Jian Lin hesitated, a sigh escaping her lips, filled with a profound sadness. "If only I hadn't gone to the demon realm."
This trip, failing to capture Zhan San Dao, had instead provoked the Demon Emperor. Those captured, injured, or forced to leave the demon realm had gained nothing.
The only one who seemed to have achieved their goal was perhaps Hong Qu.
"What do you mean by that?" the Demon Lord emphasized, his tone serious. "I defeated the Demon Emperor and achieved a breakthrough. This trip was quite rewarding."
The man was stubborn to the very end.
But, fine, she wouldn't argue with someone severely injured.
"Yes, yes, yes," Jian Lin covered the Demon Lord with the blanket. "Your Lordship is the most powerful in the Three Realms. Rest quickly and recover. Your health is paramount."
The Demon Lord, however, wouldn't listen. He insisted on sitting up, even commanding Jian Lin to fetch him a sleeping robe to wear, adopting an air of wanting to question her.
Jian Lin patiently followed his instructions, helping the Demon Lord sit up. Her mind was already prepared, anticipating what he might say.
However, the outcome was unexpected. After settling down, the Demon Lord looked at her with a critical gaze and suddenly remarked, "I've noticed you're becoming less particular. When you were at the dancer's quarters, you always changed into a new outfit every time I saw you."
Jian Lin lowered her head silently. The begonia-patterned outer robe she had bought from the demon realm was tattered and torn after the great battle. She had rolled it up and stored it in her Qiankun bag, and she was now wearing only a plain white dress.
For days, confined to the dungeon, she hadn't bothered to tidy herself up. Each day, she'd huddle under her blanket on the small bed, her skirt hopelessly wrinkled. A touch to her hair revealed it was loose and unstyled. She admitted she wasn't being very particular.
But, was this important?!
"Before, I dressed up meticulously to seduce you, my Lord. Now, I'm too lazy to seduce you, so why bother with being particular?" Jian Lin said indifferently, sitting on the footstool and propping her chin with her hands.
"You truly lack patience and are lazy in your practice. No wonder your cultivation has made no progress. Teaching you the Ming Yue Divine Skill was a complete waste."
The Demon Lord was as sharp-tongued as ever, but Jian Lin had become immune.
She looked up at him and said, half-truthfully, half-jokingly, "It wasn't a complete waste. It was still somewhat useful."
At least cultivating it allowed her to earn points rapidly, which was much better than the common Tian Mo Jue in the demon realm.
The Demon Lord eyed her coldly, too lazy to argue. "We'll discuss this later. For now, I have one question for you: have you made up your mind? Do you still want to leave?"
Jian Lin straightened her back, her expression solemn and serious. "I want to leave. I need to know what happened to Xiao Li. If she's dead, I'll erect a memorial tablet for her. If she's alive, I'll risk my life to try and save her."
The Demon Lord stared at Jian Lin, silent. He reached to the side of his pillow and pulled out a small object.
In the brightly lit bedroom, the light was warm and inviting.
The Demon Lord's long fingers were wrapped around a red string, at the end of which dangled a transparent, eight-treasure glazed ball. The ball emitted a soft glow. Jian Lin peered closer and saw a small silver fish swimming inside.
The small silver fish from the Dragon Bone Spiritual Vein was swimming happily within the glazed ball, surrounded by a faint blue light, leisurely and incredibly lively.
"Your Lordship," Jian Lin asked in surprise, "when did you hide this? I thought I gave all of them to Xiao Li."
"Later, Xiao Li returned one to me," the Demon Lord said, extending the eight-treasure glazed ball to Jian Lin. "Keep it. As long as this fish is alive, it proves Xiao Li is still alive."
Jian Lin took it and examined the small silver fish in the glazed ball, her mind filled with questions. "What's the principle behind this? And why did Xiao Li give it to you instead of me?"
"I don't know the principle. I suspect it's a secret technique of the dragon clan," the Demon Lord said faintly. "As for why she gave it to me, perhaps she thought I was more reliable."
Jian Lin had no argument against that. She gritted her teeth. "This little brat, she really knows how to play favorites."
Despite her scolding, the corners of her lips couldn't help but curve upward. She believed the Demon Lord's words. Xiao Li was alive, and that was wonderful.
"One more thing," the Demon Lord continued. "That night, when I fought the Demon Emperor, I accidentally knocked off his mask. I discovered that half of his face was rotten," he gestured with his finger along his left cheek. "From below his eye down to his jawbone, you could see his teeth."
Jian Lin's mind raced. "His demon power is immense, so why would he be like this? Is this why he was looking for the Dragon Pill?"
"Most likely. His demon power is at its peak, but his physical body is extremely fragile. That night, to defeat me, he suddenly raised his cultivation to the eighth level of the Nascent Soul stage. This can only mean one thing: he had already reached it long ago but was forcibly suppressing his cultivation for some reason, not wanting to break through too early."
"But if that's the case, isn't Xiao Li's situation even more dangerous?" Jian Lin's heart tightened. "The Demon Emperor is in a bad state, so he'll use the Dragon Pill to replenish himself."
"No, precisely because of this, he wouldn't dare to harm Xiao Li easily," the Demon Lord said, exasperated. "The Dragon Pill's demon power is potent. If he were to replenish himself with it, what if his body collapsed directly? The Demon Emperor would absolutely not risk such a trial."
Jian Lin frowned. "If his physical body disappears, what will the Demon Emperor become?"
"Unconscious, powerful demon energy. It would be divided and devoured by other demons, or perhaps subdued by someone with ulterior motives, bringing disaster to the world. If he's lucky and successfully ascends using the Dragon Pill, then the world will be at peace."
Jian Lin suddenly remembered something and slapped the edge of the bed, wincing in pain. She said resolutely, "This must be the Demon Emperor's secret!"
"Of course. Defeating the Demon Emperor is difficult, but replenishing him is not," the Demon Lord concluded. "If I were a demon, I would unite with others and scheme to kill the Demon Emperor, then divide and devour him."
"Bai Mei thought the same way, and then he died," Jian Lin said coolly.
Bai Mei, one of the Demon Emperor's close subordinates and the provider of the Ling Yu Guards, his death had directly caused Hong Qu to be unable to survive in the demon realm.
"Do you know who killed Bai Mei?"
"Wasn't it the Demon Emperor?" Jian Lin asked in surprise.
"It was the High Priest," the Demon Lord said, his gaze deepening as he looked at Jian Lin. "By the way, Jian Mu Sheng, where did you put the High Priest?"
Jian Lin faltered, her gaze flickering, and she stammered, "This matter... it's not easy to explain."
"If you don't want to say, fine. I just want you to know that without the High Priest plotting beside him, the Demon Emperor wouldn't dare to act rashly for a while," the Demon Lord leaned back against the headboard, speaking wearily. "Alright, I've said what I needed to say. If you want to leave, then go. I won't stop you."
Jian Lin lay by the bed, her mind in a state of confusion. Her previously firm resolve began to waver.
After a long silence, she reached out and poked the back of the Demon Lord's hand, asking softly, "Your Lordship, do you think I should go?"
"I don't know. Think for yourself," the Demon Lord refused heartlessly.
"Alas, alright, I'll think for myself," Jian Lin stood up and said softly to the Demon Lord, "Then I'll take my leave. Your Lordship, please rest well."
The Demon Lord closed his eyes and gave a soft hum. Jian Lin turned and walked towards the door.
Just as Jian Lin was about to reach the door, she heard the Demon Lord call out to her.
"Wait."
"What?" Jian Lin turned back, a flicker of hope igniting within her.
"I'll give you the antidote for the poison on your body."
As he spoke, a small white porcelain bottle flew towards her. Jian Lin caught it, holding it in her palm, feeling its residual warmth.
"Take it and circulate your energy to regulate your breathing for a night, and you'll be fine by morning."
From behind the screen, the Demon Lord's voice was faint, yet Jian Lin detected a hint of gentleness.
"Understood. Thank you, Your Lordship!" Jian Lin called out loudly, then closed the door and left briskly.
Stepping out of the main hall, Jian Lin hadn't yet decided where to go when she was stopped by a familiar voice.
"Oh my, isn't this Miss A Pei?" The Head Steward, accompanied by others, approached from the other end of the corridor.
Jian Lin stopped and greeted him calmly, "It is I, Head Steward. You're still on patrol this late. You must be working hard."
They exchanged a glance, neither mentioning how she had gotten out of the death row.
"It's not hard. It's all my duty," the Head Steward said, his hands tucked into his chest, a bright smile on his face. "Who else would manage things when the harem is without a master?"
Jian Lin smiled in response, unsure of the purpose of the Head Steward's words.
Seeing that she wasn't engaging, the Head Steward didn't feel awkward. He beckoned a young attendant. "Here, light the way for Miss A Pei and escort her to the side hall to rest."
He then said to Jian Lin, "The room Miss A Pei previously stayed in is still as it was. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to tell me, Miss A Pei."
Jian Lin had been hesitant about whether to return to her courtyard in the dancer's quarters. Since the Head Steward had offered, she decided to stay in the side hall.
Soon, she arrived at the entrance of the side hall. The young attendant thoughtfully withdrew. Jian Lin pushed open the door and looked inside, feeling as if she had returned from another lifetime.
Indeed, nothing had changed. Plum blossoms were still arranged in the vase, fine silks and luxurious clothes hung on the rack, and various ornaments on the bronze mirror gleamed with a soft radiance.
A storybook was tucked into the bedside cabinet. She lay down amidst the thick, soft bedding and let out a long sigh, her mind feeling sluggish, refusing to think or work.
She reached out and opened the antidote bottle, pouring out a small red pill. She swallowed it whole, turned over, and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
The night passed without dreams.
When she woke again, her ears were the first to stir, her eyes still unwilling to open.
First, she heard the rustling sound outside the window, as if it were raining. Then came the sound of pages turning in a book. Everything was quiet and beautiful.
She hugged her blanket and slept for a little longer before slowly opening her eyes. She found Tao Niang sitting on the bedside cabinet, flipping through a storybook.
Seeing her stir, Tao Niang smiled and greeted her, saying with great interest, "The stories of this human world are quite intriguing."
Jian Lin smiled, her mood inexplicably good.
She got up and pushed open the window. It was indeed raining. The chill rushed in, invigorating her senses and refreshing her spirit.
The demon realm was typically shrouded in mist, with overcast weather and no sunlight for most of the year. The occasional rain washed over the plants and leaves outside the palace, making them appear especially vibrant and lovely.
Jian Lin leaned on the windowsill, lost in thought. Suddenly, she made up her mind. She knew what she had to do.
She would return to the Guan Lan Sect to investigate why she couldn't cultivate a Golden Core. At the very least, she would cultivate a Golden Core before heading to the demon realm to save Xiao Li.
She was definitely going to the demon realm, but she would adopt a different strategy, approaching it with a more mature mindset.