Though located in the distant Endless Sea, throughout the Four Continents, there was no place where the Hengye name wouldn't put all experts—regardless of cultivation level—on their knees. Province Hegemon or Spirit Emperor, pledged to the Central Domain or not, it didn't matter. Before the Night Spirits of the Hengye clan, kneeling was the first reflex.
Lord Hanxing already knew that Xinzi belonged to the Hengye clan. For that reason, he did not plan to make a move on the girls until he was convinced that Xinzi had left for good. Also, he didn't share that information with Guang Fanghu and Zi Yao, on the one hand because he didn't dare to betray Qingxin's trust, and on other because he hoped that ignorance would lead Zi Yao to challenge Xinzi so he could use him to suppress her, whenever necessary.
However, never in his wildest dreams could Hanxing imagine that the monk boy they'd accepted in the White Immortal Sect would turn out to be…the reigning monarch of the Eternal Night!
Before that status, only the August Divinity could raise his head. No, from the Western Continent, all the way to the Endless Sea, the vast majority of the Great Desolation World already belonged to the Hengye clan. This was the type of news that the White Immortal Sect elders would keep from their juniors until they believed them ready to confront the political realities of the Great Desolation World—and avoid getting mixed up in fights they had no business sniffing.
But now, one of those juniors turned out to be the highest-ranking existence of the clan they absolutely wanted nothing to do with. How could they process it?
'Wait, although it lasted long afterward, the Celestial Phenomenon that made all those resources blossom in our sect occurred…on the very day that Xinzi left. Is it possible that it was all due to…the legendary Immortal Rhythm?
No wonder…no wonder!
And this…can't be his true body!' Hanxing and Guang Fanghu had the same thoughts. Their hearts thumped frantically, and as they stared at Xinzi, terror had taken hold of them, making them struggle to maintain steady breathing.
Zi Feng too floundered, but more of shock than fear. After all, while she'd inherited Ziyun's memories, she didn't grow up in the Great Desolation World, and therefore couldn't fully process the terror that the Hengye clan inspired to its myriad lives.
'Qingxin, oh Qingxin, you've been duped! The Eternal Night that has been hunting your down for thousands of years, gave you the opportunity to raise its God-Monarch as disciple and child, and you actually jumped on it? Now they have you right where they want, and can play with you as they please!
How could you be so muddled?! Qingxin, you will not survive another millennium!' There were not many people that Lord Hanxing genuinely cared for. Outside the Dong clan, only Abbot Qingxin qualified as a loved one.
Was it due to the Divine Splendor he experienced when he first met Qingxin, or kinship that developed over the years? Hanxing would never know, but as soon as Xinzi exposed his true identity, Lord Hanxing despaired, for he couldn't see a world where Xinzi didn't ultimately cause his master's death.
Still, with his own neck at stake, Hanxing couldn't spare that much attention to Qingxin.
"Why are you telling us all this?" Hanxing and Guang Fanghu asked in tandem, both fearing the worst.
"I usually start from the premise that, the less people know, the better. But the situation at home has changed significantly, giving me more leeway on what I can and cannot say. Also, you've proved time and time again that ignorance can be just as dangerous as improper knowledge. Had you, Hanxing and Zi Yao, known who I was, you would have been too terrified to consider any of the stunts that you tried to pull.
I don't want Zi Yao to know—yet. But I do need you, Hanxing and Guang Fanghu, to have this knowledge so you can make better decisions on how to move forward. For example, my request just now, what do you think of it?" As Xinzi spoke, his lips got closer to Zi Feng, and he grabbed a buttermilk biscuit, taking one crunchy bite, before pushing the unbitten part towards Zi Feng—her eyes narrowed at him.
"Just because we don't need food or water doesn't mean we can't enjoy the delicacies of this world. You'd be surprised by how nice the simplest of mortal things taste. Try it, you will thank me," Xinzi said, dangling the biscuit at Zi Feng's lips.
Unbeknown to her, from the moment that Xinzi pulled her eyes in, her attention refused to shift from him. Little by little, her lips approached the biscuit, nervousness made way for confidence, and she took a bite, crunching with increasing fervor.
By the time the biscuit melted on Zi Feng's tongue, her eyes sparkled, and without delay, she bit the rest off Xinzi's hand, consuming the buttermilk biscuit with great gusto. Hanxing's heart almost ruptured at the scene. Still, his life was at stake here. Eunuch or not, he wouldn't let it go to waste.
"I agree! Any oath, anything that you want, you get! Your Divine Majesty, your humble servant apologizes for all the times that he disrespected your venerable identity! Thank you for giving my dog-self an opportunity to turn over a new leaf!" With no care for face, Hanxing prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing at Xinzi's feet.
'Be careful of what you say. The Golden Lotus granted you that guardian through a Lianist pact. If there is one thing that it is fond of, it is freedom. If you make a Dao Pledge to renounce your rights, you will never get the opportunity to seize her back.
Also, this is the Eternal Night Dynasty we're talking about: the Hengye clan. Don't ever try to play tricks!' Guang Fanghu warned his uncle through a mental message—fearing that Hanxing's surrender hid selfish motives.
He wasn't incorrect. Hanxing believed that, as the bond between Zi Feng and him stemmed from the Golden Lotus itself, no one could break it. A little Dao Pledge shouldn't be enough, and perhaps, in time, he could use the traitorous Zi Feng to backstab the Hengye monarch and profit massively.
As soon as Guang Fanghu's words echoed in his mind, however, he regained his senses. Indeed, this was the Eternal Night Dynasty. Golden Lotus or not, attempting to play tricks with the God-Monarch of the Eternal Night was no different from courting death.
But what could he do? Refuse? Was that not courting death as well?
Never in his life had Lord Hanxing felt so aggrieved. The enemy demanded that he cut ties with his woman, and not only did he not have the means to fight back but he also had to grovel like a dog—hoping that his self-humiliation would give the oppressor enough satisfaction that he could leave this place with his head still on his neck.
What a shame!
What a loss!
Hanxing's eyes glanced towards Zi Feng, who with childish glee, ate off Xinzi's hands—delighting in the pleasures of mortal desserts.
"Hateful! Hateful! Traitorous freak! Slut! Why do I need y—?"
*BANG*
The word had yet to cross Hanxing's lips that formless pressure slammed into his cheeks, sending him flying into a nearby wall. "I already told you to be careful with what you say. One more mistake, and you're gone," still without shifting his attention from Zi Feng, Xinzi said.
"Sorry…I'm sorry!" Hanxing trembled in agony. His soul wanted to scream, but his brain refused to let the rage escape his lips. So he just lay on the ground, quivering in tears.
"I, Dong Jie, pledge on my Dao to cut all ties with the guardian granted to me by the Golden Lotus! She's free from me…and owes me…absolutely no allegiance!" Lord Hanxing's words rippled with mystical principles. Golden light surged from both Hanxing and Zi Feng, cutting the master-servant bond between them.
Zi Feng felt as if a fog had dispersed from her mind, freeing her from the lingering pains and emotions that she inherited from Lady Ziyun.
Satisfied, Xinzi turned towards Hanxing, facing him with a smile.
"Well done, Lord Hanxing. You're now qualified to cultivate this supreme cultivation method. Don't worry, we will help you." Xinzi said, and tapped his forehead, conjuring the mnemonics of the Green Immortal Sword Art.
They flew towards Hanxing, filling his brain with that perverse supreme technique—his eyes widened in horror.
"I have the matching hat ready for you. It is tall and glossy. From now on, your destiny is to become…the Green-Hat Immortal Lord."
