Chapter 104
The Demonic Cult.
The First Third Demonic Cultist Representative Assembly.
As the newly appointed Demon Lord, Xia Linxia was being egged on by her subordinates to go and duel those hypocrites from the righteous sects.
Xia Linxia crossed her hands, resting her chin on them. A glint of wisdom shone in her eyes as she mused, “I hear the ten major sects have elected a new Martial Arts Alliance Leader?”
“That’s right! Boss, if you go and chop down that fresh-out-of-the-oven Alliance Leader right now, you’ll immediately command the martial world and make those people bow to you!”
Xia Linxia’s eyes lit up. “What’s this Martial Arts Alliance Leader’s name? What kind of skills do they have, and are there any weaknesses?”
A subordinate sighed. “Her surname is Ji, given name Fengxue. We don’t know which sect she’s from, but she suddenly shot to fame in the martial world, and no one has been able to take her down yet.”
“Ji Fengxue?” Xia Linxia repeated the name with disdain. “Pah, what a girly name.”
“Boss, she is a girl.”
“!” Xia Linxia blinked. “But our Xia family has a rule against killing women.”
If not for that, her big demon brother wouldn’t have been entangled with a woman, abandoning his family and cult to roam the world with that vixen, leaving this mess for her.
The pressure was immense!
“If the boss doesn’t want to kill women, we can try another way, like kidnapping her, humiliating her, and then abandoning her!”
Xia Linxia’s eyes lit up again. “You’re a clever one. I bet you joined our Demonic Cult because you couldn’t find a wife.”
The subordinate: “Sob.”
Soon, a group of bunglers came up with a plan. The new Martial Arts Alliance Leader’s inauguration ceremony was next month, and heroes from all over were invited to attend. The Demonic Cult could use this opportunity to infiltrate, publicly disgrace the Alliance Leader at the ceremony, make her kneel and call Xia Linxia ‘daddy,’ and shatter their prestige!
Splitting into two groups, Xia Linxia led a band of trusted followers on the path to humiliate the light of the righteous path. But just after leaving the cult’s territory, she got separated from everyone. It was all because the area was full of towering trees, and all the mountains looked the same!
She traveled for several days, and when night fell, she was lost again. Her stomach was rumbling. She tried chewing on some tree bark, but it was inedible. Enraged, she howled at the sky.
Just then, the scent of grilled fish wafted over. Her mouth watered instantly, and she followed the smell out of the forest.
A bonfire was lit by a small river, where a woman in white was grilling a fish. Her long hair cascaded down her back. Just from her silhouette, one could tell she was easy to bully.
She cleared her throat and sauntered over. “What are you grilling? Grill some for me too.”
The woman in white looked up, gave her a look as if she were a lunatic, and then lowered her head again.
Xia Linxia’s pupils contracted: This woman is way too gorgeous! It’s dangerous for her to be out here alone, I must protect her... and her fish!
“Miss, do you know who I am?” Xia Linxia brandished her identity. “I’m a great demon. Stealing a fish from you is as easy as strangling you.”
The woman turned her back, ignoring her.
“Hey, I’m talking to you!” Xia Linxia circled around to face her again, squatting down to look her in the eye. “Look into my eyes. Don’t you feel even a little bit of fear?”
“...”
“You’re not mute, are you?”
“...”
Just as a pitiful expression appeared on Xia Linxia’s face, she quickly erased it. She was the new Demon Lord, after all; how could she not have some flair? So, she snatched the stick from the woman’s hand and took a bite of the grilled fish.
“Hiss—” Xia Linxia cried out, then handed the stick back. “It’s not cooked yet. Grill it a bit more for me.”
The woman sat motionless, quietly looking at her.
She thrust the stick into the woman’s hand and commanded, “Grill it! Or I’ll make sure you don’t live to see tomorrow.”
The woman, likely intimidated by her authority, obediently continued to grill the fish that now had a bite taken out of it.
Xia Linxia sat across from her, staring at the fish for a moment, then at the poor mute girl. She couldn’t help but say, “What’s your name? Where are you from? How old are you this year? Are you a fisher girl... oh, I forgot, you can’t speak.”
“...”
“But your clothes really suit you. Why don’t I call you Xiao Xue? Xiao Xue, are you a professional fish griller? Why does it smell so good?”
The woman remained silent, so she rambled on endlessly. Some people were deaf and mute, but Xiao Xue could hear her, she just couldn’t speak. That made her even more carefree with her words.
“Have you heard of Xia Linxia? She’s magnificent and unrivaled, a war goddess descended to earth, and her beauty surpasses even Xi Shi!” Growing excited, she stood up, drew her sword, put her hands on her hips, and laughed heartily three times. “That’s right, I am that very charming villain.”
“...”
Xia Linxia squatted next to her again, looking up at her. “Oh right, do you know what I’m down the mountain for this time?”
The woman glanced down at her and shook her head.
“I’m looking for someone. Her name is Ji Fengxue.”
A flicker of expression finally crossed the woman’s face, but unfortunately, Xia Linxia was blind to it and didn’t notice. She looked down and pulled a drawing from her robes. “Here, it’s this woman in the picture. Have you seen her? I heard she travels often, so a lot of people should have seen her.”
The woman in the drawing had a round face, round eyes, round nostrils, a round mouth, and round ears, with three strands of hair. Forget finding Ji Fengxue, it was impossible to even tell if the person was male or female.
“Is the drawing not good?” Xia Linxia asked, seeing her strange expression. “I had Qiu Xingzhou, the best artist in our cult, draw it. He assured me this was a self-portrait of Ji Fengxue.”
Ji Fengxue herself: “...” Qiu Xingzhou, was it? Added to the assassination list.
Ji Fengxue drew a question mark on the ground.
“Are you asking me why I’m looking for her?” Xia Linxia asked. Seeing her nod, she answered, “She’s become my greatest rival now, so I have to strike first. Kidnap her, humiliate her, and then abandon her.”
As she finished, she saw an inexplicable emotion flash in the woman’s eyes and couldn’t help but lean in closer to see. “What was that little expression of yours just now?”
Ji Fengxue hadn’t expected her to suddenly get so close, just a few centimeters away, and quickly leaned back. But Xia Linxia had put her weight on her, and so they fell backward together.
“Ouch,” Xia Linxia yelped, landing on top of her. Her head hit something soft. She instinctively grabbed it to push herself up, but her hand was so adept... it landed directly on another soft spot.
Awkward.
Xia Linxia looked up and saw a hint of anger on her face, and her apology vanished. What was she afraid of? She was a demon lord; this kind of virtuous woman was the easiest to bully.
So not only did she not let go, she even gave it a couple of rubs, putting on the face of a scoundrel. “Hehe, you’re quite well-endowed, little beauty.”
And then she was sent flying by a kick, landing right by the river. A little further and she would have rolled right in.
So when women went crazy, they really were this strong.
She patted her chest, only to realize she was spitting blood!
“No way, you’re this fierce?” Xia Linxia casually wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with her sleeve, then turned to rinse it in the river, when suddenly she saw a white figure slowly floating towards her in the water.
“Ah!!!” She scrambled back in fear, turning to hug Ji Fengxue’s leg and wailing, “Big sister, I was wrong, please don’t come for my life!”
Seeing her silly appearance, with tears of fright in her eyes, Ji Fengxue was reminded of a cat she had once found—all bluff but actually soft and cute. Ji Fengxue momentarily retracted the palm infused with her inner energy and handed her the grilled fish.
Only then did Xia Linxia realize it wasn’t a female ghost but the mute Xiao Xue. She wiped her tears, took the fish, and after a couple of bites of the delicious, tender meat, she began to devour it frantically. After finishing the fish, she scratched her head. “Thanks. If you ever run into anyone from the Demonic Cult in the future, just mention my name, and you can get a discount on your protection fee.”
“...”
Ji Fengxue extinguished the bonfire and turned to leave. A quarter of an hour later, she looked back at Xia Linxia with a questioning expression.
Xia Linxia waved her sword. Seeing her disgusted and about-to-leave expression, she hurried forward and grabbed her sleeve. “I’m lost, can you lead me out? A drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring. From now on, if you ever run into anyone from the Demonic Cult, just mention my name. Not only will there be no protection fee, but I’ll also arrange for people to protect you personally!”
Ji Fengxue pulled her sleeve back and continued walking.
Seeing that she wasn’t being chased away, Xia Linxia followed along. By dawn, she had finally walked out of the forest, but her legs were about to give out.
“Xiao Xue.”
Hearing the soft, sweet voice, Ji Fengxue was momentarily taken aback. She turned to see Xia Linxia sitting on a large rock, her black robes spread out, revealing a slender, long leg.
Xia Linxia casually used the front of her robe to fan herself.
Ji Fengxue: “...”
“So tired. Can we rest for a bit?” Xia Linxia looked at her pitifully, then tried another approach. “It’s too dangerous for a beauty like you to travel alone. Why don’t you stay and rest for a while, and I’ll escort you?”
Ji Fengxue checked the time and walked over to her side. Xia Linxia immediately and fawningly wiped the spot next to her with her sleeve. “Please.”
The two sat for a while and watched the sunrise. The sun slowly rose from behind the mountains like a salted egg yolk, gradually revealing itself and painting the surrounding scenery with color.
“A salted egg yolk...” Xia Linxia drooled.
Ji Fengxue suddenly felt a weight on her shoulder and her mouth twitched. Xia Linxia hadn’t slept all night and now, sitting down, she was so drowsy that she had fallen asleep on her shoulder.
Ji Fengxue looked down at her palm. The demoness of the Demonic Cult was right beside her. With just one strike, she could eliminate a major threat to the entire martial world. Besides, if she didn’t kill her, Xia Linxia would eventually come to kill her.
She once again gathered her inner energy, channeling it to her palm. Just as she placed it over Xia Linxia’s head, she heard the sleeping girl smack her lips. “Salted egg yolk, Xiao Xue... you can have it.”
A gust of wind from her palm destroyed the nearby weeds. Ji Fengxue suddenly withdrew her hand. Looking at the smile on the sleeping Xia Linxia’s face, she sighed internally.
Forget it. She could take Xia Linxia’s life at any time. There was no rush.
Xia Linxia was woken up by the heat. The midday sun was blazing. When she awoke, she was covered in sweat, yet she saw that Ji Fengxue was completely unchanged, her arm still cool.
“My god, you have such a great constitution. Are you warm in the winter and cool in the summer?” Xia Linxia couldn’t help but hug her arm. “Let me hug you, or I’ll take your little life.”
Ji Fengxue: “...” I really should have struck her just now.
The two traveled together for several days and finally reached Wuyi Town. Wuyi Town was nestled against a high mountain where the Martial Arts Conference would be held, so the town was bustling with excitement.
With so many outsiders, the inns were doing brisk business. Ji Fengxue went to several before finally securing a room. When she turned around, Xia Linxia was gone. She walked to the inn’s entrance and saw her drooling over candied hawthorns not far away.
Xia Linxia: “This, I want ten skewers.”
The vendor: “One tael of silver.”
“So expensive! Do you know who I am!” Just as Xia Linxia was about to draw her sword, someone slapped it back. Then, a hand reached out from the side, a tael of silver in its palm.
Holding the ten skewers of candied hawthorns, Xia Linxia glanced at the purse in Ji Fengxue’s hand. “Do all you women have one of these things?”
Ji Fengxue didn’t reply.
“Then why don’t I have one?” Xia Linxia asked the million-dollar question. She then saw Ji Fengxue’s gaze sweep over her chest and immediately tapped her on the head with a skewer. “What are you looking at!”
Ji Fengxue looked away, a faint smile appearing on her lips.
Xia Linxia ate three skewers and gave the rest to Ji Fengxue. “You eat them.”
After returning to the inn, Xia Linxia went to wash her face, but when she turned around, Ji Fengxue was gone. She searched the room but couldn’t find her, instead spotting a gray purse next to her sword.
A smile curved Xia Linxia’s lips. She tied it to her waist, looked left and right, and found it matched her clothes perfectly. She picked up her sword and went out to look for her, only to hear a few young women staring at her purse.
“That young master is so handsome, but it’s a pity he’s wearing a scented pouch. He must have a sweetheart.”
“Exactly. A scented pouch is a gift for a loved one. The craftsmanship is so fine, it seems she’s deeply in love with him.”
Xia Linxia’s heart skipped a beat, and she inexplicably felt her face grow hot. She left in a fluster, completely missing the two young women who went up to a young master wearing a scented pouch behind her to offer their blessings.
She wandered the streets for a while, feeling lost and disoriented, suddenly unsure of what she was looking for. A strange feeling arose in her, and before she could figure it out, she bumped into one of her trusted followers.
The follower said he had seen Ji Fengxue nearby and quickly led her towards a bamboo forest. Xia Linxia weaved through the bamboo, nearly getting lost again, when the follower suddenly waved his hand.
A powder filled the air, entering her nostrils. Xia Linxia’s head spun. As the world turned, she saw the follower’s lecherous face. She tried to push him away, her voice weak. “Get away.”
As she lost consciousness, she heard the follower let out a blood-curdling scream.
When she woke up, her whole body was hot, and she restlessly tore at her clothes. Her mind was foggy, and she desperately sought release, rolling around on the bed.
Just then, a cool hand touched her forehead. Xia Linxia immediately grabbed the hand, rubbing her cheek against the back of it. Her whole body was flushed a strange red, her eyes moist. “Xiao Xue, Xiao Xue, help me, I’m so hot.”
Ji Fengxue submerged her in water, but Xia Linxia still found no relief, clinging to her arm. “Xiao Xue, don’t go, hold me.”
Ji Fengxue draped a piece of clothing over her and then held her. The next second, Xia Linxia had torn the clothes to shreds and was burrowing into her embrace, her hands exploring her body. “I... I still feel awful, Xiao Xue... please, help me.”
Ji Fengxue was aroused, looking into her eyes. “Do you know who I am?”
“I know, you’re Xiao Xue,” Xia Linxia answered instinctively, not bothering to wonder why Xiao Xue could suddenly speak. She just knelt up and captured her cool lips, as if finding a sweet spring, and let out an emotional whimper. “Xiao Xue, don’t you like me? Help me, please?”
Ji Fengxue’s resolve softened. She held her and placed her on her lap. Her eyes were dark, a fire of desire burning within them. “Listen carefully, Xia Linxia. My name is Ji Fengxue.”
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