Chapter Forty-One: The Saintess Wishes to See You

Although the demon lord was using her female body, his essence remained that of a demon lord; as soon as he leaned in, she felt an icy chill permeate her entire being. The once soft and delicate body seemed to turn as rigid as a block of ice. Now he was nestled in her embrace, even finding a position to make himself more comfortable. Ning Xianyu dared not move, stiffly sitting there, her arm raised as if to hold him, but not quite daring to do so.

How long was he going to lie like this? The posture was certainly ambiguous, but she didn’t dare budge an inch.

Yi Tianling stood nearby, tense and uneasy, being watched closely by the demon cultivators; he felt deeply uncomfortable. Yet upon seeing the posture of the two, he suddenly thought it would be preferable to be stared at by demon cultivators. The two seniors were so affectionate, flaunting their love everywhere they went, making others envious.

If Ning Xianyu knew what he was thinking, she would probably give him a slap and tell him to get lost.

After a while, her raised arm grew tired. She struggled, held back, thought it over again and again… Forget it, if she died, she died. Better to risk death than let her arm go numb. Boldly, she lowered her arm, draping it over Xuanyuan Tunhan.

With that, she transformed from a delicate maiden into someone comfortably nestled in his arms, and it was rather enjoyable. If she ever opened her own harem, she would make it open to all, regardless of gender. Not only were the handsome men captivating, but the gallant, gentle, adorable, and heroic ladies were each charming in their own right—she wanted them all.

She would gather them, have them accompany her in joy every day—just imagining it made her giddy with laughter.

“Wipe your drool,” Xuanyuan Tunhan suddenly sent her a message, lazily opening his eyes and casting her a sidelong glance.

That look, seductive and alluring, made him a true enchantress.

Ning Xianyu was filled with jealousy. Why was it that when she used her own body she was a soft maiden, but when the demon lord used it, he became a seductive beauty? It was truly disheartening.

“Wipe your drool. Are you trying to seduce your own body?” The demon lord sensed her infatuated gaze and felt a strange emotion, immediately sending a colder message forbidding her from making such an expression.

Ning Xianyu hurriedly wiped away her nonexistent drool and retorted, “It’s my own body, why would I have any such thoughts?”

Xuanyuan Tunhan glared at her, “Then what were you just thinking?”

“I was thinking about the little…” Ning Xianyu stopped herself, unwilling to confess she had just been thinking about the ladies of her future harem.

She had even added the category of seductive enchantresses to her imagined harem, and just thinking about it made her heart race. No, she couldn’t indulge these thoughts.

The corners of Xuanyuan Tunhan’s mouth couldn’t help but curve into a smile, though he quickly suppressed it. Indeed, there was still the effect of the Nine-Branch Ephemeral Flower on this woman; lying against her, the fire in his mind was much subdued.

But she was simply too noisy, too big, and could eat a lot. When danger came, she was troublesome. He recalled there was an herb that, once ingested, could shrink a person. Once he had his body back, he would find it and try turning her into a pendant. Imagine, a tiny person jumping about in distress, hugging a fruit much larger than herself, and gnawing away—it was quite an amusing thought.

He had never kept a spirit pet in all these years; raising one like her might be entertaining.

“Ancestor, what are you smiling about?” Ning Xianyu’s question interrupted his musings.

Xuanyuan Tunhan quickly touched his face and glared at her mockingly, “I’m not smiling.”

“Oh, then I must have been mistaken,” Ning Xianyu didn’t press further, though internally she kept grumbling.

[He definitely smiled, refusing to admit it, grinning like he’d stolen some treasure.]

[Men, ha, born liars.]

Xuanyuan Tunhan couldn’t help but laugh again, but before she could question him, he snapped in annoyance, “Shut up and look at the demon palace ahead.”

This woman would never understand what it meant to have a heart without boundaries.

Ning Xianyu turned her head, aggrieved, and quietly watched the demon palace.

[He really did smile. Men are so good at saying one thing and meaning another.]

Xuanyuan Tunhan lay there for a while, and after some time, the gates of the demon palace suddenly opened.

A female demon cultivator, dressed in black, stepped out, standing atop the high stairs and looking down at the crowd. Her gaze was proud and cold, as if she were picking prey. The demon cultivators she looked at grew excited; some even tidied their clothes to appear more dashing and heroic.

Saba exclaimed excitedly, “That’s the demon envoy from beside the Saintess, come to choose gifts she likes. Everyone, make a good impression!”

He wanted Xuanyuan Tunhan and Ning Xianyu to stand up, to show the demon envoy how imposing and powerful they were. Unfortunately, Xuanyuan Tunhan refused to rise, and Ning Xianyu couldn’t move. The two sat there like lords, watching the demon envoy as if she were their subordinate.

Saba was anxious, wondering how best to impress her.

But before he could do anything, the demon envoy pointed in their direction.

“How long has this Fire Qilin been dead?”

Saba, thrilled, shouted, “Two days, only two days!”

The demon envoy asked, “Where’s the head?”

One of Saba’s underlings quickly lifted the Fire Qilin’s head, “Here, it’s right here!”

The demon envoy nodded in approval, “The cut is clean. Good, you may come in first and see if the Saintess likes your gift.”

With that, she turned elegantly and walked away.

Saba and the others could hardly contain their excitement. They hadn’t expected fortune to favor them; they’d be seeing the Saintess so soon. My heavens, if he returned to his village to tell the tale, he’d boast about it for a lifetime.

He was the first from his village to reach the Sanctuary safely and intact, presenting a gift and meeting the Saintess.

Remarkable, Saba.

“Go, go, hurry up.”

Ning Xianyu hadn’t expected to enter so quickly and hurriedly asked Xuanyuan Tunhan if they should go.

The demon lord lazily rose, stretching, “Let’s go.”

The system scoffed, [The Saintess isn’t interested in your gift. She sensed Yi Tianling’s arrival and deliberately sent someone to bring him in. You and the demon lord are just incidental.]

Ning Xianyu protested, [How can you say that? We minor characters being incidental is one thing, but the demon lord is the foremost figure of the Six Realms. How could he be just incidental?]

[He’s an honored guest, distinguished and noble.]

The system laughed, [No matter how mighty the honored guest, before the male lead, he’s still a nobody.]

Ning Xianyu countered, [No matter how mighty the system, aren’t you still an intern?]

The system sputtered, [I…hmph…I’ll draw a curse circle for you. Defending the demon lord, you must have caught feelings lying together.]

Really, striking where it hurts—too wicked.

Ning Xianyu frowned slightly, adamantly refusing to admit any feelings from lying next to the demon lord. What nonsense!

But why was she defending him? Had she taken leave of her senses?