Chapter 31: Didn’t Hold Back When Beating the Child, Fairy Tales When Coaxing

Shi Ying’s one sentence instantly confirmed Gu Changhuai’s guess.

Sure enough, Meng Xian was the vicious spirit nurtured by Lady Mengying. But yesterday… He recalled the red hair tie that flashed by at the end of the corridor—who was that?

“If I hadn’t run fast enough, I’d be dead under Qing Lian’s sword!” Shi Ying said, suddenly looking up to glare viciously at Gu Changhuai, his tone ferocious. “The little bitch that Shadow Head Gu saved back then showed up again yesterday to guide Qing Lian. Shouldn’t Shadow Head explain himself? I hear you’re quite familiar with her?”

Could he admit that?

Gu Changhuai let out a scoff, his tone light and mocking. “You can eat whatever’s on the table, but you can’t just spout nonsense. A chance encounter and a casual rescue—it’s your own incompetence that exposed the flaw. How can you blame me for that?”

He pointed at Shi Ying from afar, his words dripping with sarcasm. “Everyone knows my unwavering loyalty to the Demon Realm. You should reflect on yourself.”

At the mention of unwavering loyalty, Xue Lao Er couldn’t help but shoot Gu Changhuai a strange look. He really couldn’t see any trace of loyalty in his colleague.

Gu Sanbai?

Loyalty?

Expecting loyalty from a capricious, vicious killer who followed his whims?

Anyone who knew him feared he’d flip sides at any moment—no one, not even a dog, would believe that nonsense.

Shi Ying’s face turned ugly as he prepared to retort, but suddenly a crisp “slap” rang out. His head snapped to the side from the blow.

“Useless!” Lady Mengying flung her hand, berating him harshly. “You can’t even handle a small matter and now you’re making excuses here!”

Gu Changhuai leisurely adjusted his posture, watching with keen interest.

Well struck!

That slap had a whoosh to it—must have hurt.

Seeing Lady Mengying’s anger, Shi Ying immediately called out in fear and trepidation, “Madam.”

He promptly prostrated himself at Lady Mengying’s feet. Shi Ying, who made people in both the Cultivation World and Demon Realm flee in terror, now pressed his forehead reverently and adoringly against the back of Lady Mengying’s foot. “Madam, you know I’d give everything for you.”

The onlooker Xue Lao Er: “…”

The onlooker Gu Changhuai: “…”

Both fell silent.

Eww…

What was this? Some new game?

Was he part of their play too?

A burly man whose looks weren’t exactly appealing rubbing his head against a beautiful woman’s foot—the scene was too much. Xue Lao Er frowned in disgust, turned away, and faced the wall.

Lady Mengying’s expression softened a bit. “Fine. We still have a backup plan. Go prepare it quickly.”

At this, Gu Changhuai’s brows lifted slightly.

Still more?

Shi Ying, receiving the order, lit up with vigor in his eyes. He looked up, his gaze nearly greedy as it slid over Lady Mengying’s cheek. “As long as it’s your request… I will…”

But Lady Mengying didn’t spare him even a glance, her eyes filled with longing for her child.

“Excuse me.” Gu Changhuai interrupted the pair, saying casually, “Since the vicious spirit has been taken, do we still need to unseal the Little Young Master’s bloodline?”

The original plan had been to break through the seal on Pei Tianyi’s body, restore his half-demon bloodline, and then introduce the nurtured vicious spirit.

At that point, Pei Tianyi, drawing in the vicious spirit with his half-demon heritage, would gain all its power and become a true demon clansman with a place even in the Demon Realm.

But now, the vicious spirit was gone.

Even if they broke the seal, he’d just be an ordinary half-demon, and with his spiritual roots devoured by the demon vein, his current Nascent Soul cultivation would be wasted.

A powerless half-demon in the Demon Clan would only be bullied.

Lady Mengying had clearly considered this too, but her expression showed no worry. Instead, she curved her lips into a smile at Gu Changhuai. “Don’t worry. In three more days, my Yi’er will still become the strongest in the Demon Clan.”

…

Three more days—Xue Lao Er was annoyed to death and simply holed up in his room, refusing to come out. Gu Changhuai, who had returned with him, heard a forceful “bang” as the door slammed shut.

Han Ya popped out from who-knows-where and spat furiously at Xue Lao Er’s door, muttering under its breath, “Old geezer’s lapdog! Traitor!”

“Shh—” Gu Changhuai pinched its beak and dragged the blabbering silly bird back to his room. Once he released the beak, Han Ya spoke up. “He has no good intentions. I heard it all—he’s here to monitor us!”

Gu Changhuai was surprised. “Heard what?”

Han Ya turned its head, its voice hoarse. “The Demon Venerable said that if things go wrong this time and he notices any unusual moves from you, Xue Lao Er can just kill you outright.”

So he wasn’t the only double agent. Gu Changhuai pondered this—the Demon Venerable suspected him?

Whether it was the assassination attempt on Rong Ye or Xuan Yao, he’d followed orders, even if the results weren’t ideal. He hadn’t slacked off at all.

What exactly had aroused the Demon Venerable’s suspicions?

Gu Changhuai couldn’t figure it out. After mulling it over, he said, “How about we just kill the Demon Venerable?”

Bad mood? Solve the source of the problem.

At this, Han Ya perked up, red light flickering in its eyes. “For real?”

Gu Changhuai smiled faintly as Shattered Shadow formed in his hand. With a smile on his lips, he leisurely peeled a spirit fruit, his gaze lowered casually. “Just kidding. Don’t get tense.”

Han Ya tilted its head, seriously scrutinizing Gu Changhuai’s expression. Birds couldn’t read the complexities hidden in human hearts, but instinct could sense danger and malice.

After a pause, it croaked, “Doesn’t sound like a joke.”

Gu Changhuai shoved half the peeled fruit into Han Ya’s mouth, then stood, biting the other half as he headed toward the courtyard where Pei Tianyi lay.

The man in question was still asleep.

To unseal the bloodline and draw in the vicious spirit to turn him into a demon—shouldn’t they ask the person’s opinion first?

…

Three days.

As Gu Changhuai walked along the path, he pondered the significance of this timeframe. Lady Mengying was so confident, which meant she had nurtured more than just one vicious spirit.

Vicious spirits formed from the resentment of thousands—first was Meng Xian.

Meng Xian had been taken by Rong Ye.

So the second one.

Gu Changhuai bit into a spirit fruit; its fragrance burst sweetly and refreshingly. With a sidelong glance, he noticed a red rose swaying in the wind amid the rose bushes lining the empty ground around the corridor.

Seemed like a little mouse was peeking.

Hm?

A gluttonous one at that.

Gu Changhuai’s lips curved slightly. Casually, he took out another spirit fruit, tied a dead knot around the stem with string, and hung it from the eaves.

The white-with-a-red-tinge fruit dangled and spun in midair. Gu Changhuai turned and continued walking. After a few steps, he glanced back.

The spinning fruit was gone; only the string swayed slowly in the wind.

Little mouse.

Hooked.

Of course, Gu Changhuai wasn’t in a rush to catch the little mouse. It would be fine for now within the three days. More importantly, he needed to check on Pei Tianyi first—the kid was probably going to sleep himself stupid in that coffin.

As for the four maids guarding around the crystal coffin.

“You go draw them away,” Gu Changhuai urged Han Ya.

Han Ya puffed up its chest. “How could the Ancient Demon Crow stoop to such vulgarity?”

Gu Changhuai held up three fingers. “Back on Supreme Peak, I’ll stew three silver fish for you.”

Using someone else’s resources to do himself a favor—though the silver fish in Waterside Residence seemed inexhaustible. Who knew how many Rong Ye had stocked.

Han Ya promptly lowered its head. “Deal!”

No sooner said than done—a black mist rolled over Han Ya, transforming it instantly into a vulture. It spread its wings and charged like a wild boar straight toward the room!

It crashed through the door, going straight for the heart!

Gu Changhuai waited outside and heard shouts from within: “Where’d this vulture come from!”

“Ah! It’s pecking my eyes!”

“Quick, catch it—don’t let it disturb the Little Young Master!”

After some chaos, Han Ya flew out chased by the four maids, circling the courtyard once and naturally luring them away.

Gu Changhuai slipped inside. Pei Tianyi still lay soundly asleep in the crystal coffin, hands folded motionless. If not for his steady breathing, Gu Changhuai would have thought he’d passed on.

Frankly.

It did look that way.

As he thought, his hands didn’t stop. Several strands of demonic energy gathered at his fingertips, and he pressed hard three times at Pei Tianyi’s brow. Almost instantly, Pei Tianyi’s eyes snapped open.

Yo, still dreaming.

Gu Changhuai waited unhurriedly for him to wake.

The young man was clearly still dazed, his eyes bleary as he instinctively looked toward the only living person by the coffin.

What met his gaze was a ferocious mask, ink-black tight robes on a tall, slender frame with arms crossed, a knife hanging at the waist that blocked the light from the window. The shadows draped over him, exuding a faint, eerie chill.

He looked far from friendly.

Pei Tianyi snapped awake in fright, eyes widening as he opened his mouth to shout—only for Gu Changhuai to clamp it shut. “Shut up. Keep it down—it’s me.”

Hearing the familiar voice, Pei Tianyi calmed a bit, closed his eyes briefly, and nodded to show he understood.

Only then did Gu Changhuai release him.

By now, Pei Tianyi’s mind had cleared. Realizing something was off, he scanned the surroundings, then looked down at himself.

Anger instantly tinged his brows. He muttered curses under his breath. “Who the hell stuffed this young master into a coffin!”

He wasn’t dead yet!

“Don’t curse yet. Feel the coffin first,” Gu Changhuai reminded him. “Not just anyone gets to sleep in something this premium.”

The crystal coffin looked crystalline and pure, made from materials rare even in the Cultivation World or Demon Realm—heavenly treasures crafted into it. Great for healing or boosting cultivation; even just lying in it relaxed the mind and spirit.

One could see how much effort Lady Mengying had put into making this crystal coffin for Pei Tianyi.

As the beneficiary, Pei Tianyi circulated his energy carefully and said in surprise, “…My cultivation actually increased?” He’d leveled up from a nap.

Then he turned to Gu Changhuai, hesitant. “But… what’s with your getup? And where the hell is this?”

His expression turned solemn.

Something was wrong… Why was there lingering demonic energy in the air…

“Oh, I’m playing spy,” Gu Changhuai replied without missing a beat, changing the subject. “Do you remember how you got caught? Weren’t you checking the vicious spirit array points?”

At that, Pei Tianyi lost interest in pursuing the demonic energy source, a bit embarrassed. “I got knocked out right after splitting from Senior Brother Kong, and then… this.” He hadn’t even found an array point.

As he spoke, he flipped out of the crystal coffin and stretched his limbs. Then he heard Gu Changhuai ask, “By the way, did the Enforcement Elder ever mention anything about your mother?”

“My mother?” Pei Tianyi said matter-of-factly. “Didn’t she go up to the sky and become a star?”

The overly unexpected answer left Gu Changhuai speechless: “…”

The Enforcement Elder really knew how to play.

No mercy when beating the kid.

But quite the fairy tale when coaxing him.