Jian Lin lay there for a long time before she recovered. The room was silent, and the Demon Lord remained like a stone statue, unresponsive to her glare.
After staring for a while, Jian Lin found it tiresome. She composed herself and began to meditate.
She circulated her demonic energy and was surprised to find it much smoother. Although the original supreme yang spiritual energy interfered, it was quickly suppressed. For the first time, Jian Lin felt the joy of cultivation. She cultivated for three hours straight and earned 10 points.
Hearing the notification of points arriving, Jian Lin was overjoyed. She could only circulate her energy once per hour before, but now her efficiency had improved. In three hours, she circulated five times, a significant progress.
After cultivating, she felt refreshed, and with the points credited, Jian Lin was content. Her grievances towards the Demon Lord vanished.
Ultimately, the Demon Lord had acted for her own good. Although his methods were crude, the results were satisfactory.
Jian Lin silently gave the Demon Lord the middle finger. She considered the matter settled.
As night fell, the two left the dark market and headed towards the demon city at the center of the demon realm.
The Demon Lord dared not use the flying formation too ostentatiously, so he rented a carriage.
Of course, he sat inside the carriage while Jian Lin drove.
Late at night, on a dark forest path in the demon realm, wolf howls and beast roars echoed intermittently. A young girl in white, holding a whip, trembled as she urged the carriage forward.
The trees were tall, with dense foliage. Jian Lin felt as if dark shadows were lurking beasts, ready to pounce and devour them.
As Jian Lin's imagination ran wild, someone patted her shoulder. She flinched instinctively, then realized it was the Demon Lord.
"Young Master, what is it?" Jian Lin turned and asked.
"You're so noisy. What are you afraid of?" The Demon Lord's voice came muffled from behind the curtain.
The Demon Lord could feel Jian Lin's tail twitching due to his demonic energy.
"Oh dear," Jian Lin said, driving the carriage and chatting with the Demon Lord. "I'm afraid of all unknown things. Young Master, when you were a child, weren't you afraid of monsters under your bed when you slept?"
"Never," the Demon Lord boasted. "I rarely slept when I was young."
Jian Lin was speechless. In the many days they had known each other, she still couldn't get used to the Demon Lord's pretentious demeanor.
"Alright then," Jian Lin shrugged helplessly. "Young Master, I've been afraid of these things since I was little, and I can't change it overnight. Please bear with me."
The Demon Lord couldn't stand it. He threw aside the curtain and sat outside the carriage with Jian Lin. "How about now? Stop shaking. If you keep shaking, I'll remove my disguise and let those monsters deal with you."
Jian Lin stiffened, then shook even more violently. "...Young Master, what's the use of threatening me? Wouldn't that make me even more scared?"
However, did the Demon Lord not know whether she was truly afraid or pretending?
Clearly, after he came out and sat beside her, she had stopped shaking.
They chatted idly, and the two seemed to be on an outing. Soon, they emerged from the forest and arrived at a small stream.
"Let's rest for a bit. You take this time to cultivate. I'll go ahead and scout the path," the Demon Lord said. Before Jian Lin could respond, he stood up and vanished into the night.
"Don't—" Don't leave her alone, please?
In the wilderness, it was terrifying.
Jian Lin tied the horse to a nearby tree, quickly gathered a pile of dry branches, and lit a bonfire. Watching the flames burn brightly, her mood calmed slightly.
The Demon Lord had not yet returned. Jian Lin was about to cultivate when she suddenly heard a splashing sound from the stream ahead.
Jian Lin's heart stirred. She took out a burning branch and slowly walked to the stream. Indeed, she saw several silver fish swimming, likely attracted by the firelight.
Jian Lin swallowed. She hadn't eaten human food for a very, very long time. She really wanted to eat grilled fish.
She stuck the branch into the bank, looked around to ensure it was safe, and without any prior instruction, formed a hand seal and shot her demonic energy towards the stream. A silver fish immediately flipped onto its belly.
Success! Jian Lin was ecstatic. She reached out, scooped up the fish, cleaned it quickly, threaded it onto a branch, and immediately placed it over the bonfire to roast.
She took out the seasonings she had bought earlier, sprinkled some salt, chili powder, and cumin. As the aroma wafted out, Jian Lin felt an urge to cry.
What was the meaning of her life in this world? This grilled fish gave her the answer.
After it was finally cooked, just as she was about to take a bite, the Demon Lord suddenly appeared. Jian Lin's hand trembled, and she almost dropped the grilled fish.
The Demon Lord frowned, his eyes filled with disbelief. "I told you to cultivate. What are you doing?"
Jian Lin instinctively turned to shield the grilled fish and said guiltily, "Eating... eating something."
"Why?"
"Because... I'm hungry."
A meaningless exchange, highlighting the difference in their understanding.
The Demon Lord was still puzzled. He squatted by the bonfire, his eyes reflecting the firelight like searchlights, and questioned Jian Lin, "Hungry? You can eat辟谷丹 (Bigu Dan - pills to abstain from grain). You entered the Guanlan Sect to cultivate since you were young. After years of cultivation, your desire for food should have long disappeared. You are very strange."
It was indeed strange, but Jian Lin didn't want to explain.
The aroma of charred fish mixed with cumin entered her nostrils. Her saliva flowed like a waterfall, and her rational defenses crumbled. She raised the grilled fish and took a large bite. The moment her tongue touched the fish, her eyes welled up with tears, not an exaggeration.
It was so delicious!
Jian Lin, with red eyes, took a second bite, like a cat guarding its food, quickly devouring the entire fish. She almost choked on a fishbone due to her haste.
The Demon Lord quietly watched her eat. Suddenly, he asked curiously, "How delicious is it?"
Jian Lin wiped her mouth, still savoring the taste. "Extremely delicious. Young Master, do you want to eat some?"
The Demon Lord didn't speak, nor did he refuse. Jian Lin understood and immediately ran to the stream to catch another fish, cleaned it efficiently, and placed it by the bonfire to roast.
Jian Lin skillfully sprinkled the seasonings. While waiting for the fish to cook, she remembered the Demon Lord saying he rarely slept when he was young. Did that mean he hadn't eaten many good things?
Thinking of this, Jian Lin curiously asked, "Young Master, what's the most delicious thing you've ever eaten?"
The Demon Lord fell into thought, as if recalling something from long ago. "Osmanthus cake, perhaps. It pairs well with osmanthus wine."
What a pitiable child, to have eaten so little. Osmanthus cake was just a snack, yet it was the most delicious thing he could recall.
Jian Lin handed the first cooked fish to the Demon Lord, thoughtfully reminding him, "Eat slowly, be careful of the fishbones."
The Demon Lord held the grilled fish as if he had never seen such a crude item. After studying it for a long time, he tentatively took the first bite.
Jian Lin observed his expression closely and said enthusiastically, "How is it? Isn't it delicious? This fish is fresh, so even a simple roast with seasonings tastes good. However, it's not as good as the delicacies prepared by professional chefs. By the way, Young Master, you have power and influence. You can set up a royal kitchen at home and hire chefs to cook for you. That's the true enjoyment of life."
The Demon Lord ate slowly. Upon hearing this, he said with strong disapproval, "Cultivators are most afraid of indulgence. All desires must be renounced. Otherwise, like Granny Saint Fox, after three thousand years of cultivation, she still cannot ascend."
"What's so good about ascending? If you ask me, Granny Saint Fox likes men. She's lived for three thousand years, and her lovers must be in the thousands. It's truly a life well-lived," Jian Lin sighed.
She recalled her past life, working tirelessly on her startup, never having a boyfriend. Her best friend told her she had missed the best phase of her life and couldn't get it back, and she would regret it.
Jian Lin, however, was unconcerned. Once her company went public, she would become a billionaire. Then she would host a talent show and pick the most handsome one to be her boyfriend. Wasn't that better than dating?
"You are truly strange," the Demon Lord interrupted Jian Lin's reverie. "Whether human or demon, once one begins to cultivate, ascension is the sole goal. It has never changed from ancient times to the present."
Jian Lin chewed the fish, swallowed, and let out a satisfied sigh. "I value the process as much as the outcome. To cultivate desperately and then ascend from a secluded mountain, it's rather meaningless."
The words sounded strangely familiar. The Demon Lord paused, but couldn't recall where he had heard them.
The two sat by the bonfire, eating fish and chatting until late into the night, when they set off again.
"There's a small demon village ahead. We can stay there," the Demon Lord said, sitting outside the carriage with Jian Lin.
Jian Lin, full and satisfied, began to feel drowsy. She couldn't even hold the whip steady and said with yawns, "Okay, that's great."
The Demon Lord reached out and took the whip, saying disdainfully, "You're so weak. If you cultivated diligently and improved your power, you wouldn't get sleepy so easily."
"Oh dear, Young Master, have you heard the saying, 'He who eats your food has short hands'? You just ate my fish, so spare me a few words of criticism," Jian Lin said with a grin.
The Demon Lord snorted, flicked the whip, and the horse neighed and galloped forward. The carriage bounced violently, and Jian Lin almost fell out.
She grabbed the door frame with her other hand and burst into laughter. She loved seeing the Demon Lord flustered the most!
They sped to the small demon village. It was nearing dawn, and the elders of the village were calling out the names of their young demons, leading them home.
As the carriage entered the village, it immediately attracted many gazes. Jian Lin looked around and found the demon village to be very simple and rustic. The courtyards were plain, and there were no wealthy households in sight.
She chose a house by the roadside at an intersection. The young demon there was lively and kept peeking towards them. Jian Lin walked towards him.
Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a little tiger demon. Its appearance was that of a small tiger, but it could walk upright and wore coarse cloth clothes, indicating it was in the early stages of cultivation.
Jian Lin approached him, squatted down, and struck up a conversation. "Little tiger, are your parents here? Please tell them that two passing cultivators wish to stay the night."
"My mother is here," the little tiger replied enthusiastically. He turned and shouted loudly, "Mom, a beautiful little fox demon sister wants to stay!"
A beautiful little fox demon sister! Jian Lin's heart bloomed with joy. Such sweet words! This little tiger demon was so likable!
A gentle female voice came from within the courtyard. "What? Please come in quickly."
Jian Lin looked back. The Demon Lord had already tied the carriage to an old tree by the entrance. She beckoned him to come in together.
"Our home is poor and we have nothing good. Please come in, and don't be offended."
Another courtyard gate opened, and a gentle and amiable female tiger demon appeared with a smile.