Chapter 31: Young Master Chen Paints

So that little wooden puppet belonged to Tu Wuchang!

Chen Changsheng understood at once, yet wondered—why had Tu Wuchang left behind a puppet and then departed?

“Miss Mu, there’s no need for such distress. Wasn’t Tu Wuchang using the Tianyun Sect to threaten you? You acted only to save your sect, compelled by circumstance.”

Chen Changsheng smiled lightly, unconcerned. “Moreover, the soul of the Blood Demon Patriarch can no longer wreak havoc upon the world.”

No longer wreak havoc?

The crowd was again stunned, their spirits shaken.

Had Young Master Chen already subdued the soul of the Blood Demon Patriarch?

How terrifying! Even the great villain revealed by the heavens, Young Master Chen had simply claimed as he pleased!

It was all as expected, within Young Master Chen’s grasp.

Within Chen Die’er’s necklace, the heart of the Blood Demon Patriarch dripped with blood: “I am a being who once dominated the realm of the gods, and now I’ve fallen, losing to a little girl in this backwater Yinxue Realm!

Sob... This demon weeps!”

Recalling Tu Wuchang’s disappearance, Chen Changsheng sighed softly. “There remains a minor hidden danger, but rest assured, it shouldn’t be much of a problem.”

Bing Muer, thinking he spoke of the Tomb of the Demon Emperor, quickly nodded. “Young Master Chen is right, it’s just a minor issue.”

The eyes of the crowd brightened.

If Young Master Chen said there was no problem, then truly, there was nothing to fear.

Everything was indeed within his control. Even if the Demon Emperor returned, with Young Master Chen present, surely nothing could disturb the peace.

Bing Muer was about to speak further when suddenly her face turned deathly pale, and frost blossomed across her cheeks.

“Princess!”

Elder Hua cried out in alarm, thrusting his hands forward. A terrifying blaze erupted from his palms, surging into Bing Muer’s brow.

Everyone watched in shock.

Soon, Bing Muer fainted. Elder Hua hurriedly caught her in his arms.

“Elder Hua, what has happened to the princess?”

Chen Changsheng asked in surprise.

Elder Hua glanced at Bing Muer in his arms and replied helplessly, “Within the princess’s body lies a forbidden curse of heavenly fire. It was placed there by her stepmother. The princess cultivates the Profound Ice Technique, and whenever she is on the verge of a breakthrough, the heavenly fire curse suppresses it, causing the Profound Ice Technique to backlash against her body.”

Apparently, Bing Muer had eaten so much boiled fish that her Profound Ice Technique was close to breaking through, but was suppressed by the curse.

“That’s more than just controlling her cultivation, isn’t it?”

Chen Changsheng remarked, a little taken aback.

“It’s much worse than that.”

Elder Hua bit his lip, indignantly. “If the Prince of the Southern Domain didn’t still have a shred of fatherly affection, granting the princess a divine hairpin of profound ice to suppress the backlash, she would have perished long ago.”

Then Elder Hua recounted Bing Muer’s history to Chen Changsheng.

Chen Changsheng listened and sighed inwardly. Who would have thought that the noble princess had such a tragic story?

At that moment, Bing Muer slowly awoke in Elder Hua’s arms.

Then she froze completely, her expression vacant and dazed.

“Princess, are you all right?”

Elder Hua, startled by her demeanor, hurriedly asked.

“Oh, Elder Hua, I’m fine.”

Bing Muer gathered herself, and respectfully thanked Chen Changsheng, “Thank you, Young Master Chen!”

Chen Changsheng was baffled.

Did I do anything?

“Princess, you’re too polite. I haven’t done a thing.”

Chen Changsheng shook his head, helpless.

“But I...”

Bing Muer remembered how Chen Changsheng claimed to be a mere mortal, and the words she was about to say were quickly swallowed.

Chen Changsheng pondered briefly and smiled, “Princess, Elder Hua has told me of your story. Remember this: ‘When heaven is about to confer a great responsibility upon someone, it must first test their resolve and temper their body...’”

Heaven’s great responsibility...

Everyone present felt their hearts tremble.

This was the will of heaven!

Heaven itself—just how terrifying is Young Master Chen, to perceive the way of heaven, to fathom its truth!

“Thank you, Young Master Chen, for illuminating the truth of the Dao. I will remember it always.”

Bing Muer thanked him respectfully once more.

“Princess, you really are too courteous.”

Chen Changsheng was quite helpless; he’d already said this dozens of times.

Cultivators in this world were truly well-mannered. A princess, with such a distinguished status, not only didn’t throw her weight around in front of an ordinary mortal like him, but was instead so polite.

After a pause, Chen Changsheng continued, “Princess, you traveled thousands of miles from the Southern Domain to arrive here—such fate, indeed. Let me gift you a painting. At a crucial moment, open it and look—it might help your state of mind.”

“Die’er, go fetch brush, ink, and an easel for your father.”

“Alright.”

Chen Die’er obeyed sweetly and went off.

A painting for Bing Muer!

Mu Wanqing and Bai Li Song were instantly consumed with jealousy.

Every stroke of Chen Changsheng’s brush was worth a fortune.

Soon, Chen Die’er brought the brush, ink, and easel.

Chen Changsheng set up the easel and began to paint.

His expression was utterly focused, undisturbed by anything, his brush moving ceaselessly in his hand.

The group watched him paint.

In their eyes, Chen Changsheng’s silhouette seemed illuminated with divine radiance, surrounded by a terrifying aura of the natural Dao, his form merging with heaven and earth itself.

“Hiss—”

Everyone drew a sharp breath.

This time, they truly saw it: Chen Changsheng was a sage from beyond this world.

Undeniably so!

“All done!”

Chen Changsheng put away his brush, inspected the painting, and smiled with satisfaction.

Once the ink had dried, he rolled up the painting and handed it to Bing Muer.

“Thank you, Young Master Chen, for this painting. To meet you—it seems heaven truly favors me!”

Bing Muer carefully tucked the painting away; this was the brushwork of a sage, surely worth untold riches!

What a thing to say—heaven favors you?

Suddenly, Chen Changsheng felt a wave of weariness. Well, if you wish to be courteous, so be it—I won’t stop you!

Afterwards, the group took their leave.

“What an interesting group of people,”

Chen Changsheng watched them depart, smiled lightly, then said, “Die’er, let’s go plant the seeds Miss Mu brought us. Grab the hoe.”

“Alright, Father!”

Chen Die’er replied, and soon came out, carrying a hoe almost as long as herself.

Father is wonderful in every way, except he always makes me carry the hoe. It’s longer than I am, and looks so awkward on my shoulder...

Father and daughter soon arrived at the orchard. Chen Changsheng first loosened the soil beneath the fruit trees, then scattered the seeds in the earth.

“Die’er, water the new seeds.”

“Yes, Father.”

Chen Die’er fetched a large wooden ladle, scooped fresh water from a nearby well, and began watering the seeds with practiced care.

“This little one is quite diligent.”

Chen Changsheng rested beneath a tree, watching his busy daughter, and smiled in satisfaction.