Chapter 109: A Promise Kept
Luo Nianshang wasn’t a stranger to the Demon Lord’s teasing. Ever since their first encounter in that illusion, the Demon Lord had been relentlessly flirting with her.
Before that, Luo Nianshang had never experienced such attention. In her youth, her talent and her strength had made her a target, ostracized by her peers. As she had grown stronger, she had retreated from the world, avoiding crowds, her interactions with others minimal.
She had initially viewed the Demon Lord’s advances as mere provocations, her heart filled with a mixture of embarrassment and anger, but now, she found herself strangely unfazed.
But did the Demon Lord really intend to kiss her here? In front of everyone?
She glanced around discreetly. Bai Jingxue and her companions were watching from the rooftop, their expressions unreadable. The Demon Palace’s servants, guards, and officials were staring at them, their faces a mixture of shock and disbelief.
Luo Nianshang, subjected to their scrutiny, her social anxiety intensifying, felt her chest constricting, her breath catching in her throat.
The Demon Lord, standing close enough to feel the warmth radiating from Luo Nianshang’s body, her gaze fixed on Luo Nianshang’s face, her lips curving into a small smile as she observed the subtle shifts in Luo Nianshang’s expression, felt a thrill of satisfaction. If she continued, who knew what might happen?
But a sudden wave of apprehension washed over her. She remembered their encounter at the spirit spring. She had gone too far then. Provoking Luo Nianshang wasn’t a good idea.
She casually tossed the statue into the air, then, as it tried to escape, she snatched it back, her movements swift and effortless. Such a dangerous object seemed like a mere toy in her hands.
She smiled, tossing the statue to Luo Nianshang, her voice light. “Having second thoughts, Venerable One?” she asked. “Don’t worry, it was just a joke.”
Luo Nianshang caught the statue, surprised to find that it had become docile in her hands, though its eyes still glared at her, their gaze filled with a venomous hatred.
She didn’t indulge it. She cast a sealing spell, and a white light enveloped the statue, its expression softening, its eyes closing, as if it had fallen asleep. Then, a layer of ice slowly encased it.
She tore a rift in space, placing the frozen statue inside, then the rift closed.
The Demon Palace had suffered the most damage, and the Demon Lord had captured the source of the chaos. Luo Nianshang had no reason to claim the statue.
She turned to the Demon Lord, her red robes as vibrant as her smile, her voice soft. “Thank you,” she said.
The Demon Lord noticed that the usual hostility in Luo Nianshang’s eyes had diminished, and she felt a surge of warmth.
Her frustration at being forced to leave the Ejian Sect faded, and she winked at Luo Nianshang, her voice playful. “Do I get a reward, Venerable One?”
Luo Nianshang paused, then asked, “What do you want?”
The Demon Lord hadn’t expected her to agree. She was delighted, but she couldn’t think of anything she wanted.
There was no need to claim her reward now. She could wait.
She pretended to consider this for a moment, then smiled. “I’m not sure yet,” she said. “Perhaps you could owe me one.”
Seeing that Luo Nianshang was about to speak, she quickly added, “Don’t worry, it won’t be anything unreasonable.”
Luo Nianshang, her prepared response stolen, simply nodded.
The Demon Lord found her cluelessness endearing. She wanted to pinch Luo Nianshang’s cheeks, but their opposing stances made such intimacy inappropriate. It wouldn’t affect her, as the Demon Lord, but those righteous cultivators were a bunch of gossips. It would damage Luo Nianshang’s reputation.
Ants weren’t a threat individually, but their numbers could be overwhelming.
She hadn’t realized how much she cared about Luo Nianshang’s image. She returned to the Demon Palace, noticing Bai Jingxue and the left envoy, their jaws slack, their eyes wide with shock. She realized she had gone too far.
She coughed, and the left envoy, snapping out of her daze, stood up, her expression serious.
She approached the Demon Lord, her gaze fixed on Luo Nianshang, who was still standing outside the formation. “If you’re interested in the Sword Saint, Your Excellency,” she said, “we can start preparing now.”
The Demon Lord, tilting her head, her brow furrowed, asked, “Huh?”
The left envoy’s expression turned fierce. “She might be strong,” she said, “but she’s not invincible. I will obtain anything you desire, Your Excellency, even if it costs me my life.”
Bai Jingxue, listening to her bold declaration, her mind reeling, her body trembling, pinched her earlobe. She wondered if she had stumbled into another illusion.
The left envoy, realizing what she had just said, her face paling, wanted to slap herself. She had been too focused on the statue, too shocked by the Demon Lord’s actions.
Her brain hadn’t been functioning properly. Now, she had just made things incredibly awkward for the Demon Lord. The Sword Saint was still there. She dropped to one knee, her head bowed. “I apologize for my transgression, Your Excellency,” she said, her voice filled with a desperate remorse.
The Demon Lord wanted to know what was going on inside that girl’s head.
But she didn’t punish her. She discreetly observed Luo Nianshang’s reaction, but to her disappointment, Luo Nianshang seemed unfazed.
She gritted her teeth, forcing a smile. “I apologize for my subordinate’s behavior, Venerable One,” she said.
Luo Nianshang’s expression remained unchanged, as if the left envoy’s words hadn’t even registered. “It’s alright,” she said calmly.
The conversation ended. Luo Nianshang, her fists unclenching, turned to Bai Jingxue and Lü Qingyan. “Let’s go,” she said.
Bai Jingxue stood up, then, seeing that Lü Qingyan was still sitting there, she reached out a hand. “Come on, Qingyan,” she said.
Lü Qingyan, her mood still elevated, took Bai Jingxue’s hand, her tail wagging happily. The Demon Lord, watching them, her heart twisting, felt a surge of resentment.
She knew they were soul borrowers, special beings from another world, but she had been the one who had found Lü Qingyan. She was technically Lü Qingyan’s owner.
But now, the little dog had completely switched her allegiance to the Ejian Sect.
Luo Nianshang, observing the Demon Lord’s gaze, fixed on Lü Qingyan, realized something. Lü Qingyan had been the Demon Lord’s pet.
Lü Qingyan had grown up at the Ejian Sect, transforming there, and everyone had forgotten her origins.
She turned to Lü Qingyan, her voice gentle. “Mao Mao, shouldn’t you say goodbye to the Demon Lord?”
Lü Qingyan, startled, hadn’t heard that nickname in a while. She turned to the Demon Lord, waving. “Goodbye, Your Excellency, Left Envoy,” she said. “I’m going back to the Ejian Sect.”
The Demon Lord, staring at her, her expression a mixture of annoyance and disappointment, waved a hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah, go,” she said.
Lü Qingyan, sensing her displeasure, her tail drooping, turned to Bai Jingxue, her brow furrowed with confusion. “What’s wrong with her?”
Bai Jingxue smiled, then turned to the Demon Lord. “Come visit us sometime, Your Excellency,” she said.
It was a ridiculous suggestion. If the Demon Lord set foot in the Ejian Sect, she would be met with a barrage of attacks.
The Demon Lord, though she scoffed outwardly, her mind racing, realized this was a good idea.
Visiting her little dog was a perfect excuse to visit the Ejian Sect.
But then she realized it was too obvious. It would arouse suspicion.
She would use a disguise. Once she had dealt with the aftermath of this incident, she would return to the Ejian Sect, replacing one of her body doubles.
She waved them away, her voice laced with a feigned annoyance. “Go,” she said. “You traitorous little mutt.”
Lü Qingyan, finally understanding the source of her displeasure, grinned, her voice cheerful. “Come visit us at the Ejian Sect, Your Excellency!”
The Demon Lord, her cheeks burning, couldn’t handle this overly familiar tone. “Just go,” she said.
Luo Nianshang led them away.
The Demon Lord, turning to see several demon cultivators peeking from doorways and windows, her face hardening, said, “Get back to work.”
They quickly dispersed, leaving only the left envoy and the unconscious right envoy.
The Demon Lord examined the right envoy, relieved to discover that her soul was only slightly damaged.
She stared at them, then decided she needed to improve their abilities. She couldn’t handle every crisis personally. The Demon Realm was vast. If she was constantly dealing with such matters, she wouldn’t have time to visit the Ejian Sect.
Both the left and right envoys simultaneously felt a shiver run down their spines.
They didn’t know yet, but their lives were about to become far more difficult.
Bai Jingxue and the others, however, were relieved.
Luo Nianshang, perhaps because of the urgency of the situation, had used her spatial ability to transport them back to the Ejian Sect.
They arrived in He Rong’s room, and Luo Nianshang immediately retrieved the sealed statue, then she sent everyone out.
Fu Yuan paced anxiously outside the room, and Ning Kemin, approaching her, her voice soothing, said, “Don’t worry. The Sword Saint will handle it.”
Bai Jingxue also placed a comforting hand on Fu Yuan’s shoulder. “Trust her,” she said.
Fu Yuan, suppressing her anxiety, knew that the Sword Saint was powerful, but she couldn’t help but worry about He Rong.
She seemed exhausted.
Bai Jingxue led her to a stone bench in the courtyard. “Sit down and rest,” she said, pouring her a cup of tea.
Fu Yuan didn’t touch the tea. She simply stared at the closed door, her gaze unfocused.
Waiting was agonizing. Bai Jingxue, watching her, couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.
Everyone else seemed to have a relatively happy ending, but Fu Yuan’s life was filled with struggles.
She thought of Fu Yuan’s constitution, her destiny as a cauldron, then she shook her head, dismissing the thought. She was worrying too much.
They waited for a long time. Lü Qingyan eventually fell asleep, her head resting on the table. The sun set, the moon rose, then the sun rose again, and finally, the door opened.
Luo Nianshang emerged, He Rong rushing out from behind her, throwing her arms around Fu Yuan. “Mother, I’m okay now,” she said.
Fu Yuan, her hands checking He Rong’s body, her relief so intense that tears streamed down her face, said, “I’m so glad you’re back.”
Then she noticed something. “Did you grow taller?” she asked, her voice filled with surprise.
He Rong chuckled. “Yes,” she said. “I’m as tall as you now.”
Luo Nianshang, her hand holding the statue, which had reverted to its original, small size, didn’t approach them.
She hadn’t used any force, but the statue in her hand crumbled into dust, falling to the ground.
Laughter filled the courtyard, but Luo Nianshang, accustomed to solitude, uncomfortable with such displays of emotion, quietly left, heading down the mountain.
She paused at the well where Bai Jingxue and Lü Qingyan had fallen, and she heard Master Fang Xin’s voice.
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