Conquering That Great Demon Lord [Xian Ni Fan Fiction] - Chapter 27: Xiao Ling

Chapter 27: Xiao Ling

Li Muwan curved her beautiful eyes into a smile, radiant with joy. During these days spent with Wang Lin in the Southern Garden, they had lived like an ordinary couple. However, he was about to return to Zhao Country alone to confront its centuries-old foundationa daunting challenge.

Knowing that blood feuds must be avenged to uphold one’s honor, she understood she couldn’t stop him. Yet, accompanying him with her Core Formation Stage cultivation level would only hinder him from fighting unrestrained.

The memory of him shielding her with his own body against the Cloud Heaven Grand Formation remained vivid in her mind.

Her cultivation progress had stalled, but remaining in the Cloud Heaven Sect might offer other ways to extend her lifespan. Moreover, this separation could deepen her importance in his heart. By increasing his affection, she might retrieve her Soul of Life sooner.

With this in mind, Li Muwan spoke softly, “Senior Brother, your Nascent Soul still has hidden flaws. I wish to stay in the Cloud Heaven Sect to refine higher-grade Elixirs for you.”

“The sects in Chu Country are complex, and the Cloud Heaven Sect is no benevolent place, Wan’er…”

“Senior Brother, don’t worry. Wan’er has been in the Cloud Heaven Sect for quite some time,” Li Muwan replied, blooming with a maidenly, infatuated smile.

Wang Lin chuckled lightly, unable to resist her, his eyes filled with adoration.

“Leaving you alone here,” Wang Lin still harbored doubts, “I can’t feel entirely at ease.”

“What does Senior Brother mean?”

“Wan’er, take charge of the Cloud Heaven Sect in my stead.”

“Take charge of the Cloud Heaven Sect…” Li Muwan hesitated, “Wan’er lacks seniority and may struggle to command respect.”

“Fear not. With me here, your husband will support you,” Wang Lin said, his large hand resting on the small of her back.

Li Muwan was delightedit was the first time she had heard him refer to himself as her husband.

“Wan’er will obey her husband,” she said, leaning forward, her chin resting against his chest as she gazed up at him innocently.

Her demeanor was a blatant temptation. Wang Lin, distracted from serious matters, found himself captivated by her starry eyes.

“If I leave, the Grand Ancestors of the Cloud Heaven Sect will likely trouble you. Only by holding their Soul Blood can you make them bow to you.”

“Mm,” Li Muwan straightened up, speaking solemnly, “Combining kindness and authority, I can refine Longevity Pills for the Grand Ancestors, each extending their lifespan by fifty years.”

Suddenly, his Divine Sense stirred. The Restriction outside the pavilion withdrew, and several Fiends were stored in his Storage Bag.

After a moment’s thought, Wang Lin retrieved two items from his Storage Bag. One was the Restriction Banner he had used against the Grand Ancestorsa Magical Artifact of terrifying power.

“This is the Restriction Banner. With your Core Formation Stage cultivation, controlling it can trap a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator for half a moment,” he said as the banner floated into Li Muwan’s Storage Bag.

Wang Lin then activated his Divine Sense again, summoning a bizarre-looking, green-faced, fanged Demon Beast before them.

Li Muwan instinctively hid behind him. Wang Lin gently urged her forward with his arm. “This is my Second Demon. I’ll leave him here to protect you.”

He then transmitted a thread of Divine Sense into the Second Demon’s brow. “Your task is to guard Li Muwan until I return.”

The Second Demon scanned Li Muwan up and down and nodded.

Li Muwan thought to herself, A Fiend keeping another Fiend? Truly fitting for a Fiend. But this Demon Beast was rather ugly. Having it reside within her Divine Sense felt unsettling.

Maintaining a calm expression, she reflected that whatever Wang Lin gave her must be the best Magical Artifacts and tools he possessed. Though unattractive, they represented his heartfelt intentions.

Suddenly, she beamed, standing before Wang Lin with exuberant delight. “A Fiend? How adorable!”

Wang Lin was momentarily stunned, then wiped his sweat, having originally worried she would be afraid. Seeing Li Muwan’s attitude finally put him slightly at ease.

“Senior Brother, does he have a name?” Li Muwan poked the Second Demon’s wing.

“Second Demon,” Wang Lin said with complete seriousness.

“Ah?” Li Muwan had seen Xu Liguo in the Sea of Demonic Cultivation and knew he was the First Demon, but this name seemed too casual.

“If Senior Brother doesn’t mind, Wan’er would like to give him a name.” Li Muwan tilted her head in thought.

Wang Lin waited quietly. “Mm.”

He watched as she paced back and forth, sometimes tilting her head, sometimes frowning.

“How about… Xiao Ling?” Li Muwan suddenly leaned close, her breath brushing against him.

Wang Lin stared at her features so near his own, his mind momentarily adrift. “Xiao Lin?”

“Mm,” she responded, seeming to notice his expression change, and specifically explained, “Not the ‘Lin’ from Senior Brother’s name. I thought he looked quite clever and spiritually aware.”

She had originally thought calling him Xiao Lin would be fine too, but feared Wang Lin might dislike it, which was why she had frowned earlier and changed the character.

“What does Senior Brother think?”

“Whatever Wan’er likes is fine.”

“Xiao Ling,” Li Muwan smiled sweetly, “from now on, you’ll be called Xiao Ling.”

The Second Demon was quite satisfied with this name, fluttering his wings and nodding repeatedly.

Xu Liguo was dying of envy, nearly crying: “Master is too good to Second Brother! Not only did he get him subdued followers, but he gets to follow such a kind and gentle mistress. He’ll eat well and live comfortably from now on, unlike poor little Xu here, who only gets to face knives and fire…”

Wang Lin’s eyes swept over, a strand of Extreme Awareness transmitting into the Dragon Tendon, forcing Xu Liguo to cry out in pain and beg for mercy.

“Senior Brother, what does Xiao Ling usually like to eat?” Li Muwan was planning how to care for him in the future. Judging by his appearance, he didn’t seem as simple to raise as ordinary Spirit Beasts that could be fed immortal fruits and Spirit Herbs.

“He doesn’t need to eat.”

“Ah?” Li Muwan looked at Xiao Ling in disbelief. Xiao Ling spread his hands and nodded with a helpless expression.

“That makes him much easier to care for than the Blood Moon I raised before.” Her face blossomed into a smile so bright it was hard to look away.

“Does Senior Brother still remember the Spirit Beast I raised in the Sea of Demonic Cultivation before?”

Wang Lin’s memory flashed back to that bold yet careful spirit rabbit, so similar to her temperament, always bothering him during his cultivation. The corner of his mouth lifted in a smile. “I remember.”

“Is that Spirit Beast still around?”

Two hundred years – if the Spirit Beast were still alive, with her feeding methods, it would have long advanced to a lower-grade Spirit Beast by now.

He had spoken without thinking, worried he might upset Li Muwan, but watching her expression, he saw her smile calmly.

“Over a hundred years ago, after Senior Brother sent me back to Luoshui Sect, my master intended to cultivate my talents. I devoted myself to studying Pill Crafting and had no time to care for it, so I gifted it to my good friend. After that, the Fire-Burning Alliance fell apart. After all these years, I don’t know if it’s still around.”

“Then, from now on, let Second…” Wang Lin smiled, “let Xiao Ling accompany you.”

“Mm, Senior Brother looks very handsome when you smile. You should smile more often.” Li Muwan’s fingertips brushed the corner of his lips, then she retracted the demon back between her brows.

Only with her would Wang Lin show such long-lost smiles. “Wan’er looks beautiful when she smiles too.”

Li Muwan rarely heard him speak comforting words – his feelings were always hidden in his actions.

She wrapped her arms around Wang Lin’s waist. The experiences he had described truly made her heart ache for the person before her. In her memory, Wang Lin was always pushing himself relentlessly – pursued and fleeing for his life, covered in countless wounds, yet never showing the slightest hint of retreat or surrender.
She strained to comprehend the joys and sorrows hidden beneath his outwardly calm demeanor.

Having experienced a solitary existence herself over these past two hundred years, Li Muwan spoke with compassion: “With Wan’er by your side, neither of us is alone in this world. I have you, Senior Brother, and you have Wan’er. All the regrets and resentments from the first half of your lifeWan’er is willing to spend her remaining years making up for them. Whatever Senior Brother wishes to do, Wan’er will stand by you.”

Resting her forehead against his chest, she continued softly: “Senior Brother may return to Zhao Kingdom with peace of mind. Wan’er will wait for you at Cloud Heaven Sect, no matter how long it takes. I only ask that you return safely and soundly, so we may be reunited as husband and wife.”

Wang Lin felt deeply moved. For four hundred years, no one besides his parents had ever promised to wait for his return.

“Wan’er…”

The icy walls guarding his heart crumbled at that moment. After four centuries of solitude, fighting alone in the cultivation world’s brutal arena, there was finally someone waiting for him in a safe haven, yearning for his return.

Li Muwan then took out hundreds of bottles of elixirs from her Storage Bag. “These are medicines I’ve refined over the years. Please take them all with you, Senior Brother.”

After Wang Lin accepted them, she remembered something else. “Also, I noticed the Dragonhide Armor you’re wearing is damaged, and the replacement you acquired earlier has also sustained some tears.”

She produced her own set, which she had always cherished unused. “This armor was what you told Wan’er to keep years ago. I’ve never had occasion to use it all this time. Since your journey will be long and fraught with hidden dangers, I can only rest easy if you have proper protection.”

Wang Lin felt warmth surge through him as he gazed intently at her.

“Then leave the damaged set with me. After I repair it, you can wear it again when you return.”

“Alright,” Wang Lin replied in an exceptionally gentle voice.

At that moment, the Soul Pearl transmitted another fluctuation.

[Soul Pearl: Detected Fiend’s favorability change – 83%]

[Li Muwan: This Fiend has endured a harsh life. Four centuries of cultivation bloodshed have forced him into cruelty and indifference against his true nature. I can feel his profound loneliness. Soul Pearl, perhaps I should change my approach to winning him over.]

Wang Lin summoned Cloud Heaven Sect’s Grand Ancestors and core disciples to assemble. Before the crowd, Li Muwan announced she would be governing Cloud Heaven Sect on behalf of her husband. As expected, the Grand Ancestors showed little confidence in this female elder.

However, seeing the Spiritual Energy swirling around her and noting the frequent surges of Spiritual Power from the Southern Garden recentlycombined with her claim of representing her husbandthe Grand Ancestors’ private suspicions were confirmed through meaningful glances.

Facing the Grand Ancestors’ discontent, Li Muwan didn’t falter.

She wasn’t standing alone. The figure beside her on the high platform, sharing her vantage point, was her husband.

His robust frame made her appear delicate and petite, yet her aura remained unyielding.

Together they looked down upon the crowd. Henceforth, she would be the undisputed master of Cloud Heaven Sectthis was Wang Lin’s betrothal gift to Li Muwan.

Only after settling all arrangements for her could Wang Lin depart with peace of mind.

Li Muwan knew he wasn’t driven by greed. The vast Spiritual Power gained through Dual Cultivation required time for her body to absorb, so they had exercised restraint during this period.

In subsequent unions of yin and yang, Wang Lin began sensing something unusual about Li Muwan’s physical state.

Fearing exposure of her Soul of Life secret, Li Muwan could only claim the Dual Cultivation energy was too immense for immediate absorption. Thus Wang Lin delayed his departure for three months to help regulate her condition and assimilate the power.

During leisure hours, Li Muwan would play the zither in the waterside pavilion. Wang Lin would stand watching from the tower, captivated by the scene.

“Senior Brother, do you know how to play the zither?” Li Muwan gazed at Wang Lin’s face, unable to decipher his unreadable expression.

“No, the first time I heard it, it was Wan’er playing the zither.”

“Then shall Wan’er teach you?”

Though he didn’t know how to play the zither, he could memorize melodies after hearing them just a few times. Learning wouldn’t be difficult, but while he would have been interested in cultivating Mystical Powers or Magical Arts, he currently felt no need to learn zither playing. “Just play for me, Wan’er.”

He didn’t need to learnsomeone would play for him. A rare sense of dependence arose in him, a feeling that only appeared when he was with her.

Li Muwan assumed he simply disliked such refined pursuits and didn’t press further. Indeed, aside from his obsession with cultivation, she had never seen him show interest in anything else.

Her slender fingers plucked the strings, threads of melody winding around the lotus pond, scattering endlessly. Wang Lin’s vision gradually blurred as her graceful figure seemed to fall into the lotus lake, carrying his wandering thoughts far away.

After staying for many days, it was time for him to depart for Zhao Country. This time, he carried an additional concern in his heart. This concern gave the Fiend flesh and blood. He engraved this scene in his mind, recalling it over and over during the long journey back, reminding himself that he was not a wandering spirit without a home.

After nightfall, Li Muwan had intended to study the newly acquired pill formula, but Wang Lin kept appearing in her line of sight, seemingly reminding her of his presence.

Concerned, Li Muwan asked: “Senior Brother, is there something you wish to tell Wan’er?”

Wang Lin shook his head, watching her puzzled expression.

“Then… are you feeling stifled staying in the Southern Garden?”

Wang Lin shook his head again. “Just attend to your matters, Wan’er. There’s no need to mind me.”

Li Muwan was meticulous and observant. Though his words said one thing, his expression told another.

She postponed all her planned tasks and approached him. “Does Senior Brother want Wan’er to keep you company?”

“Senior Brother, we are husband and wife now. If something is on your mind, there’s no need to hide it.”

“Mm.” Wang Lin’s gaze softened as he reached out and drew her close. Li Muwan was momentarily startled, but the surprise quickly faded as she smiled and yielded to him.

Yet his increasingly heavy breathing suggested mere embrace wasn’t all he desired.

Li Muwan seemed to understand his thoughts, rising on her toes to actively kiss him.

Their lightly touching lips became the spark that ignited desire. In her peripheral vision, she saw black sleeves sweep as she was gathered into his arms and carried horizontally into the inner chamber.

As she lay down, she called to him softly: “Senior Brother…”

Wang Lin swallowed, silently pressing closer. This time with slightly more practice, he removed their garments, their scattered black robes and gauze clothing overlapping.

His fingers paused at her jaw, gently stroking, when a sudden thought entered his mind.

His long fingers were distinct and bony, delicate like a scholar’s holding a brush. Li Muwan felt a gentle force slide in, retreating halfway.

Wind whispered past the eaves, lotus flowers trembling slightly on the pond’s surface.

Suddenly two fingers joined together. Seeing her slightly furrowed yet astonished brows and eyes, Wang Lin’s breath fell upon her neck before sliding behind her ear.

“Wan’er, how is it?”

His fingers moved as if plucking zither strings. Li Muwan first showed surprise, then her gaze grew unfocused, delicate brows smoothing as she became unable to respond.

The corner of Wang Lin’s mouth lifted slightly. After withdrawing two fingers, he used three, this time plucking with increasingly rapid rhythm as she surrendered to the tempo.

The solemn-faced man before her was filled with passion, yet he performed these intimate acts with the same seriousness as cultivating secret arts, making her wonder: Is this really the Fiend?

“My… my lord…” Her voice trembled with a sharp, thin pitch, beyond her control, her waist arching repeatedly to meet his dancing fingers, the strings plucked with increasing urgency.

Yet she quickly dismissed this illusionthe one immersed in passion with her was her husband, after all.

Stickiness trailed from fingertips into palms.

Her delicate moans grew increasingly disordered, like fiendish whispers luring one into a maze, driving him to wilder movements and words stripped of his usual refined elegance.

“Wan’er, don’t stop, call for me…”

“I’m listening…”

Li Muwan turned her face away to hide, but his withdrawing fingers returned to her cheek, carelessly smearing the gathered moisture across her skin, his fingertips tracing the sharp lines of her jaw.

Her chin rested in his palm.

“Don’t hide!” A low command accompanied the firm pressure redirecting her face.

His grip tightened slightly. “Wan’er, don’t stop. I want to hear you.”

“My lord…” Li Muwan endured the sticky sensation on her cheek as the man above her continued his relentless demands.

“This is Wan’er’s scent.” His coated fingers traced the elegant curve of her slender neck.

“You…” Hearing these words, Li Muwan could scarcely believe they came from his lips.

“Does Wan’er like this?”

Li Muwan remained silent. Wang Lin’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Don’t you like it?”

He changed fingers, pressing his abdomen against her.

No matter how Li Muwan answered, Wang Lin had her cornered, determined to make her lose all composure in these turbulent rhythms, always possessing the means to torment her.

“I… I like it, my lord…” Li Muwan hovered at the peak of pleasure, rocking back and forth.

Outside, several Fiends bathed in moonlight. As the wind picked up, Xu Liguo hugged himself pitifully, ducking under the Second Demon for warmth.

“Master, this humble Xu is freezing to death! When will you let us return?”

Wang Lin, lost in indulgence, had the red starlight of the Ancient God glowing on his forehead, reinforcing the Southern Garden’s Restrictions so no one could disturb the entwined couple inside.

Li Muwan felt that soaring pleasure nearing its climax, but Wang Lin deliberately paused, leaving her yearning and unfulfilled, a frantic desperation gripping her heart.

She sought to grasp that thread of bliss that would send her floating.

Her muffled moans grew heavier, pleading for his mercy. Wang Lin teased cruelly, advancing slightly before withdrawing when he saw her expression soften.

Candlelight flickered, casting shifting shadows. Her clear eyes, glistening with moisture, reflected fragmented light.

Frustrated by repeated teasing, she arched her waist in silent supplication.

Wang Lin wore a smug expression, his lips curling. “Does Wan’er want it?”

A gentle breeze stirred the window curtains, moonlight seeping through the cracks to sharpen his features. His silver hair floated with each movement, while phosphorescence lingered over the spirit herbs in the Southern Garden.

The soft, continuous murmurs sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

“My lord, give it to Wan’er…” Her peach-blossom eyes clouded with deep mist and longing. “Please?”

He studied this little vixen who usually kept him on edge, finally satisfied. “As Wan’er wishes.”

She cried out again, this time not “my lord,” but “Wang Lin.”

The next morning, dawn light draped over the Southern Garden’s eaves. The sleeping face in the crook of his arm was picturesque, a few stray hairs obscuring her delicate features, her breathing even in deep slumber.

Wang Lin leaned down, settling the figure in his arms onto the daybed. He gently kissed her full forehead, the tenderness in his eyes melting away.

Reluctantly withdrawing his gaze, his figure suddenly transformed into a rainbow streak and vanished from the Southern Garden.

Knowing Wang Lin had waited for a long time, Li Muwan deliberately pretended to fall asleep. By avoiding the sight of each other’s reluctance, they could part without burden.

Both were silently considering each other’s feelings.

On the low couch, Li Muwan lifted her eyelids and cast her thoughts toward the pavilion, gazing intently in the direction beyond the Cloud Heaven Sect for a long while. She summoned Xiao Ling from between her brows.

Xiao Ling stood behind her, also staring into the distance for a long time.

On that pavilion, a solemn wind rose, fluttering their sleeves. She watched the receding figure gradually turn into a black dot and disappear into the clouds.

From the Sea of Demonic Cultivation to the Cloud Heaven Sect, she had watched his retreating figure countless times. But this time, it was a parting with a promise, unlike the heartless words he had spoken during their previous separation, claiming they owed each other nothing.

They would meet again. She would wait for him to return.

For a century, the Sea of Demonic Cultivation had been plagued by internal strife. It would not be easy for Wang Lin to traverse it and obtain the ancient teleportation array map to return to Zhao Kingdom.

The wind in the Southern Garden carried a chill. As the sound of the zither resumed, Li Muwan realized the Soul Pearl had once again lost its resonance for a long time. She poked Xiao Ling’s wing and asked, “Xiao Ling, since you can sense your master, do you know what he is doing now? Has he successfully returned to Zhao Kingdom?”

Xiao Ling rested its head on its wing and shook it, eyes fixed on the ancient zither. It loved listening to Li Muwan play and always enjoyed when she spoke to it. Though it couldn’t speak, it always responded to her.

Unaware that Xiao Ling preferred to eat soul clusters, Li Muwan raised it as a Spirit Beast, feeding it Elixirs and immortal fruits daily. Xiao Ling didn’t want to eat them, but seeing her frown with displeasure, it had no choice but to obediently consume whatever she offered.

As years passed, it seemed to grow accustomed and would sometimes even actively beg for food.

Knowing its large form might frighten disciples visiting the Southern Garden, it would transform into a tiny version of itself and perch on Li Muwan’s palm.

“Do you think he will truly return after his revenge?” she asked.

Xiao Ling nodded, then clumsily plucked the zither strings twice with its long black claws, watching Li Muwan.

“You still want to listen?” Li Muwan raised her fingers and continued playing the tune Wang Lin had loved when he was here.

Day after day, as the esteemed leader of the Cloud Heaven Sect, she not only studied higher-level Elixirs but also managed the sect’s internal affairs.

After Zhou Lin emerged from seclusion, he learned that his master had become the sect leader, holding the Soul Blood of the Grand Ancestors and all disciples of the Cloud Heaven Sect.

And that newly accepted disciple of his had actually, unbelievably, become his master’s husband. Li Muwan merely gave him a brief explanation of what had happened. Zhou Lin, struggling to accept it, retreated into seclusion once more.

He felt resentful. His master had been kind to him, raising him with careshe deserved a better fate. Yet that man had taken her in marriage and left, leaving the vast Cloud Heaven Sect for her to manage alone.

He was hardly a suitable match.

Li Muwan let him be. Within a few months, Zhou Lin came to terms with it on his own and emerged from seclusion. He proactively assisted Li Muwan with sect affairs and tended to the Spirit herbs in the backyard.

Standing by the lotus pond, Zhou Lin stared blankly. In the waterside pavilion, a green-faced, fanged Demon Beast hung upside down from the beam, leisurely listening to Li Muwan play the zither.

“I don’t know what that man was thinking, leaving such an ugly Demon Beast for Master,” he muttered. “And it clamors to hear the zither every day, yet Master indulges it.”

Just then, the hanging Xiao Ling suddenly shrank in size, landed on the zither platform, and hopped about, tilting its head playfully.

Initially, Li Muwan had found it ugly, but the more she looked, the more endearing it became. She tossed a few more Spirit pills to Xiao Ling.