Yuechan

Xu Shulou and the other person followed the demon servant and entered the "Gate of Hell".

Bai Roushuang pinched the corner of her senior sister's clothes, gritted her teeth and mustered up her courage. Today she was willing to risk her life to accompany a gentleman. Even if it was the real gates of hell, she would follow her senior sister today!

I stepped into the threshold with great ambition, but when I looked up, I found that this "gate of hell" did not seem to be worthy of its name. The layout inside was warm, with a soft couch, a small table, and a rosewood table with writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstone. There were light goose yellow curtains on the bamboo windows, and on the wall hung a boy's New Year picture that was often posted during the New Year in the mortal world, which was used to attract wealth and fortune.

Seeing such a lovely New Year picture inside the "Gate of Hell" surprised Bai Roushuang more than running into an evil ghost head-on.

Seeing her staring at the painting, the demon servant asked curiously, "What's going on?"

"Why is there a New Year painting hanging here? What misunderstanding do you have about it...ah, I mean, what special understanding do you have?"

The demon servant shook his head: "I just think it's cute. The Demon Lord always likes cute things."

“…”

"Please come this way." The demon servant continued to lead the way.

The two followed, passed through the porch, and saw many jumping red bugs in the yard. Each one was the size of a yellow dog in the human world, and they were running freely in the yard.

"What is that?" Bai Roushuang was surprised.

"Cochineal insects are used to make rouge," the demon servant said, "If the girl likes them, she can take a few away. I can decide on this."

Bai Roushuang's eyes lit up: "Senior Sister, can I bring some back to make lip balm for you?"

Xu Shulou shook his head frantically.

"..." Bai Roushuang could only look at the demon servant with regret, "Why is there a group of cochineal insects in the Demon Palace?"

"To make money," the demon servant said frankly, "the Demon Lord has a hard time these days, and he still has to pay us monthly salaries."

“…”

As they were talking, the three of them stopped in front of a well.

The demon servant gestured to the well mouth: "You two, please."

There was silence, and the three of them stared at each other.

Bai Roushuang's voice trembled slightly: "Are you... inviting us to commit suicide by jumping into a well?"

The demon servant was startled: "I am leading you two to see the Demon Lord."

Bai Roushuang pointed to the well mouth with trembling fingers: "Is the old Demon Lord... down here?"

The demon servant nodded very naturally.

At that moment, Bai Roushuang had already imagined a complete story in her mind about the demon servant plotting to usurp the throne and sinking the Demon Lord's body to the bottom of the well.

But her brave senior sister just shrugged, said "Okay, since we're here", and jumped down.

Hearing the "thump" sound beside her ear, Bai Roushuang froze in place, not even able to retract the hand she had extended as a gesture to retain him.

The demon servant also jumped down. Bai Roushuang wiped the splashing water on her face, sighed, and followed him resignedly.

She was quite good at swimming, so she quickly dived into the well and followed the demon servant, groping forward. She heard him say, "The Demon Palace is just ahead."

"It turns out that the real Demon Palace is actually built in a well." Bai Roushuang complained in her heart that the place where the Demon Lord lived was not grand at all.

"It was built hundreds of years ago. At that time, the relationship with the cultivation world was tense and almost went to war," the demon servant explained, "so the Demon Lord's residence was built in a fake and real way, just in case."

Xu Shulou nodded to show her understanding. She blew a bubble and brushed away the water plants stuck on her face and the strange fish that took the opportunity to dive into her arms: "I only have one question, why must it be a well and not a dry well?"

“…Good question.”

The group walked in the dark for a while, and suddenly the view in front of them became clear. The three of them seemed to have passed through some kind of barrier in an instant, leaving the water behind, and stepped into a dry inner room.

A middle-aged man in a lavender robe was standing not far away to greet them. He looked like an ordinary person, with one nose and two eyes. He could even be called handsome. He was looking at the two of them with a smile: "You are a guest. Please allow me to show my hospitality as a host."

Is this the Demon Lord?

In this sunless underground demon world, his smile was bright and radiant, and no matter from which angle, it did not match Bai Roushuang's imagination. He was neither a man with three heads and six arms, nor did he have a hideous face.

He even held a rabbit doll in his hands and stroked it. Bai Roushuang stared at it for a few seconds, trying to get a glimpse of the dark side of the Demon Lord from it, but it was not even made of real rabbit skin, but just ordinary velvet.

Seeing her staring at the rabbit doll, the Demon Lord smiled and said, "I heard that in the mortal world, this is also a toy that people can't put down."

"That's true." Bai Roushuang did not point out that the main group of people in the mortal world who love it are usually children.

"Please take a seat," the Demon Lord personally poured wine for them, "I guess you are not used to the food here, but the wine is not bad."

Bai Roushuang was sharp-eyed and saw a line of correctly written poetry engraved on the wine pot: "A golden cup of wine costs ten thousand coins, a jade plate of delicacies costs ten thousand coins", and she was actually moved for a moment.

After taking a sip of the delicious fruit wine, she hesitated for a moment and couldn't help asking, "You seem to be familiar with the world of the mortals."

"If the girl is referring to the taste of the food, then I do know something about it."

"Then do you know what the rumors about the mortal world are about in the market?"

"I know this too." The Demon Lord's eyes were filled with helplessness, "It's just that I am powerless to change it."

"Why do you say that?"

"There is no sunlight in the Demon Realm, so vegetables and rice cannot grow. Even if we know how to make those delicacies, we cannot make them," the Demon Lord sighed. "It is not necessarily a good thing to explain it clearly and make them feel envious. It will either foster their ambitions and eventually cause unrest in the Three Realms, or it will simply give rise to their yearning and make everyone want to go up there to take a look. But where is there a place for us demons under the sun?"

"..." Bai Roushuang had not thought about this question yet. She was stunned when she heard it. She felt helpless and looked at her senior sister. However, Xu Shulou did not show any emotion. He just lowered his head and drank the wine.

There were footsteps in the corridor of the main hall, accompanied by the tinkling of rings and pendants. The Demon Lord's ears moved and he raised his voice, "Just right, Chan'er, there are two distinguished guests, Xu Shulou and Miss Bai Roushuang, here, you can come and meet them too."

Upon hearing this, the woman who had not yet appeared screamed, "Ah!" and turned and ran away.

Bai Roushuang habitually looked at her senior sister, her eyes full of questions. She was certainly not wondering what her senior sister had done to this girl. Since the second year she knew her senior sister, she had been smart enough not to ask such questions. What else could she have done? Beat her, hit her, or cut her? Choose one of the three?

At this moment, she just wanted to understand the specific extent of the offense, whether it could be resolved through communication, or whether it required them to turn around and run away immediately.

Xu Shulou looked at her calmly and spread his hands to indicate that he could not answer this question.

The Demon Lord smiled sheepishly: "I'm sorry, this child is a little willful."

Bai Roushuang trembled. When the Demon Lord found out that her senior sister might have beaten this girl, it would probably be their turn to apologize.

The Demon Lord poured Xu Shulou another glass of wine and said, "Please forgive me for being so blunt, but may I ask what exactly are you doing in the Demon Realm?"

Xu Shulou was very straightforward: "I heard that the demons are going to launch a massive attack on the cultivation world, so I came to investigate the situation."

"Oh?" The Demon Lord raised his eyebrows, "What conclusions have you two come to?"

Xu Shulou shook his head: "I think the demons are peaceful and hospitable. Although they have many misunderstandings about the cultivation world, they don't seem to be planning a large-scale invasion."

It turns out that when necessary, Senior Sister is still very good at talking, Bai Roushuang thought, at least she didn't say it directly - with the wisdom of the demons, even if they attack, it may not succeed. Besides, you, the demon lord, can't even pay your monthly salary, where can you get the army to fight for you?

The Demon Lord nodded with satisfaction: "Of course I don't have such thoughts. Looking back at the several great wars between Dao and Demon in history, even if the cultivators were seriously injured, the Demons never gained any advantage. Isn't it better for everyone to live in peace? I'm sure you two have also seen that the Demons are actually quite content and have no ambitions."

Xu Shulou smiled. No matter what the reason was, she never wanted to see war.

After learning that they had no ill intentions, the Demon Lord breathed a sigh of relief and began to warmly invite them to stay in the Demon Palace temporarily.

The two agreed, and after a moment, they looked at the demon servant who was cleaning the room in the guest room and fell silent.

"It seems that the Demon Lord is really short of manpower."

The demon servant wiped his sweat, raised his head and smiled: "I get the highest monthly salary, those who are capable should do more work."

“…”

He tidied up the room and left quickly. A moment later, brisk footsteps were heard outside the door again.

A young girl hesitated at the door for a moment, then stuck her head in, revealing a familiar face and smiling brightly at them.

"Yue'er, why are you here?" Bai Roushuang was surprised. This girl in the light-colored dress was actually the demon they met on the cruise ship that year. She had also traveled with them for a while, walking through the City That Never Sleeps and the Fenxiang Valley together.

"I am a maid in the Demon Palace."

"Really? That's a coincidence," Xu Shulou smiled slightly, "I heard that the Saint of the Demon Tribe also has a moon in her name."

Yue Er pursed her lips nervously: "Maybe it's a coincidence."

Xu Shulou sighed: "Yue'er, I know you are Ling Yuechan."

Ling Yuechan, a name that left a deep mark in her dreams.

The Saint of the Demon Clan was not accepted by the world of cultivation, but she fell in love with a hero among the cultivators. From then on, she devoted everything to him like a moth to a flame.

Xu Shulou had never dreamed of what she looked like, but she guessed that the Yue'er in front of her must be Ling Yuechan.

During the brief contact in the Story Brewing Hotel in the City That Never Sleeps, she saw that this girl was very naive, yearned for love very much, and even admired the kind of infatuated love that was willing to sacrifice for love.

Yue'er had also said frankly that she ran away to the cultivation world secretly hoping to meet a man with whom she would fall in love.

But at that time and place, on the cruise ship, the person who appeared in front of her and rescued her was Xu Shulou.

If it was Lu Beichen who showed up at that time, would they have become a perfect couple?

In addition, Yue'er was able to take out the thorny phoenix flower at that time, and now she appeared here again, so there was no one else to guess her identity.

Yue'er's eyes flickered uneasily: "I am indeed Ling Yuechan."

Bai Roushuang was a little surprised: "You are actually the Saint of the Demon Clan."

"I'm sorry, I don't want to lie to you, but I'm afraid..." Yue'er smiled bitterly, "The Demon Lord is my father, you understand, right?"

"I understand a little bit more," Bai Roushuang recalled the newly born great-great-grandmother mentioned by the demon servant and their flexible family tree, "So on the surface, the Demon Lord is your father, but in fact, according to the calculation of the cultivation world, you are his... mother?"

"...I want to say that I know that the cultivation world has a big misunderstanding about my father. I am afraid that after you know my identity, you will no longer want to associate with me." Yue'er looked at Bai Roushuang in confusion, "What are you talking about? Did you eat the poisonous mushrooms in the Porcupine Forest?"

"What poisonous mushrooms?"

"The kind that makes people lose their minds if they eat it."

"..." Unconscious? Thank you for being so tactful and not calling me a fool. Bai Roushuang burst into tears.