Chapter 2: Your house seems to be on fire

The Chaotic Forbidden Sea.

Here, turbulent currents intermingled with layers of whirlpools, so much so that even birds in the sky would not easily fly over it.

This was a forbidden domain; passing merchant ships would never choose to set their course here.

Legend had it that no one who sailed into the Chaotic Forbidden Sea on ships or flying vessels ever came out alive. If you were lucky, only an empty ship would emerge, its occupants having vanished as if into thin air, leaving not a single trace behind, a chilling tale that ranked it among the Ten Great Vicious Lands.

And at this moment, upon the surging sea, a lone figure on a solitary boat drifted on the surface. It was a man in white robes, his clothes fluttering gracefully, losing none of his poise.

If anyone were to witness this scene, they would think he had a death wish. The waters of the Chaotic Forbidden Sea were dead water, a single drop weighing as much as ten thousand catties. Ordinary cultivators who fell into the sea were almost certain to die, and even experts at the Immortal Realm would act within their limits, taking refuge in merchant ships to avoid the brunt of it, not daring to personally risk the danger.

Who would be like this man in white, riding only a small, dilapidated boat that seemed on the verge of capsizing, floating on the sea with the possibility of being destroyed at any moment? It was simply treating life as a joke.

A massive black wave surged forward, striking viciously at the man in white. Beneath the towering wave, the shabby little boat seemed so insignificant. Yet, facing such a perilous situation, the man in white merely gave it a calm glance, even finding the time to take a sip of tea.

Dong!

The giant wave crashed down, and soon the sea surface returned to calm.

Ptooey!

‘So bitter.’

Just as he was swept onto a small island by the giant wave, Xiao Yu couldn’t help but spit out all the tea he had just drunk.

‘What kind of tea is this? It’s too awful, isn’t it? Dao hid it so well, I thought it was something good. I even risked being discovered to swipe a packet, and now that I’ve tasted it, it’s just so-so.’

This person was none other than Xiao Yu. The Xiao Yu that Dao had killed in the Heaven Beyond Heavens was merely his clone.

‘When the birds are gone, the bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked.’

Xiao Yu had long been prepared for this. It just so happened that he was tired anyway, so he used this faked death to escape and gain his freedom, crossing the sea under the heavens’ noses, unbeknownst to gods and ghosts alike.

Hahaha!

It might seem like Dao had won, but in reality, he, Xiao Yu, was the biggest winner.

Now, he could finally retire and enjoy a life of leisure.

God knows how much suffering he endured while standing in for the protagonist. It was mainly those female leads, each and every one a magnet for incidents, troublesome to the extreme.

But it should be fine now.

There shouldn’t be any annoying female leads to disturb him on Gathering Demon Island, and there’s no way Dao would find him.

What kind of place was Gathering Demon Island?

It was located in the depths of the Forbidden Sea, a place where heavenly secrets were in disarray and traces of the Dao were jumbled. It was a lawless zone that even Tian, the agent of the Heavenly Dao, had failed to conquer easily back in the day, let alone the hastily appointed and inexperienced Dao!

Therefore, if the female lead could find him, he, Xiao Yu, would jump off a cliff on the spot.

At the entrance of Gathering Demon Island, looking at the hometown he hadn’t seen in years, Xiao Yu was filled with excitement. He finally couldn’t help but shout:

“Wuhu! My folks, your king has returned! I’m free!”

In response to Xiao Yu’s excitement, Gathering Demon Island replied:

“What’s all the racket? Did your ancestral tomb start emitting green smoke? Can’t you let people sleep in the morning!”

Pfft!

A tightly shut window on the floor above opened, and a bucket of clear water was poured directly down, drenching Xiao Yu and extinguishing the passion in his heart.

“Cough, cough, cough…”

Pushing his soaking wet bangs aside, Xiao Yu wiped the water from his face and coughed awkwardly a few times. ‘Mmm… local customs, local customs.’

He recalled how, when he first arrived in this world, he was also greeted with a bucket of water.

Just as Xiao Yu was reminiscing about the past, a cry of surprise sounded from behind him: “Well, well! Isn’t this Xiao Yu? Long time no see. You were actually willing to come back from the outside?”

Turning his head, he saw a man of about his age. The man was dressed in pink and white robes, holding a white paper fan with the four large black characters “Debonair in the Mortal World” written on it. He walked over slowly, looking like a graceful gentleman, the very picture of propriety.

However, after only a few minutes of being proper, this gentleman leaned in with a mischievous grin as soon as he got close. He nudged Xiao Yu’s shoulder with his elbow and said mysteriously:

“Tell me honestly, are there clouds of immortal ladies and a hundred flowers vying for beauty outside, making you abandon Bai Yan for so many years and refuse to come home?”

“Get lost, what nonsense are you spouting? Don’t tarnish my reputation. I’m a gentleman, alright? But while there aren’t many immortal ladies out there, there are quite a few beauties. By the way, what are you doing here?”

Xiao Yu irritably pushed away the paw-like hand the man in pink robes had placed on him. This person’s surname was Liu and his given name was Shicheng. He was a talented young man from Gathering Demon Island and a kindred spirit of Xiao Yu’s.

However, speaking of Bai Yan.

A trace of gentleness flashed in Xiao Yu’s eyes. She was Xiao Yu’s disciple, one of his few weaknesses in this world.

Hearing Xiao Yu’s words, Liu Shicheng feigned a serious expression and fanned himself with his fan:

“Ahem… I’m just waiting here for a rabbit to run into a tree, to see if any immortal lady might accidentally fall into this Forbidden Sea and get washed up on this island.

Then, I can take advantage of my proximity to win her favor first! Just think, after being terrified and escaping death, a handsome man like me appears before her, comforting her with gentle words. She would surely fall for me, and then… hehe.”

Liu Shicheng made a comical expression. It was obvious without even thinking that he was daydreaming again.

Xiao Yu was speechless.

“…”

As expected, it had to be him. After all these years, he still hadn’t changed.

His so-called “waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree” referred to a little-known secret of the Forbidden Sea. If one were accidentally swept into the sea by the waves in the Forbidden Sea, there was a thirty percent chance of escaping corrosion from the chaotic foreign Dao traces within the water.

They would arrive at another special place hidden within the Forbidden Sea—Gathering Demon Island, which was where Xiao Yu was right now.

However, due to the unique nature of the Chaotic Forbidden Sea, those who arrived on Gathering Demon Island would be unable to leave due to the mutual repulsion of the foreign Dao traces. They would be trapped on this island for the rest of their lives.

Thus, over many years, the people who were lucky enough to survive, upholding the idea of being one big, loving family that helps each other, established a special sect on Gathering Demon Island called the Heaven and Earth One Big Love Sect.

The people in the sect were all talented individuals, and every one of them was a smooth talker. Xiao Yu liked it here very much.

Xiao Yu, on the other hand, was immune to the corrosion of the foreign Dao traces because he was a Demon from Beyond the Heavens, allowing him to come and go as he pleased.

But in this day and age, who would be idle enough to come to this Forbidden Sea, one of the Ten Great Vicious Lands? It wasn’t some tourist attraction. Even if someone did come, it would probably be a few old men with profound cultivation who were bored and looking for resources. The “immortal lady” Liu Shicheng was talking about was highly unlikely.

“Then you can wait here slowly! I’m heading back first.”

Seeing that there was nothing else, Xiao Yu patted Liu Shicheng’s shoulder and walked towards the interior of Gathering Demon Island, preparing to return to the mountain he rented within the sect.

“Is that so? Then you’d better hurry. I see several plumes of black smoke rising from above your home. It might be on fire!” Liu Shicheng pointed to a distant peak and kindly reminded him.

“You must be seeing things. How could that be my home?”

Xiao Yu glanced over, his expression relaxed. Did he not know what his own home looked like? Although he hadn’t been back for a few years and the image was a bit blurry, he still remembered the general appearance.

“Is that so? I remember that being your Great Bamboo Sword Peak, isn’t it?”

Seeing Xiao Yu’s dismissive attitude, Liu Shicheng asked with a puzzled expression.

“…”

Xiao Yu paused for a moment. He took another careful look at the smoking mountain peak, comparing it with the image in his memory. Then, as if nothing was wrong, he continued walking south for a few more steps.

Suddenly, he made a sharp turn, conjured spiritual energy into a horse, and galloped wildly towards the smoking mountain peak.

“Holy shit! That really is my house!”