Ordered to Marry by the High King - Chapter 24 Part 2

“I’m here,” said Chunxi.

“How did the Nightmare Clan respond? Have they set out?” Longming asked.

Ah yes—Longming had sent an invitation to the Nightmare Clan, likely when the fox was still asleep earlier in the day.

Although Zhuoxue had never left the Cangqiong Realm, she’d heard Lanhui talk about the layout and geography of the mountain realms and demon rivers.

The Cangqiong Realm was some 5,000 kilometres from Wugou River, the former lying in the west, the latter in the east. The former was all steep, towering mountains, solid earth and rock, and lush vegetation. The latter was all crystal-clear waterways, with no sand or gravel to be found, the sound of flowing water ringing all year round, and shadowy trees and ghostly plants thriving in its watery depths.

Even if an ordinary little demon used their powers and rushed nonstop from the Cangqiong Realm to Wugou River, it would still take them more than a full day. That showed how formidable Chunxi’s demonic power truly was.

“I delivered the invitation personally to the Nightmare King,” said Chunxi. “He didn’t give an immediate reply. He only said that if he were to attend the banquet, he could arrive at Lingkong Mountain by tomorrow. He asked that my lord wait patiently.”

“Wait patiently? Still playing coy with me.” Longming sneered. “Does the Nightmare King know that Lingkong Mountain was attacked?”

As the ruler of Wugou River, he should be well-informed of everything happening in the Demon Realm. If the Nightmare King claims ignorance, then unless he’s doing it on purpose, it means his reputation is unearned and he’s unworthy of the throne of Wugou River.

“I handed over the severed toe of that pig demon as well,” said Chunxi. “The Nightmare King said he had already heard some word of the matter and would investigate in due time. With the great war having ended only a century ago, the last thing needed now is internal conflict.”

Longming looked thoughtful. “Not a word out of the Nightmare Clan can be trusted. And to think the phrase ‘internal conflict must be avoided’ could come out of his mouth.”

Chunxi remained silent.

“We’ll see tomorrow,” said Longming, flicking her wrist slightly.

The leopard woman turned back into black mist and vanished without a trace.

Tomorrow. The word made Zhuoxue’s fur stand on end.

The Nightmare King was leagues more dangerous than that pig demon. Fortunately, there would be many eyes and ears at the demon banquet. With so many witnesses, the Nightmare Clan likely wouldn’t dare to start a massacre.

Just thinking about the troubles to come made Zhuoxue’s stomach growl. She told herself she’d better eat her fill if she was going to deal with tomorrow.

***

The festivities didn’t wind down until past midnight. Little demons lay sprawled all over the place beneath the tables, some still clutching wine jugs used for annual offerings.

While Longming and the demon lords held council, Zhuoxue, having nothing to do, decided to stroll around the banquet tables. The leftover food had already been cleaned up by the demon attendants, leaving only cold tea and wine behind.

Zhuoxue didn’t care for tea or wine—she only craved that tender, juicy meat. Fortunately, she’d heard there was still some food left uneaten in the kitchen. Not wanting such fine dishes to go to waste, she tiptoed her way over to the kitchen.

The kitchen was empty, unlit, and the firewood in the stove had long gone cold.

Sure enough, there were unplated dishes hidden under the stove lid. There wasn’t much left, but enough to satisfy her. She shifted into her fox form and stood on the stove, picking out the meat piece by piece, gnawing on it while spitting the bones onto the floor.

She kept her ears tilted toward the door, on guard for any demon that might suddenly appear.

This feast filled the emptiness caused by all the saliva she’d swallowed throughout the day. With only one piece of meat left in the pot, she found herself reluctant to eat it.

The door was tightly shut, with no sounds of movement outside.

I might as well eat it, she thought. If the whole family ends up in my belly, that’s a sort of reunion too.

Feeling reassured, she hunched down and leaned over the pot. But then, from outside the door, a voice suddenly called out, “What are you doing?”

The voice surged in like the tide, slow yet powerful. Who else could it be but Longming?

Startled, Zhuoxue lost her footing and toppled headfirst into the pot with a thud, her snow-white fur soaked in golden broth.

The door creaked open.

The silver-haired demon lord stood silhouetted against the moonlight. Her cool gaze swept into the kitchen. If not for the large tail still swishing outside the iron pot, she might not have spotted the fox at all.

Zhuoxue struggled for a moment, her four paws splayed as she slipped around the greasy pot, and only after some effort did she manage to climb back up onto the stove. Her whole fox body was slick with oil, and vegetable sauce dripped constantly from her fur, splattering all over the stovetop. She looked at Longming without a word—she really couldn’t come up with a clever excuse.

“I saw the kitchen was messy, and since I had nothing to do, I thought I’d clean it up,” Zhuoxue declared with a deep breath.

“Then how come, after all this cleaning, there are more bones on the floor?” Longming didn’t step into the room. She just stood calmly at the doorway.

Zhuoxue said, “Bones are unclean too. Now I’ve stripped them clean.” With her teeth, of course.

Longming lowered her gaze and chuckled faintly. Against the light, the dark markings beneath her eyes weren’t so clear, making her expression seem a little less sharp. “Even if you didn’t do good work, it was still effort.”

“I’ll clean the stove later,” Zhuoxue replied quickly. “Proper cleaning must be done step by step, and nothing should be overlooked.”

She thought she’d gotten away with it.

Then Longming suddenly asked, “Do you think that pig demon might still be on the mountain?”

Zhuoxue flinched, flinging the broth from her fur in all directions—some of it landed right on Longming’s shoes. Fortunately, those embroidered silk shoes with their mountain-and-water pattern were conjured by magic. A shimmer of light passed over them, and the golden broth vanished instantly.

“I think he is,” Longming continued. “His plot failed, so he wouldn’t have gone far. But if he wants to hide from me, there’s only one way.”

Without lifting her feet, her figure suddenly blurred as she closed the distance in a flash. She raised her index finger and pointed it toward the fox’s forehead.

The fox plopped down on the stovetop. “Wh-what way?”

“Possession,” Longming said, and tapped her finger right between the fox’s brows.

The fox clutched her head and slumped weakly. “There’s no possession! I really just came looking for meat!” She gave up and told the truth.

“Look at all that grease on you. If the Holy Immortal Lanxiang were here, even she wouldn’t be able to bear the sight.” Longming withdrew her hand and turned with a soft smile. “I usually avoid grains and meat, but if you’re hungry, just find something to eat. No need to sneak around. Otherwise I’ll spoil you.”

Longming wasn’t angry?

Then Zhuoxue thought again—wait, that wasn’t right. She should be the one upset. How could Longming compare her to a pig?!

The greasy, fishy-smelling fox trailed behind the silver-haired demon lord step by step, having completely lost interest in the last piece of meat left in the pot.

When they arrived at the bedchamber, the silver-haired demon gestured toward the back of the hall and said plainly, “There’s a spring behind the hall. It can cleanse filth from the body and also help improve cultivation.”

Zhuoxue’s fox ears perked up in confusion.

Longming continued, “If you want to lift the seal on you, you can’t rely solely on outside force. Your demonic power is shallow—your magical strength isn’t even as strong as a stubborn child’s. Go soak for two hours.”

Zhuoxue, thoroughly deflated, slunk off toward the back of the hall. Sure enough, she found a clear, bubbling spring.

The spring flowed over stones, burbling and gurgling.

Delighted, she transformed into her graceful human form, tucked up the hem of her dress, and dipped her toes cautiously into the water.

It was freezing.

The instant she stepped in, she almost sprang right back out. But then a sudden wave of demon energy surged from behind and shoved her in without mercy.

Water splashed everywhere. The firefly grass nearby was washed clean of dust, now glowing as brightly as candle flames.

Zhuoxue had just come out of a cooking pot, and now she was dumped into a pool. Caught off guard, she swallowed a mouthful of spring water. Her lungs and organs felt like they were about to freeze solid. Fortunately, the spring was sweet, and the vast spiritual energy flooded her senses like fresh air. She was like the firefly grass—cleansed of dust, body and soul.

No wonder Longming had willingly handed over such a powerful Xiangyun Soulflower Vase to someone else. Turns out there were even greater forces hidden on Lingkong Mountain.

Too great, in fact. In the blink of an eye, Zhuoxue was overwhelmed by the spiritual energy, left dizzy and disoriented underwater.

Despite years of cultivation, she’d been like a headless fly, not even able to locate the bottleneck in her training. But now, bathed in spiritual energy, all the barriers that once eluded her suddenly appeared before her, like crystal-clear glass—she could see through them all at once.

She sank slowly, forgetting she was underwater, and only when she nearly suffocated did she frantically swim back to the surface.

These past ten-odd years, she had never broken through her realm. Could it be that it wasn’t just the seal suppressing her—it was also the lack of spiritual energy at Qiufeng Ridge, unable to nourish her properly?

Zhuoxue lay slumped by the edge of the spring, head lowered, coughing violently for several moments before shivering. 

The chill crept slowly into her body. It was gentle, yet irresistible—clearly the unending spiritual energy flowing from the spring. She seemed to become a bottomless vortex, drawing in all the surrounding spiritual energy.

Zhuoxue hurriedly shut her eyes and examined her spiritual platform. To her dismay, the abundant energy in her body couldn’t enter her demon core, as if blocked by an invisible barrier.

What should she do?

She had never broken through a cultivation barrier before, but over the years she’d often heard Lanhui’s verbal teachings: to break through, one must first…

She understood now. She quickly searched for a footing in the water and sat cross-legged. She had to first claim the spiritual energy as her own, slowly drawing it into her meridians as she circulated her demon power.

Once the energy entered her meridians, she could guide it into her spiritual platform to nourish her demon core. She must not rush—she had to proceed gradually, staying patient and humble.

This was her first time breaking through a realm. Cold sweat mingled with the spring water around her, her dark hair floated in the water, and her pale face was ghostly white.

Just as the spiritual energy slowly converged, flowing into her spiritual platform like a trickling stream, a sudden heat flared up at the nape of her neck. This time it burned like boiling water poured directly onto her skin—so painful she nearly cried out. Fortunately, she was already in the cold spring. She simply sank deeper into the water, letting it submerge the burning spot at her neck, easing the heat a little.

Still—it hurt.

Zhuoxue gritted her teeth, unable to suppress a muffled groan. She held her breath and sank into deeper water. The suffocating pressure distracted her from the pain in her neck.

She was like a fish caught between ice and fire, unable to live, unable to die—consumed by pain so intense she nearly wished to just give up and muddle through life in a haze.

But in the end, she was still unwilling. She was a fox—not some powerless creature waiting for fate to carve her up.

The fox shuddered in the water, and the surface rippled endlessly with her tremors, shimmering with waves of light.

Finally, her spiritual platform was full and level, completely saturated with spiritual energy. Her demon core, as if waking from a long slumber, trembled and cracked open with fine lines.

Still—it hurt so much.

The once calm spring now surged and heaved, as if a fierce dragon lay dormant beneath, ready to ascend to the skies. The water frequently splashed onto the banks, drenching the firefly grass. From a distance, the spring glowed brighter than daylight—so bright it was blinding.

Footsteps approached unhurriedly. One glance at the shimmering ink-wash mountain patterns on the hem of the robe was enough to know—it was Longming’s garb. But in the water, the fox was unaware, her consciousness slipping away. Her clenched jaw suddenly slackened, and a string of bubbles rose to the surface. Her delicate human form sank slowly, like soft algae drifting downward.

Zhuoxue had tried multiple times, each attempt just one breath away from success. The spiritual energy couldn’t pierce the hard shell of her demon core. And the more she pushed, the more the pain at the back of her neck intensified.

Just then, something soft like silk gently wrapped around her nape. The searing heat that had been burrowing into her skin began to ebb away, consumed bit by bit.

The pain… wasn’t so unbearable anymore.

“Clear your mind. Break through.” The voice echoed through the cold spring—low, neither like a gong nor a horn, colder and clearer than the spring itself, rousing her drifting spirit.

Zhuoxue was lifted by demonic energy. A hand pressed gently on the back of her neck. Though it did nothing else, it felt as though it swept away all her internal obstacles.

She broke through.

Her spiritual platform, once dusty and gray, was now washed clean by the spiritual energy—crystal clear and radiant. Her demon core, engorged with spiritual energy, expanded visibly, shedding its outer shell. Beneath, the intricate and exquisite demon patterns were revealed—complex, flawless, and magnificent.

Some demons have plain and unremarkable demon cores because their spiritual platforms are too weak to bear more. Their souls and demon meridians are equally ordinary, and no matter how much they cultivate, they will never break through. Zhuoxue’s demon core was different. Yet even now, after a breakthrough, it still appeared dim.

That shouldn’t be. No matter how impure a demon core is, it shouldn’t resemble a lifeless gray stone. Though cold and heavy in appearance, within it clearly lay another world entirely.

The hand resting on the back of Zhuoxue’s neck slowly loosened, and the runes it had covered gradually came into view. This time, however, Longming did not pull down the thin collar to inspect the full pattern. She already remembered it clearly enough.

Zhuoxue’s cultivation realm had already broken through. No more spiritual energy was entering her spiritual platform, and the invisible barrier around her demon core, under the influence of the seal, quietly reformed. With it, the heat from the seal faded, and the glow gradually dimmed as well.

Zhuoxue hadn’t yet regained consciousness. In a daze, she felt as though she couldn’t let go of that hand. Her eyes still shut, she reached forward and pulled the hand tightly into her embrace.

As Longming tried to withdraw her hand from the cold spring, the fox holding her followed, head emerging from the water, arms wrapped tighter than vines.

The moonlight was dim, but thankfully the glow from the firefly grass hadn’t faded, clearly illuminating Zhuoxue’s furrowed brows and tensed shoulders.

Longming paused for a moment, looking down for a long time. At times, she thought she could see the shadow of Jueguang, at others, she couldn’t.

“You awake?”

The fox’s tightly shut eyelids trembled now and then, but her arms held fast and she gave no reply.

“Anyone else would think you were possessed,” Longming said calmly. “Luckily, the Nightmare Clan no longer sneaks into Lingkong Mountain without a sound.”

Zhuoxue was deeply asleep, her dream unusually frightening—so much so that she clung to Longming’s hand as if trying to press it into her bones. Half her body was still submerged in the spring. Her wet clothes clung tightly to her, and even her heaving chest and waist with each panicked breath were clearly outlined. After soaking in cold water, her hands and feet had become unusually pale—like pure white jade lilies of the valley.

Longming lowered her gaze and suddenly pressed her palm against Zhuoxue’s abdomen.

Her palm was warm. The sleeping fox instinctively leaned toward the heat, causing those slender fingers to press even more tightly.

Beneath the abdomen lay the spiritual platform, and the demon core resided within it.

Longming silently channeled her demon power to inspect Zhuoxue’s spiritual platform again. This time, she saw more clearly—what she saw was still not the true form of the fox’s demon core. The seal must be broken, without question.

But the time wasn’t right. The fox had just broken through and was still weak. She must not force the issue; at most, she could only help smooth out the chaotic demon energy within her.

After a round of calming, the disordered demon energy returned to its proper flow. The fox’s tightly knit brows relaxed slightly.

“Feeling better?” Longming raised an eyebrow.

It was unclear what the fox mumbled, but it was likely an affirmation.

She had helped as much as she could. Truthfully, Longming could’ve used her demon power to push the fox away. But, as if possessed, she instead pulled the fox into her embrace, soaking her own robes completely.

The fox looked pitiful. Even after breaking through her cultivation realm, she couldn’t sleep peacefully—trembling as if terrified by something.

Longming thought to herself, Oh well, and blew a breath of demon energy toward the firefly grass at the spring’s edge, extinguishing its light.

On the way back to the main hall, Zhuoxue occasionally murmured a few words in her sleep, still too unclear to decipher. Who would’ve thought this fox was not only hard of hearing but had a clumsy tongue too—not even able to form a few coherent words?

Longming leaned in twice to listen, but both times heard nothing meaningful. She decided to treat the murmuring like wind passing her ears. Then, with a twist of her wrist, she summoned a breeze to carry away all the moisture from both her and the fox.

If Zhuoxue had been in beast form, she’d surely resemble a fluffy ball of cotton. Unfortunately, her long limbs hung down instead—she wasn’t fluffy, but just as soft as cotton.

The floor hadn’t been laid with bedding, so Longming looked around briefly and simply placed the fox on the bed. She casually cast a silencing spell on the silver bell as well, so it wouldn’t keep jingling. 

Thus, the bell was silent, and the night grew still.

Zhuoxue finally slept soundly. At ease, she quietly shifted into her beast form.

Longming glanced at her, then turned back and blew out the lamp. Her crimson eyes remained quietly open in the dark. After a long while, she curled her index finger, and a distant wooden cabinet abruptly opened. Demon energy swept forward, delivering a piece of silk and the lily of the valley jade wrapped within it into her hands.

***

At dawn the next morning, as the sky lightened—

Zhuoxue jolted awake from her dream, feeling warmth in her spiritual platform. Only then did she recall her stunning breakthrough last night—the one that had eluded her for over a decade. Overwhelmed by joy, she didn’t even stop to question how she’d returned to this chambers. Unable to contain herself, she began to dig around where she lay.

Unexpectedly, the moment she dug downward, her tail was suddenly stroked—from root to tip, thoroughly and precisely, not missing an inch. A gust of wind whistled through the window, scattering a flurry of white fur—like drifting dandelions.

It was mid-spring, the season when foxes shed. She hadn’t touched the tiger, yet the tiger had plucked her.

Suddenly, a little demon knocked on the door and cautiously announced, “My lord, the envoy from Wugou River has arrived.”