Fengcheng Flying General

Chapter 12

Opposite them, the person chanting the incantation slowly approached, step by step. Meng Yuanjing and Zhu Yu both stared at the suddenly appearing incantation-chanting person, stopped, and drew their longswords.

The man didn't even glance at them. He stopped three feet away, staring intently at Junyu, who was leaning against a small tree. After hesitating for a moment, he took another step forward.

Meng Yuanjing shouted, "What are you doing?"

"Tuo Sang!" Jun Yu shook his head, opened his mouth, but before he could speak, blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

Meng Yuanjing sneered, "Who are you? What are you trying to do at Hanjing Garden with those two monsters?"

Tuosang did not answer, and all around was silent.

Suddenly, a melodious zither tune drifted from afar, its sound instantly calming and soothing. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, as if the bloody battle just moments before had been nothing more than a dream.

The music gradually turned mournful, like weeping and lamenting, like resentment and longing, like a soldier yearning for home, like the sorrow of a woman in the deep palace. Suddenly, everyone felt an indescribable sadness and melancholy. Then, a clanging sound was heard, and Zhu Yu and Meng Yuanjing's longswords fell to the ground one after the other.

Junyu, who had been leaning against the small tree, slowly slid down and sat on the ground, looking dejected. Tuosang's eyes were also unfocused. He took a few steps back and stared blankly at the crescent moon that was slowly sinking.

For a moment, the group seemed to have left their bodies, having completely forgotten where they were.

The music grew closer and more joyful, filling the crowd with boundless delight. Then, the music became alluring and captivating, and their eyes lit up to see a radiant, incomparably beautiful woman in the center. She wore only a thin veil, her hips swaying as she danced gracefully, her movements incredibly provocative, yet her voice was filled with endless sorrow. The crowd felt a mixture of joy and grief, a torment like ice and fire clashing within them. In that instant, everyone involuntarily recalled their most hidden wounds, their most unrestrained past, their most fervent desires, their most helpless failures… For a moment, they danced and sang, overwhelmed with emotion.

Zhu Yu was originally a carefree and frivolous young man, arrogant in his youth and promiscuous. At this moment, he could not resist the alluring voices. Before his eyes appeared all the women he had ever met, plump and slender, one after another. He felt unbearably hot and his head was splitting. He started dancing wildly in the moonlight, his hair disheveled, like a madman.

Meng Yuanjing, who was also in a daze, was shocked when he saw Zhu Yu's appearance. He knew something was wrong and was about to pick up the long sword on the ground when a stronger zither sound suddenly hit his eardrums. He slumped to the ground and saw Xiang Hongye come to his side. He was about to get up to greet her when Xiang Hongye turned around and went into Zhu Yu's arms, looking at him with disdain.

Meng Yuanjing's vision blurred with stars. He looked up and saw Junyu beside him, her face and head covered in blood, yet her beauty shone brightly, as radiant as the moon. A sudden chill ran through him. He reached out to grab Junyu, but his arm went numb, and he coughed up blood.

Although Junyu also found the music alluring and enchanting, she felt nothing else. Seeing Meng Yuanjing and Zhu Yu's expressions, which seemed almost frenzied, Junyu became extremely anxious. She struggled to her feet, trying to stop Meng and Zhu, but saw Tuosang standing blankly a dozen feet away, like a wooden stake.

Just then, three sharp blades approached the three men, who remained standing there blankly, like puppets at the mercy of others, completely oblivious.

Junyu was horrified. She had barely taken her first step when a short sword and a sharp blade pierced her chest almost simultaneously. Meng Yuanjing, standing beside Junyu, saw it all clearly, but the sound of the zither filled his ears. He could only stare blankly at the short sword, his outstretched hand numb and unable to move. Junyu struggled to grasp "Zhuifei," but her hand trembled, and "Zhuifei" fell to the ground. She sighed softly and peacefully closed her eyes.

Suddenly, a thunderous roar was heard; it was the long-lost "Lion's Roar" of Buddhism.

The trees in the forest shook instantly, and leaves fluttered down. Amidst this, there were the sounds of weapons hitting the ground and two extremely terrified howls, which came from the two "Cunni" beasts from before.

The music suddenly stopped, the singing abruptly ended, and a shrill scream was heard. Junyu suddenly opened her eyes, and her vision blurred. Suddenly, several huge lanterns appeared around her. A short distance away, a woman in a light gauze dress fell to the ground, and several women were frantically surrounding her, helping her up.

Beside the woman in the light veil, the two enormous "Cunni" stood on the left and right, like two great guardians. Originally as majestic as two gatekeepers, they were now trembling all over, clearly frightened by the lion's roar just now.

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Chapter 19: My Lover Isn't as Pretty as My Sister

Junyu suddenly felt a gentle force on her back and immediately caught her breath. She turned around and saw Tuosang with one hand on her back, his face full of anxiety: "Junyu, how are you?"

Junyu asked, "Is it the 'Deadly Love Demon's Voice'?"

Tuosang nodded. At this moment, Meng Yuanjing and Zhu Yu also came to their senses, each picking up their longswords from the ground, both sweating profusely as if they had just been pulled from the water.

In the dim moonlight, the woman who had been incomparably beautiful just moments before coughed up a thin stream of blood from between her brows. Her once jet-black hair instantly turned deathly white, each strand standing on end. The woman leaped up abruptly, snarling, "Where did this demonic monk come from, you little bald donkey..."

Only then did everyone realize that what had just happened was not an illusion. However, watching a stunning beauty suddenly turn into this state filled them with a strange and inexplicable feeling.

"The Demon of Love, it was you all along!" Zhu Yu exclaimed. "I thought it was just a rumor, but it turns out there really is such a person."

"What, are you happy to see your sister?" The Demon of Love's voice immediately rang out like a silver bell, and her eyebrows and eyes were instantly filled with laughter. With this smile, her full head of white hair seemed to turn golden, her lips were like cherries, her face like peach blossoms, her eyebrows like distant mountains, and her eyes like spring waves. Her whole body seemed to be wrapped in an incomparable radiance. Her gaze swept over Zhu Yu's face and then turned to Meng Yuanjing's face.

The two were startled and took a step back in unison.

The Demon of Passion seemed quite pleased with the two's actions. Her laughter grew softer, and her gaze became even more alluring. Suddenly, she turned to Tuosang, only to find that the young monk in his snow-white hemp robes was completely oblivious to his surroundings, anxiously watching the disheveled, blood-stained blue-robed boy beside him.

The Demon of Love was already over sixty years old. She had maintained her eternally youthful appearance thanks to the "Deadly Demonic Voice" she had cultivated in her youth. However, once the demonic power was broken, her true energy dissipated, and her face aged instantly. At this moment, she hated Tuosang to the core. Her once melodious voice had become hoarse and venomous: "Little monk, I'll tear out your tendons, peel your skin, and rip your ribs off one by one to feed the dogs..."

"Save your breath, Demon of Love. Your 'Deadly Melody' has already been broken." Zhu Yu sneered. "With this skill broken, you have nothing to rely on. Once you step out of the gate of Hanjing Garden, your countless enemies will truly tear you apart."

"Hahaha..." The Demon of Passion laughed wildly. "What do those cowards have to fear? For forty years, countless heroes and valiant warriors have perished under my deadly Demonic Voice, even eunuchs, centenarian lamas, and palace eunuchs—not one has been able to escape its allure... Every man is prone to novelty-seeking, even a farmer who, after harvesting seven or eight bushels of extra wheat, wants to take another wife. This is the common flaw of all men. I invented this skill by exploiting this flaw, and it has been invincible for thirty years! Back then, the eight major sects—Wudang, Shaolin, the Beggars' Sect, and the Lotus Manor—all mobilized to besiege Lan Xisi and Shi Daming atop Mount Himalayas. At that time, how much did the great hero Shi Daming regard Lan Xisi?" Despite her deep affection, she still fell for my tricks, struck by the music, and abandoned Lanxisi to spend a brief romance with the beautiful Princess Fang of "Lotus Manor." Lanxisi fought alone against the eight major sects for three days and three nights, and although she won, she was seriously injured and deeply resented it. From then on, the two parted ways... Hahahaha... Everyone says that Lanxisi's martial arts are the best in the world and her wisdom is unparalleled, but how could she possibly fathom a man's heart? In the end, she still ended up retiring in obscurity and being buried in a foreign land! She is not the best in the world, I, the Demon of Love, am the best in the world... Hahahaha..." When he got excited, he couldn't help but dance with joy, and his gradually dimming face seemed to regain a bit of its former color.

This was the first time Meng Yuanjing had heard anyone talk about the relationship between Lan Xisi and Shi Daming. He stepped forward and shouted angrily, "You vicious witch, how could you use such despicable means to harm my uncle? No wonder he was depressed for half his life..."

"Haha, you brat, so you're Shi Daming's nephew?" The Demoness of Love scrutinized him for a few moments, her smile growing even more alluring. "No wonder you're just as obsessed with the Demonic Sounds as your uncle... Let me tell you a secret: my skills are utterly useless against truly steadfast men. If your eyes, heart, and subconscious are only for one person, then I can't do anything to you. But where in the world can you find a man like that? Look..."

She glanced at Zhu Yu, her eyes becoming alluring and seductive again. "You and this handsome young man almost lost your lives just now, didn't you? Were you thinking that none of your countless lovers are as pretty as me?"

"You ugly witch..." Zhu Yu limped back two steps, giving her a disgusted look.

"You little rascal, how dare you call me ugly?" The Demon of Love shrieked. A gust of wind blew up a few strands of her white hair. Just as she was about to leap up, she saw these strands of white hair. Her eyes suddenly turned extremely frightened and vicious as she stared straight at the culprit who had broken her demonic power.

However, the culprit remained seemingly detached from his body, staring intently at the dying boy beside him, whose face was covered in blood.

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Chapter 20: My Lover Isn't as Pretty as My Sister (Part 2)

The Demon of Passion was startled, and hissed, "I have roamed the martial world for half my life, and my deadly zither music has never failed me. Little monk, how could you possibly evade it?"

Tuosang watched Junyu anxiously, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings. Enraged, the Demon of Passion roared, "Little monk, you..."

Tuosang then turned around, looked at her calmly, and said, "I don't know why, I just suddenly heard her sigh. When she sighed, I could only see her and could no longer see or hear anyone else or any other voices."

The Demon of Love stood there, stunned. The surroundings were completely silent; even the breathing of the people around him could be heard clearly.

Meng Yuanjing and Zhu Yu glanced at Junyu, then at Tuosang, then at the Demon of Love, each feeling lost and confused.

Following Tuosang's gaze, the Demon of Love saw a pair of eyes as black as jade. The boy's blood-stained face was surprisingly radiant. The Demon of Love suddenly felt as if he were in a sea of flowers in a forest, surrounded by fallen petals, and even the air was fragrant.

The Demon of Passion involuntarily took a step back, her previously alluring expression turning ashen, and her once silvery voice instantly becoming aged and hoarse: "You, who are you? Are you Jun Sheng?"

Neither Meng Yuanjing nor Zhu Yu had ever heard of the name "Jun Sheng". Jun Yu raised his head, looked at the Demon of Love, and did not speak.

The Demon of Passion let out a wild laugh, pulling a painting from his robes. Unfurling it, the painting was life-sized, the paper slightly yellowed, clearly showing its age. Everyone looked; the figure in the painting was a young man dressed as a hunter, his eyes radiating a peaceful and gentle light, his smile vividly honest and kind. He stood beside a massive cypress tree, his body slightly turned to the side, as if he were about to step out of the painting.

Meng Yuanjing and Zhu Yu were both shocked. What surprised everyone was not the artist's lively brushstrokes, but the breathtaking appearance of the man in the painting, who was dressed in extremely ordinary clothes.

Meng and Zhu both looked at Junyu again, and even Tuosang couldn't help but look at the person in the painting and then at Junyu several times. Apart from the different attire, at first glance, it seemed that Junyu had somehow walked into the painting. But upon closer inspection, it seemed that Junyu was very different from the man in the painting, but no one could say exactly what the difference was.

Junyu was staring at the painting when the Demon of Love suddenly rolled it up. Junyu looked up, their eyes meeting. The Demon of Love's voice was urgent and rapid, like a small animal suddenly being strangled: "Heavens! Those are Lanxisi's eyes... Lanxisi's eyes combined with Junsheng's face... I'm going to kill you, you wicked... wicked... brat..."

She stared intently at Junyu, and under that strange gaze, she couldn't bring herself to utter the curses she was about to say, and instead simply called him "boy."

Before he could finish speaking, a pair of sharp fingernails aimed straight for Junyu's eyes. Tuosang slapped back, and Junyu whispered, "Have mercy."

The essence of the Demon of Love's martial arts was all concentrated in the "Demon of Love's Sound." Now that her demonic arts had been broken, she had almost no power left. She took two steps back, still staring fiercely at Jun Yu.

Junyu met her gaze and said softly, "Demon of Love, this painting isn't yours, is it?"

“Look, there’s a very small seal script character ‘兰’ in the lower right corner of the painting. That’s my mother’s mark.”

Everyone was surprised by the man's appearance in the painting, but no one noticed the character "兰" (Lan).

The Demon of Love paused for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.

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Chapter 21: A Man More Beautiful Than a Peerless Beauty (Part 1)

Although the Demon of Love was laughing, the sound didn't really sound like laughter. It was mixed with all sorts of strange emotions such as regret, resentment, disappointment, and helplessness. At first glance, it sounded like a dry howl, but later, it was actually laughing loudly.

The women behind the Demon of Love seemed to have never seen her like this before. Though their faces showed shock, they quickly masked it with various expressions. The Demon of Love, however, didn't even glance at them. She laughed for a while before stopping, looking at Jun Yu—"Yes, I tricked this painting into giving it to me… Only someone like Lan Xisi would use such troublesome seal script. But, kid, did you think I was completely defeated? Haha…"

“I don’t think so. But you should at least stop the bleeding between your eyebrows first.”

"Kid, I like to bleed, what's it to you?"

Suddenly, the Demon of Love bared her teeth and her eyes widened in fury. Her expression shifted so quickly from laughing heartily to flying into a rage that it deepened the eerie feeling in everyone's hearts.

Junyu gave a wry smile. The Demon of Love glared at her, but this time the smile wasn't so eerie: "Kid, let me tell you a story..."

"Witch, who has the patience to listen to your nonsense?" Zhu Yu suddenly shouted. He was already extremely impatient, and seeing the Demon of Love's strange and mysterious appearance, he couldn't help but feel an indescribable disgust.

Two figures suddenly darted out, and two gleaming daggers swiftly attacked Zhu Yu's chest from the left and right.

Even though Zhu Yu reacted extremely quickly, a piece of her clothing was still torn off.

"Who dares to object to what the master wants to do!"

The two daggers, having missed their target, immediately retreated; they were the two maids beside the Demon of Passion. These women had remained silent since the Demon of Passion's failure, clearly due to his strict discipline. Now, however, their attacks were incredibly precise and deadly, their skills remarkably refined.

Seeing Zhu Yu's flustered state, the Demon of Love laughed again, this time with a surprisingly sweet laugh. The sight of an old woman with a wrinkled face and completely white hair laughing so wildly sent a chill down everyone's spine.

The Demon of Love's gaze swept over everyone again. Although everyone knew that her demonic powers were gone, her eyes still somehow gave people a feeling of gentle ripples in spring water.

"This story has been hidden in my heart for over twenty years. For these past twenty years, I've wanted to confide in someone every single day, but I've never been able to find anyone to confide in..."

So everyone knew that the story of the Demon of Love was something they absolutely had to hear. The story of a dying old woman might be quite boring, but the story of the Demon of Love, a legend among legends, was a different story altogether.

"On the eighth day of the eighth lunar month that year, I set off to Shaolin Temple on Mount Song, because the martial arts tournament was to be held on the fifth day of the tenth lunar month. According to the rules, the host should be the previous leader of the tournament, and that leader was none other than Abbot Shi Yongchao of Shaolin Temple..."

Everyone knows that the martial arts tournament that year was the most glorious one in legend, which explains why the Demon of Love remembered the date so clearly.

Meng Yuanjing suddenly said, "Shaolin Temple has never received female guests. What are you going there for?"

The Demon of Passion glared at him. "With Lan Xisi's solo charge into the 800 Arhats Formation first, and then seemingly doing Shaolin Temple a great favor, in terms of sentiment, theory, and martial arts, those old bald monks can't refuse to receive female guests, hahaha... Those bald monks usually have countless rules and regulations, but this time they made a huge exception because of Lan Xisi. Although they are very angry, they are all helpless, hahahaha..." She was laughing heartily, but then suddenly seemed to remember something, glaring at Meng Yuanjing with a very displeased expression. "I hate being interrupted the most. You impolite brat."

The woman, with her wrinkled skin and white hair, addressed herself as "sister" without any hesitation or awkwardness, her manner completely natural. Junyu chuckled softly, suddenly finding this woman, who had once struck fear into the hearts of many, quite intriguing.

The Demon of Passion glared at her: "Kid, what are you laughing at again?"

“I’m not called ‘boy,’ my name is Junyu. If you’d like, you can call me by my name.”

Junyu's address of "sister" was perfectly natural. The Demon of Love seemed about to get angry, yet also seemed to find the "sister" pleasing to his eye. Finally, he looked away and continued, "...At that time, Lan Xisi's reputation was at its peak, and she seemed poised to become the leader of the martial arts alliance. I was very dissatisfied because just half a year ago, I had used my Demon of Love skills to defeat her and Shi Daming's combined forces. I thought to myself, what she can do, I can do too. In thousands of years, there has never been a female leader in the martial arts world. If I become the first, hahaha..."

Everyone already knew what she meant by "defeating Lancisi," but Zhu Yu was unconvinced and snorted, "You can only say that you defeated Shi Daming, but you probably can't say that you defeated Lancisi, can you?"

Enraged, the Demon of Love noticed the two women beside her were about to rise again, but she waved her hand, silencing them. The Demon of Love neither argued nor paid any attention to Zhu Yu, continuing, "Five days later, I arrived in Henan Province. Passing by the foot of Wangwu Mountain, I suddenly saw a young man hurrying along the opposite mountain path. Normally, I wouldn't even glance at such a person, but that day, he happened to brush past me without even looking at me..."

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