Chapter One Hundred and Four: The Foremost Songstress of Dongguan Kingdom

Chong Zi turned a deaf ear to Mo Ye’s words. She had only entered into a transaction with a cunning demon for the sake of her brother. The demonic aura here was enough to drive her to the brink of madness. With only half of her cultivation remaining, if Mo Ye were to renege on his word, a simple cage would have sufficed to imprison her amidst such overwhelming demonic pressure.

"The deal is struck. The Thirty-Three Heavens has only Chong Hua as a god, and I fear he cannot manage it all. We shall continue this another time."

Though demons were known for their lack of integrity, a Demon Lord was unlikely to go back on his word. She only needed to return to the Thirty-Three Heavens and await Chong Lian’s return, and events would proceed according to plan.

...

In the Thirty-Three Heavens, Chong Hua was playing chess by the lotus pond as he always did.

"Chong Zi, how disappointed your brother would be to see you in this state."

As the Lord of the Myriad Realms, a single thought was enough for him to know whatever he wished. Every move Chong Zi made in the Demon Realm was easily within his reach, yet Chong Hua had never deigned to use such spiritual arts—had it not been for a sudden transmission from someone.

"I assumed you had retired from the world. Why do you toss your sister to me instead of looking after her yourself? One Chong Lian is enough; an extra one leaves me with no peace."

Chong Hua’s voice echoed through the space, but no reply came for a long time.

"Chong Ye, are you intentionally avoiding me?"

Still, there was no answer, and Chong Hua had no choice but to let it be. He had long grown accustomed to keeping Chong Lian and Chong Zi hidden within the Six Realms.

Far away in the depths of chaos, within a darkness so absolute one could not see their own hand, a faint, gray starlight began to illuminate the void. In the distance, a white silhouette had merged with the night. Half of his body had already turned translucent, his eyes tightly shut as thunder tribulations struck his spine again and again.

He did not know how long the process of receiving the power of the Heavenly Dao would take; Chong Ye had been trapped here for countless days and nights. He had now gained the recognition of the Heavenly Dao and needed only one final step to fully incarnate as the Dao itself.

Yet, success always demanded a price. Inheriting the power of the Heavenly Dao allowed Chong Ye to see the threads of fate across the cycles of the myriad realms, including the fate of Chong Hua, the Lord of the Myriad Realms. But he could not convey this information to them, lest he suffer the torment of the thunder tribulation.

In a brief moment of clarity, while the Heavenly Dao was preoccupied with casting divine punishment upon other worlds, he had sent a transmission to Chong Hua, and for that, he was now suffering the wrath of the heavens.

If Chong Zi took the wrong step now, she would one day fall completely into becoming a Fallen God, forever barred from setting foot in the Six Realms, rejected by every living thing in existence. A Fallen God would be shackled by the Heavenly Dao, suffering its eternal punishment day and night. How could he bear to watch his beloved sister become such a thing?

Chong Ye and Chong Zi were originally a single pair of twin red lotuses; they shared the same blood. Upon learning that one of them had to bear the agony of becoming the Heavenly Dao, he had erased Chong Zi’s memories without hesitation, an act no less ruthless than Chong Lian’s own.

Becoming the Heavenly Dao meant eternal solitude until the chaos birthed a new successor. Chong Ye dared not imagine how terrified Chong Zi would be if she were left alone in this lightless void; she had always feared the dark since childhood.

Another thunderbolt struck, shattering his focus. "Do you acknowledge your error!"

Chong Ye stammered. This tribulation was unlike the one for achieving godhood; this was a tribulation that could cause a god to perish. "She is... my sister... How could I abandon her! Chong Ye has committed no wrong...!"

At his declaration of innocence, another bolt struck. If he could only endure ninety-nine, the Heavenly Dao would be unable to trouble him further. If he could only withstand those ninety-nine...

Chong Ye closed his heavy eyelids. For the first time as a god, he realized how truly exhausted he was.

...

The Bieying Pavilion in Dongguan State had only seven or eight guests; the middle-aged woman who had promised to book a seat earlier had not appeared. Luo Yue sat in the center of the stage behind a veil, her beautiful form visible only in glimpses.

Inside the pavilion, everyone looked worried, but Nan Yan remained expressionless, watching Luo Yue as always.

"Mistress, they have all gone to the Fengyue Pavilion! What should we do!? If this continues, the Bieying Pavilion will lose!"

"Do you think... I will lose?"

...

The Fengyue Pavilion was packed, shoulder to shoulder, with people craning their necks regardless of gender.

"Honored guests, please wait a moment. To thank you for coming, everything in the Fengyue Pavilion is free today! If you can invite your friends to join us, that would be even better, everyone~!"

Yue Niang donned her powder mask once more; her voluptuous figure made her appear all the more mature and charming, drawing the gaze of many men toward the second floor.

Yue Niang held a feather fan to partially cover her face. "Oh my~ Gentlemen, why are you staring at me instead of watching the girls of our pavilion today? Hurry, someone, call out our sisters Xiangling and the others to dance for you all!"

Excitement filled the air, punctuated by shrieks of delight as charming faces appeared before the crowd, driving the men to madness and the women to jealousy.

Seeing the growing crowd, some even squeezed out the doors, Yue Niang swayed her hips as she headed backstage. "Young Master, your plan is brilliant! The Bieying Pavilion cannot possibly compete for business now. It is said there are only six people left there, sitting and waiting!"

Mu Liao’s face remained stoic, though his slightly relaxed brow revealed his inner satisfaction.

"Well done. Keep up the pressure. I want to ensure the Bieying Pavilion never rises again!"

Yue Niang bowed, closing her fan, her expression serious. "Yes, Young Master!"

Of the two brothels, the Fengyue Pavilion was clearly winning. Everyone in the Bieying Pavilion could not help but break into a cold sweat. Luo Yue had yet to make a move. The Bieying Pavilion had become famous throughout Dongguan because of her; was it now to be buried in the dust because of her as well?

They did not believe that the girl who shone so brightly on stage, their Miss Luo Yue, would shrink away. It was unclear who started it, but a voice cried out: "Miss Luo Yue! Do your best! Whether we win or lose is not important! The main thing is to lose with dignity!"

Luo Yue unexpectedly glanced at the speaker—a young maid she had never met, with chubby cheeks and a look of genuine sincerity. She curled her lips into a faint smile, radiating a charming and ethereal allure.

Finally, the last two guests took their seats: the Marquis of Light Clothing and his wife.

The auntie who managed the girls nodded happily at the Marchioness, who responded with a joyful smile.

Luo Yue glanced at the sparse audience and began to play her first prepared piece, "Clouds Chasing the Moon."

The Marquis of Light Clothing also instructed his men to spread the news throughout the city that Luo Yue was performing on the zither, hoping to draw a few more guests to the Bieying Pavilion.

The Marchioness watched the young Luo Yue sitting on the high platform, playing with calm composure. A seemingly ordinary melody transformed into heavenly music under her fingers!

Scenes of clouds chasing the moon flickered through her mind, reminding her of the eager way the Marquis had pursued her in their youth.

The Marchioness’s soft laughter reached the keen ears of the Marquis. "If I were given another chance, I would still pursue you just as I did back then..."

Luo Yue occasionally lifted her beautiful eyes, looking at the one or two guests who had gradually arrived, her lips parting slightly:

"The setting sun bids the willow farewell, the crescent moon bends low.
The evening bird carries the sunset clouds alone across the sky.
The moon becomes the strings, the clouds the bridge,
The wind dances with fingers, the mist like a silken robe.
A soft song at dusk leaves one intoxicated,
At midnight, the sinking incense captures the dew-kissed face.
Dreams turn to brilliance in gentle hands,
A melody of colorful clouds drifts over the sandy shore."