Chapter 122: 122

Chu Qingcheng took Zhuo Fan to a barren hill . Three lonely graves struck a dreadful image in the midst of harsh and cruel winds .

“They are my parents and my younger brother!” Chu Qingcheng sighed .

Zhuo Fan noticed that the graves had written on them: beloved mother, beloved father . However, the foremost one was a blank slab, with a black cloak fluttering on it .

On a closer look, there were some words on the cloak, ‘heaven toppling pill’!

“Such audacious words!”

Zhuo Fan cried . Every cultivator knew that alchemy was a wide and long winding road . Even if you invested all your energy in it, you’d only pick up a few things along the way .

What’s more, refining skills abided by Heaven’s laws . How arrogant could one be to say the words, heaven toppling pill? Not even that narrow-minded Vicious Pill King would dare utter such a thing .

He turned puzzled to Chu Qingcheng, who replied with a warm smile, “You must find them self-centered, right?”

Zhuo Fan nodded . Chu Qingcheng walked to the grave and caressed the cloak, “This is my younger brother, Chu Qingtian! And this cloak is something I made for him!”

Chu Qingtian?

Zhuo Fan’s raised an eyebrow as he recalled . Wasn’t he the spy sent by Drifting Flowers Edifice to the Vicious Pill King? [It turns out to be her brother!]

[But sending her own brother as a spy… Seems Drifting Flowers Edifice has run out of talents!]

Zhuo Fan smacked his lips .

“Song Yu!”

Chu Qingcheng turned to him with a soft gaze, catching him by surprise, “Did you know? When you gave me fruits in the slums, when you fought for my sake, I saw Qingtian in you! Especially when you fought Yan Fu . Your reckless and stubborn nature is his spitting image . ”

Chu Qingcheng had tears glistening in her eyes, recalling the past .

Zhuo Fan blushed from shame . He always thought he got close to Chu Qingcheng thanks to Dong Tianba’s skirt-chasing skills . It turned out he was only a substitute for her brother .

Embarrassed, Zhuo Fan muttered, “So sister Chuchu took me for your little brother?”

Glaring at him, Chu Qingcheng reproached, “I told you to stop saying sister . Did you forget?”

Zhuo Fan was baffled .

[A substitute little brother can’t call you sister?]

Chu Qingcheng noticed his reaction and shook her head, “Perhaps I did consider you as my younger brother at first . But after today…”

Chu Qingcheng’s blushed and muttered, “Now, you aren’t my little brother anymore…”

She digressed so badly that Zhuo Fan had no clue what she was saying . Though it didn’t look like she’d explain as she spoke, “My parents were normal disciples of Drifting Flowers Edifice which fell from Pill King Hall’s poison . From a young age, I and Qingtian vowed revenge . Grandmother found our talent worthy of her attention and taught us herself!

“However, Qingtian was a man and Drifting Flowers Edifice had only one use for such people, marry their disciples and carry on Drifting Flowers Edifice forward . Qingtian’s refining skill was beyond mere talent . He was unwilling to waste away living like this and defied Drifting Flowers Edifice in becoming Pill King Hall’s disciple . ”

“Wasn’t he a spy? How come you use ‘defy’?” Zhuo Fan interrupted .

Chu Qingcheng nodded, “You are correct, but we were unaware of the ploy at that time . I even wrote a letter to break all ties with him! Only three years later did he return to Drifting Flowers Edifice . We then understood this was Grandmother’s plan all along . He did not abandon his mission and stole the Pill King Hall’s Rainbow Cloud Palm’s antidote formula . Because of Pill King Hall’s strict guard, he used a concoction to carve the formula on his back . It would never be visible unless a special liquid was poured on it . ”

“You’re saying that human skin in the cave, is your brother’s?” Zhuo Fan’s heart shuddered . Chu Qingtian went through inhuman lengths for Drifting Flowers Edifice .

He had to use human skin to take the formula with him . It was obvious how dangerous, how hard this mission was .

This also gave Zhuo Fan some plans he could use for the Luo clan . [Should I also get some diehards and send them inside the other houses as a contingency?]

But his plan would have to have far more impact than Drifting Flowers Edifice’s . While Drifting Flowers Edifice wasted a decade for a formula, he had greater plots developing in his mind . Like getting his spies in the houses through some special means and reporting their every movement .

The Nine Serenities Secret Records had a secret art pertaining to demonic cultivators to aid in this endeavour but it was too cruel . The secret art wasn’t used on enemies but on his own men . He could only harden his heart if he were to handle the seven houses .

Zhuo Fan’s eyes flashed with coldness .

Chu Qingcheng continued, oblivious of his reactions, “Qingtian’s return had everyone excited . With Rainbow Cloud Palm’s antidote, we had no reason to fear Pill King Hall . While everyone was eager, Aunt Tao and Qingtian began refining it . ”

“However, the formula was too much of an oddity! The overseers who were already poisoned died when taking the refined antidote, while the refiners got poisoned themselves! “

“And your brother died from poison? Heaven can be so cruel to geniuses!”

Zhuo Fan sighed . That was the truth of it and he felt close to tears . The antidote was a 7th-grade pill . He was a freak of an alchemy genius to participate in its refining at such a young age .

[It is truly a pity his life ended so soon . ]

Chu Qingcheng shook her head, eyes downcast, “No, he was killed by the other overseers . ”

“What, but didn’t he earn great merit? Why…”

Zhuo Fan was startled but soon figured it out .

[Who was the most unfortunate in this world, the nameless hero!]

[Why?]

[Ha-ha-ha, because, neither side got what they wanted!]

Chu Qingcheng confirmed it, “My other sisters suspected him as being Pill King Hall’s spy, that he brought a fake formula to ruin the house . They took advantage of me, Peony Overseer and Iris Overseer’s absence and beat him to death . This is Drifting Flowers Edifice’s shame . We had no choice but to say he died from poisoning . While Aunt Tao still believed the formula is real, studying it painstakingly . ”

Tears fell from Chu Qingcheng’s eyes . Zhuo Fan wanted to comfort her but she waved her hand to refuse, stopping him in his tracks .

“Because Qingtian’s body was in such condition, I could only bury him here . I was afraid he would be cursed and reviled so I didn’t leave his name behind . Later, I moved my parent’s graves to have them reunited here . ”

Chu Qingcheng pulled Zhuo Fan’s hand into kowtowing three times before the graves, “Song Yu, when I die, please bring my body here to rest with them . ”

Chu Qingcheng’s words were filled with sorrow and sounded very much like a dying wish, leaving Zhuo Fan puzzled, [What is she planning?]

“Silly girl, with me here, there’s nothing to worry about!” Zhuo Fan showed a rare serious expression .

Chu Qingcheng was startled . She rarely saw the stubborn Zhuo Fan display any semblance of reliability like right now .

She soon rolled her eyes, “You are never satisfied, are you? I told you to call me by my name and now you dare call me silly?”

“Uh, ha-ha-ha . Bro Dong said this will bring women a feeling of safety . What, you don’t like it?” Zhuo Fan scratched his head, playing the fool .

She glared at him, “That brother of yours is a wastrel . Stay away from him!”

Zhuo Fan shrugged .

“Now, follow me to the last place . ”

After seeing Grandmother and paying respects to her family, Chu Qingcheng took the cloak and pulled Zhuo Fan as she soared .

Fifteen minutes later, they were at a familiar place .

Zhuo Fan was amazed to find this place was the slums where they first met . Because of the scourge woman, none dared to get close .

“Uh, why are we here again?”

Zhuo Fan was baffled, “Right, why is the great Edifice Lord hiding here as a scourge woman?”

Chu Qingcheng took a deep breath, “I had no choice . Enraged by what happened to Qingtian, I went to Yan Song to settle the score, only to be wounded and poisoned as well . I didn’t let anyone know this, afraid of affecting Drifting Flowers Edifice’s stability . I claimed to enter seclusion when in fact, I have been using the moon’s yin power to suppress the poison . This was how I came to be known as a scourge woman . ”

Zhuo Fan nodded and Chu Qingcheng suddenly draped the black cloak on his shoulders .

Zhuo Fan looked at her, startled .

Chu Qingcheng smiled, “Song Yu, I don’t have much time . I hope you can take Qingtian’s place, letting me feel the warmth of a family . ”

“Ha-ha-ha, so I’m still your brother in the end…” Zhuo Fan laughed in spite of himself .

Bam!

Suddenly, Chu Qingcheng embraced his broad back and closed her eyes . Zhuo Fan was startled and did not continue to speak .

“I told you, you are not my brother . Just let me feel the warmth of a family one last time . ”

Chu Qingcheng stared into his eyes . She hesitated before removing her veil .

Her outstanding beauty was once again revealed to him, making his heart freeze . He was plunged into a daze a second time, despite seeing her once already .

Chu Qingcheng noticed and a hit of red colored her cheeks, “Song Yu, Qingtian told me my smile can topple cities . His pill can topple heaven . I hope you will let me relive our short warm memories together . ”

(StarReader: Qingcheng= city toppling)

(Star Reader: Qingtian= heaven toppling)

Zhuo Fan could not even process her words . He was too confused and lost, only nodding unconsciously .

Chu Qingcheng showed a smile of gratitude, “Thank you!”

The two began experiencing the lives of a man and a woman in a quiet and decrepit house . They were like average people, with Zhuo Fan repairing the house and Chu Qingcheng washing and cooking before eating together .

The following three days, Zhuo Fan never felt so at peace .

He would’ve never thought it possible before . How could the grand Demonic Emperor live his days in such a vile way? Yet, these days were spent without any bit of worry or remorse, as if he was living a dream .

Unfortunately, this was an act that fell in a pair of vicious eyes hiding in the darkness .

He was a Profound Heaven expert .

The figure left and soon arrived at Drifting Flowers Edifice’s guest rooms . He quietly entered one that was filled with people .

Vicious Pill King, Merry Woods’s Lin Zitian, Hell Valley’s 5th elder, were all here . And leading them was none other than Regent Estate’s second young master, Huangpu Qingyun .

The figure whispered in the second young master’s ear .

Bam!

The teacup in his hand was shattered into pieces . Huangpu Qingyun was enraged .

“Second young master, what happened?” Vicious Pill King asked .

Clenching his fists, Huangpu Qingyun spat, “That bitch took off her veil for that punk!”

Huangpu Qingyun ran out, flying straight to the slums…