The true form of the demon
The night shattered, the stars fell like shooting stars, and the illusion seemed to be crumbling. The man before him remained silent. He casually gathered the lingering fairy mist in the air, and it transformed into a peach blossom.
He tapped her forehead lightly with the peach branch in his hand, and her life flashed through his mind.
"There's only one hosta left. Find it."
The illusion completely collapsed, shattering into countless angular blocks. She fell backward uncontrollably, and the scene in front of her completely turned into starry bubbles and disappeared, and she woke up.
It was already daybreak. It had snowed heavily last night, and the vast expanse of white outside the window was quite beautiful.
The fire in the house was burning brightly and it was very warm. She had just sat down to have breakfast with Yun Jinglu when the doorman came to report that Lan Zhuochi, who had been kneeling in the snow outside the gate all night, had fainted from the cold.
"Save him, keep him alive."
The doorman received the order and hurried away to save people.
Yun Jinglu, who was standing beside her, broke the naan in his hand again and again since he heard her say this, but never put it into his mouth.
He is unhappy.
She dismissed all the servants around her, stood up and closed the door herself, then sat back down beside him and explained her plans and opinions to him in a whisper.
"I disagree. The Demon Control Sect has been deeply rooted in the Central Plains for many years and has reached its current status. In a few years, we will be able to achieve our goal."
"Within a few years? What if that old immortal Lan Jinchuan suddenly dies unexpectedly at such an old age? That would be too easy for him. He must die at our hands. I believe that all the major demon-catching sects have heard of the fox mind technique of the young master of the Lan family of Canghua Mountain, and the Demon-Controlling Sect is no exception. My method is the most effective."
"no."
She placed her hand on the back of his, their warmth meeting. She said seriously, "I don't want your people to respect me just because I'm a woman you value. What's the difference between me and your accessory, your beloved pet? I don't want that. I want those who submit to you to also willingly submit to me. The Lan family is our Yun family's enemy. So, before we get married, the quickest thing I can do is to join the game and help you get revenge. Ah Lu, do you understand what I mean?"
"I see."
"I, Jiahe, want to be your wife who fights alongside you, not a pretty canary you pamper."
"My wife who fought alongside me..."
"Yeah." She also put her other hand on him, tilted her head slightly and raised her eyes, gazing firmly at the woman who was looking down at her absentmindedly, "You and I, husband and wife, united in purpose, can cut through metal."
Yun Jinglu's heart was stirred by her warm and powerful words, and his eyes were so moved that they were moist and sad.
"What are you daydreaming about?"
"It's okay." Wiping away the tears in his eyes, Yun Jinglu took her hand, his broad palm able to hold her two overlapping hands. "Okay, let's do this. As husband and wife, we are united in purpose and can overcome any obstacle."
"You promised!"
She was beaming.
He nodded.
"Jiahe, if you are gone, I will never live in vain."
"Oh, I will protect myself. I understand you said this to make me pay attention to my own safety."
The atmosphere between them was somewhat sad, so she changed the subject and said, "Before we part, A-lu, can you let me see the full appearance of your demonic body?"
"My demon body is ugly and will scare you."
"I want to see it."
"All right."
The demonic energy around him suddenly surged.
From the waist, a black snake tail emerged, several feet long. Its scales, layered one upon another, each one seemingly carved from obsidian, shimmered with iridescent light along its edges. As the tail swayed, the friction between its scales refracted a hazy glow.
The expected terrifying snake head did not appear. His upper body still maintained a human form, but his appearance was different.
The right side of his body displayed a strange beauty. From the top of his head to half his chest, where skin should have been, it was now covered with red roses.
The roses seemed to have grown from his flesh and blood, layer upon layer, their crimson petals like fine silk, gleaming softly in the light. Their dark green leaves, serrated at the edges and dotted with sharp thorns, snaked along the curve of his shoulder blades, extending to just below his collarbone, trembling slightly with his breathing.
And in the hollow of his right eye, a most beautiful rose stood tall, its petals soft and its color so saturated that it seemed as if water was about to drip out, like an enchanting pupil, staring into the void.
Half of his face had strong lines, but the other half was replaced by this enchanting rose, as if it was some kind of ancient curse, or an unknown sacrifice, making him exude an indescribable charm and dangerous aura.
She was captivated by the beautiful rose and his natural appearance, yet she also felt deeply saddened by his lost right eye. Was it natural? Or was it the price of transformation from human to demon?
"Alu, did your right eye turn into a flower later?"
He felt inferior and raised his hand to cover the demon flower on his right side. "Yeah, I lost it when I turned into a demon. It's very ugly, don't look at Jiahe."
"You're not ugly, A-lu. You're the most stunningly beautiful of all the monsters I've ever seen. These flowers and scales are so beautiful. Can I touch them?"
She said...she likes...
He gained some confidence after being praised by her, but he was still a little bit incredulous. He knew what she was asking, but he still couldn't help asking in a low-key manner to confirm in detail.
"What?"
"Your tail, and the flower. I promise to be gentle and not hurt you."
"Can."
He took his hand away, sometimes placing it on the table, sometimes letting it hang on his legs, waiting for her to touch him with anticipation and nervousness. He was so flustered that he felt that no place for his hand was right, and even the sound of swallowing saliva was infinitely amplified in his ears.
Her already fair skin gently fell on his snake tail, slowly caressing every inch of scales. It felt like a tickle that itch deep into his heart, stirring up an inappropriate blush.
His scales were cold and smooth to the touch, like jade. Her hand slowly caressed the red roses blooming on his body, and the touch of the petals was very real.
When she touched the rose with thorny leaves on his chest, her fingertips were suddenly pricked. She endured the pain and did not dare to withdraw her hand so that he would notice.
Although she thought she was disguised well, Yun Jinglu nervously grabbed her wrist, turned it over and checked it.
Sure enough, the scarlet blood beads were still oozing out.
The rose petals where my finger had just been pricked still had a moist, shiny glow. The rose was growing and blooming at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the petals were becoming more lustrous.
"It doesn't hurt, it's just a minor wound."
Yun Jinglu plucked out the rose on the right side of the rose that was sucking her blood. The broken part immediately began to bleed like a mortal having his flesh cut out. The bloodstains spread along the skin of his chest and flowed down.
Handing the flower to her, "Eat it."
She didn't ask any questions and obediently ate the flower. The end of the petals still had his blood on them, but when she put it in her mouth, it didn't taste bloody, but sweet instead.
"What should I do about your injury?"
"It will heal and grow new flowers, don't worry. I'm sorry, I tried so hard to put away the thorns, but I didn't expect to hurt you anyway. My thorns are poisonous, but the rose closest to the right side of the rose that pricked you is the antidote. I've already taken it, so you'll be fine."
"After it sucked my blood, it seemed to grow better. Is this flower... nourished by blood?"
Yun Jinglu nervously covered her mouth, put his index finger in the center of his lips, and made a "hush" gesture to her.
"Don't ever mention this secret again."
She looked puzzled, but nodded.
After releasing her, he explained, "Although I am a demon, I don't eat humans. The only blood this flower has ever sucked is mine."
"Alu, what kind of demon is this? I mean, just like fox demons and raccoon cat demons, there are names for these species. I don't know how to describe my problem specifically, do you understand?"
"I understand what you mean. Humanized monsters aren't subdivided into different species; they're all collectively referred to as humanized monsters. Unlike ordinary monsters, the physical changes that occur after a human is transformed into a monster are uncontrollable and unpredictable. However, they will definitely possess the true characteristics of the medium monster that transformed them."
He shook his tail and said, "It's like my snake's tail."
"Isn't that unique in the world?"
"You could say that."
…
Not long after they finished breakfast, Lan Zhuochi regained consciousness. She went to see him, but Yun Jinglu, worried, insisted on waiting outside the door. They agreed that if anything unexpected happened, she would make a loud noise and he would rush in immediately.
Because she didn't know whether Lan Zhuochi's consciousness at the moment was A Chi, she was afraid that A Chi would get jealous and do something to her, which would annoy Yun Jinglu and make her cut him into pieces, so she closed the door tightly.
The first thing she said when she saw him was, "Alu is at the door. If you want to leave the Western Regions alive, or if you want to finish what you want to say alive, you'd better not make a big noise. What do you want to explain to me?"
Lan Zhuochi, still a little weak, looked listless. "I was the one who schemed against him. I made a deal with Xu Tu, letting him create the illusion that Yun Jinglu wanted to kill you. During those days, we actually never left the desert. Yun Jinglu searched everywhere for you, but I blocked all news about you so he couldn't find you."
“Shameless!”
Hearing this, she turned and left angrily.
Lan Zhuochi, who was lying on the bed, crawled over and caught up with her, and hugged her when she was about to reach the door.
He lowered his voice, letting her struggle and scold him. He leaned close to her ear, tears streaming down his face. "I have no choice, Ah Que, I have no choice. You and him are too close. If I don't use some tricks, I will never have the chance to get close to you. Yun Jinglu is like a dog-skin plaster, sticking to you all the time. Ah Que, you and I are our past life's destined marriage, made in a dream. How can I bear to see him coveting you?"
"Despicable! Since the illusion is fake, you should know that Yun Qique's identity is still mine, and the marriage contract between him and me is still valid. Dreams are ultimately illusory, and the marriage contract between him and me is the real thing. Ultimately, you are the third party who covets someone else's fiancée!"
He suddenly grabbed her shoulders and forced her to turn around, with anger and displeasure evident in his eyes.
"He's the one who covets your third party! My lady, I'm your husband, the one you married with honors and respect from your parents! Didn't you say you like me? What am I to you?"
"Achi?"
"You still recognize me as Ah Ci? It was Lan Zhuochi who plotted against you. Why should I be angered and abandoned by you as well?"
"You are also Lan Zhuochi. You clearly watched him plot against me and A Lu, but why didn't you show up to stop him? Since you acquiesced, you are considered an accomplice."
Ah Ci laughed out of anger, "When did you wake me up?"
It was indeed after that incident that she got the jade hairpin and saw him. In that case, she really couldn't blame him.
Even though she was not in the right, she quickly found loopholes and confidently listed the charges against him, "You concealed it with him, so you are still an accomplice!"
"Okay, okay, I'm your accomplice. I'll redeem myself from this crime and eliminate the Lan Zhuo Chi you hate and despise. Will you forgive me for concealing my guilt?"
His tone was serious, no joking at all.
"I'll think about it. Don't act rashly. Ah Chi, let Lan Zhuochi's consciousness speak first."
"Here, I'm not even a priority when it comes to questioning, am I?"
"Why are you jealous of everything? Hurry up!"
A Ci reluctantly let Lan Zhuochi take over his body.
She didn't give Lan Zhuochi a chance to react and spoke before him, "This is not a reason for you to plot against my family!"
"Have you ever been to his secret passage? There, several women are imprisoned, all trained to resemble Yun Qique. His correspondence with the Crown Prince of Zhongyuan is true. His intention to marry Yun Qique to the Crown Prince as a concubine to solidify his position as an imperial merchant is also true. His so-called Demon Control Sect, while hailed as a righteous demon catcher, actually engages in activities that are deeply harmful to the world and indiscriminately distinguish between good and evil."
"How pure and noble are you, Cang Hua Mountain? Since six years ago, the countless lives that were killed in Yang Meilin were not all caused by you, Cang Hua Mountain, who helped the evil? Yes, you have only been in Cang Hua Mountain for a few months, but are you really unaware of this?"
"I do have my doubts."
"Just a suspicion?"
"Yes. I didn't participate in the dirty business at Canghua Mountain, and I certainly won't condone the evil and let it go."
"Whatever you say, there's no point in talking about this now. I won't doubt my brother because of your words, not now and not now."
"A few words are nothing compared to seeing with your own eyes. I'm not capable of setting up an illusion in his Demon Control Sect. You are his most precious treasure. He will definitely take you to the Demon Control Sect. If you go and see for yourself, won't everything become clear?"
"You tell me to go and see, and I'll go and see? You think too highly of yourself."
"I swear on my life that what I say is true."
"Alright, then swear to me with your life. I'll go to the Demon Control Sect myself. If you dare to lie to me, your life will remain in the Western Regions forever."
"Okay, what if what I said is true?"
"What do you want?"
"I want you to come with me. Do you dare to accept this bet?"
Having provoked him to this point to achieve his goal, she, who had already made some plans, was very satisfied and immediately agreed: "Why not? It's a deal."
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