I Reborn on the Night I Divorced the Sword Deity, My Childhood Friend - Chapter 37

Ultimately, the light in the Nine Abysses Demon Lord’s eyes dimmed. Just as he was about to speak, Shen Junyu, with a calm expression, discreetly retreated a step to widen the distance between them.

However, Shen Junyu did not avoid him excessively. He maintained a steady grip on the Demon Lord’s hand, and his movements to dispel the lingering sword intent within the Demon Lord’s body did not falter. At that moment, he lowered his eyes imperceptibly and said in a gentle, tranquil tone, “The Demon Lord need not test me with such matters. My service to you is born of simple admiration; I harbor no improper thoughts. Furthermore, both you and I have someone else in our hearts. Why bother with such tests? It only invites unnecessary complications.”

The Nine Abysses Demon Lord was confused. Shen Junyu’s first sentence had ignited a flicker of inexplicable annoyance in the Demon Lord, but the second sentence miraculously smoothed over that nameless fire. After a long silence, the Nine Abysses Demon Lord cast a deep, inscrutable look at Shen Junyu and said tonelessly, “You do not even know who it is that I care for.”

Hearing this hint, which was practically a blatant statement, Shen Junyu finally raised his eyes to meet the Demon Lord’s. Their eyes met. Looking into Shen Junyu’s overly calm and clear glaze-colored eyes, the Demon Lord’s brow twitched. He could not quite grasp the meaning behind that gaze and found it somewhat strange.

Then, he heard Shen Junyu speak in a low voice, “Does the Demon Lord remember the natal divination I performed for you previously?”

A sense of foreboding suddenly rose within the Nine Abysses Demon Lord, but he maintained a facade of indifference. “I remember. What of it?”

Shen Junyu continued, “Actually, there was more to that divination that I did not tell you at the time.”

The Nine Abysses Demon Lord was curious. “Since the Demon Lord is testing me today for the sake of Brother Wen, I have no choice but to speak plainly.”

The Nine Abysses Demon Lord finally could not help himself and frowned. “What extra content?”

Shen Junyu looked at him with a gaze that was pure and peaceful. “There was a guidance in the hexagram stating that the Demon Lord’s beloved was very close to him. At the time, I did indeed harbor suspicions.”

The Nine Abysses Demon Lord remained silent. “And then?” the Demon Lord asked in a heavy voice.

“And then,” Shen Junyu gave a slight, wry smile, “then I calculated that the time the Demon Lord met his beloved was long before you and I ever met. Furthermore, the hexagram showed that both parties harbor feelings for one another. Clearly, this has absolutely nothing to do with this subordinate.”

The Nine Abysses Demon Lord’s expression suddenly became obscure and difficult to read. A chaotic surge of emotions rose and fell within his heart, beyond the power of words to describe. After an unknown amount of time, just as Shen Junyu noticed the Demon Lord’s mood was off, Nine Abysses suddenly asked, “You are the one saying it, that both he and I have feelings for each other?”

Shen Junyu pondered briefly. “The omens cannot be wrong.”

“Fine,” the Nine Abysses Demon Lord said. After uttering that single word, he closed his eyes and returned to his healing, speaking no more.

Shen Junyu felt a slight sense of wonder. However, he was relieved that the Demon Lord had stopped his erratic behavior, and his opinion of the man did not diminish. Having been ill himself, he knew that when a person is vulnerable, they are prone to overthinking and sudden shifts in temperament. He assumed the Demon Lord was simply in a weakened state due to his injuries and was struggling to maintain his usual rational clarity. Thus, Shen Junyu was quite understanding and tolerant.

He continued to treat the Demon Lord for another hour until he, too, began to feel his strength flagging. Gazing at the Demon Lord, whose eyes remained closed in a mask of calm, Shen Junyu’s fingers twitched. He intended to gently release the Demon Lord’s hand to take some medicinal pills to replenish his parched spiritual energy.

Yet, at his slightest movement, the Nine Abysses Demon Lord opened his eyes. His blue-gold pupils gazed at him quietly. Meeting those beautiful eyes, which seemed to hold a trace of resentment and doubt, Shen Junyu paused for a moment and explained patiently, “Do not worry, Demon Lord. I am not leaving. I am merely taking some pills to replenish my spiritual energy.”

He tried to withdraw his hand again. However, the Demon Lord’s long, bony fingers clamped down firmly on his palm, refusing to let him go. Next, the Nine Abysses Demon Lord’s other hand flipped slightly, retrieving several spiritual fruits and medicinal pills from his storage ring and holding them to Shen Junyu’s lips.

Shen Junyu looked at him. The Demon Lord said, “If you truly do not intend to run, then eat.”

Shen Junyu paused, intending to pull his hand away to take the medicine himself. But the Demon Lord continued to hold his hand with a tranquil expression, refusing to let go. Fearing that one of Shen Junyu’s hands might escape, he even added a subtle trace of coercive pressure.

Shen Junyu gave in. Considering that the other man was injured and a change in temperament was inevitable, and given that the Nine Abysses Demon Lord had always been unpredictable, Shen Junyu had grown accustomed to it. He did not force a rejection. Instead, he lowered his eyes and, from the Demon Lord’s hand, ate the spiritual fruits and pills one by one.

The Demon Lord’s hands were beautiful, cold white, with faint blue veins protruding slightly on the back, and long, bony fingers that possessed a masculine, cool strength. However, at times, his movements were somewhat subtle. When Shen Junyu was taking the pills, the Demon Lord, whether intentionally or not, held the pills a bit further back with his fingertips, causing Shen Junyu to nearly bite his fingers several times. Even when he tried to avoid them, he would still inadvertently brush against those cool fingertips.

Shen Junyu found it strange but felt it inappropriate to make an issue out of such a small matter. After all, the Demon Lord had been injured this badly to save him, and they had already cleared the air. It would not do to judge a noble man by the standards of a petty one. He thought this, unaware that if the Nine Abysses Demon Lord heard his thoughts, he would find it hilarious. They were demon cultivators; why talk of petty men and noble ones?

The Demon Lord indeed proved this point through his actions. For instance, when feeding the spiritual fruit, he became even more excessive. The spiritual fruit was larger than the pills, so there was no trouble eating it, but the fruit was juicy. Shen Junyu could not finish it in one bite, and a trace of juice overflowed. Seeing the juice staining Shen Junyu’s thin, reddish lips, the Demon Lord watched for a moment, then naturally curled his finger and wiped it away with his thumb. The thumb, bearing slight calluses, slowly wiped across the moist, soft lips. The sensitivity it brought was incomparable to the previous occasional brushes of the fingertips.

Shen Junyu finally unable to endure it, pulled back slightly and whispered, “That is enough.”

The Demon Lord’s movements paused momentarily, but he quickly withdrew his hand with a face of total indifference. “Very well.”

Shen Junyu hesitated for an instant and glanced at the Demon Lord. Seeing that mask of calm, he remained silent for a moment before suddenly saying, “Forgive my intrusion.”

The Demon Lord lifted an eyelid. “Nothing is an intrusion. Speak your mind.”

Shen Junyu looked quietly at him. “Wen Yu is curious. For someone to be chosen by the Demon Lord, that master’s appearance and character must be exceptional. Could you tell me about him?”

Shen Junyu could say no more than that; he could only leave it at a hint. Hearing this, the Nine Abysses Demon Lord looked at Shen Junyu with deep, obscure eyes and gave a slight smile. He then said candidly, “He is not a master, but he is indeed very good.”

His tone was calm, but Shen Junyu could hear the deep, thick affection embedded within it. Consequently, Shen Junyu’s heart also calmed down, and he simply watched the Demon Lord in silence. Meeting Shen Junyu’s gaze, the Demon Lord was uncharacteristically silent for a moment before saying, “However, some things are not so easily explained with words. I only know that he is good, but if you want me to speak of details, I would not know where to start.”

The atmosphere in the cave suddenly grew quiet. After an unknown amount of time, Shen Junyu had a moment of realization. Finally, he said, “Thank you, Demon Lord. I understand.”

“What do you understand?” the Nine Abysses Demon Lord asked.

Shen Junyu replied, “Sometimes I am always looking for a reason, but in truth, some things require no reason at all.”

Hearing this, a bright light seemed to bloom in the Demon Lord’s eyes. He could not help but start to say, “You,” but Shen Junyu looked at him forthrightly and said, “If in the future, Brother Wen and I are successful, you must attend.”

The words the Nine Abysses Demon Lord was about to say died in his throat. After a long while, a smile of both relief and helplessness traced his handsome features. “Fine. When that time comes, I will certainly be there.”

The news of the Nine Abysses Demon Lord kidnapping Shen Junyu and stealing the Soul Lamp spread across the Central Plains overnight. Even the Demon Realm was filled with whispers of the rumor. Currently, various major sects, following the Sword Sect’s request, began to post bounties for the Nine Abysses Demon Lord and Shen Junyu. However, the bounty explicitly stated that Shen Junyu must not be harmed and must be captured alive.

For a time, there was widespread speculation. People did not believe Yuan Muzhou was being affectionate; instead, they began to wonder if Shen Junyu had taken something vital from the Sword Sect, which was why even a Demon Lord had been mobilized. The Sword Sect did not dare to reveal the truth to the public and could only resort to this method. With this thought in mind, many sects developed selfish motives, secretly thinking that if they captured the pair, they would not hand them over to the Sword Sect immediately. Instead, they would kill them and see if there were any treasures to be found first.

Meanwhile, in the Demon Realm, Bathing Phoenix Mountain was still draped in festive colors. The Demon Lords and Marquises had been drinking and celebrating for days; it was a rare time of merriment. Only the Heavenly Desolation Demon Lord failed to appear today. He was currently sitting in his palace, looking at a thin, secret letter. After finishing it, a cold, sinister smile appeared on his lips.

“Nine Abysses, oh Nine Abysses. I never expected you to capsize in such a shallow ditch. I suppose that boy, the Demon Sovereign, sent you to kill the Sword Sect’s young master? By severing the future root of the Sword Sect, the Central Plains would surely fall into chaos, allowing the Sovereign to seize the opportunity to break through and ascend. Unfortunately, you tried to steal a chicken only to lose the rice. That supreme sword intent from the Sword Sovereign, I imagine you are having a hard time.”

After murmuring this, the Heavenly Desolation Demon Lord narrowed his eyes, as if remembering something. He turned to his attendant and said, “Someone, go and find Huaique for me.”

A demon general immediately left to fulfill the order. Shortly after, Qin Huaique arrived. The Heavenly Desolation Demon Lord sat in thought for a moment before looking at Qin Huaique at the foot of the steps. He gave a rare, gentle smile and asked, “Have you heard about the matter regarding the Nine Abysses Demon Lord?”

Qin Huaique bowed. “I have.”

The Heavenly Desolation Demon Lord nodded. “Good. Then, my son, are you willing to gamble with your father this once?”

Qin Huaique’s eyes flickered. After a silence, he asked, “Does Father intend to intercept the Nine Abysses Demon Lord at the entrance to the Demon Realm?”

The Demon Lord nodded. “Exactly. No one knows me better than my son. He has been struck by the Sword Sovereign’s supreme sword intent. It is unlikely his injuries will heal in the short term, so he will certainly do everything in his power to flee back to the Demon Realm. When that time comes, as long as I block the entrance, even if I cannot kill him myself, those human cultivators from the Central Plains who want him dead will surely not let him go. Once he dies, neither Heaven-Peering nor Cloud-Dream will be a threat anymore.”

Qin Huaique pondered. “Father’s idea is sound. But what if the Sovereign intervenes?”

The Heavenly Desolation Demon Lord smiled slightly. “That would be even better. We have some of our people on the human side as well. If the Demon Sovereign truly dares to help Nine Abysses, we will immediately inform the Sword Sect. The Sovereign’s old injuries have not healed. How could the Sword Sovereign pass up such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? The Demon Sovereign, that old fox, knows this better than any of us. Therefore, as long as he wants to live, he will definitely not step in to save Nine Abysses. And as long as he does not act, Nine Abysses is practically dead.”

Hearing this, Qin Huaique fell completely silent. Although the Heavenly Desolation Demon Lord had been suppressed by Nine Abysses for many years, he had managed to survive this long despite his mediocre talent entirely by relying on these schemes and machinations.

Suddenly, the Demon Lord asked, “My son, have you made up your mind?”

Qin Huaique snapped back to attention and said, “I am willing to go with Father.”

The Heavenly Desolation Demon Lord gave a slight sneer. “Fool, when will you change your blunt nature? I am not asking you to go with me. To block an injured Nine Abysses, I alone am enough.”

Qin Huaique was confused. “Then what does Father mean?”