Chapter 106: Into the Palace
Somehow, what started as a simple mission had led them straight into the Demon Palace.
The Left Envoy led the way, while Bai Jingxue, transformed into her cat form, nestled comfortably in Lü Qingyan’s arms.
She might not have been as socially awkward as the Sword Saint, but she still disliked being the center of attention. Transforming into a cat solved that problem.
Except for Lü Qingyan’s persistent attempts to pet her, everything was perfect. As Bai Jingxue drifted off, she felt Lü Qingyan’s hand reaching for her head, and she quickly swatted it away, her eyes narrowed in warning.
Lü Qingyan withdrew her “weapon.” She had noticed that Jingxue, in her cat form, was more easily annoyed, her paws quick to deliver a swift punishment. Having not been to the Demon Palace in a while, Lü Qingyan no longer felt the same revulsion for this place. She was surprisingly cheerful.
She carefully examined the walls and pillars, noticing that the damage she had caused had been repaired. There was no trace of her previous rampage.
Bai Jingxue, however, wasn’t curious. She had only been to the Demon Palace once, and her movements had been restricted. She only remembered a single room. This place was unfamiliar to her.
She yawned, nestled in Lü Qingyan’s arms, then languidly licked her paw. When she looked up again, they had arrived at the left envoy’s room.
The Hall of Government was next door. The right envoy, buried in paperwork, hearing the sound of a door opening, her eyes bloodshot, rushed out, then flung open the left envoy’s door, her voice a furious roar. “Mo Li, get out here!”
But the moment she opened the door, she froze, her gaze sweeping over the room’s occupants. She was met with a sea of curious stares.
Demons were one thing, but why was there a righteous cultivator here?
Fu Yuan, feeling the weight of the right envoy’s gaze, shifted uncomfortably, a wave of pressure washing over her.
This trip had been an eye-opening experience. They had encountered so many powerful individuals that even Nascent Soul cultivators seemed ordinary.
The left envoy calmly prepared tea for everyone, then turned to the right envoy, her voice laced with a hint of amusement. “The Demon Palace doesn’t belong solely to me, Right Envoy,” she said. “You should also shoulder some responsibility.”
The right envoy, afraid of being subjected to another lecture, knowing their philosophies clashed, their arguments always pointless, simply waved a hand dismissively, then entered the room, settling onto a chair opposite Lü Qingyan. She stared at Lü Qingyan, her eyes widening in recognition. “Aren’t you the Demon Lord’s little dog?” she asked, her voice filled with surprise.
Although it was true, Lü Qingyan hated being called someone’s “dog.” It felt demeaning.
She didn’t recognize the right envoy. Perhaps because the right envoy was so lazy. She hadn’t even intervened when Lü Qingyan had been rampaging through the palace.
The left envoy chuckled. “So you do pay attention to things,” she said. “But her name is Lü Qingyan now.”
The right envoy ignored her, her gaze still fixed on Lü Qingyan. She seemed to have a natural aversion to the left envoy. She missed the previous left envoy, who hadn’t been so sarcastic.
But that fool had gone to the Ejian Sect, seeking a fight, and had been turned into ice shards.
She shuddered. “Restoring the Demon Realm’s glory,” she thought. “With that monster guarding the righteous realm, it’s just a pipe dream.”
She tossed a spatial ring to the left envoy. “Here,” she said. “I can’t make any decisions. Have you contacted the Demon Lord?”
The left envoy, storing the ring away, shook her head, her voice laced with a weary frustration. “Not yet,” she said. “I’ll try again later.”
There were too many outsiders present. There were things she couldn’t discuss openly. She had worked so hard, and now, she simply wanted to escape the Hall of Government.
She stood up gracefully and vanished from the room.
She left the Demon Palace, seeking a quiet place to rest, but she found Ying pacing anxiously at the entrance.
Gossip was always entertaining. She had inadvertently sabotaged Ying’s romantic pursuit, but that was because she hadn’t known the full story. Now, understanding that Ying was truly in love, she felt obligated to play matchmaker.
She abandoned her plan to take a nap, approaching Ying. “What are you doing here, Princess?” she asked.
Ying looked up, her brow furrowed, her voice laced with surprise. “Are you talking to me?”
“Yes,” the right envoy said, her smile playful. “Are you here to see Left Envoy Mo? I can take you to her.”
She was feigning kindness, her true intention to watch the drama unfold, but her plan was too obvious.
Ying shook her head. “She told me to wait here,” she said.
The right envoy was surprised. This dragon was different from the others she had encountered. Any other dragon, their gaze filled with disdain, would have said, “How dare you address me so casually, you insignificant human.”
This dragon was surprisingly humble.
Perhaps she had been in the Demon Realm for too long, her understanding of the outside world outdated.
She shook her head, finding Ying’s obedience rather boring. She yawned, preparing to leave.
As they passed each other, Ying suddenly caught a whiff of an unusual scent. “Wait,” she said.
The right envoy paused, her brow furrowed. “What is it?”
But the scent had vanished. Ying was confused. Perhaps she had imagined it.
Seeing that Ying hadn’t responded, the right envoy chuckled. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.”
Ying didn’t try to stop her, but as she looked down, she noticed that the right envoy’s shadow seemed unusually dark.
“Your attack method is quite unique,” she said.
Their previous encounter had revealed the left and right envoys’ fighting styles.
The left envoy was a master of mind control, her specialty manipulating emotions, while the right envoy’s weapon was her shadow, capable of devouring anything it touched.
Everyone enjoyed compliments. The right envoy’s impression of Ying improved. “You managed to fight both of us at once,” she said. “You’re clearly stronger than me.”
Ying didn’t respond. She had always been aware of her own strength, but the competition within the Dragon Palace was fierce. Displaying too much power would only make her a target.
On land, however, she had no such concerns. She could freely use her abilities.
The right envoy, pleased by the compliment, her mood lifting, her demonic nature lowering her moral standards, decided to offer some advice to this lovesick dragon. “With your power,” she said, “you could become the Dragon King one day. Then, perhaps, the left envoy will be yours.”
She had meant that Ying, as the Dragon King, could force the Demon Palace to hand over Mo Li, but Ying seemed to have misunderstood.
Ying assumed that Mo Li was attracted to power and status. She thought for a moment, then nodded, her voice filled with gratitude. “Thank you for your advice,” she said. “I’ll return to the Dragon Palace after informing the Sword Saint.”
Having been twice humiliated by Mo Li, the right envoy had decided to set a trap for her. It seemed her plan had worked.
Ying, without another word, transformed into her dragon form and flew away.
Watching her disappear into the sky, the right envoy, turning to her shadow, couldn’t help but chuckle. “This is going to be fun,” she said.
Die Ying’s voice, soft and ethereal, echoed from within the shadow. “If the left envoy is truly taken away,” she said, “won’t you have to handle all the Demon Palace’s affairs?”
The right envoy’s amusement vanished as she realized her mistake.
But Ying was already gone. It was too late to stop her.
“Why didn’t you warn me?!” she exclaimed, her voice filled with a frustrated anger.
Die Ying’s voice was even softer now. “I was sleeping,” she said.
Hearing the hoarseness in Die Ying’s voice, the right envoy believed her.
It was too late for regrets. She needed to find a replacement for Mo Li, or she would lose her leisurely lifestyle.
But becoming the Dragon King wasn’t easy. There was no need to worry about that yet.
She calmed herself, then, noticing that Die Ying had been sleeping a lot lately, she asked, her voice laced with concern, “Are you feeling unwell? You don’t have to force yourself to help me.”
“No,” Die Ying replied.
The right envoy felt a pang of unease. Die Ying was usually more talkative, her words often laced with playful teasing. Now, she was unusually quiet.
Perhaps she was simply tired from helping with the paperwork.
“Get some rest,” the right envoy said.
Die Ying didn’t respond.
Assuming she had fallen asleep, the right envoy found a comfortable spot to rest.
She lay on a hammock strung between two trees, covering her eyes with leaves, her mind drifting towards sleep.
But her shadow deepened, its color turning a rich, inky black. It no longer resembled her form. It flowed like water, spreading across the ground.
A rabbit hopped into view, its gaze fixed on the strange shadow, then two hands emerged from the darkness, grabbing it, pulling it down.
Bai Jingxue, sipping her tea in the Demon Palace, felt a sudden surge of unease.
She jumped to her feet, rushing out of the room, then took to the sky, her gaze scanning the horizon. She then flew towards the right envoy’s usual resting spot.
The others, sensing something was wrong, followed.
When they caught up to Bai Jingxue, they were stunned by what they saw.
A sea of darkness had engulfed the area surrounding the Demon Palace, its tendrils reaching towards the palace itself, its protective formation flickering, its power waning.
The left envoy’s face paled. She searched for the right envoy, finally spotting her, her body sinking into the darkness.
She flew towards her, intending to rescue her, but the moment she left the protection of the Demon Palace’s formation, the shadows transformed into chains, reaching for her.
She channeled her spiritual energy, creating a protective barrier, but it shattered instantly. She had no choice but to retreat.
Bai Jingxue unleashed her flames, but they had no effect. They still possessed a purifying power, but it was weak, almost insignificant.
The Demon Palace’s formation was fading, its light dimming. The left envoy’s anxiety intensified.
She tried to use her mind control technique to awaken the right envoy, but it was futile.
The right envoy had been consumed by her own shadow.
This was beyond their capabilities. She retrieved the pearl, contacting the Demon Lord.
Thankfully, this time, the Demon Lord responded.
At the Ejian Sect, the Demon Lord, listening to the left envoy’s frantic report, her heart sinking, knew she had to return.
She couldn’t abandon the Demon Realm. She would have to leave a body double to maintain her Yao Yue identity.
She rubbed her temples, then, with a sigh, she created a body double of Yao Yue.
She was reluctant to leave Luo Nianshang, but she had no choice.
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