Chapter 14

“Is there something wrong with this person?”

Seeing that Liuyu kept staring at a particular name on the list, Mo Lin, who had been distractedly observing her, spoke up.

“A small issue,” Liuyu propped her chin up and lightly tapped the name with her fingertip. “It’s just… I almost died at his hands.”

Actually, it wasn’t almost.

In her past life, Liuyu had infiltrated the Immortal Capital of Yujing and, during the wedding banquet of Ji Fangzhanghua, she had stolen Tan Ning and escaped. When they reached the Misty Shadow Mountain, they were surrounded by hundreds of aristocratic children. The person who delivered the fatal blow was none other than Yan Wushu.

The Demon Lord across from her suddenly raised his gaze.

Chao Ming, who had been fixated on the bowl of pig’s hoof soup that should not have been on the table, snapped his head toward Liuyu upon hearing her words.

Even Chao Yuan, who had been hanging upside down outside the window, suddenly flipped inside. The two braids hanging from his head swayed in mid-air as he appeared ready to act at any moment.

Apart from their time at Lingyong Academy, Liuyu had always been inseparable from them, and Chao Ming could only think of things she had done at the academy. But he had the surname Yan.

In the Great Chao, most aristocratic families had compound surnames, and only those from aristocratic families could enter Lingyong Academy.

“Yan Wushu… Yan Wushu…”

Chao Ming muttered the name, suddenly recalling something. He turned to Chao Yuan for confirmation.

“Wasn’t it a few years ago that Third Master asked us to deliver a name card to Miss and have her hand it to Mr. Ji Yu? Was it this person’s card?”

Chao Yuan blinked in confusion.

Liuyu couldn’t remember the matter at all.

Seeing that both of them were confused, Chao Ming explained:

“Did you forget? It should have been about three years ago, when Third Master said that Mr. Yin from the Immortal Path Institute had recommended a talented candidate. He personally wrote a name card and asked you to deliver it to Court Official Ji Yu. With the Yinshan Clan’s name card, even if the person wasn’t from an aristocratic family, they could still enter Lingyong Academy’s Biyue Palace to cultivate.”

It had been so many years, but Liuyu, after sifting through her century-long memories, vaguely remembered the outline of this event.

The “Third Master” Chao Ming referred to was Liuyu’s third uncle, Yinshan Qi.

Most of the men from the Yinshan Clan were merely pretty faces with no substance. After Nangong Jing had supported the Yinshan Clan, he started selecting capable commoners from the clan’s estates, which led to the creation of the Immortal Path Institute.

Unlike Lingyong Academy, which accepted only aristocrats, the Immortal Path Institute took in students from tenant and servant backgrounds.

Nangong Jing had arranged for Yinshan Clan’s direct family members—those from the Yin Clan—to become teachers at the Immortal Path Institute and select talented students from these less privileged backgrounds. After graduation, most of these students would be sent to work at important positions within the Yinshan estates.

The most outstanding students would be recommended to Lingyong Academy.

Once someone entered Lingyong Academy, it was like stepping onto the ladder to success, with the opportunity to enter the imperial court.

Even if only a lower official, they would no longer be in the same class as the commoners, and with a bit of effort, their descendants might even rise to the ranks of aristocrats.

Yan Wushu… so he had been recommended from the Immortal Path Institute by the Yinshan Clan.

Liuyu chewed this thought over in her mind and found it absurdly fated.

“I don’t remember,” Liuyu picked up her chopsticks again and casually placed a piece of braised beef on her plate. “If I had to remember every insignificant person like this, I wouldn’t be able to do anything else at Lingyong Academy.”

Chao Ming practically wanted to snatch her chopsticks away with his eyes.

But Liuyu didn’t notice his expression. Instead, she looked up at the Mountain Demon and said, “This dish is done well.”

It reminded her of the days when she hid in a dilapidated temple in the Western Territory, Yuyuan.

At that time, the aristocratic families in the city had received news and sent their private soldiers to hunt her down. Liuyu dared not show herself and hid in the cellar behind the ruined temple, drinking nothing but rice soup for ten days. She was so hungry that she even dreamt of eating something with a little bit of flavor, like salted meat.

The Mountain Demon, grinning with pride, revealed his true form. The silver ornaments on his body clinked as his tail stuck up straight, aimed at the beam above.

“See, Miss really loves the food from Jiuyou!” he thought, delighted.

He had been up at dawn to supervise the kitchen, even planning tomorrow’s menu to ensure the Miss would be satisfied.

Chao Ming rolled his eyes at the Mountain Demon, whose face was glowing with pride.

Just as the Mountain Demon turned to expect praise from his master, he found the Demon Lord staring at the girl across from him, his lips curling into a slightly sarcastic smile.

“The young lady is busy managing everything, the center of attention, so it’s only natural that she wouldn’t remember such small details.”

Liuyu bit her chopsticks, feeling that his tone had a hint of sarcasm.

But he soon added:

“If he can threaten your life, given his background, he indeed has some ability. I just want to remind you not to be too lenient with him just because he’s capable. Otherwise, it won’t be good for him or for your family.”

“If you don’t restrain someone, the small faults will grow into bigger ones. I understand.”

Mo Lin glanced up at her for a moment.

The well-educated and courteous young lady was truly different. When she spoke the same words, they seemed even more profound.

“And—” Liuyu lowered the handkerchief she had been using to wipe her mouth, then looked up at him. “What ability does he have? Compared to you, he’s far behind.”

As soon as these words landed, Mo Li’s chopsticks in his hand paused for a moment.

Though he had heard clearly, he couldn’t help but repeatedly think over Liuyu’s words in his heart, turning them over again and again.

Liuyu thought of the force Mo Lin had sealed in the Mountain Ghost Dragon Bell that he had gifted her.

At her peak, before her energy sea had been damaged, she could have sealed her own force into a magical artifact. But after comparing it with the force Mo Lin had sealed in the Mountain Ghost Dragon Bell in her previous life, Liuyu thought that his was a bit more refined.

However, she was much younger than him, and it wasn’t shameful to lose a bit. He, at her age, probably wasn’t as strong as she was now.

“…So, what’s your next move?”

The Demon King across from her concealed his fluctuating emotions and spoke in a calm tone.

“Hmm… I have some ideas, but I need to visit a few of these strongholds to confirm,” Liuyu thought for a moment. “Chaoyuan and Chaoming are too conspicuous. I’ll just pick one or two reliable companions from your side.”

The mountain demon glanced at the revered lord beside him.

To be precise, Liuyu’s identity in the Nine Hells was similar to that of a hostage; she couldn’t easily leave the Nine Hells.

But he quickly heard the lord’s unhesitating response:

“Alright.”

“Later, I may need to borrow more people from you, but I won’t let you suffer. You’ll see when the time comes.”

The girl’s eyes shimmered with a calm smile, her demeanor one of a natural strategist, like a chess player holding all the pieces.

Such bright and confident beauty.

It made one only want to see her high above the clouds, unwilling to let her be touched by even the slightest speck of dust.

He nodded: “You’ve brought few people, and they’re not familiar with the rules of Nine Hells or the Demon-Ghost Great Wall. If you trust Bai Pingting, you can leave them with her to be trained. Apart from the army of Ten Thousand Ghosts, you can freely use the twelve Elder Gods and their subordinates.”

The mountain demon felt his temples throb.

Liuyu was a bit curious: “I heard the Demon-Ghosts of Nine Hells take pride in joining the army of Ten Thousand Ghosts… Is the patrol quite grand?”

A green-clad demon met her gaze and answered:

“Want to see it?”

Liuyu nodded.

In her previous life, she had spent most of her time cultivating at the Spirit Gathering Platform and hadn’t concerned herself with the matters of Nine Hells, so she had never witnessed such grand events that even people in the Great Dynasty had heard of.

“If there’s a patrol next time, you can come and watch.”

…But is it really something outsiders can just watch?

The mountain demon hesitated, looking at the seemingly indifferent side profile of the lord, and couldn’t help but think: Peacock’s tail spreading.

The next morning, Liuyu and the three ghost girls accompanying her boarded the ghost cart heading for the Demon-Ghost Great Wall.

The weather was perfect for a journey. Liuyu lifted the cart curtain to look outside. The sky was a clear blue, reflecting off the lush green grass below, reminding Liuyu of the time she escaped Nine Hells. It seemed to have been a similar season.

But back then, she had just fought Mo Lin over the Jade-faced Spider and trapped his people in the Yinggu Ridge area.

She had even torn up the contract in front of him, fearful that Mo Lin would come after her for revenge. She had traveled in haste, not stopping for a moment, with no time to enjoy the scenery.

…What had Mo Lin looked like when she tore the contract?

Liuyu tried to recall but found that she couldn’t remember.

She was once again certain that, in the past, she really hadn’t looked at him properly.

The ghost cart stopped outside the Demon-Ghost Great Wall’s barrier.

It was a massive wall built along the mountain ridges, stretching for miles, towering over a thousand feet high. It started from Sui Mountain in the east and reached Chi Shui in the west, spanning across the region and dividing the Great Dynasty into two parts.

Such a grand project naturally wasn’t accomplished in a day.

The Great Wall had existed for generations, and the immortal families of this era had only added four cornerstone dragon veins to the original foundation, turning the wall—once a defense against barbarian invasions—into a barrier to seal the demons and ghosts. To pass through, one needed the jade tokens given to Nine Hells by the immortal families.

Each end of the wall held a thousand jade tokens, allowing passage for merchant convoys and preventing covert military actions. It was one of the terms established during the peace talks between the two domains.

For the third time, Liuyu stood beneath the Demon-Ghost Great Wall and couldn’t help but feel emotional—

The Demon-Ghost Great Wall was less about blocking the demons and ghosts from the Northern Wilderness, and more about blocking Mo Lin alone.

They had ceded the Northern Wilderness to the demons and ghosts, letting them wreak havoc on the people. Before the demons and ghosts even thought of crossing the Great Wall, they wanted to find a way to deal with Mo Lin.

This was what the immortal families of the Great Dynasty had in mind.

But unexpectedly, Mo Lin hadn’t gone on a killing spree. Apart from killing the nobles who enslaved the people of Nine Hells and taking over the Extreme Night Palace, he hadn’t harmed the innocent.

After Liuyu sent this news back to the Great Dynasty, many in the immortal families were rather disappointed.

Because it proved that Mo Lin wasn’t a cruel and brainless tyrant.

To get rid of him, they would need to put in even more effort.

The three of them entered the Demon-Ghost Great Wall’s barrier with their jade tokens and changed to a common horse-drawn cart used by the people of the Great Dynasty. They entered Taiping City at the border of the Demon-Ghost Great Wall.

Having been there before, Liuyu knew that Taiping City was anything but peaceful.

It was close to the Demon-Ghost Great Wall, a city where humans and demons coexisted, and few powerful figures settled there, but commerce was frequent.

Nine Hells was desolate and needed regular supplies from the Great Dynasty, while the Great Dynasty also needed the jade and mineral products from Nine Hells. As Liuyu and her group passed through the alleys of Taiping City, she noticed that every stall sold something different.

“I’ve been here many times. I’m familiar with all the shops, big and small. Your Highness… cough, Miss, just tell me where you want to go, and I can lead you there right away.”

The red-haired demon walked ahead with a swagger, as though the road was his own.

However, a demoness beside them couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh.

Luzhu said irritably, “Tch, what’s so funny? Did I say something wrong? Who else is more familiar with this place than me?”

The demoness glanced over and turned to the girl who had already put on her veil.

“Miss, have you been to Taiping City before?”

Liuyu was looking at the lanterns hanging on both sides of the street.

Counting the days, it seemed like the lantern festival of Dazhao was almost here. When it came, the spring would be warm and the lanterns would light up the night, surely creating a lively scene.

“Didn’t you know?”

Though it was the first time the demoness had visited Taiping City, she seemed to have done more homework than Luzhu. She stretched out her words and cryptically said:

“Wherever there are people from Dazhao, there are shops owned by the Yinshan clan. And this place, where treasures from all over the world gather, is called Taiping City. In fact, it could also be called—Yinshan City.”

More than half of the shops in the entire city were owned by the Yinshan clan.

“Also, the land of Taiping City is actually private property of the Yinshan clan, and the city lord is Yinshan Qi, the third son of the Yinshan clan.”

Luzhu looked around.

Looking at the gold and jade shops, he suddenly had a clearer understanding of the word “noble” when it came to the noble lady beside him.

He couldn’t help but lean closer to the demoness’s ear.

“By saying that, you’re making it sound like our esteemed lord is reaching way up to be with them.”

“Not at all!” The demoness angrily retorted in a low voice. “Our lord is… well… she’s perfect for him… they are the perfect match!”

Luzhu curled his lips.

He turned to Liuyu and said, “But since that’s the case, why bother going all the way? Your third uncle is the city lord. If you want to find something in Taiping City, just say the word, and wouldn’t he get it for you?”

“Right…” Liuyu gave a subtle smile. “My third uncle is indeed very righteous.”

So righteous, in fact, that when a traitor appeared in the Yinshan clan, Liuyu’s first thought was of him.

Luzhu didn’t catch the hidden meaning in Liuyu’s words. After a brief pause, he half-jokingly, half-seriously said:

“Well then, Miss, why don’t you talk to your third uncle about getting a better price when we buy things in Taiping City next time? Last time, the仙灵紫檀 wood we bought to make furniture cost one thousand gold a piece, and that… what was it? The golden thread jade flowers, they charged us ten thousand gold for a seedling. It almost broke the mountain demon’s heart. They even said that they could guarantee the plants would grow well, but after half a year, not a single one survived. It was basically a scam!”