Queen of Ten Thousand Demons Insists on Marrying Me - Chapter 46

The moon reached the treetops, and the pale moonlight, like fine silver gauze, gently sprinkled down upon a side room in the City Lord’s Mansion. The moonlight outlined the clear contours of the intricate carvings on the window frame.

Inside the room, moonlight and candlelight illuminated each other. The sheer curtains gently swayed with the night wind, and two young women lay closely embraced on the bed.

The thin blanket had long been kicked to the floor by the two of them. The originally neat bedding was wrinkled from their entanglement, and the hems of their black and white robes were interwoven indistinguishably.

Lu Xiaoxiao suddenly felt a sting on her lip, causing her to stop kissing Tantai Jing’s soft lips, breathing heavily.

If she hadn’t lost her sight, she would have seen that Tantai Jing’s lips were already slightly swollen from her fervent attention.

Tantai Jing gently held Lu Xiaoxiao’s shoulders, firmly grasping the hand that sought to wander mischievously beneath her clothes. Her breath was ragged as she said: “Xiaoxiao, wha… what are you doing? You are still injured.”

Lu Xiaoxiao’s hand movements paused. Her face flushed, and she rolled over to sit up. Her hand slipped, her body lost balance, and she tumbled headlong off the bed.

A dull ache shot up her back, causing her to gasp sharply.

Seeing her suddenly fall off the bed, Tantai Jing’s heart tightened. She didn’t even stop to put on her shoes, rushing off the bed to support her shoulders and ask: “Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself when you fell?”

Lu Xiaoxiao was suddenly thankful that she couldn’t see anything right now; otherwise, wouldn’t this be utterly embarrassing? She had just been kissing and immediately lost control and started touching her.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to. I don’t know what came over me…”

Seeing Lu Xiaoxiao’s originally fair face turn crimson, Tantai Jing leaned in, touched her lips again, chuckled softly, and whispered in her ear: “I didn’t say no, but we have to wait until your injury is healed.”

Lu Xiaoxiao, having lost her sight, had heightened touch.

After Tantai Jing finished her suggestive words with a soft laugh, she gently blew a puff of air into Lu Xiaoxiao’s ear.

Lu Xiaoxiao instantly froze in place, utterly still. It was as if ten thousand multicolored fireworks had simultaneously and without warning detonated in her mind—splendid yet chaotic, dazzling, leaving her thoughts a confused mess.

“Xiaoxiao, you’re bleeding from your nose. Stay here; I’ll go find a physician to check on you.”

Tantai Jing feared there was something wrong with the antidote Yan Gengshen had given her. She quickly helped her back onto the bed, wiped her clean with a handkerchief, and was about to leave to find a medical cultivator.

But just as she turned around, Lu Xiaoxiao grabbed her hand, stopping her, and stuttered: “No… I’m fine. Don’t go out and call people in.”

“How can you be fine? You’re bleeding from your nose. The physician said that those poisoned by this venom eventually die from bleeding from the seven orifices.” Tantai Jing waved her hand, trying to leave, but then suddenly remembered something at the door and froze in place.

“You didn’t happen to get a nosebleed just now… because of what we were doing, did you?”

Lu Xiaoxiao pulled the blanket over her head, hiding inside like a quail, her two exposed ears already bright red. Although she didn’t answer Tantai Jing’s question, her actions gave everything away.

Tantai Jing walked back to the bed and looked at the blanket crumpled into a ball.

Tantai Jing lowered her head and covered her mouth, a gentle smile curling on her lips. As the smile built, her shoulders began to tremble slightly.

The quail hiding in the blanket finally couldn’t resist, throwing off the covers and following the sound to embrace the person who was mocking her.

“Stop laughing. I know I’m pathetic.”

Tantai Jing slowly stopped shaking and suppressed her laughter.

After a moment, she still couldn’t help but ask: “But you didn’t see anything. It was just that… and you… What exactly are you thinking about?”

Lu Xiaoxiao climbed up Tantai Jing’s waist and covered her mouth: “Don’t say it, don’t say it! If you keep this up, I won’t talk to you anymore.”

Seeing Lu Xiaoxiao’s face, which was about to fully ripen, and remembering her injury was not yet healed, Tantai Jing stopped teasing her.

“You must be exhausted today. Go to sleep.”

With that, the two lay down side-by-side. Perhaps because the day had been so eventful and Lu Xiaoxiao was severely injured, she quickly and peacefully drifted off to sleep.

Watching Lu Xiaoxiao’s breathing slowly steady, Tantai Jing took her hand and slowly channeled her Fire-attribute spiritual energy into Lu Xiaoxiao’s body, carefully traversing her delicate meridians.

Only after the spiritual energy had completed one full cycle within the meridians did she withdraw it. She gently tucked the blanket around the sleeping Lu Xiaoxiao, then softly lay down, turning to face her.

After a while, she placed her hand back in Lu Xiaoxiao’s palm, afraid that Lu Xiaoxiao, being blind, would wake up and feel anxious if she found herself alone. Only then did she feel secure enough to close her eyes and rest.

The next morning, Lu Xiaoxiao opened her eyes and realized the area before her was pitch black. It took her a while to accept the fact that she was now blind, and a wave of melancholy washed over her.

However, feeling the warmth in her palm and the familiar scent of sandalwood beside her, her heart felt warm and safe.

“Did you wake up? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?” Tantai Jing’s lazy, low voice came from beside her.

Lu Xiaoxiao wrapped her arms around Tantai Jing’s waist, greedily inhaling her scent: “I don’t feel uncomfortable; I just feel like I miss you very, very much.”

Tantai Jing was startled, allowing Lu Xiaoxiao to hug her as she gently comforted her: “I’ve been right here the whole time.”

“I miss you even when you’re here. I miss you even while holding you.”

I wish I could see what you look like right now.

Tantai Jing rubbed Lu Xiaoxiao’s head and pinched her cheek.

“I will stay by your side forever.”

Forever…

Lu Xiaoxiao didn’t know what it was like for others in love, but all she wanted right now was to constantly stick close to Tantai Jing.

However, happy times are always short-lived.

“Xiaoxiao, are you awake? Let the physician check your body again.” Lu Wanbai’s voice rang out inappropriately.

Feeling Tantai Jing in her arms stir, Lu Xiaoxiao hugged her tighter and whispered: “Don’t go. I want to hold you a little longer.”

She then shouted toward the source of Lu Wanbai’s voice: “I’m fine! With Tantai Jing taking care of me, there’s no need for a physician.”

Unexpectedly, Wan Qingyi’s voice piped up: “If you’re fine, get up quickly. We’re going home today.”

Then she heard Wan Qingyi quietly grumbling to Lu Wanbai: “Why is Lu Xiaoxiao such a late sleeper? Was she like this at your Xuantian Sword Sect too? Tantai Jing is going to be ruined by her; she used to be the most punctual and well-mannered person.”

Hearing this, Tantai Jing’s face flushed. She quickly pushed Lu Xiaoxiao away, smoothed her wrinkled clothes, put on her outer robe, and replied toward the door: “We’ll be out right away. We’re already packing.”

Lu Xiaoxiao could only let Tantai Jing lead her to stand up, obediently waiting on the floor for Tantai Jing to help her dress.

Beneath her grayish-white pupils was an innocent and playful smiling face. No one would guess that this was a young girl who had lost her sight, looking at her unrestrained smile.

Tantai Jing thoughtfully helped her dress, every movement gentle and meticulous, and finally carefully tied her belt.

Feeling the tenderness before her, Lu Xiaoxiao hugged her again in gratitude: “Thank you. I’m so glad I have you, otherwise I really wouldn’t know what to do.”

Tantai Jing’s face flushed slightly, and she gently broke free. She gave Lu Xiaoxiao’s hand a light squeeze, signaling her to behave, and then led her toward the door. When they reached the threshold, she carefully held Lu Xiaoxiao’s arm, afraid she might stumble.

As soon as she stepped out of the room, a warm, gentle breeze greeted her, falling upon her body.

Lu Xiaoxiao commented: “The weather must be particularly nice today.”

Wan Qingyi, who had been standing outside with her arms crossed waiting for a long time, finally saw her emerge and couldn’t resist teasing: “Were you poisoned yesterday, or was it your wedding night? Why are you smiling like that?”

Lu Xiaoxiao wasn’t angry, still full of smiles: “Don’t talk nonsense! My life was almost over yesterday. Be careful, or you’ll make me suffer some relapse, and then you’ll have to pay.”

Wan Qingyi watched Tantai Jing lead Lu Xiaoxiao away, then nudged Lu Wanbai, who was trailing behind.

“Does she look angry to you? Her mouth is stretched all the way to her forehead! Could it be that last night really… What a waste of our Yaoxia Palace’s excellent cabbage! Why did she fall for her?”

Lu Wanbai sternly interrupted: “Don’t talk nonsense. While I’ve long noticed the mutual affection between Xiaoxiao and her, it is absolutely an affection of the heart that stops short of impropriety. They are not careless people.”

After a pause, Lu Wanbai asked again: “Roughly how many spirit stones does a Dao Companion marriage cost? Although Master left us some spirit stones, they are meant for rebuilding the sect later.”

Wan Qingyi impatiently said: “I don’t know, I don’t know! Go ask Dong Qinglan.” She finished speaking, unwilling to chat further with the dense-headed girl, and quickly hurried after them.

Lu Xiaoxiao’s timing was precise; she overheard Dong Qinglan bidding farewell to Wan Xuan’er.

Wan Xuan’er: “Since we failed to kill Yan Gengshen, and even the teleportation array key was lost, I fear there may be demon spies within your City Lord’s Mansion. I will send an Elder from the palace as soon as possible to assist you in rebuilding the teleportation array.”

Dong Qinglan: “I thank Palace Lord Wan for your trouble. Qinglan will never forget the great kindness of the Yaoxia Palace. If you ever require assistance, please feel free to notify me.”

Wan Xuan’er nodded slightly, then led her people out of the City Lord’s Mansion and toward the teleportation array.

Zhou Qian’er watched the departing group and asked doubtfully: “Why did you just say the teleportation array key was stolen during the chaos, instead of directly exposing that it was done by their own disciple, Tantai Jing?”

Dong Qinglan’s eyes became deep and shadowy: “I’m afraid that if one Yan Gengshen leaves, another, harder-to-handle master will arrive. It’s better that the key is simply lost. Dongchang City’s current strength is unstable; we cannot afford another enemy.”

“Besides, the disciples who were poisoned yesterday all died, yet Tantai Jing returned with the antidote and saved Lu Xiaoxiao. And Lu Xiaoxiao’s poisoning was the most severe—who would believe there was nothing suspicious about that?”

Zhou Qian’er was shocked: “Are you saying Tantai Jing and Yan Gengshen…” She quickly covered her mouth, afraid of being overheard.

Dong Qinglan put her arm around Zhou Qian’er’s shoulder and turned to walk back toward the City Lord’s Mansion.

“Forget it. At least we will have a period of peace, regardless. We must quickly prepare a small-scale transfer array. That way, if something goes wrong in Dongchang City, I can take you with me to wander the world.”

Lu Xiaoxiao was overjoyed to be back at the Yaoxia Palace recovering from her injuries. Since the physician said it would take three months for her sight to recover, she had been living a blissful life where she was waited on hand and foot.

Tantai Jing handled her daily care, and when she was bored, Lu Wanbai would read stories from her scriptbooks to her. When she was really bored, Wan Qingyi would come over to bicker with her. One could say she was living like an immortal.

It was only the daily bathing time before resting that made her conflicted…

“Xiaoxiao, the water is ready. You can come and bathe now.”

Tantai Jing’s voice came from behind the screen.

“I’ll head back now, Xiaoxiao. Once your sight recovers, I’ll teach you the Xuantian Sword Sect’s sword techniques. How strange—does being poisoned make you forget your sword techniques too?” Lu Wanbai scratched her head as she said goodbye to Lu Xiaoxiao.

Lu Wanbai’s footsteps faded away…

Lu Xiaoxiao was pulled up by Tantai Jing, who helped her walk toward the tub behind the screen.

“Do you still not need my help today?” Tantai Jing asked caringly.

Lu Xiaoxiao felt the edge of the tub and waved her hand: “No, no need. Just put my clothes aside. It’s been more than two months; I can bathe myself now.”

“Alright. If you need anything, remember to call me.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

It wasn’t until she heard the sound of book pages lightly turning outside, accompanied by the occasional faint rustling of paper, that Lu Xiaoxiao finally relaxed her fingers, which had been tightly clutching the edge of the tub, white with unconscious tension from nervousness.

She gently untied the sash at her waist, fumbled to drape it over the wooden screen beside her, and slowly removed her clothes, revealing large areas of smooth, fair skin.

She tentatively moved her fingers through the water in the tub. Feeling the warm, comfortable temperature, she slowly stepped into the tub.

Meanwhile, Tantai Jing, who should have been reading by the desk, was standing with her arms crossed beside the screen. Only after watching Lu Xiaoxiao safely enter the tub did she withdraw her shy gaze.

She flicked her finger at the sash that had fallen to the floor. The sash floated up with spiritual energy and gently settled on the screen.

She then walked slowly toward the desk and picked up the book that was fluttering its pages due to the spiritual energy. She quickly flipped the pages, attempting to calm her restless heart, unaware that she was holding the book upside down.

When she realized the book was inverted, a small part of the candle on the table had already burned down. She couldn’t help but smile wryly and gently shook her head.

Suddenly, a paper kite the size of a palm flew in through the slightly ajar door, drifting with the evening breeze toward the desk.

The kite was unusually styled, wrapped in blue light and painted with delicate runes. It settled on the page like a nimble butterfly, its wings faintly fluttering.

Tantai Jing shot a thread of spiritual energy toward the kite.

Instantly, the kite flew up, transforming into a sheet of paper that slowly unfolded before Tantai Jing’s eyes.

“The eighteenth of the first lunar month, Yan.”

Five characters clearly appeared on the paper.

“Yan?”

This must be a message from Yan Gengshen. It seemed Wan Xuan’er’s cultivation would be significantly weakened on the eighteenth of the first lunar month, which would be the day Yan Gengshen attacked the Demon Locking Tower. Tantai Jing’s eyes shifted toward the back of the screen.

I wonder if Lu Xiaoxiao’s eyes will be healed by the eighteenth of the first lunar month. If she knew what I was doing, would she forgive me…? Would she follow me back to Gouwu Mountain after the mission is complete…?

As she contemplated her next move, a muffled “thud” unexpectedly sounded from behind the screen, as if a heavy object had fallen.

Tantai Jing frowned slightly. With a sweep of her hand, the five characters that had been floating in the air, emitting a faint light, instantly dissolved into nothingness.

Her figure disappeared almost simultaneously with the sound, leaving only an afterimage. In the next instant, she had teleported behind the screen, just in time to catch Lu Xiaoxiao, who was teetering from loss of balance.

Her hair was slightly disheveled, her clothes slightly pulled out of place from the stumble, and a look of unsettled panic was on her face.

“Are you alright?” Tantai Jing’s voice was gentle and concerned, her eyes filled with worry.

Lu Xiaoxiao composed herself, gently placing her hands on Tantai Jing’s shoulders to steady herself. She answered with a hint of shyness: “I’m fine. I just turned too quickly and think I accidentally knocked over that stool.”

Tantai Jing said nothing more, only carefully smoothing her wind-tousled hair and gently tightening her collar to ensure she wouldn’t catch a chill. Then, she bent down, scooped up her legs with gentle movements, and lifted her steadily into her arms.

It was already the depth of winter. The dilong (underfloor heating) had long been lit, and with the added protection of magic, the room was very warm.

As usual, she placed Lu Xiaoxiao on the couch, circulated her spiritual energy through her meridians, and helped to dispel the cold energy in her body.

Normally, after the spiritual energy had completed one cycle inside Lu Xiaoxiao, the two would sit on the couch and chat, or Tantai Jing would read cultivation books to her, encouraging her to practice.

Today, however, was somewhat different.

Though the night was deep, the moonlight was bright.

Just as Tantai Jing and Lu Xiaoxiao were settling down, a gentle knock on the door broke the silence. It was followed by a cultured, refined voice.

“Junior Sister Tantai, I am Xie Hu. I hope you haven’t retired yet?” The voice contained a polite inquiry, but couldn’t completely conceal a hint of urgency.

“Senior Brother Xie, visiting so late, is something urgent?” Tantai Jing’s voice drifted through the door crack. While polite, it carried a note of aloofness.

Outside the door, Xie Hu’s voice sounded somewhat nervous.

“Junior Sister, there is indeed something I need to discuss with you face-to-face.”

A trace of doubt flashed through Lu Xiaoxiao’s mind: Why is he visiting so late?

Tantai Jing gently squeezed Lu Xiaoxiao’s hand: “It’s probably about cultivation matters. I’ll step out for a moment and be right back.”

“Okay.” Lu Xiaoxiao suppressed her doubt and nodded.

With that, Tantai Jing got up and pushed open the door. Xie Hu, dressed in a pale blue long gown, looked even more ethereal in the moonlight, yet his eyes held a sense of gravity.

Tantai Jing’s gaze swept past Xie Hu. She walked tens of meters ahead, stopping only when she was sure no one could overhear their conversation, and said coldly: “What is it? Didn’t I tell you not to come here unless necessary?”

Xie Hu clutched his stomach, his forehead already covered in fine sweat, and his body subtly trembling as if enduring immense pain: “You still haven’t given me this month’s antidote. I haven’t been able to see you in the sect lately, so I had no choice but to come here.”

Tantai Jing suddenly realized.

This Xie Hu was a contingency plan she had placed during her struggle for the Vice-Hall Master position of the Enforcement Hall. Since confirming her alliance with Yan Gengshen, his utility had waned. Coupled with her constant care for the blind Lu Xiaoxiao recently, she had forgotten that the Enforcement Hall’s Vice-Hall Master was still her pawn.

“Have you gained any intelligence after entering the Demon Locking Tower?” Tantai Jing asked, throwing him a pill.

Xie Hu quickly caught the pill and put it in his mouth, then replied: “The Demon Locking Tower is currently overseen by Elder Li Yanyu, one of the Four Protectors. Every three months, we are sent to enter the tower at the hour of Mao to clean up the demon corpses killed by the Cold Ice Bone-Forging Rain.”

Tantai Jing uttered an “Oh.” She hadn’t expected Xie Hu to be somewhat useful; she had assumed everyone except the Hall Master only guarded the tower’s periphery.

“When is the next time?”

“It seems to be the eighteenth of the first lunar month,” Xie Hu answered truthfully. Although he was controlled by Tantai Jing, he didn’t believe she truly had a way to break the Demon Locking Tower. While he outwardly obeyed, he had been secretly investigating ways to solve the Golden Coin Gu, though he had found nothing so far.

Tantai Jing stood firm, looking toward the Demon Locking Tower and commanding: “On the eighteenth of the first lunar month, I need to enter the Demon Locking Tower. You must secure the entry token and hand it over to me then. I will give you the antidote after the task is complete.”