Queen of Ten Thousand Demons Insists on Marrying Me - Chapter 4

The morning breeze blew gently. After a night of the beast tide, the sky had begun to lighten with the pale glow of dawn. The tall, slender Tántái Jǐng walked down the broken, messy street, her whip swaying with her movements. She should have been a beautiful sight, but Lù Xiǎoxiǎo felt a cold dread in her heart.

She muttered under her breath as she followed: “Demoness, absolutely a demoness. Cruel, disgusting, and outrageous means.” The thought of the disgust made her dry-heave again.

The person ahead suddenly stopped and said: “Do you know the difference between the Demon Race and the Human Race?”

Lù Xiǎoxiǎo involuntarily shivered when Tántái Jǐng abruptly halted: “I don’t know, Beautiful Elder Sister. But I see that you are beautiful, so I suppose your relatives are probably similar.” She couldn’t figure out what the demoness was thinking. Since her life was in Tántái Jǐng’s hands, flattery was her first priority.

Tántái Jǐng circled her, staring: “The advantage of our Demon Race is that our sense of smell and hearing are very sensitive. I smell a milky fragrance on you, just like a newborn baby.” Then she abruptly changed the subject: “Also, we demons tend to use cruel methods and outrageous conduct, which you should know very clearly.”

As Tántái Jǐng circled her, a layer of goosebumps rose on Lù Xiǎoxiǎo’s body, but she forced a smile and said: “Ha… haha, Beautiful Elder Sister, you are so humorous. I haven’t showered in days; how could I be fragrant?”

Tántái Jǐng let out a string of melodious laughter and continued walking toward the Yue Lai Inn. Lù Xiǎoxiǎo secretly raised her arm and sniffed herself, wondering if she should eat more garlic in the future. Then she decided against it, realizing that would just be adding seasoning for Tántái Jǐng.

As they passed a crossroads, the two ran into Lù Wǎnbái, who had come to fetch Lù Xiǎoxiǎo. Lù Wǎnbái heard Tántái Jǐng’s laughter from a distance and was slightly surprised.

She thought to herself: Daoist Tántái is always so serious whenever I see her, and Xiaoxiao used to be like a quiet gourd. I wonder what they are talking about to be so happy. Could these two be kindred spirits?

After greeting each other, they all returned to the inn. Fortunately, with cultivators holding the fort, the beast tide had not reached this area. To thank the cultivators, the owner had prepared breakfast in advance, and a few tables were already sparsely occupied in the hall.

Before Tántái Jǐng could sit down, Lù Xiǎoxiǎo quickly stepped forward with keen foresight, wiped the stool with her sleeve, and then smiled widely while pointing with both hands, gesturing for Tántái Jǐng to sit. She was just short of asking for a five-star review after Tántái Jǐng sat down.

Tántái Jǐng showed a slightly embarrassed expression and said: “Thank you, Daoist Xiǎoxiǎo.”

Lù Wǎnbái watched dumbfounded as Lù Xiǎoxiǎo returned a smile to Tántái Jǐng and casually took her seat.

She strode to the door and looked up at the sky. That’s right, she thought, the sun is not rising from the west.

Even she, slow to catch on, felt that something was amiss. Could it be… could it be that Junior Sister likes Tántái Jǐng??? However, it wasn’t strange for Junior Sister to fall for Tántái Jǐng. Tántái Jǐng was excellent in looks, cultivation, and character, truly a rare and good Daoist companion. It’s just that Junior Sister has lost all her spiritual power and become much more timid. Such a radiant person as Daoist Tántái might not fancy someone as weak as her. But Master always said that everyone has their preference, so maybe Daoist Tántái might just like someone gentle and weak like Junior Sister.

With this in mind, Lù Wǎnbái decided to nudge things along: “Daoist Tántái, to be honest, Xiǎoxiǎo and I are looking to join a sect. We have long admired the great reputation of the Sunset Palace. I wonder if Daoist Tántái could help introduce us to the Sunset Palace.”

Tántái Jǐng: “Daoist Lù has long held the top position on the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends Ranking. Breaking through to the Golden Core stage is only a matter of time. As long as Daoist Lù has the intention to join another sect, all the Immortal Sects will extend an olive branch and offer the best resources. The Sunset Palace will surely place great importance on a talent like Daoist Lù.”

Lù Wǎnbái: “I am clumsy and dare not take such praise. The results I have achieved today are merely due to diligent cultivation and not daring to slack off. I cannot compare to the exceptional talent of Daoist Tántái… If we are to talk about the person with the best innate talent today, it must still be Daoist Tántái…”

After chatting for the duration of breakfast, Lù Wǎnbái grew increasingly fond of Tántái Jǐng and the Sunset Palace, and she immediately decided to switch her allegiance to the Sunset Palace.

It is said that the Palace Master of the Sunset Palace, Wàn Xuānyér (Wan Xuan’er), has extraordinary cultivation and harbors a deep hatred for the Demon Race. Since she became the Palace Master, few demons have escaped her grasp, and the palace even has a Demon Locking Tower, specifically for imprisoning the great demons she captures. The demons locked in that tower must endure burning by fire every noon and suffer the torment of an icy hell every midnight. Not a single demon has escaped in thousands of years.

This truly makes any demon’s bones turn to jelly with fear. So, how is it that Tántái Jǐng can remain perfectly composed and even go undercover into the Sunset Palace?

Lù Xiǎoxiǎo felt she had stumbled upon an incredible secret.

It must be that Tántái Jǐng’s Great King is imprisoned inside! She and her Great King are deeply in love!

Lù Xiǎoxiǎo, whose entire youth had been corrupted by romance novels, now only had the image of the Buddhist monk Fǎ Hǎi not understanding love. Tántái Jǐng’s lover was locked in the Demon Locking Tower. Tántái Jǐng, heartbroken, concealed her identity and infiltrated the Sunset Palace to rescue her lover from the tower—how moving! Wait, why does that make Tántái Jǐng sound like a tragic hero? That’s not right. Tántái Jǐng is insidious, cunning, and ruthless. How good could the person she loves be? He must also be a monstrous villain who was imprisoned by Palace Master Wàn for breaking the law. Tántái Jǐng, unrepentant, is trying to help her lover escape from prison!

Ah, the logic is clear now.

Since the Sunset Palace is a place that cannot tolerate demons, I can find a way to lock Tántái Jǐng in the Demon Locking Tower too and force her to give me the antidote, right? Although this is an act of repaying kindness with enmity, she did try to kill me, didn’t she? Worst case, I can find a way to rescue her later. If I really can’t save her, I can pull some strings to let her and her lover share a cell. That would still fulfill her wish, wouldn’t it? Serving jail time together is still being together.

Lù Xiǎoxiǎo, believing she had grasped the crucial clue, slapped her thigh and began to laugh heartily. Her laughter grew increasingly wild and uncontrollable.

Lù Wǎnbái felt Lù Xiǎoxiǎo’s forehead: “She’s not hot, Xiaoxiao. When we arrive at the Sunset Palace, I will take you to see the best physician to treat you and detoxify you. Even though the Profound Heaven Sword Sect is gone, I am still here. Don’t be too sad.”

Tántái Jǐng looked at Lù Xiǎoxiǎo meaningfully: “Madness cannot be cured.”

After eating their fill, the three planned to redeem Lù Xiǎoxiǎo’s Chaoyuan Sword before rushing to the Sunset Palace. When they went to redeem the sword, they were informed that the Chaoyuan Sword was missing. Only after meeting Lù Wǎnbái did Lù Xiǎoxiǎo realize that the Chaoyuan Sword was a spiritual sword passed down since the founding of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect. It contained a sword spirit and was a rare, high-grade spiritual artifact. This made her heart ache. She had only sold the peerless spiritual sword for a thousand coins—a huge loss. She felt a little better only when Lù Wǎnbái explained that the Chaoyuan Sword was spiritual, had already chosen its master, and would eventually come back to her if not controlled by someone else.

Jing’an Town was several days’ journey from the Sunset Palace. Since the hour was getting late, the three decided to find a carriage to rush to the Sunset Palace first. They would worry about the whereabouts of the Chaoyuan Sword after they settled in.

A crisp “snap” sound.

A carriage sped rapidly along the official road, with the towering trees on both sides quickly receding. Lù Wǎnbái sat with her knees bent on the carriage’s edge, driving the carriage. Inside the compartment, two exquisite beauties sat facing each other. Tántái Jǐng was staring intently at the other person. Lù Xiǎoxiǎo felt completely uncomfortable. Her eyes didn’t know whether to look up or down, and her sitting posture was constantly twisting. She simply couldn’t bear it anymore.

Inside the cramped carriage, the two were speechless. Lù Xiǎoxiǎo cleared her throat twice and said: “Beautiful Elder Sister, what kind of demon are you? You are so beautiful; you couldn’t be a fox spirit, could you?” The moment the words left her mouth, Lù Xiǎoxiǎo regretted it. She wasn’t sure how traditional the people here were; Tántái Jǐng wouldn’t think I was insulting her, would she?

Tántái Jǐng cast a barrier: “Who exactly are you? When did you take possession of Lù Xiǎoxiǎo’s body?”

Lù Xiǎoxiǎo widened her eyes and said: “What are you talking about? I don’t understand what ‘possession’ is.”

Tántái Jǐng leaned forward and pinched Lù Xiǎoxiǎo’s wrist. Lù Xiǎoxiǎo only felt a rush of warmth enter her wrist, travel along her meridians throughout her body, and then gather in her lower abdomen. She felt an indescribable comfort, relieving much of her fatigue from the past few days.

Tántái Jǐng: “Your spiritual power is still intact. Why did you lie to us about being poisoned?”

Lù Xiǎoxiǎo: “It suddenly got better after I finished eating. I haven’t had a chance to tell you the good news yet.”

Tántái Jǐng smiled charmingly: “Then why are you different from the Lù Xiǎoxiǎo I saw at Lu Meng Mountain? The previous you were arrogant and overestimated yourself. Now I see you as glib, full of a vulgar, common air. Don’t tell me you haven’t been possessed.”

Lù Xiǎoxiǎo smiled calmly: “I was in a bad mood that time, so my temper seemed a little poor. I apologize for letting you see that side of me.”

Tántái Jǐng suddenly tossed a book into her arms. Lù Xiǎoxiǎo opened it and saw five characters: “Purple Qi Coming From the East Art.”

“I picked it up in the courtyard that night. I suspect it might be yours. Also, next time, you can just call me by my name.”

Lù Xiǎoxiǎo: “Thank you…”