Chapter 69: Shěn Lí’s Return to the Demon Realm |
[December 31, 2023]...
Shěn Lí’s nose twitched as she walked into the main hall with Yōu Lán. She looked sideways and stopped in her tracks.
Yōu Lán, upon not hearing Shěn Lí’s footsteps following behind her as she led the way, looked back to see Shěn Lí walking absentmindedly towards the middle of the hall. In front was a red-tasseled silver spear. Yōu Lán had seen it before; it was the Azure Sky king’s spear, but. . . wasn’t the spear broken? She heard High God had forcefully taken it from the Demon emperor; but she never expected he would actually repair it and keep it displayed in the main hall.
Shěn Lí and the spear seemed to have a connection. It buzzed in excitement the closer Shěn Lí came to it, as if it was greeting its master.
Shěn Lí stood in front of the spear and stared at it for a while before suddenly smiling and reaching out for it. She held the spear in her hand like she had thousands of times in battle, turning it around and around. Murderous aura stirred the quiet air. With a clang, she slammed the spear into the slab ground, causing a such a surge of upward air that Yōu Lán’s hair and robe fluttered outside the hall.
Yōu Lán stared blankly at Shěn Lí with the silver spear in hand. It was like the blade was humming joyously as it glowed with cold light. The aura around Shěn Lí was so dazzling that it was hard to look at her, but it was also what made her so beautiful. This was Shěn Lí.
With a firm grip on her spear and a straight back, Shěn Lí looked like she could hold up the sky even if it was collapsing.
“Partner, I never thought I’d be able to fight side by side with you again.” Shěn Lí stroked the red tassel of the spear, but her emotion only appeared for a moment before disappearing. “I will have to trouble you in the future.” The spear turned into a ray of light and disappeared into the palm of her hand.
Shěn Lí stepped toward Yōu Lán with more determination in her steps than ever before. “Let’s leave quickly. I don’t want to fight with immortals at this time.”
Shěn Lí and Yōu Lán held their breaths to avoid the generals, then they stepped through the exit and into the Immortal realm.
Though security in the Immortal realm was much tighter since the last attack, the current guards stationed were not good enough to detect Shěn Lí and Yōu Lán. The two women went straight to the South gate. Shěn Lí looked down as they passed by a place and asked, “Was there another attack on the Immortal realm?”
Yōu Lán followed Shěn Lí’s gaze, and upon looking down, understood her question. “Your Highness, don’t you remember? That is Lord Fú Róng’s residence.”
Shěn Lí was a little surprised. “Lord Fú Róng? How did his residence become like this?” She could see the yard had been bombarded by something, and there was a big hole in the ground. The red flowers and green grass in the yard were pale, as if they had been washed by something.
Yōu Lán sighed thinking about Fú Róng’s failure to meet expectations. “My incompetent brother has never done anything worthy of the family’s pride since he was a child. This time, after learning of the Demon realms’s General Mò Fāng. . . oh, he can’t be called a general anymore. That person, my brother went crazy after learning about that person’s demise. His spiritual power exploded and blew up the yard. His power is so pure that he actually destroyed the flowers and plants. Everything was purified. He fainted and passed out for a long time after that. Once he woke up and learned about Mò Fāng’s rebellion, he refused to speak and wouldn’t let anyone take care of the yard. That’s why it looks the way it does now.”
That flirtations lord was actually capable of being hurt? And. . . his magic power was so pure. It turned out he wasn’t just bragging when he boasted about his abilities before.
Shěn Lí didn’t think much more about it. She only took a glance then continued moving forward. Once they made it to the South gate, Yōu Lán and Shěn Lí hid in the dark.
Yōu Lán said, “High God should be preoccupied in the Mortal realm right now. If you want to find him, go east.”
Shěn Lí shook her head. “I want to go back to the Demon realm.”
Yōu Lán was startled at first, but then she understood. Her eyes dimmed. “I don’t understand your insistence, but if it’s possible, I hope you can face it together.” Shěn Lí was silent and Yōu Lán saluted her. “I will go and lure the guards away first. When Your Highness finds an opportunity to leave, please do so.”
Yōu Lán stepped out after speaking. She said something to the guards and led them away. Shěn Lí’s figure was like the wind, and she jumped down through the South gate in the blink of an eye, disappearing somewhere into the sea of clouds.
Yōu Lán knew Shěn Lí had left, but she didn’t turn around. She looked high and far away. “It seems like I was mistaken about the movement there. It was just a mirage.”
Shěn Lí stepped through the gap between the realms and immediately frowned as soon as she inhaled.
After the seal was repaired, the miasma stopped leaking out of the Ruins and the atmosphere became cleaner and clearer. But today, when she sniffed the air, she could feel the air was more turbid than before. Thinking about it, bricks and tile fell from the Celestial realm when Xíng Zhǐ suffered a heavenly backlash. Since the Ruins was something he created, it stood to reason it would have been affected also. The seal was likely compromised.
The Demon emperor had to have his hands full. . .
Shěn Lí remembered what Xíng Zhǐ told her about Fú Shēng’s purpose. The guy had wanted to break the seal around the Ruins and release the demon monsters. Wouldn’t this be a great opportunity?
Upon realizing this, Shěn Lí knew she couldn’t delay, so she used the cloud to ride to the Demon palace, but she paused before entering as Xíng Zhǐ’s words came unbidden to mind. The Demon emperor had given her the Bìhǎi Cāng bead and taught her how to counteract it in her body. He was hiding something from her. . . No matter strong Shěn Lí’s conviction was, in the face of all that happened, it was inevitable doubts would creep into her heart.
But as she stood hesitating, an exclamation of, “Your Highness!” rang out.
The soldiers in the Demon realm were more vigilant than those in the Immortal realm. It was impossible for someone to loiter around without being noticed. Shěn Lí looked down and saw General Yì Shèng. Everyone raised their heads at his shout and thus saw Shěn Lí. The crowd became boisterous for a moment. In the end, no one knew who the person that took the initiative was, but he knelt down and bowed his head. It was a sign of the highest respect given in the Demon realm. The rest of the soldiers laid down their weapons and followed suit, kneeling down and bowing their heads, then exclaiming loudly, “Greetings to king on your triumphant return!”
“Greetings to Azure Sky king on your triumphant return!”
In fact, Shen Li had not won. In her previous battle with Fú Shēng, it could be said she suffered a disastrous defeat. She lost a general and was captured by the enemy. If not for Mò Fāng saving her and Xíng Zhǐ wandering the East sea, she would have been dead long ago. She understood they weren’t just referring to her when they said “triumphant”, but for the officers and soldiers sent to the border. In their hearts, she was a king who always prevailed in battle, a presence like a flag that never fell. It wasn’t just the strength of the Demon army that would suffer if she died, but the morale of the army as well.
Her return was a great joy for the Demon realm. She was safe; therefore, it was a victory.
Once Shěn Lí landed on the ground, she patted Yì Shèng on the shoulder and asked him to stand.
They had a lot of expectations of her, and it was because of this that she had to remain in the Demon realm no matter what.
“Everyone, stand!” She shouted loudly. “Return to your duties and perform them meticulously!”
They shouted a deep resounding “Yes!” to the sky upon receiving her orders.
Shěn Lí couldn’t help but smile. She turned around to help Yì Shèng up. She looked him up and down then asked, “How is the army?”
Yì Shèng’s normally stoic face held a hint of excitement. “Your Highness, everything is fine. It is just that everyone has been waiting for your return.”
Shěn Lí nodded. “I am back.”
Yì Shèng knelt down again with a plop, startling Shěn Lí.
“What?”
Yì Shèng was silent for a long time before replying. “Previously, there was news Your Highness was killed in battle. This subordinate reported it to the Immortal realm. At that time, Lord Xíng Zhǐ happened to present. I swore in front of him that Your Highness definitely died in battle, otherwise may lightning striking me. . . ” He sat on the ground, as if losing his strength and looked up at Shěn Lí dumfounded. “Your Highness, you have harmed this subordinate!”
Shěn Lí burst out laughing when she heard this. “If Xíng Zhǐ really wants to send lightning to you, then I will stand in for you!”
Yì Shèng hurriedly said, “Your Highness just returned and needs to rest! I will bear the lightning! I will bear them. If a few lightning bolts are enough to bring the Azure Sky king back, then I, Yì Shèng, will be happy to bear strikes every day!”
Shěn Lí suppressed the smile about to form on her lips, and instead patted his shoulder solemnly. “Go and handle your affairs. I have something important to discuss with the Demon emperor, so I will leave first.”
Regardless what the Demon emperor planned, or his intentions for her all these years, he had governed an army everyone was willing to invest in. How could such a person be detrimental to the Demon realm? How could such a person harm the child he raised with his own hands?
Shěn Lí waited quietly outside for a while after knocking on the Demon emperor’s bed chamber doors. She heard two coughs come from inside then the question, “What is it?”
She had listened to this voice since she was a child, but today, there was so much tiredness in the hoarse voice that it couldn’t be hidden. At that moment, Shěn Lí cast aside any suspicions she had and opened the door. She entered, crossed the screen, then walked to the settee, where the Demon emperor lay. The sight in front of her pained her. “Why is the injury not healed?”
The Demon emperor sat up immediately upon seeing Shěn Lí. He coughed twice in his excitement.
Shěn Lí sat down beside him and patted his back gently. The Demon emperor reached out and grabbed her wrist, squeezing it tightly, as if afraid she would run away. “A-Li,**The emperor affectionately calling Shěn Lí, similar to Li-er in usage.** I knew you weren’t that easy to kill.” He coughed and continued. “Master has always believed you were still alive.”
Shěn Lí’s eyes turned red. “Master. . . this disciple is unfilial. . . ”
The Demon emperor shook his head. “You’ve returned. . . cough! Just returning is good!”
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