Queen of Ten Thousand Demons Insists on Marrying Me - Chapter 48

Lu Xiaoxiao returned to Tantai Jing’s courtyard filled with joy, but the courtyard was empty.

“Normally, she would be resting with me by now. Why hasn’t she come to find me or returned yet today?” Lu Xiaoxiao walked to the table and sat down, feeling disappointed.

“Look at you, being so spineless. I think sooner or later she’ll have you wrapped around her little finger.” The voice of the Chaos Origin Sword rang out behind her again.

Hearing the sound, Lu Xiaoxiao rubbed her head in annoyance: “Why did you follow me again? Didn’t I tell you to go play?”

“Didn’t she leave a letter on the table? Why don’t you open it and take a look?”

Prompted by the Chaos Origin Sword, Lu Xiaoxiao finally noticed the paper on the table.

She quickly picked up the paper and opened it. The handwriting was elegant, flowing like moving clouds and running water, clearly Tantai Jing’s work.

“Xiaoxiao, your Senior Sister informed me that your sight has returned. I intended to go to your courtyard, but seeing the barrier, I feared disturbing you, so I pen this letter. I must travel to Dongchang City and will return tomorrow. Do not worry.”

Lu Xiaoxiao reread the letter three or four times before giving a soft laugh: “Tantai Jing’s handwriting is truly beautiful, just like her. She probably even used the inkstone I gave her.”

The tip of the Chaos Origin Sword tapped the table twice: “Yes, yes, yes. Stop being infatuated. Since she isn’t coming back today, you should focus on cultivating the art I passed to you. Anyway, I guess you probably can’t sleep when she’s not here.”

“Alright, alright, I know.” Although it was true, being pointed out like that still made Lu Xiaoxiao feel a little bashful.

The cultivation art transmitted to her by the Chaos Origin Sword, the Xuantian Body Forging Art, was recorded as a top-grade body refinement method. This method could absorb the purest spiritual energy of heaven and earth to forge the physical body into an indestructible, Vajra-like state.

Lu Xiaoxiao lifted her skirt and walked onto the couch, sitting cross-legged with her hands resting palms-up on her knees. Following the guidance of the cultivation art, she adjusted her breathing, calmed her mind, and allowed her consciousness to settle into tranquility.

As the art circulated within her body, the surrounding air seemed to soften. Faint wisps of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy flowed into her body. Although subtle and undetectable, they gathered like a tiny stream converging into a river. A wave of warmth spread wherever the spiritual energy passed, and her physique was quietly being transformed by the circulating art.

As the spiritual energy deepened, Lu Xiaoxiao began to feel as if thousands of ants were crawling beneath her skin. This was the spiritual energy tempering her flesh, blood, sinews, and meridians. Each wash made her physical body tougher.

The most difficult step was the spiritual energy shocking her bones. Each shock was accompanied by a slight “crackling” sound from her bones. The intense pain that simultaneously radiated from within felt like her bones were being broken inch by inch, only to slowly grow back. This process needed to cycle three times until the bones were completely reshaped.

After an unknown period, when the last wisp of spiritual energy returned to her Dantian, the candle on the table had already burned out. Lu Xiaoxiao slowly opened her eyes, her forehead already covered with fine beads of sweat.

She inadvertently looked toward the door and could clearly see a flying insect enter the room through a crack, even discerning the tiny patterns on its wings as they vibrated.

Lu Xiaoxiao examined her body internally, noticing that her bones had transformed from their original white to points of dark gold, and her internal meridians had also widened significantly.

Feeling the immense changes within her body, Lu Xiaoxiao immediately felt that the pain she had just endured was insignificant.

Before, thinking about the great difference between her cultivation and Tantai Jing’s, she always felt it would be hard to catch up in this lifetime. Now, with the cultivation art and sword technique given to her by the Chaos Origin Sword, even mastering just the first layer would likely allow her to cross ranks and fight against a Nascent Soul stage cultivator.

While she was blind, Lu Xiaoxiao had Lu Wanbai and Tantai Jing read various books to her every day, so she already knew that the original body’s aptitude was excellent—after all, she broke through to the Golden Core stage in just forty-nine days in the Demon Lock Tower. However, she lacked real-world experience and combat skill.

With the help of the Xuantian Body Forging Art, Lu Xiaoxiao felt a faint tendency towards a breakthrough.

Thinking this, she ignored the severe pain of cultivating this art and immersed herself in it once more, guiding the spiritual energy between heaven and earth to gather in the entire room, flowing into her body and slowly circulating along the established meridian pathways.

As the spiritual energy went deeper, her skin began to faintly glow.

The Chaos Origin Sword flew up and down beside her, protecting her and daring not to make a sound to disturb her.

Outside, the starlight circulated, and the sun rose and set again. Lu Xiaoxiao diligently cultivated, completely unaware that a day had passed.

At this moment, she felt a slight swelling and ache in her Dantian, clearly indicating she was just one step away from breaking through. However, she couldn’t take that final step yet, so she slowly ended her meditation to calm the spiritual energy in her body.

Before she even opened her eyes, Lu Xiaoxiao felt a gentle, delicate coolness on her face.

“Tantai Jing, you’re finally back.” Lu Xiaoxiao opened her eyes and looked at Tantai Jing, who was kneeling in front of her, wiping the fine sweat from her forehead and cheeks. She didn’t hide the smile in her eyes.

“Why are you in this state? You’re sweating profusely, your hair is stuck to your forehead, and your complexion looks slightly pale.” Tantai Jing’s tone held a hint of reproach, but her slightly furrowed brow clearly revealed concern.

Lu Xiaoxiao grasped the hand that was wiping her sweat and moved her head slightly, rubbing against it like a pet endearing itself to its owner: “It’s the body-forging art the Chaos Origin Sword transmitted to me. Since you weren’t home to keep me company, I could only cultivate diligently.”

Tantai Jing withdrew her grasped hand, curled her finger slightly, and tapped her forehead: “Cultivation requires gradual progress; you must not rush for quick results.”

“Okay, okay. But aren’t you curious about how the Chaos Origin Sword transmitted the art to me?”

Tantai Jing smiled and shook her head: “That is your fortuitous encounter. Cultivators shouldn’t reveal too much about their cultivation arts to others.”

Lu Xiaoxiao looked at Tantai Jing’s simultaneously blaming and caring gaze, feeling as if the whole world had become gentle, nearly melting her heart into a puddle of water.

She just wanted to rush forward and hold Tantai Jing tightly, securing this warmth and sense of security firmly in her embrace.

However, due to her cultivation, her body was still slightly sweaty, and she didn’t want to soil Tantai Jing. She stood up, cast a cleansing spell on herself, and then, under Tantai Jing’s puzzled gaze, pulled Tantai Jing toward her small courtyard.

“I recognized the Chaos Origin Sword as my master. I hadn’t realized I hadn’t recognized it before, and it can also speak—its voice is like a little girl’s. But most importantly, I want to take you somewhere now.” As she spoke, Lu Xiaoxiao’s face flushed slightly in the dark night.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the two stood together before the spiritual spring in Lu Xiaoxiao’s backyard.

Tantai Jing’s earlobes were tinged red, and she looked at Lu Xiaoxiao with an air of disbelief: “You want me to bathe with you?”

“Mm-hmm.” Lu Xiaoxiao nodded, looking at her expectantly: “This spiritual spring is genuinely wonderful. The spiritual energy inside is abundant and can nourish the body. I was going to yesterday… Never mind. It’s truly comfortable. Do you want to go in with me and experience it?”

Tantai Jing bit her lip, her left hand lightly pinching her skirt edge until it became slightly wrinkled, but she did not answer.

She truly hadn’t expected that the moment Lu Xiaoxiao’s sight recovered, she would think of such things…

“Then… close your eyes first.”

Lu Xiaoxiao nodded obediently: “How about this? I’ll go back inside for a moment and will be right back. You go down and wait for me first.” After saying that, she turned and returned to the room. Although she had used a cleansing spell earlier, she still felt her clothes were a bit clammy. Lu Xiaoxiao took off her boots, changed into a lighter inner garment, and then returned to the spiritual spring.

Looking at the neatly folded clothes left by the spiritual spring, with a crimson undergarment embroidered with a peony pattern placed on top, Lu Xiaoxiao’s heart suddenly pounded wildly.

She looked up. Steam rose from the spiritual pool, obscuring her vision in a faint mist.

Tantai Jing’s figure was faintly visible within the hazy steam.

Lu Xiaoxiao heard her own heartbeat grow louder. She lightly patted her face and walked into the water.

Tantai Jing watched Lu Xiaoxiao, who had gone back to the room and changed into an inner garment, step into the water, feeling a little embarrassed and annoyed. She had gotten in after taking all her clothes off. How could this person get in while wearing her inner garment?

Could it be that she didn’t mean that at all?

Thinking this, whether from the steam being too hot or some other reason, Tantai Jing’s entire fair skin was tinted a light pink.

Seeing Lu Xiaoxiao walking toward her in the spiritual spring, Tantai Jing hurriedly splashed water toward her, then took the chance to sink into the water, leaving only her crimson-flushed, pretty face visible.

Lu Xiaoxiao was splashed full of water. She wiped her face, and water droplets fell into the pool from her hair.

The two were now less than an arm’s length apart.

Through the pool water, Lu Xiaoxiao could faintly see Tantai Jing’s snowy white figure, with her arms crossed to shield her ample bosom. The crimson undergarment on the bank abruptly flashed in her mind. Her brain instantly exploded, and her face flushed deep red.

She quickly turned her back to Tantai Jing, inwardly regretting that she should have also taken off her clothes before getting in. However, if she had done so, the thought made her feel somewhat shy again.

Immediately, she lightly waved her sleeve, and a stream of clear water was magically drawn up, twisting and circling in the air like an agile silver dragon. Following her hand gesture, the water stream was scattered above the spiritual spring.

As the water stream was scattered in the air, it began to slowly drift downward, beautiful like blossoming fireworks, enchanting to the heart. And just as it descended, the flowing water transformed one by one into pure white, jade-like magnolia petals.

The petals floated lightly down, carrying a faint fragrance, slowly scattering across the surface of the spiritual spring, covering the appealing body that made her heart pound.

At the same time, Lu Xiaoxiao also fumbled in the water, removing her inner garment.

The garment slipped gently with her movements, finally floating entirely on the surface of the spiritual spring.

Lu Xiaoxiao carefully swam closer to Tantai Jing in the water. The two faced each other in the spring, which was about ten feet wide. Her ink-black hair and Tantai Jing’s silver, frost-like hair gradually intertwined on the water’s surface.

Tantai Jing’s eyelashes lowered slightly, like two exquisite feather fans, concealing her deep eyes and casting only a faint shadow. Her crimson lips parted lightly as she said, “Seeing that you had cast a barrier, I felt safe returning to my original appearance.”

Lu Xiaoxiao gazed at Tantai Jing, whose countenance was clear, beautiful, and transcendent, like a celestial being stepping out of a painting.

She involuntarily stammered, “S-so… so beautiful.”

“Your original form is even… even more bewitching.”

When she said “bewitching,” the blush on Lu Xiaoxiao’s face unconsciously deepened a few shades.

Hearing this, Tantai Jing gently raised her eyes and looked moistly at the person before her.

The moon secretly hid in the branches, and the hazy water mist blurred the space between the two, casting a layer of misty vapor over their hearts.

The air seemed to solidify at this moment. For a long time, neither of them spoke, seemingly waiting for the other to initiate the next move.

Lu Xiaoxiao nervously looked left and right, trying to find a topic to break the deadlock. Finally, when she looked up for the umpteenth time, she saw a full moon hanging in the sky.

“The moon is so round tonight…”

Tantai Jing stared at her face, which was gradually reddening, and chuckled, “Perhaps because it’s the seventeenth.”

The atmosphere grew even more awkward. Lu Xiaoxiao tried to save the situation again. Panic-stricken, she blurted out, “The Chaos Origin Sword can talk! It transmitted a body-forging art and a sword technique to me. I’ll copy a set for you later. It said that art is very powerful.”

Following this was another silence.

The magnolia petals on the spiritual spring suddenly rippled, and Tantai Jing’s figure moved closer to her. Lu Xiaoxiao instinctively closed her eyes, seemingly anticipating something.

A pair of hands rested on her shoulders. The two were now extremely close; if either one moved any closer, their skin would touch.

A tickle came to her ear, followed by Tantai Jing’s soft laugh: “You seem to have already mentioned that. But, you should keep it for yourself; it may not be suitable for me.”

Lu Xiaoxiao’s mind instantly went blank. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, shaking off a tiny water droplet.

A soft sensation came from the side of her face. As this softness spread, Lu Xiaoxiao’s heartbeat couldn’t help but accelerate, and her breathing became somewhat rapid. She tilted her head slightly, trying to capture the source of that softness.

But that tenderness was fleeting…

When she slowly opened her eyes, Tantai Jing had already flown out of the spiritual spring, leaving only ripples, as if she had never been there.

However, the faint scent of Tantai Jing still lingered in the air, intertwined with the fragrance of the magnolia flowers swaying in the night breeze.

She turned to look in the direction of the house, only to see Tantai Jing, barefoot and wrapped in a red gauze robe, walking toward the sleeping chamber. A gentle breeze lifted her garment, revealing a pair of long, fair legs beneath the gauze.

Before entering the room, she lightly raised her hand, her slender fingers grasping the door frame, leaving Lu Xiaoxiao with an exquisite profile.

“Although the spiritual spring is good, it’s not advisable to soak for too long. I’ll wait for you inside.”

Lu Xiaoxiao paused at her words, quickly left the spiritual spring, and put on her clothes. She hesitated near the door, standing in the courtyard for a long time, trying to calm her nervous heart.

Her body, injured from separating her natal essence blood, was still somewhat weak, and the paleness on her face had not recovered even after soaking in the spiritual spring. She couldn’t help but secretly complain to herself: I shouldn’t have been so hasty about the artifact recognition. Now that my body is so weak, I hope I don’t…

Finally, she paced back and forth in the courtyard twice more, unable to settle her restless heart no matter what.

She couldn’t procrastinate any longer. She finally gritted her teeth and entered the room.

The interior was dim, without a trace of light. Not even a single candle was lit.

Lu Xiaoxiao heard her heart pounding wildly as she slowly moved toward the bed. With slightly trembling fingers, she parted the bed curtain, but Tantai Jing was not inside.

Suppressing the disappointment in her heart, she was about to turn around to search when a graceful figure lunged into her arms. Her body instantly lost balance, and the two tumbled onto the bed.

Lu Xiaoxiao wrapped her arms around Tantai Jing’s slender waist. Her body was also burning hot, and she felt that the gauze robe was truly thin, but… it was very much to her liking.

“Tant… Tantai Jing.”

Lu Xiaoxiao’s eyes were suddenly covered by a pair of soft hands. The warmth of the hands permeated her heart through her thin eyelids.

At the same time, a soft, slightly cool kiss gently landed on her lips. Lu Xiaoxiao was startled and dazed by the sudden kiss, her mind a complete mess.

But soon, Lu Xiaoxiao was no longer content with just that. She placed one hand on the back of Tantai Jing’s head and the other tightly wrapped around her waist. Their bodies pressed closely together, their heartbeats and breathing intermingling.

Lu Xiaoxiao’s kiss became deeper and more passionate, as if she wanted to melt Tantai Jing entirely into her own body.

Her hands also began to move uncontrollably, kneading Tantai Jing’s waist forcefully.

Tantai Jing let out a broken moan from her mouth. She suddenly pushed Lu Xiaoxiao away slightly and lay flat on the bed.

Lu Xiaoxiao didn’t understand what she meant. She felt like her whole body was on fire. She immediately leaned over and pressed down on Tantai Jing, trying to untie the sash at her waist, but she was blocked in the chest by a white, slender leg.

“Wha… what’s wrong…” Lu Xiaoxiao’s throat bobbed, her voice slightly husky, and her eyes held a hint of pleading as she asked.

Tantai Jing’s breathing was also somewhat rapid, and her chest rose and fell slightly.

“Lu Xiaoxiao, after we break the Demon Lock Tower and rescue the person, will you return with me to Mount Gouwu? Yes, or no?”

Her voice was enchanting, making Lu Xiaoxiao’s heart itch, even making her wonder if Tantai Jing was using a charm spell.

Lu Xiaoxiao hadn’t been able to leave her side for a long time now. Even if she hadn’t asked, Lu Xiaoxiao herself had never planned to leave Tantai Jing’s side in the future.

Lightly grasping Tantai Jing’s ankle, her clear eyes looked directly at the person before her: “Forget Mount Gouwu; even if it’s hell, I’ll go with you.”

Seeing her agree, Tantai Jing breathed a sigh of relief, a smile curving at the corner of her mouth. Her fair foot gently slid downward, stopping at Lu Xiaoxiao’s waist sash, then lightly tapping Lu Xiaoxiao’s lower abdomen.

Lu Xiaoxiao felt as if her toe was a ball of burning fire, wandering across her body, scorching everywhere it touched.

Tantai Jing’s eyes held an inexplicable hint of grievance as she looked straight at Lu Xiaoxiao and whispered, “If you dare to fail me in this life, I will pursue you to the Nine Heavens and the Yellow Springs, and I will take your life.”

Lu Xiaoxiao raised three fingers and swore to the heavens: “If I, Lu Xiaoxiao, fail Tantai Jing in the slightest in this life, may I be struck by five thunderbolts and suffer eternal damnation.”

The moment the words fell, Tantai Jing’s toe hooked and flicked, and a white sash quietly slid to the floor through the gap in the bed curtain.

Then, she slightly sat up, one hand grabbing Lu Xiaoxiao’s already disordered clothes, the other hooking around Lu Xiaoxiao’s neck, her fingers lightly threading through Lu Xiaoxiao’s dark hair. She immediately blocked the lips that were about to speak with her own and fell backward, taking her with her.

Before long, a white and a red garment were added to the messy pile of clothes on the floor.

The two shadows on the bed curtain overlapped.

Lu Xiaoxiao held Tantai Jing beneath her. She traced Tantai Jing’s arms inch by inch upward until she clasped her fingers with hers, pushing them above their heads.

Heavy breaths landed on Tantai Jing’s neck, eventually transforming into small plum blossom marks.

The breathing gradually moved downward…

Tantai Jing’s face was flushed red, tickled by Lu Xiaoxiao’s breath. Before she could push the person away, she suddenly felt a faint, sharp sting.

Followed immediately by a tingling sensation…

The white bed curtain, which had originally draped gracefully to the floor, was now torn into two sections. The edges of the tear were ragged and uneven, and the section lying on the ground looked tattered and helpless.

Beneath the torn curtain, the figures on the bed were vaguely visible.

A corner of the blanket within the curtain gently slipped, revealing Tantai Jing’s snowy, jade-like shoulder, delicate and warm.

She rested against the shoulder of the sleeping Lu Xiaoxiao, her eyelashes slightly moist and shimmering with a crystalline light. A small, black, misty insect was entwined around her warm, jade-like fingers.

Tantai Jing pondered inwardly how much of Lu Xiaoxiao’s words in the throes of passion would be realized after the demon clan attacked the Demon Lock Tower tomorrow.

Perhaps it would be better to implant the Love Gu (Qing Gu) today.

After all, Lu Xiaoxiao had always been terrified of pain. Once the Love Gu entered her body, she would never be able to leave her side for the rest of this life…