Ordered to Marry by the High King - Chapter 25

The envoy from the Wugou River arrived quite early—likely hadn’t slept all night, traveling under the moon and stars. However, judging from what Chunxi said yesterday, it seemed the Nightmare King was planning to come in person. Yet now, he merely sent someone to deliver a message. Could it be that he lost his nerve?

Zhuoxue was like a startled bird, her entire body suddenly tense—even her tailbone went rigid like a bamboo shoot. She snapped her head around, eyes trembling as she glanced at Longming, deeply afraid Longming might carelessly give her away.

Surely not. Longming had long been at odds with the Nightmare Clan—she wouldn’t be careless in a matter like this.

Longming didn’t respond. She simply let go of the fox’s tail and leaned thoughtfully against the bed draped in elegant gauze.

Zhuoxue stayed silent too, afraid the Nightmare Clan envoy might be just outside the door.

The silver-haired, red-eyed tiger demon quietly watched the fox for a moment, then slowly brought her index finger to her lips, signaling the fox to hold her breath and keep silent.

So Zhuoxue clenched her jaw, using so much force it was as if she’d grind her teeth into powder. Still not feeling secure, she slowly lowered her body, pretending to be a corner of the bedding.

No one was going to see her. Today she wasn’t a fox—she was a mattress if need be, or a fur throw if that worked better. Anywhere she could hide, she would cling to.

Curled up in a ball, the fox couldn’t help but think—even if she wanted to hide, it might not work. With the seal on the back of her neck, even a slight loosening would alert Tianji, and the Nightmare Clan would naturally sense her presence as well. When the seal remained firm, it could fool even the heavens—Tianji, who cast the spell, had been unaware. But once loosened, it was no longer a seal; it was practically a flare fired.

Oh well. If Longming told her to be silent, she’d stay silent. If the sky collapsed, there was a tall tiger to hold it up. She was just a little fox whose magic was weaker than a stubborn child’s.

The little demon outside, not hearing a response, knocked twice more. “High King?”

Longming replied calmly, “Invite the envoy to sit in the main hall.”

The little demon outside responded, “As you command.”

Only after the demonic aura outside faded into the distance did Longming rise unhurriedly. With a flick of her wrist, an ink-black robe appeared out of thin air and settled neatly on her in an instant. Even the streaks of silver in her black hair were swiftly gathered and styled—smooth and tidy, in contrast to her cool gaze.

Zhuoxue was still clenching her teeth. Her amber eyes darted about, her whole face saying, What about me?

Longming tucked away the white jade lily of the valley that had been coiled all night into her sleeve and said in a low voice, “Stay inside the room. Do not move around freely.”

Zhuoxue nodded silently.

“Did you hear clearly? Did you remember?” Knowing the fox was hard of hearing, Longming leaned in and gently tapped the fox’s forehead with a finger. “Repeat it back to me.”

Zhuoxue immediately straightened her back and took a sharp breath before saying, “Stay in the room, don’t… send off something?” She paused. “See someone off for ten miles?”

It sounded reasonable enough. Probably wasn’t wrong.

The fox blinked and added quietly, “I won’t be polite with you. With Nightmare demons around, I’m not going ten miles to see you off. If you’re leaving, just leave.”

Longming was silent for a moment.

The fox, puzzled, added, “Come back soon?”

Longming gave up on explaining altogether. She raised her hand and drew a talisman in front of the fox’s brow. The light from the symbol was dazzling—each stroke so intricate it was impossible to tell where it began or ended.

Zhuoxue, blinded by the glare, was forced to squint one eye shut. She mumbled, “What’s this? Did I mishear again? Are you cleaning out my ears?”

At the final stroke, the rune spun rapidly.

Zhuoxue couldn’t dodge in time. She just felt a scorching heat at her forehead, and then the light vanished completely. There was no change in her ears, but countless spells and techniques had flooded into her mind, filling it to the brim. Her head throbbed, heavy and muddled, the world spinning so violently she couldn’t even tell north from south. With so many spells rushing in at once, she was like a fragile little boat in a stormy sea—instantly overwhelmed and submerged.

Amidst the haze, she faintly heard Longming speak in a low voice. “Stay here. Learn all the spells I’ve taught you thoroughly. When I return, I hope to see that you’ve mastered them.”

Zhuoxue usually liked nothing more than listening to stories—she couldn’t even be bothered to read a few characters. Now her head was stuffed with writing, and she nearly fainted from it.

“Too difficult?” Longming rubbed her fingers thoughtfully, feeling that it shouldn’t be that hard.

Zhuoxue lay slumped on the bed, dizzy and disoriented for quite a while before coming back to her senses and saying, “So much all at once—no reincarnated prodigy could manage it. How about a compromise? Cut it in half?”

“With only cultivation and no knowledge of spells, how will you protect yourself in the future?” Longming gave a light snort.

The fox muttered, “Didn’t you say I shouldn’t take a single step away? If I’m at your side, why would I need to protect myself?”

Longming snorted again. “Whether I save you or not depends entirely on my mood.”

“This is serious business. Maybe you should think it over more carefully,” the fox advised sincerely.

After speaking, Zhuoxue transformed into human form, weakly leaning against the side of the bed, her posture still reminiscent of a fox. Her slender fingers lightly scratched at the bedding. Her black hair cascaded down her back, revealing a few nearly invisible strands of silver.

Longming noticed. She pushed aside Zhuoxue’s hair and picked up one silver strand. “Besides, don’t you want to see your true form? You’re bound by a seal—what you see now isn’t really you. This seal is hard to break from the outside, but it can be broken from within.”

Zhuoxue didn’t exactly not want to know, but how strange could her true form be anyway? What, was she supposed to have three heads and six arms?

“When the seal is lifted and your demon core is no longer clouded, you’ll be able to see your real self,” Longming said, withdrawing her hand and casting a spell on the door.

Once the spell was complete, Longming pushed open the door and said, “There’s a spell on the door. Only I can open it, so there’s no need to fear anyone breaking in.”

Zhuoxue thought dazedly—then doesn’t that mean she can’t get out either?

About half an hour later, the spinning world around her finally settled, no longer as chaotic as before.

Flooding her thoughts were over a hundred spell formulas—some simple and obvious, others so complicated they left her scratching her head in frustration.

Back on Qiufeng Ridge, Lanhui would personally teach young demons spells. Lanhui taught carefully and slowly—perhaps one spell over four or five days. Longming was different. Longming treated her like a gluttonous beast, force-feeding her an entire feast at once. How was she supposed to learn like this?

She mimicked the gestures and incantations that now crowded her brain, unsure if she was doing them right. If something went wrong, she might end up blowing up Longming’s bedchamber.

She flipped over and lay on her back, motionless on the bedding for a while, then grabbed a lock of her hair to play with. Light poured in through the window, and she caught a faint glint of silver.

Zhuoxue nearly stabbed that silver hair into her own eye. A chill ran through her limbs—why… why did she have white hair?

Of course!

Great demons’ appearances usually froze at the peak of their cultivation. But for lesser demons, when their power failed and their lifespan ended, they aged like humans—hair white as snow, declining like a dying flame.

But she had just broken through her realm. She was only eighteen. How was her flame already flickering out? It couldn’t go out yet! Not before she’d enjoyed her youth, eaten her fill of roast chicken, and lived well!

She didn’t dare delay another second. She sat upright, crossed her legs, and hurriedly began practicing from the very first spell, frantically forming seals and chanting incantations.

Perhaps Longming had anticipated this. Everything in the room was protected by magic and couldn’t be easily damaged. Fire blazed one moment, giant waves surged the next—but the wooden bed and soft gauze remained perfectly intact—neither soaked nor scorched.

***

In the main hall, a Nightmare Clan envoy presented a modest gift. Looking at Longming with composed respect, he said, “Please accept this with a smile, my lord. This is the Moon Dissolving Scroll, carefully chosen by my master. Sleeping on it allows one to bathe in the spiritual essence of heaven and earth, and it also aids in cultivation.”

The silver-haired great demon did not instruct Qiurou to receive it. Her eyes betrayed no emotion.

The Nightmare Clan envoy stood there awkwardly, arms suspended midair, caught in a dilemma. He asked again, “Do you not like it, my lord?”

Even Qiurou showed a hint of confusion.

Longming, propping her chin with one hand, let her not-quite-pure silver hair fall before her. Unlike Zhuoxue, Longming’s hair was two-toned—because her beast form itself was two-colored. She glanced lazily at the item in the envoy’s hand, her eyes neither surprised nor pleased. Even if the Nightmare King himself had come, her demeanor would likely have been the same.

“This Moon Dissolving Scroll is good,” she said leisurely. “But a moment’s carelessness could cost one their life.” Her gaze was calm. “Since your master possesses such an item and uses it as a gift, surely he understands this?”

The implication was painfully clear. It was never a flawless treasure to begin with. For the Nightmare King to specially send someone with this item—his motives couldn’t be all that pure.

Qiurou, standing to the side, asked softly, “What do you mean, my lord? Should we not accept the Moon Dissolving Scroll?”

Everyone knew of its merits. But as for its hidden dangers—likely only those of Kunlun Yaojing were truly aware. If Longming weren’t close with Liangmeng, the mistress of Huangliang Dream Market, even she might not have known.

Toying with the white jade lily of the valley bell half-concealed in her sleeve, she spoke slowly. “With the Moon Dissolving Scroll, one can leave the body in spirit without expending power, ascend to the highest heavens, and bask in pure celestial energy without being harmed by divine light. But if one is discovered and captured by Kunlun Yaojing, the soul may never return.”

Qiurou was stunned. “I heard the Moon Dissolving Scroll contains fragments of the ancient Sky-Patching Stone. Sleeping on it grants visions of the Heavenly Realm and helps with cultivation. How did it become something that causes the soul to leave the body?”

“Travelers cannot tell dreams from reality,” Longming said, narrowing her eyes. “So the story spread as a dream. There are rumors that Kunlun Yaojing deliberately dropped this into the Mortal and Demon Realms.”

“Could it be… a trap to lure demons in?” Qiurou speculated.

“As for the truth, you’d have to ask the original owner of the Moon Dissolving Scroll,” Longming replied with a faint smile. “Unfortunately, no one knows where it came from.”

The Nightmare Clan envoy’s gaze drifted, visibly startled—clearly unaware of any of this. After a pause, he composed himself and said, “You speak too seriously, my lord. This item does have pros and cons. My master, knowing you are ever perceptive, sent me personally to deliver it.” He paused again, then shifted to a more earnest tone. “Your lingering illness has long been on my master’s mind. From what you’ve said, there are risks to using the Moon Dissolving Scroll—but perhaps it could also be a rare path to healing.”

Mentioning Longming’s old injury in her presence was like pouring oil on a flame. Especially since the one bringing it up was nothing more than a minor lackey of the Nightmare Clan.

After speaking, the envoy blatantly observed Longming’s expression, completely unafraid she might suddenly release her pressure upon him.

Longming gave a cold laugh, her gaze flat. She asked with deliberate meaning, “How thoughtful of the Nightmare King. He’s ignored me for a century—why send the Moon Dissolving Scroll now?” She didn’t wait for the envoy to answer before adding, “A mere Moon Dissolving Scroll isn’t enough to heal me. He should know better than anyone how badly I was injured back then.”

The envoy’s arms froze in midair. “My master said this item is rare. If you dislike it, my lord, you may gift it to a subordinate to toy with.”

Longming no longer refused. She gave Qiurou a look. “Seems I must accept it after all. Then my thanks to the Nightmare King.”

Qiurou stepped forward, took the scroll-like Moon Dissolving Scroll from the envoy, and conjured a wooden box from thin air to store it.

The box landed in Longming’s hands. She weighed it, but did not open it to look.

Relieved, the envoy clasped his hands and said, “We of Wugou River have sent many envoys across the mountain realms, but we’ve yet to find the pig demon with the severed toe. Do you have any other leads, my lord?”

Longming glanced at the wooden box in her hands. “No.”

“Has any demon, large or small, in the mountains been attacked?” he pressed.

“No,” Longming replied with a single word.

The envoy looked troubled. “Too few clues. We’ll have to keep searching. Please be patient, my lord.”

“It’s fine,” said Longming, putting the box away.

The envoy subtly looked around, disappointment flickering across his brow. He bowed. “The gift is delivered. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

Longming offered an insincere invitation. “There’s a banquet at Lingkong Mountain—why not stay for a meal?”

“Thank you, my lord,” the envoy said hastily, shaking his head. “But I must return to Wugou River.”

Longming instructed Qiurou to see him off, while she remained in the hall, quietly releasing a strand of divine sense.

Only after she personally watched the envoy leave the Cangqiong Realm did she carry the wooden box back to her bedchamber.

There, the fox lay sprawled on the bed, silk blankets messily bunched up at her feet—who knew how many times they’d been trampled?

The gauzy canopy draped over the bed was in disarray—half wrapped around the fox, the other half trailing to the floor.

When she heard the door open, the limp fox jolted up with a flip, grabbed a lock of her hair, and rushed to Longming. That lock of black hair now held many more silver strands than before.

Zhuoxue’s tightly pressed lips trembled slightly. Clutching the hair in her hand, she said nervously, “Other people break through their realm and gain a hundred years—why do I look like I’m about to die?”