Stepping in for the Heroine to Crush the Protagonist Group [Transmigration] - Chapter 66

In the Demon Race, the sky remained perpetually overcast.

After bringing Hu Li into the Demon Race, Min Yaxing went to the Demon Palace’s private treasury to review the recent roster of newly recruited members. Meanwhile, Hu Li settled into the palace where Min Xiuhe had previously resided. She spent her days lounging on a chaise, engrossed in the latest melodramatic romance novels.

But even the most captivating stories eventually lost their allure. On her third day of reading, Hu Li, bored out of her mind, covered her face with a novel and drifted into a daze.

If only Min Xiuhe and Shang Miaoyun were here, she thought. At least then I’d have someone to keep me company.

Alas, Min Xiuhe was still away on assignment across the Cultivation World, preoccupied with her Demon Abyss mission. Shang Miaoyun, ever at Min Xiuhe’s side, was also constantly on the move. So, Hu Li could only dream of their return.

After some careful calculation, Hu Li realized that Min Xiuhe’s Demon Abyss mission would likely take another decade to complete. The reason for this extended duration was that during her second expedition into the Demon Abyss to deal with the chaos, Min Xiuhe had, in her haste to conserve energy, effectively wiped out half the abyss. According to Min Yaxing, several demon species in the abyss had since become critically endangered.

The memory made Hu Li burst into laughter, but before she could finish, something suddenly dropped at her feet.

Immediately afterward, the System’s voice rang out: “Host, this is bad!”

The suddenness of the warning startled Hu Li, who sprang up from her lounge chair. The storybook slipped from her face and landed with a thud on the ground.

“How did you get back so soon?” Hu Li asked instinctively, meeting the System’s gaze.

Sensing the disdain in Hu Li’s tone, the System immediately suppressed its panicked expression and replaced it with a benign smile. “Host, is that really the most important thing right now?” it asked, its voice dripping with sarcasm.

Hu Li chuckled awkwardly, offering an excuse: “You usually take three months to return after being banished. But this time, it’s only been three days. That’s why I was curious about your sudden return.”

“I see…” The System gave Hu Li a meaningful look but ultimately decided not to hold it against her. Instead, it explained: “When I returned, I ran into a Demon Cultivator. She captured me and took me to the Demon Race, intending to use me as her messenger raven. Fortunately, I’m quick-witted and managed to escape—” The System paused, remembering the urgent matter it needed to convey. “Host, the real issue isn’t how I got back, it’s Gu Sheng! When I escaped from that Demon Cultivator, I saw Gu Sheng heading toward the Demon Palace.”

Hu Li froze for a moment, and the storybook she had just picked up slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground again.

“You’re saying Gu Sheng is coming to the Demon Palace?!” The smile vanished from Hu Li’s lips.

The System confirmed, “And judging by her determination, she likely knows who you are.”

Hu Li leaped off her lounge chair and strode into the palace, denying it. “Impossible! Ye Qingtang, Min Yaxing, and I have been together for ten years, and they never recognized me.”

The System followed Hu Li, equally puzzled. After a moment, it asked, “Host, if she doesn’t know who you are, why is she pursuing you so relentlessly?”

Hu Li stopped in her tracks, speculating, “Perhaps she wants a substitute.”

The System scoffed, “Who looks for a substitute by targeting Spirit Pets?”

Hu Li shrugged. “Maybe she has… unusual tastes.”

The System paused. “Host, if that were true, Gu Sheng could have captured the entire Red Fox Clan over the past decade to serve as your substitutes. But she—”

Before the System could finish, Hu Li interrupted coldly, “If I say it’s a substitute, then it’s a substitute.”

With that, she strode into the palace, swiftly gathering a few valuables, intending to flee back to Baoning Town that very night.

But as she emerged from the palace, a dark shadow circled overhead.

Hu Li looked up at the shadow, her breath catching in her throat. That flowing, multicolored mane, radiating a distinct shamate vibe, and those teary, golden vertical pupils—it was unmistakably the Divine Dragon she had summoned long ago!

Little Rainbow Dragon— No, it should be Great Rainbow Dragon now.

With a swift movement, it prostrated itself at Hu Li’s feet, its claws gripping her ankle before it began nuzzling her head frantically, as if to say, “Master, I’ve finally found you.”

The Great Rainbow Dragon was beside itself with excitement, but Hu Li couldn’t bring herself to smile. She tried to pull her foot free from the dragon’s grip, but it held her fast, giving her no chance to escape. Left with no other choice, Hu Li began searching for another way to break free.

Before she could even formulate a plan, a Demon Cultivator guarding the perimeter shouted, “Demon eater! Demon eater!”

Hu Li: Huh?

She turned toward the shouting cultivator and saw Gu Sheng riding on Little Coal Ball’s back, controlling the Demonic Qi-burping creature as it approached her.

“Host, what do we do?” the System asked urgently, hovering beside Hu Li.

Hu Li snorted. “What else? We’ll just have to wing it.”

As soon as she spoke, the Great Rainbow Dragon momentarily relaxed its grip. Seizing the opportunity, Hu Li yanked her foot free and sprinted toward the artificial mountain a few paces away, using all four limbs.

These artificial mountains were actually invisible Teleportation Arrays. Hu Li had seen Min Yaxing use one before, and now she was betting everything on them.

But just as her front paw was about to touch the mountain, her body froze mid-stride. Then, a pair of arms wrapped around her chest, lifting her off the ground and pulling her into a warm embrace.

“Why don’t you want me anymore?” Gu Sheng murmured, stroking Hu Li’s fur.

Hu Li’s heart skipped a beat at those words. She mechanically turned her head to look at Gu Sheng, her pupils reflecting the other woman’s sorrowful expression.

“I never stopped wanting you,” Hu Li said after a moment of silence, unable to bear Gu Sheng’s distress. She raised a hand and gently wiped the corner of Gu Sheng’s eye. But as Gu Sheng reached out to grasp her hand, a sudden suspicion flashed through Hu Li’s mind. She asked tentatively, “Did you recognize me all along?”

Gu Sheng’s outstretched hand froze. She hesitated, torn between telling the truth and keeping her secret.

Suddenly, the System shrieked, “Host, don’t forget! The Heavenly Dao forbids you from being with Gu Sheng!”

Having missed their conversation, the System mistakenly believed Gu Sheng and Min Yaxing were about to reconcile, and it panicked.

Host? Heavenly Dao? Gu Sheng glanced sideways at the System, her gaze sweeping over it as if she suddenly understood something. With a swift flip of her hand, she brought two fingers together, intending to seize the System and interrogate it thoroughly.

But just then, Min Yaxing suddenly appeared, interrupting her.

“Gu Sheng, is this really necessary?” Min Yaxing unleashed her oppressive aura, attempting to intimidate Gu Sheng. Already frustrated by three days of fruitless searching for news of the New Demon Venerable, Min Yaxing’s anger flared at the sight of Gu Sheng’s destruction of the Demon Palace.

“Necessary,” Gu Sheng calmly shattered Min Yaxing’s oppressive aura, lifting her gaze to meet the other woman’s. She hadn’t expected Min Yaxing to arrive so quickly.

Min Yaxing’s brows furrowed into a deep frown. “The Red Fox is the Spirit Pet that sealed my bond with Tangtang. I absolutely will not let you take her.”

“Is that so?” Gu Sheng casually averted her gaze from Min Yaxing, stroking Hu Li’s back as she spoke. “If you truly refuse to give her up, I’ll simply take her by force.”

Min Yaxing stared in stunned silence. She hadn’t expected the delicate white lotus from the original story to have such a fiery temper, and for a moment, she was at a loss for words.

The two women remained locked in a tense standoff until a Demon Cultivator guard burst in to report to Min Yaxing. “V-Venerable One, t-this is bad! The Tianyan Sect—the Tianyan Sect, they—” He stammered for ages, unable to get the words out.

Min Yaxing’s eyes flashed with impatience. “What about them?” she demanded coldly.

The guard finally caught his breath and shouted, “They’ve led an army to the Demon Palace!”

“What did you say? To the Demon Palace!” Min Yaxing couldn’t fathom what madness had seized these people. Just as she was about to retire, they were all coming to stir up trouble. Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes, she took a deep breath and said to the guard, “I understand. I’ll go see for myself.”

With those words, she vanished from the spot.

Gu Sheng stood to the side, staring at the empty space where Min Yaxing had been. After a moment’s contemplation, she placed Hu Li on the back of the Great Rainbow Dragon and instructed, “Keep a close watch on her.” Then, with a flash, she disappeared before Hu Li’s eyes.

Support Stepping in for the Heroine to Crush the Protagonist Group [Transmigration]