Chapter 19: Acting
The scenery blurred as Fu Yuan, the cat, and the dog stealthily made their way into the Demon Realm.
The laws of this world were inherently unfair, perhaps due to the fact that it was based on a human-written novel. Demon beasts faced far more challenges than humans when it came to cultivation.
Or perhaps, as the novel had stated, the human form was simply more suited to the pursuit of immortality.
Bai Jingxue still identified as human, but upon entering the Demon Realm, she felt a strange sense of familiarity.
Their mission didn’t require them to venture deep into the Demon Realm. They only needed to obtain a single strand of fur from the tail of the Rabbit Demon Queen.
And the rabbit demons resided on the grassy plains at the edge of the Demon Realm.
Lü Qingyan sniffed the air, her ears drooping. “I still can’t smell the Demon Lord,” she said sadly.
Bai Jingxue ignored her, her attention focused on Fu Yuan’s movements. She watched as Fu Yuan retrieved a white porcelain bottle from her spatial ring, poured out a fine powder, and carefully applied it to the back of her hand.
Her intense focus drew Fu Yuan’s attention. “This is Concealment Powder,” Fu Yuan explained with a smile. “It masks our scent, making it harder for demon beasts to detect our human aura.”
Bai Jingxue was surprised that Fu Yuan had bothered to explain. It was a welcome surprise.
Her starting point in this world had been rather high. The novel hadn’t delved into the basics of cultivation, and Luo Nianshang, being at the pinnacle of power, had no need for such mundane techniques. Naturally, she hadn’t taught Bai Jingxue anything about them.
Some of the powder drifted towards Lü Qingyan, triggering a sneezing fit.
Fu Yuan, assuming the dog was cold, retrieved a pink robe from her spatial ring. It was a woman’s garment, designed to resemble a flowing palace dress, but when she draped it over Lü Qingyan, it transformed into a dog coat, though the color remained unchanged.
This was only the second time Lü Qingyan had worn clothes since her transmigration. The first time had been when the Demon Lord, suffering from a severe allergic reaction to her fur, had shaved her completely and dressed her in a simple tunic.
This robe, however, seemed to be of a lower grade. It adapted to the wearer’s form, but it was rather constricting.
Lü Qingyan felt like she could barely move her legs. She stumbled along, her gait awkward and ungainly.
She tried to bite at the fabric, but she couldn’t reach it, her movements resembling a dog chasing its own tail.
Fu Yuan, observing her struggles, thought for a moment, then retrieved the robe and scooped up the exhausted dog, wrapping her own outer robe around it to shield it from the wind and snow.
“There, now you’re warm.”
Lü Qingyan looked up at Fu Yuan, her eyes filled with panic. She wriggled out of Fu Yuan’s embrace and rushed over to Bai Jingxue, her voice anxious. “You’re not mad, are you?”
Bai Jingxue tilted her head, her expression conveying a silent “What are you talking about?”
Lü Qingyan, relieved that Bai Jingxue didn’t seem angry, felt a surge of disappointment. “Aren’t you even a little jealous?” she asked, her voice plaintive.
So that was it. Honestly, Bai Jingxue wasn’t jealous at all.
She rolled her eyes. “Why would I be jealous?”
Lü Qingyan’s ears drooped. “But you weren’t like this in our past life!”
Ah, yes. The dreaded “past life” argument.
Bai Jingxue regretted ever mentioning it. But she couldn’t control Lü Qingyan’s reactions.
In their past life, Lü Qingyan had been outgoing and charismatic, effortlessly attracting a large circle of friends.
She had excelled at everything except academics: dancing, fitness, swimming, ice skating. And with her good looks, her name had frequently appeared on the university’s confession wall, a platform for anonymous declarations of love and admiration.
Bai Jingxue, on the other hand, had only had her intelligence to offer. And perhaps a rather intense possessiveness.
Whenever Lü Qingyan’s name appeared on the confession wall, Bai Jingxue would be consumed by jealousy. Initially, Lü Qingyan hadn’t understood what she had done wrong. Once she realized the cause of Bai Jingxue’s distress, she had publicly declared their relationship.
But that was then, and this was now.
And right now, Lü Qingyan was a dog. Bai Jingxue could differentiate between romantic love and the affection she felt for a pet.
Fu Yuan, watching the aloof cat and the anxious dog, suddenly felt like a third wheel.
She shook her head, dismissing the strange thought.
This mission was secondary. Her true goal was to find a way for demon beasts to transform into human form.
The demon beasts residing at the edge of the Demon Realm were mostly incapable of transformation, though they possessed a certain level of sentience.
As they walked, Bai Jingxue felt a growing sense of unease. She and Lü Qingyan were surrounded by rabbits.
The Demon Lord was also surrounded, but not by rabbits. She was facing a horde of snake demons.
She had no intention of completing the mission. She had received a message from the Demon Palace informing her that her left envoy had been captured by the Snake King. But rescuing her envoy wasn’t her primary goal.
She didn’t care much for the Demon Realm, but she recognized her envoy’s competence.
Initially, she hadn’t believed the report, but the Snake King before her radiated a faint dragon aura. Two small bumps protruded from his head, clearly underdeveloped dragon horns.
He was on the verge of transforming into a dragon. No wonder her envoy had been defeated.
The Snake King rose to his full height, towering over the Demon Lord, but she simply smiled, her expression unconcerned.
The hissing of snakes filled the air, a chilling chorus that sent shivers down their spines.
Bound by vines and suspended from an ancient tree behind the Snake King was a beautiful woman, her pale skin marred by fresh wounds. Blood dripped from her injuries.
She was conscious, her eyes widening as she recognized the Demon Lord. “Your Excellency, save me!” she cried out.
The Demon Lord’s gaze swept over her, her smile cold and merciless. “You couldn’t even handle a single beast?” she said, her voice laced with disdain. “What use are you to me?”
The envoy’s face, already pale from blood loss, turned even whiter. Her lips trembled, but she couldn’t even utter a plea for mercy.
The Snake King, his attempt to bargain for his life silenced before he could even speak, was stunned by the Demon Lord’s cruelty.
He remained silent, and the Demon Lord, her smile still bright, as if she were simply enjoying the scenery of this gruesome scene, continued.
“She might be useless,” she said, “but she’s still my subordinate. And you, you pathetic creature, have no right to lay a hand on her.”
A wave of pressure slammed into the Snake King, making him recoil. He looked up to see that the sun had vanished. But it wasn’t nightfall. A flock of birds, their numbers obscuring the sky, had blocked out the sunlight.
The commotion in the forest unsettled the demon beasts. The rabbits surrounding Bai Jingxue scattered, fleeing in terror. The birds overhead, their flight patterns disrupted, swooped and dived erratically.
Bai Jingxue stared at the chaotic scene, exchanging a knowing glance with Lü Qingyan.
“It’s the Demon Lord,” they said in unison.
Lü Qingyan quickly expanded her body, and Bai Jingxue leaped onto her back.
The moment Bai Jingxue was secure, Lü Qingyan took off running, her powerful legs carrying them through the forest. Then, in a blink, she teleported, vanishing from Fu Yuan’s sight.
Fu Yuan, startled, tried to follow, but it was too late.
“Should we have left Fu Yuan behind?” Lü Qingyan asked, a hint of guilt in her voice.
Bai Jingxue shook her head. “Her cultivation is only at the Nascent Soul realm,” she replied. “If the Demon Lord decided to harm her, she wouldn’t stand a chance.”
The Demon Lord might not be a wanton killer, but that didn’t mean she was incapable of killing.
Lü Qingyan knew she was right. The Demon Lord might not be inherently evil, but her past had left her with a twisted sense of justice. It was best to keep Fu Yuan out of this.
The Demon Lord’s scent grew stronger, and Lü Qingyan couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement. “What do you think she’s planning?” she asked.
Bai Jingxue’s voice was flat. “I’ve already answered that question.”
The usually cheerful dog, now caught up in the intrigue, began to analyze the situation. Her reasoning was surprisingly sound, almost convincing Bai Jingxue.
“Do you think she’s going to use her identity as the Sword Saint’s disciple to instigate a conflict between the righteous and demon realms?” she asked, her voice hushed. “Then she’ll ally herself with the Demon Realm, creating a two-against-one scenario.”
It wasn’t a bad theory. Bai Jingxue, however, remained skeptical.
As they continued their journey, they encountered more and more snakes, their bodies intertwined, their movements fluid and mesmerizing. But the moment they sensed the cat and dog, they froze, retreating into the shadows.
These low-level demon beasts seemed terrified of them.
Bai Jingxue paid them no mind. Her focus was on the Demon Lord.
The scent of blood intensified, and they began to see the mangled corpses of snakes and scattered bird feathers.
A giant snake roared, its voice echoing through the forest, followed by a man’s voice, laced with rage and fear. “Demon Lord!”
They were close to the heart of the battle. They crept forward, peering out from behind a tree.
Scales littered the ground. The Snake King’s body was covered in deep claw marks, some so deep that bone was visible. One of his eyes was missing, the eyeball lying on the ground nearby.
In stark contrast to the Snake King’s disheveled state, the Demon Lord sat on a swing woven from vines, her expression serene, as if the carnage around her was of no consequence.
The Snake King was terrified. He had intended to use the envoy as a bargaining chip, but the Demon Lord clearly didn’t care about her subordinate’s life.
Why was she here?
He backed away slowly, his voice laced with both defiance and fear. “You can’t kill me,” he hissed. “The Demon Emperor won’t stand for it.”
The Demon Lord pulled a hairpin from her hair, her long, black tresses cascading down her back, framing her alluring face.
She twirled the hairpin between her fingers, her expression innocent. “You’re right,” she said.
The Snake King, sensing her hesitation, relaxed slightly, his pride momentarily restored. His words had given the Demon Lord pause.
His relief was short-lived. The Demon Lord crushed the bell hanging from her neck, her voice calm and even. “Then we’ll just have someone else kill you.”
Her features shifted, transforming into the face of Hong Ying.
Before the Snake King could comprehend what was happening, a wave of sword intent slammed into him.
The snow seemed to intensify, blinding him. When he blinked, a figure clad in white robes stood before him, hovering in the air.
The Snake King, recognizing the Sword Saint, felt his courage evaporate. Shrinking his body, he attempted to flee, blending in with the other snakes.
Unfortunately, he chose the wrong direction, colliding with a bewildered cat and dog.
Luo Nianshang, seeing the Snake King lunging towards her cat, unleashed a burst of sword energy, severing the giant snake in two.
Bai Jingxue stared at the dying creature, about to comment on the brutality of the scene, when she noticed the Demon Lord, seemingly weak and injured, leaning against Luo Nianshang, her voice a soft whisper. “Master, am I dying?”
“No, you’ll be fine.”
The Demon Lord coughed, blood trickling from her lips. “To die in your arms, Master,” she sighed, her voice filled with feigned contentment. “I have no regrets.”
The cat and dog stared at the Demon Lord, her acting skills on full display, and Luo Nianshang, who seemed to believe every word, and fell silent.
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