After Provoking the Mad Beautiful Deity - Chapter 55

Who in the world offers themselves as a betrothal gift? Yanlai would not accept it!

Hongchen scrambled up, her steps faltering momentarily. Yanlai was startled, but fortunately, Hongchen managed to steady herself. As soon as she got off the bed, she went to find Yan Guang.

The Demon Lord dragged her disciple to open the storehouse and collect betrothal gifts. They flipped through everything; unknown magical artifacts and treasures were brought out one by one while Yan Guang followed behind her Master, recording each item.

The items in the storehouse were all left behind by the Dark Night King. Since he had been driven out, everything belonged to Hongchen. Hongchen had never entered the storehouse before; in the past, she only thought about other people’s treasures. Looking at it today, she realized there were quite a lot of treasures.

Everything was packed and arranged in the hall for Yanlai to choose from.

Demon magical artifacts and Immortal spiritual tools were vastly different. Yanlai had seen many Immortal tools, but she could not name the Demon artifacts. Hongchen did not recognize them either, but Yan Guang enjoyed tinkering with them and introduced them to her Shiniang one by one.

To get married once, the Demon Lord surrendered her entire family fortune.

Yanlai listened with satisfaction, touching this and that as Yan Guang talked incessantly. Suddenly, Yanlai asked Yan Guang, “Do you know of Liuguang?”

“Liuguang? I think I have heard of it, but I have never seen it. It is a magical artifact that can reverse time and space, created by the Demon Race. Does Shiniang know about it too?” Yan Guang spoke as if she were recounting family treasures.

Yanlai listened intently and signaled her to continue.

Yan Guang added, “Others describe it as something miraculous, but no one has seen it. If it truly could reverse time and space, would it not cause chaos throughout the world? Look at the Immortal and Demon realms today; who still mentions Liuguang? Hey, Shiniang, why do you ask about this?”

“Just asking. Tell me everything you know.” Yanlai responded casually. She knew that Liuguang definitely could not reverse time and space. If it could, why did Hongyan not reverse time when she entered the Liuguang array, instead using her soul as collateral to bring her to the future?

Yan Guang continued fluently, “Legend says Liuguang was forged using countless rare artifacts and tempered with evil spirits. The master who created it used their own physical body as a sacrifice, becoming the spirit of the artifact. I only read this in books; I do not know if it is true or false. The books make it sound miraculous. The artifact spirit is the Demon of all Demons, extremely terrifying. If you make an agreement with him, you must sacrifice yourself to Liuguang after death.”

“Shiniang, do you think such a miraculous thing actually exists?”

“It does. Naturally, it exists, but I do not know if it is truly as powerful as they say,” Yanlai said.

Yan Guang was excited. “I want to see it too.”

Yanlai had no heart to continue the conversation and gave an order, “I will let you see it when there is time. Record these items in a register and let me have a look at the booklet later.”

After saying that, she left, leaving the excited Yan Guang behind.

When Yanlai returned to the hall, Hongchen was asleep again. She lay on the bed fully clothed, tilted to one side as if she had fallen asleep the moment she lay down, with her legs dangling off the edge of the bed.

Yanlai felt a sense of helplessness. She stepped forward to remove Hongchen’s shoes and placed her legs back on the bed, but Hongchen did not wake up.

Only half a day had passed, yet she was sleeping again.

Yanlai’s heart raced with anxiety. She was restless and had no time to comfort herself because the Dark Night King had arrived with heavy gifts.

He brought gifts the moment he arrived and was very observant of etiquette. This was why Hongchen liked dealing with him.

This time, Yanlai received the guest in her capacity as the Demon Queen.

The Dark Night King ordered the items to be placed properly, only to see someone else sitting in the Demon Lord’s seat. He was surprised, and Yan Guang stepped up to explain, “This is the Demon Queen. Currently, all matters of the Demon Palace are handled by the Demon Queen.”

The Dark Night King was not surprised by this. The Demon Lord had a lazy nature; one only saw her decisive and valiant side during a fight. Otherwise, she always maintained a lazy posture. Yet, such a person possessed profound spiritual power and enviable cultivation.

“So it is the Demon Queen. My apologies for the lack of respect. I wonder where the Demon Lord has gone?” The Dark Night King knew Hongchen’s personality was easy to fool, but the woman before him had an aura and majesty that surpassed his own.

Yanlai nodded. “The Demon Lord is injured and is currently recuperating.”

Though it was the truth, the Dark Night King found it suspicious. The Demon Lord being injured was a major event that should be kept secret, yet the Demon Queen told him so openly.

Was she unstable in character, or did she have another plot?

The Dark Night King could handle Hongchen’s personality, but he could not guess the Demon Queen’s thoughts. A single sentence had left him in a difficult position.

“So she is injured. I will return immediately and have some fine medicine sent over. Is the Demon Lord’s injury severe?” the Dark Night King asked.

Yanlai replied, “It is not good. The Dark Night King also knows that High Immortal Sanmeng of the Immortal Realm has entered the Demon Realm. The Immortal Race is stirred up. Since the Demon Lord is injured, I ask the Dark Night King to lead the troops and hold the border on her behalf.”

The Dark Night King’s mouth twitched. She was sending him to his death.

The Demon Lord being injured was good news, but being sent to his death was another matter. This woman’s mind was quite poisonous.

Usually, the Young Lords led the troops to guard the border while the Dark Night King enjoyed his leisure. This was because Hongchen did not trust the Dark Night King. But Yanlai had proactively handed military power over to him.

Their styles of operation were completely different. The Dark Night King was caught off guard and was momentarily stunned.

Yanlai added, “Does the Dark Night King not want to go? Could it be that you do not wish to serve the Demon Lord?”

Labeling him as such was a great act of disrespect. The Dark Night King did not dare disobey and hurriedly said, “It is my honor to serve the Demon Lord. There is no reason not to go.”

“It is good that the Dark Night King agrees. Since that is the case, return and organize your forces, then head to the border. Remember, currently, the Demon Realm holds the moral high ground. If you take the initiative to cause trouble, you will lose the opportunity,” Yanlai smiled.

The Dark Night King caught her meaning. Unlike the Demon Lord, the Demon Queen had ambition.

This time, the Dark Night King was greatly encouraged and immediately replied, “This subordinate understands. I will go now and will not disappoint the Demon Queen.”

Yanlai nodded and gave a few words of encouragement. The Dark Night King led his people away in a hurry.

With the wedding tomorrow, having the Dark Night King guarding the door would surely make things easier for them.

The Heavenly Emperor was sanctimonious and usually acted with propriety. She wondered what he would do this time.

Yanlai went back to accompany Hongchen. After the Dark Night King returned to his manor and made some adjustments, he led his own soldiers to the border. Under Yanlai’s instructions, Yan Guang proactively resigned from the position of commander-in-chief, and her subordinates tactfully departed.

The Nine Heavens received news of the border movements early on.

A report came in stating that the leadership at the Demon Realm border had changed, this time to the Dark Night King. For years, they were used to dealing with the straightforward Fifth Young Lord Yan Guang. Suddenly switching to the experienced and cunning Dark Night King made the situation unclear.

The Heavenly Emperor knew that such a move definitely did not come from Hongchen. Hongchen did not have such great ambition; she had always kept the ambitious Dark Night King pinned inside the Demon Realm.

With the Dark Night King stationed at the border this time, the Immortal Race would find no advantage.

The Xuantian Hall remained silent for a long time before the informant slowly withdrew.

The War God Jiu Han was dead, and no immortal had yet replaced him. The Heavenly Emperor intended for his only son to take the position, but his son had run off to the East Sea and was now a broken man. He had to look for someone else.

Sanmeng entering the Demon Realm was the best excuse to raise an army.

This time, the Heavenly Emperor summoned the heads of all clans to discuss the matter. After the decree was sent out, only the East Sea clan came; everyone else made excuses and could not attend.

Looking at the empty seats, the Heavenly Emperor said, “Where do they think the Nine Heavens stands?”

The East Sea Clan Leader glanced at His Majesty. In truth, he did not want to come either, but his son had married the Princess. It was hard to refuse a relative by marriage. Hearing these words, he immediately comforted the Emperor.

“Perhaps they have matters they cannot escape from. Please quell your anger, Your Majesty. It might be best to send someone to check on them.”

This reminder calmed the Heavenly Emperor. He quickly suppressed his anger and nodded. “Send someone to check.”

The East Sea Clan Leader breathed a sigh of relief.

Since the people had not arrived today, the meeting could not proceed. The Heavenly Emperor told him to return first and wait until everyone was present to discuss further.

While the Nine Heavens was quiet, the Demon Palace was bustling. Lanterns and colored banners were being put up everywhere. Red silk hung from the eaves, and the fluttering red ribbons were particularly beautiful.

Xiao Shi stood under the eaves looking at the red silk, her heart full of joy. Xiao Jiu raised her head, showing no such liking. She said, “After going to the Nine Heavens once, you do not even look like someone from the Demon Realm anymore.”

“This is called adopting the essence and discarding the dregs. What do you know? You only know about ‘black dominance.’ Master is getting married, not ascending the throne. Why does she need to be so domineering?” Xiao Shi put her hands on her hips.

The two sisters argued for a bit. Then, the Qilin arrived carrying red wedding robes. Xiao Jiu stopped her. “The wedding robes are already prepared. Where did these come from?”

“The Immortal Race. Shiniang is from the Immortal Race, so naturally, we follow their customs,” Xiao Shi said, smiling at the Qilin and giving her a thumbs up.

Xiao Jiu refused. “This is the Demon Realm. According to the rules of the Demon Realm, the ceremonial robes are already prepared. You two should stop causing trouble.”

The Qilin held the red wedding robes, unsure whether to enter or retreat. Xiao Shi rolled her eyes.

In the end, the Qilin brought the clothes into the hall. Which one to wear was Shiniang’s business and had nothing to do with them.

Inside the hall, Hongchen woke up. She was still not very energetic and sat in a daze for a while. Yanlai patted her head. “What are you thinking about?”

“My mind is a bit messy. I am sleepy,” Hongchen did not hide it. She felt she had no strength and was too lazy to move.

Yanlai looked at her deeply and proactively moved past the topic, mentioning other matters: “I have transferred the Dark Night King to the border. What do you think?”

“He is a sharp blade, but you have to weigh how to use him yourself so you do not get cut.” Hongchen did not really want to care, especially with Yanlai there; she was even lazier to act.

Hongchen looked up, and Yanlai was looking at her thoughtfully. Their eyes met, and Hongchen leaned in closer. Without a word, she kissed the corner of Yanlai’s lips.

Yanlai did not avoid it; she even proactively leaned in, not flinching at all.

After a long kiss, the two sat up straight and looked forward together. They did not exchange glances, yet an endless ambiguity lingered between them.

Yanlai felt a bit uneasy, but Hongchen’s gaze was clear. It was just a kiss; it was not a big deal.

Two sets of wedding robes were placed before them: one bright and charming red, the other steady and dignified black. Yanlai smiled. “The Qilin asked which one we should wear. I said I would wait for you to wake up.”

Hongchen’s mouth twitched. “What do you like?”

“Red follows the customs of the Immortal and Mortal realms. Since we are in the Demon Realm, let us follow their rules and choose black. What do you think?” Yanlai mused for a moment. Red was bright, but it was not as awe-inspiring as black.

This was not a time for casual play. Being beautiful was not as effective as possessing overwhelming majesty.

The black ceremonial robes were not purely black. The shoulders were embroidered with wings and the sleeves with auspicious clouds, showcasing elegance in every detail.

Hongchen took a look and nodded lazily, then asked about Sanmeng again.

“Her emotions are currently unstable. Let her be quiet for a while. I will go see her tomorrow,” Yanlai said.

Then, Yanlai mentioned a few more personnel changes within the Demon Realm. With the support of the Young Lords, those below did not dare disobey. She did not encounter any difficulties in issuing orders.

The Young Lords had been in charge of affairs for a long time. They only needed Yanlai to plan; they could handle the rest.

After talking for a long time, Hongchen still only nodded, having no intention of expressing an opinion.

“Are you unhappy?” Yanlai felt a bit apprehensive.

“No, I usually do not handle affairs anyway,” Hongchen said grandly. “You handle it. After we get married, I want to go into seclusion. I will leave everything to you.”

“We can go into seclusion together,” Yanlai said with a deep smile.

Hongchen did not catch the meaning in Yanlai’s words. After marriage, they would be as one.

She gave Yanlai an odd look. “What are you plotting?”

Yanlai felt uncomfortable being called out. After staring at the dazed Demon Lord for a moment, she was caught between laughter and tears. She said, “I should find the Demon Physician to talk to you about what happens after marriage.”

“The Demon Physician? Right. He is the Empress’s man.” Hongchen realized this late. She had been sleepy since returning and had not found the time to deal with him.

Yanlai proactively said, “I have spoken with him. He must either cut ties completely with his old master or return to her side. He has gone back to think about it. For now, it is fine for him to tell you about things after marriage.”

“Why do you not tell me?” Hongchen found it increasingly strange.

Yanlai glanced at her. “I do not want to talk to a blockhead. Go find the Demon Physician yourself. Stop sleeping. You have slept all night and many people have arrived outside. Go see them.”

By showing her face and walking around, she would let everyone outside, including the Immortal Race, know that the Demon Lord was fine and not seriously injured.

Hongchen was driven out of the bedroom. She looked back and shouted unsatisfactorily toward the inside, “This is my bedroom!”

Inside the hall, Yanlai laughed secretly.

The Young Lords heard the commotion and rushed over to surround their Master with congratulations. Hongchen drove all the troublesome Young Lords away in one go.

Just as she turned around, the Qilin leaned in eagerly, followed by a cold-faced Yu Qi.

The Qilin stepped forward with a smile, about to say congratulations, but Hongchen slapped her forehead. “I have nothing to my name; I am penniless.”

“You are a Demon Lord, after all,” the Qilin could not help but complain.

Yu Qi added, “She was stripped clean by the High God.”

Hongchen pouted. The Qilin said, “No, even without the High God, the Demon Lord would still be penniless.”

Hongchen: “…” This child is beyond saving.

Hongchen did go out of the hall to see her subordinates. The Qilin and Yu Qi stayed to guard Yanlai.

When the subordinates saw the Demon Lord, they all stepped forward to congratulate her. The matter of the Demon Lord causing a scene in the Nine Heavens to snatch away the future Crown Princess was not a secret; it had spread throughout the heavens. Naturally, people in the Demon Realm knew as well. Along with their congratulations, they were all praising the Demon Lord for being brave and fearless.

Yanlai was not only the last Phoenix in heaven and earth but also a premier High God. The people of the Demon Realm set aside their prejudices against the Immortal Race. Since the Demon Lord had snatched back such a powerful Demon Queen, they were naturally very happy.

After some socializing, Hongchen received many wedding gifts and had them sent to the Demon Queen.

On the way back, it was inevitable that some people would send ‘miraculous elixirs.’ Hongchen’s eyes lit up, appearing exceptionally clear. The subordinates thought they were catering to her preferences and looked delighted.

After they left, Hongchen burned the ‘miraculous elixirs’ to ashes.

Why take medicine? She already did not want to engage in “dual cultivation.” If she gave Yanlai medicine while she herself was injured, would she be able to handle it?

Hongchen grumbled as she walked back to the bedroom.

As soon as she sat down, she saw an item on the dressing table that looked familiar. She had to walk over. Yanlai was sitting at the dressing table grooming herself. Seeing her, Yanlai said, “The Dark Night King sent this.”

“Are you going to take it?” Hongchen was a bit unsure of Yanlai’s temperament.

Yanlai’s hand holding the wooden comb paused. She glanced at her. “You can take it.”

“It is useless for me to take it. You accepted it; do you want me to take it?” Hongchen found it dull and pulled a stool to sit beside her. “You should not take it either; it is not good for the body.”

“The Dark Night King said it has no harm to the body and can allow one to reach the peak and enjoy happiness,” Yanlai said seriously.

Hongchen glared and said, “I am not happy. Why do you need happiness?”

“Why are you not happy?” Yanlai feigned surprise.

“I am injured, so I am not happy.” Hongchen snatched the comb from her hand, pouting and frowning. “You are taking advantage of me.”

Yanlai laughed and said, “You were also injured when you came to find me.”

“It is different. I was fine back then; it was not serious. This time I am badly hurt, and I have lost more than half of my heart’s blood.”

Yanlai beckoned her, signaling for her to return the comb. Hongchen held her breath in anger. Yanlai reached out to take it. “Did you go to see the Demon Physician?”

“No.”

“Go find him and come back before the auspicious hour. Stop being angry.”

“I am not going. I do not want to get married anymore.” Hongchen was unwilling. “I feel now is not the right time. When my injuries are healed, I will give you the grandest wedding.”

Yanlai laughed secretly.