Chapter 124 You're very protective of that child; he's your disciple...
A gentle night breeze brushed past the lamp, casting a hazy glow.
Before tonight, Lu Yuanyuan had many guesses about this high priest whom she had only heard of by name. But she didn't expect that he was completely different from her imagination.
He was neither a monstrous beast with blue faces and fangs, nor did he possess three heads and six arms. He wore a long, dark robe, the lapels slightly open, his black hair unkempt and hanging down his back. A delicate silver mask covered most of his face, obscuring his eyebrows, eyes, and nose, revealing only his beautifully shaped, pale lips. But what was most striking was the red mark on his forehead, like a leaping flame, like a vibrant splash of color on a canvas, shining through his snow-white skin, adding a touch of eeriness.
Lu Yuanyuan's eyelids twitched slightly. A strange sense of déjà vu crept up her spine, like ants crawling.
Seeing the other person's silhouette suddenly in the twilight, she thought she was seeing a real person.
But when the other person took a step forward, and the moonlight rose onto his mask, this inexplicable sense of déjà vu dissipated.
Duan Lansheng was tall and slender, yet had a slender build. These natural advantages gave him a youthful and agile appearance no matter how old he got.
Although the high priest in front of him had a similar posture and outline to Duan Lansheng, his body was a size larger than Duan Lansheng's in every way. He was taller, with broader shoulders, a more upright back, a more bulging chest, and larger hands. He was a fully mature physique.
Once a monster has reached a stable adult form, it will maintain that form and cannot be molded into various shapes like clay.
Therefore, when some monsters want to seduce humans, if their beauty is insufficient, they will use illusions to compensate. To completely change their appearance, they must wear a skin that does not belong to them.
Besides... his eyes weren't dark blue, they were like clear glass. When he looked at her, there was no emotional fluctuation.
The two demon guards, seemingly surprised by the high priest's appearance, fell silent and lowered their heads. The high priest waved his hand, and they hurriedly retreated.
Then the high priest looked at her, seemingly waiting for her to speak.
Lu Yuanyuan composed herself and said, "It seems you are the High Priest. I have long admired your name."
The high priest looked at her but said nothing.
She stood at the bottom of the steps, and he stood on the top of the steps.
“I think the High Priest is so powerful that even if we’ve never met, he should know who I am.” Lu Yuanyuan’s clothes were dripping wet, and soon a puddle of water gathered at the edge of her shoes. She showed no fear. “I’m bothering you so late at night because I have some things I need to say. Please forgive me, High Priest.”
The high priest turned her head slightly, as if in thought, and finally spoke after she finished speaking: "Please speak, Immortal Lord."
His voice was calm, unlike Duan Lansheng's.
Although she already knew he wouldn't care about other people's lives, seeing that he didn't even show any remorse ignited a fire in Lu Yuanyuan's heart, and her words poured out: "We were invited by His Majesty the Demon King to visit the Demon Realm. Whether it's internal strife within the Demon Clan or conflicts between the Demon Clan and the outside world, we have never intended to participate, nor do we want to be dragged into it. I only hope that no other forces with ulterior motives will target my people or use them to achieve certain goals. I think that since His Majesty the Demon King has received us with the utmost courtesy, we should receive adequate protection commensurate with this sincerity during our stay in the Demon Realm. Since His Majesty is not in Xuanzhao tonight, it would be most appropriate for the High Priest to hear these words."
Of course, even though she was very angry, she still managed to suppress her impulse, leaving room for maneuver and not revealing everything.
Firstly, Yue Hong was still unconscious. Secondly, her reasoning was based on what she had overheard. Even if the accuracy rate was 99.9%, she wouldn't be able to produce any evidence to slap in the high priest's face if they were to confront each other.
If the other party denies it and even accuses her of slander, she will be at a disadvantage and the diplomatic relations between the two sides will be completely ruined.
But we can't do nothing. At the very least, we need to let the other party feel that they are not completely ignorant.
She finished speaking in one breath, and at the same time, she had already imagined how the other person would react and how she should respond.
But the high priest's reaction was not what she expected.
His gaze fell on her, as if he were holding two handfuls of cold, fine snowflakes, and his voice was neither warm nor cold: "You are very protective of that child. I saw you sitting together on the day of the gladiatorial combat. He is your disciple?"
Gladiator Day? Sure enough, he was observing these envoys that day as well.
But what does he mean by asking this?
Did you focus on the wrong thing?
Could it be that she's implying favoritism, suggesting that only her confidants deserve good protection?
Moreover, perhaps it was just her imagination, but she always felt that the guy's tone of voice was a bit strange, as if he was gritting his teeth.
Lu Yuanyuan became alert, frowned, and emphasized, "No matter what their identity is, as long as that person is a member of the delegation, I will treat them equally and protect them to the end."
Seeing that she did not deny it, the high priest stared at her, still fixated on the previous question: "So that means he really is your disciple."
Lu Yuanyuan: "..."
baffling.
When others ask about the heavens, he answers about the earth.
Why do I want to know so much about the relationship between Yue Hong and her?
Well, she'd said everything she needed to say. Lu Yuanyuan suppressed her anger, clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and said, "It's very late, and I've said what I needed to say, so I won't disturb the High Priest's rest any longer. Goodbye."
She turned to leave, but then she heard the other person's voice behind her: "I'm also very sorry that this happened. I will definitely give you an explanation as soon as possible."
Lu Yuanyuan paused in her steps: "That would be perfect."
She left those words behind without looking at the other person's expression, and hurriedly departed.
.
Back at the palace where the celestial envoys were temporarily residing, Yue Hong's lower back wound had stopped bleeding thanks to the elixir. However, having spent time in that place filled with malevolent energy, he was still unconscious. His obedient, still-moving posture with his eyes closed gave him a touch of childishness typical of his age.
The demon race also sent healers, but it was a fellow alchemist who actually treated Yue Hong. Fortunately, he was not seriously injured and would probably wake up tomorrow.
It was already very late. After calming everyone down, Lu Yuanyuan told them to go back to their rooms.
After getting out of the pool and going through all that commotion, her clothes were half-dry. Locking the door, she plopped down in the nearest chair, kicked off her shoes, and pulled up her trousers, revealing a bright pink mark on her calf.
Just now, when she jumped into the Pool of No Return to save Yue Hong, she felt that her leg was bumped by something in the chaos. At first, she felt no discomfort, but when she found the door of the demon priest, she vaguely felt some discomfort in her muscles, but she didn't show it.
Is it cratered from the impact?
No, it didn't seem to be a bruise. She tried pressing it with her finger, but it didn't hurt or itch. As soon as she withdrew her hand, the mark suddenly seemed to come alive and expanded abruptly. At the same time, her vision went completely black, as if all the light in the world had been taken away, but her senses of smell, hearing, and touch remained.
Lu Yuanyuan was shocked, but she didn't panic. She remained in her bent-over position, motionless. After about a few minutes, her vision returned, but the mark was still there.
What exactly is this?
Lu Yuanyuan hesitated for a moment, then decided not to provoke it any further.
Among the delegation, she was the one with the highest cultivation level and a background in alchemy. The demon realm was full of strange things; if she didn't know what it was, the chances of the others knowing were even smaller.
After thinking for a moment, she moved to the table, wrote a letter, and sent it to Jin'ao Island. Of course, she didn't use the demon race's methods to send the letter, but rather their own.
In the blink of an eye, it was the next day.
Yue Hong woke up and recounted his memories before the attack. The truth was as Lu Yuanyuan had predicted: the assailants ambushed Yue Hong using a strange fragrance. Moreover, they seemed to have anticipated that Yue Hong would not be able to crawl out of the Infernal Pool alive, as they made no attempt to conceal their language or facial features in front of him, easily revealing their identities.
Meanwhile, the demon race acted swiftly, keeping their promise and giving her an explanation that very day, punishing all the offending evil cultivators according to the law. It was Bai Ye, the demon who served the high priest, who personally brought the confession.
Bai Ye respectfully presented a scroll of parchment: "The High Priest went to Mangshan early this morning, but before he left, he instructed us to deliver the results to the celestial messenger today."
Lu Yuanyuan paused for a moment, then took the confession: "As long as it's in accordance with the law, that's fine. Thank you for your hard work."
She knew that the Demon King had not yet returned, and such swift action was most likely due to the orders of the Demon Clan's High Priest. But given the existing grudge, Lu Yuanyuan still harbored no goodwill towards the other party.
For the next few days, the delegation stayed in the palace, not going anywhere. Three days later, General Zuo and his entourage finally returned. Perhaps because they had heard about Riyan's near-framing and subsequent exoneration, Lu Yuanyuan could sense that the discussions went much more smoothly in the following days. Although General Zuo still stood with his arms crossed, his expression unfriendly, and he occasionally snorted coldly, he seemed less hostile towards them than at the beginning, and less likely to oppose them or obstruct the discussions on minor issues.
At the same time, Lu Yuanyuan also noticed that the little fox that had been spying on her for the past few days hadn't appeared for several days. She guessed it had gone to Mangshan with its father and hadn't returned.
It has to be said, the priest's position is far too leisurely; he doesn't even attend meetings. How could the Demon King accept that?
On the other hand, she still hadn't figured out how the little fox had vanished from her arms that day.
But it doesn't matter anymore. In the end, that little fox was just a stepping stone for her to deal with the High Priest. Now that she has given up on the idea of starting with his father, there's no need to waste her energy trying to uncover his secrets.
The meeting proceeded smoothly, but Lu Yuanyuan was more concerned about another troublesome matter at the moment.
That day, because of the strange appearance on her leg, she wrote a letter to Jin'ao Island. While waiting, she didn't reveal that it was a problem with her leg, but subtly inquired with the immortal lord who was a cultivator of alchemy who was traveling with her. Sure enough, no one knew what it was. She also managed to meet with Xiao Ruo to ask if there was a way to solve it. Of course, she didn't say that it was a symptom on her own body, but said that she had found it on Yue Hong. However, Xiao Ruo looked blank after hearing her description, clearly not knowing what could in that pool cause such a mark.
Fortunately, she received a reply from Xuan Gui on the third day after writing the letter. Xuan Gui read her description and told her that it was probably a trace left by an ancient monster called Chun Yu. This monster was extremely vicious and could invade a person's skin and spread rapidly throughout the body. In less than half a minute, a person would lose all five senses, become unconscious, and turn into a living dead.
Once you get this stuff on your skin, the only way to save yourself is to quickly dig out the piece of flesh, just like you would if you got white phosphorus on your skin, in order to stop its spread.
If Lu Yuanyuan hadn't already ascended to immortality, this thing would have already spread throughout her entire body. It was her golden core that had been powerfully suppressing it, preventing it from affecting her. So far, it only clung to her calves, not reaching her knees.
Lu Yuanyuan: "..."
She had mixed feelings and rolled up her trouser legs.
The problem could be solved by cutting away the spread of flesh with a knife. But this thing had already spread all over her calf like a flower... She simply couldn't bring herself to cut off her own leg.
Even if she became an immortal, even if she could grow a leg back, she would still be afraid of pain.
Fortunately, Lu Yuanyuan breathed a sigh of relief when she turned to the next page. The Xuan Turtle told her that circulating her microcosmic orbit once a day could stop its spread. The larger the affected area, the more frequently it would flare up. But if it was just this small area, it wasn't a big problem; even if it flared up, it would quickly return to normal unless there were special circumstances.
Once they return to Jin'ao Island, it will have a way to completely remove this thing for her.
.
Amidst this hectic daily life, the demon realm celebrates the annual birthday of the Demon King.
As is customary, all seven cities will host a grand celebration, a demon parade comparable to the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. The cities will be ablaze with lights, and the air will be filled with the aroma of fine wine—a truly spectacular festival. This day is also a holiday for all officially employed demons, with no scheduled meetings or business.
Everyone has worked hard lately, and Yue Hong has recovered. Lu Yuanyuan suggested that we do as the Romans do and go out to experience the local customs and culture.
As night falls, Xuanzhao City is adorned with lanterns and decorations, exuding an extravagant and intoxicating atmosphere.
As they walked, they encountered many sights different from those of the cultivation world. Passing a tavern, they looked up and saw several graceful demon girls leaning against the railing, fanning themselves with silk fans. When the demons below gathered and whistled, they would suddenly lift their fans, eliciting gasps of surprise. The half-face beneath the fan was revealed to be white bone. Seeing the change in the demons' expressions, the girls burst into laughter…
Having just walked through the first street, everyone felt their eyes were opened, gradually letting go of the shadow cast by the previous accident and immersing themselves in the celebration. However, as they walked, Lu Yuanyuan noticed that the crowd around her was moving slower and slower. Looking up, she saw that many demons were watching them.
The maid accompanying them glanced around, blinked, and whispered, "My lords, you don't look like demons at all..."
Lu Yuanyuan suddenly realized. There happened to be a mask stall by the roadside, so she immediately bought one for everyone. After they put them on, sure enough, fewer eyes were looking at them. The group continued strolling, and Lu Yuanyuan looked up and saw many exquisite peacock feather decorations hanging from the distant city walls. Her pace slowed involuntarily.
Just then, she suddenly felt the sun jump, and then the whole world went dark.
Lu Yuanyuan realized the reason in an instant. Fortunately, before losing her sight, she knew she was next to an alley. To avoid being trampled, she quickly felt her way along the wall and took two steps into the alley, planning to go out again once she regained her sight.
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