Chapter 19

The chaotic battle ended at dawn.

Under the command of the Mountain Demon Dragon Bell, the 3,000 demons of Luming Mountain surrounded Tengjian. Shentu originally intended to use the momentum of a thousand demons on patrol to crush them directly but was stopped by Yulei.

“This group of demons can be brought under the control of the Nine Underworlds; we should try to avoid unnecessary casualties.”

Shentu thought his brother was being too merciful.

However, seeing that the Lord seemed to agree with his brother, he didn’t argue.

Once Mo Li decided to summon a thousand demons to this place tonight, Tengjian’s defeat was inevitable, it was just a matter of how he would die.

But what was surprising was that a mere soldier from Luming Mountain could receive the honor of being personally killed by the Lord.

“…For the sake of the Mountain Demon Dragon Bell, I will allow you to speak your final words.”

Under the control of the technique for commanding ghosts, Tengjian’s kneecap was shattered as it slammed into the ground, turning to dust. He never even had the chance to fight properly against the current Demon Lord, and now, was he really going to die?

Tengjian was full of unwillingness, but he was powerless, gritting his teeth and saying:

“Today… your victory… is not truly yours. It’s just that you, a mere child, received the heavens’ favor… it’s the law of ghosts that killed me! This ghost law should belong to Lord Yuantian. What is your background, Mo Li? Born from humble origins, imprisoned in the colorless city for a hundred years, forgotten and nameless. Just because you happened to have good luck, you dared to usurp the throne and seize power…”

A faint sound of bones breaking.

Before Tengjian could finish, Mo Li, who had been holding his neck, suddenly and without warning twisted off his head, as if crushing an insignificant ant.

His long eyelashes shaded his indifferent eyes, with a strange sense of pity amidst the cruelty.

— The demons and ghosts in Dazhao had become so lowly, they had sunk into the mud. Did they really need to rank each other by their status and importance?

However, what Tengjian said wasn’t entirely without reason.

Born of lowly origins.

Forgotten and nameless.

He had struck it lucky.

All that was being said referred to him.

To possess both demon energy and ghost energy was a rare feat—there might not be even one among the thousands of demons and ghosts who could achieve it. He indeed had struck it lucky, for it was only through this fortune that he later came to comprehend the boundless ghost flames, receive the heavenly law of ghosts, and ultimately master the art of calling and controlling ghosts by name, granting him the ability to command countless demons and ghosts.

But it was merely luck.

He took the Mountain Ghost Dragon Bell from Teng Jian’s hands, crushing the outer shell of the power while also recalling the words the girl had spoken earlier.

She had said that he was a rare powerhouse in the world.

However, as he lowered his gaze, the figure of the girl, adorned in golden robes with a jade hairpin, appeared in his mind.

He had seen her practicing swordsmanship throughout the night.

He had seen her troubled, nearly pulling her hair out, over a heart method she couldn’t comprehend.

The stubborn and proud girl would row a boat alone on the creek at night, swallowing her grievances after being defeated by others, but would soon regain her spirit and repeatedly challenge the stronger opponents until she overcame them.

And there was that day of the two realms peace talks.

Among the many elders who feared and respected demons and ghosts, only she dared to point at the Demon Lord, who was likely her family’s enemy, and declare—she could marry into the Nine Hells to form an alliance and stop the war between the two realms.

He was nothing special.

The rare powerhouse she spoke of was clearly her, not him.

“Here.”

He wrapped the bloodstained Mountain Ghost Dragon Bell in a clean silk handkerchief and placed it into Liuyu’s palm.

The copper bell was heavy.

Wrapped in soft silk, it felt different against her palm.

In truth, Liuyu didn’t think she needed the Mountain Ghost Dragon Bell in this life, but when Mo Li so willingly placed it into her hand, a sour and tingling emotion unexpectedly seeped out from her heart.

She suddenly wanted to know what Mo Li had been thinking in his previous life when he handed her the Mountain Ghost Dragon Bell.

But unfortunately—

“What a big move, handing over three thousand demons and ghosts so easily, could it be a scam?”

Just then, Yin Shanqi, who had woken up at some point, happened to witness the bell being given away. With his head still throbbing, he moved over, eager to join the scene.

Liuyu took the Mountain Ghost Dragon Bell and tucked it away, giving him a half-smile:

“You just reminded me. After all, I did save the Third Master of the Yinshan family. That life has quite some weight—tonight, to save you, a thousand demons are out on patrol, and all the military expenses and rewards for the operation should be paid for by the Third Master.”

Yin Shanqi’s smirk froze, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at Liuyu.

Military expenses? Rewards?

Mo Li hadn’t even spoken yet, so why was this little brat helping outsiders trick his own family?

Shentu and Yu Lei exchanged a glance.

—Being part of the patrol of ten thousand demons was an honor, and there were military expenses and rewards?

—Not sure, but it sounds great.

“Forget it.”

Yin Shanqi waved his hand, saying that money could solve any problem.

“Military expenses are fine, my life is worth something, but what about next? The mess in Taiping City, and these demons—they’re different from the Nine Hells demons, their demonic nature hasn’t disappeared, they’re probably hard to manage.”

Liuyu’s gaze swept over Fang Fucang, who immediately took the hint and stepped back.

Only then did Liuyu speak privately:

“I spared one of their spies, he’s likely on his way back to the Southern Land. Once he successfully delivers the message, Yin Shanqi’s identity will be dead in the open.”

Yin Shanqi: “Then who am I if I’m not Yin Shanqi? Your mother made me stay in Taiping City for three years before she would bring me back.”

Liuyu smiled with her eyes narrowing: “You can come to the Nine Hells.”

“Nine Hells? Who would want to go to that desolate place…”

Yin Shanqi blurted out, but then he remembered that he was not in Taiping City or the Immortal Capital Yujing.

Looking around, he saw real demons and ghosts, with the largest one standing beside his smiling niece, her gaze coldly fixed on him.

Yin Shanqi swallowed his words and quickly changed his tone:

“So, you mean I should stay in Nine Hells for the rest of my life? Fine, I can stay next to you guys…”

“Dream on.”

Liuyu decisively rejected him:

“The family is in danger. Don’t talk about you, even the guard dog of the Yinshan family will be dragged out to help. The reason I’m allowing you to slip away is to have you do things in the shadows for our family.”

Now that several major families had surrounded them, even though Liuyu had the advantage of reincarnation, it would still be unwise to confront them head-on.

That’s why she came up with the idea of having Yin Shanqi withdraw in a golden cicada molt fashion.

Nangong Jing hadn’t responded immediately to her words, but at least for the Taiping City matter, he had given her a chance to act, letting her take a risk.

Words alone were too weak.

Liuyu would prove her correctness through action.

Yin Shanqi had doubts, but seeing how serious Liuyu was, as though the Yinshan family was truly facing a life-and-death crisis, he didn’t ask any more questions.

After all, for years, the people in the Yinshan family had grown accustomed to being arranged by women.

It was just from one Nangong Jing to the daughter of Nangong Jing.

“Well then, Taiping City—”

Yin Shanqi’s gaze turned playful, and with a smile, he looked at Mo Li.

“The ten thousand demons patrol is such a grand affair. By dawn, the people in the nearby cities will probably know that Taiping City is now under your control. Since that’s the case, nephew-in-law, would you send the household items from the estate back to the Nine Hells for me?”

His newly acquired pair of lovebirds were still in the estate.

Not sure what he heard, Mo Li, who had been silent, finally showed some reaction.

He lifted his half-lidded gaze, and as the morning sunlight filtered into his eyes, the detached aura around him seemed to lessen.

Mo Li looked at his third uncle, who looked a bit like Liuyu.

He recalled the complaints from the mountain demon during the wedding preparations, saying that when the people of Taiping City heard that the Nine Hells were purchasing wedding items, they deliberately inflated the prices. It made him so angry that he had to travel across three cities to make the purchases himself.

He also remembered that the Jade-faced Spider, which had previously only been active in the Jade Mountain area, suddenly became extravagant one day. They hosted a grand banquet on Jade Mountain and maintained close ties with the various city lords of Nine Hells. The ghost girls had sent out ghostly insects, which indicated that people from Jade Mountain had visited the Yin Mountain family’s residence in Taiping City.

Yin Shanqi disliked him, and he knew this well.

Liuyu stared silently at her third uncle.

He didn’t even ask her who she planned to give the position of Taiping City Lord to, but was concerned about his own birds. Truly hopeless.

“Don’t mind him; he doesn’t lack these things…”

“Alright.”

Mo Li answered quickly and decisively.

Since it was agreed, one thing could be handled, and so could two.

“What else?”

Yin Shanqi smiled.

“The leader of Taiping City, Wu Zhi, is considered one of my trusted subordinates. He followed me all the way from Yujing to this remote place… to the outskirts of the Demon Ghost Wall. You assess the situation; if he can be informed of these matters, send him to Nine Hells. If not, just send him back to Yujing. At least, he won’t have wasted his talents.”

Mo Li nodded in agreement.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the look in the young woman’s eyes. Mo Li’s brows twitched slightly.

“What’s wrong?”

Liuyu’s eyes gleamed with a trace of amusement, but she didn’t answer. She simply looked at him, as if she could peer deep into his heart.

“Nothing.”

She casually sighed:

“Our leader truly is omnipotent and always responsive.”

Mo Li: “…”

The mountain demon overheard this conversation.

The people of the Yin Mountain family, from Miss Yin Shan Liuyu to Third Master Yin Shanqi, were not unkind to those who served them.

But then why did they insist on building that Colorless City and forcefully collect demons and ghosts to partake in lowly businesses for the entertainment of the nobility?

The mountain demon was filled with doubts.

But at least now, he could separate his view of Liuyu and the entire Yin Mountain family and no longer hold a grudge.

After their discussion, they would split into two groups.

Yin Shanqi would lead the majority of the demons and ghosts back to Nine Hells, bringing the three captured subordinates back to be kept in Nine Hells for training.

Of course, Fang Fuchang wouldn’t be easily assigned to a position right away. He still needed to go through verification by Chaoyuan and Chaoming; otherwise, if he was just pretending to switch sides as a spy, it would be like inviting the wolf into the house.

Fang Fuchang was fully aware of this process and didn’t feel offended. Before leaving, he even mentioned to Liuyu:

“By the way, there was someone hiding in the shadows during the incident on the cliff. You know about this, right?”

Liuyu nodded. “Yes, I did it on purpose.”

He had guessed as much.

Fang Fuchang continued: “That person could be considered part of the Yin Mountain family, but he has grand ambitions. He’s also working for the Zhongli family. His name is Yan Wushu, and his family lives right here in Taiping City. He’s ruthless and doesn’t care about the lives of his own people for the sake of his future. If you encounter him again, be cautious.”

…Why did she hear that name again?

Liuyu furrowed her brows.

He had entered Lingyong Academy with her family’s nameplate, and now he was working for the Zhongli family. In the future, he would even be a trusted subordinate of Jiufang Zhanghua.

What kind of three-family servant was this?

Doing three jobs at once, he must have quite a bit of energy.

“I understand.” Liuyu’s expression turned serious, but she still didn’t forget to respond, “Your first month’s salary will be doubled.”

Fang Fuchang, satisfied, was taken away by Zhang Zhu.

The mountain demon quickly prepared the carriage and took Liuyu and Mo Li to Taiping City, where the previous night’s chaos had occurred.

They expected to see a city in disarray, but as their carriage passed through the roads of Taiping City, they were surprised to see that things weren’t as chaotic as they imagined.

On both sides of the main road, people were either clearing the streets or repairing roof tiles. Some places had even set up brand-new lanterns.

Not only had the sudden disaster from the previous night not caused panic, but the people were also diligently going about their work, restoring everything to normal.

“The few cities along the Demon Ghost Wall are used to such things. Tonight is the Lantern Festival, a major money-making opportunity. They can’t afford to be careless with worries, so they work swiftly and efficiently.”

Outside the carriage, the voice of the bearded leader they had seen last night was heard.

Since Yin Shanqi had personally vouched for him as a trusted subordinate, Liuyu didn’t hide the fact that Yin Shanqi was pretending to be dead, asking if he would be willing to go to Nine Hells.

Although the news of his master’s “death” had initially excited Wu Zhi, hearing that he would be sent to Nine Hells with no set return date made him hesitate. Even though he was loyal to Yin Shanqi, there was some doubt.

After a moment, Wu Zhi seemed to make up his mind. He gritted his teeth and said:

“Third Master has been like a rebirth to me. I’ll go through fire and water for him! Nine Hells is nothing; I’ll go!”

The mountain demon, hearing this, rolled his eyes.

Nine Hells was a beautiful place, but how could it compare to a mountain of swords and a sea of fire?

“It’s not as dramatic as it sounds. Things will be done as usual, but with more secrecy. You’ll just be serving the Demon Lord now, that’s all.”

“…I understand, sir.”

Though he said that, Liuyu still saw some resolve in Wu Zhi’s face, as though he was heading towards his own death.

…Surely Nine Hells isn’t that bad?

Liuyu thought for a moment.

It was just that the resources were a bit scarce, flowers couldn’t even grow, and there were all kinds of strange demons. The demons had very poor cultural standards and often didn’t take off their shoes when entering rooms, always getting the floors dirty…

Never mind.

For someone who had seen the grandeur of the Immortal City, the advantages of Nine Hells weren’t that many.

After Wu Zhi was called to help organize the cleanup, Liuyu sighed inwardly.

“Even a big brute from a rural place like Taiping City dislikes where I live. Heh, when we get back, Nine Hells will have to undergo a complete transformation. Today, they look down on Nine Hells, but I’ll make sure they can never reach it again…”

Mo Li remained silent, his elbow propped on the armrest, his head tilted slightly as he watched her expression while she spoke.

She was so angry.

So dissatisfied.

It was as if she hadn’t even realized that in her words, “Jiuyou” had already become “our Jiuyou,” instead of the disdainful tone she used when she first arrived at the Spirit Gathering Platform, always referring to them as “your Jiuyou.”

And she had even mentioned the future.

His dark green eyes reflected the serious side of the young girl as she schemed, and Mo Li spoke:

“If you need more help, let me know.”

“I know.”

“If they don’t listen to you, it’ll be quicker if you tell me.”

“I understand.”

“Now that you’re here, do you want to go see the lantern festival tonight?”

“Then let’s go…”

Liuyu paused for a moment, surprised. She looked up at the green-clad demon next to her.

Why did he suddenly want to go see the lanterns?

He was lifting the curtain of the carriage, looking at the common people along the street, who were climbing ladders to hang lanterns.

The lanterns, shaped in various styles, hung high on both sides of the street. Some resembled lifelike lotus flowers, others were shaped like rabbits, lively and cute, and some had puzzles written with magical symbols. If you answered correctly, the spell on the lantern would unravel, sending the lantern into the night sky to burst into fireworks.

“Didn’t expect you to be interested in this,” Liuyu teased him as she followed his gaze.

“But can you solve puzzles?”

Mo Li lowered his gaze, his eyes fixed on her delicate face, so close that he could almost see the fine soft hairs on her skin.

His throat moved slightly.

He averted his eyes.

“…I can’t.”

But long, long ago, he had wanted to be the one standing beside her openly, watching the lanterns together.