He turned to look at the woman beside him. Her profile was sculpted with exquisite features, as if meticulously carved, and her tranquil demeanor always stirred up a flurry of emotions within him.
It was this woman who had saved him, and who had brought so much color into his life.
"After we get back, how will you explain how you got out of the Demon Realm?" Chong Han knew the many rules of the immortal cultivation world, where everything required proof.
Qiao Ci pretended ignorance of his uncharacteristic words and replied, "I came out because I wanted to. Do I need to explain?"
Chong Han: ...
"Will you return to the Demon Realm then?" Realizing his tone was slightly off, he added, "I grew up in the Demon Realm. The Demon Lord bestowed me upon you, and I might miss home."
"If you want to go back to the Demon Realm, I'll accompany you," Qiao Ci said without looking at Chong Han, her voice firm and warm.
Chong Han froze, a hidden joy blossoming in a corner of his heart, almost making him lose himself.
He slowly pinched his palm, admonishing himself:
*Be clear-headed. This face is fake. She cares about the little cook who always makes her delicious food, not you.*
The next second, he negated himself:
*No, it's always me who cooks for her. So, she definitely cares about me. It has nothing to do with appearance; it has to do with food. Therefore, it's me, yes!*
Having convinced himself, Chong Han felt much better and had the leisure to chat with Qiao Ci about this and that.
He discovered that whenever he was with Qiao Ci, he didn't feel like the aloof Demon Lord, but like a pampered child. Qiao Ci had been very accommodating to him throughout their journey.
Upon arriving at the Hengjian Sect, Qiao Ci presented her identification token. However, the disciples at the gate hesitated, blocking their path.
"?" Qiao Ci looked at him, puzzled.
"After Master brought Feng Fuling back, she announced that you had been killed by demons. Therefore, you need to wait here for a moment while I report this." The gate disciple dared not act without authorization. The illusionary arts of the Demon Realm were superb; what if someone disguised as the senior disciple caused harm to the sect?
"Yes, go ahead." Qiao Ci was agreeable and stood waiting.
Seeing Qiao Ci denied entry, Chong Han was furious. He managed to suppress his anger to the lowest level and conjured a comfortable chair from his spatial storage for Qiao Ci.
"Sit and wait."
Qiao Ci accepted without politeness and sat down. Chong Han stood behind her, like a guard.
Upon hearing that Qiao Ci was still alive, Chang Yan's eyes flickered.
Given the situation at the time, Qiao Ci should have been beyond saving. How could she have returned?
Perhaps she had defected to the Demon Realm, thus narrowly escaping death?
With this thought, his mind settled. In that critical moment, he hadn't had time to save her, and even if she had spoken up, no one would have believed her.
At this moment, Feng Fuling stood beside him, looking at Chang Yan with some unease. "Master, if Senior Sister is still alive, will she… will she blame me? I was just too worried about you, so I called out her name. I didn't expect it to attract the attention of Demon Lord Chi Ming... However, it's great that Senior Sister managed to come back alive."
Chang Yan stroked her little head. "It has nothing to do with you. I'll handle it. You just need to remain innocent and happy."
Qiao Ci and Chong Han were led to the main hall.
In the main hall, besides Chang Yan and Feng Fuling, several elders and fellow disciples were present. They looked at Qiao Ci with scrutiny, as if conducting a triple trial.
Feng Fuling, with a surprised expression, ran over. "Senior Sister, you're alive? That's truly wonderful. I thought that great demon had killed you, and I was heartbroken for days~"
Qiao Ci avoided her touch and sneered, "I haven't even died, and you all have already declared me dead. You must be very disappointed that I didn't die, right? Right, Master, Junior Sister?"
Feng Fuling's face showed a hint of grievance. "Senior Sister, what are you talking about? I was worried about you too."
"Worried enough to deliberately expose my location, attracting the Demon Lord's attention? And then seize the opportunity to escape with Master?" Qiao Ci retorted.
"Senior Sister, speak with caution! How could Junior Sister be that kind of person? You don't know, because you didn't return with us this time, Junior Sister's eyes were red many times, feeling guilty that she couldn't save you." A disciple who admired Feng Fuling spoke up to defend her.
Seeing someone speak for Feng Fuling, Chang Yan, though a little jealous, felt reassured. At a time like this, it was best not to get involved if he could avoid it.
"Guilty about implicating Wen Shijie, Zuo Yunyun, and the others who died tragically? Or guilty about deliberately exposing my position to secure your own escape, hmm?" Qiao Ci looked at Feng Fuling, as if seeing through all her filth.
Feng Fuling became somewhat flustered under her gaze. At this moment, Chang Yan stood up. "Qiao Ci, it is my fault that I did not have time to save you. Do not utter wild accusations and slander Fuling. I did not expect the Demon Lord to let you go. Have you signed some kind of agreement with him? You should first explain how you managed to retreat from the Demon Realm unscathed."
Qiao Ci produced a memory crystal. "Before I explain how I returned, let's first see why Feng Fuling stayed in the Demon Realm that day, why other junior disciples tragically died, and how I narrowly escaped death."
Seeing the memory crystal in Qiao Ci's hand, Chang Yan clearly thought of something. Feng Fuling also clenched her fists. Could it be that Qiao Ci had recorded the scene when she had stubbornly insisted on seeing the Demon Lord that day?
Chang Yan directly reached out, drew the crystal from Qiao Ci's hand, and crushed it with force. "I detest changing the subject the most. You should first explain how you escaped the Demon Realm."
Feng Fuling's heaving chest finally calmed down. She looked at Chang Yan with watery eyes. As long as Master believed her, she feared nothing!
Although the elders were displeased that Chang Yan had destroyed the evidence, since it was destroyed, they did not wish to conflict with Chang Yan and remained silent, waiting for Qiao Ci's reply.
At this moment, Qiao Ci produced another memory crystal and smiled. "Chang Yan, you don't think I only have one crystal, do you? I'm sorry, I collected a lot in the Demon Realm this time, more than you can imagine."
This time, she didn't even bother calling him Master. "If you want to know how I got out of the Demon Realm, we should clarify the cause and effect first."
Chang Yan was furious. Qiao Ci turned and left the main hall, heading to the plaza. She opened the memory crystal, deliberately amplifying her voice. "Wen Shijie, Zuo Yunyun, Li Tian'er, Wang Hao, and others of the Hengjian Sect died innocent deaths. Including myself, who returned severely injured only to be questioned and accused. Who is right and who is wrong, I ask all of you to be witnesses!"
After speaking, surrounding disciples gradually approached. The memory crystal was tossed into the air, and the scenes from that day began to unfold.