Chapter 5: The Divine Lord's Embarrassment.
Above the Demon-Slaying Platform, a sinister and handsome man and a woman radiating celestial light stood in mid-air.
The chilling, blood-soaked wind made their clothes flutter; they were a perfect couple.
Just like the spirited scholar and princess in the human folk tales that Hua Xun once read.
The crowd kneeling on the ground under the oppressive aura below were ordinary people who had watched the top scholar ride through the streets with admiration and envy; they didn't even have names.
Hua Xun knelt in the crowd, her initial joyful and expectant posture gradually fading, replaced by an unprecedented sense of embarrassment.
She felt all the blood rush to her head, her cheeks and ears instantly turning red, her thoughts in complete chaos, as if tiny needles were pricking her skin.
Hua Xun involuntarily lowered her head, looking at her dusty clothes, trying her best to minimize her presence.
It's like happily building a warm nest, only to find that the tree canopy that shelters you from the wind and rain belongs to someone else, and even the withered branches needed to build it don't belong to you.
Just now, she had presumptuously assumed that Baili Sheng was searching for her in the vast crowd.
Even amidst the kneeling crowd, a sense of vain smugness arose.
It wasn't until the appearance of Fairy Qingjiao that she finally woke up from her false dream.
It turns out that the "old friend" that Fairy Qingjiao was referring to was Baili Sheng.
fortunately……
Hua Xun thought that luckily, with so many people around her looking up to catch a glimpse of the Demon Lord's demeanor, no one else saw her secret self-righteousness just now.
Hua Xun never raised her head again, her shoulders hunched, letting the tall figures around her engulf her, squeezing her into the crowd, making her seem like one of the thousands of inconspicuous figures.
After an unknown amount of time, the oppressive force that had been pressing down on them suddenly dissipated, and people in the crowd gradually stood up.
Hua Xun then stood up, turned around, and followed the crowd back towards the guest building.
"Who exactly is that woman? The Demon Lord actually brought her back to the Demon Palace..." Several voices occasionally reached my ears.
Hua Xun paused slightly, and when she reached the entrance of the guest building, she hesitated for a moment before turning her head to gaze at the palace in the distance, shrouded in dark clouds.
Two figures, one in black and one in pink, flew one after the other towards the Demon Palace, accompanying each other.
As they entered the palace, the shadowy figure turned and glanced into the distance before calmly looking away.
*
Hua Xun returned to her room in the inn, sat down at the simple table and chairs, and poured herself a glass of water.
The water was cold, and Hua Xun only gradually calmed down after drinking two cups.
The initial embarrassment and awkwardness gradually faded, and instead, a sense of helplessness belatedly arose.
Hua Xun stared blankly into the unknown, her index finger twirling the purse strap at her waist.
The Demon Lord was indeed Baili Sheng. He had regained his magical power at some point and returned to the Demon Clan, becoming a high and mighty lord.
The reason he didn't inform her was perhaps because it was unnecessary, perhaps because he forgot, or perhaps... he just wanted to use her to escape the pursuit of the Three Realms.
It appears that all three reasons are true.
Because she is unimportant, there is no need to forget her; because there is no need to forget her, she can be easily forgotten.
Therefore, there's no need to tell her about restoring her magical powers.
On the contrary, she clearly only wanted to repay a debt of gratitude back then, but she took the words "When I return to the Demon Palace, I will not let you down" seriously, and thus developed greed.
In reality, Baili Sheng may have just mentioned it casually, and may not have mentioned it again for several years afterward.
She still held onto the thought, mistakenly taking a casual remark as a promise.
Demons are inherently unrestrained, violent, and prone to lying.
This is the lesson that the bamboo spirit of Cuiling Mountain, who has lived for over a hundred years, taught her. How could she have forgotten it?
Hua Xun rubbed her cheeks vigorously, exhaled, stood up, walked to the bedside, and lay down in the quilt.
A tiny, round, dark droplet of water seeped into the quilt. Hua Xun hugged the quilt tightly, curled up, and quietly thought, "It's okay to be a little sad today, but tomorrow will be another day."
Thinking this, Hua Xun gradually fell asleep without realizing it.
When they awoke again, it was a rare daytime for the demons.
The streets were eerily quiet.
Hua Xun woke up feeling refreshed. That night, she realized that she had only saved Baili Sheng to repay a debt of gratitude. Baili Sheng's forgetting of his promise only proved that his promise was worthless.
She didn't resent him.
It takes too much effort to complain about someone; she doesn't have that much energy.
Furthermore, Fairy Qingjiao is kind and beautiful. If she were Baili Sheng, she would also choose Fairy Qingjiao.
It's just human nature.
As for the rest, she didn't want to think about it anymore.
All she knew was that now that she had repaid her debt of gratitude, it was time to leave.
Hua Xun was still wearing her drab gray clothes, with her hair styled in a small bun. After tidying up her purse, she got up and went downstairs.
The waiter was attending to other guests when he saw her and greeted her with a smile: "You look much better today, young lady. Where are you headed?"
When he returned last night, he saw the girl looking distraught and thought she had lost her soul.
Hua Xun smiled and said, "I'm getting ready to go home."
The waiter gave her a strange look: "Miss, you don't know?"
"What?"
“Xuan Donglai, who escaped, has scurried into the city. From today onwards, Yongjin City will be protected by a city barrier, and no one may enter or leave.”
Hua Xun was taken aback and quickly walked towards the door.
The sun shone as brightly as ever, but upon closer inspection, one could see faint, flowing red streaks of light.
Hua Xun looked at the transparent barrier with worry, putting aside her desire to escape quickly, knowing she would have to wait some time before she could leave.
*
Before the majestic Demon Palace, there is a sheer cliff, like an insurmountable chasm, called the Crimson Moon River.
Beneath the Crimson Moon River, most of those imprisoned are demons and great monsters who have committed heinous crimes.
A fierce wind howled, carrying with it the faint smell of blood and the sound of wailing.
Baili Sheng stood in the air, looking down at the demons suffering torture below.
The strong wind blew against him like a gentle breeze, only causing his clothes to flutter.
It could be blown onto the demons below, instantly becoming as sharp as a knife, slowly blowing away their skin and flesh, revealing their stark white bones.
These demons and monsters played a significant role in his initial luring and killing.
The killing array, formed by 50,000 demon soldiers and the immortals, is just like now, slowly devouring his flesh and blood, turning him into a useless piece of trash without magic power or dignity.
The score with the immortals must be settled.
He will now settle accounts with these traitors.
Killing them all at once would be too easy for him; he wanted to play them slowly and let them savor the pain he had suffered back then.
It's both funny and amusing to watch them live in fear every day.
The fine gale carried with it the blood mist of the demons, but Baili Sheng did not dodge, letting the blood mist stain his robes red.
This is the taste of revenge.
Only after watching another wave of demon soldiers turn into a pile of mud, their skeletons collapsing, did Baili Sheng finally fly up the cliff in a good mood. As soon as he stood in front of the Demon Palace, Shang Qu came forward to greet him: "Your Majesty, I have arranged for Fairy Qingjiao to stay in the Posuo Palace."
Baili Sheng paused slightly: "Mm."
Shang Qu hesitated: "After all, Fairy Qingjiao is a member of the Immortal Clan, and she almost caused the Venerable One's death back then. Why did the Venerable One spare her life..." His words froze when he saw Baili Sheng's casual glance. "This subordinate is being presumptuous."
Baili Sheng remained silent, his gaze fixed intently on the direction of the Posuo Palace.
Few people know that the Imperial Killing Formation is not just a simple formation; it also requires the heart's blood of the person to be trapped and killed in order to imprison them within the formation.
He wasn't the only one in the execution formation back then; there was another person: Qingjiao.
She used herself as bait to enter the formation, but as he entered, she personally pierced his heart with her immortal sword, activating the killing formation.
When the formation peeled away his flesh and blood, it also peeled away his past feelings of attraction.
For ten years, he lived every single day in hatred.
Yet, amidst all that hatred, she had to feign a repulsive gentleness and pretend to be friendly with that little demon.
And so, the hatred grew stronger with each passing day.
Over the years, his hatred had become so intense that it had consumed all his emotions, leaving only revenge. To the point that he had long forgotten what "liking" felt like, let alone certain hypocritical promises.
But it doesn't matter, nowadays, he no longer needs to "like".
He only wants revenge.
Those who betray him today will one day become immortals.
He had imagined countless times in his mind that the immortal sect would be engulfed in flames like that mountain village, and that Qingjiao would witness the magnificent scene of her beloved Bai Yujing falling from the Upper Heaven.
At that time, he would be the only person she relied on and tried to please.
And she will be the last person he takes revenge on.
"Keep an eye on her," Baili Sheng said in a deep voice.
Shang Qu quickly agreed, and seeing Baili Sheng's pale face, he boldly said, "Your Majesty's magic power has only recovered to about 50%, and you have been affected by the fierce winds of the Crimson Moon River every day. You haven't slept for months. Why don't I protect you so that you can get some rest?"
As soon as Shang Qu finished speaking, Baili Sheng looked at him with icy eyes.
Shang Qu's heart tightened, and he quickly lowered his head: "Your subordinate misspoke."
"Get down," Baili Sheng ordered.
Shang Qu quickly accepted the order and left.
Baili Sheng looked down at the palace below. He could smell the blood on his body, which was not unfamiliar to him.
—For the first three years in that dilapidated mountain village, he was constantly surrounded by this scent.
The past of being betrayed and tortured to death is still vivid in Baili Sheng's mind. He hates to let his guard down in front of anyone, as it makes him uneasy.
No, except for a weak little demon, barely more than a mortal.
Thinking of the figure that had huddled up in a tiny ball beneath the Demon-Slaying Platform that day, Baili Sheng chuckled.
*
Hua Xun had a dream that night.
The feeling in her dream was like returning to Dahe Village, but she knew perfectly well that she was in a guest room belonging to the demons.
A familiar dark figure appeared in his room, carrying a strong smell of blood, and collapsed onto the small couch outside.
In a daze, Hua Xun seemed to return to the first three years of taking care of Baili Sheng, when his body was slowly growing new flesh and his whole body was covered in blood and gore every day.
She called out in a daze, "Baili Sheng?"
"Hmm." After a moment of silence, the dark figure responded faintly and then fell silent.
Hua Xun was fast asleep when she heard this and fell back asleep.
When I woke up the next day, the small couch outside was empty; there was no one in sight.
Hua Xun didn't think much of it, treating it as if she had just had a dream.
For a while afterward, Hua Xun had several more similar dreams, secretly thinking that she should leave the Demon Clan as soon as possible.
Otherwise, staying in Baili Sheng's territory, I can't help but think about things I shouldn't be thinking about.
That day, Hua Xun was unusually free of dreams. When she woke up early in the morning, she heard a great commotion outside.
After entering and leaving Yongjin City became prohibited, the city became much quieter, and this was the first time in a long time that it had been so lively.
Hua Xun asked the waiter and learned that Xuan Donglai had been killed. Rumor had it that he was skinned alive and fed to the monsters in the Crimson Moon River, still breathing, watching helplessly as he was devoured.
Hua Xun was horrified by the horror of this method, but when she thought of everything Baili Sheng had gone through, she was speechless.
"Since Xuan Donglai has already been killed, why are we still going to the Demon-Slaying Platform?" Hua Xun asked, voicing her curiosity.
"The young lady has truly been sleeping these past few days," the waiter joked. "Today, over a thousand lesser demons and young monsters will be escorted to the Demon-Slaying Platform for execution."
Hua Xun asked in surprise, "Little demons and young monsters shouldn't have participated in the killing of the Demon Lord back then, right?"
"They didn't participate, but what can you do when they are the former Demon King and members of Xuan Donglai's clan?" The waiter shrugged. "However, perhaps the Demon Lord took pity on them and didn't activate the magic-slaying array, only ordering the executioner to carry out the beheading."
Hua Xun was stunned. Only now did she realize that Baili Sheng, who had casually saved her with a smile back then, and the gentle Baili Sheng in Dahe Village, might all have been just an illusion.
*
At this moment, on the Demon-Slaying Platform.
A huge crowd gathered in the surrounding area.
On the Demon-Slaying Platform, the young demons and the terrified infant demons were held together, while four executioners stood on the four sides, holding demon-slaying axes, their faces grim.
A pavilion floated in mid-air. Inside the pavilion, Baili Sheng looked down with disdain, a light pink figure beside him.
Qingjiao listened to the wails and screams coming from below, her face slightly pale, and frowned slightly: "Do we really have to kill them all?"
Baili Sheng turned to look at her: "Hasn't Fairy Qingjiao always hated the demon race? Shouldn't you be happy that I have slain a demon today?"
Qingjiao sensed the sarcasm in his words: "Baili, I know you hate me, but I think you should know what it means for me to choose to see you in public?"
Baili Sheng smiled: "What does it mean?"
Qingjiao raised her eyes and looked at him earnestly: "Back then, I chose the Immortal Clan; now, I choose you."
"Choose me?" Baili Sheng asked with interest.
Qingjiao paused for a few moments, then said, "I will prove it to you."
Baili Sheng squinted at her for a moment, neither saying whether he believed her or not, but simply smiled and looked away.
However, Shang Qu, who was behind him, hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and whispering, "My Lord, these demons are still young and of lowly status. They are unaware of the plot against you back then, and they quickly realized the situation a few days ago and have come to acknowledge you as their master. Why not recruit them to our side?"
“They have made a mistake by acknowledging the enemy as their master,” Baili Sheng raised his eyes, “Kill them.”
Upon receiving the order, the executioner instantly revealed a massive Dharma image on his demon-slaying axe, imbued with a bloodthirsty aura, and cleaved towards the group of demons on the steps.
The audience fell silent, their eyes fixed on the execution.
Hearing the solemn pronouncement, Hua Xun, who was standing far away at the entrance of the guest building, turned his gaze from the pavilion in mid-air to the Demon-Slaying Platform.
Seeing that the Demon-Slaying Axe was about to strike the lesser demons and infant demons, Hua Xun couldn't help but look away.
However, she did not hear any cries of agony, nor did she smell any blood; instead, she was met with a gasp of astonishment.
Hua Xun slowly opened her eyes.
The demon-slaying axe, which had been used by the executioner to kill and eat raw meat, had now transformed into sparks of clear fire, slowly spreading across the heavens and earth, and the violent aura of the place had vanished.
Then, a figure as pure as snow appeared amidst the starlight, standing atop the crowd with its feet firmly planted in the void.
The figure was not particularly eye-catching at first glance; his features were unremarkable, easily forgotten after a single glance, and one could not recall his face.
Upon closer inspection, however, the person seemed to be shrouded in a light veil, making it difficult to see his true face. One could only sense that his temperament was as pure and white as a snow lotus, untouched by dust, like a lone snow on a mountain peak, or the bright moon hanging high in the sky.
Gentle, sacred, compassionate, and unattainable.
Hua Xun stared blankly at the figure, forgetting to look away for a moment.
The next moment, she felt a chilling cold and murderous intent slowly creeping up her spine.
Hua Xun followed the faint scent and looked up, only to see Baili Sheng and Fairy Qingjiao standing side by side in the pavilion floating in mid-air.
A note from the author:
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With a deafening roar in the sky, the Divine Lord made a dazzling appearance!
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