Queen of Ten Thousand Demons Insists on Marrying Me - Chapter 51

A majestic, towering, and imposing sheer cliff stood proudly amidst a continuous expanse of rolling, layered mountains. It resembled a sleeping behemoth, ready at any moment to devour any living thing that dared to approach.

Black Wind Cliff was renowned for the mists that perpetually swirled around its base, as if it were the gateway to hell. Since ancient times, countless cultivators who mistakenly wandered into the Demon Beast Mountain Range have perished in this endless fog and hidden peril.

The cold moonlight was like an icy blade, mercilessly cutting through every inch of space on the clifftop. On this cliff peak, illuminated by the full moon, stood an ancient and magnificent great hall.

In the center of the hall, several graceful dancers in ornate costumes were swaying to the melodious music.

To the sides, numerous Great Demons of various forms sat around. Some had human bodies with beast heads, some were covered in scales and armor, and others possessed unpredictable transformed appearances. These Great Demons held exquisite jade cups and golden goblets, filled either with fine nectar or wine brewed from exotic fruits.

Yan Gengshen sat on the main platform, grasping a goblet of fine wine and drinking it in one gulp. Looking at the Great Demons below who were toasting one another, a hint of mockery escaped his lips.

“Has Fu Zhao not arrived yet?” He turned to the Bird Demon attendant standing by his side and asked.

The Bird Demon was dressed in a green skirt and wore a feather hair ornament on her head. Hearing his question, she quickly stepped forward to pour him another cup of fine wine and replied: “Not yet. I’ll send someone down to the base of the cliff to scout again.”

Yan Sihong, who was sitting in the chief seat on the left side below, impatiently dismissed a Pig Demon who was trying to curry favor with her, and fanned her nose without any attempt to hide her annoyance: “Brother, why do you insist on inviting Fu Zhao? We have so many Great Demons at the Tribulation stage now; do we really need just one more of her?”

Yan Gengshen looked at his sister with indulgence: “Fu Zhao is not as simple as you think. She managed to break through to the Mahayana stage while trapped in the Demon Lock Tower. And her goddaughter, who is only a little over two hundred years old, also entered the Mahayana stage. It is always wise not to make enemies with them.”

“Alright, alright.”

Yan Sihong picked up her wine cup and drank it all in one go. When she set the cup down, she glanced toward the doorway and muttered, “Speak of the devil, she arrives as soon as she is mentioned.”

Fu Zhao, in a fiery red dress, was particularly striking inside the hall. Her figure was tall and graceful, and her skirt swayed lightly with her steps, like a blooming flame—both passionate and enchanting.

Fu Zhao’s skin was snow-white, forming a sharp contrast with the red dress. After entering the hall, she walked straight to the main seat on the right and sat down.

Yan Sihong leaned on the table, resting her chin on one hand, and spoke in a lazy voice: “Important people are forgetful. The invitation said the feast would begin at Xushi (7 to 9 PM), and you only arrive when it’s almost over.”

Looking at the person sitting opposite, whose entrance instantly overshadowed the dancers on the platform, and then looking at the crooked melons and cracked dates sitting on either side, Yan Sihong finally understood why her brother insisted on inviting Fu Zhao.

Seeing that the guest he wanted was finally here, a smile finally appeared on Yan Gengshen’s face. He turned to Yan Sihong and scolded her jokingly, “Little Sister, be polite.”

After speaking, he quickly ordered the Bird Demon beside him to set out rare delicacies, fine wine, and jade nectar for Fu Zhao.

Fu Zhao returned Yan Sihong’s look with a cold glare and said without a trace of warmth, “What the little Snake Demon said is indeed true. Important people are always busy, and they must appear for the grand finale.”

Yan Gengshen was not annoyed to hear her speak to Yan Sihong like this. He spoke candidly to Fu Zhao: “I apologize for troubling you with multiple invitations. But there is indeed an important matter we need to discuss.”

Although Fu Zhao had always been at odds with this brother and sister since childhood, they had, at least, been neighbors for five hundred years. They were currently living in peace, and she knew that although this pair was wicked, they were not foolish.

“Please speak plainly. Once you’re finished, I need to go back and care for my little Jing’er.”

Yan Gengshen burst into laughter: “Straightforward. Then I will be direct.”

“Our Demon Clan has been declining ever since the previous generation left, and we have been oppressed by the Human Race for hundreds of years. Any demon in the Human Realm, whether they have done bad deeds or not, is targeted by human cultivators, especially Yaoxia Palace and Xuanjian Sword Sect. There is no need to mention the Xuanjian Sword Sect, as it has long been annihilated.”

Seeing no reaction from Fu Zhao, Yan Gengshen continued: “But Yaoxia Palace is becoming increasingly rampant. My little sister being captured and locked in the Demon Lock Tower, while regrettable, can be accepted if we say there are extenuating circumstances. She did indeed do some wrong things in the Human Realm, and it is my fault as an elder brother for failing to discipline her properly.”

Yan Sihong looked at him with a slight expression of resentment.

Yan Gengshen continued: “However, the Heavenly Dao is not benevolent; it treats all things as straw dogs. The law of the jungle has been the rule since ancient times, especially for our Demon Clan. And those cultivators of Yaoxia Palace are no different.”

Fu Zhao interrupted: “Yaozun Gengshen, why don’t you just speak your mind? We have been acquaintances for so many years; there is no need to beat around the bush.”

Yan Gengshen put down his wine cup, stared directly into Fu Zhao’s eyes, and said, “But what about you? What fault did you commit? Among our generation, you were the most sensible and law-abiding, yet even you were imprisoned in the Demon Lock Tower for a hundred years. It is said that Tantai Jing was also severely injured trying to rescue you.”

“Are we, Black Wind Cliff, and you, Mount Gouwu, truly going to let human cultivators bully us like this?”

A layer of hesitation appeared on Fu Zhao’s face, as if she were moved by his words. Yan Gengshen added, “Actually, all I want is to support the Demon Clan. We must have someone stand up to break this imbalance. If this continues, do we wait hundreds of years until all the demons of our clan become the captives and slaves of human cultivators?”

Fu Zhao watched the serving girl pouring wine into her cup, the surface stirring with ripples.

She had to admit that Yan Gengshen’s words were correct.

Currently, the Human Race possessed two divine artifacts, while the Demon Clan was weak, with barely a handful of Mahayana stage demons remaining.

The power between the Human and Demon races had long been imbalanced.

Since she was imprisoned in the Demon Lock Tower, the Demon Beast Mountain Range had essentially become a trial ground for the Human Race, with large numbers of demons being slaughtered and their cores extracted daily.

If this continued, it was highly likely that the outcome would be exactly as Yan Gengshen described.

Fu Zhao’s eyes darkened. She looked at Yan Gengshen and asked, “Then your intention is to gather the strength of the Demon Clan to attack the immortal sects of the Human Race?”

Yan Gengshen raised his wine cup, slowly descended from the high platform, and stood before Fu Zhao: “No, no! I merely want the Demon Clan and the Human Race to achieve a state of balance, to coexist peacefully without constant fighting and killing.”

Fu Zhao stood up, clinked her cup against his: “I’d like to hear the details.”

Inside an inn several dozen miles outside Yaoxia Palace.

Lu Xiaoxiao sat by the table, her face dejected: “Senior Sister, I really don’t have any appetite. Besides, I’ve already reached the stage of biguan (abstaining from grains), so I really don’t need to eat.”

Lu Wanbai looked at the table full of dishes that Lu Xiaoxiao used to love, but could only tell the waiter to take the food away.

The two sat opposite each other, speechless and choking with emotion.

After a long time, Lu Wanbai hesitated before finally speaking: “When did you know Tantai Jing was a demon? Were you deceived by her and didn’t know all along?”

Seeing the cautious way Lu Wanbai asked, Lu Xiaoxiao only felt ashamed.

“Back in Jing’an Town…”

Lu Wanbai frowned: “Were you forced or threatened by her?”

Lu Xiaoxiao knew that Lu Wanbai inherently disliked the Demon Clan and dared not speak the truth.

“N-no. She saved my life in the Demon Beast Mountain Range when I was nearly eaten by a Dragon Flame Tiger. I didn’t want to betray her.”

Lu Wanbai suddenly slammed the table, making a loud bang that caused the objects on the table to tremble slightly.

“Nonsense!”

Lu Xiaoxiao flinched, shrinking her shoulders. She had never seen Lu Wanbai lose her temper like this before.

“W-what’s wrong, Senior Sister? Is it wrong for me to repay kindness?”

Lu Wanbai leaned forward, staring intently into Lu Xiaoxiao’s eyes, and reprimanded her seriously: “A life-saving debt must be repaid, but you cannot disregard Palace Master Wan’s grace! One debt is one debt.”

Scenes of Palace Master Wan Xuan’er’s meticulous care for her and her Senior Sister flashed through Lu Xiaoxiao’s mind. She had committed such a great wrong, yet Wan Xuan’er still had Wan Qingyi secretly let her go. But then she also recalled Tantai Jing repeatedly saving her from danger, and the meticulous care she showed her when she was poisoned.

All these memories intertwined and overlapped in her mind. The sincere feelings poured out by any of these people could not just be shattered on the ground.

Listening to Lu Wanbai’s accusations, Lu Xiaoxiao frowned. Guilt, pain, self-reproach… a swirl of complex emotions churned in her heart.

She was standing at a crossroads in life now, feeling as if an invisible pressure was forcing her to hurry forward, yet she felt that no matter which direction she stepped in, it would be the wrong one.

Lu Xiaoxiao remained silent for a long time, finally lowering her head and emitting a faint whisper: “Tantai Jing is actually very pitiful. Her parents died when she was young, and she wandered the human world, hungry and cold. Later, she met the kind-hearted Fu Zhao, who took her back to Mount Gouwu. Fu Zhao was the only warmth she encountered after her parents’ death. To her, Fu Zhao is like a mother’s kindness…”

“Later, when Fu Zhao was captured by Auntie Wan and locked in the Demon Lock Tower, Tantai Jing infiltrated Yaoxia Palace alone for decades to save her, and during that time, she never harmed anyone from Yaoxia Palace.”

“She truly… she’s truly not that bad. She didn’t hurt anyone; she just wanted to save someone…”

Lu Wanbai slumped back down, filled with helplessness at Lu Xiaoxiao’s stubbornness: “Perhaps she just lied to you. Looking at her, she doesn’t seem like someone who has suffered.”

After saying this, she looked at the unrepentant person before her and sternly said, “No matter what, she is still a demon, and she caused Yaoxia Palace to sacrifice so many fellow disciples! People of our Xuanjian Sword Sect must never have any contact with her again!”

Lu Wanbai’s tone was full of unquestionable seriousness.

“She… she can’t exactly be called a demon. She is a half-demon, flowing with some human blood. Besides, whether she is a demon or a human, it’s not something she could choose. As for Auntie Wan, I will certainly try my best to repay her kindness in the future, and I will never forget it in this life.”

Lu Xiaoxiao reached out, tightly gripping Lu Wanbai’s sleeve, her eyes filled with pleading.

Lu Wanbai sat by the table, rubbing her dizzy head.

She herself was still inexperienced, having only listened obediently to her elders since childhood. The concepts instilled in her were mostly those that painted the Demon Clan as extremely wicked. They were seemingly born to act erratically, murder, steal treasures, drain human essence, and act utterly unreasonably.

Yet now, her most valued Junior Sister was afflicted with a Love Gu by a demon. Lu Xiaoxiao was clearly not thinking straight, so she could only figure out a way to return to the territory of the Xuanjian Sword Sect and find a medical cultivator to cure her.

Lu Wanbai waved her hand and said, “Don’t think about her anymore. She has already returned to the Demon Clan with Fu Zhao anyway. But I am curious, how did you break through to the Nascent Soul stage so quickly?”

Lu Xiaoxiao stammered, her eyes darting around and her hands and feet suddenly unsure of where to rest.

“I-it was Tantai Jing who gave me some cultivation resources. Yes… that’s right. She is a Mahayana stage cultivator, so she must be very rich and have many spirit stones.”

“Really? But cultivation still requires steady progress. It’s best to consolidate your foundation before breaking through. Don’t try to pull up the seedlings to help them grow. Whatever pill she gave you, don’t take it again.” Although Lu Wanbai didn’t know what kind of pill was so miraculous, she still warned her worriedly.

Lu Xiaoxiao’s lips twitched slightly, but she obediently agreed: “Understood, Senior Sister. I won’t take it again next time.”

The fact that she and Tantai Jing performed dual cultivation, and that the latter helped her break through, was better kept a secret.

Lu Wanbai sighed after a long pause: “Actually, on the day the demons attacked the Demon Lock Tower, when I got up to cultivate in the morning, I saw her hurrying toward the direction of the main bell of Yaoxia Palace. Soon after, the alarm bell of the sect rang. Only about fifteen minutes later, Yan Gengshen brought the demons to attack. Perhaps she felt guilty and deliberately rang the bell before entering the Demon Lock Tower.”

Hearing this, Lu Xiaoxiao’s heart felt a little bitter.

She knew nothing about everything Tantai Jing did to break open the Demon Lock Tower. It seemed the coincidence of Yan Gengshen’s attack overlapping with Tantai Jing’s attempt to force her way into the tower was probably not accidental.

Yet, despite their feelings reaching such a depth, she didn’t reveal a single detail to Lu Xiaoxiao. Furthermore, she clearly promised to take her along, but left her alone in Yaoxia Palace, and even placed a Love Gu on her.

She didn’t know about other Gu worms, but she had heard about the Love Gu when Tantai Jing mentioned her parents. How could she bear to place such a poisonous Gu on her? Lu Xiaoxiao knew she would never do such a thing to Tantai Jing.

However, over a month had passed, and she hadn’t experienced any physical anomalies. Perhaps Wan Qingyi had lied to her.

Her thoughts spun wildly. She could only save her questions for the next time she saw Tantai Jing.

But was she alright now? After suffering such severe injuries, had she recovered?

Lu Wanbai suddenly spoke: “Xiaoxiao, let’s return to the Xuanjian Sword Sect.”

Seeing the confusion in Lu Xiaoxiao’s expression, Lu Wanbai added: “A year has passed. Now that your cultivation has reached the Nascent Soul stage, I think it’s time to return to the Xuanjian Sword Sect and rebuild the sect. Perhaps we won’t be able to restore its former glory, but we certainly can’t let the Xuanjian Sword Sect end with our generation.”

Although Lu Xiaoxiao wasn’t very interested in rebuilding the sect, Lu Wanbai had taken care of her for so long and this was the first time she had made a request to her. She couldn’t refuse.

“I will listen to Senior Sister. Since you’ve said so, then let’s return to the Xuanjian Sword Sect tomorrow. But can I make one small request?”

“Go ahead.”

Lu Xiaoxiao hesitated before speaking: “Actually, Tantai Jing truly treats me very well, and we like each other. And she was so severely injured in the Demon Lock Tower that I really can’t stop worrying about her…”

Lu Wanbai firmly refused: “Don’t bring this up again. You and she are fundamentally different—a human and a demon. It’s understandable that you can’t distinguish your true feelings since she placed a Love Gu on you. But the two of you absolutely cannot be together, whether it’s because her scheming nature is unsuitable for you, or because of what she did to Yaoxia Palace.”

Lu Xiaoxiao lowered her eyes: “I understand. Senior Sister, you should go back and rest early. We’ll set off for the Xuanjian Sword Sect early tomorrow.”

She hadn’t expected anyone to bless her and Tantai Jing’s relationship, and arguing further with Lu Wanbai would be futile, only increasing Lu Wanbai’s aversion to Tantai Jing.

The night deepened, and the moonlight was like silk, silently pouring through the window lattice into the inn. Lu Xiaoxiao lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, subconsciously playing with the small tiger tooth at the end of her hair. Her mind continuously flashed through the memories she shared with Tantai Jing.

When Tantai Jing was angry and threw a tantrum at her, her originally breathtaking fox eyes would sometimes widen in fury, and sometimes narrow into a slit as she scrutinized her…

When Tantai Jing was carefully tending to her serious injuries, those beautiful distant-mountain eyebrows would be slightly furrowed, and her clear eyes would always be veiled with a layer of sorrowful gray…

When Tantai Jing stood in front of her during moments of crisis to protect her, all she was left with was a frail but resolute back, and her flowing hair being lifted by the wind…

And when she was blind and kissed her while holding her close to soothe her pain, there was the gentle sandalwood scent emanating from her, and her soft lips…

“Idiot, don’t trust Tantai Jing anymore. She placed a Love Gu on you. Although I don’t know why you’re fine this month, under normal circumstances, you should have already suffered the torture of the Love Gu and died with blood flowing from your seven orifices.”

Wan Qingyi’s previous warning suddenly echoed in her mind.

Lu Xiaoxiao’s thoughts instantly became chaotic. She didn’t know whether her current longing was heartfelt or the result of the Love Gu.

Suddenly, a piercing pain violently struck from deep within her lungs, like millions of tiny insects gnawing at her internal organs, instantly turning her face pale and causing fine beads of sweat to seep onto her forehead. The pain was so sudden that she couldn’t help but curl up, clutching her chest tightly and groaning in agony.

The pain only slightly eased when the sky began to lighten and Lu Wanbai’s knocking sound came from outside the door.

She lay curled up on the bed, panting lightly. The cold sweat on her forehead had made her hair messy and stuck to her skin. She looked as if she had just been pulled out of the water.

“Could it be that the Love Gu has taken effect…?”