Chapter Ninety-Five: The Anxious Demon Lord

Night had long since fallen, and stars twinkled in the sky, though their light seemed faint amidst the tall trees. Moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Fortunately, the chirping of insects in the woods and the occasional falling leaf added a touch of romance to the quiet night.

Ying Jia flashed to Jiu Ya's side, her voice tinged with teasing, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, "Your Excellency, Demon Lord, you certainly have a good time, finding time to visit the mortal realm. I seem to recall that the Demon Realm has never shown much interest in the mortal world."

"Your Majesty, the Demon Realm indeed has little interest in the mortal realm. I am merely here for a few days of leisure." Jiu Ya raised an eyebrow, her back ramrod straight, determined not to lose in terms of bearing. "The mortal realm is not under Your Majesty's jurisdiction. It seems I don't need to address Your Majesty directly here, do I?"

"Where Your Majesty the Demon Lord wishes to travel is none of my business," Ying Jia said with a nonchalant smile. "But the person beside you seems to be a cultivator, isn't he? You are the Demon Lord, don't you know that your demonic energy greatly affects the cultivation of cultivators?" Her gaze shifted to Rong Jiang, her eyes filled with concern.

Jiu Ya was taken aback and couldn't help but glance at Rong Jiang. Good heavens, what's going on with this dragon? What? She's fallen for Rong Jiang at first sight, and it's all because of Rong Jiang? This discovery made Jiu Ya both amused and helpless. Ms. Ying Jia, you really are inherently suspicious!

Jiu Ya just wanted to run into her daughter's arms for comfort and a hug. Waaah, she just wanted to cling to her daughter's leg, she never intended to harm her. Waaah, she's still a baby and doesn't want to suffer this injustice! Her inner monologue was very rich, but on the surface she maintained the majesty of the Demon Lord and refused to show any weakness.

As night deepened, the atmosphere in the woods became increasingly subtle.

Regarding Ying Jia's claim that demonic energy could affect cultivation, Jiu Ya scoffed at such a statement. Wasn't her disguise convincing enough? She had used the "Concealment Technique," a secret technique passed down in the Demon Realm, which even the Heavenly Realm inspectors could hardly detect. How could she possibly leak demonic energy and affect others' cultivation? This technique had been improved by three generations of Demon Lords, and even the breathing rhythm was perfectly simulated to be identical to that of a cultivator.

Besides, how could this affect Rong Jiang? The big shot isn't really going off to cultivate! This is just a disguise he's wearing. Jiu Ya stared at Ying Jia with a half-smile, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the dark patterns embroidered on her sleeve. "I have no interest in the mortal world, and I have no reason to scheme against a little girl."

Ying Jia raised an eyebrow slightly, her long hair swaying gently in the night breeze. "That would be best."

Jiu Ya was speechless. "Ms. Ying Jia, are you really this concerned about your daughter? Seriously, this is only your first meeting, isn't it? Is it really necessary to act like your little one has been bullied?" She couldn't help but think to herself, "Has this demon king prematurely entered his 'protective cub phase'?"

Unlike Jiu Ya, Ying Jia was not a woman who followed a script. In her eyes, Rong Jiang was just a cultivator who had achieved some success in cultivation. Informing Rong Jiang of Jiu Ya's identity was merely to give Rong Jiang a heads-up.

Rong Jiang helped Tu Shan Yue, which can be considered as repaying Rong Jiang's favor.

Jiu Ya thought that Ying Jia had set up a barrier when she spoke, and she could even feel the subtle fluctuations in the surrounding air, so she spoke boldly and without restraint. Little did she know that it was just the natural flow of the night wind blowing through the bamboo forest.

It must be said that this was a beautiful misunderstanding.

"My business here is settled." Ying Jia carefully put away the demon core, which emitted a soft light in her palm before disappearing into her sleeve. She looked around, her gaze lingering on Rong Jiang for a moment, before nodding slightly to Jiu Ya. "Everyone, until we meet again."

After saying that, Ying Jia transformed into a streak of light and disappeared among the countless stars.

After Ying Jia left, Jiu Ya patted her head. What a mess! Ying Jia really did leave without a trace, so carefree. Oh dear, leaving behind a mess. This dragon has already exposed her true identity; can't he at least clean up the mess? She couldn't help but think to herself, are all these ancient powerful beings like this? Do they never consider the consequences of their actions?

Jiuya tried her best to maintain her usual demeanor, a perfectly timed smile curving her lips. "Ranran, shall we go back to the inn? It's completely dark now!" She pointed to the sky; the moon was exceptionally bright tonight, its silvery light bathing the earth and casting long shadows of them.

"Of course." Rong Jiang smiled slightly and turned to walk towards the carriage.

Jiu Ya followed closely behind, and just as she was about to step onto the carriage, she suddenly saw Rong Jiang turn around and smile sweetly, "So it turns out that A Jiu is the Demon Lord, how unexpected."

Rong Jiang's voice was as soft as a feather, yet it almost made Jiu Ya stumble.

Poor Jiu Ya almost tripped and fell, but Rong Jiang caught her in time to prevent a fall. "Ranran?! You heard my conversation with Ying Jia?" Jiu Ya's voice was filled with disbelief and shock.

Rong Jiang, puzzled, said, "Didn't Young Master Li Yue and Miss Bai Yu hear that too?"

Jiu Ya hurriedly looked at Li Yue's expression, and he indeed nodded affirmatively. The young man standing beside the carriage was as taciturn as ever, but his eyes clearly indicated that he had heard every word of the conversation. Bai Yu, standing to the side, had already lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly, obviously trying hard to suppress his laughter.

Jiuya: At this point, I was speechless. I thought Ying Jia was going to open a barrier or something, but I didn't expect her to not open one at all.

Oh, even with a barrier, it might not be able to stop Rong Jiang! She is the ruler of the underworld. Although she is currently just an "ordinary" cultivator, who knows how much strength she is hiding?

Jiu Ya wore a bitter expression. Good heavens, all her secrets have been exposed! At first, at least they only knew she was a demon, but now, she's the boss of all demons, isn't that amazing? She could almost see her carefully maintained "cultivation partner" persona crumbling.

"Ugh—" Jiu Ya just wanted to cover her face and waved her hands, saying, "Let's go back to the inn first!" Her voice carried a hint of self-abandonment.

"Yes," Li Yue replied, skillfully starting the carriage.

Throughout the journey, Rong Jiang didn't comment on Jiu Ya's identity as the Demon Lord again, only occasionally lifting the carriage curtain to admire the fleeting night scenery outside. Her profile appeared exceptionally soft in the moonlight, making Jiu Ya very uneasy, completely unable to guess what she was thinking.

After arriving at the inn, Rong Jiang politely bid farewell to Jiu Ya and returned to her room. Her demeanor was as elegant and proper as ever, and even the curve of her smile was the same as usual, but Jiu Ya felt that something was not right.

Jiu Ya stared longingly at Rong Jiang's retreating figure, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her. Ah, what did this mean? Was she angry or not? Did she not care, or simply not want to discuss it for the time being? She desperately wanted to rush up and grab Rong Jiang's sleeve to demand an explanation, but she was afraid of being too abrupt.

Bai Yu called out, "Miss, it's getting late." Her voice pulled Jiu Ya back to reality from her chaotic thoughts.

“Yes.” Jiu Ya also took small, quick steps back to her room. Her room was elegantly and comfortably furnished, with a faint sandalwood scent wafting from the incense burner, but she had no mood to appreciate it at the moment.

Bai Yu busied himself with fetching water and wringing out towels. The water temperature was just right, and the towels were soft and comfortable, but Jiu Ya still looked worried.

Finally, Jiu Ya sat in front of the bronze mirror, cupping her face in her hands, and let Bai Yu help her remove her hairpins and jewelry. "Bai Yu, what do you think Ran Ran meant by that?" she finally couldn't help but ask.

"Does Your Excellency refer to your status?" Bai Yu removed the last hair ornament from Jiu Ya's hair and asked softly.

Jiuya nodded, "Yes."

“Miss Rong doesn’t seem like one of those cultivators who are so averse to demons!” Bai Yu thought back carefully. “Look, Miss Rong even helped that fox demon, and the one fighting that fox demon was a Taoist priest. Moreover…” She paused, lowered her voice, “I sensed that Miss Rong’s aura was very special, and she doesn’t seem to be as simple as just a pure cultivator.”

"That's true." Jiu Ya wholeheartedly agreed. The Underworld, in the end, could be jokingly called the stronghold of demons and monsters, with its minions all being demons and monsters. It would be strange if Rong Jiang could reject it. However—

"That's not what I'm asking. What I mean is, when we first met, didn't I tell her that we were also cultivators? We've been friends for so long, and I've been lying all along, even letting Rong Jiang find out our identities from the Demon King. Won't Ranran be angry?"

"This?" Bai Yu paused slightly. "Your Majesty, I think Miss Rong might not care about this. Humans are inherently afraid of demons. Your Majesty concealed your identity to avoid causing a great uproar in the human world, not to deliberately deceive others. I think Miss Rong will understand."

"Hmm." Jiu Ya thought about it and realized that Bai Yu made sense. It was perfectly normal for a demon like her to fabricate an identity in the mortal realm. Besides, she wasn't the only one hiding her identity. Didn't Rong Jiang also conceal his identity? His older brother and his second older brother were both brothers, so what was there to laugh at? However, Jiu Ya felt she needed to explain that her search for her relatives was not something she had just used to fool Rong Jiang.

Having figured it out, Jiu Ya suddenly understood. Her voice returned to its usual clear and bright tone, and her brows relaxed. "It's getting late, you should go back and rest early too."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Bai Yu left the room and closed the door behind him.

That night, Jiu Ya didn't sleep well. In her dreams, she would sometimes see Ying Jia's all-seeing phoenix eyes, and sometimes she would see Rong Jiang's skirts fluttering as she turned to leave. She didn't fall into a deep sleep until dawn.

The next day, Jiu Ya got up early and went to knock on Rong Jiang's door.

When Rong Jiang opened the door, she seemed to have just finished washing up; her long black hair was not yet fully tied up, with a few strands falling casually to her side, adding to her gentle beauty. Seeing Jiu Ya, she seemed somewhat surprised, but quickly put on her usual gentle smile: "Why are you up so early today, Jiu Ya?"

Jiuya took a deep breath and rattled off a long explanation, speaking so fast it was almost impossible to hear.

"Ranran, everything I told you before, except for the fact that my identity as a cultivator is fake, is true."

"Every word I said about searching for my relatives is true."

“My maternal grandmother also practiced Taoism. She mistakenly entered the demon realm and formed a bond with my maternal grandfather. After giving birth to my mother, she passed away early because she could not adapt to the environment of the demon realm and missed her homeland. My mother also kept my maternal grandmother’s last wish in mind. However, the demon realm was in turmoil, and I could not spare the time to come to the human world to fulfill my maternal grandmother’s and mother’s last wishes. It was only a few days ago that I had time to come to the human world.”

"The human world treats demons differently than gods and Buddhas. I came to the human world not to cause a great uproar, which is why I concealed my identity. I did not mean to deceive you."

After finishing this long speech, Jiu Ya looked at Rong Jiang nervously, her fingers unconsciously tightening around her sleeves.

Rong Jiang listened quietly, a fleeting, unfathomable emotion flashing in her eyes. She gently patted Jiu Ya's hand. "It's normal for people to hold back some things when they interact. Even close friends don't necessarily reveal everything. A Jiu is no ordinary person. It's perfectly normal for A Jiu to need to conceal her identity when she comes to the human world."

"My acquaintance with Ajiu is for Ajiu herself, and has nothing to do with Ajiu's identity."

His words were so heartfelt and touching that Jiu Ya was completely moved. "Waaah, my daughter is so sweet! Sob sob sob." She almost couldn't resist rushing over to give Rong Jiang a hug, but she managed to restrain herself. She just looked at him with sparkling eyes and couldn't help but smile.

“I just have some doubts,” Rong Jiang changed the subject, her eyes filled with inquiry. “I don’t know much about the Demon Realm, but Ajiu is the supreme being of the Demon Realm. She came to the human world to find her relatives. Now that she has finished finding them, where would Ajiu find the time to stay in the human world? Could it be that I have slowed down Ajiu’s journey?” She looked guilty. “If that’s the case, then it is my fault.”

Jiuya quickly waved her hand, "How could that be!" She carefully chose her words and explained, "Since becoming the Demon Lord, I have been working tirelessly and am truly exhausted. This trip is to find my relatives and also to clear my mind. There are not many matters in the Demon Realm that I need to handle personally. I can take some time to relax in the human world." She paused and added, "Besides, being able to travel with Ranran and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the human world is a great pleasure."

“I see.” Rong Jiang smiled slightly. “The human world is so beautiful, it must be completely different from the demon realm. Changing the environment is very beneficial to one’s state of mind.”

Jiuya nodded in agreement. That's why people say travel is the best way to relieve stress. Seeing different scenery makes you feel refreshed.

"That's true."

“Ah Jiu isn’t someone as idle as me. I’m afraid these days of stealing moments of leisure from my busy schedule won’t last much longer.” Rong Jiang looked at Jiu Ya with a teasing gaze.

Jiu Ya shrugged elegantly, feigning ease, and said, "I'll take it one day at a time like this." But she knew in her heart that Rong Jiang was right. In another month or so, the deadline for their agreed-upon trip would arrive. Her true purpose in coming to the human world had actually been achieved. She didn't know if she had managed to curry favor with the powerful figure, but at least she had left a good impression on the big boss, so that he wouldn't kill her, the Demon Lord, when he wanted to reclaim the Demon Realm.

Ideally, one should be like Ying Jia, continuing to be a demon king or demon lord, only with an additional superior above them.