The Demon Lord Relied on His Imagination to Get Together with the Protagonist. - Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Tong Siqing usually went to sleep at Zi Shi (midnight), but today she insisted on dragging everyone to admire the moon. Consequently, the guards who should have been off-duty and the unlucky subordinates were all summoned to Ji Wudu’s residence.

The official reason was the more people, the merrier.

Qing Lin, who had planned to take Surong to have some fun, now couldn’t leave and could only stand there with her arms crossed, forced to admire the moon.

Tonight was the fifteenth, a night of the full moon, and Ji Wudu’s residence was indeed an excellent spot for moon viewing.

Of course, the location was also chosen by Tong Siqing.

The Demon Lord indulged her in everything.

Around midnight, a huge crowd burst into Ji Wudu’s residence. Qing Lin swiftly tied him up and tossed him into a corner, then opened the small attic pavilion so the Demon Lord and Tong Siqing could stand at the highest point to admire the moon.

Shi Zhihua was indifferent to moon viewing, her mind entirely focused on Tong Siqing. One moment she worried the girl was cold and draped a cloak over her, the next she worried she was tired from standing and had someone bring a chair.

Tong Siqing, meanwhile, silently stared at the big moon, not appearing particularly happy, even looking a bit sleepy.

Shi Zhihua asked her: “Are you tired? If you don’t want to look anymore, we can go back.”

Truthfully, Shi Zhihua had no idea what Tong Siqing’s intentions were with this action. In her impression, the girl hadn’t shown much interest in moon viewing since she arrived, as Tong Siqing tended to doze off at night and rarely had the inclination for romantic endeavors.

She had even fallen asleep right in front of Shi Zhihua while the Demon Lord was trying to be intimate with her.

Shi Zhihua: “…”

That’s annoying to think about.

Tong Siqing shook her head: “It’s not time yet. Wait a little longer.”

“What?” Shi Zhihua asked. “Wait for what?”

Tong Siqing: “I don’t know either. Maybe something will happen.”

Everyone: “…”

What else could they say? They could only continue standing in the cold wind, being punished.

In truth, during this time, many were astonished by the Demon Lord’s infatuation with beauty. The Demon Lord was not originally someone who craved romance. For over a hundred years, she had barely touched anyone. It wasn’t until the girl from the Xianning Sect arrived that the Demon Lord seemed like a completely different person, requiring the girl’s presence all day long.

Although it was phrased as “requiring the other person’s company,” the reality was that the Demon Lord’s heart was completely captivated by the girl.

Everyone knew how much the Demon Lord liked that girl.

The Demon Lord, who had always been emotionally reserved, was now allowing her affection to be openly displayed.

The loyal subordinates were deeply worried. While initially they thought it was a good thing because the Demon Lord’s temper had improved and her frequency of killing had significantly decreased, over time, everyone became uneasy. What if the girl from Xianning turned out to be a jinx?

After a few encounters, everyone in the Palace of Decadence and Lust knew that Tong Siqing’s cultivation was high, and many were not her match. If she had malicious intentions and harmed the Demon Lord, it would be disastrous.

Some people had tried to advise the Demon Lord to be cautious of the person by her side, but the Demon Lord simply wouldn’t listen and thought they were joking.

A few old ministers even intended to offer remonstrance at the cost of their blood, but they were discreetly “invited” out by the Venerable Lord.

In everyone’s eyes, Tong Siqing was even more formidable than the succubus, leaving the Demon Lord utterly distracted all day long.

Yet, the Venerable Lord herself didn’t see it that way. Her exact words were: “She is fond of me, so I am merely reciprocating her feelings.”

Everyone was helpless. After all, on this matter, the Demon Lord was the only one who couldn’t see clearly.

They had no choice but to simultaneously avoid the Demon Lord and secretly keep a close watch on Tong Siqing, fearing she might do something detrimental to the Demon Realm.

To be honest, having someone with an unknown background accompany the Demon Lord naturally aroused many suspicions.

For example, today, Tong Siqing inexplicably asked everyone to join her in moon viewing.

The timing was unique. Why? Because the Celestial Artifact, the Emperor’s Resentment Tally, had just appeared in the Demon Palace. Tong Siqing gathering everyone here to admire the moon looked suspiciously like she had ulterior motives.

Clearly, no one thought this was just about moon viewing.

This time, Shi Zhihua heeded the advice.

She also grew suspicious, feeling that Tong Siqing’s intention was more than just simple moon viewing.

The girl really didn’t seem like the type to admire the moon…

Shi Zhihua looked over, just in time to see Tong Siqing’s head suddenly tilt and ‘thump’ against the pavilion railing.

Shi Zhihua: “…”

If she truly had ulterior motives, her acting was terribly poor.

Tong Siqing rubbed her head, waking up.

Tong Siqing realized she was too sleepy and couldn’t stay awake, so she quietly apologized: “I’m sorry.”

Shi Zhihua quickly rubbed her head, gently chiding her while rubbing: “This railing is too insensitive. I’ll have someone tear it down later.”

Ji Wudu, tied up in the corner: “???”

Everyone: “???”

It’s a high-altitude structure, Venerable Lord. A railing is not strange!

Venerable Lord, don’t you feel something is wrong?

Shi Zhihua felt perfectly normal. The sight of the railing instantly became an eyesore to her. She pulled Tong Siqing back a bit: “It’s my fault for not being thoughtful. Not only did I let you suffer in the cold wind, but I also carelessly allowed the railing to bump you.”

Everyone: “…”

Allowed the railing… to bump… you.

The expressions of all the subordinates were awful, except for Surong, who was relaxed.

Surong didn’t seem to notice anyone’s reaction, sighing with genuine emotion: “The Venerable Lord is so meticulous and caring.”

Shi Zhihua didn’t turn around, simply saying from afar with her back to them: “Reward.”

Surong was delighted: “Thank you, Venerable Lord.”

Qing Lin: “…”

Everyone: “…”

Alas.

Around the third quarter of Zi Shi (around 12:45 AM), just as everyone was staring at each other and starting to nod off, Tong Siqing suddenly became much more alert. She pulled the Demon Lord’s arm and pointed into the distance: “Look—”

Bai Xian didn’t really approve of Ji Siyang going to steal the Celestial Artifact. Their mission was to bring back Tong Siqing, and they shouldn’t concern themselves with other matters. Too many considerations often led to complications.

“Ji Siyang, you must understand that the Celestial Venerable acquiesced to our coming to the Demon Realm this time because he also doesn’t want Saint-Scribe Siqing to remain in the Palace of Decadence and Lust,” Bai Xian frowned and said. “Have you considered what we should do if we can’t rescue Siqing? The Demon Lord is ruthless. If we provoke her, Siqing won’t fare well either…”

It was now Zi Shi. Ji Siyang stood with his hands behind his back in the moonlight, his brows also tightly locked: “But we couldn’t contact Siqing beforehand. The Palace of Decadence and Lust is so vast. Even if we go in, how will we find her?”

That’s true.

Although the Saint-Scribe Celestial Venerable had allowed them freedom of action, he hadn’t told them Tong Siqing’s location, and they couldn’t contact Tong Siqing with just the few of them.

Searching for someone in the Palace of Decadence and Lust was not an easy task.

Even if the guards inside weren’t present, it would take them days and nights to search through all the palaces.

“Proceed according to the original plan,” Ji Siyang closed his eyes tightly, making his decision. “First, go to Ji Wudu’s palace. If the Celestial Artifact is not found, we will immediately split up to search for her.”

Bai Xian asked him: “And if you do find it, are you going to head back?”

Ji Siyang didn’t speak for a long time. Just when Bai Xian thought he wasn’t going to answer, he explained: “If the Celestial Artifact is found, you take the Emperor’s Resentment Tally and go back first. I will continue to look for her.”

Bai Xian really didn’t know what to say. If they weren’t near the Palace of Decadence and Lust right now, she definitely would have…

Forget it, this rift is created. She absolutely didn’t want to work with this person again.

And Ji Siyang felt the same way.

The two of them were only temporarily working together because of a shared goal. Who knew they would have a disagreement when it came down to it? The subtle incompatibility in their auras made both of them quite unhappy.

It was like a silent rivalry, neither willing to yield to the other.

Around the third quarter of Zi Shi, the guards of the Palace of Decadence and Lust changed shifts. The two exchanged a glance and led their respective people, preparing to act.

“Wait,” Ji Siyang stopped her. “I’ll go check if it’s safe first.”

Bai Xian was unwilling. She was the senior martial sister, after all, and should always be at the forefront of any action… But before she could react, Ji Siyang had already climbed over the wall alone.

Almost at the same moment, after Ji Siyang clearly saw the scene before him, he trembled all over, his face turning deathly pale.

“How is it?” Bai Xian asked from below. “What’s wrong?”

Ji Siyang was completely dumbfounded.

The Palace of Decadence and Lust had a protective formation, but it would temporarily weaken during the guard change around Zi Shi. He thought the guard strength was weak now and specifically chose this spot as a breakthrough point. Who knew that as soon as he climbed the wall, he would see a massive crowd of people not far away?

If it were just a crowd, he could quietly retreat.

But the problem was that all those people were uniformly looking in his direction, as if they had been waiting for a very long time, just for him to fall into the trap.

This was not normal at all!

Although they knew nothing about the Palace of Decadence and Lust, there was no way their plan could have been leaked in advance, as the plan had only been finalized a short while ago. Even he himself hadn’t known whether he would follow the original strategy to sneak in until just before implementation.

Someone actually knew in advance!

What was even more terrifying was that so many people were waiting in advance.

Gathering so many guards would require early preparation.

In other words, the people on the opposite side knew the plan for tonight better than they did.

Ji Siyang’s mind was blank. He stiffly craned his neck, staring at the distant pavilion.

The woman in red was the Demon Lord. Her beauty was stunning, and her appearance was so extraordinary that she could be recognized from a distance.

The person beside her was Tong Siqing.

Ji Siyang looked closely. Tong Siqing’s finger was pointing right at him, and he didn’t know what she was saying to the Demon Lord.

Ji Siyang: “…”

I was too careless!

He felt his blood was about to rush backward. The feeling of being watched by a high-cultivation demon was too terrifying. His hands and feet were icy cold, and the heat rushed to his head.

This caused his movements to become very stiff. Therefore, when he lowered his head and signaled Bai Xian to retreat quickly, Bai Xian thought he was having some sort of fit.

Bai Xian: “What does that mean? Are you stuck on the wall?”

Ji Siyang wanted to cry: “Go!”

Bai Xian thought this was an order to charge, so she straightened her sleeves, lightly spun, and leaped onto the wall: “Go! Charge!”

Ji Siyang: “…”

A few seconds later, the two of them sat on the wall, awkwardly staring at each other.

The Demon Lord and others in the distance were watching them like monkeys.

Bai Xian rolled her eyes dramatically at Ji Siyang and then desperately signaled to the people below.

A minute later, a row of people was sitting on the top of the wall like dumplings.

Bai Xian: “…”

Ji Siyang: “…”

Truly… not a single one escaped.

They truly deserve to be from the same sect with such excellent comprehension skills.

Shi Zhihua narrowed her eyes, her tone lazy: “Oh, a few more people coming to court death.”

Qing Lin was instantly wide awake. Action time! She called out to her subordinates and surrounded the few people.

Ji Siyang immediately snapped back to his senses, roared “Run!” and took the lead to jump off the wall.

“Hey—”

Bai Xian truly deserved to have been captured once. Having seen a lot, she just sat there, intending to pull Ji Siyang into surrendering as well. However, she failed to grab him, and Ji Siyang had already jumped down.

A moment later, Ji Siyang was brought back, tied up like a pretzel by Qing Lin. His jade crown was split in two, his hair was messy, and his face was covered in dust—clearly, he had taken quite a beating.

Bai Xian pursed her lips: “Hmph, I told you, you can’t run.”

The bound Ji Siyang was still swearing below. In contrast, Bai Xian was much calmer. She remained seated until Qing Lin finished her task, then gave her a reserved nod.

Qing Lin smiled: “Oh, an old friend. Please—”

She flicked her whip. Bai Xian grasped the long whip and gracefully jumped down, her hair flowing in the wind.

…And then, she was also tied up and placed next to Ji Siyang.

Ji Siyang: “…”

Looking at the unscathed Bai Xian, Ji Siyang was furious. He was about to curse her for being a coward, but Bai Xian interrupted him.

Bai Xian said expressionlessly: “Did you really think you could get away unscathed after being discovered by the Demon Lord? How naive.”

Once, as the senior martial sister, Bai Xian led her disciples out for training. Unfortunately, they ran into the great demon Shi Zhihua. At that time, she was young and reckless, attempting to hold Shi Zhihua back by herself to buy time for her disciples to escape.

But she was wrong.

Even though the other person was alone, without any weapons or treasures, she couldn’t last even one round against her.

Centuries of cultivation difference were evident. The Demon Lord could crush them like ants.

As for whether they lived or died, it entirely depended on the other person’s mood at the time.

Fortunately, Shi Zhihua was in a good mood at the time and didn’t want to stain her hands with blood because she felt it was bad luck. So, she had Qing Lin take the group back and lock them in the water prison.

Bai Xian still remembered the terrifying pressure of the Demon Lord. The other woman hadn’t even attacked, merely glanced at them, and the coercion was silently released. At that time, her mind was blank, and her throat was full of the smell of blood, like she had swallowed a piece of ancient rusty iron, choking her and making her feel like her organs were about to shatter and shift.

Unable to live, unable to die.

Truly worthy of being the Demon Realm Venerable Lord.

She genuinely lamented this thought a second before she fainted.

Seeing her again today, Bai Xian resolutely did not struggle. Because if the Demon Lord didn’t intend to kill, she would allow them a relatively dignified capture, preventing broken arms and legs, etc.

Although Bai Xian still hated the other woman, she had to admit that Shi Zhihua, under normal circumstances, was a competent Venerable Lord.

Not far away, Shi Zhihua saw this scene and realized that Tong Siqing indeed had “ulterior motives,” but they weren’t malicious.

Shi Zhihua remembered what the girl had told her not long ago, “the whole world belongs to the Venerable Lord.” At the time, she hadn’t taken it to heart, thinking the girl didn’t understand the vested interests and principles involved, or perhaps it was just a declaration similar to a term of endearment.

Who would have thought Tong Siqing was serious?

She had actually taken action.

Shi Zhihua didn’t like to judge people by sweet talk. Instead, she paid attention to what they actually did. Through their time together, she had also discovered that Tong Siqing truly was wholeheartedly devoted to her.

For instance, today, the girl uncharacteristically asked everyone to admire the moon together, and coincidentally, they encountered thieves entering the Palace of Decadence and Lust.

“It seems the Palace of Decadence and Lust is a place anyone can enter now.”

Shi Zhihua didn’t ask a question but spoke to everyone in a calm, declarative tone, startling all the guards.

“You all saw it. There’s a lapse in the formation during the Zi Shi shift change,” Shi Zhihua said coldly. “Not long ago, I instructed you to strengthen the guard force, and after only a few days, I witnessed such a spectacle.”

As soon as these words were spoken, all the guards following her immediately knelt down.

Shi Zhihua: “That’s enough. Those who should be punished, be punished. Those who should be dismissed, be dismissed. Now, scram.”

The subordinates and guards who initially had some complaints now didn’t dare to say anything.

They had thought Tong Siqing was just amusing herself, but she had actually taught them a lesson!

What kind of great power is this immortal? Not only could she easily defeat the North Sea’s Ninth Prince Ji Wudu, but she could also crush an immortal envoy’s spiritual form with her bare hands, and she could even foresee the future! She caught the thieves from Xianning!

They had been narrow-minded. With such great capability and willingness to help the Demon Realm catch thieves, her heart must no longer be with Xianning. Indeed, just as Minister Surong said, this girl had only defected to the Demon Realm because she was ostracized by Xianning.

The Demon Realm valued strength. Everyone respected and voluntarily lauded anyone with ability, provided they didn’t have major faults.

In everyone’s minds, what Tong Siqing had done was enough to convince everyone and win them over wholeheartedly.

In the future, no one should speak ill of her again.

“What do you say…” After dealing with these matters, Shi Zhihua turned and helped Tong Siqing adjust her collar. She whispered close to the girl’s ear, her breath like orchids: “Was today’s moon viewing truly an impromptu whim? I feel like things were too coincidental.”

Tong Siqing, feeling drowsy again, was instantly dumbfounded.

Tong Siqing’s gaze flickered. She pretended to look into the distance: “Really. It was just… a coincidence.”

Shi Zhihua leaned closer, looking in the same direction as her: “Really?”

Tong Siqing was like a flustered rabbit, wanting to cover her eyes with her ears, as if that could help her evade Shi Zhihua’s interrogation.

She had to admit, Zhihua gave her a sense of overwhelming pressure.

Tong Siqing felt genuine fear.

Shi Zhihua patted her hair: “No matter what happens, don’t lie to me, okay?”

Tong Siqing quickly nodded, agreeing: “No lying, no lying.”

Shi Zhihua smiled, wrapped her cloak tightly around her, and then lifted her up.

The demon subordinates all lowered their heads, quickly clearing a path for them and respectfully sending off the Demon Lord with a unified salute.

Tong Siqing buried her head in Shi Zhihua’s shoulder, all drowsiness gone.

Even after returning to the sleeping quarters, she still felt a bit scared. Before taking action, she hadn’t anticipated that Zhihua would suspect her, and even if she had for a moment… she probably wouldn’t have considered it a big deal.

Because Zhihua always indulged her in everything, her temper was incredibly good.

As a result, Tong Siqing had let down her guard, forgetting that Shi Zhihua was also the ruthlessly cruel Demon Lord of the rumors and the biggest villain in the story.

“Will Master blame me?” Tong Siqing clutched her sleeve, asking weakly. “Was what I did today very inappropriate?”

Shi Zhihua glanced at her, once again confirming the pattern she had discovered Tong Siqing’s address for her would change when she instinctively sensed a threat.

For example, from “Venerable Lord” to “Master.”

Shi Zhihua didn’t answer the question. She was contemplating how she could trick Tong Siqing into revealing the third address.

She still wanted to hear that “Zhihua.”

That address was better than any term of endearment. She loved it.

But Shi Zhihua didn’t want to deliberately ask the other girl to say it. She wanted to hear Tong Siqing call her that unintentionally; that would be the best.

Because she was contemplating other things, Shi Zhihua responded absently: “I won’t blame you. It’s alright. Sleep.”

Tong Siqing sensed the unusual tone in her voice. She stiffened for a moment, thinking that she had indeed made Zhihua angry.

Tong Siqing began to reflect on whether she was truly wrong for deviating from the story’s trajectory.

Why would Zhihua be unhappy?

Tong Siqing couldn’t keep anything hidden in her heart. She didn’t want to cause any misunderstandings, as that would trigger a series of events beyond her comprehension. She thought that if this matter was left vague, she might very well misinterpret things and cause more unchangeable blunders.

So, Tong Siqing, with great audacity, got up, covered Shi Zhihua’s eyes, and forced her to respond: “If you’re not angry, then say this to me—”

Shi Zhihua: “???”

Tong Siqing whined, drawing out the final syllable: “Come on, repeat after me—’I, am, not, angry’.”

Shi Zhihua: “I’m not angry?”

Tong Siqing: “No, no, not a questioning tone. Repeat after me.”

Shi Zhihua: “…”

Tong Siqing: “I am not angry.”

Shi Zhihua scoffed in her heart, thinking this action was incredibly childish, yet at the same time, she was uncontrollably persuaded to speak: “I promise, I am not angry.”

Tong Siqing breathed a sigh of relief, releasing her hands, finally feeling reassured.

“It’s because I wasn’t serious enough just now, so you didn’t feel secure, is that it?” Shi Zhihua recovered, leaning in to look into her eyes. “It’s my fault. I apologize to you. But I truly never doubted you.”

After relaxing, Tong Siqing felt sleepy again. She lazily “Oh-ed,” listening for the rest of her words.

“A suspicious person would usually not be allowed the opportunity to be near me,” Shi Zhihua spoke in a slow, gentle tone, like telling a bedtime story. “Everything that happened today was just a performance for my subordinates, and I didn’t expect you to take it to heart.”

Like a narrow-minded little animal, so stubborn.

Shi Zhihua smiled faintly. Just as she was about to look at Tong Siqing’s expression, she looked down and realized the girl had already fallen soundly asleep with a carefree heart.

She had no choice but to lower her head and gently kiss the girl’s forehead.