A parent-murderer is a foe beyond all forgiveness.

For the next three years, every day for Ye Xuan felt like living through hell.

He was imprisoned in this demon palace floating above the clouds, facing that mad woman every single day.

She would suddenly burst into his room late at night just to watch him sleep.

She would sit across from him while he ate, staring at him obsessively as if he were the most precious treasure in the world.

She would guard him while he cultivated, recording every movement, every expression he made.

She would even barge in while he bathed, offering to scrub his back.

Ye Xuan’s privacy, in her presence, was completely erased.

Everything about him was under her watch.

But at the same time, she truly gave him the best resources.

With a mountain of treasures piled upon him, Ye Xuan somehow forced his way from a worthless person all the way to the Foundation Establishment stage.

It was a miracle.

In the world of cultivation, for someone with a waste spiritual root to reach the Foundation Establishment stage was nearly impossible.

But Bai Qiangu made it happen.

She used countless rare celestial herbs and treasures to forcibly reshape Ye Xuan’s waste root into a physique that could cultivate.

She used her own primal demonic energy day and night to help cleanse his meridians.

She even went so far as to deplete her own cultivation to rebuild his bones and foundations.

Pills like Marrow-Washing Elixirs, Yi Jin Jing techniques, dragon blood, phoenix marrow…

These priceless treasures were fed to Ye Xuan like candy.

Every dose was a torment.

Under the domineering force of those medicines, Ye Xuan’s body was torn apart again and again, only to be reborn each time.

He struggled in pain, growing through despair.

And Bai Qiangu stayed by his side, watching him suffer, watching him grow.

Her eyes were filled with a sick, twisted sense of satisfaction.

Because she knew that every drop of blood flowing through Ye Xuan bore her mark.

Every breath he took was a gift from her.

Every ounce of his cultivation came from her.

He was her creation.

He was her possession.

He could never escape.

One day, three years later, Bai Qiangu suddenly appeared in Ye Xuan’s room.

She wore a magnificent red gown, her face adorned with fine makeup, looking radiant and dazzling.

“My little husband,” she said with a smile, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “I think the time has come.”

“Time for what?” Ye Xuan asked coldly.

“The time for our wedding,” Bai Qiangu said matter-of-factly. “Now that you’re at the Foundation Establishment stage, you’re still weak, but at least no one will stare you to death with a single glance.”

“Besides…” She walked up to Ye Xuan and reached out to touch his face, but he dodged.

Her hand froze midair, hurt flashing in her eyes before she quickly forced a smile back.

“Besides, I can’t wait any longer,” she said softly. “I want the whole world to know that you are my husband.”

“I want to hold your hand openly, standing before everyone.”

“I want those who once looked down on me to see that Bai Qiangu, too, has someone she loves, someone who belongs to her happiness.”

As she spoke, her eyes reddened.

“My little husband, let’s get married, okay?” she pleaded, looking at him. “Just like we promised back then.”

Ye Xuan was silent for a long time, then finally said coldly, “I have no choice, do I?”

“You do,” Bai Qiangu said earnestly. “You can choose to agree, or…”

Her gaze suddenly turned icy: “I can kill the rest of your distant clan, make you the last bloodline of the Ye family, and then force you to agree.”

“Which do you choose?”

Ye Xuan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said, “I agree.”

“Wonderful!” Bai Qiangu’s face lit up instantly, gleeful as a child. “Then we’ll marry in three days!”

“I want this wedding to be the most splendid in all the cultivation world!”

“I want everyone to witness our happiness!”

She suddenly rushed forward and hugged him, burying her head against his chest.

“My little husband, I’m so happy…” Her voice quivered with emotion. “I’ve waited for this day for so, so long…”

Ye Xuan didn’t push her away. He just stood coldly, a hint of resolve flashing in his eyes.

Three days later.

Boundless Demon Sect was festooned with lanterns and banners, red silk fluttered, and characters for happiness were pasted all over the demon palace.

It was the most lavish wedding in demon cult history.

Bai Qiangu mobilized all her manpower and resources, decorating the entire palace like a fairyland.

Countless red petals drifted through the sky—blood-lotus petals conjured by magic, breathtakingly beautiful.

Thick red carpets stretched from the main gate deep into the hall.

The hall was filled with rare delicacies, top-tier ingredients gathered from all corners.

Leaders of major demon factions had arrived, bearing gifts and standing reverently on either side.

No one dared to be absent, for Bai Qiangu had made it clear: anyone who failed to come would have their entire clan wiped out.

“Congratulations to the Demon Sovereign on this joyous occasion!”

“Wishing the Demon Sovereign and Young Master Ye a hundred years of harmony!”

“Hail the Demon Sovereign!”

Flattery echoed from all sides.

Bai Qiangu sat on the high platform, wearing the red bridal gown she had spent three years meticulously preparing.

That gown was even more splendid, more exquisite, than three years ago. Every stitch, every thread, had poured out her whole heart.

Her face was elegantly made up, the tassels from her phoenix crown swaying in the wind, making her utterly ravishing.

But her eyes were fixed on the entrance to the hall, waiting for that person to appear.

In the rear chamber.

Ye Xuan stood before a bronze mirror gazing at himself in the groom’s attire.

It was a set of bright red wedding garments, finely crafted from luxurious material, with a jade belt around his waist and a gold crown on his head.

He looked like a real bridegroom.

But his eyes were cold, utterly devoid of warmth.

“Young master, it’s time to go,” a servant whispered timidly.

Ye Xuan didn’t move. Instead, he reached for something hidden in his sleeve.

It was a dagger.

A dagger coated with a deadly poison.

The poison, called Divine-Slayer Powder, had taken him two full years to secretly procure from the corpse of a demon cultivator.

It was said to be potent enough to kill even gods.

Ye Xuan didn’t know if it was true, but it was his only chance.

Tonight, either Bai Qiangu would die, or he would.

“Let’s go.” He took a deep breath and stepped out of the rear chamber.

“The groom arrives!”

the officiant’s loud voice rang out.

Everyone’s gaze turned to the entrance.

Ye Xuan walked in slowly, each step heavy and deliberate.

The moment Bai Qiangu saw him, her eyes lit up.

She stood up, quickly descended from the high platform, and walked toward him.

“My little husband…” Her voice trembled. “You look so handsome.”

Ye Xuan said nothing, just stared at her coldly.

Bai Qiangu didn’t mind. She took Ye Xuan’s hand, lacing her fingers through his.

“Come, let’s perform the bows,” she said with a smile, her eyes brimming with happiness.

They stood side by side in the center of the hall.

“First bow to heaven and earth…”

the officiant’s voice rose.

Bai Qiangu led Ye Xuan’s hand as they bowed together toward heaven and earth.

Ye Xuan followed mechanically, counting down silently in his mind.

“Second bow to ancestors…”

“Husband and wife bow to each other…”

The two stood facing each other.

Bai Qiangu looked at Ye Xuan, her eyes full of deep affection.

Ye Xuan looked back at Bai Qiangu, his eyes filled with nothing but hatred.

"The ceremony is complete! Escort them to the bridal chamber!"

Inside the bridal chamber, red candles burned brightly.

Bai Qiangu sat on the edge of the bed, her face flushed with shyness as she waited for Ye Xuan.

Her heart pounded so fast that her palms were sweating.

Although they had "shared a bed" for three years, it had always been forced on her part.

Today was different.

Today was the day of their official wedding.

Today, she wanted Ye Xuan to take the initiative for once.

"My little husband…" she called softly, "come here."

Ye Xuan picked up the two cups of wedding wine from the table and handed one to Bai Qiangu.

"First, we drink the cross-cupped wine," he said.

"All right." Bai Qiangu took the cup joyfully.

They linked arms and drank it all in one go.

The wine was strong, but Bai Qiangu found it sweet.

She set down the cup, gazing at Ye Xuan with hazy eyes, waiting for his embrace.

But instead—

What came was Ye Xuan's vicious stab.

He suddenly pulled a dagger from his sleeve and, with all his strength, drove it straight toward Bai Qiangu's heart.

"Die!!"

He roared, his eyes wild with madness and desperation.

This moment—he had waited too long for it.

In this moment, he had bet everything.

The dagger whistled through the air, aimed directly at her heart.

Bai Qiangu froze.

She never expected him to strike at a time like this.

Clang!

A sharp, crisp sound rang out.

The dagger tore through her clothes and struck her skin—

And then… it could go no deeper.

Bai Qiangu possessed an undying demonic body, tougher than any divine weapon or artifact.

This cheap dagger, even coated in deadly poison, was no more than a tickle to her.

The dagger left a faint white scratch on her skin before shattering piece by piece.

Ye Xuan stood stunned.

He stared at the broken dagger, at the unharmed Bai Qiangu, the hope in his eyes slowly dying.

"Why…" he murmured to himself, "why can't I kill you…"

"Why…"

He fell to his knees, burying his face in his hands, letting out a desperate sob.

Bai Qiangu looked down at the scratch on her chest, then at Ye Xuan kneeling and weeping on the floor.

Her gaze shifted—from shock, to heartache, then to disappointment, finally settling into a deep, suffocating coldness.

"Do you really want to kill me that badly?"

Her voice was barely a whisper, almost inaudible.

But her tone was as cold as if it came from the depths of the Nine Nether Hells.

Ye Xuan lifted his head, his eyes bloodshot. "The blood feud for killing my parents and my wife—there's no sharing the sky with you!"

"Well said—no sharing the sky," she said.

Bai Qiangu suddenly smiled, laughing until tears streamed down her face.

"I slaughtered the world for you. I bore hatred and curses for you. I gave up everything for you…"

"I thought, even if you hated me, at least… at least there was still a place for me in your heart."

"But you?"

Her voice began to tremble.

"You actually tried to kill me?"

"On our wedding night, in my happiest moment—you tried to kill me?"

"Ye Xuan…"

She lunged forward and grabbed his wrist. With a crack, she crushed his bones.

"Ah!"

Ye Xuan screamed in agony. The dagger fell to the floor.

"You know what?" Bai Qiangu leaned in close, her eyes wildly unhinged. "I could have dodged that just now."

"But I didn't."

"Because I wanted to see if you truly meant to kill me."

"Now I know."

Her tears dripped onto Ye Xuan's face. "You really, truly want to kill me."

"Then let me show you…"

She shoved Ye Xuan onto the bed and climbed on top of him.

Her red wedding dress spread out around her like a blood-colored net, trapping Ye Xuan completely.

"I truly love you."

That night was Ye Xuan's nightmare.

Bai Qiangu became like a rabid beast, possessing him in the most primal and brutal way.

She bit him, clawed him, leaving countless marks on his body.

She wanted to make him remember that he belonged to her.

She wanted him to know the cost of betraying her.

"Ye Xuan…" she whispered in his ear, her voice hoarse and crazed, "You are mine…"

"Mine alone…"

"Forever and always…"

The red candles burned out. The sky began to lighten.

Morning

The next morning.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling upon the disheveled bed.

A stark splash of red stained the bedsheet—Bai Qiangu's blood.

Ye Xuan sat slumped on the bed, his body bruised and covered in bite marks and scratches.

His eyes were hollow, like a shattered porcelain doll.

Bai Qiangu sat beside him, refreshed and radiant.

She reached out and caressed Ye Xuan's face, her voice dripping with tenderness:

"Husband, from now on, we're truly married."

"I'll be good to you—as long as you behave."

Ye Xuan closed his eyes. Two streaks of clear tears slid down his cheeks.

In that moment, the hatred in his heart had thickened to an unbearable depth.

He swore—one day, he would make Bai Qiangu pay.

Even if it meant grinding his bones to dust, even if it meant a thousand torments, he would have his revenge.

In the days after their marriage, Ye Xuan seemed to have accepted his fate.

He no longer kept his face cold. He no longer refused Bai Qiangu's closeness.

He began to learn how to please her.

"Qiangu, this pastry is delicious. Try it."

"Qiangu, your dress looks beautiful today."

"Qiangu, let me comb your hair."

These words, these gestures, drove Bai Qiangu wild with joy.

She thought Ye Xuan was finally beginning to accept her, finally beginning to love her.

"My little husband, do you really want to comb my hair for me?" Her eyes reddened with excitement.

"Mm." Ye Xuan smiled tenderly. "You're my wife. It's only right that I comb your hair."

"My little husband…" Bai Qiangu turned and hugged him, burying her face in his chest. "I'm so happy…"

"I knew, one day, you would come to love me."

"I just knew…"

She cried, cried like a child.

All the grievances, pain, and bitterness of the past three years dissolved into tears in that moment.

Ye Xuan held her, a gentle smile on his face.

But his eyes were as cold as ice, devoid of any warmth.

He was acting.

He had realized—as long as he went along with Bai Qiangu slightly, she would give him more freedom, more resources.

He would use this to make himself stronger.

Strong enough that one day, he could kill her.