Zanxing (Retranslated)

Extra 4 - ‘Zanxing’ (1)

The news of the Demon King’s return spread across the Douzhou continent in the blink of an eye.

Heishi City had been celebrating for a hundred days. All the major sects had sent congratulatory notes—regardless of what they truly thought in their hearts, the fact was that the demon and human races were now coexisting in relative peace, maintaining a surface-level harmony. To put it bluntly, who knew what kind of trouble the Heavenly Dao might stir up a hundred years from now? At that point, everyone would need to band together against a common enemy and discuss strategies. Leaving others a way out was the same as leaving yourself one. The sects were filled with seasoned veterans who understood this principle well.

During this time, Zanxing held her coronation ceremony in Heishi City.

As the eleventh Demon King of Heishi City, there wasn’t much left that required managing. All the trivial matters were handled by Xiao Shuang, and Bu Jiang had implemented new laws. Nowadays, the demons were far more well-behaved than they used to be. Though they still stirred up trouble and cursed frequently, the new laws kept them in check, preventing the rampant killings and banditry they once delighted in.

The succubi were always suggesting that the new Demon King’s harem was too empty, constantly hinting that Zanxing should expand her court and take in more handsome men. Zanxing found this utterly exhausting.

It wasn’t just a matter of whether she had the inclination for it—there was also the undeniable fact that the aesthetic standards of the demon race and the human race were vastly different. She couldn’t force herself to be interested.

As a result, Gu Baiying was perpetually displeased, acting like everyone owed him spiritual stones. He kept a close watch, preventing the Lantern Ghost and others from getting too close to Zanxing, and it seemed like he had even secretly arranged duels with General Rope and his men. The next day, when Zanxing saw the hall filled with her ‘concubines’ sporting bruised faces, she was speechless.

Even the delicate Disease Demon hadn’t been spared by him!

After some time of this chaos, the hundred-day celebration finally came to an end. Zanxing informed Bu Jiang that she planned to visit Gufeng Mountain.

Bu Jiang had no objections, but Hong Su, on the other hand, started preparing clothes for Zanxing three days in advance.

Looking at the chest filled with golden robes and silver skirts, Zanxing was silent for a moment before she couldn’t help but remind Hong Su, “Isn’t this a bit too much?”

After all, she wasn’t going there to put on a fashion show!

With a loud snap, Hong Su shut the chest and declared with righteous conviction, “Absolutely not. Back then, when Miss was at Gufeng Mountain, she was forced into the Ten Thousand Killing Formation and never returned. Things are different now. Now that you’re the Demon King, we need to show those lowlifes what true Demon King grandeur looks like!”

“This world is like that. People worship power and trample the weak. If they don’t respect you, they’ll respect your clothes. The grander you look, the more they’ll fear you.”

Hong Su, still holding grudges from the past, had grown a bit cunning after spending so much time in Heishi City among the demons. She pushed out another chest and said, “These are the accessories the Succubi sent over. Miss should wear them all as well.” She patted her chest and added, “Heishi City isn’t short on money!”

Indeed, Heishi City wasn’t lacking in wealth. The mines on Heishi Mountain were filled with spirit stones and magic jewels, and the demons often used massive gemstones the size of millstones to decorate their caves. If the cultivators saw that, they’d definitely scold them for such wasteful extravagance.

But so what if it was wasteful? As long as they were happy.

Seeing Zanxing remain silent, Hong Su asked, “Miss, you’re not thinking of not wearing them, are you?”

“I’ll wear them,” Zanxing sighed helplessly. “I’ll change into three different outfits a day and make them green with envy, alright?”

Hong Su, a bit embarrassed, replied, “Two outfits are enough. We shouldn’t be too flashy either.”

Zanxing: “…”

*

Taiyan Sect was still the same as ever.

Perhaps due to the recovery of the spiritual veins in recent years, the surrounding spiritual energy had become much richer, and the green forests on Gufeng Mountain appeared far more lush than before, with the entire mountain shrouded in emerald mist, overflowing with spiritual energy. Zanxing thought to herself, if she hid Mimi here, the hatching time would likely be greatly shortened.

Xuan Lingzi had been waiting at the entrance since early morning. As soon as Zanxing and Gu Baiying arrived at the main hall, they saw someone rush out from inside, grabbing Zanxing like a long-lost father reunited with his daughter, on the verge of tears.

“Zanxing—” Xuan Lingzi’s voice was full of emotion.

He seemed even more excited than when Gui Diaotang had first seen Zanxing.

“Master,” Zanxing gently patted his back, worried he might faint from the excitement.

“Good, good, good! It’s good you’re back!” Xuan Lingzi repeated “good” three times, his eyes filled with mixed emotions as he looked at her. “All these years, I’ve thought about you every day, couldn’t eat or sleep well, and I’ve lost so much weight. Now that I see you’re safe, it’s like a great burden has been lifted from my heart. You truly are my disciple, always turning danger into safety, with a smooth path ahead!”

Zanxing glanced at his clearly wider waistline and couldn’t tell if he was joking.

Without even sparing Gu Baiying a glance, Xuan Lingzi pulled Zanxing inside, saying, “Come, your martial uncles are all waiting for you.” He still held a grudge against Gu Baiying for not allowing him to place a statue of Zanxing in the main hall, and the tension between the two senior uncles had continued until now. Whenever they met, neither acknowledged the other.

Gu Baiying, amused by Xuan Lingzi’s blatant disregard for him, didn’t bother to argue and followed Zanxing inside.

In the Jinhua Hall, several of her martial uncles were already present.

Daoist Yueguang seemed younger than a few years ago. The abundance of spiritual energy in recent years had helped him maintain his youthful appearance. However, rumors suggested that last year he had met with the female disciple from the Hehuan Sect with whom he had dual-cultivated for seven days and nights in his youth. She remained as beautiful as ever, but Daoist Yueguang had become an old man. The shock of this disparity apparently pushed him to regain his lost youth.

Of course, rumors were just rumors and may not always be true.

Yue Qin was much kinder than before. Her gaze toward Zanxing had softened, and she even brought up Zanxing’s relationship with Gu Baiying. “It’s good that you’re back. In the years you’ve been away, Seventh Junior Brother had always been melancholic and never smiled. Female disciples from other sects tried to get close to him, but he always gave them the cold shoulder and offended them all. Now that you’re back, his wish is fulfilled, and he won’t be giving everyone the cold shoulder on the mountain anymore.”

Gu Baiying’s brow twitched. “Who’s been melancholic?”

After Zanxing returned, Gu Baiying quickly reverted to his old self. Whether fighting or cursing, he never wasted a moment, as arrogant as ever.

Zhao Mayi said, “We were the ones who were melancholic, alright?” Then he muttered under his breath, “Who are you trying to fool? Everyone on the mountain, including General Youri, knows you were ready to die for her…”

Gu Baiying shouted, “Zhao Mayi!”

Zhao Maiyi waved him off, “Alright, alright, I won’t say another word.”

Li Danshu, with a cheerful smile, said, “Who cares? Zanxing coming back is the best thing. I just harvested a batch of spiritual herbs the other day and was about to use them for my next furnace…”

Before Li Danshu could finish, Cui Yufu elbowed him aside. There were more black and green talismans on his arm now. He looked at Zanxing with a sincere expression. “Dear niece, I’ve written many talisman books over the years. I was going to have someone burn them for you, but now that you’re back, I’ll have them moved to your courtyard later.”

“You must read them carefully. They’re all valuable.”

Zanxing responded, “Alright.”