In Mu Anxiao's eyes, Ouyang Ye was nothing more than a minor demon from the underworld—one who feared the gods but refused to admit it. Before coming here, she had been utterly confident that most of what Ouyang Ye had done in the mortal realm was just for show, a facade to prop up his ego. She truly believed he wasn’t that powerful.
Yet, reality had defied all her expectations.
Even through the thin mist surrounding the palace, its grandeur was unmistakable. The opulence here surpassed even the finest sights of Golden City.
At this moment, Mu Anxiao finally understood—*There are mountains beyond mountains, people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens.* Seeing it for herself was far more humbling than any rumor.
And against her will, a flicker of envy stirred in her heart.
*"All of this... belongs to Ouyang Ye?"* she asked, turning to the wolf demon.
The wolf demon gave an awkward laugh. *"I don’t know."*
*"Didn’t you—"*
*"I already told you, I only came here after losing a competition,"* he interrupted, deciding there was no point in boasting to her. *"I’ve never actually been inside."*
*"Never?"* Mu Anxiao was stunned.
He shook his head.
*"That’s... rough."* She couldn’t help but pity him.
Just then, the vine spirit chimed in, eager to one-up the wolf demon in the misery department. *"If you think *he* had it bad, my story’s worse."* He turned to Mu Anxiao.
She immediately shifted her attention, intrigued. *"Go on."* In her opinion, their tragic tales were far more compelling than any gilded palace.
The vine spirit stepped forward, dramatically clearing his throat before launching into his lament. *"After Ouyang Ye captured me, he turned me into a chain—a *literal* chain—and used me as a lock to guard his chambers..."*
*"Wait,"* Mu Anxiao cut in mercilessly. *"Isn’t your true form already a chain?"*
The vine spirit sighed as if reliving his deepest sorrow. *"A proud, free vine... reduced to a mere lock. The tragedy!"* He shook his head mournfully.
*"He turned you into a *lock*?"* The wolf demon, who had never heard this story before, perked up with curiosity.
*"A door lock, yes,"* the vine spirit muttered, too defeated to embellish.
*"So he made you a *literal* lock? That’s what you mean?"* Mu Anxiao pressed, joining the wolf demon in his skepticism.
There was no hiding it now. The vine spirit’s shame was laid bare. But at this point, he couldn’t care less. *"Exactly as you said. I became a lock."*
*"And that’s how you survived, isn’t it?"* Mu Anxiao stated bluntly.
The vine spirit hesitated for a few seconds before nodding.
Mu Anxiao studied his conflicted expression, puzzled. *"What? Did I hit another sore spot?"*
*"Blood splattered everywhere. Screams filled the air. And Ouyang Ye..."* The vine spirit stepped closer, locking eyes with her. *"Ouyang Ye genuinely cares for you."*
*"..."* Mu Anxiao averted her gaze.
His words also reignited the wolf demon’s curiosity. *"Speaking of which, how *did* you end up with Ouyang Ye?"*
*"..."* Her expression darkened.
Both the vine spirit and the wolf demon stared at her, waiting.
She sighed, glancing between their expectant faces. *"You really want to know?"*
They nodded in unison.
Mu Anxiao laughed.
The wolf demon frowned. *"Why are you laughing? Just satisfy our curiosity already."* He nudged the vine spirit.
The vine spirit added, *"Yeah, while you’re resting, tell us your story."*
*"My story?"* Her smile faded for a moment before returning. *"What’s so interesting about my—"*
*"You’re not actually going to *marry* Ouyang Ye, are you?"* The vine spirit blurted out.
Mu Anxiao’s face froze.
The wolf demon gasped. *"No way. Is it true?"*
She took a sharp breath, then nodded, turning to the vine spirit. *"How did you guess?"*
*"A year ago, during one of his massacres, he declared he’d marry no one but you. And besides..."* The vine spirit studied her face. *"You’re hesitating. That means you’re being forced into something. And I can’t think of anything else that would trouble you this much, so..."*
*"Stop."* Mu Anxiao couldn’t bear to hear his rambling deductions.
The vine spirit grinned. *"So I was right."*
The wolf demon clapped him on the shoulder. *"Damn, you’re good!"*
The vine spirit rubbed the back of his head, chuckling sheepishly.
Mu Anxiao watched them with disdain, their earlier tension completely forgotten. As she thought about the situation awaiting her, she sighed deeply. *"I really just want to run away."*
*"If you do, the innocent demons will pay the price,"* the wolf demon said suddenly.
Mu Anxiao turned to him. *"What do you mean?"*
*"This place, like the mortal realm, has a hierarchy. The demons who’ve never committed evil suffer the most. If you escape..."* His expression darkened. *"They’ll be the ones who suffer."*
*"So because you’ve done evil, you can survive here?"* she probed.
The wolf demon shook his head.
*"Then what?"*
The vine spirit answered for him. *"Ouyang Ye’s rule is simple: leave once a year and bring back prey. Fail, and you’re demoted to the lowest rank. All past sins are erased—because you become nothing more than a plaything for the higher demons."*
*"Classic Ouyang Ye,"* Mu Anxiao muttered, recalling the woman who had pushed her into the water. *"So that woman... she’s one of the high-ranking demons?"*
*"Yes. She wears a mask in public, but behind closed doors? Any demon she wants dead doesn’t last the night."*
*"No wonder she was so ruthless with me."* Then, remembering something, Mu Anxiao’s eyes widened. *"Wait—you saw me fall into the water?"*
The wolf demon grinned sheepishly.
The vine spirit admitted, *"With her there, approaching would’ve been suicide. Honestly, we planned to leave you if you didn’t resurface. If you did... well, we’d at least give you a proper burial."* He smirked. *"But your luck’s as strong as ever."*