"Sister Chu."
As Chu Lingwei stepped out of the mission hall, Bai Shan appeared before her.
"Shanshan, the Immortal Bell Grass you wanted, I saved some for you." Bai Shan had been waiting for the Immortal Bell Grass she planted. Chu Lingwei spoke before she could even ask.
"That's wonderful, Sister Chu. Let's trade now."
Bai Shan pulled Chu Lingwei to the outside of the mission hall, took off her storage bag, and took out nearly fifty Seven Seven Flowers, handing them to Chu Lingwei. "Sister Chu, these are my Seven Seven Flowers."
Chu Lingwei collected the Seven Seven Flowers into her storage bag and handed the prepared Immortal Bell Grass to Bai Shan.
"Thank you, Sister Chu. I'll be going now." Bai Shan counted the Immortal Bell Grass, and after confirming the quantity was correct, she happily left.
"Weiwei, where are we going now?"
Having submitted her mission, Chu Lingwei had two days of rest. She had collected the seeds for planting Immortal Bell Grass and would plant them again in two days.
"We're going to the closest town, Yanshan Town."
Having been here for three months, Chu Lingwei had gained some understanding of the situation.
The place she had inadvertently entered was an entrance to the Demon Realm. The place she was assigned to work was just one of the many towns in the Demon Realm. She had happened to land here and was assigned to this place.
The Demon Realm was vast. To go to other places, one either needed a transit token and to travel using a magical artifact, or to take a teleportation array.
Having completed her first mission here, she had gained some recognition and was allowed to freely enter and exit the nearest towns.
The demon race didn't worry about Chu Lingwei escaping because no cultivator of the Spirit Wheel Realm had ever managed to flee.
Any cultivator whose cultivation was insufficient would be killed or severely injured if they approached the Nine Dragon Tower. Countless cultivators had tried and none dared to go near it.
Newcomers to this place might struggle a few times, attempting to escape, but after several failed attempts, they would settle down and live and cultivate here.
Chu Lingwei, with her two small beasts, headed to the teleportation array. She bought three teleportation tickets to Yanshan Town and waited for an hour before stepping onto the array.
Accompanying them were two other human cultivators and several demon cultivators.
Cultivators and demon cultivators were everywhere; everyone was accustomed to it and paid no attention to each other.
Stepping out of the teleportation array, a wave of hustle and bustle washed over them. The aroma of various delicacies, the sounds of hawkers, mixed with the unique roars of various animals, made for a lively scene.
Everywhere they looked, creatures flew in the sky and ran on the ground. All sorts of large animals and various half-human, half-demon forms were present.
"This place is truly interesting." Feng Ming, nestled in Chu Lingwei's arms, looked at the scenery before her and couldn't help but shrink back. She wasn't afraid of being unable to defeat these demon cultivators; she just found their constant transformations into their true forms a bit jarring to the eyes.
"Let's find the Leng family's restaurant first."
Chu Lingwei also couldn't help but shrink her neck. A giant spider flashed past her, its enormous human-like face giving Chu Lingwei a bright smile.
Such sights made it feel like entering a fantasy world.
In the Demon Realm, it was explicitly forbidden to engage in combat. Anyone caught fighting would be arrested.
Chu Lingwei, carrying Feng Ming, walked onto the street, her senses on high alert, genuinely worried that she might accidentally bump into some large animal or step on a few ants.
"I see it, I see it."
Phantom Cat ran ahead and, upon spotting the Leng family's insignia, quickly returned.
Chu Lingwei followed the Phantom Cat to the Leng family's restaurant. Above the restaurant's entrance was a giant lion, indicating that the owner of this establishment was a lion demon.
"Let's go in and take a look." Chu Lingwei approached the restaurant, which was filled with guests.
"Esteemed Daoist, please come in." The waiter was a rabbit, its pink ears bobbing, quite endearing.
"Find us a private room." Chu Lingwei looked around. Since entering, more than a dozen pairs of eyes had glanced at her, some from demon cultivators, others from human cultivators.
She was clearly a new face in their eyes.
The rabbit waiter paused upon hearing Chu Lingwei's request and, after a moment's thought, led her into a private room.
"Give this to your manager." Chu Lingwei took out the jade pendant her senior brother had given her, applying a minor disguise to it so that ordinary people couldn't see its true appearance.
The rabbit waiter scrutinized Chu Lingwei, took the jade pendant, and quickly retreated, not even ordering food.
"Is this really the restaurant opened by Senior Brother?" Feng Ming jumped onto the table, half-believing. Was Senior Brother really this capable, to open a restaurant in the Demon Realm?
"Of course, it is! This has the Leng family's insignia," Phantom Cat asserted confidently, sure he wouldn't mistake the Leng family's emblem.
A moment later, hurried footsteps approached their private room.
Phantom Cat and Feng Ming, the two small beasts, quickly returned to Chu Lingwei's side obediently.
The door to the private room opened, and a demon cultivator entered, respectfully approaching. "Greetings, Fairy."
After bowing to Chu Lingwei, the demon cultivator held the jade pendant above his head and returned it to her.
"No need for formalities." Chu Lingwei took back the jade pendant, relieved. It seemed this was indeed the Leng family's restaurant. "Manager, I'd like to ask if there's a way for me to leave here?"
The manager looked up, his face troubled. "Fairy, if you wish to leave, you must wait until the Prayer for Joy Convention six months from now. On that day, I can send you away."
"Six months?"
The Cangshan Secret Realm was set to open in three years. She had already been here for three months, and if she waited another six months, a full year would be wasted.
"Yes, at the Prayer for Joy Convention six months from now, the passage to the Demon Realm will open," the manager stated truthfully.
"Is this the only way? I want to leave here as soon as possible." Chu Lingwei didn't want to waste time in the Demon Realm; she still wanted to return to the Cultivation Academy to cultivate in seclusion.
She had a premonition that her cultivation was just a step away from a breakthrough.
"Yes, this is the only way," the manager replied respectfully. "However, if the Young Master were here in the Demon Realm, he could probably escort you away anytime."
"Alright, I understand."
Chu Lingwei felt a pang of frustration. Did she have to go and ask her senior brother for help?
Seeing Chu Lingwei's helpless expression, the manager said cautiously, "Fairy, you can stay here. Don't worry about other matters."
Feng Ming's eyes lit up upon hearing the manager's words. Did they not have to go back to plant spirit grass?
The manager seemed to understand Feng Ming's thoughts. "Fairy, all human cultivators who enter the Demon Realm must accept missions. Please hand me your mission token, and you won't need to return."
"Let me think about it." Chu Lingwei did not hand over her mission token. If she couldn't leave the Demon Realm in a short period, she would still need to go back to plant spirit grass.