After Provoking the Mad Beautiful Deity - Chapter 56

The auspicious hour arrived, and ten thousand demons came to offer their congratulations.

The Demon Lord and the Demon Queen walked out slowly together. The Demon Realm did not have many rules; there was no bridal veil or ceremonial fan to hide behind. Everyone saw their Demon Queen with their own eyes. Clad in black ceremonial robes, she exuded majesty and dominance.

The Qilin curled her lip and said begrudgingly, “Black actually looks better than red.”

Xiao Shi frowned beside her. “It has nothing to do with the clothes. The High God looks good in anything she wears.”

Xiao Jiu clapped happily. Overhearing their whispers, she said joyfully, “It is because the clothes of our Demon Realm complement the person.”

The Qilin and Xiao Shi exchanged a glance and reached a silent understanding. They stepped forward to grab Xiao Jiu, and under the cover of the rising ceremonial music, they pinned her to the ground and gave her a beating.

The clothes they had chosen might not have been picked, but they had the advantage of numbers. Two against one, they finally vented the frustration in their hearts.

While the corner was a chaotic mess, the newlyweds slowly entered the grand hall. Hongchen was calm, though her steps were slightly unsteady. Yanlai wore a smile, prompting the crowd to cheer for the beauty and gentleness of the Demon Queen.

Hearing the word “gentle” applied to the Demon Queen, Yan Guang pursed her lips. The Demon Queen was not gentle, especially when she was setting you on fire; that was when she was most terrifying.

The Demon Lord had no parents, and Yanlai was likewise a solitary soul, so the seats for the elders remained empty.

The guests showed satisfied smiles. Their Demon Queen was matchlessly beautiful, and the Demon Lord was truly blessed.

During the first bow to Heaven and Earth, the guests watched with smiles as their usually unruly and unreasonable Demon Lord bowed in a rare display of ceremony.

The wild and lawless Demon Lord was finally married.

During the second bow to the elders, Yanlai bowed toward the empty seats.

This time, the two received many congratulations. With the Dark Night King guarding the gate, their wedding would proceed smoothly to completion.

When it came time for the couple to bow to each other, Hongchen looked at Yanlai with a slight curve to her lips, raising her eyebrows provocatively.

Yanlai ignored the provocation and bowed deeply.

Across two lifetimes, she was entangled by the same person.

The ceremony was complete.

Suddenly, a figure appeared at the door. The guests gasped as they saw Sanmeng, dressed in black, walking inside with her lips pressed thin.

Walking up to the two, a trace of a smile appeared on Sanmeng’s face. She said, “Congratulations to the Demon Lord on her great joy.”

Hongchen was in her black robes, and Yanlai gripped her wrist tightly as they stood together. The deep affection in Sanmeng’s eyes had not diminished. A single sentence caused Yanlai’s eyes to turn red.

Sanmeng smiled.

The guests all breathed a sigh of relief. It was no secret that Sanmeng had entered the Demon Realm; everyone there knew. Seeing the breathtakingly beautiful High Immortal, they could not help but steal a few more glances.

Once the ceremony ended, the newlyweds returned to the bridal chamber. The bold Xiao Shi pulled Sanmeng aside to a banquet table to drink.

Many women followed the crowd to the Demon Lord’s bridal chamber, crowding the doorway and refusing to leave. Hongchen shot them a sideways glance, which only made them happier as they clamored to go inside and see the Demon Queen.

Yanlai’s identity was no secret. As the former Crown Princess of the Heavenly Realm, she had been snatched away by the Demon Lord, which was a heavy slap to the face of the Nine Heavens.

Hongchen was squeezed to one side by the crowd while everyone surrounded Yanlai, asking all sorts of questions.

“Demon Queen, you are so beautiful. Why did you give up being the Crown Princess to follow the Demon Lord?”

Yanlai said, “She is a fool, but she is a bit cutely foolish.”

The crowd fell silent. The Demon Lord was not a fool; she was quite fierce.

Someone else asked, “Demon Queen, do you have wings? Can you fly on your own?”

“I can.”

“Demon Queen, do you like the Demon Lord?”

“Demon Queen, how did you come to like the Demon Lord?”

Hongchen reclined to one side, covering her ears to shut out these strange questions. If she did not like her, was she supposed to like this bunch of people?

How childish and dull.

After the commotion lasted a while, Yanlai drove everyone away. She walked to Hongchen’s side and patted her shoulder. “Are you tired?”

“I am not tired.” Hongchen sat up straight, her gaze falling on Yanlai’s fingers. In the next breath, that hand brushed against her chin.

The kiss came somewhat suddenly, and Hongchen almost failed to react.

By the time she regained her senses, the other party had already captured the territory. She trembled suddenly, the fragrance lingering on her lips.

Outside, the guests were as numerous as clouds.

At the border, the Heavenly Soldiers stood ready, and the demon soldiers did not yield an inch.

Hongchen was a bit dazed. Her outer robe had already been removed, revealing the white inner garment beneath. Seeing Yanlai’s swift movements, she felt a bit panicked. “You, wait, do not.”

Hongchen called for a halt. Yanlai’s fingertips paused on her collarbone, pressing down lightly. Hongchen’s face flushed and her heart raced. “You are acting like a ravenous tiger.”

“Should I give you a pill instead?”

“Would medicine even work on me?”

Yanlai hesitated. “How about two jars of wine?”

Hongchen’s fur stood on end. “This is the wedding night! Why would I drink that much wine?”

“Then, I will take the medicine.”

Hongchen was silent.

Hongchen looked utterly resigned. Yanlai’s fingertips gently kneaded her collarbone, causing her heartbeat to quicken.

In truth, Yanlai’s ears were completely red. When she reached out to touch them, they felt slightly hot.

Hongchen stared straight at Yanlai, making Yanlai feel even more flustered. As she lowered her gaze, her eyes caught the lustrous glow of Hongchen’s chest, and Yanlai quickly looked up again.

Her ears grew even hotter.

“What do you mean by looking down and then looking up? Are you dissatisfied with my figure?” Hongchen was unhappy with her behavior.

Yanlai was at a loss. Not only did she have nowhere to put her hands, but her eyes did not know where to look. She looked left and right, and finally, her gaze landed back on Hongchen.

She said, “Stop talking. I, I, I am a little scared.”

Hongchen laughed. “Why were you not scared when you were taking off my clothes just now?”

“That was done in one breath. You interrupted me halfway, and my courage dissipated.”

“If it is gone, it is gone. Let me sleep for a while; you can play by yourself.” Hongchen was backing out. She was also very sleepy and felt like sleeping for a bit.

Yanlai refused and grabbed both her hands. “No, you cannot sleep.”

Hongchen was forced to open her eyes. Yanlai was extremely nervous; she leaned down and kissed Hongchen’s squinting eyes.

Never mind everything else; she would kiss first and talk later.

Yanlai’s breathing was heavy. She reached out to undo Hongchen’s hair. As the long hair cascaded down, Hongchen hurried to grab her wrist. This time, Yanlai seemed to have a sudden epiphany and pinned her wrist back instead.

Hongchen was silent.

In the next moment, Yanlai flicked her sleeve and extinguished all the lights in the room. A black cloth was draped over the night-luminescent pearl to hide its glow.

In an instant, everything was plunged into darkness. Yanlai was very tense, and Hongchen’s tongue remained sharp. “I want to sleep. You cannot do this; this requires talent.”

Yanlai, unable to take it anymore, covered Hongchen’s lips. A heated kiss landed near her ear.

The lingering affection moved down to her waist.

Gently and slowly.

By the time the light of the night-luminescent pearl shone again, Hongchen had already fallen asleep. Yanlai, however, had no desire to sleep.

Earlier, she had entered Hongchen’s body to check her injuries. Although her meridians were fine, the water-based techniques had left severe damage inside her.

From this, it was clear that the Heavenly Emperor’s cultivation had reached a terrifying level.

Yanlai could not lie still. She waved her hand to summon her clothes. After dressing neatly, she quietly opened the door to find the Young Lords sitting at the entrance playing.

“Shiniang.”

“Shiniang.”

Yanlai nodded and asked Yan Guang, “Is there any news from the Dark Night King?”

“The Heavenly Soldiers are pressing the border, but they have not made a move. However, something happened in the Wilderness,” Yan Guang said solemnly. “The Wilderness was attacked by strange beasts, and the Clan Leader has fallen. The Young Clan Leader, Xuan Ze, has taken over. As far as I know, the Young Clan Leader is only a few thousand years old and lacks experience. Currently, he has submitted to the Nine Heavens.”

Yanlai fell silent. The Qilin, squatting on the ground, said, “Could it be the Nine Heavens’ doing? After the killing, the Young Clan Leader was incompetent, so the Wilderness needed a backer and had to choose the Nine Heavens.”

“Qilin, you are so smart,” Xiao Shi praised with exaggerated flattery.

To the side, Xiao Jiu gave a cold snort. “Flatterer.”

Yanlai said, “I will go to the Wilderness to take a look. Yan Guang, stay here and guard your Master. Have the Demon Physician come and check on her. Qilin, let us go.”

The Qilin jumped up from the ground. “Alright.”

Yanlai led the Qilin away from the Demon Realm.

The Wilderness was already covered in white funeral shrouds. There were many mourners, as all the clans had sent representatives, and the Nine Heavens had even sent troops for protection.

As soon as Yanlai landed, she attracted everyone’s attention. They moved aside, not daring to provoke this High God.

Yanlai led the Qilin and entered the mourning hall openly. Xuan Ze was kneeling before the spirit tablet. Seeing Yanlai, he immediately stood up. He looked behind Yanlai.

Behind the High God was only a young girl; Yan Chen had not come.

Xuan Ze and Yanlai exchanged greetings, and Yanlai stepped forward to offer her respects at the altar. Since the people of the Wilderness treated her with courtesy, she spoke plainly and got straight to the point. “I have come because I wish to investigate the cause of your father’s death.”

Xuan Ze was in low spirits, but he managed to brace himself upon hearing this. “My father was attacked by a strange beast. He pushed me out of harm’s way and set up a barrier himself. Later…”

“Later, my father perished, and the beast escaped.”

Yanlai asked, “Where did you encounter this beast?”

“Right in our backyard,” Xuan Ze replied, hanging his head. “Such things have happened before, and my father had worked with the elders to reinforce the barriers. This time, for some reason, the beast broke through, and it was an exceptionally fierce one.”

“Where exactly was the barrier breached? Could you lead me there to take a look?” Yanlai asked, her voice filled with doubt.

Xuan Ze nodded. After speaking with his clansmen for a moment, he turned to lead Yanlai toward the backyard.

The Wilderness was unlike ordinary places. Located in a desert, it was covered in yellow sand. The residential areas were protected by barriers that ordinary beasts dared not approach, though some bold individuals would proactively seek them out for training.

For tens of thousands of years, they had lived in peace. This was the only time a beast had charged into the barrier and caused harm without being provoked.

The backyard had already been tidied up, leaving only faint traces behind. Yanlai took a general look and asked Xuan Ze, “Do you know exactly where the barrier broke? Has it been repaired and reinforced?”

“The elders worked together to reinforce it.”

“Could you tell which type of elemental technique was used to break the barrier?”

Xuan Ze was stunned. “No, we did not. Once we determined it was a beast attack, we did not pay further attention to it.”

The Qilin looked at Xuan Ze as if he were a fool. “The one who harmed people might have been a beast, but the one who destroyed the barrier might not have been. It is possible that someone deliberately broke the barrier to lure the beast in to cause harm.”

Xuan Ze was shocked. “Are you saying someone intentionally harmed my father?”

The Qilin nodded. Yanlai remained silent.

Xuan Ze’s face turned pale. He immediately led Yanlai to the place where the barrier had been destroyed. At the same time, the elders of the Wilderness arrived.

Xuan Ze was unaware that Phoenix Mountain had broken away from the Immortal Race, but the elders knew. Currently, they had submitted to the Nine Heavens, placing them on a path opposite to that of Phoenix Mountain.

The Qilin looked at the aggressive crowd and mocked, “What? Do you want to fight? Even if you all attack at once, you might not be the High God’s match.”

The insult was incredibly sharp.

Yanlai held the Qilin back and exchanged greetings with the group herself. She asked first, “When you all repaired the barrier, did you notice what kind of technique was used to break it?”

The crowd looked at one another in silence. Xuan Ze repeated what the Qilin had just said.

Instantly, the elders retracted their aggressive aura. They had not investigated because they were certain a beast was responsible, so they had not looked further.

The Qilin continued her mockery. “How stupid. Now that the barrier has been repaired, nothing can be seen.”

“There is another way. Find that beast and see if it actually has the ability to break such a barrier. If it does, we can look for other leads,” Yanlai suggested.

The barrier of the Wilderness was the collective effort of several ancestors and had been reinforced through generations. It had stood peacefully for so many years. Why was it suddenly broken now, resulting in the death of the Clan Leader?

The implications were hard to ignore. If there were traces of human interference, how could the entire Wilderness remain indifferent?

After Yanlai finished speaking, she looked at Xuan Ze. “You have seen the beast. Follow me to find it. Do you have the courage to go?”

“I do. My father injured that beast. It should be recovering now, which makes it the best time to deal with it.” Xuan Ze found his resolve. When it concerned his father, how could a grown man shrink back?

Yanlai nodded, giving him an encouraging look.

Xuan Ze agreed, but the elders were unwilling and stepped forward to persuade him otherwise.

“The High God has left the Nine Heavens. Why has she come to interfere in the affairs of our Wilderness?”

“Correct. The Wilderness has no friendship with Phoenix Mountain. The High God’s actions are far too suspicious.”

“Clan Leader, you do not know that this High God is entangled with the Demon Lord. You must not trust her blindly.”

Xuan Ze’s expression grew increasingly troubled as the elders lectured him. Yanlai did not argue; she simply kept examining the repaired barrier.

The Qilin could not stand it. She put her hands on her hips and confronted them. “We are trying to be helpful. Whether your Clan Leader died is your business; we just wanted to help clear things up. Your leader died under suspicious circumstances, and it is highly likely he was murdered. Yet here you are, doubting others. Has your common sense been squeezed out of your heads?”

“High God, let us go.” The Qilin grabbed Yanlai to leave.

Xuan Ze panicked. He stopped the Qilin and said to Yanlai, “I am willing to go with the High God. This is what I ought to do. If we truly discover that this involves someone else, the Wilderness will never show mercy.”

Yanlai spoke calmly, “Something happens to you, and the Nine Heavens arrives immediately afterward to convince you to join them. Do you not find that strange?”

“So, the High God is here to sow discord between the Wilderness and the Nine Heavens.”

The Qilin cursed angrily, “You’re full of it!”

“Qilin,” Yanlai called out softly. She then addressed the elder, “I am stating the facts. Whether you listen is up to you. This matter has nothing to do with me. If you believe I have ill intentions, you are free to disbelieve me.”

“I believe you. I will go with the High God,” Xuan Ze shouted. “Elders, guard the mourning hall. We will talk when I return.”

The elders were silenced by his rebuke. Xuan Ze apologized to Yanlai. “Our words were inappropriate just now. I hope the High God will not take offense. Shall we depart immediately?”

The Qilin huffed twice. “At least you are sensible. I’m going too. In a crisis, I run the fastest.”

Xuan Ze looked at her gratefully. Yanlai then led Xuan Ze and the Qilin away from the mourning hall.

Back in the Demon Palace, Hongchen woke up. She rolled over and was shocked to find herself completely naked, with the space beside her empty.

She was annoyed but could not find anyone. She clumsily grabbed the clothes beside her and got dressed.

Hearing movement inside the hall, Yan Guang pushed the door open and entered. “Master, are you awake?”

“Come in,” Hongchen replied cheerfully. She walked to the dressing table, which was covered in jewelry.

Yan Guang approached and said, “Shiniang went to the Wilderness. Their Clan Leader died, and the Young Clan Leader has taken over. Currently, they have officially joined the Nine Heavens.”

“Hmm?” Hongchen turned to look at her youngest disciple. “Their father died, so why did they join the Immortal Race?”

Their father might be dead, but their brains should still be functioning.

Hongchen felt too exhausted to say more. She sighed, rubbed her head, and sat down.

Yan Guang knew what was on her Master’s mind and asked tentatively, “Was last night… successful?”

Still brooding, Hongchen looked up coldly at her disciple’s questioning voice. “Are you questioning your Master?”

“No, no! I am just concerned for you. Shiniang seemed quite well; she did not look uncomfortable at all,” Yan Guang chuckled nervously.

Last time she and her Junior Sister woke up, they were sore all over and felt uncomfortable everywhere. Master and Shiniang were different; it was as if nothing had happened.

Could it be that it was not successful?

Yan Guang showed a look of pity.

Hongchen raised her hand and rapped her disciple’s head. “You are worrying about far too much. Have you finished copying the heart sutras? Are your tasks handled? Since you are so free, go copy the heart sutras another two thousand times.”

“Master, listen to me. I truly am concerned for you. Also, Shiniang went to the Wilderness; are you not worried?”

“Shiniang broke with the Nine Heavens for your sake. Now she is neither immortal nor demon. The people of the Immortal Race will bully her.”

Hongchen did not answer. No one would bully Yanlai. The current High God Yanlai was incredibly formidable. Especially last night—she was formidable beyond belief.

“Master, Master, Master!” Yan Guang called out several more times when she received no response.

Hongchen slapped the table impatiently. Feeling her dignity had been slighted, she grew irritable and roared, “Go copy your heart sutras right now! If you do not leave, how can I leave?”

Yan Guang scurried away in embarrassment.

Hongchen looked at herself in the mirror and stretched her neck slightly.

There were red marks.