The Demon Lord and I: Frenemies - chapter 46

Chapter 46

The filling inside the Osmanthus Bun was made by mixing osmanthus flowers and sugar. Unlike the past, when it was thick and sweetly fragrant, this time it tasted lighter, making it easier to savor the floral aroma of the petals. Although the patterns and shape remained unchanged, it was clearly not made by Aunt Sun.

Cooking is a magical thing. Even if you use the same ingredients and identical mixing techniques, you can never guarantee that the flavor will be exactly the same.

Chu Zaishuang held the bun in her hand, dazed. She stole a glance at Fei Wanghuai and hesitated, “This bun…”

Could it be that you made it?

“What kind of expression is that?” Fei Wanghuai saw her stop eating and, instead of getting angry, laughed. “Do you have some opinion? Are you unable to swallow it now?”

“No, no, absolutely not.”

When Chu Zaishuang heard this, her suspicion was confirmed. She quickly finished the bun in a few bites, afraid of causing more trouble. Still, she was quite shocked. He had always been obsessed with cultivation, yet now he was making food with his own hands-it felt a bit off.

Fei Wanghuai noticed her odd expression and explained in a muffled voice, “There’s a lot to do at the shop, I was just lending a hand.”

In fact, Aunt Sun had noticed him coming down the mountain often to buy Osmanthus Buns and mistakenly thought Chu Zaishuang was pestering him. So she offered to teach him how to make them. After all, cultivators wouldn’t open a bun shop in Mortal Dust Marsh, and there was no fear of Chu Zaishuang and Fei Wanghuai competing with her, so there was no need to keep the recipe secret.

Fei Wanghuai refused several times, but Aunt Sun was so energetic and insistent that he had no choice but to help mix the filling. Once the sugar and osmanthus were mixed, he realized-Chu Zaishuang really had some skill. Why should he be the one steaming buns for her? He decided he wouldn’t do it again.

So, the osmanthus filling was mixed by him, but the Osmanthus Buns were steamed by Aunt Sun.

Today, Fei Wanghuai brought two bags of Osmanthus Buns. He hadn’t expected her to wake up suddenly; he’d planned to dispose of the bag he made himself, but she woke up as if she’d smelled the aroma and insisted on snatching the bun from his hand.

Chu Zaishuang hesitated, “You’re quite… domestic.”

Fei Wanghuai took out the other bag of Osmanthus Buns. His eyes were like black jade as he said coolly, “You insist on snatching mine, so it seems you won’t eat this bag.”

He really didn’t want her to eat the ones he made, but who would have thought she’d be so bold as to snatch them from his mouth.

“I want to eat, I want to eat. You’ve already finished a whole bag, you can’t eat any more.” Chu Zaishuang hurriedly said, her eyes darting as her tone softened, “Besides, by snatching yours, I’m actually doing you a favor.”

Fei Wanghuai frowned, “What kind of bandit logic is that? You snatch from me and it’s reasonable?”

“If I don’t snatch one to taste, how can I tell the difference and appreciate your culinary skills?” She spoke without missing a beat, clapping her hands in praise, “I never thought a cultivator could be so good at cooking. You’re amazing at everything! I spent ages learning and never got it right, but you can make them look and taste authentic-you’re much better than me!”

“Much better than you?”

“Yes, yes, yes! The best bun in Mortal Dust Marsh, beats all the others!”

“Silver-tongued,” Fei Wanghuai snorted, but his expression softened as he tossed the other bag of Osmanthus Buns into her arms.

Chu Zaishuang caught it in one go. Noticing his good mood, she muttered quietly to herself, “He actually falls for this.”

[What do you mean?]

“I was just thinking, when I first met him, he kept flattering me. Turns out he likes hearing it himself.”

He used to boast that she was number one under the heavens, and every time she heard it, she felt awkward and uncomfortable, thinking such exaggerated words were unbelievable.

Now it seemed there really were people who liked hearing that sort of thing. She said it casually, and he clearly believed it, thinking his cooking was pretty good.

Xiao Shi: [Isn’t that perfect? First coax him into working, then when he gets even better, you can keep squeezing him for more!]

“…You really don’t do any work at all.”

Fei Wanghuai saw her eating happily and suddenly remembered something. “By the way, since you’re awake, you can let Su Hongli know. She seems to have something to discuss with you and has been coming by to check on you lately.”

“Alright.”

Chu Zaishuang thought of how she’d been caught in the Alchemy Room, then relapsed into her old illness and a persistent fever after returning. Su Hongli was probably scared out of her wits, and who knew what Medicine Elder had said.

*

A few days later, Chu Zaishuang had completely recovered from her illness. Aside from the Soul Separation Syndrome, Medicine Elder found nothing wrong and allowed her to leave Thousand-Gold Peak.
Within the courtyard, green leaves formed a canopy overhead, while outside, light clouds drifted in the air. During this period, Chu Zaishuang had been bedridden, visited by friends and family only a few times. Now, as she stepped out of the courtyard, she felt as if she had been transported to another world.

She listened carefully to the birdsong not far away, took a deep breath of fresh air, and sighed, “How wonderful.”

[Yes, the weather is truly wonderful.]

“Mm, it’s so good to still be able to stay here.”

No matter what happened outside the island, the fact that they could still live within it was undoubtedly a great blessing.

The small courtyard was located within Thousand-Gold Peak. After leaving the courtyard, Chu Zaishuang was in no hurry to return to Tingyun Lake. Instead, she went to meet Su Hongli, and the two agreed to go see the Spiritual Herbs together.

They met at the foot of the mountain. Su Hongli hurried over to Chu Zaishuang after leaving the Lecture Hall and asked, “So this time you’re fully recovered?”

“Yes, Medicine Elder said there’s nothing wrong anymore, and it won’t affect my cultivation.”

“That’s great. You had a fever for such a long time this time.”

“Indeed, I felt uncomfortable lying down for so long, and being visited by so many people was a bit much.” Chu Zaishuang rolled her shoulders and muttered, “My brother, my parents, Medicine Elder, and you all took turns visiting. I felt even busier than when I’m not sick…”

Everyone was busy with their own affairs, and since they visited at different times, she ended up receiving guests all day without rest.

Su Hongli was amused by her, then remembered something and said, “By the way, Master recently examined the Twin Spirit Heart Flower, but you were running a high fever and didn’t hear about it. He discussed it with the Sect Leader and wants to promote the cultivation of Twin Spirit Heart Flowers to prevent a shortage of Spiritual Herbs on the island.”

The main source of Spirit Heart Flowers was Qiandu Island, but now that the island had been destroyed, production was affected. A single Twin Spirit Heart Flower far surpassed several ordinary Spirit Heart Flowers. Yao Wensheng discovered that Twin Spirit Heart Flowers could be cultivated on a large scale and praised his beloved disciple Su Hongli endlessly for it.

“The Sect Leader put Master and me in charge of this matter. We’ll first try opening up a Herb Field at Thousand-Gold Peak, then gradually expand the planting elsewhere,” Su Hongli said. “Since we’re providing the Twin Spirit Heart Flowers, the sect will give us a reward, and our division will also gain contribution points. Have you gone back to Tingyun Lake to claim yours?”

Su Hongli had already received her reward at Thousand-Gold Peak, which included a large number of Jade Lotus Seeds, Alchemist tools, and Spiritual Herb seeds. She also contributed a considerable number of points to her division.

“I haven’t had time to go back and check yet,” Chu Zaishuang mused. “So that means Thousand-Gold Peak has your points. Maybe you’ll get first place this year, unlike Tingyun Lake, which is always at the bottom no matter how hard we try.”

“I don’t know how many points Tingyun Lake has, but didn’t you get first place in Tongtian Tower? If you keep working hard, this year should be fine, right?”

“Forget it, why should I work so hard? Anyway, my father doesn’t have the pressure of teaching like the other Elders, so no matter what, the Sect Leader won’t punish him.” Chu Zaishuang waved her hand lazily. “He’s got a strong backing, so I don’t need to try so hard.”

Su Hongli: “?”

A moment later, the two finished viewing the Spiritual Herbs, chatting and laughing. Su Hongli even showed her various Elixir recipes, all developed using new materials she received as rewards. While Chu Zaishuang had been bedridden, the others had not been idle; their cultivation and studies continued as usual.

Looking at the colorful Elixirs, Chu Zaishuang curiously fiddled with them. “Have you tested all these medicines?”

“Not yet,” Su Hongli shook her head. “Li Jingjie said there’s a task at Dragon Tiger Peak. He’ll help me test the medicines once he’s done.”

Chu Zaishuang: “So what’s my deskmate up to?”

Su Hongli: “I’m not too sure. I heard from Li Jingjie that Fei Wanghuai often goes to Tongtian Tower to cultivate alone. Aside from visiting you, I haven’t really seen the two of them.”

Chu Zaishuang blinked in surprise. “He’s actually working that hard, still going to Tongtian Tower?”

Based on her understanding of him, he should have given up on the tower after realizing he couldn’t make any progress, so it didn’t make sense for him to keep going back.

*

Tongtian Tower, one hundred seventy-fifth floor.

The Red Star River flowed in the very center, the surrounding stone walls covered in dense ancient script, and the pillar painted with little figures still stood there.

Fei Wanghuai gazed at the vivid murals, reached out a finger to touch them, and felt no resistance as his fingertip passed through the pillar. He suddenly stepped forward, his whole body entering it, and the scene before his eyes shifted and changed endlessly.

The light around him suddenly dimmed. The mural on the pillar flipped upside down, with shattered mountains above and ten thousand rays of golden light below. The little figure in the painting, drawn with just a few strokes, remained unaffected; even as the image turned, it could still be seen clearly.
The ghostly blue soul flame flickered, illuminating ancient script on the walls-not Immortal arts, but the techniques of Demon Cultivation. This was the place within the Tongtian Tower where Demon Qi was concealed. The Qionglian Twelve Islands had been built by Immortal Cultivators, and the islands were suffused with Immortal Qi-except for one place: where the remnants of the Flower Mirror had fallen.

The Flower Mirror flowed with both Immortal Qi and Demon Qi, a force even High-Level Cultivators could not dispel. The Immortal Qi was extracted for the sect’s disciples to cultivate, while the Demon Qi was suppressed within the Tongtian Tower. Where there is Immortal, there must be Demon; where Demon Qi abounds, Immortal Cultivators cannot control it. The High-Level Cultivators of the Lotus Flower Sect hid it away with their arts, but Fei Wanghuai, skilled in illusions, managed to unravel their concealment.

Few in the world understood illusions better than the Charm Clan. Though it took considerable time, he used this to leave the island. The dense Demon Qi concealed him, preventing the Island Lords from discovering his departure.

At his neck, the sapphire necklace shimmered with waves of light.

Boundless Reach-no distance too far, no mountain or sea could bar the way.

In a flash of blue light, the serene mountains and waters outside the tower vanished, replaced by a desolate wasteland littered with white bones.

Upon the Gobi, a grand formation laid by Demon Cultivators was spread out. An elder, adorned with bone ornaments and a silver belt, held out clothing. The moment he saw Fei Wanghuai in white appear, he respectfully stepped forward and draped a black-blue outer robe over him: “Your Highness, leaving the island so frequently drains your Immortal Qi too quickly.”

Boundless Reach could take one anywhere, akin to carrying a teleportation array within oneself, but each use consumed Immortal Qi. Traveling too far risked exhaustion, and one might perish midway.

Fei Wanghuai relied on the Demon Qi within the Tongtian Tower to leave the island unnoticed; otherwise, with his current cultivation, he could not travel such distances.

“This is a critical moment. I must show myself,” Fei Wanghuai said as he changed clothes. “What’s the situation now?”

“Chana is wavering, but Tu’erqia remains the same,” the Bone Elder replied. “In truth, he never truly trusted your mother back then, only…”

Fei Wanghuai sneered, “Only because my mother once crushed his ribs underfoot, scaring him into submission. Now that it’s me, naturally he won’t bow his head.”

Even though Demon Cultivators were in dire straits, there was still internal friction. For now, Fei Wanghuai mainly relied on his mother’s old followers; he himself had not yet become a High-Level Cultivator and could not fully command the others.

“Good words can’t persuade the doomed. Let Tu’erqia be-his attacks on Four-Symbols Jiuzhou buy us time,” Fei Wanghuai scoffed. “Aside from his high cultivation, he’s utterly useless, completely blind to the situation.”

No wonder Demon Cultivators were crushed by Immortal Cultivators in the past. Just look at the mobilization power of the Lotus Flower Sect, and then at the rash, brainless Tu’erqia. That his mother managed to preserve the anti-war Demon Cultivators and retreat to the Huai River was truly impressive. With allies this unreliable, reaching an agreement with the Immortal Cultivators was no easy feat.

The Bone Elder said, “Aren’t all cultivators like this? As long as their cultivation is high enough, they think they can do as they please.”

“Who says only those with high cultivation can do as they please? Some, with only a bit of cunning and not much cultivation, can also…”

Mid-sentence, Fei Wanghuai suddenly sensed something amiss. The more he spoke, the more he sounded like a certain someone. His heart grew complicated, and he quickly stopped himself. “Where is Chana now? If Tu’erqia dies, Four-Symbols Jiuzhou will search everywhere for us.”

“She’s still well hidden,” the Bone Elder replied worriedly. “Your Highness, I heard Four-Symbols Jiuzhou recently sent messages, calling on the Qionglian Twelve Islands and Luoqiang Valley to join forces in the search. You haven’t been affected on the island, have you?”

With the Demon Cultivators rising, Four-Symbols Jiuzhou was naturally uneasy, seeking to rally the other two factions for manpower.

“No, the High-Level Cultivators aren’t fools. They can barely manage their own affairs-who would meddle in Four-Symbols Jiuzhou’s business? Back then, they couldn’t control the disappearance of the Demon Cultivators; now, they certainly can’t stop our return.”

Even the bright and beautiful Qionglian Twelve Islands were only maintained through the full efforts of many High-Level Cultivators. Su Tingyun and the others could not leave the islands; if they traveled far, the islands would lose their Immortal Qi and collapse. There was no way they would go to aid Four-Symbols Jiuzhou.

With a half-smile, he mocked, “The world is already in chaos. It’s hard enough to protect oneself-who has the strength to save others?”

The sunlight within the islands could never shine beyond them, just as the storms outside could never blow in.

If he hadn’t dreamed of being killed by her, perhaps he would never have set foot on the Qionglian Twelve Islands in his life, never knowing such a place existed in the world.