A Little First Love Shock for the Demon Lord - Chapter 11.1

Ying Ning was in the courtyard, carefully loading freshly made tofu onto the donkey cart when Aunt Li’s voice rang out from beyond the gate.

“Ah Ning! Are you up? I brought you something nice!”

It wasn’t until the third call that Ying Ning slowly opened the gate.

As soon as the door creaked open, Aunt Li noticed her limping and asked in concern, “What happened to your foot?”

Ying Ning gave a faint, bitter smile. “It’s nothing serious. I just twisted it accidentally last night.”

“You really are a careless one.” Though Aunt Li chided her, worry was written all over her face. She reached into the bamboo basket slung over her arm and handed Ying Ning two eggs. “Take these, eat them to build up your strength.”

Ying Ning immediately waved her hands. “I can’t, that’s too generous…”

But Aunt Li insisted, pressing the eggs into her arms. “Lately, the hens at home have been laying two eggs a day. I was happy and thought I’d bring you a couple to try. If you don’t take them, I’ll be upset.”

Afraid the eggs might fall and break, Ying Ning hastily accepted them. She knew Aunt Li had a fiery temper—being overly polite might truly upset her.

She smiled and accepted them, then said, “Aunt Li, I’ll bring you a bowl of tofu pudding tonight. Do you want it sweet or savory?”

Instead of answering, Aunt Li asked, “With your leg like that, why aren’t you resting at home today? Where are you off to?”

“I promised Shopkeeper Du I’d deliver tofu to him today,” Ying Ning explained.

Aunt Li peered into the courtyard at the donkey cart, then sighed. “Alright then, I’ll go deliver the tofu for you today. You stay and rest.”

“No need! It’s easy for me to ride the donkey cart into town, and walking a little will help my foot heal faster,” Ying Ning said quickly. Aunt Li was getting on in years—she couldn’t bear to trouble her.

Aunt Li still tried to persuade her. “Even so—”

But Ying Ning cut her off with a gentle smile. “I don’t like sitting idle, Aunt Li. Don’t steal my work, alright?”

Aunt Li let out a huff. “Alright, alright, you’re just born to toil.”

Despite her words, her heart softened immediately. With a worried expression, she warned, “Go and come back early. I heard from Hua’er’s husband that people have been going missing in town lately. A pretty girl like you should be extra careful. Remember that.”

Ying Ning nodded.

After seeing Aunt Li off, she tied her cloak tight, tucked the protective charm securely into her pocket, and rode off on the donkey cart.

Xiao Bao trotted along cheerfully. Ying Ning sat in the cart, her thoughts drifting to the mysterious Demon Lord.

Would it appear again today?

And if it did… should she be afraid?

She turned her head to glance at the three spirits that had been following her— the hanged ghost, the scorpion fiend, and the two-headed baby. Ever since the appearance of the Demon Lord, the other monsters had stopped tailing her. Only these three remained persistent. As soon as the Demon Lord vanished, they returned to her side.

Rubbing her temples, Ying Ning sighed. She hadn’t slept well the night before, and seeing the trio again made her headache worse.

As she lowered her hand, she noticed that the once clear sky had grown heavy and overcast, as though a storm was brewing.

“Is it going to rain again?” she muttered in confusion.

Just as she spoke, Xiao Bao suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Up ahead, the sound of a child crying echoed through the air.

Ying Ning frowned and looked toward the source.

A girl of about ten stood ahead. Round face, round eyes, hair tied in twin buns, and a patchwork outfit of black, white, and yellow fabric. She was rubbing her eyes, crying pitifully.

Something felt off. Ying Ning didn’t dare approach recklessly. She remained seated on the cart and called cautiously, “Little one, why are you crying? Where are your parents?”

The girl looked up, revealing eyes swollen like walnuts. Sniffling, she replied between sobs, “My parents are back in the village. I brought my kitten out to play, but it ran off and I can’t find it.”

There was a village to the south, but Ying Ning still didn’t fully trust her. She gestured for the girl to come closer.

“Come here. Let me see if you’re hurt.”

She wore a protective charm. If the girl was some malevolent spirit, she wouldn’t be able to approach without being repelled.

The little girl nodded sadly and jogged over. She grabbed Ying Ning’s hand, which rested on her knee.

Ying Ning stared in surprise.

Nothing happened. The charm didn’t react, and the girl showed no discomfort.

So, it seemed she’d been overly suspicious—the girl was just a normal child.

Relieved, Ying Ning stepped off the cart and asked gently, “What’s your name?”

“I’m Xiaoli,” the girl replied sweetly.

“You shouldn’t be out here alone. It’s dangerous. Let me take you home.”

But at that, Xiaoli’s tears welled up again. “No! My kitten is lost. I can’t go home without it!”

“But…” Ying Ning began.

Before she could finish, Xiaoli threw a tantrum, yanking her hand away and flopping to the ground, rolling around while crying and shouting.

“No! I have to find my kitten! I won’t go home without it!”

Ying Ning’s head throbbed even more. But she couldn’t bring herself to scold her. She knew what it was like to lose a beloved pet. Anyone would be upset, especially a child who didn’t yet understand the finality of death.

After a moment of thought, she asked gently, “How did your kitten go missing?”

Xiaoli sniffled and looked up. “I was carrying it when we got here, but something startled it and it jumped out of my arms and ran into the woods.”

She pointed toward the dense forest to the west.

The thick forest loomed ahead, shadows tangled among dense leaves. A sense of gloom hung in the air.

Ying Ning sighed inwardly. A cat running into that place would be almost impossible to find.

Just as she was about to reason with Xiaoli again, the girl suddenly dashed toward the forest.

“Sister, don’t worry about me—I’ll find my kitten myself!”

“Wait, no, listen—” Ying Ning reached out instinctively to stop her.

But it was too late. Xiaoli had already disappeared into the trees.

Ying Ning turned helplessly to Xiao Bao. He snorted disdainfully and shook his head, clearly suggesting she leave the girl be.

After a moment of thought, Ying Ning decided to head to Xiaoli’s village instead. With her injured foot and the tofu still undelivered, it would be more practical to get help from the villagers to search the forest.

She climbed back onto the cart and urged Xiao Bao forward, heading toward the village. But no matter how far they walked, they never seemed to get closer. When she looked back, the forest was still just behind them. She and Xiao Bao hadn’t moved at all.

Her heart sank.

“Not again,” she muttered.

After everything that happened last night, couldn’t she catch a break before encountering another strange event?

Ying Ning’s almond-shaped eyes drooped in frustration. She allowed herself a moment to wallow before clenching her fists and shaking herself out of it.

She’d lived nineteen years—this wasn’t the first weird thing she’d seen. Giving up wouldn’t help. Facing it head-on was the only way forward.

Determined, she dismounted, gently patting Xiao Bao’s head. “Looks like I’ll have to go into the woods. The paths are too narrow for you—stay here and wait for me.”

Xiao Bao snorted in protest and rubbed his head against her worriedly.

Ying Ning stroked his neck and reassured him softly, “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

She grabbed an axe from the cart and tucked it into her belt, then limped into the forest.

This time, she moved forward freely. Before long, she was deep within the woods.

Although Ying Ning had passed by here many times, she’d never ventured inside. Only now did she see how lush and tangled the forest was—branches interlacing overhead, blotting out the sky, and a thick mist shrouding everything. She couldn’t see the end of the forest at all.

Though hesitant, she pressed on.

Soon, she heard crying ahead.

Following the sound, she found Xiaoli sitting under a tree, quietly wiping her tears. When she saw Ying Ning, she burst into loud sobs and threw herself into her arms.

Ying Ning knelt to comfort her. “Don’t be scared, Xiaoli. I’ll take you home.”

Xiaoli rested on her shoulder and whispered tearfully, “I’m not scared. I’m just sad… I lost my kitten.”

Ying Ning sighed softly. “I know how much you loved your kitten, but this place is dangerous. I’m sure your kitten loved you too—it wouldn’t want you to get hurt looking for it.”

“That’s not true,” Xiaoli suddenly said, her voice turning cold.

A chill climbed up Ying Ning’s spine.

Xiaoli’s grip around her tightened. Her voice changed, deepening as she growled into Ying Ning’s ear, “What a cat fears most is being abandoned. You mortals don’t understand cats at all!”

Realizing something was wrong, Ying Ning shoved her away with all her strength.

Xiaoli stumbled back, and in that instant, her round face began to sprout fur, fangs extended at the corners of her mouth, and her eyes turned to vertical slits like a cat’s.

It was a cat’s face.

Ying Ning stumbled to her feet, retreating in shock.

Xiaoli was a yao?

But why hadn’t the charm reacted?

There was no time to ponder. She had to escape.

“Will you play with the kitty?” Xiaoli tilted her cat-like head, her voice eerie.

Ying Ning ignored her and bolted.

“Big sister, do you hate the kitty too?!” Xiaoli screamed after her, the sound piercing the shadowy woods and sending a chill through Ying Ning’s bones.

She ran, enduring the pain in her ankle.

Suddenly, branches rustled violently to her right. A massive shadow lunged out and knocked her to the ground.

She gasped in pain. Looking up, she saw an enormous rainbow-colored cat, bigger than a tiger, with a red cord around its neck and a pendant of agate etched with strange patterns.

Xiaoli glared at her. “Are you going to abandon the kitty too? You’re a bad person!”

Ying Ning hurried to calm her. “Xiaoli, I never wanted to abandon you—”

To Ying Ning’s surprise, her words only made Xiaoli even more furious. The little cat blew furiously at her and shouted, “Liar! You mortals are all liars! You said you’d love and protect the kitten forever, but once you grow tired of it, you toss it away like it never mattered!”

Ying Ning couldn’t help feeling both amused and helpless. How did that make me sound like a heartless man?

Realizing that Xiaoli was no longer thinking rationally, Ying Ning silently pulled out the God Tablet, praying it would work this time.

She waited for a moment of inattention and quickly thrust the God Tablet in front of Xiaoli.

Xiaoli blinked at the tablet, unimpressed. “What a useless piece of junk,” she scoffed, then swatted it away with a claw.

Ying Ning watched helplessly as the tablet hit the ground. Cracks deepened across its surface, and its light dimmed instantly.

As the shattered tablet hit the earth, a chill swept through the forest—cold and shrill like the wail of ghosts.

Xiaoli froze, disoriented by the sudden shift in atmosphere.

While both she and Ying Ning stood still, stunned by the eerie change, a long tongue shot out from behind Ying Ning. It coiled around her neck several times and yanked her away from under Xiaoli’s claws.

Xiaoli let out a furious screech and lunged forward to follow, but just then, an umbilical cord lashed out from the side and wrapped tightly around her hind legs, anchoring her to the ground.