After Transmigrating and Humiliating the Cold and Glamorous Demon Venerable - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Truly Presumptuous to the Extreme!

The moment Ye Lanqing’s footsteps vanished outside the courtyard, the ball of white fluff in the cage—who had appeared weak and harmless—opened her eyes. Her sapphire-blue eyes held no trace of frailty or lethargy; they were as cold as ice.

She looked down, glancing with some disdain at her paws wrapped in cloth strips. Tilting her head slightly, she gave a gentle tug with her sharp teeth, and the restraints fell away. She spat the scrap of cloth, which reeked of medicinal scents, onto the floor with a look of revulsion, as if she had been touched by something filthy.

With her paws freed, she instinctively kneaded the old padded jacket beneath her. The fabric was coarse, filled with low-quality cotton, and she could feel several hard lumps through the material.

How pathetic.

Her claws slid out, flashing with a cold light. Zhong Xue’s first instinct was to shred this eyesore into pieces. However, the instant before her claws touched the fabric, her movement froze. An image suddenly flashed through her mind—the sight of the little Taoist opening the wardrobe earlier to reveal only a few tattered rags.

Fine. Zhong Xue retracted her claws with some impatience. If she truly shredded it, that stupid and low-cultivation little Taoist would probably freeze to death. Furthermore, if it were destroyed, she would have to sleep on the hard floor again.

With the shackles on her neck gone, Zhong Xue was barely able to turn her head to examine the wound on her hind leg. The movement tugged at injuries across her entire body, forcing an involuntary, suppressed whimper from her throat. Fortunately—fortunately, the little Taoist wasn’t there to hear that sound.

The cursed Soul-Binding Nails not only locked away her cultivation but also shackled her most basic movements. Zhong Xue lowered her head, her pink nose twitching as she carefully sniffed the wound. The “Blood-Stopping and Flesh-Growing Powder” the little Taoist had applied was the lowest grade available to cultivators. Such a thing might be effective for superficial wounds on mortals or unintelligent small beasts, but for her injuries, it was a drop in the bucket.

Her tail, no longer fluffy due to the trauma, flicked twice in irritation.

This tribulation had been an utter failure. Not only had she lost one of her nine fox tails and suffered a massive blow to her vital energy, but more hateful still was the fact that she had been ambushed. Bound by the cursed Soul-Binding Nails, she had fallen to the point of being picked up and toyed with by a little Taoist.

If her rivals in the Demon Realm ever found out she was in this state… Zhong Xue’s gaze grew even colder. The murderous intent in her eyes flashed briefly before being replaced by solemnity. During the time she had been missing, the Demon Realm had undoubtedly fallen into turmoil. Those demons and monsters who surrendered on the surface but harbored hidden agendas—those who had always coveted the throne of the Demon Venerable—were likely already unable to restrain themselves.

She had to recover her demonic power as quickly as possible. But wounded like this… it was easier said than done.

Though the little Taoist had low cultivation, she wasn’t wrong. There were many cultivators on Mount Xuanfeng, and every one of them harbored a deep-seated hatred for demons. In her current state, let alone fighting the gathered cultivators of the Xuanfeng Sect, even if she escaped this courtyard, she wouldn’t survive a chance encounter with any random cultivator. When that time came, her flesh and blood would likely become materials for their alchemy and weapon-forging.

For now, this dilapidated small courtyard had actually become her sanctuary. This realization brought Zhong Xue a sense of profound humiliation, yet she was forced to face reality.

She lay back down, resting her chin on her front paws, her ice-blue eyes gazing through the crack in the window at the grey sky outside. The wind and snow seemed to be growing heavier; she wondered if that useless little Taoist would be able to find any decent food. If the little Taoist died out there, it would certainly not be a good thing for her current situation.

She would observe for a few more days. If the little Taoist’s previous “torture” truly was just a front, she might consider giving the girl a quick and painless death once she recovered. But if the little Taoist had other schemes… she would make sure the girl begged for life and prayed for death.

Zhong Xue closed her eyes and began to cautiously guide the meager demonic power remaining in her body, attempting to strike at the Soul-Binding Nails. The process was agonizingly painful, and after a long time, there was no sign of the nails loosening.

With a creak, the door opened. Zhong Xue immediately withdrew her demonic power and pretended to sleep.

Ye Lanqing pushed the door open, her hands and face red from the cold. She didn’t dare approach the fire immediately, instead continuously rubbing her hands and blowing on them to try and get warm.

Ye Lanqing talked to herself: “Everyone says the places where cultivators live are fairylands, warm in winter and cool in summer. Why is it so cold here?”

Zhong Xue couldn’t help but sneer in her heart. What kind of ‘good place’ could this lot find? This Mount Xuanfeng had a prestigious name, but in terms of spiritual geography, it was far inferior to her own grotto. If this pathetic little Taoist ever saw her grotto, her jaw would surely hit the floor. No, wait—how could a lowly human cultivator be worthy of stepping into the residence of the dignified Demon Venerable?

Seeing the little fox lying in the cage, appearing even weaker, Ye Lanqing took out the oil paper from her bosom. She peeled the two eggs, placed them on the oil paper, and set them in the corner of the cage. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t find any meat. This is all there is for today. Just bear with it; I’ll find a way to get you some meat tomorrow… Don’t turn your nose up at it; eggs are basically chickens, they can provide protein. You’re injured now; protein is exactly what you need most.”

Zhong Xue turned her head away without hesitation, even using her tail to brush away Ye Lanqing’s hand.

As the dignified Demon Venerable, she consumed spirit fruits, drank from clear springs, and inhaled the essence of the sun and moon. Since when did she eat human food? As for “protein,” she had never heard of it. What she needed most right now wasn’t eating this useless junk, but unsealing the Soul-Binding Nails!

Seeing this, Ye Lanqing sighed but didn’t force her. She boiled some water, poured a small bowl, and placed it inside the cage. You can go without food, but you can’t go without water.

Zhong Xue watched Ye Lanqing with cold eyes. Hmph. This little Taoist is back, yet she still won’t let me out of the cage. She truly wants to keep me locked up forever. As expected, these cultivators are the worst.

Ye Lanqing felt that the little fox’s hostility toward her seemed to have deepened, and she felt somewhat helpless. The Demon Venerable clearly didn’t like being in the cage, but Ye Lanqing was truly afraid. If she let her out, the Demon Venerable would surely bite through her throat while she slept. It was tragic enough to arrive here for no reason; she didn’t want to die a violent death.

Ye Lanqing silently gnawed on a hard, cold bun while drinking hot water. She couldn’t bring herself to eat the soft-looking steamed cake, wanting to save it for tomorrow’s breakfast. She had to find meat for the little fox tomorrow; she needed to be full to manage that.

Seeing the little fox huddled in the corner of the cage, Ye Lanqing finally extinguished the oil lamp in the room. Perhaps this Demon Venerable was like the cats and dogs she used to feed—those little guys were shy and wouldn’t eat in front of people, but would feast once everyone was gone.

Ye Lanqing curled up on the hard bed under a thin, lukewarm quilt.

In the silence of the night, Zhong Xue felt the hollowness in her stomach with absolute clarity. She was severely injured, and her body instinctively wanted to acquire energy through eating. The sensation of hunger was somewhat foreign to her, and even a bit frightening. For over two thousand years, she had never felt this way.

She glanced with some disdain at the boiled eggs resting on the oil paper. Poultry products with not a shred of spiritual energy—such things wouldn’t even have caught her eye during her peak. Back when she roamed the realms of demons and monsters, she consumed Vermillion Bird eggs and Phoenix embryos.

But…

The faint aroma lingering at the tip of her nose seemed to be enticing her.

This Venerable simply doesn’t want to be wasteful, Zhong Xue rationalized to herself. If her wounds worsened because of hunger, wouldn’t that just make her enemies happy? It was better to let the injuries heal quickly; why care about such trifles?

After a fierce psychological struggle, Zhong Xue cautiously extended a front paw and hooked the oil paper toward her with her paw pads. Her movements were very light and didn’t disturb the person on the bed.

Zhong Xue lowered her head, her pink nose twitching again. The smell of the eggs was ordinary and not particularly inviting. She hesitated for a moment, but finally opened her mouth and used her sharp teeth to bite into the egg white.

The cold egg was slightly fishy, but when her tongue touched the yolk, her eyes suddenly narrowed. This ordinary boiled egg actually tasted… okay. Her tail wagged unconsciously as she began to eat in large bites.

However, the boiled egg was very dry. Zhong Xue ate too quickly and nearly choked. Fortunately, the little Taoist had a bit of a conscience and had given her a bowl of water. It was the hot water Ye Lanqing had boiled upon her return; having sat in the room with the charcoal fire, it was now lukewarm—just right for drinking.

Her pink tongue lapped up the water. Her parched throat was moistened by the warm water, and Zhong Xue felt a long-lost sense of comfort. She narrowed her eyes again and shook her fur.

One must understand that during the days she was trapped in the courtyard previously, let alone being unable to eat, she didn’t even have clean water. To survive, she could only lick snow-water from the ground. That water was mixed with mud and blood, making it truly difficult to swallow. Now, just having ordinary snow-water boiled hot made Zhong Xue feel it tasted better than nectar.

Zhong Xue ate the two eggs, and the feeling of her stomach being full brought a long-lost sense of satisfaction. When she finished, she licked the corners of her mouth and wiped her face with her paws. Thus, the fox was once again clean and tidy, without a single crumb left on her face.

Having done all this, Zhong Xue glanced at the little Taoist curled up on the bed. Fortunately—fortunately, the little Taoist hadn’t seen that scene.

The next day, Ye Lanqing woke up from the cold. The charcoal in the mud stove had long since burned out, leaving only a tiny bit of residual heat. Ye Lanqing wrapped her padded jacket tightly, got up, and added a few more pieces of charcoal. It still wasn’t warm enough.

She sighed. In the Xuanfeng Sect, there was likely a fixed amount of charcoal that ordinary low-level disciples could receive. At the rate she was using it, it would be gone in two days. She could move around to stay warm, but what if the heavily injured little fox froze?

Oh, right—the little fox.

Ye Lanqing looked at the cage and saw that the two eggs had been eaten completely, and half the bowl of water was gone. She curled her lips into a smile and said to the little fox, “So good, you actually ate it all.”

As soon as those words came out, the little fox began hissing at her again.

After tossing and turning all night, Zhong Xue’s impression of Ye Lanqing had just begun to change, only to be sent into a bristling rage by that single phrase: “So good.”

She was the dignified Demon Venerable; how could this little Taoist use such a tone to speak to her? It was truly presumptuous to the extreme!

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