“Sister Qin, see? I told you, when the Demon Lord sees that little dragon, he’ll be overjoyed. Just wait for our rewards!”
“You’ve done a great job for the Black Market this time. From now on, you’ll stay here. I’ll send more people to follow you later to find the Hidden Dragon Valley and capture all the dragon cubs inside!”
Sister Qin imagined the pile of dragon cubs she’d have at her disposal in the future, each fetching sky-high prices, and couldn’t help but laugh with glee at the thought of the boundless wealth and luxury awaiting her.
Nearby, Taro Ball and Goldfish, overhearing their conversation, clenched their little fists.
“Erdan, they’re so wicked!” Goldfish fumed, nostrils flaring in anger. “We need to teach them a lesson!” If he could, he’d definitely jump in and beat those bad guys!
Taro Ball was just as furious, nodding in agreement. “These demons have kidnapped who knows how many children. It’s possible some of our dragon kin fell to them in the past. Today, I must clear them out for justice!”
With that, Taro Ball drew his sword and sent a powerful strike. The sword energy, at the Nascent Soul stage, blasted the demon straight into the palace wall, where he spewed blood and was stuck there, unable to free himself.
Sister Qin, startled by the sudden appearance of this little figure, was both shocked and enraged. “Who are you, little thief? Do you know where you are? This is the Demon Palace, and you can’t just barge in here!”
Hearing this, Taro Ball cast a cold glance and immediately pressed the sharp tip of his sword against Sister Qin’s heart. His actions were ruthless, but his voice still had a youthful edge. “Tell me where you’ve hidden the stolen little dragon!”
Feeling the deadly sword aura, which seemed like it could cut off her head at any moment, Sister Qin’s voice quivered. “I—I didn’t recognize who you were. Please, put down your sword. I’m too scared to talk…”
Taro Ball narrowed his eyes, slowly withdrawing the sword’s tip. In an instant, Sister Qin’s expression changed. Her slender fingers morphed into demonic claws, and with a sinister grin, she lunged at Taro Ball’s throat. “You want to kill me? Do you even know who I am? I am…”
Halfway through her words, Taro Ball struck her with a palm, sending her flying. The sword’s tip, swift as lightning, was pressed against her heart again. He spoke coolly, “And who are you?”
Nearby, Goldfish clapped excitedly. For some reason, his brother’s words sounded like their father’s! So cool!
Sister Qin was drenched in cold sweat, her teeth chattering. “I was just kidding! I’ll tell you right away. Don’t be so hasty!”
As the sword’s tip advanced another inch, Sister Qin let out a high-pitched scream. “Alright, alright! The little dragon cub is inside the Demon Palace!”
Taro Ball glanced around, the Demon Palace was enormous and complex. Searching layer by layer might not yield results before nightfall. He frowned, “With the palace so big, where exactly is he?”
Looking at the sword’s tip, Sister Qin swallowed hard and trembled as she said, “Today is the coronation ceremony of the new Demon Lord. The little dragon cub was a gift from the Black Market and is in the innermost hall of the palace. The demon you sent flying was the instigator; it’s his fault, not mine. Moreover, the cub has been there for a while now. By now, he’s probably been devoured by the Demon Lord, bones and all…”
Hearing this, Taro Ball’s pupils constricted as he looked towards the main gate of the Demon Palace.
Mian Mian…
“Brother, hurry! Mian Mian is in danger!”
Upon hearing his words, Goldfish’s heart tightened with worry. He urgently followed Taro Ball, saying, “Erdan, let’s go in and save Sandan. Forget about these bad guys.”
Taro Ball nodded, channeling his spiritual energy into his sword. Clenching his teeth, he shattered the grand gates of the Demon Palace.
“Mian Mian! Brother is here!!”
Behind them, Sister Qin, who thought she had escaped, scrambled to her feet and tried to run. Taro Ball turned back, and with a swift strike of his sword, ended her life.
Father had always said, in a fight, never forget to finish off your enemy.
Taro Ball shifted his gaze from her body, grabbed Goldfish’s arm, and flew through the air, slashing through the layers of the Demon Palace’s walls with his sword. The demons within the palace tried to stop him, but none could deter his determination to save his little brother.
However, when he finally reached the door to the innermost chamber, he encountered guards entirely different from the ones before.
Two small figures, clad in black robes and wearing veils, concealed their identities. The guards, similarly dressed, exchanged glances and noticed that none among them were that short. “Who are you? The Lord has commanded that no one may enter the main hall!”
Taro Ball didn’t care about any commands. He thought of how Mian Mian had never suffered since birth, and now, because they hadn’t kept a close enough eye on him, Mian Mian was in grave danger, his fate uncertain.
Mian Mian is still so young, still just a baby!
Taro Ball’s eyes were red with emotion.
Without bothering to argue with these villains, Taro Ball swung his sword, driving the demon guards back, and then forcefully flung open the palace doors.
Inside the grand hall, several demons were huddled around a bed, their heads down. From the bed came faint, whimpering sounds of a small cub.
To Taro Ball’s eyes, it looked like fierce demons were reaching out with their claws towards his helpless brother.
“Get away!!!”
Taro Ball rushed into the midst of the demons, sword raised high, ready to strike. But just as he was about to bring it down, he heard a muffled voice from the bed, “So noisy—”
Taro Ball’s sword froze in mid-air.
The demons around the bed instantly turned to face Taro Ball, hissing, “Shh, quiet! Are you new here?”
“Do you know how much effort we put into putting the young prince to sleep?”
“Now you’ve woken him up. Go over there and fan him for an hour!”
“Little Prince, don’t be mad. A pesky fly just flew in. We’ll deal with it right away. Little boat floating, little treasure sleeping…”
Taro Ball: ??
He stared at the bed in disbelief, imagining his brother covered in wounds and blood. But instead, the little cub was nestled comfortably in the soft bedding, looking like a snowball, sleeping soundly.
How… how could this be?
Goldfish arrived, fuming, and upon seeing the scene, was equally stunned. “Huh? Sandan seems fine…”
Hearing his brothers’ voices, the little cub slowly opened his eyes. Noticing Taro Ball’s frozen expression, he yawned and climbed out of bed. The nearby demons quickly helped him put on his shoes.
With his little hands behind his back, the cub elegantly walked over to Taro Ball and Goldfish, took their hands, and said with a sleepy gaze, “Finally, we can go home.”
It was so much more comfortable to sleep at home, snuggled up against his brothers’ bellies.
Taro Ball felt a wave of relief as he sensed no demonic energy on his brother. He wanted to ask why Mian Mian was here, why the demons were so kind, and if Mian Mian had been mistreated or exposed to demonic energy.
A lump of questions stuck in his throat, and his mind was a whirlwind. After a long moment, meeting Mian Mian’s clear eyes, Taro Ball swallowed his questions, gently hugged his brother, and whispered, “Alright, we’re going home.”
No matter what had happened, it didn’t matter now. They were here to bring his brother back home.
“Erdan, since we’re out, let’s buy something good to take home.”
“I want to eat barbecue.”
“Mian Mian wants barbecue? Sure, let’s go buy some and eat it at home.”
“Erdan, I also want sticky rice cakes, osmanthus sugar, candied fruits, and…”
“Brother, please eat less. We don’t have that much money.”
“Aw, then let’s just buy barbecue for Mian Mian.”
“Alright… Forget it. Eat whatever you want. I’ll use all the money I’ve saved up. Today, we’re going to eat our fill!”
“Yay!!”
They held onto Mian Mian’s small hands as if they were holding the most precious treasure in the world. They didn’t let go until they had left the Demon Realm.
In Hidden Dragon Valley.
Shen Tanqi and Yu Ce finally settled all the details for their wedding, sent out invitations to friends and family, and returned home utterly exhausted.
“Marriage really is a hassle,” Shen Tanqi sighed, supporting Yu Ce.
Yu Ce agreed wholeheartedly, “It’s definitely complicated. I used to think that getting married was just about mutual affection, but there are so many rules. Well, at least we only have to do it once in our lives.”
As they exchanged glances, they both broke into soft smiles.
Opening the door, they saw the little cubs huddled around the table, their heads down. The small table was piled high with all kinds of snacks, fruits, barbecue duck, and various unknown dishes. Hearing the noise, the cubs looked up, their bellies clearly full and satisfied.
Shen Tanqi and Yu Ce: …?
“Where have you been?” Yu Ce asked with a frown.
The little ones exchanged glances, grinning mischievously as they answered in unison, “We just went out to play for a bit!”
“Yeah, and we’re planning to go out again! We want to visit Grandpa and Grandma in Shuoxia City.”
“And then visit Uncle Fang and Auntie Jiu at the sect!”
Mian Mian, gnawing on a roasted chicken leg, raised his tiny hand and chimed in, “Me too! I want to… go to the Demon Realm and become the Demon Lord! What do you all think?”
Everyone: ???
“No way!!”
Mian Mian scratched his little face, looking puzzled. “Why…?”
What’s the matter? The demon guards were nice and even gave him a lot of time to rest.
Oh well, maybe he can try again when he’s a bit older.
(End of Sandan’s Adventures)
“Lord, the little dragon prince has left.”
Jing Wei nodded, seemingly unsurprised, and said calmly, “It’s for the best.”
Shen Tanqi’s little son wasn’t someone to be trifled with. If he had arrived a moment later, that child might have devoured all the demonic energy in the entire Demon Palace.
But then again, even when he was just an egg, Huo Yening had tried to treat him, and the dragon egg absorbed every bit of demonic energy.
It seems that from that time on, the child began showing signs of being susceptible to demonic energy. Fortunately, he arrived in time to stop it.
Otherwise, if Shen Tanqi found out his own son had absorbed all the demonic energy in the Demon Palace and gone berserk, he would have been in a real panic.
Jing Wei turned his face away and asked calmly, “Any news from the Elders?”
“No significant updates. However, after the death of the Third Elder, many people are vying for the position. Should we stir things up a bit?”
The Third Elder was Huo Yening.
Hearing Huo Yening’s death mentioned, Jing Wei’s heart ached slightly.
“Yes.”
Before leaving, the demon subordinate couldn’t help but ask, “Lord, when do you plan to take the throne? These Elders are quite scheming, and I’m worried…”
“There’s no need for you to remind me. Do your own job,” Jing Wei replied coldly.
The position of Demon Lord had been vacant for too long, and countless eyes were fixed on it. Until he had completely dealt with the threats, he needed to remain in the shadows, waiting for the right moment, quietly removing all obstacles.
The subordinate hesitated for a moment before finally saying, “Yes, I understand.”
Soon, the vast hall was left with only Jing Wei, the silence so profound it was as if a needle dropping could be heard. He stood still for a long while before suddenly extending his hand, summoning a thick, dense mist of dark magic that enveloped him completely.
At that moment, outside Yudong City, at the entrance of a gloomy, secluded residence, a dark, inky mist began to spread.
Jing Wei stood before the door, his eyes flickering as he meticulously examined every inch of the door’s intricate carvings. He reached out to open it, but his fingertips hovered in the air, just a hair’s breadth away. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t summon the courage to move forward.
They had once lived here together.
The demons were despised by the humans and cultivators alike. To avoid drawing attention, they had disguised themselves as a daemon doctor and a child. In those days, few patients came for treatment, and they lived in relative peace.
So, most of the time, Huo Yening lay around reading while Jing Wei was tasked with grinding herbs.
In the cold, dark house, the days were extremely dull and oppressive, but Huo Yening seemed oblivious to it. Sometimes he wondered if Huo Yening intended to spend his entire life here, growing old and dying in this desolate place.
But he wasn’t willing to accept that. Back then, he had grander ambitions.
Once, he was so frustrated with the grinding that he threw down the pestle and shouted at Huo Yening, “What’s the point of hiding in this dump all day? If I were you, I’d have fought my way back to the Demon Realm and claimed the throne by now!”
He hated Huo Yening’s lack of ambition. Despite being the influential Third Elder of the demons, he was hiding away in such a miserable place, dragging him down and wasting his life. He had once loathed this kind of life.
At that time, Huo Yening lazily looked up from his book, glanced at him indifferently, and said, “Then go.”
Enraged, he was ready to leave, and Huo Yening made no effort to stop him.
Later, for an entire month, Huo Yening didn’t come looking for him.
Eventually, he did return, having faced defeat in the Demon Realm. He had offended an Elder and was beaten mercilessly by the Elder’s strong demon followers, leaving him injured and battered, with a broken limb. He crawled back, looking like a stray dog—only Huo Yening could save him.
When Huo Yening saw him return, he didn’t mock or seem surprised. He didn’t drive him away either. Instead, he took out some ointment and gently applied it to his face.
“Who did this to you?” Huo Yening asked him.
Huo Yening’s expression was as calm as ever, but there was a coldness in his demeanor that made one’s heart shiver. He still remembered it clearly, with no hint of emotion, yet it was unsettling.
He answered honestly.
That night, Huo Yening returned, carrying both the person who had tortured him and a basket of fresh, green vegetables. He watched as Huo Yening threw the person in front of him, then calmly washed his hands and went to the kitchen to prepare the vegetables and cook.
After the meal was ready, Huo Yening lay back in his bamboo chair with a book, behaving as if nothing had happened, as if things were just as they had been before.
Holding a steaming bowl of rice, he cried silently, letting his tears fall into the rice where Huo Yening couldn’t see.
Since then, he had never left Huo Yening’s side.
This place was filled with all his memories.
Everything about Huo Yening was here.
In the past, whenever Huo Yening whistled, he would rush to him from miles away.
But now…
He could no longer hear it.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
