The Demon Queen Insists on Marrying Me - Chapter 2

After a morning without a drop of water, Lu Xiaoxiao was so hungry her stomach was pressed against her back.

Clang!

“Boss, how much silver would you give me for this treasured sword, passed down through eighteen generations of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect?”

The pawnshop owner’s eyes lit up. He carefully picked up the sword and wiped the scabbard with his sleeve. When he drew the blade, a chilling light flashed, and Lu Xiaoxiao felt the surrounding temperature drop noticeably.

“Miss, are you pawning this temporarily or permanently?” the owner asked.

Lu Xiaoxiao hesitated. “Temporarily, I suppose.”

“Five hundred taels of silver.”

“Give it back. Goodbye!”

“One thousand taels!”

“Deal!”

After the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Lu Xiaoxiao, now worth one thousand taels of silver, stood before Yuelai Inn once more, thinking to herself: Hu Hansan is back!

“Welcome, esteemed guest! Will you be dining or staying? Oh! Miss, you’re back!”

Lu Xiaoxiao lifted the hem of her skirt and stepped into Yuelai Inn. “Both. First, bring me four dishes and a soup. Then, a clean and hygienic room.” She paused, then added, “Actually, book the room first, then have the food sent up. And immediately after the meal, have bathwater heated and brought up.”

After Lu Xiaoxiao turned and went upstairs, Tantai Jing checked into Yuelai Inn shortly after. But this was no longer something she could concern herself with. After all, besides the money she had on hand, she possessed nothing of value. Even if she wanted to repay her debt, it would be useless unless the other party accepted her offer of marriage. Given their respective circumstances, Lu Xiaoxiao would be the one benefiting from such an arrangement.

Now, Lu Xiaoxiao was utterly lost.

Completely and utterly lost.

She stared at the remaining nine hundred and ninety-five taels of silver in her hand, and at the Purple Qi Rising Eastward Manual that had just fallen out of her clothes. Her mind raced, trying to recall the plot of that trash game, Slaughter God’s Domineering World.

But years of sleep-deprived overtime had severely damaged her memory. She couldn’t remember a single detail. After all, she had only been temporarily assigned to help with the project. If not for the vividly lifelike depiction of the Dragonflame Tiger, she wouldn’t have even realized she had transmigrated into the game world.

Lu Xiaoxiao buried her face in her hands and collapsed onto the bed, wanting to cry but finding no tears. Are the people here NPCs or self-aware humans? she wondered. I nearly died on my first day here. How can I return to the real world? Am I already dead back there?

“Someone, anyone, please show me the way! I’m begging you!”

Hearing the anguished cries from the next room, Tantai Jing stood by the window, thinking: Having just experienced the destruction of her family, the fall of her Sect, and burdened with a bl00d-deep vendetta, this once-proud prodigy has plummeted from her pedestal in a single day, reduced to an ordinary person forced to sell her ancestral immortal sword. This must be a terribly difficult night for her.

Tantai Jing lingered outside Lu Xiaoxiao’s door for a long time before finally turning back to her own room.

Meanwhile, Lu Xiaoxiao slept soundly, completely unaware of Tantai Jing’s presence. Her greatest strength was her adaptability. I’m already here, she thought. At least I don’t have to worry about food or shelter for now. I’m too tired to cry anymore. I’ll deal with tomorrow when it comes.

The next morning, Lu Xiaoxiao woke up with her hair in a mess, still feeling like it was all a dream. She sat on the bed in a daze for a while before finally rousing herself to go downstairs and order three dishes.

Since yesterday, Lu Xiaoxiao had been thinking a lot.

Her immediate priority was to learn how to use spiritual energy. After all, this was a cultivation game, and cultivation should be her primary goal.

Although she couldn’t yet wield spiritual energy, her physical condition was already vastly improved compared to her previous life, where climbing a single flight of stairs would leave her breathless.

Over the next few days, Lu Xiaoxiao planned to first master the Purple Qi Comes Eastward Manual, then find work as a bodyguard or gatekeeper to earn enough silver to redeem her sword. Finally, she would join a Sect, observe what others did, and simply follow suit.

Propping her chin with one hand, she poked at the bottom of her bowl with her chopsticks and muttered to herself, “The path of the Dao is long and arduous. Even the food doesn’t taste as good today.”

The timid waiter ventured, “Miss Lu, this is your third bowl of rice.”

“What do you know?” Lu Xiaoxiao retorted. “We cultivators expend tremendous energy. I usually eat six bowls!”

The waiter gasped, incredulous. He had never seen another cultivator eat so much. Before he could ask further, an urgent female voice called from outside.

“Xiaoxiao, I’ve finally found you!” The woman rushed in and embraced Lu Xiaoxiao tightly.

Lu Xiaoxiao’s chest felt constricted by the embrace. After struggling free, she stared in confusion at the unfamiliar woman before her—a delicate-featured woman around twenty years old. Before she could ask a question, the woman began to spill her story like beans tumbling from a bamboo tube.

“Xiaoxiao, the Profound Heaven Sword Sect is gone. Our senior and junior brothers and sisters are all dead, right before my eyes. Even Master’s whereabouts are unknown. If Master hadn’t ordered me to find you, I would have fought the Demonic Race to the death. Now, only the two of us remain. The burden of revitalizing the sect rests on your shoulders, Lu Xiaoxiao, and mine, Lu Wanbai. One day, we will rebuild the Profound Heaven Sword Sect and slaughter our way into the Demonic Realm to avenge Master!”

The woman’s clothes were clean and spotless, without a trace of bl00d, but her bloodshot eyes betrayed her exhaustion. She must have been searching for me for days. Even though I’d never met her before, I felt a pang of sympathy for her.

After listening to her, I roughly understood the situation. It seemed the original owner of this body shared my name. Judging by her appearance, this woman was older than the original Lu Xiaoxiao. I tentatively asked, “Senior Sister Wanbai? Why don’t you rest first? We can discuss revitalizing the Profound Heaven Sword Sect later.”

A sudden weight settled in Lu Xiaoxiao’s arms as Lu Wanbai fainted in her embrace. Clutching the grief-stricken Lu Wanbai, Lu Xiaoxiao brushed past Tantai Jing, who was descending the stairs. Surprised, she exclaimed, “Benefactor! You’re here too! Wait just a moment while I take her back to her room, then I’ll come out and thank you properly.”

But when Lu Xiaoxiao hurriedly chased after Tantai Jing after laying Lu Wanbai down, the woman had vanished. Dejected, she returned to the room and stayed by Lu Wanbai’s side until evening, when the senior sister finally stirred awake. The moment Lu Wanbai opened her eyes, her eyes rimmed red again. Lu Xiaoxiao quickly intervened, “Senior Sister, don’t be too sad. What’s done is done. We need to think about the future now.”

Lu Wanbai’s gaze remained blank. “The future? That means we two have to rebuild the Profound Heaven Sword Sect. You’re the Young Sect Leader. With the Old Sect Leader gone, the sect will follow your lead from now on.”

“Hold on,” Lu Xiaoxiao interrupted. “There are only two of us left in the sect. Who are we going to lead? Let’s just discuss things together.”

Lu Wanbai replied, “Then our immediate priority should be recruiting new members, reopening the sect gates, and accepting disciples, right?”

Lu Xiaoxiao slapped her forehead. “No, no, no! Our priority is survival. Do you have any money? Rebuilding the Sect will cost a fortune. And who will teach the new disciples? You or me? I’m out—my cultivation level is too low.”

Lu Wanbai didn’t understand “no, no, no,” but she grasped the difficulty of rebuilding the Profound Heaven Sword Sect, her disappointment evident. “I don’t have any. Just some spirit stones. The Demonic Sect attacked so quickly; I only managed to grab my storage ring. They stole all the Sect’s magic artifacts and cultivation manuals.” Her eyes reddened again, burning with intense hatred.

Lu Xiaoxiao suggested, “Senior Sister, let’s take a detour. We’ll join another Sect to ensure our survival and cultivate diligently. Once we’re strong enough, we can focus on revenge.”

“But… but…”

“No buts! You just said you’d follow my lead. From now on, you listen to me.”

“Alright…”

Lu Xiaoxiao continued, “Then get some rest. Tomorrow, we’ll figure out which Sect to join. That’s settled. No need to see me off—just rest well. I’ll have meals sent here. I’m going to get another room.” With that, she fled as if escaping.

Just as the saying goes, “Every mountain has its path, and every nap brings a pillow.” I had been fretting about what to do next when a straightforward and earnest Senior Sister arrived, like a gift from the heavens.

Lu Xiaoxiao had been sleeping soundly that night until a violent shaking jolted her awake, nearly throwing her off the bed.

Groggy, she stumbled to the floor. “Earthquake! Earthquake!”

Suddenly, her arms were pinned down, and a massive face loomed close.

“Xiaoxiao, something’s happening outside!” Lu Wanbai said urgently.

Only then did Lu Xiaoxiao realize the air was filled with chaotic noises and screams. When she opened the window, a acrid, burning smell assaulted her nostrils, choking her into a coughing fit.

The town’s streets were shrouded in thick smoke, illuminated by flickering flames. Through the haze, she saw a fur-covered beast pounce on a man, its jaws clamping down on his neck and tearing at his flesh. The man’s body crumpled like a broken kite, his cries for help fading into silence.

Moments later, several more grotesque beasts charged into the streets. The agonized wails and screams of men, women, and children echoed through the town.

Lu Xiaoxiao pressed a hand weakly over her mouth and turned stiffly to ask, “Senior Sister Wanbai, what’s going on?”

Lu Wanbai’s face darkened. “It’s a beast tide… There hasn’t been one near the Demonic Beast Mountain Range for two centuries… We have to gather all the cultivators immediately to resist the tide, or Jing’an Town might not survive until tomorrow…”

Lu Wanbai didn’t finish her sentence, but Lu Xiaoxiao already knew what she meant: Jing’an Town wouldn’t exist tomorrow.

But right now, the best strategy is to flee! I’m not much different from the ordinary people in this town, am I? Before she could raise her hand to voice her thoughts, Lu Wanbai dragged her out the door.

Many cultivators who came to the Demonic Beast Mountain Range for trials stayed at the Yuelai Inn, making it slightly safer than the outside. In the main hall, several sword-wielding cultivators were discussing something, while others were knocking on doors upstairs. The door to the adjacent room opened, revealing Tantai Jing—the savior Lu Xiaoxiao had been longing to see. To her surprise, Lu Wanbai seemed to know her well.

Seeing Tantai Jing alone, Lu Wanbai bowed respectfully and said, “Fellow Daoist Tantai, long time no see. A beast tide has erupted in the Demonic Beast Mountain Range, and many demonic beasts are now flooding into the town. We must cooperate to repel them. Why not join forces with us? We can watch each other’s backs.”

Tantai Jing’s expression turned peculiar upon hearing about the beast tide, but she still agreed to Lu Wanbai’s request. “Fellow Daoist Lu speaks wisely.”

Does no one care about my opinion? Lu Xiaoxiao thought to herself. You guys can do this, but I can’t! I’m too scared! I can’t do it!