How to Handle a Sickly Yandere Demon God - Chapter 31

Not really wanting to…

Xiao Hei couldn’t help but want to laugh at her aggrieved expression. “Shall I go by myself?”

“I’ll go…”

Otherwise, it would be unworthy of her status as a powerful cultivator at the Deity Transformation stage, already quite unimpressive as it was.

Xu Xingxing tightened her grip on Xiao Hei’s hand and urged, “Whatever you do, don’t let go. It could be fatal.”

“Got it, got it.” Xiao Hei casually pulled her along without letting her see the smile that had already bloomed at the corner of his lips.

As they moved, the surrounding candlelight grew increasingly bright. Xiao Hei led her to a corner of the room.

There stood only a waist-high vase pedestal, with a shattered vase lying on the floor beside it. Water stains and scattered flower fragments covered the ground, as if it had just been broken.

Xiao Hei’s thumb grew a sharp, pitch-black nail. He lightly traced his fingertip across his index finger, and blood welled up from the pad. Then, he drew a strange symbol on the vase pedestal. As the final stroke was completed, the temperature of the surrounding air plummeted. The room vanished, and the two of them found themselves enveloped in a thick black mist.

Feeling the warmth in her palm, Xu Xingxing’s heart settled slightly.

The surroundings were just as they had been when she first arrived, clusters of black mist made it impossible to see ahead.

Suddenly, weeping sounds emerged, accompanied by the murmurs of women and intermittent screams.

“This is exactly how it was before.” Xu Xingxing shrank her neck. “These sounds are truly chilling.”

“Do you know why these sounds exist?” Xiao Hei curled his lips as he looked at her, as if testing her with a question.

Though timid, she possessed some ability and couldn’t possibly be unaware. “Aren’t they the vengeful spirits of those who died tragically?”

“Then why are these vengeful spirits trapped here?”

Xu Xingxing didn’t know the answer to that and guessed, “Because of this jade house?”

“Not entirely.”

“Earlier, when I was here, something was behind me and even touched my shoulder.”

Recalling that scene, Xu Xingxing shuddered involuntarily. “I was too scared at the time to pay much attention, but thinking back now, what it emitted didn’t feel like Yin energy, it was, ”

“Demonic energy.” Xiao Hei cut her off. “This demon is likely the ice-controlling demon we’ve been searching for.”

“No wonder we couldn’t find it, Zhou Qing actually captured it. But,” Xu Xingxing was somewhat puzzled, “why would he capture a demon for no reason?”

“No reason? It’s not for no reason.” Xiao Hei sneered. “Wolves and tigers thirst for blood, yet their hides can withstand extreme cold. Snakes and scorpions are venomous, yet their bodies can be used as medicine to cure illnesses. Demons may be terrifying and cruel, but they are not entirely useless to humans.”

“So, the use of this demon is to create the malevolent spirits outside?”

“Unknown.” Xiao Hei suddenly fixed his gaze on a spot in the black mist and gave a faint smile. “But we can ask it ourselves.”

A burst of crimson flames erupted from the two of them, spreading outward like a tidal wave from the center. Wherever it passed, the black mist was dispelled, instantly revealing the entire area.

At that moment, a woman stood silently in front of them at an angle. Her long hair piled in layers on the ground, she wore only a thin white garment, her eyes entirely black, tilting her head as she watched them.

Xu Xingxing’s gaze swept over the woman’s hands, and understanding dawned on her, they had truly encountered an acquaintance.

To be honest, after seeing so many fierce ghosts, this demon’s face wasn’t all that terrifying, it even looked a bit pitiful. Thinking about how scared she had been earlier, Xu Xingxing felt a rare twinge of embarrassment.

“Hmm? Called for backup?” the demon slowly spoke, revealing pitch-black teeth. “Unnecessary. Even if it were just you alone, I’d still be no match for you.”

The room was very dark; even after dispersing the black mist, visibility remained poor. Yet, at that moment, Xu Xingxing could clearly see profound disdain in the demon’s pure black pupils.

How humiliating…

Xu Xingxing let out an awkward laugh and said, “Then why did you deliberately scare me?”

“It’s just that even the souls amusing me managed to frighten you so badly, which made me curious.” The demon raised a hand to fiddle with her nails. “Besides, a cultivator’s fear is nourishing medicine for a demon. The more I scare you, the stronger I become. Why wouldn’t I take advantage of that?”

Xu Xingxing was left speechless. What had she done wrong, having grown up under the red flag and nurtured by the spring breeze? She was just a child raised under the protection of socialist motherland, what was wrong with being a little scared?

But she took the demon’s words to heart and began seriously reflecting on herself.

She had only found three spirit beasts so far, and there would undoubtedly be more frightening encounters ahead. How could she continue with such poor mental resilience? Right now, she had Xiao Hei by her side, but he couldn’t stay with her forever.

As these thoughts crossed her mind, her mood instantly sank.

Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at Xiao Hei, sniffled, and quietly loosened her grip on his hand.

Noticing this, Xiao Hei frowned slightly. The demon’s body suddenly burst into flames, letting out a sharp cry before turning and vanishing into the encroaching black mist.

Before the two could give chase, dozens of fierce ghosts shot out from the mist, their faces skeletal, claws sharp, and teeth bared, howling as they lunged forward.

Just as Xiao Hei was about to strike, Xu Xingxing stepped in front of him. “I’ll handle this.”

She formed a hand seal over her chest, silently reciting an incantation. As the spell took effect, her eyes snapped wide open, and the swarming ghosts froze in an instant.

Xiao Hei’s left hand, suddenly feeling empty, clenched slightly in discomfort. He murmured softly, “You don’t have to do this.”

“I can’t always rely on you. I need to grow stronger too. Even that demon was mocking me earlier.”

Xu Xingxing sighed and said, “If I had been braver just now, we could have saved more time. There are too many fierce ghosts outside, and Kunlun only sent a dozen or so people. They’re waiting for us to rescue them, I shouldn’t waste any more time.”

Without waiting for Xiao Hei’s response, she mimicked his earlier action, igniting flames to disperse the black mist once more, then strode toward where the demon was hiding.

See? She could do it too.

She was capable of defeating fierce ghosts and sensing demonic energy. It was only fear that had dulled her senses, making a powerhouse like her appear as weak as a novice.

She had let down Xu Xing’er’s diligent training and the realm upgrades the system had secretly granted her. She had disgraced everyone…

She bowed deeply in her heart with sincere apology.

After walking a few steps, she saw the demon curled up on the ground, its charred flesh festering and oozing pus, trembling as it hugged its legs.

Xu Xingxing crouched a short distance away and asked, “Why did Zhou Qing capture you and bring you here?”

The demon let out a chilling laugh that echoed through the void. Hatred filled its eyes as it spat, “You cultivators are all hypocrites! If you want to kill me, just do it. Why waste words?”

“Do you know Rong Jun?”

“Who? That Taoist had me extract so many human souls, how could I possibly remember every name?”

“Extract human souls?” Xu Xingxing seized the keyword. “So Zhou Qing had you pull out the souls of living people?”

“And what if he did?”

The demon sneered coldly, “At first, it was just one person, but then more and more. He even used my demon blood to soak those already resentment-filled souls, refining them into fierce ghosts. Claimed it was for saving the world. Hah! No matter how terrifying we demons are, we’re nothing compared to the tricks you humans come up with. Trying to create an army of fierce ghosts? Utterly ridiculous!”

“Can you still return the souls to their bodies?”

“Return them? Are you naive or just stupid?” The demon glanced at the frozen fierce ghosts. “I’ve already devoured these ghosts’ bodies. What’s there to return?”

“What if the body still exists? There’s an innocent woman whose body is currently occupied by another soul. Can she still be revived?”

“Hmm? That escaped ghost?” The demon suddenly let out a sinister chuckle. “I should thank her, actually. If not for her, that damned Taoist wouldn’t have left me with that snake for a night. The snake’s flesh was incredibly sweet, it greatly restored my body, weakened from excessive bloodletting.”

After speaking, it extended a black tongue to lick its lips.

Xu Xingxing frowned, recalling the appearance of the Underworld Snake and the pool full of ice shards, unable to suppress her heartache.

Xiao Hei sensed the woman’s emotions and immediately grew irritated. With a mere thought, flames once again enveloped the demon, which had nowhere to hide and could only let out helpless screams.

“Xiao Hei, wait.” Xu Xingxing tugged at the sleeve of the person standing beside her, soothingly saying, “Let me finish asking.”

Upon hearing Xu Xingxing’s words, the demon suddenly froze, as if forgetting the pain wracking its body. It turned its neck and looked at Xiao Hei with disbelief, even ceasing its struggles.

The flames around the demon dissipated at Xu Xingxing’s command, revealing that it had lost its human form entirely, hairless, leaving only a tattered flesh shell. It muttered to itself, and the next moment, it knelt before Xiao Hei in a display of extreme reverence.

Xu Xingxing was very puzzled, but pressed for time, she continued asking, “Can that woman’s soul truly be returned to her body?”

“Yes. Honored Immortal Lord, you may call me Ji Chan.” Ji Chan suddenly became serious, though her eyes remained fixed on Xiao Hei. “I am a demon by nature; extracting souls was for my own consumption, so I never learned how to return them. However, that woman’s soul has been separated from her body for less than a month. If a powerful cultivator from Kunlun nourishes it with spiritual energy, there might still be a chance for her revival. But… her tongue was torn out. Even if revived, she likely won’t be able to speak.”

“Her memories are damaged. Is there any way to restore them?” Xu Xingxing watched Ji Chan’s earnest response, feeling quite uncomfortable. Following her gaze to Xiao Hei, she saw him similarly frowning, clearly impatient.

“I don’t know. That was Zhou Qing’s doing. Souls with lost memories are easier to refine successfully.”

“Have you ever seen this cultivator?” Xu Xingxing described the appearance of Wu Sheng as told to her by Fang Zhiming. “He chased after you but didn’t catch up and went missing.”

Ji Chan appeared to ponder, then shook her head. “I think I know who you’re referring to. There were two of them chasing me. I was focused on escaping and didn’t pay much attention to them.”

“Do you know about the formation on the back mountain of Qingzhou?”

“What formation?” Ji Chan seemed bewildered. “I don’t know anything about that.”

Seeing that nothing more could be learned, Xu Xingxing said, “Then I want you to extract that soul from Rongjun’s body.”

“Zhou Qing said that after death, if a soul does not return to the underworld, it will dissipate. That’s why she needs the serpent to reshape her soul. Moreover, a mere mortal forcibly borrowing another’s body is an unnatural act. Even if I don’t extract it, if she doesn’t receive nourishment from fresh blood today, she will disperse on her own.”

After answering, Ji Chan suddenly bowed solemnly to Xu Xingxing and said, “I have a request to make of you, Immortal Lord.”

“What is it?”

“I have been living a life worse than death in this place. Your arrival here is the perfect opportunity to help me find release. I know my sins are grave and do not seek your forgiveness. I only ask… I only ask…”

“Ask what?”

“I ask that the… man beside you… be the one to carry it out.” Ji Chan’s head struck the ground with dull thuds, and before long, the floor was smeared with sticky traces of blood and flesh.

Xu Xingxing glanced at Xiao Hei and hesitated, “Uh, what should we do?”

Xiao Hei looked at Ji Chan for a moment, then broke into a smile, radiating innocence. “Alright.”

He spread his fingers and aimed them at Ji Chan, who was still prostrate on the ground, trembling violently as tears streamed down her face.

Xu Xingxing, assuming it was out of fear, couldn’t bear to watch and turned her face away.

Only Ji Chan herself knew, and perhaps her god could sense it too, that what filled her lowly demon heart at that moment was an overwhelming, all-encompassing ecstasy.

To die by the hand of a god, what an unparalleled honor! The gates of the god’s memories will be opened by me, my withered bones will lie beneath the god’s throne, millions of demons will kneel to welcome our god’s return, and the three realms will bow at the feet of our god!

The Demon God is about to descend once more, and the demon race will once again stand atop the three realms!