Suffering in Luofu City 2

The sound echoed throughout the Drunken Dream Pavilion, startling everyone present. Then, they realized what was happening and started chattering about how the city lord had arrived.

Suddenly, seven enormous white ribbons poured down from the sky, enveloping the center of the Drunken Dream Pavilion.

Suddenly, a demon shouted, "It's the city lord!"

Huaiwen was frozen in place before she even started running, her body tilted to one side. But this half of her body was enough for her to clearly see the seven white silk ribbons instantly transform into countless spirit butterflies, which lightly floated down to various parts of the Drunken Dream Pavilion. A floral fragrance that surpassed the aroma of wine in the Drunken Dream Pavilion also wafted out – the fragrance of cherry blossoms.

Ling Shan Xuan Ye gradually appeared before everyone.

Wearing a robe with auspicious cloud and landscape patterns in hibiscus purple, holding a landscape fan, his handsome features are outlined with an exquisitely detailed jawline, his cold and sharp eyebrows conveying a calm and composed demeanor.

Why does this appearance look different from what she saw at the temple that day?

All the demons and humans knelt on the ground, shouting "Lord City Lord!" Huaiwen heard them and snapped out of her daze, distracted by Xuan Ye's seductive charm. She knew she had caused trouble and understood that this matter was not simple, but it was more important to find a way to escape first.

Xuan Ye was slightly surprised by Huai Wen's sudden appearance at Zui Meng Lou.

He landed in front of Qingye, who then said, "City Lord, I'm sorry to have troubled you."

Xuan Ye shook his head to indicate that he understood, and then listened to the demons below shouting that they must kill this person who broke the rules, and they also talked about countless ways to kill him, etc.

Once you enter the tiger's den, there's no escape. Huaiwen now truly understands this saying.

If Huaiwen's skill level were up to par, it would be impossible for him to arrive at Luofu in just a few days. Xuan Ye frowned, looked at Huaiwen again, a hint of gloom flashing in his eyes, and then fanned himself with his fan. Huaiwen then rose from the ground, landed in front of him, knelt down, and bowed his head.

So he asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"

Huaiwen's eyes showed surprise, but he quickly masked it. If she could ask that, then it meant that it wasn't him, Lingshan Xuanye, who brought her here. So how did she get here?

Aoba asked, "Should we take it?"

Xuan Ye waved his hand, put away his fan, and slowly slumped into the large red chair on the second-floor central platform. Those around him began pouring him wine. As he sipped his wine, the demons below continued to shout that they wanted to teach the one who broke the rules a lesson!

Xuan Ye said sharply, "If you want to die, you can tell me, instead of coming here and playing games with your pathetic immortal techniques and stupid brain."

"I don't want to die!" Huaiwen shouted.

The demons cried out in alarm and began to curse Huaiwen. They offered various suggestions: some said to take ten years of Huaiwen's lifespan, some said to make her a slave, some said to make her a hostess, and some even said to make Huaiwen fall into the animal realm and become a domestic animal of the demons.

The demons grew more and more excited as they talked, and seeing that Xuan Ye did not move, they thought they could act as they pleased as usual, so they were about to devour Huai Wen.

Just then, Onikiri appeared out of nowhere and quickly protected Huaiwen. Seeing this, Xuan Ye stood up, raised his hand, and the demons retreated. Huaiwen broke out in a cold sweat, having almost lost his life.

Onikiri, clinging to Huaiwen, cried out, "Lord Xuanye, please don't kill my young master Huaiwen! Lord Xuanye, we only have young master Huaiwen left!"

Onikiri was still crying, defending Huaiwen, and Huaiwen had no choice but to comfort them. The others were furious; this matter couldn't be left unresolved.

Then, Huaiwen raised his head and looked at Xuan Ye fiercely, asking, "Then what do you suggest we do!"

Upon seeing Huaiwen's fierce expression, Xuan Ye's demeanor completely changed. His previous frivolity and contempt vanished in that instant. Panic filled his eyes, and soon his brows furrowed, all emotion vanishing from his gaze.

Before he could even speak, he heard a demon shout, "Go to Stone Ridge Mountain outside Luofu City and get a piece of inkstone; that will quell your anger!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone, including the demons, followed suit.

Onikiri shook his head worriedly, but Huaiwen knew that there were many ways to die in Luofu City. If the demons could agree to this, then it could be determined that this was the most effective method.

She could have let it go if only she died, but now that Demon Slayer and Demon Killer have arrived, she absolutely cannot let these two little monsters die with her.

So she had no choice but to agree!

"Okay! I agree, but I have conditions!"

Xuan Ye looked at her and asked in a low voice what it was.

All that could be heard was Huaiwen's repeated words: "I! Want! You!"

Another uproar erupted, with everyone hurling insults. Such shamelessness was rare indeed; she deserved to be torn to pieces. The various comments reached Huaiwen's ears, but she paid them no heed. Xuan Ye, on the other hand, remained silent, his face dark.

Qingye spoke first: "How dare you! Who are you to speak such arrogant words!"

"I'm a guest!" Huaiwen rolled her eyes angrily, having given up on everything.

Qingye stood solemnly, about to make a move, when Xuan Ye restrained her. He then walked to Huaiwen's side, squatted down to meet Huaiwen's gaze, and asked, "You want me?"

"Otherwise what?" Huaiwen thought to himself, if it weren't for you, the so-called third guard, who would want you!

Xuan Ye smiled wickedly, "Alright, I'll wait for you."

Huaiwen hadn't expected him to be so agreeable, but she couldn't ask any more questions. She needed to escape first. With that, she grabbed a little ghost in each hand, stepped on the heads of the little demons, and quickly ran away.

The hall was noisy and chaotic, with both humans and demons dissatisfied. Then, Qingye walked up to Xuan Ye and asked, "Why is the city lord doing this?"

"Because she comes from a transgender community."

Qingye nodded silently after hearing this. In her memory, among the humans and demons who caused trouble at Zuimeng Tower, there was only one person for whom she willingly allowed him to cause trouble. And now, perhaps because of an old friend, Xuan Ye was not angry, but instead agreed to his request.

Meanwhile, Huaiwen, who had escaped unharmed, was now sitting on the stone steps, panting. The place was brightly lit, yet she felt utterly dark. No wonder her master said that seeing him meant certain doom! After being dizzy for a while, Onikiri finally recovered. He looked pitifully at Huaiwen and asked what to do next.

Huaiwen said helplessly, "Naturally, we should go to that Stone Ridge Mountain and bring back a piece of inkstone."

“But Young Master Huaiwen, this is very dangerous, you are in great danger!” Guiqie said.

"There's no other way. If I'm not mistaken, this is the fastest and most convincing way to bring this city lord under my command!"

"But we can't beat them..."

"Yes!" Huaiwen said solemnly after taking a deep breath, "We have no choice but to set a spell."

Upon hearing the name "Demon Slayer," they hurriedly stood up, expressing their disagreement. Huaiwen glanced at the ever-burning lamps and said helplessly, "This is the only way."

Spells are not something everyone can cast, and even those who can cast them are not guaranteed success. Failure in a spell can even backfire. Moreover, the most fundamental requirement for casting a spell is a stable energy flow and a mature spell technique. Huaiwen had cultivated since childhood, albeit with many setbacks. While he wasn't a powerful immortal Taoist, he remembered the incantations perfectly.

Huaiwen had no choice but to gamble with his life. After a while, he stood up and said to Onikiri, "We will definitely succeed."

Seeing this, Onikiri said no more and chose to believe. Just as he was about to go with them, Huaiwen shook her head and refused. She joked that someone had to survive. The two little demons looked at each other, nodded worriedly, and saw Huaiwen off.

Shiling Mountain is a hot rock mountain. It resembles a volcano, with a huge depression at its summit, yet it does not erupt lava. However, the area around the depression is covered with a black skin, barren of vegetation, and extremely hot.

If you were to make a cut in that black skin with a knife, scalding hot rock would flow out, either into the concave area or outwards. But only by flowing into the concave area, mixing with the sand and gravel below, and enduring the washing of time, can a black stone be formed.

Later, everyone coveted the inkstone, so they kept cutting open the black skin to let the hot lava flow back to the bottom of the pit and mix with the sand and gravel, hoping to obtain more inkstone. However, it was precisely because of over-mining that the black skin cracked in large areas, converging into several hot lava rivers that flowed back to the bottom of the pit, appearing as several hot lava waterfalls when viewed from above.

At this point, the hot lava covered the bottom of the pit, and the inkstone sank to the bottom, no longer easily retrieved. As for why the demons wanted Huaiwen to retrieve the inkstone, firstly, no one dared to attempt this test lightly, and secondly, the inkstone was extremely valuable, said to be collected and worn by people in the human realm, demon realm, and even the divine realm.

As expected, whether in the demon realm or the human realm, money is the most important thing.

To avoid being burned by the heat, Huaiwen first stuck a white talisman with the word "cooling" written on it on her head before getting close. Then she covered her nose with her sleeve and moved slowly. The closer she got to the lava, the weaker her tolerance became; she was almost melting from the heat.

We can't get any closer, or she'll faint.

At this point, Huaiwen could only linger around the mountaintop, searching for a breakthrough. After much thought, she realized that only by flying to the bottom of the pit could she get a clear view of the situation. At the very least, she needed to ensure that the inkstone was still at the bottom of the pit and hadn't been melted.

However, Huaiwen's magic was weak, and she couldn't fly in the air for long. So she came up with a good idea. First, she made a small clay figure, then she pasted the word "fly" on the clay figure, and then she ordered the clay figure to go down to the bottom of the pit to take a look for her.

After waiting for a long time without the little clay figure returning, Huaiwen had no choice but to fly over herself to check. She discovered that the little clay figure had already turned into lava and merged into it. She couldn't stay long and had to fly down quickly, but because she had been using her magic continuously for several days without rest, she was exhausted.

That's why, instead of safely flying back to the ground, she teetered precariously above the crater due to her weakened magic. She tried to pull out a new white talisman to salvage the situation, only to discover she had run out. Before she could think further, her body lurched backward, falling towards the crater floor…

Huaiwen's vision began to blur, but she knew there must be a way to survive...

"Young Master Huaiwen! We've come to rescue you!"

"It's the sound of ghosts wailing and howling," Huaiwen thought. She opened her eyes, but before she could see clearly, she felt like a little chick being picked up.

With a whoosh, she was thrown to the ground again. Onikiri rushed over and circled her. Huaiwen, who had been keeping her eyes closed, slowly opened them. After seeing Onikiri clearly, she then saw that cold, distinct face—Lingshan Xuanye! She instantly snapped back to reality.

“Young Master Huaiwen, we went to fetch Lord Xuanye to rescue you!” Guiqie said.

Huaiwen stared in disbelief at Xuan Ye, who stood towering above her. Gui Mie continued, "Young Master Huaiwen, it really, really, it was Lord Xuan Ye who saved you."

Huaiwen, breathing heavily, looked up and asked Xuan Ye why he had saved him.

Xuan Ye coldly replied, "If you want to die, you can jump down now."

Huaiwen frowned, displeased. This demon couldn't possibly say anything decent! Guimie continued, "Young Master Huaiwen, let's renegotiate with Lord Xuanye. Let's not take that inkstone anymore; let's find another way."

"How do we negotiate?" Huaiwen countered.

This time, Onikiri answered quickly, "Young Master Huaiwen, all you need to do is agree to become Lord Xuanye's servant."

Huaiwen shouted angrily, "Dream on!"

Onikiri knew that this request was a bit too much for Huaiwen, but it was the only option at the moment. Becoming a servant would prevent him from dying, and becoming a servant meant becoming Lord Xuanye's person. So, being his person meant he would naturally be protected, right?

But Huaiwen didn't think that way! She thought, "It's better to be someone's master than their servant!"

Then she gave Xuan Ye a wicked smile and asked, "Do you remember what your first words to me were?"

Xuan Ye snorted, and Huai Wen continued, "You ask who I am."

"Then I'll tell you who I am today. Of course, I know you're very capable, so—" Huaiwen's voice was low and deep until this point, but after she said the next sentence, she suddenly became bright and her words were flattering.

She smiled and said, "I feel I can bow down to you!"

Oni-slayer and Onikiri were moved to tears, marveling at how adaptable Young Master Huaiwen truly was, prioritizing survival above all else. Xuan Ye, however, felt something was amiss with Huaiwen's words, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. He stared at Huaiwen for a moment: "A pretentious act?"

Huaiwen gritted his teeth: "That's true, but I mean it."

At this point, the expression on Huaiwen's face made Xuan Ye think that although she was displeased, she had truly conceded defeat, and he couldn't help but smile.

Seeing this, Huaiwen softened and said slowly, "Since that's the case, and you're willing, then as your person, I'll give you a gift first."

“No need.” Xuan Ye raised an eyebrow. “Your things aren’t worth much.”

Huaiwen suppressed his anger and forced a smile: "No, you must accept it."

Xuan Ye looked at Huai Wen with a haughty air, and seeing her determination, he asked, "What exactly do you want to give her?"

Huaiwen smiled, took off the jade pendant from his waist, and tossed it to Xuan Ye.

She said, "Here you go."

The moment Xuan Ye caught the jade pendant, Huai Wen recited: "The Five Elements are in the heavens, Wu Kong is in man. I use my flesh and blood as the vessel of the curse, and my soul as the lock of the curse, to swear to the God of Curses that today I sign a curse with Ling Shan Xuan Ye! I will not destroy him, the curse will last forever!"

Things happened too fast; Xuan Ye only managed to utter one sentence: "Damn it—"

"Bang—"

The jade pendant absorbed a wisp of Huaiwen and Xuanye's spiritual essence, the gold and red hues intertwining and merging into one. In an instant, a massive cloud enveloped Xuanye and Huaiwen, lifting them into the air. Xuanye glared fiercely at Huaiwen, his eyes filled with a murderous intent that seemed to devour and plunder. Huaiwen's eyes, however, remained exceptionally clear, bright, and unwavering.

The cloud thickened, but the demons were blown ten meters away by it. They couldn't see what was happening, but they heard a roar: "I'll kill you!"

In an instant, the cloud was pierced by golden light. With a loud boom, the intense light vanished, and the cloud gradually dispersed. When Onikiri finally saw it clearly, he saw Huaiwen with a beaming smile and Xuanye, full of resentment, standing side by side.

Overjoyed, Onikiri ran towards the two, but just as Huaiwen was about to open his arms to embrace them, he fainted in an instant. In a flash, Onikiri's wailing echoed throughout the entire mountaintop.