“Concubine?” Gu Baiying was momentarily stunned.
The woman on the high seat smiled: “Look at how nervous Immortal Gu is. It seems that the concern you have for our young princess of Heishi City isn’t just that of an ordinary master to his disciple. Do you like her?”
The gazes of Meng Ying and the others immediately turned toward Gu Baiying.
Gu Baiying furrowed his brow. “What exactly are you trying to say?”
“I am not a heartless person. Regarding matters of love and affection, the demon clan is quite open-minded, unlike the human race, which often forbids such relationships. If you like her, you can stay in Heishi City and become the eighth concubine of the Chaos Hall. Naturally, you would be able to see her every day.” Bu Jiang spoke slowly, “What do you think?”
“Your Majesty the Demon Queen,” Meng Ying asked in confusion, “what does ‘eighth concubine’ mean?”
“It means exactly what it says.”
“Ah, I remember now!” Men Dong clapped her hands: “Earlier, when we were at Yuge Mountain, someone from the demon clan mentioned that there were seven concubines in the Chaos Hall. Was that true?”
At that time, the Demon Extermination Army and the demon clan were forced to work together in the mountains, and they both had a low opinion of each other, saying whatever came to mind. They had thought it was just casual talk from the demon clan, but now, from the Demon Queen’s words, it seemed it was indeed true?
Did Zanxing really have seven concubines in the Chaos Hall?
It was unexpected!
“I didn’t expect Junior Sister to be such a person,” Tian Fangfang was deeply shocked.
“Ridiculous!” Gu Baiying’s brow twitched fiercely, and he scolded, “How could she possibly have concubines?”
“Why is it impossible?” Bu Jiang raised her chin, seemingly pleased to see their disbelief, and spoke calmly, “Even human emperors have three palaces, six courtyards, and seventy-two concubines. A grand demon princess with only seven concubines is already quite devoted. Where else could you find such a good woman? Only in our Heishi City.”
Her tone was so matter-of-fact that it left everyone momentarily stunned.
“Xiao Shuang,” Bu Jiang smiled faintly, “please explain.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” Xiao Shuang responded softly, stepping forward to face the people from Taiyan Sect with sincere tone, “I am also in the Chaos Hall. The young princess is gentle and benevolent, treating us very well. Immortal Gu is young and handsome, with remarkable grace. If he were to enter the Chaos Hall, he would certainly be cherished by the young princess and enjoy unparalleled favor.”
This made Gu Baiying seem like a concubine vying for favor in a human emperor’s harem.
The way everyone looked at Gu Baiying became somewhat subtle.
Gu Baiying’s expression was stiff, his jaw clenched tightly, as if he were a noble maiden whose purity had been tainted and whose dignity had been insulted. He remained silent.
Bu Jiang watched him for a while and then burst into laughter, “It seems that Immortal Gu still can’t let go of his role as a disciple of the sect.”
“Ahem,” Tian Fangfang, noticing the awkward atmosphere, stepped in to mediate, “Marriage is a serious matter, and whether or not to become a concubine of the Chaos Hall still requires my master’s consideration. Moreover,” he scratched his head, “my junior brothers and sisters and I also want to meet Junior Sister, but we can’t all become concubines, can we? Even if we wanted to, it wouldn’t be appropriate, would it?”
The hall fell into silence.
After a long pause, Bu Jiang’s voice finally spoke, “You have a point. Regardless of the situation, you all took care of Zanxing at the Five-Wheel Pagoda in Yue Mountain and are considered her friends. Heishi City is not unreasonable. It is already late today. You may rest here for now. Tomorrow, whether or not Zanxing will meet you will depend on her own wishes. Xiao Shuang,” she instructed her attendant, “show the guests to their quarters.”
“Yes.”
Gu Baiying wanted to ask more, but was nudged out by Tian Fangfang, with Mingjing also preparing to follow. Bu Jiang raised an eyebrow and said, “There’s no need for the master to leave.”
Mingjing halted in his tracks.
“I still have something to discuss with the master,” Bu Jiang said with a cheerful smile.
*
Meanwhile, Xiao Shuang led the group into a demonic cave, instructing the staff to bring some refreshments before leaving.
This demonic cave, like countless others in Heishi City, was both gaudy and eerie, adorned with crystal columns and golden tables with silver beds. The place was interspersed with human skeleton decorations and pale paper lanterns, with ghostly flames casting a ghostly green light that made one feel disoriented. Even the refreshments were shaped like severed female fingers.
However, at this moment, no one had the mood to appreciate the bizarre decor.
“I really didn’t expect that Junior Sister Zanxing would have seven concubines after returning to the demon realm,” Tian Fangfang suddenly thought, hugging himself. “It’s fortunate that I adhered to propriety back then.”
Gu Baiying said brusquely, “Be quiet.”
“No wonder,” Mu Cengxiao seemed to recall something, murmuring to himself, “No wonder she asked me that back then.”
Everyone paused, and Gu Baiying cast a suspicious glance at him. “What did she ask you?”
Mu Cengxiao’s face flushed slightly as he spoke softly, “Back at the treasure site, when Junior Sister and I fell into the domain of the Sacred Tree, she asked me if I had ever thought about having eight wives. I found it strange at the time, and I thought…”
He had thought that Zanxing was still not over him and was trying to gauge his feelings.
After Mu Cengxiao finished speaking, he looked up and noticed the strange expressions on everyone’s faces. He quickly stood up and nervously looked at Meng Ying. “But I made it clear that I hadn’t thought about it! How could I possibly have eight wives?”
“Tsk tsk tsk,” Men Dong shook her head. “It seems she was interested in you and wanted to know if you’d be willing to become her eighth husband. Unfortunately, you didn’t catch on. You really are clueless. But it’s true that you can never judge a book by its cover. Yang Zanxing always seems aloof and indifferent to love, but it turns out she’s a flirtatious heartbreaker!” Despite the words, the child’s face showed no sign of blame, only a kind of excitement from watching the drama unfold.
Meng Ying glanced at Gu Baiying with some concern.
The seventh master, who usually remained indifferent even in major situations, was now silent, and his cold demeanor clearly indicated his displeasure.
Perhaps influenced by Men Dong’s excitement, Gu Baiying’s mind suddenly recalled an old matter. Back at Gufeng Mountain, Zanxing had asked him to teach her illusionary arts but then forgot their agreement. The Yang family servant, Old Niu, had told him that Zanxing “wanted to discuss something with Young Master Mu.” He was referred to as Young Master Gu, while Mu Cengxiao was called Young Master Mu.
Men Dong continued, “But I heard that the demon clan is inherently flirtatious, and changing partners is common. After all, old flames can’t compare to new ones.”
With a loud thud, a tea cup on the table was slammed down.
The young man’s face was filled with anger. “Have you said enough?”
The cave fell into silence for a while.
Eventually, the child’s cautious voice broke the quiet. “So, Master, do you want to be the eighth concubine or not?”