Grasping Evil

Chapter 448: Chapter 448: Cold Northern Country

Translator: GE_Team

In the Devil Ice Sea Domain, the Giant Devil Clan had a total of more than four hundred subordinate islands and thirteen subordinate devil countries.

It was different from the other three great devil clans which ruled over the hidden ocean as it had joined under the wing of the thunder sovereign. As a result, it developed by leaps and bounds.

Out of all the islands and devil countries under its command, the largest island was called Cold Northern Island which occupies a continent as vast as seventy million li* (500m per li).

As for its biggest country, it was called Cold Northern Country with a size nearly comparable to that of a high grade cultivation country in the Rain World.

Most of the members of the Giant Devil Clan reside in Cold Northern Country. The Pill Ceremony’s great competition was also being held in this country.

Aside from that, Xu Qiuliang was in the Cold Northern Country as well.

After entering the internal region of the Devil Ice Sea Domain, Ning Fan slowed down a bit to learn the local customs and conditions of each of the islands under the Giant Devil Clan.

Each of the islands was being guarded by the devil armies of the Giant Devil Clan. Even though many devil cultivators come and go in this sea domain, it was rare to have someone bold enough to cause havoc within the Devil Ice Sea.

This time, with the Pill Ceremony being held, countless old monsters of the Endless Sea came from all directions, looking forward to watching this grand ceremony. All of the islands of the Giant Devil Clan appeared to be flourishing and bustling with endless streams of cultivators coming and leaving.

On their journey, Ning Fan slowed down and enjoyed the scenery along the way with Yue Lingkong and Fen Chi. One has to admit that the scenery of the Giant Devil Clan’s sea domain was picturesque, just like a world where immortals reside. It was very difficult to imagine that this place is where devil cultivators gathered.

At the beginning of his journey of cultivation, Old Devil had told Ning Fan this principle: Whether it be a devil sect or a righteous sect, one would not be able to tell by just looking at its external appearance.

The difference between the cultivators of the righteous and devil paths was just their cultivation methods. A man’s heart which is unpredictable and hard to understand is what determines good and evil.

Zhao Shuai endlessly introduced the local customs and practices of the people in the Giant Devil Clan to Ning Fan and the others. His expression looked as if he was very pleased with himself.

In the internal sea, the Giant Devil Clan was situated at the Ice Devil Sea which was generally acknowledged as a promised land for establishing a heavenly dwelling.

“This island is Cold Mist Island. Its specialty is the Cloud Mist Spiritual Ore...”

“This devil country is Cold Dew Country. It is the fourth greatest devil country among the countries under the command of the Giant Devil Clan...”

“As for this, it is...”

Zhao Shuai tirelessly introduced the local customs and practices of the countries and islands they passed by. When he talked about Cold Northern Country, he was particularly excited.

“Cold Northern Country is where the ancestral shrine of the Giant Devil Clan is located. The country is seventy million li* (500m per li) large. There are four million devil cultivators residing in this country. All of them are members of the Giant Devil Clan. Rumor has it that the reason why this country was named ‘Cold Northern’ is because of the lament of the ancestor of the clan which goes like ‘Gazing into the north from time to time without being able to return to my hometown, the loneliness along the road of cultivation makes my heart cold’...”

Zhao Shuai continued talking about stories and things about Cold Northern Country. Fen Chi had never left the Six-Winged Clan. It was her first time visiting a country on the surface of the sea. Naturally, she was extremely intrigued by the local customs and traditions of the Giant Devil Clan.

For Yue Lingkong, even though she had paid a few visits to the Giant Devil Clan before, she had not done it a lot. Hence, she also got interested in what Zhao Shuai was telling them.

Only Ning Fan did not listen to what Zhao Shuai was saying. Just as he heard the lament of the Giant Devil Clan’s ancestor that molded the name of the country, he turned silent. He felt that that single sentence had touched the feeling in the depths of his heart.

“‘Gazing into the north from time to time without being able to return to my hometown... the loneliness along the road of cultivation makes my heart cold...’ To cultivators, returning to one’s hometown is an extravagant hope while the road of cultivation is a road full of desolation. Cold Northern... Cold Northern... Even though they are just two simple words, they fully express the loneliness of cultivators which is just similar to the wind and snow... And in this wind and snow, there is already the idea of ‘as lonely as snow’...”

Ning Fan meticulously appreciated the sentence. It was the perspective and insight of the ancestor of the Giant Devil Clan that had summed up his life of cultivation.

Once a cultivator embarks on the path of cultivation, they leave their hometown and travel amidst the sea of blood on their lonesome. They could only gaze at the direction of their hometown and miss their homes and loved ones from afar without being able to return in glory.

It was a very lonesome road with no return.

Just like Ning Fan who had been wandering around the Rain World, it was unknown when he could return to Yue Country.

Even though the road is just beneath one’s feet, as time intertwines with the past, one would only be further and further away as he continues his journey.

One must never stop moving forward. If one stops, they would only slowly wither in their comfort zones. In the end, they would never get the chance to inquire and seize the Great Dao.

All of a sudden, the snow that filled the entire sky gradually turned invisible.

In Ning Fan’s heart, it was not snow. Instead, each of the snowflakes was the laments and sighs of the cultivators that had left their hometowns and led a life of a vagabond.

“Cold Northern Country... The Giant Devil Clan is indeed special... The same goes for the snow. If I am not wrong, this snow is actually a large-scale magic technique...”

As Ning Fan gained newfound insight, he vaguely saw through the snowy weather which was actually a type of large-scale magic technique and contained a trace of aura that belonged to the strong experts of the Giant Devil Clan.

That aura was similar to that of Zhao Shuai. It was the aura of the Giant Devil Bloodline. However, it was countless times stronger than Zhao Shuai’s.

This wind and snow was an extremely large magic technique. It covered the entire Devil Ice Sea which consisted of four hundred islands and thirteen devil countries!

If it’s just changing the weather, Ning Fan could also do it. He was able to change the weather with the use of his Divine Intent of Rain.

However, the size of the area where he could manipulate the weather couldn’t be too large.. This snowy weather was too unbelievable. Even a Void Glimpse Stage or a Void Inquiry Stage old monster would not be able to do it!

“This snow is a magic technique of a Void Pierce Stage expert! There is a Void Pierce Stage expert in the Giant Devil Clan!”

A Void Pierce Stage expert is similar to a Late Void Refinement Realm expert... Sure enough, the Giant Devil Clan cannot be underestimated!

Everyone around the world underestimated the Giant Devil Clan. However, this was a devil clan that was just acting weak just like the saying, “pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger”!

All the rumors that claimed that the previous generation of Void Refinement Realm experts of the Giant Devil Clan had died during a battle and the clan was in decline were fake!

Ning Fan’s group slowly moved forward. Half a month later, Cold Northern Country could finally be seen in the distance.

It was a country with a snowy mountain range. Each of the devil cultivators that are guarding the island wore thick marten coats.

Ning Fan stopped and the trail of his travelling light disappeared. He and his group descended to the ground. Immediately, their path was blocked by groups of devil cultivators. All of them were not allowed to enter the island as the country was currently on martial law.

Meanwhile, a lot of old monsters who had come from different places to participate or spectate the Pill Ceremony were also stopped outside the island.

The expressions of the old monsters were filled with confusion and discontentment. After all, who among those who were able to come to Cold Northern Country from thousands of li*(500m per li) away was not an expert with significant identity and high seniority.

As senior experts, it was really embarrassing to be stopped outside a country and not being given the permission to enter.

However, the Giant Devil Clan was supervised by Venerated Giant. It was one of the eight, no, seven dignified venerated forces of the internal sea.

Venerated Giant’s cultivation level had reached the Half-Step Void Refinement Realm. His combat power was astonishing and terrifying. With him protecting Cold Northern Country, no one would naturally dare to cause trouble here. Thus, instead of making complaints, each of the old monsters at most dared to express their anger inwardly.

As a matter of fact, not exactly all of the old monsters were barred from entering the country. Those who had exceptional strength and identity would receive preferential treatment and be allowed to enter the island.

For example, the members of the Scarlet Heaven Palace who had arrived earlier than Ning Fan were not stopped outside the island. They probably entered Cold Northern Country using their unique identity.

Among the guards, a few of them were Divine Transformation Realm old monsters. Each of them had an arrogant and cold expression. They were all filled with the pride of being a member of the Giant Devil Clan and were not afraid of offending anyone.

However, when this group of indifferent cultivators saw Zhao Shuai, they revealed their friendly side and began greeting him.

Especially the leader of the devil guards who possessed a Mid Divine Transformation Realm cultivation base, he treated Zhao Shuai like his peer and greeted the latter with more passion.

“Junior Brother Zhao, you’ve returned! Oh? Isn’t this the thirty-thousand years old ice ginseng? You have actually managed to bring back this tuft of ice ginseng! Hahaha! This is indeed excellent news! Now, we’ve successfully obtained one of the main ingredients of the medicine to cure the eldest mistress’ illness. Junior Brother Zhao, you have made a great contribution!”

The members of the Giant Devil Clan were cold to outsiders. To their own people, however, they were rather warm and friendly. Ning Fan had already witnessed this characteristic before.

Even though they had been heavily surrounded by whale dragons, Zhao Shuai did not abandon a single comrade in his group. He stood by his people and fought desperately alongside them.

Compared to those so-called profound righteous sects which were full of lies and treachery, Ning Fan preferred the kind of vibe the Giant Devil Clan has that was free from hypocrisy and pretense. This made him feel like he was in Seven Apricot City.

“Hehe. I was just lucky. I wouldn’t dare to declare my contribution for this nor claim any credit for it. For this ice ginseng, we’ve lost many brothers in this mission... *Sigh*... Oh yes, why did Cold Northern Country impose martial law today? What happened?” Zhao Shuai let out a deep sigh. The sadness in his eyes was not an act. However, he suppressed his feelings at the next moment and inquired about the reason for the imposition of martial law in Cold Northern Country.

“The reason for this imposition isn’t something grave. It’s just because the eldest mistress had gone ‘missing’ again. Let’s skip this part first... Speaking of what you have said, the devil guards you have brought with you in search of the ice ginseng were all experienced elites. Besides, with the prestige of the Giant Devil Clan, who in the internal sea would dare to seize the ice ginseng from you and kill the people of our clan?” The leader of the devil guard asked in fury.

“Of course no one dared to mess with our clan. It was just a bunch of whale dragons that had tried to seize our ice ginseng...” After hearing the incident about the eldest mistress, Zhao Shuai and his men were not worried at all, as if they had gotten used to it and he began to talk about what had happened during their journey.

“What? Whale dragons?! According to rumors, whale dragons always appear in groups. In a group of whale dragons, there are usually one to two Wild Beasts. The skin and flesh of those beasts are incredibly rough and thick. It’s really a miracle that Junior Brother managed to escape from them.”

“It’s indeed a miracle. If it wasn’t for Senior Zhou’s help, I wouldn’t be able to return for sure...”

Zhao Shuai pointed at Ning Fan with eyes brimming with appreciation.

All of a sudden, the eyes of all the devil guards focused on Ning Fan.

Before this, they could only see Zhao Shuai. Each of them was more concerned about Zhao Shuai and none of them paid any attention to the people beside him at all. Moreover, Ning Fan’s qi was being carefully restrained. If he doesn’t release his qi on purpose, it would be extremely difficult for others to know that he was a strong expert, let alone notice his presence.

When Zhao Shuai said that Ning Fan had rescued him from the whale dragons and addressed Ning Fan as a senior, the group of devil guards guessed that he must be a Divine Transformation Realm expert.

The Giant Devil Clan would surely repay the debt of gratitude to those who had helped them. As Ning Fan was the one who had saved Zhao Shuai, each of the devil guards cupped their fists, trying to express their gratitude.

However, when the devil guards lifted their gazes and took a clearer look at Ning Fan’s appearance, all of their expressions changed drastically within a single breath. Their breathing became heavier as their hearts raced.

Many old monsters who were grumbling and whining silently after being barred entry to the island also began to pay attention to Ning Fan. As soon as they took a clearer look at Ning Fan’s face, each and every one of them looked like they had just seen a ghost.

“V-Venerated Ming! He is Venerated Ming... Zhou Ming! Look! Isn’t the woman beside him the ‘Lord of the Divine Space Island’, Yue Lingkong?! It’s indeed them! Zhou Ming has come!”

“This devil lord, no, this senior... Why did he come to our Giant Devil Clan?! My brothers, hurry up and activate the protective grand formation of the island!”

“Hurry! Hurry! Assemble the Jing, Shang and Xiu Divisions. Request them to reinforce this area at once to stop Zhou Ming and protect the Giant Devil Island!”

“Detestable. Let’s send out a signal to notify Venerated Giant. The threat of being annihilated has come!”

“Are we going to be killed?! Are we really going to be killed?!”

As soon as the guards of the Giant Devil Clan discovered Ning Fan’s identity, they were immediately muddled like a pot of porridge.

All of a sudden, multiple signals flew into the sky. The defensive formation light was activated in every part of Cold Northern Country which encompassed the vicinity of seventy million li* (500m per li) in just a few breaths, shielding the whole island.

As for the old monsters who were initially grumbling endlessly, all of them ran away as if their lives depended on it, leaving the island as far as possible. They were afraid to be involved with Ning Fan.

Ning Fan was being completely regarded as a malefic being by the Giant Devil Clan. He was treated as a ruthless being who would take lives and annihilate clans without distinguishing what’s right or wrong.

Through Xu Rushan, Ning Fan was on friendly terms with the Giant Devil Clan in actuality. However, only a few high-ranking members of the clan knew about it and the ordinary members of the clan were unaware of it.

To the ordinary members of the clan, wherever Ning Fan went would certainly be turned into a sea of blood.

Just a few months ago, Ning Fan had just killed the sect master of the Demon Sealing Sect and caused the entire sect to dissolve.

Today, Ning Fan suddenly appeared on the Giant Devil Clan’s territory. In the face of a devil lord like him, all the people in places he goes to would certainly be stricken with fear.

Ning Fan rubbed his forehead. His notoriety had actually grown to such an impactful level. By just setting his feet on Cold Northern Country, his very presence made the entire country to be on high alert. It really made him speechless.

Is he a god of plague? Why does everyone look like they had seen a ghost whenever they saw him?

Of course, even though the whole Cold Northern Country had activated their defense mechanisms, none of them dared to take the initiative to attack Ning Fan as they were worried of offending him.

It’s such a pity that the only reason why they activated the defensive formation light for the entire country was just to prevent Ning Fan from committing massacre in it and destroying it.

“Hahaha! Little Cucumber, your notoriety is so widespread that it made you look like a despicable rat that could make everyone scream to kill it when it crosses a street. It’s so hilarious!” Yue Lingkong held her abdomen and laughed as hard as possible without a care for her own image.

Fen Chi also found it hilarious. She covered her lips with her bare hand in an enchanting manner. She wanted to laugh but she restrained herself from doing so.

Before this, she also thought that Ning Fan was a cold-blooded devil lord. However, after getting along with him during this trip, she realized that although Ning Fan’s personality was cold, he only showed that side of him to his enemies. As for his own people, he treated them quite well. Besides, he was not a bloodthirsty person as well.

Based on her understanding of Ning Fan, he would certainly not eliminate the Giant Devil Clan’s country as they did not offend him in the first place.

Looking at Ning Fan who was in a dilemma, Fen Chi suddenly felt that this indifferent young man actually had a very easygoing personality. In fact, she found him rather cute...

“Stop!”

A dignified cry suddenly resounded from afar. It relieved the alertness of the devil guards of the Giant Devil Clan and shut down the formation lights.

That voice belonged to a white-haired elderly man who donned a set of white robes. He was the great elder of the Giant Devil Clan and had a Peak Divine Transformation Realm cultivation base.

“This old man is Fu Bai, the great elder of the Giant Devil Clan. Greetings to Venerated Ming. I wish to apologize on behalf of my underlings. They aren’t aware of the relationship between Venerated Ming and our Giant Devil Clan and that’s why they made such a reckless decision. I hope Venerated Ming could forgive their mistake.”

Great Elder Fu Bai’s words put each and every one of the cultivators of the Giant Devil Clan and the outsiders in a state of stupefaction.

Venerated Ming actually has a friendly and close relationship with the Giant Devil Clan? If that’s the case, does it mean that the reason why he came to this country isn’t to commit a massacre and annihilate the clan?

Hold up. What is this situation? What is happening?!

Everybody was confused.

According to rumors, isn’t Venerated Ming a devil lord who would commit killings wherever he goes? He is literally a god of death. Could it be that this isn’t the truth?

“Haha. Little Cucumber, hurry up and look at them! All of them thought that the reason you came to the Giant Devil Clan was just to kill people for fun...” Yue Lingkong was still laughing while making fun of Ning Fan. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain on her buttocks. Ning Fan harshly spanked her backside, causing shallow ripples on her round and fleshy butt.

As her private part got assaulted, a rush of numbness went through her. Embarrassment replaced her cheerfulness, stopping her from smiling any longer. Her expression turned shy and furious. Even though she felt embarrassed, she also felt an inexplicable sense of pleasure.

Did I feel enjoyment after being humiliated? How could I be so despicable?!

It’s so shameful! It’s such a disgrace to me!

She was Yue Lingkong, the dignified lord of the Divine Space Island and also the strongest expert of the seven venerated beings in the internal sea. However, Ning Fan spanked her buttocks in public!

If she doesn’t hit him back, would she fit to be called Yue Lingkong again?

*Sound of sucking in a cold breath resounds*

All of the old monsters who witnessed that scene rubbed their eyes in disbelief.

What have I seen? Yue Lingkong was spanked?

Isn’t Yue Lingkong the female tyrant of the internal sea? Isn’t she rumored to have broken through the Void Refinement Realm and had become unrivalled among the Void Glimpse Stage experts? How come she still had her buttocks spanked?

This isn’t logical!

Venerated Ming is really bold to dare to spank a tigress’ backside...

When Yue Lingkong was about to act and swing her palm towards Ning Fan’s buttocks, he pulled her into his arms and said with a slightly stern tone.

“Behave yourself. Otherwise, you can say goodbye to the gift that I had planned to give to you!”

“You dare?! If you dare to not give me a gift, I will f**k you one hundred times! One hundred f**king times!” Yue Lingkong was extremely curious about the gift. Even though Ning Fan had taken advantage of her body, she no longer talked back. She suppressed her discontentment and obediently leaned on Ning Fan’s arm, behaving like a tamed kitten.

*Tsk* For that bloody gift, I will yield to Little Cucumber for a while.

However, as soon as she thought of the others there who also saw her embarrassing moment, her face instantly turned emotionless.

Her piercing cold eyes scanned across the surroundings. Majesty was being emanated from her even though she did not express the slightest hint of fury. Each of the old monsters there did not even dare to breathe loudly. All of them looked away from Yue Lingkong. They did not dare to look at her in her current state as they were worried that they might provoke this female tyrant.

Terrifying! It’s too terrifying! Venerated Ming is scary and the same goes for his woman. Both of them are not people we can provoke!

Fu Bai also shifted his gaze away after making a dry cough. He did not dare to look at Yue Lingkong who was in Ning Fan’s arms because he was afraid that he might offend her as well. He then cupped his fists towards Ning Fan again and said.

“Hehe. The underlings were not careful and they turned this matter into a big deal. Hopefully Venerated Ming could find it in his heart to forgive them. If Venerated Ming is willing to accept, this old man could give some compensation for you on behalf of these underlings.”

“There’s no need for compensation. They didn’t attack me and they didn’t cross my bottom line. It’s just a little misunderstanding. To be honest, I don’t mind it at all.” Ning Fan let go of Yue Lingkong and returned the same gesture with a faint smile. There was no arrogance in his expression. It was similar to the saying, “A smile vanquishes hatred.”

The pride he had was confidence from the marrow of his bones. This confidence prevented him from submitting to anyone. However, he would not express his pride to any of his friends.

Each of the old monsters were dumbfounded. Apparently, their impression of Ning Fan had just been one-sided. Now, Ning Fan did not seem to be as brutal and bloodthirsty as what the rumors had claimed.

“Hehe. I am deeply grateful for Fellow Daoist’s generosity. Actually, the reason why the country imposed martial law is because of some minor issues. Otherwise, Venerated Giant, Venerated Dong Xu and Miss Qiuling will have certainly come to welcome your arrival.” Fu Bai explained.

“Qiuling...” As soon as Ning Fan muttered this name, his eyes turned gentle. After separating from her for quite some time, he really missed her.

That lady who was as beautiful as a flower and aesthetic as a poem had used her entire lifetime to nourish their love.

After hearing the reason for the lockdown in the country, Ning Fan suddenly asked.

“About the martial law, I heard that it’s because the eldest mistress of your clan has gone missing. Isn’t Fellow Daoist Fu worried about her safety?”

“Fellow Daoist Zhou must be unaware of this. The eldest mistress’ disappearance is not a big deal actually. It’s just her being mischievous. Her safety is certainly not a problem. The reason for the lockdown is just to prevent her from getting out of this island... She won’t be discovered by those who harbor ill intentions towards her because if she hides herself, even the experts of our clan won’t be able to find her even if they exhaust all their methods... Hehe. Let’s talk about something else. Currently, Venerated Giant, Venerated Dong Xu and Miss Qiuling are handling a troublesome matter in the province. If Fellow Daoist wants to head there, this old man can guide you there. However, before the troublesome matter is resolved, I’m afraid that Fellow Daoist won’t be able to see Venerated Giant temporarily...”

“A troublesome matter? Is there something that I can lend a hand with?” To begin with, Ning Fan was not willing to intervene in the matters of the Giant Devil Clan. However, when he heard that Xu Qiuling was also being tied down by the troubles of the Giant Devil Clan, he, of course, would also need to do something in order to share the burden of her woman.

“Oh? If Fellow Daoist could help us out, this matter could be easily resolved. Please follow me, Fellow Daoist. We shall head to the province at once. This old man will tell you about every detail of the matter along the way. Speaking of which, this matter was started by the eldest mistress’ mischievous act this time...”

When Elder Fu Bai mentioned the eldest mistress, he looked like he was having a headache but his expression was full of affection as well.

The eldest mistress of the Giant Devil Clan, Feng Xueyan, was really a little troublemaker that one would not bear to hurt.

Translated by Tommy, edited by Roel