Ordered to Marry by the High King - Chapter 11

Who knew the hungry ghosts were formless—even the cracks between rocks couldn’t keep them out.

The fox didn’t dare pause for a second, dashing forward in a daze. The crevices were cold and drafty, like being chased by winter wind. But no matter how bitterly cold the wind was, it only pierced the bones—those hungry ghosts behind her would gnaw her to pieces.

The winding gaps seemed endless. The fox ran until she was gasping for air. Not even when mortals chased her shouting insults had she ever been so wretched.

She realized this was bad. She shouldn’t have entered the cracks. The rocks were thick and solid—if there was a dead end, she might not be able to dig out even an inch. 

If she couldn’t get out, she’d have to brace herself and fight. But her demon power was weak. She’d never focused on cultivation. Facing a couple of hungry ghosts might be manageable, but this many? All she could do now was burn incense and pray.

She should never have come to Lingkong Mountain. It was all Lanhui’s fault—why did she have to come up with such a foolish plan!

The howls behind her grew louder, the crashing sounds getting closer. The icy ghostly energy surged toward her like waves. It was so fierce, the fox was completely overwhelmed with fear. A cold realization suddenly rose in her heart—she might never make it back to Qiufeng Ridge.

She used to run away from Qiufeng Ridge all the time, and now she was shamelessly longing to return.

In truth, Qiufeng Ridge had its merits. Even if it was barren compared to other places—so barren it didn’t even have a single chicken—it was still home.

She wondered, if she died here and Lanhui couldn’t find her, would she worry?

A foul, decaying stench rushed toward her, choking her breath. Her steps faltered as though she were being bound. Even her joints creaked under the strain. Why did it hurt so much—worse than being beaten with a ruler? A hundred, a thousand times more painful. The pain brought tears streaming down her face. Her throat tightened; she couldn’t even cry for help.

It was over. She couldn’t even burn incense and pray anymore. She couldn’t speak. She didn’t know if the demon lords out there could hear her desperate plea.

The hungry ghosts kept pouring into the mountain’s crevices as if trying to hollow out Lingkong Mountain itself. So many crammed together that the entire mountain trembled non-stop.

***

Up above, the demons had been cheerfully chatting, when the sudden shaking knocked food off the tables and spilled wine everywhere.

The standing guests swayed left and right as if dancing.

All eyes turned toward Longming—even the powerful great demons showed unease.

The silver-haired tiger demon furrowed her brows slightly. With a gentle tap of her curled index finger, an immense wave of pressure burst forth like a meteor crashing to earth, pinning the entire Lingkong Mountain in place.

The little demons, unable to withstand the pressure, turned pale and dropped to their knees in terror, filling the ground.

Suddenly, a wisp of black smoke appeared in the air. In the blink of an eye, it condensed into the form of a leopard demon.

Chunxi bowed and said, “My lord, the hungry ghosts are in chaos.”

“That intruder who spilled the Ghost-Inviting Grass—have they been found?” Longming asked calmly.

Chunxi pursed her lips and dared not reply.

“How many hungry ghosts were drawn by the Ghost-Inviting Grass?” Longming asked again.

“Over a thousand.”

Longming seemed thoughtful. After a pause, she asked, “Has the Grass been cleared?”

“The ones below the main peak have been handled by the patrol demons. The rest haven’t been cleared yet.”

Longming stood up. “Come with me down the mountain. Let’s see what these hungry ghosts are up to.”

One of the great demons at the feast waved a fan and said, “If you need assistance, my lord, just say the word.”

Longming gave a slight nod, expression unchanged, then spun in place and vanished from sight.

***

Down below, the hungry ghosts swarmed toward the rock crevices in droves. So densely packed, they seemed to shake the very foundations of the mountain. Scattered traces of demonic energy lingered at the base of the mountain—but these weren’t left by a pig demon. They carried the scent of a fox.

Longming raised her brow slightly. Catching the faint, feeble scent of demon energy, and thinking of that somewhat familiar face that had confused her, she couldn’t help but feel a tinge of regret.

Chunxi lowered her head. “That fox…”

“Likely nothing but bare bones by now,” Longming said. As she lifted her arm, the fabric of her robe shimmered even more brilliantly, and vast demonic power surged from her palm, setting her silver hair billowing.

Chunxi stood motionless, but under the force of that power, she reflexively shut her eyes. Even her soul felt the pressure, and she submitted with bowed head.

That immense demon power took shape—a distinct, bony hand with well-defined joints. Its five fingers seemed to close gently, but from the stone crevices, thick shadows of ghosts were yanked out. The countless hungry ghosts were dragged out in a chain. No matter how they struggled, they could no longer flood into the mountain.

Chunxi gritted her teeth and, enduring the overwhelming force, cast a binding spell to wrap the hungry ghosts into a tangled mass.

The last ghost, thrashing wildly, was also flung from the crack. Longming stomped it out with effortless ease, without even lifting a finger. She cast a careless glance toward the horde of ghosts. Then, with a sudden wave of her palm, they disintegrated into ash, leaving only one unfinished wail hanging in the air.

As the ghostly aura dissipated, another breath of energy slipped from the crevice—fox scent again.

Still alive?

Longming was genuinely surprised. That fox had looked so frail—how had she survived? Even if she had, she must be bloodied and mangled beyond recognition.

From the crack, a ball of fur was slowly pushing its way out.

It was the fox, backing out inch by inch.

Where was the blood and gore? The entire fox was barely even dusty, astonishingly clean.

Zhuoxue trembled slightly, her nape still aching from an earlier scrape she couldn’t quite place. She couldn’t see her own neck, so she didn’t realize how pristine her fur was. She worried that if it had been scratched by a hungry ghost, the wound might fester.

Thankfully, the ghosts were gone. She hadn’t been shredded into mush.

She slowly continued backing out, knowing the ghosts couldn’t have vanished for no reason. Recalling the immense pressure just now, it had to be the work of that silver-haired tiger demon.

Once she was out, Zhuoxue stayed silent. She felt a cold dread creeping up her spine—there was no doubt where that overwhelming aura behind her was coming from.

“You actually made it out in one piece.”

It really was Longming.

The surge of gratitude that had just welled up vanished in an instant. Zhuoxue shifted into her human form—still with fox ears perched atop her head. Hearing those words, she felt a flicker of annoyance—but she didn’t dare talk back.

That white tiger’s mouth hadn’t changed at all since that time years ago when she’d saved old Madam Qian—still just as blunt.

“I have my own little tricks.” Zhuoxue pouted.

“Tricks?” Longming gave a faint smirk. “If I’d known, I’d have come half a moment later.”

Whatever lingering fear Zhuoxue had was gone now. She forced herself to turn her head. “You called me down the mountain—was it just to test me?”

The silver-haired demon didn’t deny it. “You picked the wrong time to come. I thought you and that pig demon xiàomìng tóng zhǔ (served the same master).”

Did she say xiǎo mìng (little life) or xiǎo míng (nickname)?

After barely escaping with her life and running for who knew how long, Zhuoxue’s ears were still ringing—she could hardly hear anymore. She tried piecing it together but couldn’t make sense of it, so she said, “What do you mean, my little life is as good as dead? I clearly have great fortune and a long life!”

Longming opened and shut her eyes slowly. “I thought you were working with that pig demon.”

That she could understand. Zhuoxue growled, “That pig demon tried to kill me! I wouldn’t be caught dead on the same side.”

Longming’s gaze dropped. She suddenly leaned in, five fingers landing lightly on Zhuoxue’s nape.

It was barely a touch, but Zhuoxue’s fur bristled as though shackled. Her pale neck trembled under that touch. She couldn’t even get a word out. Her body quivered, and all the terror she had been holding back surged up like a tidal wave.

Suppressing someone with demonic force just because you couldn’t win an argument—how vicious!

“What’s this on the back of your neck? Why is it glowing?” Longming’s fingertips rubbed the spot. The friction turned the skin hot, and Zhuoxue’s raised fur flattened back down.

It tickled.

Zhuoxue held still, glancing back out of the corner of her eye. “Glowing? My neck? Who has a demon core growing out of their neck?”

Longming’s finger paused. “Looks like a sigil. Is that what protected you?”

Zhuoxue didn’t buy it. “Impossible. If I had a protective sigil, I wouldn’t have had to run like that.”

The pressure lifted from her nape, though the residual heat remained.

Longming frowned slightly and said slowly, “Or perhaps…the intruder knew they couldn’t harm me, and used you in a ruse to win my trust?”

Zhuoxue slapped a hand to the back of her neck, shocked. “High King, you see everything clearly—I don’t even know a single pig demon!”

Longming let out a quiet chuckle.

Suddenly, Zhuoxue had a terrifying thought. “High King, don’t tell me…you think your enemies know you still long for someone in the mortal world, and sent me here on purpose?”

Longming’s smile vanished. She reached out and touched Zhuoxue’s cheek, tracing her brow bone like a blind person feeling a skull—down to her eyes and ears, moving slowly, lingering with subtle reluctance. Though her expression was calm, her eyes shimmered with depth, and the storm of emotions behind them was undeniable.

“Not impossible. Every demon knows I bear the surname of the mortal royal family. Tracing that back to my past wouldn’t be hard.”

Zhuoxue had no idea how to refute that. She was speechless.

“Using the face of an old friend to get close to me—what’s the goal?” Longming asked coolly.

Zhuoxue pinched her own cheek. “This face is one hundred percent authentic, and I’m a fox who never lies to people.”

Since she hadn’t managed to trick them, it didn’t count. And if she had? Well, the ones in Cangqiong Realm weren’t people anyway.