Queen of Ten Thousand Demons Insists on Marrying Me - Chapter 57

Being questioned by Tantai Jing like this, Lu Xiaoxiao again found herself unable to speak. She had originally intended to call her over to talk about love and romance, but now she had to talk about money…

She hadn’t opened her mouth to borrow money from anyone in two lifetimes, and at this moment, she was stammering and unable to get the words out.

“Actually… never mind… it’s nothing. Have you eaten dinner yet?”

Tantai Jing saw her acting bashfully and knew she had run into trouble but was too embarrassed to ask for help.

“I gave up on eating a long time ago. If I weren’t with a glutton like you, I wouldn’t eat dinner. What exactly is the matter? Hurry up and tell me.”

Lu Xiaoxiao hesitated repeatedly before finally opening her mouth: “Sister Jing, could you lend me some spirit stones? I promise I’ll return them to you very soon.”

Lu Xiaoxiao usually called her by her full name. It was only on the few occasions she called her “Sister Jing” that she was asking for a favour.

“Now you know to call me sister again? Didn’t you earn quite a few spirit stones from selling talismans?” Tantai Jing was slightly displeased with her only becoming compliant when she needed something.

Lu Xiaoxiao’s face felt a little hot when she was asked this. She lunged into Tantai Jing’s arms, hugging her waist and cooing: “Oh, it’s just that I was a little embarrassed, wasn’t it? If you like it, I’ll call you that all the time from now on.”

She was so used to calling her “Tantai Jing,” “Demoness,” and other names that it felt genuinely awkward to change her address now.

Lu Xiaoxiao was truly shy, so Tantai Jing didn’t make things difficult for her, gently stroking her back.

Feeling Tantai Jing soften toward her, she finally nestled in her arms and recounted, piece by piece, how Wan Qingyi had asked her and Lu Wanbai for spirit stones, and how they had given away all the spirit stones they currently possessed.

Now, the three senior and junior sisters were penniless and were about to sleep under a bridge.

Tantai Jing listened, then said seriously: “If you trace the source of this matter, it still falls on me, but I don’t have such a large sum of spirit stones on me.”

The cultivation resources on Hook Mountain were abundant, and she usually didn’t need many spirit stones. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have always let Lu Xiaoxiao pay the bills before.

Lu Xiaoxiao heard her agree, straightened up, and asked: “Then how many spirit stones do you have right now?”

Tantai Jing took out her storage ring, which contained only fifty top-grade spirit stones kept as a reserve—Fu Zhao insisted on giving them to her.

Seeing such a huge sum, Lu Xiaoxiao’s eyes instantly lit up: “Hehe, Sister Jing, can you lend me ten pieces to use? I’ll find a way to return them to you in a few days.”

She wouldn’t have minded giving all fifty spirit stones to Lu Xiaoxiao, but hearing her say she had a way to return them in a few days piqued Tantai Jing’s curiosity.

“Oh? How do you plan to return them to me? By just selling talismans?” Tantai Jing reached out and pinched Lu Xiaoxiao’s soft cheek, teasing her.

Lu Xiaoxiao let her pinch her face, showed a mouthful of white teeth, and said indistinctly: “I saw that there’s a betting pool open during the Sun and Moon Grand Competition, and I plan to use these ten spirit stones as a stake.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Tantai Jing’s smiling face suddenly turned cold.

She forcefully pinched Lu Xiaoxiao’s ear and angrily scolded: “Gambling? I think I’ve indulged you too much lately! You’ve even come up with such crooked ideas!”

Shoot! After enjoying a few days of sweet intimacy, she had forgotten what Tantai Jing’s original nature was like.

“Hiss~ It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! Sister Jing, Sister Jing, please let me finish talking first.”

Tantai Jing’s eyes grew even colder: “I can’t accept that! You’d better just call me Tantai Jing.”

When she was a child wandering the streets in the early years, Tantai Jing and her mother had lived near a gambling den for several years. Anyone who came out of there was never a good person.

They were either ruined financially or sold their wives and daughters. A person who was honest going in would come out a shell of their former self. She hadn’t expected Lu Xiaoxiao to be this kind of person.

“Just listen to me first, don’t be so hot-tempered, okay?” Lu Xiaoxiao was being pulled by the ear, yelping in pain and standing on her tiptoes.

She should have known better than to ask Tantai Jing for money. She might as well have borrowed some from Chu Jiawen.

Tantai Jing didn’t ease her grip: “Speak.”

Lu Xiaoxiao could only answer her while standing on her tiptoes: “I can actually see how powerful everyone is, so I wanted to use this method to earn some spirit stones to pay back Wan Qingyi.”

Tantai Jing released her ear, walked over to the window, and stopped looking at her: “You would even say something like that for the sake of gambling. Lu Xiaoxiao, I truly underestimated you.”

Seeing Tantai Jing ignore her and speak in such a cold tone, which didn’t seem like just anger anymore, Lu Xiaoxiao suddenly panicked.

She quickly chased after her to the window, hugged her tightly, and gently pecked her cheek: “How could I lie to you? It’s true! If I have a single false word, let my primordial spirit be annihilated. I swear on my Dao Heart.”

Tantai Jing turned around and covered her mouth: “Don’t speak carelessly. How can a cultivator casually swear on their Dao Heart?”

Lu Xiaoxiao knew what she meant.

The oath of a cultivator on their Dao Heart is different from the oaths sworn by ordinary mortals; if they break it, the Heavenly Dao will descend punishment.

“I don’t care. If you don’t believe me, this is the only way I can prove it. Anyway, what I said to you cannot be false.” Lu Xiaoxiao tightened her arms and murmured into Tantai Jing’s hair.

Tantai Jing was hugged so tightly she couldn’t breathe. She leaned against Lu Xiaoxiao’s shoulder and gently pushed her: “Alright, I believe you. You’re holding me too tightly. Let go a little first.”

Lu Xiaoxiao slightly lessened her grip, still keeping her wrapped in her arms. A gentle breeze lifted her hair and brushed against her cheek, making her heart itch.

A few images flashed through her mind, and her throat felt a little dry and scratchy: “Sister Jing, can you not go back tonight? I miss you so much.”

Tantai Jing lay on Lu Xiaoxiao’s shoulder, listening to her heartbeat drumming against her own heart.

Wrapping her arms around Lu Xiaoxiao’s neck, a playful thought arose in her mind. She leaned into Lu Xiaoxiao’s ear and gently exhaled a breath, which made Lu Xiaoxiao tremble for a moment: “I wasn’t planning on going back tonight anyway. Didn’t you call me here to give you some pointers?”

Lu Xiaoxiao’s body went soft. She followed her lips and was about to press against them, but just as she was about to touch the soft lips, her embrace suddenly felt empty. Tantai Jing’s figure flashed back like a ghost, nimbly avoiding her advance.

Tantai Jing walked back to the bed and threw all fifty top-grade spirit stones to her: “This is the one and only time. There won’t be a next.”

Lu Xiaoxiao, who received the spirit stones, instantly had eyes curved like crescent moons. With a smile on her face, she rushed forward impatiently, her arms already unconsciously open, ready to hug Tantai Jing tightly to express her gratitude.

However, just as she was about to wrap her arms around Tantai Jing, a slender, fair finger gently extended and tapped her shoulder.

“The thought is appreciated. Sit down. Today, I’ll teach you how to calm your mind and focus your qi.”

“Ah—”

At night, Lu Xiaoxiao sat cross-legged on the bed, silently chanting: Calm the mind and focus the qi, discard all distracting thoughts, achieve the oblivion of self and world…

But she couldn’t forget anything. The fragrance of Tantai Jing after bathing lingered in her nostrils, and her mind was filled with the image of Tantai Jing, who was close at hand.

Lu Xiaoxiao secretly opened one eye, cautiously peeking at Tantai Jing’s reaction.

Tantai Jing was sitting by the bed, leaning against it and leisurely flipping through the pages of a book. Those clear, water-like eyes were staring at her with a knowing, half-smile.

Lu Xiaoxiao’s heart clenched, and she quickly closed the peeking eye tightly, pretending that she was concentrating on meditating and cultivating, trying to cover up her inner panic and embarrassment.

After a while, she quietly opened one eye again. This time, she was more cautious, leaving only a tiny slit, afraid of being discovered by Tantai Jing. She saw that Tantai Jing was still in the same posture, but her gaze was no longer on her, but fully immersed in the world of the book.

Lu Xiaoxiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but then a strange sense of loss welled up.

She lightly coughed, trying to make her voice sound more natural: “Sister Jing, I feel a little tired. I still have a match tomorrow, so how about we stop here for today?”

However, Tantai Jing merely raised her eyelids slightly, glanced at her faintly, and then moved her gaze back to the book: “How can meditation make you tired? It will only make your spirit and energy better and better.”

Lu Xiaoxiao pouted when she heard this, muttering to herself: Meditation isn’t tiring, but with you sitting there, I can’t concentrate at all.

After another long while, Tantai Jing looked up at the sky, put down the book, and said: “It’s almost the Hour of the Rat (Zishi – midnight). If you can’t calm your mind, then so be it. Let’s talk about it tomorrow.”

Upon receiving the command, Lu Xiaoxiao sprang up, pounced on Tantai Jing, and kissed the lips she had been coveting for a long time. She gently sucked, enjoying the familiar taste, and her hands also became restless, climbing up her body.

Tantai Jing was kissed until her face flushed red and she was panting heavily. A sudden chill on her collar brought her back to her senses for a moment, and she pushed Lu Xiaoxiao away.

“You have a serious matter tomorrow. No fooling around…” Tantai Jing tightened her collar and said with a slight gasp.

Lu Xiaoxiao lightly pulled open her own collar a bit; a thin layer of sweat broke out on her forehead. She didn’t know if it was due to the hot weather or something else.

She licked her slightly dry lips: “But… it’s been two months… and you had a serious matter the day after last time, and it was still fine, wasn’t it?”

Tantai Jing was speechless: “It’s different. Your cultivation is much lower than mine.”

Lu Xiaoxiao nudged closer again and carefully took her hand: “Is it still because of the gambling with spirit stones? You don’t like it?”

Tantai Jing hesitated before finally speaking: “Your body is quite weak. It’s not suitable when it’s too late… Don’t mess up tomorrow’s event. After all, the Profound Heaven Sword Sect still relies on the two of you to stand out in this Grand Competition so they can recruit new disciples.”

Lu Xiaoxiao’s face instantly flushed red. She quickly said: “I vomited blood last time because the Primordial Sword’s recognition of a master took half of my Vital Essence, that’s why I fell asleep after just one time. I’ve now cultivated the Body Forging Art, and my body has recovered very well.”

“Besides, the first time shouldn’t be too long, for your body…” It won’t be good. Before Lu Xiaoxiao could finish her sentence, she realized she couldn’t make a sound. Tantai Jing had actually cast a Silence Spell on her.

Tantai Jing recalled the night when she was especially passionate, fearing it might be her last time seeing Lu Xiaoxiao. With a crimson face, she lifted the covers and lay down, only showing her eyes: “Get some rest early. I’m a little tired.”

Hearing her say this, Lu Xiaoxiao could only sigh in disappointment. She went out for a cold water bath and then returned to bed.

However, in the middle of the night, she became restless again and secretly started inching towards Tantai Jing. It wasn’t until Tantai Jing tied her up tightly with a “Returning to Dust” spell that she finally quieted down and fell asleep.

The next day.

Lu Xiaoxiao stood on the fighting platform, her figure tall and slender, a white dress fluttering in the wind.

Her opponent this time was a powerful Demon Race member. This Demon expert had already transformed into human form, possessing a tall and well-proportioned physique, no different from a human. However, a closer look would reveal her unique characteristics; her face was handsome, but there were still several complex markings on her sharp features.

“Lu Xiaoxiao of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect, please enlighten me.”

“I’ve heard of you. Lu Chengho.” Lu Chengho replied lazily, crossing her hands behind her head.

After all, there were probably very few members of the Demon Race who hadn’t heard of Lu Xiaoxiao’s name. It was all because of her Dao Companion—Tantai Jing.

Tantai Jing, this peerless Great Ascension stage expert within the Demon Race, whose profound cultivation and exceptional strength had long become the object of admiration and desire for countless Demon cultivators. Her existence was like the most dazzling star in the night sky, both out of reach and inspiring endless contemplation.

However, such a figure, who was the focus of all eyes, unexpectedly fell deeply in love with a human cultivator.

In order to display the prestige of the Demon Race and to strike a blow against Lu Xiaoxiao, the Demon Race had even secretly launched a bounty—ten thousand middle-grade spirit stones for Lu Xiaoxiao’s limbs. This was still due to the Demon Race’s fear of the rules of the Sun and Moon Grand Competition, which strictly prohibited deaths during the matches.

But Lu Xiaoxiao was unaware of these matters. Her mind was entirely focused on how to quickly get off the stage, place a few bets, and quickly pay back the spirit stones she owed Wan Qingyi.

Lu Chengho stood on the platform, rolling up her sleeves and pondering which move to use to deal with Lu Xiaoxiao and demonstrate the might of the Demon Race, while also glancing up at Tantai Jing below the stage to show her dominance.

“Profound Heaven Dawn Breaker!”

With a soft shout, Lu Xiaoxiao’s stance was upright and tall, like an immortal War God standing beneath the sky.

A red sun slowly rose behind her, and the sword suddenly erupted with brilliant light, like a flood dragon emerging from the sea, surging and leaping with mighty momentum. The sword light and the red sun reflected each other, sweeping towards Lu Chengho.

Lu Chengho’s expression drastically changed when she saw this. She hurriedly channeled the lingqi within her body, rapidly forming seals with her hands, attempting to summon a powerful defensive formation to withstand this fatal blow.

But the Primordial Sword was simply too fast. It arrived in front of Lu Chengho almost in the blink of an eye.

At that moment, the air seemed to solidify, and the entire world changed colour.

The Primordial Sword, carrying endless light and power, struck the defensive formation of Lu Chengho with a deafening crash.

With a single strike, Lu Chengho’s defensive formation instantly collapsed and disintegrated, dissolving into scattered motes of spiritual light. However, the Primordial Sword’s momentum remained, and it continued to thrust towards Lu Chengho.

In this life-or-death moment, Lu Chengho frantically crushed the short-distance teleportation jade token in her hand, instantly blinking out of the arena, looking back at Lu Xiaoxiao on the stage with lingering fear.

“That was close…” Lu Chengho muttered, her forehead covered in fine sweat.

“I concede!”

Looking at Lu Xiaoxiao, who had defeated a Demon Race Nascent Soul stage expert with crushing force, Wan Xuan’er was startled and whispered: “It’s actually the Profound Heaven Dawn Breaker. No wonder she was able to force the retreat of the six array formation elders of my Jade Aura Palace single-handedly.”

Wan Qingyi also exclaimed: “Mother, this move is actually so powerful.”

Wan Xuan’er explained: “The Profound Heaven Sword Sect has been able to stand tall in the cultivation world for many years because of the Primordial Sword and the Three Great Sword Moves. And the destruction of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect was also because no one could perform the Three Great Sword Moves. It’s a pity that Xiaoxiao has comprehended this sword move one year after the sect’s destruction. It truly makes one sigh with regret.”

After Lu Xiaoxiao stepped down from the high platform, she impatiently made Lu Wanbai lead her toward the betting area.

She had asked Lu Wanbai to bet fifty top-grade spirit stones for her before she went on stage. Lu Xiaoxiao hadn’t expected her odds to be as high as one to ten. She won five hundred spirit stones, principal and profit combined, from this single match.

Little did she know, this was a result of the Demon Race members intentionally supporting Lu Chengho.

“Oh my god! We’re rich! We’re rich! We’ve struck it rich!!!” Mo Siliu was jumping up and down in place, clutching the spirit stones.

The bookmaker watched with a pained look, having thought a big client had arrived to make a profit, only for the outcome to be unexpected.

“Fellow Daoist, good luck! Would you like to try a few more rounds?” the bookmaker encouraged from the side.

Lu Xiaoxiao, exhilarated by her easy victory, was beaming: “Come, come, come! Who is in the next match? Can you tell me a bit about them?”

The moment the words left her mouth, a cold stare shot over, freezing Lu Xiaoxiao, who subconsciously shrank her neck.

The bookmaker’s face was mysterious, his eyes gleaming with cunning: “Spectators, the next betting round is quite significant and definitely worth your attention.”

“This Zhu Zigang, heh, he’s an Elite Core stage cultivator from the Demon Race. His strength is not to be underestimated. It is said he reached the Elite Core stage decades ago. His cultivation is profound, and his combat experience is terrifyingly rich. This Wild Boar Demon, naturally powerful and thick-skinned, coupled with so many years of cultivation, his strength is absolutely top-notch. Therefore, we’ve set Zhu Zigang’s odds at one-to-one, which can be said to be quite fair.”

At this point, the bookmaker deliberately paused, looked around, and seeing that everyone was listening intently, couldn’t help but show a smug smile. Then, he changed the subject and began to introduce the other contestant.

“As for the other participant, Lin Yizhi, hehe, although she doesn’t have a huge reputation, she broke through to the Elite Core stage before the age of thirty. Looking at her, she seems like a newcomer with not much combat experience. However, since she can stand here, she must have some ability. It’s highly likely she’s a scion of a powerful family hiding her skills to gain experience, as reaching the Elite Core stage before thirty is already considered excellent talent.”

After hearing him finish, Lu Xiaoxiao hurriedly turned back to glance at the somewhat lost Chu Jiawen. Following Chu Jiawen’s gaze, she happened to see Lin Yizhi and Zhu Zigang preparing for the match on both sides of the arena.

After calming herself down, Lu Xiaoxiao looked again, and attributes instantly appeared on both of them. She saw that Lin Yizhi’s attack and defence values were both a dozen points higher than Zhu Zigang’s. The outcome was clear.

Lu Xiaoxiao turned around, took the five hundred top-grade spirit stones that had not yet cooled down from Mo Siliu’s hands, and unhesitatingly placed the bet on Lin Yizhi’s name.

The crowd was thrown into a panic, their eyes showing worry, as they watched Lu Xiaoxiao bet so decisively.

Chu Jiawen also placed a twenty middle-grade spirit stone bet on Lin Yizhi, glancing at Lu Xiaoxiao a few more times.

Mo Siliu, however, was anxiously hopping up and down. She tugged at Lu Xiaoxiao’s sleeve and urgently said: “Senior Sister Xiaoxiao, look at it again! You bet so quickly! That’s five hundred top-grade spirit stones! That’s all our worldly possessions!” Her voice carried a hint of a sob, truly afraid of having to sleep out in the open again.

Lu Wanbai also rushed forward to stop her, but the bet was placed and couldn’t be retracted. She could only secretly lament: Oh no. It was enough to pay off the debt, but now we might owe Tantai Jing another ten top-grade spirit stones. Debt keeps rolling, and it only gets bigger.

Tantai Jing stood by the side, casting a sidelong glance at Lu Xiaoxiao as she placed her bet, a sneer on her lips, but she remained silent.

She had already made up her mind. She would wait for Lu Xiaoxiao to lose and then teach her a good lesson, making her understand that speculation was not the way, and the path of cultivation required steady progress.

“Oh, stop worrying! We definitely won’t lose.” Lu Xiaoxiao guaranteed the others, her eyes full of confidence.

As it turned out, when the match officially began, an unexpected turn of events quickly unfolded. Zhu Zigang appeared to be struggling after just a few rounds, and the crowd outside the arena was cursing his performance.

Lin Yizhi’s every move was precise and deadly. Relying on her accurate timing and excellent combat skills, she gradually gained the upper hand.

As the match deepened, Zhu Zigang’s attacks became increasingly chaotic, while Lin Yizhi fought with growing vigour. Her attacks were like an endless tide, surging toward Zhu Zigang wave after wave.

Finally, during a fierce exchange, Zhu Zigang accidentally revealed a flaw, and Lin Yizhi seized the opportunity, launching a fatal attack.

A dazzling light flashed, and Zhu Zigang’s figure was violently knocked away, eventually falling off the platform, signalling the end of the duel.

At this moment, the entire betting arena fell into a brief silence. Everyone was stunned by the scene before their eyes. Even the bookmaker was frozen in place and only reacted after a long while, numbly taking out one thousand five hundred top-grade spirit stones from the drawer and handing them to Lu Xiaoxiao. His hands trembled slightly, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Miss, not only do you have a good fate, but your luck is also incredibly good.”

The bookmaker’s words carried a hint of envy. He knew he had misjudged this time, not expecting Lin Yizhi to possess such formidable strength.

Lu Xiaoxiao took the spirit stones, a proud smile on her face.

“How do you know I have a good fate?”

The bookmaker chuckled, glancing at Tantai Jing: “With tens of thousands of people in the arena, who doesn’t know, who hasn’t heard?”

Lu Xiaoxiao shyly scratched her head: “Bookmaker, could you recommend another match? Is there any extremely uneven, dark horse match you can point out for me?”

Tantai Jing was also shocked by her feat of winning one thousand five hundred spirit stones in less than two hours.

“Stop… stop continuing. Let’s call it a day, Xiaoxiao,” Tantai Jing said somewhat haltingly.