Chapter 66: Demon Lord (11)

“Why hasn’t the young master recovered?” Liusha held Qian, gently smoothing her red fur.

Although her beast form was round and adorable, she spent her days eating, sleeping, and playing. Seeing her so unmotivated, the Demon Lord’s patience was wearing thin.

Recently, several palace halls in the Demon Palace had undergone repairs and reconstruction. One of them, the Skywatching Tower, had half of its structure collapsed one night—courtesy of a colorful ball the Demon Lord casually tossed.

It was just an ordinary ball, but in the hands of a highly skilled Demon Lord, even the most mundane object became a deadly weapon.

The other two palace halls had also been destroyed in his fits of rage over the young master’s lack of progress.

Fortunately, only buildings suffered; the young master remained as lively as ever.

“Aren’t you a medical cultivator? Why can’t you deal with the parasite in the young master’s stomach or help her return to human form?” Luo Ye asked, dissatisfied, glancing at Han Qiu, who was reading beside them.

But by now, Han Qiu was no longer afraid of Luo Ye’s menacingly twitching wire-thin blades. He slouched lazily, completely resigned.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m working on it.”

The parasite was a tricky problem—one that couldn’t be rushed. But as for the young master not turning back into human form? That was purely because she didn’t want to.

Han Qiu suspected that Qian preferred staying in her beast form because it meant she didn’t have to practice writing or study. Plus, she got carried around all day and could squeeze into every nook and cranny of the Demon Palace during playtime.

“This can’t continue. The young master must resume her studies,” Liusha insisted.

“I’m teaching her, I’m teaching her,” Han Qiu waved the book in his hands, indicating that simply reading aloud to the child was the extent of his efforts. Whether she listened or not was beyond his control.

Unknowingly, the two protectors and Han Qiu had formed a three-person babysitting team, responsible for keeping the young master entertained every day.

“Liusha.”

The Demon Lord appeared soundlessly at the doorway.

Everyone immediately straightened up and bowed in greeting.

“I am entering seclusion immediately. Prepare accordingly,” the Demon Lord announced.

The last time he attempted to break through his bottleneck, the commotion from the Demon Palace’s endless disturbances had interrupted him. Now that things had settled and his injuries were healed, it was time to resume his cultivation.

“Yes!” The two protectors responded in unison.

“Rest assured, Your Excellency, we will protect the young master with all our strength.”

The Demon Lord: “That won’t be necessary.”

The three of them froze.

What did he mean?

Did he not intend to protect the young master?

Was he planning to put her in danger as bait?

Before they could voice their concerns, the Demon Lord added, “I will take her with me into seclusion.”

The location of his secluded cultivation had always been a secret. Why was he taking the young master this time?

Could it be that… he was finally so disappointed in her laziness that he decided to eat her to nourish himself?

Liusha’s first thought was exactly that.

Luo Ye seemed to have the same suspicion, hesitating before asking, “Your Excellency, isn’t the young master too young?”

The Demon Lord’s sharp gaze made him shut up instantly and drop to his knees.

Liusha, feeling the heavy pressure emanating from the Demon Lord, swallowed back her words and simply responded, “We will guard the Demon Palace and await your return.”

The Demon Lord reached down, grabbed the plump red-furred pup by the scruff, and started walking away.

As he stepped outside, he set the pup down and scolded, “If you refuse to walk, it’s no wonder you’re getting fat! Walk back to the sleeping quarters by yourself!”

“Awoo! Hmph!”

Hearing the Demon Lord scolding the child, the two protectors peeked outside.

They saw the young master lunge forward and bite onto the Demon Lord’s robe.

The Demon Lord strode forward without stopping, dragging the child along the ground like a mop as she clung stubbornly to his clothes.

Liusha and Luo Ye could clearly see two bite holes in the Demon Lord’s luxurious robes. The little red pup remained firmly attached, getting dragged around a corner and disappearing down the hallway.

Thankfully, the palace servants were diligent, ensuring the floors were always spotless. So, by the time she was dragged back to the sleeping quarters, her red fur remained just as pristine.

Huai You Nong picked her up again, this time wrapping his whole hand around her head. Qian couldn’t see where they were going, only that when she finally wriggled free, they were standing before a cliff.

Qian peeked down over the edge.

Suddenly, Huai You Nong leapt off the cliff, taking her with him.

The fierce winds howled up from below, whipping his long red hair into the air. His sleeves and robes billowed against Qian, making her instinctively cling to his hand.

She wrapped her front paws around his fingers, her hind legs and tail curling tightly around his wrist—clutching him like a furry little glove.

They fell for what felt like forever until a faint white glow appeared along the cliffside.

The dull, rocky landscape and pale light stood out starkly against the darkness. But within that monotony, the Demon Lord’s crimson hair was the only vivid color.

When they finally landed, Qian loosened her grip and sniffed the air curiously.

There was a strange, complex scent here—not very pleasant.

Countless openings of various sizes dotted the cavern walls, with gusts of wind streaming through each one.

This was the heart of Zhu Ding Mountain. Directly above them lay the Demon Palace and Demon City. Few knew that hidden within the mountain’s depths was this labyrinth of bizarre tunnels.

Huai You Nong stepped into one of the cave entrances.

The faint glow along the rock walls illuminated their path. Qian tilted her head, gazing up. The cave seemed naturally formed, with rough protrusions and scurrying creatures darting through crevices when disturbed.

Her eyes drifted to Huai You Nong’s face. In the dim light, his beautiful features looked especially cold.

But his hand was warm. As the air grew chillier, Qian hugged it tightly.

Sensing her movement, Huai You Nong smirked coldly.

Qian immediately had a bad feeling.

At last, Huai You Nong emerged from the long tunnel.

Beyond the passage lay an enormous hollowed-out space, shaped like a bowl. There was no solid ground—only a narrow, sharp stone ledge at the rim, barely big enough for one person to stand on.

This enormous cave was vast and spacious, with signs of wear on the rock walls, making them much smoother than those outside.

A sound of chains rattling echoed through the cave, and from the darkness in the corner, a shadowy figure stood up.

At first, Qian thought it was just a massive rock. But as the chains clanked again, and the thing emerged from the darkness, she finally saw its true form.

It was a massive, grotesque, and ferocious beast.

Its face was flat, with a short and thick head covered in gray-black keratin. Its body was armored with scales, but tufts of coarse fur grew in the gaps between the plates. The entire creature was a filthy shade of gray-black, with only the eyes on either side of its head glowing with a chaotic and ferocious red.

Sensing intruders, the beast moved toward them, letting out an earth-shaking roar. However, the thick iron chains around its neck and limbs restricted its range of movement. It could only roar helplessly when it reached the edge of its confines, unable to take another step forward.

This was the ugliest, fiercest-looking creature Qian had ever seen. Startled by the hideous beast, she instinctively scooted backward in fear.

But just as she shrank away, she felt a force pushing her from behind. Losing control, she tumbled forward, rolling straight down into the beast’s territory. With a dull thud, she landed at the very bottom, looking up—right into the beast’s drooling maw.

It seemed quite pleased with this fresh little meatball being delivered right to its mouth, and it lunged forward, jaws wide open.

For the first time, Qian felt an overwhelming sense of danger. The red-furred puppy flipped herself up in a nimble move that didn’t match her chubby form, then spun around and bolted.

She had never run this fast before in her life, sprinting all the way to Huai You Nong’s feet, barking furiously at him.

Huai You Nong stood above her, arms crossed, watching coldly. His voice was merciless: “The moment you turn back into human form, I’ll take you out of there.”

This little brat had been spoiled rotten—lazy and unwilling to improve. He had no doubt that if he left her alone, even after a whole year of seclusion, she’d still be running around in her puppy form.

A child left undisciplined would become useless.

Qian, unable to curse properly due to her young age and canine form, could only let out a furious stream of barking that echoed through the cave.

As the beast closed in on her again, she had no choice but to keep running. Around and around the vast cavern she sprinted, panting and exhausted, her legs turning weak. Yet that rotten father of hers still had no intention of rescuing her—he was simply standing there watching. Occasionally, he even let out a chuckle when her frantic escape looked especially ridiculous.

Even as she panted with her tongue hanging out, Qian still used whatever breath she had left to hurl doggy curses at him, condemning him for being such an inhuman parent.

Cursing didn’t work. Crying was useless. With the ferocious beast relentlessly chasing her, Qian was pushed to her limit. Finally, in the heat of the chase, something inside her erupted—instinctively, she tapped into the power buried deep within her.

A surge of heat coursed through her limbs and body, making her feel lighter. Her stubby puppy legs transformed into delicate arms and legs, and the red fur covering her body turned into voluminous, curly red hair.

“Waaah! I changed back! I wanna go up! Waaah!”

Now covered in dirt from rolling on the ground, the little girl ran to the edge, reaching up with both hands, crying pitifully.

“So, you could do it after all,” Huai You Nong remarked indifferently. “You’ve been so lazy all this time. Liusha and the others have been spoiling you too much. If this continues, you’ll just grow up to be useless. How are you supposed to inherit my position as the Demon Lord like this?”

“You’re scared? It’s just a beast. You can bite it—just like you bite me all the time.”

Qian stomped her feet in frustration. But before she could respond, she felt a rush of wind behind her. A heavy weight pressed her down.

I’m gonna get eaten! Waaah!

Sobbing in terror, Qian braced for the worst—only for the beast to give her a big, wet lick.

Then another.

Her fluffy red hair was slicked back from the force of the slobbery tongue. Qian was dumbfounded.

It was only then that Huai You Nong finally jumped down. When the beast saw him, it let out another roar—then enthusiastically tried to lick him, too. He pushed it away without hesitation.

“Get lost. You stink.”

The beast, seemingly lacking intelligence, didn’t register his disdain and continued trying to nuzzle him. Annoyed, Huai You Nong kicked it aside, making it retreat reluctantly, revealing the small, dazed child.

Scooping her up, he wiped her face with his sleeve. Qian finally came back to her senses, still shaken. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck for comfort.

But then she remembered his earlier “betrayal” and huffed angrily, withdrawing her hands.

Huai You Nong carried her toward another cave entrance. The beast followed them until it could go no further, left behind to watch them disappear into the darkness.

It let out another deafening roar—still as fierce as before. But somehow, to Qian, it didn’t sound quite as scary anymore.

She pouted, still upset. But unable to see the big monster anymore, curiosity got the better of her. Tugging at her rotten dad’s hair, she asked, “What is that thing?”

Huai You Nong answered casually, “A guard dog.”

It was a hybrid of a Heavenly Demon and a Green Armor Beast.

In a way, the creature was somewhat similar to Huai You Nong himself—they were both Heavenly Demon hybrids, the most powerful beings in the Demon Realm.

Unfortunately for the beast, the Green Armor Beast wasn’t a demon, just a particularly strong and ferocious magical beast. It had no humanoid form, no intelligence.

Because of this, it had inherited very little of its Heavenly Demon bloodline—its nature was more akin to a pure Green Armor Beast.

Luckily for it, even the tiniest trace of Heavenly Demon blood was so rare that it hadn’t been devoured as a supplement by other Heavenly Demons.

Unluckily, that tiny bit of Heavenly Demon blood made it even more bloodthirsty and uncontrollable than a typical Green Armor Beast. The person who had created it once unleashed it upon the Demon Realm, causing great havoc—only to later find it impossible to control. In the end, they had locked it away here and eventually forgotten about it.

Until Huai You Nong, after devouring all the Heavenly Demons and seizing the position of Demon Lord, came across it.

The creature was vicious and bloodthirsty, yet instinctively drawn to Heavenly Demon blood and submissive to its presence. It wouldn’t dare harm someone of that lineage.

So Huai You Nong simply let it remain here, serving as a guardian of his secluded retreat.

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