Appreciating New Tea with an Inkstone - Chapter 77

As soon as she landed, Ye Qingming drew Bixiao without hesitation. The moment she spun around, dark clouds swirled and churned. As she thrust Bixiao down from midair, a storm-like force swept toward the heavenly soldiers in the sky.

Screams echoed continuously as the soldiers at the front fell one after another, plunging straight into the Underworld Water, where they were reduced to white bones in an instant and sank to the bottom.

“Yanyang, stop hiding! Come out and face me!”

The moment her words fell, a crimson light surged across the sky like an army of thousands, colliding directly with the sweeping dark clouds. The two forces clashed, gathering their spiritual energy. The green demonic aura and fiery celestial energy merged into two opposing skies above the Underworld Water, fiercely contending with each other. The long-dark Underworld Water was suddenly illuminated in stark clarity.

Yanyang was clearly no match for Gu Xiyan. His face turned pale, and he gritted his teeth hard. “Her demon core was shattered! How does she still dare to go all out like this?!”

The wind god had always enjoyed watching Yanyang make a fool of himself, but this time, he had no mind for such things. Without hesitation, he raised his hand, pouring spiritual power into Yanyang’s attack. The originally suppressed fiery celestial energy surged once more, gradually pushing back against the demonic force.

Ye Qingming watched them from a distance, her voice unwavering as it resounded across the sky.

“If you retreat beyond the boundary of the Underworld Water, I will spare you this time. Otherwise, don’t expect to return to the Immortal Realm unscathed today.”

Yanyang’s already flushed face turned even redder with fury. He clenched his teeth and shouted, “Ye Qingming, do you still think you’re the Demon Emperor from a thousand years ago? If you have the guts, let’s fight again!”

Ye Qingming threw her head back in laughter. With her left hand, she struck downward fiercely. Instantly, the two forces of spiritual energy exploded, sending soldiers from both the Demon Realm and the Immortal Realm flying in all directions. The chaotic battlefield that had been entangled in fierce combat was forcibly separated in an instant.

Amidst the surging spiritual shockwave, both the fire god and the wind god instinctively turned away to shield themselves. Only Ye Qingming charged straight through, appearing before the wind god in a flash and delivering a fierce kick!

Although the wind god managed to raise his hand in defense, he was still blasted thirty meters away. The fire god’s eyes widened in shock—Bixiao’s shadow had already reflected in his pupils. In that instant, his pupils contracted sharply!

A bloody mist spread across the sky. A crimson fire dragon roared forth, incinerating every drop of blood in its wake. Yanyang’s face turned deathly pale. He clenched his teeth hard, forcefully swallowing his scream of pain. The veins on his forehead bulged as he let out a suppressed, guttural groan.

The wind god immediately rushed over to seal his wound, stopping the gushing blood. Staring at the woman in green across from them—her lips smeared with traces of blood—his heart trembled uncontrollably. His expression was no better than the fire god’s.

Yanyang’s bloodshot eyes locked onto his severed right arm, now cut off at the shoulder. He roared hoarsely, “Ye Qingming! One day, I will grind your bones to dust! Ahh!”

Ye Qingming glanced at the utterly destroyed barrier and let out a smile. In an indifferent tone, she said, “I warned you—not to expect to return to the Immortal Realm unscathed. Go back and seek Taiyi. If you want to kill me, let him come in person! As for your right hand, I’ll be keeping it.”

For a brief moment, the Demon Realm forces were stunned, but then they erupted into a deafening cheer. “Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!”

Watching as Guiche led his subordinates to drive the heavenly soldiers back across the Underworld Water, Ye Qingming finally exhaled slowly. Yanyang’s strength rivaled that of Jiuying, and his Red Lotus Fire was something no one in the Demon Realm could withstand. Crippling him was the fastest way to end the battle.

As Ye Qingming relaxed her hand from her waist, blood quickly spread across her robes. The combined attack from the wind and fire gods had left wounds that were far from trivial.

Feidan’s expression changed upon seeing this. He hurried forward to support Ye Qingming. “My liege, you—?”

Ye Qingming suppressed her pain and said in a low voice, “Say nothing. Let’s go back.”

***

After they departed, Liuli stood motionless, staring coldly at their retreating figures. A chilling light flickered in her eyes.

Behind her, a gaunt man in gray robes also watched Ye Qingming’s back. His voice carried a tone of mockery and ridicule. “Does it pain you to watch? You’ve spent the past half month exhausting all your efforts, yet you still can’t get close to her. If not for you holding the Bird Clan together, they would’ve turned against her like Jiuying did long ago.”

Liuli’s brows furrowed slightly, a red gleam flashing in her eyes, but it quickly faded back to black. She remained silent.

“You like her, don’t you? Haha. But she’s long been bewitched by Gu Xiyan. Even after discovering she’s the reincarnation of her nemesis, even though she’s the reason the Demon Realm fell into such a state, she still refuses to harm her in the slightest. She won’t give the demon race an explanation. With someone like that in her heart, how could you possibly catch her eye? Love or hate—it doesn’t matter. To her, she will always be Zhuoqing, or perhaps… Gu Xiyan.”

Liuli clenched both hands tightly, her nails digging into her palms. Yet her expression remained impassive.

The man walked forward slowly, an eerie aura swirling around him. His eyes turned completely black, dark energy coiling as he stared straight at Liuli. He chuckled softly and said, “Bring her out. I’ll take care of her for you—no one will stand in your way again.”

Liuli’s expression hardened, but then she hesitated slightly, shaking her head ever so subtly. She would never forget the words Ye Qingming had transmitted to her the day she left.

She is my enemy, not yours! Liuli, listen to me—I am not Zhuoqing. My protection of the Demon Realm isn’t out of mercy; it’s because I owe it a debt! But if you dare to lay a hand on her, you won’t be able to bear the consequences!

The man continued his persuasion, “She’s injured. That woman will be desperate. As long as she comes out, leave the rest to me—no one will ever know how she died. You can finally be at ease.”

A hint of impatience crept into his smile. If this foolish woman wasn’t so useful—if he couldn’t exploit her to do certain things—he would have drained her spiritual energy dry long ago.

After a long silence, Liuli finally nodded. The man’s smile widened in satisfaction. Turning back to the Underworld Water, where the aura of resentment and death billowed skyward, he was filled with delight. If not for this perfect place, how else could he have regained his strength so rapidly? Even the memories he had lost along with his soul were gradually returning. This realm—the Demon Realm that had once sealed and destroyed him—he was back.

“Let’s go, Lady Liuli.”

***

When Taiyi heard that the fire god had lost an arm to Ye Qingming, he abruptly stood up. After freezing for a moment, he suddenly swept all the documents off his desk. Pacing back and forth a few steps, he forcibly suppressed his anger and ordered, “Send the Old Sovereign to the fire god’s palace immediately! Can his arm be retrieved?”

“Your Majesty… his arm fell into the Underworld Water… it’s… it’s gone.”

Taiyi’s face went pale. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly before striding out of Zichen Hall, transforming into a streak of white light that shot straight toward the fire god’s palace.

Outside the palace, the wind god and water god were already there. Unlike their usual bickering, both stood in solemn silence.

Inside, furious roars echoed, mixed with the sound of porcelain shattering. The oppressive heat seeping from the palace made it clear just how enraged its master was.

Taiyi said nothing and walked straight in. It was a long time before the commotion inside finally quieted down, and he slowly stepped back out.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.”

Taiyi waved his hand, signaling them to rise. In a low voice, he said, “I’ve treated his wounds. He’s calmed down for now and is resting. We’ll wait for the Old Sovereign—he will have a solution.”

The wind god muttered, “But the fire god’s right arm contained nearly half of his Red Lotus Fire’s divine power. Now that it’s severed… even if he reforges it after a hundred years, it will never be the same.”

The water god’s expression was also heavy. Though he and the fire god were never on good terms, he had never wished for an outcome like this. Looking up at Taiyi, he finally couldn’t hold back and asked, “Your Majesty… do you truly believe this path is the right one?”

Taiyi’s head snapped up—but then he quickly turned away, refusing to speak.

After a long silence, he clenched his teeth and said, “There is no turning back. She and I are fated for a battle to the death.”

“But you had a choice before! I still don’t understand—why did you treat Divine Lord Zhuoqing that way? And why are you so afraid of Ye Qingming? With Divine Lord Zhuoqing here, Ye Qingming would never truly attack the Immortal Realm. All of this—”

“Xuanming!” Taiyi turned sharply to face him, his expression unreadable—anger, or perhaps helplessness. “Zhuoqing… was never here to protect the Immortal Realm. Do you understand?”

“I don’t understand,” Xuanming said flatly. “Divine Lord Zhuoqing never protected the Immortal Realm, but when has she ever protected the Demon Realm either?”

Taiyi’s expression darkened, his emotions clearly unstable. He clenched his fist tightly, staring at Xuanming, and said each word with emphasis, “Xuanming, I am certain that Zhuoqing will not favor the Immortal Realm, nor will she ever shield the Demon Realm. But whether or not she will protect Ye Qingming… that, I do not dare to be certain of.”

“Your Majesty, you know this—you know that as a god from the primordial chaos, Divine Lord Zhuoqing has never once let anyone down.”

“Xuanming.” The wind god, who had remained silent all this time, finally spoke in a restrained voice. “You weren’t in the Immortal Realm back then, so you don’t know. No matter how powerful Ye Qingming was, under those circumstances, she should have perished. How could she have single-handedly inflicted such heavy wounds on His Majesty and dozens of our Immortal Realm’s high gods and celestial beings?”

Xuanming was stunned for a moment, then his eyes widened in disbelief. He shook his head. “Are you saying… Divine Lord Zhuoqing…”

“If this were to spread, the Immortal Realm would not only lose face, but more importantly, the god whom all the deities of the Immortal Realm revere would be utterly shattered in their eyes.”

It took Xuanming a long time to recover from the shock. Finally, he let out a quiet laugh, murmuring to himself, “So the rumors were true… they were actually true.” He then looked deeply at Taiyi. “So, Your Majesty, this is the real reason you fear and despise the Demon Emperor, isn’t it?”

“Xuanming! I understand your feelings, but I will not tolerate your insolence here!”

The water god remained silent, his face devoid of expression. After a long pause, he bowed and said in a low voice, “Forgive me, Your Majesty. I am exhausted. I will take my leave.”

The wind god, who usually delighted in exposing others’ weaknesses, also remained silent this time. The fire god’s situation had dealt him a heavy blow.

“Your Majesty, we now have no more pieces left to play.”

For a thousand years, he had neglected cultivation, living a carefree and indulgent life in the Immortal Realm. Whenever he saw the water god or the fire god, he would provoke them. Even when speaking of Zhuoqing, his words were laced with sarcasm. But no one knew—his tangled memories tormented him to no end.

He had watched that person fall from divinity. She, like him, like Yanyang, like His Majesty, had gained emotions, desires, and selfishness. He had once thought that a fallen god, one who had lost her divine radiance, would be insignificant to him—even if he destroyed her, it wouldn’t matter. But now, he understood. Even a true god, once they experienced love, could be merciful beyond measure. They loved the world, they loved one person. They protected all beings, and they protected that one person as well.

“Perhaps, from the very beginning, that warning was a mistake,” the wind god muttered.

Taiyi trembled upon hearing this, but in the end, he said nothing and walked away.

***

Meanwhile, in the Demon Realm, Ye Qingming had endured all this time because she didn’t want others to know she was injured. Today’s battle had not been a wise decision, but she had no other choice.

Many in the Demon Realm only acknowledged the clan leaders and the Four Great Demon Kings. It had been too long since anyone remembered her as the Demon Emperor. Though her loyal subordinates remained steadfast, there were always those with ulterior motives growing restless.

She had already offended the Bird Clan because of Gu Xiyan. On top of that, her drunken mistake had cost her the Underworld Water, causing discontent among the Demon Realm’s people. If she couldn’t turn the tide, not only would her reputation suffer, but Gu Xiyan would be seen as an even greater disaster in their eyes. Even though, upon regaining her memories, she had come to resent and blame her, this was something only Ye Qingming herself could settle—she would not allow anyone else to speak ill of Gu Xiyan.

More importantly, she had to return. And she had to end this quickly.

So, despite the immense strain on her spiritual power, she had fought on, sustaining grave injuries to sever Yanyang’s arm and reclaim the Underworld Water. However, despite all her precautions, word of this still leaked out. It did not spread widely within the Demon Realm, but somehow, it reached Gu Xiyan, who was far away in Thousand Leaf Palace.

When Zhijin received the news, she initially hesitated to tell Gu Xiyan. But after witnessing everything that had happened between Gu Xiyan and Ye Qingming over the past few days, she couldn’t help but feel heartache for the both of them.

An outsider sees most clearly. In her eyes, the sovereign clearly couldn’t move past the emotional barrier in her heart. Keeping what had happened that night a secret from Ye Qingming had only made her suffering worse. And when she learned that Ye Qingming was gravely injured, she could no longer hide it from Gu Xiyan.

Gu Xiyan’s expression changed instantly upon hearing the news. She stood up abruptly and asked anxiously, “She’s injured? How bad is it? Is it her demon core?”

Zhijin shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve already sent a message to Lord Guiche to inquire. But from what I heard, Her Majesty hasn’t been able to preside over the Underworld Water for three days now.”

Gu Xiyan recalled how the Demon Realm had been celebrating their successful reclamation of the Underworld Water these past few days, and how Ye Qingming had severed the fire god’s right arm, greatly boosting the army’s morale. She had been happy for her, but she had also feared she was hurt—and now, that fear had come true.

“What about Master Wuyin? Has she gone?”

Zhijin shook her head. “I already checked with the Bird Clan. Master Wuyin left several days ago—she was never there.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Xiyan could no longer sit still. If Ye Qingming’s demon core was damaged, knowing her temperament, she would simply endure it without complaint. But the Demon Realm could not do without her. If this continued, the hard-earned recovery of her demon core might be completely undone.

With this thought in mind, she fumbled her way toward the palace doors. Mujin quickly stepped forward to support her. Gu Xiyan spoke, “Miss Zhijin, please take me to the Underworld Water.”

Mujin and Zhijin exchanged a glance before finally nodding in agreement.

***

As they escorted Gu Xiyan out of Thousand Leaf Palace, Guiche had already received Zhijin’s message. His heart tightened upon reading it, and his brows furrowed deeply. Without hesitation, he turned and headed straight for the main tent.

Ye Qingming’s injuries were not minor. At that moment, she was still channeling energy to heal herself. Hearing Guiche’s voice calling from outside, she opened her eyes and said, “Come in.”

“Your Majesty, take a look.” Guiche didn’t say much and simply handed her the letter.

Ye Qingming’s pupils contracted sharply the moment she read it. She immediately looked up. “Has word gotten out? Does the entire Demon Realm know I’m injured?”

Guiche shook his head slightly in confusion. “I’ve already sealed off the information. No rumors have spread outside. But the fact that Zhijin somehow found out is why I came to inform you immediately.”

Ye Qingming murmured, “Then only Zhijin’s side received the news…”

As soon as she spoke, a sudden realization flashed through her mind. Her expression changed instantly.

“Damn it!”

“Guiche, tighten the defenses against an Immortal Realm counterattack and reinforce the Underworld Water’s barrier—I need to leave for a while!”

Before her voice had even faded, she had already disappeared.

“Your Majesty, your injuries!” Guiche called out urgently, but at this moment, Ye Qingming’s mind was burning with urgency—there was no way she would listen.