After Marrying the Disabled Demon Lord as a Substitute, I Ran Away with His Child - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

To be honest, Zuo Siqiu could hardly believe it herself.

She had been drunk and fabricated a fake wedding night, yet she had actually managed to save her life through that utterly absurd and nonsensical behavior.

Currently, the Great Demon Lord was in his room listening to reports on sect affairs from his subordinates. Zuo Siqiu, meanwhile, sat under a tree in the courtyard of his cavern dwelling, propping up her head with a dazed expression.

Her fingers, white as mutton-fat jade, tapped gently on the stone table as she knit her elegant brows to clear her thoughts.

First, the people of the Demon Sect cared deeply about the fact that “the rice was cooked” (the marriage was consummated) between her and the Demon Lord. Second, the Demon Lord didn’t seem to mind her deception or the sect’s misunderstanding. Therefore, she could keep pretending this “cooked rice” was real.

As for why the Demon Lord didn’t stop her and even cooperated in secret? Zuo Siqiu guessed that he was a man who cared deeply about his dignity. Even if he was paralyzed in bed, no man would ever want to hear others say he was “incapable.”

This also explained why, in the original book, the original Zuo Siqiu died at the hands of the Demon Sect after the rumors of the Demon Lord’s impotence spread. It must have been on his orders!

Having found a way to survive, Zuo Siqiu felt a sudden surge of energy. She certainly wouldn’t let the Demon Lord down; she would guard his persona as a “virile and capable man” as if she were guarding her own life.

She was busy digging through her mental library of rich theoretical knowledge when Granny Gu walked into the courtyard. “Madam Sect Leader, your dowry has been cataloged and put into storage. Would you like to go and inspect it now?”

The dowry!

That was a massive fortune. Even though the person was a substitute, the Bixia Sect hadn’t dared to send a meager dowry; it had been delivered to the Xuanyun Sect completely intact. The Bixia Sect Leader had been dead set on this marriage to build a connection with the Demon Lord, so the dowry was incredibly lavish.

Now that the truth of the substitute marriage was out, there was no way the Xuanyun Sect would return the wealth. In the original book, the Bixia Sect Leader had lost a disciple and a fortune, nursing his resentment for a long time. Even the Second Senior Brother, who orchestrated the switch, regretted not intercepting the dowry.

Zuo Siqiu sneered inwardly. In the original story, her word count as a cannon fodder character wasn’t even as long as the list of items in this dowry. Now that the wealth belonged to her, she really ought to count it properly—feeling the pain of the Bixia Sect would be an excellent way to cheer herself up.

She stood up a bit too quickly, sending a jolt of pain through her lower back. She almost acted like nothing was wrong, then suddenly remembered her role. She let out an “Ow!” and clutched her waist, putting on a perfect act of post-intimacy frailty.

Granny Gu sighed softly and stepped forward to support her. “Madam, you know our Sect Leader cannot move right now. When you are practicing ‘dual cultivation,’ you shouldn’t just agree to everything he wants. You must learn moderation, otherwise, you’re the one who suffers.”

Zuo Siqiu was truly impressed by the entire sect’s ability to overthink things.

…

The Hidden Legacy

Granny Gu led her to the warehouse and pointed to several trunks. “These are the dowry items from the Bixia Sect, along with your personal luggage and belongings. We have kept them here. After you’ve checked them, you can keep the important items with you or move them to the Sect Leader’s room.”

With that, Granny Gu withdrew, giving Zuo Siqiu privacy.

Zuo Siqiu had read many Xianxia novels and played many games; she knew that items in this world were literal treasures. She impatiently opened her chest. Inside were storage pouches, jade pendants, and a miniature alchemy furnace. This furnace was her life-bound weapon and her tool for refining pills. These had likely been confiscated on her wedding night for fear she might harm the Demon Lord.

At the bottom of the chest was a soft pink pouch with exquisite embroidery. Using her divine sense, she peered inside and found a Jade Slip.

In the cultivation world, a jade slip is like a book or a recording. As Zuo Siqiu’s consciousness touched it, a woman’s gentle voice echoed in her mind:

“Siqiu, these are the dowry items I saved up for you. I don’t know when our Siqiu will find a Dao companion she loves, but I hope that on the day you are with your beloved, you will have my blessing.”

“Of course, if Siqiu decides not to find a partner and wants to cultivate alone, I support that too. These are my gifts to you; I hope they can stay by your side in my stead. As long as you can cultivate happily, I will be happy too.”

The message was short, but those three sentences caused a memory to explode in Zuo Siqiu’s mind. When she first arrived, she only focused on survival. Now, she remembered her sister: Zuo Mudong.

Ten years ago, Zuo Mudong left to explore a secret realm and never returned. Yet, occasionally, Zuo Siqiu would receive gifts and resources from her. She didn’t know why her sister refused to see her but continued to send things.

The transmigrated Zuo Siqiu doubled over, clutching her chest. The pain was so intense she trembled; it was the regret and obsession of the original soul. The original Zuo Siqiu wanted to find her sister—she wanted to know why she had been abandoned to live such a lonely life.

“I will help you find her,” Zuo Siqiu whispered through a parched throat. As she said it, the pain in her chest began to fade. She realized she was drenched in a cold sweat.

She sank to her knees, her eyes red and brimming with tears. The memories of the original girl struggling alone in the Bixia Sect flooded her mind. Zuo Siqiu, who had grown up in a family that preferred boys over girls and had a violent father, felt a deep resonance. She had only started truly “living” after university when she changed her life through hard work.

She had thought she was satisfied, but now she realized her own heart had cracks too. She even envied the original owner a little—at least she had a sister who, even from afar, sent gifts to soothe her.

“I will do my absolute best to find your sister,” she said firmly. “And… if you don’t mind, after I find her, I’ll treat her as my sister too.”

The last bit of heaviness vanished. Thank you. Please treat her well.

…

The “Rich” Madam

Zuo Siqiu spent some time composing herself. Recovering her emotional state was one of her best skills. Once she was back to normal, she turned her attention to the “dowry.”

Her sister clearly knew she was an alchemist. The pouch contained high-grade materials, spirit stones, and treasures. Zuo Siqiu straightened her back—she was now a “little rich woman”!

Then she moved on to the Bixia Sect’s dowry for the female lead. As she sorted through it, her mind was filled with nothing but dollar signs. No wonder they were so upset about losing this!

There were countless pills, rare herbs, alchemy recipes, a spirit field inside a pocket dimension, and even a spirit beast! For the sake of this personal fortune alone, she had to stay alive to enjoy it!

She decided she would start her alchemy training from scratch. Her experience told her that a woman without her own skills and financial resources could never be independent. And she refused to be suppressed by others ever again.

By the time she finished, Zuo Siqiu was “dripping with gold.” She had three storage pouches at her waist, bracelets on both wrists, and a storage ring on her pinky.

Granny Gu smiled as she saw her. “It seems the Madam has had quite a harvest.”

The whole sect knew she was a substitute, but they figured she had turned a disaster into a blessing. Zuo Siqiu smiled and dug through her pouch, pulling out five mid-grade and ten low-grade Qi-recovery pills, handing them to Granny Gu.

She wasn’t trying to bribe her; she was just in such a good mood that she wanted to share her wealth, even if she was a bit shy about how to do it.

Granny Gu was pleasantly surprised. Seeing the shy blush on the girl’s delicate face, the old woman’s “Nanny Rong” expression softened. “Thank you for the reward, Madam Sect Leader.”

The word “reward” made Zuo Siqiu even more flustered. She added awkwardly, “You probably don’t need the low-grade ones, you can give those to the others.”

Zuo Siqiu was happy that her gift was well-received. But before the smile could leave her face, Yan Jiaojiao came sprinting over.

“I heard the Madam is giving out rewards!”

Zuo Siqiu: “?”

In a cultivation world, does “hearing news” mean listening across two entire courtyards?