The Demon Venerable Is Delicate and Charming (GL) Chapter 33

“If you keep going upward, you will not fall.” Qi San supported that person’s body. His exposed jaw made him look even colder.
The person looked back at him. Pressured by his authority, they still lifted their foot and walked upward. The more people crossed that boundary, the stronger the wind became. The front and back of the mountain were completely different scenes. Many people could not even open their eyes and had to climb by feel.
Qi San followed behind them. He did not move quickly, but he was much steadier. He lifted his eyelids and looked toward the bend, then calmly withdrew his gaze.
The closer they came to the wind opening, the more the wind struck like blades. A small number of people could not help crying out softly. Wen Si turned around with difficulty and stole a glance at them. His complicated gaze landed on one person hidden among the crowd.
Their eyes met quickly. That person kept a tense face and said nothing. Suddenly, he pulled a long whip from his waist and flung it hard toward Wen Si. Then he separated from the crowd and slid with the wind all the way to the rear. He growled, “Go up!”
Wen Si’s back was pressed tightly to the stone wall. He wrapped the long whip around his arm, pulled it tight, and urged, “Quick!”
An ordinary long whip could not stretch this far. Even Wuzhi’s soft whip needed magic to change its length, and its power would still be greatly reduced.
The long whip in this man’s hand was different from the magic artifact Feng Luan had trained with care. This was a naturally born treasure. The process of obtaining it must have been extremely difficult, yet he was willing to take it out. The Immortal-Entering Sect was richer than she had imagined.
From the look of it, he had spent quite some time learning to use it.
With the help of the treasure, they were held within a controllable range. Many people grew braver. The long whip was pulled tight like solid rock, giving them a support like a railing. Step by step, they moved upward much more smoothly.
The man looked back and saw that Li Lingjiang and Yin Wu had not moved. He clicked his tongue in irritation but still forced himself to be patient. “Why are you not coming up? Having strength does not mean you can stop being careful.”
Yin Wu nodded in agreement. Then she suddenly turned and asked, “What about you?”
“I have my own sense of measure.” The man was large and strong, with a frightening scar on his face. His eyes were muddy but not dirty. He wore a thin short shirt. His headscarf looked as if it had not been washed in a long time and had gone yellow.
Li Lingjiang looked at him a few more times and remembered him. Only then did she move and step upward. Little Black poked its head out from her shoulder. As if it had just woken, it lightly leaped into the air and climbed along the long whip like a water snake, nimble and smooth. The whip did not move at all. Instead, the man and Wen Si felt the pressure lessen greatly. At least the whip was no longer cutting into their flesh.
Qi San fell a few steps behind them, standing in place to wait for the two women. With his hands behind his back, he gently turned the direction of the wind, once again reducing the pressure on the group.
This was only the beginning.
“My Lord,” Yin Wu called softly. She deliberately made herself seem as if climbing was hard, increasing the rhythm of her breathing. She ran in front of Li Lingjiang and blocked the wind for her. “I will help shield you a little.”
Perhaps it was Yin Wu’s imagination, but Li Lingjiang’s face seemed even paler than before.
This time, Li Lingjiang did not refuse. She accepted the kindness and quietly hid behind Yin Wu. The flat space at the bend was not large, so they could not walk side by side. Someone at the front stuck out their head to look, only to find Wuzhi and Feng Luan waiting there. Their expressions were fairly relaxed as they looked at him.
“Do not come over yet.”
Wuzhi quickly walked back. With several light leaps, he landed beside Li Lingjiang, bent down near her ear, and said softly, “Ling Xin went ahead to scout. The yin energy there is much heavier. It should be different from before. He told you not to go over yet.”
Li Lingjiang’s steps stopped. Her gaze sharpened, though she did not look worried. She lightly lifted a hand and only said, “It is fine.”
“Tens of thousands of soul bones are buried beneath Beiluan Mountain. It is normal for yin energy to be thick. Since Ling Xin said that…” Li Lingjiang paused. Thinking of everything that had just happened, she sighed. “Forget it. I will go myself.”
As soon as her body moved, Little Black immediately understood and wound around her waist, showing the curve of it like a belt. Li Lingjiang tightened the ribbon in her hair. Without waiting for Wuzhi to persuade her, she had already leaped over the crowd and arrived at the bend. She turned her head against the wind and, without much hesitation, walked in.
Wuzhi watched her leave, then suddenly tilted his head and asked, “What happened?”
Yin Wu raised her brow. She briefly explained what had happened earlier, then said, “My lord, you work very well with Lord Ling Xin.”
From beginning to end, her gaze did not fall on Wuzhi. Instead, it seemed to pass through layers of rock to see Li Lingjiang.
Wuzhi laughed instead. He gave a light snort. “It was just convenient. You left too quickly. But what about you? Are you not going after her?”
Yin Wu paused at the right moment and curved her lips. “The Demon Realm has suddenly changed like this, yet My Lord knows nothing about it. It is normal that she is anxious. Soul bones are buried beneath Beiluan Mountain, and it cuts off another stretch of the world. Both of them are afraid more accidents will happen. I understand that. It is just a pity that my magic is weak, and I am afraid I cannot help much.”
Her expression seemed to grow a little lonely. “Besides, My Lord did not take me with her before leaving.”
Wuzhi looked at her a little longer but did not say much. He only patted her shoulder. “Let us go.”
Li Lingjiang ignored other people’s gazes and strode in. The narrow road forced her to press inward as she walked. The wind seemed to slow the moment she entered. She held the Jade-Bone Fan and spun it nimbly in her palm. Each step was as steady as flat ground, and everything around her avoided her body.
Her eyes were faintly red, and her gaze was even more distant. The Jade-Bone Fan gave off a dim, alarming glow.
Feng Luan saw her come alone. Surprise flashed through his eyes before quickly fading into calm. He reached out. “My Lord, be careful.”
Li Lingjiang did not take his hand. She lifted her eyes to Feng Luan. “Where is Ling Xin?”
“He went in not long ago.” Feng Luan felt the hair tie on his ears was too tight and untied it again. “Did something happen?”
Li Lingjiang gave a soft “Mm.” “I will tell you later. There is no rush.”
With a complicated look, she touched the stone wall. Like drawing a familiar spell, she traced a few strokes. Twisted whispers immediately began chanting by her ear, instantly disturbing the mind and making irritation rise.
Fortunately, she quickly withdrew her hand. Her face had already returned to normal, though her breathing was much heavier. “I will go find him. Let them come over. We should not waste too much time.”
Li Lingjiang stepped forward. Because the two had to pass sideways, Feng Luan lightly supported her without actually touching. “All right. I understand.”
“Thank you.” Li Lingjiang did not stay long. She tugged at her sleeve and left with a calm expression. Little Black swam beside her, clearly in a guarding posture.
Feng Luan remained where he was. He raised his brow, looking a little playful as he tasted the words. Then he murmured them again. “Thank you.”
His laugh was very light and scattered cleanly in the air.
Feng Luan flicked his ears and walked a few steps. Then he stopped and looked back. Li Lingjiang’s figure was no longer like before, and her aura was no longer as grand. Yet he felt she had become even more distant. She would not even let this invisible wind touch her.
Li Lingjiang walked deeper with the dragon. Demonic energy gradually surged around her. Little Black’s body became much larger and followed behind her, its tail loosely circling her.
Her beast ears moved, and her steps immediately stopped. She tilted her head slightly, opened the Jade-Bone Fan halfway, and let it hang at her side. The roaring wind almost covered the sound of footsteps. Li Lingjiang listened for a while before barely relaxing her guard. A weariness that was hard to see appeared in her eyes.
“My Lord, why did you come?” Ling Xin saw clearly that it was her and frowned in worry.
Li Lingjiang’s face was pale. She licked her dry lips and told him about the demon balls. She breathed out silently. “How is it?”
Ling Xin’s face darkened. He shook his head. “There is nothing unusual, but the yin energy is clearly much heavier, and it even carries baleful energy. I checked the seal just now. It has not loosened.”
“So many changes happened in just a few days, and Shuang… the Demon Lord noticed nothing?” Li Lingjiang frowned. She lowered her head slightly and swallowed down something in her throat.
Ling Xin clenched his teeth. Hearing the change in Li Lingjiang’s address, a trace of unwillingness flashed in his eyes. Still, he said, “No. I sent a message to the king just now. He said he did not.”
“I have told the king every detail of the changes here. The matter of No-Return Mountain has already spread among the demons. The king is under no small pressure.” At the end, Ling Xin’s strength suddenly seemed to drain away.
Li Lingjiang felt a few sharp pains in her chest. Her mind felt as if a tendon were being pulled. The long pain forced her to lean against the stone wall. She turned slightly, making herself look less wretched, and laughed without meaning. “The Demon Lord should know these things. He has just taken the position, and now an accident has suddenly appeared. If the demon clan does not handle this well, the image we finally changed over the last thousand years will be dragged back down again.”
“There is no time to repeat history.” Li Lingjiang straightened again. She closed her eyes briefly. Her white hair fell clearly beside her cheeks. “He has endured much. You must assist the king well.”
Ling Xin froze. His fists tightened hard. For a long while, he did not speak. A rare guilt appeared on his face.
Li Lingjiang opened her mouth, but in the end she said nothing more. It was as if her strength suddenly loosened. The barrier silently shattered. Heavy, biting wind blew straight at her, and the surging demonic energy pierced into her damaged body like backlash.
She remained standing, but blood seeped from the corner of her mouth. In the next second, she covered her mouth and coughed hard. Pain throughout her body bent her at the waist, and she trembled faintly. Each muffled groan was hidden and scattered. Other than herself, no one could hear.
Ling Xin instinctively moved to support her. Whether by chance or not, Li Lingjiang’s body happened to avoid his hand. Little Black also became wyrm-sized again and blocked between them.
He drew back his hand, timid now, his expression complicated. “My Lord, are you all right? I still have medicine here.”
Li Lingjiang took a long while to recover. She wiped the blood from her lips and showed that she did not need it. For a short time, no sound came from her throat. She only quietly looked at Ling Xin.
Behind them, Yin Wu’s expression suddenly tightened. She narrowed her eyes and rubbed her wrist. Wuzhi noticed something was wrong and turned his head. “What is it?”
Yin Wu curved her lips in a smile that did not reach her eyes. “I am going to find My Lord.”