Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)

Chapter 51: The Booklet

Xiuluo Palace.

Whether it was the guards outside the hall or the servants inside, they all moved about holding their breath and keeping silent. Even when they had to converse, they lowered their voices to the minimum, fearing to disturb the master in the inner hall.

This new Demon Venerable's temperament was truly peculiar. When everyone thought this Demon Venerable of the Tribulation Crossing Realm would lead them to break out of the demon realm, trample on immortal cultivators, flatten the cultivation world, and unify the world, he merely shut himself in the inner hall, coldly instructing not to be disturbed, and that was it.

The entire demon realm was on tenterhooks, not knowing what kind of temperament this boss actually had, so they began to rack their brains to guess his preferences. They held grand and lavish banquets for him, but he found them annoying; they searched for treasured weapons coveted by thousands in the cultivation world to offer him, but he didn't need them; they arranged exciting killing games that demon heads liked for him, but he had no interest; they presented him with stunningly beautiful demon concubines, and he replied with one word, "Get out"...

After being turned away countless times, everyone deflated.

"He doesn't like killing, doesn't go near women, doesn't love power, is this really a demon?" Qing Hao said incredulously, "Could it be a Buddhist cultivator from Lanruo Temple in disguise?!"

Fu Cang snorted with laughter. "You think all demons are as vulgar as you? The Venerable has already broken through the Tribulation Crossing Realm and reached the supreme state. How could someone like you understand?"

Qing Hao let out a "Ha!" and immediately retorted. "And you understand? Weren't you the one who got kicked out by the Venerable when you sent in demon concubines??"

Fu Cang fell silent with a cold face.

Qing Hao was smugly pleased with himself and continued. "You, actually, were on the right track. But unfortunately, you're not as clever as me, you don't know how to pay attention to details."

Fu Cang frowned, not knowing what he was getting at. Qing Hao raised his chin and clapped his hands, and several servants walked up respectfully, carrying scrolls in their arms. When the scrolls were unrolled, they revealed paintings of beautiful people, but with a change in gender—they were all men.

Not only that, but each painting depicted a different type of male beauty. There were willowy and graceful ones, ones with thick eyebrows and big eyes, some coquettish and affectionate, and others as proud and aloof as frost and snow... The variety was endless.

Fu Cang: "..."

"Who doesn't like beautiful people!?" Qing Hao declared with certainty, "If the Venerable doesn't like beautiful women, then he must like beautiful men! Just wait and see, this time I'll definitely succeed!"

After saying this, he strode into the inner hall with his chest puffed out, followed by his servants, once again requesting an audience with the Demon Venerable.

After waiting for a moment, the hall doors opened. Qing Hao walked in and saw the current lord of the demon realm.

The figure had his back to him, sitting crookedly in a wide chair, propping his head with his left hand, his posture languid. From Qing Hao's angle, he could see the pale profile of the other's face and his eyes closed wearily, as if he were asleep.

Qing Hao remembered that after initially pledging allegiance to the Demon Venerable, he was actually unwilling. Later, during one visit, seeing the other in such a lazy, listless, and seemingly defenseless state, he had a sudden thought of taking the opportunity to assassinate him. But before he could even move a finger, an overwhelming killing intent enveloped him, and a terrifying pressure forced his knees to slam heavily onto the ground.

In that instant, he broke out in a cold sweat and never dared to harbor any rebellious thoughts again.

"Greetings to the Venerable," Qing Hao bowed and said with a smile, "I have recently collected several paintings that I find quite good and would like to show them to you."

The person in the wide chair slowly opened his eyes and finally turned around.

Completely contrary to the rumors outside that "the Demon Venerable doesn't show his face because he's ugly," the man had handsome features and deep-set eyes. Both his eyes and long hair were jet black, blending with his intricate outer robe. Beneath his handsome appearance lurked a sharp and intimidating aura that, even in a weary and peaceful mood, instilled fear in people's hearts.

His gaze fell on the unrolled paintings, seeing that they were once again portraits. His brows immediately furrowed, a trace of impatience flashing across his face. He was about to speak when he inadvertently glanced at one of them.

The person in the painting wore a white robe, with hair as black as ink. Their face was beautiful yet extremely cold, like a handful of snow on a winter tree branch.

The man's expression froze slightly, his gaze lingering on that painting for a long time, momentarily lost in thought.

Qing Hao paid attention to every slight change in his expression. The corners of his lips lifted slightly as he left the paintings and quietly retreated.

The inner hall door closed, leaving everything in silence. The man brought the painting closer, examining it carefully for a while. This time, however, he felt the person in the painting had stiff features and a rigid demeanor. While beautiful, it was clearly painted according to a template for beautiful people, with nothing particularly special about it.

A sense of irritation rose in his heart. He tossed the painting aside and lay back in his chair.

For the past few months, he had been feeling very irritable.

Because he couldn't remember anything. His name, identity, background... all was a blank. He vaguely felt that he should have been dead for a very long time, probably long enough for his coffin to have rotted. Then one day, he was suddenly forcibly awakened by someone using a soul transfer technique, who then babbled a bunch of things in his ear.

He had been asleep for thousands of years, his mind was in a fog. He couldn't make out a single word of what the other person said. He didn't even open his eyes due to a headache, and just instinctively followed the instructions of the spell, killing someone at the Mahayana Realm.

Why he killed, he didn't care; who he killed, he didn't know. After all, it was just someone at the Mahayana Realm, did he need a reason to kill them?

After that, he came to the place with the densest demonic energy and randomly found a place he liked to stay. For three months, he tried every day to recover his memories, but after trying many methods, he still came up empty-handed.

Only occasionally would he have a feeling flash through his mind, as if there was something very important waiting for him to do. When he tried to grasp this feeling, it had already disappeared without a trace.

The man irritably clicked his tongue and closed his eyes again with a scowl.

****

Meng Chen was brought into the Xiuluo Palace and temporarily confined in a side hall. Besides him, there were seven or eight young men in the hall. A quick glance revealed that they were all of the same type, though their demeanors varied. Some bore looks of endurance, clearly having been brought here against their will, while others feigned indifference on their faces, though excitement and anticipation clearly shone in their eyes.

Seeing Meng Chen enter, the expressions of the others changed slightly. His aura was too outstanding. Although they all appeared to be of the same type, he instantly outshone the others by leagues, making it impossible for people's gazes not to fall on him.

Among them, a young man who had been secretly pleased with himself, thinking no one looked as good as him, couldn't sit still. He sidled up to Meng Chen and whispered, "You and I have the best conditions. Eliminating the others won't be a problem. Let's look out for each other later and try to serve the Demon Venerable together."

"No need," Meng Chen said coldly without even looking at him. "He's mine."

The young man: "..."

Damn, what ambition!

He wanted to say something more, but several guards had already walked in and shouted, "Get yourselves ready, we're taking you to see the Demon Venerable now!"

So, whether willing or unwilling, all of them followed the guards out of the side hall with nervous hearts.

****

When the Demon Venerable heard that Qing Hao wanted to present people to him again, his first reaction was annoyance. But suddenly, for some inexplicable reason, he thought of that beautiful person in the painting, so he remained silent.

In this interval, the people had already been brought in.

He raised his eyes heavily and saw several exquisite faces. They were indeed beautiful, but like that painting of the beautiful person, they were pale and flavorless.

A wave of weariness surged in his heart, and he was about to send everyone away when he unexpectedly met a pair of eyes.

In that instant, his heart loudly "thumped," then began to beat faster without rhythm.

The owner of those eyes was different from the other beauties. He didn't adopt a lowered gaze or cautious demeanor, but instead held his head high, staring directly at him. That gaze was exceptionally focused, almost to the point of infatuation, carrying a heat that unconsciously began to raise the temperature of his entire body.

He was surprised by this change in his body and, as if to cover it up, lowered his face and said, "Who gave you permission to look at me like that?"

Perhaps his tone was too cold. The young man seemed to wake from a dream, his gaze gradually cooling. His jet-black eyelashes slowly lowered as he bowed his head and no longer looked at him.

The Demon Venerable: "..."

Had he been too harsh just now?

He felt a twinge of regret, but he couldn't possibly add, "You can keep looking, I don't mind." So he could only soften his tone and ask, "What's your name?"

"Meng Chen."

Meng Chen didn't plan to change his name. Although he had some fame in the cultivation world, it wouldn't have reached the demon realm. The demon realm was full of powerful beings and wouldn't pay attention to a small God Transformation cultivator like him.

"Where is your home?"

Meng Chen: "I have no home to return to."

The Demon Venerable was silent for a moment, then said, "Then you can stay here from now on."

****

Meng Chen was arranged to stay in the Fangcao Palace within the Xiuluo Palace.

It was strange that there was such a poetic name in the demon palace, but the standards and arrangements of the Fangcao Palace were all top-notch. Being arranged to stay here was enough to show how much the Demon Venerable valued him.

Meng Chen, however, maintained a calm expression. He dismissed the enthusiastic servants who wanted to stay and serve him, and sat alone in the room for a while. Only then did a trace of weariness and desolation appear between his brows.

That person was truly no longer Xue Lang.

He had the same face as Xue Lang—or rather, the same face as Xue Lang would have as an adult. Xue Lang was still in the form of a teenager of seventeen or eighteen, but that Demon Venerable was clearly a mature man.

He was tall, a full head taller than Meng Chen. His features were more defined and profound, and his aura had changed completely. Gone was the sharpness of youth, replaced by a calm and unfathomable demeanor, like a deep mist that one couldn't see through.

And his words and actions were not at all like Xue Lang's.

Xue Lang was gone.

Truly gone.

It seemed that only after confirming it with his own eyes did the young man finally accept this unchangeable fact. He slowly lay down on the table, burying his face in the crook of his arm. As if suddenly engulfed by a surge of overwhelming sadness, he remained motionless for a long time.

****

A certain Demon Venerable found that he was no longer irritated.

Besides pondering how to recover his blank memories, his mind finally had room for something else, or rather, someone else—

The person who had just arrived today, the one called Meng Chen.

He didn't know why he would keep an ordinary person in his mind, but during the day, the way that person looked at him, and the trembling sensation that arose when being gazed at by him, were etched in his heart like a brand, impossible to forget.

The man looked outside. The stars were sparse and the moon bright - it was completely dark now. That young man hadn't shown his face since being arranged into the Fangcao Palace in the morning.

The man clicked his tongue, thinking this person truly didn't understand protocol.

Weren't you here to serve me?

Where are you?

Or perhaps, was he too shy to come over without being summoned?

He thought about it back and forth, initially wanting to send someone to call him, but then worried it was too late and the other might have already gone to sleep. So he decided to go himself. He arrived at the Fangcao Palace and, seeing the light was still on inside, pushed the door open and entered.

Sure enough, Meng Chen wasn't asleep. He sat alone by the window, his profile turned to the moonlight outside, lost in thought. The clear light fell on his face, making his already fair skin appear almost transparent, giving his whole person an indescribable loneliness and fragility.

The Demon Venerables's heart suddenly ached, and he forgot what he was about to say. For a moment, he just stood there, staring at him.

It was Meng Chen who noticed someone had entered. He turned around, stood up, and softly called out, "Venerable."

The man came to his senses, grunted in acknowledgment, and after a moment's thought, asked, "Are you comfortable staying here?"

Meng Chen lowered his eyes and answered, "It's comfortable."

The man felt something wasn't quite right, so he asked again, "What were you thinking about just now?"

Meng Chen replied flatly, "Nothing in particular."

The man suddenly realized what was wrong.

Meng Chen's attitude.

When they first met during the day, he had clearly looked infatuated. That gaze, if not deeply passionate, was at least... affectionate, right?

But now? From the moment he entered until now, throughout their brief conversation, the other hadn't looked at him properly even once!

Not once!

Well, well, so his claim of having "no home to return to" was actually true. He hadn't come for him, the Demon Venerable, but to trick his way into a place to stay!

A sense of frustration suddenly rose in the man's heart. In his anger, he wanted to drive this person out, but for some inexplicable reason, he couldn't bring himself to do it. After a moment of hesitation, seeing that the young man still showed no initiative to speak, he finally flicked his sleeve in exasperation and strode out with a black face.

****

The news that the Demon Venerable had taken in a male beauty and was preciously hiding him in the Fangcao Palace spread quickly.

Qing Hao, who had facilitated this, was also extremely pleased when he heard about it. He specially waited a few days, estimating that the Demon Venerable would be in high spirits after enjoying himself, before going to the Xiuluo Palace. He hoped that the Venerable, in his good mood, might promote him or something, allowing him to get one up on that bastard Fu Cang.

After all, he could no longer ascend to the Demon Venerable's position, but he absolutely couldn't remain below Fu Cang!

However, when he met the Demon Venerable, Qing Hao found that his expression was not pleasant. In fact, it was even darker and more sour than before he had presented the beauties.

His heart sank, and he tentatively asked, "Is the Venerable in a bad mood? This subordinate is willing to help dispel your worries."

The man looked listless, his eyes closed, not speaking. It was the servant standing behind him who quietly gestured to Qing Hao, explaining the reason.

Qing Hao was somewhat surprised. He never imagined that after so many days, this person still hadn't devoured his prey. He immediately slapped his thigh hard and said, "My lord! Your heart is truly too ki—" He suddenly remembered that praising a demon for kindness was equivalent to insulting them, so he quickly corrected himself, "Your temper is really too good. That beauty has long been your possession. You can play with them however you want. If the beauty doesn't obey, just beat them once, why bother getting angry yourself?"

The Demon Venerable opened his eyes, his gaze slightly cold, with an expression that seemed to say, "How about I beat you once more?"

Qing Hao suddenly trembled, forced a smile, and then had a flash of inspiration. He sent a message asking one of his subordinates to quickly deliver several books, which he placed beside the Demon Venerable. "Here are a few booklets that might help My Lord solve his troubles. I have some matters to attend to, so I won't disturb you further."

Remembering the beating he received last time, which still made his body ache, Qing Hao didn't dare to linger and quickly slipped away.

The man glanced at the booklets and picked them up. He saw that the covers were colorfully decorated, with titles written on them:

"The Overbearing Demon Lord's Little Darling Wife"

"Demon King's Exclusive Love: Immortal Lord Sweet Wife, Don't Try to Escape"

"Days and Nights with the Cold and Aloof Supreme God"

Demon Venerable: "......"

"What nonsense..." he muttered disapprovingly while rubbing his slightly warm ears, and then opened one book to read it carefully.

——

The Demon Venerable spent two days finishing the booklets, but Meng Chen still hadn't come to see him of his own accord.

He had been keeping an eye on Meng Chen's whereabouts because he hadn't restricted the other's movements. Sometimes Meng Chen would stay in Fangcao Palace, daydreaming, reading books, or sleeping; sometimes he would wander around Xiuluo Palace. One day he even went outside for a stroll, but he never once came to see him.

He gritted his teeth, determined to teach the other a lesson.

So that night, at his summons, Meng Chen finally appeared before him.

The man snorted coldly, slightly raising his chin, with his arm draped over the back of the chair. He coldly threw out a few words. "Sit on top, move by yourself."

This phrase was something he had seen in the booklets, appearing with high frequency, but he didn't really know what it meant. Whenever this phrase appeared, it was followed by a row of ellipses, and then it would jump to the next day.

But he did know that this phrase should have some punitive meaning in it, because in the booklets, whenever the demon lord's little wife tried to escape and was caught, they would always be told this phrase while crying and sobbing by the demon lord.

In any case, this should be a very intimidating phrase.

The young man in front of him finally raised his eyes upon hearing this.

However, his gaze was somewhat cool, like snow water in the depths of winter, seeping through bit by bit.

Demon Venerable: "......"

His heart suddenly panicked, and he didn't know why he added, "Mo-move your hands yourself, give me a shoulder massage!"