Rainwater fell on her robe, creating deep and shallow imprints.
Bu Jiang stepped forward, holding a cyan paper umbrella to shield Zanxing from the dampness on her head.
“Just as I thought,” she sighed, a layer of worry settling on her usually lazy brows. “If it were really that simple, your father wouldn’t have expended so much effort and still been at a loss.”
“Back then, Father did not refine the Xiao Yuan Pearl,” Zanxing said. “Moreover, I only have half of the Xiao Yuan Pearl. Could it be that because the other half is not with me, I cannot awaken the spiritual veins?”
Bu Jiang shook her head. “Gui Yansheng was severely injured in the Five-Wheel Pagoda and will likely be hiding now. Without finding him, we cannot find the Xiao Yuan Pearl. Even if we did find it, that madman’s strength is unknown, and Heishi City may not be able to contend with him.”
To have escaped from under the watchful eyes of both the Demon Extermination Army and the demon forces while injured showed that they had underestimated Gui Yansheng’s strength.
Thinking of Gui Yansheng, Zanxing paused for a moment. Perhaps because they were both demon royalty and shared at least half of the same blood, Zanxing could sense Gui Yansheng’s emotions and feelings when she was near him. Because of this, Zanxing could also experience the pain of the ten thousand ghosts devouring his heart as he cultivated the Path of the Ten Thousand Ghosts and Asura.
Although Gui Yansheng was now a madman with unpredictable moodswings who only wanted to exterminate all three realms, his current state was also related to Gui Diaotang.
She hesitated for a moment but finally couldn’t resist asking the question she had been meaning to ask. “Mother, what exactly is the relationship between the previous Demon King and Gui Yansheng’s mother back then?” Pausing, she continued, “At that time, in Heishi City, did the Demon King really issue a decree to kill all half-demons in the city?”
*
At the entrance of the Chaos Hall, two greenish-blue ghost flames glowed brightly, making the black demonic statues at the door appear even more eerie.
Everyone stopped at the entrance of the palace.
Tian Fangfang looked at the two ghost flames and couldn’t help but swallow. “Zanxing, I didn’t expect your true taste to be like this.”
When they were at Gufeng Mountain, the Mingxiu Courtyard in Miaokong Hall was personally arranged by Xuan Lingzi, filled with delicate peach and pink flowers that made the eyes swell. But compared to the eerie palace before them, the pink flowers seemed much warmer.
“It was really unfair to decorate her courtyard like that,” Tian Fangfang lamented.
Mimi, catching the familiar scent, excitedly dashed out from the hall and rolled at Gu Baiying’s feet. Transforming back from a silver lion into a big cat, Mimi could finally be hugged. Tian Fangfang bent down, picked up Mimi, and gave it a kiss. “Long time no see, Mimi. You’ve grown so much sturdier!”
The silver lion swatted its tail across his face.
At that moment, a man in red walked out from the hall. Even though it was daytime, he held a blue paper lantern in his hand and smiled at everyone, nodding as if he already knew they were coming. “Are you all here to see Her Highness? The princess is not in the hall right now. Master Xiao Shuang has instructed that you wait inside the hall. The princess will come to you when she’s finished her business.”
He showed no intention of stopping them.
Men Dong discreetly cast a sound transmission spell to Gu Baiying’s ear. “Master, they didn’t ask you to be Zanxing’s eighth concubine. Could it be that, after considering it today, Zanxing thinks you’re unworthy and has removed you from the list?”
Gu Baiying’s expression remained unchanged. “Be quiet.”
Men Dong immediately fell silent.
Meng Ying looked at Gu Baiying. “Martial Uncle, let’s go in and wait.”
There was nothing to do outside, so it was better to go in and wait, and also see the place where Zanxing lived in the demon realm.
Once inside the hall, everyone felt that it was indeed very splendid. Among the entire Gufeng Mountain, the most vibrant was probably the Jinhua Hall of Shaoyang Zhenren, but Chaos Hall was even more colorful than the Jinhua Hall. Although it sounded so desolate and cold, as soon as they entered, they felt it was quite garish. The hall was lit with hundreds of green lamps, their flames glowing with a blue-green light, making it look like a graveyard at first glance.
In the center of the hall stood a crystal pillar, intricately carved with the Nine Sons of the Demon Mother
1. The hall featured an exceptionally spacious white jade bed, and nearby was a small golden table. On the table were red agate cups and jade-colored bowls and dishes.
The disciples of the Taiyan Sect were accustomed to the simple gray tones of their sect, and they had never seen such a vivid display of colors. The contrast was overwhelming, leaving them feeling dizzy and deeply shocked.
What had seemed eerie at the entrance with the demonic statue now paled in comparison to the hall’s colorful, almost otherworldly decor.
Gu Baiying’s gaze fell upon a pool within the hall. It was already unusual to have a pool inside the hall, but what was even stranger was the sight of several white, glowing ribs at the bottom of the pool. The clear water around these glowing ribs also contained scattered spiritual stones.
“This is Water Lord’s pool, and those few Yin God’s demon bones were brought back by Water Lord from his hometown,” the red-clothed man carrying the lantern came over and smiled. “Her Highness is considerate and specially dug this pool for Water Lord in the hall. In Water Lord’s hometown, there is a custom of placing Yin God’s bones in a pool and throwing in spirit stones to receive the blessings of the Yin God and make wishes. Her Highness occasionally comes to throw in a few spirit stones as well.”
His tone indicated that he was quite familiar with Zanxing. Gu Baiying could not help but glance at him. The young man had an androgynous, exceptionally handsome face, and his loose red clothing revealed a collarbone as white as jade. Seeing Gu Baiying’s gaze, the red-clad man smiled lightly. “I forgot to mention, I am a person of Her Highness, Lantern Ghost.”
The phrase “a person of Her Highness” immediately stunned everyone.
“Are you saying what we think you’re saying?” Tian Fangfang asked tremulously.
Lantern Ghost looked at him in surprise. “I thought the Demon Queen had already informed you yesterday. There are seven people in the Chaos Hall serving the young princess!” He looked at Gu Baiying with confusion. “Isn’t Immortal Gu also coming to our Chaos Hall? Hasn’t the Demon Queen explained this to you?”
Gu Baiying’s forehead twitched with anger. “I’m not.”
“Oh,” Lantern Ghost showed a regretful expression. “I thought Immortal Gu was exceptionally handsome and accomplished, and that we were gaining another brother in Chaos Hall. Such a pity.”
At that moment, a young man in blue stumbled out of the hall. He appeared frail, walking slowly while coughing into a handkerchief. When he reached them, he looked up with a pale, delicate face, gazing at Xiao Shuang and then at Gu Baiying. He spoke softly, “So this is Immortal Gu, who is coming to our Chaos Palace? He is indeed very handsome.”
He then bowed gracefully. “I am Disease Demon, also a person of Her Highness.”
The Demon Mother is a powerful demon in Chinese mythology and the Nine Sons are nine powers associated with her