The Demon Lord listened quietly as she finished speaking, feeling utterly speechless.
He had warned Jian Lin not to meddle in other people's affairs, and now it seemed she hadn't taken his words to heart at all. When had he, the Demon Lord, ever been subjected to such indignity?
"I don't know, you figure it out yourself," the Demon Lord said, waving his hand dismissively, completely unwilling to get involved.
Jian Lin, quick as lightning, grabbed the Demon Lord's sleeve and whispered fiercely through gritted teeth, "Young Master, you can't abandon this! This is a romantic debt you owe. Be careful of divine retribution for being a heartless man!"
The Demon Lord's brows furrowed. "Don't be unreasonable. Let go of me, or I'll have to use force. Don't say I didn't warn you."
Jian Lin was unfazed and insisted, "Young Master, please try to recall. Her name is Hong Qu, she's a fire fox, and she recognizes your scent. She also said you hate monsters the most. You might not remember her, but she definitely remembers you."
"Fire fox..." The Demon Lord pondered for a moment and replied earnestly, "It's possible. However, there were no less than ten fire foxes raised in the Hundred Beasts Garden. I can't possibly remember each one, nor is it meaningful to dwell on their relationships."
"But she seems to care about you a lot," Jian Lin said empathetically, trying to secure a meeting for Hong Qu. "Young Master, please meet her once, just to fulfill her dying wish. I promise you, once you see her, I will absolutely not help her anymore. Whether she lives or dies will be entirely up to her own abilities!"
In that instant, Jian Lin suddenly understood why she had risked her life to help Hong Qu.
Besides her sense of justice, a major reason was her unwillingness to witness another tragedy similar to that of the Crane Maiden and Zhu Qingyu.
It was just a hair's breadth away, this regret in life, this piercing pain.
The Demon Lord seemed to be affected by Jian Lin's emotions. He looked intently at Jian Lin, at her eyes, which shone like stars with her excitement, and the unwavering determination within them that he couldn't comprehend.
"Fine, I'll see her. You can let her out," the Demon Lord conceded.
Jian Lin's expression softened, then she frowned displeasedly. "Don't joke. Releasing Hong Qu on the street? Isn't that sending her to her death? We need to go somewhere safe."
"Where?" the Demon Lord asked.
Jian Lin was stumped. She didn't know and could only ask the Demon Lord ingratiatingly, "Young Master, do you have a safe place?"
"This is the Demon Realm, not the Demon Lord's realm. I don't know where is safest," the Demon Lord said coldly.
Jian Lin wrinkled her nose. She knew the Demon Lord must have a way, he just didn't want to help her.
It's okay, resilient Jian Lin, don't be afraid of difficulties, she was sure she could find a solution.
After much thought, she decided to go to Chuyun Pavilion to find Tao Niang. As a proprietress who dared to do business smuggling monsters, Jian Lin believed Tao Niang would surely come up with a plan.
Near Chuyun Pavilion, the Demon Lord told Jian Lin to find Tao Niang herself. He flashed and disappeared, likely going to the top floor to wait for her.
Jian Lin was helpless and went to find Tao Niang alone. Upon hearing that her young master had something to discuss, Tao Niang didn't say much and immediately put down what she was doing and followed Jian Lin upstairs.
Pushing open the door, she saw the Demon Lord standing by the window, exuding an imposing aura. He turned his head, revealing his handsome and elegant profile.
Tao Niang's gaze lingered, showing no hidden admiration. She bowed sideways and greeted the Demon Lord, "Sir, long time no see."
Since Tao Niang didn't know the Demon Lord's name, she used a respectful title, acknowledging his status as a follower of Master Jiuying.
Jian Lin felt that the Demon Lord was deliberately making things difficult for Tao Niang and said coolly, "Young Master, Tao Niang is greeting you."
The Demon Lord glanced at her and said softly to Tao Niang, "Long time no see."
After the pleasantries, the three sat down. Tao Niang asked what business the sir had. The Demon Lord glanced at Jian Lin, who took a deep breath, not knowing where to begin.
This matter involved the Demon Lord's identity, Hong Qu's life, and her hesitation about whether to involve Tao Niang.
Jian Lin's face contorted into a grimace. She asked indirectly, "Tao Niang, do you know of any safe place to talk? A place that can conceal our presence, undetectable by the Lin Yu Guards, a place absolutely secure?"
Tao Niang's expression immediately turned serious. Her boudoir already had a barrier, but it wasn't enough.
The Lin Yu Guards tracked monsters primarily by their scent. Each monster's scent was unique and did not change with their appearance, serving as the sole proof for monsters to identify each other.
The tracking spell used by the Lin Yu Guards was personally created by the Demon Emperor. No concealment method could deceive the Demon Emperor. Any monster he sought would be caught.
Tao Niang understood the implications and asked softly, "May I know what you two intend to do? Could you reveal a little so I can prepare a suitable place for you?"
Jian Lin narrowed her eyes and answered after careful consideration, "A conversation, a confrontation, possibly a fight."
"Then we can only go to that place," Tao Niang stood up and walked to a hidden compartment by her bed. She formed a hand seal with her fingers, unlocked it with a spell, and carefully took out a square wooden box painted with vermilion and gold.
She carried the square wooden box back to the small table, retrieved spiritual energy, and unlocked it again. Upon opening the box, a small brass basin was revealed inside.
The brass basin was carved with the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, as well as various strange symbols. It had numerous scratches and dents around it, clearly indicating it was an antique.
Most astonishingly, within the brass basin flowed something that was neither water nor air. The mass flowed slowly, shimmering with a blue luminescence.
"This is a family heirloom, a sanctuary for our clan in the past. Inside is a small world, capable of complete isolation from the outside," Tao Niang explained slowly. "However, my cultivation is limited, and I cannot keep the magic formation open indefinitely. Each activation requires at least an hour of rest. If you trust me, you can go inside to talk. After an hour, I will release you."
Jian Lin thought it was a good idea and looked up at the Demon Lord, asking for his opinion.
"I have no objections," the Demon Lord said lazily, as if uninterested.
Alright, then Jian Lin stepped forward to accept.
"Then let's use this," Jian Lin seized the opportunity to discuss the price. "I wonder, how many spirit stones would it cost for one use?"
"No need. Miss Apei, you're being too formal," Tao Niang smiled gently. "You do business with Boss Snake and have paid what you owe. Anything I do for you is only right."
Jian Lin smiled. Since Tao Niang had said so, she didn't refuse and asked Tao Niang to begin the ritual.
Tao Niang immediately stood up, spread her arms, circulated her spiritual energy, and gracefully began to form hand seals. Soon, a magic formation identical to the one on the bronze basin appeared before her.
She pushed the formation forward forcefully. Jian Lin felt a chilling sensation and realized her body was shrinking. Pulled by the formation, she fell directly into the bronze basin, engulfed by the blue light.
After a period of chaos, the light suddenly brightened. Jian Lin opened her eyes to find them filled with blooming peach blossoms, as if she had arrived in a peach blossom paradise.
A gust of wind blew, and peach blossoms fluttered down. The Demon Lord's voice came, "What are you spacing out for? Hurry up, we only have an hour."
Jian Lin immediately withdrew from the beautiful scenery, took out the treasure box from her Qiankun bag, opened the lid, and released Hong Qu.
Hong Qu was in a meditative state. Previously, she had been inexplicably confined to a dark space, unable to hear or see anything. Her magical attacks seemed to dissipate into nothingness. Finally, she had no choice but to enter meditation to cultivate and maintain her mental stability.
Suddenly released, Hong Qu couldn't react for a while. Jian Lin called the Demon Lord over to identify if they were old acquaintances.
The Demon Lord came closer to examine her, then slowly shook his head. "I really don't recognize her."
Just then, Hong Qu slowly awoke from her meditation, opened her eyes, and met the face she had longed for day and night. "...Demon Lord... Your Highness, is this... a dream?"
Jian Lin looked at the Demon Lord incredulously. "You said you didn't recognize her?"
Hong Qu regained her senses and saw Jian Lin standing up defensively. "This is not a dream. Where is this? Demon Lord, Your Highness, what... what are you going to do?"
Hong Qu knew very well that Apei would never appear in her dreams. In the darkness, she had cursed Apei countless times, vowing to tear her to shreds the moment she got out.
However, the scene before her proved that Apei and the Demon Lord knew each other, which gave her new suspicions. Could it be that Apei had captured her on the Demon Lord's orders?
Hong Qu's mind was in a state of confusion, unable to sort things out.
Only the Demon Lord spoke. He looked intently at Hong Qu and asked, "Which fire fox are you? Tell me where we met."
This sentence pierced Hong Qu's heart. The man before her was the one she had longed for, thought of constantly, and yet he was asking which one she was?
"Demon Lord, Your Highness, how heartless you are!" Hong Qu's eyes welled up with tears as she accused him loudly. "Why did you save me back then? You bandaged my wounds, fed me medicine, and took care of me for three days and three nights without sleep. Was all of that fake? I would have preferred to die then. What is the point of me living now, suffering agonizing pain every day!"
"It was you," the Demon Lord finally made the connection. He looked her up and down, not sparing any praise. "You have very high cultivation, and you can survive in the demon city. Why do you say life is meaningless?"
"You..." Hong Qu choked, almost fainting. She knelt down with a thud, crawled to the Demon Lord's side, and tugged at the hem of his robe, saying, "Demon Lord, Your Highness, when I first gained sentience, you said you would take me out to cultivate. I followed you with great joy, only for you to knock me unconscious and abandon me in the dense forest. When I woke up, I didn't know what I had done wrong. I believed you would come looking for me. I waited for you... for three years, a whole three years..."
Jian Lin understood and glared at the Demon Lord with fierce condemnation. How could he abandon his pet!
Who would have thought that the Fire Fox Queen would show such a breakdown? It was truly heartbreaking to hear and tear-jerking to witness.
"Three years is but a fleeting moment for a monster," the Demon Lord leaned closer to Hong Qu and said. "That dense forest was a place I carefully selected, very suitable for beginner fox demons to cultivate. There were many prey to help you practice. Hong Qu, you need to understand one thing: humans and demons are different. If you stay by my side, there will be no good outcome."
Hong Qu's gaze gradually turned cold. Finally, she chuckled self-mockingly, lowered her head, and said sadly, "Demon Lord, Your Highness, you don't need to lie to me. A long time ago, I met a white sable. She also came from the Hundred Beasts Garden. She told me that the reason we were thrown out was because you hate monsters."
"You could say that. Monsters in the Demon Palace are unsightly," the Demon Lord said indifferently.
Hong Qu suddenly let out a low laugh, her body trembling, which then turned into a loud, defiant laugh. Suddenly, her gaze sharpened, and she slapped out a palm towards the Demon Lord.
"Demon Lord! Since it has come to this, you forced my hand!"