At noon, Shen Liuxiang found a restaurant.
The restaurant was doing brisk business and was packed with people. Shen Liuxiang squeezed in and fortunately found an empty seat. He ordered a table of dishes, poured himself a cup of wine, and slowly savored it.
The restaurant was noisy, with most people discussing Yao Mengyue’s marriage and the dispute initiated by the Immortal Sect Master late last night, wondering what his intentions were.
Heng Jiuyin had a high reputation in the demon realm, and Yao Mengyue’s marriage could be considered a joyous occasion for the entire demon race. During these few days, notable figures had all arrived, with the most eye-catching being the various demon kings who had successively arrived.
Except for the Sixth Demon King Zhuyan and Wenren Qin, who was said to have perished.
But someone argued: “The Sixth Demon King has come! I saw someone the other day with the aura of the mighty one, Zhuyan!”
“That must be fake. The Sixth Demon King has been in seclusion for years, with no news of his emergence,” someone retorted. “But the Ninth Demon King has arrived. Someone saw him this morning. We thought he wouldn’t come since Lord Ao Yue is here.”
“The Ninth Demon King, though appearing for only a few years, is indeed formidable.”
“That’s right! The Eight Cardinal Realms is no ordinary place. Occupying it is as difficult as ascending to heaven. Only the Ninth Demon King has such capability. But speaking of which, what is the Ninth Demon King’s true form?”
At this, everyone said in unison: “Unknown, but undoubtedly, he must be a great demon.”
Shen Liuxiang’s lips curled into a slight smile as he raised a chopstick of food to his mouth, feeling pleased.
Praise more, he thought. He loved hearing people praise his disciple.
But soon, his good mood vanished as he vaguely sensed a strand of sword energy—it was from the Xuanhuang Sword.
Shen Liuxiang put down his bowl and chopsticks, placed a few spirit stones on the table, leaped out of the window, and followed the sword energy.
A crowd had gathered in the middle of the long street. Xu Xingchen raised his hand, drawing his sword halfway, standing in front of a grand procession, his handsome and noble face full of contempt and disdain. “You want me to give way? Ridiculous. Who do you think you are?”
Facing him was a man with a sinister appearance who resembled Yao Mengyue somewhat, though his coldly curved lips appeared even more arrogant compared to hers.
Heng Jiuyin’s son, Heng Feican.
Before he could speak, people around them began to whisper. Heng Feican usually relied on the Great Demon King’s reputation to swagger not only in the Demon Capital but throughout the entire demon realm. Everyone had to yield to him. This purple-crowned youth in the street was probably seeking death.
“Young Master, who is this?” The beautiful woman in Heng Feican’s arms let out a bell-like laugh. “He actually doesn’t recognize you.”
Seeing someone dare to defy his orders and make him lose face in public, Heng Feican’s face immediately revealed killing intent. “Judging by his attire, he must be some nouveau riche from somewhere. The Demon Capital has become a mixed bag lately, with all sorts of dog-like creatures around.”
Xu Xingchen roared with anger: “Who are you calling a dog?!”
“You!” Heng Feican shoved the beauty in his arms away and gestured to his followers, “Seize him for me! Break his legs severely! Without a lesson, he won’t know whose territory the Demon Capital is.”
Xu Xingchen’s expression changed: “You’re the Great Demon King?!”
Heng Feican sneered: “That’s my father. Scared? Kneel and beg me, perhaps I’ll mercifully spare you.”
Xu Xingchen: “Heh, barbaric little demon.”
Heng Feican’s eyes immediately reddened with anger: “Who are you calling a barbaric little demon?”
“You,” Xu Xingchen thought for a moment, then added, “and your father.”
With this, Xu Xingchen had truly stirred up trouble. Before Heng Feican could give the order, his followers had already attacked. Heng Feican was also furious beyond measure: “Cut him into pieces, then investigate his identity and send him back home. I want to see whose dog his father is…”
Before he could finish, a rapidly approaching stone fragment hit him in the face. Heng Feican’s face twisted sideways, and several teeth flew out of his mouth along with fresh blood.
Everyone around was shocked into silence.
Who? Such audacity!
In their astonishment, they saw another person appear beside Xu Xingchen—handsome with black hair, his jade-white hand tossing two or three stone fragments. He slightly tilted his head, carelessly curving his lips.
“Haven’t you read books? Hundreds of years ago, the Demon Capital was just a barren wasteland. If not for the Emperor passing by to rest for a night, drawing spiritual energy from all directions, this place would still be what it originally was. Calling you and your father barbaric little demons—what’s incorrect about that?”
Heng Feican, with a hideous expression, covered his mouth, cold sweat breaking out from the pain.
He had never suffered such humiliation, having several teeth knocked out. He kicked his follower, veins bulging on his forehead: “What are you waiting for? Attack! Kill both of them for me!”
But his followers were no match for two cultivators at the Soul Formation Realm. In a moment, they were all lying on the ground.
Heng Feican was startled, not expecting the two to have such profound cultivation. Looking around and finding no one left, he hurriedly retreated. Though his strength wasn’t weak, it paled in comparison. Feeling the powerful pressure falling on him, his expression became extremely ugly.
“This is the Demon Capital, who dares to harm me in the slightest!”
Heng Feican couldn’t believe anyone would dare touch him after knowing his identity, but with this thought, he was immediately kicked mercilessly into a wall. After rolling to the ground, he spat a mouthful of blood, in disarray.
Just as another heavy blow was about to fall on him, a burly figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
Heng Feican’s face brightened: “Uncle Lin, quick, help me…”
SLAP—!
The newcomer raised his hand and delivered a slap, the sound echoing through the street.
With blood flowing from his mouth and eyes bloodshot, Heng Feican looked incredulous at the handprint left on his face: “Have you gone mad, Lin Du?! I will tell my father!!”
The crowd was shocked. Lin Du was second only to one person in the Demon Capital, with considerable prestige, and usually extremely respectful toward Heng Feican. No one expected him to publicly strike the young master.
Everyone froze, their gazes falling on two unfamiliar faces, gradually falling silent as they realized something was amiss.
Lin Du ignored Heng Feican’s complaints, turned around, stepped forward, and bowed: “Greetings to the two Young Lords. The young master has eyes but failed to recognize you, causing much offense. Please don’t blame him.”
Heng Feican’s eyes widened abruptly.
Young Lords? They are of the Emperor’s bloodline?!
Xu Xingchen glanced at the shocked Heng Feican, snorted, and swept his sleeve behind him. “He spoke disrespectfully and deserves punishment. Since you’ve acted decisively, let’s consider this matter settled. There must not be a next time.”
After speaking, he looked at Shen Liuxiang beside him, whispering: “What do you think?”
Shen Liuxiang said: “This matter started with you, you decide.”
Xu Xingchen saw Heng Feican’s face alternating between green and red, holding two bloody teeth in his hand. Thinking the lesson was sufficient, he didn’t pursue it further, leaving with Shen Liuxiang.
After the two disappeared from sight, the silent crowd instantly erupted.
The Imperial Palace never involved itself in the affairs of the three realms. At this juncture, the arrival of two Young Lords was clearly to offer congratulations. Evidently, the Emperor was giving the Great Demon King face. The crowd, unexpectedly proud, was extremely excited.
“The Great Demon King is indeed from the same era as the Emperor. It seems the Emperor highly values him!”
“I thought just preparing some gifts would be enough, but he directly sent the Young Lords. This truly shows the Emperor’s regard.”
“I noticed earlier that those two had extraordinary bearing, not ordinary people. So they are the Emperor’s sons. I heard one of them was only recognized by the Imperial Palace a few years ago. It’s going to be interesting.”
Someone asked: “What’s interesting?”
The person beside clapped: “Of course, it’s the brothers fighting to the death for the Emperor’s position!”
The two who had left both sneezed. Xu Xingchen took out a handkerchief and wiped his nose. “That Lin Du actually recognized us. Hmph, the timing was just right; otherwise, I would have beaten his young master until he cried to heaven and earth.”
Shen Liuxiang unfolded a scroll: “We didn’t deliberately hide our whereabouts, so it’s not surprising to be discovered. Besides, that person arrived early, hiding in the shadows, watching.”
As he spoke, he frowned slightly. The scroll showed the other two scrolls together, but they appeared and disappeared, sometimes jumping thousands of miles in the blink of an eye, making it completely impossible to track their whereabouts.
Seeing this, Xu Xingchen said: “I chased for an entire morning. It was in the east at one moment, then in the west. I couldn’t catch up at all.”
Shen Liuxiang stared for a long while, pondering: “There are many secret realms around the Demon Capital. If this person entered one with the scrolls, it would make sense.”
Hundreds of years ago, the Demon Capital was a desolate forest, famous in the demon realm for its diverse and bizarre secret realms, not a permanent residence. It wasn’t until Di Yunyu visited and established a modest territory, later leaving it to Heng Jiuyin, that it gradually became the prosperous Demon Capital of today.
Even now, dangerous yet opportunity-filled secret realms still exist around the Demon Capital, and many demon cultivators choose to enter them.
Xu Xingchen said: “If that’s the case, I’ll have people guard the entrance to the secret realms.”
“There are too many secret realms, difficult to guard. This person can’t stay in a secret realm forever. Once they come out, their position will be fixed. We’ll keep an eye on the situation and go when they emerge,” Shen Liuxiang handed the solitary scroll to Xu Xingchen. “You watch during the day, I’ll watch at night.”
Xu Xingchen took it, watching Shen Liuxiang turn to leave: “Where are you going?”
“To buy story books and snacks, preparing for the evening,” Shen Liuxiang waved and left. After walking around the street, he put the things he bought into his storage pouch, keeping two sugar figurines in his hands. Just as he was about to return, a commotion suddenly came from ahead.
Shen Liuxiang vaguely heard words like “Demon King” and “Secret Realm.” He took a bite of the sugar figurine and hurried over.
Upon arrival, he discovered that various Demon Kings had gathered to jointly open a large secret realm.
The gathering of all the Demon Kings of the demon realm was a grand occasion. In no time, the site was surrounded by layers of people, with nearby streets and tall buildings all occupied by spectators.
Looking from afar, the only open ground held several figures, surrounded by surging crowds of people.
Shen Liuxiang was in the outermost layer, holding up two sugar figurines, unable to squeeze in at all. His ears were filled with thunderous shouts of “Ninth Demon King!”, “Third Demon King!”, “Fourth Demon King!”…
Among them, the most shouted names were Zhou Xuanlan and Hua Jian. Both handsome in appearance and with strength ranking among the top in the demon realm, they had ascended to the positions of Demon Kings at a young age. Compared to other Demon Kings, they were obviously more popular among the demons.
However, compared to Hua Jian, Zhou Xuanlan had an even higher acclaim.
The reputation of the Ninth Demon King’s moral integrity had spread from the Eight Cardinal Realms throughout the demon realm. Though this wasn’t considered unusual among demons, when combined with Zhou Xuanlan’s own superior conditions, and in comparison to other Demon Kings, it was quite unique—a perfect, clear stream.
Thus, it had turned into everyone vying to be the Ninth Demon King’s consort.
Screams like “Ninth Demon King ahhhh!” and “Look at me! Look at me, Ninth Demon King!” echoed around Shen Liuxiang’s ears.
He was in the outermost layer, craning his neck until it ached, yet still couldn’t see even a shadow of Zhou Xuanlan. He could only see a group of female demons standing at the railings of the tallest building nearest to the Demon Kings, excitedly waving and fluttering handkerchiefs: “Third Demon King! He looked over here! He looked over here ahhh!” “Wuwu, the Ninth Demon King is so far away, can’t he come closer!”
Shen Liuxiang bit off a small piece of the sugar figurine, revealing envious eyes, wishing he could pick out a spot to stand on, but to avoid incurring public anger, he had to suppress the thought.
His gaze circled the front airspace and landed on the top of a tall building, which was currently empty.
Shen Liuxiang stared at a roof tile and exchanged positions with it. In an instant, the empty rooftop gained a person, with the scene below fully visible.
The various Demon Kings seemed to be waiting for someone, staying in this place. Due to their relationship of open competition and secret struggle, each kept to themselves, occupying their own areas and quietly waiting.
Zhou Xuanlan wore a dark robe, his figure tall and slender. A black jade crown tightly bound his long hair without a strand out of place. With a high nose bridge, handsome eyebrows, and thin lips, his expression was quite cold at this moment, ignoring the shouts directed at him from all around.
Relatively close to him was Hua Jian, his peach blossom eyes blinking continuously, responding to calls from all directions, making a group of young demons scream with delight.
Shen Liuxiang carefully stood at the edge of the eaves, waving down, trying to attract Zhou Xuanlan’s attention.
However, before catching his disciple’s attention, the crowd below first discovered him. A group of people awoke as if from a dream—the spacious rooftop was still unoccupied!
Thus, people swarmed up.
Shen Liuxiang was frightened, his face turning pale. In an instant, the area around him was filled with people, cramped and pushing. He stood at the edge of the eaves, being pushed back and forth by the anxious young demons.
Shen Liuxiang raised his unfinished sugar figurine high: “Don’t push, calm down! Calm…”
Before finishing his words, someone’s elbow hit him hard in the back. Shen Liuxiang staggered, the tiles broke, and his feet lost support, causing him to fall.
The commotion on the rooftop had already attracted gazes from all directions, including the Demon Kings below.
Hua Jian, being closest, saw most clearly. Looking up, he suddenly noticed the figure at the eaves. Seeing that the person was pushed to the edge with nowhere to go, about to fall, his heart skipped a beat.
A pair of hands slightly raised, ready to act.
What reason was there not to catch a beauty falling down? He was saving someone; Zhou Xuanlan couldn’t say anything about that!
Hua Jian looked up expectantly, and to his delight, the beautiful Shen indeed fell!
Hua Jian, prepared early, moved with lightning speed to seize the initiative, rushing to the air to catch the falling Shen Liuxiang amid a chorus of shocked exclamations.
Unexpectedly, just as his fingers touched the other’s clothes, a pushing force came from behind, as if someone had kicked him hard.
Bang thud—!
Hua Jian was kicked straight into the railing of the opposite building, with immediate screams erupting around him.
Hua Jian, seeing stars and with his ears nearly deafened, dizzily landed back on the ground. Looking up, he saw Zhou Xuanlan, who had steadily caught the person from mid-air and was holding him horizontally. After holding his tongue for a long time, he couldn’t help but curse: “Fuck—”
And at this moment, many shared his feelings.
The crowd that had been loudly calling for the Ninth Demon King collectively fell silent for a moment, followed by furious shouts.
“Who is that! Who is that! What a despicable person, deliberately falling from the building!”
“Bastard, let go of the Ninth Demon King!”
“Wuwu, the Ninth Demon King is truly handsome and kind-hearted, can the one in his arms please move away? I was already prepared to jump down from the rooftop!”
“Ahhh, Ninth Demon King, quickly throw him to the ground!”
…
Shen Liuxiang was truly frightened by falling from the rooftop, until he was caught in familiar arms, surrounded by a familiar aura, only then did his nervous mood gradually calm.
His jade-white hands holding the sugar figurines, his gaze climbed along the clear, smooth jawline, meeting the downcast eyes.
Zhou Xuanlan’s eyes revealed a smile, his thin lips curving slightly: “Why has Master come?”
His voice was instantly drowned out by sharp, angry shouts. Shen Liuxiang only heard a bit and couldn’t answer, so he scanned the surroundings.
There were too many people around, and being held like this under public scrutiny was somewhat embarrassing.
Shen Liuxiang lightly coughed, just about to jump out of Zhou Xuanlan’s arms.
At this moment, a breeze brushed past his face, bringing waves of heartbroken voices.
“Bastard! Come down! Come down quickly!”
“Let go of the Ninth Demon King!”
“Who is so bold as to act as if I, the Ninth Demon King’s consort, don’t exist?”
“Let go of the Ninth Demon King and let me come ahhhh!”
Shen Liuxiang: “…”
He was silent for a moment, then his hands holding the sugar figurines encircled Zhou Xuanlan’s neck. His black hair fell softly as his handsome face skillfully buried into his disciple’s neck and shoulder.
His! His!
Don’t steal him!
Yours!
Thank You for the new chapter ♥(˘⌣˘ C)
Thank you!