Chapter 147
Whether or not demons can participate in the college entrance exam is a matter to be discussed later. Judging by Luo Hou’s demeanor, it’s clear he won’t be letting them return any time soon.
At night, the Demon Realm is ravaged by violent winds—it's simply uninhabitable outside. So Ke Xingzhou and the others were brought into the demon palace.
Calling it a palace is a bit generous. It’s really just the largest underground hall in the demon clan’s gathering place. Ke Xingzhou and the others followed Yun Mo for quite some time, passing room after room piled with “trash,” before finally arriving at the demon king’s underground palace.
Ke Xingzhou was a bit surprised. Though the palace didn’t look like much on the outside, it was surprisingly spacious inside.
They had already been walking for nearly half an hour.
As he walked, he suddenly stopped and couldn’t help but ask, “Don’t you have magic-powered elevators or something? Like in the movies?”
Yun Mo, leading the way ahead and deliberately guiding them through areas full of spoils of war to show off the demon clan’s overwhelming strength—far beyond what mere humans could compare to—was briefly stunned when he heard this: “Elevator? What’s that? A ladder to summon lightning?”
Why would you need magic to summon lightning anyway? Just stand under a tree during a thunderstorm.
And what even are movies or magic?
Ke Xingzhou: “……”
He had forgotten—demons didn’t have any of these things.
Ke Xingzhou couldn’t help but glance at Luo Hou again, feeling once more disappointed at how backward the demon clan was.
Living here might actually be worse than when he was in the countryside.
Luo Hou: “……”
Even Yun Mo, no matter how dense, could tell this human was looking down on their demon king’s palace.
He bristled with indignation: “You think this is all the demon clan has? Hmph. I was originally going to let you ignorant humans broaden your horizons a bit. But now? Forget it. I’ll take you to the brand-new palace we built for the Demon Ancestor—that place is more luxurious than the Celestial Palace! It’ll definitely blow your minds!”
Ke Xingzhou was immediately intrigued.
He thought so—how could a clan like the demons, with a reputation for raiding treasures and magical artifacts all over the place, have such a meager base?
Yun Mo’s words filled Ke Xingzhou with anticipation, and he couldn’t help but quicken his pace to keep up, until they arrived in front of a vast open area.
Ke Xingzhou was still squinting as he tried to make out the road ahead, when Yun Mo suddenly stopped and stepped aside.
Ke Xingzhou blinked in confusion: “Where’s the palace you were talking about?”Yun Mo proudly pointed ahead. “Right there!”
Ke Xingzhou followed the direction of his finger cautiously and saw, within the pitch-black and misty view, a cluster of low and squat buildings slowly emerging in the distance.
There was a faint light coming from inside the buildings, but it was just as dim as the lights they had seen along the way. If Yun Mo hadn’t pointed it out, he would have thought it was some natural glow emanating from the mountain wall.
Once they got closer, he saw that the palace walls still followed the same aesthetic as before—everywhere were ghastly white bones, only now in greater number and more densely packed. The skulls were all eerily aligned, facing them in perfect uniformity.
Ke Xingzhou: “……”
Looking at the same “run-down” palace in front of him, Ke Xingzhou couldn’t help but voice a question from the bottom of his heart: “This is what you call more luxurious than the Celestial Palace?”
Luo Hou: “……”
--
Luo Hou fell silent and sent Yun Mo away.
Yun Mo, reluctant to leave, stalled as long as he could, glaring at Ke Xingzhou and the others with a mix of jealousy and suspicion—the Demon Ancestor’s palace was meant only for the Demon Ancestor himself. Even he had never stayed the night there. So what gave these humans the right to such an honor?
But then Luo Hou casually pointed toward a more remote palace and told Ke Xingzhou and the others to rest there.
Yun Mo’s mood, which had been low all day, immediately lifted.
The Demon Ancestor clearly still looked down on these ungrateful humans!
Though they were still allowed to stay within the Demon Ancestor’s palace complex, the place assigned to them was the most distant and isolated one!
Yun Mo figured the Demon Ancestor must have been asleep too long and had grown soft. Give it a bit more time and he’d surely forget these insignificant pests—then they'd be his to deal with however he liked.
He especially shot a resentful glare at Liancheng. He still remembered it was this artifact spirit’s master who had caused the Demon Ancestor to fall into slumber, then sealed them all away through deception.
Otherwise, with their power, how could they possibly have been defeated ten thousand years ago?
Liancheng gave a passing glance at Yun Mo’s hate-filled face but paid it no mind. He simply shut the door with a flick of his hand and turned his gaze toward Ke Xingzhou and Nie Chen, who had naturally walked into the same room together.
Liancheng: “……”
He didn’t go in, nor did he choose another room. He stood silently for a moment, then leapt onto the roof and looked into the distance.
The demon clan’s palace was anything but crude.
On the contrary—just as Yun Mo had said—it was a treasure land more luxurious than the Celestial Palace.
Not to mention the casually piled magical artifacts they’d passed on the way, even from the entrance there were remains of ancient saints from various clans. The fact that so many of them were found inside the Demon Ancestor’s palace showed just how powerful the demon clan had once been.
And then there were the glowing luminous pearls scattered throughout the entire palace.
Liancheng raised a hand, and one of the luminous pearls embedded in a skull on the wall flew into his palm.
It was a top-grade luminous pearl, nearly the size of a human face and perfectly flawless.
Ten thousand years ago, luminous pearls were rare in the cultivation world. Only elders or peak masters of major sects might possess a few. Gifting one to a disciple was considered an extremely prestigious gesture.
But here in the demon clan—they were so common they were used to decorate an entire underground palace…Unfortunately, no matter how glorious it once was, it’s all in the past now.
Even if you placed these luminous pearls in front of humans today, hardly anyone would be interested. They’re worse than electric lights for illumination, less aesthetic than man-made night lamps, inconvenient to carry, and hold no real monetary value—how could such things be considered precious?
From the room below came a few muffled groans. Liancheng paused and put down the luminous pearl in his hand.
--
Inside the room.
Though it was the most remote palace, at least there were no skulls neatly arranged to stare at people from the walls, nor were there messy bone decorations or piles of garbage in the corners. It looked clean and tidy.
Ke Xingzhou pushed the table a little—none of the legs were uneven.
He nodded, feeling quite satisfied with the living conditions. Just as he remembered something he wanted to tell Nie Chen, he turned around—only to find no one there.
“...Nie Chen?”
Ke Xingzhou was puzzled. Then he heard the sound of water coming from the other side.
Although this palace was remote, it was actually rather large. In human terms, it would probably be comparable to the residence of a high-ranking imperial consort in ancient times. Behind the main hall was even a specially built pool.
Was Nie Chen taking a bath?
Back in the human world, he’d always been obsessed with cleanliness, insisting on bathing daily and even washing again if he broke a sweat.
The two of them had already seen each other naked plenty of times, so Ke Xingzhou didn’t think much of it. He was just curious why Nie Chen had gone off to bathe without saying anything. After thinking for a moment, he pulled down a curtain from a ceiling beam and followed the sound.
The bath behind the curtain was larger than he expected, taking up nearly half the hall. The pool was already full, and steam rose thickly into the air, making the place resemble an ancient palace bathhouse.
Through the sheer curtain, Ke Xingzhou easily spotted a familiar figure sitting with his back to him. Smiling, he walked over, undressing as he spoke. “Why’d you start without me? I think I’m having a reaction to the environment—my skin’s itchy. Take a look for me…”
Halfway through speaking, Ke Xingzhou’s movements suddenly froze.
Something felt off.
Normally, he didn’t even have to say anything—Nie Chen would notice his discomfort right away and offer to help. But now, even though Ke Xingzhou was already at the edge of the pool, undressing, Nie Chen remained motionless, sitting as still as a statue without even turning his head.
—But that silhouette was unmistakably Nie Chen.
That immense golden aura of karmic virtue couldn’t be faked.
Still, Nie Chen was just an ordinary person. And this was the Demon Realm. Ke Xingzhou’s instincts kicked in. He stopped undressing, quickly crossed the curtain, and grabbed Nie Chen’s shoulder to turn him around.
It wasn’t until he got close that he realized something was seriously wrong—Nie Chen’s entire body was stiff, not even his eyes could move. When turned around, his bloodshot eyes were frozen in place.
Ke Xingzhou: “...Come out!”
In a Demon Realm palace, there was only one person who could pull off something like this.
Sure enough, just as Ke Xingzhou’s voice fell, a cloud of purple mist surged out from behind the curtain. It slowly condensed into Luo Hou’s figure.
Luo Hou had already changed back into his Demon Realm attire, though his body still kept its human appearance. He walked forward, holding an oil lamp that flickered with dim light.His thin body was wrapped in the oversized ceremonial robes of the Demon Ancestor. The loose layers draped over him, exposing a large area of skin on his chest. He should have looked like a child sneaking around in adult clothing, but for some reason, Luo Hou didn’t give off that impression at all. As he walked over slowly, there was instead a palpable sense of pressure.
Luo Hou raised his hand slightly, and Nie Chen’s body began to move, walking toward the edge of the pool.
How could Ke Xingzhou allow him to control Nie Chen like that? He immediately grabbed him and slapped a few exorcism talismans on him—
—Only to find they had no effect.
Ke Xingzhou was a little surprised, growing even more alert as he frowned at Luo Hou. “Let him go.”
Luo Hou replied with self-righteous confidence, “I have something to discuss with you. It’s not suitable for him to hear.”
Ke Xingzhou didn’t budge. His other hand was already reaching into his pocket for his bow. “Let. Go.”
“...” Luo Hou looked at Ke Xingzhou, his expression unreadable. “This is the Demon Realm.”
Ke Xingzhou: “So what?”
Luo Hou: “You heard it earlier—there are a hundred thousand troops under the Demon Clan’s command now. Maybe we don’t match the current Human Realm in power, but dealing with a few of you wouldn’t be any trouble.”
Ke Xingzhou was even more confused. “And?”
Luo Hou: “...I’m the ruler of the Demon Realm! The entire realm follows my command!”
Ke Xingzhou paused.
Luo Hou’s expression eased slightly. He lifted his foot, about to take another step forward, when he heard Ke Xingzhou say: “This place has no population, no resources, and your education level is so low it doesn’t even match my sect’s average literacy rate. At best, you’re just a glorified bandit chief—and not even a competent one. What’s there to be proud of?”
Luo Hou: “...”
Luo Hou gritted his teeth. “Do you believe I could make sure you never leave this place?”
Ke Xingzhou pulled out his bow without hesitation. “Do you believe I’ll beat your ass?”
Luo Hou: “...”
Luo Hou was silent for a moment, then his expression turned dangerous. He sneered through clenched teeth. “You think you’re still the same Ke Xingzhou from ten thousand years ago? You’re just a mortal now, with nothing but brute strength and some low-level Dao spells. If I really wanted to do something, could you stop me?”
He glanced at Nie Chen, his tone growing increasingly aggrieved. “Why is it okay for him, but not for me?!”
Ke Xingzhou: “...???”
Luo Hou stopped arguing. He lifted his foot and strode over in big steps.
As he moved, the outer robe slipped to the floor, and the ornaments on his body clattered sharply against the spirit-stone-covered ground.
To be fair, for a demon, Luo Hou’s human form was undeniably stunning. Even though he was now emaciated, which dulled much of his allure, Ke Xingzhou—who’d seen more than his share—could only think of the nine-tailed fox as a match in terms of beauty.
But he was being a pervert!!
Ke Xingzhou could clearly see Luo Hou holding an oil lamp in one hand, the other hand at his waistband. His inner robes were gradually loosening, on the verge of sliding down his body.
Ke Xingzhou felt completely overwhelmed and desperately tried to activate his bow. But for some reason, the bow—which was usually so responsive—remained unusually quiet. It took several attempts before it finally resized to its usable form—but that was all it could do.
The entire bow exuded an aura of despair, and even the once-beautiful patterns on its body had lost their shine.What the hell?
Ke Xingzhou didn’t understand what was going on, but he couldn’t just let go of Nie Chen and allow Luo Hou to control his body. In his panic, he gripped his bow and gave it a fierce swing forward!
Luo Hou: “……”
Nie Chen: “……”
Luo Hou, who took the hit, froze in place silently. Nie Chen, who had just managed to break free of the control using a method recalled from memory and was about to bite his finger to use blood to forcibly awaken the bow, also stopped in his tracks, stunned.
The three of them stood in a triangle, all frozen. Luo Hou’s robe, no longer held by his sash, slowly slipped down, revealing his thin, scar-riddled upper body.
And now, there was a fresh new scar added to the collection.
Ke Xingzhou looked at his perfectly intact pants, paused for a moment, and said, “…Ah. What were you trying to say again?”