Li Fei sat by the window leafing through a book, a cup of lukewarm tea on the table beside her, the very picture of gentle serenity.
Thanks to her exceptional Intelligence and Agility, she could commit the book's contents to memory in short order, taking in all the common knowledge of the Demon-Sealing Continent.
On the Demon-Sealing Continent the days were short and the nights long, and after a dull but fulfilling day, the forested hills sank once more beneath the veil of night.
All at once, eight flimsy paper figures emerged from the trees, carrying a swaying sedan chair, and drew near the residence.
"Here at last."
Sensing something, Li Fei looked out the window and casually summoned a few sprites to patrol and keep watch through the night, then turned to Eva, who was refilling her tea, and instructed, "I'm heading out for a bit. If there's any danger, crush the talisman at once."
"Mm-hm."
Eva thoughtfully draped the Guardian's Robe over Li Fei's shoulders and handed her a bundle.
"Mwah."
Her soft pink lips pressed together and parted again, and with that faint, suggestive little sound—a farewell ritual in the signature style of a top courtesan—Li Fei snatched up the bundle, pushed the window open, and leapt out.
The howling wind swallowed her eardrums in an instant, and by the time she touched down, the body that had grown a little languid in the leisurely atmosphere had come alive again.
"Dear sister."
The female ghost Xiao Lian drifted out from behind the sedan chair and pressed close in an intimate manner. "I told Granny about you, and she was full of praise. She sent me to invite you, sister, to come and have a chat at her manor."
"Many thanks, little sister."
Li Fei took the ghost's arm and drew her up onto the sedan chair as well, letting the paper figures carry the chair and bear her off toward parts unknown.
The paper figures looked weightless, as if a gust could topple them, yet as they moved a black radiance surged beneath their feet, letting them cross the wooded hills as though on level ground, and at tremendous speed; before long they had carried Li Fei down the mountain.
Li Fei and Xiao Lian chatted and laughed the whole way, seemingly heedless of any danger, yet out of the corner of her eye Li Fei surveyed their surroundings, silently memorizing the route.
The journey did not take long. The sedan chair came to a steady stop before a cave more than ten li away—barring surprises, this had to be a hastily chosen venue.
Li Fei glanced over idly and found the cave quite spacious; light, shadow, and noise spilled out of it, and an unconcealed demonic aura pervaded the whole area.
Clearly, there was more than one Heaven Realm demon inside.
Crunch, crunch…
Li Fei flipped down from the chair, snapping the withered bones that littered the ground, and strode into the cave at the head of them all.
"Clack, clack—wind-dried skeletons, paving a road."
"Clack, clack—dig open the breast, sweet rain poured upon the face."
"Clack, clack, clack…"
Inside the cave, demons sang and danced, their voices somewhere between weeping and laughter, their contorted silhouettes thrown against the walls by the bonfire, every movement carrying a hysterical, deranged flavor.
Beautiful spirit-creatures and ghost-things scurried back and forth, the trays in their hands piled with bloody raw meat and viscera; seven Heaven Realm demons sat gathered behind the tables—among them a huge skeleton, pitch-black all over, with eerie blue flames flickering in its eye sockets; an earth-yellow giant serpent with a human face growing on its belly; a blind bear even more massive than the Demon Boar…
Besides those seven Heaven Realm demons, there was an old woman with silver-white hair seated behind the highest long table, attended by ghost-women of ravishing beauty who waited on her with eager care and caution.
"Ho, quite the lively gathering."
The moment a living stranger stepped into the cave, all seven demons turned their gazes on her in unison, and rolling waves of killing aura, like black smoke, coiled through the cavern.
Li Fei seemed oblivious to the hostility. Hooking the bundle over her fingertips, she strolled at her leisure to the last empty table, sat down cross-legged, and waved a hand as though perfectly at home.
"Music on, dancing on."
"Ssss… this newcomer doesn't take any of us seriously at all."
The human face on the giant serpent's belly let out a sinister, piercing laugh.
Li Fei ignored it entirely, turning her gaze to the kindly-faced old woman in the seat of honor, her smile sweet. "You must be Her Excellency the Death-Devouring Demon King? I've long admired your name."
The old woman's demonic power was very faint, yet it set Li Fei trembling by instinct, as though she were sin incarnate, a mass of fathomless black radiating a nauseating stench of cruelty and blood from the marrow.
If her guess was right, this old crone was an avatar the Thousand-Year Tree Demon had conjured from part of its body or demonic power.
"Little one, I've yet to learn where you hail from?"
The old woman tacitly confirmed Li Fei's guess, asking in a gentle tone.
"This humble maiden has no fixed abode; the whole world is my home," Li Fei said, calm and composed.
The world was vast and demons were many; for a Heaven Realm demon to drift out of nowhere was perfectly ordinary, but if she fabricated a background and got caught, the joke would be on her—and a big one.
"A newcomer is a guest. Have a drink."
The Tree Demon did not probe further into her origins, merely inviting her to drink.
No sooner had the words fallen than Xiao Lian, giggling coquettishly, sat down beside Li Fei and poured her a cup with her own hands.
The wine was scarlet and gave off a sharp, bloody reek. Li Fei made no attempt to hide her distaste and pushed it firmly away.
"Dear sister, this wine is brewed from the heart's blood of infants not yet a month old—it takes dozens of them to brew a single pot. Terribly precious."
Xiao Lian pressed against Li Fei, rubbing back and forth as she coaxed.
"Wine and lust once hollowed out my body, so I swore never to touch another drop," Li Fei said, unmoved.
"Then… would sister eat some meat?"
At this Xiao Lian waved a hand, and a spirit-creature at once came forward, kneeling and raising a tray above its head.
The tray held a platter of raw meat and organs streaked with glistening white fat. Xiao Lian picked up a slice of liver and tittered, "Dear sister, anyone can see this is the tenderest cut from a maiden's heart. Let me feed you—say ahh—"
Li Fei only shook her head.
"I don't eat human flesh."
The moment she said it, the song and dance came to an abrupt halt.
The demons' gazes converged on Li Fei, a ferocious pressure bearing down from every direction to smother her completely.
"There's a demon that doesn't eat people?"
The serpent demon with the human face on its belly was the first to strike out, its tone neither warm nor cold. "I say she must be a demon-traitor kept on a leash by the Demon Suppression Bureau!"
Demons ran rampant, feeding on all living things for blood, and humankind naturally refused to sit and wait for death. Beyond resisting and slaying demons, they also tried to enslave them; the results were meager, but not nothing—within the Great Song's Demon Suppression Bureau, for instance, there was a batch of thoroughly tamed demons.
"Whether or not I'm a demon—who are you, worthless thing, to define it?"
Li Fei shot back without hesitation, then hoisted the bundle beside her and tossed it. "Speaking of the Demon Suppression Bureau… I've only just arrived, and I've nothing of value on me, so let this serve as a gift of introduction."
The bundle flew open, and a human head—eyes glaring wide, bloody tears at the corners—rolled across the ground, while a bloodstained blue-black python robe spilled out.
"This is…"
The bear demon's eyes went round as it stared at the head.
Though the Demon Suppression Bureau's infamy struck greater terror into the common folk than the demons themselves, as the imperial court's anchor of stability the organization had done no small amount of real demon-slaying work. Without cause, even a Heaven Realm demon would not wantonly kill its members, for fear of inviting retaliation.
That this demon-woman had killed a Demon Suppression Bureau member yesterday before the ghost Xiao Lian's very eyes was one thing; but who would have thought that before that she had slain yet another member—and one in a blue-black robe, no less!
Such reckless audacity—did she truly think the Demon Suppression Bureau was to be trifled with?
"Lü Zhengchun! The adopted son of Lu the eunuch!"
Another ghost-thing recognized where the head had come from and cried out despite itself.
At these words a great shock ran through every demon present, and they stared in disbelief at the demon-woman idly scratching her own tail with her fingertips.
Lu Qianfan, master of the Demon Suppression Bureau and the Song Emperor's most trusted confidant—even demons held that man in some dread. There were plenty of humans in the world; blood-food was never in short supply, and without cause no demon was willing to provoke him.
And this demon-woman had, without a word, killed Lu Qianfan's adopted son… That "token of allegiance" alone was proof enough that her ties to the Demon Suppression Bureau had grown as irreconcilable as fire and water.
"Your Excellency, Demon King—does this gift meet with your favor?"
When Li Fei looked toward the Tree Demon, she was once again the very picture of practiced courtesy.
"Good! Good child."
The Tree Demon's face was all kindness. A withered branch slid out from the sleeve of her coarse cloth garment, plunging deep into the head and stirring incessantly, using demonic arts to verify its authenticity even as she asked in a gentle tone, "It seems you bear no small grudge against that Demon Suppression Bureau?"
"Lord Lü took a fancy to my looks, and this humble maiden couldn't bear such an honor, so I had no choice but to send him on his way."
Li Fei sighed faintly, looking a touch forlorn. "But alas, the Demon Suppression Bureau is powerful, and I feared their revenge. Then I heard Your Excellency was here, so I came especially to seek your protection—I only hope you won't turn me away…"
"Seek my protection?"
The serpent demon cut off Li Fei's fabricated story with a sinister laugh. "This is the first time I've ever seen a demon come seeking protection with two human women in tow."
"I am a great Heaven Realm demon—what's wrong with abducting a couple of human slaves to serve my pleasure?"
Li Fei shot it a sidelong glance, her voice turning cold. "It's you, you loose-tongued waste, who—if we weren't before Her Excellency the Demon King—I'd have skinned and stewed into soup by now."
"Big words."
The human face on the serpent's belly went on with its strange laughter, but the pair of slit pupils in the snake's head were utterly cold, laden with vicious cruelty.
As it spoke, the scale-armored, needle-sharp tail lashed out in a sudden strike, wrapped in a hazy yellow demonic aura, a bloody wind gusting into her face; its gaping maw yawned open at the same moment, forked tongue quivering, sending out a soul-stealing hiss that sought to erode Li Fei's mind.
"You dare strike first?"
Blazing demonic flames roared to life around Li Fei, red light spreading like a rising tide, accompanied by the thunder of surging battle qi vortices.
The serpent's attack was savage; the thick tail was a good three zhang and more in length, yet it burst forth with astonishing speed—the tail muscles merely quivered once like a spring, and the sharp tip split the air, aiming to pierce the point between Li Fei's brows.
Faced with this venomous, lethal killing blow, Li Fei merely swept out her hand—moving last but arriving first with unbelievable speed—and seized the tail in her grip.
"Come to think of it, I'm rather fond of snakes."
The tail crackled in her hand, cracks spreading across the scales under her astonishing grip, but Li Fei paid it no mind and drawled unhurriedly, "Never miss a meal of it—great for the constitution."
"Ssss—ssss—"
The serpent bared its grim fangs, its tail twitching and twitching as it tried to escape her demonic grasp—but soon it discovered to its horror that the tail, strong enough to crush a boulder, was as helpless in the demon-woman's hand as a grasshopper in late autumn, utterly unable to break free.
Crack!
The snake scales shattered in her grip, scarlet blood trickling through the gaps between Li Fei's fingers. In agony and terror, the serpent looked to the Tree Demon in dread, wanting to cry for help.
But before it could speak, Li Fei's other hand gripped the tail too, gave it a hard twist, and then a wrench.
Crk-crk-crk…
Amid the dense crunching of splintering bone, the tail was torn clean off, blood gushing without end.
Li Fei casually flung aside the severed length of tail, which went on jerking and flopping across the ground like a fish on a cutting board, displaying a startling vitality.
"Granny, save me!"
The pain of the severed tail rivaled the cruelest torture. The serpent thrashed violently on the ground, its bleeding stump twitching without pause as it shrieked hoarsely for the Tree Demon's help, its slit pupils brimming with fear, the human face on its belly blurring until it looked like dough churned back and forth by a rolling pin.
The other six great demons straightened up as well, their eyes on Li Fei heavy with wariness.
They all knew full well what the serpent was capable of; among Heaven Realm demons it couldn't be called truly powerful, but it was no weakling either—and yet this demon-woman had torn it apart alive at the first exchange…
That one move alone was enough to breed dread in the great demons and make them see the gulf in strength between them.
"Insolence! Who gave you leave to raise a hand against a guest?!"
The wrinkled, crane-haired old woman's voice abruptly dropped low, the black of her eyes swallowing the whites entirely until nothing remained but a hollow, fathomless dark. "Go and reflect on yourself—thoroughly."
A gust of demonic wind rose up and swept the serpent flying out of the cave.
Go on, keep up the act. If that serpent didn't jump out to sound me out at your say-so, then I'll cut off Mami Tomoe's head and kick it to you like a ball.
Li Fei saw through it but said nothing, changing her expression as easily as flipping a page; as she turned, contrition crossed her face. "Your Excellency, though it did strike first, I suppose I bear a bit of the blame too…"
Clearly, the Demon Boar had died too quickly, so this pack of demons, ignorant of Li Fei's true depths, had sent an unlucky wretch to test the waters—only for the serpent to prove no sturdier than paper before Li Fei, cut down in an instant before it could learn a thing.
But it was proof enough that a great gulf in strength separated Li Fei from ordinary great demons.
The Tree Demon gave Li Fei a long, deep look, her gaze flickering between light and dark.
This demon-woman was powerful and utterly at odds with the Demon Suppression Bureau; eccentric though she was, in the present circumstances she was the perfect one to win over.
And yet, at the very moment she needed help, a female demon who perfectly met every requirement and whose origins were shrouded in mystery had appeared out of thin air—such a coincidence was far too strange.
Had she not seen the head of Nine Thousand Years' adopted son with her own eyes and verified its authenticity with demonic arts, the Tree Demon might truly have believed Li Fei was an undercover agent sent by the Demon Suppression Bureau.
After a moment's thought, the Tree Demon did not hesitate for long and soon reached a decision.
"Good child, if you don't mind, from now on you may call me Granny."
The Tree Demon's expression grew kinder still as she held out the olive branch. "I may have lived to a ripe old age for nothing, but I still carry a bit of weight. If anyone dares bully you, just tell Granny, and I'll never let you suffer a wrong."
"Thank you, Granny."
Li Fei seized the opening at once and climbed right up it, pledging her loyalty. "If ever Granny has need of me, I'll go through fire and water and never shirk the duty."
"Granny here never treats her own children shabbily."
The Tree Demon remained all smiles and warmth. "Whatever you want, just tell Granny."
Clearly she didn't believe a word of Li Fei's talk of unconditional allegiance, and was prompting her to name her demands quickly.
"As long as the Demon Suppression Bureau is unhappy, I'm happy."
Li Fei's smile held steady. "Ah, that's right… I know a powerful demonic art, only my demonic power isn't quite enough to fuel it."
The Tree Demon pondered a moment, then held out a mottled dark-green crystal. "Then let this be Granny's gift of introduction to you."
Li Fei took it curiously.
[Demon King Crystal Core]
(Description: Holds vast and impure energy. Can be forcibly refined to restore 2,000 points of Mana, but the lingering demonic aura will erode the mind, lowering Morality Value, dropping it as low as -15.)
Good stuff!
Li Fei's eyes lit up.
Transcendent elixirs that could swiftly replenish magic power were rare goods to begin with—in a bloody battle they could even turn the tide and rewrite the line between life and death, and they came dear. Once one reached the level of Sequence 7, even with Lady Zhihua on hand, mana potions could no longer be gulped down like plain water.
Not to mention that her own total magic power far exceeded what an ordinary Sequence 7 Transcendent could reach; once her Mana ran dry, trying to top it up with potions would truly drink a person into poverty.
And this single crystal core rivaled a Sequence 6-grade big blue potion in effect, its value scarcely less than a piece of Full Moon-grade equipment.
If every king-grade demon carried a crystal core… then the development value of the Demon-Sealing Continent might be higher than imagined.
"This—this is far too precious."
Li Fei suppressed a smile and feigned refusal.
"I'm quite fond of your gift of introduction too. Take it."
The Tree Demon pressed her a few more times, and once Li Fei, overwhelmed by the honor, had tucked the crystal core away, she said in an unhurried tone, "Come with me. Granny would like a good long talk with you."
As the Tree Demon rose, the other demon kings took their leave as well—yet they did not go far, lingering at the cave mouth to block Li Fei's path, their intent plain without a word.
A fissure suddenly opened in the wall, revealing an irregular passage tangled from layer upon layer of branches and vines.
"With the greatest pleasure."
Li Fei's smile never faltered, and knowing what was good for her, she stepped into the passage.
…
It was the dead of night by the time she returned to her lodging.
Li Fei cracked open a can of cola and chugged it down in great gulps, then stood before the full-length mirror, peering this way and that at a spot an inch below her left collarbone.
Close to her heart, a patch of brown bark about two inches long and one inch wide had grown, clashing utterly with her snow-tender skin—this was the [Black Wood Contract] the Tree Demon had signed with her.
Li Fei had taken benefits from the Tree Demon and won the promise to "do my utmost to keep you safe"; in return, she too had to give something—for instance, when the Tree Demon made her push for a breakthrough, to do everything in her power to clear away the trouble caused by the Demon Suppression Bureau, so that she would not be disturbed.
Should she dare to betray, that little patch of bark would grow and spread wildly, even assimilating her soul, turning Li Fei into an endlessly writhing demon tree.
Of course, none of that mattered. With this contract and Lü Zhengchun's head, Li Fei had smoothly infiltrated the demons' ranks—and though the Tree Demon placed no trust in her whatsoever, given her strength that towered above Heaven Realm demons and her irreconcilable feud with the Demon Suppression Bureau, the Tree Demon was destined to be unable to pass up such an enforcer.
"So then, how might one become the sole 'survivor' of the great war between the Demon Suppression Bureau and the demons…"
Li Fei leaned back in the reclining chair, propped her chin in her hand, and sank into deep thought.
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