The Demon Lord’s face was cold, his eyes like he wanted to kill, but Jian Lin held his wrist without letting go, completely unafraid.
Facing each other, the Demon Lord knew in his heart that he was only saying it, and he wouldn't actually fight Jian Lin over such a small matter.
“In broad daylight, aren’t you afraid of being seen?” The Demon Lord pressed himself against the wall, with an expression of preferring death to surrender.
Jian Lin laughed heartily, placed a hand on the Demon Lord’s shoulder, tilted her head up, and whispered, “There’s no one in this alley right now. If Lord Chongyuan keeps delaying, who knows what might happen.”
“You…” The Demon Lord lowered his head slightly, his eyes flickering as if struggling, “Fine, whatever.”
Jian Lin felt like she was going to die laughing. She preferred teasing the Demon Lord more than kissing him right now; his distressed look was simply too adorable.
“Alright, I won’t tease you anymore,” Jian Lin took a step back, smiling, “How could I bear to bully Lord Chongyuan?”
Jian Lin’s words, however, made the Demon Lord a little angry.
The Demon Lord’s gaze sharpened, and he suddenly grabbed Jian Lin’s wrist. With a turn, he pressed her against the wall, instantly switching their positions.
Jian Lin was stunned at first, then burst into laughter, “Lord Chongyuan, you—”
Before she could finish, the Demon Lord decisively lowered his head and sealed her lips.
Ah, she forgot, this scoundrel always acted with great efficiency. He did what he wanted immediately, unlike her, who hesitated and then chickened out when the moment arrived.
She needed to learn from the Demon Lord in this regard.
With that thought, she stood on her tiptoes, raised her hands to embrace the Demon Lord’s neck, and actively and boldly responded to him.
It was a kiss completely different from the last one, without any hesitation, only a more direct and profound exchange.
The Demon Lord was clearly startled. He immediately let go of Jian Lin, swallowed nervously, and Jian Lin, seeing his bobbing Adam’s apple, couldn’t help but laugh again.
“Lord Chongyuan, what are you hiding from?” Jian Lin leaned closer, looking up into his eyes, “No way, you don’t know this is what real kissing is like.”
The Demon Lord remained silent. He raised his hand, pulled Jian Lin’s arm away, and turned to stride out of the alley.
Jian Lin quickly followed, forcing herself to suppress her laughter, and linked her arm through his, saying, “Don’t be angry, don’t be angry. It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have scared you.”
The Demon Lord suddenly stopped, tilted his head, and stared at her fiercely, questioning, “You seem to know a lot. Who taught you?”
Did she need anyone to teach her? She was an educated woman from a modern, civilized world. She might not have eaten pork, but hadn’t she seen pigs run?
“Self-taught,” Jian Lin blinked her eyes, making up a hasty reason, “This doesn’t require any teaching. You can tell just by looking.”
“Looking at what do you know?”
“Storybooks,” Jian Lin replied cleverly, “I’ve read so many storybooks.”
It was better to say more now to avoid being questioned later.
The Demon Lord was incredulous and felt like he was going to die of anger. He pointed at her, saying, “I haven’t seen you practice martial arts with such diligence. No wonder you’re still at the first level of the Bright Moon Divine Skill after all this time!”
With that, he strode away swiftly, clearly quite angered by Jian Lin.
Jian Lin hadn’t expected a single kiss to lead to so many complications, and she immediately felt a pang of regret.
As she was repenting, a “ding” sound suddenly echoed in her mind, followed by a system prompt, “Affection points +1, congratulations to the host for obtaining 5000 points.”
“???” Jian Lin was shocked. This scoundrel was all talk and no action! He clearly liked it, yet he used this to lecture her. She wasn’t done with him!
By evening, after a sumptuous dinner, the Demon Lord took her to the most luxurious inn in Daliang City, a towering seven-story building. It was said that the observation deck on the top floor offered a view of the entire city.
Before they even reached it, Jian Lin spotted the inn’s sign from afar and noticed a circular twin-fish symbol on the plaque.
“This is Jinlin Mansion’s property, isn’t it?” Jian Lin tugged at the Demon Lord’s sleeve, pointing to the sign, and said enviously, “They’re truly wealthy and powerful. We went into more than half of the shops this afternoon, and they were all Jin family properties. They’re so rich.”
“Sect Leader Jin is a business prodigy,” the Demon Lord sighed, shaking his head, “A pity he’s too obsessed with cultivation. Otherwise, what a carefree and unfettered life he could have had.”
Jian Lin lowered her gaze. As a fellow businesswoman, even though she hadn’t met Sect Leader Jin, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of cherishing talent.
“Do you really want Sect Leader Jin to die?” Jian Lin asked softly, “He’s a rare talent. It would be wonderful if he could be of use to Lord Chongyuan.”
“It depends on his choice,” the Demon Lord said the verdict lightly, “It’s best if he can be of use to me. If not, then of course, it’s best if he disappears.”
As they spoke, the two entered the inn’s first floor. A square courtyard was left in the center, tall and open. The surrounding decor was meticulously arranged, showcasing its luxurious nature.
However, as soon as they entered, before Jian Lin could admire the inn, she was drawn to a familiar pattern. She looked closely and instinctively became wary.
On the second floor, at the side of the restaurant, sat two tables of people from the Guanlan Sect. They wore white Daoist robes with red trim, the insignia of Chiyan Peak.
The Guanlan Sect favored white, and its twelve peaks were distinguished by twelve colored accessories, which Jian Lin could recognize at a glance.
“It’s people from the Guanlan Sect,” Jian Lin whispered to the Demon Lord, observing them carefully, “I don’t see Hao Jun. They’re all unfamiliar faces, likely low-level rogue cultivators.”
It made sense. It wouldn’t be appropriate for people from the Guanlan Sect to stay at Jinlin Mansion; it was more normal for them to stay at the Jin family’s luxurious inn.
“Mm, I know,” the Demon Lord nodded.
“Should we find another place?” Jian Lin asked softly, “It’s best not to run into them now, right?”
“It doesn’t matter, it’s not a big deal,” the Demon Lord said as he walked to the counter and addressed the innkeeper, “We’ll take the best superior room you have.”
The innkeeper, a short and stout man with shrewd eyes, smiled kindly and subtly reminded, “Esteemed guest, perhaps this is your first time in Daliang City? Our best superior room is different from other superior rooms, and the price is also higher. Are you sure you want it?”
The Demon Lord raised an eyebrow, instantly understanding. His simple white hemp Daoist robe indeed made him look like he wasn’t wealthy.
He reached into his Qiankun bag and took out a red spirit stone, silently pushing it towards the innkeeper, and asked domineeringly, “Is this enough?”
The innkeeper, having seen his share of the world, his smile undiminished, reached out, accepted the red spirit stone, and his smile became even more respectful, “It is enough. I will personally guide you to our best Grade A room on the seventh floor.”
Jian Lin’s attention remained on the Guanlan Sect. As they turned into the corridor, seeing no one around, she took the opportunity to inquire with the innkeeper, “Innkeeper, you have guests from the Guanlan Sect here? What are they here for?”
Perhaps because the money was sufficient, the innkeeper was very amiable and replied enthusiastically, “They are here to discuss matters with our Sect Leader Jin. As for what matters, we servants do not know, but we have been ordered to treat the people of the Guanlan Sect well.”
Jian Lin glanced at the Demon Lord. As she had guessed, the gossip she had overheard in Daliang City all day, in every corner and alley, had not mentioned anything about a marriage alliance.
Logically, the marriage of Miss Jin’s daughter couldn’t possibly be a topic no one discussed. Now, even the innkeeper didn’t know, which could only mean that both parties intended to conceal this matter.
Jian Lin couldn’t help but recall the plot of the book. She was so sure there was no marriage alliance, perhaps to the outside world, it was indeed like that. But in reality, something had happened.
The Guanlan Sect was truly bullying people. They married someone’s daughter, took their property, and still maintained their facade by deliberately concealing it, not giving the proper status. The Guanlan Sect reaped all the benefits, which was truly unjust.
While she was thinking, the three had already reached the seventh floor.
The seventh-floor corridor was brightly lit, and the precious yellow wooden floor gleamed. The innkeeper pushed open the door carved with begonia flowers, revealing a room filled with candlelight and luxurious furnishings.
“This is the main hall, the bedroom is to the left, the bathroom is to the right, and straight ahead is the viewing platform. We will send wine and food shortly. Servants will guard the door all night. If you need anything, just open the door and say so,” the innkeeper finished his smiling introduction, “We will not disturb you two guests. I shall take my leave.”
As soon as the innkeeper left, Jian Lin began to examine everything. Not to mention antiques or magical treasures, the key was that the room had flower branches placed in vases and incense burning. It truly lived up to being a luxurious suite; the details were indeed impeccable.
Turning right to the bathroom, Jian Lin was stunned even through the beaded curtains and gauze. She saw a large white jade pool, with a dragon head on one side holding a pearl, clearly the water source.
The last time she had seen a bath, it was in the Demon Lord’s palace. This was indeed no ordinary superior room.
Jian Lin immediately ran to the Demon Lord’s side and said excitedly, “Lord Chongyuan, I want to take a bath. Can I take a bath?”
Cultivators had spells to maintain their body’s cleanliness, and Jian Lin had learned and applied them well, but she still wanted to take a bath. She felt uncomfortable if she didn’t.
The Demon Lord took a step back, looking surprised and uncertain, “What do you mean?”
Jian Lin realized that the Demon Lord had misunderstood. Their relationship was currently ambiguous, and her saying this now was particularly suggestive.
“Just what it means literally,” Jian Lin pointed towards the bathroom, “It’s such a large bath. If we don’t soak in it, our money for tonight will be wasted. I must make this money worthwhile.”
“Firstly, it’s my money. Secondly, this is not your room, Jian Musheng. Please have some self-respect and don’t make excessive requests,” the Demon Lord said sternly.
Jian Lin looked at the Demon Lord quietly for two seconds, then smiled sinisterly and suddenly turned to run, “I don’t care, I’m taking a bath today!”
“You, don’t be ridiculous!” The Demon Lord chased after her. The beaded curtains swayed, and they faced each other across the bath.
Jian Lin reached out and pulled the dragon pearl, and hot water gushed out, the steam swirling and gradually filling the entire bathroom.
The Demon Lord’s face darkened. Jian Lin looked at him with a smile and suddenly made a decision.
“Lord Chongyuan, if you’re not leaving, I don’t mind if we do it together!” Jian Lin said, reaching for her belt and lifting her hands behind her, revealing her fair, smooth, and rounded shoulders.
Actually, it wasn’t that he hadn’t seen her shoulders before. When she was a dancer, she had worn revealing dresses and danced for him.
But for some reason, it was completely different now. He abruptly turned around, his ear tips burning, his heart beating uncontrollably faster.
While he was stunned, he suddenly heard a splash. He stiffened his back and slowly walked out.
Jian Lin swam out of the pool. Seeing his reaction, she couldn’t help but laugh loudly and defiantly.
Scared him to death! The Demon Lord was truly pure-hearted. If it were any other man, he might have eagerly joined her for a bath.
Jian Lin leaned on the edge of the pool, her mind filled with the Demon Lord’s face. As she thought, she couldn’t help but smile foolishly.