“Who are you?”
The icy abyss was so deep that one could not see the top or the bottom.
Within the boundless mountain’s core, both above and below, four enormous black chains appeared. These chains extended from the mountain walls, intertwining in the void above, binding a woman in red robes at the very center.
She was an extraordinarily beautiful woman.
Her face was strikingly beautiful, with features that were incredibly captivating. She wore a crimson robe designed for men. Her long hair was gathered high on her head, and amidst her tender brows, there was a rare trace of heroism, giving her a unique and indeterminate quality of both femininity and masculinity.
In the cold, colorless ice cavern, her jet-black hair was like a desolate, cold night, while the fire-red robe was the only vibrant element in this silver-white world. The stark contrast between the black, white, and red—the chains, the cold ice, and the long robe—made her beauty seem otherworldly, both ethereal and bright, instantly capturing one’s entire soul.
Zanxing never expected that amidst this boundless cold abyss, there would be such a soul-stirring woman. She did not answer the question but instead asked, “And who are you?”
Upon hearing this, the woman’s eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, and she muttered to herself, “A girl, I didn’t realize it just now…” Seemingly noticing Zanxing’s gaze, she looked over and smiled slightly: “I am Bu Jiang.”
“Bu Jiang…” Zanxing pondered and suddenly reacted, looking sharply at her: “You are the Demon Queen Bu Jiang!”
The book The Demon Queen’s Confession: On the Wedding Night, I Discovered My Husband’s Illegitimate Child, which was hidden in Miss Yang’s box, detailed the melodramatic story of the Demon Queen Bu Jiang and the Demon King Gui Diaotang’s love that developed after marriage. There were no illustrations, so Zanxing had no idea what the Demon Queen looked like. Seeing her in person now, it was clear that the book’s description did not even come close to capturing her real beauty.
Bu Jiang lightly frowned: “I’ve only been in seclusion for a few decades, and people outside have already forgotten my name?” She looked at Zanxing: “When you see me, you should have recognized me immediately. After all, in this world, besides me, no one else possesses such unparalleled beauty.”
Zanxing: “…” She didn’t know how to respond to that for a moment.
“Forget it,” Bu Jiang said nonchalantly, “Considering your young age, it’s understandable that you might not have ventured far from home and have limited experience. However, hmm…” She scrutinized Zanxing closely: “Your face is so dark, has it been burned by fire?”
Before climbing up, Zanxing had used the ice in the cavern to check her face. If the dark marks left by the Yu in the past had marred her appearance, the face now, with flesh scorched and peeling from divine fire, could hardly be considered a face.
Bu Jiang sighed: “That madman has always been a killer turned demon. I didn’t expect him to also have learned to torment others. Whose child are you, to be so unfortunate? You are the first I’ve ever seen like this.”
Zanxing remained silent, recalling what Gui Yansheng had said.
“You are the Demon King’s daughter, my half-sister.”
The Demon King’s daughter—Gui Yansheng was half-demon, and his mother was not of the demon race. If he spoke with such certainty, then…
Zanxing stared at Bu Jiang and slowly said, “My name is Yang Zanxing.”
Bu Jiang’s expression froze.
The next moment, a stream of magical energy flew from Bu Jiang’s hand and entered Zanxing’s body. Zanxing felt a warm flow spreading throughout her, the sensation was incredibly comforting, causing her limbs to relax.
After an unknown amount of time, the woman sighed: “I never imagined that, given my appearance and that of Gui Diaotang, our daughter would turn out like this… Are you really Yang Zanxing?”
Her tone indicated a reluctance to believe that Zanxing was her daughter.
Zanxing: “…” After a moment of silence, she said, “I was burned by the Divine Fire Pillar. I didn’t originally look like this.”
“I see your bone structure. Even if you hadn’t been burned, it wouldn’t be much better, hmm?” Bu Jiang suddenly realized: “The Divine Fire Pillar? Did you fall into the Ten Thousand Killing Formation?”
“Yes.”
“The Ten Thousand Killing Formation is a killing formation of the Taiyan Sect. How did you end up in the Taiyan Sect? Wait, if you fell into the Ten Thousand Killing Formation, how are you still alive? Demons who fall into the Ten Thousand Killing Formation can’t possibly survive. Even your father would suffer if he fell into the formation. How did you escape?”
Zanxing thought of Gu Baiying, her expression dimming a bit: “I had a friend who used a Soul Binding Technique to separate a fragment of his soul to block the Ten Thousand Killing Formation and then helped me escape from the sect.”
“Your friend is quite generous.” Bu Jiang raised an eyebrow, her tone carrying a hint of meaning: “Willing to give you a fragment of his soul, it seems he’s not just an ordinary friend.”
This was not the time for idle gossip, and Zanxing looked up: “What exactly am I? You mentioned being a daughter… Am I really your daughter?”
The surroundings were quiet. Bu Jiang moved her wrist, and the massive iron chains in the abyss made rustling sounds.
After a long pause, her voice spoke again: “I really don’t want to talk about these old matters, but since you’ve found your way here, you must have learned quite a bit of the truth. Zanxing,” she called Zanxing’s name with a warm and gentle tone, with a hint of a faint smile, as if expressing a rare sense of relief at their reunion: “I am your mother.”
“Mother…”
In the silent ice abyss, Bu Jiang withdrew her hand and looked at Zanxing with a newfound, unfamiliar gaze.
“Your father is Gui Diaotang, of pure Heavenly Demon bloodline. When I united with him, I gave birth to you.” Bu Jiang’s voice was a stark contrast to her beautiful appearance—deep and hoarse, echoing in the vast abyss as if it came from a distant place.
“I thought, given our appearances and cultivation, that our offspring would undoubtedly be unmatched in beauty, unparalleled in the Three Realms. But unfortunately, during my pregnancy, your father had already acquired the Xiao Yuan Pearl. He could not control the Xiao Yuan Pearl, and as his inner demons grew, he committed many sins in the mortal world, attracting a great number of enemies from the cultivation world.”
“Shortly after I gave birth to you, he was killed.” Bu Jiang said this with some regret: “Even though he was a formidable hero, his death was disgraceful, and the world cheered. At that time, the Demon King’s bloodline was severed, the demonic energy depleted, and the entire demon race was thrown into chaos. The cultivation world led extermination armies to hunt down the remnants of the demon race, and the demon realm was in constant turmoil.”
“I was overwhelmed at the time and thought it was too dangerous for you to remain in the demon realm, so I erased the Demon King’s seal from you, sealed your internal demonic power, and sent you to the human world.”
“I took a long time to choose, and selected the Yang family in Yuecheng for you. Yuecheng is remote and small, with few people, making it easier to hide. The Yang family has many children, and as one of their daughters, you would be inconspicuous and not easily noticed. Fearing that you might attract the attention of cultivators, I never came to see you and forbade any demons from approaching you. I planned to bring you back once the demon race had risen again and the demon realm was stabilized. I didn’t expect you would find your way here on your own.” She looked at Zanxing with a hint of confusion in her beautiful eyes: “I just don’t understand, Yuecheng is so far from the Taiyan Sect. How did you end up involved with the Taiyan Sect?”