Chapter 81 She's going to return to me again for the mission...
Ning Qi frowned. "Why does everyone say it's because of the Demon God? Could it be that he deliberately released the Corpse Demon to harm the people?"
"Of course!" the man immediately replied. "It's all because he turned highly skilled cultivators into corpse demons and released them into the mortal realm. Those cultivators still retain their past abilities, but their spiritual power has been transformed into demonic energy, which is extremely harmful to ordinary people."
Ning Qi felt that Xiao Sui would not do such a thing. Even if he turned cultivators into corpse demons, there was no reason for him to release them into the mortal realm to harm innocent people.
The man was about to recount the demon god's evil deeds, but she didn't want to listen anymore. She jumped off the city wall and entered Yandu.
This place is clearly not as bustling as it was ten years ago; there are fewer people coming and going, and many of the surrounding shops have closed down.
Following the system's instructions, she found a two-story building near the city gate. The plaque above the entrance read "Demon Slayer Tower," and it was said that rogue cultivators who came to Yandu would come here to receive their missions.
After Ning Qi went inside, there was an old man sitting behind a wooden table. Behind him, on the four walls, hung various wooden plaques, which looked to be over a hundred.
He listlessly lifted his eyelids. "Take a look around. If you find a task you like, take it down and come to me with the wooden tag to collect the tools you need."
Ning Qi glanced at the wall and saw that the first three walls were all missions in the mortal realm, while only the fourth wall had a few missions from the demon race. Just as Zheng Yuzhu had said, almost all of them were about recruiting corpse finders to help the living fulfill their wishes.
She had little choice, and after much deliberation, she picked off one of the wooden plaques. It was for helping the person who made the wish to find her daughter, and if her daughter turned into a corpse demon, she could bring back the ring on her hand.
"Why are there so few quests in the Demon Realm?"
"Sigh, who goes to the Demon Realm if they're ordinary people? It's mostly cultivators who go there. And most cultivators are affiliated with the five major sects, so missions to the Demon Realm are all within the sects. We don't have many here."
Ning Qi nodded and handed him the wooden plaque.
The man took the key from the table, found the corresponding numbered drawer under the table, and took out three items, placing them on the table. "The black disc is a teleportation array. The map shows the location where the mission target disappeared, and the image stone contains the appearance of the mission target. You cannot cancel the mission within one year of accepting it. If you want to cancel the mission after one year, you can come to me."
Ning Qi took the things and saw that he had put the wooden plaque into the drawer.
She opened these things only after returning to Huaguangzong's bedroom and saw the spirited girl on the memorial stone, and her heart felt inexplicably heavy.
Originally, she only took the mission randomly to get the teleportation array, but now that the appearance of the mission target is in front of her, it seems like a responsibility. She must do her best to help the person with the wish within a year.
She unfolded the map and looked at the location. Fortunately, it wasn't far from the Demon City, only twenty miles south of the city. After she went back and comforted Xiao Sui, she would go find this girl.
Just then, there was a sudden noise at the door. Ning Qi hurriedly put these things away and saw Zheng Yuzhu returning with her books on her back.
She was a little surprised: "Don't you have classes all day today?"
"Hmm, I forgot a book. I'll come back to get it." Zheng Yuzhu said, rummaging through the room, but her eyes glanced at Ning Xi. "Senior Sister, weren't you going to Yandu for a day trip? Why are you back so soon?"
Ning Qi shrugged. "I don't think there's anything fun to do. It's more comfortable to stay indoors."
Zheng Yuzhu said "Oh," took a book from the bookshelf, put it in her bookcase, and turned to walk towards the door.
Upon reaching the door, she suddenly turned around and asked, "Senior Sister, you're actually planning to return to the Demon Realm, aren't you?"
Ning Qi felt a chill run down her spine, as if she were being spied on. "Why do you say that?"
Zheng Yuzhu shook her head. "It's just a feeling."
She hesitated for a moment at the door, then took out a very exquisite bracelet from her bosom and handed it to Ning Xi.
"This is a birthday gift I prepared for my sister two years ago. She has never been able to come back. Senior sister, if you go to the Demon Realm, could you help me find my sister?"
Ning Xi wasn't sure if she was testing her, so she returned the bracelet to her, saying, "I'm not going to the Demon Realm anymore. The sect leader won't let me go."
"Ah." Zheng Yuzhu pushed her hand away and forcibly stuffed the bracelet into her hand. "Then you can keep it for now."
Ning Qi looked at her suspiciously.
Zheng Yuzhu lowered her eyes and stammered, "Because my senior sister always reminds me of my older sister, please keep this for me."
Seeing that she insisted on giving it to her, Ning Qi could only reluctantly accept it, and emphasized again, "I'm not going to the Demon Realm."
"I understand." Zheng Yuzhu pushed open the door and walked out of the room. "I'm going to school."
Ning Xi watched her retreating figure, feeling that she was particularly strange, but since she was sure she was going back to the Demon Realm, she quickly forgot about this little incident.
She packed a set of clothes into her storage bag and put in the handkerchief she had just bought in Yandu. It was a gift she had specially bought for Xiao Sui, who was such a crybaby, so he would definitely use it often.
There was nothing else she needed to bring. She fastened her storage bag, slung her training sword over her shoulder, and headed out while everyone was still at school.
Teleportation arrays leading to the Demon Realm are not set up inside sects, mainly to prevent demons from directly entering sects after obtaining the teleportation arrays. They are usually located at some distance from the sects.
She still needs to travel ten miles east to reach this teleportation array.
Just as Ning Qi was about to step onto the sword, a surge of spiritual energy rushed towards her. She dodged to the side and looked back to see Xie Jingyan.
She narrowed her eyes slightly and said, "Immortal Lord Jingyan, what are you doing?"
Xie Jingyan asked with a smile, "Young friend, where are you headed?"
"I'll just wander around. The sect leader has agreed to let me familiarize myself with the surrounding area over the next few days," Ning Qi said calmly.
"I see," Xie Jingyan said. "I thought you were going to the Demon Realm."
“I betrayed the Demon God to save the sect leader, how could I possibly go back to such a place?” Ning Qi said. “Your suspicions are utterly absurd.”
"Is that so?" Xie Jingyan said lightly. "Then why did you go to the Demon-Slaying Tower in Yandu to receive a mission?"
Ning Qi gripped the hilt of her sword tightly. "You were following me?"
Xie Jingyan still smiled and said, "Even if someone who has been the Demon God's woman risked their life to save Chong Yan, I still have to be wary of them. Now it seems you do have a problem. What, are you going to take information about our Huaguang Sect to the Demon God?"
"I only stayed for a day and a half, what information could I possibly gather?" Ning Qi smirked, glancing at the escape route out of the corner of her eye. "I went to the Demon Realm because of some personal grudges. I originally planned to settle them after escaping the Demon Palace, but they didn't give me a chance to speak and sent me directly back to the Huaguang Sect. Now I want to go back and continue to settle them. Does the Immortal Lord have any objections?"
Xie Jingyan said, "In principle, I should have stopped interfering in the affairs of Huaguang Sect a long time ago, but I bear an unshirkable responsibility for Xiao Sui's current state. If I had hardened my heart and killed him earlier, the mortal realm would not have been able to wreak such havoc."
"I don't see that you've done anything substantial," Ning Qi said sarcastically.
Xie Jingyan's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his smiling look. "You're planning to go back to find Xiao Sui, right? I can see that he's deeply in love with you, and he'd rather suffer the backlash himself than hurt you in the slightest. How about this, help me bring him a gift."
Ning Qi kept quietly retreating, but Xie Jingyan kept a close eye on her.
She didn't care anymore and said she had something to do. As soon as she opened her mouth, a surge of spiritual energy rushed towards her.
She tried to resist, but her spiritual power was far inferior to Xie Jingyan's, and she felt something enter her throat directly along with her spiritual power.
She quickly tried to clear her throat, but the substance slid into her stomach.
"What did you feed me?" Ning Xi asked, gagging.
Xie Jingyan smiled sinisterly, "I told you, it's a gift."
The thing was so small that it was completely undetectable, and I couldn't vomit it up at all.
Ning Qi straightened up, her eyes filled with anger. "What exactly is that?"
"You'll find out in a few days." Xie Jingyan waved and turned to leave. "I wish you a safe return to the Demon Realm."
Ning Qi clutched her chest, remaining alone to call the system, her unease growing. "What did he just feed me?"
After scanning her body, the system gave her the answer: "Demon Worm."
Ning Qi remembered this thing; it was the original source of the Corpse Demon's infection.
Her heart sank. "He's going to turn me into a zombie?"
"Yes." The system was also silent for a moment.
"Does he think turning me into a zombie will allow him to get revenge on Xiao Sui?"
But it must be said that if Xiao Sui cared about her, he might actually succeed.
Ning Qi continued to step onto the sword and flew towards the location of the teleportation array.
She remembered being infected by the demonic insects; although the progress was slow, the mutation rate was 100%.
The Minister of Works' daughter, Gu Xinxue, was infected by the Corpse Demon after being bitten.
At that time, Xie Jingyan sent Xiao Sui to kill her.
Ning Qi lowered her eyes, her hand tightly gripping the teleportation array.
She probably won't go to see Xiao Sui...
——
A large black ball floated into the cave and arrived at the stone chamber where the ice bed was located. Seeing the demon god lying next to the princess, it started chattering: "Demon God, we have new news about the princess."
"Speak quickly."
The demon snarled out of the group called Ersan, “The princess will be back soon. She went to Yandu first today and entered a place called Zhanmolou. There is a formation protecting it, so we can’t get in. After that, the princess returned to Huaguang Sect to pack her things. Before she left, an old man came to the princess and the two of them talked about something. They were probably telling the princess to complete her mission well, but the old man’s spiritual power was very strong, so we dared not get close.”
"What old man?" Xiao Sui opened his eyes and sat up.
“Everyone calls him Immortal Lord Jingyan,” the black figure said.
Xiao Sui gritted his teeth. "Thank you, Jingyan."
He got out of bed, still holding Ning Qi's hand, and looked at her body, his bangs obscuring his eyes. "So, is she going to come back to me for the Hua Guang Sect's mission again?"
The demons began to whisper among themselves, "Is it as the Demon God said?"
I think so.
"pretty close."
Xiao Sui closed his eyes briefly. "Go and summon the Right Protector."
Sensing his oppressive aura, the black mass quickly drifted away.
A moment later, the Right Protector walked out of the stone chamber, stopped, and asked, "What do you want with me?"
"Is the iron cage ready?" Xiao Sui walked out from inside.
The Right Protector exclaimed in surprise, "Your Highness, from the time you gave the order until now, it's only been two days at most. How could it be completed so quickly?"
"Speed up," Xiao Sui said. "Finish it within three days."
The Right Protector gasped. "What? Is that young lady coming back?"
"Hmm." Xiao Sui stepped out of the stone chamber. "Are the handcuffs ready?"
The Right Protector said, "This is finished being forged."
"Take me to see it."
Knowing that he had been most concerned about this matter recently, the Right Protector quickly took him to the dungeon, where the things he had prepared were stored separately in a room.
He handed the handcuffs to Xiao Sui, saying, "These were forged by a blacksmith according to the size of an adult woman's wrist; the thickness and size are absolutely perfect..."
Then he watched as Xiao Sui placed the iron ring on his wrist, his eyes widening in surprise.
“Too small,” Xiao Sui said.
The Right Protector stared at him in shock. "No, is this for you or for that young lady?"
Xiao Sui looked up at him, and he immediately dared not say anything more. "I understand. I'll have them reforge it right away."
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Author's Note: Xiao Sui: Don't ask, I have my own plans.
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