Ao Fugui felt like he was in love. When that graceful figure appeared before him, the female marquis’s chest struck his heart in an instant.
He was just that vain—he adored glamorous vixens. And what’s wrong with glamorous vixens? Aren’t they beautiful?
Wouldn’t he be happy with her?
So when that damn pretty boy Su Yu snatched his throne, Ao Fugui was furious—but even angrier was the female marquis.
“You’re a man?”
Su Yu was still lost in thought, wondering why a girl’s chest could be so big—compared to his senior sister’s, it was tiny. He nodded instinctively, only to be met with a slap from the female marquis.
“You pervert!”
The female marquis stormed off, her righteous demeanor making her seem like a noble and upright figure who disdained using underhanded tactics to slander others.
How could flattery be a shameless tactic? It was an encouragement of love, the embodiment of justice.
The onlookers watched the female marquis leave, sneering at Su Yu.
“I know him—he calls himself ‘Great God Su Yu,’ acts like he’s the best in the world, and even insults the Sword Immortal’s disciple.”
“Ah, the world is going downhill, people’s hearts aren’t what they used to be.”
Su Yu, eyes brimming with tears, looked pitifully at Baizhu. “Senior sister…”
Baizhu calmly stepped forward. “Apologies, my junior sister is only three years old this year. We’ve made a fool of ourselves in front of everyone.”
Oh, a three-year-old junior sister.
The crowd quickly changed their tune. “Children say the darndest things, it doesn’t count.”
“What a cute little girl, want some candied hawthorn?”
Ao Fugui was furious. Chasing after the female marquis, he cursed at Su Yu, “Don’t believe this woman’s nonsense—this guy’s got more down there than I do!”
Then he turned back to the female marquis. “Beautiful big sister, your prince charming is here for you.”
Baizhu turned the situation around with a single remark, sighing, “To go mad at such a young age… the future of the dragon race is bleak.”
The crowd sighed in unison, murmuring, “What a shame.”
When Su Yu returned, disheveled, Xue Ying poked her head out from the doorway. “Found it?”
Su Yu didn’t feel like talking. Baizhu smiled and patted Su Yu’s rabbit ears, sending him off before linking arms with Xue Ying and heading inside. With a smile, she said, “There’s something I’d like to ask of you, fellow cultivator.”
Xue Ying felt an inexplicable chill down her spine. Though Baizhu wasn’t particularly skilled in combat, every time she smiled, Xue Ying sensed danger.
Duyi Zhou called it a sword cultivator’s seventh sense.
Regardless, Xue Ying replied quickly, “Speak freely, fellow cultivator.”
Baizhu smiled. “Well, as a staff member of the Martial Arts Evaluation Committee, I do have some privileges. For example… adjusting the match order of participants.”
Xue Ying gasped. “Fellow cultivator, that’s rigging the competition! The organization will reprimand you!”
Baizhu tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, smiling like a lily. “Say that again, fellow cultivator.”
Xue Ying shut her mouth.
Baizhu continued, “I’ll arrange for you to face the female marquis in the arena. When the time comes, please don’t hold back.”
Her smile vanished as she added coldly, “Daring to mess with the rabbits of the Taisu Valley—does she think we’re pushovers?”
—
Back in the ruined temple, the female marquis was still shaken. She hadn’t expected the dragon prince to be so terrifying—his nose was sharper than a dog’s.
She pulled out her previous experiment notes, frowning at the control group data.
The younger brother worked, but the older brother didn’t. Could this speech sorcery even be used?
If she encountered the Sword Immortal’s disciple, should she praise her or not?
Before she could settle on an answer, the preliminary rounds finally ended, and the elimination rounds arrived at last. The bored spectators finally had something to watch and eagerly gathered for the matches.
Compared to the one-strike-decides-all preliminaries, the elimination rounds were far more exciting—especially since Baizhu had rigged the match order, ensuring Xue Ying fought on the very first day.
The Sword Immortal’s disciple, the first match—what a spectacle.
The announcer in the sky was ecstatic. “She is the one who defeated the Holy Maiden of the Tianyin Pavilion, the number one beauty of the Tai Xuan Sect, the Sword Immortal’s disciple—Xue Ying!”
The crowd cheered wildly. Xue Ying touched the veil on her face, slightly embarrassed.
After her grand entrance, the announcer introduced her opponent.
“And facing the Sword Immortal’s disciple is… the dragon prince’s long-lost first love, his dream girl—the female marquis!”
The female marquis, who had just stepped onto the stage, nearly tripped face-first. Looking up, she saw Ao Fugui holding up a banner behind the crowd that read:
*Once you defeat Xue Ying, we’ll go home and get married.*
Ao Fugui had dressed up for the occasion, fanning himself with an ostentatious folding fan, deeply moved.
There was no more beautiful promise than this.
On stage, the female marquis gasped. The power of speech sorcery was truly terrifying.
She wasn’t even of age yet, and now she had to get married?
For a moment, Shen Jin’s orders and love warred in her heart. Freedom was important, but the mission for the demon realm was even more critical. For the future of the demon realm, she’d fight!
Meanwhile, Xue Ying was also conflicted. She admired the female marquis, but after hearing Baizhu’s words, she hesitated.
The announcer was still rambling, but Xue Ying quickly made up her mind. Drawing her sword, she said, “Let our blades decide the outcome.”
The female marquis brandished her giant axe. “After you.”
The crowd gasped at the sight of her weapon—if that thing hit someone, they’d be lucky to survive with only half their body intact.
Ao Fugui reassured himself, “It’s fine, I’ve got thick skin. I can take it.”
This guy had already settled into the role of a devoted husband.
On stage, Xue Ying didn’t let her guard down. The female marquis wielded her giant axe with terrifying ease, each clash sending shockwaves of raw power through Xue Ying’s arms.
This was exhilarating!
Xue Ying grew more and more excited, ready to unleash her true skills—when suddenly, the female marquis shouted, “Wait! I need to take a call.”
*Damn it, the Demon Lord is calling me at a time like this?*
Her answer came in the form of a strike from Xue Ying. The female marquis instinctively blocked with her axe—but Bailu sliced through it like paper. The sword stopped a hair’s breadth from the female marquis’s nose.
The announcer screamed, “Xue Ying wins!”
The female marquis exhaled in relief, celebrating her continued singlehood as she bent down to pick up the shattered pieces of her axe. Xue Ying awkwardly approached to help.
“Sorry about your weapon.”
If Bailu had snapped in half, she’d have been heartbroken. Despite complaining about the Tai Chu Sect passing off old stock as new, the sword’s quality was undeniable.
*A wife for life.*
The female marquis wasn’t upset. Demon realm weapons were different—if they broke, a soak in demon blood would reform them.
*Waste not, want not. No need to trouble the organization.*
She sincerely praised Xue Ying. “I was outmatched.”
Busy calling Shen Jin back, she hastily gathered her things and left. Below the stage, Su Yu ran over, his face radiating joy.
“Name your reward.”
Xue Ying watched the female marquis leave before turning to Su Yu. “Can I borrow Xiao Han for a few days?”
*Let me play with your wife for a bit.*
“Get lost!”
—
Back at the ruined temple, the female marquis hurriedly answered the video call. Shen Jin’s face was stretched long with displeasure.
“What happened?”
The female marquis straightened. “I was in the middle of a duel with the Sword Immortal’s disciple.”
Shen Jin’s eyes widened. “And?”
The female marquis deadpanned. “You called. I lost.”
*Seriously, I’m on a mission, not having an affair. What’s with the constant calls?*
Realizing he’d messed up, Shen Jin’s face darkened. “The first day of the elimination rounds, and you’re already—”
His expression shifted. “Were you exposed?”
The female marquis didn’t think so. She hadn’t used seduction techniques—there was no reason for suspicion.
Besides, she and Xue Ying had fought fair and square. She lost, fair and square.
After reporting, she hesitated. “Um, my lord… I’d like to return.”
She was afraid of that dragon.
Shen Jin studied her for a moment. “No.”
“Direct combat isn’t your strength. Show me the commanding presence of a general. Where is my female marquis?”
The female marquis’s blood boiled. “At your service!”
“Go climb a wall.”
The female marquis, “…”
Shen Jin was exasperated. “Are you stupid? We’re demons—of course we do sneaky things.”
The female marquis protested, “I’ve never stolen chickens.”
Shen Jin, “And I don’t grope dogs! Just climb the damn wall and stop asking questions!”
In the end, she had no choice but to follow Shen Jin’s orders. Dressed in black, under the cover of night, she set out to scale a wall.
In unfamiliar territory, it took her forever to find the Tai Xuan Sect’s lodgings. Just as she finally made it to the top, a voice whispered beside her.
“Sister, you climb walls too?”
The female marquis froze, adjusting her face veil before muttering, “Couldn’t sleep. Needed air.”
The other girl giggled. “What a coincidence—me too.”
She leaned closer, sweet-talking. “Sister, I can tell we’re kindred spirits. Interested in teaming up?”
The female marquis recoiled. “Sorry, I don’t steal chickens. Or grope dogs.”
She tried to inch away, but the girl was relentless. For every step the female marquis took back, the girl advanced two. They shuffled along the wall until—
The female marquis slipped and fell.
Below her, Lin Jiu Jiu and Liu Junzhuo were in the middle of a dramatic lovers’ quarrel. Before they could react, a voice from above shouted, “Catch the pervert!”
Then a foot kicked the climbing female marquis back down.
The disciples, who had been watching the real-life soap opera, swarmed in. Spotting the black-clad figure in the courtyard, they drew their swords and charged.
Lin Jiu Jiu, shielded by Liu Junzhuo, was stunned. Watching the senior disciples move so swiftly, a thought crossed her mind:
*How long have they been here?*
Behind her, someone leisurely crouched on the wall, munching on melon seeds while enjoying the show.
Feeling the shells rain on her head, Lin Jiu Jiu looked up—and froze.
It was the nightmare of her past life.
Zhang Yue, the Holy Maiden of the Tianyin Pavilion.
The sadistic demoness of her previous life, now a sales queen.
Caught, Zhang Yue blinked innocently.
“Want some?”
Lin Jiu Jiu shook her head frantically. Zhang Yue sighed, then asked, “How about walnuts? Salted.”
Lin Jiu Jiu shook her head, then nodded—afraid that too many refusals might set Zhang Yue off. She timidly accepted the offered walnuts.
Zhang Yue, “Not eating?”
Lin Jiu Jiu shakily popped one into her mouth, tasting nothing.
Ahead, disciples from the Tai Chu and Tai Xuan Sects battled the demon realm’s femme fatale. The female marquis was on the defensive.
Behind them, Zhang Yue watched the show, casually ordering Lin Jiu Jiu to shell walnuts.
“Is your senior sister Xue Ying here?”
Lin Jiu Jiu, trembling, focused on the walnuts. “Sh-she went to the Taisu Valley.”
Zhang Yue sighed in disappointment. No chance to meet Xue Ying today. She dumped the remaining seeds into Lin Jiu Jiu’s hands and, ignoring the open gate, climbed back over the wall.
Her brazen attitude left everyone wondering—just what was the Holy Maiden of the Tianyin Pavilion here for?
Meanwhile, the female marquis was still getting pummeled by the two sects’ disciples.
—
When the female marquis finally dragged herself back to the ruined temple, reporting her miserable failure, Shen Jin—who had waited all night—cut the call the moment he heard she’d gone head-on again.
Half a day later, Ming Gong delivered a sarcastic reply.
“Your deeds are legendary. The Demon Lord has decided to award you a written commendation.”
The female marquis sighed in relief. “This humble servant dares not accept. Serving my lord is my duty—”
Her words died as she saw the “written commendation.”
On a sheet of paper taking up the entire screen were a few bold words:
*Wow, you’re amazing :)*
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage