Sunshine Valley’s Archfiend
“Huh?” Face flush, Qiao Xue stuttered, “N-no.”
“You initiated it? I always thought you were a reserved girl,” commented Archfiend Phoenix.
“N-no. W-we, it was an accident…”
As Qiao Xue shot him a glare, Mu Yu tipped his gaze to the sky.
“So… it was a partial rejection and a partial consensual? I kept telling you all Qiao Xue wasn’t with us in spirit ever since coming back from Second Heaven. I did say Second Heaven has a tendency to create romance between people. Back in the day, Phoenix and I also had sparks fly betw-”
“Ol’ White, bring up the past one more time, and I’ll send you packing out of Sunshine Valley!”
“Why are you being shy when we’ve been married for so many years?”
“I dumped you ages ago!”
“Come on now. Back then, w-”
“You really want a new face, huh?”
“You want to fight now? Bring it on.”
“No wonder why you two are so similar,” Mu Yu chimed in.
“Listen, kid, we’re no couple. It was a one night stand,” corrected Archfiend White Ape, chest out.
Due to him being occupied with boasting, he didn’t see the slap that would send him zooming out of Sunshine Valley. Archfiend Phoenix indifferently dusted off her hands and warned, “That’s what happens to philandering men. Understand, kid?”
Mu Yu curled his lips.
“Can’t you go lighter?” grumbled Archfiend White Ape, coming back with his hand over his nose.
Archfiend Yujiang voiced, “You two should quit now. You’re behaving like children. You should be thanking Mu Yu for saving Sunshine Valley instead of verbally sparring with each other.”
“What else is there to say when I’ve given my approval for him to pair up with Qiao Xue?” scoffed Archfiend Phoenix.
“Let’s talk inside. We don’t want to leave a bad impression on our people, arguing with each other on the streets.”
Upon entering her bright-red abode, Archfiend Phoenix voiced, “Find yourselves a seat. Make yourselves at home. Ol’ White, you going to get off my seat, or am I going to have to remove you from my seat?”
Archfiend White Ape grumbled to himself as he moved to the neighbouring seat. Once everyone else was seated, Archfiend Phoenix inquired, “Kid, what do you want as a reward for protecting Sunshine Valley?”
“For a start, you can tell me where you want and what you found out,” Mu Yu replied.
“Brother Green Dragon can fill you in tomorrow. Let’s discuss some private business now.”
“Such as?
“Your marriage to Qiao Xue, obviously; it’s time to discuss it,” answered Archfiend White Ape, smirking. “I’m calling dibs: I’m your father-in-law. If you don’t kowtow and offer me tea respectfully during the ceremony, I’ll have you repeat it.”
“Okay, besides pointless Ol’ Furry, does anyone else have an answer?”
“How can I trust you with Qiao Xue if you don’t marry her?” verbalised Archfiend Phoenix.
“That’s but a formality. Besides, my shifu, adopted father, Ku Mu, grandpa and father have to be present.”
Qiao Xue sneaked a quick gander Mu Yu’s way.
“Finding your shifu is a tall order. Let’s drop it, then. Rules are too binding, anyway. Doc told me about your formula to neutralise ruins poison. I’m impressed. That pl-”
“Phoenix, there are things that should not be mentioned,” interjected Archfiend Yujiang.
“And what might that be?” Mu Yu queried.
“The ruin is the end of Third Heaven Continent. Once you venture beyond it, nobody can predict where you will end up,” Archfiend Yujiang explained. “There’s no point thinking about it unless you’re strong enough to protect yourself.”
“While we aren’t afraid of the poison, the other fiends fear it. Nice going, kid; I like you. Watching you demolish those two dragons gave me a rush, hahaha,” expressed Archfiend White Ape.
“The four of you were back some time ago, weren’t you,” Mu Yu questioned.
“Yes, we were back before Rising Dragon Tournament, but Green Dragon wanted to see what your dragon vine learnt from you. Had those four dimwits not decided to prove themselves mentally demented, we might not have shown ourselves,” answered Archfiend White Ape.
“Hahaha, the look on Green Dragon’s face after you ran Jade Wyrm’s spear through him was priceless,” added Archfiend Phoenix.
“Stop relishing his misery. At the end of the day, the four are Ascension Realm adepts. That’s akin to losing two arms. Unlike us, the lifespan of our other seven or eight Ascension Realm adepts have one foot in their casket. If we also kill Long Shentu and Long Xingan, we’ll have also lost our legs,” pointed out Archfiend Yujiang.
“Having said that, the three of us have spoken to Green Dragon because it’s true that we’ll also struggle to grow stronger as a race if we allow those four to throw their weight around. Let their deaths act as deterrence. Thanks to you bringing your dragon vine here, our persuasion got through to Green Dragon a lot easier. If his successor’s life is constantly threatened, then the infighting will never cease.”
“At least he’s not completely senile yet,” Mu Yu disparaged.
“I thought he was senile,” commented the dragon vine.
“Hahaha, I love how you two speak your mind as it is. You know, I don’t recall anyone ever speaking to Green Dragon the way you two do,” applauded Archfiend Phoenix.
“Mu Yu, when you speak to him tomorrow, speak politely. Green Dragon is a prideful fiend.”
Mu Yu shrugged. “By the way, Doctor mentioned random patterns surfacing on fiends’ bodies and triggering symptoms out of nowhere. Do you know anything about that?”
The three kings turned to each other and then shook their heads. Archfiend Phoenix reported, “We aren’t sure ourselves. Green Dragon tried investigating two years ago, but he didn’t get anywhere.”
“Would it be related to the ruins poison?”
“That’s hard to say. He never saw anything like it in the five thousand or so years he’s lived here.”
“What happened two years ago?” asked the dragon vine.
“Nothing out of the ordinary happened to our race on the whole. As for the humans of Third Heaven Continent, we’re not sure.”
Hmm, I wonder if any particular event in the last two years might be related. Ah, whatever, what am I going to do if a Archfiend doesn’t know, Mu Yu thought to himself. “It’s none of my business, so I won’t pry. Be careful, I guess.”
Qiao Xue poured everyone a cup of two – except for Archfiend Yujiang, whom she served some sea water.
“I’m lucky to have Qiao Xue around. Otherwise, I’d have to bring ocean water here and leave the ocean dry. I wouldn’t want that,” complimented Archfiend Yujiang, smiling.
“Qiao Xue is more competent than you think. Why else do you think we’d treat her as our precious daughter?” Archfiend White Ape guzzled his cup of tea. “For instance, my favourite drink is the celestial mountain dew she creates.”
“Mm… Archfiend Ocean, I could create a pool that resembles the ocean near Sunshine Valley. In saying that, I will need pointers from you,” Qiao Xue proposed.
“That’d be terrific. I was concerned about struggling to adapt to life here after Green Dragon told me to stay. Also, you don’t have to call me Archfiend Ocean; you can just call me Grandpa Yujiang.”
“Oi, Yujiang, I’m older than you, and she calls me ‘Uncle’. You trying to one up me?!” Archfiend White Ape grouched.
“She calls you ‘uncle’ because you don’t carry yourself like an elder. Why don’t you go pick a fight with the doctor when she also refers to him as ‘Grandpa’?”
“Stop fussing, you old monkey. I’d like to have her call me ‘Miss’ to sound young,” Archfiend Phoenix verbalised.
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