Chapter 39: Spinning
The Sword Saint’s seclusion had been unusually long this time, prompting frequent visits from Zhu Chi.
Perhaps because Zhu Chi was blind, Luo Nianshang felt less awkward around her.
However, the Sword Saint wasn’t a talkative person, so Zhu Chi always had to initiate the conversation.
Today’s topic was Luo Nianshang’s disciple recruitment.
Traditionally, when selecting disciples, cultivators prioritized talent and character. Character, however, could be faked. No one would declare “I’m a villain!” during such an important event.
Luo Nianshang’s approach seemed backward.
“Are you sure about this method?” Zhu Chi asked, her voice laced with concern.
Luo Nianshang, polishing her sword with a cloth, simply hummed in agreement.
Bai Jingxue, having completed her cultivation practice, emerged from the chamber, stretching languidly.
Luo Nianshang set aside her sword, scooping up the cat and placing her on her lap. She began to scratch Bai Jingxue’s chin.
Seeing the cat’s blissful expression, her eyes closed in contentment, she finally stopped.
Bai Jingxue, snapping out of her trance, mentally berated herself for her weakness. She tried to jump down, but Luo Nianshang held her back, petting her gently.
She gave up, resigning herself to her fate.
Her gaze fell upon Zhu Chi, her eyes veiled. She wondered why the sect leader of the Spring Snow Sect was always visiting the Ejian Sect. Did sect leaders and lords not have work to do?
Then she remembered the most idle individual of them all: the Demon Lord.
The Ejian Sect was the most powerful sect in the righteous realm, but it couldn’t directly command other sects.
The Demon Lord, however, was the ruler of an entire realm, her authority absolute.
And she had abandoned her responsibilities to become Luo Nianshang’s disciple.
Bai Jingxue still couldn’t comprehend the Demon Lord’s motives. The more she observed them, the more she was convinced that the Demon Lord was truly in love with Luo Nianshang.
But that was impossible. The majority of the battles in the original story had been between the female lead and the female antagonist. No matter how much this world had changed, Luo Nianshang and the Demon Lord could never be together.
This was too much for her brain to handle. She decided to stop thinking about it.
Zhu Chi, despite her blindness, could still perceive blurry shapes through her spiritual vision.
She smiled, her gaze fixed on the fuzzy black shape in Luo Nianshang’s lap. “I never thought you would be fond of pets.”
Luo Nianshang paused in her petting. “I found her drowning in a lake,” she explained. “I simply saved her.”
Zhu Chi chuckled, her voice laced with admiration. “Ah, yes, simply saved her,” she said. “You’ve ‘simply saved’ countless people and animals, Venerable One. Do you remember them all?”
Luo Nianshang had lived for so long that the struggles of weaker beings seemed insignificant. She saved, but she didn’t remember.
Zhu Chi already knew the answer, but she had brought it up to help a certain someone.
She touched the veil covering her eyes, but there was no sensation, as if the flesh beneath was simply a sculpture. That was why it didn’t hurt.
She had long since grown accustomed to the darkness. As long as she was alive, she was content.
She closed her eyes, immersing herself in the familiar blackness. “I came to reminisce about old times,” she said, “and to offer a suggestion for your disciple recruitment.”
Luo Nianshang, intrigued, stopped petting the cat. “Tell me.”
Zhu Chi retrieved a scroll from her spatial ring, carefully unfurling it. “This is one of my disciples,” she said. “You saved her life during your second campaign against the Demon Lord. She traveled a great distance to seek you out as her master, but she was rejected due to her lack of talent. She eventually joined my sect as a servant disciple.”
Bai Jingxue’s ears twitched. She stood up, peering at the portrait.
The girl depicted in the painting was rather ordinary, clearly not someone who would have appeared in the original story. Bai Jingxue lost interest, settling back onto Luo Nianshang’s lap.
As Luo Nianshang and Zhu Chi discussed the disciple recruitment, Bai Jingxue seized the opportunity to escape.
As a weak and powerless cat, her freedom was limited. She needed to focus on her cultivation, to reach the stage where she could transform back into a human.
She returned to the chamber, her gaze falling upon the mountain of toys beside her bed. A few plush radishes were arranged neatly beside the pile.
A wave of sadness washed over her. She didn’t know why she had separated those particular toys.
Perhaps because they were Lü Qingyan’s favorites.
She had noticed that the phantom dog had vanished after she had separated the toys.
But sleep still eluded her. Whenever she closed her eyes, memories of her past life flooded her mind.
It hadn’t been a particularly memorable life.
But the memories were bittersweet, a mix of regret and fondness.
She couldn’t let go.
She sighed softly, carefully rearranging the plush radishes, only relaxing when they were perfectly aligned. She then curled up in her bed, resuming her cultivation practice.
“Stop thinking about her,” she told herself. “The Demon Lord wouldn’t mistreat the dog.”
With that comforting thought, she finally calmed her mind, focusing on her cultivation.
She was right. The Demon Lord’s tolerance for Lü Qingyan’s antics was surprisingly high. The Demon Palace had undergone a dozen redecorations in the past few days.
The attendants, who had initially chased Lü Qingyan around, now simply ignored her, even applauding her as she wreaked havoc. “Wow, Mao Mao, you’re so strong!”
Lü Qingyan, her anger deflated, had lost interest in destroying things.
The Demon Lord, having achieved her current position through her own efforts, followed a cultivation method that was only suitable for her. Besides, she was preoccupied with her own anxieties and the chaos in Que City. She had no time to teach a dog.
But as a responsible owner, she hadn’t neglected Lü Qingyan. She had appointed her left envoy as the dog’s temporary master.
The left envoy, despite her terrifying mask, was surprisingly gentle.
Her gentleness differed from Fu Yuan’s. Fu Yuan still possessed the impetuosity of youth. She could be easily provoked.
The left envoy’s emotions were always hidden, her expression unchanging, as if she were only capable of smiling.
Lü Qingyan was slightly afraid of her, so she obediently followed her instructions. However, some of the concepts were too complex. In the past, Bai Jingxue would have explained them to her. Now, she was on her own.
A fragrant aroma suddenly filled the bedchamber. Pink smoke swirled, then dissipated, revealing the Demon Lord.
Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes glazed, her body reeking of alcohol.
Lü Qingyan covered her nose with her paws, backing away from the Demon Lord with a look of disgust.
The left envoy, seeing her lord return, bowed respectfully.
The Demon Lord waved a hand dismissively, settling down at her desk. “What’s the status of Que City?” she asked. “Has anyone made a move yet?”
“Lin’an and Fu Yue are showing signs of unrest,” the left envoy reported. “The other cities remain calm.”
The Demon Lord’s eyes narrowed, then she chuckled. “It seems the fire isn’t hot enough yet,” she said. “I need to add more fuel.”
Lü Qingyan, seeing the mischievous glint in the Demon Lord’s eyes, wanted to escape, but the Demon Lord caught her, scooping her up into her arms.
Seeing the dog covering its nose, the Demon Lord realized that she reeked of alcohol. She waved a hand, dispelling the scent, then held Lü Qingyan up, her voice laced with amusement. “How was your cultivation practice today?”
Lü Qingyan flinched, her ears and tail drooping. She couldn’t lie to the Demon Lord.
“You were progressing so quickly at the Ejian Sect,” the Demon Lord said, her brow furrowed. “What happened?”
Lü Qingyan was miserable. She couldn’t speak, so she simply stared at the Demon Lord with a pitiful expression.
The Demon Lord chuckled, setting her on the desk, then ruffled her fur. “Soon,” she said. “We’ll go back soon.”
Lü Qingyan tilted her head. “Woof?”
The Demon Lord glanced at the portrait hanging on the wall, her voice softening. “Back to the place you long for.”
Her voice was so soft, so fragile, like a feather caught in the wind, about to be swept away.
The left envoy, sensing her lord’s vulnerability, couldn’t help but say, “Your Excellency.”
The Demon Lord, startled, realized she wasn’t alone. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she had forgotten her envoy’s presence.
She chuckled, her expression turning serious. “Mo Li, I need you to do something for me.”
The left envoy, addressed by her true name, blinked, then dropped to her knees, her voice filled with fervor. “I will gladly do anything for you, Your Excellency!”
The Demon Lord stared at her, confused by her sudden outburst. She didn’t need such dramatic declarations.
“I simply need you to teach me about puppetry,” she said. “And I need one of those discarded puppets you have stationed in the righteous realm.”
Logically, shouldn’t her priority be the unrest in Que City? Why was she interested in a puppet hidden among the righteous cultivators?
The left envoy, unable to comprehend her lord’s motives, closed her eyes, then opened them again, her gaze filled with admiration.
“The Demon Lord’s thoughts are beyond our mortal comprehension,” she murmured.
The “great” Demon Lord, having acquired control of the puppet, was delighted.
Que City was a minor concern compared to Luo Nianshang’s disciple recruitment. In addition to the reports from her left envoy, she had been gathering information herself.
The demon cultivators hated Luo Nianshang for slaying their previous leaders. All the Demon Lord had to do was spend some time drinking at the brothels to overhear countless rumors.
That was how she had learned that Luo Nianshang had already chosen a disciple.
She had initially been jealous, but when she had learned the identity of the chosen disciple, she had almost burst out laughing. It was a puppet, a spy the Demon Realm had planted in the righteous realm.
However, this puppet had been abandoned long ago. They hadn’t used it to gather information in years.
Such a low-level puppet would have been easily exposed by Luo Nianshang, leading to further complications.
But not anymore.
The Demon Lord, overcome with joy, scooped up Lü Qingyan, spinning her around.
Lü Qingyan, dizzy, stumbled when she was set down, her legs unable to support her. She collapsed onto the floor, her belly hitting the ground with a thud.
The Demon Lord chuckled, then prepared to lie down.
She felt a tug on her robe and glanced down to see Lü Qingyan, her tail wagging, her body spinning in circles, as if trying to convey something.
The Demon Lord watched her, her amusement growing as the dog’s excitement turned into frustration. “Do you want to spin again?” she asked.
Lü Qingyan immediately sat down, her tail wagging obediently. She looked adorable.
And for that cuteness, the Demon Lord sacrificed an entire night’s sleep.
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