"Miss, dinner is ready." Qin Xiu lovingly reached out and touched Liu Lanyan's long hair, then pulled her to the table.
"Aunt Qin, where have you been? You haven't come to see Lanyan in so long." Liu Lanyan pouted her red lips in dissatisfaction and said coquettishly, "Aunt Qin, you're not allowed to abandon me in the future."
“Miss, Aunt Qin doesn’t want you away.” Qin Xiu held Liu Lanyan’s small hand and patted it affectionately. “Miss, you’ve grown up. Aunt Qin can’t always be by your side.”
"Aunt Qin, are you leaving? Don't you want Lanyan anymore?" Upon hearing Qin Xiu's words, Liu Lanyan's eyes immediately welled up with tears. This was genuine; she truly couldn't bear to part with Qin Xiu.
After her parents passed away, she had long regarded Qin Xiu as her own family.
"Miss, I need to cultivate properly so that I can better protect you in the future. Don't you think so?" Qin Xiu coaxed Liu Lanyan softly.
"Cultivation?" Liu Lanyan looked at Qin Xiu with confusion, clearly having many questions.
"The Lord is generous, giving me an opportunity to cultivate. Only by becoming stronger can I better protect Miss and prevent situations where I am powerless from happening again," Qin Xiu said with a determined look in her eyes, her lips pursed.
Liu Lanyan pretended to be unhappy, but Qin Xiu coaxed her for a long time before she finally had dinner with Qin Xiu. After that, Qin Xiu helped her wash up and go to bed.
Once Liu Lanyan's breathing had stabilized, Qin Xiu glanced at her a few more times with reluctance before quietly leaving her bedroom.
As soon as Qin Xiu left, Liu Lanyan, who should have been fast asleep, immediately opened her eyes. The look in her eyes was anything but the naivety of a silly girl.
With a playful smile on her lips, Liu Lanyan whispered, "Your Excellency, well done."
They moved the people around her away, using a reason that Qin Xiu couldn't refuse.
If I'm not mistaken, the Demon God must have brought up the recent grading meeting to point out Qin Xiu's lack of strength and give her a chance to cultivate.
Qin Xiu, who wanted to protect her all day long, was naturally tempted. Moreover, if the Demon God were to say something like he would protect her, what would Qin Xiu have to worry about?
Of course, the choice is to cultivate.
Liu Lanyan's smile deepened; she wanted to see what the Demon God was planning by diverting the people around her.
Your Majesty, the God of the Demon Realm, is that right?
If you want to play with her, just bring it on; she'll take it.
!
Chapter 43 The Dustless Palace
They spent the night in silence, each lost in their own thoughts about the other.
The next day, Liu Lanyan had just finished washing up when the demon god appeared in her room, startling the maids inside who all bowed in greeting.
While bowing respectfully, he showed no sign of panic, but inwardly he was surprised and pondering what Liu Lanyan's identity was that would cause the Venerable Lord to condescend to come and visit him in person.
The Demon God disregarded everyone else's thoughts, simply looking at Liu Lanyan with a light smile and gently asking, "Did you know that Qin Xiu went to cultivate?"
"Mmm." Liu Lanyan nodded obediently, just as the rumors outside said, she was a mentally regressing fool.
The demon god raised an eyebrow slightly; he hadn't expected Liu Lanyan to be so calm about Qin Xiu's departure.
However, this is for the best.
The more this is the case, the more it shows that Liu Lanyan is a challenge, and he has developed a strong interest in getting along with Liu Lanyan in the future.
"Move to the Dustless Palace." As soon as the Demon God finished speaking, Liu Lanyan didn't think anything of it, but the maids in the room all gasped in shock.
Dustless Palace?
That place where only demon gods can live.
That place, where outsiders are not allowed to set foot, even a trusted confidant like Peng Zhen is not qualified to enter the Wuchen Palace.
The Demon God actually allowed a fool like Liu Lanyan to live there?
Oh my god.
Liu Lanyan had vaguely heard of the name of Wuchen Palace, but she didn't know as much as the maids, and was only slightly curious.
Wasn't it said that the Demon God's residence was the Dustless Palace?
Is the place I'm living in now not the right one?
However, no matter how many questions she had, she couldn't ask them given her current status, so she had to suppress her doubts and ask them later when she had the chance.
"Let's go." The demon god extended his hand to Liu Lanyan.
Liu Lanyan looked up and followed the long, perfectly slender hand upwards, seeing the Demon God's gentle, smiling eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, and before she could think of anything, she naturally placed her hand on the Demon God's large hand.
It wasn't until the demon god's warm and powerful hand grasped hers that Liu Lanyan came to her senses. She was actually walking hand in hand with the demon god in the courtyard.
I felt a little uncomfortable. What's wrong with her?
Why did he repeatedly lose his composure in front of the demon god?
Liu Lanyan's mind was entirely focused on herself, so she naturally didn't notice the maids who were frozen in shock in the room they left behind.
The maids stared blankly at the demon god and Liu Lanyan, their fingers intertwined, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
They never imagined that their high and mighty lord would be walking hand in hand with a woman.
This, this, this... is terrifying.
As she walked, Liu Lanyan suddenly realized that something was not quite right.
Her feet left the ground and she was airborne.
"Hmm?" Liu Lanyan exclaimed softly, tightly gripping the Demon God's large hand.
She hadn't forgotten that she was a foolish girl without any demonic power, so she was naturally afraid of being suddenly lifted into the air.
"It's alright, let's go home." The Lord smiled gently and whispered comforting words in Liu Lanyan's ear, his low, hoarse voice clearly conveying his words to her.
Liu Lanyan's heart skipped a beat, and a feeling of bitterness suddenly welled up inside her.
Why did she feel an urge to cry when she heard those two words?
go home.
"Look, Lanyan, are you satisfied with this Wuchen Palace?" While Liu Lanyan was still immersed in her own emotions, she heard the Lord's excited words.
The feeling was very strange, like a child who had finally managed to build a sand sculpture and was waiting for an adult's praise.
Liu Lanyan looked up and was immediately stunned by the scene before her.
A colorful waterfall cascades down from the sky, its source nowhere to be seen. It plunges down amidst the misty clouds, splashing beautiful water droplets that lightly dampen the air.
The splashing water returned to the river below the waterfall, flowing merrily along the winding riverbed, creating a vibrant song on this huge, solitary island floating in mid-air.
A magnificent palace stands on a deserted island. On this island, which spans hundreds of miles, the palace appears not at all flimsy, but rather its imposing presence is all the more apparent.
The rising sun casts its rays, reflecting a dazzling light on the palace's glazed tiles, creating a mirage-like, ethereal scene. Even a fairyland could not match the splendor of the Wuchen Palace.
Floating in mid-air, the Venerable pointed to the Dustless Palace below and chuckled, "Lanyan, are you satisfied?"
Liu Lanyan didn't have time to answer the demon god's question. Instead, she followed him as he slowly descended from the clouds and stepped onto the marble floor. She gently stomped on it, feeling the hard, cool texture of the floor.
As if drawn by something, Liu Lanyan quickly ran in one direction.
The demon god's expression tightened, clearly indicating that he had thought of something. He did not stop him and quickly followed.
She ran frantically, a voice screaming in her mind, but she didn't know what it was calling. Liu Lanyan could only run forward on instinct.
She ran until she reached the end of the Wuchen Palace, on a vast platform, at the entrance, where Liu Lanyan suddenly stopped.
Move slowly and cautiously forward.
As she moved, Liu Lanyan slowly closed her eyes, but she didn't make a single wrong step. She stopped right at the end of the platform.
The wind below blew strongly, causing Liu Lanyan's dress to flutter suddenly. She looked like a butterfly about to take flight, as if she might disappear into the wind at any moment.
With her eyes tightly closed, Liu Lanyan didn't see that the Demon God was leaning against the entrance of the platform, his face as pale as paper.
His usually languid and gentle eyes were filled with utter shock and other indistinguishable emotions as he stared intently at Liu Lanyan's back, as if his gaze were a tangled spiderweb, completely entwined around her.
Taking a deep breath and exhaling heavily, Liu Lanyan gradually calmed the pounding in her heart before slowly opening her eyes and gazing into the distance.
As far as the eye could see, there was only swirling smoke and clouds. He lowered his eyes slightly and looked down into the distance, taking in the entire demon realm.
In an instant, a familiar feeling surged into her heart, like a heavy stone hitting her heart, causing Liu Lanyan's body to tremble violently and sway slightly involuntarily.
His hand unconsciously patted lightly, landing squarely on the jade railing in front of him, gripping it tightly until his knuckles turned white.
"Lanyan..." I faintly heard an anxious whisper in my ear. I turned around groggily and saw the anxious and worried look in those familiar, gentle eyes.
He opened his lips, his voice hoarse as he squeezed out a single word: "Ink..."
Then, unable to hold on any longer, his consciousness was suddenly swallowed by darkness.
!
☆, Chapter Forty-Four: High Alert
The white clouds tumble and roll, like waves on the sea. The clouds that look so beautiful from the ground are actually quite dynamic when viewed up close.
Every moment inside is changing, like a mischievous child constantly chasing each other up and down.
The slightly damp air hit my face, a dampness that felt cool to the core.
I didn't wipe it with my hands; I'd long been used to its coolness.
With eyes slightly lowered, one can see layers of clouds beneath one's feet, yet clearly see everything beneath them through these layers of mist.
Busy crowds, demons cultivating their powers, all sorts of carnage, struggles for survival, pursuit of profit...
You can see anything you want to see clearly.