Chapter 34: Old Friends
After Chen Chang'an's figure disappeared at the end of the secret passage, the blood pool chamber returned to silence.
The White Wolf King slowly lowered its head, its golden vertical pupils reflecting the last drops of wine in the flask. The corners of its mouth were slightly turned up, as if still savoring the long-lost taste of the strong liquor.
It was at this moment—
"Heh, it's been many years. To think the great White Wolf King would actually take an interest in a human."
A cold, clear voice suddenly echoed by its ear.
The White Wolf King's ears shot up, its murky pupils contracted abruptly, and all the fur on its body stood on end in shock.
This voice...
It slowly raised its head, looking in the direction the voice came from.
In the void, the bell at the end of a green jade hairpin swayed gently first.
Then, the surrounding shadows receded like a tide, immediately revealing a slender figure.
She wore a white, wide-sleeved long robe, with silver snake patterns embroidered on the hem. Her black hair was loosely tied up with a jade hairpin, and a few stray strands fell beside her pale cheeks.
She wore a bamboo hat with a light veil covering her face, revealing only a pair of eyes as deep and dark as a cold pool.
But with just one glance, the White Wolf King could no longer look away.
"Saint... Saint Venerable?!"
The White Wolf King's voice trembled so much it was almost unrecognizable. It struggled to get up, the chains clanking loudly, but its withered limbs gave way from weakness, and it nearly collapsed.
Ah Li—or rather, Ji Hongli—gently raised her hand, and a wisp of dark red demonic energy supported its faltering body.
"There is no need for ceremony." Her voice was still cold, but it carried a hint of imperceptible softness. "Saint Venerable is a thing of the past. Now... I am just a rogue cultivator."
The White Wolf King stared at her, a moist sheen appearing in its golden vertical pupils. "This old subject... this old subject isn't dreaming, is he?"
Ji Hongli walked to the front of the altar. With a light tap of her finger, the runes on the nine chains silently dissolved.
The White Wolf King could finally move its body slightly, but it did not get up. Instead, it respectfully lowered its body, just as it had back in the Northern Frontier.
"Saint Venerable, you have returned..." Its voice was hoarse and filled with emotion.
"Yes, I have returned..." Ji Hongli looked at the wolf before her, so aged it was almost unrecognizable. An unknown light flickered in the depths of her eyes, followed by a soft sigh.
"Have you returned... to lead the demon clan to once again contend with the humans for the Xuan-Ying Continent?"
She shook her head. "The current era is one of human prosperity."
She raised her hand, and a wisp of dark red demonic energy appeared in her palm. Within that energy, there was a faint, almost invisible golden gleam.
"In recent days, my cultivation has allowed me to glimpse a little of the scenery beyond the Saint Realm... and I have also come to understand a little of what is meant by Heaven's Will."
"If the demon clan wishes to survive, our only choice is to withdraw to the Northern Frontier and not interfere with the human race."
The White Wolf King was taken aback, then said in a low voice, "Since the Saint Venerable says so, then it must be right."
There was not a trace of disappointment in its eyes, only the same unwavering loyalty as always.
"It is good enough that you have returned... Everyone in the Northern Frontier misses you greatly."
Ji Hongli's gaze flickered. "Everyone... are they all well?"
The White Wolf King's tail wagged gently, as if it were once again the little wolf that followed behind her. "That little fox who followed you every day has now achieved the Saint Realm and become the new Saint of the demon clan..."
Its voice gradually became more fluid, as if it had returned to its prime, rambling on about the changes in the Northern Frontier over the years—
The Green Hill Fox Clan had produced three great demons, the divination arts of the White Marsh lineage had become even more exquisite, and although the Old Demon of Black Mountain still had a foul temper, he managed his territory in perfect order...
Ji Hongli listened quietly, not interrupting.
It was only when the White Wolf King spoke of its reason for leaving the Northern Frontier this time that her brow furrowed slightly.
"Actually... it was the White Marsh Demon King who sent me out," the White Wolf King said in a low voice. "He said he dreamed that on this journey, I would meet someone crucial to the life and death of the demon clan."
Ji Hongli's gaze sharpened. "Did you meet them?"
The White Wolf King gave a bitter smile. "I've disappointed him. Not long after I left the Northern Frontier, I was captured by humans... and have been imprisoned ever since."
The smell of blood in the secret chamber seemed to fade somewhat, replaced by an indescribable silence.
After a long while, Ji Hongli finally spoke. "Come with me."
Her voice was soft, yet it carried an air of finality. "I will take you back to the Northern Frontier."
The White Wolf King shook its head, a resolute look flashing in its golden vertical pupils. "Saint Venerable, this old subject... is finished."
It looked down at its own withered body, then looked up at Ji Hongli, a relieved smile in its eyes.
"The White Wolf Clan repays kindness with kindness, and vengeance with vengeance... This twenty years of torture, this old subject will use his own death to wash it clean."
Ji Hongli watched it in silence, finally letting out a soft sigh. "You... are as stubborn as you were back then."
The White Wolf King grinned, revealing its broken fangs. "Aren't you the same, Saint Venerable? Back then, you said you would challenge the ten great Saint Realms of the human race alone, and no one could dissuade you..."
A rare hint of a smile flashed in Ji Hongli's eyes, but it vanished in an instant.
"I will not return to the Northern Frontier," she said, turning towards the secret passage. "At least, not now. Since you are also unwilling to leave, then let us both be at peace."
The White Wolf King did not try to stop her, only lowering its body in a respectful bow. "Take care, Saint Venerable."
Ji Hongli's steps paused for a moment. "And you? Do you have any other unfulfilled wishes?"
The White Wolf King thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "That human just now... brought this old subject a flask of wine."
"I am already very satisfied."
Ji Hongli said no more, her figure dissipating into the shadows like smoke.
...
In the secret chamber, the White Wolf King lay alone on the altar, watching the direction where Ji Hongli had disappeared, the faint light of the blood pool reflected in its golden vertical pupils.
The corners of its mouth turned up into a satisfied smile.
In a daze, it seemed to return to a time long, long ago—
Back then, it was just a little wolf, its fluffy tail wagging like a pinwheel as it trotted happily behind the Saint Venerable, running across the snowy plains of the Northern Frontier.
The sunlight scattered across the snow, reflecting a golden world.
The Saint Venerable glanced back at it, a rare smile on her face. "Slow down, be careful not to fall."
At that time, it was carefree, feeling that no matter how vast the world was, it was no further than a wave of the Saint Venerable's sleeve.
"Saint Venerable..."
The White Wolf King murmured in a low voice and slowly closed its eyes.
The runes on the chains lit up once more, and the demon crystal in the blood pool trembled slightly, as if brewing a destructive explosion.
But on the White Wolf King's face, there was only a peaceful smile.
...
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