Watching her receding orange figure, Xiaotu felt a pang of pain in her heart. Tomorrow, they would get married. Should she be happy or sad… The palace was filled with joy; the most favored princess of the empress was getting married today. Xiaotu got up early, or rather, she hadn’t slept all night. She would attend the wedding happily, ironically, as a friend of the empress. Without makeup, she faced the world naturally; without precious jewelry, she tied her hair with a ribbon. Without a splendid dress, she wore a simple goose-yellow gown, exuding an otherworldly charm. She could attend with happiness, watching their clasped hands, listening to their sweet love, and severing the lingering threads of emotion in her heart.
Who said she didn’t hurt? Her heart ached more than anyone else’s. Sleepless, she had thought through many things. Yes, she had fallen for Xia Yuye, who had cherished her, but now, even in his amnesia, she couldn’t hate him because she couldn’t give him the love he deserved. Let Muyao give it to him. Her simple attire couldn’t hide her unparalleled beauty, and the moment she appeared, she became the center of attention. From the crowd, a fiery gaze caught her eye; she turned to meet it, surprised to see it was Lang Yue, the prince of “Ting Yue Country,” the man who had given her the purple crystal. “Miss, may I have a word with you?” His voice was seductive, and she thought he was just flirting. But when she looked up, she saw a face that could charm the heavens, Bai Hua. “Yes,” she smiled gracefully and followed Bai Hua out of the hall. Only upon exiting did she realize that Wang Xie, Shuishui, Lianlian, and Ruyan were all there. “Rabbit, I’m here,” said Ruyan, the simple words carrying endless longing. Xiaotu didn’t speak, but her water-like eyes conveyed a sense of reassurance. “Lingying, it’s so good to see you alive,” Ruyan teased, but everyone could see the joy in her eyes.
The guests had gathered, and Murong Youxue was beaming with pride. Today, her most beloved youngest daughter, Princess Ying, would marry. The red wedding hall was dazzling, with luxurious decorations, bright red satin, and a sumptuous banquet that left everyone in awe. Gifts were piled up like a small mountain; the exquisite packaging indicated treasures of immense value inside. The auspicious time had come, and the couple, dressed in red, appeared hand in hand before the crowd. The groom’s white hair was styled, the blood lotus mark on his forehead adding to his charm, his eyes full of adoration for the bride. The bride, with a veil of pearls, hid her sweet smile; from today, this man would truly be hers. The happy couple walked arm in arm toward Murong Youxue amidst the envious and congratulatory gazes of the onlookers. Xiaotu, head bowed, was smiling, but the smile was complex. She gripped her hands tightly, her nails digging into her flesh, unaware of the pain until a pair of rough, comforting hands gently pried her hands open and enveloped them. “Rabbit, am I not as good-looking as your shoes?” Wang Xie, rarely humorous, just wanted to cheer her up. “Yes, what should we do? The more I look at these shoes, the more they seem better than you,” Xiaotu looked up with a sincere expression. “I think it’s because that pastry fell on the ground, and that’s why you’re so excited,” Liu Rumeng pointed at a piece of broken pastry on the ground and said with a smile. “Today is my daughter’s wedding day, but there are several uninvited guests,” Murong Youxue’s face showed a ruthless smile. Suddenly, a large group of well-trained soldiers emerged from all directions, surrounding Xiaotu and her companions. Everyone was startled, and before they could react, Murong Youxue spoke again. “How dare you sneak into the palace with ill intentions, and today you’ve even brought accomplices. What are you plotting?” Murong Youxue loudly interrogated.
Mu Yao’s smile of triumph was strikingly evident; how could she leave a rival alive, one who might steal her Night Brother? When the crowd realized what was happening, they understood it was Murong Youxue’s scheme. She had first “declared an imperial edict” to lure Xiaotu into the palace, but that was just an oral command, without evidence to prove its authenticity. Now, under the guise of a wedding banquet, she intended to capture them all, knowing that amidst the crowd, Baihua and her group would surely try to enter the palace. Mother and daughter, one for power, the other for love, had devised such a plan.
“Ah, such audacity! The Empress must severely punish those who dare to offend the royal dignity and disrupt the princess’s wedding. They are truly deserving of death,” someone shouted, leading the crowd into an uproar. Only Emperor Liu Xu of “Yueyue Country” stood by, frowning, unsure of what to do. “Lingying, you’ve really asked for trouble, see, bitten by a dog,” Liu Rumeng said calmly, but if you looked closely, her smile carried a hint of anger, so fierce it was chilling. Xiaotu just smiled without saying a word.
“I dare to storm the palace, do I not have my reasons?” With a cold smile, his eyes darkened with anger, exuding a bloodthirsty aura. As soon as he finished speaking, a hundred demons appeared out of nowhere, their grotesque forms like fierce ghosts from hell, enveloping the entire hall in darkness. Sensing humans, they grew restless. Even Murong Youxue was thrown into panic; humans could not compare to demons. What could she do now? She hadn’t expected this man before her to be a bloodthirsty demon king. She then gave a sinister smile. “Emperor Canglong, awaken, after a thousand years of slumber, arise…” She chanted an incomprehensible incantation. On both sides of the hall, Wang Xie’s demon soldiers faced off against Murong Youxue’s troops. The once righteous officials now cowered like mice, each clinging to the sides. Only Xia Yuye maintained his usual smile, but upon closer inspection, his eyes were hollow, soulless, as if wearing a mask of false cheer.
Leaning against a pillar, Xiaotu tried to calm her mind, but for some reason, her body felt strange, a force was rampaging inside her, and an inexplicable urge to kill Murong Youxue surged within her, an excitement for blood.
“Hey… what a long nap that was,” a deep male voice sounded, causing the hall to shake violently as four pillars collapsed with a loud crash, yet the building miraculously remained intact. A lazy, handsome man appeared before everyone, his thin lips closed, his yellowish hair falling over his cheeks, his face handsome with an evil smile. “Speak, you’ve lifted my seal, what is your request?” Emperor Canglong said to Murong Youxue. “Emperor, my only request is to secure my throne.” Obsessed with power, with glory, with… Emperor Canglong, was he truly the Emperor Canglong sealed for tens of thousands of years? Back then, Emperor Canglong was immensely powerful, managing the world alongside the God Emperor, but he was also a notorious womanizer, doing as he pleased. However, for unknown reasons, he was sealed away by the God Emperor.
“Hah… the throne, very well.” With a flick of his sleeve, a large number of restless demon soldiers fell, their black blood mixing, giving off a foul odor, their screams echoing in their last moments of struggle. “Demon King, you’ve overstepped. Why not stay in your demon realm?” With another flick of his sleeve, hands crossed over his chest, he seemed indifferent to the fallen.
Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Demoness
