Chapter 19 Demon Princess
Chapter 19 Demon Princess
As soon as she had finished speaking, I felt a gust of wind to my left and the figure of Mi You in front of me slowly dissolved. Not good. She was too fast; I could only see her afterimages.
Although her narrow blade had not pierced my body yet, the sharpness of her chi had already gashed my skin, bringing a dull pain. With the next strike, Mi You aimed for my temple. Even if my defense had been stronger, there could have been only one outcome: a one-way trip straight to hell.
Because I had been focused entirely on her movements, the moment I noticed the change I gripped Black Sable tightly and neatly parried her narrow blade. The sound of clashing steel was exceptionally piercing. The powerful force of the attack rammed me backward, but her assault was far from over. With wings beating, Mi You appeared directly in front of me, her hands casting numerous shadows as she stabbed toward all the vital points of my body.
Speed had never been my forte. I struggled just to block the attacks aimed at my vital points and could not spare attention for the less crucial areas. The offensive power of a Fallen Angel was terrifying. Under her attacks, blood flowed steadily from my body, dyeing my warrior’s armor red.
Suddenly, a brilliant light grenade struck Mi You directly at the center of her power field. Although the aura from her sword scattered the magic attack into numerous threads of light, it did slow her down for a moment.
Thankfully, Zi Yan was supporting me.
Without hesitation, I seized the opening and began chanting: Darkness condense in thy soul. To have fallen is to be freed. Awaken! Myriad magical powers that have slumbered in my blood!
As I chanted, an intense black glow radiated from my body.
I roared toward the sky as huge wings burst from my back, tearing through my shirt in the process. My pale green hair turned ebony black while a sinister smile appeared on my previously emotionless face. I felt vast power cycling through my body at ever-increasing speed while the dark element in the surrounding air rushed into me at an astonishing pace. As my wings beat, stones scattered and sand whirled across the ground in a vortex with me at its center.
Under the sun’s rays, my irises gleamed like black jewels. Black Sable formed an illusory layer of sword energy, blocking the Fallen Angel’s blade as she continued her attacks.
DING! DING! DANG! DANG!
The air filled with the sounds of clashing swords.
Mi You’s gaze held confusion and astonishment. “How? How is it possible for you to transform into a Fallen Angel? Are you not a human? Or are you one of the Demon Race?”
Looking at Zi Yan, whose eyes displayed the same astonishment, I smiled apologetically before answering Mi You. “Did you think that only those of the Demon Race could turn into a Fallen Angel? I didn’t intend to kill you, but you’ve left me no choice.”
I effortlessly raised Black Sable high into the air, creating the illusion of a towering black pillar, before charging toward Mi You, whose heart was filled with terror and surprise. Techniques were meaningless now. After my transformation, my speed and power had increased tenfold. I attacked with no wasted movement, and in a split second I sent Mi You flying with a single blow of my sword. If one were to compare our strength, there would have been no competition.
I chased after Mi You, slashing seven times in succession, each strike heavier and more powerful than the last. Mi You endured my attacks with great difficulty. The force of my blows sent her crashing through four towering trees before she finally stabilized herself.
After my transformation, I was completely consumed by bloodlust. My only thought was the annihilation of the Fallen Angel before me.
Yet even within this fury, one rational thought formed.
Mi You and I have both attained the form of a Fallen Angel. Why am I able to dominate her completely in both speed and strength?
The fact that Mi You could transform into a Fallen Angel was itself an anomaly. She relied on the Demon Emperor’s dark magic implanted in her body to forcibly alter her physique. By contrast, my dark power had been cultivated through years of training.
The difference in strength suddenly became obvious.
Combined with years of cultivation, I also possessed the tyrannical physique of a Behemoth. There was no way she could be my match.
Even so, my situation was beginning to deteriorate. After a day and night of pursuit, I had already exhausted a large amount of strength and lost considerable blood. Although the transformation granted me tremendous power, waves of weakness continued to invade my mind.
Ending this battle quickly was in my best interest.
With loathing in her voice, Mi You said, “I don’t understand how you can transform into a Fallen Angel, but since you want my life, let’s perish together!”
Her hair fluttered wildly as she gripped her narrow blade with both hands. Her aura steadily grew stronger. The black mist surrounding her disappeared and was replaced by a faint black luminescence.
Her desperation was obvious. She was staking everything on one final attack.
Hmph. Let her try.
With my defense, speed, and strength all surpassing hers, even if she tried to take me down with her it would be nearly impossible.
I chose the same tactic and began gathering all my chi to unleash Violent Dance of the Mad Dragon, intending to end her life.
Killing a beauty was not something I was proud of, but to keep my secret I had no choice. A false display of chivalry would have been impossible for me.
My aura rose continuously when Mi You suddenly screamed and charged toward me, her sword and body moving as one.
I smirked and shouted, “Violent Dance of the Mad Dragon!”
Black Sable led my body forward. Spinning wildly, I transformed into a torrent of fangs and claws. My aura enveloped me and formed the shape of a gigantic black dragon that rushed toward Mi You’s attack.
I was certain that if Mi You survived our clash, she would seek revenge.
Just as our unstoppable attacks were about to collide, a blue light flashed through Mi You’s black aura, allowing her to forcibly change direction and redirect her attack toward Zi Yan.
I was stunned.
Only then did I realize that Mi You had intended Zi Yan as her target from the moment she said, “…let’s perish together!”
I could not comprehend how she managed to change direction during such a powerful attack.
Fortunately, I had only used eighty percent of my strength. The remaining power would prove vital.
The enormous black dragon formed by my spinning aura shifted direction and chased after Mi You.
Unfortunately, it was impossible for me to intercept her before she struck Zi Yan. Even though my speed was superior, I had not realized Mi You’s intentions quickly enough.
I gritted my teeth and rushed toward Zi Yan at full speed.
Just as the black glow emanating from Mi You pierced through Zi Yan’s Holy Barrier, my body—wrapped in the aura of the black dragon—moved directly into the path of the attack and absorbed its full force.
HONG!
The violent collision blasted an enormous crater into the ground, sending dust and debris soaring into the sky.
The raging shockwave threw Zi Yan aside, draining even more color from her already pale face.
When the dust settled, I stood in front of her.
Black Sable was in my hand, Mi You’s blood dripping from its blade.
Mi You stood about ten steps away, her hair disheveled and feathers falling from her wings. She stared at me bitterly, coughing mouthfuls of blood while pressing her wound.
Her eyes had already begun to lose focus.
Sighing, I said, “Leave now. Killing a woman is not worth staining my honor. I do not expect to see you again. However, if you reveal even a single word about what you saw today, I will find you. You will not be safe even if you hide within the depths of the Demon Race’s imperial castle. When that day comes, you cannot blame me for being ruthless toward a lady.”
Mi You glared at me fiercely while retreating step by step. Suddenly she turned and took to the sky, beating her wings with difficulty. Her erratic flight made it obvious she was severely injured.
I finally exhaled in relief as her swaying silhouette disappeared into the horizon.
Zi Yan walked to my side and frowned as she asked, “Why didn’t you kill her?”
I smiled bitterly at her, but I could no longer hold back the blood filling my mouth. It poured out as my strength gave way and I collapsed to the ground.
The wings on my back slowly withdrew into my body. The Fallen Angel transformation faded.
To save Zi Yan, I had used my body to block Mi You’s attack. Although the damage on the surface was minimal, every meridian channel inside my body had been heavily injured. I had endured the pain only to frighten Mi You away.
If she had struck once more, my soul would have gone straight to hell.
Startled, Zi Yan cried out and quickly supported my body.
“Are you okay?”
“My injuries are severe,” I said weakly. “Listen carefully. We cannot return the way we came. Even now, a large regiment from the surrounding Demon Race army may be searching for us. We must go deeper into their territory. Also, you must not use light-element magic to heal me. It will have the opposite effect. Let us wait here until I recover some strength. I will summon Black Dragon soon. When I do, make sure you bring me with you.”
Not long afterward, I summoned Black Dragon. With Zi Yan’s help, I mounted the horse. Zi Yan mounted behind me and allowed me to lean against her while I wrapped my arms around her waist. I ordered Black Dragon to follow Zi Yan’s commands.
Then I lost consciousness, Zi Yan’s faint fragrance lingering in my nose.
………………………………………………..
I woke from the severe pain caused by my damaged meridian channels and discovered that I was lying on a pile of leaves. Looking at the sky, I could tell it was about midnight. Zi Yan sat by the fire, poking at it absent-mindedly with a stick; I couldn’t tell what she was thinking about. In the firelight, Zi Yan’s face seemed exquisitely radiant; anyone seeing her face in that glow would not be able to resist basking in its beauty.
I activated the Demonic Arts and attempted to repair the meridian channels in my body. However, intense pain surged from the broken parts of my meridians. Unable to endure it, I cried out again.
Zi Yan snapped out of her thoughts and rushed to my side. “Lie down and don’t move, your injuries are quite severe. I didn’t dare try to heal you after what you said. We rode deeper into the Demon Race’s territory for about one hundred kilometers and only stopped because I was afraid your injuries might worsen. I’ve bandaged all your external wounds, but you’re the only one who can fix your internal injuries. We cannot let anything happen to you; you still have to protect me.”
The injuries this time were not as severe as those from the last time I fought in my Fallen Angel form, but the wounds that had only recently healed had reopened under the strain of new injuries. A full recovery would not be possible in a day or two. I nodded weakly and said, “Thank you. How is your wound?”
Zi Yan’s voice was gentle. “That kind of minor injury stopped being a problem long ago; healing is a magician’s specialty. Eat something. I brought rations.” While speaking, she returned to the fire and picked up several pieces of dry, charred meat. Zi Yan seemed slightly embarrassed, her face reddening as she said, “I’ve never cooked before, just make do with it while you eat. There’s nothing else right now.”
I tried to lift my hand to take the meat, but a sharp pain stopped me. Seeing my expression, Zi Yan quickly adjusted her position so I would not need to move. She tore off a strip of dried meat and placed it in my mouth.
In the darkness of the night, Zi Yan’s actions stirred an indescribable feeling within me. I barely tasted the meat. Neither of us spoke as Zi Yan continued tearing pieces of dried meat and feeding them to me. I quietly enjoyed her gentleness. Occasionally, her fingertips brushed my lips, sending an electric sensation through my body. The only time I had ever felt something similar was during my first kiss with Zi Xue.
After quite some time, I broke the silence when my stomach could hold no more food. “I’m full. You should eat something too.”
Zi Yan’s appetite was small; she ate only a little before stopping. She casually cast a low-level water-element spell, and several small orbs of water appeared before us.
Zi Yan took out two wooden bowls and poured the water into them. “Earlier, I used your sword to carve these bowls. You’re not angry, are you?” As she spoke, I noticed that each bowl had one of our names carved into it. Although magically created water did not taste particularly good, I drank it gladly.
Zi Yan removed the cloak from her body and draped it over me. “Sleep now. I hope you recover soon. If you need anything, call me.” After saying that, she walked to the fire and lay down.
I felt strangely refreshed. Zi Yan’s skill at dressing wounds was impressive. I wondered where she had found the cloth she used. I also wondered why she hadn’t asked about my Fallen Angel transformation. Wasn’t she curious? Her careful attention warmed my heart. Looking at the graceful silhouette of her back, I slowly drifted into sleep.
In the morning, the crisp sounds of birds woke me from my dreams. A night of good rest made me feel much better. My meridian channels had recovered only slightly, but my body’s resilience was strong, and the external wounds no longer troubled me.
The fire had long since burned out, thin smoke trailing from the embers. Beside the ashes, Zi Yan had curled up to keep warm. Supporting myself, I stood and walked over to her, covering her with the cloak she had lent me. At that moment I noticed her face was red, and unease rose within me.
“Zi Yan, wake up… wake up.”
To my surprise, she did not respond.
I placed my hand on her forehead and was startled to find it burning hot. This was bad—she had a fever. With Zi Yan’s ability as a light-element magician, she should not have fallen ill so easily. But after yesterday’s events and her injuries, it had happened anyway. Moreover, she had given me her cloak for warmth and endured the cold night herself. It was no wonder she had fallen sick.
Taking care of someone else proved unexpectedly difficult. Before long, sweat covered my forehead. When I raised my hand to wipe it away, I noticed that the dressing around my injured hand was not gauze but a strip of white cloth.
I crouched beside Zi Yan and carefully lifted the lower edge of her skirt slightly. Just as I expected, beneath her thin clothing there was nothing but smooth, pale skin.
Yesterday, Zi Yan had used her own undergarments to bandage my wounds.
My mind exploded.
HONG!
Confusion flashed across my eyes. Zi Yan had silently sacrificed so much for my sake. If not for me, she would never have fallen sick. Even if my heart had been made of steel, I could not remain unmoved by such selflessness.
As I lifted Zi Yan’s feverish body, she murmured weakly, “Water… water…”
With a wave of my hand, I created a water orb and poured it into the bowl carved with her name, then helped her drink a few small sips. I tore a strip of cloth from my own undergarment, soaked it with another water orb, folded it into a rectangle, and placed it on her forehead.
All I could do was hope she would wake soon.
Throughout the day I gave Zi Yan water more than twenty times and replaced the cold cloth on her head repeatedly. As evening approached, her forehead finally cooled somewhat; the fever had broken.
I rebuilt the campfire beside her and wrapped the cloak tightly around her. I did not dare sleep while she remained in this condition, so I began training instead. While cultivating, I stayed alert to her condition and simultaneously tried to repair my damaged meridian channels.
“Lei Xiang…? Lei Xiang…?”
Her faint voice pulled me from my training.
When I opened my eyes, I realized she was still asleep. She was murmuring my name again and again in her sleep.
I held her small, icy hand and whispered softly near her ear, “I’m here. Sleep well. When you wake up tomorrow, everything will be alright.”
Gradually, her murmuring faded and her expression returned to its usual calm. Even after she fell into deep sleep again, her hand continued gripping mine. I decided not to withdraw it.
I separated the Mad God chi from the dark energy of the Demonic Arts and carefully attempted to channel a small amount of Mad God chi into Zi Yan’s body to dispel her illness. At first it seemed effective, but as the energy began to settle it was immediately rejected by the holy power within her body.
The backlash from that divine energy nearly caused a deviation in my qi.
Pain and exhaustion overwhelmed me.
Everything went black.
I collapsed beside Zi Yan while still holding her delicate hand. As consciousness faded, I faintly felt warmth returning to her fingers.
Something damp brushed across my face. Sometimes it felt cold, sometimes warm. Half-asleep, I was too lazy to open my eyes as the sensation continued moving across my skin.
Gradually my thoughts cleared.
Only then did I realize what it was.
A soft, delicate hand.
Zi Yan’s hand.
Afraid she might notice I was awake, I kept my breathing steady and pretended to remain asleep.
“Lei Xiang, you sleep really soundly! Although I wasn’t quite conscious, I know you were taking care of me yesterday. Why are you so good to me? Hmm… why is your face red? Ah!”
Someone as perceptive as Zi Yan immediately realized what was happening. She quickly withdrew the hand that had been touching my face.
I could no longer pretend. Slowly opening my eyes, I forced my lips to move.
“Morning.”
Her face flushed red as she nodded awkwardly. “What morning? It’s already afternoon.”
It was true; the sun had already risen high in the sky.
“Ah… I slept that long. Are you feeling better?”
After a few more words, the awkwardness between us gradually eased. Zi Yan smiled softly. “I’m fine now. Thank you for yesterday.”
“Thank me for what? That was something I had to do. If you hadn’t helped me escape so far, we might already have been captured. You must be hungry. I’ll find something to eat since the rations are gone.”
As I stood up, I suddenly realized our hands were still tightly intertwined. Because they had remained that way all night, the darker skin of my hand had even begun turning slightly blue.
Zi Yan’s face turned red like an apple.
Our stiff fingers took several attempts before we finally managed to separate them.
An inexplicable emptiness appeared in my heart.
Zi Yan’s expression dimmed as well.
I bit into a fruit I had found in the forest, eating it without even knowing what it was. Zi Yan leaned against a tree nearby, eating the same fruit. Originally I had intended to hunt small animals for dinner, but Zi Yan insisted we should not kill merely to satisfy our hunger or we might incur divine punishment. No matter how much I argued, she refused to allow it.
I felt like a different person. Whenever I was around Zi Yan, the cold detachment I once carried simply disappeared.
In the end I could only accept her request.
I gathered many kinds of fruit from the forest. Zi Yan examined each briefly and easily selected the edible ones. Just like that, I had become a vegetarian.
By the time we finished eating, the sky had darkened and the last glow of the setting sun tinted the forest yellow.
Zi Yan spoke softly in awe. “If dusk weren’t approaching, the beauty of the sunset would be endless.”
She looked deeply moved.
An impulse suddenly surged within me. I want to tell her everything.
I forced the feeling down and spoke calmly. “Why does the sunset make you feel so emotional?”
Zi Yan turned and smiled gently. The softness of her expression stunned me momentarily. “I was thinking about my father and mother.”
Startled, I asked, “Are… are they unwell?”
Zi Yan smiled bitterly. “They appear fine on the surface, but do you truly think their relationship is harmonious? It isn’t. They are sacrifices of politics. My grandfather noticed my father’s potential and arranged their marriage. With my grandfather’s support, my father rose rapidly through the kingdom’s ranks until he reached his current position. Mother has always treated him with devotion, but Father only gives her the respect and concern expected of a husband.”
Who could understand this better than I could?
The Duke had once loved my mother deeply. If she had not been taken away by my father, the Beastmen King, neither Zi Yan nor Zi Xue would exist.
Of course… neither would I.
Fate truly enjoys making fools of people.
“After so many years, they must have found their own way of living,” I said quietly. “It’s not something you can change. Let things take their course.”
As the sun sank below the horizon, I returned with firewood and lit the campfire with a small fire spell. “Zi Yan, come closer to the fire. You just recovered from a fever. You shouldn’t catch another cold.”
She smiled sweetly. “I’m not that fragile.” Even so, she moved closer and sat beside the fire. “Are your injuries better? You were badly hurt protecting me.”
I frowned slightly. “You don’t need to thank me so much. Didn’t you save and nurse me as well?”
Our eyes met. Almost immediately, we both lowered our heads.
For a long time, neither of us spoke.
Finally I broke the silence. “Why didn’t you ask how I could transform into a Fallen Angel?”
Zi Yan’s body trembled slightly. “I realized it was your secret to tell, so I didn’t ask. I’m also afraid of knowing the truth. But if you ever want to tell me, I hope you will.”
I sighed softly. “Thank you for respecting my privacy. I don’t know why, but I really want to tell you what’s in my heart.”
Zi Yan smiled. “Didn’t you just say there’s no need for thanks? Just tell me whatever you want. I’ll always listen.”
Her words made my entire body tremble.
“I’m not human.”
The moment I said those words, a flash of shock crossed Zi Yan’s eyes—but it vanished instantly. Her composure was remarkable.
“I’m not a Demon either. Strictly speaking… I belong to the Beastmen.”
This time she could not hide her surprise. “What? You’re a Beastman? But you don’t look like one at all!”
“I’m a hybrid of human, Demon Race, and Beastmen blood,” I said slowly. “I have the strength of a Beastman, the appearance and intellect of a human, and the traits of the Demon Race… which allow me to transform into a Fallen Angel and use dark magic.”