#86: Extra #3 (Yuewu and Cangwu – Past and Present)

The sky rumbled, and rain began to pour outside.

Yuewu curled into a tiny ball, sleeping peacefully in Cangwu’s arms. The cave dwelling remained warm and dry, and Yuewu wasn’t disturbed by the thunder. She hadn’t slept this well in years. She even dreamed of many years ago, when she was still part of the Huiyan Sect.

Yuewu had never been what one might call a good person. She was an orphan, taken in by the sect leader of the Huiyan Sect from a young age and raised as an ordinary disciple.

The Huiyan Sect was a small sect, tasked with guarding an ancient Worry-Free Fruit Tree. Though, in Yuewu’s eyes, the decrepit tree was useless—aside from making people forget their sorrows and easing pain, its fruits only added twenty jiazi (120 years) of cultivation power at most.

Still, it was an ancient relic, and for such a minor sect, it was considered a source of pride and fortune.

Resources within the sect were already limited, and for someone as young as Yuewu, survival was difficult.

Without a master to protect her, she was forced to do the hardest chores and often went hungry.

Knowing that no one in the sect cared for her, she learned early on that everything she wanted had to be earned by herself. From a young age, Yuewu became adept at sweet-talking her senior brothers and diligently helping her senior sisters. When bullied, she endured silently on the surface but plotted revenge behind the scenes.

Wherever there was an opportunity to secretly learn cultivation techniques, Yuewu cleverly inserted herself. For this, she was often caught and beaten. But even as she gritted her teeth through the pain without a sound, she dared to try again the next time.

Through sheer determination, she eventually succeeded in entering the inner sect as she grew older.

Compared to other disciples who came from wealthy families, she appeared thin and small, like a comical monkey.

Whenever other disciples received visits from their parents, bringing sweets, new clothes, and gifts, Yuewu felt most out of place.

While those fortunate children basked in their parents’ affection in the courtyard, Yuewu could only sweep snow in the remotest corners of the sect, earning a meager handful of spirit stones.

Such a hard and monotonous life was like living under a perpetual shadow, with no glimpse of sunlight.

One day, after saving up spirit stones for a long time, Yuewu finally managed to buy a cultivation-enhancing artifact. But the very next day, another girl from her dormitory took it.

Yuewu tried to tactfully retrieve it, smiling and saying: “Senior Sister, this bracelet is mine. Thank you for finding it.”

But the girl refused to return it, even going so far as to deny it outright: “How can you claim this is yours? It’s clearly a gift my mother brought me yesterday.”

No one believed Yuewu. For the first time, she abandoned her gentle smile and fought with the girl. In the end, the artifact was shattered, the other girl walked away unscathed, and Yuewu was punished with six hours of kneeling in the courtyard.

From the window, the girl smirked triumphantly at her.

Yuewu’s face remained expressionless. She knew the elder in charge of punishments was the girl’s uncle.

She didn’t know how long she knelt there, her body numb, her lips blue from the cold. But deep in her heart, a thought burned fiercely: No matter what, she would one day rise above everyone else and never endure such suffering again.

That night, snow fell heavily. All the other disciples had returned to their rooms, leaving Yuewu alone in the courtyard. As she knelt there, her mind raced with plans for revenge.

Suddenly, someone approached, holding an umbrella, shielding her small figure.

“It’s so cold. Go back inside.”

Yuewu looked up and saw a pale, handsome youth smiling warmly. He repeated gently, seeing her dazed expression: “Go back. Don’t be afraid. If anyone asks, just say I told you to.”

Later, Yuewu learned that this person was the sect leader’s only son, Shaoguang.

Shaoguang had a kind temperament but suffered from damaged meridians due to misfortune in his childhood, making further cultivation nearly impossible.

Shaoguang was the kindest person Yuewu had ever met in her life. He brought her to live in his courtyard, ensuring she was fed and clothed in new garments. He taught her to read and write, protected her from bullies, and even taught her to play the zither and paint.

As a teenage girl experiencing her first love, Yuewu adored him more than her own life. While she was cunning and vengeful toward others, with Shaoguang, she was nothing but sincere.

Gradually, Yuewu no longer resembled the gaunt child she once was. She blossomed into a lovely young woman. As Shaoguang reached marriageable age, no arrangements were made.

Yuewu grew anxious at the thought of losing him.

He smiled and reassured her: “I’m waiting for you to grow up.”

Those days were beautiful, like a dream. No one imagined that an orphan like Yuewu could one day become the wife of the sect’s young master.

They were supposed to marry the following year, but Shaoguang’s health worsened. Old wounds plagued him daily with unbearable pain.

Yuewu heard of a powerful beast in the demon forest—a natural-born spirit embryo, known as the king of all demons. If she could transfer its cultivation to Shaoguang, he might live longer.

Even if the beast were to die, Yuewu thought, what did the death of a single demon matter if it could save Shaoguang? She was willing to sacrifice much for him!

Determined, she traveled to the small island across the Immortal Mountain, enduring two years of hardship while being chased by demons. Finally, she found the young demon king—Cangwu.

Cangwu was simple-minded, devoted entirely to cultivation, rarely leaving his cave. His species were born as cultivation-obsessed beings, spending most of their lives in seclusion, only seeking a mate during their mating season to continue their lineage before ascending.

Yuewu tried many methods but found none effective against this beast. Her eyes hardened. Sometimes, deceiving a pure-hearted creature like this was all too easy for a cunning human.

She patiently bided her time, observing him.

Cangwu had reached the age where he needed to find a mate. There were no other creatures of his kind on the island, but he could seek out a compatible spirit or monster.

He finally began to occasionally leave his cave.

And from that day onward, Cangwu discovered that every day, a bunch of his favorite fruits would appear at the entrance of his cave. When the mountain flowers were in full bloom, there would even be a bouquet waiting for him.

A young girl, often chased by demons, would come smilingly to talk to him.

At first, he paid her no mind and even warned her to stay away from his cave.

But she persisted relentlessly, bringing more offerings—sometimes even fetching the most beautiful coral from the seabed to decorate the exterior of his humble cave.

She would often perch on the tallest tree in the dense forest, playing the flute for him. The lively melody carried the unfiltered affection of a young girl.

Whenever Cangwu tried to approach a female demon he fancied to display his strength, Yuewu would suddenly appear, chased by several yelping demons, crying pitifully: “Lord Cangwu, save me!”

As she ran, the female demons Cangwu had been eyeing would also flee in terror.

Cangwu: “….”

Yuewu was an expert at sweet-talking, showering him with flattery: “Lord Cangwu, you’re the best-looking, strongest, most majestic, and kindest being in the entire forest.”

Ahem.

“Lord Cangwu, my treehouse has been flooded by rain. Can I stay in your cave for the night?”

“Sleep at the entrance, alright.” She initially agreed obediently, but in the middle of the night, she crept inside: “Lord Cangwu, it’s thundering outside. I’m worried you’ll be scared.”

With her constant presence, Cangwu couldn’t find a mate.

She was annoying, yet vivid and endearing, unlike any other spirit or monster. The forest was thrown into chaos daily because of her, and Cangwu’s reclusive lifestyle was completely disrupted. By the time his mating season arrived, he realized with dismay that he hadn’t befriended a single female demon. Worse still, his cave had been overtaken by another person.

He felt a rare twinge of worry and stole glances at her.

Yuewu said: “Lord Cangwu, why not choose me? I’d gladly accept.”

Feverish with heat, he whimpered in her palm, pretending to reluctantly agree. Blushing, he transformed into an exceptionally clean and handsome young man.

Yuewu’s lips curled into a smile as she gently rubbed his earlobe, watching his ears turn fiery red as he shyly avoided her gaze: “You… you don’t…”

She softly said: “Let me help you, Lord Cangwu.”

The union between humans and demons required a contract to minimize harm to their partners. For the young demon king, this was his first love, and ultimately, he could only let her take the lead.

But during the bonding ritual, Yuewu used a secret technique to bind them in a master-servant contract.

She was the master, and he was the servant.

Only then did Cangwu realize she was a liar. She shed her cheerful facade and coldly said: “Come with me to save someone.”

Perhaps fearing he might resist upon learning the truth, Yuewu revealed a chain inscribed with runes in her palm.

The transformed youth gazed at her, his eyes filled with confusion and sorrow.

Yuewu hardened her heart. She knew she wasn’t a good person. To secure a better life and keep the one she loved alive, she could ignore Cangwu’s pain and suffering.

She had always been despicable, never treating Cangwu as an equal since setting foot on the immortal island.

If not for this, a powerful demon like Cangwu would never have been controlled by a small female cultivator like her.

Shaoguang’s body could only accept a limited amount of cultivation energy.

Thus, every year, Yuewu summoned Cangwu to transfer his cultivation energy to Shaoguang. Afterward, she would dismiss him back to the forest.

The young demon came silently and left just as quietly.

It was then that he realized: in Yuewu’s eyes, he was nothing more than a beast meant to sustain the man she loved. She ignored his pain and weakness, focusing solely on healing another person.

As Shaoguang’s health gradually improved, Yuewu was overjoyed.

During the final transfer of cultivation energy, the sect leader said: “Now that Shaoguang is much better, that demon is no longer useful. Extracting its core might fully restore Shaoguang and allow him to cultivate normally again.”

Yuewu frowned slightly, recalling the clear yet sorrowful gaze of the young man.

“You want Shaoguang to live a long life with you, don’t you? Surely you’re not feeling sentimental about a mere beast?”

Shaoguang looked at her and consoled her: “Father, don’t pressure Yuewu. It’s fine. I’m content with living a few more years like this.”

After a long silence, Yuewu gritted her teeth and said: “Alright.”

On that day, as the sect leader prepared to extract Cangwu’s core, Yuewu turned her head away, saying nothing. At the last moment, Cangwu gave her a pained glance before fleeing. No matter how forcefully Yuewu compelled him to return, he endured the pain without yielding.

For the first time, Yuewu realized that if Cangwu truly didn’t wish to comply, he could break free from the master-servant bond.

She was momentarily stunned. Why had Cangwu continued to come all those years?

Cangwu, gravely injured, vanished without a trace.

Another year passed, and the sect leader eventually realized that Yuewu couldn’t bring Cangwu back. He shook his head in disappointment.

“Enough. Let’s proceed with the symbiotic bond. If my son shares her fate, that foolish demon will surely offer its core willingly, even in death.”

Bound within a barrier, Yuewu watched the pale, handsome man smile helplessly at her. Shaoguang said: “Little Wu, after all these years, I didn’t want to hurt you. But you’ve proven useless, just like your parents and clansmen. If you had kept Cangwu under control and secured its core, I might have spared your life.”

Bruised and battered within the spell array, Yuewu finally learned the truth.

Shaoguang, unable to cultivate due to childhood injuries, had long set his sights on Cangwu. But while the demon king lived, the immortal island was protected by a barrier that prevented cultivators from entering. Only someone with a Spirit Domain Body, capable of ignoring all barriers, could enter the island.

Yuewu was the child they found with such a body.

They killed her ordinary villager parents, erased her memories before the age of five, and brought her back to the sect. They made her life miserable, allowing her to grow into a cunning, self-preserving individual. Then, they subtly planted hints about the immortal island, ensuring she would willingly go there and form a contract with Cangwu.

Within the barrier, Yuewu’s hatred burned so fiercely that her eyes nearly burst with it. Enduring the excruciating pain, she desperately tried to escape the spell array, unwilling to share a life bond with Shaoguang!

For seven days and nights, the pain left her senseless. Just as she thought she was about to die, through her blurred vision, she saw the shadow of Cangwu.

He had sensed that she was in danger.

That pure-hearted little beast, whom she had hurt time and again, arrived covered in blood. He defeated the sect leader and his son, then carried her back into the forest.

But Cangwu didn’t know that Yuewu and Shaoguang had already formed the life-sharing bond.

Yuewu, battered and wounded, was gently licked by him as he transferred his cultivation energy to her. Perhaps realizing that she only ever saw him as a beast, he didn’t transform into the handsome young man he could become. Yuewu silently watched him tend to her, then turned her head away, tears streaming down her face.

Both of them were covered in injuries, yet somehow it felt like they had returned to the past—before the wounds she inflicted, before he became the reclusive, naive “Lord Cangwu” who could be won over with a few sweet words.

When Yuewu awoke, she found her face still wet with tears. She hadn’t cried in so long—she had thought herself heartless.

Her tears startled Cangwu awake. He transformed into his human form, the young man looking at her uncertainly: “What’s wrong? Were you scared by the thunder?”

Cangwu hurriedly checked the barrier he had set up—it was intact. So why was Yuewu crying? He asked anxiously: “Did I do something wrong?”

Or… are you leaving me again?

Yuewu wiped away her tears and shook her head silently.

How could she bear to leave him again? This time, she wouldn’t go. She would take Cangwu back to Evernight Mountain with her and never abandon him again.

Years ago, she had nearly dragged him to his death, cursing him, beating him, driving him away, declaring that she could never love a demon. Yet no matter how far he went, whenever she was in danger, when she opened her eyes again, Cangwu was always there, guarding her.

She knew that Cangwu beasts were meant to have only one mate in their lifetime. Though she had deceitfully changed their bond into a master-servant contract, in his heart, it remained a sacred partnership.

The life-sharing bond between Yuewu and Shaoguang was destined to kill Cangwu.

That day, she thought for a long time, patted the foolish creature beside her, and stopped chasing him away. She took him with her to the mortal realm.

She showed him the setting sun, the rising dawn, the slick-tongued vendors, and the vast wonders of the world.

Finally, Yuewu thought to herself: If I leave, don’t let anyone fool you ever again.

They walked many roads together. Yuewu remained cold and distant toward him, but as his cultivation grew stronger, she felt herself weakening. If anything happened to her, Cangwu would undoubtedly give everything to save her.

The master-servant contract was easy to form but difficult to break—it required immense cultivation power to undo. As for the life-sharing bond, it was an evil art that couldn’t be undone even in death.

So Yuewu asked Cangwu to transfer his cultivation to her: “Didn’t you say you could fulfill all my wishes? Then give me your power.”

Cangwu was deeply saddened, gazing at her for a long while before finally nodding. He had always thought Yuewu was determined to ascend.

“Then wait for me. I’ll cultivate diligently in the mortal realm and come find you in the future.”

Don’t look for me, she thought. I’m so terrible—I’ve never deserved you.

After taking his power, Yuewu immediately worked to dissolve the master-servant bond. She sent Cangwu away and went alone to the Huiyan Sect, where she killed the sect leader and Shaoguang.

She wanted them to know that some people weren’t to be trifled with. They could harm her because she was foolish, but they shouldn’t have tried to use her to harm Cangwu.

The life-sharing bond remained, and she knew she wouldn’t survive. So, staggering and stumbling, she moved farther and farther away from Cangwu.

Later, Yuewu’s dissipated soul solidified again, and when she awoke, she found herself in the Wandering Sea.

After many years, when she returned from the divine realm, she finally saw Cangwu once more.

On the day she found him, Cangwu was still cultivating day and night without pause, the area outside his cave overgrown with weeds.

Yuewu stood outside, holding the flowers she had picked along the way, and placed them at the entrance of the cave. She couldn’t help but smile. After all these years, what she had yearned for in her heart was simply to return to that rainy night on the immortal island—the first time they met, when she shamelessly wormed her way into his cave and called him “Lord Cangwu.”

She had been so wicked, selfish, and cold-hearted, yet she was also willing to become truly lovable for Cangwu’s sake.

Sleeping in the cave, listening to the wind and rain with him, basking in the scorching afternoon sun, trying things they had never done before, teasing him mercilessly.

So she leaned against the entrance of the cave, her voice crisp and light: “Lord Cangwu!”

Inside the cave, the young man abruptly opened his eyes.

Under the brilliant sunlight, after so many years, they gazed at each other from afar. Yuewu walked from outside to the stunned youth, crouched before him, and gently kissed his cheek.

“Lord Cangwu, it’s been a long time.”