Chapter 113: A Dragon’s Heart
“What? She went to Cang Xi?”
The Demon Lord’s surprised voice echoed through her bedchamber. She had heard of Cang Xi. It was a strange place, a land where even the most powerful cultivators were stripped of their abilities.
The left envoy, her left arm bandaged, her face bruised, her usually stern expression now comical, stood before her.
Oblivious to her own disheveled appearance, she reported, “Yes, Your Excellency. She said it was to deal with the statues.”
She winced as she spoke, the movement pulling at her injuries, but she endured the pain, her face twitching slightly.
Seeing her discomfort, a flicker of conscience sparked within the Demon Lord’s heart. She had been throwing both the left and right envoys into the Demon Realm’s forbidden zone at night as a training exercise.
The forbidden zone was incredibly dangerous, but it was also a great place for honing one’s skills. Only the Demon Lord could normally enter, but Qiu Yingxi wasn’t like her predecessors.
She didn’t care about the danger, but her actions had shocked her envoys, strengthening their loyalty.
She casually tossed a bottle of high-quality healing pills to the left envoy. “Find me everything you can about Cang Xi,” she said.
The left envoy, catching the bottle, before she could even thank her lord, was already mentally cataloging the information she had on Cang Xi. Remembering the “kiss for a statue” incident, she had a theory.
Cang Xi was a land of equals. Without the advantage of her superior cultivation, the Demon Lord—or rather, the Sword Saint—would be more vulnerable. It was the perfect opportunity for the Demon Lord to make her move.
She no longer harbored any animosity towards Luo Nianshang. Her loyalties and her opinions shifted with the Demon Lord’s whims.
Although she couldn’t understand why her lord was interested in someone so… old.
She realized she had crossed a line. She was questioning her lord’s taste.
She quickly banished the thought, bowing respectfully. “Yes, Your Excellency,” she said, then left the bedchamber.
The moment the door closed, the Demon Lord sat down on the bed. Although she knew Luo Nianshang was powerful, she couldn’t help but worry. She had been planning to stay in the Demon Palace for a while longer, to train her envoys.
But it seemed she had to go to Cang Xi. She couldn’t rest until she knew Luo Nianshang was safe.
Those statues were strange and dangerous. Cultivation provided a certain level of protection, but without it… the risks were far greater.
A small portrait of Luo Nianshang hung on the wall, easily overlooked. Qiu Yingxi glanced at it, her gaze lingering on Luo Nianshang’s face, as if she were looking directly at her.
The portrait captured Luo Nianshang’s likeness, but not her essence. Despite this, the Demon Lord stared at it for a long time.
She walked over to her vanity, pulling open a small drawer. It was filled with trinkets and baubles.
A small finger puppet occupied most of the space. She picked it up, slipping it onto her finger.
It was a simple doll, its head round, its face adorned with two dots for eyes and a straight line for a mouth. It held a tiny sword, a simplified version of Luo Nianshang’s Nianxue Sword.
She had made it herself. She had no idea why she had done such a silly thing.
Perhaps embarrassed by her own sentimentality, she removed the puppet, placing it back in the drawer.
“Knock, knock.”
“Your Excellency, I have the information on Cang Xi.”
The Demon Lord jumped, startled. She hadn’t expected the left envoy to be so efficient.
She returned to her desk. “Enter.”
The left envoy entered, placing a stack of jade slips on the desk.
The Demon Lord waved a hand dismissively, and the left envoy, bowing respectfully, left the room. Once she was alone, the Demon Lord picked up the jade slips, quickly scanning through them.
Her brow furrowed, and a sense of unease settled in her stomach.
The ruling family of Cang Xi was the Bai Clan. The current emperor was a woman named Bai Zhao. That wasn’t unusual, but she was said to dote on her second daughter.
And as a result, Princess Bai Cheng was incredibly spoiled and indulged.
The Demon Lord’s head throbbed. She remembered Luo Nianshang’s beauty. It was the type that would appeal to this princess.
This was an emergency. She had been planning to carefully consider her next move, but now, she had to act quickly. She vanished from the room.
The left envoy, back in her room, applying medicine to her wounds, suddenly heard the Demon Lord’s voice in her mind.
“Urgent matter. I’m leaving the Demon Realm in your care.”
A carriage sped through the borderlands of Cang Xi, Bai Jingxue and her companions inside.
Bai Jingxue had never ridden in a carriage before. And she never wanted to again. The constant bouncing was making her nauseous.
But their magic was restricted in Cang Xi. This was the fastest way to travel.
Their journey, however, was relatively short. Cang Xi was a small kingdom. After five days of relentless travel, they arrived at Lindu, the capital.
They found an inn, settling into a room and ordering some food.
Lü Qingyan, after a few bites, set down her chopsticks, her nose wrinkling. “This is terrible,” she said.
Bai Jingxue knew she was a picky eater, but their cultivation was suppressed. They couldn’t skip meals like before.
Worried that Lü Qingyan would be hungry later, she stood up. “I’m going to buy some food,” she said. “What do you want?”
Lü Qingyan’s face lit up, and she jumped to her feet, grabbing Bai Jingxue’s hand. “I’m coming too!”
Luo Nianshang, meanwhile, was quietly eating, having already finished a plate of tofu.
The tofu was clearly undercooked, its texture rubbery, but she seemed to be enjoying it.
Lü Qingyan, glancing at her, couldn’t help but feel a grudging respect. This woman could even handle the Demon Lord’s cooking.
Bai Jingxue would have thought the same thing before, but now, knowing the reason, she simply felt a pang of sympathy.
She couldn’t leave Luo Nianshang behind. “Do you need anything?” she asked.
She still felt awkward calling Luo Nianshang “Sister”. Their relationship was too complicated.
Luo Nianshang set down her chopsticks, shaking her head. “I’m fine,” she said. “But be careful.”
She then resumed eating, her chopsticks attacking a plate of overly salty steamed eggs, making Lü Qingyan shudder.
Bai Jingxue couldn’t bear to watch. She grabbed Lü Qingyan’s hand, pulling her away.
But before they could leave the room, a voice called out to them. “Wait!”
Bai Jingxue turned to see a young woman standing outside the next room, waving at them. Her face was covered, only her eyes visible.
Her attire reminded Bai Jingxue of their disguises in the secret realm.
Was she also a demon, hiding her features?
“Are you talking to us?” Bai Jingxue asked.
The woman nodded, her voice hushed. “You’re not from Cang Xi, are you?” she asked. “Don’t go outside. You’ll be captured.”
Bai Jingxue was confused. “What?”
The masked woman, glancing around nervously, lowered her voice even further. “The Second Princess is back,” she whispered. “If you go outside, you’ll be taken away.”
The Second Princess?
Bai Jingxue had no idea what she was talking about.
“The Second Princess of Cang Xi is spoiled and indulged,” Luo Nianshang’s voice, calm and even, said from behind them. “She’s also fond of women. She often kidnaps them from the streets.”
Bai Jingxue, turning to stare at Luo Nianshang, who was still battling the steamed eggs, asked, “Why didn’t you tell us?”
Luo Nianshang, her brow furrowed, as if confused by the question, said, “I calculated that her guards wouldn’t be a match for you.”
It was a perfectly logical explanation. Bai Jingxue couldn’t argue with that.
But the masked woman was panicking. “This isn’t a joke!” she exclaimed. “Offending the Second Princess means offending the Emperor!”
Bai Jingxue thought for a moment. Their priority was to resolve the issue with the evil god. Meeting the Emperor would be the fastest way to achieve that.
Whether they were invited or captured, it didn’t matter.
She grabbed Lü Qingyan’s hand, ignoring the woman’s protests, and pulled her out of the inn.
The woman, watching them go, her voice filled with a frustrated exasperation, muttered, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.”
Bai Jingxue, stepping out into the street, was surprised to see that there were no women in sight. It seemed the Second Princess’s reputation was well-deserved.
Her past life had been so ordinary. This new life was filled with extraordinary characters.
The remaining people on the street stared at them with a mixture of awe and admiration, some even giving them a thumbs-up.
Bai Jingxue, however, didn’t enjoy being the center of attention, especially not under these circumstances.
Although she felt uncomfortable, she pulled Lü Qingyan behind her, shielding her.
She was heading towards a restaurant. She remembered seeing one a short distance to the south.
She had only taken a few steps when she heard the sound of approaching hooves.
The people on the street immediately dropped to their knees.
Bai Jingxue and Lü Qingyan, the only ones standing, were even more conspicuous now.
The sound of hooves grew louder, and a procession appeared: guards in armor, their swords drawn, followed by a luxurious carriage, its curtains drawn, servant girls flanking it.
The occupant of the carriage was clearly someone important, perhaps even the Second Princess herself.
Lü Qingyan, her curiosity piqued, sniffed the air, her gaze fixed on the carriage, then she shook her head, her brow furrowed.
Their refusal to kneel was a sign of disrespect. The lead guard, his eyes narrowing, drew his sword, his voice a roar. “Insolent fools! How dare you disrespect the princess!”
But Bai Jingxue had come here looking for trouble. She straightened her back, her gaze meeting the guard’s without fear.
Lü Qingyan, her temper flaring, couldn’t stand being yelled at. “We’re not even from Cang Xi!” she retorted. “And we haven’t done anything wrong! How is this disrespectful?!”
The guard, surprised by their defiance, his eyes widening in anger, shouted, “Insolent fools!”
He swung his sword, aiming for Bai Jingxue’s neck.
Bai Jingxue’s eyes narrowed, and she channeled her spiritual energy, preparing to teach this guard a lesson.
But a voice, calm and authoritative, stopped him. “Hold,” it said.
The guard froze, his sword inches from Bai Jingxue’s neck. He turned towards the carriage, its curtains parting.
A woman, her clothes luxurious, her hair adorned with golden hairpins, her demeanor regal, stood there, her gaze fixed on them.
Lü Qingyan, staring at the woman’s unfamiliar face, her eyes widening in disbelief, stammered, “De- Demon Lord?”
Her voice was too soft. Bai Jingxue didn’t hear her. “What?” she asked, leaning closer.
Lü Qingyan, doubting her own senses, shook her head. “Nothing.”
Bai Jingxue frowned, but she didn’t press the issue, her attention returning to the princess.
This was the part where a conflict usually occurred. She imagined scenes from her favorite martial arts dramas, her own body performing those elegant, gravity-defying moves. It had been a childhood fantasy.
But now, in this new life, it was possible. She felt a surge of excitement.
She stared at the Second Princess, her gaze intense.
The Demon Lord, disguised as the Second Princess, her skin tingling under Bai Jingxue’s gaze, felt a shiver run down her spine.
She hadn’t expected to encounter someone she knew, especially not under these circumstances. And now, she had to save them.
The guard, his anger still simmering, but knowing that these girls wouldn’t be harmed, not with the princess’s indulgent nature, asked, his voice respectful, “Your Highness, shall we arrest them?”
“No,” the Demon Lord said, her voice calm. “Let them go. I was wrong in the past. I won’t make the same mistake again.”
Silence fell, the already quiet street now eerily still.
The Demon Lord didn’t care what they thought. She didn’t want to maintain this persona.
The matter resolved, she was about to return to the carriage when she heard Luo Nianshang’s voice.
“Did you find any food?”
She lowered the carriage curtain, pointing at Luo Nianshang, who had appeared behind Bai Jingxue. “Seize her!” she shouted.
Luo Nianshang stared at her, her brow furrowed in confusion. “What?”
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