Chapter 69: Return
With the little dog gone, the Demon Lord could finally decorate her palace with delicate, breakable objects. Normally, the task of cleaning and polishing these items would fall to the servants, but the left envoy, her heart filled with joy, decided to handle it personally.
She polished a white porcelain vase until it gleamed like a mirror, then, satisfied, she set it down, the eyes painted on her mask curving into a smile.
The spotless palace lifted her spirits. The rebellion in the Demon Realm had ended. With the elimination of the dissidents, the Demon Lord’s rule was now even more secure.
She once again congratulated herself for choosing the right side. The Demon Lord’s wisdom was truly unparalleled. A simple act of feigning illness had allowed her to eliminate most of her enemies.
The current and former city lords of Que City were now imprisoned. The other city lords who had joined the rebellion had been executed. They could no longer threaten her lord’s reign.
But she couldn’t understand why the Demon Lord had spared Ouyang Ba and Su Yunluo.
She might have her doubts, but the Demon Lord’s thoughts were beyond the comprehension of mere mortals like her.
With that thought in mind, she approached the Demon Lord’s bedchamber, knocking softly. “Your Excellency.”
“Enter.”
She pushed the door open, bowing respectfully. “Your Excellency, the rebellious cities are now without leaders,” she said. “Please appoint new city lords so that the people may experience your benevolence.”
The Demon Lord simply hummed in acknowledgment, her back still turned.
Out of respect, the left envoy kept her head bowed. Seeing that the Demon Lord hadn’t responded, she repeated her request. “Your Excellency, please provide your instructions.”
The Demon Lord was busy. She hadn’t sought the position out of ambition. It had simply been a byproduct of her revenge. She had initially intended to be a hands-off ruler, but she had since changed her mind.
That was why she had reluctantly left the Ejian Sect. She had spent months eliminating threats to her rule, showcasing her power, and intimidating her remaining enemies.
But she couldn’t manage the Demon Realm forever. Although she no longer needed sleep at her level of cultivation, she didn’t want to become like her left envoy, whose lamp never seemed to be extinguished.
She turned, facing her left envoy, then walked over, patting her shoulder. “I’ll leave it to you, Mo Li,” she said. “I trust you.”
The left envoy’s head snapped up, her eyes wide with surprise. She hadn’t realized she was considered so reliable.
She fought back tears, her voice firm. “I won’t disappoint you, Your Excellency.”
The Demon Lord, watching her enthusiastic response, felt a pang of guilt, which she quickly dismissed.
She was filled with joy at the prospect of seeing Luo Nianshang again.
She patted Mo Li’s shoulder again, her smile genuine. “One more thing.”
The left envoy’s heart soared. This feeling of being valued, of being trusted, filled her with a sense of purpose. If the Demon Lord ordered her to challenge Luo Nianshang to a duel, she would gladly obey.
“Your command, Your Excellency?”
The Demon Lord pointed at the clothes laid out on her bed. “Which one do you think looks best?” she asked, her voice filled with excitement.
The left envoy stared at her, her jaw slack. She had prepared herself for a complex task, a dangerous mission. And this was it?
No, no, no. The Demon Lord’s thoughts couldn’t be so shallow. She must be missing something.
She turned her attention to the clothes.
They were all high-collared and form-fitting, their color a vibrant red, their designs modest, covering every inch of skin. They were the style favored by righteous cultivators.
Having spent most of her life in the Demon Realm, influenced by its customs, the left envoy found these clothes rather strange. They were certainly befitting those hypocritical righteous cultivators.
But the Demon Lord had changed her style a while ago. The left envoy wasn’t surprised.
Was her lord planning to infiltrate the righteous realm, to slowly weaken it from within, then conquer it?
As expected of the Demon Lord.
Having reached this conclusion, she approached the task with utmost seriousness, carefully examining each garment, finally choosing the one that offered the most coverage.
“This one, Your Excellency,” she said.
The Demon Lord picked up the robe, realizing that it resembled Luo Nianshang’s style. She was pleased with Mo Li’s choice, her fondness for her envoy growing.
She didn’t know much about Mo Li, but she knew she wasn’t married. “You’ve worked hard,” she said, her voice kind. “Ask for anything you want. If you have your eye on a certain cultivator, I’ll get him for you, whether he’s righteous or demonic.”
The Demon Lord’s generosity was a rare occurrence. The left envoy nearly fainted from excitement. She struggled to calm herself, her eyes shining with gratitude.
“All I desire is for your reign to last for eternity, Your Excellency.”
The Demon Lord was startled by her fervent declaration. She had never cared about her legacy. She simply wanted to be with her beloved.
But she couldn’t reveal her true feelings. It would make Mo Li look pathetic.
She frowned. She had only extracted a portion of Mo Li’s memories. She didn’t understand the source of her unwavering loyalty. But extracting all her memories would render Mo Li useless.
She decided against it.
“I trust you to handle everything while I’m gone,” she said, her smile returning. “If anything unexpected happens, crush this and I’ll return immediately.”
She extended her hand, a black pearl resting on her palm.
The left envoy accepted the pearl with a respectful bow. “You have my word, Your Excellency.”
With everything settled, the Demon Lord was eager to return to the Ejian Sect.
She suppressed a smile, waving a hand dismissively. “You may leave.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
The door closed, and the Demon Lord snapped her fingers, the chosen robe appearing on her body.
She concealed her demonic aura, suppressing her cultivation to the peak of the Golden Core stage, then, her heart filled with joy, she left the Demon Realm.
Staring at the familiar Ejian Sect, she couldn’t help but smile.
The disciples guarding the entrance recognized her, opening the barrier without question.
Time flowed differently for cultivators. The Ejian Sect hadn’t changed. She hummed happily as she walked, the disciples greeting her with respect.
“Little Grandmaster.”
“Welcome back, Little Grandmaster.”
She had rarely left the Ejian Sect during her time as Hong Ying. Hearing the disciples address her with such reverence, she truly felt the weight of her beloved’s status.
Coexisting peacefully with righteous cultivators had never crossed her mind. The two realms had been enemies for centuries. As the Demon Lord, she was naturally despised by them.
If she had revealed her true form, they wouldn’t be calling her “Little Grandmaster.” They would be screaming “Demon!”
“That demon is evil!”
She paused, her brow furrowing. Had she imagined that? Why did those words always appear when she least expected them?
She was near the inner sect disciples’ classrooms. It was break time, and the disciples were chatting.
The recent events in the Demon Realm were a popular topic of conversation.
She had just overheard a discussion about herself. How could she resist eavesdropping?
She discreetly moved closer.
The conversation continued.
“What’s so evil about her? It doesn’t matter who wins. It’s all the same.”
“You don’t understand! I heard the new city lord of Que City is a lecherous fool. It would be better for the righteous realm if he won.”
“That’s true. The current Demon Lord is cunning and powerful. She’s a formidable opponent.”
“Don’t be so pessimistic. We have Ancestor Luo. She can handle any demon.”
“That’s true. We have Ancestor Luo.”
The mention of Luo Nianshang’s name seemed to erase their worries.
The Demon Lord chuckled. She had no desire to conquer the righteous realm. Such conflicts were pointless.
She turned to leave, but a voice from inside the classroom stopped her.
“But didn’t the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion say that Ancestor Luo will fall to demonic influence?”
The Demon Lord’s eyes narrowed, and she glanced inside. The disciples suddenly felt a chill run down their spines.
She wouldn’t stoop to their level. They were Luo Nianshang’s juniors.
She didn’t want to hear anymore. She turned and left.
Falling to demonic influence hadn’t been her choice. She was well aware of the consequences.
Luo Nianshang, that clueless woman, should remain the Sword Saint forever.
As she walked, a voice called out to her.
“Junior Sister!”
The only person at the Ejian Sect who would address her so casually was Fu Yuan. She quickly masked her emotions, turning to face Fu Yuan with a smile. “Senior Sister Fu Yuan.”
Fu Yuan, initially unsure if she had recognized the right person, beamed. She had just finished cooking and, knowing that Hong Ying had been gone for a long time, offered some helpful information. “Master is currently residing in the large mansion below the main peak,” she said. “Don’t go to the wrong place.”
The Demon Lord already knew. Her puppet resided in that mansion.
However, she had been too busy to contact her puppet lately.
“Really?” she asked, feigning surprise. “Thank you, Senior Sister.”
“Go see her,” Fu Yuan urged. “She might not say it, but she misses you.”
The Demon Lord loved hearing that. Her forced smile transformed into a genuine one.
Her eyes lit up. “Really? Then I won’t keep you any longer. Goodbye, Senior Sister.”
Fu Yuan chuckled. “Goodbye.”
The Demon Lord waved a hand dismissively, then quickened her pace, heading towards Luo Nianshang’s residence.
Without her control, the puppet rarely spoke. It would only respond if spoken to, and Luo Nianshang wasn’t a talkative person.
The Demon Lord, the more she thought about it, the more she felt guilty. She had wronged Luo Nianshang. Luo Nianshang must have been lonely during her absence.
And when lonely, one would naturally think of those who were kind.
Hahaha! Your precious disciple has returned, Venerable One!
She pushed open the doors to the main hall, her voice filled with feigned joy. “Master, I’m back!”
The humans and demons within the hall turned to stare at her.
Luo Nianshang, sitting in an inconspicuous corner, looked up, her gaze softening slightly. “Welcome back,” she said.
That was it? Just “Welcome back”?
And what was with all these beautiful women?
Zhu Chi was an old friend. She was spoken for.
But who were that black-haired woman in white, that pink-haired dragon girl with a goofy grin, and that beautiful blue-haired demon?
She could ignore the blue-haired one. She was just a child. But the other two were serious threats.
Bai Jingxue, sensing the Demon Lord’s hostile gaze, realized she had forgotten to expose her.
She turned to Luo Nianshang. “Venerable One, she’s Qiu…”
The Demon Lord, her disguise about to be shattered, quickly covered Bai Jingxue’s mouth. “What are you saying?” she asked, her voice dangerously low.
Sensing the murderous aura emanating from the Demon Lord, Bai Jingxue wisely shut her mouth.
“Forgive me, female lead,” she thought.
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