Yu Ju, who was recuperating in the Ghost Domain, suddenly sat up, clutched his chest, and gasped for air.
"My Lord, what's wrong?"
Yu Ju pressed his chest. The suffocating sensation disappeared, as if it had been his imagination. After a moment, he said with a wry smile, "I must be possessed. I don't even have a heart, so how can I feel heartache?"
"My Lord, are you truly alright?" Miao Shao asked, concerned. "Has your injury relapsed?"
Yu Ju lay back on the couch, popped a grape into his mouth, and said, "No, I'm fine. Have you still not found Geng Xin Yu?"
"No, that girl is mischievous. She snuck out to look for you. The people we sent out haven't found any trace of her. I'm truly worried something might happen to her."
"She's cunning and sharp; she'll be fine," Yu Ju said calmly. "If you're still worried, you can go look for her yourself. You don't need to worry about me here."
"My duty is to protect you, My Lord."
"I was careless then, which allowed the Celestial Demon Clan to sneak attack me. Now, here in the Ghost Domain, no one can harm me. Go and find Geng Xin Yu with peace of mind."
Miao Shao hesitated. After all, their demon race was considered wicked in the eyes of many. Their Demon Lord had only recently returned and was injured. If those who called themselves the righteous path of Wuling were to unite and attack the Ghost Domain, and he wasn't by his Lord's side, it would be a dereliction of duty.
"Rest assured and go find her. It's quite dangerous for a young girl to be out there alone," Yu Ju said with a hint of worry. "Besides, how many people can harm me? If someone who can harm me arrives, it won't matter whether you're here or not."
Miao Shao didn't want to admit it, but he had to agree that it was the truth. If Yu Ju couldn't defeat them, then he certainly wouldn't be able to either.
"I can die with you, My Lord."
"Get lost!" Yu Ju snapped. "I've just come out of the Land of No Return, and you're already wishing me dead!"
"I didn't mean that, My Lord," Miao Shao scratched his head. "What I meant was, I can go through fire and water for you."
"I command you to go and find Geng Xin Yu."
"Your subordinate obeys."
"My Lord, enemy attack! Someone has broken into Ghost King City!"
"How many people are there?" Yu Ju asked, sitting up.
"One."
"One person!" Yu Ju's expression was a mix of disbelief and amusement. "I'd like to see who's so arrogant to dare to break into Ghost King City alone. Do they think I, the Demon Lord, am dead?"
Yu Ju got up and strode towards the door, with Miao Shao following close behind. Just as they reached the entrance, a figure moved like lightning, instantly appearing before them.
Miao Shao drew his sword to strike, but before it was even halfway out, Yu Ju slapped him with a backhand, sending him tumbling into a nearby pool.
"You... you..."
Xuan Xin looked at Yu Ju with a calm expression. "I came to see, is that not allowed?"
Yu Ju quickly moved aside. "You are most welcome. Please come in. Miao Shao, have the kitchen prepare the best food, drink, and entertainment."
Miao Shao climbed out of the pool, his clothes dripping, and turned towards the kitchen. Midway, he looked back with suspicion.
"Who is this person that My Lord seems so afraid of?"
No one answered Miao Shao's unspoken question, but he still had to follow his Lord's orders.
Yu Ju watched Xuan Xin, who was sitting in the main seat, casually munching on fruit. He shuffled over to her side and gently pinched her cheek.
"Warm, alive!"
Xuan Xin stared at Yu Ju, silent.
Yu Ju pinched her hand again. "Soft, truly alive!"
"What madness are you acting out?"
"I'm just so happy!" Yu Ju held Xuan Xin's hand and examined it carefully. "They all said you were annihilated. Seeing you suddenly appear before me, I feel like I'm dreaming."
Xuan Xin grabbed the hand pinching her cheek and twisted it hard. Yu Ju yelped in pain. "It hurts, it hurts!"
"It's good that it hurts. It means you're not dreaming."
"When did you return?"
"Just now," Xuan Xin said while eating fruit. "Xiao Man and the others broke into the underground palace and woke me up."
"I knew she was the key to your resurrection," the Demon Lord exclaimed, clapping his hands. "It wasn't in vain that I helped her once."
"Are you on good terms with her?"
"We've only met once," Yu Ju said earnestly. "I met her when she released me. Later, she was taken to Broken Evil Mountain by the Celestial Demon Clan. I chased her to Broken Evil Mountain, but I was a step too late. So, we've only met once."
"What, do you really want to see her?"
Yu Ju shook his head. "No, the person I want to see is you."
Xuan Xin blushed under Yu Ju's gaze. "The Human Emperor..."
"He's a human with a short lifespan. Who knows how many times he's reincarnated by now. He might have even been reborn as an animal," Yu Ju said, grinding his teeth at the mention of the Human Emperor. If not for him, how could Xuan Xin have ended up in such a state?
"You seem to dislike the Human Emperor very much."
"Of course, I dislike him. If it weren't for him, how would we have ended up like this?" The Demon Lord was filled with regret. He didn't care about being tricked by the Human Emperor, but the Human Emperor had tricked Xuan Xin as well!
"What happens to him, really, I don't care," Xuan Xin said softly. "At that time, I was too new to emotions and desires to know what I truly wanted. Actually, I..."
"My Lord, the food has arrived," Miao Shao, who had changed into clean clothes, said as he ordered the food to be served. "Please enjoy."
Miao Shao stood by to serve. Yu Ju gave him a look, signaling him to leave. Miao Shao, however, kept staring at Xuan Xin, not noticing Yu Ju's signal. He was very curious about Xuan Xin's identity.
"Ahem!" Yu Ju coughed loudly. Miao Shao quickly looked over.
"My Lord, do you have any other instructions?"
"Didn't I tell you to go find Geng Xin Yu? What are you standing here for? Go find her now!" Yu Ju gritted his teeth. He was usually such a smart young man, but he always got confused at crucial moments!
"Now that there are powerful enemies surrounding us..."
"Powerful enemies?" Xuan Xin asked, confused. "The Celestial Demon Clan?"
"The Celestial Demon Clan, I don't even consider them a threat," Yu Ju explained. "Recently, cultivators from the human world have been intruding into the Ghost Domain. He's worried that the human race will gather a large army to attack the Ghost Domain."
"The human army is currently attacking Wuji City. When I left, Xiao Man and the others had captured quite a few people," Xuan Xin said thoughtfully. "Do they think you're in Wuji City, so they've taken their army to attack Wuji City?"
"Wuji City is under siege?"
"It doesn't look like a siege, more like a trap," Xuan Xin explained. "Xiao Man is quite cunning; she's not someone who would suffer a loss."
"Yes, she's definitely not someone who suffers losses," Miao Shao agreed emphatically. "Usually, it's she who schemes against others."