Ordered to Marry by the High King - Chapter 7

Guests gathered like clouds on Lingkong Mountain, sedan chairs flying in from all directions, like birds flocking and fish schooling, orbiting the moon as they moved. They chatted and laughed noisily. Those who recognized one another exchanged glances and then walked hand in hand toward the main peak, striding briskly and spiritedly. Sedan chairs formed from birds, beasts, clouds, and mist dissipated in an instant, leaving only the demon attendants behind to wait.

Zhuoxue, carrying tea and wine, walked confidently alongside the crowd of demons. The gatekeeping demon saw the access token on her wooden tray and didn’t give her another glance, quickly squeezing out a smile while checking the invitation handed over by a distinguished guest.

It was even livelier on the main peak; demons filled the hall to capacity, and there was not an empty seat in sight.

Zhuoxue had never witnessed such a grand scene. The number of demons she saw today surpassed the total she had seen in her entire life. She casually set down the tea and wine in her hands, stowed away the token, and slowly ambled forward with the rest of the demons, thinking that the demon lord of this Cangqiong Realm must be just ahead.

Everything must be approached with caution and order. She couldn’t just reveal herself and rashly provoke a tiger. She had simply been staring at that portrait for days and was genuinely curious about how closely the real tiger demon resembled the one in the painting.

Some minor demons were clearing the way for their own lord ahead and raised their arms to push her aside. The little fox, squeezed among the demon crowd, didn’t even get a clear look at who had shoved her. But thinking about it, she knew she shouldn’t be angry. Other lords were exalted and noble. She was merely a small fox from Qiufeng Ridge—how could she compare with them?

Demons were everywhere, which just happened to help her hide herself. She followed the crowd, stopping and walking intermittently. Eventually, they stopped for so long that she had to tiptoe to peer ahead. She saw the little demons lingering outside the palace gates, while the powerful demons strutted confidently into the hall, looking mighty and imposing.

She couldn’t enter the great hall, so she could only glance inside quietly.

Within, demon aura surged to the skies—those who had entered were all highly powerful beings. Just getting close brought a suffocating pressure. That pressure acted like a barrier, forcibly blocking the lesser demons outside. One unfortunate demon was shoved forward accidentally, and upon being hit by the pressure, instantly collapsed to their knees, trembling and groaning in pain.

Zhuoxue was stunned. Even when Lanhui beat her with a ruler, it had never hurt like that.

There were too many—so many formidable demons gathered here. Clearly, the tiger demon’s prestige remained undiminished. Even without Wugou River, people were still willing to bow to her.

She mused that in the entire Demon Realm, the only ones who truly resented this realm’s ruler were probably the usurping Nightmare Clan.

So, the tiger demon must be inside the hall too, right?

Before Zhuoxue could locate the white tiger, a little patrol demon, braving the pressure, darted into the hall. He looked panicked. Whatever had happened, it was serious. Upon entering the hall, he immediately fell to his knees, straining with all his might just to sit up a little straighter.

The boisterous hall fell instantly silent. The demon lords slightly restrained their auras and all turned to look at the kneeling demon. There were so many demon lords present that for a moment, no one knew to whom the little demon was bowing.

One demon lord scoffed. “Friends, give way a bit—this is a patrol guard of Lingkong Mountain. Let’s not give the impression that the Cangqiong Realm has changed hands.”

With that, the powerful demons who had been standing in a clump parted, finally revealing the bone throne at the back.

The demon lord of the Cangqiong Realm was reclining on the bone throne draped in animal hide. Her expression was serene and indifferent—not like these steadfast mountains, not like the vast blue sky, nor like the three-foot-deep ice of winter.

Her stillness was like a predator in ambush, hiding deadly intent, determined to strike.

She really did look just like the portrait—wearing a black cloak with a white fur collar, and a silk dress patterned with mountains and rivers. Mysterious black markings extended under her eyes, striking and commanding, like sharp hooks polished to gleaming, pulling every gaze toward her. Her silk dress was even more exquisite than in the painting, its sheen revealing hidden magical power at a glance. Her figure was fuller and more beautiful than in the portrait too. One could almost glimpse the agile and powerful true form of the white tiger beneath her graceful human shape.

“How is it?” Longming cast a sidelong glance. Her gaze, like a shimmering illusion, brushed past as though looking at the demon—and yet not seeing them at all. Her voice was deep but not hoarse, flowing as sweetly as the oriole’s song in the mountains.

Zhuoxue, with her limited experience, could only think of the hot tea that flowed smoothly from the spout of a teapot in the town teahouse—low in tone, yet so pleasing to the ear.

The little demon, panting heavily, stammered, “Reporting to the demon lord—there seems to be… someone without an invitation who has entered the main peak!”

Wasn’t that Zhuoxue herself—the one without an invitation? In that instant, she froze, immediately thinking of the demon who had given her the token. That jiejie had spoken so amicably earlier—how could she turn around and sell her out?

She had been sold to Lanhui by Lishu back in Qiufeng Ridge—and now, here on Lingkong Mountain, could she really be repeating the same mistake?

It couldn’t be. Better listen a bit longer!

“‘Seems to be’?” Longming sat up. Her silver hair, streaked with faint blue, slipped off her shoulders like a mountain spring. “I only listen to definitive words. Do not appear before me again until you’ve verified the facts.”

Zhuoxue gave a silent whistle—this tiger demon was really domineering. She didn’t look easy to deal with.

The little demon trembled, head lowered. “That demon is extremely powerful and broke through the illusion at the base of the mountain. We were unable to track them down! The illusion is now destroyed and cannot be restored in the short term.”

“Where is Chunxi?” Longming tilted her head slightly, her gaze drifting toward an empty space.

A shadow on the ground slowly condensed into the shape of a leopard, then morphed into a beautiful woman—it was none other than Chunxi, the one mentioned by the demon lord.

“At your command.” Chunxi bowed.

“Capture the intruder alive. Leave no one out,” Longming ordered.

The woman who had just taken human form instantly turned into a black whirlwind, surging out of the hall with tremendous force.

Zhuoxue, who had been crouching near the door hoping to stay out of trouble, was startled by a sudden “Hey!” and moved a beat too late. She was swept off her feet by the black wind and thrown to the ground.

Inside the great hall, the gathered demons had parted to both sides. Longming’s gaze cut through the crowd without obstruction and landed squarely on the fox.

The white fox thought she had been caught red-handed. She sat dazed on the floor, locking eyes with the demon lord on the bone-carved throne.

Luckily, the black mist didn’t seize her—it stormed down the mountain instead.

That gaze was like a cold, deep spring—so proud, so devoid of warmth.

Zhuoxue couldn’t look away from the Cangqiong Realm demon lord inside the hall. Her sharp and penetrating stare pinned her in place, rendering her powerless under such awe-inspiring might.

Inside and outside the hall, all was silent. The little demons held their breath, thinking the fox had offended the demon lord and was about to be executed.

Zhuoxue truly didn’t understand why Longming was staring at her so intently. Was this just how she looked at everyone?

How terrifying!

Fortunately, a senior demon broke the silence: “No matter, no need to spoil the mood. I just wonder which bold creature dared to trespass.”

Longming looked away.

The little demon who had shouted “Hey!” earlier stumbled over and helped Zhuoxue up from the ground. Being a minor demon, she didn’t dare linger before the hall. She hastily dragged Zhuoxue to the side, held out her hand, and said, “My token?”

Zhuoxue came back to her senses, and recalling the expression on the demon lord’s face moments ago, she shuddered and quickly fished the token out of her sleeve. Smiling, she said, “Thanks, good jiejie.”

The little demon looked slightly embarrassed, shyly accepting the token. She glanced around and asked, “Did you find your master?”

Zhuoxue vaguely pointed toward the hall door. “In there. I didn’t dare go in.”

“Oh no, you really mustn’t. The Eight Regional Demon Lords are inside.” The little demon pulled a pear from her robe and shoved it into Zhuoxue’s arms. “Since your master’s busy, go have some fun. The pears on Lingkong Mountain are sweet—try it.”

Zhuoxue didn’t like pears—she preferred meat. But the pear was already in her arms, and she couldn’t refuse, so she used the moment to probe. “You’re so kind, jiejie. Any idea how long the lords will stay in the hall? And what’s the occasion for this gathering? It’s my first time here.”

The little demon scratched her head. “I reckon they’ll be out soon. Our lord’s just hosting this banquet to make friends, nothing more.”

“Not to get married?” Zhuoxue muttered, “Could it be a blind date?”

The little demon hurriedly covered her mouth. “Ever since the Nightmare Clan claimed the throne, marriage alliances between demon clans haven’t happened in over a hundred years! How do you not know that?”

Zhuoxue grumbled inwardly—wasn’t it because Qiufeng Ridge was isolated and Lanhui never told her anything?

The little demon looked behind them, then lowered her voice. “The Nightmare Clan’s been working to weaken all factions to maintain their rule. Wugou River banned inter-clan marriages in the Demon Realm a long time ago.”

Zhuoxue hadn’t expected the Nightmare Clan to be so cunning. That meant Lanhui wasn’t exactly a rule-abiding type either, if she was trying to form a union with Lingkong Mountain.

Suddenly enlightened, she asked in a hushed voice, “Then why does the Nightmare Clan allow Lingkong Mountain to host this banquet? Shouldn’t they be stopping it?”

“Our demon lord used to be a ruler of Wugou River too, with countless loyal followers. If the Cangqiong Realm wants to host a banquet, the Nightmare Clan has no choice but to turn a blind eye!” The little demon got worked up as she spoke, and then blushed and coughed lightly.

Zhuoxue more or less understood. This side had too many supporters. The Nightmare Clan feared a backlash, so they had to pretend not to see or hear anything. What a “turn a blind eye.” In that case, even if the Cangqiong Realm demon lord wanted to form a marriage alliance, the Nightmare Clan likely wouldn’t dare interfere.

The little demon suddenly turned her head and smiled. “The demon lords are coming out. Which one is your master?”

Zhuoxue felt her scalp prickle.