Xue Tuzi and Li Zhameng were dumbstruck at the tale unfolding right before them, jaws nearly touching the floor. And here I was thinking I was some great hero, bravely saving a beauty from a vicious demon, Yi Ming thought with a deep internal sigh. Turns out, there's a whole tragic backstory…
Just as he began digesting the revelation, a loud, raspy cough echoed in his ears, practically vibrating his eardrums. Grimacing, he clapped his hands over his ears, trying to muffle the obnoxious gagging, but the sound persisted, relentless and grating.
Suddenly, a bright screen appeared in front of him, flashing a line in bold, obnoxious text:
CONGRATULATIONS, USER! BACKSTORY OF DEMON LORD YANHUA AND HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE SHILIU ACQUIRED!
"Great," Yi Ming muttered, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "Isn't the goal to save the humans and extinguish the fires? Or did I miss the memo?" He glared at the screen, questioning the system.
THE GOAL IS FOR THE SHOU AND GONG TO HAVE THEIR FIRST ROMANTIC ENCOUNTER, the system responded still coughing, seemingly oblivious to Yi Ming's frustration.
"They kinda did already, right? I mean, why else would the 500 life points be pending?" Yi Ming pressed, desperation creeping into his voice. But the screen dimmed, and the system fell silent. No matter how much he shouted into the void, his words seemed to vanish into nothingness.
"Damned scammy hag!" he spat, crossing his arms, seething as the unanswered questions hung in the air. He rolled his eyes turning his attention to Shiliu.
"Alright, but what about the imprisoned humans? And the mountain he set on fire?" Xue Laohu pressed, his voice tinged with both annoyance and urgency. His brows furrowed as he leaned forward, clearly unwilling to let this go.
Shiliu sighed, a hint of irritation in his tone as he responded, "I already told you, those humans gambled... and they lost. They racked up debts they couldn't pay. My Lord simply delivered their punishment. As for the mountain, well, it's there to keep them out—and yet, they still sneak in, seeking an audience with him. They practically beg for it!"
"And how do I know he's not just cheating them, locking up a bunch of innocent people to inflate his power?" Xue Laohu retorted, folding his arms as he cast a wary glare.
Shiliu's eyes flared with indignation. "You dare insult my Lord's honor? He is fair, and just. He delivers rewards and punishments without bias. Not long ago, he even gifted three mystical items to gamblers who managed to win. Do you think he'd hand over relics of that caliber if he wasn't bound by his own code of honor?"
Xue Laohu's skeptical expression softened, just a little. "Wait… the three mystical items?"
A smirk played at the corner of Shiliu's mouth as he recited, "The Mirror of Reflection, the Celestial Compass, and the Scroll of Recurring Nightmares."
Fuck, Yi Ming thought, feeling a pang of dread settle in his stomach. Those are the items I was sent here to retrieve, along with putting out the fire and bringing back Shiliu. Now it turns out this whole mess is more twisted than I thought.
He cleared his throat and tried a different angle, hoping for a scrap of useful information. "Do you… know the identities of those who won the items?"
Shiliu shrugged nonchalantly. "I wouldn't know. Only my Lord keeps track of such things."
"Shizun, what are we going to do?" Li Zhameng asked, worry etched across his face. "If Shudu Gongzi or A-Tuzi reach Lord Yanhua first, he's as good as dead!"
Xue Laohu's eyes widened in alarm, knowing all too well how brash and hot-headed both Shudu and Xue Tuzi could be. The thought of them storming in without hesitation sent a chill down his spine. Before he could respond, Shiliu's face went pale. His hands trembled as he looked at them, horror evident in his gaze. He gasped, clutching at his robes before rushing to the ground where the delicate hairpin had fallen.
"I won't let you kill him!" Shiliu cried, seizing the pin with desperate hands. Without hesitation, he began murmuring an incantation under his breath, his voice trembling but resolute. The pin glowed a fiery red, and then, as if conjured from another realm, a strained yet familiar voice emanated from it.
"My dear wife... are you well?" Lord Yanhua's voice, faint but filled with concern, reached Shiliu's ears.
Shiliu's fingers tightened around the hairpin, tears beginning to blur his vision. "My Lord... the intruders…they wish to kill you!" he cried, his voice breaking with fear and helplessness.
A deep, gravelly sigh sounded from the other side. "This venerable one is well aware," Lord Yanhua replied, his tone calm despite the muffled sounds of punches and scuffling in the background. The clash of whips and the thud of bodies suggested he was already under siege.
"Once this venerable one dispatches these intruders," Lord Yanhua continued, grunting between blows, "he shall come to your side." His voice faded, and after a few more moments of distant fighting, silence fell.
Shiliu's knuckles were white as he clutched the hairpin to his chest. A tear slid down his cheek as he looked back at Xue Laohu, his expression now blazing with anger. "You!" he snarled, his voice choked with fury and pain as he lunged toward Xue Laohu, his hand raised to strike.
Xue Laohu barely had time to react before Li Zhameng grabbed Shiliu, restraining him with a firm grip. Shiliu struggled, squirming against Li Zhameng's hold, his eyes never leaving Xue Laohu, burning with accusations.
"I don't want to fight," Xue Laohu said, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. His gaze softened as he looked at Shiliu's tear-streaked face. "But we need to clear up this misunderstanding."
Xue Tuzi and Lord Yanhua were locked in a brutal clash, each strike more intense than the last. On the sidelines, Shudu watched, clutching Jiao Jiao tightly as the little Gu worm struggled against his grip, his eyes wide with fear and fury.
Lord Yanhua smirked, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. "I didn't expect the great insect demon to let his human wife do all the fighting for him," he sneered.
"What?!" Shudu and Xue Tuzi shouted in unison, their voices filled with shock.
Xue Tuzi's face flushed with anger as he snapped, "I am no one's wife!"
Shudu, still restraining Jiao Jiao, scoffed, glancing away with a look of disdain. "And I'd never take such a weakling as a wife, anyway. Hmph."
Lord Yanhua and Xue Tuzi resumed their battle, neither holding back. Xue Tuzi cracked his ribbon like a whip, sending sharp lashes that struck against walls and rocks, shattering them into fragments. Lord Yanhua moved with remarkable speed, his agility matched by bursts of flame from his fire-breathing technique, which he used to try to ensnare Xue Tuzi. But Xue Tuzi spun his ribbon with expert precision, creating a whirling barrier that fanned out the flames. The two were nearly evenly matched, both panting and worn from the relentless struggle.
Between heavy breaths, Lord Yanhua narrowed his eyes at Shudu. "And here I thought you came to repay your debt. As I recall, you gambled here… and lost."
Shudu met his glare with a cool smirk. "And if I remember correctly, didn't Lord Yanhua grant me mercy?"
Lord Yanhua's jaw clenched, recalling that moment. Months earlier, Shudu had arrived at Huo Mountain to gamble, ignoring Xiao Zongzi's warnings. Predictably, he lost. While attempting to escape imprisonment, he had bumped into Lord Yanhua himself.
"Attempting to escape, is futile" Lord Yanhua had remarked, blocking Shudu's path with a cold gaze.
Shudu, undeterred, had replied mockingly, "I heard Lord Yanhua just acquired a human wife. How… pathetic."
Lord Yanhua's face darkened. "What is it to you?"
Shudu laughed viciously. "Humans and demons shouldn't mingle. One day, that human will grow old and die. No matter how many you marry, they will all age and leave you behind."
"Silence!" Lord Yanhua had growled, his fists clenched.
But Shudu, smiling wickedly, leaned in. "What if I told you there's a way to extend their life span?"
Lord Yanhua hesitated, intrigued despite his anger. "Go on."
"You may not know this, but I was born a human myself." Shudu's grin grew sly.
Lord Yanhua's gaze hardened. "I do not wish to turn my wife into a demon," he replied, his voice steady but carrying an unmistakable hint of unease.
Shudu chuckled softly, the sound low and mocking. "Ah, but love makes even the strongest weak, doesn't it? Humans are fragile, Lord Yanhua. They fade… quickly." His tone was soft, almost sympathetic, though the glint in his eye betrayed a darker intent. Yanhua's jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists.
"There exists a Grandmaster who possesses the Elixir of Life. Allow me to retrieve this elixir as payment for my debt. Should I fail to return, you have my life." Shudu's voice was smooth, each word dripping with confidence as he held Lord Yanhua's gaze. His eyes gleamed with a sly assurance, as if he were dangling a forbidden treasure just out of reach.
Shudu had never intended to keep his word, but Xue Laohu was the Grandmaster who guarded the elixir. When asked to be a part of this mission, Shudu took his chances, knowing full well he might bump into Lord Yanhua eventually.
Lord Yanhua's eyes blazed with fury. "We had a deal," he spat, his hands glowing with fire as he hurled a blazing fireball straight at Shudu. The fire roared through the air, and Shudu barely managed to dodge it in time, his face paling as the flames scorched the ground where he'd just been standing.
Seizing the opportunity, Xue Tuzi cracked his ribbon across Lord Yanhua's shoulder, the blow landing with a sharp, satisfying snap. "I am your opponent!" he shouted, eyes fierce with determination.
They resumed their fight, flames dancing wildly and Xue Tuzi's ribbon lashing like a serpent, relentless in its pursuit of Lord Yanhua. The air crackled with heat and fury as the battle reached a fevered pitch.
But Shudu, unbothered by the mayhem, called out over the chaos, a smirk twisting his lips. "The Grandmaster with the elixir… is here."
Xue Tuzi froze, his eyes widening with rage. "You dare betray my Shizun?"
Shudu met his glare with a smug smile, his sharp canines gleaming in the dim light.
Down the hall, Xue Laohu, Li Zhameng, and Shiliu sprinted at full speed, their footsteps echoing off the stone walls. Xue Laohu pressed two fingers to his temple, attempting to communicate with Xue Tuzi telepathically. A-Tuzi, A- Tuzi, can you hear me?
On the battlefield, Xue Tuzi hesitated, his ribbon slackening as he paused, glancing around in search of his Shizun. "Shizun?" he whispered, voice laced with both surprise and relief.
I'm on my way right now, Xue Laohu's calm, familiar voice echoed in his mind. Please, don't do anything rash.
"Shizun, don't come!" Xue Tuzi called out urgently, his voice cracking with worry.
Xue Laohu's mental tone shifted, confused. Wh-why?
"That vermin-he plans to betray you. So please... don't come. I can handle it," Xue Tuzi replied, his voice softening, almost pleading.
Farther down the hall, Yi Ming felt his heart pounding, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he picked up his pace. What the hell is going on? he thought, Li Zhameng and Shiliu raced beside him, barely able to keep up his pace.
Back in the fray, Xue Tuzi's battle with Lord Yanhua raged on, though he was clearly running out of stamina. His left arm hung at an awkward angle, shattered from a brutal strike, and his breaths came in shallow, ragged gasps. Sweat poured down his face, his vision beginning to blur, while Lord Yanhua stood tall and steady, barely showing any signs of exertion.
"I will kill him," Lord Yanhua declared, turning his dark gaze toward Shudu. His voice was low and deadly, carrying the weight of a threat that was impossible to ignore.
"Go ahead. You'd be doing me a favor," Shudu sneered, his eyes flashing with cold amusement.
At his words, Jiao Jiao began to shriek, the high-pitched cry echoing off the walls. "Mama!" he wailed, his tiny voice filled with terror. Shudu, unfazed, reached behind his neck and grasped the little Gu worm firmly, ignoring Jiao Jiao's desperate squirming and struggling, his grip unyielding as Jiao Jiao's cries became choked sobs.
Lord Yanhua's gaze shifted to Xue Tuzi, a cruel smile tugging at his lips. "It seems he has discarded you. What a shame."
Xue Tuzi, clutching his broken arm, let out a dry laugh. Despite the pain evident in his face, his voice was steady, defiant. "Please… I was never his to begin with."
Lord Yanhua's eyes narrowed as he took a deep breath, drawing in power. With a sudden exhale, he unleashed a massive ball of fire, the flames blazing toward Xue Tuzi with relentless speed.
Just then, Xue Laohu arrived, bursting into the room in a blur of movement. Without a second thought, he darted forward and grabbed Xue Tuzi, pulling him out of the fire's path. He held Xue Tuzi tightly in his arms, his chest rising and falling with fury as he glared across the room at Shudu.
Shudu watched the scene unfold with a sick grin, one hand still wrapped around the trembling Gu worm, whose tiny frame shook with fear. Shudu's expression was one of twisted delight, as though he were savoring every second of the chaos he'd set in motion. Xue Laohu's eyes darkened, his jaw clenched tightly as he stood protectively over Xue Tuzi, barely containing his rage.