A Little First Love Shock for the Demon Lord - Chapter 5

Ying Ning bent over to tidy up the donkey trough. As soon as she set down the hay, Xiao Bao eagerly squeezed in to fill his stomach.

Watching Xiao Bao eat with such focus, Ying Ning leaned against the wooden post beside her, and her thoughts drifted back to the events of last night.

She had planned to ask that man a few questions. Who would’ve thought he’d run away as if his life depended on it? Anyone watching might have thought he was being chased by a ghost.

No matter how she thought about it, Ying Ning couldn’t figure out—why did he run?

She raised a hand to touch her own face, then looked at Xiao Bao in confusion.

“Xiao Bao, is my face that scary?”

Munching on hay, Xiao Bao gave her a sideways glance and shook his head.

Ying Ning sighed. “If it’s not my face, then why is he so afraid of me?”

Xiao Bao didn’t know who she was talking about and simply stared at her, puzzled.

With a soft smile, Ying Ning patted Xiao Bao’s head and said with a hint of resignation, “Forget it. If he’s scared of me, I won’t bother chasing after him anymore.”

When the hour of Chen arrived, Ying Ning loaded the tofu she had prepared onto the cart. Xiao Bao pulled it while she led him out of the village under the soft morning sunlight, heading toward town to sell her tofu.

The Auspicious Inn in Yuewu Town often bought tofu from Ying Ning. Over time, she developed a good friendship with the innkeeper, Master Du. He allowed her to set up a stall right outside the inn. It was an excellent location—facing the busy market street and near the town’s entrance, attracting heavy foot traffic every day. It made doing business a lot easier for her.

While setting up her stall, Ying Ning suddenly felt as if someone were watching her.

She glanced around but saw nothing suspicious. Thinking it was just her imagination, she shrugged and went back to work.

Today, the tofu sold quickly. It wasn’t even the hour of Mao before everything was gone. After packing up, she led Xiao Bao out of town.

Peach Blossom Village wasn’t far from Yuewu Town—a walk back took only about fifteen minutes.

As she returned, lush green hills embraced the horizon, winding paths crisscrossed the fields, and a breeze swept across the vibrant countryside. A few children crouched by the fields, using rabbit grass to play tug-of-war.

Ying Ning took a deep breath, cherishing the peaceful beauty before her.

If only the demons tailing her would vanish, things would be perfect.

She turned around to glance behind her—just in time to see the demons suddenly freeze with terror on their faces. In the blink of an eye, they scattered and vanished.

Ying Ning blinked in surprise at their retreat, briefly wondering if some celestial being had granted her wish.

But just as she turned back around, she caught a glimpse of a tall figure standing in the field out of the corner of her eye.

When she looked again, the figure was gone.

She paused for a moment, then continued walking as if nothing had happened.

Passing by Sister Hua’s house, Ying Ning saw her hunched over, sweeping the yard with a pale, worn-out expression.

“Sister Hua,” Ying Ning called out, stopping in concern. “You don’t look well. Are you sick?”

Sister Hua slowly turned her head toward her. Her eyes were dull, and her voice barely a whisper. “Must’ve caught a chill last night. I woke up feeling awful.”

Ying Ning frowned slightly. “Where are Brother Zhao and Douzi?”

“They’re sick too,” Sister Hua sighed. “Zhao’s illness isn’t serious—he’s gone out to buy medicine. But Douzi… he’s worse. He’s been crying all morning.”

Then Sister Hua began to ramble, “Last night was just bizarre. A huge hole suddenly appeared in our wall. We ended up exposed to the wind all night—of course we got sick…”

Ying Ning listened in silence.

She knew the truth: it wasn’t illness—it was that strange creature from last night.

Although it had been driven away, there was no telling if it would return. If Sister Hua’s family were attacked again, they might not survive.

Clutching the hem of her dress, Ying Ning furrowed her brows, about to speak—when suddenly Auntie Li appeared behind her, grabbing her hand with a smile.

“Ah Ning, come help me with something.”

Without time to think, Ying Ning was pulled away. Only after they were far from Sister Hua’s house did Auntie Li stop, her expression growing serious.

“Ah Ning, don’t get involved with Sister Hua’s situation.”

Ying Ning was surprised. “Auntie, how did you know something happened to them?”

Auntie Li pursed her lips. “I may not have your ability, but I’ve lived long enough to recognize strange things. When something happened at the village chief’s house the other day, I knew something unclean had attached itself to them.”

She gripped Ying Ning’s hand tightly, her eyes full of worry. “Ah Ning, I’ve watched you grow up. I know you can see things others can’t. But you’re just a young girl—not some mighty celestial. Seeing things doesn’t mean you have to get involved. Learn to avoid trouble, and whatever you do, stay out of that family’s business.”

Ying Ning fell silent for a moment, then said, troubled, “I didn’t want to get involved. But Sister Hua has always been kind to me. And Douzi… he’s just a child. I can’t just stand by and do nothing. Besides, if I don’t deal with it, that thing will only move on to someone else’s home.”

“You foolish girl!” Auntie Li smacked the back of Ying Ning’s hand, frustrated. “Why won’t you listen? Just worry about staying alive—don’t worry about anyone else!”

Ying Ning smiled gently and looked at Auntie Li. “But your life is definitely one I care about.”

Auntie Li rolled her eyes. “Even mine you don’t have to care about!”

Ying Ning laughed and clung to her arm, swaying it playfully. “That won’t do.”

Auntie Li suppressed her anger and said earnestly, “I may not be educated, but I do understand one thing—living with clarity is more important than living with kindness. You’ve had a hard life, and you must remember that above all else.”

She patted Ying Ning’s hand lovingly, then turned and walked away.

Ying Ning walked home with Xiao Bao, Auntie Li’s words echoing in her mind the whole way.

She knew Auntie Li meant well. The world was full of hardship, and only with clarity could one avoid harm.

The logic was sound—but the human heart doesn’t always follow logic.

She lowered her eyes and sighed deeply.

Not far away, Minglou stood partially hidden behind a tree.

Watching Ying Ning return home with a sigh, he stepped out, his brows furrowed…

________________________________________

Meanwhile…

Luo Su couldn’t understand it. Kidnapping Ying Ning and bringing her back to the demon realm should’ve been a simple task. So why was the Demon Lord taking so long?

For days now, the Demon Lord had been secretly following Ying Ning—accompanying her to town during the day, watching her return home at dusk, and standing outside her window at night. He would raise the hand holding the sleep spell, then lower it. Raise it again. Lower it again. Over and over—dozens of times.

At first, Luo Su urged him to act. Eventually, even he grew numb. Their conversations had become painfully brief.

Luo Su: “Did you do it?”

Minglou: “No.”

Later, it was reduced to just one word each.

Luo Su: “Act?”

Minglou: “No.”

Luo Su was tearing his hair out. What on earth was going wrong?

With the next full moon fast approaching, Luo Su finally snapped.

He found Minglou standing outside Ying Ning’s courtyard, arms crossed, expression cold and stormy.

Peeking out from behind him, Luo Su asked ingratiatingly,

“Your Lordship, the full moon is almost here. You’ll act tonight, right?”

Minglou closed his eyes and replied coolly,

“I know.”

He said he knew, but Luo Su had a sinking feeling he didn’t grasp how serious this was.

Overwhelmed by stress these past few days, Luo Su lost his temper.

He stepped forward angrily.

“Your Lordship, aren’t you ashamed to be stalking a girl every day like this?”

Minglou turned his head and, uncharacteristically, didn’t lash out. Instead, he replied,

“Wasn’t your idea of kidnapping her to the demon realm to train her spirit just as shameless?”

Luo Su muttered, “That’s different! At least if you brought her back, it’d only be shameless for seven days. What you’re doing now? This is straight-up perverted…”

Before he could finish, Minglou raised his leg and kicked him.

As Luo Su rubbed his sore spot, he heard Minglou speak again.

“Don’t worry. I have a new plan.”

“A new plan?” Luo Su looked at him suspiciously.

“This woman is extremely fierce. If I take her by force, the commotion will only cause more trouble. So, I must retrieve my power… silently.”

“Silently?” Luo Su was baffled.

Minglou turned toward him, tall and imposing, his presence intimidating.

“If I wait until she’s fast asleep, I just need to grab her hand. My power will return without her even noticing.”

Luo Su stared blankly at him, then silently covered his face with his hand.

“Grabbing a woman’s hand in her sleep… That’s just pathetic…”

He spoke quietly—but not quietly enough.

With a flick of his wrist, Minglou unleashed a deadly blade of spiritual energy. Luo Su ducked, but still lost a few strands of hair.

Realizing Minglou was genuinely angry, Luo Su transformed into a bat and fled.

Watching him disappear into the sky, Minglou flicked his sleeve in irritation.

Pathetic? This was called tactical prudence, befitting the Demon Lord!

That Luo Su—utterly useless, and now daring to question him. Once he got his power back, he’d tear him to pieces!

With that, Minglou strode into the courtyard, put Xiao Bao to sleep with a wave of his hand, and walked up to Ying Ning’s window, sleep spell at the ready.

Tonight, he would not hesitate again.

Just as he was about to cast the spell, a soft drizzle began to fall from the sky.

Minglou looked up.

The rain intensified quickly, turning into a torrential downpour in moments.

He frowned.

He hated the rain.

It rarely rained in the demon realm—and when it did, it always heralded misfortune.

Scowling at the sky, he turned back toward the task at hand—only to have the window before him suddenly slide open.

Startled, Minglou stared at Ying Ning’s face appearing at the window.

Sure enough… Nothing good ever comes with the rain…