Chapter Four Hundred Sixty-Five, This Demon Cultivator Seems Suspicious
Time rewinds to the last time Zhang Xiaoying returned to her parents’ home.
After sending their daughter back to the demon path, the Zhang couple immediately started to hesitate and murmur:
“Demon path… Punishment Department… Young Master Sang…”
“Fen, do you know what the kid is talking about?”
“We common folks from the mountains have no clue about immortal affairs,” Wei Fen complained. “From Little Ying’s tone, it sounds like she’s living in a different sect now.”
“So what’s this demon path sect? How is it different from the Water Moon Sect?”
“I already said, how would I know?”
Zhang Quanzhi hesitated for a moment and suddenly had a bright idea: “Hey, let’s ask Master Xu. Isn’t his son also living on the immortal mountain?”
However, upon arriving at Master Xu’s house, the mere mention of the demon path and Young Master Sang made Xu’s face turn white with fear.
“D-Demon path Punishment Department? The one they call the Immortal Slayer, that Young Master Sang?”
“That’s a big bad guy who can stop children from crying at night! Not long ago, the entire Water Moon Sect got swallowed up by the demon path. Who knows how many fairies from other sects have fallen into his hands!”
“It’s said that Young Master Sang is debauched and a true ravenous wolf; his greatest joy is to take fairies into his harem, play with them until he’s bored, then toss them away.”
After learning this shocking news, the Zhang couple returned home in a daze, staring at each other in silence for a long time.
“…Fen, is what Master Xu said credible?”
“Who knows? If what he said is true, then our Little Ying is in big trouble!”
“However, from how happy Little Ying looked when she came back, it doesn’t seem like she’s suffering.”
“Plus, when she mentioned Young Master Sang, that little girl was practically glowing with puppy love…”
The couple exchanged glances and came up with a reasonable explanation.
It dawned on them that their daughter was probably winning favor with the big bad demon because of her looks.
Thinking this way, the couple felt a little more at ease.
If she was favored, then their daughter should be doing pretty well.
As for the rest, it was beyond what ordinary folks like them could worry about.
Even in these relatively peaceful times, ordinary mortals are still no different from grass in the eyes of cultivators. Any family’s daughter could be unfortunate enough to be snatched away by an immortal, and common people wouldn’t even have a place to seek justice.
With a daughter like theirs, merely being a pet to a powerful demon, looking rosy and well-fed, and being able to return home during holidays is already quite a good situation.
They are mere mortals, so they didn’t dare to hope for more. As long as their daughter was safe, they would be content.
Moreover, seeing how their daughter looked, she seemed quite fond of that demon lord.
So the Zhang couple decided to put their thoughts aside and simply kept in touch with Zhang Xiaoying by exchanging letters, always asking after her well-being in their messages.
Zhang Xiaoying frequently sent gifts home, and even sent her parents the latest communication device. However, being old-fashioned folks, they found those trendy gadgets too confusing and preferred to write letters the old-fashioned way.
Time passed like this for quite a while.
Then, not long ago, another letter from Zhang Xiaoying struck them like a bolt from the blue.
…Little Ying was pregnant!
Although in the letter, she just reported about her well-being and mentioned that she would bring her husband over to formally propose, the Zhang couple felt as restless as ants on a hot stove.
“What should we do? Do you think this demon master is really here to propose?”
“I heard from Master Xu that demons usually only care about offspring and have no regard for their partners! They just like young, pretty virgins.”
“What if this demon master only wants to take the child away? Once Little Ying gives birth, he could just toss her back to us; what then?”
“Wouldn’t that mean Little Ying’s later life would be miserable?”
Just thinking about such a tragic scene made them unable to hold back their sorrow.
However, after much thought, Zhang Quanzhi clenched his teeth and said, “I’ll go plead with that demon master!”
“Forget the child, but we can’t let Little Ying’s life be ruined like that.”
“I’ll go plead with that demon master not to tell Little Ying the truth. Even if it’s just to keep her around as a concubine, it’s better than nothing.”
Wei Fen looked worried: “But he’s a demon master! Would he even listen to us, mere mortals?”
“What if he’s in a bad mood and decides to—”
“We still have to try.” Zhang Quanzhi took a deep breath. “I’m her father; I have to fight for a chance for my daughter.”
“When the time comes, we’ll offer up all our valuables to the demon master. If he’s in a good mood, maybe he’ll let Little Ying stay with him.”
Wei Fen hesitated for a long time before sighing bitterly: “Sigh, I hope it works out.”
“Oh, my poor daughter…”
—
—
At Zhang’s tailor shop.
After hearing the couple describe Young Master Sang, he fell into a deep self-doubt.
Not just him; Zhang Xiaoying and Master Yu Xia could hardly keep from facepalming.
…What is happening here?
“Dad, Mom, didn’t I tell you in the letter that my husband is a wonderful person who treats me very well?”
“Mom just fears you’re trying to hold it together,” Wei Fen said, gently ruffling Zhang Xiaoying’s hair. “You’ve always been so mature; I worry you might be pretending not to worry us…”
Zhang Xiaoying couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time.
Young Master Sang, meanwhile, wore a grim expression and couldn’t help but secretly ask Master Yu Xia:
“Aunt Yu, is my public image really that terrible?”
“…The master is overthinking it. Those negative images are from before,” Master Yu Xia, struggling to hold back laughter, comforted him. “If only your in-laws would use the communication device, with your current internet fame, we wouldn’t have such misunderstandings.”
“So…”
Zhang Quanzhi tentatively asked, “Demon Master, you’re not planning to discard Little Ying after you get bored with her, right?”
That single “Demon Master” sent Young Master Sang plummeting to his knees again: “Father-in-law, please don’t call me that again! It embarrasses me! If you keep it up, I’ll be kicked out of bed tonight!”
“Please just call me Little Sang; anything that rolls off the tongue works.”
Seeing the suddenly down-to-earth young man who felt like an ordinary youth, the Zhang couple exchanged glances.
Why does it feel like this future son-in-law is quite different from their lofty expectations of an immortal?
“And as for abandoning Little Ying, that’s purely your imaginations,” Young Master Sang said, looking wronged. “Before coming, I was worried you’d scold me for not being polite, rushing into marriage with your daughter just because of the baby, and would whip me.”
“How could I dare to discard Little Ying? I spoil her too much; if anything, it’s Little Ying who doesn’t want me.”
“If that day ever comes, I’ll have to come crying to you two, asking you to coax me.”
