Chapter 30

At noon, the dining hall of the Ghost Dao Academy was bustling with people, the scent of food wafting through the air.

Normally, by this time, the kitchen staff would have begun serving the dishes. However, since the Lord and Lady had not yet returned today, the meals were not rushed to the table.

But the demons were not left hungry.

Zhaoming and others had received orders from Mo Li, and they went to the Extreme Night Palace to fetch baskets of red phoenix eggs from the wedding dowry. They were distributing these precious red phoenix eggs to the demons of the Ghost Dao Academy.

In the customs of the Great Zhao, when a child was born or a marriage took place, it was customary to prepare red phoenix eggs for good luck.

Noble families would never use regular chicken eggs, but it was rare to see families like Yin Shan’s, who treated the rare and precious phoenix eggs—used for concocting immortality elixirs—as casually as chicken eggs, distributing them freely.

The demons holding the red phoenix eggs were momentarily lost in thought.

The last time they had tasted red phoenix eggs was back in Wuse City.

Demons didn’t need as much sleep as humans, and those who were slaves, like them, were given even less rest. The food they received was the lowest quality, without any spiritual essence, just enough to keep them from dying.

But all the demons and ghosts knew that whenever there was a joyous event in the upper-class families, they would receive a red phoenix egg.

What the joyous event was, and whose event it was, they did not know.

All they knew was that after eating the red phoenix egg, both their fresh and old wounds would heal, and their depleted Qi Sea would gradually replenish.

Standing not far away, Bai Pingting watched this scene, her mind filled with speculation.

Could it be…

Was it the people from the Yinshan family who used to frequently distribute these red phoenix eggs in Wuse City?

One demon ghost looked at the large basket of red phoenix eggs and murmured:

“Isn’t this red phoenix egg… quite expensive?”

“You don’t understand. The respected mistress is the noble daughter of the Yinshan family, the richest family in the world. She probably eats it as a snack every day!”

Chao Ming, who was passing by, overheard this murmuring and couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

Who would eat phoenix eggs as a snack?

He turned to ask the maid beside him:

“Have the bowls and chopsticks been brought over?”

The maid replied, “They’ve been sent to the back. We’ve arranged for three people to go to the kitchen. When the young lady arrives, they’ll just…”

“The young lady is coming.”

Hearing the maid by the window say this, the demons and ghosts in the dining hall immediately became alert.

It was time to eat!

Time to eat!

But before the dishes were brought to the table, the demons and ghosts first saw a group of maids dressed in light gauze with black hair, holding dusters and jade wash basins, gracefully walking toward the two empty seats at the head of the table.

Then, another group of maids brought the food.

The dishes were the same as what they usually ate, but the red-braised lion’s head, which would usually pile up into a small mountain, was now placed in a separate small plate, accompanied by some greens; the stewed pig’s knuckle that used to be brought in a large pot was now cut into small pieces and placed in a bronze cauldron.

As the maids arranged the chopsticks and chopstick rests, one demon ghost asked:

“What’s this?”

The maid smiled and answered, “It’s for placing the chopsticks.”

“Not that,” the demon ghost said, looking puzzled as it raised its tentacle. “But I usually eat with this.”

The maid: “…”

At this moment, Liu Yu and Mo Li arrived from outside, and the maids holding trays ran up to Liu Yu with a pitiful expression, dramatically reporting:

“—Miss! They don’t use chopsticks to eat!”

If it weren’t for their usual restraint, the maids would have almost screamed.

Mo Li paused his steps.

The demon ghost who had been waving its tentacle suddenly felt a cold, sharp gaze. Its soft tentacle stiffened and quickly retracted into its body.

Liu Yu didn’t notice the movement over there. She glanced at the demon lord beside her, her lips curling into a cold smile:

“Get used to it. Muddy peasants are like this.”

Mo Li knew she was criticizing him indirectly, so he just turned his head away slightly, not replying.

Earlier, by the waterside, after he said his “true words,” Liu Yu’s expression visibly shifted from anticipation to speechlessness.

Does he even understand!

What “true words” really mean!

Though this might indeed have been his true words… But in broad daylight, was this really what she wanted to hear?

“Has it been long? I don’t think so.”

As she said this, the young lady in his arms rested her chin on his chest and smiled at him:

“I think it could last a little longer.”

Recalling the malicious tone in her eyes at that moment, Mo Li sighed softly in his heart.

Actually, he didn’t mean that.

But for some reason, when the words came to his lips, his tongue seemed to have a mind of its own.

He remembered how Liu Yu had once praised him straightforwardly and confidently, and how she had asked him questions that seemed to want to dissect him completely, leaving him a little confused.

She always seemed to express her thoughts so clearly.

Whether it was her preferences or the answers she wanted.

In Mo Li’s eyes, this was a hundred times more difficult than mastering endless ghost flames or the art of summoning and controlling spirits.

The two of them sat down at the long table.

As soon as they were seated, they saw the mountain demon and Chao Ming emerge from nowhere, standing on either side, enthusiastically starting to announce the dishes.

Chao Ming: “Today, we’ve prepared honey-roasted quail, shrimp orange sashimi, stone-shelled turtles, crab roe, and a golden jade soup for the young lady.”

Mountain Demon: “Today, I had the kitchen prepare fifty red-braised lion’s heads, ten roasted lamb legs, a large bowl of red-braised pork, and a pot of stewed pig’s knuckles. If the respected mistress wants anything else, the stove is still hot, and we can make it fresh!”

Mo Li glanced at the mountain demon.

He felt the mountain demon had completely forgotten who he was working for.

“Is there pork?”

Hearing Mo Li’s question, the mountain demon paused for a moment and pointed to the pig’s knuckle.

“Isn’t this pork knuckle?”

“I mean, do you think there’s anyone at this table who is a pig?”

Mo Li gave the mountain demon a warning glance:

“Next time, if you bring such portions meant for pigs to the table, I will make you eat it all by yourself.”

Mountain Demon: “…”

How could this be for pigs! This was for the occasion!

But he didn’t dare retort and could only lower his head as the extra dishes were distributed.

“And you all,” Mo Li said, his fingers gently tapping on the table, his gaze sweeping over the demon ghosts at the lower end of the long table, who were devouring their food.

“Do not use your tentacles to grab the food, and do not lick the plates with your mouths—eat like humans do.”

As he spoke, Mo Li’s gaze settled on Fang Fucang and Yue Niang sitting among the demons.

All eyes were on them, and Fang Fucang and Yue Niang froze, their chopsticks hovering in midair.

Yue Niang was sweating profusely.

So many demons… some with horns on their foreheads, some with six eyes, all kinds of strange appearances.

Would they eat humans?

Since she was young, her father and brother had always said that demons and plague ghosts were the same—monsters that brought disaster to the human world and ate humans. She grew up in Taiping City and knew that demons would come every year to plunder the common folk—but they only targeted the commoners and never bothered with nobles.

So scary, so scary, so scary—

The demon’s limbs beside her prodded Yue Niang’s arm.

“Little girl.”

Yue Niang tightly pressed against the right side of Fang Fucang, her teeth chattering.

“How… how do you use chopsticks?”

Yue Niang was a little surprised. When she turned her head, she met the eyes of the demon staring at her face. Her hair stood on end, and she closed her eyes, trembling as she raised her hand.

The demons’ gazes converged on her hand.

They mimicked her actions, trying hard to grab the two slender wooden sticks.

Some broke the chopsticks from using too much force, while others couldn’t even pick up a piece of meat after a long time.

Although clumsy, they at least appeared somewhat human.

Yue Niang, with her eyes tightly closed, peeked through a tiny slit.

… They really don’t eat humans?

Liuyu, seeing the demons struggle with the chopsticks, clumsy like newborns, couldn’t help but laugh.

“Actually, it’s fine if you grab the food with your hands. I don’t mind.”

In her past life, she had hidden from others, and sometimes had to eat with her hands, not even clean.

“You don’t mind, but it still needs to change,” Mo Lin said, lowering his gaze to pick up some vegetables, speaking in a calm voice. “You can’t just sit idly by, waiting for the world’s prejudice to disappear on its own. Why should others tolerate it?”

Liuyu was a bit surprised.

The young girl bit her chopsticks and stared at him for a while before asking:

“You actually think this way?”

Mo Lin didn’t want to explain, but then remembered what Liuyu had just said.

If he didn’t speak, she would never know.

“…Since we’re already on the same side, I can’t have you return to the Immortal Capital one day and let them see that your allies are nothing but savages who can’t even use chopsticks.”

His tone was indifferent, as though it was just business. Liuyu’s eyes narrowed, translating for him:

“Oh, so you mean you don’t want me to embarrass you.”

Mo Lin fell silent for a moment.

Although that was indeed his intention, hearing her say it so bluntly even made him feel uncomfortable.

“…If you say so.”

Just as he was speaking, he raised his head, furrowing his brow and staring at a demon:

“Don’t make noise while eating.”

The demon, who had been slurping pig’s feet, immediately froze.

Don’t make noise… How do you eat without making a sound?

Seeing the demon nearly choke on its own food, Liuyu couldn’t help but laugh:

“A little noise is fine—actually, eating too elegantly doesn’t look appetizing. It’s better to eat heartily, it looks more delicious.”

The demon’s eyes lit up.

This was music to his ears!

How strange. Their master was more particular than a young lady.

Fang Fucang couldn’t help but take a look at Liuyu.

Seeing that the young lady of the Yinshan family was actually eating while watching the demons eat in a rough manner, her eyes and brows filled with amusement, Fang Fucang finally realized that she wasn’t just putting on an act.

Many noble families, even those who would let demons serve as footstools for their chariots, wouldn’t even want their shoes to touch something so dirty.

Let alone eating at the same table.

Let alone—

She was the daughter of the former lord of the Colorless City.

In the entire Da Chao, if anyone had the most reason to despise demons, it would probably be this young lady.

And yet now, she was getting along with them.

If this were all an act, Fang Fucang would think it was normal.

But if she was truly able to cast aside the enmity between the two races, drop her noble stance, and win over these powerful demons—

Fang Fucang couldn’t help but glance towards Yushan.

Could the jade-faced spider, who had only stood firm in Jiuyou by manipulating others’ hearts, still hold its ground?

On a nearby table, Chaoming, who had been eating quietly with the female attendants, seemed distracted.

“—Why are you upset?”

Zhaoyuan, who had just competed with a demon over eating, sat down next to him.

Chaoming looked at her stomach and couldn’t help but say, “You competed with them over food? Are you crazy?”

Although Zhaoyuan was known for her large appetite in the Immortal Capital, that was when she was competing with humans.

These demons, perhaps because they had more body mass, could eat several times more than ordinary humans, and the sight of them eating was quite intimidating.

“They’re really strong.”

Having eaten too much, Zhaoyuan propped her face with her hands, staring blankly in Liuyu’s direction. She spoke, but it wasn’t about food:

“You don’t like them.”

Chaoming furrowed his brows.

“…No.”

“Miss is getting along with them, and you’re not happy.”

Chaoming looked at the young lady who had eaten an entire lion’s head. His brows were tightly furrowed.

His eyes filled with complexity as he said:

“Ever since Miss married… she’s been getting too close to demons. I don’t hate these demons, but I just think about how people in the Immortal Capital would look at Miss… and it makes me uncomfortable.”

He and Zhaoyuan had grown up with Liuyu.

They watched her grow up smoothly, shining brightly, and always believed that their young lady would forever be the true pride of heaven.

But now?

Because she married a demon, Miss was called “the shame of the noble families” by the Ji clan’s scholars. Those young men who once pursued her now no longer even mention her name. Those who were once defeated by her were now mocking her and using her as a topic for idle gossip.

What were they even worth?

These were all things his colleagues had told him, and he hadn’t let Miss know.

He also knew that although the demons in the Ghost Path Academy seemed to have a better opinion of Miss, outside, in Jiuyou, there were still many people who held a deep prejudice against her.

“To fit in with them, Miss even ate pig’s feet. And they still have so much hostility toward her…”

Zhaoyuan looked toward Liuyu and said honestly:

“I think Miss just loves to eat.”

Chao Ming sneered.

“And besides—” Chao Yuan said to her younger brother, “They have their own position.”

Thinking about Wuse City, Chao Ming’s eyes flickered slightly, but he still said:

“Then I also have my own position. Miss treats them sincerely, but they slander her behind her back, and I am not happy about it.”

Chao Yuan blinked and pointed out, “You think they’re beneath you.”

“I do not.”

“You do.”

That’s why he felt that Miss had already lowered herself to their level, yet they still failed to recognize her kindness.

Chao Ming felt a bit embarrassed and angry, not wanting to talk to his sister anymore. He stood up quickly and walked out.

His mind was heavy with thoughts. As soon as he stepped out of the door, he bumped into a white figure.

“Ugh.”

Chao Ming didn’t even stagger when he bumped into her, but the person he collided with lost her balance and fell backward.

Chao Ming quickly caught her.

“Are you alright?”

Her long, moonlight-like hair fluttered in the wind.

She wore a pure white dress and had snow-white long lashes, looking like a woman made of frost and snow. After stumbling, she managed to steady herself with Chao Ming’s help.

There was a faint fragrance of plum blossoms in the air.

Chao Ming froze for a moment, then said, “I’m fine,” as the woman raised her gaze and smiled, “Thank you, kind sir.”

—-

After dinner, Liuyu heard that the person for the Ghost Play Immortal Ritual was here to tailor clothes.

Yin Shan Qi was indifferent to other things but had a keen interest in food, drink, and entertainment. When he heard that Liu Yu would not only attend the ritual but also prepare a Nuo dance, he quickly came to join in.

“Well… this fabric, although different from the style of Yujing, is quite unique.”

In the inner room, Yin Shan Qi observed the fabric sent for Liuyu to try. He ran his fingers over it and immediately realized that the skirt for the Nuo dance was quite valuable.

The peacock blue satin and the outer gauze fabric, whose material was unknown, shimmered in the sunlight, looking luxuriously stunning.

If gathered and worn on the body, it would ripple and glisten with an enchanting, wave-like beauty.

Yin Shan Qi glanced at the demon standing by the window.

Although she was indeed a “mud-leg” type, she seemed quite adept at taking care of the delicate flower of their family.

Behind the screen, Liuyu stretched her arms out while the other person took her measurements.

“…Are you from the Fang family?”

The Fang family was a prominent clan among the indigenous people of Jiu You, and the Ghost Play Immortal Ritual often selected female priests from their ranks. The person who had come to take Liu Yu’s measurements in her previous life was also from the Fang family.

But the person standing before her now wasn’t the same person she remembered.

A silver-haired woman slowly raised her head. Her pupils were very light, and she had an unusual, non-human beauty.

She shook her head.

“I am a demon, with no special talents. Fortunately, the Fang family took me in, and now I do some miscellaneous work.”

Her voice was soft, like snowflakes.

Even though Liuyu was a woman, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of protection toward such a gentle and obedient beauty.

“What is your name?”

The woman’s hand circled around Liu Yu’s waist, and a faint plum fragrance wafted from her.

“My name is A Jiang.”

Jiang means red, and it was strange for someone who looked like she was made of snow to have such a name.

After A Jiang finished taking the measurements, she had a colleague write them down.

She then stepped out from behind the screen, knelt in front of the demon lord by the window, and said:

“Aside from taking the measurements, I also need to teach the Nuo dance to the respected lady. May I stay here at the Extreme Night Palace, to wait for the respected lady’s summons when she has time?”

Mo Lin’s gaze shifted from outside the window to the kneeling woman.

The sunlight reflected off her spread-out skirt, and a jade pendant at her waist shimmered.

The jade pendant was translucent like water.

It was almost identical to the jade hairpin that Liuyu usually wore.

In the silence, Mo Lin’s gaze met Liuyu’s, who was standing beside the screen.

Liuyu also noticed the jade pendant.

In Jiu You, where could there be such beautiful jade?

“Agreed.”

Hearing this word, A Jiang slowly lifted her head, meeting the deep green eyes of Mo Lin.

This demon lord, whom she met for the first time, had a gloomy, otherworldly appearance and a chilling, mysterious aura.

He curled his lips and said:

“However, with the Nuo dance skirt, there should also be some accessories to match.”

“Do you think, if we take down the Jade Mountain, we can find suitable jade to match?”