The High God Insists on Marrying Me - Chapter 3

I admit I was a little rattled.

But as long as Vermilion Bird wasn’t dead, I had nothing to fear. These High Gods cared about their reputations more than anything.

After the war between gods and demons ten thousand years ago, we’d offered our surrender, and the gods had said they wouldn’t hold our people responsible. They were even willing to maintain friendly relations.

Friendly relations, however, definitely didn’t extend to rolling around in bed with a demon.

Especially for Vermilion Bird.

How did I know?

As I said, I was a Demon Lord of principle.

I’d promised to seek a divine marriage match for the Grand Elder. However stubbornly he refused to admit his crush on Vermilion Bird, I had to keep that promise.

So when I was four hundred, I sneaked into a banquet hosted by the Heavenly Emperor.

I intended to get on good terms with the Emperor, then put in a word for my Grand Elder. A marriage between gods and demons might even sort out our fiscal deficit.

I’d prepared the perfect pitch.

Our Grand Elder may have nothing but his looks, and there may be something wrong with his head, but he has a heart that adores High God Vermilion Bird. Marry them, and this nearly extinct species of yours is certain to last for ages upon ages.

In the end, my moving speech went unused.

Because I met White Tiger first.

I’d grabbed a handful of illusion grass, our local specialty, intending to offer a bribe.

Unfortunately, I arrived late. The banquet was half over, and many High Gods had already drunk too much.

White Tiger was one such drunken menace. He’d stepped out to sober up when he ran into me.

I have no idea how much he’d had. He stared for a moment, then, mistaking me for someone else through his drunken haze, let out a wail.

“Di… didi! Little brother!”

Then he glanced about, scooped me up with all the furtiveness of a thief, and ran. He didn’t even return for the rest of the banquet.

The next morning, sober at last, he watched me wander around his palace with a complicated expression. Just when I thought he would explain, he turned the accusation on me.

“What kind of ill-mannered family leaves a child lying around?”

Granted, I did look like a human child of seven or eight. Still, I looked at him and said, “Would you like to try remembering the stupid thing you did while drunk last night?”

After a good deal of thought, White Tiger finally recovered his brains and apologized.

I told him I wouldn’t accept unless he arranged a match between my Grand Elder and Vermilion Bird.

His face froze just as the Grand Elder’s had. After a few more words from me, it froze solid.

Eventually, he said, “Anything else, but that really won’t work. Vermilion Bird…”

He paused for a couple of breaths, choosing his words. “Vermilion Bird cares about his reputation more than anything. He would never become entangled with a demon. And he especially… loathes demons.”

The reason was simple. His superior, Sovereign Chenyang, had died in that war between gods and demons.

White Tiger gave me a meaningful look. “So tell your Grand Elder to give up.”

Back in the Demon Realm, I broke the terrible news.

I’d only meant to help the Grand Elder get over it, so he’d stop slipping endless praise of Vermilion Bird into my lessons.

Instead, he slapped me upside the head. “Cang Jue, you were going to trade me for money, and you have the nerve to act righteous about it?”

I tried to defend myself. “Well, not just you. There were also…”

His hand came down again.

I went quiet.

Honestly. Was it wrong to want to be a competent Demon Lord and build a bigger, stronger Demon Realm?

My life was so hard.