Chapter 64 — Hidden Worries

"Silence!" Zhang Qingyue could bear it no longer and cut him off, pointing at the Underworld King and shouting: "Come kill me then! Even if I die, I will never join your demonic sect!"

Tian Lingsu finally let out a breath of relief and clapped her hands, saying: "Well said, Xiaofan."

But beside her, Xiao Zhou gave Zhang Qingyue a faint glance, and his brows did not relax.

The Underworld King shook his head with a smile and said: "Very well, then have it your way. There is plenty of time ahead; you may consider it at your leisure."

With that, he took Bili by the hand, and without lingering another moment, the two of them flew out of the cave.

In midair, Bili suddenly turned her head and looked back at Zhang Qingyue. Meeting her gaze, Zhang Qingyue, whose heart had been boiling with anger, felt another wave of bewilderment.

Xiao Zhou stood to one side, taking in all of his expressions, and his brows knit even more tightly.

The Underworld King and his daughter soon vanished into the darkness. Moments later, the noise outside suddenly grew loud, as though the orthodox cultivators had come under some sudden attack.

Before long, there were repeated whistling sounds and sharp gusts of wind, as though many people had taken to the sky together.

Then came the deep, powerful voice of Daoist Cangyan, resounding across the wilderness: "Who might you be, honored sir, with cultivation so profound? Why do you not come down and exchange a few moves with this poor Daoist?"

These words were clearly directed at the Underworld King, but only the whistling wind answered; no one replied. The Underworld King and Bili had presumably gone far away.

The cave had fallen quiet as well. Tian Lingsu, seeing Xiao Zhou's pale face, asked with some concern: "Senior Brother Zhou, are you all right? Er—might I ask which martial uncle's disciple you are?"

Zhang Qingyue, seeing Xiao Zhou look ready to collapse, hurried over and supported him. Xiao Zhou glanced at him, and Zhang Qingyue, feeling ill at ease, lowered his head.

Xiao Zhou sighed softly, then smiled and said to the two of them: "Do not call me Senior Brother Zhou anymore. That was a false name I used to infiltrate the demonic sect. My surname is not Zhou."

Tian Lingsu gave an "ah" and said: "Then you are..."

Xiao Zhou smiled, and at the same time his brow twitched, as though something pained him, but he quickly recovered and said with a smile: "I am a disciple of Reverend Daoyan of Jietian Peak in Canglan Sect. My surname is Xiao, and my name is Yichen."

"What, you are Senior Brother Xiao Yichen?"

Xiao Zhou—that is, Xiao Yichen—nodded with a smile.

Zhang Qingyue and Tian Lingsu exchanged a look. This was a name they had long heard with great admiration.

The night was deep. In the night sky over Liubo Mountain, countless bright stars glittered, twinkling and shining upon the world.

In a certain hidden place, the Underworld King walked out slowly and saw Bili standing alone on a small hillside, gazing blankly toward the east of Liubo Mountain.

That was where the orthodox cultivators were camped.

The Underworld King sighed softly, walked up behind her, and said gently: "Yao'er, the night is deep and the dew heavy. You must take care of your health."

Bili stirred, turned around silently, forced a smile, and said: "Yes, thank you, Father."

The Underworld King looked at her expression and suddenly said: "You are thinking of that boy Zhang Qingyue, are you not?"

Bili's face reddened, but she said nothing.

The Underworld King's face showed a kindly look. He patted his daughter's shoulder, took two steps forward, and said: "Seeing him today, I noticed that since that trip to the Fire Dragon Cave with you, his cultivation seems to have advanced another step."

Bili was startled, and a look of joy came over her face: "Is that so?"

The Underworld King nodded and said: "By my reckoning, it is most likely that he gained some insight after reading the first volume of the Heavenly Book." Here he turned his head and smiled: "Speaking of which, that general outline of the first volume of the Heavenly Book that you brought me from the Blood-Dripping Cave—after I read it, it was of great benefit to my cultivation of the Daoist arts."

Bili said happily: "Is that so?"

The Underworld King nodded and said: "Indeed. The Heavenly Book has four volumes in all, and legend speaks of a fifth, though no one has ever seen it. But since ancient times, our Holy Sect has passed down four volumes, though alas most have been lost. That our Underworld King lineage can enjoy its present glory is largely thanks to the previous generation's Underworld King, who three hundred years ago chanced upon the second volume of the Heavenly Book."

Here he paused, then continued: "Only, in that second volume, profound and unfathomable as the Daoist methods are, the general outline and the key formulae follow directly from the first volume. That is why for these several hundred years, our Underworld King lineage could only share the world with the three great sects—the Soul-Losing Sect, the Longevity Hall, and the Ten Thousand Poisons Gate. But in days to come, heh heh..."

Bili smiled and said: "Then I must congratulate you, Father."

The Underworld King nodded with a smile and said: "This time you have truly done a great service. Originally I sent you to the Blood Refining Hall on Kongsang Mountain not only to temper you, but merely to see whether the old senior Blackheart might have left behind any treasures or rare artifacts. Instead, you brought back the Heavenly Book—worth more than ten times any treasure."

Bili smiled, but her expression suddenly dimmed a little.

The Underworld King looked at his daughter for a long while, then suddenly laughed.

Bili came to herself, blushed, and said reproachfully: "Father..."

The Underworld King shook his head with a smile and said: "Why do you worry so?"

Bili bit her lip and said: "Father, you saw it today as well—that Zhang Qingyue, that, that blasted fellow, the way he is with his senior sister Tian Lingsu. I am only afraid, only afraid..."

The Underworld King said: "Afraid of what? Afraid that his heart is wholly given to her, and that he holds no feeling for you?"

Bili lowered her head.

The Underworld King said mildly: "My view differs from yours."

Bili was startled and said: "Father, what do you mean?"

The Underworld King said: "From what I saw today, Zhang Qingyue is indeed good to his senior sister, but when you and that Xiao Zhou were dueling and the moment grew critical, he could not control himself—he cried out and leaped forward without any regard for his own safety. On that alone, together with the times you and he have shared life and death and walked the road side by side, perhaps he does not yet understand it himself, but your place in his heart is likely not much less than that of his senior sister."

Bili blushed again, and under the night sky she looked all the more lovely, yet her eyes shifted, and there was a joy in them she could not conceal.

The Underworld King took in her expression, walked over, and gently stroked her hair, his affection plain to see. Then he said: "However, you must not rejoice too soon. First, the barrier between our sects is a threshold he cannot cross; and second, his masters, uncles, and elders in Canglan Sect will never permit him to hold any feeling for you. That is why, when I was about to leave today, I deliberately made your relationship sound ambiguous. That one called Xiao Zhou must hold no low place in Canglan Sect; if he carries word back, Canglan Sect will surely grow suspicious of Zhang Qingyue. In this way, the chance that he will come over to our Holy Sect has grown by several degrees."

With that, he seemed quite pleased with his own cunning and chuckled twice.

Bili had smiled at first, but after a while her smile slowly faded, and she lowered her head in silence.

The Underworld King frowned and said: "What is it?"