Chapter 10 From then on, the emperor no longer held morning court.
Since the "Silent Grass Incident", Tang Lu seems to have entered some strange protective mode.
Specifically, she would follow Chi Li wherever she went, and use her large amber eyes like radar to scan every demon who, after transforming, was good-looking—regardless of gender—that tried to approach within three meters of Chi Li.
Akari said she was very pleased with this.
She even mischievously asked a few extra questions when some of the most handsome ministers were reporting, just to see the adorable little tree spirit beside her nervously prick up its ears and secretly clench the hem of her clothes.
His Majesty the Demon King felt he might be a bit wicked, but... who cares, as long as he's happy.
That evening, after finishing her official duties, Chi Li looked out the window at the setting sun and the various spiritual lights that were unique to the demon realm, and suddenly had a whim.
She looked down at Tanglu, who was leaning against her knees, weaving her Nth (still abstract) little flower wreath with delicate vines, and said, "Would you like to go to the market?"
"A market?" Tang Lu looked up, her eyes filled with curiosity.
This word was new to her.
“Yes, there are lots of delicious food and fun places.” Chi Li explained succinctly, successfully seeing the little guy’s eyes light up instantly.
"I want to go! I want to go with Lili!" Tang Lu immediately dropped the small flower wreath in her hand and rushed over to hug Chi Li's leg.
“Okay.” A smile appeared in Chi Li’s eyes as he ruffled her golden hair. “However, we need to agree on three rules.”
"First, you can't run around. You have to hold my hand the whole time."
Second, you can't take other people's things without permission.
“Three…” Chi Li paused, looking at Tang Lu’s face which suddenly became serious, and deliberately dragged out his words, “You can no longer tie up demons who try to flirt with me into rice dumplings with vines and throw them out.”
The fox elder who was just trying to ask about government affairs was suddenly attacked by Tang Lu's vines and was dangling in mid-air for half an hour before being rescued. He almost burst into tears.
Tang Lu blushed, lowered her head shyly, and whispered in protest, "He...he was too close..."
Chi Li chuckled and took her small hand: "Let's go."
To avoid causing a commotion, Chi Li slightly altered her aura, toned down her dazzling gown, and changed into a simpler crimson casual outfit, while Tang Lu remained in her little dress adorned with green leaves and golden light.
The night market in the demon realm is far more bustling and fantastical than that in the human world.
Giant jellyfish lanterns emitting a soft glow float in the sky, and all sorts of stalls line the streets: some sell candies and pastries that shimmer with various colors of light, some sell small stones that can sing on their own, some sell silk woven from moonlight, and others sell all kinds of strangely shaped but delicious (or dangerous) spiritual fruits...
Tang Lu's eyes simply weren't enough to take it all in.
She held Chi Li's hand tightly, her little head turning left and right like a rattle drum, constantly exclaiming "Wow!" "Ah!" "So beautiful!"
"Lili! What's that shiny thing?" She pointed to a stall selling shimmering honey.
"It's sugar."
"Where's that little blade of grass that moves?"
"It's a dancing grass; touch it and it will dance even more enthusiastically."
"That round red fruit looks so delicious!"
"That's the Crimson Flame Fruit. It's very potent. If you eat it, you'll get a nosebleed from the heat."
Chi Li patiently answered all her questions, feeling like an old mother taking her child out to see the world.
They stopped in front of a stall selling seeds of spiritual plants.
The stall owner was a kind tree spirit grandmother who smiled and said to Tang Lu, "Little girl, come and see! These are all good seeds. Plant them and they will bloom into glowing flowers!"
Tang Lu stared longingly at the colorful and uniquely shaped seeds, then looked up at Chi Li, her eyes brimming with desire.
Chi Li thought of her own "Rule Number Two" and felt like facepalming.
But seeing the little one's expectant eyes, she silently swallowed the rule.
"Which one do you like?" she asked.
Tang Lu immediately perked up, pointing to several of the prettiest-looking ones with her little finger: "This one! This one! And that one!"
Without saying a word, Chi Li paid directly and packed up all the seeds that Tang Lu had pointed to.
The tree spirit grimaceed with joy and thanked her repeatedly.
Then, things started to get out of control.
At a stall selling delicate and exquisite moonshell jewelry, Tang Lu glanced a few more times at the pearly luster of the seashell bracelet.
Chi Li: "Wrap it up."
At a stall selling shawls woven from clouds and mist, light as a feather, Tang Lu touched the soft fabric.
Chi Li: "One of each color."
At a stall selling various flavors of spiritual spring water (including sunshine, grass after rain, and even lightning), Tang Lu took a bite of the grass flavor and her eyes lit up.
Chi Li: "Ten bottles of each flavor, please."
...
Wherever it passed, it was like a locust swarm passing through... no, it was like the God of Wealth descending.
The stall owners were so excited when they saw the two "sisters" that they practically wanted to give them their entire stalls.
Tang Lu went from initial surprise to a bit of confusion, and finally, seeing that Chi Li could barely hold any more in his hands, and that even more things were emerging from the hands of the invisible guards behind him, she cautiously tugged at Chi Li's sleeve.
"Lili...did you buy too much?" Although she was happy, she also felt that it seemed a bit excessive.
Chi Li was handing Tang Lu a lifelike, chibi-style phoenix wood carving—seven-tenths like her—from a stall selling phoenix wood carvings (her own prototype?). She raised an eyebrow, her tone one of unquestionable authority:
"Not much. Ben... I'm happy."
Looking at the various trinkets Tang Lu was holding in her arms, in her hands, and around her neck, and then at her flushed face from excitement and happiness, she felt that the money was well spent, very well spent.
Nothing is more important than making her little tree spirit happy.
As for the "three rules"?
His Majesty the Demon King declared: Rules are meant to be broken. Especially when spoiling his little tree spirit.
Finally, they stopped in front of a stall selling crystal cakes.
The crystal cake was translucent and filled with various kinds of spiritual fruit pulp, exuding a sweet aroma.
Tang Lu took a bite, her eyes crinkling with happiness, then held the half-eaten crystal cake to Chi Li's lips: "Li Li, have some too! It's sweet!"
Chi Li has never liked sweet things, but seeing Tang Lu's bright eyes filled with joy, she lowered her head and took a small bite from Tang Lu's hand.
Yeah, it is... quite sweet.
It was even sweeter than the celebratory wine she drank on the day she unified the demon realm.
Watching Chi Li eat the pastries she fed her, Tang Lu smiled even more happily than when she received all the gifts earlier.
Holding pastries in one hand and tightly holding Chi Li's hand in the other, she walked through the dazzling, bustling night market, her heart filled with a warm and contented feeling.
"Lili," she said, shaking their clasped hands, her voice as sweet as honey, "we'll come again sometime, okay?"
“Okay,” Chi Li replied without the slightest hesitation.
Looking at the happy little tree spirit beside her, she thought that experiencing this kind of everyday life occasionally seemed...not bad.
Of course, the premise is that she has to be by your side.
Tonight, His Majesty the Demon King spent lavishly, acquiring a bunch of useless trinkets that Tang Lu liked, as well as... a sweet pastry that was fed to her mouth.
She felt that this was probably what the storybooks described as... "From then on, the emperor no longer held court in the morning"?
Hmm, I can understand those tyrannical rulers in the mortal realm a little better now.
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