Is There a Bit of Distance Between Us

"Yun taught me this. She said this is the way to handle things if you want to become Su Luo's subordinate. If you can't win a fight, just hide behind Su Luo and don't drag her down. If you can win, go all out and don't hold back—maintain Su Luo's reputation in the Heavenly Demon Sect. She also said that our Su Demoness isn't someone to be trifled with."

Su Luo: ......

Thank you, Yun, for looking out for my reputation, but somehow this feels a bit off.

After Little Yu finished speaking, she seemed to think of something new and put on a determined expression.

"In that case, I should also protect Su Luo's reputation and become her most loyal subordinate. Ah, but Yun said she's already the most loyal, so I'll settle for being the second most loyal."

"What are you talking about? Don't just believe everything she says. I don't need anyone's approval in the Heavenly Demon Sect."

"Hehe, I just feel really upset when people badmouth Su Luo."

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. We've been out all day—any thoughts?" Su Luo asked.

Not everyone is suited for life in the Heavenly Demon Sect.

"Su Luo, I don't really like it here. The people are strange, and the environment isn't great either."

"Right? That's why coming here is more like suffering. It's really not as good as the Seven Stars Sword Sect."

"Not really. I don't care about anything else. As long as you're here, that's enough for me."

"You're getting better at sweet-talking. You're going to make me get a big head."

"But I'm just telling the truth."

Su Luo was completely disarmed by Little Yu's sincerity.

"Haha, let's head back."

"Mm, let's go."

......

After touring the Heavenly Demon Sect, Su Luo's daily life returned to normal.

Little Yu continued to focus on her cultivation, while Yun hovered around Su Luo as usual. She had always been like this, claiming that this was how a proper subordinate should act—always available whenever needed.

How bold of her.

But Su Luo didn't demand anything from her, letting her do as she pleased. She only occasionally reminded Yun not to fill Little Yu's head with strange ideas.

A few days later, the Demon Lord sought out Su Luo again.

"I'm feeling much better."

"Mm, so what brings you here?" Su Luo didn't think it was just a casual visit.

"Can't I just come to see you for no reason?"

"Of course, you're the Demon Lord." Su Luo's tone was full of respect, lacking the casualness of before.

Naturally, since the Demon Lord had regained some of her strength—though not much—Su Luo couldn't afford to be too casual anymore. Being friends with the Demon Lord? That was a joke.

"Our relationship isn't that distant, is it?" Jiang Ningshu said.

"Demon Lord, please maintain your dignity. We are merely ordinary superior and subordinate."

"Fine. I need some company to adjust my mood recently. Will you accompany me?"

"Demon Lord, I'll be traveling soon. I apologize."

"What if I order you to?"

Even if it's an order, I won't comply. This is about the plot.

Just as Su Luo was about to say this, the Demon Lord spoke first: "Never mind, I won't force you. Do what you need to do."

So agreeable? Perfect.

Su Luo had something to ask: "Demon Lord, how did you recover your strength so quickly?"

"Wasn't it the method you gave me? It's always been this fast. Didn't you know?" Jiang Ningshu shamelessly shifted the blame to Su Luo.

"Was the effect really that good?" Su Luo began to wonder if she had given the wrong method.

"Of course. But recently, this method seems to have stopped working. I can't recover any further. Do you have a new method?"

Jiang Ningshu was just asking casually. She doubted Su Luo would say anything, and given her recent low spirits, even if there was a method, she probably wouldn't feel too happy about it.

"No. Congratulations on regaining your strength. The Heavenly Demon Sect will surely return to its former glory under your leadership."

"Unfortunately, this level of strength isn't enough to command respect."

"I believe the Demon Lord will fully recover." Su Luo offered a few words of flattery.

"Has there been some distance between us?" Jiang Ningshu stepped closer to Su Luo.

"Demon Lord, I was disrespectful before. Now that you've regained your strength, I can't afford to be casual anymore."

"No need. We can speak normally."

"Understood." Yet Su Luo's tone remained serious, devoid of her previous casual demeanor.

Jiang Ningshu shook her head, feeling a wave of melancholy. She had forgotten how to interact with others and didn't say anything more.

......

About a month passed, and the time had come.

Su Luo opened her diary.

[The Demon Lord has regained quite a bit of strength, but it's still within control.]

[She was lucky to recover to the first stage. She must not progress to the next stage—the second stage is much more difficult than the first...]

[...Only then will the second stage be complete. It's quite complicated.]

[Speaking of which, the Demon Lord is really pitiful, having killed her own close friend.]

[Last time I saw her, she said she was fine. I almost couldn't hold back my laughter. Has she not looked in the mirror? She looks so haggard.]

[But I'm a heartless person. If I say I won't comfort her, I won't. Even if I did, I'd just say, 'Good riddance. That person deserved to die long ago. It's not worth ruining your mental state over them.']

[Enough about the Demon Lord. Back to my plot. After this power-up, it's time to get humiliated again.]

[First, the beast army. The plan to conquer the South Continent has been going on for a while, but there have been constant obstacles. Not much has been conquered, but the losses are piling up. This time, General Black Horn can't sit still anymore and decides to lead the troops himself.]

[Coincidentally, our Heavenly Demon Sect is also making a move at this time, gathering the power of the Seven Disciples to counterattack Lin Xuan—all for the sake of pride.]

[This time, it's a pincer attack on Lin Xuan and his group, with the beast army and the Heavenly Demon Sect striking simultaneously.]

[Neither side is easy to deal with, and the atmosphere is filled with desperation.]

[People are already panicking before the fight even begins, losing their composure.]

[But Lin Xuan always finds a way out in desperate situations.]

[He fights the beast army during the day and the Heavenly Demon Seven Disciples at night, going three days and nights without sleep.]

[He's practically superhuman, breaking his own record once again.]

[Seeing this, our Heavenly Demon Sect thought victory was assured. After exhausting Lin Xuan for three days, we finally joined the fight, with the Seven Disciples surrounding Lin Xuan.]

[At this point, Lin Xuan had just come out of his Raging Fire Lotus state and was extremely weak—definitely no match for the Seven Disciples.]

[So his companions stepped in to fight us, buying time for Lin Xuan.]

[By the time his companions were defeated, it was Lin Xuan's turn to counterattack.]

[A month was enough for Lin Xuan to make progress again. Despite his injuries, he managed to take on all seven of us single-handedly. Except for me, the other six disciples were killed.]