A Little First Love Shock for the Demon Lord - Chapter 21

Minglou lowered his head to look at her. The icy chill in his eyes seemed to crack slightly, and a trace of a smile slipped through.

Ying Ning was momentarily dazed. For an instant, her heart skipped a beat.

Seeing her in a trance, Minglou asked, “Scared speechless?”

Ying Ning snapped out of it and quickly looked down, her cheeks burning. “N-No, I just… didn’t expect you to come…”

“Of course I’d come.” Minglou lightly flicked her forehead with his finger and said calmly, “This is my mess to clean up. Besides, it involves you.”

Ying Ning looked up at him, hesitantly asking, “So… you’re not mad anymore?”

Minglou gave a soft cough, and a faint blush crept up his ears, as if he were a little embarrassed. After a pause, he deliberately replied with a cool tone, “Didn’t I tell you? I’m moody and unpredictable.”

“Exactly.” A voice cut in as Zhuzhu suddenly appeared beside Minglou, clutching a silken thread that dangled from above. She quirked her brow teasingly at Ying Ning. “Our Lord here has never been the stable sort. He forgives everything at night and holds grudges again by morning.”

“Shut up,” Minglou said coldly.

Zhuzhu pursed her lips and shut up, sulking.

Ying Ning heard Zhuzhu’s words, but her gaze and thoughts remained fixed on Minglou’s face.

Though Minglou didn’t look down, he could clearly feel Ying Ning’s eyes on him. He didn’t know why she kept staring, but if she didn’t stop soon, his heart might just leap out of his chest.

Trying to distract her, he raised a hand and gently covered her eyes. He spoke nonchalantly, “We’re about to land. If you’re scared, close your eyes.”

As his words fell, Minglou, still holding her, landed lightly on the ground.

Zhuzhu slid down the spider silk and, once steady, looked up and surveyed the vast underground space.

“Wow, who would’ve thought the human world had such terrifying places?” she murmured.

Ying Ning quickly pushed Minglou’s hand away with her paws and looked around.

Looking up, there was nothing but pitch black. The hole they had fallen through was no longer visible. Murky green mist swirled in the air, and dark red bl00d seeped through the cracks between the stone tiles.

Ghostly blue flames flickered here and there, mingling with faint, sorrowful cries, creating an oppressive, suffocating atmosphere.

Countless stone pillars stood across the floor, arranged in no discernible pattern. Each one was carved with gruesome scenes—people being skinned alive and turned into instruments, thrown into boiling oil, or used as living targets for archery practice…

One particular pillar showed someone being used as a target. Ying Ning immediately thought of the nightmare Minglou had suffered through.

He had been tormented like that before.

Minglou noticed the same pillar. His gaze turned icy. “So, this is related to Yu Qianxun and Chen Wuxiu.”

Ying Ning looked around at the horrifying surroundings and asked worriedly, “Did Xiaoli create this place?”

“A mere spirit cat isn’t capable of this,” Minglou replied. “This reeks of that useless Yu Qianxun. He’s trying to imitate Chen Wuxiu’s hellish domain.” Minglou sneered. “Hmph. Too bad he can’t even manage half of what Chen Wuxiu did.”

He turned, and a massive black palace came into view in the distance, located at the heart of the gathered yin energy.

“The missing people are likely hidden in that palace.”

As he spoke, Minglou swept his hand across his face, and in the blink of an eye, a silver mask covered the upper half of it.

Holding Ying Ning, he began walking toward the palace. Zhuzhu quickly followed. But after just a few steps, a sudden gust of wind swept up from the base of the surrounding pillars, forming a whirling wind barrier that enclosed them.

Minglou scanned the area with cold eyes. Just as he was about to break the formation, a massive figure burst through the wall of wind, charging at them with murderous intent. Minglou swiftly shielded Ying Ning in his arms and leapt back with Zhuzhu, narrowly avoiding the attack.

The figure landed where Minglou had just stood and snarled viciously, “How dare you trespass on Xiaoli’s turf! Courting death!”

Upon hearing the voice, Ying Ning immediately peeked her feline head out from behind Minglou’s protective arm and called softly, “Xiaoli.”

The figure froze, twitching its cat ears, and looked toward her. Its tone immediately softened, becoming sweet and innocent. “Sister? Oh, it’s you! Did you come looking for me?”

“Yes, I came to find you,” Ying Ning said firmly, her voice turning serious. “Xiaoli, did someone tell you to turn people into cats? You can’t listen to them! This will bring disaster!”

Xiaoli’s ears drooped at her stern tone, but she quickly straightened up and said stubbornly, “No, I did it on my own! If everyone becomes cats, then no one will hate or hurt cats ever again!”

“Can you be sure all the people you turned into cats were bad?” Ying Ning pressed. “They chose to help you when you tricked them. Doesn’t that mean they weren’t bad people? You don’t want anyone to hurt cats—so how can you justify hurting innocent people?”

Xiaoli backed away a few steps, shaken by her words. But after a moment, she gritted her teeth. “I didn’t hurt them! I just turned them into cats. Being a cat is great! Don’t you want to be a cat too, sister?”

“I don’t!” Ying Ning answered without hesitation. “I have things I need to do. Manager Du needs me to make tofu. Little Bao needs me to take care of him. If I become a cat, I can’t do any of that. And my family and friends—when they realize I’m missing, they’ll be worried sick!”

Her answer clearly upset Xiaoli. She looked down at the pendant around her neck, tears welling up in her round eyes.

Seeing her like that, Ying Ning softened a little. She gently added, “Xiaoli, it’s not too late. Stop before it’s too late. That person who promised to help you—he’s just using you to turn people into cats so he can exploit them for evil.”

Xiaoli shook her head frantically. “That’s not true! He wouldn’t lie to me…”

Seeing that Xiaoli was still in denial, Minglou lost patience. He pushed Ying Ning’s little head back into his embrace and said coldly, “You won’t convince her. Better to settle this with force.”

He flipped his hand, summoning Tuoying. The blade shimmered with cold light as he swung it. A blast of killing energy shot toward Xiaoli.

The strike came fast and fierce. Xiaoli jumped to evade it, but her hind leg was still slashed. Flesh split open, exposing bone, and she let out a heart-wrenching scream.

Ying Ning’s heart tightened. Unable to bear the sound, she covered her ears with her paws and buried her face in Minglou’s chest.

Sensing her discomfort, Minglou sighed.

“Don’t worry. I only want to subdue her, not kill her,” he said softly, gently prying her paw from her ear.

Reassured, Ying Ning relaxed slightly but still kept her head buried, unwilling to watch.

Minglou raised his hand slightly, tempted to pat her head, but restrained himself.

His eyes darkened as he lunged at Xiaoli again. This time, he used the back of his blade—just enough force to knock her out and seize the Ran Stone.

Xiaoli bared her claws and swiped at him, but he deflected them with ease.

Realizing she couldn’t win, Xiaoli turned to flee.

Minglou chased after her unhurriedly. Just as he raised his blade again, several black spikes flew toward him.

Reacting quickly, Minglou twisted mid-air to dodge them, landing smoothly and narrowing his eyes at the figure who had stepped between him and Xiaoli.

The newcomer wore a red demon mask and held a box-shaped magical device—clearly the source of the spikes.

Through the mask, sharp eyes studied Minglou with curiosity.

“Who are you?” the masked figure asked in a shrill voice that grated on the ears.

Minglou ignored him and asked coldly, “You’re the one manipulating that foolish cat, aren’t you?”

“I’m not foolish!” Xiaoli interjected angrily. “I’m very smart!”

The masked figure glanced at Xiaoli. Seeing she still trusted him, he chuckled darkly. “You don’t understand. I’m helping her.”

While the figure spoke, Minglou scrutinized him.

This guy… doesn’t look familiar. Doesn’t seem like someone from the demon realm.

He racked his memory but couldn’t recall any demon who liked wearing a ghost mask. Then it clicked. Minglou smirked. “You’re Yu Qianxun, aren’t you?”

Silence.

The masked figure stared at him, stunned.

Zhuzhu, who had been quietly observing from the sidelines, stepped forward, rubbing her chin as she eyed the figure.

“Zhuzhu?” the masked one gasped. He turned his gaze back to Minglou, voice turning dark and shrill. “Who are you?!”

Minglou didn’t respond, but Zhuzhu chimed in, “I don’t think he’s Yu Qianxun. Yu Qianxun’s a man. This guy doesn’t sound like one.”

“Yu Qianxun always talks in a fake, high-pitched voice,” Minglou said flatly.

Zhuzhu rolled her eyes. “I won’t believe it unless he drops his pants and proves it.”

Minglou, thoughtful for a moment, then covered Ying Ning’s eyes and nodded toward the masked figure. “Go on, prove it.”

The masked figure clenched his fists, teeth grinding in fury.

These two bastards!

He stopped talking, put away his weapon, pressed his hands together, and began chanting a dark incantation.

The ground began to tremble. The surrounding pillars morphed into monstrous shapes, red eyes glaring like lanterns as they reawakened in this underground hell.

Something below began to stir. Minglou stepped back, sensing danger, and shouted one word:

“Jump!”

Zhuzhu leapt with him.

As their feet left the ground, countless white walls surged up from below—some covered in spikes, others with gaping mouths—forming a bizarre, twisting labyrinth.

Minglou flew upward, but the walls grew with them…

Zhuzhu stared in panic at the sealed ceiling above them. “What the hell is this?” she exclaimed.

Minglou, however, seemed to recognize this cursed place.

Chen Wuxiu had once shown him the blueprint of this labyrinth—a vast, deadly maze filled with lethal traps and stone monsters. These creatures, born from petrified pillars, roamed the passages with no known weaknesses. Immune to spells, they were near impossible to defeat. Encountering one often meant certain death.

Chen Wuxiu had named this place Avici Hell.

Once inside, if the traps or monsters didn’t kill you, the place itself would. You’d starve, collapse from exhaustion, or slowly wither away from sheer isolation.

They were horrors Chen Wuxiu had designed simply to pass the time—but he had never expected Yu Qianxun would actually bring them to life.

Minglou’s eyes burned with fury. He shouted through clenched teeth, “Yu Qianxun, I swear I’ll kill you!”

A mocking voice echoed through the maze, laced with malice. “Try surviving Avici Hell first before making threats,” came Yu Qianxun’s chilling reply.

Minglou descended slowly to the ground, his eyes radiating murderous intent.

Zhuzhu landed beside him, hugging herself tightly. Her voice trembled, “Your Majesty, d-do you feel that? It suddenly got so cold…”

Even as she spoke, frost had already begun to form on her eyelashes.

Minglou scanned the stone walls warily. His voice was low and sharp. “Be careful. Don’t activate the mechanical arrays. And make sure the stone monsters don’t find us.”

Zhuzhu nodded quickly, but a thought struck her. After a moment of hesitation, she whispered, “Your Majesty… why hasn’t Sister Ying Ning said anything?”

Minglou’s heart skipped a beat. He looked down at Ying Ning in his arms—only to find her eyes closed and body completely still.

“Ying Ning?” he called, urgently lifting her. “Can you hear me? What’s wrong?”

With great effort, Ying Ning half-opened her eyes. Curled weakly in his hands, she murmured, “I’m fine… just… so sleepy. Minglou, it’s freezing in here…”

“Sleepy?” Minglou frowned. Something wasn’t right. He quietly channeled his magic through his palms, trying to warm her fragile body. Then he turned to Zhuzhu. “Why is she suddenly like this?” he demanded.

Zhuzhu, now trembling violently, stammered, “I—I—I… I’ll help y-you c-check…”

She stepped forward cautiously. But the moment her foot touched the ground, a circular magic array flared to life beneath her.

“Oh no! A mechanical magic circle!” she gasped.

The array activated instantly. Without warning, a massive crevice split open beneath Minglou’s feet—revealing a bottomless, pitch-black abyss.

Before he could react, Minglou plummeted.

Ying Ning slipped from his hands.

Desperately, he reached out to catch her—but his fingers only brushed the tip of her cat ears before spider silk coiled around his waist and yanked him upward.

“No!” Minglou roared, slashing wildly to sever the sticky threads. He sliced through one, but more instantly replaced it, binding him tighter and preventing him from diving after her.

All he could do was watch—helpless—as Ying Ning fell into the darkness.

“Let me go!!” Minglou bellowed, his voice echoing through the chasm.

Below, Ying Ning opened her eyes just enough to look up at the sound.

She thought she saw Minglou’s face—twisted in anguish. The first time she’d ever seen him look like that.

Her heart ached.

What was happening to her? Just seeing him made her happy… but now, his sorrow was making her sad.

She looked up toward the light that was quickly fading, and sighed quietly as her heart fluttered uncertainly.

Then, the crack slammed shut—sealing her, and the fragile bloom of her newfound feelings, in the abyss below.