After Marrying the Disabled Demon Lord as a Substitute, I Ran Away with His Child - Chapter 15

Chapter 15

When Bi Zhian returned to the Bixia Sect, Zuo Siqiu’s words echoed relentlessly in her mind.

She could not fathom why her father was so insistent on marrying her to a disabled Demon Sovereign. Setting aside the fact that demonic cultivation was despised by the righteous sects, the Sovereign was a high-level cultivator who remained bedridden day after day—who knew what incurable ailment plagued his body? Such a man was hardly a suitable match, yet her father remained adamant. Aside from pressure from the Demonic Cult, she could think of no other reason.

Ultimately, she chose to trust her father and decided to ask him directly. If he had some hidden struggle, she was willing to help him resolve it.

The Bixia Sect Master had already anticipated that Bi Zhian would ask why he insisted on the match. He had no intention of revealing his true thoughts and had prepared a flawless answer long ago.

When she approached him, he simply said, “I once encountered a grandmaster and asked him to cast a divination for you. He said you would face a great catastrophe in your cultivation journey, and only by becoming Dao companions with the Sovereign of the Demonic Cult can you avoid this disaster.”

Bi Zhian was deeply moved. Her father was looking out for her after all; she and her junior sister had misunderstood him. However, she still found it hard to accept a marriage that neither she nor anyone else favored. With bright eyes and a firm tone, she said, “But cultivation is an act of defying heaven. Every increase in power is a trial. Father, do not worry for me; I will practice even harder so as not to burden you.”

The Sect Master merely nodded and used the excuse of cultivation to dismiss his daughter. As soon as she left his cave dwelling, he vanished, reappearing inside the Black Prison of the Bixia Sect.

The Black Prison held the Second Senior Brother, who had been imprisoned for his previous interference. The place was dim, devoid of spiritual energy, and filled with ghosts and venomous creatures that could crawl toward him at any moment to feast on his flesh and soul.

Upon seeing his master, the Second Senior Brother immediately prostrated himself and crawled forward as far as his chains allowed. The clanking of iron rang out, making his weeping voice sound even more desperate and desolate. “Master, I know I was wrong! I should never have interfered in sect affairs. I will never do something so foolish again! Please, forgive me and release me from this prison!”

The Sect Master remained unmoved. Looking at the pathetic, pleading face, he felt only rage and disgust. He kicked the man square in the head. With a loud crack, the Second Senior Brother’s skull split, blood spraying instantly. He was sent flying back until the chains jerked him to a violent halt in mid-air, his chest caved in.

The Sect Master gritted his teeth, his hatred finding no outlet. “It’s all because of you, you fool! If you hadn’t interfered and swapped Bi Zhian out, I wouldn’t be facing all these frustrations today!” No matter how much the man on the floor apologized, the damage was done. The Sect Master vented his fury until he calmed down, then flashed away toward the Gate of the Demon Realm.

He traveled to the Great Mara Heaven and found the person he was looking for amidst a pile of corpses. He sighed deeply and asked, “The marriage between those two seems to have no turning point now. Even if I kill Zuo Siqiu, Xuan Mo might not agree to marry my daughter again.”

From within the mass of corpses, a hideous figure revealed his face, a wicked smile playing on his lips. “If that little disciple of yours also possesses a Fire Spirit Root, why not let her cultivate with Xuan Mo according to the original plan? Once they have cultivated together forty-nine times, you can kidnap her back and refine her into a pill. Though the effect won’t be as potent as your daughter’s, it will still be a peerless spirit pill.”

Hearing this, the Bixia Sect Master finally smiled. “The girl just has bad luck, then.” He licked his lips, exchanged a look with the figure in the corpse tide, and departed.

Back at his cave dwelling in the Bixia Sect, he entered a hidden dimension—a “cave within a cave” that no one else knew about. It was a paradise of flowers and misty incense. A woman stepped forward to greet him with a charming smile, though her fingertips hidden in her sleeves were trembling. “The Immortal Master has returned.”

The Sect Master hooked her chin with his finger. “Do you wish to redeem your parents’ souls and leave this place to live a life of freedom?”

The woman’s eyes shook. She immediately knelt and bowed her head. “What are the Immortal Master’s orders?”

“I have a disciple married to the Xuanyun Sect Leader,” the Sect Master said. “I hear they spend their nights in harmony. It would be a waste of such worldly beauty if we didn’t add a little ‘spice’ to their dual cultivation.” He flipped his palm to reveal a bottle of pills. “You know how to use these. If you can get her to consume them and engage in dual cultivation with the Demon Sovereign forty-nine times, your mission is complete. I will release you and your parents.”

The woman prostrated herself, a fierce glint in her eyes. “I will complete the task.”

The Sect Master then produced another bottle. “This one is for my daughter. Every few days, lure her to the Xuanyun Sect and have her take this before meeting their Leader.”

…

Meanwhile, Zuo Siqiu sat in front of Xuan Mo’s cave dwelling hugging the rooster, trying to remember what she had done the previous night. Why was Xuan Mo in such a foul mood when she fled this morning?

Then it hit her. She remembered being kicked out of bed several times by Xuan Mo, and just as she was about to get angry at him, the memory of her shamelessly crawling back onto the bed and insisting on hugging him to sleep surfaced. Her anger vanished instantly, replaced by sheer guilt.

Xuan Mo, inside the room, seemed to have a monitor in her brain. The moment her guilt peaked, his cold voice rang out: “Come in.”

Zuo Siqiu walked in dejectedly, clutching the rooster tighter. She kept her head down, her small face looking miserable. She peeked at Xuan Mo with soft, timid eyes. He sat there with a dark expression and cold eyes, radiating an aura that said, “Now that you’ve thought it through, where is the apology?”

Zuo Siqiu rubbed her toe against the floor, her voice lacking any confidence. “I’ll stay on the footstool from now on… I won’t climb onto your bed again…”

Xuan Mo: “Are you sure?”

Zuo Siqiu: “…”

She wasn’t sure at all, which was why she felt so guilty. She had grown up in a harsh environment; as a child, her life was worse than a dog’s. Consequently, she craved warmth and comfort. Back in school, she used to sleep in the same bed as her best friend during winter, clinging to her for warmth. That friend’s indulgence had turned “hugging things while sleeping” into a deep-seated habit.

Seeing her silence, Xuan Mo let out another cold snort, having clearly guessed her reaction. Zuo Siqiu felt distressed. “But you’re really warm! Once I fall asleep, I can’t control myself. I really can’t help it.” Her voice was soft and sweet—she was clearly acting spoiled.

This was also something her friend had taught her: when admitting a mistake, act a little “cute” or spoiled, and people—especially those close to you—will find it easier to forgive. Zuo Siqiu had only ever spoken like this to that one friend.

She suddenly froze. Xuan Mo is someone who could take my life. Why did I instinctively treat him like someone close and familiar?

Xuan Mo remained silent, his face still cold. Zuo Siqiu felt a bit relieved that he didn’t have a negative reaction. She offered a firm promise: “Don’t worry, I definitely won’t do anything else to… well, ‘take liberties’ with you. Even if I have to put on a show for the sect members occasionally, I truly have no improper thoughts about you! You can be completely at ease!”

Xuan Mo replied with nothing but a cold scoff.

Suddenly, Yan Jiaojiao arrived with a report: “Lord, Fu Gui has returned!”

Zuo Siqiu reacted faster than Xuan Mo. Fu Gui was a supporting character in the book—a puppet “cauldron” refined by the Bixia Sect Master. Her appearance was meant to force the female lead and the Demon Sovereign together to fulfill the Sect Master’s plot.

Zuo Siqiu was incredulous. She had already dropped hints to Bi Zhian; shouldn’t the leads be investigating secretly by now? In the original text, that was their reaction. She had only tried to speed up the timeline. Why had the Sect Master still managed to release this female antagonist?

Her brow furrowed with worry. Yan Jiaojiao misunderstood her expression. “Madam, do you already know who Fu Gui is? Though she used to adore the Leader, she’s returned from a great disaster; she should value her life now and won’t interfere between you and him.”

Zuo Siqiu: “???” Xuan Mo: “…”

In any case, Zuo Siqiu could never treat this newcomer as an ally. Fu Gui had been driven mad by the Sect Master’s torture; as a ghost cultivator, she was far from normal. Treating such a person as a friend was asking for a knife in the back.

Yan Jiaojiao cleared her throat, looking back and forth between Zuo Siqiu and Xuan Mo. “Does the Leader wish to see her?”

Zuo Siqiu stared at Xuan Mo. This woman is dangerous. You absolutely cannot see her! Don’t give her a chance!

Xuan Mo: “…No.”

Zuo Siqiu breathed a sigh of relief. Yan Jiaojiao nodded with satisfaction. “Then I’ll tell her the Leader is busy accompanying the Madam and has no time for her. I’ll let her recover from her injuries first. She looked quite badly hurt—who knows where she’s been all these years to end up so wretched.” She skipped away happily.

Xuan Mo turned to Zuo Siqiu, his eyes full of scrutiny.

Zuo Siqiu: “???” His look is strange. Ah, my tone earlier probably wasn’t firm enough; he doesn’t trust me.

She raised three fingers in a vow: “I swear, I will definitely not take liberties with you! Lord, you must believe me!”

Xuan Mo scrutinized her for a moment longer, then let out a sigh and walked away.