A Little First Love Shock for the Demon Lord - Chapter 15

Back in the day, when the Demon Lord Minglou charged alone into the Eastern Sea and faced their army, he battled them for seven days and seven nights without once trembling or faltering. His hands never shook, his legs never buckled, and not a hint of panic crossed his face.

In the end, it was the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea who broke down in tears and surrendered, offering countless treasures to beg him to stop. Only then did Minglou leave, satisfied.

Never would he have imagined that now, a single innocent question from Ying Ning would fluster him. If he had the means, he might very well imitate the Dragon King himself—offering all his treasures just to make Ying Ning stop asking.

But his treasures were all in the Demon Realm, and he had nothing on hand now to distract her.

When he didn’t respond for a long time, Ying Ning asked again, “What is lingxiu?”

Seeing the determination in her eyes, Minglou’s expression tightened, a faint sheen of sweat forming at his temples.

After a long pause, he sighed heavily and said, “Since you insist on knowing, I’ll tell you.”

Ying Ning waited attentively for his answer, while Luo Su, standing nearby, perked up with interest, curious to see how the Demon Lord would explain the term.

Minglou cleared his throat and said, “It’s literal. Ling means zero, and xiu means rest. So lingxiu means… no rest.”

Ying Ning looked utterly confused. But since she wasn’t from the Demon Realm, it made sense she wouldn’t understand. She decided not to press further.

Luo Su, however, couldn’t help but clap in astonishment.

How ridiculous! Absolutely absurd! The Demon Lord sure could bluff like a pro!

Worried Luo Su’s strange reaction might make Ying Ning suspicious, Minglou grabbed him by the collar, dragged him aside, and whispered sternly, “She must not know what lingxiu really is.”

Luo Su didn’t immediately agree. Instead, he squinted at the Demon Lord and said, “Don’t tell me you didn’t succeed last night? Then how did you make it through?”

Minglou fell silent.

There was no way he’d admit he got through the night only because Ying Ning had smacked him on the head a few times.

Luo Su narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “You’re acting really weird about this. Dodging questions, trying to hide the truth from her—this isn’t like you at all. Could it be that you actually…”

“Silence!” Minglou snapped, interrupting him angrily. “There’s nothing between her and me!”

He turned cold. “Since you’ve already dealt with the Death Spider, go investigate Chen Wuxiu at once!”

At the mention of that, Luo Su slapped his forehead. “I almost forgot! Last night I overheard something at Spider Sister’s place.”

“What is it?” Minglou asked.

Luo Su grew serious. “She said that a thousand years ago, the commander of the Yunjing Abyss was quietly replaced. The one who was removed had his celestial bones ripped out and was condemned to eternal reincarnation.”

“Stripped of celestial bones, condemned to endless reincarnation…” Minglou murmured the words, his eyes darkening. “That’s a heavy punishment. It must be because he let Chen Wuxiu’s remnant soul escape.”

Luo Su looked uneasy. “What should we do now?”

Minglou didn’t answer. Instead, he turned to look at Ying Ning.

At some point, she had made her way to the donkey shed, leaning on a wooden stick while feeding the injured Xiao Bao.

“She’s hurt her foot. Go treat her,” Minglou said calmly.

“Huh?” Luo Su blinked, then nodded. “Got it.”

As Minglou led him toward Ying Ning, Xiao Bao in the shed let out an ear-piercing shriek.

Ying Ning quickly pulled Minglou aside and whispered, “You broke Xiao Bao’s leg last night. He’s still mad. He can’t stand the sight of you.”

Minglou glanced at the donkey, who lay on the ground rolling his eyes dramatically. One leg was clearly splinted with two wooden boards.

“Stupid donkey, so dramatic,” he muttered, then shot Luo Su a look.

Luo Su instantly got the message. He walked up to Ying Ning, knelt on one knee, and extended his palm toward her injured foot. White threads flowed from his hand, gently wrapping around her ankle.

Ying Ning stared in awe. As the threads shimmered and twitched, her ankle began to itch slightly.

Moments later, Luo Su stood up and grinned. “Try moving your foot. See if it still hurts.”

Ying Ning did as he asked, then lit up with surprise and joy. “It doesn’t hurt anymore! Thank you! You’re amazing!”

Flattered, Luo Su couldn’t help but lift his chin proudly.

Ying Ning then asked, “Could I trouble you to heal Xiao Bao too?”

“Donkey… I’ve never treated a donkey before, so I don’t know if I can,” Luo Su replied uncertainly.

Ying Ning looked a little disappointed.

Minglou gave her a glance and said flatly, “Try. I don’t want to keep hearing that thing bray.”

Luo Su nodded and entered the shed, leaving Minglou and Ying Ning outside.

Ying Ning glanced at Minglou. After hesitating for a moment, she softly said, “I know your friend only helped me and Xiao Bao because of you.”

“Friend? He’s not my friend. I don’t have friends,” Minglou said coldly.

Ying Ning didn’t like that answer.

She lowered her eyes, just about to say something when Minglou spoke again. “I’ll be leaving for a while. Stay here and wait for me. Don’t go anywhere.”

“You’re not taking me to the Demon Realm anymore?” she asked.

Minglou placed his right hand behind his back, his thumb rubbing the bl00d jade ring on his index finger. After a pause, he said, “No.”

“Why not?” Ying Ning looked confused.

That made Minglou frown as he looked at her. “You actually want to go to the Demon Realm? Why?”

Her eyes darted away. “It’s nothing… I just wanted to find a way to stop attracting demons and monsters…”

Even though she gave that answer, Minglou still felt something was off.

He was about to question her further when Luo Su burst out of the shed, beaming. “I really am a genius doctor! Even cured a donkey!”

Minglou shot him a glare, clearly annoyed by the interruption.

Luo Su flinched, not sure how he had provoked the Demon Lord this time.

With one last look at Ying Ning, Minglou turned into a swirl of black mist and vanished.

Luo Su had no idea where he was going but quickly followed behind like a confused puppy.

Ying Ning stared at the drifting mist and sighed.

It wasn’t that she didn’t dare ask Minglou directly—it was that she wasn’t sure if the dream she had… was a good omen or a terrible one.

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*

In ancient times, the world was a single chaotic mass—no sun, no moon, no change of seasons. Then the Primordial Gods, Yu and Zhou, carved from the chaos the realms of Heaven, Humans, and Beasts. Over time, dark thoughts gathered and coalesced, birthing the Demon Realm.

When humans began reincarnating through the Six Paths, the Netherworld (Ming Realm) came into being. And so the Six Realms were formed.

Among these six, apart from the Primordial Chaos where the ancestral gods reside, the Netherworld remains the most mysterious. Only the souls of the dead can enter the Underworld, and after reincarnation, they retain no memory of it—thus, few in any realm truly know what lies beyond.

To become the strongest in all realms, Minglou once ventured to the Netherworld. But that battle never happened—he was blocked at the River of Forgetfulness and couldn’t even get in.

Now he stood at the river’s edge, masked, staring at the eternal night sky and the bl00d-red river.

Mist curled over the surface, ghostly will-o’-the-wisps drifting about. Beneath the water swarmed countless lost souls, reaching out with skeletal hands, trying to drag the dead into their icy abyss.

Anyone who fell into that river would lose all chance of reincarnation.

Luo Su shivered behind the Demon Lord. “Why are we here, my lord?” he asked, voice trembling.

“Before he died, the Dream Demon told me Yu Qianxun was trying to enter the Netherworld… to find Chen Wuxiu,” Minglou answered coldly.

Luo Su frowned. “Here? Impossible. Even in death, demons don’t go to the Netherworld—we vanish, body and soul. Even if Chen Wuxiu kept part of his soul, it wouldn’t survive here.”

Minglou knew that too. But Chen Wuxiu was cunning—every possibility had to be considered.

After a moment, Luo Su said, “Even if he’s here, we can’t find him. We can’t even cross this river.”

Minglou stayed silent, eyes fixed on the water.

Time passed. Then, through the mist, a small boat slowly emerged.

On it sat a white-haired woman, face veiled in black. Her pale eyes scanned the shore, and she smiled faintly.

Before Minglou could speak, she said in a hoarse voice, “Child, it’s been a long time.”

Minglou frowned. “A long time? I’ve never seen you before.”

The woman sniffed the air and then smiled. “Ah, my mistake. You’re a demon—not the child I once knew.”

Luo Su whispered, “My lord, who is she?”

Minglou turned slightly and said, “If I’m not wrong, she’s the Ferryman of the River of Forgetfulness. Only children who died young may ride her boat.”

“Oh…” Luo Su nodded, feeling he’d learned something valuable today.

The ferryman said softly, “Please don’t linger by the river. You’re frightening the children—they’re too scared to board.”

Only then did Minglou notice a few ghostly children hiding behind a large rock.

After a pause, he said, “Fine. I’ll leave. But answer me this: In the past thousand years, has any demon besides me come here?”

Her pale eyes shifted slightly as she recalled. Then she slowly replied, “Aside from the Demon Lord Minglou, no other demon has dared come here.”

Still cautious, Minglou asked, “Not even a remnant soul?”

The ferryman chuckled. “The lost souls in this river crave souls to feast on—especially demon ones. Any demon nearing the river would be swarmed. Let alone a weakened remnant soul.”

Luo Su looked at the river. The souls were indeed clawing wildly toward them, skeletal hands nearly reaching their robes. Each time one got close, Minglou flicked his fingers, sending them scattering.

Now that he had his answer, Minglou was satisfied. He turned to leave with Luo Su.

The moment they stepped away, the hidden ghost children rushed onto the boat.

But as Minglou walked, he suddenly froze.

He turned sharply and asked, “Just now… did you recognize me by the aura of my soul?”

The ferryman smiled gently and nodded.

Minglou’s face darkened.

The ferryman clearly mistook him for someone else just now, so who else had a soul breath similar to his, enough to make the ferryman make a mistake?

The more Minglou thought about it, the tighter his fists clenched. After a while, he asked again in a deep voice.

“Has Ying Ning been on your boat?”