Great Demon - Chapter 100

Upon arriving at the Su residence, Zhuyou left as quickly as a gust of wind, coming and going in an instant.

Huoshu stood there in shock, looking up at the sky and then glancing at Hanzhu. She lowered her voice and asked, “What’s the relationship between your mistress and the Nine Heavens’ Divine Venerable? Could the Nine Heavens’ Divine Venerable really get lost?”

Hanzhu replied irritably, “There’s no relationship.”

Huoshu’s eyes gleamed with suspicion. She felt that things weren’t as simple as they seemed. The Vermillion Phoenix was playing both sides—one moment trying to win over the Devil Lord, the next cozying up to the Nine Heavens.

“Don’t overthink it. If Mistress is acting this way, she must have her reasons,” Hanzhu said with a light snort, passing through the wall in front of her. “Let’s hurry and find that Young Master Su. We shouldn’t keep Mistress waiting.”

“Mistress this, mistress that. Aren’t you tired of it? I’m certainly tired of hearing it,” Huoshu muttered as she followed, bending down to sniff here and there, her nose remarkably keen.

Hanzhu asked skeptically, “You’ve never even met Young Master Su. How could you possibly know what he smells like?”

“Since Young Master Su is favored and will eventually take over the household, all the best things will naturally be sent to him. Can’t you smell the aroma of the Eight Treasure Duck? Just follow the scent, and we’ll find him,” Huoshu said with a click of her tongue.

Hanzhu, who rarely indulged in earthly delicacies, had no idea what an Eight Treasure Duck smelled like. The scent was indeed fragrant, but she couldn’t tell what ingredients were used.

Passing through an archway and winding around the corridors, they saw a closed door in the distance. Two maids stood at the entrance, whispering about cosmetics and perfumes—nothing out of the ordinary.

Huoshu sniffed again and gestured to Hanzhu, then half of her body passed through the wall.

Hanzhu was startled and quickly followed.

Inside the room, a table was laden with sumptuous dishes, and more than twenty people were seated around it. Though they wore smiles, their expressions were tense.

The man sitting at the head of the table was likely the head of the Su household. He appeared robust and was surrounded by his wives and concubines. However, one seat beside him was empty, with no utensils set.

Hanzhu scanned the room, examining each man present, but couldn’t determine which one was the Young Master Su they were looking for. Just as she was about to speak, she noticed Huoshu placing a finger to her lips.

“Don’t rush,” Huoshu whispered.

The Su patriarch picked up his chopsticks and asked, “Still no news from Wenqing?”

“Husband, Wenqing sent a message the day before yesterday saying he went to visit Elder Chen. But when I went to fetch some fabric today, Elder Chen said he hadn’t seen Wenqing,” a woman replied softly.

The Su patriarch slammed his chopsticks on the table, his face red with anger. “Nonsense! He’s usually so obedient. How could he start deceiving me the moment I return?”

“Perhaps the young master was delayed by some matter,” the woman added.

Huoshu studied their expressions and pointed at the woman who had spoken. “Let’s follow her. She might know something.”

Hanzhu nodded slightly, standing in the room like a ghost, watching intently as they finished their meal.

When the woman stood up, Huoshu and Hanzhu followed her. Once inside her room, the woman sighed, “What should we do? My lord husband was truly angry. Did you see how Yanhuan and Shichong were deliberately trying to tarnish Wenqing’s reputation in front of him?”

“Madam, don’t worry. The young master knows what’s important. If he hasn’t returned yet, he must have been delayed by something,” the maid reassured.

“Where did Wenqing say he was going with that Qiao Fengsheng?” the woman asked anxiously.

“He mentioned that there’s a rare lingzhi mushroom on Tiger Roar Ridge, but it’s in a dangerous spot. No one dares to pick it. The young master wanted to retrieve it to please the master, so he invited Young Master Qiao from Qiaomu Manor to accompany him. Young Master Qiao is highly skilled in martial arts, so nothing should go wrong,” the maid whispered.

“Qiaomu Manor,” the woman murmured, her brow furrowed. “I’ve heard that Young Master Qiao isn’t very favored there.”

“But his martial arts skills are genuine. Being born in Qiaomu Manor, he must have learned something,” the maid said softly.

“No, we must send someone to Tiger Roar Ridge to check. My eyelids have been twitching all day, and I feel uneasy,” the woman said anxiously.

The maid quickly agreed and asked, “Should we inform the master? He’s always been fond of the young master and wouldn’t blame him.”

The woman shook her head. “My husband has never liked Qiaomu Manor. If he finds out Wenqing has been spending time with Qiao Fengsheng, he’ll be furious.”

The maid sighed and left the room.

Inside, Hanzhu and Huoshu exchanged glances. Though they now knew Su Wenqing had gone to Tiger Roar Ridge, they had no idea where that was.

Hanzhu increasingly felt that the dragon had done this on purpose, perhaps even leading her mistress to Tiger Roar Ridge while leaving her and Huoshu behind.

***

Indeed, Tiger Roar Ridge was pitch black at night, with the shadows of the trees resembling ghosts.

The river below rushed fiercely, its waters muddy and dark, clearly carrying soil washed down from the mountain. The trees on the mountain were twisted, some uprooted, exposing large patches of yellow earth.

Zhuyou hadn’t expected Changying to follow the trail of her scent. Instead, Changying had left some dragon breath to guide her.

When Zhuyou left the Su residence, before returning to Qiaomu Manor, she felt a familiar aura wrap around her. She looked closely and saw a wisp of dragon breath slowly coiling around her little finger.

The dragon breath was icy, tightly wrapping around her finger as if it had a consciousness, even lifting her hand.

Pulled by the dragon breath, she had no choice but to follow, unsure what game the dragon was playing.

Changying had gone far, and the dragon breath led her a long way without revealing the dragon’s form. Instead, she saw the rushing river, collapsed houses along the bank, and several scattered corpses.

The sudden storm had caused a landslide, bringing down rocks and trees that crushed houses halfway up the mountain. The wooden houses at the base were also destroyed. As the river swelled, a flood ensued, submerging all the houses along the bank.

Mortals were truly fragile. The Black and White Impermanence would surely be busy for a while.

The dragon breath around her finger tugged her forward, and suddenly, a white figure flashed in the corner of her eye.

Zhuyou frowned and quickly pursued, only to see an Impermanence holding a long chain, dragging a group of ghostly hun souls behind him.

However, the Impermanence was stopped by a figure—a tall, slender woman with waist-length black hair and a dark dress that seemed to blend into the night.

The woman restrained her aura, not wanting to frighten the hun souls into refusing reincarnation.

The Impermanence was momentarily stunned. He had never seen anyone dare to obstruct a ghost official. Before he could speak, the woman turned slightly, her golden eyes glowing like luminous jade in the darkness. Only then did he sense the restrained aura slowly spreading.

He immediately bowed and said respectfully, “I didn’t realize the Divine Venerable had arrived.”

“Are these mortal hun souls all victims of the flood?” Changying asked calmly.

The Impermanence replied, “Yes, Your Divinity. They all perished in the flood.”

Zhuyou didn’t step forward, not wanting the ghost official to see her. She remained hidden in the shadows, arms crossed, watching.

Changying frowned. “Have you seen a mortal named Qiao Fengsheng here?”

The Impermanence answered, “I deal only with the dead, not the living. Among these fifteen, none are named Qiao Fengsheng.”

Changying nodded slightly and stepped aside. “In that case, I won’t delay your duties.”

The Impermanence bowed respectfully and led the group of hun souls toward the underworld.

After the Impermanence left, Changying’s golden eyes suddenly lifted, and she walked toward the shadows, addressing the Vermillion Phoenix hidden in the darkness, “When did you arrive?”

Zhuyou stepped out from the shadows, giving the dragon a once-over. “It was your dragon breath that led me here, and now you’re asking when I arrived?” She raised her hand, showing the wisp of dragon breath coiled around her little finger.

The silvery strand was clean and pure, like a wisp of smoke.

Changying pinched the dragon breath and pulled it away, her expression unchanging as she said, “I only intended to use the dragon breath to guide you. I didn’t expect it to wrap itself around you on its own.”

Zhuyou gave her a disdainful look. “Seems like this dragon breath is quite clever.”

Changying nodded slightly, her face still impassive.

Zhuyou studied her. “Hanzhu and Huoshu didn’t follow. I wonder if they’ll be able to find this place.”

“They will,” Changying said calmly, her eyes unperturbed.

“I thought you had gotten lost,” Zhuyou said slowly.

“Not possible,” Changying replied, her cool gaze softening as she stepped toward the mountain. “I obtained a map from the local earth god.” She pulled out the map and handed it over. “The earth god mentioned that Tiger Roar Ridge experienced a landslide two days ago. Hua Lingjun died in a landslide in this lifetime. If someone wanted to harm him and conceal it from the ghost officials, they’d have to ensure he died in the landslide, making it seem like the Fate Keeper miscalculated his lifespan.”

“No wonder you led me here,” Zhuyou said, not wanting to dirty her shoes in the mud. She stepped lightly on the wind, her soles remaining spotless, not a speck of dust on her silk skirt, which didn’t even brush against the wet, muddy ground.

Changying extended her divine sense, spreading it like a carpet over the entire mountain. However, her search yielded no living hun souls, let alone any trace of Qiao Fengsheng.

Zhuyou rose into the air, gazing into the distance. Frowning, she said, “If Qiao Fengsheng encountered this flood, he couldn’t have gone far.”

Changying nodded slightly. “We need to find him quickly.”

Zhuyou slowly descended back to the ground. “In this lifetime, Hua Lingjun is close friends with the young master of the Su family in Changming City. On my way to the Su residence, I encountered a young girl who bore a slight resemblance to you.”

Changying paused and turned to look at her. “How so?”

“Her eyes and brows were somewhat similar,” Zhuyou said, pondering for a moment. “But it was only a superficial resemblance. She had none of your charm.”

This was the first time Changying had heard Zhuyou comment on her appearance. She had never paid much attention to physical form, considering beauty and ugliness irrelevant. But Zhuyou was different. To Changying, Zhuyou was beautiful, whether three thousand years ago or now. Her cold golden eyes lifted as she asked, “My charm? What does it mean to have my charm?”

Zhuyou studied her under the moonlight. Changying’s pale, aloof face appeared even more distant in the silver glow. Zhuyou traced the contours of Changying’s face with her gaze and chuckled softly. “When you were her age, you were always stern and silent, as if everyone owed you something. You were heartless, never smiling or playing. What child was as cold as you?”

Changying hadn’t expected to be described this way. She fell silent for a long moment, unable to refute. It was true—she rarely spoke, seeing little need for words, so she simply remained quiet.

Zhuyou shook her head slightly. “Enough of that. You didn’t remember much back then, but you managed to take quite a few things from me.”

Hearing this, Changying frowned. “Why stop talking?”

Zhuyou glanced at her, noticing a faint trace of anxiety on her face, and couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. “I’ve said so much, and you’ve barely responded. I thought you didn’t care to listen.”

“I do care to listen,” Changying said stiffly.

Zhuyou smiled. “If you obtained the map from the earth god and came to Tiger Roar Ridge, why didn’t you send me a message? Surely you could spare a bit of divine sense. Why did you leave without a word?”

Changying didn’t answer, turning her gaze away.

Zhuyou laughed, teasing her. “You only led me here, leaving Hanzhu and that rat demon behind. Do you dislike them that much?”

Changying remained silent, her silence confirming her selfish intentions. Seeing a light flicker on in a house at the foot of the mountain, she suddenly spoke. “It’s a pity we haven’t seen Hua Lingjun in this lifetime. Otherwise, a soul-searching spell would have located him.”

Zhuyou watched her with amusement.

“Let’s ask the family down the mountain. The flood has caused many to seek shelter, and Qiao Fengsheng, being a young master, might have left an impression,” Changying said calmly.

“Now you’re talkative,” Zhuyou remarked dryly.

Changying, without looking at her, moved toward the lit house and fell silent again.

Zhuyou, however, seemed to see through her thoughts and didn’t hesitate to voice them. “You deliberately led me away from Hanzhu and Huoshu. Where did you learn such tricks?”

Changying finally replied, “I don’t like them buzzing around you.” She was honest, answering after being pressed, proving she wasn’t one to keep secrets for long. Her slender brows furrowed slightly, her expression softening, making her seem less distant and cold.

“If that’s the case, you could have just said so,” Zhuyou said as they approached the house. She raised her hand and cast a spell to conceal their presence.

Changying shook her head. “I didn’t want to put you in a difficult position.”

Zhuyou didn’t respond further. She placed her hand on the wooden door, sensing two living souls inside—one elderly and one young. The older one was over sixty, with a broken leg and a life force so faint it was nearly extinguished. The younger one seemed to be only five or six years old.

There was no one else around. It was unclear whether the child’s parents had been taken by the Impermanence.

Changying asked, “What do you see?”

Zhuyou remained silent for a long time. She had thought that after becoming a devil, her emotions would no longer be stirred by the five aggregates and seven afflictions. But perhaps because her spiritual phase had revived, a sense of compassion seemed to awaken within her, her heart pounding fiercely in her chest. She pursed her lips and suddenly extended her arm, her hand passing straight through the wooden wall.

Once inside, she could see the scene clearly. The elderly man sat on the bed, while the small child draped a thin, unwashed blanket over his broken leg.

The child leaned on his knee and looked up, asking, “When will mom and dad come back?”

The old man’s eyes reddened as he patted her head. “They’ll be back in a few days.”

“How many days?” the child pressed.

The old man coughed lightly. “Five more days.”

The parents had left two days ago. Their hun souls would return on the seventh day, which was indeed five days away.

Changying also passed through the wall and hovered her hand above the old man’s head.

The two inside couldn’t see the dragon and phoenix that had entered their home, only feeling alternating waves of cold and heat around them.

Changying entered the mortal’s consciousness, searching for the spiritual thread from two days ago. Through it, she saw the floodwaters raging, half the mountain seemingly sheared away as mud and rocks crashed down into the churning river.

The rain poured like a waterfall, and the houses along the riverbank were swept away. Just as the child was about to be dragged into the water, the old man, leaning on a wooden stick, reached out and pulled her to safety.

Several people were swept into the water, their cries abruptly drowned out as they vanished in an instant.

Later, the old man carried the little girl back to their home. Fortunately, the rain had stopped; otherwise, the rising floodwaters would have swallowed their house as well.

Over the past few days, many displaced victims had sought shelter here. At first, the old man allowed them inside, but after two men tried to steal their rice and grain, he grabbed a battered, chipped knife and chased them away.

The thieves, only daring to steal food, fled immediately when they saw the old man wielding the knife.

Later, two well-dressed young men, likely from wealthy families, arrived. Though the old man was still wary, he didn’t dare speak to them and instead cursed under his breath, telling them to leave quickly.

Changying didn’t know what Hua Lingjun looked like in this lifetime, but judging by the two men’s attire and demeanor, she guessed they were him and the young master of the Su family.

She noted the direction they had left in and abruptly withdrew from the mortal’s consciousness.

Zhuyou asked, “Did you find them?”

Changying nodded. “Follow me.”

Zhuyou, however, didn’t immediately follow. She glanced at the pot of cold water on the wooden table, lifted the lid, and quickly retrieved a spirit herb from her storage pouch—a plant capable of regenerating flesh and bone.

Changying turned to look at her but said nothing.

Zhuyou crushed the herb in her hand, letting the powder fall into the water pot before replacing the lid.

The child suddenly turned her head, looking toward the table. Hesitantly, she said, “Why did the water pot make a thudding sound?”

“You must have misheard. There was no sound,” the old man replied helplessly.

Only then did Zhuyou follow Changying out of the house. As soon as they stepped outside, Changying grasped her wrist.

Changying stared at her intently and said calmly, “You’re quite kind-hearted.”

“I was also very kind when I raised you,” Zhuyou replied, feeling a faint resurgence of compassion but still adept at deflection, a habit from her time as a devil.

Changying released her hand. “You always care for others.”

“You could try learning what it feels like to care for someone,” Zhuyou said nonchalantly.

“I know what it feels like to care for someone.” Changying frowned.

The lantern hanging outside the house swayed gently, its light casting a glow on Changying’s face, illuminating the small mole on the tip of her nose.

Zhuyou’s heart stirred, and she lightly pressed her fingertip to Changying’s nose.

Changying’s breath hitched, her eyes lowering to gaze at the pale hand. Suddenly, she spoke, “If I didn’t know, why would I have given you my reverse scale?”