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CHAPTER 36: The Little Demon in the Cage
Outside the Radiant Light Hall, the crowd that had not yet dispersed gathered around upon hearing the commotion.
Elder Ping’s expression was equally unsightly. Ordinarily, they would never have believed such an absurd claim based on a few instigating remarks. However, at this moment, whispers had already begun to ripple through the onlookers.
Since her return, Chao Xiaotu’s temperament had undergone a drastic transformation. The once cheerful and considerate young girl had suddenly become obsessed, acting as if she would live or die for an outsider like Su Liuyun. They had all assumed she had suffered a cultivation deviation, causing her personality to warp.
Because of Chao Xiaotu’s false accusations, Taixuan Wuji had been plagued by one trouble after another. The sect was in a state of chaos, and many already harbored resentment toward her, suppressing it only for the sake of Shi Chunqiu. Yet, Chao Xiaotu seemed utterly heartless, appearing completely unaware of the magnitude of the disaster she had provoked.
Furthermore, when Chao Xiaotu had stubbornly refused to kneel and beg Chao Jinsui yesterday, Shi Chunqiu had gone to kneel in her stead. The other disciples of Taixuan Wuji could not bear to witness such a scene, yet Chao Xiaotu had remained untroubled, hiding in her courtyard and pretending as if nothing had happened.
Such behavior had truly caused their hearts to turn to ice. It is said that three feet of ice does not form from a single day of cold. Had Chao Xiaotu shown even a modicum of consideration or filial piety after returning to Taixuan Wuji, no one would have believed Chao Jinsui’s words today.
But she had not. Her heart was entirely consumed with how to bring down Chao Jinsui, entirely consumed with herself. She had never thought to visit Elder Ping, who had watched her grow up, nor had she offered a single word of warmth to her own grandfather.
Thus, even Shi Chunqiu, amidst his freezing heartbreak, could not help but feel the stirrings of suspicion. No one even moved to interrupt Chao Jinsui.
Once the seed of doubt is planted, it quickly grows into a towering tree. Especially as Chao Jinsui’s questions struck one after another, Chao Xiaotu’s already fragile mental defenses crumbled. She was far too agitated.
This was Taixuan Wuji, a place that handled judicial cases year-round! Chao Xiaotu’s flaws were too numerous to count.
Shi Chunqiu stared fixedly at Chao Xiaotu, his face twisted with pain. He spoke to her syllable by syllable, "Xiaotu, swear an oath."
"As long as you swear it, Grandfather will never believe such a ridiculous lie!"
Chao Xiaotu let out a choked sob, suddenly finding her voice. She forced herself to appear steady as tears streamed down her face. "Grandfather, how can you believe an outsider?"
Chao Jinsui thought coldly: Here it comes. This is the tactic Chao Xiaotu is best at.
From childhood to adulthood, as long as she played the victim in front of Chao Taichu, she could obtain anything, whether it was stealing something Chao Jinsui liked or escaping punishment for her mistakes.
Sure enough, she began to sob and wail. "Grandfather, Elder Ping, your hearts are so cruel. I am barely a hundred years old. If I go in there, will I even come out alive? I have been pushed to such a state, yet instead of helping me, you join an outsider to corner me?"
"If you doubt me like this, how am I supposed to go on living?"
Chao Xiaotu was too foolish. Today, while Elder Ping seemed ruthless and Shi Chunqiu appeared indifferent, they were actually acting to preserve her life, leaving her a path for retreat. Yet, not only did she fail to appreciate the painstaking efforts of her elders, she spoke such wounding words.
It was truly enough to make one’s blood run cold. Chao Jinsui saw Shi Chunqiu close his eyes, while Elder Ping’s face turned livid with rage.
Seeing no reaction from the people before her, Chao Xiaotu made a show of trying to end her life by throwing herself against a pillar.
The awkward part was that no one stopped her. Besides, a cultivator cannot die from hitting a pillar.
Shi Chunqiu seemed to age ten years in an instant. He waved his hand, his voice thick with disappointment. "Stop this nonsense."
Elder Ping added coldly, "Xiaotu, swear the oath."
Instead, Chao Xiaotu let out a piercing shriek, covered her ears, and tried to bolt outside.
Chao Jinsui spoke up. "At this point, do you really think playing the fool will work?"
Chao Xiaotu’s entire body went rigid. It was indeed useless. At Elder Ping’s signal, the disciples of Taixuan Wuji stepped forward, seizing Chao Xiaotu’s arms with a death grip and dragging her back.
Her lips trembled as she stammered, "I swear... I, I..."
Shi Chunqiu’s expression shifted gradually. Elder Ping’s harsh gaze swept over her, practically pinning her to the spot.
"I..." Chao Xiaotu fell silent.
A Heavenly Dao oath was no joke. If one lied, the heavens truly would strike with five bolts of lightning.
Chao Jinsui asked, "Since an oath is so difficult for you, why don't you tell us an interesting story from your childhood at Taixuan Wuji?"
Chao Xiaotu still could not speak.
"What about your grandfather’s preferences? What kind of tea does he drink?"
"..."
What else was there to understand?
Chao Xiaotu suddenly felt a gaze of intense hatred directed at her. She expected it to be Chao Jinsui, but when she looked up, she saw the furious Shi Chunqiu.
Shi Chunqiu’s teeth ground together, the veins on his forehead bulging, his white beard trembling.
When he had sent Chao Xiaotu to Kunlun years ago, it wasn't because she had quarreled with his family, but because she had cried for her father. Shi Chunqiu could not bear to separate father and daughter, despite his own reluctance to let her go. Since then, she had not contacted him for decades. He had assumed Chao Taichu forbade it, but upon reflection, no matter how overbearing Chao Taichu was, she was an adult. Could she really not find a single opportunity?
Chao Xiaotu shivered. "Grand... Grandfather..."
Shi Chunqiu roared, "Shut up! Who is your grandfather!"
As she trembled, Elder Ping shouted, "Someone, drag her to the Hall of Punishment! I will interrogate her personally!"
Chao Xiaotu wailed, "Grandfather! Grandfather! Save me!"
Shi Chunqiu did not intervene. His bloodshot eyes stared at her, looking as if he wanted to devour her whole. The more he had protected and doted on this granddaughter, the more his heart was now shattered, and the more he loathed her.
The surrounding disciples and elders approached Shi Chunqiu, offering their condolences for his grief. Elder Ping led her people toward the punishment hall with grim determination. From here on, it was an internal matter for Taixuan Wuji.
Chao Xiaotu was finished. No one would believe a word she said, and she would likely lose her life very soon. If Elder Ping might have spared her life for Shi Chunqiu’s sake before, what reason was there now?
She had brought immense trouble to Taixuan Wuji and possessed the body of Shi Chunqiu’s flesh-and-blood granddaughter. The very people she had relied on would now become the blades that ended her life. Taixuan Wuji was not an entity to be trifled with.
As Chao Jinsui turned to leave, Shi Chunqiu called out to her.
Chao Jinsui asked, "Do you want to know how I found out?"
It wasn't difficult. Taixuan Wuji had been remarkably good to her, sending gifts constantly. Shi Chunqiu had even visited Kunlun specifically to see her many times, yet she always found an excuse to avoid him. From the time Chao Xiaotu was fifteen, she and Chao Jinsui had practically grown up together. Chao Xiaotu thought she understood Chao Jinsui, unaware that Chao Jinsui had been observing everything about her as well.
"However, before today, I only had suspicions."
Chao Jinsui didn't even have concrete evidence. Chao Xiaotu had essentially trapped herself out of pure guilt. In truth, Chao Jinsui knew that if she had simply cherished that precious kinship upon returning to Taixuan Wuji and made an effort to connect with the elders who loved her, she would not be in this predicament. If the bond were deep enough, family members would not doubt each other so easily. Shi Chunqiu might not have even forced an oath, instead blaming Chao Jinsui for making trouble.
Unfortunately, Chao Xiaotu didn't care for her family at all, distancing herself from them step by step.
"Elder Shi, please restrain your grief."
Shi Chunqiu spat out angrily, "I don't need your fake sympathy!"
Chao Jinsui saw the undisguised resentment in his eyes. She never expected that finishing off Chao Xiaotu would resolve her conflict with Taixuan Wuji. In fact, she knew that Shi Chunqiu and Elder Ping might hate her even more now. After all, she was the one who tore away the veil.
Still, one more debt wouldn't make the burden any heavier. She gave a light laugh.
"I am not being merciful. I am here to remind you that perhaps you should torment her less and release her sooner. Perhaps Taixuan Wuji’s Yin-Yang Array might still be able to find your granddaughter’s soul."
Shi Chunqiu froze, then hurried away immediately.
Inside the warm pavilion, Ling Yun asked, "Can they really find her?"
Hong Niang rolled her eyes daintily. "She's been dead for decades. She’s probably already through her second reincarnation. Of course they won't find her."
Ling Yun was bewildered. "Then why say that?"
"Because your Young Sect Leader can't stand to see someone tortured to death," Hong Niang explained. "Think about it. Shi Chunqiu loved his granddaughter so much. Now that he knows her body was snatched, do you think he'd let Chao Xiaotu die easily? You human cultivators have methods of torture that are no less cruel than ours."
Ling Yun gasped. "What? You're a demon?"
Chao Jinsui spoke up. "Hong Niang, you’re overthinking it. I just want her to die faster."
Hong Niang blinked. Oh? She suddenly looked at Chao Jinsui with newfound respect.
Once the others had left, Hong Niang peeked her head out. "To be honest, I think your Young Sect Leader is scarier than our Demon Lord sometimes."
The Demon Lord kills with a blade, but this sword cultivator kills with a soft knife.
Ling Yun exclaimed, "What? You're one of the Demon Lord’s people too?!"
Hong Niang fell silent. Is this child simple-minded?
Chao Jinsui returned to her bedroom, still holding the memory pearl. These pearls were expensive, and the ones she held were brought from the Kunlun Sect. They allowed one to extract a portion of their memory and inject it inside. The clearer the memory, the more vivid the images. If the person couldn't remember clearly, the images would be blurred. If the memory was fabricated, it would remain blank.
Inside this pearl, there were only very blurry images of a small demon, locked in a cage.
She knew that those were the most unbearable parts of his past. Bloody scars do not need to be reopened, and a miserable childhood does not need to be judged. Those memories were enough for only her and Yan Xueyi to know.
She reached out, her slender fingers lightly touching the pearl. Under the influence of spiritual energy, it dissolved into thousands of fragments, vanishing into the air.
Turning around, she spotted a pair of small eyes trying to sneak away.
"Little Eyes, you told him, didn't you?"
The little snake twisted in place, then flopped over and closed its beady eyes, pretending to be dead. Chao Jinsui reached out and picked it up. The spy snake didn't dare make a sound.
For many years, no one had dared speak of the Demon Lord in such a way. Only Chao Xiaotu, seeking death, had tried to rip open his old wounds. Little Eyes wondered if her brain was full of water or if she simply didn't know who the Demon Lord was, but she clearly did! There was only one possibility: she was a fool.
As his natal spirit beast, it had naturally gone to report.
Chao Jinsui placed the snake on her wrist and didn't pursue the matter further. She simply said, "Where is he? Take me to him."
Little Eyes hissed obediently.
The demons naturally had a base in Taixuan City. In fact, it was quite luxurious and dominant, the Demon Lord had simply seized Taixuan Wuji’s auction house. Taixuan Wuji wanted someone to uphold justice for them, but they didn't even know who had taken it. They only knew the person was incredibly arrogant, having set up a barrier outside. Three waves of people sent by the sect had never returned, leaving them to watch these outlaws act with impunity. They didn't even dare to spread word of it, as it was far too embarrassing.
Little Eyes led Chao Jinsui through the strange gazes of the various demons to the basement of the auction house. She walked through a long corridor and knocked on the door.
"Yanyan?"
A long, long time ago.
The little demon lived in a dark, sunless slave market.
No one knew how many demon slaves like him appeared each year, orphans or half-bloods left behind in the cultivation world. Some would die silently in corners. Those who survived would be thrown into gladiator pits to fight for the amusement of others before being sold. It was a living hell.
The little demon hated humans, and he hated the demons who fought him. Because he was wild and untameable, unlike the other more submissive demons, he not only ruled over the other young slaves but also refused to bow his head. Whips and iron chains could not make him obey. It was as if a beast lived inside him, ready to pounce and bite at any moment.
Thus, his treatment was the worst.
They locked him in a massive iron cage and covered it with a red cloth, desperate to sell him off. But every time, he would use those eyes burning with black flames to scare everyone away. It felt as if he would kill anyone who dared approach.
One day, the red cloth covering the cage was lifted.
What appeared before him was a pair of beautiful, clean white boots embroidered with gold rabbit heads. They stopped right in front of his torn, filthy shoes, looking exquisite and expensive. A clean, pretty little "turnip" of a girl had appeared in this foul hell.
She looked at the wounded little demon in the cage. He had two demon horns different from humans, though they were broken. His phoenix eyes were as black as thick ink, and he radiated demonic energy.
The moment the cloth was lifted, a low, threatening growl like that of a beast issued from his throat. Within his small body, a hidden monster seemed to watch the world outside with vigilance and hatred. Though his clothes were in tatters and he was nearly dying in the corner of the cage, his gaze was indescribably fierce.
He had seen many such well-dressed people before. They would mock his wretchedness or show hypocritical sympathy. If not for the cage, he would have killed them all.
But today, it was a little turnip. She seemed even smaller than him, and quite timid. Upon seeing him, she began to cry.
The little demon backed away warily, fearing an adult would appear to scold him for frightening this red-eyed girl. But she didn't wail or call for help. Instead, she pressed her face close to the cage and asked:
"Does it hurt?"
The little demon froze. His throat, unused for so long, could not find words. Every time the seller introduced him, the first sentence was always: "You've never seen one like this, right? This little demon doesn't know pain!"
Yet here was this girl, asking if it hurt. She must have heard the seller; why was she asking? What a busybody.
The little demon pursed his lips and turned his head away. He was injured and exhausted. He would be thrown into the arena tonight and needed to conserve his energy. He didn't want to deal with a pampered brat.
But the girl kept circling the cage, asking this and that. She was so close that he could have reached out and hurt her, but for the first time, he didn't feel the urge to destroy. He just thought she talked too much.
However, this little turnip actually bought him.
He no longer had to die, nor wake up in the middle of the night under the fangs of a giant beast. But he remained guarded. He had heard too many stories of slaves being bought only to be killed. He didn't believe good luck had fallen upon him.
He observed for a long time and realized that this chatty girl only had attendants with her; no one seemed to be supervising her. It really was just her who had bought him.
She asked, "What is your name? I heard them calling you Little Demon, or Demon Head!"
Who is a little bun-head!
The little demon’s throat burned with pain. He swallowed some water and finally responded. "Yan... Yan..."
Yan Xueyi.
But he couldn't get the full name out. He silently took a bite of a bun, not trying to explain further. After all, no one cared if a demon slave was called "Dog" or "Cat."
The little girl was delighted. "Yanyan! I’ll call you Yanyan."
She shared her food, a basket of large buns. She dragged him to a clinic and got him a change of clean clothes. The little demon decided this girl was the world's number one fool. The money she spent on him could have bought three more demons like him.
The little girl didn't know she had been promoted to "Top Tier Fool." She was young and it was her first time seeing someone so pitiful. Though the pitiful demon didn't seem to want to talk to her, she had decided to buy him.
However, she knew a demon could not survive in the cultivation world. Her own life at Kunlun was difficult. If Chao Taichu found out, he would be furious, and the little demon would surely die.
After thinking for a long time, Little Sui-sui gave him all her storage bags and said, "Go back to the Demon Realm."
It was the only way she could think of. The little demon looked at her with suspicion, finding it preposterous. She spent so many spirit stones to buy him, just to let him go?
Then her voice turned muffled. "Going back to the Demon Realm... maybe there’s a way to survive there."
The little demon froze, stiffly lowering his head to bite the bun. A way to live? Was there a way for a natural-born demon like him to live in this world?
The "Number One Fool" stood on her tiptoes and handed him her bamboo hat. She told him to cover his horns, not to look back, and to keep walking west. She told him to take enough food and cross the Red Wilderness to reach the Demon Realm. There, no one would look down on his horns; they were all demons like him. He wouldn't be a slave there.
She thought he was mute, so she gave her instructions with patient rambling. The little demon listened in silence, thinking she was strange. They had just met; why did she care if he lived or died? He was a cunning, vicious demon. Among those slaves, many died every day. No one cared about their lives, not even the little demon himself. He didn't know when he would die.
But this girl insisted that his life was valuable. More valuable than hundreds of mid-grade spirit stones and expensive storage bags.
He heard her calling him "Yanyan" over and over. Though it sounded better than "bun-head," it was still a foolishly sweet name. Yet, he was the only one among those demons who actually had a name.
Finally, the demon she thought was mute spoke, his voice raspy from his injuries. He looked at the girl who was a head shorter than him and corrected her:
"My... my name is Yan Xueyi."
"Xue as in snow, Yi as in clothing."
The little girl stared blankly. So he wasn't a mute who could only make one sound.
The little demon looked down and cleared his throat. "What... what is your name?" He spoke with a slight stutter from disuse.
The little girl gave a lovely smile. "Suisui! Like the Suisui in 'peace year after year'."
So the little demon took the hat, held the warm buns and storage bags she gave him, and strode toward the west. He never looked back.
He thought: During the New Year, he had heard another demon say that if one prayed to the Kitchen God, they might meet a top-tier "sucker" who would give them food, warm clothes, and freedom. Today, he had indeed met the world's number one "Foolish Turnip."
The little demon decided that from now on, he believed in gods.
However, as he strode forward, he never imagined that for the rest of his life, he would never forget that top-tier "Foolish Turnip."
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