The Demon Race

Xu Xian thought to himself, 'With that look in her eyes—as clear as a naive college student's—who else would I scam but you?'

She really couldn't blame anyone for being tricked.

The demon girl bit her lip, still stubbornly insisting, "They were just too cunning."

She was trying to tell the youth before her that she wasn't stupid.

Xu Xian really wanted to ask, 'Is it possible that you're just a fool?'

But...

After a moment's thought, he decided to let it go. Why bother arguing with a simpleton?

Seeing that Xu Xian didn't respond, the demon girl mustered her courage and weakly tested the waters, "You... you won't kill me, right?"

The youth narrowed his eyes slightly, saying nothing, only staring at her intently.

She seemed to misinterpret his gaze. She tugged at the hem of her skirt, not forgetting to hide a tail behind her back...

Lowering her head, she whispered, "I am the sole bloodline of the Crimson Demon."

"Hmm?"

She said nervously, "What I mean is, as long as you don't kill me and send me back, my father can give you plenty of demon yin stones. As many as you want."

Xu Xian gave a light tsk. "Tsk tsk. Do you even believe what you're saying?"

She hurriedly promised, "It's true! I can swear in the name of the Supreme Nether Lord. There is no falsehood in my words, and I will surely ensure your safety."

The so-called Nether Lord was the spiritual totem of the demons.

In their legends, the Nether Lord brought the Nether Pool, created the Demon Abyss, and bestowed life upon the demons, similar to a creator deity.

Like the Buddha in Buddhism.

Or Jesus in Christianity.

An existence that transcended even a demon sovereign.

Of course.

This was only a legend, but from the clarity in her eyes, one could glimpse a degree of sincerity.

She truly wasn't lying.

Only...

She was a mere goddess, a lowly sixth-rank demon general. Her words likely didn't carry much weight.

He asked with a playful smile, "Is everything you said true?"

"Mhm, mhm! Not a word of it is a lie."

"You're really not lying?"

"I'm not lying."

"I can have as many as I want?"

"Yes, my father is very wealthy."

Xu Xian pondered for a moment before naming his price. "Then I want one million."

The demon girl was stunned, thinking she had misheard.

"Ah!"

Xu Xian deliberately emphasized, "That's one million tons, not one million pieces."

The demon girl's eyes widened even further.

"Ah!!"

Xu Xian scoffed and mocked her unceremoniously, "What are you 'ah-ing' for? Can't do it, or don't have it? That's why I'm telling you not to make blind oaths. You just open your mouth and spout nonsense. Can you even make the decisions? You can't even protect your own life, yet you claim you'll ensure my safety. Don't you find those words laughable?"

The demon girl's face turned pale, then flushed red. For a long time, she couldn't say a single word.

This time.

It wasn't because she was afraid or didn't dare to speak, but because she truly had nothing to say.

Setting aside the fact that she couldn't scrounge up a million tons of demon yin stones even if she were sold, what Xu Xian said was the truth. She couldn't even protect herself, so how could she talk about protecting others?

Xu Xian had rested enough and stopped beating around the bush. He stated plainly, "It's not impossible for me to let you live. How about this: you lead the way and find the entrance to the Demon Abyss for me, and then I'll release you."

Without waiting for the demon girl's response, he asked, "By the way, you do know the way, right?"

Looking at her, she didn't seem like someone who had traveled far. She might not actually know how to get there.

The demon girl nodded like a woodpecker. "I know, I know! Every member of my demon race can sense the location of the Demon Abyss. As long as we follow the guidance of our hearts, we can reach the entrance of the Demon Abyss, the Blazing Fortress."

Xu Xian was half-skeptical.

"Fine."

He stood up and gestured. "Lead the way."

Xu Xian thought it would be good to have a guide to avoid wandering blindly without knowing when they would arrive.

Most importantly, this girl was from the Demon Abyss and was of the Crimson Demon's bloodline. She likely knew a great deal about the affairs within the Demon Abyss.

He could take the opportunity to ask her along the way and learn more about the demons.

For instance.

Their customs.

Their habits.

As well as certain characteristics and general common sense.

Xu Xian had planned this trip to the Demon Abyss long ago. He intended to use the Pupil of Insight's divine ability, Simulation Art: Truth in Falsehood, to disguise himself as a demon.

Then, he would head deep into the heart of the Demon Abyss, all the way to the banks of the Nether Pool, to obtain demon yin stones. That was all.

Rather than capturing another informant later, he might as well use the one he had now.

The demon girl didn't dare to delay. After all, her face still stung with pain. She stood up hurriedly and spun around in place like a headless fly.

"Go this way... No, wait, it's this way."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

The storage ring on Xu Xian's finger flickered with a faint spiritual glow. Then, a small, ten-foot-long jade-green boat appeared on the sand before them.

[Wind-Riding Boat: High-tier spirit weapon artifact]

This was a sand boat he had just 'borrowed' from those men, specifically designed for traveling in this desert.

The demon girl before him had her cultivation sealed.

If they went on foot...

It would take forever.

Xu Xian hopped on easily and beckoned, dragging her up as well.

The Wind-Riding Boat moved forward slowly—not too fast, but not too slow either—gradually heading in the direction she pointed.

Behind them.

The cluster of spirit fire suddenly went out. The world turned dark, and the vast yellow sands submerged all traces beneath the wind and dust.

On the Wind-Riding Boat, the demon girl remained huddled in a corner, fearful and anxious, yet occasionally stealing glances at Xu Xian, her guard fully raised.

She was especially clutching the hem of her skirt, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

Xu Xian was slightly speechless.

Was that really necessary?

It was just a lack of... whatever. He didn't want to know at all.

Besides, it was so dark that he couldn't see anything anyway.

[The book spirit said: I think I can see clearly. It's urgent.]

He found a set of night-traveler clothes and tossed them over.

"This?"

"Put it on."

"Oh."

The demon girl put on the black night-traveler clothes, wrapping herself up tightly. Only the hooded veil trailed behind her head, and she became much more natural.

Perhaps because everything that needed to be covered was covered, it was a psychological relief.

Or perhaps she felt that Xu Xian wasn't that kind of person, so she was no longer afraid.

The answer was something only she knew.

Xu Xian sat cross-legged at one end of the boat and took the initiative to find a topic. "You said you're the daughter of the Crimson Demon?"

The demon girl stole a glance at him and nodded. "Mhm, mhm."

"What's your name?"

"Chi Ji."

Xu Xian asked casually, "Chi? Is that a surname?"

Chi Ji bit her lip slightly and explained, "It is. There are also surnames like Zi, Lan, Lv..."

"Oh?"

Chi Ji said, "The eight major surnames of the demon race are Jin, Chi, Cheng, Huang, Lv, Lan, Qing, and Zi... They are also called the Eight-Colored Surnames, determined by the color of one's hair and demon horns..."

Chi Ji explained in detail.

Xu Xian took the chance to ask more questions.

He gained a certain understanding of the demons within the Demon Abyss.

The so-called Eight-Colored Surnames originated from the color of hair and demon horns.

Simply put, these eight surnames held very high status.

They belonged to the top-tier nobility and powerful clans of the demon race.

In the demon social hierarchy, people were divided into different classes from birth.

The distinction of bloodlines was extremely strict; the concepts of high and low, noble and lowly, were ingrained into their very marrow.

There were five classes of demons, and the distinction was very easy to make.

One only had to look at the hair color and demon horns.

First-class: heavenly demon race, with vibrant hair and horns.

Second-class: earthly demon race, with vibrant hair but no horns.

Third-class: mortal demon race, with dull hair and horns. [Black, white, and gray are all considered dull colors.]

Fourth-class: demon commoners, with dull hair and no horns.

Fifth-class: demon slaves, with no hair and no horns, ugly faces, and bodies resembling beasts...

Chi Ji said, "I have crimson hair and a pair of horns. Therefore, I possess the purest and most noble bloodline in the demon race. Furthermore, I have green eyes, making me a noble among nobles, the most sacred and high-ranking heavenly demon race..."

As she spoke, the sense of superiority in her eyes was unmistakable, filled with smugness and pride.

After listening, Xu Xian couldn't help but frown and mutter under his breath, "Isn't this just like One Piece?"

Chi Ji was puzzled and asked in confusion, "What is One Piece?"

Xu Xian looked up and gave her a flat glance. "It's a matter of the outside world; don't ask too many questions."