Into The Sea

The woman sitting behind her opened her eyes and said coldly, “This is your mission from the start. You abandoned it halfway and left it to me. At least handle the cleanup yourself.”

“So stingy,” Ji Xing said, propping up her cheek with a hand, “Wutong.”

A tall man stepped forward, bowing to Ji Xing before addressing the gathered demons, “All of you must be wondering why you’ve been gathered here. I’ll be blunt: the two women above me are Demon Lords of the demon realm, acting under the Demon Queen’s orders to bring you home. The Hundred Demons Scroll is no longer in Xuan Rulin’s hands, and the Demon Lords can release you at any time. Once you’re out, you’ll be at the entrance to the demon realm.”

The crowd erupted at his words. Amidst the clamor, a burly bull demon shouted, “Is this true?”

“Of course.”

“Are there no conditions?”

“None.”

“Can such a thing be possible?” The bull demon asked suspiciously. “Why has the Demon Queen suddenly remembered us? For nearly a hundred years, he’s done nothing to save us.”

“You must be referring to the previous Demon King. The current Demon Queen has only been in power for fifty years. It took time to build strength and plan.”

“If that’s the case, let us out now!”

“Yes!” A demon cried excitedly. “I want to leave right now!”

“No rush,” Wutong said with a smile. “You must have noticed that a few humans have entered the Hundred Demon Scroll these past few days.” His dark green eyes scanned the crowd before stopping at a certain spot. “The Queen is merciful. She knows that some demons have been unfortunate enough to be contracted by humans, enslaved, and strayed from the path. We must also rescue them. Before we leave, we must help these fellow demons break free from their contracts and bring them home.” He pointed to a spot in the crowd with a smile, “What do you say?”

Instantly, countless heads turned to the direction he was pointing, revealing two figures standing within.

Wutong spoke slowly, “Young lady, I suspect your contractor has already lost their spiritual power. Here, the backlash of the contract has weakened significantly. To prove you are not blinded by humans and still worthy of returning to the demon realm, you’ll need to do something.”

He raised an eyebrow, saying each word carefully, “Kill her.”

Bai Zhi froze, glancing at the girl beside her. After a long moment, she shook her head. “No.”

Wutong narrowed his eyes. “What did you say?”

Bai Zhi calmly countered, “How can I know if the contract’s backlash has really weakened? If you’re lying, and I kill her, wouldn’t I die too?”

Wutong: “I’m not lying.”

“How can you prove it?”

The man frowned, staring at her with displeasure. Just then, a lazy voice interjected, “Isn’t that easy enough to solve?”

Ji Xing, lounging down casually, suggested, “There are plenty of contracted beasts here. Why not have them duel? See who can kill the other’s contractor first, and you’ll have your answer.”

Wutong’s eyes brightened. “The Demon Lord is wise.”

Ji Xing curled her lips, but then heard a soft sigh behind her. She paused, glancing back with a mocking look. “What, you disapprove again?”

Yun Chuhe said softly, “Must you be so cruel?”

“Cruel? You’ve done just as much as I have.”

With that, Ji Xing casually scanned the crowd. The demons seemed to find her suggestion entertaining, shoving the discovered contracted beasts and their masters to the center. Malicious gazes fell upon them, the twisted, laughing faces no different from the cheering crowds in a fighting arena.

Suddenly, a silver head caught her attention. Ji Xing froze, instinctively sitting up straighter and staring down. When she recognized the face, her hand tightened on the palanquin chair’s armrest, and a moment later, she started to laugh, her shoulders shaking with amusement.

She rarely showed such joy. Yun Chuhe couldn’t help but look at her, but before she could ask, Ji Xing had already landed on the ground, striding forward to grab one of the girl’s chins.

Lan Wu was startled and tried to pull away, but the woman said with a smile, “Lan Wu, how did you end up in such a state?”

Lan Wu’s eyes widened. “You recognize me?”

“Of course,” Ji Xing grinned. “The third princess of the Merfolk.”

Lan Wu clenched her fists. “Since you know who I am, show some respect. If anything happens to me…”

“But who knows you’re here?” Ji Xing interrupted, casually glancing at the girl behind her. Her smile widened. “And who would believe that you were bound by a human contract? Lan Wu, you’re as useless as ever.”

Icy fingers climbed up Lan Wu’s collar, suddenly pulling her forward. Lan Wu stumbled, looking up to see the woman’s pale face inches away. A gentle gaze traced her features. “With the same face, why do you disgust me so much?”

Lan Wu said instinctively, “Have you seen my sister?”

“Sister? You’re not worthy to be her sister!” Ji Xing’s eyes curved into a smile. “If you die here, would your clan mourn you? Oh, probably not. They might even clap with joy. After all, you’ve caused so many deaths.”

Lan Wu stiffened. “How do you know?”

Ji Xing chuckled. “I know everything about you. You’re a failure—weak, cowardly, indecisive. Tell me, what good are you alive? Your existence only brings disaster to those around you…”

“Shut up!”

A cold voice cut through the air. Ji Lingyue could no longer hold back, her face icy as she raised her sword and charged at Ji Xing.

Lan Wu snapped back to reality, crying, “Ah Yue!”

But Ji Lingyue was consumed by rage, deaf to Lan Wu’s words. When her first strike missed, she twisted her wrist and slashed at Ji Xing with deadly intent. Lan Wu grabbed her waist, struggling to hold her back, “Ji Lingyue!”

Hearing the name, Ji Xing paused. She caught the descending blade with her bare hand, repeating, “Ji Lingyue?”

Lan Wu’s heart dropped.

She hurriedly dragged Ji Lingyue back, but Ji Xing tossed away the sword, her crimson eyes fixed hungrily on Ji Lingyue. She called out:

“Kill that contracted beast,” she yelled. “She’s a Merfolk—eating her will greatly enhance your cultivation!”

A voice filled with disbelief cried out, “A Merfolk?”

“Yes, a Merfolk!”

The demons slowly processed the information, their gazes turning greedy as they focused on Lan Wu. The sound of chaotic footsteps filled the air as the dark mass of demons surged forward, engulfing the two.

Ji Xing frowned and added, “Bring that human to me!”

Soon, a bloodied white figure was quickly dragged forward, struggling and looking towards the crowd. “Lan Wu!”

Ji Xing’s fingers curled, gathering a tangible, suffocating force of demonic energy that yanked Ji Lingyue right to her. She clamped her icy fingers around Ji Lingyue’s chin, inspecting her pale face, excitement gleaming in her blood-red eyes.

Ji Lingyue’s chest felt tight from the overwhelming demonic power, but she still tried to look behind her. “Lan… Lan Wu…”

Her breathing grew ragged, her eyelashes trembling. Suddenly, she coughed and vomited blood. Ji Xing’s expression shifted. Her fingers, which had been gripping Ji Lingyue’s chin, moved to her neck. A moment later, she said in surprise, “You’ve formed a life-and-death contract?”

Ji Lingyue’s eyes fluttered shut, her strength fading rapidly. Ji Xing’s face darkened as she finally turned her head. “Stop!”

But it was too late. Her voice was completely drowned out by the chaotic screams. The demons were attacking each other, pushing and shoving towards the center, showing no signs of stopping. Ji Xing bit her lip, then abruptly unleashed a powerful wave of demonic energy, sending them sprawling. “I said stop!”

Amid the chaos, the silver-haired mermaid in the center was still standing, though barely. Blood dripped from her sword as she took a shaky step forward before collapsing to her knees.

Yao Zhu rushed to her side, “Lan Wu!”

Hearing the voice, Ji Lingyue coughed violently, fluttering her lashes open. Ji Xing leaned closer, smiling. “Long time no see. I almost didn’t recognize you.”

Ji Lingyue blinked, her vision blurry. She remained silent.

Seeing her reaction, Ji Xing frowned with displeasure. “What, you don’t remember me?”

The fingers gripping Ji Lingyue’s chin suddenly tightened, causing her to gasp in pain. Ji Xing, like a venomous snake that had found its prey, stared at her with red eyes, “How could you forget me? I adored you back then. I wanted to take you back to the demon realm. If it weren’t for that meddling cultivator, I would’ve succeeded. But now, you’ve come to me yourself.”

Ji Lingyue froze, confusion flickering across her face. But soon, realization dawned, and her eyes widened in horror. Her body stiffened.

“It’s you…”

The corners of her eyes turned red as Ji Lingyue’s breathing grew ragged. She felt as though she were drowning in an endless sea of blood, the stench of iron filling her nostrils. The wails of tormented souls echoed in her ears, but when she listened closely, she realized they were calling her name.

Ji Lingyue’s face paled, bloodshot eyes glaring at Ji Xing. Her teeth clenched so hard they creaked. Ji Xing watched her with fascination, clearly enjoying her breakdown. “I went back to find you, but you weren’t in that village anymore. So, I dug up the graves you made for them, hoping to find something you left behind. Too bad…” Ji Xing smiled sweetly. “All I found were piles of rotten bones.”

Ji Lingyue let out a choked sob, hot tears streaming down her face. Her sanity shattered, her eyes turning blood-red as she broke free from Ji Xing’s control, her hands, filled with murderous intent, reaching for her neck. “I’ll kill you!”

Her hatred was so intense that it tore her apart. Her beautiful face was twisted in a horrifying manner, her voice a shrill cry that didn’t even sound like her own.

“You’re that cat!” Ji Lingyue shrieked. “You’re the cat demon!”