Chapter 11: Birth (Part 6)

Xie Yuzhen was right.

A few days later, news came that Xianjun Shen Suwei had succumbed to his severe injuries, and Lu You’s chopsticks slipped from her hand in shock.

Xie Yuzhen had been established as the ultimate powerhouse on this continent. The author favored Xie Yuzhen, as the book title clearly showed. Even though Shen Suwei had become a Taoistjun Lord, it was still reasonable that he couldn’t match the Demon King.

But the Demon King’s terrifying power far exceeded Lu You’s expectations. She had witnessed Shen Suwei’s cultivation level that day; he had been gravely wounded by the Demon King. If one day the Demon King wanted her dead, no one in the world could stop him…

Fortunately, the way Xie Yuzhen had gone mad that day, afraid of having her stolen away, offered Lu You some comfort. The Demon King’s love was more intense than she had imagined, something she could rely on. Although, since then, Xie Yuzhen seemed deeply affected and had retreated to his quarters, refusing to see anyone, even declining to meet with her.

She understood that Xie Yuzhen feared losing control and hurting her, so she refrained from disturbing him out of consideration.

The Demon Realm was in chaos, so Xie Yuzhen postponed the royal wedding, and she obediently agreed.

Sadly, despite being called “Empress” for several years, her title as Demon Queen was never formally established.

One night, not long after, she was suddenly informed by the system in her sleep, with a hint of regret: Mission failed; the world is about to reset.

Then, she opened her eyes and found herself back at the beginner’s village.

Although surprised, Lu You resignedly acknowledged that the world resetting was partly her fault.

She had already charmed Xie Yuzhen to 99%—just a step away from success. It was the unexpected arrival of Taoistjun Shen Suwei that unsettled her, causing her to make a poor choice, leading to the main male characters fighting to the death and ending in mutual ruin.

Next time, she would marry Xie Yuzhen properly, without rushing things.

Even so, her near-failure in such a simple world slightly shook Lu You’s confidence as an experienced traveler.

Under the clear blue sky, with the wind rustling the grass, Lu You looked at the hundred acres of spiritual farmland before her.

The story began here, in the spiritual fields behind the Ling Yue Immortal Sect. She was an outer disciple with no family, spiritual roots, or fate with immortals. Due to her pure looks and timid, gentle nature, she was often bullied by her fellow disciples.

One day, while planting herbs here, she found a dying black rabbit in the fields, took it back, tended to its wounds, and cared for it, talking to it and playing with it. Until one night, the black rabbit shed its form, and black mist gathered in the air to become a young man, silently watching her sleeping face.

The rabbit had been the Demon King’s borrowed body after he was grievously injured and fled, barely surviving. Thanks to her compassion, he felt the warmth of the world and became dependent on her, from then on embarking on the path of helping her “face-slap” her tormentors.

For a full five years, Lu You had no mind to plant spiritual herbs, spending each day wandering the fields searching. She had since brought back three black rabbits, four spotted rabbits, one snow-white rabbit, and one wild brown rabbit.

But the problem was, none of these rabbits seemed to be Xie Yuzhen.

Accompanied by the sound of cicadas outside, the system murmured, “In less than a century, your senior brother confronted the Demon King and was defeated, falling shortly afterward.”

“Ha.” Xu Qianyu let out a cold laugh, her expression turning complicated.

Earlier, when the system explained the plot, it mentioned that after Xie Yuzhen declared himself Demon King, he lived a blissful life with the White-Clothed Fairy, Lu You. The union of a fairy and a demon shocked the world, but their power was so formidable that no one dared question their passionate love.

Shen Suwei, a righteous cultivator, had challenged the Demon King just the day before Lu You was to become the Demon Queen. Xu Qianyu couldn’t think of any other reason except an attempt to disrupt the marriage.

“This is ridiculous.” Xu Qianyu tossed aside her folding fan, which landed on the mat with a crisp sound.

The system flinched.

Xu Qianyu had been conversing with this wild spirit purely for amusement, but now she was genuinely displeased. She wasn’t sure where the frustration came from; perhaps it was the heat of summer that made her lose patience.

“Exterminate… demons?” She raised an eyebrow and spat out each word slowly, “What a messed-up world.”

Xu Qianyu’s long lashes lowered slightly, her gaze filled with disdain.

Beside her, the most resolute person was Shen Suwei.

For over a hundred years, he’d diligently cultivated without a moment’s laxity. His heart was calm and detached, able to rise above worldly desires. She had seen this with her own eyes.

He was so focused on his goal that everything around him— even his junior sister who had pestered him for eight years— was like fleeting dust, unable to sway him in the slightest.

That’s why she wanted to know his ending.

If Shen Suwei ultimately ascended, then so be it.

But if even he died because of Lu You, then…

Xu Qianyu had never seen a story this unpleasant.

Even if it didn’t directly involve her, it still left a heavy feeling in her chest, a cold bitterness.

The girl’s brows and eyes now held a mocking expression. “The Four Great Immortal Sects, with thousands of disciples cultivating day and night, yet not one of them ascends. The one who barely makes it ends up killed by a demon. What a worthless place. Who would want to go there? Not me.”

With that, she lifted the curtain and got out of bed.

The system: …

It wasn’t the first time its setting had been criticized.

If it hadn’t offended so many, it wouldn’t have been overwhelmed by resentment and assigned to repair the script.

Xu Qianyu’s sharp words left it flustered, fuming yet speechless.

The system sincerely thought that if the heavens truly wanted the junior sister to rise, it should swap places with Lu You’s system. Under its guidance, Lu You’s Koi system could grant her heavenly luck, help her level up, and even display a progress bar for her targets’ affection.

And what could it do?

…It knew a bit of a storyline that everyone else knew too.

This round seemed unwinnable.

This spoiled young lady lacked a steadfast heart for the Taoist, and she certainly didn’t have Lu You’s blessed luck. Even though she joined a sect at the ripe age of fourteen, she’d lost all her previous life’s advantages. In a storyline centered on leveling up and slaying demons, her tragic fate was plain to see. How could she become the protagonist?

With such a host who wasn’t even willing to join the Immortal Sect, paired with it as her system, how could it expect her to defeat Lu You and win over those men?

There was no way to restore this storyline, nor any hope of returning home.

Haha, let it all end.

Perhaps it was best to give up trying—who knows, this world might soon collapse on its own. If the supporting female character didn’t enter the stage, then the Koi heroine couldn’t step over her to rise, and Lu You would fail her mission, leading them smoothly into a third round.

By then, the timeline might be corrected, and it could persuade nine-year-old Xu Qianyu to hurry up the mountain, and everything would be fine?

With this thought, the system sank slowly, thinking: might as well let things rot.

Xu Qianyu sensed the annoying voice in her mind quieting down and finally felt relieved.

As for the system’s claims about her past life, if she thought it was fake, then it was fake. Why should she dwell on things that annoyed her? She’d always been one to forget unpleasant matters.

Now she was craving some iced lotus seeds from the small kitchen, the freshest and sweetest ones only available in summer. Her feet were already heading in that direction, and her mind began planning what fun to have tomorrow with her male attendants.

As for how to rid herself of this bothersome matter completely… she had made up her mind. She’d eventually exorcise this wild spirit. If outsiders couldn’t come in, she’d invite Sister Sanniang, the fox’s sister, to pretend to be a spirit medium and conduct a grand ritual.

As she stepped over the threshold, the hem of Xu Qianyu’s dark blue dress brushed over the head of a fox lying by the door. The fox sprang up, picked up the two silver ingots that clinked as they fell to the ground, delighted.

Xu Qianyu had agreed to the task. One ingot was a reward for the fox, the other a gift for Sanniang’s grandson’s full moon celebration.

*

In the late hours of the night, the entire Shui House’s lights went out.

A figure leapt over the back wall like a black cat and soon made its way quietly to an empty alley. A few burly men in plain clothes squatted by the wall, holding a candle, drawing and writing with sticks in the dirt.

The orange glow of the candle illuminated a handsome young face, and the men made space for him. “Little Yi, back already? So, what did you find out?”

The young man settled among them and said, “ Miss Shui doesn’t plan to throw a birthday celebration this year. She’ll just celebrate at home.”

The men were visibly disappointed.

These burly men were seasoned “demon hunters.” Demon hunters possessed spiritual roots that allowed them to wield some spells, but their attributes were too diverse and impure for proper Taoist cultivation, so they formed street teams to hunt demons for hire, earning rewards from common folk.

Recently, Nanling had seen an uptick in demonic creatures, causing the townsfolk distress. They pooled some money to hire demon hunters in search of peace.

Being experienced, these men were cunning and liked to take advantage of favorable situations. Upon arriving in Nanling, they began watching the wealthy Shui family’s activities. In previous years, the young lady’s birthday would be a grand event celebrated by the entire town, with a three-day feast. Not only would the manor open its doors and place a demon-slaying sword to protect the main hall, but they would also invite people to ward off evil and distribute hundreds of red packets and charm pouches. With such fanfare, the demons would likely be scared off, saving them the trouble of getting involved.

Someone clicked their tongue, saying, “What a shame; we can’t borrow the power of that treasured sword.”

This time, even the Shui family kept their doors tightly shut, and Miss Shui’s birthday celebration was canceled. Master Shui (Old man), being well-informed, had naturally heard the news that this fierce demon had already eaten hundreds of people and abducted dozens of women, yet was still unsatisfied and continued to linger in the city. Even he was starting to feel wary.

“Well, common folks seek to protect themselves, and we have our own plans,” said the elder wielding a wooden staff. He drew a mountain, circling a spot on its slopes. “There’s a Bailou Temple on Nanling Mountain. I heard that five days from now, Lady Wang, wife of the Wang Changshi, is planning to go there to offer incense. Along her path, there’s a temple dedicated to the goddess. We can set up an ambush there.”

The term “Niangniang Temple” was slang among demon hunters, referring to those wild shrines where spirit creatures who gained awareness would proclaim themselves as deities, fooling common folk into offering incense. Just as wolves like to drag their prey into the forest to enjoy their meal in peace, if a demon captured someone, such a sinister shrine often served as its resting place.

Someone was puzzled and asked, “Is this Wang lady stupid, going out to pray at a time like this? And at night, no less? A woman alone—doesn’t she know how dangerous it is outside?”

Another replied, “Who cares when or who goes to pray? Since there’s free bait, we might as well make use of her.”

The young man called Xiao Yi chimed in, “I heard the Wang Changshi has been gravely ill these past few days, and his wife is worried, wanting to pray for his health. The path up Nanling Mountain is steep and difficult to climb, so she’s setting out at night to be the first to offer incense at dawn.”

He spoke with a smile, and everyone looked up at him. This young man had only recently joined their group; though he was young, he was quick-witted and adaptable. In the flickering candlelight, his face looked even more refined and sharp. He wasn’t just anyone—he was the young man Xu Qianyu had picked out with a single glance.

“You’re quite capable, Xiao Yi,” someone teased, draping an arm around his shoulder. “You managed to sneak into the Shui family by swapping places with a selected servant and got the cushy job of serving Miss Shui herself.”

“It’s said that Miss Shui is as lovely as snow and flowers. So, is she as beautiful as they say?”

In the midst of their playful banter, the young man’s eyelashes lowered in thought.

He recalled that day’s scene in her room. From his limited worldly experience, he knew that women were typically very cautious about letting unfamiliar men see even their ankles. Yet, in that boudoir with a cool breeze drifting in, the young lady sat on her bed and casually allowed others to put on her shoes without anyone daring to reveal any sign of impropriety.

He had mimicked the other servants, bowing his head to put a pair of embroidered socks on her delicate feet. Her feet were soft and white, as if carved from jade—beautiful and dainty.

As he held her ankle, her clean, sweet scent wafted over him from behind the bed curtains, causing a sudden pang of hunger.

Since waking up, he’d been in a daze, instinctively devouring demonic energy as he drifted southward. Only upon possessing a physical form near Nanling did his consciousness return. He vaguely remembered fighting a cultivator years ago, which severely damaged his energy and scattered his being. Beyond that, his memory was hazy, except for his name: Xie Yuzhen.

Along his journey, he’d encountered many people who bore pleasant scents. The baby in a sling had a sweet, milky scent; the maiden under her veil also smelled nice, though her scent was overwhelmed by the sharpness of makeup.

But as he fastened the wish-knot on the young lady’s shoes, her fragrance was particularly alluring. For the first time, he felt a desire to devour a human, to consume her whole.

Yet, in the next moment, her foot suddenly pulled back, striking his shoulder unceremoniously and shattering his thoughts.

Her voice came from above, colder and more arrogant than her actions, as she tossed a gold ingot his way with disdain.

“Hah, lucky boy, aren’t you? Too bad she’s a bit young; otherwise… well, you’d be close enough to steal a kiss,” someone laughed crudely.

As Xiao Yi snapped back to reality amidst their vulgar jokes, the faint smile on his lips faded. His gaze, still tinged with a smile, turned cold and sharp, revealing a look of disdain.

Mortals, after all, were dull and dirty creatures.