Mu Qiuhan listened, and her brow furrowed.
Although Shang Ningye spoke of the shortcuts the Silk Flower Clan used in cultivation, it was obvious that the drawbacks were also immense. Nature gave and took in equal measure. It was actually quite fair.
Shang Ningye had refused to practice demonic arts for hundreds of years, so she must have long understood the pros and cons.
She hesitated to speak several times, but ultimately relented under Shang Ningye’s smiling gaze.
Facing Shang Ningye, who had already dispersed all her spiritual energy, saying anything more was useless.
Mu Qiuhan could only silently warn herself, I must protect her well and never let anyone with ill intentions get close to her again.
She thought for a moment, then said, “Don’t go out for the next few days. Let me investigate where those Biluo Vines came from.”
As soon as Mu Qiuhan finished speaking, a faint worry arose in her heart. Would Shang Ningye dislike this arrangement? After all, it was almost like losing her freedom.
She nervously observed Shang Ningye’s expression.
The woman just hummed softly. Then, she leaned her head on Mu Qiuhan’s shoulder and reached out to trace her brows and eyes.
“Are you leaving? When will you be back?”
Mu Qiuhan held her breath and grasped Shang Ningye’s wrist.
She secretly circulated her spiritual energy, infusing it into her meridians, and lifted Shang Ningye completely out of the pool.
Mu Qiuhan performed a small technique. In an instant, the water vapor around both of them was gone.
Trying her best to ignore Shang Ningye’s burning gaze fixed on her chest, Mu Qiuhan took out a robe from her jade bracelet and draped it over herself.
She looked a little helplessly at Shang Ningye, who was still naked.
“You’ve been soaking for several days. Are you planning to stay in this pool even longer?”
Shang Ningye smiled gently at her and also took out a set of clothes from her storage ring to put on.
The corners of her eyes crinkled, and she exuded an air of laziness. Her eyes held a hint of affection, stirring Mu Qiuhan’s heart once more.
But Shang Ningye didn’t seem to notice.
“If it were the cold spring on Jade Dragon Peak, I might have been able to soak longer. But this warm water makes one tired after soaking for too long.”
Mu Qiuhan’s brow twitched.
Is it really just because of the warm water that she feels tired? Or is it related to her having dispersed all her spiritual energy?
She led Shang Ningye back to the room and transferred a large pile of spirit stones from her own red jade bracelet into the pair of spirit stone bracelets.
“When I used to practice demonic cultivation methods, I collected many high-quality spirit stones. Their quality isn’t much different from these. You can have them all now.”
Perhaps these spirit stones could help Shang Ningye’s demonic energy recover faster.
Shang Ningye gave her a smiling glance and slowly extended her right arm towards her.
Seeing Mu Qiuhan make no move, Shang Ningye pouted slightly. “Didn’t you say you’d give them all to me?”
Seeing her face flushed like a blooming peach blossom, Mu Qiuhan had a sudden realization.
She paused, then took out one of the spirit stone bracelets and slowly slipped it onto Shang Ningye’s fair wrist.
Just as she was about to adjust it carefully, turning the brightest side of the bracelet upwards, she heard Shang Ningye’s voice, as soft as a mosquito’s hum.
“Don’t you like me like this?”
Mu Qiuhan looked up and saw Shang Ningye with her head lowered, her gaze fixed on her own wrist, seemingly examining the bracelet that had just been put on.
She gently lifted Shang Ningye’s chin, looking tenderly into those eyes that seemed to shimmer with unshed tears.
“No.”
Mu Qiuhan very seriously captured those red lips with her own.
After a light suckle, she left a faint bite mark on them.
“It’s not that I don’t like it. I’m just not used to it yet.”
She pulled Shang Ningye completely into her embrace, her long fingers gently combing through her beautiful hair.
Shang Ningye snuggled obediently in her arms, like a small, defenseless animal.
Mu Qiuhan didn’t know why she asked such a question at this moment.
“Are you willing to enter a Dao Companion Ceremony with me?”
Shang Ningye remained quietly buried in her embrace, not making a sound.
But Mu Qiuhan sensed a slight movement from the person in her arms—it was a nod.
She sighed in satisfaction and held the person even tighter.
“That’s wonderful.”
Two days later, Su Hongyu reappeared in the demon realm.
She had intended to slip in unnoticed by the border guards, just as she had when she left, but she was stopped the moment she appeared.
The man who had spoken sweet nothings to her and shared pleasure with her just a few days ago now stood with his arms crossed, glaring at her.
“Why did you have to go and provoke that little demon?”
“Not only did you offend the Demon Lord, but you also caused her subordinates to be punished along with you.”
“What?”
Su Hongyu was completely bewildered for a moment.
Seeing Hua Ganglie’s stern, uncompromising expression, as if he were about to take her back for punishment, Su Hongyu was suddenly furious.
How can people in the demon realm be so heartless, turning hostile in an instant!
What had she done to be wrongly accused like this?
Su Hongyu tried to use her seduction arts to escape from Hua Ganglie, but her cultivation level was lower than his.
Hua Ganglie seemed to have been prepared.
Before Su Hongyu could even activate her technique, Hua Ganglie covered her entire face with a red cloth hood.
“What are you doing!?”
Su Hongyu’s hands were bound behind her back by Hua Ganglie. Unable to exert any strength, she could only kick out behind her.
Hua Ganglie didn’t dodge. He grunted as Su Hongyu’s angry kick landed squarely on him.
“Don’t blame me. Just explain everything properly to the Demon Lord when you get back. The Demon Lord is truly angry this time.”
Su Hongyu cursed under her breath but didn’t struggle anymore.
One has to yield to circumstances.
Besides, what did she have to fear? If her conduct was upright, why fear a slanted shadow?!
Su Hongyu was taken directly to Mu Qiuhan’s bedchamber by Hua Ganglie. After that, he untied her restraints.
These days, Mu Qiuhan rarely stepped out, treating her newly renovated bedchamber as a second Jialuo Hall. She handled administrative affairs there day and night.
Su Hongyu noticed that compared to when she had left, several more layers of guards had been added both inside and outside Mu Qiuhan’s bedchamber.
Something serious must have truly happened.
Su Hongyu couldn’t wish more for some accident to befall that little demon, Shang Ningye. Seeing this, a delighted smile tugged at her lips.
But reality didn’t unfold as she wished.
Shang Ningye was still alive and well, moving about in Mu Qiuhan’s bedchamber.
She was no longer hiding alone in those side rooms but was openly staying in Mu Qiuhan’s room, leaning right in Mu Qiuhan’s arms!
As someone who also practiced seduction arts, Su Hongyu could see the visible changes in Shang Ningye at a glance.
The thought that this little demon had so easily obtained what she herself had craved for many years made Su Hongyu instantly furious.
Shameless debauchery in broad daylight! Absolutely shameless!
She cursed Shang Ningye many times in her heart, but it didn’t relieve her anger.
To make matters worse, Mu Qiuhan had to rub salt in her wounds.
Su Hongyu saw Mu Qiuhan lower her head, pick a grape from the table right in front of her, peel it, and feed it into Shang Ningye’s mouth.
Completely ignoring that she was still present.
Mu Qiuhan wiped her fingers with a white silk cloth, then casually asked her, “Where have you been wandering these past few days?”
Su Hongyu sneered. “What, are you so idle now that you have to personally inquire about such trivial matters?”
Instead of getting angry, Mu Qiuhan smiled. “Trivial matters? Someone dared to harm my Dao Companion right under my nose, and you call that a trivial matter?”
Su Hongyu was taken aback by the words “Dao Companion.” She looked up and saw that Mu Qiuhan’s expression was not joking.
Su Hongyu’s gaze darkened. “Dao Companion?!”
She sounded as if she had heard something utterly ridiculous.
“Didn’t you say that no one in this world could match you, and no one was worthy to stand by your side?”
Noticing, as expected, that the little demon’s expression faltered, Su Hongyu smirked triumphantly.
But Mu Qiuhan just smiled.
Su Hongyu saw her gently peck Shang Ningye on the top of her head, then reach out, pick another grape, peel it, and feed it to her.
“My past cultivation level is long gone. Why bring up old talk?”
But Su Hongyu didn’t let it go. She stared intently at Shang Ningye in Mu Qiuhan’s arms.
If Mu Qiuhan rubbed salt in her wounds, she would stab a knife into this little demon’s heart.
“Are you really going to form a Dao Companion Ceremony with her?”
Su Hongyu looked at Shang Ningye dismissively, her tone laced with mockery. “Her current cultivation level is worse than even your gate guards.”
Mu Qiuhan felt the person in her arms stiffen at those words, and a hint of coldness touched her own brow.
She snapped softly, “Su Hongyu, watch your words!”
Su Hongyu sneered again.
Mu Qiuhan knew that Su Hongyu wasn’t the only one who thought this way. Others in the clan had similar expressions when they heard she was going to form a Dao Companion Ceremony with Shang Ningye.
Forming a Dao Companion Ceremony was a major event in the cultivation world. Moreover, Mu Qiuhan was the Demon Lord. Once the ceremony was complete, the two individuals would be completely bound together.
Mu Qiuhan recalled Wu Ling and Chu Yue’s hesitant expressions. She also remembered Hua Ganglie’s astonished look and Leng Yi’s dismissive air, feeling quite weary for a moment.
Even as the Demon Lord, she couldn’t control everyone’s thoughts or their words.
Mu Qiuhan turned her head and gently patted Shang Ningye, as if comforting her and also answering Su Hongyu’s question.
“You said it yourself, just for now. Besides, this is my private affair.”
Su Hongyu raised an eyebrow, still looking dismissive, but she said no more.
She understood Mu Qiuhan to some extent; after all, they had known each other for several hundred years.
She simply didn’t believe that a little demon like Shang Ningye could stay by Mu Qiuhan’s side for long.
It’s just a whim.
When Su Hongyu previously ruled in the demon lands, she had many such “beloved playthings.” The longest one had only stayed by her side for a few decades.
People always crave novelty and tire of the old. Especially powerful individuals like them.
Su Hongyu couldn’t be bothered to say more, merely waiting for time to separate the vastly different pair.
She glanced apathetically at the little demon, whose expression had been off since just now, and decided to twist the knife in her heart a little more.
“I went to the Bai clan’s territory a few days ago. Guess what I saw?”
Seeing Shang Ningye’s attention indeed caught by her words, Su Hongyu’s lips curled into a cold smile.
“That spirit beast of your master’s? Bai Zhan captured it and took it back.”
