The High God Insists on Marrying Me - Chapter 4

I digress.

Still, White Tiger was an ancient god. Surely he wouldn’t lie outright.

Which meant Vermilion Bird would never destroy his own reputation just to condemn me, announcing he’d lowered himself to sleep with a demon.

A male demon, at that.

That was precisely what I’d counted on. A little alcohol, a little loss of judgment, and I’d dared to deceive Vermilion Bird and sleep with him.

I was certain he’d have to swallow his grievance in silence.

So I gave a cold laugh and went on the offensive.

“Explain what? You gods are going too far! You station troops outside my realm without so much as a reason, frighten my people, and break into my palace. What do you think this is, a market you can stroll in and out of?”

I stood, bristling with authority. “Unless you give me a reasonable explanation today, I’ll take this all the way to the central domain, to the Heavenly Emperor himself! And if he won’t give me justice, I’ll rebel against heaven!”

Sure enough, Vermilion Bird was speechless.

But while I was secretly congratulating myself, I’d forgotten one other problem.

He’d brought White Tiger, who was desperate to clear his name.

Another tiger’s roar. “Cang. Jue. You have the fucking nerve! You impersonated me, slept with my brother, then pulled your trousers up and denied everything. Conveniently leaving that filthy little detail out, are you?”

“You’re only doing this because Lanjian cares about his reputation and won’t expose you.”

Spittle flew. “Your hide gets thicker by the day!”

Well.

I had excellent composure. I played dumb.

“Who’s Lanjian? Never heard of him. High God White Tiger, don’t go slandering innocent demons.”

Vermilion Bird, whose personal name was Lanjian, laughed with fury. “Good. Very good. Excellent.”

My idiot elder was stunned too. “Your Lordship, you… you… y-you…”

She never got past that.

I covered Wuhuan’s mouth. “Refusing to believe or spread rumors is a virtue every demon should possess.”

Wuhuan fell silent.

I looked at the furious Lanjian. “High God Vermilion Bird, accusations require evidence. You say I slept with you. Where’s your proof?”

He said nothing.

Apparently he hadn’t expected me to keep denying it. His face went red, then white, then red again.

Just when I thought a couple of color changes would be the end of it, Lanjian went dark. Went deranged.

He really did have proof. He’d installed a water mirror in his palace that could replay the past.

After editing out the part that wouldn’t pass censorship, he projected a scene into the sky above my palace, for thousands of my guards to see: me stealing a kiss from him a century ago, after he’d entered seclusion.

Wearing my own face.

I had nothing to say.

Look, he’d already shut himself away. I’d figured there was no point keeping up the disguise.

When the scene ended, everyone in the Demon Palace gasped as one.

Then Wuhuan spoke first, thrilled. “Your Lordship, if it’s true, can we spread it?”

Lanjian stared at me darkly. “Cang Jue. Will you come willingly, or shall I flatten your realm and carry you off bound?”

Well.

I knew when to be sensible. I went willingly.

On the journey to Vermilion Bird Palace, White Tiger cursed eighteen generations of my ancestors three times over for the damage I’d done his reputation.

By the fourth round, I was bored. I patted his shoulder.

“Tiger. The one up in the clouds says men who swear have no class.”

White Tiger went silent.

He stopped cursing. He decided he was done with us altogether.

“Lanjian,” he snapped, “we’ve cleared up our misunderstanding. Next time anything happens at your place, don’t come smashing up my palace.”

Then he left.

A few steps later, apparently still too angry to let it go, he came back.

“For the sake of over twenty thousand years of brotherhood, here’s a secret. Cang Jue responds to kindness, not force. And he’s very good at running away.”

I, who was waiting for my chance to escape, went quiet.

I glared at him through gritted teeth. “That’s two secrets!”

White Tiger snorted and raised a paw toward my forehead. Lanjian stopped him.

“Silver Tabby. Weren’t you leaving?”

White Tiger froze.

He hated being called Silver Tabby. “Lanjian! All smiles when you need me, then you turn your back the moment you’re done?”

Lanjian gave him a look that said get lost.

Thanks to White Tiger, all my escape plans died before I could try them.

The instant we reached the Upper Heavenly Realm, Lanjian blocked every route. He ordered his attendants to seal even the dog holes in the southern domain.

Thank you, White Tiger. May you and your beloved in the clouds end up as father and son.

Lanjian glanced at me. “Still have time to worry about other people?”

I went quiet.

No. No, I didn’t.

I apologized sincerely. “High God Vermilion Bird, I was wrong a hundred years ago. I shouldn’t have impersonated White Tiger, done that with you, or swindled your property. But I had no choice.”

I made myself pitiful. “You know what the previous Demon Lord did before he died. One last enormous disaster. Our people have been short of everything ever since. I had to resort to desperate measures. I promise it won’t happen again. All right?”