The Demon Lord Relied on His Imagination to Get Together with the Protagonist. - Chapter 38

Chapter 38

It must be that the Demon Lord was truly in love, for when she brought Tong Siqing back, the Venerable Lord neither tormented her nor lost her temper, but instead directly pulled the girl back into the room.

Qing Lin and Su Rong stood outside the door, looking at each other, feeling at a loss.

“The Venerable Lord won’t beat her, will she?”

Su Rong was genuinely worried, especially after such a serious incident.

Qing Lin: “Probably not.”

The two: “…”

Su Rong: “Then… should we guard the door?”

Qing Lin: “Let’s stay further away. Just make sure no one else comes to hear anything.”

Su Rong: “…Alright.”

Inside the room, Shi Zhihua sat facing Tong Siqing on the couch, the distance between them no more than a fist’s length.

Shi Zhihua: “Do you have anything you want to explain?”

Immediately after, without waiting for any answer from Tong Siqing, she dismissed it herself: “Forget it. I doubt you have anything good to say.”

Tong Siqing knew that she needed to say she was sorry.

But sorry was useless.

Shi Zhihua was a person of action. Most of the time, she disliked hearing nonsense, let alone how miserable her mood was this time.

Therefore, even though she desperately needed many explanations, she suppressed them and didn’t ask.

She had more important things to do.

Shi Zhihua supported her lower back and said gently: “You should know that if this matter is handled properly now, it can save a lot of unnecessary explanations.”

Tong Siqing blinked, said nothing, and tacitly agreed.

At the same time.

The people of the Xianning Sect were in chaos.

They had just been fully alert, ready to withstand the Demon Lord’s palm strike, but who would have thought that the Demon Lord’s strike used barely any force? It was like a joke, merely a simple scare.

Only when Immortal Master Fu Luan relaxed did she realize something was wrong.

She took a deep breath and fixed her gaze on the Demon Lord.

However, the Demon Lord Shi Zhihua in front of her showed no sign of panicked defeat. Instead, she was staring at her with a slightly narrowed, relaxed smile.

Shi Zhihua was a great demon of profound cultivation, tall and slender in appearance. With a single glance, she was captivatingly beautiful and enchanting. When she demurely rested her arm and her fingers playfully tapped the edge of her red sleeve, she was truly intimidating.

From the Demon Lord’s subtle movements, Fu Luan instantly sensed something ominous.

Was the other person being deceitful and about to go back on her word?

Was the other person planning a surprise hidden move?

Or…

Fu Luan looked solemn and became even more serious.

“Oh no! Master, Immortal Sage Siqing has been snatched away!”

One of the foolish disciples, unable to guard their mouth, let slip the secret, directly telling the Demon Lord Tong Siqing’s true identity.

“Silence!” Fu Luan waved her sleeve with a chilling aura, the large sleeve creating a strong gust of wind that silenced the disciple.

Shi Zhihua smiled: “Oh? Who? Who is the Immortal Master’s disciple…”

A cold sweat broke out on Fu Luan. She instantly realized that the matter had gone wrong.

But she couldn’t just give up entirely, because the demon had already taken Tong Siqing!

If she tore off the mask, the Demon Lord would surely trouble her!

The situation was extremely urgent. Fu Luan was about to speak, but she saw Shi Zhihua turn away arrogantly, like a splash of brilliant red disappearing into the night, gradually fading from everyone’s sight.

Too late!

Fu Luan was filled with self-reproach. She immediately ordered everyone to follow her to search for the person.

The Xianning disciples naturally obeyed her. They no longer cared about the mess in the Scarlet Sky Realm and quickly followed the Immortal Master, searching every inn and restaurant for the person.

The goat-bearded man was startled and quickly stopped everyone: “Why are all the Immortals leaving? Aren’t we supposed to go…”

Cen Letian frowned and pushed him away with one hand: “This matter can wait. We have something more urgent.”

The goat-bearded man: “Master, but you promised me…”

“Shut up.” Cen Letian cast a silencing spell on him, then left with the disciples behind him.

By the time Fu Luan found the Demon Lord’s location, Tong Siqing was already making inarticulate sounds.

She had never seen Shi Zhihua in a state of fury.

It was too terrifying.

Tong Siqing didn’t know whether she was crying or humming in pleasure.

The liquid falling from her lips was a mixture of tears, sweat, or saliva.

In times like these on normal days, Zhihua would usually speak to her gently, coaxing her to distract her or comforting her to cry a little softer.

In moments of intense urgency, Shi Zhihua might even be amused enough to imitate her voice.

She would imitate it perfectly, drawing out the sounds, deliberately teasing her.

At those times, the Demon Lord’s mood was generally excellent.

It was not like now, where she was fiercely aggressive yet remained silently uncommunicative.

Tong Siqing cried and pleaded with her: “Zhihua, Zhihua… let me go, please.”

Shi Zhihua’s eyes were slightly red, as if dyed with a tipsy intoxication: “What did you call me? Say it again.”

Tong Siqing: “Zhi…hua.”

Shi Zhihua suddenly smiled, seemingly finding some release: “I want to hear more.”

Tong Siqing: “Zhihua.”

Shi Zhihua forced her, maliciously: “Say it again.”

Tong Siqing: “Zhihua, ah.”

For over a hundred years, Shi Zhihua had never heard anyone address her by her name so directly, but Tong Siqing dared.

The two characters “Zhihua” were first heard from Tong Siqing’s mouth.

“Mm,” Shi Zhihua buried her head and kissed her. “I’m here.”

Tong Siqing let out a sigh of relief, thinking that these two words seemed effective, and perhaps the other person would feel mollified after hearing them.

So, she bravely called out one more time.

But this time, she was not so lucky.

Shi Zhihua’s emotions surged back, and she pressed her down deep again.

Outside the door.

Fu Luan and her group rushed over, running right into Qing Lin and Su Rong.

“The demon is shameless, publicly going back on her word,” Fu Luan said sharply. “Vile demon! Hand the person over quickly!”

Qing Lin sneered: “If all of us in the Demon Realm were upright and honorable, wouldn’t we all be cultivating to become immortals? Breaking promises is a fine virtue of the Demon Clan. This Immortal gives us too much praise. We accept it without shame.”

In a few moments, the two groups were arguing fiercely.

Because the noise was too loud, Tong Siqing inside the room slightly opened her eyes, struggling to maintain a sliver of rationality.

She turned her head to look outside, only to have her chin pinched and her head turned back.

“Listen, your good Master has come to save you,” Shi Zhihua chuckled wickedly near her ear. “But so what? You are still suffering in the hands of this Venerable One.”

Tong Siqing cried in distress.

Shi Zhihua grabbed her sweating hand, held it up to her own face, and patted her cheek: “Your good Master is listening outside. You must endure it, and don’t be—too loud.”

Outside, Qing Lin swore vigorously: “The person came to our Demon Realm of her own accord! Why didn’t you try to snatch her away then?”

In a few short sentences, Fu Luan was so enraged that she was ready to fight on the spot.

Just then, a sharp, despairing cry was heard from inside the room.

It was clearly Tong Siqing.

All the furiously arguing people froze. Everyone was silent for a few seconds, unsure what to do.

Qing Lin was stunned for a few seconds and asked Su Rong: “Where did I stop arguing just now?”

Fu Luan angrily flicked her sleeve and walked away: “Shameless demon! May the heavens strike you down!”

Su Rong stepped forward and pulled Qing Lin away: “Let’s not make any more noise. It would be bad if we disturbed the Venerable Lord’s enjoyment.”

Qing Lin thought for a moment and replied in a low voice: “Alright.”

A few steps away, Cen Letian stepped up and asked Immortal Master Fu Luan: “Master, what should we do?”

Fu Luan, who cultivated the path of heartlessness, couldn’t comprehend such matters, but it didn’t prevent her from analyzing the pros and cons. She thought seriously and firmly stated: “We must still rescue the person.”

Cen Letian bowed his hands: “Yes, disciple understands.”

The group returned again. This time, they planned to push the door open directly.

But just as they finally managed to get near the door, hindered by Qing Lin and Su Rong, the Demon Lord Shi Zhihua came out.

Shi Zhihua’s inner garment was white, and her red robe was casually draped over her shoulders. She looked like she had traveled a long way, still carrying a light sheen of sweat.

For some unknown reason, even though the Demon Lord hadn’t spoken, the arguing crowd instantly fell silent.

Shi Zhihua’s dark hair hung low, spilling over her waist. She leaned against the door expressionlessly, raising her eyes to look at the crowd, her tone flat: “I have already slept with the person.”

Her gaze was cold, her tone icy, as if she were stating a solemn fact, not maliciously provoking the Immortal Sect.

Fu Luan was dumbfounded.

“You…”

“Disperse, all of you. She is tired today. Let her rest well,” Shi Zhihua said calmly. “In the future, every time she angers me, I will make her accompany me once.”

Fu Luan nearly lost her footing, only saved from collapsing by her disciple’s support.

Cen Letian frowned: “Vile demon, why are you so cruel…”

“The Demon Realm indulges in passion and desire. She came to the Palace of Decadence and Lust willingly, and she offered herself to me,” Shi Zhihua calmly adjusted her sleeves. “She is excellent. I accept her with pleasure.”

Fu Luan was so angry that she nearly fell backward.

She absolutely could not accept the fact that her Immortal Sage had been violated by the Demon Lord. Her blood rushed to her head. Her throat felt slightly raw, and she was speechless.

“Try to be more open-minded,” Shi Zhihua said, comforting her when she saw such a strong reaction. “It’s not the first time anyway. There’s no need to make such a fuss.”

Fu Luan could barely breathe. Her disciple Cen Letian was also frightened and quickly patted his Master’s back to soothe her.

“By the way, your Xianning realm’s soil nurtures people well; she is exquisitely flavorful,” Shi Zhihua said to Qing Lin and Su Rong. “You two thank the Xianning Sect on my behalf.”

Fu Luan: “…”

Su Rong, having seen major spectacles before, immediately took the lead and thanked them calmly: “I, on behalf of the Demon Lord, on behalf of the entire Palace of Decadence and Lust, on behalf of the entire Demon Realm, thank the Xianning Sect, thank the Celestial Venerable Saint-Scribe, thank Immortal Master Fu Luan…”

Fu Luan: “…”

She could not bear this humiliation any longer. She left in a huff, leading her disciples away aggressively.

Shi Zhihua maintained a cold expression and remained silent for a long time. Only when the people had completely vanished did she suddenly lower her eyes and smile mockingly.

“Venerable Lord—”

Qing Lin solemnly knelt down and said: “Venerable Lord, I have a matter I must advise you on.”

Because Qing Lin had adopted a serious tone for official business, Su Rong quickly bowed and excused herself: “Venerable Lord, this subordinate will now withdraw.”

Shi Zhihua: “Mm.”

After Su Rong left, Qing Lin silently sighed.

Shi Zhihua: “Stand up and speak.”

Qing Lin stood up and looked at the Demon Lord with an unprecedentedly serious expression. She lowered her voice and said solemnly: “Venerable Lord, there are some matters this subordinate has been holding back. Until today, they could no longer be delayed. This subordinate must risk death to advise you, lest it jeopardize your grand ambition.”

Shi Zhihua: “Speak.”

Qing Lin had never been so determined to say something. She heard her own voice trembling:

“From the moment Su Rong brought someone back so vaguely, this subordinate sensed something was wrong.

Su Rong is a person who is very afraid of taking responsibility. She usually only likes to read books, draw, and write. I never saw her with any close friends. She knows the relationship between the two realms is hostile, and when chatting with me, she deliberately avoids the topic.

This subordinate never expected her to one day bring someone from the Xianning Sect to the Palace of Decadence and Lust.

Unless there was some unavoidable reason compelling her to do so, she would not have done this.

Qing Lin kept her head bowed. She continued: “The time when Su Rong brought her ‘Junior Sister’ back coincided with the period when the Immortal Sage was injured and in seclusion. At the time, this subordinate didn’t think much of it, assuming it was just a coincidence. But later, Su Rong became even more abnormal. This subordinate often saw her staying up late, worried and burning the midnight oil…”

“You pay a lot of attention to her,” Shi Zhihua interrupted her, saying. “You observe her so carefully. Your relationship must be very close. Aren’t you afraid she’ll hate you for denouncing her like this?”

Shi Zhihua interrupted her to give her a chance to retract her words. If she continued down this path, her relationship with Su Rong would be compromised.

“Thank you, Venerable Lord, for considering your subordinate,” Qing Lin didn’t look up or at her. “This subordinate has thought about this for a long time. On many nights, when Su Rong couldn’t sleep, this subordinate was also troubled and couldn’t sleep.”

Shi Zhihua waved her hand: “Since you’ve thought it through, continue.”

“Later, Su Rong began to focus her attention on Tong Siqing. She was not familiar with Tong Siqing and had no prior emotional foundation with her. The level of tension she showed was completely unlike the attitude she should have towards a normal Junior Sister,” Qing Lin said. “This subordinate felt then that Tong Siqing’s identity was not simple. It might be some kind of connected person from Xianning.”

“And then, as the Venerable Lord saw, she was actually able to defeat the Ninth Prince of the North Sea, Ji Wudu, so quickly and easily. Although Ji Wudu is down and out, the blood flowing in his veins is still dragon blood. How many cultivators in this world can easily defeat him? Even this subordinate wouldn’t dare guarantee defeating Ji Wudu within the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn.

After this subordinate became suspicious, I deliberately wanted to advise you to distance yourself from her, but seeing how fond you were of this person, I dared not speak, only waiting for her to expose herself.

The day you mistakenly thought she had escaped and made a huge commotion ordering everyone to search for her, this subordinate took the liberty to think—if I found her, I must act one step ahead, send her away, and eliminate this hidden danger for you. Who would have thought that Tang Zihui encountered her first?

Tang Zihui is the great Demon General you personally appointed back then. He is the soldier who can be sent alone to guard the border in the bitter cold lands. He has seen countless fierce enemies. The Venerable Lord knows how much blood he has spilled and how many people he has killed over the years.

But this person, after a short disappearance, was beaten half to death by Tong Siqing, unable even to send out a distress signal. If we hadn’t arrived quickly, he might have lost his soul.”

Shi Zhihua lowered her eyes: “So you remembered all of that. Is there anything else? Say it all.”

Qing Lin: “On the day of the grand banquet, she crushed the Dharma Idol of a Xianning Great Being with her bare hands in front of everyone.

Crushing a Dharma Idol with bare hands means her cultivation has reached a supreme level.

At that moment, this subordinate knew that Tong Siqing’s cultivation had likely reached the level of an Immortal Sage.

She is very likely the First Immortal Sage who claimed to be recovering from injuries Tong Siqing.”

“A good guess,” Shi Zhihua listened to her calmly. “And what else?”

“And…” Qing Lin thought for a moment, and finally chose to reveal everything. She said: “This subordinate observed Su Rong for many days. Until one day, you ordered her to catch the inside operative. She didn’t sleep for several nights, until the very last night, when she lit the lamp again in the middle of the night.

This subordinate was waiting for her then. Seeing her light the candle, I pushed the door open…

This subordinate saw a figure in white robes.

It was a disciple’s uniform, from Xianning.”

Shi Zhihua: “Mm.”

Qing Lin: “Although Su Rong made a huge mistake, her heart is dedicated to you. It must be that someone in the Xianning Sect was coercing her to act. Otherwise, with her timid personality, she would never have rebelliously betrayed the Venerable Lord. When this subordinate pulled her to kneel for punishment earlier tonight, it was also to allow her a change of heart. I beg you to spare her life, considering she knelt for half the night, even if you expel her from the Demon Realm…”

“Enough, stop talking,” Shi Zhihua said with some helplessness. “This is not risking death to advise me; this is clearly risking death to plead for her.”

Qing Lin did not speak, only kept her head lowered.

Shi Zhihua said: “You are not doing this for my grand ambition. Did you really think I didn’t know your nature?”

Qing Lin: “…Venerable Lord.”

Shi Zhihua knew exactly what Qing Lin was thinking. The other person wasn’t “advising her to guard against Tong Siqing.” The other person was clearly seeing that the situation was exposed, knowing that Su Rong definitely couldn’t clear herself of suspicion, so she took the preemptive move of kneeling, outwardly making a rational analysis, but in reality, every three sentences involved Su Rong, simultaneously reporting the other person’s suspicion with remorse while covertly trying to insert a few sentences to exonerate her.

But… she had to admit, Qing Lin’s move was very effective.

After hearing her words, Shi Zhihua’s desire to pursue accountability was significantly diminished.

Her, ah…

Shi Zhihua looked down at her: “Yesterday, you deliberately played dumb, pulling me away and leaving Tong Siqing behind. Was that also because you suspected her?”

Qing Lin admitted: “Yes, but also no. This subordinate merely happened to be suspicious of her and coincided with her lying in public. Seeing you fall deeper and deeper, I figured it was better to simply help you cut ties once and for all.”

“…And also to test how I would fare without her, and if it wasn’t too bad, you would take action, is that right?” Shi Zhihua completed her sentence. “You don’t need to worry about that. I know what I’m doing.”

Qing Lin’s skill at pretending to be clueless was unmatched. When she immersed herself in the act, she could even deceive herself.

All this time, if Su Rong was miserable, Qing Lin probably wasn’t faring well either.

Qing Lin said: “This subordinate did not mean that. How could this subordinate harm the first person you’ve fallen for in centuries? What this subordinate meant was to kill the person named Fu Luan—the Venerable Lord’s beloved cannot like anyone else. Whether it’s true or false, it cannot be allowed.”

Shi Zhihua hadn’t expected this meaning and looked at her, quite shocked.

Qing Lin said: “This subordinate was taken in by you at the Palace of Decadence and Lust since I was seven. I was given a new life. This life must protect you no matter what. What you like is what Qing Lin is willing to protect. If the situation genuinely reaches an uncontrollable state, Qing Lin will only advise you to give her up, not go over your head to kill her—this subordinate harbors no ill will toward Tong Siqing.”

No ill will is good.

Shi Zhihua nodded, indicating she understood.

“How do you want to deal with Su Rong?” Shi Zhihua asked. “Let it be according to your wish.”

Qing Lin knelt down to express her gratitude: “This subordinate will watch over her every step of the way from now on, ensuring she does not commit any further actions that harm the interests of the Demon Realm.”

Shi Zhihua: “You may.”

After the Demon Lord left, Qing Lin knelt for a long time before getting up. When she rose, the flesh on her knees was slightly stuck together from kneeling for too long.

She held onto the railing, painfully bending over, covering her face and letting out a long-held sigh of relief.

With this sigh released, the large stone suspended in her heart also dropped.

Since the day she stumbled upon Su Rong being the inside operative, she had been restless. She spent her days feigning ignorance, pretending not to have discovered the other person’s secret. It had been an extremely difficult time.

But no matter how difficult, it couldn’t compare to Su Rong.

Qing Lin simply couldn’t imagine how someone with the other person’s peace-loving and passive, world-avoiding nature was forced to undertake the heavy responsibility of being an inside operative.

Su Rong’s heart wasn’t large either. She must have been constantly worried.

Qing Lin limped away, supported by the railing. Every step was incredibly painful.

Thankfully, it was all over.

She had finally reported to the Demon Lord in time and saved Su Rong.

For this, she even brought up her tragic childhood experiences to gain sympathy and won a measure of pity from the Venerable Lord.

Qing Lin laughed faintly—the Venerable Lord was also deliberately indulging her, turning a blind eye.

She once again mused that the Venerable Lord was truly, exceptionally good in private.

It was difficult to be her subordinate, but it wasn’t hard at all to be her confidante.

When Shi Zhihua returned to the room, Tong Siqing was already awake.

She sat by the couch, lowering her eyes to look quietly at Tong Siqing.

Tong Siqing’s long eyelashes still held tears, not yet completely dry. Seeing Zhihua return, she coughed weakly: “I’m sorry, Zhihua, I lied.”

Shi Zhihua gave a wry smile: “So you can explain things.”

“It was too urgent then. I didn’t have time to speak, and you left,” Tong Siqing decided to be honest and proactively confessed: “I didn’t want to leave you, but for some reason at the time, I was left behind.”

“Oh?” Shi Zhihua was amused as she tidied her undergarments. “So it’s my fault?”

Tong Siqing quickly corrected herself: “It’s my fault.”

Shi Zhihua “mm”-ed and asked her what her mistake was.

“Immortal Master Fu Luan is not my Master,” Tong Siqing cautiously began. “I also have no feelings for her.”

Shi Zhihua slowly guided her: “Then why did you lie like that?”

Tong Siqing: “Can I not answer?”

Shi Zhihua: “No.”

Tong Siqing: QvQ

Having no choice, she braced herself and confessed: “I was afraid you would suspect me and then drive me away.”

Shi Zhihua was stunned: “Your method of dispelling suspicion is to tell another lie that infuriates me?”

Tong Siqing: QvQ

Shi Zhihua was completely exasperated: “You cannot do this next time. If you don’t want to speak, I won’t forcefully demand an explanation. If it reaches the point where an explanation is absolutely necessary, then we will do it once. If once is not enough, then twice or thrice is fine. That way, my anger will also be mollified.”

Tong Siqing: “Then is the Venerable Lord not listening to my explanation?”

Shi Zhihua instantly withdrew her emotions and said succinctly: “I’m listening.”

Tong Siqing asked: “Can I not answer?”

Shi Zhihua said with a cold face: “No.”

Tong Siqing: “…Didn’t the Venerable Lord say you wouldn’t force me?”

“That’s right,” Shi Zhihua gave a very exaggerated look of doubt. “So, how many times can you manage tonight?”

Tong Siqing: “…”

I’ll explain, can’t I just explain!

Shi Zhihua lay down beside her fully clothed, opening her eyes to listen to her soft confession…

Fu Luan hadn’t closed her eyes again. After returning, her heart was filled with continuous pain.

She recalled the moment before, when the Demon Lord leaned casually against the door, and she was wearing a white inner garment—that white garment was the Immortal Sage Siqing’s undergarment.

Although she had already seen the result, these minute details kept replaying in her mind.

She couldn’t help but remember the despairing cry that had drowned out the noise and commotion.

Immortal Sage Siqing, the First Immortal Sage of their Xianning Sect, the daughter raised personally by the Celestial Venerable Saint-Scribe, endowed with extraordinary talent, pure as a blank sheet of paper.

Who would have thought she would fall into the Demon Lord’s hands and suffer such humiliation?

Fu Luan’s white hair spilled over her shoulders. She covered her face and softly wept beneath the lamp.

Although she traveled everywhere daily, she also had beliefs she revered, such as the tenets of the Xianning Sect, the righteousness and moral principles of a cultivator, and a compassionate heart for the world, striving to help all living beings.

For so many years, she busied herself traveling all over, saving people from suffering.

When facing mortals, she was an unattainable Immortal. Over time, she had also come to believe… to believe that she was omnipotent, capable of saving many lives and rescuing many from misfortune.

Countless people were deeply grateful after being saved, and Fu Luan would quietly depart before they could express their thanks.

When she turned to leave, her heart would be satisfied. At that moment, she felt her clothes were light, and her soul was relaxed and gentle.

All this time she had never experienced such powerlessness and desolation.

Where was she omnipotent? She clearly couldn’t do anything.

In the face of the powerful Demon Lord, she could only stand by helplessly, watching with her own eyes as the object of reverence for countless people in her Xianning Sect was violated and dragged down into the abyss by people of the Demon Realm.

“I am incompetent. I was too naive.”

Fu Luan’s white hair was loose, and her red ribbon fell to the floor. Under the flickering candlelight, she wiped away the tears on her face and, with trembling hands, wrote a message to the Celestial Venerable.

The letter detailed the events of the day, and she ended it by writing—the Demon Lord is in the Scarlet Sky Realm. I request that the Celestial Venerable send people as soon as possible to eradicate the demon and avenge the Immortal Sage Siqing.

Fu Luan looked at the letter in her hand in despair, casting a spell to send the letter towards the Xianning Sect.

She was incompetent. She couldn’t protect the Immortal Sage Siqing.

She could only hope that the Celestial Venerable Saint-Scribe would receive the letter and come to the Scarlet Sky Realm as soon as possible.