The same night can be short or long.
Short enough to be the time it takes to open and close your eyes while sleeping in bed, or long enough to leave one place, traverse the dark, mountainous terrain, and arrive at an unfamiliar city.
Jian Huan swallowed the Demon Transformation Pill given by Yin Yusheng, donned a black cloak, and blended into a group of Shadow Demon Guards returning to the city from the mountains, racing toward the Demon City.
The three of them followed at the end of the squad, with Shen Jizhi bringing up the rear.
After about half an hour, Yin Yusheng, who was ahead of her, turned his head. His face, hidden under the hood, silently signaled, "We're here."
Jian Huan instinctively looked forward.
A corner of a black city wall peeked through the dense, moon-shrouded Demon Forest.
After moving forward a bit more and emerging from the forest, the Demon City fully revealed itself before her eyes.
The black city wall loomed like a mountain, encircled by a ring of red lanterns that emitted a crimson glow in the pitch-black night.
From a distance, it resembled a colossal demonic beast.
The lanterns were its eerie, glowing eyes, and the wide-open city gate its gaping maw.
Around the maw, demon soldiers stood guard.
The lead Shadow Demon Guard had already reached the city gate, stopping to exchange low murmurs with the guards.
The rest of the squad halted behind him.
Shen Jizhi, trailing at the end, listened carefully for important details while discreetly observing their surroundings.
He could faintly hear the squad leader saying things like, "Still haven't found them," "The master ordered us to return first," and "They're still searching."
This group of Shadow Demon Guards had been sent back due to their low cultivation levels and minor injuries sustained during their mountain search, which conveniently worked to the advantage of the three infiltrators.
The real Shadow Demon Guards had already vanished without a trace.
After a brief exchange, the demon soldiers waved them through, parting to make way.
Shen Jizhi hunched his back, his gaze fixed on Jian Huan ahead. Feigning a slight stomachache, he stepped into the Demon City.
Almost simultaneously, deep within the Demon Palace, a pair of dark, compound eyes suddenly opened.
The Shadow Demon Guards continued their swift march. Soon, they entered the city streets, where the scent of blood mixed with alcohol wafted through the air, and the clamor of demon voices filled their ears.
"Hahaha! I heard some cultivators dared to trespass into our Dark Abyss! They must have a death wish!"
"If the Shadow Demon Guards hadn't sealed off the mountains, I would've gone to try my luck. Fresh cultivators—now that's a delicacy!" one demon said, smacking his lips.
"Right? Buying a human smuggled into the Dark Abyss costs tens of thousands of demon crystals. Who can afford that?"
"I heard the Nine Provinces Continent is teeming with humans. What a paradise! I dream of going there. It's such a pity that the heavens have been harsh on us demons, keeping our numbers far below those of humans and forcing us to hide in the Dark Abyss!"
"Just you wait!" At a street-side wine stall, a male demon slammed his wine bowl down, clasped his hands, and bowed respectfully toward the Demon Palace, his eyes filled with madness. "Long live the Demon God! The Demon Lord is wise! It won't be long before he leads us to conquer the Nine Provinces Continent and turn its humans into our feast. We'll eat as many as we want!"
"Long live the Demon God! The Demon Lord is wise!"
"Long live the Demon God! The Demon Lord is wise!"
"Long live the Demon God! The Demon Lord is wise!"
The entire street was a chaotic frenzy.
Demons shouted at the top of their lungs, laughing, dancing, and spilling wine onto the ground.
As Jian Huan passed by, she glanced at the spilled wine.
The liquid, tinged with red, seeped into the cracks of the ground.
It was wine mixed with human blood.
Nearby, the wine stall owner grinned as he introduced his product to customers. "Tonight, we have the finest Daughter's Red, brewed with the blood of a sixteen-year-old girl. The taste is exquisite..."
Jian Huan closed her eyes for a moment, her fingers instinctively curling into fists. Biting her lip, she followed Yin Yusheng into a side alley.
As the hem of her black cloak fluttered, Shen Jizhi, hidden in the shadows, reached out and gently squeezed her cold fingers.
"Ran Mu'er is missing?"
In the study, Jiang Wei, who had just finished handling various matters, felt a surge of anger rising in his chest. The immense demonic energy within him threatened to burst forth.
But with elders from various sects resting in the guest quarters, Jiang Wei had to suppress his rage. "Tea," he ordered coldly.
As soon as he spoke, a Shadow Demon emerged from the shadows, bowing low as he hurried forward. From his robe, he produced a ceramic jar of premium tea leaves, a teacup, and a sealed teapot.
A spoonful of tea leaves was placed into the cup, and crimson blood poured from the teapot, flowing down the glossy inner walls of the cup.
The Shadow Demon bowed to Jiang Wei and silently retreated.
Jiang Wei picked up the cup and took a large gulp. The human blood instantly soothed the restless demonic energy within him. He exhaled deeply, regaining his composure.
Only then did Jing Chi speak. "My Lord, what should we do now?"
"Did the Harmony Union Sect leave any traces?" Jiang Wei asked.
Jing Chi shook his head. "I've checked, and there's nothing..."
Jiang Wei stared at Jing Chi and repeated, "Did the Harmony Union Sect leave any traces?"
Jing Chi paused, then looked up at Jiang Wei, suddenly understanding.
If the Harmony Union Sect hadn't left any traces, they would create some for them!
Jing Chi prostrated himself on the ground. "I understand what to do now. Your wisdom is unparalleled, my Lord!"
"Even the best elixirs won't wake Ran Mu'er within three months. Taking her away now is pointless."
Jiang Wei had always liked a human saying: "When the old man lost his horse, who could have guessed it was a blessing in disguise?"
He blew on the tea leaves floating in the blood. "Using Ran Mu'er to cripple a few Harmony Union Sect elders wouldn't be a bad idea. Keep a close eye on the sect these next few days!"
Jing Chi quickly replied, "Understood."
"And what about Qiao Qiao? How is she?" Jiang Wei asked.
Jing Chi: "The young lady is with her mother, under her care."
Jiang Wei nodded, finished his tea, and stood up. "I'll go to my wife's room to see..."
Suddenly, Jiang Wei stopped speaking. His head felt dizzy, and he swayed slightly, instinctively steadying himself against the table.
Jing Chi was alarmed and rushed to support him. "My Lord..."
Jiang Wei regained his composure, his stern face a mix of joy and shock. "I must return to the Dark Abyss immediately. Handle things here in my absence!"
Deep within the Dark Abyss's Demon Palace, an old man stood silently at the entrance, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his head bowed.
Passing demon servants hurriedly bowed in respect before scurrying away.
In the sky, a black whirlwind approached rapidly.
The old man opened his ink-black eyes and cupped his hands in greeting as the whirlwind took human form. "My Lord."
"No need for formalities, Demon Envoy," Jiang Wei said as he walked alongside the old man toward the depths of the Demon Palace, his eyes still filled with shock. "Why has the Divine Lord awakened?"
According to the signs, the Divine Lord wasn't supposed to awaken for another five days.
"The Divine Lord only woke for a moment," the old man replied. The two stopped, and the old man looked up at the massive figure above, now asleep again. His dry, tree-like lips trembled as he spoke. "My Lord, the Divine Lord said that the Demon Origin Stone has arrived. It's in the city!"
On their way back to the Shadow Demon Guards, Jian Huan and the other two silently broke away from the group, following Yin Yusheng toward the Dark Abyss prison.
The sights of the Demon City along the way left Jian Huan deeply unsettled.
Night was the time when demons were most active. The city's layout was similar to that of human cities, divided into various districts.
However, the meat stalls displayed not only the carcasses of demonic beasts but also... human remains.
A young man's head hung from a hook, his purple lips pierced and displayed on a wooden rack for sale.
His eyes were wide open, his face frozen in the terror of his final moments.
There were also slender legs of women, the plump hands of children...
All sorts of body parts, from different ages and genders, each with its own price...
The moment Jian Huan saw this, her face turned pale, and a wave of nausea overwhelmed her.
A chill ran through her heart, and she averted her gaze, focusing only on moving forward.
Jian Huan had three reasons for venturing into the Dark Abyss with Shen Jizhi.
First, for Gu Shan and Yu Qing, two seniors who had treated her well. She couldn't stand by and do nothing after what had happened to them.
Second, to uncover the hidden truths in the original story. She couldn't let Shen Jizhi suffer the same fate as in the book, and perhaps, her reason for transmigrating into this world lay here.
Third, for the Bodhi Tower and to earn spirit stones.
Not one of these reasons was to kill demons or bring peace to the Nine Provinces Continent.
Humans and demons had never coexisted peacefully, and Jian Huan knew this well.
But she hadn’t expected such incompatibility.
The scenes she witnessed in the Demon Palace were far more unsettling than the lectures given by the sect elders.
Suddenly, Jian Huan recalled the time in Ningzhang City when the city lord, Ning Hui, had secretly sent the Ghost Fish King to hijack merchant ships crossing the river.
The goods were stolen, and so were the people.
Jian Huan had previously speculated that those people might have been sold into slavery.
But what she saw now suggested something far worse than slavery…
The Nine Provinces Continent was vast, with countless cities large and small, and people went missing everywhere.
Where did those missing people end up?
It was a question she couldn’t dwell on.
Dared not dwell on.
Couldn’t bear to dwell on.
Jian Huan leaned against the cold, damp wall, hiding in a secluded corner of the alley near the Dark Abyss prison. She pressed her fingers hard against her temples, her head bowed, trying to calm the storm raging within her.
Shen Jizhi wasn’t faring much better. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Jian Huan, he took out a small bundle of soft white spirit silk.
The silk floated gently in the air, unfolding to envelop the secluded corner, silencing all sound.
He closed his eyes and exhaled softly.
Yin Yusheng glanced at the two of them and took out two emerald-green pills, handing them over. “These are for calming the mind and nourishing the spirit. They’ll help.”
“Thank you,” Shen Jizhi nodded, accepting them without hesitation. He handed one to Jian Huan before taking the other himself.
The cool sensation soothed their unsettled stomachs.
They still had to infiltrate the Dark Abyss prison. Jian Huan took a deep breath, calming her mind and restoring her body to its optimal condition before peering out.
The entrance to the Dark Abyss prison was shaped like a black stone dragon.
The imposing stone dragon coiled amidst a bed of sculpted flowers, exhaling a breath of stone.
The entrance itself was the dragon’s gaping mouth.
At the moment, the gates were tightly shut, guarded by layers upon layers of shadowy demon sentinels.
Not only that, but patrols of demon shadows roamed the open areas, scouting the nearby streets and alleys.
However, tonight, many of the prison guards had been dispatched to search the mountains for Jian Huan and Shen Jizhi, who had escaped. As a result, the patrols in the streets were temporarily replaced by puppet guards.
“Puppet guards?” Jian Huan repeated after hearing Yin Yusheng’s explanation. “Are they puppets controlled by demon heartworms?”
“Yes,” Yin Yusheng nodded, his eyes fixed on the approaching puppet guards. “They’re coming. Get ready.”
Shen Jizhi retracted the white spirit silk and looked at Jian Huan.
Jian Huan gave him a quick wink, then took out her spatial bowl. She gauged the angle and aimed the bowl’s opening at the corner, activating it.
With a faint shimmer of light, the three of them vanished from the spot.
Moments later, a squad of twelve puppet guards silently entered the alley.
At the front was a demon sentinel, a small black bell hanging from his waist. The bell made no sound, swaying gently in the night breeze as black demonic energy wafted from it, drifting toward the puppet guards behind him.
The puppets were cloaked in black capes, their faces hidden beneath hoods, their eyes vacant and shrouded in demonic energy.
They moved silently, obediently following the bell’s lead.
As the lead demon sentinel turned the corner and headed toward the other end of the alley, three hooked spirit threads floated out from the air, aiming for the last three puppets in the line.
The moment the hooks touched the puppets, the insecticide coating the hooks seeped into their bodies, knocking out the demon heartworms nesting in their brains.
Meanwhile, inside the spatial bowl, Jian Huan stood in the center, with Shen Jizhi to her right and Yin Yusheng to her left.
Their eyes were sharp as they observed the puppets they had hooked. Each held a fishing rod hastily modified by Shen Jizhi in the cave. As the puppets’ eyes closed and they began to collapse, the trio swiftly reeled in their lines in perfect unison!
The puppets were lifted into the air by the hooks and pulled into the spatial bowl.
The lead demon sentinel didn’t notice that three of the eleven puppets trailing behind him had gone missing.
But it didn’t matter—soon, three new “tails” took their place.
