Jian Lin didn't know what to say, feeling utterly dejected. She finally left the cave dejectedly to find some water.
This was a deep mountain forest in the demon realm, rich in spiritual energy, with many small demons cultivating here. As Jian Lin stepped out, she could hear rustling sounds.
Normally, she would be cautious and choose to stay in the cave with the Demon Lord.
However, she couldn't worry about that now. She walked down dejectedly, following the sound of water to the stream.
It was the hottest part of the day, but the trees were tall and dense, blocking the sunlight, leaving only dappled light that sparkled on the water.
Being in the wild, Jian Lin didn't care about hygiene. She crouched by the stream to wash her face, then drank a few mouthfuls of water. The coolness from within and without finally calmed her slightly.
Recalling the events of the previous night, Jian Lin felt she hadn't done anything wrong; every choice was the right one.
Of course, it was understandable that the Demon Lord didn't trust her. She understood, and no one was wrong, except her.
She truly couldn't think of a good solution for this at the moment.
She was quietly squatting by the stream when she suddenly lost control, grabbing her hair with both hands and growling softly, "I'm so angry, so angry!"
After venting, she lay back on the grass, feeling weak. She suddenly noticed that the tree above her had many bright red fruits, which looked very tempting.
Jian Lin immediately got up, climbed the tree in a few swift movements, and sat firmly. She reached out, plucked a fruit, and brought it to her nose to smell. It seemed to have a sweet apple scent, though its appearance wasn't quite like an apple.
The fruit was small, its skin crystal clear and rosy. It felt springy to the touch, and she imagined it would have a great texture.
Jian Lin swallowed, and asked the system in her mind, "A Zha, what is this? Can I eat it?"
The system loaded for a moment before slowly replying, "A type of demon fruit. I advise the host not to eat it."
"Is it poisonous?" Jian Lin asked regretfully.
"Not sure, but highly likely. Demon fruits are cultivated by demons, similar to how cultivators refine pills. Only the demons who cast spells know best. The effects could be strengthening the body, replenishing qi, or it could be a poison used to hunt smaller demons."
Jian Lin nodded to show she understood, but she still wanted to eat it. Of course, to be safe, she decided to take an antidote pill first.
Jian Lin called this behavior "soaking goji berries in a wine glass," indulging while also taking care of herself.
After taking the antidote pill, Jian Lin eagerly bit into the demon fruit. The sweet and sour juice instantly filled her mouth. How could a fruit be so delicious!
She ate one in a few bites and rested on the tree for a while. She felt no ill effects and happily plucked two more to eat, finding them incredibly healing.
After enjoying herself, Jian Lin jumped down from the tree. After some hesitation, she decided not to pick any more fruit for the Demon Lord for now. Firstly, he didn't like to eat them, and secondly, if they were poisonous, she would have to give him an antidote pill, which would make him suspect where she got it and if she was colluding with the Guanlan Sect.
She walked slowly back towards the cave and suddenly heard Tao Niang's voice. Jian Lin's heart leaped with joy, and she hurried back to the cave, "Tao Niang! Are you alright!"
Inside the cave, the Demon Lord sat cross-legged in the center, with two stunning female demons, one red and one pink, seated on either side. The scene was exceptionally pleasing to the eye.
As soon as she spoke, everyone looked over. For some reason, she felt a surge of emotion; it was good that no one had died.
Jian Lin sat next to Tao Niang, taking her hand and apologizing, "I've implicated you. I'm truly sorry. I will definitely find a way to compensate you!"
Tao Niang smiled gently, "Don't say that. I offered to help, it wasn't a transaction, so you don't need to compensate me."
The more understanding Tao Niang was, the more guilty Jian Lin felt, "It's not like that. I caused you to be unable to stay in the demon city. I have to take responsibility for this."
The Demon Lord had been silent. Hearing her words, he suddenly let out a cold laugh and asked meaningfully, "How do you plan to take responsibility?"
His question made her feel like a scumbag. Jian Lin's recently calmed mood was once again shaken. She drooped her eyebrows and stubbornly said through gritted teeth, "I'll find a way."
Seeing that the Demon Lord was about to scold Jian Lin, Tao Niang quickly intervened, "Let's discuss this later. The priority is to decide what to do next. We can't hide here forever. As long as we are in the demon realm, the Demon Emperor will find us sooner or later."
Speaking of this, Jian Lin remembered that the Demon Lord had mentioned going to the northwestern tribes of the demon realm to pursue "Three Slashes" after rescuing her from the death prison. However, the rescue was not smooth, and they were targeted by the Crow Guards and the Lin Yu Guards. Jian Lin believed the best course of action was to leave the demon realm first.
Unfortunately, she didn't dare to bring it up herself, so she could only cast her gaze towards the Demon Lord. After all, no matter what, he had the final say.
The Demon Lord's expression was calm. After a long pause, he said with certainty, "I'm going to the northwest. Tao Niang, if you have a safe place to go, we'll send you there first. If not, you can follow us."
Tao Niang shook her head and said softly, "No, I'll go with you."
Jian Lin sighed and squeezed Tao Niang's hand to comfort her. In fact, she could guess that Tao Niang had a good relationship with Boss Snake, working together in business. Her base was in the demon city, so she had no other safe place to go.
After discussing this, the Demon Lord went out in the afternoon. Unsure of what he discovered, he returned and said they would rest at the current location for one night and depart the next.
The Demon Lord was in a bad mood. As soon as he returned, he began meditating and cultivating. Hong Qu transformed back into a fire fox and stayed by his side. Tao Niang, seeing this, also began to meditate, remaining silent.
As for Jian Lin, feeling guilty, she couldn't sit still in the cave and chose to go outside for some fresh air, taking a dejected stroll and eating some delicious fruit to calm her mood.
Xiao Li was still in her Qiankun bag, and she didn't know how to confess to the Demon Lord.
Jian Lin sat alone by the stream, gazing at the flowing water in a daze. In the blink of an eye, the sun set and the moon rose, plunging the surroundings into darkness. She still had no intention of returning.
After an unknown amount of time, footsteps echoed in the darkness. Jian Lin didn't turn around, recognizing the Demon Lord's approach.
The person stopped behind her and suddenly said, "I thought you ran away."
Jian Lin felt a mix of amusement and distress. She turned around and said aggrievedly, "Lord Demon Lord, I'm truly not that kind of person."
"Then what kind of person are you?" The Demon Lord took a step forward, sat beside her, picked up a stone, and tossed it into the stream. "Jian Lin, you're a good actress. I admit that even now, I still can't see through you."
Jian Lin tilted her head and looked at him, saying seriously, "Lord Demon Lord, when judging a person, you shouldn't look at what they say, but at what they do. Do you agree with this?"
The Demon Lord glanced at her and said faintly, "What are you trying to say? Don't beat around the bush, just say it."
Jian Lin turned to face the Demon Lord directly and said with utmost solemnity, "Lord Demon Lord, I admit I have many things I've kept from you, but you must believe me, I never intended to harm you. For example, my actions last night, don't ask me why I could do them. Just look at the result, didn't I help you greatly? You must admit, I did nothing wrong."
"I admit that," the Demon Lord's eyes reflected the moonlight, shining astonishingly in the darkness. "So I want to ask you, Jian Mu Sheng, why did you help me?"
"I'm a kind-hearted fairy," Jian Lin said shamelessly. "Seeing your Demon Sect being wronged, I couldn't stand by and watch. I must help you clear your name, expose the true face of the Guanlan Sect, and make everyone in the world condemn them!"
The Demon Lord chuckled softly and praised her insincerely, "That sounds very nice."
"I'm telling the truth. I can swear to you, if I lie, may lightning strike me and may I die a terrible death!" After swearing, Jian Lin eagerly moved closer to the Demon Lord and whispered, "Besides, I still remember our agreement. You said you would help me cultivate a Golden Core after we succeeded, and you would teach me the Ming Yue Divine Skill. You are good to me, so of course, I should be good to you."
"You still remember that I'm good to you," the Demon Lord suddenly turned his head, leaning closer to stare at Jian Lin. "Since I'm so good to you, why do you still hide things from me?"
"Oh my!" Jian Lin felt like she was going crazy. She even wanted to kneel before the Demon Lord. "Spare me, this matter is not important!"
After Jian Lin finished speaking, she suddenly stood up. Her vision blurred, and she almost fell. She took a step back to steady herself, instinctively thinking she had stood up too quickly.
After two or three seconds, the dizziness did not subside, and her legs began to feel weak, as if she were stepping on cotton.
She sensed something was wrong and fell back onto the grass, the entire world beginning to spin.
At first, the Demon Lord didn't notice anything amiss, thinking Jian Lin was throwing a tantrum. He had no interest in such childish games until Jian Lin let out a pained groan.
"What's wrong?" The Demon Lord turned around and saw Jian Lin's eyes were vacant, as if her consciousness had been stolen. He reached out and pinched her cheek, finding her skin burning hot. "Are you... injured?"
Due to his cultivation, the Demon Lord's body temperature was always low. His palm was slightly cool, and the touch relieved Jian Lin's exploding brain a little.
Her consciousness cleared slightly. She clasped the Demon Lord's wrists with both hands, burying her face in his palm, and said indistinctly, "I... I'm not injured. I ate... the demon fruit... from the tree."
Her words were rambling, but the Demon Lord understood. He looked up at the red fruits on the tree, and in anger, grabbed Jian Lin's collar and said through gritted teeth, "What kind of courage do you have to randomly eat things from the demon realm's forest? You have辟谷丹 (Bigu Dan - pills to suppress hunger), you weren't hungry at all, you were just greedy!"
"Wuwuwu," Jian Lin felt like a sponge, her consciousness on the verge of collapse. "I was just greedy. That fruit was delicious, sour and sweet. I ate one... and then another..."
The Demon Lord closed his eyes to calm himself. Jian Lin was clearly in a state of poisoning and hallucination. Arguing with her would be a complete waste of effort.
He reached out and grasped Jian Lin's wrist, channeling his demonic energy into her body, trying to help her expel the toxins.
However, he tried again and again. The demon art was strange and unpredictable, and he couldn't find the method to locate the poison. He could only go back and ask Tao Niang.
The Demon Lord stood up, pulled Jian Lin up, "Let's go, we're going back to the cave. Tao Niang probably knows the solution."
As soon as she stood up, Jian Lin's eyes blazed, and she suddenly smiled creepily. She broke free from his grasp, spread her arms, and lunged at the Demon Lord!