Chapter 120: An Unexpected Turn
The area outside the room was a disaster. They could have resolved the situation faster, but Luo Nianshang had been reluctant to harm anyone, choosing instead to target their leaders.
She had swiftly bound the remaining guards, hoping to escape before reinforcements arrived.
The princess’s residence was large, the courtyard filled with people, and Luo Nianshang had been preparing to capture them as well, her hands already reaching for the silk threads hidden in her sleeves, when they suddenly collapsed, one after another.
A sweet, cloying scent filled the air, and Luo Nianshang, her head spinning after only a single whiff, glanced at the Demon Lord, who was playing with a handful of small spheres.
The Demon Lord, sensing her gaze, met Luo Nianshang’s eyes, then she held up the spheres, smiling. “Don’t worry,” she said. “They’re just unconscious.”
Luo Nianshang nodded, then, scooping up the cat and dog, she quickly left the room.
The Demon Lord, watching her go, her heart twisting, felt a surge of resentment. But she had no right to demand anything from Luo Nianshang. And being jealous of a cat and a dog was ridiculous.
She took a deep breath, reminding herself that she was the Demon Lord, then she looked up, realizing that Luo Nianshang hadn’t left. She was waiting for her.
A warmth spread through her chest, and she hummed softly, then, leaving the residence through a back exit, she joined Luo Nianshang, her gaze lingering on Bai Jingxue and Lü Qingyan, her expression still tinged with annoyance.
Seeing Lü Qingyan’s wagging tail, her joyful demeanor a stark contrast to the Demon Lord’s own inner turmoil, the Demon Lord scooped up the dog.
Lü Qingyan, startled, her body wriggling as she tried to return to Bai Jingxue, let out a series of muffled barks as the Demon Lord covered her mouth with a hand.
Bai Jingxue, seeing Lü Qingyan’s pleading eyes, couldn’t help but smile. She leaped from Luo Nianshang’s arms onto the Demon Lord’s shoulder, then, as she was about to jump down, she noticed the red rash spreading across the Demon Lord’s neck.
She suddenly remembered a crucial detail from the original story: the Demon Lord was allergic to dog fur.
As expected, the Demon Lord’s breathing became labored.
“Let go of Qingyan!” Bai Jingxue shouted. “You’re allergic!”
The Demon Lord, her eyes widening in alarm, quickly set the dog down, but the allergic reaction was more severe than she had anticipated. She gasped for air, her hand flying to her neck, her fingers scratching at the itchy rash. She looked down to see a similar rash spreading across her hands.
She wanted to curse, but the world suddenly tilted, her body lifted into the air. She looked up to see Luo Nianshang’s face.
She had finally gotten her wish, but she felt a pang of guilt. She hadn’t wanted to be a burden.
“Sorry,” she whispered, her voice strained.
Luo Nianshang, her mind racing, wanted to find a healer before the Emperor issued a warrant for their arrest. It would be too late then.
Hearing the Demon Lord’s weakened voice, her grip tightened. “Don’t apologize,” she said.
Bai Jingxue quickly turned to Lü Qingyan. “Qingyan, find a healer,” she said, her voice urgent.
Lü Qingyan, her nose twitching, sniffed the air, then dashed off, disappearing down a narrow alley.
They followed, their movements swift and silent.
Lü Qingyan led them out of the city, avoiding the main gates, choosing a less guarded section of the wall. They climbed over it, their movements agile.
There was no path, only trees and dense undergrowth. Bai Jingxue trusted Lü Qingyan’s instincts, so she remained silent, following closely behind.
Lü Qingyan suddenly stopped, her eyes lighting up, her paw pointing. “It’s here!” she exclaimed.
Bai Jingxue, following her gaze, saw a small, dilapidated hut, its walls made of mismatched planks and vines, its roof thatched with straw.
A young woman in simple clothes stood before the hut, tending a fire beneath a cauldron. Hearing their approach, she looked up, her eyes widening in surprise.
She set aside her fan, rushing towards them, her gaze assessing. “Are you also demons persecuted by the goddess?” she asked, her voice filled with a cautious curiosity.
Although their initial purpose had been to oppose the goddess, the young woman’s words were an accurate description of their current situation. They were indeed being persecuted.
Luo Nianshang nodded, then, her voice filled with urgency, she asked, “Can you help her?”
The young woman glanced at the Demon Lord, her lips curving into a small smile. “I can,” she said. “But is this your… food?”
The word “food” made the Demon Lord’s clouded mind clear momentarily. She glared at the young woman, then, her body wracked with pain and discomfort, she closed her eyes again.
Luo Nianshang, her voice firm, said, “No.”
The young woman, her smile fading, her gaze turning suspicious, stared at them. “You better tell me who she is,” she said, “or I won’t help.”
Luo Nianshang hesitated. Her sense of morality didn’t allow her to lie. But she quickly made her decision, her voice firm. “She’s my beloved.”
Bai Jingxue, listening, her eyes widening, was stunned. She hadn’t expected the righteous and principled Sword Saint to lie.
The Demon Lord, who had been drifting in and out of consciousness, her eyes fluttering open, stared at Luo Nianshang. Luo Nianshang’s grip on her had tightened.
She knew Luo Nianshang was lying.
But even a lie, coming from Luo Nianshang, made her heart soar. She smiled, a secret smile, then the darkness claimed her again.
The young woman, whose name they still didn’t know, seemed skeptical, then, seeing the sincerity in Luo Nianshang’s eyes, she believed her. She chuckled, her voice laced with a hint of mockery. “So you’re half-demon,” she said. “That explains it. But I’ll warn you, this kingdom despises demons. She might get you killed one day.”
She emphasized the word “killed,” but she didn’t realize that they weren’t from Cang Xi.
Luo Nianshang, however, believed her. The Demon Lord and the Sword Saint were on opposing sides.
Luo Nianshang, feeling the Demon Lord’s shallow breaths against her chest, her anxiety growing, said, her voice urgent, “Please help her. I’ll reward you handsomely.”
The young woman, seeing Luo Nianshang’s desperation, her own expression softening, sighed. “Bring her inside,” she said.
The Demon Lord was allergic to both cat and dog fur, so Bai Jingxue and Lü Qingyan had to stay outside. They sat by the doorway, occasionally peering inside, but the door was closed.
This place was remote, isolated. Bai Jingxue, realizing that the wanted posters wouldn’t be a problem here, transformed back into her human form.
“Qingyan, transform,” she said, her voice urgent. “We shouldn’t trigger her allergies in our human forms.”
Lü Qingyan quickly transformed.
But to be safe, they remained outside.
Lü Qingyan settled down, her gaze scanning the area, then she turned to Bai Jingxue, her brow furrowed. “There aren’t any statues here,” she said. “We usually see those little statues everywhere.”
They had encountered the evil god’s statues in every town and village they had visited, regardless of their size or prosperity.
But there were none here.
Bai Jingxue frowned, deep in thought.
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