Stealing an Immortal Back to the Demon Realm Chapter 54

Hearing that the matter Mu Qiuhan entrusted him with was entirely related to Shang Ningye, Xuan Kong felt quite puzzled for a moment.
However, he quickly agreed.
“This old one will naturally do my best. It’s just, I don’t know where Grandmaster Aunt is?”
The matter concerned Shang Ningye and the Patriarch’s spirit beast; even without Mu Qiuhan’s instructions, he would have done his utmost.
However, since they were to return together, why hadn’t he seen any sign of Shang Ningye?
When Mu Qiuhan heard Xuan Kong ask about Shang Ningye, she couldn’t help but recall what had happened not long ago, and her expression became slightly unnatural.
She cleared her throat, trying hard to hide the trace of shyness on her face.
“It’s late, and she’s already asleep. We’ll set off later tomorrow. What does the Elder think?”
Xuan Kong glanced at Mu Qiuhan. Although he still had doubts, he didn’t press further.
When Shang Ningye woke up, she saw Mu Qiuhan already dressed.
Mu Qiuhan was lying on her side beside her, her hand outstretched, as if tracing Shang Ningye’s features in the air.
Shang Ningye remembered their intimacy from the night before. She lowered her gaze, avoiding Mu Qiuhan’s eyes.
Then, she leaned a little closer towards Mu Qiuhan.
Seeing her take the initiative to come closer, Mu Qiuhan took the opportunity to embrace her and placed a light kiss on Shang Ningye’s forehead.
The soft fragrance on Shang Ningye’s nightclothes hadn’t faded yet.
The familiar scent stirred memories of the previous day.
Mu Qiuhan took a deep breath, trying hard to suppress the images that flooded her mind.
She took out a pair of voice-transmitting yin-yang fish pendants from the red jade bracelet on her wrist, selected the white one, and placed it around Shang Ningye’s neck.
“I’ve already made arrangements for your return to the Immortal Sect. I’ve also sent someone to Feng Yi; I expect she will dispatch people to meet up with you soon.”
“On this trip back, you must remember: don’t try to force things if you can’t handle them. If there’s anything you can’t resolve, tell me.”
She extended a finger and gently tapped the white voice-transmitting fish pendant on Shang Ningye’s chest.
The fish’s eye on the jade pendant seemed to gleam faintly.
Mu Qiuhan instructed, “Keep this close and don’t lose it. Tap it lightly twice like this, and you’ll be able to talk to me.”
Shang Ningye felt a faint, familiar aura emanating from the fish pendant, so she clasped it in her palm to sense it more carefully.
After a moment, her brow furrowed slightly.
“Did you hide a sliver of your spiritual soul inside it?”
Mu Qiuhan remained silent. Shang Ningye sighed softly.
“You’ve only just entered the Void Refinement stage. You shouldn’t have forcibly split off a part of your spiritual soul for my sake…”
Before she could continue, Mu Qiuhan reached out and covered her mouth.
Her lips curved into a smile as she slowly leaned closer to Shang Ningye’s ear.
Shang Ningye heard her whisper, “Thanks to you, my cultivation has been progressing very quickly these past few days. You don’t need to worry.”
Seeing Shang Ningye still looking worried, Mu Qiuhan smiled, and her lips closed around the pearl-like earlobe so near.
Her tongue slid gently over Shang Ningye’s smooth earlobe, then curled deftly around it.
Mu Qiuhan suckled it lightly.
Seeing a blush rise on Shang Ningye’s face because of this, Mu Qiuhan let go, satisfied.
She reached out again and gently pinched Shang Ningye’s cheek.
“If you’re really that worried, how about… you help me with dual cultivation one more time?”
She had said it jokingly, but to her surprise, Shang Ningye turned her head and took her fingers into her mouth.
Mu Qiuhan’s eyes widened in surprise.
Their gazes met.
Sparks ignited in their eyes, quickly flaring into a conflagration.
The temperature in the room suddenly rose, enveloping the two women pressed closely together.
Mu Qiuhan was lost in a daze for a moment under Shang Ningye’s gentle caresses.
Then, she suddenly parted her lips and bit into the cool, pale skin of Shang Ningye’s shoulder.
Mu Qiuhan didn’t use much force, just nipping gently, slowly using her lips and teeth to leave a noticeable red mark on that jade-like shoulder.
Seeing the mark was now clearly visible, Mu Qiuhan, satisfied, shifted her attention elsewhere.
While kissing Shang Ningye’s lovely red lips, she murmured, “A little mark. From now on, remember, you’re mine.”
Shang Ningye swallowed the soft moan that rose in her throat and let out a low laugh.
To Mu Qiuhan’s ears, this sound was like an invitation.
She released Shang Ningye’s lips and trailed kisses down her throat, continuing lower.
Passion filled the room.
When Xuan Kong saw Shang Ningye again, he felt that this Grandmaster Aunt of his was very different from before.
Shang Ningye had once been cold and aloof, and Xuan Kong had sometimes found her unapproachable.
But now, her every expression somehow made him unable to look directly at her.
Xuan Kong carefully averted his gaze, lowering his head to greet Shang Ningye.
He struggled to stabilize his somewhat turbulent Dao heart and forcibly suppressed the spiritual energy in his dantian, which had faintly begun to flow erratically.
Shang Ningye hadn’t expected that Mu Qiuhan’s “sending people to escort her” would mean this.
She had assumed her escorts would all be from the demon clan, so she had deliberately released a trace of her bewitching art, intending to give them a subtle show of strength to prevent any trouble along the way.
She certainly hadn’t expected to meet Xuan Kong here.
Noticing the unusual expression on Xuan Kong’s face, Shang Ningye withdrew the bewitching art she had deliberately activated and glanced back at Mu Qiuhan in surprise.
Mu Qiuhan stood behind her, smiling radiantly, but there was a faint trace of worry in her eyes.
For some reason, Shang Ningye subconsciously touched the crystal bracelet on her wrist.
Just a while ago, after their lovemaking, Mu Qiuhan had tossed a large pile of protective magic artifacts into that bracelet.
Shang Ningye could vaguely sense the anxiety Mu Qiuhan was trying to hide beneath her calm demeanor.
She smiled reassuringly at Mu Qiuhan.
A gust of wind from the demon lands swept past, dislodging a wisp of hair by Mu Qiuhan’s forehead, partially obscuring her eyes.
Shang Ningye stepped forward and gently tucked the stray wisp of hair behind Mu Qiuhan’s ear with her fingertips.
She smoothed the collar of Mu Qiuhan’s robe, which was deliberately fastened high to cover her neck, and said softly, “Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.”
Mu Qiuhan watched Shang Ningye’s figure disappear beyond Jialuo Hall and sighed softly.
The tenderness in her eyes from moments ago vanished. She turned to Hua Ganglie, who stood silently behind her.
“Where are Perfected Yu Yang and Perfected Yu Ji now?”
Hua Ganglie tried to conceal the complex emotions stirring within him.
“They are still being held at Leng Yi’s residence. This subordinate has already arranged for them to be closely watched. Should we… make a move?”
“Leng Yi is still in the Yao Realm and hasn’t returned?”
“Yes.”
“Send him a message. Tell him I’m taking them.”
“And if he has any objections?”
Mu Qiuhan shot Hua Ganglie a look before replying, “Bring them out anyways.”
Hua Ganglie had just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Mu Qiuhan add, “If he dares to voice any objection, then he need never return to this Demon Realm.”
Shang Ningye returned to the Taiqing Immortal Sect with Xuan Kong, while Wu Ling was ordered to accompany them with troops.
Due to the previous friction between Wu Ling and Xuan Kong, the group traveled in silence.
When they reached the foot of Longxuan Mountain, Wu Ling finally took out a storage ring.
“These are the items I took from the Elder last time. By order of Her Majesty, I am returning them all.”
Xuan Kong took the storage ring from Wu Ling’s hand.
“Thank you, High Priest, for escorting us this far. Ahead lies the territory of the Taiqing Immortal Sect; you can stop here.”
Wu Ling snorted softly at his words and turned her head away, no longer looking at him.
She faced Shang Ningye, a hint of arrogance in her expression.
“Her Majesty ordered me to wait here at your disposal. If you need anything, you can find me at the foot of the mountain.”
Shang Ningye detected the impatience in Wu Ling’s tone and said softly, “There’s no need for such trouble. The Demon Realm has many affairs to attend to right now; High Priest, you should return soon.”
Wu Ling glanced at her, her lips curving into a faint, unreadable smile.
She said languidly, “Return? If something were to happen to you, I would have a hard time explaining it to Her Majesty.”
Shang Ningye also smiled at her, but there was a hint of coldness in her eyes.
“You won’t need to explain anything. I will tell her myself that this is my decision.”
Wu Ling paused for a moment at these words but didn’t seem particularly bothered.
“Very well, then.”
She replied nonchalantly and immediately ordered her entire contingent to depart for the Demon Realm.
A day ago, she had learned from Hua Ganglie that Her Majesty, seemingly because of this young yao, intended to move against Leng Yi.
Wu Ling had heard from Hua Ganglie about Leng Yi’s disloyalty towards Her Majesty during the previous attack on the Taiqing Immortal Sect.
Her Majesty had tolerated even such a grave matter back then, so why was she acting so irrationally now over something relatively minor?
What Wu Ling understood even less was, if Her Majesty already had such plans, why send her away?
At a time like this, shouldn’t she be kept by Her Majesty’s side?
Wu Ling felt extremely anxious.
Now that she had this young yao’s permission, she was suddenly eager to return, like an arrow loosed for home.
Xuan Kong watched as Wu Ling led the formidable troop of demonic soldiers, and they vanished before his and Shang Ningye’s eyes in an instant.
Only then did he have the chance to speak with Shang Ningye properly.
A hint of worry was visible on Xuan Kong’s face.
He observed Shang Ningye carefully and asked cautiously, “Grandmaster Aunt, I sense that your spiritual energy is very different from before. Did those demonic cultivators… do something to you?”
Shang Ningye met his gaze, noting his hesitant expression.
She again took out a few spiritual stones from her storage ring, tossed them into the magic artifact beneath her feet, and activated it.
“No. Let’s discuss these minor details later. Elder, we should hurry.”
Xuan Kong knew she was worried about the ice crystal beast’s safety, so he said no more. He immediately formed hand seals, mounted his sword, and headed towards the sect with Shang Ningye.
Returning to the sect after several months, it felt as if a lifetime had passed.
The vermilion main gate of the Taiqing Immortal Sect stood as always, but the gold-lettered plaque above it had, for some unknown reason, been replaced with a new one.
Xuan Kong found the young disciples guarding the gate unfamiliar. Just as he was about to step forward and inquire, he heard them exclaim with excitement.
“It’s Elder Xuan Kong!”
“Quick, send a message to Martial Uncle Yu He! Elder Xuan Kong is back!”
Xuan Kong was unaware that after his departure, demonic cultivators had led an army and breached the sect.
However, he couldn’t sense the sect-protecting formation at all right now, and a chill instantly gripped his heart.
He struggled to suppress the sudden panic welling up inside him and sped towards Ziyang Hall on his sword.
Shang Ningye followed silently.
When he saw Yu He, Yu Ji, Yu Xu, and his other martial nephews, all dressed in elder’s Daoist robes, appear together before Ziyang Hall, Xuan Kong’s heart skipped a beat.
Where were the other elders from the main peak?!
Perfected Yu Xu, who usually had the closest relationship with Xuan Kong, couldn’t be bothered with Perfected Yu He’s status as acting sect leader at this moment and rushed past her.
“Elder Xuan Kong!”
As Xuan Kong had made his way from the sect gate, he had already noticed the changes within the sect.
Even though the demonic army hadn’t deliberately destroyed the buildings within the Immortal Sect, the previous battle had nonetheless left numerous scars.
His suspicions confirmed, Xuan Kong sighed, feeling a wave of powerlessness.
Clinging to a final sliver of hope, he asked, “Where is Perfected Xuan Ling?”