Berserk

Xia listened intently to Han Shengyao’s instructions, bowed respectfully, and murmured, “Yes, Master.”

The four senior brothers busied themselves with clearing the table after Han Shengyao’s departure.

Inside the steamy bath, Lin Qianshuang soaked comfortably in the herb-filled water, which was slowly healing her wounds. Within moments, the bloodstains began to scab and flake away. Her master was generous indeed; over a dozen precious Hundred-Leaf Immortal Herbs had been used for her bath.

Lost in thought, Lin Qianshuang leaned her head against the wooden tub. Her gaze drifted involuntarily towards Han Shengyao, who sat nearby meditating. Demonic energy swirled around her like a rising dragon, hinting at an imminent promotion.

When in beast form, Lin Qianshuang found it harder to clean her fur and tend to her wounds. Now that her demonic energy was growing stronger, she could transform at will, making hygiene much easier.

Feeling refreshed after her bath, Lin Qianshuang was drying herself when a pungent aroma wafted in through the ajar door, putting her on alert. Her senses, heightened by her magic, told her someone was approaching.

Han Shengyao was deep into her breakthrough, her usually serene face twisted with worry. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her brows furrowed as if she struggled against some inner obstacle.

Lin Qianshuang, alarmed by her master’s distress, surmised that whoever had set the aroma harbored ill-intentions. She sat down protectively beside her master, eyes fixed on the door, guarding against intrusion.

Suddenly, Lin Qianshuang felt a pair of soft hands wrap around her neck from behind. Her body tensed, and she turned to find a sight that startled her.

Han Shengyao’s face was flushed a strange crimson, her beauty strangely intensified. Her purple eyes held a complex mix of emotions, and her red lips brushed against Lin Qianshuang’s ear. Han Shengyao’s voice, magnetic and trembling, rippled through the hot, tense air.

“Ah Heng, though I met you first, why did you choose that woman? Tell me, why!”

The purple eyes shimmered with a faint magical light. The air crackled with chaotic demonic energy, her gaze unfocused. Had her master gone berserk during her cultivation?

“Master, wake up! It’s me!” Lin Qianshuang struggled, feeling helpless. She was pinned tightly, unable to move.

A hand slipped inside her clothing, and several red bite marks appeared on her collarbone. This was far beyond any acceptable intimacy.

Finally, Lin Qianshuang steadied Han Shengyao’s head and grabbed her restless hand. The aggressive demonic aura pressed down on her, making her gasp for breath.

Her hands trembled, sweat beading on her brow. This was bad; she didn’t know how long she could hold out.

“Senior Brother, is the information reliable? Today’s Han Shengyao’s promotion, she’s at her weakest!”

“It is. Our people have lit the Heavenly Fragrance Candle. That stuff, mixed with the Hundred-Leaf Immortal Herb… it’s the perfect aphrodisiac.”

“The number one beauty of the Demon Realm… tsk, how I look forward to it.”

“Pity we can only taste her once. Even if we don’t kill her, if the Demon Emperor learns she’s with human cultivators, he’ll be furious. She’ll be executed for sure.”

Footsteps approached the room, accompanied by casual chatter. Lin Qianshuang heard clearly, her eyes filled with concern. Only Bai Wan had ties to the Demon Emperor and held a grudge against Han Shengyao. This was definitely her doing.

Furthermore, their knowledge of Han Shengyao’s whereabouts confirmed Bai Wan had a spy within the cave.

Lin Qianshuang watched the demonic energy swirl around her master, dread gnawing at her. The intruders were close, their cultivation levels unknown. How could she protect an unconscious Han Shengyao?

Before she could think, the door slammed open. Several demon sect disciples filed in, each dressed as a cultivator from the Guiyuan Sect, a major swordsmanship sect in the human world.

Lin Qianshuang’s eyes lit up with realization. The Demon Realm and the human cultivation realm shared a spirit mountain, leading to constant squabbles. Yet, neither side had enough reason to start a full-blown war.

If Han Shengyao, the Holy Maiden of the Demon Realm, died here, the blame could fall on human cultivators. If she kept her life but lost her virginity, she could be accused of collusion and betrayal.

This couldn’t have been the Demon Emperor’s idea. Bai Wan probably saw a chance to stir up trouble, a chance to kill two birds with one stone.

A demon disciple eyed the two disheveled women on the ground, shocked. “Why are there two? Which one do we kill?”

Another disciple’s gaze darted between Lin Qianshuang and Han Shengyao, a lecherous glint in his eyes. “Who cares? They’re both beauties. Let’s just enjoy them both tonight!”

The four men surrounded them, smirking.

Lin Qianshuang, pinned beneath Han Shengyao, struggled to break free. Anxiously, she patted Han Shengyao’s face. “Master, Master! Please wake up!”

“Ah Heng, your neck smells so sweet,” Han Shengyao murmured, her words both lazy and seductive. Lin Qianshuang felt like she was going crazy. At the edge of despair, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her neck.

She had been bitten by Han Shengyao.

She could hear her own blood flowing, sucked away by Han Shengyao.

“Don’t be scared, beauties. I’ll separate you now.”

Just as a demon disciple touched Lin Qianshuang, a fierce demonic wind threw him against the wall with a bone-jarring impact.

Han Shengyao stood before the fallen, cowed disciples, an aura of terrifying power swirling around her. Her purple eyes were fathomless.

Lin Qianshuang covered her bleeding neck, staring at the awakened Han Shengyao in awe, “Master, you’re awake!”

“Hmm.” Han Shengyao’s eyes swept over Lin Qianshuang’s injured body. Her brows creased, a dark shadow crossing her face. She released her oppressive aura, forcing the cowering disciples to tremble.

Lin Qianshuang marveled as Han Shengyao effortlessly wielded her demonic energy. The surrounding aura grew even stronger – despite the danger, Han Shengyao had broken through to the level of Demon Lord! Truly, she had become one of the great ancestors of the Demon Realm, rivaling the Demon Emperor himself.

“Tell me, who sent you?” Han Shengyao’s voice was glacial, her palms tightening. A demon disciple exploded into a gory mist beneath her stare.

The others shrieked in terror, begging for mercy. “Please, Saintess, we stumbled in by accident…”

“An accident?” Han Shengyao’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Then perhaps you can explain why you’re dressed as cultivators of the Guiyuan Sect? Bai Wan is cunning indeed.”

The subtle shift in their expressions told Han Shengyao all she needed to know. With a cold snort, she unleashed a wave of demonic energy. Before they could scream, the disciples dissolved into nothingness, their very souls destroyed.

Having dealt with the lackeys, Han Shengyao turned to Lin Qianshuang. She was back in her adorable silver-white beast form, paws covering her neck, blue eyes filled with lingering fear.

“Come, sit beside me.”

Lin Qianshuang, still lost in thought, looked up to find Han Shengyao reclining on the bed, her silky black hair spread out luxuriously.

Han Shengyao’s eyes raised lazily as she patted the space beside her. The terrifying aura from moments before had softened slightly.

Just now, Lin Qianshuang had just been sexually harassed by the person standing before her, which made her somewhat uncomfortable. However, that person was just another woman, and one who already had someone in her heart no less.

What else can a girl do to another girl? Screw it!¹

Having made up her mind, Lin Qianshuang moved to lie beside her master, her body trembling slightly. Her own fur brushed against Han Shengyao’s soft hair, and her face flushed uncontrollably. She couldn’t help but recall Han Shengyao’s long hair tangled around her when she’d been kissed…

Thankfully, in her beast form, her blush was invisible. Otherwise, Han Shengyao’s sharp eyes would surely notice something was wrong.

She wasn’t into that kind of thing anyway, there was no point in overthinking it. What was so fun about being bitten like a piece of bread?

Lin Qianshuang shook off the distracting thoughts and found Han Shengyao staring at her with a strange intensity.

Han Shengyao gently touched the fresh wounds on the little beast. “Bai Wan went to great lengths to set this up. If not for you, I might have killed those men in my frenzy… then the Demon Palace would surely be awash in blood. We can’t move against her openly yet; she has the support of three major demonic sects. We must bide our time.”

“Thank you for saving me, Shuang’er.”

Lin Qianshuang wagged her tail in mock happiness, wrapping it around Han Shengyao’s arm. “As long as Master is safe, it’s all good! And congratulations on becoming a Demon Lord!”

In today’s demonic cultivation community, there were very few Demon Lords. For Han Shengyao to ascend so quickly, it was natural offer congratulations.

Hearing the words “Demon Lord”, Han Shengyao seemed to have a realization. She raised a hand and channelled demonic energy into Lin Qianshuang’s forehead. A spiritual seal flashed, and Lin Qianshuang transformed back into her human form.

Lin Qianshuang looked at Han Shengyao in confusion, embarrassed to be naked again.

A slightly cool hand touched her neck, sending a shiver of discomfort through Lin Qianshuang. She was about to slap it away when she saw the other person’s serious expression and lowered her hand.

Han Shengyao’s gaze was fixed on Lin Qianshuang’s blood on her finger, her eyes holding a strange glint. “The Heavenly Spiritual Root, Nine Spirit Sword Physique, and the rare Phoenix Yang Blood, so suitable for dual cultivation². For a human cultivator, these mark a talent of heavenly dominance. However, for a demon cultivator, this is not a blessing. You possess the Cauldron Physique³, a great boon to any demon cultivator. Yet, as a demon cultivator yourself, such a constitution allows you to cultivate with half the effort and twice the result.”

Lin Qianshuang touched the wound on her neck, instantly understanding why Han Shengyao’s power had increased after absorbing her blood. It turned out she possessed this extremely dangerous Cauldron Physique.

“Tomorrow,” Han Shengyao said with a contemplative look, “you need not go to the Demon Transformation Pool anymore. With such a constitution, we may have to take you to Yixiang Tower to find Du Shuang. She is a fallen demon, originally a human sword cultivator. She should be able to teach you how to establish your foundation.”

The name ‘Yixiang Tower’ held a sense of familiarity. Lin Qianshuang vaguely remembered it being mentioned in the original text, but the details eluded her.

“Shuang’er, I will help you apply the medicine.”

Han Shengyao touched Lin Qianshuang’s head, picked up the bowl of ointment, and gently stirred it. She applied the ointment to the wound on her neck, her gaze flitting to the bite marks on her collarbone and the red mark on her waist. A flicker of guilt crossed her eyes before vanishing.

After taking the medicine, Lin Qianshuang’s demonic energy quickly dissipated, transforming her back into a small beast. Exhaustion washed over her, and she crawled into bed, seeking warmth before falling fast asleep.

It was already 3 in the morning, far later than Lin Qianshuang had ever stayed up, even when working late in her previous life.

The candle extinguished, plunging the room into darkness.

Han Shengyao watched the little beast curled up in the corner of the bed, shivering from the cold. She gently scooped it into her arms. The beast found a comfortable spot on the crook of her arm and continued to sleep soundly.

Unlike Lin Qianshuang, sleep eluded Han Shengyao. She propped her head up, her deep purple eyes fixated on Lin Qianshuang’s sleeping form.

Phoenix Yang Blood is not just any top-grade spiritual blood. The last time it appeared, rumors swirled of the birth of the divine beast, Qilin.

Han Shengyao recalled the vision she witnessed at Tianfu Mountain before finding Lin Qianshuang. Could that beam of light have originated from her disciple?

Han Shengyao dismissed her speculation. If it truly were the birth of an ancient divine beast, it could never have manifested as a magic egg with such weak magic energy.