Venerable Demon King & The Doting Immortal (QT)-Chapter 51: Read with caution

But Xiang Yu’s lips curled into a mischievous smile. He rummaged through his storage bag and found the permanent ink the twins had once used on his face. For days, he had walked around with the character "pretty" and a terrible drawing of a flower and a cat on his face. Not even a cleansing spell could remove that damn ink. One could only wait till it faded by itself. He had confiscated it from them, but now he had a new use for it.

"You dare rob me of my first kiss? I will show you," he muttered, sticking his tongue out in concentration as he drew something on the man’s face, treating it like a masterpiece. Satisfied with his work, he packed away the brush and, with a childish grin he placed the man’s finger in his nose as if he were picking it.

Xiang Yu laughed, then placed the note on the man’s lap for the Heavenly Sect people to find. He could almost imagine their faces when they found their disciple like this. One might be curious as to what exactly he wrote. Well, he wrote ’Demon King Xiang was here’ and drew a smiley face. If the twins knew what he did they would have been disappointed that they couldn’t participate.

Feeling triumphant, he walked back to the twins with a beaming smile. They happily walked towards the carriage; their curiosity piqued. "What about the mark on your forehead? How did you get it and why is it gone now?" Mei asked, her eyes wide with interest.

Xiang Yu explained what had happened the previous night, and the girls exchanged glances, their expressions intrigued. They were both thinking the same thing. Their master was marked by his new wife so he wouldn’t be able to run away. First, it was the jade pendant, then the kiss and now this. AAAHHH, they were witnessing a love story blossom. This poor master had no idea that a romance drama was playing in their heads. If he knew he would have smacked them upside their heads.

He took the reins, allowing the girls to sleep in the carriage. The sky had long grown dark, and the night was unusually silent. Suddenly, he pulled the reins, bringing the horses to an abrupt stop. He sensed something malicious lingering in the air. As if to confirm his suspicions, the horses began to neigh uneasily.

Quickly, Xiang Yu cast a protection barrier around the carriage. The girls, woken up in a panic peeked their heads through the curtain and asked their master what was wrong. "Stay in the carriage," he commanded his aura growing cold. His eyes turned fierce and scarlet as he walked slowly into the bamboo forest. The silence was eerie, with only the soft breeze rustling the leaves.

Suddenly, he felt a powerful force from behind. It was too late to dodge. The divine force flung him several meters away. When he steadied himself, he was met by a young woman he had never seen before. "Brother," she called out with a sinister grin. This was no typical family reunion.

Xiang Yu’s heart pounded as he faced the young woman. Her presence was both familiar and foreign, a paradox that unsettled him. The moonlight filtered through the bamboo leaves, casting eerie shadows on her face. Her eyes, a mirror of his own scarlet hue, burned with a hatred that seemed to pierce his very soul. Other than the eyes the two looked nothing alike. She took after both their parents unlike him who looked more like one parent.

"Tsk... how could that be? We look nothing alike," Xiang Yu said, his voice steady despite the turmoil within. Now he knew why he never saw her. Their father had somehow managed to help her ascend into the divine realm as a ploy for something sinister. He might have ruined their plans by killing his father. He tightened his grip on his whip, ready for whatever might come next.

The woman laughed; a sound devoid of warmth. "That’s because we are fraternal twins you idiot? You know, for someone who killed our father I thought you were smart. How disappointing."

"What do you want?" he asked, trying to buy time as he assessed the situation. He knew he couldn’t win this fight but he could draw her as far away as possible from the twins.

She stepped closer, her movements graceful yet predatory. "You know I wanted to deal with you later after what you did to my father but you just had to provoke me first. Actually, I was happy that you killed that old bastard because I could finally do what I wanted but you just had to ruin my plans," she hissed. "You robbed my person from me."

Xiang Yu who had no idea what the hell she was talking about smiled slyly the demon blood in his veins seething. "Well, tell me who exactly it is and I can return them to you. Sister, was it perhaps your boy-?"

Before he could even finish his sentence, she launched herself at him, her speed and strength far beyond that of an immortal cultivator. He barely managed to parry her first strike, the force of it sending shockwaves through his arm. They clashed in a flurry of blows, the sound of metal against metal echoing through the silent forest.

Despite his skill, Xiang Yu found himself on the defensive. Her attacks were relentless, fueled by a rage that seemed to know no bounds. He needed to move further away from this place so he led her deep into the forest. Drawing upon his inner reserves, he summoned a burst of energy, pushing her back momentarily. "How about we use our words."

She sneered, wiping a trickle of blood from her lip. "In your dreams." She launched a ruthless attack and the two of them clashed making the forest tremble. Exhausted he staggered, his body a canvas of cuts, each one a testament to Peng Xiu’s deadly rage. Her fan blades had left a gaping hole in his chest, yet he laughed, a sinister sound that echoed through the battlefield. "You hit like a bitch," he taunted, his voice dripping with mockery.

Peng Xiu, her own injuries less severe, hovered over him with a look of pure disgust. She raised her blade, ready to drive it into his throat. But just as the blade was about to descend, Xiang Yu felt an unfamiliar surge of power coursing through his veins. A white mark appeared on his forehead, glowing with an otherworldly light.

Her eyes widened in fury. "He marked you!" she exclaimed, her voice seething with anger. This wasn’t just a mark but Han Xin’s protection. It was for the other gods to know who he belonged to and that he was off limits.

Suddenly, Lian rushed over, her voice filled with desperation. "Master!" she cried; her flying blades aimed at the woman. But the woman’s eyes glowed, and with a flick of her wrist, she stopped the blades mid-air, turning them back towards Lian.

Xiang Yu barely had time to react as Lian’s body was pierced by her own blades. Mei, in a desperate attempt to save her sister, tried to push Lian out of the way but was cut down as well, her body sent flying a great distance.

"No!" he screamed, his veins throbbing. He struggled against the woman’s hold, but she was too powerful. She began to rip the mark from his spiritual veins, each tug sending waves of torturous pain through his body. Xiang Yu’s vision blurred, but he could still see Lian’s lifeless eyes.

"You should be more worried about yourself brother," she said with a twisted grin as she forced him to look at her. Xiang Yu spat on her his heart grieving. He knew he had to fight not for himself but for Lian and Mei. He had to save them.