A Windfall

A massive windfall.

"How... how much?"

"What... ten thousand?"

"Did I hear that right?"

"My goodness, ten thousand. That's enough to buy my life—no, it's enough to buy my whole family's lives!"

As soon as the voice spoke, the surroundings erupted into a cacophony of gasps and exclamations. As people whispered to one another, every single soul began to harbor their own schemes.

Ten thousand Shadow Soul Stones?

Forget Fanzhou; even within the Demon Abyss, that was a staggering fortune.

For an ordinary demon, it was an astronomical figure.

Even for the second-class earthly demon standing next to Xu Xian—a member of the demon nobility—selling his entire family and everything they owned wouldn't likely scrape together ten thousand Shadow Soul Stones.

As that person had said, ten thousand Shadow Soul Stones was enough to buy the lives of his entire household, young and old.

Xu Xian muttered to himself, 'As expected of the Crimson Demon Palace. Their generosity is truly frightening.'

After the maidservant made the announcement, she ordered a Crimson Demon Guard by her side to post the portrait at the head of the bridge. The merchants who had been hovering outside to watch the drama unfold surged forward almost instantly, jostling one another to get a clear look at the face in the drawing.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"If I actually find her, I can spend the rest of my life lounging in the Nether Capital without ever lifting a finger again."

"Ancestors protect me! The chance to bring honor to my lineage has finally come!"

"..."

While the maidservant’s expression remained grim, the crowd’s spirits were soaring.

Such a windfall was laid out before them, seemingly within reach. An opportunity like this wasn't something just anyone could encounter in their lifetime.

Even these shrewd demon merchants, usually so calculating and cautious, lost their composure. Their eyes held nothing but a raw thirst for wealth. Their minds were filled with nothing but the thought of claiming this windfall for themselves.

As the saying goes, under a heavy reward, there will always be those brave enough to risk it all.

Furthermore, they only had to go into the desert to find a single person.

In just a few moments, like sand scattering in the wind, the crowd swarmed into the wasteland. Everyone tried to outrun the next. Even the city's garrison was mobilized; many demon soldiers rode various demonic beasts, either soaring through the dark sky or galloping across the desert.

The roars of the beasts echoed like the cries of dragons.

Demonic beasts were creatures born in the Demon Abyss, similar to the spirit beasts of the human race. These beasts possessed powerful physical bodies. Adult demonic beasts were formidable, and the top-tier ones could even hunt experts at the eighth-rank demon king stage.

Unfortunately, demonic beasts differed from spirit beasts and demon beasts. Due to the natural laws shackling their race, they could never change their forms throughout their entire lives. They were destined to remain in their beastly state forever.

Unless they could devour enough demon qi to break through the extreme path and ascend to immortality.

Of course, that was nothing more than a pipe dream.

Setting aside these beasts, not a single member of the demon race had ever ascended to the heavens in the entirety of recorded history. This was related to a certain unspeakable restriction within the Demon Abyss. If the demons themselves couldn't do it, there was even less hope for demonic beasts, who were considered lower than the lowest demon commoners.

Because of this, demonic beasts in the Demon Abyss were either served as delicacies on dining tables or used as beasts of burden. Their status was roughly the same as cattle and horses in the mortal world.

The demon tigers, falcons, and wolves Xu Xian had just seen were considered the apex predators among demonic beasts. With their great strength and pure bloodlines, they served as mounts for demon cultivators on the battlefield.

Seeing that everyone else had moved, Xu Xian also turned back.

He couldn't help it. They were simply offering too much.

He had done the math. A standard Shadow Soul Stone was about the size of a fist, but because of its high density and unique material, a single stone weighed roughly ten kilograms.

Ten thousand stones meant one hundred thousand kilograms.

One thousand kilograms equaled one ton. One hundred thousand kilograms was one hundred tons.

Thus, ten thousand Shadow Soul Stones was equivalent to one hundred tons.

Granted, compared to the one million tons he ultimately needed, one hundred tons was a mere drop in the bucket, a single hair from nine oxen. However, even a million tons had to be accumulated bit by bit.

Besides, this hundred tons was practically a freebie.

He only had to go back to where he started and fetch that little girl. It wouldn't even take an hour. This was the easiest money he could ever make.

To be honest, if he didn't take this money, Xu Xian was genuinely afraid he wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

The youth hurried his pace, acting as if he were afraid someone else would beat him to it.

The Little Book Spirit couldn't help but grumble inwardly; Xu Xian was as greedy as ever.

Little did it know that Xu Xian had his own considerations. He had changed his face, and his Simulation Art could even fool the great formation laid down by the Crimson Demon. Chi Ji was so dim-witted that she definitely wouldn't see through it.

More importantly, the Blazing Fortress was currently under heavy guard. Trying to sneak in before Chi Ji was found would likely be quite difficult. But if he was the one who 'rescued' the girl, then given her status and the desperation of her subordinates, getting inside would be as simple as her saying the word.

And so, Xu Xian argued with the Little Book Spirit.

He, Xu Xian, wasn't doing this for the money. He simply wanted a way into the fortress. That was all.

The Little Book Spirit wore an expression that clearly said, 'I'll believe you when pigs fly.'

It knew its master well. He was the type to squeeze every bit of advantage out of a situation. While there wasn't much danger, it wasn't entirely without risk. If there weren't ten thousand Shadow Soul Stones on the line, Xu Xian’s personality would have led him to hide in the desert for a few days until the heat died down rather than going to find her now.

But the book spirit didn't say anything. Xu Xian would only deny it anyway.

In a corner of the desert, the wild wind blew incessantly, lifting a strand of red hair that brushed against a girl's face. The tip of the hair happened to tickle the tip of her nose.

The girl lying on the ground twitched her right index finger. Then, she groggily opened her eyes.

Before her was the dark sky, with a faint glow of light visible in the far distance.

"Where is this? I..."

She felt her head was heavy and her thoughts were a mess, much like the never-ending sandstorms in the desert around her. She struggled to sit up, instinctively raising a hand to her forehead.

The moment her palm touched it, a sharp pain shot through her.

"Ah!"

She woke up instantly, sucking in a breath of cold air.

"Hiss... what happened?"

She tried touching her forehead again with her fingertips. There was a swollen lump there that made her tremble with pain at the slightest touch. Her face soured, her eyes filled with confusion.

She tried hard to remember everything that had happened...

She had been kidnapped by the people from the Immortal Demon Caves. Then she met a human youth. He killed them all, gave her four slaps... He gave her wine. She led the way for him. She gave him her jade pendant. He gave her...

She remembered. He had given her a punch.

As Chi Ji recalled everything, her eyes filled with both resentment and anger. Her white teeth ground together with a clicking sound. In her fury, she grabbed several handfuls of yellow sand and flung them in all directions.

"Despicable!"

"You jerk!"

How could there be such a person in this world, hitting people at the drop of a hat? They had clearly reached an agreement...

Out of the corner of her eye, she accidentally spotted the jade pendant on the ground. Her indignant thoughts receded as she slowly picked it up.

After confirming it multiple times, she instinctively looked around, as if searching for a certain figure. The anger in her eyes was replaced by a sense of loss.

She stared blankly at the ancient jade in her hand, her grip tightening. Countless complicated thoughts swirled in her mind, and a sudden, inexplicable sense of grievance welled up in her heart.

The sand beneath her was slowly dampened by falling droplets.

She choked up, sobbing silently, "Waaa... you bastard... all you do is bully me..."