang sighed inwardly.

That day, in the Nether Emperor’s temple, Youming had said to her: “The Asura (Nether King) has sought me out several times. He never asks for favors, but now I cannot refuse him. You must make this journey, treat it as a formality. Don’t strain yourself. If you bring back anything, that’s good; if not, don’t force it.”

Her heart sank inexplicably—the man she once trusted had grown so formidable that even requests from his loyal subordinates were met with such a detached attitude. Yet, since he spoke to her this way, it showed he still considered her someone to be honest with, which gave Chiyang some comfort.

…But was what I did right or wrong? I didn’t heed his warning seriously and got myself entangled in this mess. He must be furious, hence his disregard for me. Chiyang thought sadly, shaking her head.

* * * * * * * *

Fuyao and Shijun exchanged surprised glances. Given Chiyang’s usual stubborn and strong-willed nature, it was rare to see such vulnerability. Could things truly be that dire?

* * *

Chiyang soon noticed her own strange expression and forced a smile, speaking softly to Fuyao: “Actually… it was your uncle who sent me to find you.”

“Uncle?” Fuyao paused, her icy blue eyes flickering with surprise.

“Yes, his name is Asura. He is the Nether King of the Third Layer of the Nether Realm, the Burning Heart Hell.”

“Then…” Fuyao pondered, “Who is his brother? Where is he now?”

Fuyao’s question was a hesitant attempt to learn about her biological father. Raised by her grandfather, she only knew that both parents had died, and suddenly hearing that her father was from the Nether Realm was hard to accept, hence her awkward inquiry.

Shijun listened curiously, leaning in.

“I’ve never met your father,” Chiyang said frankly, “But I heard he was once the most handsome man in the Nether Realm, with profound cultivation and extraordinary talent… and,” she glanced at Shijun before continuing, “he was once a close friend of the Nether Emperor. But he loved freedom too much and hated being constrained. He often left the Nether Realm to travel, and maybe that’s how he met your mother.”

Fuyao listened quietly, lost in thought. After a while, she suddenly asked, “Did he grow tired of my mother and abandon her?”

“No,” Chiyang replied firmly, “Your parents loved each other deeply and remained devoted. After your mother gave birth to you, she fell ill and died. Your father was heartbroken…”

Hearing that her biological father was not a faithless man, Fuyao sighed softly, the gloom fading from her face. She quickly asked, “Then what happened to him?”

Ali approached gently. “Miss, your father loved you very much, but shortly after your mother’s death, he passed away too.”

“Ali? How do you know this?” Fuyao was astonished.

Ali was silent a moment before replying slowly, “I… I saw them, but I promised to keep their secret. That’s why I hid it all these years. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright.” Fuyao lowered her head, her voice trembling, “So I really am born of a Nether Demon? Grandfather did not lie to me.” She stood listlessly and asked, “How many people like me are there in the Nether Realm?”

Chiyang hesitated, then said gravely, “None.”

“I thought so,” Fuyao whispered, shaking her head as if all her strength had been drained. She walked aside and sat, hugging her knees, lost in thought.

Ali glanced at Chiyang gratefully, standing silently by Fuyao’s side.

* * * * * * * *

“How was her true identity uncovered?” Shijun asked, curious.

Chiyang glanced toward Fuyao and spoke quietly, “When I arrived, they were in the midst of selecting a new clan leader. Fuyao’s grandfather, Elder Tianmu, was the old leader but about to undergo a tribulation, so he relinquished the position. Fuyao was a strong candidate, but for some reason, Elder Tianmu firmly refused to let her be nominated, which caught the attention of Chun Niang, another candidate.”

“Chun Niang was probably nominated by Letu, right?” Shijun laughed.

Chiyang nodded. “Right. You’re quite the guesser. Earlier, you shouted and exposed their relationship. Letu and Chun Niang must hate you to death!” She smiled faintly.

* * *

“I don’t care!” Shijun shrugged carelessly. “So what happened next? Tell me!”

“You’re quite nosy!” Chiyang shook her head.

It turned out that when Chiyang accepted the mission, she and Little Rascal disguised themselves as ordinary beasts and entered the Xuelan Clan, trying to get close to Fuyao to quietly take her out of the demon world.

But Fuyao was completely unaware of her origins, leaving Chiyang at a loss about how to proceed. Just as she fretted, the astute Elder Tianmu saw through their identities. With no choice, she revealed the truth, shocking Tianmu.

Elder Tianmu had long known Fuyao’s real origin. His own daughter had fallen in love with a Nether Realm man and bore a child—how could he not know? But his daughter died young, and the Nether man disappeared. To protect the clan’s reputation and his granddaughter’s safety, he buried the truth and told the clan and Fuyao that his daughter had loved a wandering beast and, against his wishes, they died together, leaving behind an orphan.

The clan respected Elder Tianmu and sympathized with his grief, never questioning the tale’s veracity.

At first, Elder Tianmu was somewhat resentful of Fuyao, but the baby was a proper Xuelan Tree Demon, intelligent, lively, and remarkably adept for her age. She was filial and affectionate toward her grandfather. Their deep blood ties soon turned Tianmu into a doting grandfather, treating her like a treasured jewel, afraid she might suffer even a little.

He thought the secret would remain safe, but during the clan’s leader selection, Tianmu knew that although he was respected, Fuyao was young, frank, and naive. Despite her decent cultivation and some support, nominating her risked envy and exclusion by powerful clanspeople. Chun Niang, with her frequent closeness to Letu and her own ambitions for leadership, was especially dangerous. If Chun Niang targeted Fuyao, it would be bad.

Moreover, Letu strongly backed Chun Niang and had even interfered to push her candidacy, revealing his intentions. If Fuyao became leader and Tianmu left for his tribulation, these two might unite against her. The safety of his beloved granddaughter was at stake. Hence, Elder Tianmu resolutely opposed Fuyao’s nomination.

When Elder Tianmu and Chiyang discussed this at length, Fuyao stormed in, furious and demanding answers. Hearing snippets of their conversation, she had no choice but to confront the truth.

Hearing her origins, Fuyao refused to accept it, suspecting Chiyang and Little Rascal were Nether spies sowing discord. Ignoring Elder Tianmu’s warnings, she impulsively revealed Chiyang’s and others’ identities to the clan, placing Chiyang in grave danger. To protect her, Elder Tianmu arranged for Ali to secretly relocate them to a safer place overnight.

“I see,” Shijun said halfway through, somewhat relieved by Fuyao’s earlier behavior. Anyone would find such news hard to accept. But strangely, when my uncle told me I was part human, part demon, I didn’t react so strongly. Why is that?”

Suddenly, Shijun sensed something amiss but couldn’t pinpoint it.

“Now you understand why I can empathize with her? Of course, my temper isn’t great, and I’ve given her a hard time,” Chiyang smiled faintly.

“I know your temper—you’re tough outside but soft inside,” Shijun chuckled. “Since you and Little Rascal are in hiding, how did you get poisoned? Why are you fleeing with Fuyao? What about her grandfather? What’s his condition now?”

“You’re asking too many questions at once. Which one do you want me to answer first?” Chiyang laughed. “Look around us—enemies everywhere—and you want me to tell stories? You really don’t know when to be careful.”

Fuyao, sitting aside, listened closely to their exchange, her heart heavy.

That day, upon hearing Elder Tianmu’s firm refusal to nominate her, Fuyao had angrily stormed off to her maternal grandfather’s place. There, she unexpectedly saw Chiyang and Little Rascal, who hadn’t yet transformed, overhearing them mention her name.

Then her grandfather revealed that her late father was from the Nether Realm. The arrival of these Nether spies to take her away caught her completely unprepared, igniting a furious rage within her…