A Little First Love Shock for the Demon Lord - Chapter 17.1

Yu Qianxun stepped slowly into the secret hall’s inner chamber, gently parting the beaded curtain that draped down to the floor.

On the icy jade bed, Minglou lay in deep slumber, as if he had never awakened.

Cold air coiled around him, softening his sharp and austere features. Yu Qianxun approached quietly, bent over to study Minglou’s sleeping face, and reached out with a finger to check for breath beneath his nose.

It was indeed him. And he was still alive.

A cold gleam flashed through Yu Qianxun’s eyes. His fingers slowly moved down, finally resting just above Minglou’s throat.

Only an inch away. With just a touch of magic, he could erase Minglou from existence.

At that moment, a voice came from behind him—Luo Su.

“Lord Qianxun, if something were to happen to the Honorable One right after your visit, how would you explain it to the other three Demon Lords?”

In the Demon Realm, beneath the Demon Sovereign stood four Demon Lords. Yu Qianxun was one of them. The remaining three were anything but his allies. During the thousand years of Minglou’s slumber, it had been those three who kept Yu Qianxun in check and maintained the realm’s fragile peace. If Yu Qianxun hadn’t used underhanded tricks back then, he never would’ve seized the temporary role of acting

Demon Sovereign.

Yu Qianxun’s hand paused at Luo Su’s words. A moment later, he turned with a practiced smile.

“No one wants the Honorable One to awaken more than I do. Why would I ever let harm befall him?”

Luo Su scoffed coldly, seeing right through the pretense.

Yu Qianxun calmly studied Luo Su’s expression. “How has the Honorable One been lately?”

“Same as always. No major problems—just hasn’t woken up,” Luo Su replied curtly, clearly disinterested in chatting with him.

Yu Qianxun gave Minglou a brief glance. The corners of his lips lifted slightly before he finally said, “Then do take good care of him. I’m still waiting for him to wake up and reclaim the position of Demon Sovereign.”

Luo Su merely gave a noncommittal grunt and said no more.

Yu Qianxun didn’t seem bothered. As long as he confirmed Minglou remained unconscious, he could rest easy.

Just as he turned to leave, Luo Su suddenly called out again, “Lord Qianxun.”

Yu Qianxun looked back at him, signaling for him to speak.

Luo Su’s palms began to sweat. He swallowed hard before mustering the courage to ask, “I haven’t seen Sister Spider visiting the Honorable One lately. Do you know what she’s been up to?”

At the mention of Spider, Yu Qianxun’s face darkened.

“I don’t know. And I don’t care to know. Don’t ask me about that lunatic again—I want nothing to do with her.”

With that, he flicked his sleeves and quickly exited the secret hall.

Once Yu Qianxun’s figure disappeared, Luo Su finally exhaled in relief and tore up the will he had secretly prepared.

It seemed Spider hadn’t gone to complain to Yu Qianxun. Fortunately, Luo Su had planned ahead—he used a single strand of the Demon Sovereign’s hair to create a puppet. It had a heartbeat, it breathed, and its aura was nearly identical. There was no way Yu Qianxun could discover the truth in the short term.

The Demon Sovereign’s awakening was successfully hidden for now—but how much longer could he keep it up? If Yu Qianxun came snooping again, he might soon detect the puppet’s flaws.

With a sigh of frustration, Luo Su ran a hand through his hair.

________________________________________

“Why are you still here?”

Ying Ning was awakened by Aunt Li’s irritated voice. She opened her eyes groggily, still not fully awake, when a deep voice sounded from inside the house.

“Why should I leave?”

Aunt Li was clearly annoyed. “You’re a grown man—you shouldn’t be loitering in a young lady’s home!”

“So, it’s only okay if a woman overstays her welcome?” Minglou replied indifferently after a brief pause. “If it helps, I can use a spell to become a woman.”

That truly pushed Aunt Li over the edge. “You! You shameless rascal! If you don’t leave today, I’ll fight you myself!”

Hearing this, Ying Ning’s eyes flew open. She quickly got up, threw on a coat, and rushed outside.

In the courtyard, Aunt Li was storming about, searching for a weapon. Her eyes locked on the kitchen knife in the shed. She grabbed it and marched out furiously. Minglou stood calmly in the courtyard, unfazed even as she approached him with a raised blade.

Ying Ning jumped in front of him. “Auntie, please don’t be mad. I asked him to stay.”

“What?!” Aunt Li gawked at her, still holding the knife. “Ah Ning, why would you insist on letting a grown man stay in your home?”

Ying Ning’s mind raced for a believable excuse.

After a moment, she took a deep breath and said, “He’s a friend of my brother. My brother wrote recently and said his friend would be staying with us for a few days.”

“Your brother?” Aunt Li looked at her suspiciously, then turned to Minglou. “You’re really her brother’s friend?”

Afraid Minglou might mess it up, Ying Ning tugged his sleeve and whispered, “Just say yes. If you don’t, she’ll really hit you.”

Minglou replied coldly, “Do you think I’m afraid of her?”

Ying Ning looked up at him with clear, sincere eyes. “I just don’t want you to get hurt. Or Auntie to get hurt. Minglou… do it for me. Please?”

Her voice was soft and gentle. The trailing tone of her plea brushed against Minglou’s ears like a feather, loosening his hardened heart.

Suppressing his erratic heartbeat, he cleared his throat and muttered, “I’m her brother’s friend.”

Aunt Li stared at them for a while before finally lowering the knife and scolding, “Your brother is useless! Only comes home once a year and now dumps a grown man on you—hasn’t he any idea how hard life is for

you?”

Ying Ning immediately defended him. “My brother cares a lot about me. Don’t say that, Auntie.”

Knowing how dear her brother was to her, Aunt Li let it go with a sigh. “Fine, fine. But he still can’t stay here. You’re a young woman—it’s improper. I have a spare room. Let him stay at my place.”

Before Ying Ning could speak, Minglou flatly refused, “No. Wherever my treasure vault is, that’s where I stay.”

There it was again—the “treasure vault”!

Ying Ning had nearly forgotten about it. Now that Minglou mentioned it again, the irritation from last night surged back.

“That’s right!” she shouted. “You’re my pampered pretty boy, bought with my silver—you can’t leave me!”

The moment she said it, Aunt Li stormed over, tapped her on the forehead, and scolded, “Girl! How can you say such things? If word gets out, people will laugh themselves to death!”

Still annoyed with Minglou, Ying Ning added, “I gave him all my money. He took it—so that makes him my pretty boy!”

Just as Aunt Li raised her hand again, Minglou reached out and shielded Ying Ning’s forehead, glaring coldly at Aunt Li.

“If you’re angry, direct it at me. Don’t take it out on her.”

Ying Ning and Aunt Li both stared, stunned.

His palm was large, covering her forehead protectively. His expression was serious—frighteningly so.

Seeing his earnestness, Ying Ning’s anger suddenly melted away.

He was always protecting her. Whether or not Minglou considered her a friend, to her, he was already an important one.

She smiled at him radiantly.

Aunt Li looked defeated. How had she ended up as the villain in this whole ordeal?

She rubbed her neck and sighed. “I’m getting a headache. Ah Ning, if he ever bullies you, come find me—I’ll deal with him. But right now, I need to lie down.”

With that, she shoved the kitchen knife into Ying Ning’s hands and left the courtyard.

Only after Aunt Li’s figure disappeared did Minglou lower his hand and mutter, “She really is nosy.”

Ying Ning quietly explained, “Aunt Li has had a hard life. One year, there was a flood. Her husband drowned, and later, her son died of illness. She’s been alone ever since. When I was little, my brother and I moved to Peach Blossom Village. He didn’t know how to do much, so Aunt Li often took me in and looked after me. She doesn’t mean to meddle—she just treats me like her own daughter.”

Minglou snorted. “Caring about others’ affairs is still meddling.”

“No one’s ever cared about you like that?” Ying Ning asked softly.

“No,” he said coldly. “And I don’t need them to.”

Ying Ning looked at him, a trace of pity in her eyes.

Then she spoke earnestly, “Minglou, from now on, I’ll keep you in my heart.”

A flicker of panic crossed his eyes. He forced an aloof tone. “You really say whatever you please. I am a demon, you know.”

Ying Ning smiled. “I don’t care.”

Her words sent his heart racing again. He clasped his hands behind his back and discreetly pinched his waist to steady himself. Then he changed the subject, “Why haven’t you mentioned your brother before?”

“My brother…” Ying Ning looked skyward as her thoughts drifted. “We’re not related by bl00d. He’s a Taoist priest. When my parents died, he took me in and made me his sister. But when I was twelve, he decided to travel the world. He only returns on my birthday each year. I don’t really know how he’s doing, so I rarely bring him up.”