From the realm of immortals to the depths of hell, nothing compares to the taste of extreme joy and sorrow in this world.
Gui Yansheng stood there like a puppet, his face pale as he said, “I don’t believe it.”
“Don’t believe it?” The woman laughed, looking at him as if he were the most pitiful person in the world. “If you go outside and ask anyone on the street, you’ll find out whether I’m lying or not. The edict to execute half-demons is written on the vermilion wall at the city gate. Why don’t you go and see for yourself?”
Gui Yansheng tightly pursed his lips.
His hands were clenched into fists, his nails almost digging into his palms, but he didn’t speak. He merely fixed his stubborn gaze on the woman, as if by not believing, he could somehow make it not true.
The woman sighed, “It’s a pity. I suppose you came to Heishi City hoping to gain the Demon King’s acknowledgment. Your mother was a mortal, and you’re only a half-demon.” She seemed to remember something, and her voice took on a peculiar tone. “However, even if you weren’t a half-demon, you probably wouldn’t gain the Demon King’s acknowledgment. You must have noticed the entire city is decorated because…” She smiled charmingly, “The Demon King is getting married.”
“Married?” Gui Yansheng looked bewildered for a moment.
“Yes, the future Demon Queen is of pure demon blood, a match made in heaven with the Demon King.” The woman seemed to relish in his torment, twisting the knife deeper into his heart. “Now, the entire Heishi City is preparing for this union. At this time, you appearing here, I don’t need to say what will happen.”
Gui Yansheng stumbled, his voice hoarse as he said, “I still don’t believe it.”
“Don’t believe it?” The woman looked at him with a contemplative smile, suddenly stepping forward to grasp his hand. “Then let me show you with your own eyes.”
In the instant those hands covered him, everything in front of Gui Yansheng blurred, and when he looked up again, he found himself no longer in the eerie cave. His body was immobilized, unable to make a sound. He had transformed into a small golden snake coiled around the woman’s wrist.
He was now in a grand hall, adorned with the height of opulence and splendor. The hall was resplendent with gold and precious gems. On a crimson jade couch, draped with white wool cushions, reclined a beautiful woman. She wore a black robe typically worn by men, her dark hair bound with a lotus jade crown, her beauty indescribable.
A servant brought a basin of clear water for washing her hands, placed in a delicate golden bowl. The woman dipped her hands in the water leisurely, then dried them with a piece of white silk, and picked up a nearby mirror to check her reflection. She smiled radiant and dazzling, her beauty unmatched.
Servants approached carrying a box, speaking in respectful tones, “Your Highness, the wedding attire that the Demon Lord had prepared for you has arrived. Would you like to review it?”
The woman glanced at the box nonchalantly, “Just leave it there. I’ll look at it when I have time.”
She seemed indifferent, as if receiving wedding attire and being pampered were natural expectations. Her demeanor was one of laziness and arrogance, making her the most eye-catching presence in the magnificent hall.
Incongruously, Gui Yansheng suddenly thought of Jiang Yiru.
Years had passed since Jiang Yiru’s death. When she was alive, their mother-son relationship wasn’t as affectionate as others. What he remembered were the constant coughing and tears, and her increasingly stooped figure.
Jiang Yiru had once been very beautiful. Villagers said that when she first arrived at the village, men were eager to marry her because of her beauty. But in Gui Yansheng’s memories, his beautiful mother seemed nonexistent. She was always timid and cautious, easily distressed by the gossip and remarks of others. She lived in constant gloom, and one time when a wedding procession passed by, she leaned against the door, her eyes shadowed with melancholy.
One night, Gui Yansheng woke up to the sound of Jiang Yiru crying quietly in their room.
The title of Demon King sounded so grand, someone who could overlook all beings and trample on mortals. He couldn’t understand why, if the Demon King despised mortals and considered their blood so vile and lowly, he would entangle himself with his mother. The golden basin in which the woman washed her hands was something Jiang Yiru could never afford, even if she spent her entire life saving. And the wedding dress that Jiang Yiru dreamed of was casually tossed aside, not even worthy of a glance.
Why was life so unfair? If he didn’t want any connection, why create such tragedies?
A slight chill touched the snake, making the woman pause.
The golden snake, gazing at the woman in the hall, shed a single tear.
Mingming River in Heishi City seemed even deeper than before.
Waves roared in Gui Yansheng’s ears, and the boy stood motionless, his eyes devoid of any light.
The woman smiled gently, her voice soft, “I originally wanted to keep you as my next face. But since you are the Demon King’s son and protected by his bloodline, I cannot do anything to you. Since that’s the case, I might as well do you a small favor.”
“You might as well inform the Demon King of my whereabouts and have him kill me,” Gui Yansheng said coldly. “The Demon King’s bloodline might as well be the wretched half-demon body.”
“I can’t kill you,” the woman replied with a smile. “If one day you awaken the Demon King’s power and return to Heishi City to become its next ruler, who’s to say you wouldn’t become the eleventh lord? In this world, power is revered. If a half-demon is truly strong, even killing a king is possible.”
“You’re mistaken,” Gui Yansheng said with a cold voice. “I will never return to Heishi City.”
The Demon Realm was not his place. Being a son who was meticulously plotted against by his father felt like a joke here.
He had longed to find his father and discover his origins, but now that the truth had come to light, it was unbearably humiliating. He was neither demon nor human, but someone rejected by both races. Fortunately… Gui Yansheng clutched the fish pellets beneath him. Fortunately, he still had a companion through thick and thin.
At least Xiao Chun would never abandon him.
As the black fish drew closer to the shore, a strong scent of blood wafted from the dense forest. The stench invaded his nostrils, making Gui Yansheng suddenly feel uneasy.
When he left, Xiao Chun was waiting for him here. She appeared gentle and fragile, but she was clever and courageous, the most trustworthy person in his life, and the last warmth he had in this world.
Gui Yansheng found Xiao Chun’s mangled corpse in the depths of the forest.
Her heart was empty, her expression filled with terror, and her eyes were wide open in death.