Queen of Ten Thousand Demons Insists on Marrying Me - Chapter 54

Above the city tower, Yan Sihong stood beside Tantai Jing, following her gaze to the scene below.

Watching Tantai Jing’s fingers gradually turn white from the force of her grip, a sneer appeared on Yan Sihong’s lips: “Did you two break up? Why hasn’t she come to find you after all this time?”

“The truth is, humans are the most fickle beings in this world. They consume grains, cannot sever their passions and desires, and though they claim to be the righteous path, their eagerness to fight for opportunities and magical treasures is even greater than that of the Demon Clan. Look at the people registering for the ‘Sun-Moon Coexistence Grand Competition’ below. Their impatient jostling has nothing to do with being from a renowned sect.”

Yan Sihong circled Tantai Jing, sizing her up, her fingertip brushing across her clothes.

“Perhaps I am more interesting. Although I, Yan Sihong, am passionate and driven by desire, in terms of cultivation and presence, I am far superior to Lu Xiaoxiao. If you were to marry me, I would definitely be well-behaved and stay with you for a lifetime.”

After speaking, Yan Sihong’s fingertip stopped on Tantai Jing’s shoulder, tapping lightly, her eyes full of playful provocation.

Tantai Jing forcefully slapped her finger away, giving her a cold look: “Have you forgotten what it felt like to have the Chaoyuan Sword pierce your body so quickly?”

Then, watching the backs of Lu Xiaoxiao and her group leaving, she quickly descended the city tower and followed them.

“Hey! Fu Zhao told you to stay here with me to oversee the competition registration, and you’re just leaving?”

However, that person paid her no mind, not replying a word, and simply left on her own.

Lu Xiaoxiao led the group back to the familiar inn they had previously stayed at—the Fugui Inn.

After settling everyone, Lu Xiaoxiao left her room and walked toward the City Lord’s Residence.

The City Lord’s Residence was no longer what it used to be. The guards outside the gate were all Nascent Soul stage cultivators from the Sun-Moon Alliance, far less lax than before. Lu Xiaoxiao stood nearby for a long time but saw no familiar figures—not only Tantai Jing but also Dong Qinglan and Zhou Qian’er were absent.

She hoped Dong Qinglan hadn’t fallen and become Yan Gengshen’s puppet.

After waiting a while longer and still not seeing the person she longed for, Lu Xiaoxiao finally stepped forward and handed a visiting card to the guard.

“I am Zhou Wan, an old acquaintance of the City Lord. I have been traveling the four corners of the world recently and happened to pass through your esteemed Dongchang City. Thinking of our past friendship, I felt compelled to visit. I have specially prepared this visiting card to request an audience with the City Lord. I hope you, esteemed brother, will do me the favor of passing this on to the City Lord.” Lu Xiaoxiao spoke to the guard with a respectful manner.

The guard, who seemed to have eyes only for the sky, did not accept the card. Lu Xiaoxiao pursed her lips, then pulled out two mid-grade spirit stones from her pocket and placed them on the card.

She whispered, “Please accept this as a token.”

However, the guard merely glanced down at them twice before withdrawing his gaze.

Seeing this, Lu Xiaoxiao had no choice but to pull out ten more mid-grade spirit stones from her pocket, place them atop the visiting card, and hand it over.

The guard immediately bared a wide smile, reached out to take it, and chuckled, “A small matter, a small matter.”

Lu Xiaoxiao had never seen anyone change their expression so quickly in her life, but in order to see Tantai Jing as soon as possible, she forced a smile and said flatteringly, “Thank you for your trouble, esteemed one.”

After the deed was done, she turned and walked back in the direction of the inn.

Meanwhile, the guard captain, who had been standing to the side, witnessed the entire exchange.

She took the visiting card and the ten mid-grade spirit stones, weighing them in her hand: “So many people have entered Dongchang City now, and every single one claims to be an old acquaintance of the City Lord. It’s utterly ridiculous. Look at her pauper’s appearance; how could she possibly have a connection with our City Lord?”

The guard captain shattered the visiting card in her hand and asked the nearby guard, “Right?”

“Yes, yes, yes, what you say is absolutely correct, esteemed one.”

The guard had only recently been recruited to the City Lord’s Residence. Many people brought visiting cards every day. Although the lion’s share was taken by the captain, he could still pocket a considerable number of spirit stones, making it a lucrative position after all. It was just a little strange that not a single visiting card had been delivered inside the residence, despite him being on duty for so long.

The sky was already dark when Lu Xiaoxiao handed over the visiting card. By the time she walked back to the Fugui Inn, the others had already retired for the night.

Just as she pushed open her own room door, she noticed a woman standing inside. A familiar silhouette came into view.

Lu Xiaoxiao’s heart gave a jolt; she could hardly believe her eyes.

“Tantai Jing?” she called out softly, asking tentatively.

The woman in the shadows slowly turned around.

No candles were lit inside the room, making it difficult for Lu Xiaoxiao to see her appearance clearly.

Lu Xiaoxiao held her breath, unwilling to even blink, afraid of missing any movement from the person before her.

“You have been away from Yaoxia Palace for over a month. Why did you not come to see me?”

The voice that came from the shadows was indeed Tantai Jing’s!

Although the tone was icy, the voice she had longed for day and night, upon entering Lu Xiaoxiao’s ears, became the sweetest words.

The moment she confirmed it was truly Tantai Jing, Lu Xiaoxiao’s mouth stretched into an uncontrollable smile. She quickly stepped forward, gripping Tantai Jing’s shoulders, exclaiming in surprise and joy: “It really is you! I was just worrying about how I could possibly see you!”

Tantai Jing, however, did not appreciate the gesture, replying coldly, “Answer my previous question first.”

Sensing the distance in Tantai Jing’s words, Lu Xiaoxiao released her shoulders: “You said you would take me back to Gouwu Mountain then, didn’t you disappear too?”

Thinking about how she had suffered from the Love Gu for the past month, and how Tantai Jing was questioning her like this upon their long-awaited reunion, her heart instantly felt a little sour.

What Tantai Jing was thinking, however, was completely different from Lu Xiaoxiao.

Before, Lu Xiaoxiao had been completely obedient to her. Now, after only a month apart, she had made new friends and even dared to defy her.

A sudden pain shot through Lu Xiaoxiao’s wrist, causing her to involuntarily furrow her brow.

Tantai Jing’s expression was gloomy, her gaze sharp, and she tightly gripped Lu Xiaoxiao’s wrist without any intention of letting go.

The two moved closer and closer. Lu Xiaoxiao was forced to retreat step by step until her back hit the door, letting out a dull thud.

The sudden impact made Lu Xiaoxiao’s body tremble slightly, and she cried out in pain. But Tantai Jing seemed completely oblivious to her suffering, still tightly clamping her wrist.

“Why didn’t you come find me? You personally told me that no matter where I was, you would follow me.”

Tantai Jing stared intently at Lu Xiaoxiao, her eyes filled with cold rage.

“Senior Sister wouldn’t let me go find you, and I had to maneuver around her for a while. Let go of my hand first, you’re gripping my wrist too hard.”

Lu Xiaoxiao had seen her temper tantrums and seen her gently take care of herself. However, she had never seen her look so cold and heartless, and she suddenly felt a panic rising.

Hearing this, Tantai Jing eased the pressure on her wrist slightly, but her tone remained cold: “Lu Wanbai disagreed, so you didn’t come to find me? Compared to her, who is more important?”

“You are different from her. How can that be compared?” Lu Xiaoxiao tried to pull her wrist free but still could not.

Tantai Jing looked into her eyes and asked, “Even if you’re different, there’s still a matter of priority.”

This relentless attitude showed that she absolutely demanded an answer.

Lu Xiaoxiao realized that the only way to deal with Tantai Jing was through gentleness.

The hand that was free naturally wrapped around Tantai Jing’s waist.

“Senior Sister is an elder and a friend to me. But you are the person I cherish most, the one I want to care for and protect the most. If you insist on a comparison, then of course you are the most important person to me. It’s just that Senior Sister is displeased about the Demon Clan attacking Yaoxia Palace, and she also knelt outside the palace for a month, begging Auntie Wan for my release, so I couldn’t well defy her.”

Hearing Lu Xiaoxiao say that she was the person she most wanted to care for and protect, the strength in Tantai Jing’s hand involuntarily slackened a bit.

She turned her head away, was silent for two breaths, and then asked softly, “Is that true?”

“Of course, it’s true.”

Lu Xiaoxiao took the opportunity to pull her wrist free from Tantai Jing’s grip. She shook her aching wrist, wrapped one arm around Tantai Jing’s waist, and used the other hand to feel her back inch by inch.

“Why have you… gotten a bit thinner again?”

Feeling Tantai Jing’s even more slender back, Lu Xiaoxiao’s tone involuntarily carried a trace of distress.

Tantai Jing did not respond, only slowly raised her hands to grasp Lu Xiaoxiao’s collar.

She turned her head, looked at the person before her with a pair of moist eyes, and whispered, “I thought… I thought you were angry with me.”

Lu Xiaoxiao had traveled all day, stood outside the City Lord’s Residence for half a day, and was now pinned against the wall by Tantai Jing, unable to move, she was utterly exhausted.

She reached her hand under Tantai Jing’s knee, lifted her up, gently kissed the corner of her mouth, and strode toward the bed: “We finally meet, and you have so many questions? I haven’t even asked you why you planted the Love Gu on me. Did you also want me to end up like your father…”

Tantai Jing’s eyes trembled. She had thought Lu Xiaoxiao hadn’t discovered the Love Gu yet, and a hint of panic flashed across her face.

“I didn’t have that idea… When did you find out? I just didn’t expect you to leave me.”

Lu Xiaoxiao carefully placed her on the bed, and without hesitation, leaned over and pressed down on her.

The distance between the two was barely an inch, and a loose strand of hair brushed Tantai Jing’s ear.

Lu Xiaoxiao’s gaze followed the strand of hair to Tantai Jing’s earlobe, which had acquired a flush of red at some point.

Perhaps it was stirred by the hair.

Lu Xiaoxiao hooked the strand of hair and wrapped it twice around her finger: “When did I find out? Just because I didn’t know, you could randomly plant a Gu on me?”

She then tucked the hair behind Tantai Jing’s ear, and in passing, lightly pinched her reddened earlobe.

Tantai Jing had not expected the usually timid Lu Xiaoxiao to make such a move. In her panic, she turned her head away, saying guiltily, “That’s not what I meant.”

Lu Xiaoxiao lifted her chin, making her own reflection appear in Tantai Jing’s eyes. Watching her fair face gradually turn red, she mischievously leaned close to her ear, gently sucked on her earlobe, and softly breathed out the question, “Then what did you mean?”

The person beneath her seemed unable to withstand this stimulation, trembling slightly all over.

Having not seen each other for a long time, and with Lu Xiaoxiao suddenly taking the initiative, Tantai Jing was somewhat unaccustomed to it. She gently pushed Lu Xiaoxiao’s chest, trying to evade her intimate contact.

“I… you get off me first. Let me up, and I’ll tell you.”

Lu Xiaoxiao squeezed between her legs, gently grasped Tantai Jing’s wrists, and pushed them above both their heads, saying in a husky voice, “No…”

This time, it was Tantai Jing who was clamped down by Lu Xiaoxiao. The feeling of being completely controlled made her feel a mix of shyness and an indescribable sensation. She only wanted to escape quickly, struggling left and right on the bed.

“I’m sorry… I was wrong. Please let me go first.”

“I was just afraid you would be angry with me…”

“I was afraid… you wouldn’t want to see me again in the future…”

However, Lu Xiaoxiao did not want to indulge her, allowing her clothes to become disheveled. A few strands of hair had rebelliously escaped the confines of the hairpin, falling onto the pillow, neck, and collar.

But this time, Lu Xiaoxiao had no intention of helping her tidy up.

Seeing Tantai Jing’s current state, Lu Xiaoxiao felt a softening in her chest, and a tingling, pleasurable sensation spread throughout her body.

She stared at the disheveled neckline of Tantai Jing’s clothes. Her throat felt dry and scratchy, and thinking of some past scenes, she couldn’t help but swallow.

Lu Xiaoxiao continued in her hoarse voice, “Of course, I was angry with you. First, you planted the Gold-Binding Gu on me, tying me to you, and you were constantly abusive towards me.”

Tantai Jing stopped struggling, seeming somewhat incredulous. Her eyes instantly turned red, and she said aggrievedly, “So you’ve resented me all this time? If that’s the case, why did you still sleep with me the night before the Demon Locking Tower incident…”

“And then you saved me, took care of me, and were extremely kind to me. What were your intentions?”

Before Tantai Jing could finish, Lu Xiaoxiao interrupted her directly, increasing the pressure in her hands slightly.

Tantai Jing’s voice grew more wronged, and her eyes held a trace of moisture: “I didn’t! I just…”

It’s just that I fell in love with you later.

But she couldn’t bring herself to say that now. She was afraid that the moment she did, her tears would fall uncontrollably.

“Later, you deceived and hid things from me, secretly colluding with Yan Gengshen to attack the Demon Locking Tower, and on the night before the attack, you seduced me and planted the Love Gu on me. You planted the Gu so I wouldn’t forget you, so I wouldn’t seek retribution for your actions afterwards, right?”

In Tantai Jing’s slightly red eyes, her pupils instantly contracted, and a crystal tear slipped down her cheek.

Her heart was filled with boundless panic. So, Lu Xiaoxiao knew everything.

“Is the Love Gu very painful? I didn’t expect it to be like this.”

She shook her head repeatedly while lying on the bed, her tears dampening the pillow, yet she couldn’t utter a word in denial. She broke free from Lu Xiaoxiao’s hands, wrapped her two arms around Lu Xiaoxiao’s waist, and held her tightly.

Seeing her in this state, Lu Xiaoxiao felt a dull ache in her chest, regretting that she had spoken so seriously.

She raised her hand to gently wipe away her tears and caressed the side of her face.

“It hurts. I will never forget it in this lifetime.”

In a posture that was almost pious, she gently, fervently, and passionately kissed her lips. Lu Xiaoxiao’s kiss was tender and delicate.

In that moment, Tantai Jing’s brain felt as if it had been emptied by an invisible force. All her thoughts and reason instantly vanished, leaving only a blank space. She was completely drawn in by Lu Xiaoxiao’s every subtle movement, unable to extricate herself.

Lu Xiaoxiao kissed her gently. Her soft lips traced Tantai Jing’s cheeks, the corners of her eyes, and finally rested on her forehead.

“But I accept all of this willingly, Tantai Jing.”

Tantai Jing’s eyes widened instantly, looking at the person before her in disbelief.

Lu Xiaoxiao gently kissed her eyelashes, suppressing her own desire, and then said to Tantai Jing with utmost tenderness.

“I’ve known your true nature for a long time. You were never a good person to begin with. You are clever, stubborn, cunning, fiercely possessive, and a little selfish.”

“But I love all of those things. Even your flaws, I find them endearing on you. Including how you just pinned me against the door and then secretly tried to take back your stupid Love Gu.”

“However, I don’t like you keeping things from me. The way we interact cannot always be full of lies. I forgive you for everything in the past. I only ask that you agree to this one thing for me.”

Tantai Jing was unsettled by the gaze of her dark eyes. She abruptly pushed Lu Xiaoxiao away and ran out the door in a panic.

So Lu Xiaoxiao knew everything. She had thought all her actions were secret, but now she felt completely exposed before Lu Xiaoxiao. This suffocating feeling of being scrutinized made her desperate, wanting only to escape.

She reached the doorway and then suddenly stopped.

“It’s not that I disagree. I’m just a little overwhelmed right now. I want to see you again later.”

Lu Xiaoxiao sat up, looked at Tantai Jing’s silhouette in the shadows, and a smile appeared on her lips.

“Alright. I will always wait behind you.”