The Life of a Necromancer as a Swashbuckler

Chapter 46: The Prophecy of the Thousand-Year Celestial Demon

With Xiaoyaozi’s arrival, a powerful aura formed imperceptibly. The three people fighting in the courtyard stopped their battle in unison, leaping backward to take up positions in the three corners. As soon as Ake and Nameless saw that their master had arrived, they immediately bowed respectfully and greeted him with clasped hands, “Master!” Xiaoyaozi gave a slight nod in acknowledgment. Upon seeing Xiaoyaozi arrive, Yan Miaomiao observed the reactions of Nameless and Ake and realized he was their master. Her anger immediately subsided; she dared not show it anymore and respectfully bowed, saying, “Senior Xiaoyaozi, hello. I apologize for the disturbance.” It seemed she actually recognized Xiaoyaozi. Xiaoyaozi looked at Yan Miaomiao with a gentle expression. “Miaomiao, it’s been a long time since you’ve visited Xiaoyao Valley. How is your father?” “Thank you for your concern, Senior. My father is doing well,” Yan Miaomiao replied respectfully. “It’s a pity that my senior sister is gone.” After saying this, a look of sadness crossed her face, as if someone very important to her had passed away. “Was it A Li? What happened?” Xiaoyaozi was also shocked to hear this news; clearly, he knew that senior sister as well. “She was killed by that villain Diao Dehuai. Rumor has it she was even turned into some kind of zombie puppet,” Yan Miaomiao said, grinding her teeth in rage as she spoke, pointing at Diao Dehuai’s corpse as if she longed to tear him to pieces with her own hands. “A puppet corpse?” Xiaoyaozi was startled upon hearing this, and his expression immediately darkened with disgust and fury. “Tianyi City is active again!” he said with a deep sigh. This was the first time Nameless had ever seen such a furious expression on his master’s face; clearly, a puppet corpse was no good omen. “So I suppose this must be the infamous ‘Unparalleled Coquettish Laughter’ Xiao Jiaojiao of Tianyi City. What brings you to my Xiaoyao Valley?” Xiaoyaozi turned his gaze back to the wanton woman; his eyes suddenly grew sharp, and an invisible pressure swept over her—enough to crush an ordinary person on the spot. “Hmph,” Xiao Jiaojiao snorted coldly, seemingly unfazed by Xiaoyaozi. “I wouldn’t dare go to Xiaoyao Valley. This is Zheng Family Village—is Zheng Family Village part of Xiaoyao Valley’s ancestral lands now?” Xiao Jiaojiao actually dared to mock Xiaoyaozi. Xiaoyaozi furrowed his brow slightly. A surge of true qi suddenly rose from behind him, rushing straight toward Xiao Jiaojiao. Powerless to resist, she was blown away, twisting and turning in midair before slowly coming to a landing. With nothing but his aura, Xiaoyaozi had already left Xiao Jiaojiao in a sorry state. Xiao Jiaojiao knew full well that the gap between her and Xiaoyaozi was too great; she dared not linger any longer. She snapped at Xiaoyaozi, “If you’ve got the guts, go after the Lord of Tianyi City. What kind of hero bullies the weak? Xiaoyaozi, since I’m here, I’ll say this plainly: don’t think your Xiaoyao Sect can keep this secret. The Sword Realm has opened—we all know about it now. Even if you kill me right now, you won’t stop Master Xian De’s prophecy from coming true!” Upon hearing Master Xian De’s prophecy, Nameless, Ake, and Xiaoyaozi all froze in surprise. Master Xian De’s prophecy was meant for the Xiaoyao Sect—how could Tianyi City possibly know about it? And what was the purpose of Tianyi City’s recent activities, including the creation of those zombie puppets? They were all filled with confusion. Upon hearing Xiao Jiaojiao’s words, Xiao Yaozi’s expression shifted slightly. He then vanished from where he stood and reappeared behind Xiao Jiaojiao. With a light press of his left hand against her back, Xiao Jiaojiao felt as if she’d been struck by five bolts of lightning—she couldn’t move a muscle. Such was Xiao Yaozi’s power—on par with that of the Lord of Tianyi City. “How did you learn of Master Xian De’s prophecy?” Xiaoyaozi said coldly, his voice brimming with intimidation—as if it were piercing her very soul, leaving her no choice but to answer. Xiao Jiaojiao, immobilized by a single move and feeling the pressure on her body grow ever stronger, answered involuntarily:“Master Xian De prophesied that when the Sword Realm of Xiaoyao Valley reopens, a Thousand-Year Celestial Demon will descend upon the world, slaughtering all in its path and causing rivers of blood to flow. This has long been an open secret in our Tianyi City. We’ve been preparing for over a century to await the reopening of the Sword Realm. Do you really think we’ve only just set our sights on Xiaoyao Valley now?” Upon hearing the details of the prophecy, Xiaoyaozi was startled. Although it differed somewhat from what he knew, there were also some points of overlap. It seemed that the reopening of the Sword Realm would affect all major factions. Lost in thought, he inadvertently relaxed his grip, and Xiao Jiaojiao seized the opportunity to break free from Xiaoyaozi’s control and leaped away. “Xiaoyaozi, one cannot defy Heaven’s will. We in Tianyi City have long known our destiny, which is why we align with Heaven and the people. It is you—these so-called ‘renowned righteous sects’—who are stubborn and unyielding. When the Heavenly Demon descends, not a single one of you will escape Heaven’s will.” After speaking, Xiao Jiaojiao ran off without looking back and was out of sight in an instant. She knew full well that this was her only chance of survival right now; if Xiaoyaozi were to fly into a rage, it would be all too easy for him to kill her, so fleeing was the best course of action. Xiaoyaozi seemed completely unconcerned by Xiao Jiaojiao’s escape. In his eyes, no one in Tianyi City—except for the City Lord—was worth mentioning. Right now, the reopening of the Sword Realm was the most important matter; it was not yet time to formally declare war on Tianyi City. Having let Xiao Jiaojiao escape, Xiaoyaozi’s expression grew even more grave. The information he’d just received far exceeded his expectations. If even Tianyi City had taken action, there was no telling how the Tianmo Sect and Yingyue Palace might react. If the Palace, the City, the Sect, the Island, and the Four Demon Sects all set their sights on Xiaoyao Valley, even he, Xiaoyaozi, would struggle to handle it. Even though Yingyue Palace was his secret ally, there was no guarantee that alliance would hold. Xiaoyaozi fell into deep thought for a moment. The other three dared not move, waiting for him to finish his deliberations. When he looked up at them, he addressed Yan Miaomiao first: “Miao’er, is there a specific reason you’ve come to Xiaoyao Valley this time?” “Reporting to you, Senior, there’s nothing in particular,” Yan Miaomiao replied, putting on an innocent act. “I originally came to avenge my senior sister, and just happened to end up in Zheng Family Village.” As she spoke, she shot a vicious glare at Nameless, thinking to herself that if Nameless hadn’t meddled along the way, she probably wouldn’t have had so many unexpected adventures. “That’s good. Since the villain has been vanquished, Ali’s vengeance has been partially avenged. As for Tianyi City, do not act rashly. Once this matter is settled, your father and I will find a way to handle it,” Xiaoyaozi instructed. “I’ll follow your guidance to the letter, Senior,” Yan Miaomiao naturally dared not say anything. She hadn’t expected Diao Dehuai to have ties to Tianyi City; otherwise, she wouldn’t have put herself in such danger. Fortunately, they were at the entrance to Xiaoyao Valley, and fortunately, Nameless had appeared just in time. “My dear niece, are you injured? You don’t look quite right,” Xiaoyaozi, perceptive as ever, immediately recognized Yan Miaomiao’s condition at a glance. “Yes, Senior. I was struck by that cross-dressing man.” Yan Miaomiao’s face flushed again. “Hmm,” Xiaoyaozi nodded. He raised a hand and, astonishingly, transmitted his inner energy to Yan Miaomiao through the air. Yan Miaomiao felt a wave of warmth and comfort wash over her, and her injured body began to heal significantly. “Thank you, Senior, for healing my wounds,” Yan Miaomiao said, both surprised and delighted, and she immediately knelt down to bow. “No need for such formalities,” Xiaoyaozi used his inner energy to stop Yan Miaomiao’s bow. “This has only temporarily stabilized your injuries; you still need proper recuperation. I would have had you recover here in Xiaoyao Valley, but trouble has arisen within the valley, and it’s not convenient to host guests at the moment. I’m afraid I’ll have to ask my niece to return home quickly to recuperate.” “By the way, these two are my wayward disciples. There may have been some misunderstanding between you earlier, but please don’t let it weigh on your mind. Ke’er, Ming’er, come over and meet Miss Miaomiao.” Xiaoyaozi seemed to have just remembered Nameless and Ake, beckoning them over to be introduced. Nameless and Ake both felt a bit embarrassed; it seemed they had indeed wrongly accused Yan Miaomiao. Yan Miaomiao, however, was gracious and didn’t hold it against them. When they exchanged greetings, her face flushed even redder upon seeing Nameless, and she offered words of thanks for risking his life to save her. Once the three had been introduced to one another, Xiaoyaozi began making further arrangements. “The martial arts world is quite turbulent right now. Since none of you three are particularly skilled in martial arts, you should return home as soon as possible to avoid trouble. Miaomiao, you must return home immediately, and Ke’er and Ming’er will escort you. Ke’er, you and Nameless will first escort Miaomiao home, and then proceed to Wudang Mountain. You must ensure the safety of all three of them.” ” Xiaoyaozi laid out his plans for the future. “Yes.” “We’ll follow your instructions.” “We’ll leave everything to your arrangements, Senior.”