The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 449 Strange Change, Guest Arrives

By this time, the moon had faded somewhat, and a golden edge was faintly appearing on the eastern sky. Dawn was approaching, and a new day was about to begin.

Zhao Ti didn't go straight home. Instead, he circled around a few times before returning to the courtyard in Xinghua Lane. He listened at the gate and, finding no major noise, assumed his parents were still asleep. He then climbed over the wall and entered the courtyard.

But as soon as he landed, his face immediately darkened. He saw a greyhound lying under the wall, wagging its tail and looking at him in a fawning manner.

The man and the dog stared at each other for a few moments. Then Zhao Ti raised his arm and made a shushing gesture. The greyhound nodded in a dignified manner, and only then did he quietly walk into the house.

The oil lamp in the room was still lit. He was about to blow it out and go to bed to rest for a while when he suddenly turned his head and looked at the wooden box next to him.

At that moment, his expression froze, and he remained motionless, as if he were a stone or wood carving.

Someone has moved the gourd on that box!
He had originally placed the gourd in front of the box, but now the gourd had moved to the back of the box, almost touching the wall.

Zhao Ti frowned, staring at the gourd. If it weren't for Ling'er, she would have only pushed the gourd forward if she had sneaked in, and certainly wouldn't have pushed it backward. Besides, Ling'er was sleeping with her parents, so how could she have gotten up in the middle of the night and run into her own room without disturbing them?
It couldn't be a crow either. The crow followed him out, and although it didn't appear in the forest, it kept circling in the sky. It only landed on the windowsill outside after he went inside.

Who exactly entered my room and moved the gourd on the box? The gourd was in its original position before I left, but now it has moved back about a foot. Surely the gourd couldn't have grown legs and run away by itself, could it?

Zhao Ti's gaze slowly moved, surveying everything in the room. Nothing else had changed, and finally his eyes fell back on the box.

not……

A bad feeling rose in his heart. The original purpose of placing the gourd on the box was to prevent the Feathered Demon from being resurrected in the crystal coffin inside. Although the possibility was extremely small, the Feathered Demon's cheeks had turned red, as if it were bloodshot, so he had to take precautions.

Besides pushing the gourd backward, another possibility that could cause it to slide inside is to lift the lid of the box. If someone lifts the lid of the wooden box from either the inside or the outside, the gourd will inevitably slide backward!
Upon thinking of this, Zhao Ti's expression changed. He rushed to the box in three quick steps, then swiftly lifted the gourd and, holding his breath, suddenly opened the lid.

The crystal coffin lay quietly atop the books, with the tiny figures inside appearing to be asleep, as if they would never wake up.

Zhao Ti breathed a sigh of relief, but his doubts only deepened. If it wasn't the Feather Spirit Demon who was resurrected and escaped, then who had moved the gourd?
He thought for a moment, took out the crystal coffin, turned around and placed it on the table, then sat behind the table and carefully opened the coffin lid.

Suddenly, a soft, seven-colored light entered her eyes. Under the radiant glow of the crystal, Yu Ling closed her eyes, her face serene and sweet, like a princess who had been under a spell and had been asleep for many years, waiting for someone to awaken her.

Zhao Ti suppressed the urge to touch it and carefully observed the exquisitely beautiful little figure.

But the more you look at him, the more serious his expression becomes, and the stronger the wariness in his eyes.

Something's not right, very not right. He could practically memorize the location of everything inside the crystal coffin, but he noticed a few things that were different from before.

First, the blush on Yu Ling's cheeks disappeared, but this was not a good thing. If it had remained, it could have been explained as a normal change in the body, due to the passage of time, leaving the Flying Tower underground palace, opening the coffin lid, and being affected by sunlight and temperature, which caused it to naturally change.

However, once such marks appear, they can never disappear. If they do disappear, then there is only one possible reason: they were not formed by external influences on the body, but rather by changes that occurred within the body itself and had nothing to do with the outside world.

But Yu Ling has been dead for countless years and is not affected by the outside world, so how could she change on her own? Normal corpses dry out, rot, or even melt, all of which are caused by the external environment. They will not change on their own, because a corpse represents that the living being is dead. How can a dead body generate and change on its own?

The blush that appeared and disappeared on Yu Ling's face at that moment must have been generated by Yu Ling herself, which is extremely strange. In other words, unless the corpse is actually alive, or the corpse has been resurrected, this situation would likely occur...

Thinking of this, Zhao Ti felt a chill run down his spine. The resurrection of the Heavenly Demon from thousands of years ago—how terrifying that must be.

As Crow previously stated, the extraterrestrial demons attacked the continent, causing countless deaths and injuries to the human race, as well as heavy losses to the demon race. This is how the demons were repelled, not annihilated. It's even possible that the demons themselves got bored and retreated into the endless void to find other amusement. This shows just how powerful the demons were.

Therefore, if a celestial demon were to be born, it would inevitably cause a great calamity. Even if there were only one, it would still stir up a considerable storm.

Because the human race is no longer the same as it was back then, and there is no alliance with the demon race. At that time, humans and demons fought a great war first. All sides were prepared and their elites gathered together. Just then, the Heavenly Demons invaded, and both sides mobilized the world's strength to meet them.

Things are different now. Where is that kind of alliance? The demon race has gone far beyond the southern sea, and the human race has gone through so many years of changes in kingdoms and dynasties. Many of them no longer have any contact with each other, and some small countries may have even lost their records about the Heavenly Demon.

If a celestial demon were to be lurking in the mortal realm at this moment, stirring up trouble, killing countless people, and disrupting national affairs, it would be a catastrophe.

Zhao Ti took a deep breath. There was still something wrong with the crystal coffin. The little Yu Ling's hair was originally soft and flowing down her neck and around her body, revealing her flawless and delicate face. But now, one strand of hair stood up like a cowlick, and two others fell on her delicate eyebrows, half-covering her tightly closed eyes. This was something that had never been there before.

His lips twitched, and he looked at the spot between the crystal coffin wall and Yu Ling's small hand. There used to be a petal there, but now the petal was not there. Instead, it was pressed under one of her slender fingers, leaving some marks, as if her small hand had played with the petal.

Zhao Ti felt a chill rise from his back. Even with his Four Illuminations Divine Skill fully mastered, he dared not say he could defeat a Heavenly Demon.

After all, the humans who fought against the extraterrestrial demons thousands of years ago were all great powers at the time. Martial artists could split mountains and rivers, and Taoists could summon wind and rain. I don't have such abilities right now.

Although the Four Illuminations Divine Skill is quite powerful, it feels somewhat lacking in ability to open up mountains and create roads, or to cut off water flow.

He stared at the tiny figure in the coffin and fell into deep thought. If this Feather Spirit had truly been resurrected and was now deceiving him, what should he do?
Logically, she should have been destroyed directly. Judging from the fact that she did not leave the coffin at this time, it is clear that her previous abilities have not been fully restored and she is still in the recuperation stage. Otherwise, she would not have pretended to continue to sleep.

But... I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

After all, he had only heard from the crow that the Heavenly Demons were cruel, and that the Feather Spirit Heavenly Demon was the best among the Heavenly Demons, but he had not seen it with his own eyes or experienced it firsthand.

What the crow knew was only what had been passed down among the demon race and recorded in some ancient books; it wasn't something it had actually seen.

Could the rumors be wrong? It's true that the Heavenly Demons are cruel, but the Feathered Spirit Heavenly Demon is different from the others. It's not as tyrannical and cruel. It simply acts along with the other Heavenly Demons and doesn't indiscriminately kill humans.

Zhao Ti looked at the coffin with a fluctuating expression, and finally sighed softly. Could this tiny creature really be so dangerous?

After a moment, he shook his head. It was all just an excuse; wasn't his own thinking also pure conjecture? It was even less supported by evidence than what the crow had said. At least the crow's words were passed down orally within the tribe, while his were entirely based on guesswork, simply guessing according to his likes and dislikes. Yes, it was all about likes and dislikes. Because he liked this tiny creature, even to the point of being somewhat infatuated, he assumed the best of it, and even when the crow said something negative, he subconsciously tried to excuse it.

A slight look of confusion appeared in Zhao Ti's eyes. He then gently closed his eyes and opened them again. Four-colored light flashed around his body, and he reached into the coffin with energy swirling around one of his hands.

Alas, let's destroy it. A demon is a demon after all, let alone a celestial demon. We can't let it live in the world just because of our own pleasure, leaving behind any future troubles that would be detrimental to the human race.

Since one should strive to be a virtuous person, one must always distinguish right from wrong in matters of principle. Those who are not of our kind must act differently, and their intentions should be punished.

Zhao Ti made up his mind to destroy Yu Ling. At this moment, he used almost all of his power. His whole body was almost enveloped in four-colored light, and his face and figure could no longer be seen.

The Heavenly Demon possesses immense power and extraordinary abilities. Even if it hasn't fully recovered its powers, it certainly won't be easy to kill. And right now, it's most likely pretending, deceiving me into believing it's still a corpse. I must strike with all my might, giving it no chance, and annihilate it directly.

He instantly reached into the crystal coffin, aiming straight for Yu Ling's fair and delicate neck. If he could just snap it off, even if Yu Ling was a powerful demon, she would surely not survive.

Just as his hand touched the other's neck, Yu Ling's cheeks suddenly flushed red, as bright as the sunset and as alluring as a flower. Her long eyelashes accentuated the blush on her face, making her incredibly beautiful.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Ti abruptly stopped his hand, took another deep breath, and looked at Yu Ling inside the coffin with a complicated expression.

In the end, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. How could I bear to destroy it like this? It was a perfect spirit created by heaven and earth, and I simply couldn't bring myself to destroy it.

Forget it, from today onwards I will keep the crystal coffin with me. If there is any unusual movement, I will kill her. I will also practice martial arts diligently. As long as my martial arts are strong enough to suppress her, I will not be afraid of her waking up.

Half a day later, Zhao Ti muttered to himself, then touched two strands of hair on Yu Ling's eyebrows with his fingers, gently lifting them upwards, instantly turning one ahoge into three, and then withdrew his hand.

Then he closed the crystal coffin lid, placed it close to his body, and went to bed to rest.

He had been asleep for a short while when he heard a rooster crow. After a while, Zhao Ling'er knocked on the window to call him. He got up and got ready, and Zhao Ling'er came in to look at the gourd.

"Big pot, how did this gourd end up inside the box? I...I can't pull it out..."

Zhao Ti walked over and took the gourd to the desk for her to see. Since the crystal coffin was carried close to the body, there was no need to use the gourd to weigh down the wooden box as a warning.

"Why is Brother so strong?" Zhao Ling'er looked at Zhao Ti in surprise. The gourd was very heavy, but Zhao Ti lifted it with one hand and placed it on the table.

"Don't ask so many questions, let's play for a while and then go eat." Zhao Ti was still thinking about Yu Ling and was somewhat absent-minded.

"Okay, I understand..." Zhao Ling'er pouted, but then touched the gourd and became happy again.

After finishing his meal, Zhao Ti carried his book bag to the state school. As soon as he entered the school, he saw Mo Xun waving at him with an excited expression on his face.

Zhao Ti walked over and sat down. Mo Xun lowered his voice and said, "Brother Zhao, something terrible has happened."

Zhao Ti asked, "What major event has occurred?"

Mo Xun looked around to make sure no one was paying attention, and said, "I originally wanted to finish my studies and then talk to Brother Zhao about it, but I just couldn't hold back anymore. Last night, the man who killed the Yang family servant showed up and was surrounded and attacked by the Yang family. Guess what happened?"

"Oh?" Zhao Ti's eyes gleamed. "How is it? Have you been captured by the Yang family? What is their identity? Are they also from a prominent family?"

"I knew you'd think that, Brother Zhao. You're wrong, you're wrong." Mo Xun's face twitched with excitement: "Dozens of members of the Yang family attacked this man, but they were utterly defeated, suffering heavy casualties!"

"Is that really so?" Zhao Ti looked shocked. "How is this possible..."

“Yes, it seems impossible no matter how you look at it, but it happened.” Mo Xun said, “Those dozens of people from the Yang family are not good-for-nothings. Among them are not only Yang Dian, the current prodigy of the Yang family, but also the famous Ghost Hand Yang Si from the older generation, as well as the eldest son of the younger generation.”

"Are there many experts?" Zhao Ti asked.

“There are many, but none of them are a match for that murderer. It is said that the murderer is cruel and ruthless. Ghost Hand Yang Si and the eldest young master were both crippled by him. Yang Si had all his teeth broken and several meridians in his body were severed. The eldest young master had his arms and legs broken and could not move. They were in a terrible state.” Mo Xun rubbed his hands and said.

"It is quite tragic." Zhao Ti nodded and asked, "Who is this young master in the Yang family? Why is he addressed in this way?"

“Young Master…” Mo Xun said, “He is the eldest grandson of the Yang family’s eldest branch, and the head of the Yang family is his great-grandfather.”

"The eldest grandson of the eldest son? The head of the family is his great-grandfather?" Zhao Ti frowned.

“Yes, his grandfather is the eldest son of the Yang family patriarch, and he is often referred to as the eldest son of the Yang family. If there are no unexpected events, then this young master will definitely succeed as the patriarch in the future. However, his martial arts are completely useless now, so I think it's unlikely…” Mo Xun said with a smile.

"Why does Brother Mo look so gloating?" Zhao Ti asked, puzzled.

“Brother Zhao, you may not know this, but this young master has a bad reputation. He acts domineeringly and unreasonably, and he likes to bully the good and cause trouble. He is indeed criticized by many people. It is well-deserved that he has suffered this calamity. Moreover, although my family has a fairly good relationship with the Yang family, we are not on the same side in the treasure hunt in Yuzhou. Their strength has been greatly reduced, so I am naturally happy.”

"I see." Zhao Ti nodded upon hearing this. Just then, the school bell rang, and the two stopped talking.

A day passed quickly in the blink of an eye. When the two walked together after school, Zhao Ti listened to Mo Xunyan recount the details he had heard, and he unconsciously gained some understanding of the situation.

They parted ways at the Jade Belt Bridge. Zhao Ti went straight home. As he entered Xinghua Lane and arrived at the gate of the small courtyard, he heard voices coming from inside, accompanied by the excited barking of a greyhound. He couldn't help but raise his eyebrows and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

(End of this chapter)