“Father, this woman is treacherous, cunning, and full of nonsense. She’s only saying these things to sow discord between us.” Sha Luojia never expected Jiu Hui to suddenly go mad. Did she not care about her three relatives?
“This daughter has grown up under your care, Father. Without your love, I wouldn’t be where I am today.” Sha Luojia knelt on one knee before the old Demon King, tears streaming down her face. “Please, Father, understand.”
“Of course father wouldn’t believe a word a cultivator said.” The old Demon King sat up and raised his withered hand. “Get up.”
“Thank you, Father.” Sha Luojia raised her head, allowing the old Demon King to see the filial piety in her eyes.
“Sha Loujia is the noble princess of our demon clan and the apple of our king’s eye. How brave are you to slander the princess?!” A Dharma Protector took out his knife: “Your Majesty, please allow me to kill this instigating cultivator!”
“You have colluded with the princess for a long time in private, so you are naturally eager to kill and silence me.” Jiu Hui took out a road map to the Demon Clan’s palace from her arms, “I first came to the Demon Clan. Without the help of the princess, how could I have the map of the palace?”
Sha Luojia’s eyes were as cold as a blade, staring fixedly at the blueprint in Jiu Hui’s hand.
After she brought Jiu Hui into the Demon Realm, she locked her directly in Kunqian Palace. Last night, someone tried to rescue Jiu Hui but failed. Could it be that someone around her took advantage of this opportunity to give Jiu Hui the map?
Who betrayed her?carpreads.pages.dev
“Nonsense!” The Dharma Protector was so furious at Jiu Hui’s slander that he raised his saber and charged at her in a fit of rage.
“Enough!” The old Demon King drooped his eyelids and pointed a finger as thin as a stick. The Dharma Protector was pressed to the ground by the enormous magic power.
The old Demon King coldly glanced at the Dharma Protector and turned his gaze to Jiu Hui.
His eyes were cloudy and sinister, and there was a madness in them that only those of high status who feared death would have.
The Third Prince Luohe snatched the map from Jiu Hui with arrogance and presented it to the old Demon King, saying, “Father, look.”
The old Demon King opened the map and looked at it expressionlessly.
“Oh dear.” The Demon Queen gently took the map from the Demon King’s hand and patted his chest. “Your Majesty, I think this map must have been stolen by this cultivator. Sha Luojia has always been filial. How could she bear to hurt you?”
The old Demon King remained silent.
“If Your Majesty doesn’t believe me, you can send someone to investigate and clear the princess’s name.” The Demon Queen’s charming eyes sparkled, and her voice was as melodious as jade beads falling onto a plate. “I, for one, refuse to believe that the princess would commit such a heinous crime.”
“Sha Luojia, what do you think?” The old Demon King looked at Sha Luojia.
“Father, I beg you to uphold justice and clear my name.” Sha Luojia’s heart sank. When her father asked her, she knew that he had begun to suspect her.
The father in her memory, who was once so imposing and powerful, had become so suspicious at some point.
“In that case, then…” The Demon King’s gaze swept over the two Dharma Protectors, recalling what Jiu Hui had said about the Dharma Protectors colluding with Sha Luojia: “You said that Sha Luojia colluded with the Dharma Protectors. Do you have any evidence?”
“Don’t you know, Demon King, that one of your Dharma Protectors, a year ago, because Princess Sha Luojia was wronged, would rather risk his life and went alone to Wenxian City to avenge the princess and vent his anger?” Jiu Hui looked at the Demon King in surprise and pity again: “Did they even hide this from you?”
Oh dear, your daughter didn’t want you anymore! She was hiding things from you with someone else!
“Naturally, this king is aware of such a trivial matter.” The pity on Jiu Hui’s face stung the Demon King’s fragile and suspicious heart. He had indeed heard about the death of one of the ten great Dharma Protectors in Wenxian City for Sha Luojia’s sake, but the first person to mention it to him was not Sha Luojia, but his Demon Queen.
“The Dharma Protector was willing to sacrifice his life for the princess’s temporary grievance. The other Dharma Protectors…” Jiu Hui looked like she wanted to say something but didn’t dare to. “How many of the remaining nine Dharma Protectors do you think are willing to give their lives for the princess?”
“Our demon tribe’s children are loyal to the royal family. They are seeking justice for the princess because they respect our royal family.” The old Demon King turned to the Demon Queen. “I’m entrusting this matter to you and Luohe. I believe that you will be able to clear Sha Luojia’s name.”
“Father…” Sha Luojia secretly thought this was not good. She and the Queen had always had a superficial relationship. In recent months, the Demon Queen had become increasingly cold towards her. She was worried that the Queen would take the opportunity to slander her.
“What, you’re not willing?” The Demon King’s icy gaze fell on Sha Luojia. “Your third brother is the future Demon King, and your mother has always acted fairly. If you don’t trust her, who do you want to help you?”
“I dare not, Father.” Sha Luojia gritted her teeth and lowered her head. Such a straightforward and obvious attempt to sow discord had ensnared her. It wasn’t that Jiu Hui’s methods were particularly powerful, but that her father no longer trusted her.
The Demon Queen hesitated for a moment. “Your Majesty, by all rights, these two cultivators slandered our noble Demon Clan princess and should be executed immediately. But I fear that outsiders will say we are silencing them, which will further damage the princess’s reputation. Should we temporarily imprison these two in Kunqian Palace?”
“You’ve thought it through very carefully.” The Demon Lord nodded. “These two people can’t die for the time being.”
“Father, Mother, it’s not enough to just imprison these two.” Third Prince Luohe said, “These two have three more accomplices who were hidden by Sha Luojia.”
“Sha Luojia is using their lives to force me to do things.” Jiu Hui’s face was full of resentment. “You demons will do anything to achieve your goals, even harming my family.”
“Father, why don’t you let me lock these three people up in my place?” Third Prince Luohe rubbed his hands together, his face full of excitement. “I will definitely help you teach these three humans with ulterior motives a good lesson.”
“Sha Luojia, you will hand the person over to Luohe later.” After all that had happened, the Demon King no longer had the mood to drink blood. He dismissed everyone and only let the Demon Queen stay to accompany him.
“Jiu Hui!” Sha Luojia exited the royal palace with a sullen face and walked towards Jiu Hui, who was being held by the demon guards. “You dare to spout such nonsense. Are you truly not afraid of death?”
“Wasn’t it the princess who invited me to the Demon Clan and then sent me to the palace?” Jiu Hui asked with a smile. “What did I say wrong?”
“I never asked you to assassinate Father!” Sha Luojia never expected that after enduring for so many years, she would suffer a major setback at Jiu Hui’s hands.
“Have you forgotten what you told me last night, Princess?” Jiu Hui whispered into Sha Luojia’s ear. “If the old Demon King doesn’t die, how can you become the new Demon King?”
Sha Luojia’s face turned even uglier. “If I had known you had such a skill, I would have killed you directly.”
She had not yet made any achievements, so if her father died, it would do her more harm than good.
For the sake of the Demon King’s throne, she had endured for so many years, so what did it matter if she waited a few more years? But Jiu Hui, with just a few short sentences, had made her father suspicious of her. From now on, no matter what she did, her father would be more suspicious.
This was a disgusting but very useful plot.
“Hey, you two are not allowed to collude in private!” Luohe ordered the demon guards to separate the two of them. “From today onwards, until the matter is investigated, the princess and the people of the Princess’s mansion are not allowed to approach Kunqian Palace. Anyone who violates this order will be executed for colluding with the enemy.”
“Yes!”
“Forgive me, Princess, but I’m doing this for your own good,” Luohe said with a sly smile. “If you were to meet her and she took the opportunity to slander you, wouldn’t that just cause you more trouble?”
“Thank you for thinking of me, Third Brother.” Sha Luojia gritted her teeth and forced a smile. “Farewell.”
This younger brother was so arrogant that he wouldn’t even call her “sister.” If it weren’t for his mother, who was born into a humble family but was willing to grovel and fawn over the king, how could he be so arrogant?
Sha Luojia returned to the Princess’s mansion in a huff and saw Yin Ji practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard. She suppressed all the emotions on her face and said, “Yin Ji, I went to a friend’s house last night and didn’t tell you in time. Will you be angry with me?”
“I will never get angry with you.” Yin Ji put away his sword, accidentally letting the thin shirt on his body fall down. Sha Luojia glanced at his shoulder, there was no wound there.
The man in black who tried to rescue Jiu Hui and Zhi You last night had knife wounds on his shoulders and arms that were infected with demonic poison. If that person was Yin Ji, his wounds would definitely not have healed so quickly.
“I knew you cared about me the most.” Sha Luojia threw herself into Yin Ji’s arms. “Yin Ji, even my father suspects me. You’re all I have left.”
Yin Ji felt Sha Luojia’s hand caressing the place where he had been seriously injured last night, and gently put his arms around her: “I will assist you.”
She was doubting him.
“Miss Jiu Hui, Young Master Zhi You, please have a seat.” As soon as the door closed, Luohe nodded and bowed as he poured hot tea for Jiu Hui and Zhi You. “What are your plans next?”
“What plans can Zhi You and I have here?” Jiu Hui took a sip of tea: “The news that the Princess colluded with the human cultivators of the cultivation world and intended to assassinate the Demon King should spread throughout the entire demon capital in one day. Does Your Highness think this is reasonable?”
The Third Prince suddenly understood. “Young lady, you’re right!”
He stretched his neck to glance outside the door and said carefully with a flattering smile, “Miss, I may have to offend you later. Please bear with me.”
The demon guards standing guard outside the door heard the sound of cups and bowls being smashed inside the room.
“Don’t you dare slander the princess! Quickly confess, what are you trying to do?!”
“Princess Sha Luojia threatened me with my siblings’ lives, what could I do?” A woman’s helpless cries came from the room. “I’m just a lowly sect disciple, spoiled by my family elders, and valued by my sect. Would I willingly come to the Demon Clan to die?”
After a commotion, the Third Prince walked out of the room with a face full of anger and said to the demon guards, “Watch them closely and don’t let them escape!”
“Yes!” The demon guards did not dare to offend the Third Prince and immediately agreed.
Two days later, after finishing the delicious food sent by the Third Prince through the secret passage, Jiu Hui had just learned two painting strokes from Zhi You when she heard a fight outside the door.
Not long after, the door was kicked open. The person who entered was dressed in black and wore a black scarf over their face. The long sword in their hand was dripping with blood. “Follow me quickly!”
The wind blew up the drawing paper on the table, the best drawing paper of the Demon Clan, making a rustling sound.
The incense, which could only be used by the royal family of the Demon Clan, was burning in the incense burner, emitting faint blue smoke. Various snacks and fruits were placed on the table, and silver toothpicks were thoughtfully prepared.
Jiu Hui held the paintbrush in her hand. Zhi You looked up from the candlelight. The three people inside and outside the door looked at each other in silence.
There was no harsh torture, no arduous days, and even the ground underfoot was covered with a thick carpet.
Everything was so beautiful that the people outside the door thought his arrival was very abrupt.
“Yin Ji?” Jiu Hui put away everything on the table and kicked the blanket on the floor under the bed.
Outside, countless hurried footsteps could be heard, clearly all coming this way.
“Yin Ji!” Jiu Hui threw away the paintbrush in her hand and shouted, “You have outstanding talent, but you betrayed the Jiutian Sect for Princess Sha Luojia and became a lackey of the princess’s mansion. Now you want to kill me to silence me for her. You’ve really disappointed me!”
Zhi You whispered in Jiu Hui’s ear, “I don’t think he deserves to be called a lackey.”
Author’s Note
Zhi You: I am Zhi You, I am the spokesperson for all the lackeys!