Chapter 120: Master Zhi

The Demon Realm.

The Lu family members were all beaming with joy today because the Immortal-Slaying Pavilion, which their family controlled, was gathering to discuss internal affairs. In truth, "affairs" were things that could be discussed in half an hour; the people of the Demon Realm were a crude lot, incapable of managing delicate details like employee benefits or loyalty.

Providing food, drink, and a place to stay was considered more than enough in the Demon Realm; there was no need to waste effort buying people's hearts.

"Elder Lu, your cultivation has progressed significantly lately!"

"Now, now, same to you. I heard the Northern Demon Lord admires you?"

The man smiled thinly: "I am utterly loyal to our Pavilion Master. Why would I pledge allegiance to some Demon Lord? Do you really think the Demon Realm is the same as before? 'Demon Lord'? Hmph, sounds nice, but weren't there two Demon Lords leading us back then when the cultivation world beat us into a pulp? They’re just stray dogs."

These words were only said behind closed doors to show off. However, the crowd clearly ate it up; by speaking ill of those great powers on their own turf, they felt as if they themselves had become important figures. Their bearing grew more confident and boisterous.

"Well said! If you ask me, they aren't even half as good as our Master Lu..."

"Qing-er, when Master Lu arrives, you must greet him properly," a woman said with a smile to the young boy beside her.

"Yes, Master Lu doesn't have... you are brilliant and talented; you will surely be the next Master of our Lu family," her husband whispered, unable to hide his pride.

Master Lu had schemed relentlessly for his position, only to turn out to be infertile. Naturally, the next Master could only be chosen from their collateral relatives. Their Lu Qing was the smartest child of this generation with the highest cultivation talent; everyone knew how the choice would go.

Thinking of this, the man’s fawning smile grew more genuine.

Though called a "young boy," he was already around fifteen years old. His growing body was shooting up rapidly. He was quite handsome, looking like a sturdy, imposing man in miniature; his appearance was reliable and could easily win trust. With thick brows and large eyes, he looked like the seedling of a dashing and upright gentleman.

Hearing their words, Lu Qing offered a smile that looked very simple and honest: "We shouldn't say such things yet, Father. Whoever the Master chooses, that person shall be the next Master."

The man was far less restrained than the boy, immediately saying: "Oh, you child... if he doesn't choose you, who else could he choose?"

A flash of impatience crossed Lu Qing's eyes, but he smiled: "The Master should be arriving soon."

The man shut his mouth instantly, craning his neck to look outside. The woman smiled and patted her husband’s shoulder, her heart as full of dreams of future wealth and status as his. This was only human nature.

Lu Qing thought indifferently, paying no mind to his parents’ behavior as he thought in silence.

Suddenly, a voice rang out from outside.

"The Pavilion Master arrives—!"

The crowd fell silent, everyone standing to welcome the guest. Lu Qing also stood with outward respect, his brow furrowing inwardly. The servant’s voice was trembling. Was the Master arriving covered in blood or carrying a severed head?

Creeeak—

The door opened.

The first sound was a dull thud of a human body hitting the floor. Lu Qing’s expression turned solemn. That was the personal attendant usually found by Master Lu's side.

Following that was a youth in black stepping over the threshold. The intimidating aura surrounding him made it hard to breathe; he was clearly no ordinary individual. However, after entering, the youth took a step back and stood with lowered eyes, becoming submissive.

The one he treated with such respect was a girl.

She entered with the draft from outside, a sword at her waist, blue hair ribbons flickering amidst her black hair. Her face was cold, her eyes filled with an innocent roundness, yet no one dared to truly treat her as a harmless white rabbit.

The attendant on the floor looked as if his head were being pulled up by a string; his face was flushed red, and his voice sounded like a crowing rooster, shouting with terror: "The former Master has been successfully slain by Master Zhi! According to the rules, the Master of the Immortal-Slaying Pavilion is now Master Zora!"

The previously silent crowd, who had been waiting to see how things would unfold, instantly exploded.

An elder with a white beard spoke harshly: "What 'rules'? For hundreds of years, the Immortal-Slaying Pavilion has belonged to our Lu—"

Before he could finish, a bloodline appeared on his neck. He continued to speak, seemingly unaware of any sensation. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, his head slid down the cross-section of his neck, rolling to the floor in an instant. His voice stopped abruptly.

Zora hadn't even drawn her sword; she had merely flicked her finger in the air to take his life. She surveyed the room: "Anyone else?"

Zora knew now that Wang Yili might have lied. But so what? She had believed it at first, and the moment she considered the Immortal-Slaying Pavilion her own property—then it was hers. Furthermore, that Master had met his end because he tried to kill her; she considered herself quite merciful for inheriting and managing the things he left behind.

"You... you..."

For a long while, no one spoke, because no one could see through her cultivation. Only cultivation significantly higher than one's own remains invisible.

Zora’s method of succession was crude: kill those who disagreed, keep those who agreed. She lacked any sense of "debate" or "persuasion." Everyone was fairly given exactly one chance; if they said the wrong thing, they were gone. In the cultivation world, she might have been denounced, but in the Demon Realm, it was just right.

In fact, it was exceptionally effective. Consequently, several people smoothly transitioned into the role of "enduring humiliation for the greater good."

The Immortal-Slaying Pavilion relied on strength. The Lu family had monopolized high-quality resources for a long time; they wouldn't want to go back to being hungry and cold. They had never imagined someone could so easily threaten their lives. Even the Demon Lords showed them respect because of the Pavilion's reputation!

Zora looked around and noticed the group had been eating before she entered. She had never seen an occasion where one ate while discussing affairs, so she walked steadily toward the highest seat and sat down calmly.

The room was as silent as cicadas in winter. Wang Yili had been right: the Demon Realm respects strength. The determination and self-respect found in the cultivation world—guarding a sect as one's duty and dying before letting it fall into a devil's hands—did not exist in the Demon Realm. To put it kindly, they respected strength; to put it bluntly, they were spineless. A little intimidation made them very obedient.

A servant saw his chance and busily began to serve the new Master. In the dead silence, the light clatter of dishes being placed on the table was very distinct. The servant was risking his life; seeing the new Master's expression remain unchanged while she stared at the food, he let out a massive sigh of relief and picked up his pace.

Suddenly, he felt as if his back had been stung by a bee, a ghostly chill creeping over him. His scalp tightened, and he forced himself to finish serving. When he lowered his head to retreat and turn around, he saw the black-clad youth standing right behind him. Those glass-like dark eyes glanced at him quietly, unreadable. The servant shivered and took a sharp step back.

What did I do wrong?

Zora picked up the clean chopsticks and took a bite of a cold dish, then a bite of a hot one. The texture of the plants and animals in the Demon Realm was slightly different from the cultivation world; they were chewier and had a faint, dry aftertaste, which was why water was always provided on the side. But dry flavors had their own methods; if done well, they were delicious.

The people below saw the new Master sitting down and eating as if nothing was wrong, and they hesitated over whether they should sit. Moreover, even following the procedure of seizing power through murder, shouldn't she be smiling and ordering the bodies removed, then saying some diplomatic words to win people's hearts while the iron was hot?

The corpse was still lying on the floor, the head having rolled to Lu Qing’s table. Lu Qing looked down at it. Beside him, his parents were already shaking like sieves. Just as his father’s legs were about to give out, Lu Qing kept his gaze on the floor, reaching out covertly to grip the back of the man's robe, holding him steady while Lu Qing himself remained as solid as a rock. From the outside, it looked like the three were still standing properly.

Some people stole glances at those beside them; beneath the silence was a surging undercurrent.

Soon, the youth with the ponytail leaned down and seemed to speak a few words to the new Master. When he stood up, he spoke with a smile: "The Master says everyone should proceed as usual. She hopes everyone enjoys their meal; it won't be too late to discuss affairs afterward."

Then, with a slight turn of his head, he spoke to the servant huddled in a ball: "Hurry and clear away that eyesore of a corpse."

The servant immediately went to pick up the dead man’s head.

Vane stood firmly at the head of the room, his dark eyes lightly scanning the crowd below, his lips curving upward: "I know you are all the brilliant talents of the Demon Realm and understand best how to judge the situation. The old Master intended to kill my Master; she was forced to act out of pain. Originally, she only thought to kill those who deserved it and leave to enjoy her freedom, but she realized the Immortal-Slaying Pavilion cannot be leaderless, or you would be torn to pieces by other factions in the Demon Realm. Moved by compassion, the Master decided to take over this mess."

The crowd remained silent. An unknown pressure surged through the room; some people were instantly forced back into their seats with a loud

clatter

. They had seen the new Master's strength, but they hadn't expected the servant beside her to be the same.

However, the youth’s strength only made the Master appear more unfathomable. A servant, after all, is a servant; he cannot overshadow his Master. His excellence only illustrated how powerful the Master who tamed him was.

Vane understood this logic better than they did. He didn't hesitate to release his pressure, his voice carrying a hint of a friendly smile: "I ask that everyone cooperate. Let us not make things difficult for my Master, shall we? Otherwise, rather than letting you be cruelly devoured by other factions, it would be better for my kind-hearted Master to give you a quick end—like that man with the severed head—departing without pain and retaining some dignity."

His words turned black into white; even the threats were framed as being for their own good.

After a moment, a middle-aged man immediately cupped his hands: "That... that is only natural! We thank the Master for her consideration!"

Once he spoke, others reacted: "...Thank you, Master..."

"Thank you, Master..."

The crowd sat down sporadically, their hearts filled with trepidation. Lu Qing let go of his father's robe, and the man immediately slumped into his seat. The woman, her face pale, finally collapsed into her chair.

Back in his original position, Lu Qing looked up seemingly by accident. He didn't look at the silver-tongued servant, but rather at the new Master who, after killing one person, was now peacefully eating her dinner.

Zora happened to take a sip of water. When she set the cup down, she met Lu Qing's eyes. He was young, yet he showed no fear; caught staring, he didn't move his gaze away in a panic. Instead, Lu Qing offered her a smile.

Zora tilted her head, her eyes ripple-less as she glanced past him. She was open and direct, while Lu Qing was somewhat hidden; the others were too terrified to observe the new Master calmly. Unnoticed by the rest, a secret eye-contact was formed.

Vane cast a chilling sideways glance that Lu Qing didn't notice. Then he looked up again, his deep black eyes staring at the bloodstains on the floor. He scanned the room, observing each person’s thoughts and speculating on what they intended.

Ascending to a high position naturally brought fawning people and those offering beauties; he had known this long ago. It was the most common tactic in the Demon Realm. What he needed to do was not to take it upon himself to kill—though he truly wanted to gouge out the eyes of that bold child and kill those with ill intentions. But the Immortal-Slaying Pavilion was now

hers

, so the people of the Pavilion were her people. Unless someone broke the rules, he could not kill her subordinates at will.

Before being a lover, he was a servant.

...Besides, Zora was going to enter a Union with him. He didn't need to be disturbed by such people.

At this thought, the sudden, frantic surge of jealousy that had almost burned his insides to ash, and the killing intent he had forcibly restrained, settled slightly.

Vane knelt beside Zora and poured her a cup of water. Zora looked at the crowd below—those who were either indignant or suppressed—yet she stood supreme, with no one daring to defy her.

Perhaps not expecting this feeling from sitting in a high position, she turned to him and said: "I like this."

Vane smiled warmly: "That's good, then."

"There is a kind of," Zora looked at the crowd and mused, "very peaceful sense of security."

Vane smiled and didn't reply further, serving her more food. Zora happened to have no more desire to talk and continued eating. The youth quieted down, his gaze fixed on her whenever his hands were free.

...

Using a little bit of calculation was fine, but the most important thing—the thing he

should

do—was to do better.

Better than anyone else.

So that he could occupy a corner of her gaze forever.