After Betraying the Whole World, You’re Telling Me They Were All Real? - Chapter 18:

Chapter 18: They Say Women Hold Grudges, and It’s Absolutely True…

Xiao Jiankong couldn’t believe it. He rubbed his eyes hard and blinked several times.

There was no mistake. That face—even after seven years—was still exactly the same. Not even a trace of age. Not a single wrinkle. It hadn’t changed at all.

It was really him?

But how… how could this be?

How was he still alive?

Seven years. It had been seven whole years.

Seven years without a single message, and now he suddenly showed up?

And more importantly, if it really was him, shouldn’t he be arriving from beyond the Forbidden Wall?

Shouldn’t he have come from the direction of the Forbidden Demon Region?

Why was he instead coming from the imperial capital?

If he had come from the capital… then that meant he had already returned from the Forbidden Demon Region long ago?

But he had never come to the Border Wall in all this time?

That didn’t make sense!

The moment he escaped the Forbidden Demon Region, shouldn’t he have come straight to see his daughter? To marry her?

Why had he gone to the capital instead… and even brought the Emperor’s sword?

What was going on?

Or… was it just someone who looked exactly like him?

That was possible. After all, someone surviving the Forbidden Demon Region alone was already something out of legend.

Xiao Jiankong took a deep breath, suppressing all his emotions.

Then, politely cupping his fists, he said, “Xiao Jiankong of the Border Wall welcomes the two of you.”

Ling Qi and Chu Xinyue turned around, their eyes falling on Xiao Jiankong.

Ling Qi gave a faint smile. “It’s been a while. I hope you’ve been well… General Xiao.”

“You…” Xiao Jiankong immediately knew. He recognized him.

That voice, that tone—undeniably him.

“You bastard!”

He strode forward, grabbed Ling Qi by the collar, but then, upon noticing the Emperor’s sword in Ling Qi’s hand, quickly shouted, “Put down the Emperor’s sword! I swear I’ll beat you to death today!”

Seven years! Seven years!

Did this bastard even know what his daughter had gone through these past seven years?

She’d stood atop that wall every single day, gazing into the distance, waiting bitterly.

For seven full years—never missing a day.

All for him.

She had given up her own happiness, willingly choosing a lonely life just to wait for him.

For seven years, guilt had consumed her.

Even knowing he might never return—she still waited.

And now what?

Now it turned out he had already made it out long ago?

Then why the hell didn’t he come find her?

She was still standing up there on the wall, watching, waiting!

“Can’t we talk about this calmly? So, how’s Qian’er been lately?” Ling Qi grinned.

“Calm your damn head! You’ve got the nerve to even mention Qian’er?” Xiao Jiankong growled, his massive fists nearly swinging for Ling Qi’s face.

“You know what she’s been through all these years? You bastard—did you already forget all about her?”

He roared, “Put that sword down! Put it down now!”

With the Emperor’s sword in hand, Xiao Jiankong couldn’t act recklessly. But if Ling Qi put the sword down, he swore he’d punch him straight through the wall.

Chu Xinyue, watching from the side, wasn’t surprised at all.

Clearly, Ling Qi had wronged his daughter.

No—not just wronged, but outright betrayed her.

Anyone would be furious in this situation.

“General Xiao, please calm down and let me explain,” Ling Qi said with a smile.

“Explain my ass! You didn’t care about Qian’er at all!” Xiao Jiankong clenched his teeth. “If you didn’t care, why the hell did you join that martial tournament? Why did you get involved with her at all, you bastard?”

“I’m here representing Her Majesty. And there’s an outsider here too. Can we save the personal matters for later?” Ling Qi chuckled.

Xiao Jiankong gritted his teeth, glanced at the sword in Ling Qi’s hand, then at Chu Xinyue.

Only then, reluctantly, did he let go.

Fine. Personal matters should be handled in private. Right now, official duties came first.

“Heh, apologies to you, Heroine Chu. It’s just that… my daughter and this man have some rather complicated history,” Xiao Jiankong said, regaining the composure of a Grand General.

“No offense taken. I’m not at all surprised someone would hate him,” Chu Xinyue smiled, then looked at Ling Qi. “But I wasn’t expecting… that I’d be the outsider?”

She was, after all, one of the first to understand Ling Qi, perhaps even the one who knew him best.

Yet in his words… she was just an outsider?

Even as a friend—shouldn’t she still count for more than that?

“Uh…” Ling Qi gave a dry chuckle, then got back on topic. “General Xiao, tell me what’s going on with the demon race?”

At the mention of the demon race, Xiao Jiankong’s expression turned serious again.

He took a deep breath and replied, “To be honest… we don’t know.”

“Not long ago, a demon army suddenly approached the wall. We prepared for battle.”

“But then their leader claimed… they came to negotiate peace. They want us to open the gates and coexist with them peacefully.”

“Such a matter affects the survival of the world. I dared not decide on my own, so I reported it to Her Majesty.”

“Now that Her Majesty has sent you, what… are her instructions?”

He looked at the sword in Ling Qi’s hand.

If Ling Qi held the Emperor’s sword, that meant he had full authority here.

So… what was Her Majesty’s decision?

“She has no damn plan. She dumped the whole demon issue on me and ran off to do her own thing,” Ling Qi said with a laugh.

Everyone turned to stare at him.

What did he just say?

Did he really talk about Her Majesty like that?

That was the Empress! The ruler of the empire!

He didn’t even call her Your Majesty—just “she”?

He held the Emperor’s sword, yet was so… disrespectful?

“Shhh! Keep your voice down!” Xiao Jiankong whispered urgently. “Even with the sword in your hand, that doesn’t make you the Emperor. Don’t get ahead of yourself!”

Blaspheming the Empress could get you beheaded.

If Ling Qi died, his daughter would really become a widow for life.

“No need to worry, General. He’s like this even in front of Her Majesty,” Chu Xinyue said calmly.

“…What?” Xiao Jiankong froze.

He was like this… even in front of Her Majesty?

That didn’t make sense. Who could behave so casually before the Empress and live to tell the tale?

What kind of identity did this guy have? To act this wild and still be trusted by Her Majesty?

“So you’re… not just special to everyone else, but also special to Her Majesty?” Xiao Jiankong frowned.

“You could say that,” Ling Qi smiled.

Special? He’d always been very special.

“Hiss…” Xiao Jiankong narrowed his eyes, then suddenly rested a hand on Ling Qi’s shoulder and whispered, “Don’t tell me… Her Majesty’s taken a liking to you? Is that why you haven’t come for Qian’er? Because you’re already the Empress’s man?”

That was the only explanation. Otherwise, who could treat the Empress so casually?

This kid had always been unfathomable. Even seven years ago, Xiao Jiankong had never been able to see through his strength.

And… he was undeniably good-looking.

Maybe… maybe Her Majesty had really taken a liking to him?

Damn it! If that were true, what would become of his daughter?

She couldn’t possibly compete with Her Majesty for a man.

“Not yet,” Ling Qi said with a grin.

“Good… my ass!” Xiao Jiankong’s eyes sharpened. “What do you mean ‘not yet’? Speak clearly—what do you mean by that?”

Not yet? So maybe in the future?

“We’ll talk about that later,” Ling Qi smiled again.

Xiao Jiankong glared at him but forced himself to return to business. “So, Her Majesty has made no decision, and all authority rests with you?”

Ling Qi nodded.

“Then what do you plan to do?” Xiao Jiankong asked.

“I’m planning to head into the Forbidden Demon Region again, see what’s going on. Find out why they suddenly want peace now of all times.”

“You’re going again?” Xiao Jiankong frowned. “Last time you went, you were gone for seven years! How did you even survive back then?”

“I fought my way out,” Ling Qi replied casually.

“Fought your way out?” Xiao Jiankong’s frown deepened.

Impossible!

The Great Yan Empire had once sent in 100,000 troops—and not one returned.

And this guy got out alone?

“General Xiao, you may not know… he’s at the Supreme Limit Realm,” Chu Xinyue suddenly said.

Xiao Jiankong’s face changed instantly. He took two steps back, staring at Ling Qi with newfound awe and respect.

What a joke!

The Supreme Limit Realm?

That legendary realm actually existed?

And this man—this man who almost married his daughter—had already reached it?

If that were true, it made sense he could escape from the Forbidden Demon Region alone.

Wait… hold on!

If he was already at the Supreme Limit Realm… then that meant he had come back seven years ago?

You bastard!

If you returned seven years ago, why didn’t you come find my daughter!?

You left her waiting and hoping, left her to suffer alone for years?

You heartless scum!

“You bastard…” Xiao Jiankong ground his teeth, but this time, he didn’t act.

First, Ling Qi held the Emperor’s sword. Second, he was at the Supreme Limit Realm.

He couldn’t win.

“You know she’s still standing up there on the wall, waiting for you every single day?” Xiao Jiankong said through clenched teeth. “You have that kind of power. You came back long ago. So why didn’t you go to her? Even if you didn’t care anymore, you should’ve given her closure!”

If you still loved her, then say it—marry her.

If you didn’t, then at least let her go. She was still young. She could’ve found someone else.

But you just disappeared. You never returned. You left her there waiting.

Damn it!

Xiao Jiankong really wanted to curse—really wanted to punch him.

But he had no strength for it. And no right.

“I honestly didn’t know,” Ling Qi said with a grin. “Back then, she said she’d only marry me if I became the strongest in the world.”

“Bullshit! Don’t act like you don’t understand women!” Xiao Jiankong snapped. “She was just too proud to admit it, that’s all!”

Honestly… it was partly his daughter’s fault too.

If she’d just admitted she liked Ling Qi earlier—if she had agreed to marry him—he might not have vanished like that.

Both of them had misunderstood.

Ling Qi thought she didn’t care.

She thought Ling Qi was dead.

“So what do you intend now?” Xiao Jiankong said seriously. “If you no longer care about her, then don’t meet her. I’ll relay the message myself. But if you still have feelings for her, then you’d better go now. She’s still standing there on the wall… waiting for you!”

Ling Qi smiled and said, “I came all this way mainly to visit her anyway.”

Back then, he had just treated her like an NPC—played with her and moved on. Who cared what she became in the end? But now… thinking back to how his casual actions made a girl wait seven years in vain, it did seem a bit too much. So, of course, he had to meet her, talk to her properly, and make up for it.

Hearing this, Xiao Jiankong let out a slight sigh of relief. Good. As long as he still cared about his daughter, there was still hope for them.

This was great news—his daughter would find happiness, and he’d gain a son-in-law at the Supreme Limit Realm. A guaranteed win.

“Report! General, the young lady… she charged into the Forbidden Demon Region alone!” a soldier suddenly rushed in and shouted.

Everyone’s expression changed drastically. “What?”

She… she entered the Forbidden Demon Region alone?

Did she finally lose patience and go to find Ling Qi herself?

Or did she think Ling Qi wouldn’t return, and decided to go die with him?

Why was she being so foolish?

“Earlier… someone briefly appeared near the edge of the Forbidden Demon Region. The young lady rushed in right after!” the soldier explained.

Ling Qi immediately frowned. “Most likely a demon disguised as me to lure her in. General Xiao, does the demon race know about me and Qian’er?”

“…They didn’t at first, but during the recent peace talks, they learned about it by accident,” Xiao Jiankong said seriously.

“Then there’s no mistake. The demon race is trying to confirm… if I’m still alive.”

Ling Qi waved his hand. “Let’s go!”

“You must bring my daughter back safely! Don’t forget, she’s waited seven years for you—seven whole years,” Xiao Jiankong said quickly.

“Relax. Isn’t that exactly why I’m here to make things right?” Ling Qi smiled, then took off with Chu Xinyue.

“I’ll leave her to you!” Xiao Jiankong bowed deeply.

Once Ling Qi and Chu Xinyue disappeared from view, he straightened up and shouted, “All troops—prepare for battle and standby for reinforcements!”

“Yes!”

The horns echoed across the border as every army along the wall began to mobilize.

…

Ling Qi grabbed Chu Xinyue’s hand, leapt from the wall, and soared toward the Forbidden Demon Region.

In moments, they entered the dark, demon-qi-filled domain.

As the surroundings grew darker and the heavy demon Qi pressed down on them, Chu Xinyue’s brows furrowed slightly.

So this was the interior of the Forbidden Demon Region?

As expected, the demon Qi was overwhelming. This was the concentration of countless demons’ power, condensed into a thick, toxic mist.

How many demons must be living here?

“You’d better not hold back anymore.” Chu Xinyue said quietly, “If General Xiao’s daughter gets hurt, you really are a bastard.”

Now, she’d finally get to witness the true power of someone in the Supreme Limit Realm.

Ling Qi smiled bitterly. Of course, he understood that perfectly. He couldn’t let anything happen to Xiao Qian.

He immediately pulled out a small bottle, took out a pill, and swallowed it.

Then, he unleashed all his aura without restraint.

“Full sensory scan—activate!”

Buzz!

In that instant, his spiritual perception spread across the entire area, sweeping through the Forbidden Demon Region.

Even the overwhelming demon Qi trembled slightly in response.

“This way!”

A moment later, Ling Qi pinpointed the direction and pulled Chu Xinyue along.

“Do you have to keep holding my hand? I’m an outsider, remember?” Chu Xinyue teased with a grin.

“Don’t joke at a time like this. I’m being serious,” Ling Qi shook his head.

“If it were me trapped in the Forbidden Demon Region, would you be this concerned? This urgent?” she asked softly.

Ling Qi turned his head slightly, looked at her, and nodded. “Of course.”

“I’m just an outsider, and yet you still care this much?” Chu Xinyue smiled again.

Ling Qi sighed. “They say women hold grudges… and it’s absolutely true.”

All he said was ‘outsider,’ and she still wouldn’t let it go?

…

Elsewhere, deeper within the Forbidden Demon Region…

Xiao Qian, clad in silver-white armor, gripped her red-tasseled spear as she flew swiftly forward.

Not far ahead, through the fog, a figure was moving rapidly.

“Stop right there!” Xiao Qian shouted with a frown.

That silhouette… looked exactly like Ling Qi.

His clothing, posture, even his back—it was just like she remembered.

If it really was him, why was he running away?

Why wouldn’t he stop, even after hearing her voice?

Xiao Qian didn’t think—she simply gave chase with all her strength.

She had waited seven years. Now that she’d finally found a clue, she wasn’t about to let it go.

The two figures, one in pursuit and one fleeing, moved deeper and deeper into the region.

Eventually, the figure stopped.

Xiao Qian halted too.

She stood there, staring at his back.

The clothes were the same as seven years ago. Even the hair was the same.

So… was it really him?

“Why… why are you running?” Xiao Qian’s eyes turned red.

After waiting so long, why was he avoiding her?

She sobbed, “I don’t need you to prove anything anymore. Just come back with me. Let’s get married right now. Be husband and wife.”

“It was my fault back then… I thought…”

Her words stopped abruptly.

Because the figure slowly turned around.

And when she saw his face, her pupils shrank, and she gripped her spear tightly.

It wasn’t a human face.

It was a snake face—covered in scales, with a mouth that reached his throat.

He… was a serpent demon!

Just then, the serpent’s hair and clothes fell away, revealing his true form: half-human, half-snake.

Xiao Qian snapped out of her trance.

She’d fallen for a trap.

She turned immediately to escape.

But behind her… the path was already blocked by a dense group of demons.

The mist cleared, revealing thousands of terrifying demonic figures, baring their fangs.

Her face darkened.

Damn it… she had charged in blindly, and now—there was no way out.

“Ah, we meet again, Valkyrie,” a sly voice echoed.

The demons parted.

A man in gaudy makeup and flowers in his hair walked forward with an eerie grin.

His face was pale and powdered, like a performer in costume.

Xiao Qian recognized him.

He was the one who led the demons in the peace talks at the border.

“Last time we met, we didn’t get properly acquainted,” he said, pinching his fingers in a flamboyant pose. “Let me reintroduce myself. I’m Hua Duanyu—one of the Seven Kings of the Demon Race. As you can see, I’m a beautiful little flower.”

Xiao Qian felt nauseous. Flower, your ass.

But—he said he was one of the Seven Demon Kings?

That meant his strength was not to be underestimated.

“What do you want?” Xiao Qian said coldly. “To kill me? Why go to so much trouble?”

She was only mid-Heaven-Revering Realm—not a threat. A Demon King wouldn’t need to trap her to kill her.

“Heh, you misunderstand. Why would we kill you? That wouldn’t benefit us.” Hua Duanyu chuckled. “We just have a few questions.”

Xiao Qian’s brows furrowed. What would the demons need from her?

“We heard the Valkyrie has been waiting for a man. A man who entered the Forbidden Demon Region seven years ago,” Hua Duanyu continued. “That man… was it the one we had someone impersonate just now?”

Xiao Qian’s brows tightened. “You’ve seen him?”

“Seen him? More than that.”

At the mention of Ling Qi, a cold, deep killing intent surfaced in Hua Duanyu’s eyes—along with a trace of fear.

“He… is he still alive?” Xiao Qian asked.

Even she felt stupid asking a demon whether a human who invaded their land was still alive.

“Heh, that’s what we were hoping to confirm with you.” Hua Duanyu sneered.

What did that mean?

Didn’t they know whether Ling Qi died in the Forbidden Demon Region?

“Are you sure… you haven’t seen him in seven years?” Hua Duanyu asked. “He never came back?”

“Of course not!” Xiao Qian snapped. “If he did, would I still be waiting?”

“Then it’s likely… he truly died. He never made it out,” Hua Duanyu said with a cold laugh. “We just haven’t found the body.”

Xiao Qian narrowed her eyes. “Wasn’t he killed by you?”

“Of course—if he died, it was at our hands.” Hua Duanyu laughed. “He deserved to die. But we never saw him draw his last breath… and we never found his corpse.”

Most likely, Ling Qi died somewhere during his escape—lost in the wilderness, his bones buried and forgotten.

Good. So good!

The only human at the Supreme Limit Realm… was dead!

Hua Duanyu laughed crazily. “To be sure he’s dead is truly wonderful for the demon race, hahaha…”

Seeing that madness, Xiao Qian gripped her spear tightly.

If Ling Qi was truly dead… she would avenge him.

Even if she had to die today, she would take a few demons with her.

“Ah, Valkyrie… you have no idea how many demons that man killed,” Hua Duanyu grinned. “He invaded our lands—our core territory.”

“We surrounded him with everything we had.”

“Countless armies fell by his hand. Thousands died with each strike.”

“He was an unstoppable slaughtering god. Alone, he turned our realm into a mountain of corpses and a river of blood.”

In their memories, that day remained vivid.

A lone figure hovered in the darkness, facing an ocean of demon armies—and tore through them like weeds.

Again and again.

The demons couldn’t stop him.

In the end, they had to use their secret weapon—a sword.

That blade pierced his chest. The sword broke, and he fled.

For years, the demons didn’t know whether he survived.

Now, finally, they could be certain.

The terrifying human—the Supreme Limit Realm cultivator—had not returned to his woman.

He had died along the way.

His bones left to rot, never buried.

Wonderful!

Xiao Qian frowned. “Was he really that powerful?”

“Supreme Limit Realm. What do you think?” Hua Duanyu snorted.

Xiao Qian’s face changed. “He… was Supreme Limit Realm?”

He had reached that legendary realm?

That meant… he was already the strongest. Already invincible.

Why did he still go into the Forbidden Demon Region to prove anything?

Was he a fool?

Even a peak Heaven-Revering Realm didn’t need to prove anything. And he was above even that.

“Now that we’re sure he’s dead, we have nothing to fear,” Hua Duanyu laughed. “Without a Supreme Limit Realm, the human race is just… average.”

“And since humans are so divided, they’ll never unite.”

“Now that we know what we wanted, then…” He raised his hand with a flamboyant flourish. “Kill her.”

Swish swish swish…

At his command, the demons swarmed toward Xiao Qian.

Her eyes sharpened. She held her spear tightly and struck forward.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A fierce battle erupted deep in the Forbidden Demon Region—but no one on the outside knew.

“Don’t worry, Valkyrie. Your family will join you soon. All of humanity will,” Hua Duanyu sneered.

With the Supreme Limit Realm gone, and the demon sword reforged, the demon race would begin their slaughter.

The human race… had at most three years left.

Xiao Qian gritted her teeth.

So the peace talks were just a lie.

She had to survive and tell her father.

She took to the air, spear in hand. “Shadowpierce Thirteen Strikes—First Style: Thousand Peaks, Birds in Flight!”

Boom boom boom!

Countless spear shadows rained down from above, killing hundreds of demons.

Then, she struck again. “Second Style: Ten Thousand Miles, Not a Soul Left Behind!”

She burst into hundreds of afterimages, each one impaling demon after demon.

“Third Style: After Rain on Empty Mountains!”

In her silver armor, red spear flashing, she moved through the demons like a dragon.

Blood sprayed. Bodies fell.

“Impressive, Valkyrie,” Hua Duanyu chuckled. “No wonder you’re the strongest female general.”

“But all flair, really.”

“I like flair though.”

He spread his arms. “When autumn comes… my flowers bloom, and all others perish!”

BOOM!

A sea of petals fell from the sky.

In the chaos, Xiao Qian’s eyes narrowed.

A petal landed softly on her spear.

Then—buzz!

The petal bloomed and transformed.

Then exploded into sharp, needle-like fragments.

Every petal became a deadly weapon.

The more she blocked, the more petals appeared.

Soon, she was trapped in a petal tornado.

The petals multiplied exponentially, their speed increasing.

She was about to be shredded alive.

“Damn it…”

In the eye of the storm, she slammed her spear into the ground and released all her aura to create a protective barrier.

But the barrier couldn’t hold.

It shattered.

And then—the petals surged toward her.

They slashed through her armor, cut her skin.

She closed her eyes, ready to die.

Sorry she couldn’t warn anyone about the demons’ plan.

She could only leave it to the others now.

As the petals closed in…

Death didn’t come.

Instead, she felt a chilling cold.

She opened her eyes.

The petals around her—had slowed.

Then… they began to freeze.

“What’s going on?” she whispered.

Then, a familiar voice rang out.

“Miss Xiao. It’s been a long time.”

That voice struck her soul. She looked up—and her pupils trembled.

Outside the storm, Hua Duanyu was already turning to leave.

Until a sudden cold made him pause.

He turned back—and watched as the petal tornado began to freeze. Each petal turning… into ice.