A moment later.
The Fire Crow Taoist slowly regained consciousness, his vision clearing to reveal the sinister grin of Gu Qingfeng.
"Ah!"
He let out a startled cry, nearly fainting again from terror, but Gu Qingfeng grabbed him by the scruff and yanked him upright.
Slap! Slap!
Two heavy smacks landed on his face.
"Feeling awake now?"
"Y-y-yes..." The Fire Crow Taoist nodded frantically.
"Good. Let’s continue."
The Fire Crow Taoist’s legs immediately gave way, nearly collapsing under his own weight.
"My lord, this humble demon has exhausted all his demonic energy. I truly can’t go on."
"Really? Nothing left?" Gu Qingfeng asked, half-skeptical.
"Absolutely, not a single drop remains!"
"Oh. Then you’re useless now." Gu Qingfeng raised his fist, preparing to smash the Fire Crow Taoist’s skull.
The Fire Crow Taoist’s face paled in horror. This man doesn’t follow the usual script at all!
Panicking, he shrieked, "My lord, spare me! Don’t you want to know who sent me? Aren’t you the least bit curious how a great demon like me, at the sixth level of Dragon Transformation, could waltz so deep into the heart of the Great Yan Dynasty without resistance? Or how I knew your exact whereabouts?"
Gu Qingfeng’s fist paused mid-air. "Now that you mention it, I am a little curious. Should we go through the formalities?"
The Fire Crow Taoist nodded like a madman. "Ask away, my lord! I’ll tell you everything!"
Whack!
"Why the hell should I ask? You just listed all the questions—just answer them!"
The Fire Crow Taoist grimaced, adjusting his nearly broken beak. "It was the Crown Prince of the Great Yan Dynasty. He contacted the Ten-Thousand Demon Nation, promised them benefits, and then I was sent here."
"Ah, the Crown Prince. Not surprising."
With that, Gu Qingfeng raised his fist again.
"W-wait! My lord, I’m still useful! Very useful!" the Fire Crow Taoist pleaded, cowering in fear.
"What use do you have?"
"My lord, I noticed you traveled here by palanquin. Might this humble demon have the honor of serving as your mount?"
"You?" Gu Qingfeng’s face twisted in disdain. "A measly sixth-level Dragon Transformation demon? And a crow, no less? Even Demon Pu is better than you. Riding you would be an embarrassment."
The Fire Crow Taoist was speechless. Since when was the sixth level of Dragon Transformation something to scoff at?
"My lord, don’t judge me just because I’m a crow. I carry a trace of the Golden Crow’s bloodline! That’s why I possess such mastery over fire. Riding me would be almost like riding a Golden Crow—just a tiny bit less impressive!"
Gu Qingfeng couldn’t help but laugh. "You really know how to flatter yourself. But fine, I might as well keep you. You said you’re from the Ten-Thousand Demon Nation? What’s that place?"
"The Ten-Thousand Demon Nation is a kingdom of demons and monsters—the largest demonic faction in existence. Just cross the Two Realms Mountain in the far west of the Great Yan Dynasty, and you’ll reach its lands."
"Oh." Gu Qingfeng nodded. "So it’s paradise. Nice place."
He was intrigued. Keeping the Fire Crow Taoist might not be a bad idea—at the very least, he could serve as a guide.
"Fine. Swear your loyalty to me."
"Eh?" The Fire Crow Taoist blinked, wondering if he’d misheard. Swear loyalty? Who still believes in verbal oaths these days?
He had fully expected to be branded with a curse or have his soul fragmented. As long as he survived, he could always find a way to break free once he returned to the Ten-Thousand Demon Nation.
But this man actually wanted... a promise?
Hahaha... No way. Is there really someone this naive?
"Y-yes! This humble demon swears it!" The Fire Crow Taoist raised his featherless wing in haste, spewing the most extravagant oaths he could think of.
An oath cost nothing, so he piled on the theatrics—pledging undying loyalty, swearing on his ancestors, even invoking absurd curses on himself.
Gu Qingfeng listened, satisfied. "Didn’t expect you to be so sincere."
Once the oath was complete, the Fire Crow Taoist asked eagerly, "My lord, does that suffice?"
"It does. From now on, you’re my mount."
I’m saved! The Fire Crow Taoist rejoiced inwardly. The moment Gu Qingfeng lifted the spatial seal, he’d bolt.
As a crow with a trace of the Golden Crow’s bloodline, he had absolute confidence in his speed.
But just as he was fantasizing about escape, a thin, ethereal line materialized in the air—an Oath Thread—binding itself to him.
The Fire Crow Taoist froze, his mind blank. He dumbly traced the thread with his eyes... and saw the other end connected to Gu Qingfeng.
Wait...
Why does this look so familiar? I’ve seen it in ancient texts before...
Oh no.
The Heavenly Demon Chronicles—
His thoughts screeched to a halt. His beak fell open, his entire body petrified.
"Y-y-you... a-a-are... a... Heavenly Demon!"
Whack!
Gu Qingfeng smacked him. "Quit stuttering! What’s so shocking about a Heavenly Demon? Control yourself—you’re my mount now. Don’t embarrass me!"
Thud.
The Fire Crow Taoist collapsed to his knees, trembling. "This lowly demon was blind! I failed to recognize your exalted true form—forgive my—"
"Enough. Keep it quiet. This stays between us."
"Y-yes! Understood!"
Suddenly, his broken bones didn’t matter anymore.
A Heavenly Demon! A being even mightier than the gods of legend! This must be his incarnate form in this realm! To serve such an unfathomable existence... I wouldn’t trade this even for the throne of the Ten-Thousand Demon Nation!
"Good. For now, I don’t need a mount. I have a task for you instead."
"Command me, exalted one! This humble demon would walk through fire for you!"
Gu Qingfeng nodded and explained his plan—to raid the Demon Suppression Prison and gather demons, mentioning his allies, Li Qianren and Su Mei.
Though the Fire Crow Taoist didn’t understand why he needed demons, he dismissed the thought. An existence like his must have profound reasons beyond my comprehension.
"Go, then." Gu Qingfeng dispelled the spatial barrier.
The Fire Crow Taoist kowtowed deeply before taking flight, glancing back repeatedly with reluctant reverence.
Among demons, strength was everything—their hierarchy was far more brutal than humanity’s. Survival of the fittest was carved into their bones. Now that he believed himself tied to a Heavenly Demon, the Fire Crow Taoist saw only glory ahead.
This is my chance to rise—to stand above all others!
And so, he flew off, already scheming how best to serve his newfound master.
ial death, also known as "shè sǐ" in Chinese, generally refers to... well, never mind, it's not important. My name is Ye Cheng, and I'm about to experience social death firsthand. ... 【Host, your mission is to confess your love to the young lady of the Dongfang family, the current student council president, in a way that will be unforgettable for everyone at the freshman ceremony!】 【Host, assist the girl with a sprained ankle in front of you to reach the infirmary, and fulfill the wicked thoughts in your heart!】 【Host, act on your desires and punish the arrogant young lady before you mercilessly!】 【Host, follow your instincts—abandon shameful surrender, begging, or groveling, and ruthlessly criticize the domineering, ill-mannered young lady in front of you!】 【Host...】 Ye Cheng: "Here, here, you take this host role—I quit!" Wait, why is the girl with a sprained ankle the daughter of a mafia boss? And what kind of punishment method is this for the arrogant young lady? Also, who the heck said anything about wicked thoughts in my heart? Come out here, let’s settle this one-on-one!!! ... The haughty student council president, the scheming mafia princess, the fragile yandere young lady, the airheaded maid-in-waiting, the mixed-blood loli/...
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
