The Demon Lord and I: Frenemies - chapter 31

Chapter 31

Everyone looked at each other in confusion, staring at the unfamiliar Female Cultivator, and for a moment, no one spoke.

Fei Wanghuai said coolly, “Is there something you need?”

Seeing their guarded expressions, Qin Huan quickly smiled and said, “Don’t be nervous, I mean no harm. I’ve admired Chu Zaishuang for a long time and wanted to take this opportunity to meet her, to see if she matches the image I have in my mind. Ever since I joined, I’ve heard tales of the Nameless One from Tongtian Tower. Now that I’ve learned her true name, I’m truly curious about the real person.”

Li Jingjie was taken aback. “Admired?”

Qin Huan nodded. “That’s right. May I ask which one of you is the Nameless One? Or rather, Chu Zaishuang?”

“He is.” Chu Zaishuang pointed at Fei Wanghuai, blinking. “You can start admiring him now.”

Fei Wanghuai: “?”

Upon hearing this, Qin Huan looked Fei Wanghuai up and down, her gaze lingering on his Silver Fan and silver accessories. The smile faded from her lips. “So it’s a Male Cultivator.”

Chu Zaishuang was puzzled. “Does it really take that long to tell if he’s male or female just by looking at him?”

Even with his hair tied up, the handsome young man still looked masculine; he shouldn’t have been stared at for so long.

Fei Wanghuai heard her feigned innocence and shot her a warning glance. “Don’t think I didn’t catch what you were trying to insinuate.”

“Sorry, I’m just a bit disappointed. I didn’t expect the Nameless One to be a Male Cultivator.” Qin Huan raised the long whip in her hand, her elegant brows furrowing as she spoke seriously, “Since that’s the case, it’s not admiration anymore. I am Qin Huan, disciple of Wangyue Marsh. May I invite you to the Training Ground for a sparring match?”

Fei Wanghuai raised an eyebrow. “You want to compete with me?”

Lotus Flower Sect disciples are not allowed to fight privately; they can only spar at the Training Ground. Occasionally, personal grudges are settled there.

“Yes.”

“What’s going on? Didn’t you say you admired her?” Li Jingjie exclaimed. “Does admiration mean you have to fight?”

Qin Huan replied leisurely, “I originally thought she was a Female Cultivator and wanted to seek some advice. But since he’s a Male Cultivator, there’s no need.”

Su Hongli asked in confusion, “What’s the difference?”

Qin Huan answered proudly, “Most Male Cultivators are narrow-minded. They only act recklessly and love to fight, unable to help others resolve inner doubts. Other than sparring, they’re not much use. I thought the Nameless One possessed extraordinary talent, with an exceptional temperament like the Sect Leader. But now that I’ve met him, he’s just ordinary.”

Li Jingjie protested, “Senior Sister, I don’t like what you’re saying. Isn’t that a bit biased against Male Cultivators?”

“Sorry, I’m just straightforward, but that’s the truth.” Qin Huan lifted her chin slightly and glanced at Fei Wanghuai again. “Perhaps his cultivation is indeed impressive, but it’s far from what I imagined-not at the level I had in mind.”

Fei Wanghuai was openly challenged. He snapped open his Silver Fan, his smile turning cold. “Shouldn’t you judge my level after we spar?”

“True. Let’s go to the Training Ground now. What do you say?”

“Agreed.”

The tension between them grew instantly.

Seeing the two about to fight, Chu Zaishuang quickly darted over to stop them. “Don’t be impulsive, it’s a misunderstanding. I was joking just now-I’m actually Chu Zaishuang. Spar with me instead!”

But Qin Huan didn’t believe her. She shot Fei Wanghuai a sidelong glance and sneered, “What? Afraid of trouble, so you’re planning to hide behind her and let her fight for you?”

Fei Wanghuai replied, “I don’t recall saying I wanted to switch. Let’s just head to the Training Ground.”

Qin Huan led the way, with Fei Wanghuai following closely behind.

Seeing things take a bad turn, Chu Zaishuang tugged at his sleeve and whispered, “Are you okay? Don’t pretend to be me. Hurry and explain that you’re second place, and let me spar with her.”

She had only been joking earlier, not expecting a real sparring match, and hadn’t planned for him to take the stage.

“You were the one who said I was Chu Zaishuang.” Fei Wanghuai chuckled softly. “Besides, what would you use to spar with her? You don’t even have a Primordial Spirit Flower, let alone any techniques.”

Qin Huan was clearly formidable and not here with good intentions.

“She just said that Female Cultivators only seek advice, while Male Cultivators spar.”

“What if she actually wants advice at the Training Ground? Do you really believe her?” He threatened, “You always say high cultivation is useless. What if you get beaten black and blue?”

“Even if it’s just advice at the Training Ground, I can always admit defeat right away.” Chu Zaishuang said confidently, “Forget it, I won’t argue with you. Let the others prove I’m really myself…”

Fei Wanghuai heard her idea and grabbed her, incredulous. “You just beat me, and now you want to lose to someone else?”

Chu Zaishuang was stunned. “Isn’t it because I beat you that I can lose now?”

Fei Wanghuai: “?”

He laughed instead of getting angry. “If you want to annoy me, just say it. No need to be so roundabout. Why does beating me mean you can lose to her? Are you trying to drive me crazy?”

He had lost to Chu Zaishuang, and if Chu Zaishuang then lost to Qin Huan, he’d be ranked below Qin Huan. The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he felt. He’d rather just spar with Qin Huan himself.
Chu Zaishuang hesitated for a moment, stammering, “Um… Mainly, losing to you makes me unhappy, but losing to others is fine…”

This was how she truly felt. She never had much fighting spirit and wasn’t the type to compare herself to others.

“No, since you beat me, you can’t lose to anyone else.” Fei Wanghuai pursed his lips, displeased. “Otherwise, let me win first, then you can lose to whomever you want outside.”

Chu Zaishuang swung her arm, trying to break free from him. “No way! Didn’t I already say, losing to others is fine, but losing to you is not!”

“You’re doing this on purpose!”

“Heh, you got it right.” Chu Zaishuang shook him off and ran toward Qin Huan ahead, calling loudly, “Senior Sister, Senior Sister, it’s really a misunderstanding. I am Chu Zaishuang. If you don’t believe me, ask the other two…”

“Shuang’er.”

Just then, a stern Male Cultivator not far away, carrying a Sword, walked toward them. He had sword-like brows and starry eyes, and a crescent-shaped badge hung at his waist, identical to the one Qin Huan wore.

Chu Zaishuang said, “Brother.”

Li Jingjie was stunned. “It’s Senior Brother Chu.”

Chu Bingxiao was always elusive. Qin Huan was a bit puzzled to see him, but then heard the Female Cultivator behind her calling out. She turned back in surprise. “Chu Bingxiao, is this your…”

Chu Bingxiao walked up to them, greeted Li Jingjie and the others, then calmly introduced, “This is my younger sister, Chu Zaishuang.”

Chu Zaishuang realized her brother knew Qin Huan, which gave her confidence, and she hurriedly said, “That’s right, it was just a joke earlier. I am Chu Zaishuang.”

“Impossible! The Sect Leader clearly said his daughter was training fire techniques in Mortal Dust Marsh and rarely stayed at Lotus Peak Mountain…” Qin Huan was thunderstruck. She stared at Chu Zaishuang’s face, her voice trembling. “Wait, no wonder she looked familiar at first glance…”

Chu Zaishuang and Chu Chenyue had similar features, but since Qin Huan had heard the Sect Leader’s Daughter wasn’t on the mountain, she hadn’t thought in that direction. It was said the Sect Leader’s Daughter wasn’t skilled at cultivation, and some Elders had never seen her, making her quite mysterious within Lotus Flower Sect.

Qin Huan often handled affairs for the Sect Leader and occasionally heard gossip. Some said the Sect Leader disliked his daughter’s weak cultivation, so he didn’t let her appear in the sect, only accepting his talented son into Wangyue Marsh.

But Qin Huan knew that wasn’t true. When Chu Chenyue spoke of her daughter, she rarely showed a gentle side. However, the daughter she described should be a naïve, sweet rice ball, completely different from the Nameless One who angrily climbed two hundred floors of Tongtian Tower.

Su Hongli was puzzled. “Training fire techniques?”

Fei Wanghuai said, “She means learning to roast duck.”

Chu Bingxiao glanced around, asking, “What are you all doing?”

Li Jingjie complained, “Senior Brother Chu, this Senior Sister suddenly appeared, saying she was looking for the Nameless One and wanted to spar.”

Qin Huan was now dazed, not hearing anyone else. She gazed at Chu Zaishuang, muttering to herself, “It seems like her, but also not…”

The next moment, she suddenly reached out and lightly pinched Chu Zaishuang’s cheek.

Chu Zaishuang was caught off guard by the pinch, feeling the gesture was familiar-just like something her mother loved to do. She was stunned, mumbling, “Senior Sister, what are you doing…”

Qin Huan quickly withdrew her hand, savoring the sensation at her fingertips. Her eyes lit up in amazement. “Just like the Sect Leader said, really like a sweet rice ball!”

Fei Wanghuai witnessed this, his brow twitching as he politely smiled. “Senior Brother Chu, is there something wrong with this Senior Sister?”

He wondered if she had some kind of condition, casually pinching people’s cheeks.

“As long as you don’t mention my mother, she’s basically fine. If you do, she gets especially excited.” Chu Bingxiao said calmly. “Qin Huan, Shuang’er isn’t skilled at cultivation. If you want to spar, I’ll go with you to the Training Ground another day.”

“No need to remind me. I didn’t know the situation earlier, but now of course I won’t spar with her.”

She hadn’t expected the Nameless One to be the Sect Leader’s Daughter, especially since the other’s cultivation was so low, making a match even more unreasonable.

“Those who came to Tongtian Tower will have made the trip for nothing. I’ll go disperse them, and you take them out through the side gate.” Qin Huan pinched Chu Zaishuang’s cheek again, then quietly slipped something into her hand, smiling. “Didn’t expect to meet my junior sister this way. You’re welcome to visit Wangyue Marsh anytime-I can show you around.”

Chu Bingxiao reminded her, “That’s my sister.”

But Qin Huan ignored him. She gripped her long whip and turned to leave, going to drive away the disciples outside who wanted to challenge the Nameless One.

“The disciples outside the tower are just here for the excitement. I only rushed over after hearing the rumors.” Chu Bingxiao said. “Qin Huan is drawing attention at the front, so I’ll take you out through the side gate to avoid being surrounded.”

Chu Zaishuang clutched the item in her hand, curiously asking, “Brother, who exactly is that Senior Sister?”

“Qin Huan is Mother’s personal disciple, cultivating in Wangyue Marsh like me. Her cultivation is quite good, at the Four Leaves Mid Stage.”
Fei Wanghuai listened to her probing words, his gaze falling on her cheek as he questioned, “Why didn’t you dodge just now?”

“Dodge what?”

“She wanted to pinch you, and you just let her? You even let her pinch you twice in a row?”

He had never seen such a slow-witted cultivator-after being ambushed once, she actually made the same mistake again.

Chu Zaishuang touched her face, hesitating, “There wasn’t any danger, so there was no need to dodge. Besides, Senior Sister is pretty, so I don’t really lose out.”

“???”

Li Jingjie clicked his tongue, “After hearing that, I’m full of respect. Only you could say something like that.”

Everyone else was worried the Senior Sister would fight with the top-ranked disciple, but Chu Zaishuang was only thinking about her Senior Sister’s looks.

As Male Cultivators, they truly had limited perspective, unable to match the lofty thoughts of Female Cultivators!

Fei Wanghuai’s expression grew subtle, incredulous, “You’re actually someone who judges by appearances?”

Chu Zaishuang replied, “What did you think? Otherwise, how could I have tolerated you until today?”

“…”

Seeing Fei Wanghuai suddenly at a loss for words, Li Jingjie felt a stabbing pain in his eyes and wailed, “I can only tolerate the two of you until today-”

From the Lecture Hall to entering the sect, he had watched the two interact, and his grievances had piled up for far too long.

Su Hongli reached out to mediate, “Let it go, let it go.”

*

In a quiet corner, Chu Bingxiao escorted the group out of Tongtian Tower. Having previously served as a teaching senior, he asked about everyone’s situation before bidding farewell to the other three, watching them return to their respective sects.

Chu Zaishuang didn’t immediately return to Tingyun Lake, staying behind to chat with her brother for a while.

“You get along well with them. I remember after you went to Mortal Dust Marsh, you rarely interacted with the sect disciples,” Chu Bingxiao said softly.

“Mainly because there was no one else in the sect at that time, and Lu Hewei always seemed off,” Chu Zaishuang lowered her eyes, then quickly changed the subject, “What have you been working on lately, brother?”

Chu Bingxiao glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then admitted, “Helping Mother with some things.”

“A mission?”

“Yes. The sect has been unsettled lately. Some people dislike Father’s arrangements for Mortal Dust Marsh, and there are rumors of Beast Cultivators causing trouble on a remote island, so they’re using the opportunity to stir up trouble.” Chu Bingxiao sighed, “Mother is quite troubled by this right now. If you’re always with Wanghuai, you’d best stay alert too, so you don’t get targeted.”

Fei Wanghuai, being of Charm Clan mixed blood, was actually quite sensitive within the sect.

Su Tingyun and Chu Chenyue used their own spiritual energy to create the main island of Qionglian Twelve Islands within the Chaos. As more High-Level Cultivators joined, the domain of the Twelve Islands gradually expanded, now far beyond the original twelve.

With everyone jointly discussing affairs, disagreements naturally arose-such as whether mortals should occupy the vast Mortal Dust Marsh, or whether Beast Cultivators born of cultivators and Spirit Beasts should be accepted. Ideals were always beautiful, but implementation brought endless troubles, with all sides fighting for their interests, even resorting to various underhanded means.

Chu Zaishuang said, “Father has always accepted Beast Cultivators. So some people want to use Beast Cultivators to cause trouble, and claim his arrangements for Mortal Dust Marsh are unreasonable?”

“That’s right. Fortunately, Mother says it’s controllable and should settle down soon.”

Su Tingyun was indeed highly cultivated, but if he relied solely on force to suppress dissent and forbade others from expressing opinions, Qionglian Twelve Islands would lose its spirit. Yet, allowing open discussion meant that one day he might be attacked by others’ words, and because of his position, he might have to remain silent, willingly becoming the target of all.

Because her parents were leaders, because they agreed to joint management, they had to listen to unpleasant and even unreasonable voices, facing countless baseless and far-fetched criticisms.

Everyone envied Chu Zaishuang’s background, but she sometimes felt exhausted. If she followed the path of her parents or brother, she would have to become a flawless saint-and saints often lived harder lives than villains.

She could already imagine the perilous situation that would arise if her Demon Qi was exposed.

Even if she told her parents, and they kept it secret, they might still feel guilty, and because of their blood connection, be unable to fully devote themselves to managing the islands, instinctively avoiding many affairs. There were already people causing trouble over Beast Cultivators; if the Sect Leader’s Daughter could cultivate demonic arts, it would be a bloody storm.

She couldn’t become her parents’ weakness, nor could she, because of her half Demon Qi Dao Heart, force her family into an impossible situation.

Concealment was the best way. After all, her surface Sea of Consciousness was spiritual energy; her parents didn’t know, so they could manage the islands with peace of mind.

If the world truly saw immortals as good and demons as evil, then as someone half of each, she was indeed a little bad.

She couldn’t be as selfless as her family, but she still hoped for the best for them.