The Sect Leader's Seat (10)

In the corridors of the Jiuchong Demon Palace, a black-clad figure cloaked in darkness passed by abruptly. A maid respectfully guided him into one of the garden’s inner courtyards.

Lin Qianshuang’s gaze, drifting past Su Qing, caught sight of the oddly dressed stranger. She asked, “Is this another honored guest the Domain Lord’s receiving? Why such a garb?”

“He came to the Demon Realm seeking medicine. A skin ailment bars him from sunlight.”

Su Qing didn’t elaborate. With a courteous smile, he apologized and left with his guards.

Noticing Su Qing’s secrecy, Lin Qianshuang grew curious about the shadowy man. She glanced his way—just as he turned, seeming aware of her scrutiny. After a fleeting glance back, he vanished into the courtyard.

“Senior Sister Lin, is that person okay?”

Chen Shangqing glanced at Lin Qianshuang’s odd expression before following her gaze toward the courtyard.

Lin Qianshuang hurriedly waved her hands, dismissing concerns. “I just think their outfit’s weird. Nothing else is off.”

Xu Zheng tapped her shoulder with his folding fan. “This is the Demon Realm. I’ll say it again—you’d better stop staring and keep your mouth shut. If trouble starts, we can’t save you.”

Lin Qianshuang nodded demurely, smiling like a model disciple, though inwardly she scoffed: “Let them try. Except for Han Shengyao, I don’t fear anyone here.”

Half a year had passed since her last visit to the Jiuchong Demon Palace. Now, facing the Demon Emperor’s lofty throne, memories surged—how she’d arrived here as a tiny creature cradled by Han Shengyao, forced to apologize to the Demon Emperor and Bai Wan. Back then, she’d been lost and alone in this alien world, unsure how to move forward, her future as bleak as the dimming light ahead.

Unconsciously, so much time had passed.

“Xiao Liu, move your chopsticks. The Domain Lord is watching you.”

Xu Zheng bumped Lin Qianshuang’s arm.

She looked up and met Han Shengyao’s dark purple eyes, a flicker of instinctive fear tightening her chest. She grabbed a random pastry from the plate and stuffed it into her mouth, only to choke on the dust and sneeze loudly.

Han Shengyao twirled the tourmaline in her hand, stifling a laugh at the sight of the little demon cultivator sitting nervously before her—wide-eyed, flustered, and endearingly awkward.

The demon cultivators seated around the banquet table exchanged uneasy glances when they saw their Lord of the Demon Realm’s amused smile.

Ever since the Domain Lord ascended to the Demon Lord’s throne, she’d always been frowning and weighed down by cares—but this was the first time she’d shown genuine happiness, her smile finally breaking through.

Xu Zheng found himself captivated by that grin. Snapping back to his senses, he fanned himself and sighed, “The Demon Realm’s ruler truly lives up to the rumors—they’re every bit the celestial beauty they say, no wonder they once held the title of ‘Demon Realm’s most beautiful woman.’”

Lin Qianshuang stabbed at a piece of pork rib with her chopsticks, chewing fiercely to vent her irritation.

Du Shuang knew full well about the tangled history between her and Han Shengyao—and yet she’d still sent her to the Demon Realm as her proxy. What on earth was she playing at?

Chen Shangqing nudged her shoulder, sliding a piece of corn onto her plate and leaning close. “Senior Sister Lin, look—the black-clothed figure’s back.”

Lin Qianshuang dropped her chopsticks. There, seated in a shadowed corner of the hall, was the same shadowy figure she’d spotted at Shuanghan Manor.

Lin Qianshuang couldn’t shake the feeling that the black-cloaked figure had been lingering near her, his gaze half-veiled and half-visible.

Halfway through the banquet, many demon cultivators rose from their seats to mingle with others nearby. The Lord of the Demon Realm left early, leaving Su Qing to manage the proceedings alone.

The air felt stifling, and her stomach growled—still half-starved. Lin grabbed a handful of snacks and wandered into the bamboo-shrouded corridors of the Jiuchong Demon Palace, crunching on lotus leaf pastries as she mulled over how to handle Han Shengyao. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted him: the black-clad stranger seated just a few paces away.

Time seemed to freeze.¹

The system’s voice, unheard for so long, chimed sharply.

[Hostile target Liang Jingxuan detected nearby. Host, remain vigilant!]

[Task target Xiao Lanle is hiding near you, host—stay on guard!]

[System restored, host. Open your character favorability interface to check mission updates.]

Lin Qianshuang seized the frozen moment to step closer to the cloaked figure. She flicked up their hood, revealing Liang Jingxuan’s face beneath.

A jolt of surprise hit her. After being expelled from his sect, hadn’t Liang Jingxuan retreated to meditate? What was he doing here in the Demon Realm?

She restored Liang’s appearance to normal and scanned the area with her divine sense. Sure enough, Xiao Lanle’s presence lingered in the bamboo grove behind—but her physical form was invisible to mortal eyes.

Must’ve used the Shark Pearl to cloak herself.

Lin Qianshuang suddenly hatched a scheme. Originally, she’d planned to use the male lead’s hand to kill Xiao Shen, head of the Penglai Immortal Sect—but why not ally with him first, then take them both down in one fell swoop?

She chewed on the idea, conflicted. Xiao Lanle was lurking nearby, eavesdropping. If the girl overheard their plot, she’d intervene. After all, in her heart, her father wasn’t some hypocritical monster who murdered his wife and slaughtered his own kin—he was the paragon of righteousness, a model for all cultivators.

A new thought struck: letting Xiao Lanle hate her might work to her advantage. Not only would it crush the girl’s illusions, but her fury could be weaponized…

Lin Qianshuang slammed her fist against the pillar, her knuckles ringing.

She yanked at her hair, frustration coiling through her frame.

At last, she slumped against the pillar, shutting her eyes tight as she exhaled slowly.

Being an evil person or a good one—it’s never been her choice.

At least in Xiao Lanle’s presence, playing the villain suits her far better.

Lin Qianshuang stared at the favorability interface, hardening her expression. This was just a survival game; nothing here deserved genuine emotion.

She couldn’t shake the memory of Xuan Luowan’s death—or the harsh lesson learned from her own brush with mortality.

A breeze stirred the bamboo shadows, and the bell hanging at the pavilion’s corner chimed faintly, its sound sharp yet distant.

Time resumed its flow.

Lin Qianshuang paused to gather her thoughts, then carved blood marks into her arm beneath her sleeve using demonic energy. Her steps wobbled as she passed the black-clothed figure seated on the veranda. The jade pendant at her waist, adorned with crimson braids, swung conspicuously before his eyes.

The man in black seized her hand abruptly. “Senior sister,” he pressed, “is it really you? I’ve watched you all evening at the banquet. Did you notice me too?”

“Let go. Who are you? I don’t know you.”

She shrugged free of his grip and kept walking.

Liang Jingxuan’s anxiety flared. Rising, he pulled back the hood of his cloak to reveal his face. “Qianshuang—it’s me.”

Lin Qianshuang halted upon spotting Liang Jingxuan, her expression blending surprise and delight. “Junior brother, I’m here in the Demon Realm with two junior disciples under the City Lord’s orders. How did you end up here?”

Liang Jingxuan swept back his bangs, revealing demonic marks on his forehead. “Long story. I’ve embraced the demonic path. Now I’m here to solidify my demon body.”

Lin Qianshuang’s eyes widened. She smirked. “Wait—you’re that Black Mountain Demon, aren’t you? That name immediately made me think of Granny from A Chinese Ghost Story.”²

Liang Jingxuan nodded, offering no further explanation. After leaving the sect, he’d seduced a female demon cultivator, seized her inner core to break through his cultivation limits, and claimed her cave as his own. Only then had his demonic transformation succeeded. Wearing her identity bracelet allowed him entry into the Demon Realm to seek a demon’s lair. He’d chosen the flashy name deliberately to hint at his identity—so her instant recognition didn’t faze him.

Lin Qianshuang’s mind raced: “Golden finger much? The male lead’s a walking plot device. Betrays the sect, gets handed nonstop luck, and bam—drops into the demonic path like it’s no big deal, only to become a mountain king afterward.”

Liang Jingxuan noticed the bloodstains on Lin Qianshuang’s wrist. He grabbed her hand, rolling up her sleeve to reveal smooth, pale arms covered in scars. He looked up and demanded, “Qianshuang, who did this to you?”

Tears welled in Lin Qianshuang’s eyes as she stared at the ground. “Senior brother… it was Xiao Shen. My feud with Junior Sister Xiao has long rankled him, so he’s been sabotaging me at every turn.”

Liang Jingxuan released her hand, studying her innocent, pretty face with a calculating glint. He placed a small disk etched with a firework signal into her palm. “Stay put at Penglai Immortal Sect, Qianshuang. Send me updates regularly. When the time comes, we’ll strike from within and without—Penglai will fall like rotten bamboo. Then, punishing that old fool Xiao Shen will be simple.”

Hesitant, Lin Qianshuang clutched the disk. “But what about Junior Sister Xiao? She’s innocent. If Penglai crumbles and she learns we killed Xiao Shen… won’t she suffer?”

“Qianshuang,” Liang Jingxuan cut in sharply, “you don’t actually care about Xiao Lanle, do you?”

Liang Jingxuan suddenly pressed both hands heavily on Lin Qianshuang’s shoulders and demanded harshly.

Lin Qianshuang’s gaze darkened imperceptibly, her lips quirking upward. “I’ve always cared for you,” she said. “But I made a deal with someone. That’s why I’ve been protecting Junior Sister’s safety.”

Amid the dappled shadows of swaying bamboo, Xiao Lanle gripped the Shark Pearl tightly, watching Lin Qianshuang silently. A sharp glint flashed in her obsidian eyes as she slowly clenched her fist around the gem.

She’d followed Lin Qianshuang all the way to the Demon Realm and stumbled upon Liang Jingxuan’s trail. Choosing to linger with her senior sister a while longer, she’d witnessed this confrontation.

Xiao Lanle didn’t believe Lin Qianshuang and Liang Jingxuan were allies for a second. The only plausible explanation was the City Lord’s machination—to have the senior sister infiltrate his circle.

Senior sister… is the Tower Lord position truly worth so much to you?

For the sake of power and status, you go against your conscience and say things you don’t like.

Are you so willing to be the City Lord’s dog and do her bidding?

Disappointed, Xiao Lanle turned away, clutching the transmission talisman. The Sect Master’s summons had arrived—she needed to return to Penglai Immortal Sect quickly.

As she left, she glanced back once more at Lin Qianshuang before fleeing on her sword.

A crimson figure watched unseen, observing everyone’s movements. Especially after Lin Qianshuang parted from the black-clad man—her expressions and posture shifted completely, as though she were a different person altogether.

Han Shengyao lounged atop the temple tiles, sipping wine from a jade cup. She retracted her distant gaze, her violet eyes narrowing slightly at the darkening sky.

As expected, Mu Weiyin certainly didn’t send an average lackey to fool her. This little demon cultivator flips personas faster than a street performer’s act—way more entertaining than she’d imagined.