The Demon Venerable Is Delicate and Charming (GL) Chapter 80

Li Lingjiang’s fingertips tapped the table without rhythm. She was not angered by another person’s guesses. She only swept a light glance over Qingyun. “Immortal Lord Qingyun, have your injuries fully healed? If you still have old wounds, you may as well return and rest well.”
She curved her lips in a faint smile. “Yin Wu is my partner. She has fate entanglements with me. It is not good to place random charges on her just because of her identity and position. Since I took the throne, my strength has been far above that of any king.”
Li Lingjiang stood. With her back to Qingyun, she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “Or do you think I am the real threat and need to be reminded?”
“I understand what people are and what they mean. The demon clan has always been known for ambition. You guard against me and suspect me because I have ambition. But…” Li Lingjiang turned around. Her gaze was like water in an ancient pool. “If I truly wanted something, I would not limit myself to the demon clan’s patch of land.”
Whether the Immortal Emperor or anyone else, they had always kept seventy percent caution toward her. She had always known it. Even when her body had long been full of holes, they still feared she would overturn everything and start again.
But she was too tired. So tired that she had never thought of such things.
Besides, they might very well use Yin Wu to threaten her. Once a person had a weakness, everything became different.
Feng Luan held his teacup in both hands and slowly drank a sip. He gave Qingyun a look, clearly not wanting to get involved.
Qingyun understood the meaning in Li Lingjiang’s words but had no way to refute it. His lips moved for a moment, but he said nothing.
“Forget it. Why mention these things?” The mockery in Li Lingjiang’s eyes was unconcealed. She lowered her eyes and lightly pushed the door open. “I will give you an answer after I think it through. Go back for now. I will not keep you.”
Feng Luan and Qingyun said nothing more. The two stayed for less than a quarter hour before leaving in a hurry. Yin Wu bowed to them, though her attitude and mood did not match.
Yin Wu played with the white dragon in her hand and strode into the room. Li Lingjiang sat there, unmoving, thoughts unknown.
Yin Wu leaned over Li Lingjiang’s legs and looked up at her, revealing a smile. “My Lord.”
Only then did Li Lingjiang pull back her thoughts. The light outside stopped a few steps before them. She moved her fingers, raised them, and tucked Yin Wu’s loose hair behind her ear. Her breathing was even, and her eyes were calm. With both hands, she held the face before her and lowered her head to kiss Yin Wu.
“Yin Wu, I need to return to the Demon Realm.” Li Lingjiang sat on the bed. Her hair was damp, and Yin Wu held her in her arms. The young immortal kissed the tip of her nose. The air was full of a sticky scent.
Yin Wu asked, “When do we leave? I will see what needs to be prepared.”
Li Lingjiang shook her head. “I will go alone… with the dragon. Wait for me here.”
“My Lord, I cannot feel at ease if you go alone.” Yin Wu disagreed and tightened her arms. “Could it be that you do not want me anymore?”
Li Lingjiang laughed and hit her shoulder. Her neck hurt a little from where Yin Wu had pinched it. She raised a hand and touched it. “What nonsense. I need to find some things. Trust me.”
Yin Wu lowered her eyes. Her hand stroked Li Lingjiang’s spine. The candlelight reflected in her eyes, nearly hiding her true emotions. After a long while, she gave a restrained, suppressed hum. “I will wait for you to return.”
At dawn, Li Lingjiang prepared to leave. Yin Wu sat pitifully on the steps and looked at her with deep grievance. “My Lord.”
Li Lingjiang’s heart softened. She walked over and kissed her, speaking gently. “All right, all right. Why show that expression? It is not as if I will not come back.”
Yin Wu said righteously, “You do not know how much I miss you even when you are only a little farther from me!”
“Will you miss me too?” Yin Wu tugged at the corner of Li Lingjiang’s robe.
Li Lingjiang nodded. “Of course I will. All right, I need to go. I will go early and return early.”
Yin Wu pressed her lips together and nodded.
The black dragon returned fully to its normal size. The distance was not too far. In less than half an hour, it landed steadily.
Li Lingjiang descended from the dragon’s back. She wore her usual black robe. Yin Wu had pinned up her hair, and the jade hairpin added another touch of color. She showed no trace of longing, only swept her gaze roughly over the surroundings. There had not been much change.
Her eyes were clear and cold. The dragon followed behind her. Before she had walked far, her steps stopped.
Li Lingjiang looked straight over. Neither humble nor arrogant, she folded her hands and bent in salute. “Demon Lord.”
Shuang Zixing silently withdrew the thing he had instinctively sent out. He held himself straight and stared heavily at Li Lingjiang’s moving back. His voice was steady. He was no longer the person who had trembled unconsciously when speaking with her.
“May I ask why My Lord has come this time?”
The wind stirred Li Lingjiang’s hair. The surroundings were silent. Only the dragon’s breathing remained. With her hands tucked away, she breathed out soundlessly.
Look. This place no longer belonged to her.
The two kings confronting each other again was a rare matter. Li Lingjiang felt her stomach churn as if a thread had lifted it. Her voice went with the wind. “My king, I want to go to the library tower and confirm something. May I be allowed to return there once?”
Shuang Zixing did not move. “My Lord, you should know this does not follow the rules. Back then, letting you remain… was also something you refused.”
Li Lingjiang did not fear him. Instead, she took the Jade-Bone Fan from her waist and pushed it open with her thumb, hiding most of her face. She laughed. “My king, why guard against me? I have long been…”
Using the strength in her waist and abdomen, she rushed toward Shuang Zixing. A powerful impact burst between the two of them. In an instant, the dragon gave a long cry and caught Li Lingjiang with its belly after she was thrown several meters away. She supported herself on one knee. Drops of blood stained the fan surface. She casually wiped away the blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. She wanted to stand, but her numbed body kept her from moving for a long time.
Her whole body felt as if it had been crushed. The pain kept her silent for a while. She raised her eyes toward the stunned Shuang Zixing and spoke carelessly. “A cripple. What are you afraid of? My fortune vanished long ago. My king, you are the one who now stands high. When you make guesses, you must also see your own heart clearly.”
Li Lingjiang used the black dragon’s body to stand. Her face was pale. Only when the pain became almost unbearable did her brows draw together. “I once said I had not had time to teach you anything. I also did not expect to push you so hastily into taking over my mess. That was my mistake.”
Shuang Zixing’s hand trembled slightly. He wanted to argue that it was not like that, but no sound came out.
“I want to search for something in the library tower. I hope the Demon Lord will permit it.” Li Lingjiang spoke as if discussing an ordinary matter. The color of her eyes did not change, yet it seemed to see through the heart.
Shuang Zixing stood against her for several seconds, then stepped aside without saying anything. He pressed his lips tight, clenched his hands, and turned away, as if hiding his own sorry state.
Li Lingjiang could no longer hold back and vomited blood. She coughed hard, her waist bending lower and lower. The dragon gave a low hum and lowered its head sideways to check on her carefully.
She raised a hand and touched Little Black’s head, showing a comforting smile. She stopped coughing. “Let us go.”
The library tower was where the demon clan had always stored all kinds of books. Its importance went without saying. It rose upward like a pagoda, making those who looked at it feel frightened. An ancient, grand aura came straight at her. Li Lingjiang stood still and lifted her head to look.
Not just anyone could enter this place. It was guarded by a dragon soul. Every Demon Venerable had to draw out some of their soul power to feed the dragon soul, keeping its life going until now. Its strength could not be underestimated.
Li Lingjiang had just lifted her head when a fierce wind swept toward her. She had to raise her arm to block it. When she opened her eyes, she met a pair of ancient dragon eyes. The dragon soul’s voice seemed to come from far away, yet it landed heavily in her heart. “My king, you have come.”
“Teacher, you are mistaken.” Li Lingjiang raised her hands and saluted solemnly. Only, the impact to her waist and abdomen had been too great, and she could not straighten for a long while. She looked at it with a relieved smile. “I am no longer king. The new king has already taken the throne.”
The dragon soul’s body was enormous. It circled Li Lingjiang several times, then stopped in midair and looked down at her. “Come in.”
Li Lingjiang bowed. She stroked the black dragon, which was shaking under the pressure. The dragon feared she could not stand steadily, so it fought its nature and did not shrink its body. The dragon soul did not mind.
She slowly walked in. The heavy door creaked when it opened. Looking at the place where she had spent the most time as a child, she could not help falling into a daze.
“What are you looking for?”
Li Lingjiang came back to herself. “I want to find books about foreseeing the future. Teacher, can you help me?”
The dragon soul suddenly came before her, its gaze examining. “Who do you suspect?”
Li Lingjiang met its gaze. “Myself.”
“Good.” The dragon soul was silent for several seconds. Its breath blew over Li Lingjiang, already solid. “I will tell you.”
“Foreseeing the future cannot be cultivated later. It is an inborn ability. Most of the time, it reflects future events through dreams, and the time between the dream and reality is not very long. There can also be dreams within dreams, where two matters overlap. It often consumes a great deal of mental strength.”
The dragon soul asked her, “Do you feel unwell?”
Li Lingjiang nodded. “I feel very tired.”
She lifted her head, strangely anxious. “Sometimes I dream, and part of reality matches it, but afterward things change. Why?”
“Fate has many tracks. Foresight only touches one path. Even a breath can change in an instant, so fortune naturally changes too. But it is already enough. You must hide this ability well.”
Li Lingjiang agreed. “I know. Thank you, Teacher.”
The dragon soul gave a heavy hum and looked Li Lingjiang up and down. “My king, you are severely injured.”
“Teacher should not call me that anymore. The new king is someone I personally chose.” Li Lingjiang lifted her head. “You need to accept him.”
The dragon soul grew impatient. “His ambition is too great, and his mind is not yet steady.”
Li Lingjiang curved her lips in a smile, more self-mocking than anything. “I have ambition too.”
“That is different,” the dragon soul said heavily. “The word ambition is not worthy of you.”
At first, Li Lingjiang froze. Then she could not help laughing. She laughed until the corners of her eyes turned red and her breathing grew uneven. She quietly looked at the dragon soul and seemed to murmur, “Fate is like this. I can do nothing about it.”
For a time, no one spoke. Li Lingjiang restrained her emotions. From the corner of her eye, she suddenly saw a painting hanging not far away. It showed two people crossing blows. She had seen it many times before, but never had it stirred her as it did today. “Teacher, who is painted there?”
The dragon soul explained, “The Sovereign and the evil demon. They were almost of the same source and body, but the evil demon did too many wicked things, so it had to be sealed. That war was unforgettable. After the Sovereign sealed the evil demon, she never appeared again.”
Li Lingjiang looked for a long time before lowering her eyes. “So that is how it was.”
She spoke with the dragon soul for a long time. Only when dusk approached did Li Lingjiang say farewell and leave. This time, Shuang Zixing did not stop her, and she did not see a single person along the way.
No one wanted to step into troubled waters.
Li Lingjiang came to the place where she had first landed. Just as she was about to sit on the dragon’s back, that painting suddenly flashed through her mind. Before she could think, a stabbing pain struck her head. Thick blood slid from the corner of her mouth without warning. Her legs went weak, and she knelt on the ground. Her lower abdomen cramped sharply. Her organs felt as if they were being stirred and pierced through. She even seemed to hear the sound of her meridians splitting.
But she could not make any sound at all.
Meanwhile, Yin Wu, who had been waiting, suddenly drew in her expression. She looked violently toward the human world and gritted her teeth.