"Miss Apei is too kind. I am your demonic beast. Whatever you ask me to do, I will do my best," Tao Niang said as a matter of course.
"No, no, no," Jian Lin quickly refused and explained solemnly to Tao Niang, "We are not that kind of relationship. If I ask you to do something and you feel uncomfortable, you can refuse me."
Tao Niang tilted her head, showing incomprehension.
She had heard Mr. Jiu Ying talk about the relationship between humans and demons. Since humans could not devour demon cores, they devised other ways to utilize demonic power, which were generally divided into two categories: signing contracts and subjugating.
However, regardless of the method, the most basic requirement was absolute submission.
Tao Niang remembered what happened in the Dragon Bone Spiritual Vein and understood that Jian Lin had chosen to subdue her to save her, which was a helpless move.
But since it had already happened, Tao Niang accepted it calmly. She quite liked Miss Apei and was willing to serve her, never having thought of refusing.
Jian Lin explained for a long time, but Tao Niang still did not understand. In the end, Jian Lin gave up. It was fine, there was plenty of time, and the important matters were pressing.
Jian Lin, like a worried mother, instructed Tao Niang to go out and find the Demon Lord. She warned her to avoid people and absolutely not to appear rashly. If she couldn't find him, she should return.
The Demon Lord had previously disliked demons, and the people in the Demon Palace were certainly not friendly to demons. If there had been any other choice, Jian Lin would never have let Tao Niang go out alone.
Especially since Tao Niang's demonic power was currently low, she could only transform into a small human form, making her as fragile as a tiny ant.
Jian Lin clung to the prison bars with both hands, cursing fiercely. If the Demon Lord didn't come soon, she wished him a bitten tongue when eating and stepping in dog excrement when going out!
She waited and waited, but Tao Niang never returned. Jian Lin was worried sick and felt uncomfortable all over, her mood quite irritable.
Finally, she had to find something to do for herself. She opened her Qiankun Bag to check its contents.
First, she saw a lot of snacks, the small dried meats she had personally marinated in Chuyun Pavilion. She had originally promised Xiao Li that she would leave them for her when she left the death row.
Later, by chance, they came out together, and Jian Lin kept the dried meats, allowing her to eat only three pieces a day and forbidding her from eating more. She hadn't expected so many to be left.
She held the handful of dried meats and felt a surge of grief, her eyes instantly welling up with tears.
She didn't know how Xiao Li was now. She probably was already dead, and would have died miserably. Dragons were treasures all over, and the Demon Emperor would surely have them divided and eaten.
Jian Lin re-wrapped the dried meats, sealed them, and put them back into the Qiankun Bag, not wanting to touch them again.
Continuing to rummage, she touched the Dragon Roar Orb. She took it out and saw that the coiled dragon had dispersed and returned to its smoky state.
Jian Lin's heart ached. She quickly stuffed the Dragon Roar Orb back, not daring to dwell on the matter.
Digging deeper, she found a messy pile. She pulled it all out and examined it carefully. Among the miscellaneous items, she found the golden-brown demon core of the Bear Tribe chief and the jade bell that sealed the High Priest.
She pinched the jade bell between her fingers and examined it closely. The originally clear and translucent material was now covered with blood-red patterns that circled it completely. It felt heavy in her hand, and when shaken, it no longer made a sound.
Jian Lin let out a cold laugh, took out the treasure box, threw the jade bell into it, and closed it, adding another layer of security. Let the High Priest quietly rot and stink.
After tidying up the Qiankun Bag, Tao Niang still hadn't returned. Jian Lin lay down by the prison door again, gazing expectantly, and finally fell asleep from exhaustion.
In her sleep, the usually quiet dungeon was suddenly filled with the sound of footsteps. Jian Lin jolted awake, thinking it was the Demon Lord. To her surprise, a slender figure emerged from the darkness – it was Hong Qu.
Tao Niang sat on Hong Qu's shoulder, and they returned to the prison door together.
"Hong Qu, it's great that you're okay," Jian Lin looked up and said with concern, "You were seriously injured by the Demon Emperor that day. I was really worried about you."
"You still have the mood to worry about me?" Hong Qu squatted down, reached out, took Tao Niang, and placed her on Jian Lin's shoulder. She said with disappointment, "You should worry more about yourself."
Jian Lin gripped the cold bars with both hands and asked despairingly, "I know, Lord Demon Lord refuses to see me, right?"
"Of course," Hong Qu said helplessly, "But he has something to tell you."
"What?" Jian Lin's eyes lit up.
"Reflect seriously. When you realize your mistake, he will naturally appear," Hong Qu said coldly and mercilessly.
"Just like that?" Jian Lin was disappointed and angry, saying indignantly, "He poisoned me! And he wants me to reflect! Tell him, I made no mistake at all. If he has the guts, he can lock me up forever."
Hong Qu glanced sideways and asked slyly, "Do you really want me to say that? Don't regret it. I'll give you another chance. Do you want to rephrase it?"
Tao Niang advised her in her ear, "Miss Apei, don't say that. When you're under someone else's roof, you have to bow your head. If you want to get out, how can you argue with Lord Demon Lord?"
She understood the logic. Jian Lin took a deep breath, suppressed her anger, and said, "Alright, Miss Hong Qu, pretend you didn't hear what I just said. Please help me tell Lord Demon Lord that I was wrong, I will reflect properly, and I will wait quietly for him to come and see me."
Despite what she said, after Hong Qu left, Jian Lin began to vent her frustrations to Tao Niang, complaining about the Demon Lord's malicious actions.
"I don't understand, why did he stop me?" Jian Lin said hatefully. "And he used such a vile method as poisoning. My whole body still hurts, and there's a bloody taste in my mouth whenever I circulate my energy. I'm truly miserable!"
Tao Niang sat in front of Jian Lin, her eyes full of smiles. "Why else? The Demon Lord didn't want Miss Apei to leave. It was because he liked you back then."
Jian Lin was silent for a moment, then burst into a fierce laugh, saying firmly, "Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Whether the Demon Lord liked her or not, she didn't need to guess. The two zeros on her head were clear: if he didn't like her, he didn't like her.
"If it's not because he likes you, then it doesn't make sense," Tao Niang said confusedly. "It can't be an enemy. If it were an enemy, Lord Demon Lord would have poisoned Miss Apei directly. Why would he lock you up and make you reflect?"
"There's another possibility," Jian Lin said sinisterly. "He's wicked and enjoys tormenting me. Locking me up in prison makes him happy. He's purely a pervert."
Tao Niang tilted her head, unable to comprehend the complex emotions between humans.
Jian Lin also didn't understand. To avoid anxiety attacks, she chose to sleep and recover. The dungeon was dark and lightless, with no ventilation window. She lost track of days and nights.
Waking up from the cold once again, Jian Lin had had enough. Was the Demon Lord ever going to come?!
Even a fiery mountain would have cooled down by now. She wanted to wait for him to come and have a good talk, but she hadn't expected him to actually throw her in prison and ignore her.
She, Jian Lin, had not come to this world to be a professional prisoner!
Thinking of this, Jian Lin grabbed Tao Niang and exchanged a teleportation talisman with the system, directly teleporting to the Demon Lord's sleeping quarters.
Familiar with the place, she looked at the hall and the bed, but no one was there. She walked along the corridor, intending to find the Demon Lord and confront him.
After a furious search, she finally detected some activity in the innermost room. Just as she was about to kick the door open, she suddenly heard the worried and pained voice of the Grand Steward.
"Oh dear, Lord Demon Lord, it's been so many days, and you're still coughing up blood. Please, let me call Xie Jin back to examine you."
"No need," the Demon Lord said hoarsely. "I know my body. Coughing out the blood stasis will be fine. Calling Xie Jin back would only arouse unnecessary suspicion and would not benefit the Demon Sect at all."
"This, this is truly troublesome," the Grand Steward sighed, full of sorrow.
Jian Lin was stunned. How serious were the Demon Lord's injuries? She had always thought he was fine. How could this be?
While she was in a daze, she heard the Grand Steward's footsteps. Jian Lin quickly hid in the shadows.
She saw the Grand Steward carefully close the door, shaking his head and leaving with a worried expression.
Jian Lin hesitated, unsure whether she should go in. She had originally intended to vent her anger at the Demon Lord, but now she only felt concern.
Finally, adhering to the spirit of "since I'm already here," Jian Lin moved into the bedroom. Behind the screen, she peeked at the person on the large bed.
All along, the Demon Lord's impression on her was that he was powerful, arrogant, narcissistic, and invincible, needing no rest.
This was the first time she had seen such a fragile Demon Lord. He had not tied up his hair and lay amidst the black brocade quilt, appearing even more fragile and pale. His brows were furrowed, and his eyelashes trembled, as if he were restless even in his sleep.
"Jian Musheng, is that you?" the Demon Lord suddenly asked softly.
It was so soft that Jian Lin thought it was his sleep-talking.
Only when he opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the screen did he say, "Stop hiding. I see you."
Jian Lin straightened up, scratching the back of her head, and said sheepishly, "I didn't intend to hide. You must have known I would come."
Upon hearing this, the Demon Lord curled his lips into a slight smile. "I did know, but I didn't expect you to endure so many days. The prison was cold and damp. You really managed to endure it."
Jian Lin's mouth gaped in disbelief. How dare he say that? If she hadn't taken the initiative to come out, it was out of respect for him. Now he dared to mock her!
This scoundrel, Jian Lin shouldn't have considered him!
"Yes, I deserve to be frozen!" Jian Lin said angrily. "My brain has been frozen silly. I deserve it!"
The Demon Lord chuckled, and as he laughed, he began to cough, and the coughing grew worse.
Jian Lin quickly went to the small tea table, poured a cup of tea, and brought it to the Demon Lord's lips. "Stop laughing, Lord Demon Lord. How serious are your injuries? No, when exactly did you get injured?"
The Demon Lord turned over and took a sip of tea from Jian Lin's hand, finally catching his breath.
The brocade quilt slipped, and Jian Lin noticed he wasn't wearing his nightclothes, revealing his firm shoulders, chest muscles, and the bandages on his abdomen...
Jian Lin's gaze fixed on his abdomen. She suddenly remembered the battle in the forest that night and said in disbelief, "I thought when the Demon Emperor stabbed your abdomen and said he wanted to take your golden core, that was a puppet dummy..."
The Demon Lord glanced at her. "Do you think the Demon Emperor is that easy to fool? If it were a dummy, he would have thrown it away long ago. Why would he use me to threaten you?"
Jian Lin didn't understand. "But later, you clearly appeared behind the Demon Emperor!"
That night in the forest, it was dark and chaotic, and Jian Lin hadn't paid attention to what happened to the body that was hit by the sword.
"It was all me, not a puppet, but a clone," the Demon Lord said faintly as he lay back on the brocade quilt. "If you don't enter the tiger's den, you can't catch the tiger's cubs. The Demon Emperor is cunning and powerful. Without using myself as bait, it would be impossible to encounter an opportunity when he was lax."