She Deserves Better

Han Shengyao held the person in her arms tightly, her face calm, but in her heart, she was already prepared for a life of death.

From the moment she took away her disciple from the hands of the Demon Emperor, she had already set foot on a path of no return.

The Holy Maiden of the Demon Realm had to be loyal to the Demon God Temple for her entire life, guarding the Holy Lake of the Demon Realm, and for this reason, she had to maintain her chastity.

She chose to be with her apprentice and must abandon her status as a saint, officially leaving the Demon God Temple.

The Lord of the Demon Realm failed to transcend the tribulation and ascend, and has been extinct for a hundred years. The Nascent Soul powerhouses in the temple have fallen, and those who ascended to the upper realm have long since evaporated from the Demon Realm, leaving no one in control of the Demon God Temple. If she wanted to truly break free from bondage, only by entering the rumored and extremely dangerous Jiuyou Secret Realm, obtaining the Tourmaline left by the Lord of the Demon Realm, and drafting a magic edict, could she be pardoned.

Han Shengyao gazed deeply at Lin Qianshuang’s face, imprinting her features firmly in her heart. Remaining in the Jiuyou Secret Realm for a year was merely an estimate, and even she was uncertain when she would discover the Lord of the Demon Realm’s Tourmaline.

She was fully aware that a lengthy separation from her disciple lay ahead.

As Lin Qianshuang dressed under Han Shengyao’s assistance, she recalled the qin gifted to her by Du Shuang and left in the care of her senior brothers. She inquired, “Master, I miss my senior brothers. My qin remains with them. I wonder how they have been faring of late.”

Han Shengyao gently stroked her head, indulging her, “If you are concerned for your senior brothers, I shall summon them to the Tianyi Hall to keep you company.”

Lin Qianshang’s expression flickered momentarily, suspecting Han Shengyao of harboring jealousy and ill intentions toward the four innocent youths. She hastily nestled into her master’s embrace, pleading, “Disciple merely wishes to see them. If my senior brothers were to accompany me, would Master not be jealous?”

Han Shengyao playfully tapped the tip of Lin Qianshuang’s nose, a slight smile gracing her lips. “I fear that you will suffer hardships within the Demon Palace, with none to attend to your needs. Chun, Xia, Qiu, and Dong, those four lads, are adept at caring for others. I shall be more at ease with them by your side.”

Lin Qianshuang sighed in relief in her heart, her smile so bright that she wrapped her arms around Han Shengyao’s waist. Her eyes brightened for a moment, and she said, “Master, you’re so nice.”

At the sixth floor of the Jiuchong Demon Palace.

Chun and Xia sat on either side of the stone table, playing chess, while Qiu and Dong sat on the side, watching them play.

Qiu twisted a piece of shortcake on the plate, remembering that it was brought by his junior sister. He said a bit wanly, “Now that my junior sister has become the Left Protector and Master is busy with her affairs, once they are gone, this place is a lot cleaner, and we are not allowed to go outside of the sixth level, so every day feels so boring.”

Dong snatched away half of the shortcake in Qiu’s hand. He glared at him, made a face, and said, “I kind of miss the music played by our youngest junior sister, Lin Qianshuang. That tune is much better than the one played by you, Senior Brother Qiu.”

Upon hearing Dong’s words, Qiu was so dissatisfied that he moved out of the piano bed, took out Lin Qianshuang’s burnt-tail zither, and strummed the strings with both hands, playing it haphazardly. The deafening cacophony of demonic sounds disturbed the birds and sparrows in the cave.

Chun and Xia, who were playing chess, were also affected. The black and white pieces on the chessboard shook violently and scattered all over the place.

Chun covered his ears and stood up. He pressed Qiu’s hand and said, “What are you messing around with? It’s unbearable to listen to.”

Dong, who was biting into a piece of shortbread, laughed out loud. “Senior Brother Qiu, your playing is quite impressive. Look at the ground. There’s a bird that has fainted, and the rhubarb that Senior Brother Xia picked up is barking uncontrollably.”

Qiu was so exasperated that he stood up from beside the zither bed and was about to put the zither away when a shadow suddenly enveloped him. The approach of an unfamiliar and powerful demonic aura forced him to look up.

“Who is playing this zither? It’s truly extraordinary, drawing me all the way here.”

In a ghostly voice, a black misty demonic cultivator floated above his head. Her long, blood-red nails clasped Qiu’s slender neck, gently squeezing it.

The sound of bones snapping echoed through the air.

Blood spurted from Qiu’s partially severed neck as his body collapsed to the ground.

The demonic cultivator lifted Qiu’s head and with a deft motion, extracted his magic core, inhaling it into her mouth and swallowing it. With graceful steps, she approached the three stunned teenagers.

“This is the Seventh Layer of the Demon Palace’s Tianmu Cave. Where is the Holy Maiden? Why has she not come to greet me?”

As the black mist dispersed, a woman in purple emerged, her appearance alluring and the space between her eyes adorned with a snake-shaped flower. Her cultivation was unfathomable.

She tossed Qiu’s head aside and gazed at the three handsome youths with covetous eyes. “In her absence, I shall consider you her offering to me.”

Chun shielded his junior brothers behind him. Witnessing Qiu’s inexplicable demise, his eyes turned crimson as he confronted the woman in purple. “This is the Holy Maiden’s abode. Who dares to trespass and commit murder?”

The woman in purple didn’t answer. Instead, she approached Chun’s cheek, poked his tender face, and said with satisfaction, “Your face still has a bit of flavor. I’ll make you a Cauldron tonight.”

Chun’s hair stood on end as he watched the purple-clothed woman pinch his face and quickly break Dong’s neck to peel off the magic core. Seeing that Xia was also about to be poisoned, he hurriedly used half of his magic energy to try to surround the purple-clothed woman.

Xia quickly waved the black and white chess pieces on the chessboard with his hand, and smashed them towards the woman in purple. The black and white chess pieces were mixed and complicated, forming a magic formation in mid-air to surround the woman.

At that moment, Xia grabbed Chun’s hand and ran towards the outside of the cave.

Chun watched as Xia used a demonic skill that he had never seen before and exclaimed in shock, “Junior Brother Xia, where did you learn this demonic skill from?”

Xia, without uttering a word, seized Chun’s hand and dashed away.

The woman in purple pursued them relentlessly, swiftly catching up to Chun’s pace.

Chun, witnessing Xia’s impending doom, gritted his teeth and released his grip. “Flee quickly, Junior Brother Xia. Do not concern yourself with me. I shall restrain her, lest we both perish!”

Xia relinquished his hold and paused momentarily. He spun around to find that Chun had been captured by the woman in purple and imprisoned within the Cosmos Interspatial Bag.

“Do not attempt to escape. With your meager cultivation, it is futile.”

The woman in purple barred Xia’s path, preparing to snap his neck. However, a long whip suddenly coiled around her hand, immobilizing her.

Bai Wan emerged between the woman in purple and Xia, one hand protectively covering her abdomen. With a long whip, she seized the woman’s hand and pulled Xia to her side.

Upon seeing Bai Wan, the woman in purple’s expression turned smug as she glanced at her. She caressed her abdomen with her hand and said, “Oh, it’s Sister Bai. I thought someone was obstructing my retrieval of the tonic to stabilize the fetus.”

Bai Wan eyed the blood-stained woman in purple and retorted sarcastically, “Miss Qianmei, you’ve only been pregnant with a demon fetus for a few days, yet you’ve recklessly seized and slaughtered the Cauldron. Aren’t you concerned that excessive bloodshed will result in a deformed and unsightly demon fetus, halving its merit and inviting the wrath of the Heavenly Dao?”

Ruan Qianmei met Bai Wan’s gaze and replied, “The Holy Maiden had promised to bestow a Cauldron upon me. I merely claimed it first. What fault lies in that?”

Bai Wan shielded Xia at her side, her eyes cold as she said, “You have slain the Holy Maiden’s disciple. If she learns of this, she will not spare you.”

“I believe you’ve developed an infatuation for this boy. The Holy Maiden does not harbor affection for such male pet apprentices. Even if you were to feign death and return him to her, she would be indifferent.”

Ruan Qianmei tossed the Cosmos Interspatial Bag in her hand and said with a slightly good mood, “Anyway, this is enough for tonight. I won’t argue with you anymore.”

Bai Wan watched as Ruan Qianmei gradually walked away, her eyes thoughtful. She turned to face the person she was protecting.

Xia hurriedly knelt on one knee and respectfully said, “Young master, your subordinate has failed you. Please forgive me.”

Bai Wan snorted and folded her arms, saying, “Even if you know your place, this time you didn’t call me the wrong master. You’re the one who’s short of a bone. You’re always confusing me with my sister.”

Xia lowered his head and said, “My subordinate lit the incense in Han Shengyao’s room, with the Hundred-Leaf Immortal Herb which can cause hallucinations and aphrodisiacs. Who would have thought that Han Shengyao would be fine, and also set those few people to talk, and even implicating the young master.”

Bai Wan waved her hand at Xia with a forgetful expression and said, “Now that the left protector and I are on the same nefarious boat, it’s fine not to mention this matter.”

Xia turned to Bai Wan and said, “Young Lord, now that all three of Han Shengyao’s disciples are dead, should I go find Han Shengyao… now?”

Bai Wan pondered for a moment. With a few wisps of demonic energy in her hand, Xia’s clothes immediately became tattered and torn, with blood scars all over his face and body.

She looked at Xia and said, “If you go to see the Left Protector in this state, make sure that the Left Protector takes you in. It’s best to stay in the Tianyi Hall.”

Xia’s face was a bit perplexed when she heard this and said, “Young master, Junior Sister is naive and kind. Why would you have to go out of your way to deal with her?”

“Pfft, she’s naive and kind?”

The corners of Bai Wan’s lips curled slightly upward. She had seen Lin Qianshuang’s true colors and naturally knew that these four words were simply a fantasy for her. Her thoughts were probably even more complex than hers.

The first few times she had sent Xia to ambush were target objects she wanted to kill, but this time she was sent to Lin Qianshuang’s side. It is likely that Xia misunderstood her intentions.

“You don’t have to kneel anymore. It’s bad to be seen by others.”

Bai Wan lifted Xia from the ground and said to him, “I don’t have the intention of harming the Left Protector. On the contrary, I want you to stay by her side and ensure her safety.”

Xia was stunned for a moment and glanced at Bai Wan in surprise.

Having followed Xuan Luowan¹ for so long, this was the first time he had received a protection order from this young master, who was bound to be bloodthirsty whenever she went on a mission.

In his mind, only Xuan Luowan’s other master character, Xuan Luoqing, who she affectionately called her sister, would be that merciful and soft-hearted.

Xia suddenly missed the Beast Emperor a little, who was straightforward and didn’t conceal her intentions.

Since the Beast Emperor’s natal magical weapon, the Cold Cicada Zither, was lost, the Beast Emperor Xuan Luoqing’s personality fell asleep with the seal of the demonic power, and Xuan Luowan, who had previously only appeared at night, had taken over this body.²

Bai Wan said indifferently, “The head of the three demonic clans, the daughter of the Blood Demon Sect’s Patriarch, Ruan Qianmei, is pregnant, and she is bound to see me and the Left Protector as a thorn in her side. Because of her backing, the Left Protector and I are not yet allowed to fight against her, and the Demon Emperor has turned a blind eye when he has seen her acting recklessly. In these few days, she will definitely try to deal with me and the Left Protector. You must protect her well.”

“This subordinate obeys.”

Xia received Bai Wan’s order and suddenly thought of something. He hesitated for a while and said, “Young Lord, the person who was taken by Ruan Qianmei, I want to go and save him. Please make it happen.”

Bai Wan glanced at Xia and said, “I asked you to follow the Left Protector. Of course, she is the one who makes the decision. You can just ask her about it.”

After hearing Bai Wan’s words, Xia immediately understood her intention, thanked her, and left.

Bai Wan watched as Xia went to find Lin Qianshuang. Unable to resist, she took a step and secretly followed to take a look.

Her heart was somewhat resentful that Lin Qianshuang had neglected her.

Because of Lin Qianshuang’s departure, when the Demon Emperor had asked about it that morning, Bai Wan had made up a string of words and even betrayed her appearance to please him. However, this little demon still clung to Han Shengyao, and the two might even have had a brief affair.

Bai Wan’s heart was a little sour when she thought of this.

Ever since she had first come to the Demon Realm, she had harbored no good feelings towards Han Shengyao. Now, her greatest regret was that she had not removed that eyesore at the most opportune time.

Bai Wan kicked the stones on the ground, her gentle and elegant face carrying a sinister venom that belied her appearance. What was so special about that cold and unfeeling woman with a face as sour as a stone that made her worthy of that other person’s favor?

Besides, this “other person” was very much someone she was currently interested in.