Chapter Ninety-Four: Even the Great Demon Can Act Human

Ning Xianyu thanked Elder Bu Jiao, then retrieved the stone. Elder Bu Jiao reminded her, “This stone has already recognized you as its master. Treasure it well and do not hand it over to anyone lightly.”

Ning Xianyu nodded. She didn’t feel as if the stone had truly accepted her as its master; she was merely safeguarding it on behalf of the great demon lord. Anything the demon lord cherished, naturally, no one could take away.

Gripping her sword, Ning Xianyu was about to leave when Elder Bu Jiao suddenly called out to her, excitement in her voice, “May I take a look at your sword?”

Ning Xianyu agreed and handed her the sword. Elder Bu Jiao examined it closely, turning it over in her hands, her eyes gradually reddening.

“Did he say anything?” she asked.

Instinctively, Ning Xianyu knew she referred to the man within the secret realm.

“He said that after he died, he wanted his last sliver of soul to be placed in a bottle and kept by her side, and asked me if I wanted his treasure.”

Elder Bu Jiao’s grip on the sword tightened and her fingers were instantly cut. Yet what oozed from the wound was not crimson blood, but green sap.

Surprised, Ning Xianyu pretended not to notice. The people here were all extraordinary—what was a little green blood from an elder? Even if someone here suddenly sprouted three heads and six arms, she wouldn’t be surprised.

Elder Bu Jiao hurriedly set the sword down, but seeing that Ning Xianyu showed not the slightest reaction, she couldn’t help but ask, “So, the grand ancestor has already told you everything?”

This one was a variable, an outsider like the Star of Calamity. No wonder the grand ancestor trusted her so much and confided everything to her.

Told her what? Ning Xianyu was completely in the dark, but chose not to explain.

Elder Bu Jiao wiped her eyes and tucked her hand into her sleeve. “Junior Sister Ning, you may go. The grand ancestor is waiting for you.”

Ning Xianyu thanked her once more and departed with her sword. The sword was peculiar—it refused to return to her storage pouch, so she had to carry it everywhere.

She considered getting a scabbard to sling it on her back; otherwise, it was too cumbersome. Yet carrying it on her back made her feel like she was lugging around a firewood stick—hardly elegant.

She flew straight to Xuanyuan Tunhan’s chambers and paced outside the entrance. Only then did she notice that even the demon lord’s residence bore a plaque, upon which two characters were inscribed…

“Heavenly Balance?”

Who would label their door with those words?

The system finally lost its patience: Look closely. It says ‘Leveling Heaven,’ not ‘Heavenly Balance.’

All right, so it’s ‘Leveling Heaven,’ not ‘Heavenly Balance.’ But what does ‘Leveling Heaven’ mean?

How odd. The system explained: In the original book, there’s little description of him. It never said where he lived, only that he resided high up and always wandered, seizing any treasures the protagonist wanted.

Of course, in the end, he was outshined by the protagonist and perished, defeated.

In the book, anyone who competed with the protagonist for anything would die, regardless of their status or talent.

Ning Xianyu recalled the demon lord’s words about mending the heavens: The demon lord once said the Star of Divination was actually a piece of the Heaven Mending Stone. Do you think his ‘Leveling Heaven’ is just another way of saying ‘Mending Heaven’?

Just a different phrasing, perhaps to be less obvious.

The system grew curious: Why does the demon lord want to mend the heavens?

I have no idea. Shouldn’t you be the one to tell me that? Ning Xianyu felt the whole plot had veered wildly off course.

The system was just as baffled: The book never mentioned mending the heavens, only that the egg destroyed the entire world.

At this, Ning Xianyu said suddenly: Could it be that what the demon lord tries to mend is the sky the egg destroyed—the sky of the Demon Realm?

The system replied: In the book, the demon lord was indeed supposed to mend the heavens, but after the protagonist killed him, that didn’t happen, so the world was destroyed.

Hearing it like this, the demon lord suddenly seemed like the good guy—and the protagonist the true villain.

Ning Xianyu said: But all this is just our speculation. The original author never set any of this up, did they?

She suspected the author just made the demon lord a plot device, without ever considering his motivations.

The system scoffed: Don’t mention the author. He wrote only for profit, pandering to whatever readers liked. Perhaps he planned this but gave up.

After a moment’s thought, she said: To be honest, I wanted to tell you long ago—even though we’re in a novel world and it’s unstable, as long as you act reasonably, the world won’t collapse.

What do you mean?

I mean, forget the original plot—just do what you should, enrich this world, make it real, stabilize it.

The system sounded grand, as if it might raise its hand to cheer her on.

But Ning Xianyu was unmoved. I only want to know the plot to make things easier for myself—who cares about all that?

Ah, she was truly a pitiable soul; now she didn’t even have the advantage of foreknowledge. Heaven must truly dislike her to throw her into this place and give her such an unsettled fate.

Why couldn’t she have been the heroine of a grand female-led story, instead of landing in a tale of endless struggle?

Feeling stifled, Ning Xianyu briefly recounted recent events to the system, then set off to find the demon lord.

Xuanyuan Tunhan had overheard her conversation with the system from afar. Seeing her enter, head lowered and dejected, he glanced over and tossed something to her.

“This is for you.”

Ning Xianyu caught it and saw that it was a scabbard—a beautiful one, inlaid with spirit stones forming a magical array.

Carrying this out would certainly dazzle everyone.

“For me?”

He said nothing, but it was clear whom it was for.

Ning Xianyu asked softly, “Could you give me a more modest one?”

Xuanyuan Tunhan paused, displeased. “You’re dissatisfied?”

Wasn’t this woman always fond of shiny, valuable things? Now she was turning them down? Had the blow changed her personality?

Ning Xianyu replied, “It’s not that I dislike it. I actually love it—it’s obviously worth a fortune. But wealth shouldn’t be flaunted. If I take this out and someone tries to steal it, what then? I just want something more understated.”

She always dressed plainly when going out, precisely to avoid trouble.

Outward glamour was not true beauty; inner worth was what mattered most.

Xuanyuan Tunhan hadn’t expected her to even know the word modesty.

He said impatiently, “With me here, no one would dare take your things. Come here.”

Ning Xianyu went over, puzzled, and saw him raise his hand and tap her head a few times.

She felt something enter her body, then vanish.

“I’ve placed a protection spell on you. It will shield you from three attacks below the Void realm.”

So generous?

Ning Xianyu marveled at the demon lord’s kindness—he was willing to bestow such a precious gift.

She sheathed her sword and slung it over her shoulder. It felt weightless. Looking at the glittering scabbard, she found it truly beautiful.

Her mood instantly brightened.

“Thank you, Grand Ancestor.”

So the demon lord could be human after all.

Indeed—a good… ah!

Xuanyuan Tunhan’s expression shifted; with a wave of his palm, he sent her flying out again.