PHOENIX TOP AND DRAGON BOTTOM 36

Chapter 36: The Past from Twenty Years Ago Revealed

When Long Qinghan heard the voice, his body trembled, and his voice started to shake, “Father?”

The figure under the moon sighed deeply and slowly turned around. The moonlight cast a long shadow on him, making his solitary figure appear even more desolate. His face, obscured by the light, was unreadable, but Long Qinghan could sense the heaviness of his heart from the sigh.

Long Qinghan hesitated for a moment before walking up to Long Yue.

Glancing at the sword and bundle in Long Qinghan’s hands, Long Yue’s expression darkened, and he sighed again, “Ziyue, why are you so stubborn?”

“My mind is made up, Father. I won’t change it easily.” Long Qinghan lowered his eyes, and his calm gaze revealed no trace of emotion.

Long Yue felt a sharp pain in his chest, as if something was blocking his heart. He reached out, intending to gently pat Long Qinghan’s shoulder. However, Long Qinghan subtly tilted his body, skillfully avoiding the touch. Long Yue paused, then awkwardly withdrew his hand, “I’m not here to stop you. You’re grown now, and I shouldn’t control you too much. I only hope you listen to my advice: distance yourself from Feng Xuanyang as soon as possible. You won’t find happiness with him.”

For a moment, Long Qinghan thought his father’s voice had suddenly aged. The sorrow in his words seeped into Long Qinghan’s ears, lingering, as if condemning his sins with a voice that seemed to weep.

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“Tell me!” Long Yue’s tone became serious, leaving no room for argument.

Long Qinghan was taken aback and lowered his eyes, recounting the limited information he knew to Long Yue.

The more Long Yue listened, the deeper his frown became, his lips tightly pressed together, as if debating whether to continue.

Long Qinghan, growing anxious, called out, “Father?” He knew Long Yue must know what the Demon Moon was, which was why he desperately needed the truth.

Long Yue sighed deeply, clasping his hands behind his back as he walked forward, his thoughts drifting to some faraway place. After a long pause, he finally made up his mind and began to speak slowly, “Over twenty years ago, the martial world wasn’t like it is today, dominated by the Tianjian Sect. At that time, Tianjian Sect was only ranked second, while the top position belonged to the Jiuhua Sect.”

“Jiuhua Sect?” Long Qinghan was startled upon hearing the unfamiliar name. He frowned slightly, trying to recall, but no matter how hard he searched his memory, he couldn’t think of any sect by that name.

“Don’t bother trying to remember. After that incident, Jiuhua Sect fell into decline. It’s been over twenty years—people have long forgotten its existence. Or perhaps, more accurately, they choose not to mention it.” There was a deep sense of desolation in Long Yue’s voice, as though he had been alone for millennia, filled with unspeakable sorrow.

“Among the disciples of Jiuhua Sect, there was a man who often wore red. His name was Duan Shuqing. He possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts. At just eighteen, he defeated the sect leader, and was hailed as the new generation’s martial arts prodigy by everyone in the Jianghu. His skills were unparalleled.”

Long Qinghan was taken aback. A man in red—could it be a coincidence? Or was there something more being subtly hinted at?

Long Yue continued, “Duan Shuqing soon became the pride of the righteous martial world. Everyone praised him, believing that one day, he would surely claim the title of Martial Alliance Leader.” Here, Long Yue paused, slightly turning his head to explain, “Ziyue, you know that our Tianjian Sect has held the position of Martial Alliance Leader for many years, which naturally breeds resentment from others. Therefore…”

“I understand, Father. But what happened next? Why didn’t that man in red ever become the Martial Alliance Leader?” Long Qinghan interrupted, his urgency palpable.

“Because something happened—something that led to future disasters.” Long Yue sighed deeply. Memories of the past, filled with tragedy, were something he could hardly bear to revisit.

Long Qinghan was taken aback. Seeing Long Yue in such a state, he sensed that the event must have been extremely serious. He stepped forward, gently patting his father’s back to comfort him.

Long Yue turned slightly and patted Long Qinghan’s hand before continuing, “Just when everyone had high hopes for Duan Shuqing, he disappeared the night before the competition to elect the Martial Alliance Leader. The Jiuhua Sect was frantic, believing Duan had been kidnapped. They searched everywhere but found nothing. It wasn’t until a few years later that he reappeared, with a woman by his side.”

Long Qinghan suddenly froze. A foreboding feeling rose from within, as if all the misfortune had begun with this woman.

“Duan Shuqing explained that he didn’t want to be a puppet for others. He only wanted to pursue his own happiness and roam the Jianghu with his beloved. So, he left quietly the night before the competition. Now that he had found his happiness, he hoped the elders of the sect would bless their union.”

Long Qinghan’s gaze slowly filled with emotion, and his breathing became heavier.

Long Yue sighed, “You can imagine how the elders of Jiuhua Sect reacted. They couldn’t swallow their pride. You know how much face and respect mean in the Jianghu. Duan Shuqing left without a word, and after years of searching, he returned with a woman, declaring he no longer cared about the position of Martial Alliance Leader. How could the elders possibly accept that? They immediately scolded Duan, demanding that he abandon the woman and focus on martial arts, striving to claim the title of Martial Alliance Leader.”

Long Qinghan shivered, beginning to see the seeds of the coming disaster.

“Duan Shuqing was an orphan adopted by Jiuhua Sect. Raised with care and praise, his pride grew unchecked. He never considered others’ opinions, so how could he submit now, especially in front of his beloved? He refused to bow his head and abandon her. As a result, he quarreled with the sect leader, and the argument grew so heated that… well, it spiraled out of control.”

After another deep sigh, Long Yue closed his eyes, fists clenched tightly. “That day, Duan Shuqing accidentally struck the sect leader. Duan’s martial skills were far superior, and the sect leader couldn’t match him. He was sent flying, coughing up blood. Everyone was shocked. Knowing he had committed a grave offense, Duan knelt down to beg for forgiveness. But the elders were furious, condemning him and calling for his expulsion. Some even blamed his lover, calling her a demoness who had bewitched him. Duan and his lover had no way to defend themselves. The more they argued, the worse it became. Before long, the crowd grew angry and tried to capture Duan. His lover, sensing danger, threw down smoke bombs and helped him escape.”

Hearing this, Long Qinghan felt an inexplicable anxiety rise within him. His heart pounded, as though something terrible was about to happen.

Sure enough, Long Yue continued slowly, “Thus, Duan Shuqing and the woman fled into hiding in the Jianghu. They secretly married and lived a few months of bliss. Several months later, Duan believed the storm had passed and the sect would have calmed down. He returned with his wife to Jiuhua Sect, hoping for their blessings. But to his shock, the sect was draped in mourning. Panicked, he rushed in, only to be surrounded by everyone, who accused him of being a murderer. He was stunned, and after hearing the explanation, finally realized that the sect leader had died of internal injuries a few months after their fight.”

Long Qinghan’s breath caught, and he muttered, “Could such a coincidence really exist?”

“Sigh…” Long Yue let out a long sigh, gazing at the moon with a melancholic expression, “Whether it was truly a coincidence, only the heavens know.”

With a shift in tone, Long Yue continued, “At that moment, the sect declared Duan Shuqing a murderer and demanded revenge for the sect leader. They also branded him a traitor. Naturally, Duan denied it, arguing that while he had injured the sect leader, he had never betrayed the sect. But his protests led to an even more shocking revelation: after much investigation, it was discovered that his wife was from the demonic sect. People believed Duan had colluded with a demoness to kill the sect leader.”

Long Qinghan’s heart skipped a beat. His chest tightened, and he felt a dull pain, as if something heavy was weighing down on him. “And then…?” He asked, his voice trembling, feeling a coldness creeping into his heart.

“And then? Then a fight broke out. At that time, his wife was pregnant. Concerned for the child in her womb, Duan couldn’t fight at full strength and was quickly injured. Seeing her husband wounded, the woman was enraged and, in a moment of fury, released deadly smoke, poisoning several people before fleeing with Duan. You must understand, the martial world back then wasn’t like it is now, where the righteous and demonic sects keep to themselves. There had been longstanding animosity between the two sides, so when it was revealed that she was from the demonic sect, everyone was furious.”

“Did Duan Shuqing hate her for that?” Long Qinghan asked, his voice trembling.

“No,” Long Yue sighed again, a complex mix of anger and relief in his breath. “During the fight, she went into labor, and because she had inhaled some of her own poison, she almost died along with the child.”

Long Qinghan gasped. Though the weather wasn’t cold, he felt a chill run through his body, as if he could feel the pain of the situation himself.

“Duan Shuqing was both worried and furious. While tending to his wife, he discovered she was injured. Realizing how cold and ruthless those people had been to him, he began to change. He took his wife back to her home—the demonic sect—and later inherited power from her father. Combining righteous and demonic martial arts, he created a unique martial skill that dominated the martial world. Within just a few months, he became the demonic sect’s leader.”

Long Qinghan gasped, his eyes wide in shock. “And what happened after that? What happened next?”

“After that…” Long Yue sighed deeply, “Then, a great disaster struck…”