The Demon Lord and I: Frenemies - chapter 41

Chapter 41

A gentle breeze caressed the land, clouds drifting and unfurling. Under the sunlight, the clouds were thin and luminous, like the froth churned up by waves, gathering into a vast ocean of blue sky.

At the village entrance, a group of white-robed Lotus Flower Sect disciples were handling the corpses of the werewolves. The stiff bodies had long since grown cold, their beastly eyes now hollowed out into bloody pits, even their fur had dulled to gray, leaving only a remnant of ferocity on their faces.

White-robed disciple: “We’ll take them back to the sect first and notify the Sect Leader and others. All Evil Cultivators have perished.”

Fei Wanghuai and the others nodded, bidding farewell to the other disciples, but did not leave with them.

Once their fellow disciples had gone, Su Hongli turned her head, looking worriedly toward the back of the village. “Is Zaishuang alright?”

Chu Zaishuang had greeted them after returning to the village, then went alone to Grave Hill behind the village to fulfill her promise to Lu Ge. Because Lu Ge had been subjected to the Transformation Realm Technique, her body had shattered into fragments before death, leaving neither corpse nor clothing-only the Jade Flute as proof.

Li Jingjie glanced around. “I didn’t expect that Female Cultivator was born here.”

“She’s been gone quite a while.” Fei Wanghuai lifted his leg. “You all rest for now, I’ll go check on her.”

There were no charred corpses nearby anymore, only the occasional ruined wall or collapsed structure; otherwise, all was silent.

Behind the village, Grave Hill rose and fell like earthen mounds, the resting place of the villagers. Not far away stood a lush, towering tree, conspicuous amid the desolation, and beneath it, a faint figure could be seen.

As Fei Wanghuai approached, he saw that Chu Zaishuang had already erected the gravestone, and the air was tinged with a faint scent of wine. Beneath the great tree, two unmarked wooden tablets stood side by side-one weathered and mottled from years of wind and sun, the other newly carved, its wood grain fresh, clearly just polished by a sharp blade.

A small pile of incense ash remained before the tablets, suggesting someone had recently paid respects. Nearby lay various foods and mortal trinkets, a dazzling array.

The white-robed girl was not busy at the grave; instead, she lay on her back beneath the tree, heedless of her disheveled Drooping Cloud Bun and rumpled Cloud Water Robe, staring intently at the drifting clouds above, unconcerned by anyone’s approach. Her face was expressionless-neither sorrowful nor joyful-just blankly gazing at the sky.

Fei Wanghuai walked over to Chu Zaishuang and, following her gaze, looked up. He asked, “What are you looking at?”

Chu Zaishuang replied calmly, “Those clouds drifting across the sky look so free and unrestrained. If only people could be like that.”

“Once a Five Leaves cultivator masters Spirit Separation, they can ride their sword through the sky, becoming like the clouds.”

“But flying like clouds isn’t the same as living like clouds.”

Fei Wanghuai glanced at the wooden tablets from the corner of his eye, then at her indifferent expression, probing, “Are you still sad about that Female Cultivator?”

He had seen it clearly atop the cliff-she couldn’t help but let tears well at the corners of her eyes, though it vanished in an instant, quickly suppressed. After returning, she hadn’t shown any sign of despair, interacting with them naturally before heading to the back of the village to build the wooden tablet.

Normally, she would fuss and make a scene over the smallest things, but after experiencing death firsthand, she had instead withdrawn all emotion, not letting a single drop show.

No wonder Su Hongli was worried-even he felt something was off.

“Am I sad? I don’t know.” Chu Zaishuang lay on the ground, blinking slowly. “Honestly, I don’t really have those feelings. Sometimes I can’t even tell if I’m sad or not.”

She had a strange talent: whenever strong emotions arose, she would instead become completely calm. Whether it was the fear of discovering her Dao Heart was different as a child, or the anxiety of rescuing her brother, everything would quiet down after a certain threshold, and no waves would stir in her heart.

This had helped her through many hardships, but also made it hard to understand herself.

Fei Wanghuai asked in confusion, “How can you not tell?”

“Even if she was acting under orders, she did use mortals for testing medicines, and slaughtered the nearby villages. That’s absolutely not what a normal cultivator should do-no matter who judges, she’s a complete Evil Cultivator.” She spoke softly. “But just hearing about her past, I was inexplicably shaken. Now I can’t even sort out my own feelings, I don’t know if I should be sad…”

The tug-of-war between morality and emotion had left her dizzy, her thoughts in Chaos.

“If you’re having those thoughts, then you probably are sad.” He said slowly. “It’s just that common sense tells you this outcome was her own fault, so your sadness feels out of place, and you’re suppressing it.”

“…So, can I be sad for her?”

“Of course you can.”

“I thought, with your temperament, you’d tell me sadness is useless.”

“It’s useless for us, but it doesn’t matter for you. Haven’t you done plenty of useless things?” Fei Wanghuai chuckled. “You always call yourself a good-for-nothing, and you’re not some exemplary Lotus Flower Sect disciple, so why force yourself to be so restrained? It’s normal if you can’t do it.”
He had mocked her many times before, but when she became just like everyone else, he would feel a vague sense of discomfort.

There were too many cultivators in the world who thought as he did; having one more odd person like her didn’t seem to matter much.

Chu Zaishuang was taken aback.

His words were gentle as plucking strings, yet they pricked her like a needle.

The gloom pent up in her chest seeped out through the pinhole, and fresh air rushed in, awakening her numb nerves and body. The breeze poured in, and ripples stirred on the lake of her heart-finally, there was movement.

“You’re right, I am useless. Being useless is great.” For some reason, she felt relieved, covering her face tightly with her snow-white sleeve, her voice muffled, “It’s normal for the useless to mess things up, normal for the useless not to understand good and evil. Anyway, I’m useless…”

Fei Wanghuai heard her quietly sobbing, not even daring to sniffle too loudly, still using self-deprecating words to hold back her sorrow. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.

He stood silently for a while, then took out a Red Cord and began to braid it: “Enough, stop whimpering. Haven’t you always wanted to learn this? I’ll teach you just this once-miss it today and it’s gone.”

“What?”

Chu Zaishuang wiped her face with her sleeve at his words. She opened her eyes, her rims still red, still lying on the ground.

The delicate Red Flower Knot dangled in the air, swaying back and forth, occasionally brushing past her face like a fishing hook, drawing her gaze.

Fei Wanghuai squatted beside her, teasing her with the Red Flower Knot. Seeing her eyes regain their brightness, he finally said with his usual calm, “Are you going to learn or not?”

“I’ll learn.” Chu Zaishuang paused briefly, then flipped herself up, puzzled, “But before, when I asked you to teach me, you always ignored me.”

The first time she saw the Red Flower Knot, she had asked him how to braid it, but he always evaded the topic without a word.

Fei Wanghuai saw that the tear stains at the corners of her eyes had been wiped clean, and said softly, “I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll teach you once.”

Chu Zaishuang was at a loss for words: “…When I’m in a bad mood, you’re in a good mood, is that it?”

Fei Wanghuai nodded, “Right. Aren’t you the same with me? When you make me unhappy, you feel pleased?”

Chu Zaishuang hadn’t expected him to say that. She thought it over carefully, then turned her head guiltily, “Seems like that’s true.”

Fei Wanghuai was incredulous, “From the way you say it, you have no reflection on your own behavior?”

“You can provide me with amusement-isn’t that your honor? Even the Library Pavilion can’t do that. So, thinking this way, you’re even better than thousand-year-old tomes.”

“?”

Fei Wanghuai noticed she was gradually recovering. He unraveled the knot in his hand, smiling, “Suddenly, I don’t feel like teaching anymore.”

She hurriedly said, “No, no, teach me! You can’t go back on your word.”

Under the tree, the two stood beside the wooden stele, learning how to braid knots. Chu Zaishuang focused intently on weaving, while Fei Wanghuai occasionally offered a tip or two.

The Red Cord wound around several times, and with a deft twist, it bloomed into a flower-shaped knot, like a delicate blossom sprouting from her fingertips. Chu Zaishuang cradled her handiwork, admiring it with delight, arranging the petals of the Red Flower Knot.

Fei Wanghuai saw her braid a flower and couldn’t help but click his tongue, hinting, “You’re not good at other things, but you pick this up quickly.”

“But how do you braid it while tying a knot?” Chu Zaishuang held the Red Flower Knot against her waist, comparing, “Last time you made a flower directly, but now I only have a single blossom.”

“As long as you learn the technique, with a slight change, you can link them together.”

Fei Wanghuai took the Red Flower Knot from her, then pulled her a little closer, teaching her how to tie it to a belt: “Thread it through here, and you can braid a flower…”

The handsome youth’s shoulders were broad and his back straight; usually, he was as dignified as green bamboo or pine. Now, he bent slightly, leaning a bit closer to her. He carried a faint, cool fragrance, drifting to her nose like the scent of tea brewed with melted snow, lingering all around, impossible to dispel.

He didn’t touch her, yet his breath surrounded her, his presence unmistakable.

At first, she listened to his instructions with full concentration, but gradually her mind wandered, and her gaze drifted elsewhere.

He lowered his head, eyes focused, with jet-black hair, clear eyes, pale lips, and jade-white fingers pulling the bright Red Cord. His face was openly composed, yet strangely made him seem even more charming. In a flash, she felt he shouldn’t be like this; beneath the dignified surface, there must be hidden shadows.

She truly couldn’t distinguish good from evil, and at this moment, wicked thoughts arose. For the first time, she felt he didn’t match the pure Cloud Water Robe-he ought to be painted in deeper colors. Perhaps crimson, perhaps dark blue, but certainly not pure white.

Was it because she had accidentally learned of his Mei heritage? Or did she simply want to oppose him?
Xiao Shi always mocked her for being infatuated with his looks, but that wasn’t entirely accurate. If she had to be precise, what she really wanted was to see him lose composure. She wanted to watch that façade of courtesy and icy strength crumble, revealing a riot of colors-joy, sorrow, anger, or any other emotion, as long as it burned as fiercely as fire. Anything less simply wouldn’t suit his temperament.

So, she couldn’t be obedient or sensible; she always provoked his anger. It wasn’t that she couldn’t behave-she just didn’t want to.

She harbored a dark, indescribable urge to torment him, though she knew it was wrong. There was no reason to act this way; he had always treated her well.

Maybe it was because she was both immortal and demon, that she was so twisted.

“Have you learned it yet?”

Startled by his words, Chu Zaishuang realized the belt was fastened and met his raised gaze, flustered as if caught in the act. She quickly replied, “Mm!”

Fei Wanghuai didn’t notice her distraction. After finishing, he didn’t stand up immediately; instead, he flicked the Red Flower Knot with his fingers, teasing, “Where I used to live, only naive children liked these-knee-high ones.”

“…”

Mocked by Fei Wanghuai, Chu Zaishuang felt guilty for her mischievous thoughts, but now she thought he deserved to be tormented. He really did have a knack for inviting trouble upon himself.

She retorted, “But you know how to make them now, which means you liked them once too. You were also a naive child, just like me, and went through a phase of being interested.”

Fei Wanghuai denied it flatly: “I didn’t. I never liked them. My mother insisted on making them for me, and after watching a few times, I learned how.”

“That’s exactly it. In her eyes, you were still a naive child…”

Fei Wanghuai paused, silent for several seconds, then said, “Maybe that’s what she thought at the time.”

“At the time? Not afterward?”

“Afterward… I don’t know,” Fei Wanghuai replied. “…It doesn’t matter anymore.”

After all, the one who tied Red Flower Knots for him had already passed away. No matter what his mother thought, he no longer had time to be a child.

He glanced at the Red Flower Knot on her waist and commented, “This thing suits you. Only someone with your level of maturity would wear it so brazenly.”

The childish Red Flower Knot, her carefree nature and dislike for cultivation, the dreamlike harmony of the Qionglian Twelve Islands-maybe they all fit together better than he did.

“Alright, looks like you’re about done. Go meet up with the others up ahead. We should head back.”

Seeing Fei Wanghuai turn to leave, Chu Zaishuang suddenly had an idea. Her left fingers twitched slightly as she muttered, “We’ll see who’s really brazen.”

A moment later, the two met up with Su Hongli and Li Jingjie, preparing to return to the Lotus Flower Sect.

Su Hongli noticed Chu Zaishuang seemed lighter in spirit and finally relaxed, knowing things had passed. Her friend had been so calm earlier that it was almost unnatural; now she seemed much more herself.

“Let’s go back to the sect,” Chu Zaishuang glanced at the ruined village and said softly, “We can come visit them again during the holidays.”

Su Hongli replied, “We can come together then.”

Chu Zaishuang nodded.

Leaving the burnt village behind, the four hurried toward the teleportation array, heading first to a bustling town before returning via the array. Along the way, Chu Zaishuang lingered behind Fei Wanghuai for some reason, only pulling away once they entered the city.

The town was crowded, and the Cloud Water Robe often drew the attention of mortals, who glanced at them from time to time.

When they reached the array, Li Jingjie followed behind his companions. Suddenly, something caught his eye, and he exclaimed in surprise, “Wanghuai, I didn’t expect this side of you. I have to say, it’s a bit… weird. Weirdly interesting…”

“What?”

“Your belt is something else-quite tasteful, really. The splendor of blooming flowers!”

Fei Wanghuai was stunned. He turned to check and saw three Red Flower Knots fastened at his waist, not knowing when they had been put there. He only noticed after passing through the busy streets.

“…”

The culprit was obvious. Her cultivation was abysmal, yet somehow she’d gotten close enough to him to pull off this stunt, making even his usually vigilant self slip up in public.

“Chu-Zai-shuang! Get over here!”

No one answered. He looked around, but she had already slipped away, nowhere to be found.