“Are you certain you want to leave?”

As if unable to believe someone could be so foolish, Senior Sister Li asked once more.

Le Gui nodded fervently. “Absolutely. I’m completely sure.”

Receiving yet another confirmation, Senior Sister Li frowned slightly.

Although this little mortal before her was plain-looking, had no cultivation, and bore no resemblance to a disciple of Hehuan Sect, she was diligent. In a place like Bi’an Terrace, where beauty was useless and cultivation was restricted, diligence was the only trait that truly mattered.

“I advise you not to be so rash.” The wariness in Senior Sister Li’s eyes faded as she quickly changed her approach. “There are over ten thousand disciples in Wuyou Palace, yet no one has ever left. Do you know why?”

“Because His Lordship is incredibly charismatic, the guiding light for all of us who follow the demonic path. Serving him is an immense honor, which is why no one wants to leave.” To ensure a smooth exit, Le Gui did not hesitate to flatter the highest authority.

Senior Sister Li coughed lightly. “That is only part of the reason.”

“Then what is the second reason?” Le Gui seamlessly played along.

Senior Sister Li explained, “Wuyou Palace is surrounded by mountains and rivers, and within it lies a mystical spring called ‘Wanghuan.’ The tea we drink every morning is brewed using its waters. Wanghuan Water has no major effects, but drinking it daily preserves one’s youth and extends one’s lifespan. Have you not noticed that since entering Wuyou Palace, you have not aged at all?”

[Sorry, but I have never once drunk that stuff since arriving at Wuyou Palace. Also, a month isn’t enough time for a mortal to show visible signs of aging anyway.]

Le Gui, of course, knew about Wanghuan Spring.

In the original novel, after Di Jiang’s death, the treasures and spiritual veins of Wuyou Palace, which had recognized him as their master, sealed themselves away. Without his power, the palace quickly fell into ruin, ravaged by enemies. It remained abandoned until a hundred years later when the male protagonist, banished from his sect, stumbled upon the place and reawakened its dormant treasures.

One of those treasures was Wanghuan Spring.

The water from Wanghuan Spring could maintain a person’s youth and extend their life, but it did not reverse aging. Instead, it preserved one’s appearance at the moment they began drinking it. In other words, if you started drinking it at twenty, you would remain twenty forever. If you started at eighty, you would stay eighty.

Compared to Di Jiang’s other legendary artifacts, Wanghuan Spring was somewhat unimpressive. Yet for most people, it held an irresistible allure.

In a way, as long as one continued drinking Wanghuan Spring’s water, they could achieve a form of immortality.

Whether immortal, demon, or cultivator, none could escape the cycle of life and death within the Three Realms. But Wanghuan Spring was a loophole, capable of delaying that fate indefinitely. Even the greatest of the great struggled to resist its temptation, let alone the people of Wuyou Palace.

“A mortal’s life is fleeting, barely a few decades, like an ephemeral mayfly that lives and dies within a day. But if you stay, you could live for a long, long time. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?” Senior Sister Li coaxed.

Le Gui responded with complete sincerity. “Not at all.”

Senior Sister Li was momentarily stunned. “Why not?”

Seeing her confusion, Le Gui decided to reason with her. “Because the water must be consumed daily. That means if I want to live for a long, long time, I must also work for a long, long time. What is the point of living forever if it just means working forever?”

Senior Sister Li was speechless. She had never considered this perspective before.

Le Gui watched as her leader’s expression twisted with existential crisis and couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.

[When I first arrived at Wuyou Palace, I did think about using Wanghuan Spring to live until the male protagonist appeared a hundred years later. That way, I could borrow Wuliangdu from him to return to my real world. But then I realized… that would mean working for Wuyou Palace for a hundred years. No, thank you. I’d rather pass.]

Senior Sister Li, still bewildered by Le Gui’s reasoning, took a moment to gather her thoughts. Then, as she met Le Gui’s gaze, her mind cleared once more. “Since you have made up your mind, I won’t stop you. However, Wuyou Palace is the supreme stronghold of the Demon Realm. It is not a place you can leave just because you wish to. I will ask on your behalf, but if the answer is no, you must not blame me.”

Le Gui, a modern-day university student who had been working at Wuyou Palace for only a month, could easily tell that Senior Sister Li was simply brushing her off with an excuse. She had no real intention of helping her leave.

[Are you afraid that if the low-ranking workers leave, there will be no one left to do the chores? Di Jiang may be an unscrupulous boss, but you, Senior Sister Li, are the real taskmaster.]

Le Gui let out a couple of weak coughs. “Actually, I don’t have to leave, but I fell ill some time ago and then got intoxicated by the wine this time. I can feel that my health has worsened. I’m afraid I’ll have to rest in bed for at least half a year to recover. Even after I recover, I won’t be able to do heavy labor anymore.”

Senior Sister Li eyed her suspiciously. “Really? You’re not just making this up, are you?”

“Senior Sister Li, do you think I’m the type of person who would do that?” Le Gui asked with an innocent expression.

Senior Sister Li hesitated for a moment. Somehow, Le Gui’s question made her believe her a little. “Alright, wait here. I’ll try to find a way for you.”

“Then I’ll have to trouble you, Senior Sister.” Knowing that demonic cultivators were not known for their compassion, Le Gui worried that Senior Sister Li might take the easy way out and simply eliminate her. To prevent that, she looked around cautiously, lowered her voice, and added, “Once I leave the Demon Realm, I will surely prepare a generous gift for you.”

Back when she arrived at Wuyou Palace, her senior sister had been so certain that a mere mortal like her wouldn’t survive more than three days. As a gesture of apology, she had gifted her several items, most of which Le Gui had already exchanged for her red dress. However, she still had two magical artifacts left, which could serve as bribes for Senior Sister Li.

“What kind of gift could you possibly have?” Senior Sister Li chuckled.

Le Gui smiled obediently. “Eldest Senior Sister was quite generous to me when I first joined the Hehuan Sect.”

Seeing how serious Le Gui was, Senior Sister Li also took it a bit more seriously but didn’t give a definitive answer.

“Just wait.”

And so, Le Gui waited.

For the next few days, she dedicated herself to acting like a frail, sickly person. Whenever someone asked her to do work, she would clutch a broom and cough so violently that it seemed she might drop dead at any moment. Eventually, people stopped bothering her.

After a few days, Senior Sister Li finally came to see her again.

“Pack your things and come with me.” Her tone was complicated.

Le Gui’s eyes lit up, and she quickly packed her belongings like a gust of wind sweeping away fallen leaves. She even remembered to tuck away the gemstone she had pried from the ruins of Diyun Peak. “I’m ready!”

Senior Sister Li gave her a cold glance before turning to leave.

Le Gui hurriedly followed, stepping out into the courtyard, where several other senior sisters were gathered. They had been whispering among themselves, but as soon as they saw her, they fell silent.

“Greetings, Senior Sisters.” She greeted them politely.

“Junior Sister Le Gui, greetings.”

“You’re looking quite well today.”

[…Have my colleagues, who have been blind for years, finally noticed my presence?]

Regardless, bidding farewell to colleagues was a joyful occasion. Le Gui responded to each of them in turn, feeling light-hearted as she followed Senior Sister Li away.

After walking for a while, Senior Sister Li handed her a talisman.

Le Gui recognized it as a teleportation talisman capable of sending her a thousand miles away. Without hesitation, she accepted it and handed over her storage pouch. “This contains the artifacts my senior sister gifted me when I joined the Hehuan Sect. As a mere mortal, I have no use for them. Please take them for safekeeping…”

Before she could finish speaking, the talisman in her hand suddenly ignited. She instinctively tossed it away, and in the next instant, she felt her surroundings change. She widened her eyes in anticipation—

[Wait, this place looks familiar.]

Le Gui was still bewildered when Senior Sister Li spoke calmly. “This is as far as I will take you. The rest of the journey is up to you.”

“Wait… something isn’t right. This is Diyun Peak. This isn’t the way back to the mortal realm.” Le Gui tried to put it as tactfully as possible.

Senior Sister Li chuckled. “I never realized before how good you are at playing dumb. Stop pretending. Do you really not know why I brought you here?”

“What do you mean?” Le Gui was still confused.

Senior Sister Li’s patience wore thin, but she held back her frustration. “His Lordship has ordered that Le Gui from the Hehuan Sect be assigned to Diyun Peak to serve him. Congratulations. You are now the first person in a thousand years to be transferred from the outer Demon Mountains to Diyun Peak.”

“Wait, wait—what transfer…”

Before Le Gui could finish speaking, Senior Sister Li activated another teleportation talisman. Instinctively, Le Gui reached out to grab her, but her hands grasped only empty air. She tumbled straight onto the ground.

[No!]

Le Gui stretched her hand toward the vanishing figure of Senior Sister Li, her expression filled with anguish, as if reenacting a dramatic tragedy.

[Why? Why! I already resigned! Why am I still stuck working here! Didn’t they say I could leave if I wanted to? Why won’t they let me go?]

[What is Di Jiang thinking? Does he actually have feelings for me? Impossible! If he truly liked me, he would have kept me after that night when we drank. Why wait until now?]

[If he doesn’t like me, then why is he keeping me here? Could it be because of what happened that night at Bi’an Terrace? Maybe he’s getting angrier the more he thinks about it and has decided to bring me here just to kill me?]

The more Le Gui thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. But now that she was already here, she had two choices: go up the mountain to face her bleak fate or turn around and run…

Although her life had been relatively smooth so far, that didn’t mean Wuyou Palace was a safe place. If she tried to escape, she might not even need to wait for Di Jiang to deal with her—she would likely be devoured by all sorts of strange and terrifying creatures first.

“Sigh, I have never done anything evil in my life, yet I still ended up like this.” With no one around, Le Gui dramatically quoted a line from a TV drama. To vent her frustration, she rolled on the ground twice.

Inside the palace atop Diyun Peak, Di Jiang withdrew his spiritual awareness and came to a conclusion. “As expected, I can’t hear her thoughts. I have to be within two meters of her.”

The floating bronze mirror swirled with mist. The cracks on its surface had almost completely faded, leaving only one.

“She’s still putting on a performance,” Di Jiang said, lazily resting his chin on his hand. He seemed to be deep in thought. “Tell me, there’s no one around her, yet she’s still acting. Who exactly is she performing for?”

The bronze mirror hesitated. “Are you asking me? Then you need to pay…”

Di Jiang glanced at it, and the mirror immediately fell silent.

After her little outburst, Le Gui’s emotions finally settled. She picked herself up, brushed off the dust and leaves on her clothes, and sighed in resignation.

Although Wuyou Palace was a ruthless and dangerous workplace, its employee benefits were decent. For example, the robe she wore was a mid-tier enchanted garment with a cleansing spell. A simple pat was enough to make it look spotless again.

Looking at the familiar scenery and stone steps, she sighed deeply and trudged up the mountain with heavy steps, accepting her fate.

Compared to being eaten by some unknown creature, Le Gui would rather die at Di Jiang’s hands. At least that way, she might leave behind an intact body… if she were lucky.

She used to be a frail university student who couldn’t even pass an 800-meter run. But ever since she started working at Wuyou Palace, she had been either climbing mountains or on her way to climb one every single day. Her stamina had skyrocketed. Now, a few hundred steps were nothing to her.

…The problem was that Diyun Peak, the highest mountain in Wuyou Palace, had far more than just a few hundred steps.

With no one rushing her this time, Le Gui walked at her own pace, stopping whenever she needed a break. She finally reached the summit just before her legs gave out. But if she remembered correctly… wasn’t this place a pile of ruins just a few days ago?

She gazed at the grand palace shrouded in gloomy mist, just about to wonder if exhaustion was making her hallucinate. Then she looked up and saw a winged whale swimming across the sky.

[…Never mind. This is a novel world. Anything is possible.]

She pulled the corners of her lips into a lifeless smile and dragged herself to the entrance of the grand hall.

“Disciple Le Gui greets Your Lordship.” She crossed her fingers, trying to form the standard lotus-shaped salute of Hehuan Sect, but after twisting her hands for a while, she only managed to create a messy knot. Feeling guilty, she quickly lowered her hands.

There was no response from inside the hall. Le Gui’s heart pounded wildly, bringing back memories of that night on Bi’an Terrace when she had tried to seduce him… In short, she was terrified.

She was the type to react slowly to danger. Even though she had known she was doomed from the moment she was sent up the mountain, she hadn’t felt much fear at the time. She had been more frustrated about the exhausting climb. But now, standing outside Cangqiong Palace, the reality of her impending doom finally hit her.

Time dragged on, and her courage drained away bit by bit. Just as she was about to turn and flee, Di Jiang’s indifferent yet regal voice echoed from within.

“Come in.”

Le Gui hesitated for a moment before forcing herself to step inside. As soon as she entered, she spotted Di Jiang sitting on the throne.

Today, he was dressed in a combination of deep purple and red. The rich, saturated colors did not seem gaudy on him. Instead, his striking features made the colors appear even more dignified.

Le Gui momentarily lost focus. In the next second, she nearly tripped over something. She flailed her arms like a swimmer, barely managing to steady herself. But when she finally took in the sight of the hall, her eyes widened in shock.

Was this really the grand palace of the big boss? Or was she standing in the warehouse of some chaotic online shop?

Sure, the palace was massive—ornate carvings, magnificent murals, and an extravagant throne made of millennium-old black iron, radiating an imposing, icy brilliance. Di Jiang lounged lazily against the throne, but even in his relaxed posture, his regal aura remained undeniable…

But why was the hall filled with so much random junk?

There was barely any space to step forward. The grandeur of the palace and its ruler was completely overshadowed by the sheer clutter.

“Step closer.” Di Jiang’s voice held a trace of amusement as he observed her stunned expression.

Le Gui responded reluctantly and carefully lifted the hem of her dress, cautiously weaving through the obstacles. Unfortunately, no matter how careful she was, she still ended up stepping on something—something green and squishy.

“Blue-faced Dou Erdun steals the royal horse—”

The green slime beneath her foot let out a wailing scream before breaking into a dramatic opera performance, instantly cutting off the apology she had been about to utter.

“…Excuse me, excuse me.” Le Gui muttered as she shuffled forward, moving at a snail’s pace. But no matter how slow she went, she kept bumping into things, causing a chorus of yelps and curses to echo through the hall. Meanwhile, Di Jiang rested his chin on his hand, watching her with thoughtful interest.

So lively.

How could one person create such a lively atmosphere all on their own?

After a full fifteen minutes, Le Gui finally maneuvered past a floating bronze mirror and reached the throne. Now that she was up close, she could see Di Jiang more clearly.

He looked stunning. Red lips, white teeth, skin like smooth jade. His collar was slightly open, revealing his collarbones and a hint of his chest.

[Oh? Dressed this boldly? Are you trying to seduce me?]

Di Jiang’s eyes flickered slightly.

Le Gui maintained a straight face and performed a proper salute. “Greetings, Your Lordship.”

Di Jiang studied her for a moment before saying, “Go back to the entrance and walk in again.”

“…Huh?” Le Gui blinked in confusion. But the moment she met his gaze, she obediently turned around and retraced her steps—triggering another round of screams and grumbling.

By the time she reached the throne again, Di Jiang spoke calmly. “Again.”

Le Gui: “…”

She repeated the process three or four times. By the final round, she had gotten the hang of it and only stepped on two things. The unfortunate creatures had grown so used to her trampling that they didn’t even bother screaming anymore. They merely let out a tired grunt and slithered away.

When she finally stood before Di Jiang again, she was drenched in sweat, her patience worn thin.

[You can kill me, but you can’t humiliate me like this! If he dares make me do it again, I swear I’ll make him pay!]

Di Jiang, who had been about to stop, suddenly raised a brow. “One more time.”

Le Gui fell to her knees in a fluid motion. “Your Lordship, I was wrong. Please, have mercy on me.”

[How about that? Isn’t my kneeling posture flawless?]

Di Jiang: “…”