After Marrying the Disabled Demon Lord as a Substitute, I Ran Away with His Child - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

In the world of cultivation, spiritual pills are treasures one can never have enough of.

For a cultivator, even if an Alchemist’s personal cultivation level isn’t high, as long as the pills they refine are of superior quality, they will be held in high esteem by almost everyone. Many sects even go as far as hiring exclusive Alchemists to provide a steady supply.

The Xuanyun Sect had its own Alchemists, of course, but each disciple was limited to a fixed monthly quota. Even if they spent their days robbing others, there was no guarantee they’d find good pills—not to mention the risk of losing their lives in the process. Who would ever complain about having too many?

This was exactly why Yan Jiaojiao, after reporting her official duties, had come sprinting over the moment she caught wind of a “reward.” And, of course, she simply loved teasing Zuo Siqiu.

With Yan Jiaojiao leading the way, a swarm of thick-skinned demon disciples followed suit. By the time Zuo Siqiu retreated to the Demon Lord’s cave dwelling, she realized something profound: not a single person in this Demon Sect possessed a shred of shame. Then again, why would a demonic cultivator care about “face”?

When she first left the warehouse, she felt like a tycoon who could toss pills around like candy. Now, in just a short while, she felt like a pauper again. Her stash was nearly depleted!

It was bad enough that the disciples were acting like vultures, but it turned out the Demon Lord himself was no better.

The moment Zuo Siqiu re-entered his room, the first words she heard were: “Where is mine?”

Zuo Siqiu clutched her pouch tightly, forcing a strained smile that only added a touch of pathetic cuteness to her soft, sweet face.

“Venerable One… I am only a Foundation Establishment Alchemist. I can’t refine high-level pills. These little things are useless to someone of your power.”

Please, stop plundering me. This child is going to die of poverty, she pleaded inwardly.

Zuo Siqiu was naturally a bit stingy. Her upbringing had instilled in her a compulsive need to save money and hoard resources; she never knew when she might run out of food or funds, so she hoarded everything. Today, in a moment of post-wealth mania, she had shared her joy—only to be swarmed.

But as soon as she finished speaking, a powerful wave of pressure from the Demon Lord slammed into her, physically forcing her to hunch over.

She was truly on the verge of tears. This damn Demon Sect was going to bleed her dry!

She wavered between her money and her life for a long time before finally gritting her teeth and whipping out three pills with lightning speed—afraid that if she moved any slower, she wouldn’t be able to let go of them.

The moment the pills appeared, the pressure vanished.

A moment later, a murderous glint returned to the Demon Lord’s dark eyes. “Are you waiting for this Seat to take them himself?”

Zuo Siqiu deflated. Right. The man was a “paralytic.”

“Would you like to eat them now, or shall I put them in your storage ring?”

“Eat them now.”

Zuo Siqiu was fuming. I have to feed him? I have to hand-feed him like a baby?!

Her snowy fingertips, slightly pink at the tips, picked up a pill and brought it to his lips. As he took it, his lips brushed against her finger, causing her heart to skip a beat.

This ghostly man… how can his lips actually have a temperature? How outrageous!

She quickly fed him the remaining two and collapsed onto a nearby daybed. “I really have nothing left. You couldn’t squeeze another drop out of me.”

The Demon Lord seemed to savor the taste, his expression unreadable. “Why do your pills taste like peaches?”

Zuo Siqiu: “???”

A fragment of the original host’s memory surfaced. The original Zuo Siqiu was a bit of a glutton. The pills she made for others were tasteless, but the ones she made for herself had to be delicious. Peach-flavored Qi-recovery pills were her absolute favorite.

I haven’t even had one yet! Zuo Siqiu wailed internally. I haven’t eaten a thing since I transmigrated! I’m not hungry, but I have cravings! And here you are, asking about the peach flavor!

She felt she needed some “Qi-recovery” herself. But her divine sense checked her pouch—the remaining ten or so pills were all tasteless ones from the Bixia Sect’s dowry, which were too high-level for her to even consume at her current stage.

She was even angrier now!

…

The Rumor Mill at Bixia Sect

Meanwhile, the disciples who had fled the Demon Sect rushed back to Bi Zhian’s dwelling.

As expected, she was there. Long Xiaotian immediately checked his Third Junior Sister for injuries and sighed in relief. “Thank God you’re safe. I thought you had been forced into the marriage.”

Bi Zhian’s eyes immediately filled with tears. “I wasn’t the one who married him… but I heard the Demon Lord and his bride consummated the marriage last night. What is happening?”

Long Xiaotian sighed. “Little Junior Sister took your place.”

Tears streamed down Bi Zhian’s pale cheeks. “How could it be her? She must have been defiled by that monster… perhaps even turned into a human cauldron. Why her? It should have been me suffering those hardships!”

The surrounding brothers immediately rushed to comfort her. “Third Senior Sister, don’t say that! We could never let you suffer in that hellhole!” “I saw Little Junior Sister; she seemed fine. Her life in the Demon Sect might not be that bad.”

“But she shouldn’t have had to endure any of it,” Bi Zhian sobbed. “Poor Little Junior Sister… she’s suffering so much for me.”

The crowd marveled at her. “Third Senior Sister, you are truly too kind.” “You always want to save others even at your own expense!”

Long Xiaotian, heart aching for both sisters, declared, “We must find a way to rescue her. She said she last saw Second Junior Brother before she blacked out. Let’s find him.”

When they found the Second Senior Brother, he merely sneered. “Little Junior Sister wanted to marry the Demon Lord herself. She begged me to help her.”

“Why?!” Everyone gasped.

The Second Brother’s face twisted in feigned disgust. “She has long coveted the Third Senior Sister’s dowry.”

Bi Zhian gasped. “She wanted to see my dowry because she wanted those things? If she wanted them, she could have just asked! Why throw herself into the Demon Sect for them?”

The mood shifted instantly. “So that’s it. I wondered why she was so eager to stay. It turns out she’s just greedy. She brought this on herself.”

“But she never seemed like that…” a few friends whispered, but they were drowned out.

The Second Brother finished: “You can know a person’s face, but not their heart.”

Long Xiaotian looked down. “If that’s the case… then perhaps she doesn’t need us to rescue her.”

In just half a day, the rumor that Zuo Siqiu had stolen the marriage and the dowry out of greed spread across the entire Bixia Sect.

…

The Nightmare

Zuo Siqiu had no idea her reputation back home had hit rock bottom. She was currently mourning her pill supply and planning how to start her career as an Alchemist to regain her independence.

She also had to maintain the Demon Lord’s “virile” persona. Since they were “newlyweds,” they were forced behind closed doors as soon as night fell.

Zuo Siqiu stared at her miserable face in a mirror. Why was she holding a mirror? Because she was busy pinching a fake “hickey” onto her neck. It hurt so much her eyes watered—though it might have just been the lingering pain of her lost fortune.

Eventually, she fell asleep, but even her dreams were a nightmare.

In the dream, a wickedly handsome man with glowing eyes stared at her pouch with a greedy grin. “Hand over all the peach pills in your pouch!”

Zuo Siqiu fled in terror. “There are no more! I’m poor enough already! Stop robbing me!”

The man snatched her pouch anyway. Zuo Siqiu collapsed, wailing, “Give it back!”

The man laughed maniacally. Zuo Siqiu screamed at the sky, “Who the hell are you, you dog of a man?! I’ll kill you! I’ll tear you into ten thousand pieces!”

The man replied: “I am Xuan Mo. Come and try to kill me.”

“Xuan Mo? Who is Xuan Mo?! Where did he go?!”

Zuo Siqiu felt like she was going to explode from rage. She needed the dream to end.

Dream? Is this a dream?

Zuo Siqiu snapped her eyes open. Her heart was racing. She clutched her pouch, realizing it was still there. Thank God, just a dream.

Then, she felt a burning gaze from beside her.

She turned her head mechanically. Her body went stiff; she was practically petrified.

Why was the Demon Lord… sitting right there, watching her? And why did he look so incredibly pissed off?

The Demon Lord’s lips curled into a murderous sneer. “Who did you say I am?”

Zuo Siqiu stammered, “You… you’re the Demon Lord… the Sect Leader…”

The killing intent in the room doubled.