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Translator: Fate
Translation Checker: Silavin
Devil Mountain was not a specific territory. Instead, it was made up of many dilapidated universes and ancient worlds. It was a place filled with miasma and Demonic Fog.
Over the years, many Demons, including those from ancient times, gathered at Devil Mountain.
Some of the notorious Demon Leaders who used to roam the world also pledged their allegiance to Devil Mountain and submitted themselves to the Demoness in Red.
In the present Upper Realm, Devil Mountain was one of the most powerful Forces aside from the Divine Empire.
There were even rumours which claimed that Devil Mountain was intrinsically connected to Gu Changge, the Lord of the Divine Empire, for he was once the Lord of All Demons.
Furthermore, Chan Hongyi, Master of Devil Mountain, was Gu Changge’s disciple, but for some reason, they had a rift and did not see eye to eye.
Nevertheless, this did not affect Devil Mountain’s standing as a Force that could stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of the Gu Family and the Unrivalled Celestial Dynasty of the Upper Realm.
And now, a storm seemed to stir as Tao Yao made her way into Devil Mountain. Demonic Clouds rolled as Chaos Mist swirled around the peaks and silhouettes emerged.
However, these silhouettes seemed to have been given orders. The moment they spotted Tao Yao, they silently vanished once more.
Tao Yao was calm and unperturbed as she walked into the depths of Devil Mountain at a normal pace. The surging Demonic Clouds parted before her to reveal a long path upwards.
Deep within Devil Mountain stood a somewhat desolate-looking summit that was not very high up.
There was a simple cottage and a clear pond made of rock. Demonic Energy swirled all around, but the surroundings were peaceful and tranquil.
A figure in red sat at the peak of the mountain. She was an exceptional beauty with flawless features and her face, the size of a palm, was home to a pair of willowy brows and dark eyes. She even had a seductive mole right beneath one of her eyes.
She watched as Tao Yao came over. All of a sudden, she smiled.
It was a breathtaking smile that could wreak havoc on the world and overturn all of society. It was hard to describe the smile in words. Even daylight seemed brighter because of it.
“Long time no see, my old friend.”
Chan Hongyi stared at Tao Yao with a captivating smile. She seemed more like the Demoness while Tao Yao exuded an air of divine holiness.
“Indeed. It has been a long time. I never thought I would be the one coming to see you in the end,” Tao Yao said softly as she settled on the summit.
As she took in the familiar surroundings, she fell into silence with a complicated expression.
Although Chan Hongyi deeply resented Gu Changge, that was not enough to hide her obsession of him. Otherwise, this summit would not be made to look exactly like the one from the past.
“I didn’t think you’d come and see me.” Chan Hongyi spoke up with a smile. She seemed serene. Her eyes were devoid of past hostilities.
She sat on the mountain’s peak. There was a simple stone table and stood beside her, as well as a peach tree sapling.
“Are you… mimicking him?” Tao Yao could not help but sigh inwardly when she noticed Chan Hongyi’s actions, expression, and seated location. She felt as if Chan Hongyi had been truly possessed.
“Perhaps I am. This… is the only way for me to feel his presence, as if I once had him…” Chan Hongyi was still smiling faintly, but her smile had become even more bewitching. She did not deny her actions.
Naturally, there was no reason for her to hide anything from her old friend, Tao Yao. The two once knew everything there was to know about each other.
“You are indeed possessed.” Tao Yao stared at Chan Hongyi in a daze. In her eyes, Chan Hongyi seemed to show some resemblance to Gu Changge.
“I’m the Demoness in Red, aren’t I? So what if I’m possessed?” Even so, Chan Hongyi simply shook her head and responded with a smile.
Tao Yao did not know what to say. She found it hard to connect the current Chan Hongyi before her to the brave and innocent young woman in red that she remembered.
“How long have you been like this?” After a moment of silence, Tao Yao asked a question.
Chan Hongyi did not respond right away. She seemed to fall into a daze.
[How long have I been like this? Does she mean how long I’ve been possessed? Or, how long have I been sitting here on this summit, completely removed from everything else?] Chan Hongyi could not remember clearly either. Right now, her memories would turn hazy sometimes. At times, she had full clarity, but at times, she felt as if she had gone back in time to her youth…
She had both moments of clarity and confusion. Many scenes overlapped. At times, she could not even determine how much time had passed.
“Perhaps I’ve been this way for several centuries…” Chan Hongyi responded softly. Her smile faded and her features appeared even more gaunt. She looked like a flower at the beginning of a storm, giving off a chilly aura.
“Several centuries? So, from the day he got married?” Tao Yao fell silent. She was unsurprised by this.
Chan Hongyi did not respond. She uncrossed her legs and switched to a more comfortable position. Then, with a wave of her hand, a pot of hot tea materialised on the stone table beside her.
“Do make yourself comfortable. It’s a meeting between old friends, but I don’t have any tea of fine quality to offer you. ” Chan Hongyi hugged her knees and rested her chin on them. She seemed to be staring at something.
Tao Yao sat on the stone stool and poured herself a cup of tea before remarking, “Stop staring. Instead of just staring from a distance, why don’t you head over there and ask him yourself?”
Chan Hongyi withdrew her gaze and waved a hand to bring over the cup of tea Tao Yao had poured.
“Ask about what?” Her eyes were unfocused as she stared into the cup. A few dried peach blossom petals floated in the swirling tea.
“Ask for a reason. Ask to find the answer you desire.” Tao Yao blew at her tea.
All of a sudden, Chan Hongyi laughed mockingly.
“Even if I do that, so what? Does the reason or answer still matter anymore?” Chan Hongyi questioned back.
Tao Yao glanced indifferently at her and replied. “You know best whether or not it matters.”
“Anyways, I didn’t come here to reminisce about these things. I’m sure you’ve sensed the changes in the environment lately… Considering our current strength, I think we can bear the great karmic consequences. Perhaps some things would be clear to us if we took a trip through the River of Time and went back in time. Perhaps, that will bring an end to our obsession. Even if the backlash from karma is more than what we can bear and we end up dying, it would still be better than to carry on in this state of confusion…”
Tao Yao had decided on this before leaving Peach Village.
The changes in the current environment led to her recovering quite a lot of her past strength. It was not enough for her to turn back time and return to ancient times.
However, it was still just enough for her to pay a visit to the past and witness certain things for herself.
That being said, there were significant karmic consequences related to those things. Even Tao Yao could not be certain whether she could withstand it. One had to pay a heavy price to get a glimpse into the past.
“Go back in time?” Chan Hongyi never expected this to be the reason why Tao Yao came to see her. Her gaze was as unreadable as ever as she quietly repeated the words.
“The High Priestess of Destiny is currently in the Divine Empire’s Sanctum of Destiny. She’s in possession of the Celestial Boat of Creation. It can be used to cross the River of Time. It can neutralise most of the karmic consequences. Let’s go and see her. She should be willing to lend it to us.” Tao Yao’s tone was as calm as ever.
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