Chapter 24: Caught — The Demon King Is in Such a Miserable State
“Lan Shui, I can’t leave the Demon Domain!” Nan Xun said immediately.
Her purpose was to stay by the Demon King’s side and eliminate his malice points—of course she couldn’t leave the Demon Domain.
Lan Shui thought she was afraid of being hunted down by the Demon King, and softly explained, “Don’t be afraid. The Demon King has already been captured jointly by the Dragon Beasts and the Teng Snake. This news will soon spread throughout the Demon Domain. You must leave before that happens.”
What?
Nan Xun’s expression changed abruptly.
Xue Ming was captured?
“Little Eight, what’s going on? How did the Demon King get caught?” Nan Xun hurriedly asked the Void Beast.
Void Beast replied, “Wait a moment, let me take a look.”
Nan Xun guessed that the Void Beast must have some sort of clairvoyance or far-seeing ability—or perhaps a magical artifact that allowed it to see anywhere it wanted.
“Holy crap—this is bad, really bad! I see the Demon King locked in a cage, covered in blood! No wonder his corruption level suddenly shot up to 100, and his malice points rebounded to 99!” the Void Beast howled.
Nan Xun felt dazed. “If he dies, what am I supposed to do?”
“Staying alive comes first,” the Void Beast said. “Once the beasts of the Demon Domain find out something’s happened to the Demon King, they’ll probably take it out on you.”
Nan Xun’s body trembled slightly, and she fell silent.
Just as the two were about to reach the exit of the Demon Domain, the two bucket-thick, two-headed black pythons guarding the area suddenly barked, “Golden Python, where are you going? And what kind of beast is behind you? Why can’t I see her beast form?”
Lan Shui showed her token and said irritably, “Lord Iron-Winged Fire Lion has ordered me to go out on business. The one behind me is a newly transformed sister—personally enlightened by the King—a Giant-Eyed Owl. Are you trying to block my way?”
Hearing that it was their natural enemy, the Giant-Eyed Owl, and that she had been personally enlightened by the Demon King, the two-headed black pythons immediately dared not question further. They apologized, saying, “Since Lord Iron-Winged Fire Lion has matters to attend to, Golden Python may proceed.”
Nan Xun felt completely disoriented in the wind. After playing with Lan Shui for so long, this was the first time she learned that her beast form was actually a Golden Python.
Lan Shui wasn’t even as seductive as Hong Chou—how could she be a Golden Python?
After leaving the Demon Domain, Lan Shui led Nan Xun much farther before finally stopping.
“Lan Shui, why are you protecting me and helping me leave?” Nan Xun asked.
Lan Shui looked at her with great affection, like an elder gazing at a junior. “Xuan’er, now that the Demon King has been captured, you are the greatest contributor. You may retire with honor. You are the pride of the Zui Li family.”
Nan Xun looked completely baffled and asked Little Eight in her mind, “What does the Demon King being captured have to do with me?”
The Void Beast said it didn’t know either.
Nan Xun shivered, suddenly feeling like she had been set up. Something big had clearly happened without her knowing.
“Who exactly are you?” Nan Xun frowned and looked at Lan Shui.
Lan Shui’s eyes reddened slightly. “Xuan’er, have your parents ever mentioned your Aunt Lan Xin?”
Nan Xun’s expression changed subtly.
Of course she knew about Aunt Lan Xin. Her father had only had her at the age of two hundred, and after her birth she had never seen this aunt. It was said that during the great human–beast war a hundred years ago, this Aunt Lan Xin—her father’s half-sister, Zui Li Lan Xin—had mysteriously disappeared and was never seen again.
Everyone said Zui Li Lan Xin had died in the belly of a demon beast during the war. Her father and mother had mourned for a long time because of it.
“You’re clearly a demon beast. How could you be my aunt? My aunt has been dead for a long time,” Nan Xun said, thinking she must have just heard a joke.
Lan Shui smiled bitterly. “Xuan’er, have you ever awakened the unique inheritance of our Beast-Taming Clan?”
Nan Xun shook her head. “No.”
Lan Shui nodded. “Then it’s no wonder. Within the inheritance of our Beast-Taming Clan are various essences of beast control, as well as many peerless secret arts and forbidden techniques. Among them is an extremely powerful forbidden art called the Soul-Devouring Technique…”
Back then, Zui Li Lan Xin was injured during the war, her spiritual power severely damaged, and she could no longer tame beasts. However, she was extraordinarily gifted in Xuanwu cultivation. Even without beast taming, she was still a formidable cultivator.
Yet even under those circumstances, the elders of the Zui Li family made a completely insane decision.
They used the Soul-Extraction Technique to forcibly pull Zui Li Lan Xin’s living soul out of her body and place it into a Golden Python.
Forced into the Golden Python’s body, one body with two souls, Zui Li Lan Xin followed the elders’ wishes and used the forbidden Soul-Devouring Technique to swallow the Golden Python’s primordial spirit in order to take over its body.
Nan Xun had long known how disgusting those old men were, but she hadn’t expected them to have done something even more revolting.
Seeing her indignant expression, Lan Shui smiled faintly. “Don’t blame the elders. I did this willingly. I was willing to become the eyes of the Zui Li family, to help them destroy the bloodthirsty and brutal Demon King as soon as possible, and return peace to the human race.”
At this moment, Nan Xun felt as though Lan Shui was glowing all over—radiant, blinding golden light that nearly dazzled her eyes.
She had originally felt indignant on behalf of Zui Li Lan Xin, but never expected that everything had been done of her own free will.
“Child, these past few years you’ve stayed by that bloodthirsty Demon King’s side day after day—it must have been hard on you. But thankfully, you poisoned him with witchcraft. That gave the Dragon Beasts and Teng Snake Clan the opportunity to strike and capture that beast alive. You are a heroine of the entire human race. We of the Beast-Taming Clan are proud of you.”
Nan Xun froze.
Wait—what exactly was her aunt talking about? Why couldn’t she understand a single word?
“What she means is that because you used your Beast-Taming Clan’s unique witchcraft on the Demon King, he was weakened and ended up like this—locked in a cage, whipped daily, and suffering a miserable fate,” the Void Beast kindly explained.
“Damn it, I know what she means! What I don’t understand is when the hell did I ever poison Xue Ming with witchcraft?!” Nan Xun snapped irritably.
“I don’t know either,” the Void Beast replied, then fell silent.
Nan Xun really wanted to beat the Void Beast to death.
“Xuan’er, go back. Aunt won’t see you off,” Lan Shui suddenly said, gazing into the distance with a wistful expression.
Nan Xun snapped back to her senses and said in surprise, “Aunt, aren’t you coming back to the Zui Li family with me?”
Zui Li Lan Xin gently patted her head, smiling. “Aunt has long since become neither fully human nor fully beast. I have no face to return to the Zui Li family, nor the courage to face all the Beast-Taming Clan members. Xuan’er, this is farewell.”
Nan Xun opened her mouth, wanting to persuade her, but couldn’t find a single word to say.
“Go quickly,” Zui Li Lan Xin urged.
Nan Xun walked away, turning back again and again. The last time she looked back, the woman who had been smiling gently at her was already gone.
“Stop looking. She had long harbored the will to die. Now that the Demon King has been captured, she no longer has any reason to live,” the Void Beast said.
“You mean she’ll commit suicide?” Nan Xun exclaimed. After thinking about it, she found it understandable. “She endured for so many years—clearly human, yet forced to mingle among demon beasts. She must have suffered terribly inside. Perhaps this is her release.”
The Void Beast fell silent.
Nan Xun suddenly felt that her steps had become unusually heavy.
