Zanxing (Retranslated)

Chapter 252 - Two Years Later (1)

In Heishi City, it had been a long time since such a lively day had occurred.

In the evening, all the demons had come out in full force. They lit up the ghostly blue flames at the entrance of the cave and decorated both sides of the road with Guishou Flowers. The mountain of white bones at the cave entrance was filled with glittering crystals in the eye sockets, and everywhere was adorned with colorful lanterns and decorations.

Today was the day when the young princess of the demon world emerged from her seclusion, and the entire Heishi City was celebrating.

The Piano Demon, handsome in appearance, had his long hair styled into a high bun with a finger bone, and he was playing a pipa made of human bones. The music was melodious and pleasant but had a coarse and eerie tone that sent chills down one’s spine.

The Succubus was dressed in a snow-white gauze skirt covered in splotchy bloodstains. As she danced gracefully, the bloodstains on her skirt scattered everywhere, creating a shocking scene on the ground.

The Gold Spirits, small in stature and only reaching up to a person’s calves, wore matching yellow and white robes and rode on short horses, dashing about in all directions. Wherever they went, they left behind a dazzling array of gold and silver, almost blinding to the eyes.

There were also Ape Lords, Willow Spirits, Bone Sorcerers, and more. Inside and outside the palace, it was a chaotic dance of demons. Anyone who accidentally stumbled upon this scene would think they had wandered into hell and would surely lose their soul.

If she hadn’t known she was in the Eastern Cultivation World, she would have thought she had wandered into some strange Halloween celebration. Her sigh was a little too loud, and the high-pitched music in the hall paused as everyone turned to look at her. Her sigh was somewhat loud, causing the high-pitched sound of the zither in the palace to pause momentarily. Everyone turned to look at her.

The woman on the high seat wore a dark green long robe that flowed to the ground, embroidered with delicate four divine beast patterns in silver thread. She held a large snow-white cat in her arms and was casually grooming its fur. Part of her long hair was pinned up with a wooden hairpin, with the rest flowing down to her waist. Her hair shimmered with a deep green light, the abundant demonic king’s energy.

She had a very beautiful face. Unlike the enchanting and charismatic Demon Queen, her features were elegant and her eyes were vibrant and serene, gentle and tranquil, like a tree growing in the abyss, bringing life to this desolate place.

After two whole years, the Demon Princess emerged from seclusion. Compared to her youthful appearance two years ago, she seemed to have matured significantly. As she leaned on the high seat and looked down at the scene of song and dance in the hall, her expression already bore some resemblance to her father from years past—solitary yet powerful.

However, unlike the Demon King of old, she also had a touch of brightness and approachability.

It was this touch of brightness that quickly endeared her to the demon world. It was not just because she was the daughter of the Heavenly Demon or because she had revitalized the withered spiritual veins, but simply because of who she was. Even without all these factors, if she were just an ordinary demon, she would still be quite likable.

“It seems they really like you,” said Bu Jiang, coming up from the steps with a light tone. “Such a grand occasion was only seen when your father revitalized the spiritual veins.”

Zanxing, resting her chin on one hand, glanced at the song and dance in the hall and responded with a disinterested “Hmm.”

“Isn’t it nice?”

“It looks like a chaotic demonic dance,” Zanxing replied honestly.

She could understand the goodwill of the people of Heishi City. They had rehearsed the song and dance performances for a long time to make her smile. But, to be pragmatic, the aesthetic differences between demons and humans were like an abyss. When she was in Gufeng Mountain, she was accustomed to the vague and indifferent style of her sect. In contrast, the demon world had gone to the other extreme. They favored bright reds and greens, dazzling golds, and a riot of colors. Their residences were all arranged in the caves of Heishi Mountain, with each cave renovated to resemble a haunted house. The entrances were decorated with ghostly lanterns, hellish murals on the stone walls, and sometimes even glowing ghost face statues and bizarre ornaments…

They were quite generous with gold and silver. The demon world never lacked precious metals and gems, so many caves had furniture made entirely of pure gold, sometimes with crystal pillars added, as if they wanted to fit in all the glowing and colorful items they could.

In short, their overuse of color created a peculiar aesthetic.

Bu Jiang laughed softly. “You know, yesterday the Succubus told me that, as a blooming young woman, you should add some brightly colored clothes to your wardrobe. Such a simple and subdued style makes you seem a bit too somber.”

Zanxing glanced at the woman dancing joyfully in the hall. She was beautiful, but the blood-stained dress covered in handprints was rather unsettling.

She shivered and said, “No, no thanks.”

Bu Jiang gave a knowing smile and didn’t press further. Instead, she asked, “How do you feel now that you’ve emerged from seclusion?”

Zanxing replied, “I feel quite happy.”

“Really? I thought you looked a bit troubled,” Bu Jiang said thoughtfully, studying her for a moment. “Are you still thinking about your friend from Taiyan Sect?”

Zanxing fell silent.

Before her seclusion, she had asked Bu Jiang to continue gathering news from the cultivation world. Some demons not residing in the demon realm were hiding in Duzhou and would usually send secret messages to Heishi City. As soon as Zanxing emerged, she inquired about Gu Baiying and Hong Su’s current situation. The news was that everything in the cultivation world was as usual, with no reports of disciples falling or geniuses being punished. Taiyan Sect was the same as before.

Sometimes, no news was the best news.

Mimi noticed Zanxing’s distraction and licked her fingers. Zanxing snapped back to attention.

During these two years, the Silver Moon Lion had also been in seclusion with her. The small beast with a hint of divine beast blood had now become a true divine beast, capable of changing its form and size at will. To avoid startling the demons and to make it easier for Zanxing to care for, Mimi mostly appeared in the form of a domestic cat.

“Mother,” Zanxing scratched Mimi’s chin and asked wistfully, “If someone takes care of you everywhere, protects you, even shares his soul with you, stands in front of you against the world’s opposition, and is willing to oppose the entire world for you, what could be his motivation?”

“He must be a big fool,” Bu Jiang answered without hesitation.

“……”

“Don’t look at me like that,” Bu Jiang sighed. “What do you want me to say? That he loves you deeply and is unwavering in his devotion? Well, if he can go to such lengths for you, it does seem he is deeply affectionate. However, Zanxing, when love is intense, people are willing to do anything for their partner. As time passes and the initial passion fades, looking back, it may seem like just that—a fleeting passion. I know this better than anyone.”

Demon Queen Bu Jiang, with countless suitors both heavenly and mortal, was a testament to this truth. Zanxing didn’t know if these lovers were from before Gui Diaotang’s death or after. In any case, from what she had seen, the men clinging to Bu Jiang had changed several times, and she seemed to like each one just as much.