Extra 5
At first, everything had seemed normal. Luo Nianshang, entering the secret realm, had found herself in a small village. Noticing the villagers staring at her, she had quickly covered her face with her sleeve and hurried away.
Once she was out of sight, she began to examine her surroundings, assessing the secret realm’s unique properties.
She was in the middle of her analysis when she suddenly felt a wave of dizziness, her vision blurring. She stumbled, clutching her forehead, then collapsed beneath a tree.
When she woke up, she found herself covered with a robe, its intricate embroidery unfamiliar.
“You’re awake,” a voice said. “Have some water.”
A young woman, her face unfamiliar, offered her a cup of water in a lotus leaf.
Luo Nianshang, though parched, her caution overriding her thirst, simply said, “Thank you.”
The woman was, of course, the Demon Lord in disguise. She had discovered that this secret realm was different from the others she had encountered. While Luo Nianshang had been unconscious, she had tried to escape, but it had been futile. This realm seemed specifically designed to trap her. Her spiritual energy had been completely sealed.
Seeing Luo Nianshang’s wary expression, she couldn’t help but feel amused.
The moon was high in the sky, the night air cold. Without her spiritual energy to protect her, she shivered, pulling the robe tighter around herself. It was the same robe she had used to cover Luo Nianshang.
Luo Nianshang, having woken up, sat up, her hand pressing against her forehead, her expression troubled. She realized that her spiritual energy was gone. She couldn’t use any techniques.
This was similar to Cang Xi.
She wanted to try accessing her half-demon form, but she couldn’t do it with someone watching.
She felt a twinge of regret, then she thanked the woman, who was adjusting the hairpins in her hair. “Thank you,” she said.
The Demon Lord, hearing her second expression of gratitude, chuckled. “You’re so formal,” she said, turning to face Luo Nianshang, her voice teasing.
Luo Nianshang, unaccustomed to such casual banter, simply hummed in acknowledgment, then, grabbing her sword, she started walking.
The Demon Lord, annoyed by her abrupt departure, quickly caught up to her. “There are bandits in these mountains,” she said, her voice filled with a feigned anxiety. “I’ve been separated from my family. It’s dangerous here. You have a sword. Will you protect me?”
Her words were plausible, and Luo Nianshang, unfamiliar with this realm, readily agreed.
She had, however, underestimated the Demon Lord’s clinginess.
Luo Nianshang, watching as the Demon Lord stopped again, rubbing her leg, her expression pained, sighed. She had never met someone so delicate. The woman would walk for a short distance, then complain of exhaustion, demanding a break. They would resume their journey, only for her to collapse again after a few steps.
Luo Nianshang was getting impatient. She had gathered some information about this secret realm when she had first arrived. Time flowed differently here, much slower than in the outside world.
One day here was equivalent to several years outside.
The cultivation world was currently at peace, but her presence was a deterrent. Without her, conflicts might erupt.
Her anxiety growing, she finally spoke, her voice unusually sharp. “Can you keep up?”
The Demon Lord’s weakness was an act, of course. She was simply enjoying herself, her mischievous nature resurfacing.
An idea sparked in her mind, and she frowned, her voice filled with a feigned distress. “I’m sorry,” she said, “but I can’t walk any further. Could you carry me, kind sir?”
Luo Nianshang’s face hardened. “No,” she said.
The Demon Lord, surprised by her refusal, blurted out, “Why?”
Luo Nianshang, her voice calm, said, “It’s inappropriate. But I can offer an alternative.”
She drew her sword, its blade gleaming in the moonlight. They were alone, a perfect setting for robbery and murder.
The Demon Lord’s heart skipped a beat. Despite knowing Luo Nianshang’s character, she couldn’t help but feel a flicker of fear.
But Luo Nianshang simply turned, her sword flashing, felling several small trees.
She then gathered the fallen trees and some vines, swiftly constructing a simple raft.
The Demon Lord, confused, settled onto the raft, then she noticed a long vine attached to its front. Before she could react, Luo Nianshang grabbed the vine, her back to the Demon Lord.
“Hold on,” she said.
She then started running, pulling the raft along. The sudden acceleration nearly sent the Demon Lord tumbling into the water. She quickly adjusted her position, lying flat on the raft.
The wind whipped through her hair, and she wanted to curse, but she had to admit this was much faster.
Even with her cultivation suppressed, Luo Nianshang, in this secret realm, was like a max-level player in a beginner’s area.
The bandits they encountered were easily defeated, Luo Nianshang not even bothering to draw her sword.
But as they continued their journey, they found themselves in a small village, its appearance… unsettling.
Luo Nianshang paused, her eyes closing briefly, a sense of foreboding washing over her.
This secret realm hadn’t presented any real challenges. And this village seemed… too ordinary. It was as if it had been designed to trap her.
She approached a villager, an elderly woman, her voice polite. “Excuse me,” she said. “Where are we?”
The woman looked up, her smile stiff and unnatural, her voice a slow, monotonous drone. “Young lady,” she said, “that girl beside you is very pretty.”
The Demon Lord, startled, pointed at herself. “Me?”
The woman’s response was completely unrelated to Luo Nianshang’s question. Luo Nianshang, her brow furrowing, tried again, but she received the same answer, the woman’s tone and expression identical.
She gave up, her anxiety growing. She decided to observe.
She soon noticed something strange. The villagers’ movements were synchronized, their actions repetitive, as if they were puppets. They worked day and night, never sleeping.
After two days of observation, she felt exhausted. She needed to rest.
She turned to the Demon Lord, the only person in this realm who seemed capable of normal conversation. “I’m going to rest,” she said. “Wake me if there’s any danger.”
Her stomach rumbled, and the Demon Lord chuckled.
Luo Nianshang, embarrassed, quickly walked away, approaching a nearby hut. She reached for the door, intending to open it, but her hand passed right through it.
She pulled her hand back, then tried again, this time her entire body phasing through the door.
There was a simple bed inside. She was exhausted, and she knew these villagers weren’t real. Borrowing their bed wouldn’t violate her principles.
She lay down, but her body passed right through the bed, and she landed on the floor with a thud, her drowsiness instantly vanishing.
She sat up, her body phasing through the bed again.
She had never encountered such a strange secret realm. She couldn’t figure it out. Bored, she decided to find the Demon Lord.
As she stepped outside, she saw the Demon Lord grilling fish over a small fire, the aroma making her stomach rumble.
She settled down beside the Demon Lord, her gaze fixed on the sizzling fish, her desire for food, for something… real, growing.
She couldn’t taste anything, but the aroma triggered memories of delicious meals.
Her masters had enjoyed good food and wine. Master Yue Lian would often grill meat, the sizzling fat dripping into the fire, the scent a welcome distraction from the monotony of cultivation.
But she had lost so much during her long life. She had become a boring, lonely adult.
Lost in her thoughts, she was startled when a perfectly grilled fish appeared before her.
The Demon Lord smiled. “Here,” she said. “Try it.”
She handed Luo Nianshang the fish, then grabbed one for herself, taking a bite, then she immediately spat it out.
“Yuck!” she exclaimed, tossing the fish aside. “Why is it so bitter?!”
Luo Nianshang took a bite, but she couldn’t taste anything. She examined the fish, noticing the intact gallbladder. “Your cooking skills are inferior to my beloved’s,” she said, her voice a quiet tease.
Those words struck a nerve. The Demon Lord’s cheerful demeanor vanished, replaced by a mixture of jealousy, anger, and a deep, unsettling sadness.
She was proud and confident, but she knew her cooking was terrible. She assumed Luo Nianshang was thinking of someone else.
Jealousy burned within her. She had gone to such lengths to be near Luo Nianshang, pretending not to care, while secretly agonizing over the thought of Luo Nianshang with someone else.
She couldn’t hide her feelings any longer. She stood up abruptly, her face hardening, her voice cold. “I need some air,” she said, then she turned and walked away.
Luo Nianshang, accustomed to the Demon Lord’s playful banter, her constant smiles, was unsettled by her sudden coldness.
She had insulted the Demon Lord’s cooking. It was her fault.
She had to apologize.
She followed, but the Demon Lord had vanished.
This felt familiar, a reminder of the Demon Lord’s ability to disappear without a trace whenever she pleased.
Luo Nianshang’s heart sank.
The Demon Lord, however, hadn’t intentionally disappeared. She had simply taken a few steps, then she had stumbled, falling into a deep pit. She had called for help, but the pit was too deep. Her voice couldn’t reach the top.
She had no choice but to climb out, though it wasn’t a graceful process.
As she climbed, she realized she resembled a large, green frog. Her clothes were also green.
A drop of water trickled down her cheek, and she wiped it away with her sleeve, then she felt an itch.
Assuming it was just dirty water, she ignored it, continuing her climb.
She finally reached the top, pulling herself out, then she dusted off her hands, and looked up to see Luo Nianshang staring at her, her gaze intense.
She had been about to unleash her anger when she noticed that Luo Nianshang seemed even angrier.
“Qiu! Ying! Xi!,” Luo Nianshang said, her voice dangerously low, each syllable a separate word.
Hearing her real name, something within the Demon Lord snapped.
This wasn’t good.
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