novelraw Chapter 1143: Dependence
Chapter 1143: Dependence
(Note: Changed Xiru to Xiruo. It was a mistake I did not notice for so long.)
Clouds and mist, celestial waterfalls, flying cranes, and spirit beasts… Rivers flowed between the mountain peaks, with blossoms scattered along the cliffs.
Xuanyuan Palace.
Beneath the palace lay the Gongsun Clan’s settlement, and within the mountain caves lived one tamed Demon beast after another.
Massive bird-beasts skimmed the water’s surface, sending ripples across the river, while children played merrily by the banks. Everything was peaceful—until a horn shattered the calm.
The women hurriedly gathered their children, and the men of the tribe rushed toward the mountain palace. At the same time, Demon beings residing in the caves rose into the sky on clouds.
On the plaza outside Xuanyuan Palace, the warriors of the Gongsun Clan assembled into formations. The Demon tribe, though unable to form ranks as neatly, stood as orderly as they could.
They kept silent, all because of the man standing at the palace gates—their sovereign, a descendant of the ruler who bore the name Xuanyuan, the acknowledged leader of the world:
Xuanyuan Tiexin.
“Greetings, Palace Master!”“Greetings, Palace Master!”
Even though the human world outside now had emperors of their own, these people and creatures still wholeheartedly recognized him as their true sovereign. Yet, Xuanyuan no longer claimed the title of emperor.
“Do you know why I summoned you all in such haste?” Xuanyuan Tiexin’s voice echoed in everyone’s ears—the voice of the most powerful person in the world.
Whispers stirred among the crowd. The sound of this horn—called the “Sky-Shaking Horn”—only rang when a major incident occurred or when Xuanyuan Palace was to mobilize.
“Reporting to the Palace Master… we do not know.”
“Today, I am here to punish someone,” Xuanyuan Tiexin said coldly, sweeping his gaze across everyone. “The one I am punishing… is my daughter, Xuanyuan Xiruo. And myself.”
“What?! The princess? What did she do?” People gasped in shock.
“Kui Qianyi,” Xuanyuan Tiexin called.
From the Demon ranks, an elderly man with graying hair stepped forward solemnly, lifted his robes, and knelt.
“I ask you—during a campaign against the Outer Demons, what is the punishment for those who desert the battlefield?”
“Reporting, Palace Master… the punishment is death,” Kui Qianyi answered with hesitation.
No one knew why Xuanyuan Tiexin brought this up. But many guessed—months ago, Xuanyuan Palace fought a brutal battle against a massive demon invasion, which nearly devastated their foundation.
During that battle, many young warriors and Demon soldiers deserted in secret. Later, they were caught.
It was nearly time for their executions.
“Then I ask you—what is the punishment for privately releasing prisoners from the palace?”
“The punishment… is having one’s powers stripped, receiving divine lightning strikes, and, in severe cases, simultaneous flogging during the lightning strikes.”
“Good.” Xuanyuan Tiexin nodded and began descending the steps. “Xuanyuan Xiruo secretly released 57 deserters and 39 Demons. She shall receive 99 divine lightning strikes and 99 lashes with a flood dragon whip. Executioners, begin!”
“Palace Master, please reconsider!! This cannot be done!!”
“Proceed! Golden-armored warriors, hear my command: carry out the sentence! Anyone who disobeys will be expelled from Xuanyuan Palace and stripped of their cultivation!”
“She’s still just a child—she won’t survive such punishment!!”
“Bring her out! No one is allowed to plead!”
Several golden-armored warriors escorted a frail girl, no more than twelve or thirteen, onto the punishment platform and tied her to a dragon pillar.
“Begin!”
Lightning flashed. A massive divine bolt, drawn from a secret treasure of Xuanyuan Palace, struck the girl.
A shrill scream echoed across the plaza.
A whip-wielding executioner then stepped forward, carrying a long whip made from the tendon of an overseas flood dragon—capable of lashing the soul itself.
“Princess… forgive me.”
The whip struck, tearing her delicate back open. She had already lost consciousness from the lightning, but the whip’s pain brought her back instantly.
Lightning. Whip. Lightning. Whip. Screams echoed over and over.
Whether they were human or Demon, many turned away in sorrow.
Under Xuanyuan Tiexin’s rule, none dared disobey.
Princess Xiruo, beloved for her kindness and lively spirit, could only suffer under the merciless judgment of her father.
The pain continued. Her body was battered beyond recognition.
Eventually, she passed out completely. Lightning and whips continued to strike—but she no longer reacted.
“Enough! Ninety-nine! It’s enough, Palace Master!” The crowd knelt, weeping. “Please stop!!”
The final strike landed. The executioner collapsed in exhaustion.
Xuanyuan Tiexin coldly declared, “From this moment, Xuanyuan Xiruo is stripped of the Xuanyuan name. She shall be imprisoned in Chou Ying Ravine for ten years!”
With that, he turned and walked into the cold halls of the palace.
…
Chou Ying Ravine was where the palace imprisoned high-crime offenders and dangerous Demons. Here, all cultivation and demonic energy were sealed. Prisoners wore shackles and were subjected daily to immersion in an icy river.
After being removed from the platform, Xiruo needed almost a year to recover physically before enduring the icy punishment.
Without her powers, she was as vulnerable as any mortal. Every day she was dragged half-dead from the frozen waters.
Her dwelling was a cold cave with only a stone bed.
“Princess, here… this is ginseng blood broth. Please drink it—it’ll help warm you.”
Xiruo shivered awake again—she had fainted from the cold, dragged back once more.
Staring at the steaming bowl, she was tempted to gulp it all down. But she gritted her teeth. “Kui Qianyi, my father said no one is allowed to visit me, let alone show kindness. The guards out there change constantly. How many have already been punished?”
“I’m just an old man,” Kui Qianyi said, sitting down. “If the Palace Master wants to punish me, so be it… but Princess, you have the same temper as your father. Ten years in this place? Even royal blood won’t save you. Please, drink the soup.”
Xiruo turned her back and lay down. “If you really want to help, just leave. Let me rest.”
Kui Qianyi sighed, looking at the cooling soup.
“Princess… do you regret letting those prisoners go?”
“What’s there to regret? I already knew the consequences.” Xiruo said quietly, “They were too young to be on the battlefield anyway. Just because they're from Xuanyuan Palace, they must suffer like this? If he wouldn't release them… then I would.”
“Princess, your father’s heart bleeds with every execution. Do you think he can really bear watching those young faces die with such a fate, consumed by outer demons?” Kui Qianyi sighed. “But it’s a hard rule. Your father… he has no choice. He can’t break the rules of the palace.”
“I know,” Xiruo said faintly. “I know the place he sheds the most tears is in front of the graveyard of the condemned, when he’s there alone. Father… Father can’t make mistakes. So… let me make the mistake in his place.”
“You two, father and daughter…”
…
…
Slap—!
She couldn’t remember how many times now—it had become numb. She didn’t know why that distant memory suddenly surfaced.
In the mirror, nothing had changed.
—You can’t do anything.
That voice echoed again and again in her ears, her mind, her heart—like a curse carved into her bones.
“With the power of the True Dragon, you’re invincible in this era. You can reshape the world’s structure, but you can’t change the hearts of people. When you tried, Dragon-Sealing Stone still shattered, millions still died, the nation still fell into chaos… you couldn’t do anything.”
The beating hadn’t stopped. Long Xiruo shifted from dazed to terrified, the sight of corpses and seas of blood flashing before her.
“They weren’t wrong—they were just trying to survive. And you inherited the power of the True Dragon… along with its fate. Times are changing. Both humans and demons are waning. You can only stand with the thriving side. You tried to balance both… but demons revere you, humans fear you, and yet—you still couldn’t do anything. You don’t dare to favor humans. You don’t dare to side with demons. You’re invincible in this world, but still powerless.”
“Stop it…”
“You’re weaker than anyone. More cowardly than anyone. You govern by inaction, letting Daoists, demons, and humans grow on their own—not because you’re lofty, but because you can’t do anything. Because no matter what you do, it’s wrong. Humans blame you. Demons resent you. You’re afraid—so you do nothing.”
“Shut up!!!”
“No one pities you, because they think you should be strong. You have invincible power. You are the guardian of Divine Land. How can the guardian of Divine Land not be strong? How can they lose? How can they make mistakes? You have to be smart, insightful. You can’t stand above them—but you have to, to meet expectations… Yet you still can’t do anything.”
“Bastard!! Bastard!! Bastard!! I’ll kill you!!!”
“You can’t kill anyone. Because in their hearts, you’re holy. Everything you say, everything you do, gets dissected by countless voices. The clever, the arrogant, the self-righteous, the smug, the petty, the noble, the despicable… all scrutinize you. You can’t argue. Because you’re the True Dragon. So… you can’t do anything.”
“What do you want from me?! What the hell do you want from me?!”
She didn’t know when it happened—but she suddenly moved. She lunged forward and grabbed Luo Qiu’s collar.
“You think I wanted this?! You think I wanted this!! You think I wanted this!! Every step is a mistake, every word is wrong! Even breathing is a sin! I shouldn’t exist, is that it?!”
“Then what do you want?” Luo Qiu asked softly.
“I want nothing! I want to be left alone! True Dragon of Divine Land? Screw that!! I want to stay home all day watching TV! I want to be a keyboard warrior, talking crap with zero responsibility! I want a boyfriend!! I want to live like an ordinary person, drink, party, and waste my life away!! You think I don’t want that?! You think I don’t!!!”
She pounded Luo Qiu’s chest with all her strength.
“I want it all… I really do!! Why did you show up in front of me?! Why did you hit me?! Who gave you the right?! Who gave you the right?!”
Her angry voice trembled like the string of an instrument. Small and furious, she clung to Luo Qiu’s shirt, her fists weakening as she beat his chest.
“Who gave you the right… to hit me…”
“Would you trade the power of the True Dragon… for everything you want?” Luo Qiu asked quietly.
Long Xiruo froze. Her teardrops fell and soaked into his clothes. She slowly raised her head.
“Would you?”
Her mouth opened slightly, as if something deep inside her was about to break free… That sentence, it reminded her of a long time ago—of that bowl of blood ginseng soup placed in front of her.
Would you?
The voice wasn’t spoken—it echoed in her heart, the same way it once did in the frozen ravine.
“I…” Long Xiruo’s lips trembled.
At that moment, her eyes locked with Luo Qiu’s—this man who held a power even greater than the True Dragon’s. A man who could rewrite the world with just a thought.
Perfect.
Flawless.
Would you?
She suddenly jolted, and the words at her lips vanished.
She grabbed Luo Qiu’s hand and bit down hard.
As she bit him, she stared straight into his eyes. But Luo Qiu withdrew all protection—letting her bite him until blood came out.
“I can only hold on for ten seconds,” Luo Qiu said softly. “After that, you’ll get hurt, Miss Long.”
Ten, nine, eight, seven…
Their eyes still locked. Long Xiruo could see the pain in his brow—but he endured it, his gaze still gentle.
She knew—he had always been gentle.
Three.
Two.
One.
She let go.
…
“Return me… to normal.” Long Xiruo climbed off of him, staring at the man who now made her heart panic. “You said you would. Don’t think about backing out.”
“Of course.” Luo Qiu smiled.
The deep wound in his hand slowly healed, blood flowing back. Even the blood on Long Xiruo’s lips receded.
His hand became flawless again.
Suddenly, there was something invisible on her—something unbreakable. At that moment, she truly felt it… Along with it, a power from the earth itself—endless and immense.
Her clothes didn’t tear from the transformation. Instead, they adjusted as her body returned to normal.
She, too, returned to her original form—completely unharmed.
“Miss Long looks much better now.” Luo Qiu stood up from the chair. “Then, I’ll take my leave.”
He smiled and walked past her.
“Wait.”
“Yes?”
Long Xiruo gritted her teeth and turned. “Was it that brat Su Zijun who told you to come here?”
Luo Qiu simply smiled and didn’t answer. He pointed to the cake on the table. “Don’t waste it. It was hard to make.”
As he walked out the door and nearly vanished into the hallway, Long Xiruo stomped her foot and shouted angrily:
“Bastard!!! Don’t think this makes us even!!! You think just because I bit you everything’s fine?! I’m not letting this go!! Scammer! Bastard! Jerk! Stinking man!!”
She didn’t know if he heard it. She just watched him disappear—
And gently touched her own lips.
(End of Chapter)