Chapter 97

The competition among the Thunder (Lei Lie) King’s deathsworn was brutal beyond compare.
They had no names—only numbers. One mistake, and they were subjected to merciless punishments that pushed the limits of agony. More often than not, they wouldn't even get the chance to recover before someone from below climbed over their corpse, taking their rank, resources, and place.
In this savage hierarchy, only one rule mattered: kill the one above, and everything they own becomes yours.
That was why Thunder’s deathsworn fought like madmen. Death wasn’t the worst fate—failure was.
Last night, Lei Er had waited outside Ling Qingxiao’s courtyard, hoping the prey would walk into the trap. Yet after all his effort, he gained nothing—and worse, gave Ling Qingxiao the perfect opportunity to turn the tables. His mission had failed spectacularly. And the fact that he was still standing here now...well, that might not be the case once the Thunder King had a moment to deal with him.
So when Lei Er now found himself face-to-face with Ling Qingxiao, it was impossible to feel anything but dread. Still, despite the discomfort, he bowed respectfully. “Greetings, Master Ling.”
Ling Qingxiao gave a noncommittal “Mm,” not even glancing his way, and ascended the steps with a sweep of his sleeves.
A messenger quickly rushed ahead to the palace doors, announcing in a loud voice, “Master Ling has arrived!”
Inside the grand hall, the atmosphere shifted at once.
Thunder King rose first, his lips curling into a smile. “Master Ling, what a rare guest indeed.”
Ling Qingxiao entered with Luo Han at his side. As Luo Han crossed the threshold, her gaze swept swiftly across the room. Seated at the highest seat was a man in lavish black robes trimmed with gold—clearly the host of today’s event, the Thunder King himself. To his left sat a black-robed man, an old acquaintance—Ye Zhongyu. He had also risen to greet them. But the man seated to the right hadn’t even bothered to lift his head. He lounged with casual arrogance, twirling a wine cup between his fingers, completely unmoved by Ling Qingxiao’s presence.
The man’s features were delicate and bewitching, with an almost feminine allure. Dressed flamboyantly in violet, he would have been mistaken for a courtesan were it not for the masculine cut of his robes. That otherworldly appearance and blatant flamboyance left no doubt about his identity.
The Red Lotus Demon King—a powerful sovereign from the demon race.
Luo Han only gave him a glance before looking away. Ling Qingxiao’s gaze didn’t even waver. He offered a polite but distant greeting: “Thunder King.”
“Master Ling,” the king responded, surprise flickering briefly in his eyes. He examined Ling Qingxiao from head to toe, barely bothering to conceal his interest. “To think the six realms’ most celebrated prodigy—the one who ascended to Heavenly Immortal before a thousand years—would not only have such cultivation, but also such a remarkable face.”
Ling Qingxiao had heard this too many times to care. Whether it was praise for his strength or his appearance, it was all meaningless to him. Especially when it came from a man—he had no patience to indulge. “You flatter me. I am merely a pseudo-immortal, not a True Immortal.”
Luo Han nearly laughed but held it in.
Ling Qingxiao really was like a soulless cultivator machine—always ready to fact-check your polite exaggerations.
He truly had a chronic need for accuracy.
Thunder King clearly wasn’t used to this kind of exchange. Among demons, boasting and grandstanding were second nature. This was the first time he’d met someone who downplayed their own cultivation. He already had a feeling this conversation wouldn’t be enjoyable.
And truth be told, Ling Qingxiao felt the same. He’d only just arrived and already wanted to leave. He really didn’t like demons—in any sense of the word.
The two parties went through the motions of exchanging pleasantries, then sat down with thinly veiled frost in their expressions.
Red Lotus Demon King had remained disinterested until Luo Han sat down. Only then did his interest spark to life.
Though the demon and beast realms didn’t mingle with each other, culturally they were much the same—free, uninhibited, unbound by rules. The immortal realm, by contrast, was a bizarre anomaly: strict, cold, and painfully uptight. Maybe some young fox spirits with no sense of the world would find it charming, but to the Red Lotus King, immortal men were simply boring beyond reason.
Immortal women, on the other hand, could still be interesting—especially the pretty ones. Restraint could be quite the novelty.
His gaze slithered over Luo Han, completely unrestrained. “And this beauty is…?”
His eyes were so brazen it was practically an insult. Luo Han frowned slightly.
Before she could speak, Ling Qingxiao’s sleeve swept out, falling elegantly in front of her. “She is mine. I would ask the Red Lotus King to show some respect.”
“Yours?” Red Lotus King raised a brow, curious. “What do you mean yours?”
“If words must be spelled out…” Ling Qingxiao said with thin patience, “She is my fiancée.”
His voice struck like a thunderclap.
The entire hall fell silent. Even Luo Han was stunned. Fiancée? Since when had they progressed to marriage-level commitments?
Had she missed something in their conversation yesterday? She was almost sure she had only agreed to be his girlfriend. Had marriage ever come up?
Questions swirled in her head, but with outsiders watching, she said nothing and accepted it quietly.
Ye Zhongyu was completely floored.
Ling Qingxiao has a fiancée? Or rather—Ling Qingxiao is getting married? Impossible.
He’d never paid much attention to this “little brother,” but years of living under the same roof had left an impression. He’d always assumed Ling Qingxiao would die cold and alone, devoted only to cultivation.
When he’d sent out wedding invitations to Ling Qingxiao, Ye Zhongyu had felt...complicated. He remembered how Ling Qingxiao had taken care of Yun Menghan for years, but in the end, she had chosen Ye Zhongyu. Sending that wedding invite had been, in part, a declaration of victory.
Ling Qingxiao had always cast a shadow over him—cultivating faster, learning faster, mastering the sword faster. In every aspect but social grace, Ling Qingxiao had always been ahead.
It wasn’t until the truth of their parentage came out that Ye Zhongyu realized: it was never about his charm or talent. People had supported him because he was the heir of Zhongshan.
And when that title was stripped from him, those same people vanished like smoke.
By the time he was cast out like a stray dog, fleeing to the demon realm, the only thing left—the only thing he still had that Ling Qingxiao didn’t—was love.
And now…Not even that remained.
Yun Menghan loved him. Su Yinyue loved him too.
Two stunning women, willing to forsake everything and plunge into fire and water for him. But what about Ling Qingxiao? He had no one.
That had always been Ye Zhongyu’s last source of pride. But now, reality had dealt him a merciless blow.
Ling Qingxiao was going to marry—marry a woman of extraordinary beauty and unknown origins, with power that ran unfathomably deep. Even if Yun Menghan and Su Yinyue were combined into one, they wouldn't match a tenth of Luo Han.
Truth be told, comparing them wasn’t even fair to begin with.
Ye Zhongyu had to admit—Luo Han, as a future wife, was the pinnacle. Su Yinyue had noble blood but was arrogant and unstable, prone to fits of obsession that even he found hard to manage. Yun Menghan was sweet and gentle, but she didn’t carry well in formal settings.
Luo Han, however, was the perfect balance of grace and strength. She could be the matron of a great household or a battle companion standing shoulder to shoulder on the front lines.
Ye Zhongyu’s heart twisted with conflicting emotions.
Thunder King, noticing, spoke with faint amusement. “I heard that Master Ling is devoted solely to the Dao—detached from mortal emotions and immune to worldly desires. I had thought someone like you would have no patience for matters of the heart. And yet, here you are, speaking of marriage?”
“I never had the desire to marry,” Ling Qingxiao corrected calmly. “Only after meeting her did I feel that marriage might be a beautiful thing.”
Thunder King was caught completely off guard, smacked in the face by this blatant display of affection. He clicked his tongue and felt an odd sourness in his chest.
His gaze flicked between Ye Zhongyu and Ling Qingxiao, laced with teasing. “Well, what a coincidence. Not only do the two of you advance in cultivation at the same pace, now even your weddings are happening in tandem. I suppose it won’t be long before we get to attend your wedding banquet too, Master Ling?”
Luo Han’s eyes widened. She quickly looked toward Ling Qingxiao, only to see him pause and then reply earnestly, “That would be ideal.”
She was stunned. Was he serious? Or was this just small talk to placate Thunder King?
Thunder King burst into hearty laughter. “What fated timing! You two were born just days apart, ascended to True Immortal nearly together—if your weddings align too, the only thing left to compete will be who produces an heir first.”
At that, Luo Han’s face darkened ever so slightly.
It wasn’t that she resented the King for prying like a nosy mortal aunt, pushing others to have children—it was the way he said it.
Ling Qingxiao and Ye Zhongyu had been born mere days apart, a fact that had once allowed Ling Xianhong to switch their identities. What had been a wound to Ling Qingxiao was now treated like a joke. That alone was enough to sour her mood.
She had stayed quiet until now, but finally spoke, her voice calm yet firm: “Children are a matter of fate. Once born, they become the parents’ responsibility. Every child has their own nature—comparing them is not only inappropriate for parents, but as outsiders, even more so. The two may be brothers by blood, but in temperament and experience they are worlds apart. What is there to compare?”
The hall went silent at her sudden interjection.
Thunder King blinked, recovering with a smile. “I didn’t catch your name earlier. Where are you from, young lady?”
“Luo Han,” she said. “My parents were unknown cultivators of no great reputation. I come from no prominent lineage—nothing worth mentioning in front of royalty.”
And she wasn’t lying. She had no birth parents, and even her foster parents had long faded into obscurity. “Born of no name” was as accurate as it got. As for family...she had none.
Thunder King’s brows slowly furrowed. Her sharp retort earlier had led him to assume she was some noble heiress with a background to match her tone. But now? She sounded utterly ordinary.
He probed again, skeptical. “You’re being far too modest, surely. How could someone of common background be deemed a worthy match for Master Ling?”
Ling Qingxiao had been silently listening to Luo Han dodge and deflect. At this, he finally spoke. “This is not a political match. I seek no alliance. I simply fell in love, and now I wish to marry her.”
Thunder King was momentarily speechless.
So this wasn’t about power or benefit? Ling Qingxiao was actually throwing aside all calculation for the sake of true love?
He had pegged Ling Qingxiao as ruthlessly ambitious—the kind of person who would imprison his father and exile his brother for the greater goal. Someone like that...how could he afford to waste such a prime opportunity for a strategic marriage?
He had heard Ling Qingxiao was now the rising star of the immortal realm, a contender for the next Celestial Emperor. At such a critical time, shouldn’t he be seeking a powerful in-law to cement his position?
Even if he did have someone he cared for, surely he would keep her in the shadows and wait until the time was right to make her his official wife.
But now, he was just...openly marrying a nobody?
Thunder King forced a polite smile but inwardly scoffed. His opinion of Ling Qingxiao plummeted. So he's the sentimental type after all. Weak and lacking foresight—clearly not Emperor material.
Red Lotus Demon King, who had been watching the exchange with lazy amusement, suddenly joined in. He chuckled and said to Luo Han, “You’re so stunning, why on earth would you bind yourself to marriage? Those dragon-types are so dull. They only care about cultivation—and once you're married, they’ll chain you down tighter than spirit-sealing talismans. What fun is that?”
Gasps swept the room.
The demon world was anarchic, devoid of law, order, or even basic morality. They considered mating an instinct and marriage a shackle. But that kind of talk—even here—was outrageous.
Ling Qingxiao’s expression turned icy. Even Ye Zhongyu, a fellow dragon, looked displeased.
Luo Han raised an eyebrow, marveling at how bizarre the world could be. So this is the famed demon-world philosophy...truly one-of-a-kind.
She answered smoothly, “The immortal realm and demon realm hold different values. One cannot impose one’s view on all others. If the institution of marriage has endured for so long, perhaps there’s something worthwhile in it, no?”
Red Lotus snorted and rolled his eyes. “Boring. Two stunning beauties in one place, and both are off the market.”
At this, Ye Zhongyu’s expression darkened.
This was his wedding banquet. The other beauty mentioned could only be Yun Menghan. But that raised another question—when had Red Lotus even met Yun Menghan? From the way he spoke, they seemed...quite familiar.
Typical of the demon realm: its men modeled themselves on beast realm liberties, yet expected their women to adhere to the immortal realm’s decorum. Hypocritical to the core.
Noticing the tension on Ye Zhongyu’s face, Thunder King quickly shifted the conversation. “I’ve long heard of your fame, Master Ling. Tales of your exploits are everywhere these days. I’d imagined you to be a volatile personality—hot-tempered, impatient. But now that I’ve met you, it seems the rumors may have exaggerated.”
Ling Qingxiao replied unhurriedly, “You flatter me. But I must say, Thunder King turned out quite as I expected.”
“Oh?” Thunder King’s interest was piqued. “And what prompted you to form expectations about me?”
“A coincidence,” Ling Qingxiao said calmly. “Lately, I’ve stumbled upon a series of curious coincidences. Since I had time to spare, I looked into them.”
The smile on Thunder King’s face stiffened. A sharp glint flashed across his eyes. Ye Zhongyu might not have picked up on the implication—but Thunder King understood all too well. Ling Qingxiao was talking about the defection.
After Ye Zhongyu fled Zhongshan, he met with numerous setbacks. Some were real. Most, however, had been orchestrated by Thunder King.
He had planted thugs and set traps, carefully luring Ye Zhongyu into betraying the immortal path and defecting to the demonic realm, all to make him a pawn. Thunder King had thought his work meticulous, his cover seamless. He hadn’t expected Ling Qingxiao to trace the thread back to him.
Ye Zhongyu might have been hollow bravado, but his brother—now that was a different beast entirely.
The King had operated from the shadows, and though he didn’t fear exposure, letting Ye Zhongyu find out now would be inconvenient. He still had plans in motion that couldn’t afford to be ruined.
Knowing when to pull back, Thunder King changed tack, smiling easily. “Let us leave such talk for another day. Today we speak of merriment, not schemes. We are here to celebrate a union, not spoil the mood.”
Ling Qingxiao let it rest. His intent was merely to issue a warning, not to force a confrontation—yet. Both sides tacitly understood that this banquet was a facade. Beneath the civility, blades were being sharpened.
Thunder King continued, “Zhongyu is one of my most trusted men. His wedding is no less than my own. Thunder City hasn’t seen such grandeur in years. We must celebrate it in full measure! Crimson Lotus and Master Ling—this must be your first time in the demonic realm, yes? Tomorrow, I’ve arranged a lavish feast with over a hundred demon beauties performing. You two must come and experience the delights our realm has to offer.”
Luo Han was, to her shame, a little tempted. Demon beauties dancing—it sounded thrilling. She was just about to give a reserved “we’ll consider it” when she heard Ling Qingxiao say, “Marriage is a sacred rite. Such festivities are hardly appropriate.”
Her smile froze.
And from the look around the room, she wasn’t alone.
Thunder King laughed loudly to mask the awkwardness. “Ah, Master Ling doesn’t understand. This is simply our custom. In the demon realm, one must indulge in excess before marriage—after all, once married, those carefree days are over. For the three days before the ceremony, anything goes, and none shall be held accountable for what they do.”
Ling Qingxiao gave a polite nod and replied, “That’s not how we do things in the immortal realm. We’ll refrain from attending.”
Luo Han: “……”
She coughed lightly, trying to recover. “When in another realm, one should respect the customs. Thunder King is kind to extend the invitation. It would be rude to refuse.” As she said this, her hand squeezed tightly around Ling Qingxiao’s.
Pressed by her unspoken insistence, Ling Qingxiao relented—albeit reluctantly. “Very well. We’ll watch a little. Just the dances.”
At least he hadn’t rejected it outright. Luo Han reassured herself with that thought as she slowly released his hand. But just as she tried to withdraw, Ling Qingxiao’s palm flipped over and firmly captured hers, holding it hidden within the folds of his robe.
Immortal robes were wide-sleeved and flowing. From the outside, their subtle movements were completely concealed.
Luo Han gave a small tug but couldn’t escape. Embarrassed, she could only let him be.
Ling Qingxiao remained the sole outlier. Every other man present welcomed the idea with open arms. With his reluctant agreement, the atmosphere in the hall eased once more. Red Lotus, in particular, was thrilled by the idea and began pestering for details.
Ling Qingxiao, seated quietly, grew increasingly disturbed the more he listened.
Decadent. Lewd. Shameless.
He was worried the mere discussion might corrupt Luo Han’s ears. He cleared his throat abruptly and interjected, “Aside from the banquet, is there any actual matter to discuss?”
Thunder King blinked. “A banquet is for enjoyment—what business could there possibly be?”
“Then good.” Ling Qingxiao nodded. “If there’s nothing else, you may continue. We’ll be leaving first.”
Before the King could respond, Ling Qingxiao stood and led Luo Han away by the hand.
Thunder King watched them go, then shook his head with a sigh. “What a strange man.”
Red Lotus echoed the sentiment. “No fun at all.”
As they exited the grand hall, Ling Qingxiao never let go. Luo Han, helpless, allowed herself to be led along the winding paths of the demonic realm.
After some time, she asked softly, “What are you thinking about? You look serious.”
Ling Qingxiao always carried a soundproofing barrier. She knew their conversation was safe from prying ears.
His fingers traced the back of her hand gently. “I was considering the wedding details. Their layout is terrible—too chaotic. The timing is off, the location lacks proper division. We should send out invitations early. Also, I think we’ll need to construct a dedicated palace for the ceremony.”
Luo Han nearly bit her tongue. “Hold on—what wedding? Whose wedding?”
Ling Qingxiao glanced at her, genuinely puzzled. “Ours, of course.”
Her eyes went wide. Even her voice wavered. “Our...wedding?”
“Mm.” He frowned slightly, sensing something was off. “Weddings are important. They must be prepared with care. If you don’t want to marry too soon, we can wait—but the planning should begin early.”
Luo Han stared at him, stunned. After a long silence, she asked, “Aren’t we...dating?”
“Yes,” Ling Qingxiao replied, still matter-of-fact. “That’s why we should prepare the wedding.”
To him, dating and marrying were synonymous. Her acceptance of his feelings was, by default, a commitment to marriage. Emotion and bond always went hand in hand. To develop feelings without sealing them in a lifelong promise? That would be irresponsible—a betrayal of emotion.
Luo Han stared wide-eyed, locked in a long gaze with Ling Qingxiao. Both were utterly convinced the other had lost their mind.
She pursed her lips, trying her best to be tactful. “I thought...what you said to the Thunder King earlier was just an excuse to deflect.”
“Of course not,” Ling Qingxiao replied, his tone cool and resolute. “I never speak falsehoods. If I don’t believe something or am unable to fulfill it, I won’t say it to begin with. Why would you think otherwise?”
Luo Han blinked in disbelief. “I was about to ask you the same thing—why would you think otherwise?”