Jian Lin was astonished, thinking she was hallucinating. She glanced at the roadside stall and turned to confirm with the Demon Lord, "Young Master, that demon over there is actually selling food!"
"What's so strange about that? Cultivation in the demon realm emphasizes the survival of the fittest. They like to eat. By the next big town, you'll find even more demon realm delicacies," the Demon Lord said indifferently.
Jian Lin suddenly remembered Granny Sacred Fox's Myriad Demon Tower, where its gourmet food business ranked second. Demons were indeed capable of eating a lot and eating well.
Her appetite was instantly whetted. She gazed longingly at the Demon Lord, pleading and flattering, "Young Master, are you hungry? I'll go buy some for you to try..."
"I'm not hungry," the Demon Lord snorted, clearly still displeased. "No eating, no one is allowed to eat."
Jian Lin bit her lower lip, tears welling up. She regretted asking him about spiritual roots earlier. Now she had offended the Demon Lord, which was truly a loss.
Buns, she hadn't eaten buns in ages.
Before, she had been busy with social engagements to rush to the city, attending business banquets every day, eating endless delicacies. After transmigrating, she found herself missing simple food the most.
As they got closer to the roadside stall, Jian Lin forced herself to turn her head away, refusing to see or hear. She finally endured the range of the enticing aroma.
Jian Lin let out a long sigh, looking as if she had narrowly escaped a disaster. The Demon Lord's lips curved slightly. Good, he was satisfied. If he was unhappy, she wouldn't be allowed to be happy either!
The journey today was very short, and they didn't have to gallop. Around the fourth watch, they arrived at the large town the Demon Lord had mentioned, Qiongqi Town.
As one of the eight great towns of the demon realm, Qiongqi Town was prosperous and flourishing. Unlike the dark market demon town, which was purely a place for selling goods, this place clearly had demons settling down.
Their buildings imitated human towns. Most demons liked to imitate human behavior and customs, preferring to transform into human form to dress up. They were also quite particular. Capable demons would adorn themselves with fine silks and satins to display their noble status.
Upon entering the town, Jian Lin's eyes swept across it, and she thought she had arrived in the human world.
They casually chose an inn, handed the carriage over to the stable boy, and walked into the inn one after another.
The Demon Lord suddenly stopped. When Jian Lin caught up, he thoughtfully reminded her, "The lowest cultivation level of the demons here is Golden Core. Be careful yourself."
Jian Lin nodded and instinctively clutched the Demon Lord's cloak. Looking around, all the demons were in human form. Of course, their cultivation was higher than hers, a fake demon. Even the stable boy leading the horse was stronger than her. She was the weakest of the weak here.
As they entered the inn, the innkeeper enthusiastically came to greet them, asking if they were stopping for a meal or lodging.
The Demon Lord scanned the hall discreetly. To his surprise, he not only booked a superior room but also ordered a table of food and wine to be eaten in the hall.
Jian Lin was overjoyed, thinking the Demon Lord had a change of heart and was compensating her for not getting to eat the buns.
Unexpectedly, the Demon Lord gave her a quiet look and pulled her to sit down quietly. The demons at the next table were drinking and talking in low voices.
Jian Lin understood and immediately composed herself, secretly eavesdropping with the Demon Lord. It turned out they were discussing the Demon Emperor and the Dragon Pill...
"I heard the Demon Emperor is going crazy looking for a half-demon. He said whoever delivers the Dragon Pill to him will be appointed Grand Preceptor, second only to him among all demons."
"Indeed. I heard that the northwest is in chaos, with several tribes fighting each other, all claiming the other side is hiding the Dragon Pill."
"By the way, third brother, you're well-informed. Little brother here has something he doesn't understand. Why does the Demon Emperor want the Dragon Pill? He's already a demigod, does he really want to ascend?"
That third brother slowly replied, "Of course. Who wouldn't want to ascend? With divine power, one can do whatever they please. It's precisely because the Demon Emperor wants to ascend, but he has committed too many sins. The tribulation will surely backfire. He's looking for the Dragon Pill to protect himself!"
"If you ask me, the truth of the Dragon Pill is hard to say. How powerful is a half-demon possessing a Dragon Pill? It's impossible to hide, right? If they can't find it now, it's very likely it doesn't exist!"
"Impossible! The Great Priest's divination is very accurate. If he lied, the Demon Emperor would have killed him long ago!"
"The Great Priest is very accurate, why can't he figure out where the Dragon Pill is? I don't believe it!"
The two began to argue. The third brother advised them to calm down, raised his wine cup, and started to persuade them to drink. Then the topic shifted to which demoness in the Myriad Demon Tower was the most capable.
Obscene language, unbearable to hear.
Jian Lin was speechless and stopped listening to the four of them chatting idly, shifting her attention to the food and wine.
To be fair, the chefs in the demon realm were quite good. They could stir-fry and steam, and use salt for seasoning. It wasn't entirely human food; it was more like demon realm improved cuisine, and it tasted not bad.
Jian Lin secretly took out the chili powder and did some reprocessing. After tasting it, she was amazed. She solicitously placed the best piece of meat into the Demon Lord's bowl. The Demon Lord ate it reluctantly, feeling his anger subside considerably.
After the meal, the two went upstairs to their room. At the corner, they bumped into a demon. Jian Lin leaned back, almost falling. Fortunately, the Demon Lord reached out to support her.
Both sides took a step back. The demon on the stairs repeatedly apologized, "My apologies, it was my carelessness."
Jian Lin looked up and saw the demon wearing a fine blue Daoist robe, a jade crown on his head, his hair neat and smooth. He had a handsome and refined appearance, with a gentle and elegant demeanor. He was about seventeen or eighteen years old, with no trace of demonic aura.
"It's nothing," Jian Lin was exceptionally lenient towards handsome men. She squeezed the Demon Lord to the wall and made way for the other person. "Little brother, please go ahead."
The little brother cupped his fists in thanks, sidestepped, and went down the stairs. As he passed Jian Lin, he looked at her intently several times. They exchanged glances and smiled, quite lively.
After the little brother's figure disappeared, the Demon Lord spoke coldly, "Aren't you going to move? Do you want to squeeze me to death?"
Jian Lin quickly stood up, turned, and patted the Demon Lord's clothes, saying sheepishly, "Oh, Demon Lord, I didn't do it on purpose. Didn't you tell me to be careful and not provoke those with Golden Core cultivation? See how obedient I am."
Heh, as if I believe you.
The Demon Lord flicked his robe and strode away. Jian Lin followed with a smile, chattering about this and that.
As soon as the door was closed, Jian Lin finally asked what was on her mind, "Young Master, the person downstairs said they don't believe the Dragon Pill exists. Should we believe it?"
The Demon Lord sat cross-legged, deep in thought. After a while, he replied, "The Dragon Pill may not exist, but the Demon Emperor's actions to find it are real. As long as we delve deeper, we will eventually find traces of Zhan Sandao."
Jian Lin nodded silently. It made sense. She almost forgot that their main purpose for coming to the demon realm was to find Zhan Sandao.
However, a thought suddenly occurred to her: she sincerely hoped that the existence of the Dragon Pill was false. That wicked Demon Emperor, the Demon Emperor who killed the crane maiden, must be struck to death by heavenly lightning when he attempts to ascend.
She reached back and pulled out a hairpin. She examined it carefully by the candlelight. The hairpin was as red as blood. At the cloud pattern at the end, a small triangular symbol was carved. She didn't know what it meant.
Thinking of the massacre of the crane clan, perhaps she would never know the maiden's name. Sadness welled up within her.
Alas, it was time to be sentimental again.
Jian Lin always told herself that the crane maiden was a stranger to her, and she shouldn't waste energy on strangers. But she couldn't help it. She had always been a person with a strong sense of justice.
In college, when she saw a pervert bothering a high school student on the subway, she kicked him in a vital spot, sending him directly to the hospital.
That pervert demanded compensation, and it was her family who came to help resolve it, causing a lot of trouble.
However, Jian Lin never regretted stopping the incident, only regretting that she had impulsively acted instead of using a bit of strategy and protecting herself.
Her thoughts drifted. Suddenly, a "pop" sound came from the Demon Lord's side, like the sound of a cork being pulled from a wine bottle. Jian Lin looked back and saw a note in the Demon Lord's hand. He was reading the message intently.
His brows were furrowed, and he looked displeased. Jian Lin asked with concern, "Young Master, what's wrong?"
The Demon Lord put the note into his palm, then crushed it into ash, and said in a low voice, "It's nothing major. The Guanlan Sect has issued a demon-subduing decree to all immortal sects. They are gathering at the Guanlan Sect to discuss attacking the Demonic Sect."
Oh, it's the main plot. The Guanlan Sect dealt with the traitor and issued a call to action, and now they're holding a mobilization meeting.
"Young Master, you don't need to worry too much. They'll be discussing for a long time," Jian Lin couldn't help but spoil the plot for the Demon Lord. "The Beiming Sect, the Carefree Sect, and the Chasing Wind Pavilion all want to use this opportunity to compete for the title of second-best in the world. Their focus isn't on subduing demons; they're constantly competing and discussing the Dao, and they'll be at the Guanlan Sect for a long time."
The world generally recognized the Guanlan Sect as the number one immortal sect, but for the second, there were four or five contenders, none of whom acknowledged the others.
Each immortal sect had its own hidden agenda, wanting to seize the opportunity of attacking the demonic sect to rise to prominence. In the early stages of the immortal sects, their morale was scattered, posing no threat.
The Demon Lord's gaze turned, and he sneered, "You seem to know quite a lot. As expected of someone from the Guanlan Sect."
"I am not. Don't insult me," Jian Lin didn't want to be associated with people who wanted her dead, so she quickly clarified, "Jian Lin of the Guanlan Sect is already dead. I am now Jian Lin of the Demonic Sect."
"You can hardly be considered part of the Demonic Sect. You haven't even performed the apprenticeship tea ceremony, nor have you been claimed by a master," the Demon Lord exposed her without mercy.
"Then what am I?" Jian Lin asked, surprised that the Demonic Sect had so many rules.
"At most, a servant of the Demonic Palace," the Demon Lord replied seriously.
She had actually become a servant. Jian Lin took a deep breath. Truly, some things are better left unsaid.
Jian Lin didn't want to speak. She sat cross-legged and meditated. Nothing was as reliable as points. Once she accumulated enough points, she would definitely change to a noble identity and hold her head high.
Demonic energy circulated for three weeks, and points were happily credited. As the sun rose in the east, light streamed through the windowpanes and fell on Jian Lin, making her feel warm all over.
Jian Lin suddenly opened her eyes and listened carefully. It was already daytime, but why were there still sounds of demons coming and going outside?
She quietly got up, opened the window, and peeked out. She discovered that there were indeed quite a few demons on the street. Unlike before, when demons would go home to sleep during the day, the streets were quiet and empty.
As she was watching intently, a quarrel suddenly erupted from another alley. Jian Lin craned her neck to look and saw a figure in blue being thrown out. Seven or eight burly men in black were beating him.
Jian Lin looked closely. Wasn't the person being beaten that handsome little brother?
But Jian Lin constantly remembered her weak cultivation and the need to avoid trouble. For a moment, she didn't dare to speak.
The group of demons probably didn't intend to kill the little brother. After a thorough beating as a warning, they quickly left. The little brother got up, dusted himself off, and walked towards the inn.
He took a couple of steps, and perhaps sensing someone watching him, he looked up, meeting Jian Lin's eyes. He smiled gently and raised his hand to wave at her.