The Demon Lord, caught completely off guard, felt Jian Lin's head collide with his chin. The sudden pain sent him into a momentary daze. Seizing the opportunity, Jian Lin tackled him, cupping his face with both hands and opening her mouth to bite.
Fortunately, the Demon Lord reacted swiftly, covering Jian Lin’s mouth with his hand and flipping over to subdue her. "Hey, Jian Musheng, do you even know who I am?"
Jian Lin’s gaze was peculiar. She suddenly extended her tongue and licked the palm of the Demon Lord's hand.
The Demon Lord’s body stiffened. Unable to bear it any longer, he raised his hand and flung Jian Lin into a small stream.
With a splash, water erupted. The stream water in the dead of night was bone-chillingly cold. Jian Lin scrambled to her feet, her muddled, boiling brain cooling slightly. "What happened?!"
The Demon Lord stood by the stream, his expression grim. He said sternly, "You're poisoned. You need to soak in the stream for a while longer."
Jian Lin hugged herself, shivering uncontrollably, and couldn't help but try to climb onto the bank. "No, it's too cold, I don't want to."
Seeing Jian Lin about to reach the bank, the Demon Lord waved his hand, and she was flung back, landing with a splash in the middle of the stream.
"No, Lord Demon Lord, save me," Jian Lin struggled to stand, her survival instinct driving her to desperately crawl back. "I'm drowning, I can't..."
Alas, her pleas were ignored. Just as she neared the bank, the Demon Lord waved his hand again, sending her back.
After five or six such exchanges, Jian Lin finally ran out of strength, and her mind also calmed considerably. She stood in the middle of the stream and said to the Demon Lord, "Lord Demon Lord, I'm truly clear-headed now. Please don't throw me anymore, alright?"
"Is that so? Then let me ask you," the Demon Lord said, placing his hands behind his back like an examiner. "What is the first level incantation of the Bright Moon Divine Skill? Recite it to me now."
"Calm, calm..." Jian Lin remained silent for a long time, unable to recall the next line. She was so anxious she wanted to cry. "I forgot..."
"If you forgot, then think. You can come ashore when you remember." The Demon Lord flicked his robe and sat down coolly by the bank, announcing ruthlessly.
Jian Lin tried to recall, but the more anxious she became, the more blank her mind went. Her head felt like it was about to explode, and at the same time, her legs submerged in the water began to ache as if pricked by needles.
Her head felt like it was exploding, while her legs were painfully cold. Jian Lin couldn't stand it. She took a deep breath and submerged herself, wanting to soak her boiling brain.
In fact, Jian Lin sensed that she was being controlled by another feeling. That feeling told her she wanted to tear and bite, to taste blood. That man was very good; she should devour him.
Devour him...
In the stream, Jian Lin suddenly glided forward, slowly swimming to the bank. With a sudden burst of all her strength, she stepped on a rock at the bottom of the stream and lunged out.
The Demon Lord had already sensed something was wrong and reached out to grab Jian Lin. Jian Lin, however, locked onto her target and, like a fish biting a hook, clamped down on the Demon Lord's hand, refusing to let go.
The Demon Lord hadn't anticipated such a beastly move. He grabbed her throat with his other hand, attempting to force her mouth open with brute strength. However, Jian Lin had already lost all reason. Seeing that she was about to lose consciousness, she still refused to let go.
The Demon Lord couldn't possibly kill her. In that moment of softening, Jian Lin suddenly exerted force, arching her body backward, pulling the Demon Lord into the stream with her.
The abnormal commotion finally caught the attention of Hong Qu and Tao Niang. When the Demon Lord had left earlier, he had instructed them not to disturb him while he spoke with Jian Lin.
Hong Qu had obeyed, and Tao Niang had been sensible, which was why it took them so long to realize something was amiss after such a commotion.
The two rushed to the stream and asked in surprise, "Lord Demon Lord, Miss A Pei! What happened to you?"
A large splash suddenly erupted from the stream. The Demon Lord straightened up, breathing heavily in his disheveled state, and reached out to pull Jian Lin out.
Jian Lin was seen bound from head to toe with ropes, struggling desperately like a fish. The Demon Lord carried her into his arms and threw her onto the bank.
"She ate a demon fruit," the Demon Lord said, pointing to the tree and addressing Tao Niang. "See if there's a way to break its effects. If not, let her soak in the stream all night."
Tao Niang waved her hand, and a bright red fruit landed in her palm. She opened it and sniffed, immediately understanding. "Yes, we in the Chuyun Pavilion often use this. I have a method to alleviate it. No need for cold water. Bring her over quickly."
Hong Qu took it curiously, sniffing the fruit's scent carefully, and exclaimed in surprise, "This scent is very similar to Xiaoyao Shuang. Isn't Xiaoyao Shuang..."
Tao Niang gave her a look, implying it was the same thing.
Hong Qu's expression immediately turned grim, and she stared at the Demon Lord with a worried look.
The Demon Lord carried Jian Lin to the bank. Tao Niang took out a pill and put it into her mouth. As expected, the demons had their ways. Once the pill entered her mouth, Jian Lin quickly fell asleep. Although she was still muttering incoherently, she finally stopped biting.
The four returned to the cave. After drying their clothes, the Demon Lord closed his eyes to meditate, while Jian Lin lay on Tao Niang's lap, babbling all sorts of nonsense.
"This report has a problem, can't you see? How did you become a director? Send it back and redo it!"
"I'll toast Manager Wang, wishing our cooperation smooth sailing."
"Everyone work hard! With me here for the year-end bonuses, you definitely won't be shortchanged!"
"A Zhe, you're such a loser..."
"I want to go home, sob sob..."
"I want to eat hot pot, hot pot is delicious, hehe."
Jian Lin, poisoned and hallucinating, spoke incoherently. The Demon Lord listened carefully, finding this person increasingly strange. What were reports? What was hot pot?
Jian Lin chattered all night, finally falling silent at dawn. As the bright sun shone, she quietly opened her eyes and saw Tao Niang wiping her face with a handkerchief.
"You're awake," Tao Niang lowered her head and asked gently, "How do you feel?"
Jian Lin's brain slowly powered on, followed by a rush of soreness throughout her body. She groaned in pain, clutching her head, and said in a hoarse voice, "I... I'm going to die."
Tao Niang covered her mouth and chuckled. "You always talk nonsense. You were tossing and turning all night, and I think you're in very good health. You're far from dying."
What she said sounded strange. Jian Lin froze, memories flooding into her brain. She quickly sat up and looked back for the Demon Lord. No way, was that man alright?
She remembered clinging to him shamelessly last night, hugging and biting him, and then... nothing happened, right?
The Demon Lord's face was ashen. He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze like two knives piercing Jian Lin. His expression seemed to say, "Prepare to die!"
Jian Lin flipped over, propped herself up on her knees, and bowed deeply. "Lord Demon Lord, I was wrong. Please forgive me, I didn't mean to."
The Demon Lord snorted, stood up without a word, and walked outside the cave. Hong Qu followed him out, leaving only Tao Niang and Jian Lin inside the cave.
Tao Niang patted her back and said softly, "Don't worry, it's nothing. You bit the Demon Lord, it was just a minor injury. After the medicine last night, you've fully recovered."
Jian Lin sat up straight and asked anxiously, "Really? Nothing else happened, right?"
"No," Tao Niang suddenly asked with a sly smile, "Or does Miss A Pei wish something had happened?"
"How dare I! Look at the Demon Lord's expression. If something really happened, I wouldn't survive!" Jian Lin patted her chest, saying with lingering fear, "You scared me to death. It's all my fault for being greedy and eating things randomly."
"Speaking of which," Tao Niang asked doubtfully, "Miss A Pei, didn't you recognize it as a Xiaoyao Fruit? How could you eat it randomly?"
"Xiaoyao Fruit?" Jian Lin shook her head, saying tiredly, "I thought the fruit tasted like an apple, and it was chewy like a peach... and quite delicious."
Hearing this, Tao Niang understood that Jian Lin knew very little about the demon realm. She held Jian Lin's hand and earnestly admonished, "If you want to eat anything from the forest in the future, you must ask me first."
Jian Lin solemnly clasped her hand back, her face a picture of misery. "You say that, I swear, I'll never dare to eat randomly again."
As night fell, everyone prepared to continue their journey. Tao Niang had a flying carpet, which she usually used when traveling. Jian Lin chose to sit with her, while the Demon Lord and Hong Qu continued to fly using a formation.
They traveled in two groups, flying one after another, not too far apart. Jian Lin leaned against Tao Niang, gazing longingly at the Demon Lord's retreating figure, sighing unconsciously.
Although the Demon Lord hadn't said anything, Jian Lin knew that last night's incident wasn't over. If it wasn't resolved, it would remain a knot forever. This was truly a serious problem.
Tao Niang, hearing her sigh, comforted her, "Don't worry. I think the Demon Lord is very good to you. In a day or two, everything will be fine."
"Tao Niang, please don't comfort me," Jian Lin said dejectedly. "The Demon Lord being good to me is one thing, and me angering him is another."
Tao Niang smiled gently. "Miss A Pei, you're truly blind to your own situation. Him being good to you and you angering him are, in fact, one and the same."
Jian Lin pondered carefully but couldn't discern the difference, only feeling that she was an annoying troublemaker.
She reached for the Qiankun bag at her waist. It had been three days since she brought Xiao Li out. She had to find a way to confess soon and let Xiao Li out to stretch its legs. Being confined in the treasure box wasn't a pleasant experience.
That place felt like a dark, void space. If it stayed there for too long, she feared Xiao Li would get depressed.
As dawn approached, they found a mountain peak to rest. Standing at the highest point, bathed in the sunrise, Tao Niang pointed the direction for Jian Lin. "That mountain range in the distance is Yuheng Mountain, the lair of the bird demons, Bai Mei's hometown."
Hong Qu added, "Beyond that mountain range lies the territory of the northwestern tribes of the demon realm. They are, in order, the bird demons, bear demons, tiger demons, and lion demons. Before the appearance of the Demon Emperor, these four major races were the strongest forces in the demon realm. Relying on their strong reproductive capabilities and numerical advantage, they once dominated the demon realm."
Jian Lin nodded, recalling that since entering the demon realm, she had indeed encountered these four types of demons the most.
Thinking of this, she remembered something else and turned to ask Tao Niang, "By the way, Tao Niang, I've been in the demon realm for quite some time now. Why have I never heard any demons discuss what kind of demon the Demon Emperor is?"
Tao Niang smiled slightly and patiently replied, "I don't know. The reason the Demon Emperor is called Emperor is precisely because his powerful demonic energy makes it impossible for other demons to discern his true form."
Jian Lin exchanged a look with the Demon Lord. She had once suspected the Demon Emperor was human. It seemed that possibility wasn't entirely unfounded.
When they found a place to rest, the Demon Lord gestured for Jian Lin to come out, indicating he had something to discuss with her. Jian Lin's eyes lit up, understanding that the Demon Lord wanted to talk about the Demon Emperor. At the same time, for her, it was also a good opportunity...