Chapter 69 Did she become a substitute?
Ning Qi was taken to a side hall by Zhizhi, where she was cleaned up and put on a thin outer garment.
She sat in front of the dressing table and finally saw her own face.
Of course, she's not a stunning beauty, but she does resemble her past appearance by about 90%.
She now understood that, apart from the voice, this body was a complete replica of herself.
Ning Xi was devastated. So, she had become her own substitute?
That's not right either. She suddenly realized something very crucial—
Xiao Sui was blind before and always recognized people by their voices. He looked like everyone except for the most crucial voice. Wasn't that a complete waste of time?
No wonder those cultivators sent her women who looked similar to her; Xiao Sui killed them one after another!
We're doomed!
The maids didn't give her much time to break down, because Zhizhi was busy getting her dressed.
As they applied powder to her face, Ning Qi asked in despair, "Does the Demon God often take women to bed?"
Zhizhi glanced at her, cleared her throat arrogantly, and said, "Of course, the Demon God is young and vigorous, and his needs are great. We have to offer him at least ten beauties every month. You are not the only one. Don't think that the Demon God has any special feelings for you."
The other maids looked at Zhizhi in surprise.
Zhizhi frowned, signaling them to keep quiet.
Ning Xi was completely stunned by these words and didn't notice their little actions at all.
After silently applying lip rouge to her, the maid wrapped her in a quilt, carried her into the bedroom, and placed her on Xiao Sui's bed.
Fortunately, they didn't take off her inner garment, so the packet of aphrodisiacs hadn't been discovered yet.
Ning Qi stared at the bed curtains above her head, still in a state of confusion, when suddenly they looked strangely familiar, as they were the same ones she had used in the Huaguang Sect courtyard.
"Host?" a voice popped into my mind.
Ning Qi was so excited she almost jumped out of bed. "System, explain to me what's going on!"
The system weakly said, "It's what you're seeing. Ten years have passed since your previous body died. Yan Chongyan has become the sect leader of Huaguang Sect, and Xiao Sui has become the Demon God."
"Then why am I here?" Ning Qi questioned. "I remember you told me back then that I had exceeded the mission requirements!"
"Because... the plot has changed. The male protagonist is now in mortal danger, the small world has detected an anomaly and is facing collapse. We were pulled back by the God System during the escape process."
"So, you're not going to assign me a new mission to save Yan Chongyan, are you?" Ning Qi asked with a smirk.
"……Yes."
Ning Qi sneered three times, "You really make the best use of people, huh? You should give me some compensation, right?"
The system said, "In this situation, you can apply for a subsidy of 1,000 points. I'll go through the procedures in the God System."
"Go quickly!" Ningqi urged it loudly.
With the noise subsiding, Ningqi's thoughts returned to the bedchamber.
Actually, she was somewhat relieved to be able to come back. When she saw Xiao Sui, she realized that she missed him more than she had imagined.
But... it seems only her feelings haven't changed.
Although Xiao Sui did not forget her, he became dissolute!
He takes ten women to bed every month.
How many strange women have been lying here over the years?
Thinking this, she was burning with anger, her whole body itching. She ripped off the blanket, sat up with a thud, moved to a chair wearing only her thin clothes, crossed her arms over her chest, and touched the ground with her toes.
Bah! They even said she was the wife of some demon god. When did they get married?!
Even if they were to get married, his fickle nature would drive her crazy.
No wonder she survived!
She realized that what the Right Protector said was absolutely right; Xiao Sui hated her for abandoning him, so he bound her pitiful body after her death.
Ning Qi thought about it more and more, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt chilled to the bone.
After all, in the last period of her life, she not only drove Xiao Sui away, but also told him to get lost on her deathbed, returned the gifts he had given her, and wrote more than a dozen letters that seemed to be provocative.
She left herself no way out at the time. Little did she know she would come back; she only wanted to get Xiao Sui away from her.
Now look what's happened. The obedient and well-behaved Xiao Sui from before is gone; he's become someone who doesn't uphold male virtues.
No, there's nothing to miss about a man like that.
She was somewhat relieved that her identity had not been exposed.
Her most pressing concern now is to cure the poison within her body; as for Xiao Sui…
If what Zhizhi said is true, he has become a womanizer, and she will run away after she removes the curse.
Fortunately, her current body is significantly better than the princess's body in the past. Her body is full of spiritual energy and she is very sensitive to both demonic and spiritual energy. She should be a very talented person and would not have any problem venturing into the mortal world alone.
Ning Qi pulled herself back from her wandering thoughts, touched the love potion in her bosom, and turned her head to look at the teacup on the table beside her.
Should we put this in?
If she doesn't let it in, she probably can't beat Xiao Sui.
——
As darkness fell completely, Ning Qi heard steady footsteps outside the door, accompanied by a maid's voice, "Your Highness, everything is ready."
She quickly wrapped herself in the blanket and lay back down on the bed.
The wooden door creaked open, and Xiao Sui's low, hoarse voice rang out: "Without my orders, you don't need to come in."
"Yes," the maid replied.
Ning Xi stared at the doorway of the inner room, and soon a pair of black boots embroidered with silver thread and cloud patterns appeared in her line of sight, walking towards her step by step.
She looked up and met Xiao Sui's deep, dark eyes.
His eyes were long and narrow with slightly upturned corners, and his double eyelids were deep and long, making him look very alluring. However, because his pupils were so dark, it was impossible to tell his emotions. Staring at him was like falling into a bottomless ancient well.
With the obvious bruises around his eyes, his demeanor was more somber than before, and his every move carried a strong sense of oppression.
Ning Qi felt inexplicably nervous and clenched her fingers to encourage herself.
A harmless demonic aura was released from his body once more, swirling around her and slowly settling onto her skin.
Ning Qi lowered her eyes, feeling the demonic energy lingering on her chin and lips. She was extremely puzzled. Could this be a way for demons to communicate?
She scratched her chin, trying to eliminate the subtle sensation of the demonic energy on her skin. Unexpectedly, the invisible demonic energy swallowed her fingers as well, tingling and stinging her skin without causing any discomfort.
Xiao Sui walked towards her step by step, blocking most of the candlelight.
Ning Qi was afraid he would take a hard line, so she quickly said, "Um... you must be thirsty after a long day, how about some water?"
She wanted to slap herself as soon as she finished speaking; it was too abrupt.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Sui turned around, glanced at the teapot on the table, sat down in the chair, and said in a calm tone, "Okay, pour me a cup."
“Okay.” Ning Xi immediately got out of bed and instantly felt the demonic energy spreading throughout her body, even her toes were wrapped up.
This feeling made her gasp and look at Xiao Sui, but he remained calm, as if he wasn't the one releasing the demonic energy.
Ning Qi quickly put on her shoes, went to the table, picked up the pot of water, poured a glass, and handed it to him.
Xiao Sui raised his hand as if to take the cup, but stopped abruptly when he touched her fingers, staring at her. "It's getting late, let's go to bed first."
"Drinking some water won't make a difference," Ning Qi said with an embarrassed smile, pushing the water glass closer to his lips.
Xiao Sui then took the water cup, intentionally or unintentionally touching her, looking down at the clear tea, and asked casually, "Why did you come to the Demon Realm?"
Ning Xi scratched her head. This touched on her blind spot. She hadn't received any of the original owner's memories. She frowned and made up a story: "I came with my sister."
"Why did your sister come?" Xiao Sui paused, his hand holding the cup.
Why isn't he drinking water yet! Ning Qi was getting anxious, unable to understand why Xiao Sui had suddenly started checking household registrations.
She quickly called the system to help her out of the predicament.
The system said, "Just say you're here to escape. According to the information I have, most of the people in the mortal realm have been infected by the Corpse Demon. The remaining survivors have no choice but to seek refuge with the cultivation sects, but those sects are also too busy to control the growth of the Corpse Demon. Now the Demon Realm has become a pure land."
Such a thing is true? Ning Qi was surprised. It turned out that after ten years, not only people had changed, but the environment had also changed so much.
She told Xiao Sui what the system had said.
Xiao Sui didn't raise any further questions, but casually asked, "What's your sister's name?"
Ning Qi continued to seek help from the system, and after receiving the answer, he told him.
Xiao Sui toyed with the teacup in his hand, but his gaze remained fixed on her.
Ning Xi watched him expectantly, and finally saw him bring the cup to his lips, first taking a sip of tea, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly, then tilting his head back slightly and drinking it all in one gulp.
"Great," she encouraged herself. He had already succeeded 80% by drinking the tea. Now all she had to do was patiently wait for the drug to take effect, making him delirious, so she could find the key and sneak off to the dungeon.
There are still twenty hours before the poison in her body takes effect.
"Can we go to sleep now?" Xiao Sui asked, putting down his cup.
Ning Qi nodded hurriedly, "Please get into bed."
Xiao Sui stood up and walked past her, a gentle breeze lifting the strands of hair at her temples.
He removed his hair ornament and outer garment, leaving only his white undergarment. He calmly climbed onto the bed, completely oblivious to the fact that they were strangers. He turned to the side, propped his head up with his hand, and patted the spot next to him. "Get on."
That's really concise and to the point.
Ning Xi was a little resistant. If it were the clean and innocent Xiao Sui from before, she would have pounced on the bed and started touching him all over without him even having to say a word.
But now, just thinking about Zhizhi saying he changes ten men a month makes her unable to lie down no matter what.
Although she didn't think Xiao Sui would be that kind of person, ten years had passed between them, and she couldn't guarantee that he hadn't changed in those ten years.
Moreover, the fact that he was willing to let someone he had only met once sleep with him suggests that what Zhizhi said is highly credible.
Ning Qi took a half step back and gave a very lame excuse, "I'm not sleepy yet, let me sit for a while."
"Okay." To her surprise, Xiao Sui did not insist. He put down his elbows, lay flat, closed his eyes, and slept in a very proper position.
Ning Xi waited a moment and heard his breathing become long and steady. She was overjoyed. Her medicine was really good. It worked so quickly!
She tiptoed to the bedside, poked Xiao Sui's shoulder with her finger, but there was no reaction, nor was there any demonic energy surrounding her.
Ning Qi boldly lifted the blanket and touched his abdomen. The originally firm muscles had thinned, making his waist even thinner.
Looking closer, she noticed that Xiao Sui was much thinner than she remembered; his clothes were almost sagging.
She took the opportunity to squeeze it more; it had become much harder than before, and she could feel the bone in some places.
"He's probably had too many women and his health is failing," Ning Qi thought angrily, her fingers slipping inside his clothes as she fumbled for the keys.
She quickly found a storage bag and took it out.
The storage bag was entirely black, embroidered with gold thread patterns, and emitted a faint demonic aura.
She naturally released her spiritual energy, which touched the rope, and the rope snapped suddenly.
It seems her cultivation level is quite good, as she was able to open the demon god's storage bag so easily.
Ning Qi happily reached inside and soon found a string of key-shaped objects.
This should be it.
She put the storage bag into her bosom, glanced at Xiao Sui whose breathing was even, and quietly left the room.
Zhizhi was sitting in the corridor outside the bedroom when a maid called to her, "Auntie, you should go and rest first. I'm on duty today, so I'll keep watch."
Zhizhi glanced at her. "No, His Highness never rests in his bedchamber. He'll definitely come out in a little while."
"But it's already past four in the morning," the maid whispered.
“He will definitely come out,” Zhizhi insisted. “His Highness has always spent the night in the cave for so many years without exception. He would never change his habits for a strange woman.”
Seeing that her persuasion was ineffective, the maid had no choice but to keep watch with her.
Ning Qi vaguely heard people talking outside the hall. She loosened her hair, smeared her lipstick, ripped her collar open a little, pinched two red marks on her neck, and walked out through the main gate.
Zhizhi immediately turned around, looked her up and down, and stared wide-eyed, "Why did you come out?"
"Miss, could you please find me a place to wash myself?" Ning Xi asked in a strained voice.
However, her voice is now more mellow than before, making it unsuitable for her to speak in a delicate, sweet tone.
Zhizhi saw the marks on her body clearly and looked like she had swallowed a fly. She angrily said to the maid beside her, "Take her to the side hall to wash up."
The maid led Ningxi away.
Ning Qi curled her lips into a smile. As she entered the side hall, she chopped the maid unconscious with a karate chop. She quickly changed into her clothes, tidied her hair, and walked out of the side hall, heading towards the water prison according to the route she remembered from the daytime.
She encountered two or three patrolling demon guards along the way, but they did not suspect anything because she was dressed as a maid.
She arrived at the cell safely; it was almost dawn by then.
Ning Xi used the daylight to survey the surroundings, took out a tinderbox, lit the pile of weeds she had collected, and quickly ran to a spot not far from the entrance of the cell. She secretly observed the situation, and when the guards noticed the fire and left, she slipped inside.
She walked along the narrow passage and soon saw the female nun from earlier that day and several other monks in a cell.
The men were overjoyed to see her and rushed over to grab the fence. The female cultivator asked, "Did you get the key?"
Ning Qi nodded and held out her hand: "Remove the curse from me."
The female cultivator ignored this and asked with concern, "Did you give the love potion to the demon god?"
Ning Xi hesitated for a moment, then nodded again.
"That's wonderful!" The female cultivator was overjoyed. "That's the Demon-Slaying Powder specially made by the Valley Master of Medicine King Valley. Even if a demon god took it, his inner core would be damaged and his meridians would be severed!"
"Why didn't you tell me this?" Ning Xi asked, frowning.
Knowing she was in the wrong, the female cultivator said, "I was afraid that if I told you the truth, you wouldn't dare to do it. You've always been timid and prone to backing down. If it weren't for your appearance, I really shouldn't have brought you here. Alright, give us the key, and we'll go rescue the sect leader together."
"Where is the antidote?" Ning Qi asked again.
"I'll give it to you after the sect leader is rescued."
The female nun was busy looking for the key when she soon heard a "click" as the cell door opened.
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Author's Note: Zhizhi is ruining Xiao Sui's reputation like crazy [eating melon emoji]. Actually, Xiao Sui used to use spiritual power to sense Xiao Qi, but Xiao Qi just couldn't sense her [covering face and peeking emoji]. From now on, she'll be able to sense her much better.
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