SWDnovel Chapter 81 Choice
Chapter 81 Choice
Zhou Yuanqiang suppressed the turmoil in her heart, her beautiful eyes fixed on Han Xiaoliu, scrutinizing him from head to toe, trying to find a flaw in his face.
Only after confirming that her fellow Daoist appeared calm and unaffected did she bow slightly, her tone sincere yet urgent: "Please enlighten me, fellow Daoist. If there is truly a crisis, Zhou Yuan will certainly not let you waste your breath!"
Han Xiaoliu's lips curled into a playful smile, but his gaze wandered restlessly around Zhou Yuan's voluptuous and alluring figure, landing directly on her back.
Little Wang Ning peeked out with half her head, blinking her clear, big eyes, curiously looking at herself.
Seeing Han Xiaoliu staring intently at his daughter, Zhou Yuan's heart pounded with alarm. She quickly stepped aside to block his view, her tone a mixture of protectiveness and embarrassment: "Fellow Daoist, Ning'er is still a child. If you..."
"Stop, stop, stop! Fellow Daoist, what are you thinking!" Han Xiaoliu quickly waved his hand to interrupt, his face showing an innocent expression of being seriously misunderstood. "I just saw that she has extraordinary talent and a special physique, so I wanted to help her test her constitution! What are you thinking about all day long?"
"Huh? Is that so?" Zhou Yuan was slightly taken aback, her pretty face filled with disbelief. Could it be that she had really judged him by her own petty standards?
"Of course! This young master has always been unmoved by temptation and is very simple-minded!" Han Xiaoliu puffed out his chest, looking righteous and awe-inspiring, as if the aggressive gaze he had just given was not from him at all.
As soon as he finished speaking, Han Xiaoliu flipped his finger, and a shimmering gold card appeared in his palm. He casually waved it at Wang Ning, a playful smile curving his lips.
The little girl was startled by Han Xiaoliu's gaze and instinctively shrank behind her mother, revealing half of her shy little face.
Seeing this, Zhou Yuan's alarm bells rang. She quickly stepped forward and asked urgently, "Fellow Daoist Han still hasn't told me what crisis lies on Kui Xing Island!"
Her beautiful eyes flickered slightly as she pondered to herself: Why is he in such a hurry? Could it be that Ning'er really has a secret, and this unfathomable guy has taken a liking to her? No, this person's identity is unknown, and his origins are even more mysterious. I must not let him achieve his goal so easily!
Zhou Yuan was determined to find out the whole story before making a decision.
Han Xiaoliu slowly put away the golden talisman, his gaze sweeping over the mother and daughter for a moment before he leisurely asked, "Do you know the previous Demon King?"
Zhou Yuan frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then hesitated before saying, "Lei Peng? That level ten demon who once ruled the Chaotic Star Sea demon race? Wasn't he killed by the Star Palace's two saints a hundred years ago?"
Han Xiaoliu did not answer directly, but looked at her meaningfully. His slender fingers tapped lightly on the bed, the tapping sound was particularly clear in the quiet private room, as if it was tapping on Zhou Yuan's tense heartstrings.
"Lei Peng... he's still alive?!"
Zhou Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and the composure she had been trying so hard to maintain instantly cracked.
Her eyes bulged with barely concealed excitement, but as her heart pounded like a drum, a strange chill crept up her spine, turning into a strong sense of crisis that gripped her throat.
She forced down her trembling fingertips, her Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty, her dry lips parted slightly, and finally she asked the question that had been weighing heavily on her heart: "May I ask, Fellow Daoist Han... were any Nascent Soul stage cultivators involved in this matter?"
Upon hearing this, Han Xiaoliu's lips curled into a meaningful smile.
"Lei Peng, come out here! You know what the consequences will be."
He didn't answer directly, but a glint of shrewdness flashed in his seemingly gentle eyes, and then he smiled and waved to the side:
"Come here, Wang Ning, let your uncle give you a check-up."
That laugh, however, exploded in Zhou Yuan's ears like a thunderclap.
Her pupils contracted sharply, and countless thoughts flashed through her mind. "This matter is far too serious, with far-reaching implications. I must return immediately to discuss countermeasures with my husband! Once this matter is settled, my husband and I will personally visit Fellow Daoist Han to express our deepest gratitude!"
Before she finished speaking, she didn't even dare to look at Han Xiaoliu again, afraid that if she stayed for even a second longer, she would reveal her weakness.
She suddenly grabbed her daughter's wrist with such force that she almost lost control, practically dragging Wang Ning around as they walked away.
The hurried departure, with its rapid and disordered steps, seemed less like a rush to return and devise a plan, and more like a desperate attempt to escape Han Xiaoliu's hungry gaze.
"Sigh, even a cooked duck can fly away."
Han Xiaoliu watched Zhou Yuan and her daughter's hurried departure, shook his head helplessly, and then sighed softly.
However, he didn't care too much, since in the cultivation world, cultivators value their primordial spirit and essence more than their lives.
Demonic methods are notoriously unpredictable and difficult to defend against. Those insidious demonic cultivators can often use just a drop of blood, a strand of hair, or even a name to perform evil arts such as remote curses and blood sacrifices to refine souls.
Once caught in this method, at best one's cultivation will be completely destroyed and one's foundation will collapse; at worst one's primordial spirit will be imprisoned and one will never be able to reincarnate.
As a mother, it's only natural for Zhou Yuan to be cautious.
"Never mind," Han Xiaoliu composed himself and pondered to himself, "Anyway, Han Li is also planning to attend the Demon Suppression Ceremony. With him there, that little girl won't be in any danger. If there's an opportunity in the future, we can deal with this matter later."
Since there was no follow-up, my initial interest in watching the beautiful woman dance completely vanished.
Han Xiaoliu turned away listlessly, found a quiet and secluded corner, his spiritual energy fluctuated slightly, and following the hidden spiritual energy channel underground, he disappeared into the ground in an instant.
The atmosphere in the quiet room of the Miaoyin Sect's headquarters was somewhat heavy. Zhou Yuan, pale-faced, told her husband, Wang Heng, everything she had just learned.
"Husband, that Han Xiaoliu said that the former demon king Lei Peng, who was sealed underground on Kui Xing Island, is still alive! Moreover, there may be a Nascent Soul old monster plotting behind this Demon Suppression Ceremony. We must take Ning'er and leave here quickly!" Zhou Yuan's voice still carried a trace of lingering fear as she tightly gripped Wang Heng's sleeve.
Upon hearing this, Wang Heng frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, then shook his head, his tone tinged with disapproval: "Madam, you're letting your concern cloud your judgment. Who is Lei Peng? He's a legendary level ten transformed demon, a former overlord of the demon realm who once dominated the chaotic star sea. The Twin Saints of Tianxing expended immense effort to suppress him beneath the Demon-Suppressing Platform on Kui Xing Island. So many years have passed, how could he possibly still be alive?"
Seeing that Zhou Yuan was about to speak, Wang Heng waved his hand and continued his analysis: "Even if Han Xiaoliu's information is true, and Lei Peng really isn't dead, after being imprisoned for so many years, his demonic power should have been drained by the island's protective formation long ago. Moreover, this is Star Palace territory, and Kui Xing Island is a crucial place where Star Palace displays its authority. Star Palace's control over the inner and outer star seas is beyond doubt. Even if some ignorant Nascent Soul cultivator from the demonic path dares to cause trouble, could they possibly be stronger than the Star Palace's Nascent Soul elders? We only need to observe and wait. If a crisis truly occurs, the Star Palace elders' support will arrive instantly. What danger could there be in our lives?"
Zhou Yuan listened, her delicate brows still furrowed, her eyes filled with hesitation: "But... it's better to believe it's true than not. Han Xiaoliu may act strangely, but he has no reason to deceive us with something like this. What if..."
"There's no 'what if'," Wang Heng interrupted her, his expression resolute. "For this Demon Suppression Ceremony, the Star Palace has widely issued invitations to heroes, and affiliated forces such as the Six Linked Palaces will all be present. As a subordinate of the Star Palace, if our Miaoyin Sect deserts before the ceremony even begins, not only will we lose face, but we will also arouse the suspicion of the Star Palace's stewards. At that point, I'm afraid even without the demonic path taking action, we will have no place to stand in the Chaotic Star Sea."
Seeing her husband's unwavering attitude, Zhou Yuan opened her mouth, but could only sigh helplessly in the end. She knew that Wang Heng would never easily give up this opportunity to show his face in front of the Star Palace for the sake of the Miaoyin Sect's foundation.
After a long silence, Zhou Yuan finally conceded and said softly, "Alright, since my husband has made up his mind, then so be it. But... we'll just show up at the start of the ceremony to fulfill the proper etiquette. Afterwards, I'll find an excuse to say that Ning'er is unwell and take her away from the island for a while. That way, it won't interfere with your important business, and it will also ensure our daughter's safety."
After pondering for a moment, Wang Heng felt that this method was a good compromise, saving face while also considering the substance, so he nodded in agreement: "Very well, then I'll trouble you, Madam. Once the ceremony begins, you should quietly leave with Ning'er. Remember to keep a low profile and avoid attracting attention."