“What a clever little girl.” Seeing that Jiu Hui had recognized her identity, the Demon Queen made no secret of her admiration for Jiu Hui. “It’s a pity that you’re not a member of my Demon Clan. Otherwise, I would definitely make you a Dharma Protector for the Demon Clan.”
“Your Majesty has come alone. Are you here to persuade me to abandon the righteous path and join the demons?” Jiu Hui smiled as she gripped the butcher knife. “I’m afraid my answer will disappoint you.”
“I came here today to apologize to you on behalf of my good-for-nothing son.” The Demon Queen acted as if she didn’t see the weapon in Jiu Hui’s hand, and her tone was peaceful, almost gentle. “If I hadn’t come alone, how could I have shown my sincerity?”
The Demon Queen not only came alone, but she also chose to wear clothes and jewelry in the style of the mortal realm. However, her beautiful appearance and the aura around her could not be concealed even by the mortal clothes she wore.
“Are you here to collect the antidote, Your Majesty?” Jiu Hui smiled. “Your Majesty is a clever woman, so you should understand my concerns.”
She would never hand over the permanent antidote.
“I understand what you mean, Miss.” The Demon Queen took out a brocade pouch from her sleeve and tossed it to Jiu Hui. “There are ten million spirit stones in here. I would like to buy ten years’ worth of antidote for my useless son from you.”
Ten years?carpreads.pages.dev
Jiu Hui opened the brocade pouch and took a look. She sighed and said, “Your Majesty is indeed generous. If you weren’t the queen of the demon clan, I would really like to invite you to be an elder of our sect.”
She took out a ceramic bottle from her sleeve and threw it to the Demon Queen with one hand. “There are twenty-two antidotes in here. The extra two are a gift from me, considering Your Majesty’s beauty.”
The Demon Queen was very fond of being complimented on her beauty, especially by women. In her opinion, men’s compliments were nothing more than animal instincts, only women’s compliments could make her heart blossom: “Not only is the young lady pleasing to the eye, but her mouth is also so captivating.”
She played with the pill bottle in her hand and said, “Although this is our first time meeting, I feel a deep connection with you. Rest assured, I will order my people to avoid Taolin City when I return today.”
“However,” the Demon Queen paused, speaking with intent, “the Demon Clan is not something I alone can control. I can only command my own people.”
Although the Demon Clan followed a system of royal succession, as soon as the old Demon King die, there would definitely be demons who jump out to rebel. This was practically an old tradition of the Demon Clan.
Jiu Hui understood the Demon Queen’s unfinished words. She raised the brocade pouch in her hand and said, “I look forward to the day when Your Majesty and your son will lead the entire Demon Clan.”
Upon hearing this, the Demon Queen’s eyes flickered. She smiled at Jiu Hui and said, “I don’t know why, but even though this is our first meeting, I feel like I’ve met you before.”
“Perhaps, this is what they call fate,” Jiu Hui said as she looked back at the Demon Queen. “A beauty like Your Majesty, once seen, is never forgotten.”
“Is that so?” The Demon Queen’s smile grew even more alluring. She took two steps forward, but did not get too close. She and Jiu Hui were both well aware that they could not trust each other. “I hope that the next time we meet, you will be willing to make more deals with me.”
“Your Majesty, I am just an insignificant junior in the cultivation world. I’m afraid that apart from the detoxification pills, I can’t make any other deals.” Jiu Hui smiled coldly. “The Demon Clan has always used the flesh and blood of the human race as sacrifices. Everyone in the mortal world turns pale at the mention of demons. Have you forgotten, Your Majesty?”
The Demon Queen sighed and said, “Yes, many demons don’t cultivate themselves, but rely on external evil methods to improve their cultivation. It’s not unfair that the demons have such a bad reputation now.”
“No matter what, I must thank you, Miss, for your tolerance and for sparing my child’s life.” The Demon Queen took out a wooden box and used her magic power to send it to Jiu Hui. “This is a token of my gratitude. Please accept it, Miss.”
This Miss Jiu Hui was able to easily break through the Soul-Swallowing Net, shatter the Evil Python Bone Knife into pieces, and even use an unknown magic technique to search Luohe’s memories without harming him, so she was definitely not an ordinary person.
A smart person would never make an enemy of such an unfathomably powerful expert. She had risen from the lowly status of a minor demon to the revered position of Demon Queen, and had witnessed countless deaths caused by arrogance and foolishness. Thus, she never allowed herself to make the same mistake.
“Since Your Highness is so sincere in giving this to me, I will shamelessly accept it.” Jiu Hui took the wooden box. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
The Demon Queen bowed. “Young lady, you are willing to accept my apology and gratitude. My wish has been fulfilled. I will take my leave now.”
In the darkness, the whirlpool surged, and the Demon Queen vanished into it. Jiu Hui clutched the wooden box, turned to look at Zhi You, and grabbed his sleeve, her eyes sparkling with laughter. “We’re rich!”
She shook the brocade pouch. “I’ll share half with you!”
“No need,”
“Whoever sees it gets a share!”
“Then I’ll leave my portion with you for now.” Infected by the smile on Jiu Hui’s face, Zhi You’s mouth corners lifted slightly. “I have no place to spend spirit stones.”
“Alright.” Jiu Hui didn’t insist. “Then I’ll keep it for you. When you need it, just tell me. Let’s see what this gift from the Demon Queen is.”
She squeezed next to Zhi You so that he could also see the contents of the box.
The wooden box was opened, and a Spirit-Locking Formation was drawn on the lid. Inside were several rare and precious herbs that were hard to find in the world.
“The Demon Queen is really generous.” Jiu Hui couldn’t help but sigh, “What a grand gesture.”
She stripped the prince and the demon guards of all their valuables. The demon queen gave her valuable gifts, which showed that she was a beauty who knew how to please others. No wonder she could sit firmly on the throne of the demon queen.
“What is this…” Jiu Hui discovered two keys at the bottom of the box. The keys were made of black jade and exuded a strong demonic aura.
“The key to the Demon Realm’s gate.” Jiu Hui picked up the key and glanced at it, smiling as she said to Zhi You, “And she even prepared two keys. Is she welcoming us to visit the Demon Realm?”
It couldn’t be that they were welcoming her to chase after the Demon Clan and continue to beat up the demon prince, could it?
She handed a key to Zhi You. “Keep this key. You never know when it might come in handy. You can never have too many things.”
“Alright.” Zhi You summoned his flying sword again and pulled Jiu Hui onto it. “The Demon Queen wants you to betray the cultivation world?”
“No, she simply doesn’t want to make an enemy of me.” Jiu Hui toyed with the key to the Demon Realm’s gate. “The Demon Realm is riddled with internal conflicts, and the Demon Queen is a clever woman. She would rather humble herself before us than make another enemy for herself.”
“Unless we can wipe out the entire Demon Realm and kill every single demon, the identity of the next Demon King will have a huge impact on ordinary people.” Jiu Hui held up the inky jade key, letting the moonlight shine through the jade material. “External attacks will never be as effective as internal suicide and self-harm to drain vitality.”
“I heard that the demons of the ancient past only cultivated themselves, and didn’t use humans and yaos as sacrifices.” Jiu Hui put away the key and sighed. “No wonder the Demon Realm has no demons who have ascended. They’re all useless trash.”
“Humans, yaos, and demons are all becoming weaker with each generation.” Jiu Hui sat cross-legged on the tip of Zhi You’s sword, looking towards the direction of Fuguang Mountain. “If one were to ascend to immortality through merit, our clan only has Immortal Lord Fuguang.”
Zhi You looked back at Jiu Hui. The moonlight seemed to be particularly fond of her, lingering and wrapping around her, draping her in a thin, silvery mist.
Immortal Lord Fuguang was also unable to ascend.
Because he……had some personal considerations.
-—–
Five days later, Yu Jing left seclusion. When she did, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and tribulation lightning struck her without cease.
The entire sect stood outside the courtyard where Yu Jing lived, looking at the courtyard that had been struck by lightning and was in shambles. They all took a step back.
Elder Chang pulled Jiu Hui and Zhi You behind him and said, “With us, your sect uncles, here, why are you two juniors crowding forward?”
Zhi You’s face was blank. It was the first time someone had ever dragged him around.
Jiu Hui had been carried around by her elders since she was a child, so she was quite used to it. She looked at the thunderbolts that were as fierce as a dragon and approached her sect uncles. “Has Master’s tribulation lightning always been this powerful?”
The four Elders nodded. “Take a good look. It might come in handy when you get struck by lightning in the future.”
Nine bolts of tribulation lightning struck down, turning the entire courtyard into scorched earth. Jiu Hui anxiously stared at the door until Yu Jing, who was covered in black soot, pushed it open. Only then did she let out a sigh of relief.
“Master!” Jiu Hui rushed into the courtyard, wanting to reach out and hug Yu Jing, but Yu Jing stopped her with a hand. “Your master is covered in soot. Don’t get your clothes dirty. Good disciple, from now on, you will have a master in the Void Refinement realm.”
“Congratulations, Master, on your cultivation advancement!” Jiu Hui could no longer hold back. She rushed over and hugged Yu Jing, causing Yu Jing to stumble backward.
She looked at Jiu Hui’s skirt, which had been smudged with dust by her, and couldn’t help but laugh helplessly. She hugged her back and said, “Alright, alright.”
“Congratulations, Master.” Zhi You stood beside the two of them, a faint smile in his eyes.
“Congratulations, Sect’s Head Senior Sister!”
“Congratulations, Sect Uncle!”
“To celebrate for our sect uncle, we’re having barbecue tonight!”
“Roasted meat is great, roasted meat is great. I’ll go ask Prime Minister Wu to fish some fresh fish and shrimp for us.”
“I’ll go control the puppet to wash the meat and cut the vegetables.”
“Let’s go decorate the courtyard. Such a joyous occasion calls for lanterns and colorful decorations to make it festive enough.”
By nightfall, the entire Wangshu Pavilion was ablaze with light, and the animals that had gained sentience all came ashore. Prime Minister Wu lay on a soft cushion, telling the other small animals about his eventful life.
Bai Qi rolled his eyes in disdain. These bragging words could only fool a little animal that had just opened its spiritual intelligence. He didn’t believe that this old turtle was that powerful.
If it was really that powerful, why didn’t it become the boss in the sea? Why did it have to hide in the lake of this small sect?
The aroma of roasted meat filled the air. Jiu Hui divided the grilled meat onto the small animals’ plates. Amidst the chorus of meows and barks, she took a plate of grilled meat from Zhi You and began to eat with contentment.
“How can we have meat without wine? Come, come, come, we have our own brewed peach blossom wine.”
Jiu Hui raised the cup of wine that had been thrust into her hand. “Congratulations, Master!”
A dozen or so wine cups clinked together, the candlelight was brilliant, and everyone’s smiling faces were illuminated brightly.
After a few rounds of drinks, Yu Jing walked over to Jiu Hui and Zhi You. “I heard from your Uncle Mo that you want to go back to your hometown for a visit?”
Jiu Hui nodded, “Yes!”
“The day after tomorrow is an auspicious day, so you should leave then.” Yu Jing took out a brocade pouch. “Here, this is your travel expenses from your master.”
“Thank you, Master.” Jiu Hui tucked the brocade pouch into her sleeve and rummaged through her storage ring before taking out another brocade pouch. “This is from Zhi You and me for the sect.”
“What is this?” asked a few drunk people who had gathered around to look.
“Oh, just a few million spirit stones.” Jiu Hui said lightly, “I snatched them with Zhi You.”
“A few million?!”
“Just a few?!”
Everyone thought they had misheard. Could several million spirit stones be described as merely just a few? How could “just a few” be worthy of several million spirit stones?
“Who could possibly rob so much?” Chang He’s eyes widened. “Junior Sister, Junior Brother, did you rob the young master of the Yuzhen Sect?”
“The Demon Prince.”
“Oh, the prince of the demon clan.” Chang He shook his head, his mind gradually clearing up. “The prince of the demon clan?!”
“Well done, well done.” Yu Jing tucked the brocade pouch into her bosom with a grin. “When we cultivators take something from the demons, can it really be called snatching?”
“That’s called robbing the rich to help the poor.” Elder Xi reached out to grab the brocade pouch from Yu Jing’s arms. “Senior Sister, let me see what a few million spirit stones look like.”
“Go, go, go.” Yu Jing pushed Elder Xi away. “My two precious disciples snatched this, so no one else can look at it.”
As the five Elders fought over the brocade pouch, the Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters surrounded Jiu Hui and Zhi You. They said earnestly, “Junior Brother, Junior Sister, next time something good like this happens, call us along.”
“It’s not really about the money. I mainly want to see what the Demon Clan’s prince looks like.”
“A bunch of drunks.” Bai Qi licked his cat paws and wagged his tail as he walked away from the group. The little yao girl brought Zhi You back to the mountain. Wasn’t she afraid that Zhi You would discover her identity?
“Brother Bai,” the Linchi bird leaned over and asked, “Lady Jiu Hui is returning to her hometown. Should we tag along?”
Bai Qi’s tail stiffened. In fact, it was a little afraid of the little yao gir’s elders, and even more afraid that they would find out that it had fought with the little yao girl when she was a child.
But Jiu Hui wasn’t in Wangshu Pavilion. Would it be inappropriate for it to stay here with Linchi?
After the barbecue feast, Jiu Hui returned to her room, her eyes slightly intoxicated.
“Are you and Linchi coming back to the village with me?” Jiu Hui looked at the cat and the bird. “Why would you be coming back with me?”
“But if you leave, is it inappropriate for Linchi and me to stay at Wangshu Pavilion?” Bai Qi’s claws scratched the table leg intermittently.
“I’m just going back to the village for a while. I’ll be back in a month or two. It’s not like I’m not coming back.” Jiu Hui smiled. “Wangshu Pavilion doesn’t have many rules, and there aren’t many people here. If you like it here, you can stay.”
“Who, who said I like this place.” Bai Qi stubbornly refused to admit it.
“You don’t like it?” Jiu Hui raised an eyebrow. “Then go. Go wherever you want. I don’t care.”
Bai Qi: “…”
Was it so hard to give it a way out?
Seeing that Bai Qi had stopped making noise, Jiu Hui bent down and rubbed its cat’s head. “Wangshu Pavilion is short-handed. While Zhi You and I are away from Wangshu Pavilion, I’ll have to trouble you and Linchi to help us look after the sect. You don’t have to accompany us back to the village this time.”
“Since you’ve asked me, I’ll reluctantly agree.” Bai Qi wagged his tail vigorously. “Who told you that I, the great tiger, am kind-hearted?”
“Yes, yes, yes, Grandpa Bai Qi, you’re the kindest.” Jiu Hui took out a defensive magic weapon from her storage ring and handed it to Bai Qi. “This item can block ten attacks from a Great Ascension cultivator. Please keep it safe for me for now.”
“Such a valuable magic weapon… Aren’t you afraid that I’ll secretly take it and not return it to you?” Bai Qi swallowed the magic weapon into his stomach.
“I believe you.” Jiu Hui rubbed the fur on its head and smiled.
Given Bai Qi’s temperament, if he didn’t like Wangshu Pavilion, he would have already snuck away. Why would he stay here for so long in the form of a cat?
Two nights later.
“Junior Brother, Junior Brother!” Yan Bo looked at the pile of gift boxes stacked high on the table and rubbed his forehead helplessly. “You’re going to visit Junior Sister’s village, not to propose marriage. Why are you preparing so many gifts?”
“A, a betrothal gift?” Zhi You’s ears turned red, and he shook his head gently. “It’s not a betrothal gift.”
“Listen to your Senior Brother, just send some local customs and souvenirs.” Yan Bo didn’t even dare to look at how precious the things in these gift boxes were, he was afraid he would get red-eye disease.
“Alright.” Zhi You put away the gift boxes with some regret. If he didn’t send these things, how could he make the elders believe his sincerity?
Returning to his courtyard, Zhi You rummaged through his storage ring and pulled out countless brocade robes and jade pendants, but he still felt that they were not formal enough. He had already memorized the contents of the “Book of Rites” by heart, and he had also read the other books several times over.
He sat cross-legged on the bed, not cultivating, not reading, just looking out the window at the night sky in a daze.
Four more hours, and the sky would be bright.
The next morning, Jiu Hui got up and dressed. When she opened the door, she saw Zhi You standing in the courtyard dressed in his finest clothes. “Zhi You, you’re up so early?”
“I also… just woke up.” Zhi You’s eyes sparkled as he looked at her. “Are we leaving now?”
Bai Qi, who was in the corner, kicked Linchi. “Look, this is how useless human men are when they lie.”
He clearly had been waiting in the courtyard since before dawn, but he stubbornly insisted that he had just woken up.
Linchi was kicked but didn’t get angry. It just didn’t understand why there was any need to lie about such a thing.
“Okay, let’s go say goodbye to everyone.” Jiu Hui trotted over to Zhi You and took his sleeve.
“No need to see us off.” Yu Jing stood outside the courtyard with the others. “Go and come back soon. Be careful on your way.”
“Master, why have you all come?” Jiu Hui hurried to greet them.
“Since this is your first time returning home from the sect, we naturally had to come and see you off.” Yu Jing reached out and tapped her forehead with her finger. “Be careful on your journey, and don’t be too trusting of others.”
“Master, this Moonlit Mirror…” Jiu Hui was about to take off the Moonlit Mirror and return it to Yu Jing, but Yu Jing held her hand down. “You can return it to me when you come back. It’s not peaceful outside recently. Your sect uncles, senior brothers, and senior sisters, and I won’t go anywhere except Taolin City.”
“Once you arrive, remember to send us a message. Above all else, stay safe.” Yu Jing helped Jiu Hui adjust her clothes. “Do you remember what Master told you? What has allowed our Wangshu Pavilion to endure for over two thousand years?”
“Wha… what is it?” Jiu Hui was stunned.
“It’s all about being gou.” Yu Jing’s red lips curled up slightly. “As long as you play it safe long enough, everything will fall into place.”
“When you’re out and about, fight if you can win, and run if you can’t. Adaptability is the best policy.” Elder Mo spoke up. “We at Wangshu Pavilion aren’t afraid of losing face, but we are afraid of you getting hurt.”
“Well, if all else fails, we can beg for mercy and betray them,” Elder Xi nodded. “At the very least, we can find an opportunity to betray them again after saving our own lives.”
“Remember, backbone can’t be eaten as food.” Elder Chang said, “After you save your life, you can eat a lot of food.”
“Our Wangshu Pavilion is a small sect, and no one cares whether we have integrity or not.” Elder Lin stroked his white beard. “But we elders care about whether you can live a good life.”
“I’ve memorized everything.” Jiu Hui nodded solemnly. “Please rest assured, Master, Sect Uncles, Senior Brothers, and Senior Sisters. Zhi You and I will definitely behave ourselves and bring you back some local specialties.”
“Let’s go.” Yu Jing handed Jiu Hui a flying magic weapon. “Take this flying boat back.”
“Thank you, Master.” Jiu Hui tossed the flying magic weapon into the air, and it transformed into a beautiful jade boat.
After seeing Jiu Hui and Zhi You board the flying boat and leave, Yu Jing yawned and said, “I’m going back to sleep.”
“I wonder what local specialties our junior apprentice brother and junior apprentice sister will bring us?”
“It’s not good for your complexion to get up early, so I’m going to go back to sleep for a while.”
The people had just left, but they were already looking forward to the local products.
As for any feelings of parting… there might have been some, but not much.
-—–
Jiu Hui and Zhi You went around Taolin City to find Shiyi. They got a letter from him, as well as several bottles of pills that could be used to regulate the bodies of ordinary people, a large bag of silver, and… a painting.
“I thought they might want to know what I’d look like now that I’m older, so I had a painter in the city draw a picture of me.” Shiyi rubbed his hands together and looked at Jiu Hui helplessly. “Does this painting… look like me?”
“Looks just like you, with your imposing presence and graceful demeanor. You must be an extraordinary cultivator.” Jiu Hui rolled up the painting and carefully put it away in her storage ring. “Is there anything else you’d like me to pass on to them?”
Shiyi opened his mouth, but in the end, he just shook his head in silence.
“Alright, I’ll be going now.” Jiu Hui turned her head and saw Zhi You returning from the shop next door with candied fruit. She cupped her hands in greeting towards Shiyi and Nan Feng and said, “Farewell.”
Shiyi sent the two of them to the city gate again. He stood at the city gate for a long time before turning around and walking back.
“Shall we go to Tianhe City first?” Zhi You asked.
“No, let’s go back to the village first.” Jiu Hui shook her head. “Tianhe City is in the north, and my village is in the south. We can stay in the village for two days before going to Tianhe City.”
“I want to go back to the village first.” Jiu Hui laid by the railings, looking at the beautiful scenery outside the boat, and turned to look at Zhi You with a smile: “If you want to deliver the letter first, then let’s go north first.”
“I…” Zhi You lowered his head. “I also want to return to the village first.”
He wanted to see the place where Jiu Hui grew up.
He covered his rapidly beating heart, as if he could hear its disobedient thumping.
So, this was what the book described as “eagerness,” like magpies chattering on a branch or antelopes galloping.
He stood up and took out a large handful of spirit stones from his storage ring, and without hesitation, he threw them into the flying boat’s formation.
The flying boat pierced through the clouds, rushing towards the south like a swift wind and lightning.
As they flew further south, the number of oddly shaped rocks increased. Many mountain peaks towered into the clouds, and the dense forests seemed to stretch on forever.
“Once we cross this Nushen* Mountain, we’ll be in our village’s territory.” Jiu Hui took out a token from her storage ring and inserted it into the flying boat’s side.
TN: Goddess
“Nushen Mountain stretches for thousands of miles, and the miasma is thick. If you don’t have me with you, don’t come to this place.” Jiu Hui tapped the token, and Nushen Mountain, which was originally shrouded in fog, suddenly lit up a path, guiding the direction of the flying boat.
In the mountains, countless birds chirped. Zhi You followed the sound and saw a strange bird flying by, carrying a monkey. Not far away, an eagle and a sparrow that was even bigger than the eagle were fighting in the air, their feathers flying everywhere.
“In the deep mountains and old forests, it’s inevitable that there will be some strangely shaped animals. It’s not surprising.” Jiu Hui held Zhi You’s head and made him look at the road ahead: “The flying boat can’t enter the village directly. We have to get off the flying boat on the south side of Nushen Mountain.”
The flying boat landed quickly. Jiu Hui had just stepped off the flying boat and hadn’t had time to speak when she heard a mysterious shout from the dense forest behind her: “Nushen Mountain is a forbidden area. Outsiders are not allowed to enter.”
Jiu Hui took out the token and shook it towards the dense forest.
The mysterious and intimidating shout turned into a scream: “The little tyrant of Shanghuang Village is back, run for your lives!!!”
The scream pierced through the clouds, traveling hundreds of miles.