The Demon Lord had one hand held by Jian Lin and the other resting on the edge of the bed. Candlelight cast beautiful shadows across his handsome, resolute face.
He gazed at her silently, his eyes as dark as a deep pool, showing no inclination to speak, as if he couldn't be bothered with Jian Lin.
Unable to elicit a response, Jian Lin gently stroked his cheek, as if bewitched, and murmured, "Lord Chong Yuan, has anyone ever told you how handsome you are? This face is truly perfect."
"Whether it's handsome or not isn't important, the key is that it's real," the Demon Lord said slowly, leaving it at that.
The moment this scoundrel opened his mouth, the ambiguous atmosphere vanished without a trace.
Jian Lin sobered up considerably, released his hand with a sigh, and said in resignation, "Alright, my face is fake, and I'm wrong."
The Demon Lord chuckled softly, then got up and went out to call for the waiter to clear the dishes. Jian Lin, feeling a bit overwhelmed, pulled up the bed curtains to block his sight and, coincidentally, closed her eyes to rest her mind.
Speaking of the fake face, Jian Lin wasn't unattractive herself. Confidently, she could be called a great beauty after putting on makeup. In the early days of her创业, she had often leveraged her gender advantage in business dealings.
The only thing was, to put it nicely, she had an imposing and dominant aura, but to put it bluntly, she looked a bit fierce and unapproachable.
Her male business partners had commented that while she was beautiful, they would absolutely not marry her. They felt too much pressure coming home to see her every day, though doing business together was quite pleasant.
Ultimately, this excellent male business partner married the company's general affairs secretary, a delicate, gentle, and virtuous beauty.
Even her own brother, an elite returnee with a degree from a prestigious university, possessing vision and insight, whom she had always believed to be a man of great substance who wouldn't judge a wife by her looks.
Yet, he married a beautiful, internet-famous, airheaded sweet girl, which greatly surprised Jian Lin.
She had privately asked her brother why he married his wife.
"She's obedient and beautiful, and she admires me," her brother replied happily. "When you marry a wife, you should marry someone like that."
Jian Lin scorned him, "I thought you were different from those men."
Her brother uttered a profound truth: "Actually, all men in the world are the same, little sister. I think you won't be able to get married. It's okay, your brother will support you."
Jian Lin had never dated. Her understanding of men came from her family and friends. While it wasn't true that all men in the world were the same, it was highly probable that they didn't like Jian Lin's appearance or style.
Therefore, when she initially accepted the system's mission, she gave herself a delicate face. After all, at the time, she only wanted to complete the mission by seducing the Demon Lord and had no other intentions. Naturally, she would do whatever gave her an advantage.
Now, she felt she had only one thing to say: If she had known this would happen, why did she do it in the first place? Why did she change her face? She couldn't change it back now.
She drifted off to sleep, but not for long. She suddenly woke up in the middle of the night. Jian Lin pulled back the bed curtains and saw the Demon Lord sitting on the small couch, his expression calm, the candlelight flickering, the world quiet and gentle.
"You're awake?" the Demon Lord said softly without opening his eyes. "There's tea on the table. It was brought over tonight. Pour yourself a cup if you want some."
Jian Lin was indeed a bit thirsty. She got up to pour the tea. When she touched the teapot, it was still warm, which warmed her heart. When the Demon Lord was good to her, he was truly gentle and considerate.
After drinking the tea, Jian Lin's drunkenness had largely subsided. She quietly opened the window for some fresh air. The inn, a three-story building, offered a good view. Looking out at the sleeping small city, she felt a comforting sense of tranquility.
The next morning, the two of them set off on horseback towards Daliang City.
It was said that most immortal sects, when establishing themselves, chose places of spiritual beauty and abundant spiritual energy, such as mountaintops or deep valleys, places rarely visited by humans, quiet and secluded, suitable for cultivation.
Only the Golden Scale Sect was established on a plain. If you asked why, it was because the founder of the Golden Scale Sect was greedy for wealth. He established the sect purely for making money. It was also because of this that the Golden Scale Sect was looked down upon by the other immortal sects, relegated to the lowest tier.
Despite being looked down upon, the immortal cultivation world still sent a lot of spirit stones to the Golden Scale Sect. The Golden Scale Sect continuously developed and grew, transforming from a small sect into the sole immortal cultivation metropolis.
Jian Lin and the Demon Lord traveled by horse for four days, officially arriving at Daliang City around noon.
Jian Lin walked on the smooth avenue, gazing at the sturdy city from afar, her excitement evident. She was finally going to enter the city!
Especially along the way, there were many rogue cultivators and merchants coming and going. Jian Lin had already imagined a bustling and prosperous great city in her mind.
Before they even got close, Jian Lin was stunned by the queue of people entering the city. It was already noon, yet there were still so many people waiting.
However, on someone else's territory, they made the rules.
Jian Lin and the Demon Lord exchanged a glance. They dismounted and obediently joined the end of the queue.
She looked forward. On the city gate tower, three large, jujube-red banners fluttered, swaying gently in the breeze. Jian Lin looked closely and saw that the banners were embroidered with golden ring-shaped twin fish, which she assumed was the symbol of the Golden Scale Sect.
After she finished looking, just as she was about to speak to the Demon Lord, a loud gong sound suddenly came from behind them, so deafening that it immediately captured the attention of everyone in the queue.
"The Eldest Young Lady of the Golden Scale Sect is arriving! Everyone, please make way!"
A loud shout was heard, followed by the descent of a luxurious and exquisite lacquered red carriage from the sky. Four tall steeds pulled it, landing on the ground and kicking up dust.
After the steeds landed, without any pause, completely disregarding the commoners queuing, they charged straight towards the main gate.
Jian Lin stumbled backward, her face filled with disgust. "What kind of person is this? Are they going home or to be reincarnated? What's the rush?"
As she spoke, ordinary rogue cultivators and mortals ahead who hadn't managed to get out of the way collided with a loaded cart. For a moment, there were cries and screams at the city gate, a scene of chaos everywhere.
Following the Eldest Young Lady's carriage were two teams of guards in brocade robes. They were all adorned with golden belts, their entire being screaming wealth.
Jian Lin was furious. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of the Demon Lord waving his hand, as if something had flown out.
Just as she was about to ask what it was, she saw the Eldest Young Lady's noble carriage ahead sway and, amidst the chaos, tilt. With a crack, one of its wheels flew off. The horses, unable to brake, pulled the carriage, now missing a wheel, and it swayed precariously before finally stopping after a long time.
Jian Lin, enjoying the spectacle, almost laughed to death. With such jolting, wouldn't the person inside be shaken into a meat filling?
The guards in brocade robes immediately surrounded the carriage. One group held back the horses, while another group steadied the carriage and escorted the Eldest Young Lady out.
How could such a lively scene be complete without Jian Lin? She immediately handed the reins in her hand to the Demon Lord and strode forward, parting the crowd to peer inside.
She saw the magnificent and noble carriage had become shattered and broken. As the deformed carriage door opened, a young maidservant in a green dress came out first, followed by another in a yellow dress, and finally, the noble and dignified Eldest Young Lady.
The Eldest Young Lady, clad in brocade and fine silk, had an expression of extreme anger. She glared with her beautiful eyes, flicked her wrist, and a silver light flashed. With a "snap," she whipped a guard.
"What use are you if you can't even do this? Why did the carriage break?" the Eldest Young Lady said arrogantly.
The brocade-robed guards knelt on the ground. "Please calm your anger, Eldest Young Lady. We are going to investigate."
The onlookers gasped, whispering and murmuring amongst themselves, lamenting that the Eldest Young Lady's temper and whip were both formidable.
The Eldest Young Lady seemed to notice the surrounding crowd at this moment. She certainly didn't want her embarrassing appearance to be witnessed by everyone. Enraged, she stomped her foot. "What are you looking at? Chase them all away!"
The onlookers were startled. What kind of words were these? They weren't even allowed to stand here? Did the Eldest Young Lady have control over them?
"Yes!" To their surprise, the brocade-robed guards agreed and immediately rushed to the city gate, presumably to convey instructions.
Soon, a loud voice boomed from the city gate, "Entry is suspended today. Everyone, please come back tomorrow! Disperse, queuing is useless!"
What? This was acceptable? Truly the Eldest Young Lady of the Golden Scale Sect, so arrogant and unreasonable.
The onlookers were filled with indignation. Someone shouted, "You fell, you deserved it! What does it have to do with us? Why can't I enter the city?"
The Eldest Young Lady adjusted her sleeves, raised her chin, and said, "This is my territory. If I want you to enter, you can enter. If I don't want you to enter, you get out obediently!"
With those words, the person who spoke was rendered speechless. Angrily, he flicked his sleeve and turned to leave.
Seeing this, the onlookers sighed and dispersed, carrying their goods to find places to rest, preparing to return the next day.
As the crowd dispersed, Jian Lin remained standing in her spot, her eyes fixed on the Eldest Young Lady with great interest, wanting to see what other crazy things she would do.
Perhaps her gaze was too audacious. Suddenly, the Eldest Young Lady turned around, her fierce eyes locking directly onto Jian Lin. She raised her whip and said to her, "You, what are you looking at?"
Jian Lin didn't react at first. She even looked behind her to see if there was anything. Seeing nothing special, she turned back and pointed at herself with her finger, "Me?"
"Yes, you. I'm asking what you're looking at? Are you treating me as your laughingstock?" the Eldest Young Lady said in a fierce tone, her face stern.
"No," Jian Lin denied loudly, smiling. "I was looking at how beautiful the Eldest Young Lady is. Everyone has a love for beauty, and I couldn't help but look a few more times."
As soon as she said this, the Eldest Young Lady, her maids, and guards were all stunned.
If a man dared to say such things to the Eldest Young Lady, they would definitely arrest him. Daring to flirt with the Eldest Young Lady would only result in death.
But now, it was a woman speaking, and a rather beautiful female cultivator at that. Was this considered flirting? Should they arrest her?
Before the maids and guards could react, the Eldest Young Lady leaped forward, her silver whip flashing, heading straight for Jian Lin.
"How dare you say such things to me! I think you're courting death!" the Eldest Young Lady descended from the sky, full of imposing power. "See if I don't whip your face!"
Jian Lin quickly retreated, trying to dodge the whip. However, the Eldest Young Lady was relentless. She suddenly lengthened the whip. Jian Lin misjudged, and seeing the whip about to strike her face, she quickly dropped down, rolling to dodge.
The Eldest Young Lady pursued relentlessly, wielding her whip with great ferocity. She seized an opening Jian Lin presented and was about to strike her on the back when a hand suddenly appeared from the side, grabbing her whip.
The Demon Lord stood calmly in place, his hand holding the whip, his gaze serene, his aura powerful. "My sister is young and ignorant. I apologize to you on her behalf. Please, Eldest Young Lady, do not be angry. Let this matter go."