Great Demon - Chapter 98 Part 1

The gatekeepers had never seen such a striking woman before. However, when they met her icy gaze, not a single thought of impropriety arose—rather, it felt as if an invisible hand had tightened around their throats, leaving them inexplicably fearful.

Changying turned slightly to the side, her gaze lingering on Zhuyou for a brief moment before she looked back at the enforcer standing before her and beckoned with a slight curl of her finger. The short-clad servant hesitated for an instant, his face cautious, but as if unable to resist, he actually leaned toward her.

At that moment, a cool fingertip pressed against his forehead, and he found himself completely immobilized. His entire body stiffened as though he had been struck at a pressure point; even his breath came to a halt.

The other enforcers standing nearby were shocked by the sight. Their hands, which had been resting on their sword hilts, instinctively tightened their grips. Their entire demeanor was that of taut strings ready to snap, as if fearing the woman would suddenly strike to kill.

One of them spoke up. “Miss, where have you come from? Do you need us to go inside and report your arrival? The Fifth Young Master has gone out, but he will return soon.”

“Report?” Changying withdrew her hand, and the man she had touched took a deep breath as if his hun soul had just returned to his body, staggering two steps backward.

Fortunately, two others caught him before he collapsed to the ground.

“No need. I won’t trouble you.” Changying’s voice was calm. She said nothing more, merely turned around and left.

The gatekeepers trembled, sensing that this woman was no ordinary person. Though she carried no sword, her piercing gaze was colder than any blade.

Changying walked toward Zhuyou, her silent eyes flickering with a sudden shift in expression.

Hanzhu had first encountered this dragon in the vast desert. Since that parting, only today had she seen her again. She had always feared this dragon immensely, and now, as she watched her approach, her legs began to tremble uncontrollably.

Huoshu, on the other hand, had never seen Changying before. That day, after Changying had left, she had only been summoned out of Jianxiang Pavilion by the cat demon. She had not been able to catch a glimpse of the Nine Heavens’ Divine Venerable’s face until now.

Now, staring blankly at Changying, Huoshu suddenly felt a sharp sting in her eyes. She had intended to discern whether this woman was a demon or a devil, but upon closer inspection, she realized she could not perceive the other’s true form at all.

This was neither a demon nor a devil. With such abilities, she could only be the Nine Heavens’ Divine Venerable.

Huoshu squeezed Hanzhu’s shoulder and lowered her eyes. “Is she here for revenge?”

Hanzhu shook her head. She could no longer be sure what relationship this person had with her mistress. It was not quite revenge, but it felt even more like collecting a debt.

Just then, Changying suddenly stopped in her tracks and abruptly turned her head, fixing an ice-cold stare on the gatekeepers. Her gaze was so frigid it seemed as if she could carve a piece of flesh from their bodies with her eyes alone.

The men were stunned. They had served at Qiaomu Manor for years and had seen all manner of people, yet this was the first time they had encountered someone like her.

Despite her pale complexion and frail figure—seemingly as delicate as a bamboo blade that could snap at any moment—her expression was unyieldingly severe, her entire presence radiating sharpness.

Under her gaze, they instinctively retreated half a step, glancing at one another uncertainly. They debated whether they should go inside and inform the manor’s master. This woman was too strange. She seemed to bear ill intentions toward the estate, and she had even inquired about the whereabouts of the Fifth Young Master. Clearly, she was here to cause trouble.

The man who had been touched on the forehead rubbed at the spot frantically, his lips trembling as he stammered, “Hurry—hurry inside and report this.”

“Did she frighten you?” someone else asked.

A slightly thinner man turned and ran into the manor, gasping for breath as he sprinted.

The man who had been touched continued rubbing his forehead, his voice shaking. “The moment she pressed my brow, I couldn’t move at all. It was as if demons and devils had seized my very soul. For a moment, I forgot everything. Only when she withdrew her hand did I regain my senses.”

“Is it really that strange?” another man asked hesitantly, his eyes betraying fear.

Changying had been walking at a leisurely pace. There were still several steps between her and the manor’s entrance, yet in the blink of an eye, she suddenly appeared at the steps.

The men instinctively blinked in disbelief and staggered back another step, drawing their long swords in unison with a sharp sound.

Changying had no intention of frightening them. As the Nine Heavens’ Divine Venerable, she had no need to intimidate mere mortals.

She didn’t even consider the swords in their hands worth noting. She raised a single finger and pressed it against the blade, seemingly exerting no force at all, yet the sword was effortlessly deflected.

The gatekeepers broke into a cold sweat, their pupils contracting sharply. The blade was undoubtedly razor-sharp, yet it had failed to leave even the slightest scratch on this woman’s finger. That pale, slender finger seemed to be made of jade, entirely unlike human flesh.

Huoshu and Hanzhu were dumbfounded, unable to comprehend why Changying, who had just been walking toward them, had suddenly turned back.

Zhuyou frowned. “Wait.”

Changying suddenly stepped past the group of mortals, halting exactly ten feet inside the entrance. She raised her hand, her dark sleeve slipping down to reveal a slender, pale forearm.

She seemed to grasp something in the wind, though her fingers held nothing visible.

Changying delicately pinched a strand of air, lowered her head slightly, and inhaled. Then, her expression turned utterly frigid.

It seemed that Qiao Fengsheng’s departure had not been of his own volition—he had been lured away. She had arrived a moment too late.

She let her hand fall, though her fingers still lightly pinched at something unseen. Turning away, she walked out as if nothing had happened.

The gatekeepers stood frozen as though bound by invisible ropes. Their throats felt constricted, and not a single sound could escape.

As Changying passed by them, she clenched her hand slightly. The men immediately felt drowsy and closed their eyes, yet their bodies did not sway in the slightest, remaining upright.

Zhuyou fixed her gaze on Changying’s hand, which hung at her side. When Changying approached, Zhuyou finally asked, “How is it?”

“Qiao Fengsheng has been gone for quite some time,” Changying said abruptly.

Huoshu and Hanzhu were both stunned upon hearing this. They hadn’t expected this dragon to know Qiao Fengsheng as well. Then, glancing at Zhuyou’s composed and unbothered expression, they felt as though they had stumbled upon a secret. So it seemed that Guanshang was the only one kept in the dark—these two had been operating in secret for quite some time now.

Zhuyou hadn’t anticipated that Changying would arrive before her. Seeing that the dragon’s form remained unchanged, it was clear she hadn’t merely sent a sliver of divine consciousness down to the Mortal Realm—she had brought her entire physical body with her.

She hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Where did he go?”

“I don’t know. The mortals guarding this manor know little about the matter, but judging by their spiritual imprints, Qiao Fengsheng left the manor five days ago.” Changying’s voice was calm. As she spoke, she caught sight of the ink-black tips of Zhuyou’s hair. Though she had always thought silver suited her better, the deep black was striking in its own way.

“What are you holding?” Zhuyou lowered her gaze.

Only then did Changying raise her hand, bringing the two fingers she had been pinching together up to Zhuyou’s line of sight.

Zhuyou leaned in slightly, as if she had caught a faint yet familiar scent. She leaned in a little further, to the point where it seemed as if her nose might brush against the back of Changying’s hand.

Changying looked down at her, her breath suddenly unsteady. Her wrist trembled slightly, and the smooth, pale back of her hand brushed against Zhuyou’s upper lip.

The tremor in her wrist was not accidental—it was intentional.

Her skin was as smooth as polished jade, but Zhuyou’s lips were softer, warmer.

Zhuyou’s eyes widened in surprise, meeting Changying’s seemingly indifferent expression. Yet, her own heartbeat had skipped a fraction of a beat. Unconsciously, she pressed her lips together. She quickly averted her gaze but caught the scent of decay and ruin—it was left behind by a devil being. She frowned. “They were fast.”

Too fast.

There had to be a devil gate somewhere in the Mortal Realm—otherwise, this wouldn’t make sense.

Changying flicked her wrist, and the two fingers she had kept tightly pinched together finally parted. The wisp of wind she had captured was instantly swept away.

Only then did the servants standing at the manor’s entrance open their eyes, all of them looking dazed. Lowering their heads, they stared in confusion at the swords they had drawn from their scabbards.

“How did I fall asleep while standing?” one of them muttered.

“Must’ve been too tired,” another replied. “You can sleep standing up when you’re exhausted enough.”

“No, something’s off. Even if I did doze off, why is my sword drawn?”

They hurriedly sheathed their weapons and glanced around, trying to make sense of what had happened.

“Where did Little Liu run off to?” someone asked. “That little brat must’ve been messing with us.”

“That kid usually seems well-behaved, but it turns out he likes playing pranks in private.”

“No kidding. Then again, when I was his age, I wasn’t much better—I pulled my fair share of shameless stunts too.”

The group burst into laughter, completely forgetting what had just transpired.

Meanwhile, Little Liu, who had run off to report the incident, remained unaware that he was now carrying the blame for something far greater than he could imagine.

***

A short distance away, Zhuyou pressed her lips together, her tongue subtly brushing against her upper lip.

Changying withdrew her hand to her side, watching her in silence.

Zhuyou quickly relaxed her lips, but the slight sheen of moisture on them had nowhere to hide, glistening faintly. Steadying herself, she turned to Huoshu and said, “Someone in the manor must know where he went. Why not go inside and search?”

Huoshu shuddered and immediately understood why she had been brought along. She forced a smile, looking troubled. “But this manor is large—there are at least a hundred people inside.”

“Go find out.” Zhuyou’s innocent-looking eyes shifted slightly. They seemed harmless at a glance, but the oppressive force spilling from her very being was undeniable.

Huoshu glanced at her mistress, then at the Divine Venerable, before nodding hastily. “I’ll go.” If she didn’t, who would?

The next moment, the elegantly dressed Huoshu suddenly shrank into a small, snow-white creature—a mouse, with long, pointed ears. Rising onto her hind legs, she crouched down and, in a swift movement, burrowed into the ground. Within moments, she was gone.

Hanzhu stood in a daze. Then, she noticed her mistress glancing—intentionally or not—toward the dragon, as if there was something she wanted to say but was holding back due to the presence of others.

Her heart pounded in her chest. After a moment, she finally blurted out, “I’ll scout the surrounding area.”

“Mm.” Zhuyou nodded.

Hanzhu let out a silent sigh of relief, immediately lifting into the air. Her body dissolved into a wisp of smoke, merging into the passing wind. Wrapped within its current, she spiraled away into the distance at incredible speed.