Great Demon - Chapter 96

It must have been the past few days of comfort that made Huoshu forget—this mistress was never someone whose thoughts could be easily guessed. The hand hanging by her side tensed abruptly, and a chill crept up the back of her neck.

“How would I dare to act on my own? Naturally, whatever Your Grace commands, I will do,” Huoshu said in a low voice.

Zhuyou straightened her back, looking at her with calm composure, and said indifferently, “Go.”

Huoshu felt as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She hurriedly tucked the letter into her sleeve and bowed her head. “I will take this letter there immediately.”

Zhuyou nodded, resting her chin on her hand as she calculated the time. Though Shangxi City remained shrouded in darkness both day and night, by mortal reckoning, only half a day remained. Once this half-day ended, who knew whether that tiger demon would appear again?

With the letter clutched tightly in her sleeve, Huoshu rushed back to Jianxiang Pavilion. The demons and devils there, seeing her leave in such a hurry earlier and now return just as hastily, were all bewildered, assuming she had simply gone out for a breath of fresh air.

“What are you all staring at? Seems like you all have plenty of free time today. Can’t find something to do on your own? Do I have to keep watch over you?” Huoshu swept her gaze over the demons peeking out from the flying eaves and pointed at them as she spoke.

But these demons weren’t the obedient sort. Unlike the courtesans of mortal brothels, who, once sold, belonged to the establishment in both life and death, they had no obligation to Jianxiang Pavilion. They could leave whenever they pleased and survive just fine—though not as comfortably as they did here.

A fox demon poked her head out, her tail lazily swaying behind her. She let out a charming laugh and said, “We’re only worried about you. Otherwise, who would bother watching?”

“How considerate,” Huoshu snorted lightly. She held the letter like a burning hot coal, eager to rid herself of it as soon as possible. Just as she turned to head upstairs, she heard the fox demon ask, “You had quite a few valuables in that chest of yours. Who did you send them to?”

Huoshu looked up toward the upper floors and saw that the red silk draped from the beams had fallen low, conveniently concealing the fox demon’s face. A sense of unease crept over her—these demons were usually chatty, but never quite like this.

“You sent them to Her Grace, didn’t you?” the fox demon laughed again, resting her chin on her folded arm. A large portion of her pale chest was exposed, yet she made no effort to pull up her robe, as if she didn’t regard this body as her own.

The moment those words left the fox demon’s lips, Huoshu grew even more suspicious. In Shangxi City, anyone who so much as mentioned the Vermillion Phoenix would do so with the utmost caution, fearing that she might hear. Yet this fox demon showed no such fear—she didn’t even lower her voice.

Huoshu’s brow twitched. Zhuyou had warned her not to meddle in things she shouldn’t, but this was happening inside her Jianxiang Pavilion.

“Why bother currying favor with her? Shouldn’t you be currying favor with the Devil Lord instead? If she were truly that powerful, she would have captured the Devil Lord long ago—why else would she still be idling in the city?” The fox demon spoke languidly.

The other demons and devils standing nearby had no desire to get involved and discreetly distanced themselves.

On the elevated platform draped in layers of soft red silk, only the fox demon remained, leaning against the railing. The other demons had already vanished.

“Her Grace and the Devil Lord walk the same path. She even helped him drive Shangxi City into the Demon Realm. Since they are alike, what does it matter whom I align with?” Huoshu paused briefly before adding, “Besides, it’s just gold, silver, and jade—mere worldly trinkets. If they can win Her Grace’s favor, then wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

She had cultivated for years—how could she not hear the hidden barbs in the fox demon’s words? Though she didn’t know what Zhuyou was scheming, she understood that she had to at least maintain appearances.

The fox demon chuckled softly, then turned to leave. Her fluffy tail flicked behind her, but there was something strangely stiff about the movement.

A sudden suspicion seized Huoshu’s heart. Without hesitation, she leaped into the air, vaulting over the red railing and pressing a hand onto the fox demon’s shoulder.

The fox demon did not turn around and merely said, “My lady, are you choosing me from the roster tonight?”

“You’re bold—daring to speak of Her Grace and the Devil Lord, even trying to sow discord.” Huoshu’s brow twitched, and she gritted her teeth.

The fox demon still did not turn, but suddenly, devil energy began to rise from her body like thick black smoke, staining her once alabaster skin pitch black.

Huoshu cursed inwardly. She really should have minded her own business. If she had known, she would have turned a blind eye.

The devil energy gathered abruptly, forming a massive claw that spread its five fingers wide and lunged toward her face.

Huoshu quickly summoned her spiritual power. She didn’t know if she could disperse the devil energy, but she had no choice but to try.

The devil energy loomed so close that it nearly smothered her, as if ready to seal her mouth and nose.

Suddenly, her robes trembled—not from the wind, but because something within was stirring, trying to break free.

All at once, a crimson flame-like spiritual energy surged from her sleeve, snaking out like a rope and binding the devil energy tightly. The smaller demons hiding beneath the pillars and staircases shrieked in terror. One turtle demon even conjured a rock and smashed it against his own head, collapsing unconscious with a thud.

The red spiritual energy, infused with phoenix fire, constricted the devilish claw, twisting it out of shape. The claw struggled violently, writhing like a trapped beast.

Huoshu stumbled back, her waist hitting the railing. She almost lost her footing and tumbled down.

The blazing light pierced through the smoky devil energy, puncturing the giant claw until it was riddled with holes. In an instant, the devil energy dissipated. The fox demon collapsed to the ground, her body crumbling into a pile of yellowed dust.

A tear seemed to open in the air, and a fierce wind rushed into it.

Huoshu barely had time to react before the rift closed again. She cautiously reached out toward the spot—but there was no trace of the fissure left. 

The silk robe that had once adorned the fox demon lay crumpled on the floor, half-buried in the scattered ashes.

The spiritual energy, which had just been wrapped around the devil energy, flickered like a red fish before slipping back into Huoshu’s sleeve. Her hands trembled as she retrieved the letter from within.

The letter was unchanged. Placing her palm over it, she found it slightly warm—not from the phoenix fire, but from her own body heat. Huoshu dared not open it. She hurriedly tucked it back into her sleeve and nudged the silk robe with her foot. A small cloud of ash rose into the air.

The tiles on the roof creaked underfoot as the cat demon leaped down. Upon seeing the ashen residue, he gasped in shock and asked in surprise, “He—he was just here?”

Huoshu shook her head, still feeling a lingering fear as she scanned her surroundings. She pointed at a small demon peeking over curiously and ordered, “Clean this up—quickly.”

The cat demon seemed to want to ask more questions but was pushed aside by Huoshu, who said, “Go play. Don’t block the way here.”

On the glacier formed by frozen dragon breath in the city, Zhuyou rubbed her fingers together and thoughtfully raised them to her nose for a sniff.

Dry and decayed—it was indeed the scent of devil matter. These devils were still lurking within the Abyss. Though they rarely revealed themselves, they seemed to come and go freely.

***

Inside the Jianxiang Pavilion, Huoshu clutched her chest, breathing heavily as she turned and ascended the wooden staircase with a clatter. She pushed open a door and entered the room, where the peafowl demon—Hanzhu—lay on a bed cushioned with embroidered mats.

Recalling Zhuyou’s earlier words, Huoshu, still on edge, retrieved a letter from her sleeve.

The letter was thin, seemingly containing only a single sheet of paper. Even when held against the firelight, the contents were indecipherable. Despite its cold surface, it didn’t seem like the kind of thing that would ignite the Vermillion Phoenix’s flame.

But Huoshu didn’t dare to gamble—she had survived this long precisely because she valued her life.

After a moment’s thought, she placed the letter by Hanzhu’s pillow. However, as soon as she let go, something seemed to surge from the letter, abruptly striking her hand away.

Huoshu hastily withdrew her hand, hissing softly as pain flared on the back of it. A red burn mark had already appeared—if it had been any worse, she might have been roasted alive!

This wasn’t a letter—it was practically a furnace.

She inhaled sharply, casting a nervous glance at the peafowl demon lying there with her eyes tightly shut. Suspiciously, she thought to herself, Do these two have some kind of grudge? Could Her Grace actually be trying to kill this peafowl demon?

A streak of crimson spiritual energy rose from the letter and swiftly burrowed into the peafowl demon’s forehead. It entered her spiritual sea—if that sea were to be destroyed, it would undoubtedly be fatal.

Huoshu took a step back. She wasn’t afraid of a demon dying in this place—many demons and devils had met their end in Jianxiang Pavilion. If it were going to become a haunted house, it would have done so long ago.

After the energy pierced her forehead, Hanzhu’s eyes twitched beneath her lids, and her ten fingers trembled where they rested on the bed, as if she were on the verge of waking up.

Huoshu swallowed carefully, her gaze flicking back to the letter, fearful that there might be something even more dangerous inside.

But the letter remained silent. Instead, the peafowl demon lying on the bed suddenly coughed violently, like someone who had just been dragged out of the water, gasping for air.

A moment later, Hanzhu’s eyes snapped open, and she sat up abruptly. She truly looked as if she had just been rescued from drowning—her temples were damp with sweat, and even her back was soaked through. Her eyes remained unfocused, as vacant as they had been in the marketplace.

Huoshu took a deep breath and said, “You’re awake?”

As if released from some restraint, Hanzhu finally blinked her stiff eyes and turned her gaze toward Huoshu.

Huoshu hesitated to approach. Though this peafowl demon’s cultivation wasn’t particularly high, her mistress was the Vermillion Phoenix—who knew if she possessed some hidden ability? Seeing that the demon had indeed come to her senses, Huoshu finally relaxed a little and said, “Your mistress left you a letter.”

Hanzhu’s eyes, clear as polished glass beads, no longer held the shadow of the spirit-thrall technique. Remembering the events leading up to now, she raised her hand and slapped her own face—loud and crisp, the sound echoed clearly in the room, startling even Huoshu.

Huoshu had never seen someone strike themselves with such decisiveness. She had only ever given herself half-hearted slaps for show, never hitting hard enough to hurt. This stunned her. Could this be the peafowl demon’s special talent?

That day, after encountering the devil and hearing him mention Zhuyou, Hanzhu had realized the devil was no simple figure. She had intended to leave immediately but was ensnared before she could escape. Fortunately, the devil’s tricks hadn’t fooled Zhuyou—otherwise, she would have regretted it endlessly.

“What letter? Where is it?” she asked urgently.

“Right by your pillow.” Huoshu gestured, adjusting the hairpin in her hair as she observed the now alert and wary demon, reasoning that the girl must have been affected by the spirit-thrall.

At the sound of her voice, Hanzhu lowered her gaze and indeed found the letter by her pillow. She hurriedly tore it open, only to discover that the paper inside was blank. Stunned, she pressed her hand against the page and sensed faint traces of a spell.

Nothing written—what could that mean?

Huoshu didn’t dare to look closely—her survival instinct was too strong for that. Fiddling with her hairpin, she glanced around nervously and added, “Her Grace told me that only you could open the letter. If anyone else tried, they’d be consumed by the phoenix flame.”

Hanzhu shook her head. “Did Mistress say anything else?”

Huoshu glanced back suspiciously. “Isn’t the letter clear enough?”

Being new here, Hanzhu had no idea whether Huoshu could be trusted. She cautiously folded the letter and tucked it back under her pillow. With a furrowed brow, she asked, “She told you to bring me here—did she say anything else?”

Good heavens, Huoshu groaned internally. Why did Her Grace hand me this troublesome task without clearer instructions? Aloud, she said, “Yesterday, I brought you before her. I don’t know what you talked about, but I did see you faint dead away. She ordered me to bring you here to rest.” After a pause, she added, “When she handed me the letter, she did say one other thing.”

At the mention of that day, memories surged through Hanzhu’s mind like a flood, overwhelming her thoughts. She knew she had been ensnared by the spirit-thrall, leaving her consciousness muddled. She feared that she might have said something inappropriate to Zhuyou. To her relief, she hadn’t spoken a word—but the devil had drawn out the secret thoughts she had buried so deeply, even she had nearly forgotten them.

Sweat clung to her back, and shame burned through her. If only she could borrow a hole from Huoshu and bury herself in it.

“Wh-what did Mistress say?” Hanzhu managed to ask in a thin voice.

“She said that she might not wait for you to wake up. If you cried a lot, I was to let you finish crying before giving you the letter,” Huoshu recalled. “Fortunately, you didn’t shed a tear—I wouldn’t know how to comfort you if you did.” After a pause, she added, “Once this city shifts to the Demon Realm, Her Grace plans to meet the Demon King. Beyond that, I don’t know what else she intends to do.”

The more Hanzhu thought about it, the more ashamed she felt. After following Zhuyou for so long, she had buried her feelings so deeply that even she was about to forget them. Yet, that devil had seized her spirit, digging up those thoughts she didn’t want to confront, little by little. Clenching the letter tightly, she bit her lip and said, “But in this letter…”

“What?” Huoshu saw the troubled look on her face and, thinking she was just a young girl, softened her tone.

Hanzhu’s lips trembled as she held the letter. After a moment, she finally said, “There’s not a single word written on it.” She suddenly raised her head to look at Huoshu, her voice hoarse as she asked, “Is Mistress still in the city? Is she still on the ice?”

“She is, but…” Huoshu hesitated, speaking softly.

Hanzhu was about to get out of bed when Huoshu stepped forward and pressed down on her shoulder.

“She ordered me to bring this letter to you. If there’s nothing written in it, I suppose she’s only telling you not to look for her,” Huoshu said in a low voice, as though afraid someone might overhear.

Hanzhu froze in place, realization hitting her like a bucket of cold water. After a long pause, she nodded blankly. “I was too hasty.”

“Exactly. She’s afraid you’ll act impulsively,” Huoshu said, releasing her grip. The dangling ornaments in her hair jingled softly.

Hanzhu raised a hand to press against her brow, trying to sort through the events of the past few days. Suddenly, she lifted her gaze and stared sharply at Huoshu.

Huoshu found her reaction strange. “What is it?”

“He—” Hanzhu hesitated briefly. “Has his three hun souls reunited?”

Huoshu stared at her for a long while before finally nodding and saying, “Yes.”

Hanzhu couldn’t shake the feeling that too much had happened recently. Not only had the Devil Lord’s three hun souls reunited, but as she thought back carefully, a cold shiver ran through her. She hadn’t seen a single devil mark on her mistress’ body. Her cultivation was unfathomably deep, and her pressure alone could rival that of the divine dragon…

At that moment, she didn’t know what to do. It struck her—just as the devil’s words had hinted—that to her mistress, she might be utterly useless, even more insignificant than a speck of dust.

Huoshu noticed her eyes turning red and frowned. “You’re not about to cry, are you?”

Hanzhu lifted her sleeve to wipe the corners of her eyes. She wanted to deny it, but fat tears still rolled down her cheeks.

Flustered, Huoshu said, “Why are you crying? It’s just an empty letter.” She had thought this peafowl demon was tougher than that—but in the end, she was just a young girl.

Half an hour later, a white-browed rat knocked on the window and spoke in human tongue. “The tiger demon has returned.”

Huoshu, who had been sitting beside Hanzhu watching her cry, immediately tensed up and nodded. “I understand.” She glanced at Hanzhu and said, “I need to go out for a while. Stay here and don’t wander around.”

Hanzhu guessed it had something to do with Zhuyou and nodded. “Don’t worry.”

Huoshu picked up the white-browed rat and placed it on her shoulder before hurrying toward the ice-covered residence.

Around the glacier frozen by dragon breath, no demons dared to approach. All the demons and devils instinctively stayed at least a hundred feet away, fearing the Vermillion Phoenix’s gaze.

Perched on the snow-covered eaves, Zhuyou—dressed in a black silk dress with a sheer robe embroidered with curling branches—saw Huoshu approach in a hurry and asked, “Has he returned?”

Huoshu nodded, listening as the white-browed rat squeaked in her ear. She then looked up and said, “He just entered the residence.”

With a single leap, Zhuyou dropped from the eaves, grabbed Huoshu by the shoulder, and commanded, “Let’s go!”

Huoshu had wanted to mention the devilish energy that had corroded the fox demon’s bones and that the peafowl demon had awakened, but before she could speak, Zhuyou whisked her into the air. The sudden lift squeezed the breath from her chest, making it hard to even draw a full breath.

The residence’s main gate stood wide open. Inside, the tiger demon frantically searched every corner of the main house and the side rooms, as if looking for something important.

Zhuyou released Huoshu and, in a blink, moved from the courtyard entrance to the inner yard. She caught the tiger demon by the neck with one hand.

The tiger demon froze. He wanted to resist, but under the crushing pressure of her aura, his whole body trembled uncontrollably. His eyes widened in terror, and he couldn’t even speak.

“Let me see whose orders you’ve been following,” Zhuyou said coldly as she delved into his sea of consciousness. She examined every trace of his spiritual threads, but to her surprise, any connection to Guanshang had vanished. It was as if the tiger demon had just woken from a two-hundred-year slumber, with all the memories from that time completely missing.

Before the break in his memories, he had just finished building this house and had said to his wife, “Once I catch a few more spirit beasts, we’ll have the money to furnish the place.”

The spiritual threads had been removed?

No—that wasn’t it.

Zhuyou’s expression grew colder. She found evidence of a possession. This tiger demon had previously been taken over by someone else. She abruptly let go, allowing him to collapse to the ground.

Huoshu, still struggling under the lingering pressure, managed to ask breathlessly, “Your Grace, what did you find?”

“He was possessed,” Zhuyou said with a scornful chuckle as she retracted her oppressive aura.

The tiger demon gasped for air, his eyes filled with fear. Teeth chattering, he stammered, “Wh-why… why was I possessed? Wh-who did it?”

Zhuyou gazed at him coldly for a long moment before raising her hand and pointing toward the well. “You were looking for your wife and child, weren’t you? They’re in the well.”