How to Handle a Sickly Yandere Demon God - Chapter 24

The people waiting to be purchased quickly arranged themselves in neat rows on both sides of the road, kneeling as they awaited inspection by the Zhou residence. The previously noisy slave market instantly fell into deep silence, with everyone craning their necks eagerly, their faces full of anticipation as they watched the selecting man.

The man took the paper umbrella from a servant beside him and strolled leisurely down the center of the road, his demeanor elegant as if he were admiring flowers in a courtyard.

When he saw someone suitable, he would casually point. Those chosen would beam with ecstasy, immediately kowtowing to express their gratitude, but the man seemed not to notice, his steps never faltering.

Seeing that he was finally approaching her, Xu Xingxing quickly got into character, her expression pleading, eyes brimming with entreaty and even glistening with tears. Don’t ask, her thigh still ached from earlier.

The man’s pace was unhurried, step by step, until he arrived. Then he passed right by her and continued forward…

??

Xu Xingxing shot a glance at Lin Yue, whose acting skills were mediocre, and asked with her eyes: Did we make ourselves too ugly?

Lin Yue seemed to grasp her meaning. Watching the Zhou residence man walk farther away, her eyes filled with both anxiety and self-blame.

Xu Xingxing shook her head to reassure her. How could she blame her?

Given the urgency of the situation, they had only managed to learn that the Zhou residence had been coming to this slave market daily for the past month to purchase servants. There had been no mention of them caring about appearances.

What to do??

Just as Xu Xingxing estimated that he would soon be too far for her to grab his leg, her actions outpaced her thoughts. Before she knew it, she had thrown herself to the ground and wrapped her arms around the man’s ankle.

The man paused slightly, tilting his head to the side. His amber eyes were icy cold:

“Do you have a death wish?”

That was impulsive…

Xu Xingxing hurriedly released her grip and straightened her kneeling posture. The impact of her lunge had made her knees ache sharply, so her tears flowed naturally:

“I beg your forgiveness, sir. My father is gravely ill, and I have no other options. If I don’t bring money home today, I fear he won’t survive the night. I am willing to work like an ox or a horse, if only you would take me into your household and allow me to earn a sale price to treat my father’s illness.”

The man remained silent, his face obscured beneath the umbrella, making it hard to discern his expression. A servant nearby shooed her away:

“Shoo, shoo! Our master is compassionate and has set up a porridge kitchen daily to aid the common people. Life, aging, sickness, and death are the natural course of human existence, even our master, as benevolent as he is, cannot intervene in such matters. Before Lord Zhou loses his temper, you’d best scram!”

Lord Zhou? The itinerant cultivator at the Transformation Realm that Zhang Long had mentioned, Zhou Qing?

But Qi Rongli had said that it was his disciples who came early in the morning to buy slaves. Why had he come in person today?

If only she hadn’t deliberately suppressed her spiritual power, otherwise, she could have gauged his cultivation level to guess his identity.

Xu Xingxing kept her doubts to herself, instead weeping even more pitifully: “Everyone in Qingzhou City knows of Lord Zhou’s benevolent heart. I beg you, Immortal Lord, to take pity on me and accept me into your service. I will never forget your great kindness. I would not only work like an ox or a horse, I would even give my life if you asked!”

“Hey, you woman, why are you so ungrateful-”

Zhou Qing raised his arm slightly, and the servant immediately fell silent. He turned leisurely, the hem of his dark blue robe tracing an arc in the snow. Before Xu Xingxing could lift her head, a pair of cold fingers lifted her chin.

Zhou Qing had delicate phoenix eyes, his amber gaze half-lidded. Holding the paper umbrella, he bent down slightly and examined her face carefully: “Even if I asked for your life?”

“I would not hesitate to give it?”

Xu Xingxing quickly nodded. Zhou Qing let out a light laugh, stood up, and said to the servant beside him, “Keep her.”

He then glanced sideways at Lin Yue. “Together?”

Xu Xingxing was somewhat surprised but answered honestly, “Yes, she-”

“Keep her too.”

With that, Zhou Qing turned and walked forward, his paper umbrella scattering a layer of fine snow as he moved.

Seeing this method work, others nearby grew restless and eager to step forward and recommend themselves. The guards, who had been standing quietly on either side of the Zhou family’s carriage, swiftly moved in front of the crowd, drawing their swords in unison.

The lead guard barked sternly, “The Immortal Lord dislikes noise! Silence!”

After selecting a few more women, Zhou Qing boarded the carriage. Xu Xingxing and Lin Yue followed behind the carriage as they returned to the Zhou residence.

Upon arriving at the Zhou estate, they were greeted by the head maid Xu Xingxing had encountered that night.

The maid stood before them and briefly explained the rules of the Zhou residence. She added, “The Madam dislikes those who are unclean. You must bathe and change your clothes before you can formally meet her. After that, your specific duties will be assigned by the Madam.”

Once everyone acknowledged her words, the maid led them to the bathing area. After walking several dozen meters, Xu Xingxing realized they were heading toward the inner residence.

She wondered if the communication talisman would work within the barrier. Ever since parting from Zhou Qing, she had been silently calling out to Xiao Hei in her mind, but even as they approached the barrier, she had yet to succeed.

She recalled Qi Rongli asking her yesterday whether the two of them could communicate over long distances.

She had shaken her head, indicating she couldn’t.

Xu Xingxing was aware of this technique. Yue Baiyin had once mentioned that the closer a master was to their spirit beast, the deeper their heart-pulse bond would become. At the very least, they could hear each other’s thoughts from a thousand miles away; with a deeper bond, they could even share techniques.

Although her relationship with Xiao Hei had improved slightly since the beginning, it likely hadn’t reached the level they described.

She had tried both last night and this morning, but both attempts ended in failure. Though she was still making an effort now, she no longer cared much about it in her heart.

Zhou Qing was at the Nascent Soul Transformation stage, and so was she. If it came to a fight, she might not necessarily lose. Moreover, Xiao Hei and the others were probably waiting outside, ready for her to send word.

As her thoughts wandered, the inner residence came into view. She looked up and saw a transparent barrier stretched across the sky, one that ordinary people couldn’t see.

It was daytime, nearing noon. The gate to the inner residence stood open, with several sword-carrying rogue cultivators standing guard on either side.

Led by the maid, the newly purchased slaves slowly entered the courtyard under the watchful eyes of the rogue cultivators. After the last slave stepped inside, the gate closed behind them with a heavy, dull thud.

Xu Xingxing began to survey her surroundings. There weren’t many plants, but those that were there were neatly trimmed. It wasn’t as gloomy and eerie as she had imagined, but neither was it as opulent as the outer residence. Instead, it gave off a sense of simplicity and grandeur.

The maid led them through several winding corridors, passing by multiple identical courtyards. After about half an hour, they finally stopped before a structure that could only be described as magnificent.

In Qingzhou, buildings like the Qi residence were mostly poetic and elegant. But this structure was tall and spacious, appearing from the outside like a grand hall capable of accommodating thousands.

Xu Xingxing marveled inwardly: the Zhou family was truly wealthy.

Upon entering the building, she discovered it wasn’t a single hall. Instead, it was a maze of countless corridors and an abundance of rooms, tangled and chaotic.

Before long, Xu Xingxing began to feel lost. Staring at corridors that seemed familiar, as if she had passed through them multiple times already, she could no longer distinguish which direction lay ahead.

After winding around for what felt like an eternity, they finally came to a stop. The door was pushed open, revealing a sizable hot spring. The maidservant led them inside and said, “Wash yourselves clean and change into the clothes over there. I’ll come back in half an hour to take you to the dining hall.”

With that, she clapped her hands, and several older women entered from outside. The maidservant introduced them, “These are the matrons who will assist you with washing. The mistress despises filth, so you’d best scrub yourselves thoroughly.”

Then she left on her own, carefully closing the door behind her. Xu Xingxing noticed a faint glow seeping through the door crack, likely a spell cast by the maidservant.

Once the maidservant was gone, the matrons began urging everyone into the water. The other women hesitated briefly before starting to undress. Xu Xingxing and Lin Yue exchanged a glance and simultaneously covered their noses and mouths.

A faint fragrance emanated from Lin Yue’s palm, quickly filling the entire room. Seeing the two of them standing still, one of the matrons stepped forward to scold them, “What are you two dawdling for-”

Before she could finish her sentence, she collapsed to the ground with a thud. The others stared in shock, but before they could scream, a second and then a third matron fell. In no time, everyone except Xu Xingxing and Lin Yue lay unconscious on the floor.

Xu Xingxing scanned the room. Finding no windows, she walked to the door to examine the locking spell. It wasn’t particularly complex. She condensed a thin layer of ice in her hand and slid it along the door crack, slicing through the spell.

“The communication talisman really is useless here,” Lin Yue remarked from the side.

“No matter. Let’s investigate first,” Xu Xingxing replied, pushing the door open and stepping out, gesturing for Lin Yue to follow.

“Senior Sister, smell this medicine,” Lin Yue handed over an exquisite porcelain vial. “I secretly released a colorless smoke on our way here. If you smell this, it will help us trace our path back.”

Xu Xingxing took the vial and held it under her nose, closing her eyes briefly. When she opened them, a faint trail of smoke materialized in the corridor, winding its way forward.

“Yueyue, you’re amazing!” Far more capable than that useless black dog!

Lin Yue smiled shyly. The two of them began searching the hall.

Xu Xingxing noticed that the quietly closed doors around them seemed to be imprisoning something. She tried opening a few but found them all locked. Probing with her spiritual sense yielded no results either. Not wanting to waste time, she expanded her spiritual sense outward.

Suddenly, her breath hitched. She had finally detected something unusual in one part of the building.

However, likely due to external interference, her perception was limited. She and Lin Yue headed toward that location.

Guided by her spiritual sense, they soon stood before a door. Xu Xingxing pushed it open to reveal an expansive room. The walls were made of stone and covered in a thin layer of frost. In the center was an enormous pool, its surface layered with shattered ice fragments. Crimson water churned from the center outward, sloshing against the stone walls with a viscous, wet sound.

Xu Xingxing stepped closer to examine the water. “What is this?”

What?

The bloody water in the pool suddenly began to boil, the grinding of ice fragments growing louder. The harsh clanking of chains echoed from the depths. In an instant, a blood-red figure burst forth from the water with a piercing shriek. Xu Xingxing’s mind and body trembled, her ears ringing, yet she made no move to evade, allowing the bloody water and ice shards to crash against her.

Almost simultaneously, the mechanical voice of the Hundred Beasts Tome echoed in her mind:

[Congratulations, host, for discovering the spirit beast: Nine Underworld Serpent.]

[Beast Coins have been issued. Please check your inventory.]

This… is the Nine Underworld Serpent?

The page from the Bestiary appeared in her mind: Connects to the netherworld, molds souls, with small horns on its head, an ink-green serpentine body, and a form that can shift in size.

The blood splattered on her face was chillingly cold, yet the tears in her eyes burned fiercely.

Arm-thick iron chains pierced through its body, tangled and intertwined, as blood flowed along the chains into the blood pool, dripping onto the ice.

An ink-green serpentine body, so why was it now drenched in crimson, flesh torn and broken?

Where was its serpent skin?

“Senior Sister!”

Lin Yue suddenly called out to her in a sharp, urgent tone.

Xu Xingxing snapped back to reality, hurriedly wiping her tears as she turned to look behind her.

But in the moment she turned, Lin Yue gave her a light push against her chest. Caught completely off guard, she stumbled backward, falling toward the blood pool.

The scene before her seemed to slow.

She saw Lin Yue standing at the edge of the pool, a strange gleam flickering in her eyes.

She saw a figure emerge from behind Lin Yue, watching calmly as she fell backward.

It was Zhou Qing.