Xiao Jingchen’s fingers trembled as he clenched his fists and took a sharp breath. Suddenly, he picked up a talisman and pressed it against Wen Shuyu’s nape.
Wen Shuyu closed her eyes and fell into a deep slumber.
He rose from the bed, tucked the blankets around Wen Shuyu, dispelled the barrier, and called out toward the hall, “Prepare water. I wish to bathe.”
The head eunuch responded, “Yes, Your Highness.”
“Wait.” Xiao Jingchen lifted his gaze.
The eunuch paused. “What further instructions, Your Highness?”
Xiao Jingchen straightened his disheveled robes, his breathing slightly uneven. “Make it cold water.”
The moment Xiao Jingchen left,
Wen Shuyu, who had seemed to be sound asleep on the bed, opened her eyes. Her gaze was clear and alert, without a trace of the earlier drowsiness.
Xiao Liu’s voice chimed in, “Don’t worry, Master. With me here, even though my magical power hasn’t fully recovered, I can easily break a mortal talisman like this.”
Wen Shuyu admired, “You’re truly impressive.”
“Master, you were far more powerful than me in the past. With just a wave of your hand, the Nine Heavens Profound Thunder would descend,” Xiao Liu recalled something and suddenly grew somber. “It’s a pity you’ve lost your Dao bone and spiritual roots now. Even with a demon bone, you can’t cultivate demonic arts, which is why you’ve ended up like this.”
A soft chuckle escaped Wen Shuyu’s lips. She curved her mouth slightly, her dark, bright eyes reflecting the moonlight outside the window.
“How do you know I haven’t cultivated demonic arts before?”
Under Xiao Liu’s astonished gaze, Wen Shuyu continued with a smile, “When I was young, unwilling to accept that I couldn’t cultivate, I ran away from the Prime Minister’s residence. By chance, I stumbled upon a method and used my demon bone to cultivate a body full of demonic energy.”
“However, back then, I was immature in mind and didn’t want to be different from others or become an outcast because of the path I cultivated. So, I took a knife and tried to carve out the demon bone inside me. Perhaps out of fear, the demon bone sealed itself and never emerged again. Even the experts my father invited couldn’t detect its presence within me.”
“Later, thinking this demon bone was both cowardly and boring, I stopped cultivating it. That is, until today.”
Wen Shuyu suddenly turned her head and gave Xiao Liu a mischievous smile. “But recently, I’ve started to think that cultivating demonic arts isn’t so bad after all.”
“I’ve lazed around for over a decade and had my fill of fun. Once I finally obtain a peerless beauty like Xiao Jingchen, I’ll definitely resume cultivating demonic arts. I won’t remain a waste.”
Xiao Liu was terrified. “Master! Don’t joke about this! We’ll find your Dao bone sooner or later. We’re meant to cultivate the divine path. You mustn’t recklessly pursue demonic cultivation.”
Wen Shuyu blinked. “Xiao Liu, that’s where you’re mistaken. How can you still hold prejudices against the demonic path?”
“In my view, the difference between gods and demons lies only in one’s true heart. Gods may harbor greed and delusion, while demons might possess compassion and redemption. A person’s original intentions and the actions they take are the true measures of good and evil.”
Xiao Liu was stunned. It suddenly felt that the master’s words made sense. It asked, “Then, Master, what is your true heart and obsession for wanting to cultivate demonic arts?”
Wen Shuyu replied, “As for me, of course, it’s to surpass Xiao Jingchen in strength and become the number one powerhouse in the Xiao Kingdom.”
Xiao Liu’s eyes sparkled: So the master is still the same as a thousand years ago, wanting to become powerful to protect all living beings.
Immediately after, Xiao Liu heard the next sentence.
“Then tie up Xiao Jingchen, lock him away, and defile him thoroughly, trample him underfoot, make him my captive, my plaything, let the pure and lofty one be stained with worldly filth, let the one who stands so high fall into the dust, make Xiao Jingchen beg me for mercy, admit that he was blind these three years, and weep as he begs for my favor.”
Xiao Liu: !!
Oh no, oh no, why does it feel like Master has gone even crazier?
No, no, it must find a way to extract the demon bone from Master’s body as soon as possible. It must locate the Dao bone quickly, or else something terrible might happen if this continues.
Xiao Liu kept wiping the sweat from its forehead.
Wen Shuyu suddenly curled her lips into a smile, lightly blowing away nonexistent dust from her fingernails. “Don’t panic, Xiao Liu. I was just joking, teasing you.”
Xiao Liu felt like crying.
…
After taking the cold-dispelling medicine, Wen Shuyu fell asleep early that night.
Outside the window, a pitch-black night enveloped the earth, with moonlight dappling the ground. Birch trees swayed gently, shedding a few leaves, while the night breeze rustled through the bamboo.
Inside the hall, on the bed, Wen Shuyu’s brow was tightly furrowed in deep sleep, a few beads of sweat glistening on her forehead as if she were dreaming.
In a bottomless cave.
Dark demonic energy filled the air, and a figure in a dark, gold-patterned cloak, whose face was unclear, drew closer to her inch by inch.
Her hands and feet were bound, unable to break free, with no retreat left, until the dark cloak draped over her white robes.
As a dagger glowing with spiritual power slid up along the hem of her skirt, a cold, sinister voice, tinged with a light laugh, whispered into her ear, “Actually, there’s no need for Master to act. If Master truly wishes to take my demon bone, I would willingly offer it.”
“However, Master sits upright day after day in the Ninth Heaven, expressionless, devoid of desire or longing—doesn’t that feel dull?”
The laughter deepened, the voice growing slow and refined, though the words spoken were utterly vulgar: “So, I deliberately brought Master here, wanting to share the heights of pleasure with you, to serve you and bring you ecstasy.”
“If Master grants me this once, I will destroy my demon bone and offer my life as a gift in return. How about it?”
Warm breath brushed the back of her ear as the shameless voice continued, “Do you need me to help you undress?”