"Humans and demons are fundamentally different," the Demon Lord murmured, his gaze fixed on the ten-thousand-zhang demon tower. "The gap is even wider than between humans and ghosts. One must remain vigilant at all times, or else..."
Or else what, Jian Lin didn't catch it. Just as she was about to press him, the Demon Lord flicked his sleeve and strode towards the small town in the valley.
Jian Lin lagged a step behind him, "Your Excellency Demon Lord—"
"Wait," the Demon Lord interrupted her, his voice cold. "Don't call me Demon Lord. Use a different address."
Oh right, if she called him Demon Lord, she'd be revealing his identity. But what should she call him?
Jian Lin's thoughts wandered aimlessly. She really wanted to try calling him "husband" to see how the Demon Lord would react.
However, for the sake of her own life, she didn't dare to say it out loud. She chose a safer address. "Young Master, have you been to the demon realm before?"
The Demon Lord nodded, seemingly pleased with the address. He replied in a low voice, "I have, to find rare and exotic beasts, but I've never interacted with demons."
Speaking of which, Jian Lin remembered another rumor: once the rare and exotic beasts in the Hundred Beasts Garden awakened and began cultivating, the Demon Lord would send them away.
It seemed that the Demon Lord had a clear boundary. His attitude towards demons was clearly one of keeping a respectful distance.
"Then what are we doing now? Is there anything I can help with? Young Master, please tell me, I will do my utmost." To curry favor, Jian Lin was excessively enthusiastic and proactive.
"You're so noisy," the Demon Lord was unappreciative. "There's nothing specific. We'll just wander around, pick up some demonic aura, which will make it easier to move around the demon realm later."
Jian Lin closed her mouth and shrugged. Fine, so it was just window shopping. She was happy to be at ease.
Two figures, one black and one white, slowly entered the demon town at the foot of the mountain.
As they approached, Jian Lin's attention was gradually drawn. For her, this was a brand new world. All sorts of bizarre-looking demons walked the streets. Red lanterns hung in front of shops, and street vendors hawked their wares incessantly. The place was bustling and lively.
Because he wanted to absorb the demonic aura, the Demon Lord deliberately led her into crowds of demons. In other words, where demons gathered, there were bound to be good things for sale.
Jian Lin was mesmerized, staring at the small squirrel rapidly spinning on a palm-sized golden pyramid. She was so shocked she couldn't speak. What kind of high technology was this?!
"Look, everyone, look! A simple spirit gathering tower! Buy one and place it on your bed at home. You can cultivate while you sleep. Only three spirit stones! You won't be cheated, you won't be fooled."
As the vendor finished speaking, the squirrel did a backflip off the golden pyramid. The moment it landed, it transformed into a cute little girl. She had her hair styled in twin buns, was only about the size of an adult's forearm, and was small, delicate, and adorable. She began to act cute with her big, blinking eyes.
Jian Lin's heart melted. She wanted to pay for it. It was only three spirit stones; she could afford it!
The Demon Lord couldn't stand it. He grabbed her and pulled her away, lowering his voice. "That's a demonic item. What use could it be to you? Besides, there are no shortcuts to cultivation."
Jian Lin snapped back to reality, shaking her head. "I know, but when that little demon looked at me, I couldn't control myself."
"Don't be fooled by its small size. Its cultivation is not below yours. It's using demonic arts to bewitch people, specifically to trick low-level demons," the Demon Lord said coolly, his disdain evident.
Jian Lin suddenly understood. No wonder she couldn't control herself. Speaking of which, there was probably no commercial law in the demon realm; selling things relied entirely on skill.
After squeezing through the crowd for a while, the Demon Lord couldn't take it anymore and turned into a small alley first. Jian Lin squeezed out of the demon crowd and hurried to follow his footsteps.
This alley was not the main street. There were few red lanterns, and the light was dim. The vendors were not enthusiastic, guarding their small stalls in silence, waiting for knowledgeable buyers.
The Demon Lord stood in the corner, arms crossed, gesturing for Jian Lin to stand by his side and wait with him.
Jian Lin didn't understand. She leaned against the wall next to the Demon Lord, but her attention was drawn to a small stall not far away. The smell was too familiar. Was that cumin?
She had been in this world for quite some time. The most she ate were辟谷丹 (bì gǔ dān - abstinence pills), which were tasteless and only filled the stomach.
The Demon Lord didn't care for delicacies, and his palace had no kitchen. Jian Lin hadn't dared to think of finding food. Now, smelling the familiar cumin, she couldn't control her saliva.
When was the last time she ate barbecue? About half a year ago, at a university同学聚会 (tóng xué jù huì - classmate gathering), they went back to the student street to eat skewers and drink, reminiscing about the past.
She couldn't take it anymore. Jian Lin's reason broke. She glanced at the Demon Lord, saw he was intently staring in another direction, and seized the opportunity to slip away. She crept to the stall and squatted down to examine it closely.
The old stall owner's voice was hoarse. "Little fox demon, here to buy alchemy ingredients? I have everything, and the purity is very high, with no adulteration. You'll know when you refine it. For the same price, buying mine is more cost-effective."
So it was for alchemy. Jian Lin casually scanned the stall. Besides cumin, there was also fennel, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and many other seasonings.
How interesting. So in this world, alchemy was like cooking.
Without hesitation, she took out all her spirit stones and bought a small bag of all the seasonings, storing them in her Qiankun bag.
Speaking of this Qiankun bag, it was something she had exchanged with the system after hard cultivation. She had originally intended to store the beautiful clothes and jewelry given to her by the Grand Steward. Who would have thought that before she could even sort and pack them, the Demon Lord would have taken her out?
But fortunately, it could still be useful.
After happily finishing her shopping, she turned around to look at the street corner and froze. Cold sweat broke out instantly.
The Demon Lord was gone! He had abandoned her and run off!
Jian Lin stood at the alley entrance, looking towards the bustling demon crowd. She waited and waited, but the Demon Lord's shadow was still nowhere to be seen.
She was both angry and amused. What was all this? She then asked the system, "A Zha, do you have any locating artifacts? Something that can let me always sense the Demon Lord's position."
The system was silent for a moment, likely searching. It slowly replied, "There is something similar, called a 'Qianxiang Yin' (牵香引 - literally 'fragrance-drawing guide'). As long as you bind the fragrance source to the Demon Lord, you can find him through the guidance of the scent worm."
"This is good," Jian Lin raised an eyebrow, preparing herself. "Tell me, how many points does it cost to exchange for it?"
"60 points," the system replied.
Jian Lin calculated, "It will take at least 6 days. That's acceptable, I can handle it."
But there was nothing she could do now. Jian Lin pitifully squatted in the corner, hugging her big tail, waiting for that scoundrel to come back and find her.
As she was bored, she suddenly heard three distant drumbeats. A demon shouted, "The Flower Queen is parading!"
Excited cheers erupted one after another. From the top of the Ten Thousand Demons Tower, two rows of red lanterns cascaded down, forming a light bridge in the air, connecting to the sky above the town.
At the forefront were two black bear demons. They carried large drums on their chests and slowly and solemnly struck them again. Behind them, musicians dressed in green with bird heads began to play.
The music was gorgeous and mystical, causing listeners to fall into a daze.
Blood-colored petals scattered. The black bear demons stepped down the lanterns one by one, followed by the bird-headed musicians. Gradually, small dancing girls in white skirts appeared behind them.
The little dancers all had white hair and moved with ethereal grace, blooming like snow sprites in the dark night sky.
With the atmosphere built up to this point, the Flower Queen made a dazzling appearance, stepping on a red lotus flower. She was adorned in a golden-embroidered red robe, her black hair like a waterfall flowing with the wind. She had a pair of pointed beast ears and a face of unparalleled beauty. Wearing a magnificent and precious golden crown, she danced gracefully in mid-air.
Good heavens, as someone in the same profession, Jian Lin commented that in terms of stage effects and visuals, the Flower Queen was miles ahead. She was truly rich and extravagant!
Just as she was watching intently, a cool breeze swept past her. The Demon Lord suddenly appeared, leaning against the wall and saying indifferently, "You're quite leisurely, buying things and watching the Flower Queen parade. Do you think this is a vacation?"
Jian Lin felt greatly wronged. She looked up at the Demon Lord, gritting her teeth. "Young Master, to be honest, you were the one who abandoned me."
The Demon Lord tilted his head, staring at the Flower Queen's performance, not wanting to argue with Jian Lin. He immediately changed the subject. "I just went to chase down one of Zhan Sandao's subordinates. Guess what happened when I caught him?"
Jian Lin's spirits lifted, and she immediately stood up to ask, "What?"
"I only mentioned the words 'Zhan Sandao.' He instantly suffocated to death," the Demon Lord said, glancing sideways, his eyes sinister. He gave a mocking smile. "Zhan Sandao anticipated someone would investigate him and placed a silence curse on all those who knew. How interesting."
Jian Lin was shocked. "He's ruthless. But with this, won't we lose many clues?"
"Indeed, investigating him is difficult. Currently, there seems to be only one option," the Demon Lord's gaze drifted backward, landing on the Ten Thousand Demons Tower. "Enter the Ten Thousand Demons Tower and find Granny Sheng Hu."
Jian Lin inexplicably felt a sense of foreboding. She quickly asked the system, "Who is Granny Sheng Hu?"
The system immediately pulled up information to answer her. Granny Sheng Hu, a rumored three-thousand-year-old fox demon, knew all the news in the demon realm and was second only to the Demon Emperor.
Trading with her was very dangerous. Granny Sheng Hu would strip the other party of their most precious possession as her reward.
How mystical! Jian Lin asked worriedly, "Young Master, are you planning to trade with Granny Sheng Hu?"
"Not me," the Demon Lord smiled sinisterly. "It's you who will trade with Granny Sheng Hu. My most precious possession is my cultivation. I can't give it to her. You're different..."
Jian Lin was annoyed, but upon careful consideration, she couldn't refute him.
She was indeed different. She had been forced into this world, with no family, no friends, no cultivation, and no wealth. She actually wanted to know what precious things she possessed.
"Alright," Jian Lin relented and agreed, saying indifferently, "We agreed I would do my utmost for you, Young Master. I promise to do this. No problem."
The Demon Lord's eyes were as deep as the sea. He retorted, "Aren't you afraid? What if Granny Sheng Hu demands your life?"
Her life was even less valuable. Anyway, the system would restart, and she would be reborn. Next time, she planned to choose to become the Demon Lord's little spirit fox.
"If she takes it, and it allows me to do something for you, then this little life of mine will be worth it," Jian Lin said cheerfully.
The Demon Lord stared at her for a few seconds, straightened up, and strode forward, saying潇洒 (xiāo sǎ - free and easy, unrestrained), "Then let's go quickly. I can't wait."