Into The Sea

The demon realm was indeed a harsh and desolate place.

After passing through the entrance, traversing three hundred miles of barren yellow sand, they finally reached a vast plain surrounded by a river. In the distance, towering black walls stood imposing. The closer they got, the more they felt a strong sense of oppression. Entering the city known as Yandu, they found bustling streets reminiscent of the human realm, except that the residents all bore features distinctly different from humans.

The Demon Queen’s residence stood at the highest point of Yandu. Standing at the city gate, one could see the undulating, majestic palace. The demon envoy who came to greet them had a pair of beautiful antlers and led them to the most scenic part of the city, Dongchi. After settling them in, the envoy left with a single sentence: “The Queen is still in seclusion. Please wait for a few days.”

Lan Yuan had no choice but to wait patiently. However, half a month passed, and she had already wandered aimlessly through Yandu several times without any summons from the Demon Queen. Finally, she could no longer tolerate the delay. Early one morning, she took Feng Yi and ascended the stone steps leading to the Changjue Palace.

The young mermaid, while closely following her side, asked anxiously, “Your Highness, shouldn’t we inform the demon envoy?”

Lan Yuan retorted, “Do you know where she is?”

“But… what if we anger the Demon Queen by barging in like this?”

“Isn’t she in seclusion? How can we anger her?” Lan Yuan scoffed. “We sent a message saying we were coming. She could have secluded herself any time, but she chose to do it now. I think the Demon Queen is just deliberately ignoring us.”

Feng Yi’s face turned pale. “Your Highness, you shouldn’t say that!”

Lan Yuan was about to chide her for being too timid when a burst of laughter echoed from ahead. She paused, seeing a woman in black standing with her hands behind her back, smiling at her. The woman was tall and slender, dressed in luxurious robes. Her delicate, childlike face was paired with a pair of sinister crimson eyes, making her look eerie even as she smiled.

Lan Yuan frowned, stopping. “What are you laughing at?”

The woman blinked, slowly walking down two steps, stopping before her. “It’s rare to hear someone speak so candidly about the Queen. You must be the Second Princess of the Merfolk, Lan Yuan.”

“You recognize me?”

“Of course. Your Highness is the brightest pearl of the Kunlun Sea. You split mountains and cleaved the seas, your name known throughout the demon realm. Who hasn’t heard of you?”

Lan Yuan remained unimpressed by the flattery, giving the woman a cold glance before stepping past her to continue up the stairs. The woman narrowed her eyes and called out. “If you’re going to see the Queen, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.”

Lan Yuan stopped. “How do you know?”

“Because I just went to see her,” she raised her face, revealing her sharp canines. “I forgot to introduce myself. I am one of the four great Demon Lords of the demon realm, the master of Xuandu, Ji Xing.”

Lan Yuan stared at her for a moment before asking, “So, your Queen hasn’t come out yet?”

“That’s right. Our Queen is a devoted cultivator. She only comes out for a few days each year. The rest of the time, even I can’t see her.”

“You could have said that earlier.” Lan Yuan clicked her tongue, turning around. “If we knew that, we could have left this wretched place by now.”

After spending half a month in Yandu, even the most scenic Dongchi offered nothing but a view of withered yellow grass. Lan Yuan had come to visit the Demon Queen not for any grand purpose but simply to inquire about the recent disturbances caused by the demon realm in the human realm and their future plans. Since she was being ignored, she decided it wasn’t worth the trouble. After all, the Merfolk of Kunlun Sea lived in seclusion and wouldn’t be affected.

With that thought, Lan Yuan ignored the woman and continued down the stairs with Feng Yi, who was too nervous to speak. As they passed by, a cold hand suddenly grasped Lan Yuan’s wrist. Startled, Lan Yuan shook it off and frowned. “What are you doing?”

Ji Xing pursed her lips, looking a little hurt. “Sister, do you dislike me?”

Lan Yuan’s eyes widened in disgust. “Don’t try to be familiar. I don’t know you.”

“But I’m more than ten years younger than you. Isn’t it appropriate to call you sister?”

Lan Yuan coldly refused. “I only have one sister, and her name is Lan Wu.”

“Is that so?” Ji Xing nodded lazily. “Then she’s truly fortunate to have such a wonderful sister. It’s quite enviable.”

“…” After a moment of silence, Lan Yuan frowned. “If you’re lacking in love, go find a wet nurse. Don’t take it out on me.”

Ji Xing chuckled. “Sister, you’re quite amusing.”

This person was truly impossible to deal with. Lan Yuan didn’t want to bother with her anymore, turning to leave. But the woman’s calculating voice came from behind. “Sister, you came here to learn about the demon realm’s future plans, didn’t you? So that your merfolk can prepare and protect itself?”

Seeing that Lan Yuan didn’t stop, she continued, “I am one of the Queen’s most trusted demon lords. I know all about these matters. If you agree to my conditions, I can tell you everything.”

Lan Yuan paused, finally stopping. She turned back, her blue eyes filled with suspicion. “Why?”

“Hmm?”

She turned back, her blue eyes full of confusion. “Why me?”

Ji Xing smiled, opening her hands. “Maybe it’s because I feel a connection with you.”

***

The number of demons in the Hundred Demons Scroll was more than Lan Wu had imagined.

After killing four demons that had ill intentions toward Ji Lingyue, she realized that things were getting more dangerous. She could easily deal with the demons that came now, but if they continued to attack, she would be exhausted. Thinking this, Lan Wu adjusted Ji Lingyue on her back and asked, “Has the bleeding stopped?”

Ji Lingyue hummed weakly in response. Lan Wu glanced at her pale face resting on her shoulder and, after a moment of thought, pulled open her collar. “Bite me.”

Ji Lingyue opened her eyes, looking at her blankly. “Huh?”

“Bite me,” Lan Wu repeated, explaining, “Drink my blood.”

Ji Lingyue shook her head instinctively. “I can’t…”

“Now you’re being polite?” Lan Wu teased. “Weren’t you quite fond of biting when you were a cat?”

Ji Lingyue paused, a blush quickly rising to her pale ears. Seeing that she was so embarrassed that her face was red, Lan Wu pressed her head down, coaxing, “It’s fine. There’s plenty of demonic energy here. If you drink my blood, I’ll recover quickly. If you really care about me, heal your wounds. We’re stronger together than alone.”

Warm lips touched her white skin. The woman stiffened for a moment before carefully opening her mouth and biting down.

Lan Wu winced slightly but continued walking along the river, muttering, “I told you to leave earlier, but you didn’t listen. Now we’re both trapped here. I wonder where Yao Zhu is.”

Ji Lingyue blinked, swallowing a few mouthfuls of blood. She licked the sweet, metallic taste from her lips, saying in a muffled voice, “Wherever you go, I’ll go. Don’t even think about leaving me.”

“But I don’t even know what this place is…”

Ji Lingyue hugged her neck tightly, humming. “At worst, we’ll die together. If you die, I won’t survive either.”

Lan Wu thought she was just saying it out of spite, but her heart still skipped a beat. She quickly spat out a few times. “Don’t say that. You’re alive, and so am I. What’s with all this talk about death?”

Ji Lingyue smiled faintly, resting on her back, obediently snuggling into her shoulder. After a while, she squinted her eyes. “Lan Wu…”

“Hmm?”

“I’m a little tired.”

“If you’re tired, sleep for a while,” Lan Wu said gently. “I’m here with you.”

Ji Lingyue hummed, shifting her position, closing her eyes drowsily. Her breathing grew slow and heavy, her warm breath occasionally brushing against Lan Wu’s neck. Lan Wu found comfort in the sensation, reassured by her presence. With a sigh, she adjusted Ji Lingyue on her back and continued walking toward the bright moon in the distance.