Chapter 104: An Empty City
As they journeyed deeper into the Demon Realm, Bai Jingxue and her companions arrived at a town divided by the Black River.
Due to their unusual circumstances, Bai Jingxue had initially intended to avoid this demon cultivator settlement, but she spotted Ying standing at the city gate.
Beside Ying stood a woman in a black jacket and red skirt. Bai Jingxue couldn’t discern her cultivation level, but she sensed a demonic aura emanating from her.
Lü Qingyan, seeing that Bai Jingxue had stopped, peered over her shoulder, then, spotting Ying, she was about to wave when she noticed the left envoy standing beside her.
Her hand froze, her heart filled with a strange mix of emotions.
She had read the Seven Girlfriends book, but she hadn’t expected the demon cultivator to be the left envoy.
She didn’t approach them, but the left envoy had already noticed them.
For some reason, Ying hadn’t returned the mask, so the left envoy was forced to reveal her true face. The Demon Lord’s criteria for choosing her subordinates had indeed been based on appearance, but through a strange twist of fate, she had chosen the most capable candidate.
Bai Jingxue, seeing the woman approaching, her heart pounding, her body tensing, prepared for a confrontation. Lü Qingyan, sensing her anxiety, took her hand, her voice gentle. “Don’t worry, Jingxue,” she said.
Bai Jingxue had already guessed the woman’s identity. Ying had gone to the Demon Realm to find the left envoy. And now, this woman was standing beside Ying. It wasn’t difficult to connect the dots.
The left envoy reached them, her voice smooth and polite. “I’ve long admired your reputation, Fairy Bai,” she said. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Mo Li, the Demon Lord’s left envoy. Would you honor me with your friendship?”
Bai Jingxue, unaccustomed to such flattery, her cheeks flushing slightly, smiled politely. “The pleasure is all mine, Left Envoy,” she said. “I’ve also heard many tales of your accomplishments.”
She was being polite, but she felt a surge of embarrassment. She hadn’t done anything remarkable in this world. Why was she so famous?
She wanted to ask what kind of “tales” the left envoy had heard.
The left envoy, however, seemed genuinely interested. She glanced at Lü Qingyan, assuming the dog had been gossiping about her.
“Oh?” she asked, her voice laced with a hint of amusement. “What have you heard about me, Fairy Bai?”
Bai Jingxue was speechless. She had simply been making polite conversation. She hadn’t been paying attention to the left envoy’s accomplishments. She only knew that the left envoy handled most of the Demon Lord’s responsibilities.
If she had to mention an “accomplishment,” it would be “Congratulations on becoming the dragon’s one true love out of seven potential girlfriends.”
But she couldn’t say that. She glanced at Ying, who was approaching, then said, her voice light, “Your story with Ying, for example.”
The left envoy’s smile vanished.
She had worked so hard, her efforts unnoticed, only to become the subject of gossip.
It was bad enough that the rumors had spread throughout the Demon Realm, but now, they had reached the righteous realm as well. This was a disaster.
And Ying was a dragon. The rumors might even reach the妖界. She would be infamous throughout the Three Realms.
Ying, her hair tied back, her usual colorful attire replaced by a simple black outfit, its sleeves and back adorned with silver dragon embroidery, approached them. She and the left envoy looked like they were wearing matching outfits.
Ying, clearly surprised to see them, greeted them cheerfully. “Little Cat Demon, what are you doing here?”
“We’re on a mission,” Bai Jingxue replied, her voice noncommittal.
The left envoy discreetly moved away from Ying, her gaze fixed on Bai Jingxue and her companions.
Bai Jingxue, feeling the weight of her gaze, her skin tingling, asked, “Why are you staring at me, Left Envoy?”
The left envoy’s eyes suddenly lit up, her voice serious. “What do you think of the Demon Palace?” she asked.
Bai Jingxue, taking a small step back, her impression of the Demon Palace based solely on the descriptions in the original story, but assuming those descriptions were accurate, said, “It’s a wonderful place.”
The left envoy wasn’t satisfied with that answer. In her mind, the Demon Palace was the best place in the world. But she wouldn’t reveal her true feelings.
She suppressed her emotions, her voice serious. “Would you consider joining the Demon Palace?” she asked. “I can offer you anything you desire.”
Bai Jingxue’s expression hardened. She hadn’t expected the left envoy to try to recruit her.
Fu Yuan, who had been silent until now, her patience finally snapping, interjected, her voice cold. “Don’t be ridiculous, demon!” she said. “You can’t just poach our guest elder!”
But the left envoy wasn’t offended. She turned to Fu Yuan, her gaze lingering on her, her eyes gleaming with an even greater intensity. “If the elder isn’t interested, then perhaps this fairy would consider joining us,” she said, her voice sincere. “Your constitution is extraordinary. It’s a waste to stay at that boring Ejian Sect.”
Fu Yuan, surprised, then her anger flaring, seeing that the left envoy was serious, coldly refused.
Lü Qingyan, seeing the left envoy’s persistence, stepped forward, interrupting her. “Teacher, they’re not interested,” she said.
The left envoy had taught Lü Qingyan during their time at the Demon Palace. Calling her “Teacher” was appropriate.
The left envoy, glancing at their faces, their expressions clearly indicating their displeasure, reluctantly abandoned her attempt at recruitment.
She didn’t seem to mind their rejection. She pointed at the city behind them, its gates closed. “You’re here to investigate the creature in the Black River, correct?” she asked. “This city is empty.”
She led them inside, and Bai Jingxue, staring at the deserted streets, finally understood.
A cold wind blew, snapping the flags hanging from the city walls, startling them.
The left envoy had already explored the city.
She led them to the riverbank, then said, “Rise!”
A small statue emerged from the river.
This statue was different from the others they had collected. The flowers in its goddess’s arms were now colored, and the goddess, her expression no longer serene, was smiling, her gaze fixed on them, as if she were looking directly at them.
The left envoy handed the statue to Bai Jingxue. “The riverbed is filled with fresh corpses,” she said. “This city has become its sustenance. Perhaps this statue is the creature you’re looking for.”
Bai Jingxue accepted the statue, staring at its eyes, which seemed to be staring back at her.
A chill ran down her spine, and she quickly looked away, hiding her unease. “May I keep this?” she asked.
The left envoy nodded. “Of course.”
Bai Jingxue thanked her, then stored the statue away, her anxiety intensifying as she saw the other statues in her spatial ring.
After discovering the empty city, the left envoy had immediately contacted the right envoy, who had ordered the evacuation of all demon cultivators living near the Black River. She had also dispatched her most powerful subordinates to retrieve the statues from the river.
But during their search, they had made a more disturbing discovery. The further upstream they went, the more powerful and malevolent the statues became. The most powerful statue had even managed to animate the bones littering the riverbed, creating a grotesque, moving skeleton.
This was a serious matter. The right envoy had instructed the left envoy to inform the Demon Lord.
She sat at her desk, staring at the pile of statues, her head throbbing.
A woman in a black dress emerged from her shadow, her gaze fixed on the statues, her expression unreadable.
The right envoy turned to her, her voice sharp. “Die Ying, what are you doing here?”
Die Ying, settling beside her, picked up one of the statues, her smile playful. “I came to see your troubled expression,” she said.
The right envoy knew she was being teased. She wouldn’t allow herself to be provoked.
She snatched the statue from Die Ying’s hand, staring at its eyes, her voice laced with a hint of disgust. “They’re creepy,” she said. “Do you see anything unusual about them?”
Die Ying shook her head, chuckling. “If you can’t see anything, then I doubt I can.”
The right envoy ignored her, carefully examining the statues, but she couldn’t find anything unusual. She struck one of them with the edge of her hand.
The statue remained undamaged.
As she withdrew her hand, she noticed that the statue’s expression had changed. It was now glaring at her, its eyes filled with a cold fury.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Her unease intensified. She separated the statues, carefully sealing each one individually.
Only then did she relax slightly.
Remembering the mortals’ claims of being guided by a deity, she shook her head, her voice laced with a hint of disgust. “Even cultivators believe in gods,” she muttered. “And even demon cultivators.”
Die Ying, seeing her expression, asked, “Don’t you believe in them?”
The right envoy scoffed. “If there really were gods,” she said, “would we, as sinful demon cultivators, be allowed to live so freely?”
Die Ying smiled, her eyes filled with a gentle warmth. “You’re saying the opposite of what you truly believe,” she said. “But I do believe in gods.”
The right envoy was surprised. “You too?” she asked, her voice laced with disbelief.
Die Ying simply smiled.
The right envoy, annoyed by her enigmatic behavior, turned away, sighing. She missed the Demon Lord.
The Demon Lord might be irresponsible, but as long as she was around, everything seemed manageable. She didn’t have to think. She simply had to fulfill her duties as the right envoy.
“Where are you, Your Excellency?” she whispered.
Meanwhile, at the Ejian Sect, the Demon Lord shivered, then looked up at Luo Nianshang, who was sitting on the roof, lost in thought. She wanted to join her, but she was currently disguised as a mortal.
“Master,” she called out, her voice soft.
Luo Nianshang, hearing her voice, looked down, then descended gracefully, her white robes billowing in the wind, her beauty ethereal under the moonlight.
She landed before the Demon Lord, her demeanor less stiff than usual. Perhaps having more disciples had made her more comfortable around others.
She smiled, a small, almost imperceptible smile, but her usual coldness had softened.
“Why aren’t you asleep?” she asked.
The Demon Lord’s heart pounded, and she lowered her head, her gaze fixed on the pipa in her arms. “My heart is troubled,” she said.
Luo Nianshang, having investigated Yao Yue’s past, assumed she was simply saddened by her tragic history.
She wasn’t good at comforting others, but she said, “Don’t worry. I won’t abandon you.”
The Demon Lord looked up at her, her heart twisting. Those words had been intended for Yao Yue, but she couldn’t help but feel a surge of hope, a selfish desire to believe they were meant for her.
“Luo Nianshang, you’re so kind to everyone,” she thought. “How can I not be jealous?”
“But that’s who you are,” she continued, her inner conflict intensifying. “You deserve to be loved.”
“So please,” she pleaded silently, “forgive my selfishness, my possessiveness.”
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