When the Dao retreats one step, the Demon goes straight into the bedroom.
This couch was originally more than spacious enough for her to sleep on alone, but once that tall Demon King occupied it, it suddenly became extremely narrow and cramped.
This demon still carried a heavy aura of bloodshed on his body. After experiencing a great battle, he had a kind of languid exhaustion. Leaning back, bending his long legs, he simply refused to leave.
She asked, “Yan Xueyi, are you injured?”
After a long while, she heard no movement from this demon lord. Turning her head to look, she discovered that he had actually fallen asleep.
Under the lamplight, his profile was exceedingly cold and severe, his thin lips tightly pressed together, possessing a beauty that was both striking and aggressive.
Perhaps he was truly tired today. She reached out and pried open his hand, and saw his brows furrow—yet even so, he did not wake.
The wound from the Kunlun sword last time had already grown new flesh; this time, he had gained new injuries again.
She then saw the palms of his two large hands—both looked like torn, bleeding gashes, only hastily wrapped with strips of cloth torn from his clothes.
That’s right, the Butiann Stone pendant was so small—of course he could only grab it directly. And he didn’t know pain, always extremely careless with himself.
She fell silent for a moment, then suddenly couldn’t help but laugh softly.
She thought—she wasn’t really that envious of Chao Xiaotu anymore.
✦ ─ ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ ─ ✦
The demon race rarely slept, because for demons whose entire bodies were filled with demonic qi, sleep was an endless nightmare.
At some point, the little demon lord had come to hate sleeping very much, because in dreams, there was either boundless darkness, or curses and endless slaughter. Later, when he truly returned to the Demon Realm, struggling for years within it—endless plunder, fighting, ambush—he had never once closed his eyes in peace—
Because all demons understood clearly that if you closed your eyes in the Demon Realm, you wouldn’t know when you might wake again the next second.
To not fight was death.
This was his past. Beneath the glory, living as though treading on thin ice, a life with today but no guarantee of tomorrow—like a desperado licking blood from the blade’s edge.
But she carried a very pleasant scent. Staying by her side, it seemed as though those battles were very far away.
He would only think of her gentle gaze, think of a sweet grass he had eaten in childhood, think of the songs she hummed and her kiss.
The great demon lord unconsciously tightened his grip on her hand, drawing her into his arms.
Like a giant dragon encircling its treasure.
The bad-tempered, irritable great demon lord was extremely domineering even when asleep—especially since one demon insisted on occupying an entire couch.
A sword cultivator was someone very well-behaved and disciplined. When she slept, her posture followed what was recommended in the Sword Cultivator Sleep Guide, the most standard position, one that could also gather spiritual qi during rest.
—Place a handful of daisies in your hands, and you could be buried in peace.
Thus, that night, she opened her eyes countless times, trying to break free from his demonic claws and restore her standard sleeping posture.
Failed.
She did not understand—why was his sleeping posture, like this demon himself, lawless and utterly arrogant?
Thinking this, she was once again stuffed into the demon lord’s embrace.
Just like a little cat on Mingyue Mountain whose head had been clamped in the jaws of a big dog.
Sui: Unable to sleep, she began regretting for the tenth time—why had she given him the Fumo Sword?
The next morning, when the irritable great demon lord woke up, he saw his hands, neatly wrapped into two big white buns.
—Unable to sleep in the middle of the night, she had gotten up and wrapped them in four layers.
Although he liked the focused look on the sword cultivator’s face when she bandaged him, he felt this thing bound his hands and feet, making him feel as though fate itself had seized him by the throat. With his hands raised like this, how was he supposed to kill people and set fires? It was utterly damaging to his imposing presence!
But the moment he had just taken them off, the sword cultivator immediately turned back and wrapped them up again, layer by layer;
He quietly tugged them loose again.
As if she had eyes on the back of her head, she whipped around—
The Demon Sovereign immediately began slowly wrapping the gauze back on.
Last night, a group of demons had broken into the forbidden ground and gained quite a harvest. After nearly turning Taiji City upside down, they finally obtained that copy of the Mingxin Art.
If not for the Demon Sovereign suddenly turning back midway and suffering some injuries, this trip could have been called smooth.
It was just that in the morning, Guangping saw that when the Demon Sovereign drew his sword, his movements were extremely strange.
He asked curiously, “Your Excellency, why are your hands wrapped like that?”
The Demon Sovereign glanced at him. “You, a monk, of course wouldn’t understand.”
Guangping: “……”
The Demon Sovereign said, “That’s a switch.”
Guangping grew curious. “How so?”
The Demon Sovereign drifted into thought: a switch that, once pulled open, would make the sword cultivator turn back.
The Demon Sovereign glanced at him again. “But why should I explain it to a monk like you?”
Guangping: “……”
If he wanted to rebel and rope Xiao Yanjing in, what were the chances of success?
✦ ─ ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ ─ ✦
The much-talked-about Xiao Yanjing sneezed, drooling as he asked Hongniang: was there meat to eat today?
Hongniang rolled her charming eyes and went over to knock on the door. “People from Taixuan Wuji came again. They say they’ll give an explanation today. Are you going?”
Chao Jinsui was staring absentmindedly at that half of the pendant.
If Yan Xueyi hadn’t happened to snatch this thing back yesterday, she wouldn’t have had even the slightest clue.
—Now, this half pendant was the biggest clue. She had always felt that its shape seemed familiar, yet she could never recall where she had seen it.
Hearing Hongniang’s voice, she opened the door and suddenly asked, “Hongniang, have you seen this thing before?”
Hongniang leaned in to look. “Look—on the Taixuan Wuji banner, isn’t that what’s drawn there?”
She turned her head and indeed saw the Taixuan Wuji banner with the yin-yang fish.
The Taixuan Wuji banner naturally had its origin. If she wasn’t mistaken…
It ought to be the sect-protecting treasure of Taixuan Wuji!
Chao Jinsui froze.
She had never thought in that direction at all. Because the Su family’s Butian Stone was hidden underground, she had naturally assumed that places where things were hidden should all be extremely concealed. But as the saying goes, the darkest place is under the lamp—she hadn’t expected that this time she had nearly been fooled by it.
She put away the pendant and let out a soft laugh. “Let’s go. Today, there’s still a tough battle to fight.”
✦ ─ ˗ˋ ୨୧ ˊ˗ ─ ✦
On the other side, however, the situation at Taixuan Wuji was far from optimistic.
Misfortunes never come singly.
Last night, the elders had not slept at all, discussing countermeasures through the night, when they suddenly heard that the forbidden ground had been destroyed.
The entire Taixuan Wuji was brightly lit, people coming and going all night long. Since last night, countless carrier pigeons had gathered at Taixuan Wuji’s gates—messages from the major sects who had heard of yesterday’s events and come to inquire. Even the Jade Sword Alliance had personally asked about it. Clearly, this matter was of enormous importance and had shaken the entire cultivation world.
Aunt Ping’s transmission talismans kept lighting up nonstop—how could she not be utterly overwhelmed?
In the morning, when Chao Xiaotu was brought out by Shi Chunqiu, even the ordinary disciples of Taixuan Wuji couldn’t help glaring fiercely at Chao Xiaotu.
Shi Chunqiu took a deep breath and asked, “How much do you understand about Chao Jinsui? Are you certain she won’t make trouble for you today?”
“Grandfather, don’t worry. Chao Jinsui is someone who keeps her word.”
Shi Chunqiu was half doubtful, but Chao Xiaotu spoke with complete confidence.
Thinking about it, it made sense: Chao Jinsui might be cunning, but she was also a very standard sword cultivator, with extremely strong principles.
He immediately let out a sigh of relief.
Chao Xiaotu had known Chao Jinsui for two lifetimes. She actually looked down on that aloof pride of hers—
But it had to be said, having an enemy like that was far better than dealing with someone despicable, wasn’t it?
Thus, when the grandfather and granddaughter, Chao Xiaotu and Shi Chunqiu, arrived at Guangming Hall, Chao Xiaotu appeared fearless and confident, not afraid at all.
But everyone else’s expressions were complicated.
Before yesterday, the elders had never imagined things would develop to this point. She had merely been a junior no one paid attention to. Taixuan Wuji was such a colossal entity—so what if her cultivation was high? She was still alone and unsupported, someone who could be bullied at will.
But after yesterday—would anyone still look at her that way?
Chao Jinsui, whose character and ability had both received recognition even from her enemies, showed no sign of being uncooperative. Perhaps having learned a lesson, Guangming Hall had been closed today, and no spectators were invited.
Aunt Ping said, “The Hehuan Sect case has already been reopened. It will soon be tried publicly. Taixuan Wuji will execute the elder who made the wrongful judgment to answer to the world. As for the other case Miss Chao mentioned, Taixuan Wuji will also handle it impartially.”
“Today, the main purpose is to revoke the red bounty order, restore Miss Chao’s innocence, and make compensation.”
Shi Chunqiu looked at her nervously.
Chao Jinsui indeed remained silent, showing no intention of pursuing Chao Xiaotu’s false accusation. She simply stood with her hands lowered. When Aunt Ping addressed her, she even smiled and said:
“Yesterday, I promised I wouldn’t pursue Xiaotu’s responsibility.”
Chao Xiaotu and Shi Chunqiu both let out sighs of relief.
But Chao Xiaotu couldn’t help feeling contempt in her heart: what lofty virtue! The Buddha in the temple should give up his seat for her instead.
Buddha · Chao Jinsui patted Lingyun.
Lingyun would never forget the kind of terror she had felt when trapped inside the spider cocoon, the fear of dying at any moment. Thinking back on it, her round eyes widened as she glared at Chao Xiaotu, filled with boundless anger and hatred.
Summoning her courage, she stepped forward. “Elders of Taixuan Wuji, I accuse Chao Xiaotu of attempting to take my life!”
Chao Jinsui stood behind Lingyun, calmly looking at the people opposite them.
Clearly, she was backing Lingyun.
She said nothing. Merely standing there, her presence alone gave endless strength.
Chao Xiaotu almost thought she had misheard.
Lingyun gathered her courage, recalling the day Chao Xiaotu had pushed her into the spider’s underground nest. Fear and anger intertwined, making the young girl’s eyes widen as she glared at Chao Xiaotu, fury almost shooting out of her gaze.
In truth, Lingyun had no confidence in her heart. She didn’t know whether anyone would believe her words—just like that day inside the spider cocoon, when she hadn’t known whether she could crawl out alive.
But fortunately, Chao Xiaotu had perhaps never expected her to speak of this. In panic, she instinctively argued, “I was too scared at the time! I accidentally pushed you down in a moment of panic.”
Lingyun said, “Then what about later? You said you were scared, yet you kicked me aside and used me to attract the spiders, while you rushed to the other side to save Madam Zi and seize the coffin used to revive Su Liuyun.”
Lingyun’s voice trembled, choking with emotion. “You thought that once the spiders caught me, I wouldn’t be able to see anymore, didn’t you?”
“You clearly used me to draw the spiders’ attention!”
“You never treated my life as a life at all!”
After her initial panic, Chao Xiaotu quickly calmed down. In her eyes, Lingyun’s status was far too low. She wasn’t as prominent as Chao Jinsui, nor did she have any backing. Why would her grandfather and Aunt Ping punish her for such an insignificant person?
“Lingyun, you’re nothing more than an outer disciple of Kunlun Sword Sect. Who do you think you are?”
Lingyun’s small face immediately flushed red. She instinctively took a step back, but a pale, slender finger pressed lightly onto her shoulder.
Chao Jinsui didn’t even look at Chao Xiaotu. She only looked at Aunt Ping.
“So Taixuan Wuji has already reached the point where a Golden Core cultivator calls the shots?”
Shi Chunqiu’s face turned deathly pale at once, and he hurriedly pulled Chao Xiaotu behind him.
—Times were no longer the same.
If this had been usual days, a small matter like this could have been covered up by Shi Chunqiu.
But just yesterday, Taixuan Wuji had misjudged two major cases. The only two red-level bounty orders had both turned out to be false alarms. Overnight, the streets and alleys of Taixuan City were filled with discussion, and the cultivation world was in an uproar.
Faced with such a massive crisis, Taixuan Wuji had to turn the tide!
At such a critical moment, how could Taixuan Wuji sacrifice its own reputation just to help Chao Xiaotu cover up a lie?
Chao Xiaotu asked—what kind of person was Lingyun?
