As Mo Geilian persisted in his pitch, Ye Yu, not wishing to lose any more face, clamped his hand over Mo Geilianâs mouth and dragged him off.
Xu Nanqiao could only shake her head helplessly, tearing up the manuscript she had just written and tossing the scraps aside.
Then she stood silently, gazing at the great chasm above the Demon Lord Hall, lost in thought.
Though Eastern Yao Prefecture lay far from Lotus Flower Prefecture, Ye Yu and Mo Geilian sped back swiftly, arriving in the Demon Lord Hall of Lotus Flower Prefecture in no time.
All the way there, Mo Geilian acted like a high-value salesman, extolling the virtues of the fairy heâd procuredâso much that Ye Yuâs ears felt calloused from listening.
But upon reaching the hall, Ye Yu suddenly entertained a thought: could this fellow have, by sheer accident, snatched away Ye Yuâs own wifeâfreshly ascended to the Celestial Realm? Perhaps Li Ruowang, Hong Luan, Liang Yu, or the like. After all, if sheâd ascended during this time, Mo Geilian couldâve easily captured her, fitting perfectly the description âbreathtakingly beautiful.â
With that in mind, Ye Yu hurriedly asked, âWhatâs the name of the fairy you kidnapped?â
Mo Geilian chuckled, replying softly, âBig brother, you joke! If Iâve stolen a celestial being, why would I bother learning her name? Whoever she is, Iâd snatch her just the same!â
Ye Yuâs expression turned strange. Where did this blasted sense of superiority come from? How could someone be this gleeful every single day? Could this be the fabled self-satisfaction of the spirit?
Never mindâheâd see soon enough.
Without another word, Ye Yu strode into the hall. Immediately he spotted the fairyâs silhouette: bound head to toe in purple demon ropes, utterly immobile.
At one glance, Ye Yuâs heart steadied. The reason was simple: this back didnât belong to his wifeâit wasnât that burly, that reassuringly sturdy.
âHow about it, big brother? Do you like her? Perfect, right? I tell you, sheâs quite strong!â Mo Geilian pressed eagerly.
Ye Yu kicked him so hard he flew across the hall. Then Ye Yu approached the fairy.
Her appearance was passableâabout eight out of ten in heroic bearing, perhaps even a bit overbearing. Confirmed by the look in Ye Yuâs eyes: not the one he liked.
Still, this muscular build hardly matched a typical fairy!
Perhaps sensing Ye Yuâs odd gaze, the fairy snapped angrily, âHmph, demon fiend, what are you staring at?â
Ye Yu said nothing, merely snapped his fingers. Instantly, a formation rose beneath her feet, muffling her voice completely.
He beckoned, and Mo Geilian reappeared. âBig brother, meeting the real dealâarenât you thrilled? Delighted? Excited? Come on, praise meâdonât hold back! Iâm never proud, you know!â
Ye Yu seized Mo Geilianâs mouth. âNow. I speak. You listen. Understood?â
Mo Geilian nodded fervently. When Ye Yu released him, five deep finger imprints marked his lips, evidence of the force used. Mo Geilian felt tears well upâhow dare his brother treat him like a fairy!
Ye Yu murmured, âBefore, when you said youâd get me a fairy, I wanted to refuse. But since you meant well, I didnât scold you. Yet one thing puzzles me: why would you think Iâd like a sturdy fairy? Isnât a more graceful one attractive? Or do you not understand what a slender figure is?â
Mo Geilian looked puzzled. âBig brother, I truly donât get âgraceful.â In our demon race, strength is prized. Look at that broad backâdoesnât it feel safe? And only a powerful body can bear demon offspring. To me, sheâs the most beautiful of fairies. Those with thin arms and legsâI canât stand any of them!â
Hearing such earnest conviction, Ye Yu finally relaxed. So Mo Geilian wasnât teasing himâhis aesthetic was simply different. And it was good-intentioned.
Ye Yu exhaled and turned to leave. Mo Geilian, unaware of Ye Yuâs thoughts, hurried after him. âBig brother, [N O V E L I G H T] whatâs wrong? Why leave? Isnât she beautiful? Impossibleâyou must think sheâs gorgeous!â
Ye Yu shot back, âIf you think sheâs beautiful, stay with her. I donât like her!â
Mo Geilian froze, a rare blush coloring his usually bold face. âHuh? Thatâs not rightâsheâs the demon mate I got for you! How can you just leave her to me?â
Ye Yu had already walked off, but seeing Mo Geilianâs awkward posture, he suddenly thrust a punch behind him, the fierce wind blasting Mo Geilian away. âIf I ever see that disgusting look on your face again, Iâll turn you from male demon into female demon!â
Three months passed.
Ye Yu had ascended to the peak of the Demon Lord Realm, just one step from the half-Demon Emperor Realm. Crucially, heâd discovered a method for rapid cultivation: training within a magic-infused secret realm where time flowed differentlyâone day inside equaled an hour outside. Quiet, swift, plus some Daoist texts. Ye Yu believed that upon entering that realm, heâd soon reach the pinnacle.
Unfortunately, that realm opened only three months each yearâand three days remained until its next opening. So Ye Yu had to wait.
During this interval, several interesting events occurred. First, Mo Geilian truly did end up with that fairy. How he persuaded her to renounce the enmity between realms and become his demon mate remained a mysteryâtruly a remarkable feat.
Their union caused quite a stir in the Demon Realm. Everyone believed Mo Geilian ought to have slain that fairy. After all, demon and fairyâhow could they be together?