Great Demon - Chapter 89

Chapter 89: Why Pick More?

Part 1

The Jianxiang Pavilion was eerily quiet, devoid of even the faintest chirp of insects, let alone human voices.

Huoshu nodded in confusion, hesitating only for a moment. “Since Your Grace says so, I’ll replace the insect-repelling incense in the building later.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she suddenly realized something and couldn’t help but slap herself, the sound sharp and clear.

Zhuyou hadn’t seen someone slap themselves like that in a long time. The last person to do so in front of her was Hanzhu, though she had no idea where that green-feathered peafowl had gone now. Noticing the red mark on Huoshu’s face, she asked, “Why did you hit yourself?”

“I hope Your Grace won’t be angry, but most of the incense in my establishment is meant to be… arousing. Even the insect-repelling ones contain a bit of such ingredients.” Huoshu quickly unfurled her fan, nervously studying Zhuyou’s expression. She had long grown accustomed to the scent and found nothing unusual about it. But for someone else, that might not be the case.

Her anxiety made her restless, and after fanning herself a few times, she cautiously asked, “Your Grace, do you feel any discomfort?”

Zhuyou gave her a skeptical look. “Not at all.”

Huoshu finally let out a sigh of relief, thinking to herself that the Vermillion Phoenix was indeed the Vermillion Phoenix, impervious to such mundane things. She forced a dry laugh. “That’s good, then.”

Changying, who stood beside Zhuyou, frowned slightly, still brooding over being called a “four-legged insect” by Zhuyou earlier. It was as if she had regressed over the years—two hundred years ago, she was at least a black snake, but now she was reduced to an insect. She hadn’t felt hungry or thirsty before, but now her teeth itched, and she thought to herself that since she had been labeled an insect, it wouldn’t be too out of place for an insect to bite someone.

Changying’s golden eyes lifted, and she caught sight of Zhuyou’s slender, pale neck. Her teeth itched, and she wanted to bite.

Huoshu, seeing that Zhuyou seemed unconcerned, waved her fan again, her gaze flickering with guilt. “If Your Grace feels any discomfort, then… then…” She nearly bit her own tongue. If this incense causes any trouble, won’t I be the one to take the blame? But who in their right mind would dare to serve the Vermillion Phoenix?

Listening intently, Changying felt there was something unsaid in Huoshu’s words. She asked, “Why would it cause discomfort? Is it because of the added ingredients? And what exactly is their purpose?”

At that, not only Zhuyou but even Huoshu turned to look at her.

Zhuyou abruptly turned her head, staring at the dragon before her, and wanted to ask—Why do you sound exactly like me?

But Changying remained completely unfazed, as if she had never spoken at all. She even tilted her head slightly, meeting Zhuyou’s gaze with an innocent, unreadable expression.

Zhuyou pursed her lips, yet she wasn’t angry. Instead, she thought, Forget it. I might as well accept that this dragon’s mouth is practically attached to mine.

Huoshu was utterly shocked. She had never imagined that this person wouldn’t even know what aphrodisiac incense was used for. Awkwardly curling her lips into a smile, she didn’t know how to explain it. She truly looks like the moon in the sky—untainted, distant, and unattainable. A Vermillion Phoenix like her—how could she possibly know of such filthy things? Awkwardly, she answered, “It’s… meant to enhance enjoyment.”

Zhuyou had intended to brush it off. She had no interest in other people’s pleasures. But then, Changying, still mimicking her voice, spoke again. “For what kind of enjoyment? Is it for that sort of illicit affair?”

Huoshu nearly used her fan to cover her face in embarrassment. Such things were common in the Jianxiang Pavilion. People came here for pleasure, and as the owner, she had never thought anything of it. But hearing the word “illicit” from the mouth of the Vermillion Phoenix made her feel as if she had lost all dignity—she was suddenly overwhelmed with shame.

She felt as though she were dirt on the ground, utterly exposed under the moonlight. Dryly, she admitted, “That’s… correct.”

Zhuyou felt that if she didn’t get angry now, she wouldn’t be herself. And yet, she didn’t want Huoshu to realize that a dragon was standing right next to her. Half-hidden by her sleeve, she made a subtle motion, sending a surge of spiritual energy outward. Like an invisible hand, it clamped over Changying’s mouth.

Changying remained motionless. She hadn’t been speaking aloud in the first place. Instead, she projected her thoughts directly into Zhuyou’s mind. 

“Why do they do such things? When I arrived earlier, I happened to witness it. Do they act out of love and desire? Does this truly satisfy them?”

Although she was using Zhuyou’s voice, her tone was completely different—calm and detached, devoid of emotion, as if she were merely making an objective observation.

Huoshu had never encountered someone who could speak of such matters with such absolute indifference. A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead. She quickly wiped it away, afraid that the sight might dirty the Vermillion Phoenix’s gaze. “Some of them have just met. There’s no love involved—only desire. And since it arises from desire, it must also be relieved through desire.”

“They’ve only just met, and they already feel desire?” Changying questioned again.

Zhuyou could hardly stand to listen anymore. She strode past Huoshu, quickening her pace. If I don’t get angry now, when will I? But now wasn’t the time. She had to endure it a little longer. Later, she would decide how to be properly angry.

Huoshu, well-versed in such matters, hurried to keep up. Awkwardly, she said, “In the Three Realms, who doesn’t have desires? Even the one above the Nine Heavens surely has them.”

As soon as she finished speaking, someone responded, “You’re right.” Then, after a pause, the voice asked, “But what if one only desires a single person?”

Zhuyou suddenly turned away, her gaze sharp as she looked at the serious-faced Obsidian Dragon who had asked the question. Her eyes were bright—burning.

Changying met her gaze openly, without a hint of evasion.

The more forthright Changying was, the more flustered Zhuyou became. She didn’t know if Changying had asked the question on purpose, but her heart pounded wildly. A heated rush coursed through her veins. Could it be the incense taking effect?

Zhuyou pressed her lips together. She should be angry. Even in the devil’s domain, she had never tolerated such brazen words. And these words—

They were clearly about her.

Changying, however, remained unfazed, as if she truly regarded her physical form as nothing more than a mere shell and saw emotions and desires as merely the workings of the seven po souls.

“Only for one person? That would be love.” Huoshu, noticing that the Vermillion Phoenix was on the verge of going astray, hurried forward and raised her arm. “Your Grace, this way.”

Zhuyou pivoted on the tip of her shoe, her face cold as she strode toward Huoshu.

Huoshu cautiously lifted her gaze, only for her expression to stiffen abruptly. She saw that the phoenix pattern at the corner of Zhuyou’s eyes was flushed red, her pupils shimmering, and her thin, slightly flushed lips pressed tightly together. She did not seem angry, but she was clearly not calm either.

Yet, the voice that had just spoken was rational and detached. It did not match the appearance before her at all.

Who, then… was speaking to her?

Zhuyou suddenly closed her eyes, her entire body tensing up, her mouth and throat going dry. Beneath her lowered lids, her eyes shifted slightly, and the phoenix pattern at the corner of her eyes seemed to grow even redder.

“Love,” was it?

She understood what “love” meant to the Three Realms, yet she had never thought this word would ever apply to her.

“Yet those who come to our Jianxiang Pavilion never speak of love,” Huoshu said hesitantly. “Those who do are incapable of tolerating a place like this den of indulgence.”

Zhuyou opened her eyes again, remaining silent.

Changying had heard everything clearly. She lifted her hand to undo the spell Zhuyou had cast to seal her tongue, then turned her unwavering gaze to the Vermillion Phoenix standing beside her, eyes downcast. So, it really was love.

The thoughts she had long buried in her heart—the things she had wanted to do to Zhuyou—were all love. Wanting to see Zhuyou’s eyes brimming with redness and tears was love. Wanting to see her bound and unable to move was love. Wanting to hear her rendered speechless, left only with the sound of slow, uneven breaths—that, too, was love.

And since love existed, so did desire. If that was the case, then surely, something needed to be done to temporarily quell the waves of thoughts surging within her, threatening to drown her.

Huoshu was sweating not only on her forehead but down her back as well. She thought to herself that, with no one else around, there was really no need for Her Grace to use a mind transmission to speak to her.

She studied Zhuyou for a moment, her eyes stinging unbearably, and quickly shifted her gaze downward to Zhuyou’s pale chin. From that angle, she only needed to lift her eyes slightly to see those lips. Carefully, she asked, “Does Your Grace have any other questions?”

“For demons and devils, and mortals alike, the means of easing such desires seem to be no different,” Changying mused aloud, her tone light.

She was not entirely ignorant. A hundred years ago, while in the devil’s domain, Jing Kexin had gifted Zhuyou a thin booklet. Zhuyou had opened it right in front of her, and she had glanced at it briefly. At the time, she had not seen clearly, nor had she understood.

But in the very next moment, Zhuyou had furiously torn the booklet to shreds.

Now, looking back, she seemed to know what had been depicted in that booklet. Was it not precisely such base matters?

Zhuyou kept her lips tightly sealed, contemplating how best to make this dragon shut up. She had always known that Changying was a quick learner—exceedingly so. No matter the subject, she could grasp and master it in an instant. But now, she wished more than anything that Changying were a fool.

Huoshu noticed that Zhuyou’s lips were indeed closed, yet the voice reaching her ears was vivid and real. Her eyelid twitched uncontrollably as she searched for an explanation and concluded that perhaps Her Grace was too embarrassed to speak aloud, thus resorting to mind transmission.

Taking a deep breath, she mustered her courage and said, “Though the methods are similar, the intricacies and nuances are many and not known to all.”

Zhuyou’s ears buzzed. When she finally spoke, her voice was hoarse. “Weren’t we supposed to seek out that tiger demon? Do not delay any longer.”

“Ah,” Huoshu acknowledged. “Then I shall explain to Your Grace along the way.”

A vein twitched at Zhuyou’s temple, her heartbeat accelerating. “There is no need.”

Huoshu quickly nodded and lowered her head in embarrassment.

Beside her, Changying spoke with an unreadable expression, “Are you getting angry?”

Zhuyou shot her a sidelong glance and replied through mind transmission, What do I look like when I am angry?

Changying observed her face and described it unhurriedly. “Your lips are pressed together, your gaze is heavy, the corners of your eyes are red, your brows furrowed, and you don’t wish to speak much.”

Zhuyou hesitated for a moment, then hurriedly furrowed her brows. She had no idea whether she truly looked angry or not. After a light cough, she said, “Then I am indeed getting angry.”

Changying’s icy features suddenly softened. “You’re deceiving me.” Then, in an affected tone, she turned to Huoshu. “Never mind, tell us anyway.”

This corridor truly seemed to twist and turn endlessly, looping around in Jianxiang Pavilion.

Huoshu had encountered many devils over the centuries, but none as unpredictable as this. Taking another deep breath, she slowly explained, “For instance, the swiftness of the tongue—while it may sound like mere wordplay, in our Jianxiang Pavilion, it means something entirely different. Whether man or woman, all take delight in it. Be it licking, sucking, wherever it is applied, the sensation is exquisite. Beyond just the tongue, hand techniques also vary—be it pinching or rubbing, each has its own delicate finesse. If Your Grace wishes to hear more, I can elaborate…”

Before she could finish, her voice was abruptly cut off.

Changying withdrew her mind transmission and, in her usual indifferent tone, stated matter-of-factly, “I haven’t finished listening.”

“Shut up.” Zhuyou’s eyelashes trembled. After a pause, she lifted her hand, hesitated, and then gave the Obsidian Dragon a shove.

Huoshu had heard the low, husky command to “shut up,” and her entire body went rigid as she wondered if she had said something she shouldn’t have. Then, as if the force sealing her throat had been lifted, she let out a choked cough and hastily glanced at Zhuyou’s expression. Immediately, she said, “I shall shut up now.”

She noticed Zhuyou lifting her hand slightly, as if pushing something away—but there was no third person in sight.

Zhuyou slowly exhaled. “I was stretching my limbs.”

“Oh,” Huoshu replied nervously.

Zhuyou refused to spare Changying another glance. A rush of heat flooded her veins, even her fingertips, hidden beneath her sleeves, tinged with a faint pink, as though she had been submerged in a hot spring for too long.

She no longer knew what it meant to be merely angry. If it were just anger, her heart should have remained calm. Yet at this moment, she felt unbearably hot. It was as if…

As if the love buried deep in her heart had been stirred awake.

“Your Grace,” Huoshu lowered her voice. “If you ever have any questions in the future, you may come ask—”

Zhuyou shot her a glare, her gaze as sharp as a cold blade cutting into her. “What did I just say?”

Huoshu immediately fell silent. After a brief pause, she awkwardly muttered, “We should go check out the tiger demon’s residence first.”

Zhuyou gave a slight nod, her expression unchanging. “Lead the way. Just now, I… I…” She faltered for a moment before continuing, “Whatever I just asked you, you’d best forget it.”

“Of course, I’ll forget it right away,” Huoshu hurriedly replied.

Zhuyou had barely taken a few steps when she felt a cold sensation wrap around her wrist, as if something had latched onto her. It wasn’t light either—it tugged at her wrist bones with considerable weight.

Looking down, she saw that the Obsidian Dragon had once again taken the form of a four-legged insect, coiling tightly around her wrist. Its golden eyes stared at her unblinkingly, just like when it had first hatched.

Huoshu’s earlier words echoed in her mind, making the sensation on her wrist even more unbearable. Though it wasn’t exactly painful, it felt as if something was pulling at her heartstrings instead. It wasn’t the dragon’s scales pressing against her wrist—it was pressing against the very core of her being.

Thinking this, she felt her breath grow hotter.

Huoshu glanced back and saw Zhuyou lagging behind. She hesitated before forcing out a few words, reminding herself that speaking too much only got her into trouble. “Your Grace?”

Zhuyou took a soft breath. Even though she knew Huoshu couldn’t see the dragon, she still subtly pulled her sleeve down a bit to hide the four-legged creature.

Huoshu walked quickly, her long skirt dragging along the floor as her legs moved in rapid strides. In a flash, she was at the arched doorway. Stepping outside, she cast an impatient glance toward something beyond the door.

Zhuyou immediately sensed the presence of other demons lurking outside—two minor ones, nothing particularly powerful.

“Who?” she asked, frowning.

Huoshu stomped her foot and shot a glare toward the demons outside before reluctantly explaining, “It’s that cat demon from earlier. After learning I brought Your Grace here, he insisted on following.”

“There’s another one,” Zhuyou added, raising an arm to rub at the four-legged creature on her wrist.

“Your Grace, it’s me.” A sharp, strained voice piped up, as if its throat was being squeezed. The sound was unmistakable—it belonged to the water demon that had been half-submerged in the lake, unable to get out.

Zhuyou remembered this water demon. Her appearance was rather pitiful, but her speech was quick and articulate—though a bit difficult for others to understand.

The water demon quickly added, “I came uninvited and beg Your Grace’s forgiveness.”

Zhuyou cast Huoshu a sidelong glance. Seeing her lower her head nervously, it was clear what was going on.

Huoshu felt the weight of Zhuyou’s scrutinizing gaze and knew she couldn’t hide the truth any longer. She quickly confessed, “We wish to follow Your Grace.”

Back in the Devil Realm, Zhuyou had encountered many similar situations. Devils would claim to want to follow her, but in reality, each had their own hidden agenda—none of them were simple, and none came without expectations.

Zhuyou furrowed her brows, just as she felt the dragon around her wrist stir. It slithered up into her sleeve, coiling around her arm and then emerging from the back of her collar.

It tickled—light and teasing, like a hand climbing up her back.

Huoshu’s earlier words echoed again in her mind, sending her thoughts astray. If a hand were to climb, then how should it stroke? How should it knead?

She snapped back to reality and reached up to grab the dragon that had made its way onto her back.

The cat demon, who had remained silent until now, stood behind the water demon, watching curiously. He saw this esteemed mistress suddenly reach for her own shoulder, as if grabbing something—yet her hand was completely empty. There was nothing there.

Zhuyou casually flung the dragon away. In an instant, it shifted back into its human form, its face cold and full of displeasure.

Changying studied the three demons intently. She knew Huoshu, but the cat demon and water demon were unfamiliar. She hadn’t been gone from Shangxi City for long, yet these minor demons had already managed to latch onto Zhuyou.

“Where did these two come from?” she asked.

I ran into them on the way, Zhuyou replied through heart voice.

Changying pressed her lips together, a slight crease forming between her brows. “I thought you had picked them up again.”

For some reason, Zhuyou detected a hint of grievance in the fearsome Nine Heavens’ Divine Venerable’s expression. Amused, she smiled slightly and sent a heart voice reply, You weren’t picked up—you were stolen.

Changying stared straight at her.

“Your Grace?” the water demon called out in that sharp, sing-song voice, much like a performer in the human world.

Zhuyou spoke calmly, “I don’t keep useless people by my side. Even if you follow me, if you cause trouble—or if disaster strikes—I won’t protect any of you.”

The three demons fell silent.

“The only thing I will protect is Shangxi City,” Zhuyou continued, her tone steady and deliberate.

“We will not stir up trouble, and we can fend for ourselves,” the water demon quickly assured.

Standing to the side, Changying’s expression was cold as ice. Her gaze flickered briefly over the demons, as if granting them a rare glance, before she remarked in a frosty voice, “These demons actually want to follow you.” There was a trace of something almost… bitter in her tone.

Zhuyou studied the three demons for a long moment before suddenly smirking and nodding. “Then come with me.”

***

The city was eerily quiet—a rare occurrence. Too much had happened during the day: the arrival of the Nine Heavens’ Divine Venerable, the appearance of the Vermillion Phoenix, and the return of the Devil Lord. With such upheaval, none of the demons dared to wander outside; nearly all had locked themselves away in their homes.

The tiger demon’s residence was entirely different from Wu Buzhi’s. It was quite large and looked rather grand.

“Your Grace, this is the place,” Huoshu said in a low voice.

Zhuyou tilted her head back and observed it for a while before asking, “Do you notice anything?”

The three demons following closely behind assumed she was speaking to them and immediately wracked their brains before offering their thoughts.

The water demon said, “There is a restriction placed here.”

Huoshu thought for a moment. “I don’t smell any lingering scents at the entrance. No one has passed through here for quite some time.”

“I don’t know,” the cat demon muttered after a long pause.

Standing beside Zhuyou, Changying slowly raised a hand and hovered her palm in front of the door. In a calm voice, she said, “This restriction has indeed remained untouched for half a month.”

Before Zhuyou could act, Changying had already suppressed the restriction. A faint dark light flickered across the building, and in an instant, the barrier vanished.

Zhuyou pushed open the door. At first, nothing seemed unusual. But the moment she stepped inside, she realized that there were no signs of anyone ever having lived here.

The vast residence was completely empty. The water in the outer courtyard’s pond had long since dried up, and there wasn’t a single stray object in sight.

Beyond the archway lay the main courtyard, which was just as barren—not even a chair could be seen, as if the place had been abandoned since the day it was built.