Chapter 37: Intoxication
It was a dark and windy night, the perfect time for a dog to escape.
The Demon Lord had been busy lately, spending her days attending to her duties, then her nights drowning her sorrows in alcohol.
Lü Qingyan, though slightly concerned, reasoned that a mature Demon Lord should be capable of taking care of herself. She seized this opportunity to launch her escape plan.
This wasn’t her first time sneaking out of the Demon Palace. Her recent cultivation progress had enhanced her abilities, making her escape even more effortless.
She had memorized the route to the Ejian Sect. It was a long journey, but she could teleport.
She was already lovesick after only a few days apart from Bai Jingxue. She sped through the night, her longing fueling her every step.
Confirming that there were no pursuers, she howled with joy, her voice echoing through the night.
“Jingxue, I’m coming!”
Meanwhile, at the Demon Palace, the attendants huddled outside the Demon Lord’s bedchamber, their faces etched with worry.
“What’s wrong with Her Excellency?”
“She used to hate alcohol. Now, she’s been drinking herself into a stupor every night.”
“Do you think she’s heartbroken?”
“Surely not. With her power and status, she could just take anyone she wants.”
The left envoy, overhearing their conversation, paused, her voice sharp as she addressed them. “How dare you gossip about the Demon Lord!”
The attendants, startled, realized their mistake and prostrated themselves, their foreheads pressed against the floor. “Please forgive us, Left Envoy!”
The eyes painted on the left envoy’s mask curved into a grotesque smile as she watched them, their foreheads bleeding from the repeated impacts.
“Report to the Punishment Hall,” she said, her voice cold. “You will receive your punishment there.”
The attendants paled, but they were grateful to have escaped with their lives. They thanked the left envoy and retreated, their faces etched with fear.
Once they were gone, the left envoy knocked softly on the door. “Your Excellency.”
The door opened automatically, revealing the Demon Lord, no longer in a drunken stupor. She sat at her desk, her cheeks flushed, but her eyes clear.
The left envoy, not daring to meet her gaze, reported, “Your Excellency, Mao Mao has escaped again.”
The last traces of the Demon Lord’s intoxication vanished. She rubbed her temples, her voice laced with weariness. “It’s fine,” she said. “I know where she is. What’s the status of Que City?”
The left envoy’s eyes gleamed with admiration. This Demon Lord might be young, but her methods were far more cunning than her predecessors.
Qiu Yingxi, before ascending to her current position, had been a lowly medicine slave in the Lin’an City Lord’s household. No one had expected this unremarkable woman to one day capture the leaders of the various demon factions and claim the title of Demon Lord.
But despite her ascension, her humble origins had made her an easy target for those who sought to undermine her authority. However, Qiu Yingxi’s ruthlessness had quickly silenced any dissent.
The Que City situation could have been easily resolved. If she had truly wanted to, she could have reclaimed the city within three days.
But she hadn’t. Instead, she had resorted to excessive drinking, creating an illusion of weakness and apathy.
This calculated act would eventually lure out the impatient fools who sought to challenge her authority. They would flock to the self-proclaimed ruler of Que City, Ouyang Ba, like moths to a flame, only to be trapped in her carefully woven net.
The left envoy, her admiration growing, bowed even lower. “The fish haven’t taken the bait yet, Your Excellency,” she reported, “but everything is proceeding according to your plan.”
The Demon Lord nodded, her lips curving into a playful smile. “Those attendants likely included spies from other factions,” she said. “Let them spread the rumors.”
She picked up the unfinished wine jar on her desk and tossed it towards her envoy. “Here, a reward for your hard work. I’ll be feigning illness for a while. Stay here and guard the entrance. No visitors.”
The left envoy caught the jar, glancing at the remaining wine, then at the countless empty jars scattered around the chamber. “Drinking too much is harmful to your health, Your Excellency,” she said, her voice laced with concern. “Perhaps you should consider…”
The Demon Lord’s gaze turned cold, her smile devoid of warmth. “You are overstepping your boundaries.”
The left envoy flinched, dropping to her knees. “Please forgive me, Your Excellency.”
The Demon Lord stood up, a strange smile curving her lips. “I’m going out for a bit,” she said. “Guard the entrance.”
The left envoy scrambled to her feet. “Where are you going, Your Excellency?”
The Demon Lord glanced at her, but this time, she didn’t reprimand her for her curiosity. “To catch a dog, of course,” she said, her voice light.
Meanwhile, Lü Qingyan had arrived at the foot of the Ejian Sect’s mountain, only to discover that she couldn’t enter.
She sniffed herself, realizing that she reeked of demonic energy, not just the Demon Lord’s, but also the combined auras of the countless demon cultivators residing in the palace. No wonder the barrier was rejecting her.
Remembering her previous encounter with the barrier, she decided to try a different approach.
She carefully chose a location far from the protective formation, then began to dig.
She soon created a tunnel, then turned, digging horizontally. After a while, she caught a delicious scent.
She paused, sniffing the air, her eyes widening. “Roasted chicken!”
She eagerly dug towards the source of the aroma, then paused, her brow furrowing. Why would there be roasted chicken buried underground?
But the scent was undeniable.
“Grrrr.“
She patted her flat stomach. She hadn’t eaten properly since her fight with the Demon Lord, and all the running and digging had made her even hungrier.
After a brief internal debate, her stomach won.
She dug towards the scent, finally unearthing a roasted chicken, wrapped in oiled paper.
Lü Qingyan was ecstatic. This was clearly a sign from heaven, a reward for her unwavering love. She bowed her head, her paws pressed together. “Thank you, heavens,” she whispered.
She devoured the chicken, then patted her full belly, letting out a satisfied burp. Her paw froze.
Her belly seemed a bit too round. Well, she was always well-fed, whether it was in her past life or this one. It was hard not to gain weight.
With her hunger satisfied, she resumed her digging.
She dug and dug, until her head collided with something hard.
“Ouch!” she yelped, rubbing her forehead.
She had no time to dwell on the pain. The barrier, sensing an intruder, glowed brightly, and a burst of energy sliced through the air, singeing her fur.
She abandoned her digging attempt, scrambling back through the tunnel.
She finally reached the entrance, her paws scrabbling at the dirt as she tried to climb out. But her belly, now round and full, was stuck.
Panic surged through her. She had forgotten how to escape.
But instead of being sliced in half, as she had feared, she was pulled out, as easily as a radish from the ground.
It was embarrassing, but at least she was safe.
The Ejian Sect, its defenses activated, was bathed in blinding light. The Demon Lord, holding the dog in her arms, stared at the mountain, her expression unreadable.
Before they could be discovered, she vanished, transforming into a wisp of smoke.
As they flew back to the Demon Palace, Lü Qingyan whined, her gaze fixed on the Ejian Sect.
The Demon Lord, holding her up to eye level, chuckled. “You’re the only one who dares to challenge my authority, you audacious little dog.”
She patted Lü Qingyan’s head. “I know what you’re thinking,” she said. “Be patient.”
“Woof?”
The Demon Lord, amused by the dog’s confused expression, gently pinched her cheek. “Are you upset that I brought you back?”
Lü Qingyan stared at her with a mixture of resentment and disappointment.
The Demon Lord laughed. “Whose dog are you, anyway?”
Jingxue’s dog, of course. No, Jingxue’s beloved.
The Demon Lord stared at the dog for a long time, then said, “I’ve always thought you two were special. Tell me everything when you can speak.”
“And sometimes, you look at me with pity.”
Lü Qingyan flinched. As someone with knowledge of the original story, she knew the Demon Lord’s tragic past. Not only had her childhood been filled with pain and loss, but her life as a medicine slave had been brutal.
She had finally become the Demon Lord, only to be relegated to the role of a villain in the male lead’s harem, constantly clashing with Luo Nianshang.
In Lü Qingyan’s eyes, the Demon Lord in the original story, despite being alive, had been as good as dead.
The Demon Lord rarely shared her feelings, but perhaps the alcohol had loosened her tongue. Or maybe she simply enjoyed talking to someone who couldn’t understand her.
She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Soon,” she said, her voice soft. “I promise, we’ll go back soon.”
Lü Qingyan’s anger dissipated. She felt a surge of sympathy for the Demon Lord. She could argue with the usual arrogant, mischievous Demon Lord, but not with this vulnerable version.
By the time Luo Nianshang arrived, the Demon Lord was gone. Relieved that it had been a false alarm, she immediately ordered the sect leader to inspect the protective formation.
She then returned to her chamber.
It was sparsely furnished, filled with items for her disciple and the cat.
Two small heads peeked in through the doorway. They beamed at Luo Nianshang.
“Mama!”
“Ancestor Grandma!”
Luo Nianshang still hadn’t gotten used to that title.
The two little girls, one dressed in a pale green jacket, the other in a golden robe, toddled towards her.
Luo Nianshang patted their heads. “He Rong, Jwan Jwan, what are you doing here?”
He Rong was the flower demon child Fu Yuan had adopted. Jwan Jwan was the bird demon Luo Nianshang had hatched from an egg.
They were usually mischievous, but in Luo Nianshang’s presence, they became angels, their voices sweet and innocent as they replied in unison, “We came to see the kitty.”
Luo Nianshang glanced at the cat bed, but it was empty. The cat had fled the moment these two little terrors had arrived.
“Little White isn’t here,” she said. “You should go back.”
The children, disappointed that they hadn’t gotten to pet the cat, nodded obediently. “Okay!”
He Rong, holding Jwan Jwan’s hand, paused at the doorway, as if remembering something.
“Mama said you’re the smartest person in the world, Ancestor Grandma,” she said, her voice filled with wonder. “Is it true?”
Luo Nianshang shook her head. She was simply powerful. She couldn’t claim to be intelligent.
He Rong seemed disappointed. She tugged Jwan Jwan along, their voices a low murmur as they argued about something.
Luo Nianshang didn’t pay attention to them. She had just spotted her cat, clinging to the ceiling of the chamber like a gecko.
Four words echoed in her mind.
“Like dog, like cat.”
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