After Provoking the Mad Beautiful Deity - Chapter 44

The Demon Lord is Cute.

After crushing her disciples’ “beautiful dream,” Hongchen’s movements grew faster, shattering nightmares and leaving behind only remnants of kindness.

 

Yanlai struggled to maintain the spell, her face turning increasingly pale. Hongchen glanced at the two disciples standing idly by. “Don’t you know how to help?”

 

Yanguang immediately cast a spell to assist her Master’s wife; Yanheng, fearing Hongchen, hurried forward to join them as well.

 

Inside the barrier, Sanmeng sat cross-legged, adjusting her breathing. Her eyes gradually regained their clarity. The Moon God watched anxiously; in this situation, there was nothing she could do to help.

 

As Sanmeng lifted her head again, the Moon God met her gaze, her heart filled with trepidation. She did not know if this attempt would succeed. Having missed the Great War of Immortals and Demons, she was unsure how Sanmeng had recovered back then, making her exceptionally worried this time.

 

“Why are you staring at me?” Sanmeng asked, touching her forehead and straightening her back. The Moon God couldn’t help but cry out, “You’re awake! Do you, do you remember me?”

 

“Moon God, has your brain rotted?” Sanmeng tried to stand up. She felt light-headed and dizzy, swaying twice and nearly falling. The Moon God shouted in a panic, “Just sit! Don’t move, don’t move!”

 

Sanmeng took a few weak steps forward, steadied herself, and looked at the anxious woman. “Why are you so restless?”

 

“You fell into a demonic state.” The Moon God looked at Sanmeng with exasperation, lecturing her: “The malice in your heart was too deep. What have you been doing all these years?”

 

Sanmeng felt dazed. Hearing this, she looked at the Moon God in disbelief. “A demonic state?”

 

“The demonic energy invaded and you lost your mind. Sanmeng, your mind is unstable.” The Moon God was fuming. She was trapped by the barrier; otherwise, she would have stepped forward to give her a proper scolding.

 

You think of Hongyan every day, yet Hongyan is intimate with someone else. Is there any point?

 

She was angry yet helpless. Sanmeng stood tall, remaining as silent and cold as usual; no matter how much the Moon God spoke, she didn’t seem to care. Soon, she discovered the barrier confining her.

 

The barrier had been set by Yanlai; with her current strength, Sanmeng could not break through it. She sat back down cross-legged with indifference. Outside, the Moon God asked, “Do you remember what happened after you turned demonic?”

 

“What happened?” Sanmeng looked confused. “Did I do something I shouldn’t have?”

 

“You said you liked me and wanted to practice spiritual cultivation with me.” The Moon God began to lie, her eyebrows arching slightly.

 

Sanmeng was puzzled by her words and slowly raised her head. The Moon God gave her a smile. “You’ve finally seen the light. It wasn’t in vain that I waited for you for so many years.”

 

Sanmeng fell silent, neither refusing nor accepting, but instead slowly observing the Moon God.

 

At that moment, Yanlai arrived. The Moon God immediately cut the topic short. Yanlai waved her hand to dissolve the barrier, walked up to Sanmeng, and released a soothing spiritual aura.

 

Hongchen followed slowly behind. Just as she entered, the Moon God intercepted her. “Demon Lord, how about we make a deal?”

 

“Hmm?” Hongchen found it strange.

 

The Moon God whispered, “You testify for me. Say that when Sanmeng was demonic, she said she liked me and wanted to be my partner.”

 

Hongchen couldn’t help but scrutinize the Moon God. Are all fairies this shameless? The Moon God’s personality was usually reliable and her mind sharp, yet in the face of love, she was like a three-year-old child.

 

She curled her lip, and the Moon God pressed further: “If you testify, I won’t report Yanlai for associating with the Demon Tribe.”

 

Hongchen chuckled. “You’re quite arrogant.”

 

“Do you agree? If you do, whenever I see the two of you together in the future, I’ll take the long way around and won’t say a single word.” The Moon God quirked an eyebrow.

 

Hongchen smirked. “You were already bold, but I like that last sentence. Fine, I’ll testify for you. Since you’re the one lying anyway, I’ll just nod my head.”

 

A flush of bashfulness appeared on the Moon God’s face.

 

Yanlai had finished checking Sanmeng. She was fully awake, but the malice remained and could not be rooted out. This was Sanmeng’s nature; within heaven and earth, she was a unique existence.

 

As Yanlai leaned down to help Sanmeng up, the Moon God beat her to it, grabbing Sanmeng’s arms. Hongchen’s lips curled; even the high and mighty Moon God had such humble moments. She let out a scoff, which immediately drew the Moon God’s dissatisfaction.

 

Sanmeng did not accept the Moon God’s support but stood up on her own. The Moon God brought up her earlier claim again: “You don’t need to be shy. I know you like me.”

 

Yanlai frowned, sensing something was wrong. She instinctively looked at Hongchen, who, upon receiving the plea for help, stared wordlessly at the empty air.

 

Sanmeng pushed the Moon God away and said in a low voice, “Though I do not remember, I do not tell lies at random. Moon God, do not try to deceive me.”

 

“It’s true! Ask the Demon Lord, ask the High God. They can both testify.” The Moon God pointed at Hongchen, who was still staring at the sky. “Demon Lord, am I right?”

 

Hongchen nodded vigorously but didn’t say a word.

 

Sanmeng looked at Yanlai. She didn’t trust the Demon Lord; she only trusted Yanlai. Yanlai’s expression wasn’t great; having consumed too much spiritual power, she was exhausted. Meeting Sanmeng’s seeking gaze, she shook her head helplessly. “I was not present.”

 

The Moon God argued, “She wasn’t, but the Demon Lord was. The Demon Lord rules a realm and holds a high position; why wouldn’t you believe her?”

 

Hongchen didn’t want to lie anymore. she gave an awkward smile and reached out to pull Yanlai. “The High God is tired; her complexion doesn’t look right. I’ll take her back to rest. You two should rest as well; spiritual cultivation is fine too. We won’t meddle in your business.”

 

With that, Hongchen pulled Yanlai and quickly retreated from the sleeping quarters.

 

Yanlai’s figure was elegant, yet she was still pulled into a stumble by Hongchen. Hongchen found it troublesome, so she picked Yanlai up and flew into the air.

 

The two stepped over a hundred flowers, their bodies light as a breeze passing over Phoenix Mountain. The flower shadows were vivid, the sunlight was bright, and the blossoms merged with the light in a lingering, intimate embrace.

 

Upon landing on the ground, the two disciples were still kneeling. Yanlai glanced at them and asked Hongchen, “Are you going to clear out your sect?”

 

“No, I’m going to find the Dark Night King for a fight. You’re tired; go rest.” Hongchen landed steadily on the ground, the flowers beneath her feet dispersing. The corners of her eyes tilted up slightly, confident and flamboyant. She looked at her two disciples: “Quite embarrassing. I don’t even know how to do that yet, but both of you do.”

 

Yanlai hid a smile behind her sleeve. Hongchen didn’t actually care if her disciples loved each other; she was just annoyed that her disciples knew how to “double cultivate” while she did not.

 

Yanguang pulled her junior sister up. Yanlai waved them away and immediately sent over a bottle of medicinal pills. “This is nourishing medicine to help with your cultivation. Go back for now; your Master and I will handle the rest.”

 

Hongchen ignored the two and walked into the hall with her hands behind her back. Her silhouette looked solitary and somewhat pitiful. Yanlai smiled again.

 

After the disciples left, Yanlai returned to the hall and took two pills herself. Hongchen was lying face up on her bed, quite naturally covering herself with Yanlai’s quilt.

 

“You aren’t going back to the Demon Realm?”

 

“Why did the Dark Night King drug those two for no reason?”

 

“Perhaps he wants the right to rule the Demon Realm. After all, you aren’t there, and the young lords aren’t capable enough. Naturally, it would fall to him.”

 

Hongchen thought that made sense. She stood up and looked at her. “I’ll help you recover your spiritual power, then we go back to the Demon Realm to fight and settle things with the Dark Night King once more.”

 

The Dark Night King was restless, intending to spark internal strife to seize power. Since he was seeking death, she would give him the opportunity.

 

“Killing the Dark Night King is equivalent to weakening the Demon Tribe’s strength, which is a good thing for the Immortal Tribe. But as long as he is alive, he is also a great asset. You should consider this carefully. Many among the Immortal Tribe are also disgruntled, yet the Emperor of Heaven allows them to live. You can do the same: give him a lesson to maintain the balance of power,” Yanlai suggested. “It’s a waste to kill him, but leaving him alone brings no peace. You should promote a few other Kings to rival him. That way, his attention will be moved away from the young lords. However, this will make the Demon Realm restless. Your young lords are a bit too innocent.”

 

Hongchen listened silently until she finished. The Dark Night King was indeed a waste to kill but a hindrance to keep. She stood up. “It is better to kill him.”

 

Yanlai frowned. “You are weakening your own influence.”

 

“He dared to drug the young lords; next time, he will kill them. Yanlai, I am the Demon Lord, not the Emperor of Heaven.” Hongchen did not listen to her suggestion.

 

At this moment, Hongchen’s eyes were cold, like a pine tree or a vast glacier on a cliff. Her entire aura shifted, shedding its purity and leaving only ruthlessness.

 

Yanlai did not try to persuade her further. Instead, she turned and walked toward a lounging couch, sitting down with a steady, mountain-like presence.

 

For a brief moment, the atmosphere in the hall became strangely eerie. Yanlai’s silence created a sword-point tension between them.

 

Hongchen looked at her, the corner of her lip twitching slightly. “Yanlai, I am a Great Demon King.”

 

“I know. The Demon Lord is cute,” Yanlai said intentionally. She used a spell to fetch a bolster from the cabinet and leaned against it, putting all her weight onto the pillow. She lifted her head slightly, a smile in her eyes. “If the Demon Lord is going to kill people, I won’t follow.”

 

Hongchen gave a thin smile. “The High God is merciful, and I am cruel. Therefore, you look down on me.”

 

Yanlai did not answer. Hongchen let out two scoffs and left directly.

 

Yanlai’s expression relaxed, and she sighed in a low voice, “And you claim you have a good temper. You get so angry just because I asked you to learn from the Emperor of Heaven. Not cute at all.”

 

After speaking, she looked up at the empty, silent hall. She was alone once more.

 

Not long after, the Nine Heavens dispatched an immortal official to the lower realm to discuss the wedding date. The grand wedding of the Immortal Prince naturally came with unique regulations and etiquette.

 

The official faced Yanlai, nervously describing the immortal tribe’s rites.

 

“Once married, the High God will be the Crown Princess, no longer the mountain lord of the lower realm. All etiquette must follow the rules of the Immortal Tribe. His Majesty said that all affairs of Phoenix Mountain can be handed over to your disciple, Yanchen, to manage.”

 

“Are you saying I cannot bring Yanchen to the Nine Heavens?” Yanlai lifted her eyelids slightly, revealing a faint smile.

 

Yanlai was a rare beauty in the Heavenly Realm, with a steady aura and a serious demeanor. As soon as she spoke, the narrating official was scared out of his wits.

 

Yanlai said, “I do not despise your Prince for secretly swapping his bone structure, yet he despises my person for being unruly.”

 

The official hurriedly explained, “The High God may not know, but the Emperor of Heaven has clarified that there was no swapping of bone structure. It was all a fabrication. The Prince’s cultivation surged back then because His Majesty went to the wilderness to find a demon core. He has the core of an ancient mythical beast in his body; it was not a bone swap.”

 

“Is that so?” Yanlai’s tone rose slightly. She sat behind the desk, her back straight, her eyes so cold they lacked any warmth. “Since he is unwilling, then forget it. I still need to hand over mountain affairs to my disciples. You may go back first.”

 

The official felt as if he had received a great pardon and couldn’t wait to flee.

 

Yanlai summoned her immortal attendants. Ever since she opened the mountain to take in disciples, people had been sent from all over. The attendants had held a competition; after passing five stages and slaying six generals, ten candidates remained.

 

Once she accepted them, they would be disciples of Phoenix Mountain.

 

Yanlai took the list from the attendant’s hand and looked through it. Their names and backgrounds were written clearly, visible at a glance.

 

After reading it carefully twice, Yanlai finally instructed the attendant, “Have them stay in the outer mountain.”

 

There was no rush for now.

 

Yanlai rarely had leisure time to handle mountain affairs. The Moon God and Sanmeng came to bid farewell. The Moon God searched the hall for the Demon Lord’s whereabouts, looking several times without seeing her.

 

Yanlai spoke up of her own accord: “She went back. She has important business to attend to. I am also preparing for the wedding.”

“Do you truly intend to marry?” The Moon God asked, bewildered. “That waste of a Prince… compared to him, the Demon Lord is a hundred times better. What are you thinking?”

Sanmeng looked puzzled. “Why are you speaking up for the Demon Lord? That is a cold-blooded killer who doesn’t blink an eye.”

 

The Moon God pondered for a moment. “I saw some of the Demon Lord’s secrets. She is actually quite pitiful. Besides, she’s so cute; what a beautiful young girl she is.”

 

“The Demon Lord is a cute young girl?” Sanmeng found this inconceivable, especially seeing the pity in the Moon God’s eyes. She asked in confusion, “Did I miss something?”

 

Yanlai spoke up: “No, you didn’t miss anything. Sanmeng, return to the Nine Heavens.”

 

Sanmeng couldn’t let it go. “Yanlai, do you want revenge?”

 

Yanlai’s eyelids flickered as she stared blankly at Sanmeng.

 

Sanmeng continued, “You are getting married for the sake of revenge, aren’t you?”

 

A person like Yanlai would not be bound by love; she did not love the Prince, nor did she care for the empty title of Crown Princess. Since she didn’t care for those things, getting married had to be for the sake of her own vendetta.

 

“Yanlai, why don’t you enter the Demon Realm?” the Moon God asked, puzzled. Since Hongchen was the Demon Lord, she could surely protect Yanlai within her domain.

 

Sanmeng frowned. “You want her to turn into a demon?”

 

There is a distinction between Immortals and Demons. Yanlai was a High God; how could she allow herself to fall from grace?

 

The Moon God hesitated, looking deeply at Yanlai with many words stuck in her throat. Sanmeng had forgotten that Yanlai had died once, bound by the rules of the Immortal Tribe, forced to die for the person she loved.

 

Now that she was no longer shackled by a sect, and no one in heaven or earth could discipline her, why couldn’t she just follow her heart for once?

 

After witnessing the duel at Phoenix Mountain, the labels of “Immortal” and “Demon” seemed like the ultimate joke. The Immortals didn’t act like Immortals, and the Demons didn’t act like Demons.

 

The Moon God fell silent. Yanlai smiled softly. “You two should go back quickly. You have been away for quite some time.”

 

Sanmeng remained worried about Yanlai. “I’ll stay with you a bit longer. Call off the Immortal Tribe’s wedding. Doesn’t that kind of man disgust you?”

 

Disgust? Yanlai took a deep breath. He was beyond disgusting. She wanted to burn Qingfeng into a pile of ash and longed to capture and kill the Empress of Heaven.

 

She shook her head, but the words she spoke were: “He does not disgust me.”

 

Sanmeng gave her a meaningful look and said seriously, “I hope you don’t regret it. And please, stay away from the Demon Lord. The Prince is no good, but the Demon Lord isn’t a saint either.”

 

The Moon God stared into the void, saying nothing. In truth, she wanted to say: The Demon Lord is silly and quite cute.

 

Where else could one find such a cute and capable little Demon Lord? At the very least, her combat power was terrifying; she had even killed Jiuhan and was unrivaled under heaven.

 

At that thought, the Moon God’s mind wavered. She said to Yanlai with some lingering dissatisfaction, “You should consider it. If you want revenge, take Hongchen with you. She will clear all obstacles for you.”

 

Yanlai continued to smile softly. “The matters of Phoenix Mountain will be resolved by me. You two, leave now.”

 

Having been told to leave twice, the Moon God could no longer stay. She and Sanmeng both bid their farewells.

 

Yanlai watched the two depart until they were out of sight. Kylin suddenly pounced out from nowhere. Yanlai was surprised: “You didn’t leave with the Demon Lord?”

 

Kylin was equally confused. “Go where? Is the Demon Lord gone?”

 

Hongchen had left in a fit of rage, leaving behind not just Kylin, but even Yuqi.

 

Yanlai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry; this person had lived for over ten thousand years yet still had the temperament of a child.

 

Kylin was dazed. “So, should I stay?”

 

“Stay then, lest you follow her and pick up bad habits. I’ll find some cultivation manuals for you; study them well.” Yanlai waved her hand with an air of calm. Remembering that Hongchen wanted to learn the Dust-Forgetting technique, she turned to ask Kylin: “Can you teach me the Dust-Forgetting technique?”

 

“Isn’t that a Demon Realm spell?” Kylin pointed at herself. “High God, I am a demonic beast!”

 

Yanlai glanced at her. “I have medicine that can purify the demonic energy in your body.”

 

“No! Yuqi will say I’ve defected. If I don’t even have demonic energy anymore, am I still the Demon Lord’s mount?” Kylin put her hands on her hips and stubbornly refused, her little face puffed up with anger.

 

Yanlai sneered: “If you won’t be purified, then get out of Phoenix Mountain.”

 

“Fine, I’ll be purified. The Demon Lord told me to protect you.” Kylin’s courage instantly deflated.

 

What kind of situation was this?

 

The Demon Lord had left, so why was her mount the one getting bullied?

 

Kylin didn’t dare utter a sound in front of Yanlai. After Yanlai glanced at her, she thought about finding some disciples skilled in alchemy to join the mountain. As the population on the mountain grew, the consumption of medicinal pills would increase as well.

 

Once Yanlai had left, Kylin couldn’t suppress her indignation and secretly sent a message to the Demon Lord.

 

As a demonic beast, Kylin had formed a demonic contract with Yanlai, but when she sent a message, Hongchen received it instantly.

 

Hongchen was lying on her bed, sulking. After Kylin’s message arrived, she lazily sat up to receive it.

 

Kylin said: Demon Lord, you just walked away and left me here. High God Yanlai is torturing me! She wants to purify my demonic energy! Come and save me quickly!