Queen of Ten Thousand Demons Insists on Marrying Me - Chapter 56

The competition had been going on for several days, Lu Wanbai had already secured one victory, and it would be Lu Xiaoxiao’s turn tomorrow. During this period, with the help of Chu Jiawen, the talisman business had already sold goods worth five hundred pieces of mid-grade spirit stones.

Today, after the competition began, Tantai Jing (or Tantai depending on Western usage, but maintaining the Chinese name order here) still descended from the high platform and came to Lu Xiaoxiao’s stall. After all, it was much more comfortable staying with Lu Xiaoxiao here than being up there with Yan Sihong; she was waited on with food and drinks.

Tantai Jing watched Lu Xiaoxiao constantly drawing talismans, and fearing she would tire, she took her wrist, placed it on her own lap, and gently massaged the area between her thumb and index finger and her forearm.

Seeing a circle of bruises on the wrist, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. She regretted holding Xiao-Xiao’s wrist so hard the last time she was angry. A flash of spiritual energy appeared on her fingertip, erasing the “criminal mark” she had left behind.

Lu Xiaoxiao felt very comfortable with the massage. She leaned back in the chair with her eyes half-closed, the warm sunshine sprinkling over her, giving her an unspeakable feeling of enjoyment.

“Take a break. I left early yesterday. Were you two able to recruit any students?”

Hearing this, Lu Xiaoxiao sat up slightly and scratched her forehead, admitting awkwardly, “Not really. Most of the rogue cultivators in Dongchang City have joined Yan Gengshen’s Sun-Moon Alliance. It doesn’t require long-term stationing at a sect and offers many conveniences. The remaining people already belong to other sects, or they are some demons who definitely wouldn’t join our small sect.”

“So the progress hasn’t been very smooth. Although a few people occasionally come to consult, because I, the sect leader, am only at the Nascent Soul Stage cultivation level, most people just buy a couple of talismans and leave.”

“Establishing a new sect cannot be rushed. You shouldn’t be too discouraged.” Tantai Jing smoothed Lu Xiaoxiao’s hair and said to her: “Sit up straight a little. I’ll help you braid a few small plaits on this side of your hair. It always seems to fall down when you are drawing talismans, which looks inconvenient.”

Lu Xiaoxiao listened to her words, sat up straight, and allowed her to sit beside her and fiddle with her hair.

The two were sitting shoulder to shoulder, their black and white skirts inadvertently overlapping beneath the table.

Passersby couldn’t help but stop and look over when they saw this scene.

Lu Xiaoxiao felt the gazes cast by those around her and instantly felt her cheeks flush slightly. She lowered her head somewhat shyly, her eyes unintentionally falling upon a black ribbon on the edge of the table. She picked up the ribbon casually and wrapped it around her finger, aimlessly circling and unwrapping it to distract herself from the discomfort caused by the public attention.

Unexpectedly, the person beside her, who was concentrating on braiding her hair, forcefully slapped her hand away.

Lu Xiaoxiao was caught off guard, and a sharp pain shot through the back of her hand. The ribbon in her hand fell, and she looked up at Tantai Jing with a wronged expression.

Tantai Jing’s movements paused as she realized she might have been too harsh, and a swift blush spread across her face.

“How can you be so shameless in broad daylight?” Her tone carried a hint of reproach, yet she couldn’t hide a trace of undetectable shyness and panic.

“Ah—”

Lu Xiaoxiao followed Tantai Jing’s gaze, and the fallen black ribbon, slowly looking upwards until her sight finally landed on Tantai Jing’s tight waist.

Her face instantly flushed crimson, as if stained by fiery sunset clouds. Only then did she realize that what she had unconsciously fiddled with was, in fact, Tantai Jing’s waist sash. She was so embarrassed she almost wanted to find a crack in the ground to hide in.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”

Mo Siliu and Lu Wanbai, who were sitting nearby, both shook their heads.

Mo Siliu nudged Lu Wanbai’s arm and asked, “Wanbai Senior Sister, are all people who have a Dao Companion (romantic partner/mate in cultivation) like this?”

Lu Wanbai was angry but dared not speak, fearing that Tantai Jing would lead Mo Siliu astray. She picked up Mo Siliu and moved away from the stall: “Your Xiaoxiao Senior Sister is doing this out of necessity. Don’t you dare learn from her.”

Watching Lu Wanbai take Mo Siliu away, Chu Jiawen vigorously promoted to a client on the side.

Lu Xiaoxiao held Tantai Jing’s hand, which was braiding her hair, leaned in, and whispered near her ear, “What have you thought about the question I asked you at the inn last time? Do you want to come to my place to ‘play’ after the competition ends today?”

Lu Xiaoxiao’s scorching breath made Tantai Jing’s earlobe turn red. She reached out and pushed Lu Xiaoxiao away slightly: “I will discuss things with you later if I encounter similar situations again.”

Finally, she lowered her gaze, her thick eyelashes covering half of her eyes: “Play… play what?”

Seeing her reaction, Lu Xiaoxiao reached out and gripped Tantai Jing’s arm, shaking it gently, a knowing smile on her face: “It will be my turn to enter the arena tomorrow. I’ve been busy drawing talismans and recruiting students lately and have neglected my cultivation. Can you come to the inn tonight to help ‘guide’ me? Jing Jiejie (Elder Sister Jing)~”

Tantai Jing was stunned by the way Lu Xiaoxiao called her ‘Jing Jiejie’: “The cultivation methods we practice are completely different, how can I guide you? Besides, you have the Chaoyuan Sword (Sword of the Primordial Return); you shouldn’t lose any fight within the Nascent Soul Stage, right?”

Lu Xiaoxiao still wouldn’t let her off: “But you have abundant practical combat experience; you can teach me a few moves. Also, the Chaoyuan Sword hasn’t responded to my summons since last time. I don’t know if something is wrong with it.”

Tantai Jing looked at Lu Xiaoxiao with some difficulty. Although everyone knew she had been staying with Lu Xiaoxiao lately, and Fuzhao hadn’t questioned her again, she was afraid of what her foster mother might do to Lu Xiaoxiao if she stayed overnight at Lu Xiaoxiao’s place.

Therefore, even though she missed Lu Xiaoxiao very much, she didn’t dare to spend all day and night with her.

Lu Xiaoxiao was unaware of her inner thoughts and simply assumed she didn’t want to spend time alone with her. A feeling of sourness welled up in her heart; Tantai Jing had always enjoyed being with her before.

She poked at her fingers inside her sleeve and asked, feeling wronged, “Did I do something wrong last time? Did I make you feel uncomfortable somewhere?”

Tantai Jing was confused: “I didn’t feel uncomfortable. It’s just that I have to report some matters about the Sun-Moon Grand Competition to my foster mother when I go back tonight.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Seeing that Lu Xiaoxiao still looked very disappointed, Tantai Jing couldn’t help but soften her heart: “How about a little later?”

“Hmm?”

Tantai Jing pressed down on the hand inside Lu Xiaoxiao’s sleeve and began gently massaging her thumb-index finger area and forearm again, not wanting her to damage her fingers anymore: “I’ll come find you at the inn a little later.”

Lu Xiaoxiao’s lips curved up once more. She propped her hand on the stall table and watched Tantai Jing massage her, grinning foolishly without stopping. She felt as if she were floating, deeply immersed in a giant cloud of cotton candy.

Lu Wanbai, who had circled around with Mo Siliu in her arms, returned to this scene, withdrew her foot from the stall, and continued walking outside.

She silently recited: Out of necessity, out of necessity, swallowing one’s pride, swallowing one’s pride.

“Lu Wanbai? Why are you here, too?”

Just as she reached the gate, she heard someone call her name. Lu Wanbai looked up and saw the familiar figure, and her eyes instantly brightened.

“Wan Qingyi? Why have you come to Dongchang City? You’re not here to participate in the Sun-Moon Grand Competition, are you?”

Wan Qingyi looked Mo Siliu up and down: “How could that be? My mother was afraid that there was something shady about this Sun-Moon Grand Competition, so she came to check it out. Who is this little girl?”

Lu Wanbai put down Mo Siliu and, holding her hand, said to Wan Qingyi: “This is my Junior Sister Mo Siliu. She was kept at the Profound Heaven Sword Sect before. We only discovered her when we returned last time.”

Wan Qingyi nodded. Lu Wanbai guessed she didn’t want to see Lu Xiaoxiao, so she found a teahouse to catch up with her.

“After months apart, you seem to have lost some weight.” Lu Wanbai looked at the originally carefree and lively Wan Qingyi, who now seemed much more composed.

Wan Qingyi picked up her teacup, brought it to her lips, and took a sip before slowly saying, “Thanks to Lu Xiaoxiao, she injured several Senior Uncles, so now the palace is short-handed, and I have to help my mother with some tasks.” After saying that, she felt a bit annoyed. It was truly inappropriate to bring up old matters after such a long reunion.

Lu Wanbai was stunned, and her expression instantly became a little gloomy: “I’m sorry…”

“You’ve already apologized for her eight hundred times. Why don’t you offer me some actual compensation?” Wan Qingyi put down her teacup and lightly tapped the cup with her index finger.

“Just say it. Whatever you ask for, I will try my best to compensate you,” Lu Wanbai blurted out.

Wan Qingyi stopped her hand movements and thought Lu Wanbai was a little amusing for being so eager. The incident wasn’t her fault, yet she insisted on taking the responsibility.

She folded her hands and her gaze swept across Lu Wanbai’s face: “Really? Any compensation is acceptable?”

“Really. If I can’t fulfill it right away, I will use my life’s effort to achieve it as much as I can.” Lu Wanbai placed her hands on her lap and sat there honestly, showing her sincerity.

Wan Qingyi dropped her hands, her eyes lowered, and said, “Then I will ask for two things from you on behalf of the Glory Cloud Palace.”

Lu Wanbai: “Please feel free to speak!”

“I’ve only thought of one for now. I’ll tell you the other one when I think of it later. The twelve elders of my Glory Cloud Palace were seriously injured and their cultivation levels dropped significantly. Is it too much to ask your Profound Heaven Sword Sect to compensate me with one hundred and twenty pieces of high-grade spirit stones?”

Wan Qingyi knew Lu Wanbai couldn’t afford it, but she just wanted her to owe her something.

Mo Siliu’s clear voice rang out: “One high-grade spirit stone is equal to one thousand low-grade spirit stones, which is also equal to one hundred mid-grade spirit stones. We currently only have five hundred mid-grade spirit stones from selling talismans, so that means we still owe Qingyi Senior Sister one hundred and fifteen high-grade spirit stones.”

Lu Wanbai remembered the remaining spirit stones from selling talismans, took them from Mo Siliu’s hand, and stuffed them all into Wan Qingyi’s hands.

“I can only pay you back five high-grade spirit stones now. We will repay the rest as quickly as possible.”

Wan Qingyi was startled, not expecting them to actually have spirit stones, but the words had already been spoken, and she couldn’t take them back, so she could only accept them.

“Al… Alright.”

“How is Palace Master Wan now? How are her injuries?”

“Much better…”

In the evening, Lu Xiaoxiao returned to the inn and learned that she and Lu Wanbai were currently in debt of more than one hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones. The news struck her like a bolt from the blue. However, it was only right for people to ask for some compensation, and it wasn’t a huge amount.

“Yes, it should be paid. And we should give even more,” Lu Xiaoxiao said, sitting across from Lu Wanbai with a worried expression.

It was indeed necessary to pay, but how to earn the spirit stones was another problem. Many people had bought talismans recently, but the techniques used were limited and had already been seen through by opponents, so the number of people buying talismans had gradually decreased.

Lu Xiaoxiao paced back and forth in the room, and finally, an idea popped into her head. She turned to Lu Wanbai and asked, “There are so many matches in the Sun-Moon Grand Competition, is there anyone running a betting pool?”

Lu Wanbai recalled the scenes of walking around with Mo Siliu and thought that she seemed to have heard many people placing bets.

“There seems to be one, and quite a few people are placing bets. But don’t you get any strange ideas. Nine out of ten bets are lost.”

Lu Xiaoxiao’s eyes lit up: “Then how many spirit stones do we have left now? Senior Sister, don’t worry, I won’t mess around.”

Mo Siliu gently shook the slightly worn storage bag in her hand, but not a single coin popped out.

“Sigh, we can’t even afford the room fee anymore.” Her voice contained a mix of helplessness and bitterness.

“Wait, I remember I gave you about seven high-grade spirit stones,” Lu Xiaoxiao said.

Mo Siliu sighed, “Wanbai Senior Sister paid them all to Wan Qingyi along with the others.”

The glimmer of hope that had shone in Lu Xiaoxiao’s eyes moments before was extinguished instantly by Mo Siliu’s words, and she sank back into gloom.

“We’ll talk about it later. I have a headache right now; I’m going back to my room to rest for a bit.” Lu Xiaoxiao rubbed her messy hair and returned to her room.

Inside the Dongchang City Lord’s Residence, Tantai Jing was walking quickly towards the door.

Fuzhao’s voice came from behind: “Xiao Jing’er (Little Jing), where are you going?”

Tantai Jing stopped and looked back: “Foster mother, you should know that since I have acknowledged her, I will not change my mind.”

“There are thousands upon thousands of demons in this world, and countless others are stronger than her. Do you absolutely have to have her?”

Fuzhao had long known that Tantai Jing was constantly cozying up with Lu Xiaoxiao during the Sun-Moon Grand Competition. Seeing that she was going to find Lu Xiaoxiao again after returning to the residence today, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger.

“Yes! I must have her.”

Finally, she added in a low voice: “She is different from Wan Xuan’er.”

Fuzhao sighed helplessly. Tantai Jing had been constantly muttering Lu Xiaoxiao’s name while injured and unconscious. Seeing her child deeply entangled, just as she had been back then, she truly didn’t want her to follow in her footsteps.

“Since that is the case, then go.”

Fuzhao secretly thought: She won’t stop until she hits a wall. If she dares to harm you even a little, I will reduce her and the Profound Heaven Sword Sect to dust.

The cloud of gloom that had hung over Tantai Jing’s face for a long time finally broke into a smile. She ran to Fuzhao’s side, hugged her, said “Thank you, foster mother,” and then happily ran out the door.

At this moment, Lu Xiaoxiao, who was looking troubled in the inn, was suddenly seized by the neck and lifted into the air.

“You… You are Fuzhao? Tantai Jing’s foster mother?”

It was Fuzhao who had teleported over and arrived at the inn one step ahead of Tantai Jing.

It wasn’t until Lu Xiaoxiao’s face was flushed red and her breathing became difficult and rapid that she was finally lifted roughly by Fuzhao and then ruthlessly flung against the cold wall.

“Hmph, a mere ant at the Nascent Soul Stage. I have no idea why Xiao Jing’er took a liking to you.”

Fuzhao’s tone was full of disdain and contempt. In her eyes, Lu Xiaoxiao had no value whatsoever.

Lu Xiaoxiao’s body slammed heavily against the wall before sliding weakly to the ground. She endured the waves of pain spreading throughout her body, used her last bit of strength to prop herself up, and one hand trembled as she clutched her painfully squeezed neck, coughing intermittently.

“What exactly do you want to do?”

Tantai Jing and I are naturally in love. Who are you, this old demoness, to point fingers? I should have never let you out. It would have been better if Aunt Wan had kept you locked up for a thousand or ten thousand years.

However, she would absolutely not dare to say these words out loud, or she might not even see tonight’s moon, let alone tomorrow’s sun.

“How far have you two progressed?”

Fuzhao still held a shred of hope. If the relationship was still shallow, she could just kill Lu Xiaoxiao and fake the scene, and perhaps Xiao Jing’er wouldn’t be too heartbroken.

Lu Xiaoxiao looked at Fuzhao’s eyes, which were gradually turning sinister, and felt a sudden fear. She spoke rashly: “The rice has long been cooked into a finished meal (the deed is done). Don’t you dare hurt the child in my belly, or Tantai Jing might never acknowledge you as her mother in the future.”

Hearing this, Fuzhao’s face instantly turned ashen, and she slammed her palm onto the table. The wooden table instantly shattered, turning into countless tiny splinters that scattered in the air.

“What nonsense are you talking about? How can two women have a child?”

Lu Xiaoxiao’s mind blanked, and she wanted to slap herself. Still, she feigned a composed reply: “This is a secret technique of my Profound Heaven Sword Sect. How could a demon like you know?”

Fuzhao had lived for over five hundred years, had experienced the world’s vicissitudes, and had seen countless strange and marvelous things, yet she had truly never heard the ridiculous claim that two women could have a child. At this moment, the anger in her heart was like dry firewood ignited by a fierce wind.

How could Fuzhao, dignified as she was, be so easily fooled by Lu Xiaoxiao’s absurd claim?

She raised her sleeve, full of fury, as if the next moment she would strike Lu Xiaoxiao, delivering a slap to make her sober up.

Lu Xiaoxiao, having witnessed the firm table instantly vanish into nothingness under Fuzhao’s single palm strike, was already terrified and scared out of her wits.

She hurriedly dodged backward, her eyes wide with fear and uneasiness.

While dodging, she kept saying, “Ah, I was wrong, foster mother, I was really wrong. But my heart for Tantai Jing is true. We are truly deeply in love, our feelings are solid as gold, we will never leave each other, we are perfect matches, and we are connected in our hearts! Please, just grant us, this pair of unfortunate lovers, your blessing! We really cannot live without each other!”

In her fit of rage, Fuzhao actually forgot to use a spell to restrain her. The two chased each other back and forth in the room. Just as Xiao-Xiao was about to be caught, Tantai Jing’s voice suddenly came from outside the door.

“Xiao-Xiao, are you in your room?”

Lu Xiaoxiao subconsciously looked in Fuzhao’s direction, only to find that the person was long gone.

However, Fuzhao’s voice transmission echoed in her mind: “If you dare to treat my Xiao Jing’er badly, even if Wan Xuan’er protects you, I will still have you torn to pieces.”

“And you are not allowed to tell Xiao Jing’er about today’s incident.”

Lu Xiaoxiao hadn’t intended to tell Tantai Jing anyway. It was better not to let her know about such a distressing matter.

Fuzhao had originally intended to teach Lu Xiaoxiao a lesson and scare her into not doing anything to betray Tantai Jing, but Lu Xiaoxiao’s provocations made her forget her original purpose.

When Tantai Jing entered the room, she only saw a panting Lu Xiaoxiao and couldn’t help but ask, “What were you doing alone in the room? Why are you covered in sweat from being so tired?”

Lu Xiaoxiao leaned on the door frame, catching her breath, and slowly straightened up: “I was… exercising. Please… please come in quickly.”

Tantai Jing wiped the sweat from her face, looked around the room, and didn’t see anyone else. She somewhat believed Lu Xiaoxiao, as she could be a bit strange sometimes.

“I remember there was a table in the middle here, wasn’t there?” Tantai Jing looked at the center of the room where four chairs faced each other, but the table was missing.

“I accidentally broke it while practicing, and I had the innkeeper remove it.”

Fearing Tantai Jing would ask more questions, Lu Xiaoxiao quickly pulled her to sit on the bed, staring deeply into Tantai Jing’s eyes, and nervously swallowed: “I have an impertinent request.”

Tantai Jing felt a little uncomfortable under her fervent gaze: “Wh-What is it? Tell me first so I can hear it.”